TV Review: Liar Episode 1

Yes I know this is a poster for the American broadcast, but it's quite slick and I like it!

It's days like today that I love social media! I saw the memedom go to town on Liar after it aired last night on ITV. So of course I had to watch it to see what all the fuss was about (in between my Call the Midwife marathon. That will be reviewed when I catch up!) 

For those of you who do not know, Liar is a drama starring Joanne Froggatt (Anna from Downton Abbey, and she played a serial killer in Dark Angel last year) and Ioan Gruffudd (Captain Fantastic in Fantastic Four, or the really dishy one who almost seduced Beckett in an episode of Castle) as Laura and Andrew, a teacher and a surgeon who meet for a date, and the ensuing events lead to two VERY different accounts. Laura accuses Andrew of rape, while Andrew denies anything happened.

So the million dollar question, and the main plot line, is who's lying? And I am sure the writers (who wrote the Missing too) will have us flip flopping between the two over the next six episodes.

Bottom line, did I enjoy it? Well yes, as much as one can given the subject matter. The episode blatantly sets you up to believe Laura, until a thing at the end (no spoilers don't worry). And her originally idyllic supportive sister isn't so perfect by the end. I kind of guessed that beforehand. After Broadchurch (RIP) I kind have to over-deconstruct every character in a show like this. 

Right now, the show feels like it is laying on extra elements to make the show worthy of a six episode run. With just the main story, I would have made it three or four tops. I will be interested to see where the side plots go. Also I'm a bit rubbish at pointing out the real culprits in these 'who is it?' format. But I am on a mission to get this one right.

I'm not sure if I will review this every week at the moment, but I will definitely try if each episode has enough to write about. I have a lot of my TV back in the next few weeks so I might have to prioritise! 

If not, I try to live tweet when I watch things live (or as close to live as I can) so drop me a follow @bylauramfox! 

What I'm watching on TV right now

I watch a LOT of TV. A dangerous amount. Whether that be on Netflix, an actual TV (because they still exist apparantly!) or on my iPad as I try to speed up my commutes or pretend to ignore the people bashing my shoulder as they walk through the train aisle.

The types of TV I watch are a bit all over the place, but some of the shows are not as watched so I am here to give them some recognition and love with a list of the 5 TV shows I watch the most. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum.

And these are CURRENT TV shows, ones that have ended do not apply. And yes, that includes Sherlock! It took me about a month to get over that ending though!

Let the list begin!

1. Scorpion: This show HAS to be first because I love it. It's definitely an example of a show with less of following, but we Scorpion fans are out there! Basically it's about a group of geniuses who are given problems only they can solve, and most involved nuclear weapons, international problems, or some kind of major tech meltdown. I don't just love it because of the different cases they undertake, but the characters are just so much fun. It's quite a light-hearted show, but can also rain down the feels upon us at the right moments. Relationships between the characters also drive the series (yeah, those kinds of relationships). It's on ITV2 in the UK, and the first two series are on Netflix as well. Literally counting down the days until Season 4 starts!
2. How to Get Away with Murder: Viola Davis is an absolute powerhouse,  and the twists and turns in this show keep me coming back. The title kind of explains the plot, but it's much more complicated now so I shall just say it's a courtroom drama about law students. It is a bit OTT sometimes, but I kind of love that because it has that guilty pleasure vibe (a bit like Love Island!). Again I cannot WAIT for Season 4, and it's on Netflix for UK watchers, but they are a tad behind in episodes so be warned!
3. Victoria: I love a period drama (Mr Selfridge was my show for four years) and I am beyond excited for the return of this. I was already on board because Jenna Coleman has been in another show that I will talk about momentarily. But it wasn't just her that got my attention after I started watching Victoria. I love seeing this feminist icon in her early days, stripping away that battle-axe persona of Queen Victoria that is engrained in history. She was a romantic too! And it's on ITV so easy to catch!
4. Doctor Who: This is a difficult one for me, because since my beloved David Tennant left the show, I've had very mixed views on the doctors that have come since, and I am extremely apprehensive about the idea of a female doctor. That being said, I love re-watching the Ten era, Eleven has grown on me over time and the 50th is flat out epic. It's still current so it makes my list, although it's older eps that keep me coming back. Obviously this is a BBC staple, and it might be on a streaming service but I'm not sure.
5. Will and Grace: I know, I know, this show has technically ended, but it's coming back this autumn for two new series at least so it counts. I got into Will and Grace after watching their Trump sketch last year, and while I don't have the time to catch up on every single episode, I have a jist of what's happened, and I've watched the finale several times. It's just such a funny show, and because it's only half an hour, it's an easy watch without too much substantial thought. I don't know when it will be airing in the UK or what channel, but I will probably tweet it when I find out. (Shameless Twitter plug @bylauramfox)

So yeah that's my favourite shows right now. Shoutout to Castle which is over now but that show was SO good (we won't talk about the finale. Just go on Tumblr to see how they ruined the end!)

Sidenote: I'm not really sure where I'm going to go with this blog. I kind of just want to publish my thoughts and musings on things at the moment. We shall see.

Either way give me a follow on Twitter @bylauramfox