Sex and the City

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Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends journey through singlehood in modern day New York in Sex and the City, a truly girly show based on a book by Candace Bushnell of the same name.

Though there is no coherent plot , the show is narrative driven with Carrie's colourful comments on the lives of the four stars within. We have Carrie herself, who is a columnist, often interacting with fictional and non-fictional celebrities. The character is brilliantly portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker, who up until now was not finding much success on the big screen.

Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) is a young, almost aristocratic, art dealer who sternly believes in traditions. Cynthia Nixon plays Miranda Hobbes, the career minded lawyer who has a pessimistic view of the world and yet is the voice of reason for the entire group. We finally come to Samantha (Kim Cattrall), the eldest of the group, but the youngest at heart and the secret star of the show.

The first season introduces us to each character and also the premise of the show — New York City, which is a star of the show itself, not to mention a supporting cast of shoes, dresses and jewelry.

The DVD box set is loaded with special features such as commentaries and behind-the-scene footage. Also included are cast interviews. This is a must-watch and must-have, especially for slumber parties.

From the Earth to the Moon - A Review

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There are very few wonders of the 20th century that continue to amaze us in this day and age. Man’s journey to the moon is one of them. HBO’s mini series From the Earth to the Moon looks at this journey from its very inception. Based loosely on the book by Andrew Chaikin, the series has a cast of epic proportions whose stories span the generation of the infamous space race.

The series starts off with a setback against the United States it is 1961 and Yuri Gregarian is the first man in space. Inspired and urged by the words of John F. Kennedy, the team at NASA was determined to achieve the target of putting a man on the moon by the end of that decade. We’re shown that every person on the team, from the contractors, subcontractors to even the wives of the astronauts, played an important role on putting a man on the moon. Perhaps the highlight of this series is the episode, Mare Tranquilitatis, the sixth episode in the series; we see Neil Armstrong (portrayed brilliantly by Tony Goldwyn) and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (Bryan Cranston) make their journey into history books, and of course we get to see the infamous “small step” and the “giant leap” on the moon.

This series comes with behind the scene features, including a special introduction to each episode by Tom Hanks (the executive producer of the series), and commentaries on selected episodes. So sit back, relax and enjoy the journey From the Earth to the Moon.

(This review was originally published in the January 07, 2007 Edition of Dawn Images)

Entourage Season One

Friends – they come in all shapes and sizes, but what’s important is that they’re there for you, no matter what. That’s what HBO’s Entourage is all about.

Based on the real life experiences of Mark Wahlberg (also the executive producer of the show), Entourage follows the story of young actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) on his rise to stardom in Hollywood. Chase has just broken it big: his new movie Head On is a box-office smash hit, he’s the talk of the town. Most importantly, he’s having fun with his entourage of friends by his side.

Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon) is Vincent’s older brother and cook. Drama was once a famous TV star and therefore has to share his experiences — whether good or bad — constantly with the group. Though some would consider him to be a joke, Vince keeps Drama at his side simply because they’re family.

Eric “E” Murphy (Kevin Connolly) is the conscience of the group and also Vince’s manager. He and Vince grew up together Vince knows that Eric can always pull him back if he’s gone too far.

Finally, there is Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) — also Vince’s childhood friend. And though he has a good heart, he constantly takes advantage of his friendship with Vince; whether it’s a free entrance to a privileged club or a sponsorship deal from a mobile phone company.

The cast is supported by Jeremy Piven, Debi Mazar and a host of celebrity guest stars. Entourage is definitely a series to watch. — Mehboob Siddiqi

(This review originally appeared in the July 23rd, 2006 edition of DAWN Images)