The best show of 2016 just happened.

[The Curmudgeon]

I know, I know. In this landscape of never-better TV, "the best show of the year" could be rounded up to about ten strong contenders. Well, a four part British drama just came in annihilated pretty much anything other than the top three. At least.



They say the best TV series reflects the times we live in, and "National Treasure" is a depressingly all-too familiar tale. Beloved TV star and household name is suddenly charged with rape from thirty years ago. Then other names come forward, and suddenly a star we all grew up with is being charged on multiple charges of rape, sexual assault and child molestation.

The US had Bill Cosby, of course, but in the UK we've had Sir Jimmy Saville, a larger than life TV personality for over forty years, was revealed to be the worst pedophile the country has ever seen. Rolf Harris, a childhood icon, is in jail sex with minors. Gary Glitter, glam rock icon, now despised child molester.

And that's where "National Treasure" comes in, acknowledging these past monsters and now finding a climate where tabloids spring upon any of these stories like rabid dogs, where lawyers try to trick rape victims into making mistakes in court and where a celebrities family have to live with the constant glare of smartphone camera's wherever they go.

It's brave, heart-stopping stuff, an acting and writing masterclass from start to finish. It's only four episodes long but has anyone who's happened to see it buzzing about it.

If you're in the UK, it's on demand now. If you're in the US, keep an eagle out for this one. Just remember to avoid spoilers.

[trashcanman]

Hmmm. I'd have given this one a pass, but I guess I'll have to look into it.

[trashcanman]

Alright, it just came up on Hulu and I binged the whole thing tonight. Glacial pace for only a 4 episode series (my wife gave up 20 minutes in) and I won't say it's at all better than The People vs. OJ Simpson (which I finished just before), but it ended really strong. The editing was atrocious, though, with some really ugly cuts and while I like the visual of all of the unusual colors and lighting, I find it really distracted at times (like when the wife's hair was green from the light reflected off the walls) from the drama of the material.

Here there be spoilers.

It was interesting that I sort of assumed the protagonists' innocence until the end when it was revealed that he was guilty on at least one count, which was the show's thought-provoking masterstroke. He acted really sure of himself and his wife and daughter knew him so well and he just seemed a really honest dude. But I guess some people really are just that soulless when it comes to other peoples' pain. And maybe this is a man thing, but I've never understood and probably never will understand how a woman decides decades after the fact to go after their rapist. I've had this discussion online (bad idea) and was treated as though I was condoning rape or blaming the victims, but I never will be able wrap my head around why you don't go straight from the scene of the attack to the police. Embarrassment and shame be damned, if somebody commits a crime that horrible, you don't keep it secret for years and years and then charge him after all of the evidence is gone and expect justice. It's horribly tragic that this happens, but we can hardly live in a society where all you have to do is point a finger and somebody gets locked up with no evidence, can we? Definitely a brave and fascinating series, but I'd say Black Mirror and OJ were better.

[The Curmudgeon]

Glad you enjoyed it. I don't remember much about the editing, if I'm being honest. The People Vs OJ was just spectacular TV from minute one. Absolutely loved it, and I knew very little about the case, or Simpson for that matter.

Anyway, about National Treasure; the whole thing is loosely based on an ongoing scandal that's dominated UK news for the last few years. "Operation Yewtree" is a, I think still active, police operation that's uncovering and exposing high profile pedophiles. Some of the biggest household names in the UK, guys with 40-50 years behind them on our TV screens, all being rounded up. Jimmy Saville was one of the biggest stars the country had ever seen; a genuine eccentric, a TV presenter and all round old school showman who was even knighted by the Queen. He's now known as the single worst sexual predator and child rapist in the history of the country.

And the victim's tales are all too similar; the girls DID come forward, they DID report it, but they either weren't believed, were blamed or were told to keep their mouths shut. Jimmy Saville had his own key to a hospital ward (if you've seen a recent episode of Sherlock, there's a villain who is obviously based on him), and used to routinely show up to molest the kids there and even interfere with CORPSES.. the only thing the nurses could do was to tell the kids to pretend to be asleep if he showed up.

So I guess that if someone's voice DOES get heard, and you were a victim years ago and you see that it happened to someone else, then you come forward with a chance to be heard too. That's guesswork, but it does seem to be the common theme.

[trashcanman]

Wow, that is truly horrific. I can't even wrap my head around a world that fucked up. But yeah, the OJ thing was absolute insanity when it happened. I remember the morning they read the verdict. I was in class and a black kid was literally running through the hallways screaming it. Never seen anything like that trial.