My DIY film/writing school

Doves of War

Doves of War, the new NZ drama on TV3, is absolutely brilliant. If you'd asked me if this little country can produce something along the lines of Manchurian Candidate I would've looked doubtful, but thankfully, this programme has proved me wrong.

Great plot, very ambivalent protagonist - yet you back him, even though he seems to be a bad guy, covering up the truth.

Nice international flavour - although comedienne Ginnette McDonald wasn't too convincing as a... I'm not even sure what nationality she was supposed to be. Ah the perils of typecasting. She'll always be Lynn of Tawa to me.

As I say, absolutely brilliant writing work by Greg McGee, one of NZ's top TV writers. I would like to shake that man's hand one day.

And of course, there was something just as compellingly watchable on another channel - Dragon's Den, a UK show where inventors and entrepreneurs pitch to the 'dragons' a group of investors. Very interesting, especially to listen to what the investors wanted to know.

It made me think, I'm lucky to have been so inculcated with marketing, because it's just in the way I think now. Sure, TV and film is art, but it also represents an investment from someone, so you need to think the way investors think to understand how you'll get some money.

Fascinating stuff. Can't wait to get our broken VCR back from the repairers to tape one or other of these great Thursday night programmes...

An update, 4 Feb:

According to Mediacom's media newsletter, ratings were really disappointing for Doves of War. They were also in the states for Commander in Chief, which I really enjoyed the pilot of. Hm. Maybe I don't have mainstream tastes...

posted by Simon @ 11:39 am