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The Black Donnellys - Series 1 - Complete [2007]


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Very dissapointing Series
Review date: 2008-02-23 Rating: 4 out of 10

The New York Irish American organised crime genre should make great subject matter. Westies , TJ Englishs book about the Hells Kitchen Irish mob and State of Grace the fictionalised movie version of that book are both gripping and disturbing accounts of those gangsters lives. With this subject matter , the involvement of Oscar winning writers Haggis and Moresco and a well respected young cast this series should have been guaranteed to be a success.

Unfortunately it doesnt deliver on a number of levels. The acting ranges from passable to extremely wooden and none of the characters managed to engage me on anything more than a superficial level.To my admittedly untrained ears , at points in the episodes the characters Tommy and Jennys accents seem to veer from standard American into a Jimmy Cagney impersonation and Irish brogue respectively. And these are two of the better acting performances on display. This genre stands or falls by its storylines, regardless of artistic licence ,having an air of realism about them. The Donnellys storylines range from implausible to unbelievable. I also found the use of a voiceover narrator throughout all thirteen episodes extremely grating.

Its inevitable to compare this show to others in the organised crime genre ,The Wire , The Sopranos and Brotherhood. Obviously the NBC made Donnellys is subject to censor constraints , particularly in terms of language , that those HBO made shows dont have to contend with. But even discounting the use of gritty language these shows are all able to depict a tangible sense of the day to day criminality ,fear and mindless violence which thrive in the communities where these series are set. And thats another problem in accepting the Donnellys as being remotely plausible , because the Hells Kitchen Irish American nieghbourhood depicted hasnt actually existed for 30 years. An HBO made Donnellys set in the 1970s might have given more realism and authenticity but wouldnt have saved us from poor acting and dissapointing writing.

I had looked forward to this series but was extremely dissapointed. For anyone wanting to watch a series with Irish American organised crime content Brotherhood is far better than The Black Donnellys.


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Reviews


What an awful show!
Review date: 2008-02-04 Rating: 2 out of 10

I have to say that this is a terrible TV show. When I heard this show had started in the US I was excited as I thought it sounded very interesting (nothing like a good US drama!), after many months of waiting the show finally arrived in the UK on ITV2. I viewed the first two episodes and thought they were terrible! Most people who review these series have loved them and so are looking for the DVDs, so it is rare that you see a review playing down a show! Do not waste your money on this DVD!

fantastic
Review date: 2008-01-30 Rating: 10 out of 10

one of the best shows out. The story lines had you on the edge of your seat and the acting was superb. The american tv companies obviously don't know a good show when they see one.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Keith Nobbs
Jonathan Tucker
Tom Guiry
Olivia Wilde
Peter Greene

Creators:
Jonathan Tucker (Primary Contributor)
Keith Nobbs (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582534719
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 3
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-01-28
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 537 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2007

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