The Colour of Books

So I did some real soul searching this week.  It started after I finished community season three.  Then finished season 2 and 3 of Workaholics.  I was like "what am I supposed to watch now!?"  And then it came to me.  Could I do the usual where I would watch a new series and then go back and watch old television shows that I usually just fall asleep too.  Futurama, Home Movies, Arrested Development.  But I've already seen those!  So let me go to the random generated entertainment and go to my trusty Netflix.

Then I saw this.  I obviously new it was a European show by the design and also the setting.  American television would never have a show about books if it's not for kids.  Books, as sad as it is, is pretty much dead.  There are more writers then readers.  But why would anyone want to watch a show about people that talk about books?  Oh it's a group.  If you like shows that float around characters like The Office and Community then you are in luck.

The main character is from America.  Ohio to be exact.  She just moved to Scotland to become a writer.  Real close to home.  I went to school for writing and just recently moved!  Wow this is already hitting too close to home.  Also before I even started watching the show I made sure to check how many episodes and seasons there were.  Being European, they have a limited amount of episodes and only a few seasons.  In this series, each season has six episodes.  Each core book group member hosts a book group where people read the hosts selection.  There is only two seasons and each episode is about half an hour.

What made this new and an enjoyment to watch was because not only did it have characters, story, and setting going for it but it did something a television show doesn't do frequently.  It really delivers.  When they read each book, each episode basically revolves around the given book and showing them the aftermath of the absorption of literature.  Then they talk about it.  Then they get into each others lives.  Then they grow.  Each character makes breakthroughs every few episodes.  You actually see their emotions before and after an encounter.

The directing too was amazing.  I thought it dealt with very powerful subject matter.  From handicapped people, to homosexuals, to infidelity, to liars, and to people that are full of themselves.  The intricitsy of the plot starts to really make you watch and "care" for these characters as you would care for your computer.  Television has never been so simpler (put actors in room, talk about book) and has it never been so grounded and so refreshingly real.  None of the plot points when exposed never even endanger the next episode in run off.  They don't tell you what happened last episode because no one does that in real life.  They meet every month so a lot of things change between episode to episode.

Pros
-European (sexy and sophisticated)
-I like books
-Very varied characters
Cons
-2 seasons.