All I have to say is thank God for Netflix!
I was surfing the internet months ago and added Footballers Wives to my queue after hearing about it on TV. I was under the impression that the show was another comedy or dramedy about the lives of soccer players and their families in the UK. The 2 disk DVD set has been sitting on my TV for the past few days as I have been watching everything on my neglected TiVo (I'm coming down off my Oblivion high). Today I came home early to wait for our new grill to be installed. Fresh off the shock of last night's Lost ep, I popped in the first disk.
Right out of the gate, I couldn't understand anything that anyone was saying! The British accent and vernacular took me about two episodes to get used to.
I still don't know everyone's names, but I have to say my favorite character is definitely Tanya Turner. I hated her so bad when I first started watching, but by the end of the first disk, my tune had changed. What's to love? She's outrageous! It took me about ten minutes to realize this was a UK soap opera and Tanya Turner was eerily similar to MP's Amanda Woodward and her husband seemed like a distant relative of Dr. Michael Mancini. Freaking Donna's face reminds me of that damn Alison.
I don't know if you know, but I am a huge Melrose Place fanatic.
This show fills a void that has been empty for damn near seven years. The only other show to quench my thirst for weekly prime time drama was my long lost friend Titans--although The OC does come pretty close.
Things I learned about the UK while watching Footballers Wives:
1. You can show butts and boobs on TV (I've heard this before but never really believed it until I saw this show).
2. Their evening soap actors are just like American evening soap opera actors: they seem to try really hard to be taken seriously but their lines make it impossible.
3. Tanya Turner's character is the only character on television who can pull off this look. They tried it with Marie but she couldn't pull it off.
Plot twists? After reading Tanya's bio on the site, I find out very quickly that she will be widowed soon and this upsets me. Usually I like spoilers but not on my evening soaps, it makes them more dramatic. I'm eager to start season two and find out if Donna and Ian get their daughter back, but I like Donna and Sal together better. I love that there's a character named Chardonnay and I think her wedding to Kyle was maybe the most absurd thing I ever saw on TV. They seemed interesting in the beginning but their storyline has grown stale and I hate whatever is on the verge of happening between Kyle and Sheena.
I'm ready for more Tanya! Season two is in the mail!
I was almost tempted by the promise of boobs and butts. Then I saw Garry Ryan and Trisha Watson.
Posted by: Anemia St.Claire | 2006.05.06 at 08:45 AM