Taken Down [RTE]

clfy39tzve8njq · 03-12-2018 12:57AM

Deleted User wrote:

Venetia would have came into it around 1995. She was a brilliant character. Real gregarious. Actually to be fair to Glenroe, compare it to the sh1te on RTE at the moment, it was a decent show that in many ways reflected rural communities. Compared to some of the Big bow wows and Amy Huberman muck we've witnessed since it was a masterpiece.

The city boys will lynch you :-) Have to say I used enjoy it, it's a wonder the never re ran it.

clfy39tzve8njq · 03-12-2018 01:00AM

BoroMan32 wrote:

This is like a drama without any drama. Ever since the whole brothel thing was introduced the story has literally moved nowhere.

What pissed me off was the lovely dinner Wayne left behind when he was arrested

Kyle More · 03-12-2018 01:07AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Actually to be fair to Glenroe, compare it to the sh1te on RTE at the moment, it was a decent show that in many ways reflected rural communities. Compared to some of the Big bow wows and Amy Huberman muck we've witnessed since it was a masterpiece.

That's a very fair comment. I mean, people still talk about it to this day. It's kind of like Bosco, an Irish institution of sorts from a different era, that's still fondly remembered.

In the modern era of Irish drama, it's quite possible that Love/Hate was just a great match from an average player who hasn't been able to repeat their performance since. With all the hype surrounding Taken Down and its ties to Stuart Carolan, I was expecting more. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either. I'll give it one more chance to redeem itself, then it's game over for me (if it actually gets a second series).

The Late Late Show · 03-12-2018 02:12AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Venetia would have came into it around 1995. She was a brilliant character. Real gregarious.
Actually to be fair to Glenroe, compare it to the sh1te on RTE at the moment, it was a decent show that in many ways reflected rural communities. Compared to some of the Big bow wows and Amy Huberman muck we've witnessed since it was a masterpiece.

Agree. Did not watch Taken Down since episode 3 but Taken Down's status seems to revolve around being better than The Big Bow Wow and Amy's shows while not being a promoter of 'torture porn' like Love/Hate (RTE have as said before really shied away from showing domestically made violence). Glenroe was a product of its times and was very good when Wesley Burrows wrote it. It depicted its topic as well as Love/Hate, The Handmaid's Tale, Mad Max, James Bond or Shane did albeit very different to those worlds!

The Big Bow Wow was the worst thing ever made. 100% crap and I think it was made deliberately to be so ... so as RTE can make mediocre stuff like Taken Down that look good by comparison. Taken Down is a masterpiece compared to The Big Bow Wow and if made in the pre-Love/Hate years, it would be considered so. But Love/Hate was made before Taken Down, so the Big Bow Wow ain't the comparison now!

hatrickpatrick · 03-12-2018 05:48AM

That whole golf conversation between the obviously dodgy, brothel-visiting cop and the superintendent seemed like yet another thinly veiled attack on "de patriarchy"... Or maybe I've just become paranoid since the "dudes in general suck" theme has been so forcefully pushed over the last few episodes. With this cop now colluding in the withholding of evidence to the investigation to save his own sorry ballsack, in my view the show is dangerously close to flipping from "could potentially be viewed as an anti-male hit piece" to "it's so blatant it's actually funny, they're taking the piss altogether".

If they're now setting Marvellous up as a victim rather than a co-conspirator (as Orla FitzGerald's character was suggesting they do). my suspicions of this show as SJW propaganda will be fully realised. She may be scared of Gar, but she's as vile and complicit as any of the other ringleaders based on her interactions with those working for her. But of course, as our wonderful senator Ivana Bacik once pointed out in an argument that women shouldn't face jail time for committing crimes, if a woman does something wrong there's usually a man nearby who can be blamed for her behaviour.

Marvellous' character has so far been the only thing keeping this show from having full-on gender segregation in terms of protagonists and antagonists. If she is set up as a sympathetic character next week, the show finally transitions into full scale propaganda in my view.

I guarantee that if this show had all the genders flipped, with the good cops as guys and the incompetent or corrupt ones as women, the reviewing media would have a thing or two to say about that. And it wouldn't be more of this "a major step forward for Irish television drama" bollocks (actual Irish Times headline about this show) gushing we've been getting about it.

The Late Late Show · 03-12-2018 04:07PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

That whole golf conversation between the obviously dodgy, brothel-visiting cop and the superintendent seemed like yet another thinly veiled attack on "de patriarchy"... Or maybe I've just become paranoid since the "dudes in general suck" theme has been so forcefully pushed over the last few episodes. With this cop now colluding in the withholding of evidence to the investigation to save his own sorry ballsack, in my view the show is dangerously close to flipping from "could potentially be viewed as an anti-male hit piece" to "it's so blatant it's actually funny, they're taking the piss altogether".

If they're now setting Marvellous up as a victim rather than a co-conspirator (as Orla FitzGerald's character was suggesting they do). my suspicions of this show as SJW propaganda will be fully realised. She may be scared of Gar, but she's as vile and complicit as any of the other ringleaders based on her interactions with those working for her. But of course, as our wonderful senator Ivana Bacik once pointed out in an argument that women shouldn't face jail time for committing crimes, if a woman does something wrong there's usually a man nearby who can be blamed for her behaviour.

Marvellous' character has so far been the only thing keeping this show from having full-on gender segregation in terms of protagonists and antagonists. If she is set up as a sympathetic character next week, the show finally transitions into full scale propaganda in my view.

I guarantee that if this show had all the genders flipped, with the good cops as guys and the incompetent or corrupt ones as women, the reviewing media would have a thing or two to say about that. And it wouldn't be more of this "a major step forward for Irish television drama" bollocks (actual Irish Times headline about this show) gushing we've been getting about it.

Did not watch episode 4 or 5 but from what those who did say it has clearly not improved. I could well imagine this golf conversation and the overly culchie portrayals of these cops. 5 episodes into a 6 part series and no action or no standout characters is not the way to go.

Drab and uninteresting, Taken Down is actually a major step backwards for Irish drama. Surely, the makers of this should be tuned into what the major dramas of the moment are doing? As of making it, The Handmaid's Tale and Game of Thrones were the most popular dramas in the world. Memories of Love/Hate are still fresh but RTE ignored all that it seems.

The 'nanny media' once again control our drama style and in the process ruin them. Taken Down if made in 2011, 2012 or 2013 would be a VERY DIFFERENT show and would deal with its topic in a proper manner. Instead, Taken Down is a product of an RTE who listen to complaints from the anti-violence/PC taken to the extreme brigade. The makers of the drama probably are afraid they would lose friends if it was too violent! This is the mentality we are up against. The clever new fascism.

Taken Down is full of mixed up agendas but short on substance. Jo Spain is the main writer too and wrote almost 100% of it if truth be known. Stuart Carolan's name is tagged onto it merely to sell it as he is known for Love/Hate. Stuart may have written a tiny bit, perhaps the climax, but Jo is the main writer and is listed first in the credits too. Jo as a new writer to RTE would also have less power and would have to obey RTE's restraining orders on drama.

TerrorFirmer · 03-12-2018 04:35PM

Only on Episode 3 and it's alright so far, but some of the support acting is unspeakably atrocious....I mean, where do they get these people? The talent is out there so I've no idea how the dregs of the barrel constantly end up in RTE productions.

Most of the main cast are pretty OK though the dialogue is too stilted and wooden at times.

The Late Late Show · 03-12-2018 05:37PM

BoroMan32 wrote: »

This is like a drama without any drama. Ever since the whole brothel thing was introduced the story has literally moved nowhere.

And the script is actually going from bad to worse......

Detective walks into bedroom..........''This is his bedroom?''......

Drama without any drama is a good way to describe this and other recent RTE dramas. I could not get into this Taken Down at all and gave up after 3 episodes. Checking in here and there is plenty evidence it has not improved.

People watched The Big Bow Wow and laughed at its title and its stupidity. I remember tuning in for the first episode one freezing February night back in 2004 and could not believe how bad it was. The Big Bow Wow brought a whole new meaning to bad and even though Finbar's Class, Upwardly Mobile, On Home Ground and other such fare had already given RTE drama a bad name, Bow Wow was a million times worse.

The excellent Love/Hate reversed the reputation of RTE drama and across 5 seasons, got people talking positively about Irish drama. Sadly, RTE have reverted back to their pre-Love/Hate attitude and their restrained, inoffensive attitude to drama has set things back. RTE's main focus is on tame reality shows like Room to Improve, Daniel and Majella's B&B Roadtrip, Ireland's Fittest Family, Dancing With The Stars and At Your Service. Each of these show the audience RTE mainly caters for and their drama is made then for that audience too.

prunudo · 03-12-2018 09:58PM

Didn't think episode 5 was that bad. Story progressed a bit but its still so bloody slow.
I've lasted this long so will watch next week and then make final judgement as a whole.
Hopefully they don't leave any major cliffhangers for series 2!

Beechwoodspark · 03-12-2018 10:14PM

This series has been so slow, preachy, drab, did I mention boring? I hope it is put out of its misery next week.

Some awful awful acting in it. The main hard chaw guy is over acting so much he’s chewing the scenery. A number of the African actors are rubbish. The two women gardai-dreadful, and the culchie garda a total clown.

Consign it to the RTÉ archives so it can be forgotten about!

The Late Late Show · 03-12-2018 11:03PM

jvan wrote: »

Didn't think episode 5 was that bad. Story progressed a bit but its still so bloody slow.
I've lasted this long so will watch next week and then make final judgement as a whole.
Hopefully they don't leave any major cliffhangers for series 2!

The slow pace is one of the problems with it and it never came alive in the first 3 episodes I saw. The whole thing could actually be done in a standard 45 minute US cop show episode. Taken Down like a lot of RTE shows has an identity crisis: is it a cop show or is it a drama about about direct provision?

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

This series has been so slow, preachy, drab, did I mention boring? I hope it is put out of its misery next week.

Some awful awful acting in it. The main hard chaw guy is over acting so much he’s chewing the scenery. A number of the African actors are rubbish. The two women gardai-dreadful, and the culchie garda a total clown.

Consign it to the RTÉ archives so it can be forgotten about!

I predict it will get a second series much like Striking Out did. Then it will be politely dropped and something similar will be made to replace it. Taken Down is more or less the same concept as Acceptable Risk and is chick lit crime drama made for fans of Daniel and Majella's B&B Roadtrip and Dancing With The Stars.

Slow, preachy, drab, boring are all words to describe this and many other RTE dramas. The Big Bow Wow finished me with Irish drama before and Love/Hate renewed my interest in Irish drama but now I am less and less interested in Irish drama once again. Striking Out finished me with Amy Huberman and is why I avoided the second series of that and also Finding Joy. Taken Down has only confirmed for me that RTE hasn't got it in them to do another Love/Hate. It is perhaps time for RTE to stop trying to make crime dramas if they cannot show their world in an uncensored format. But in a time when even the song Baby it's Cold Outside is considered offensive, RTE will not be risking another Love/Hate type drama.

123balltv · 04-12-2018 08:24PM

Just take it off air now.

clfy39tzve8njq · 04-12-2018 08:34PM

123balltv wrote:

Just take it off air now.

Right this minute like :-)

04-12-2018 08:37PM

Bad state of affairs when yer man from fair city put in the stand out performance..

The Late Late Show · 05-12-2018 06:35AM

Kyle More wrote: »

That's a very fair comment. I mean, people still talk about it to this day. It's kind of like Bosco, an Irish institution of sorts from a different era, that's still fondly remembered.

In the modern era of Irish drama, it's quite possible that Love/Hate was just a great match from an average player who hasn't been able to repeat their performance since. With all the hype surrounding Taken Down and its ties to Stuart Carolan, I was expecting more. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either. I'll give it one more chance to redeem itself, then it's game over for me (if it actually gets a second series).

Glenroe was good in its era and the original Wesley Burrows episodes showed a talented writer who knew how to pull off such a show. It had many memorable characters and was the last set of a series of 3 that began with The Riordans.

I do not blame Stuart Carolan at all for why Taken Down was a disappointment. It is all the agendas since Love/Hate that have stifled things. RTE do not want to show anything controversial like the Love/Hate scenes and Taken Down and other recent RTE series are a victim of a neo-puritanical environment where PC encroaches on drama in a very bad way.

Don't get me wrong, I am pro-PC and anti-misogyny, anti-racism, etc. but drama is drama and should show its world. No one is accusing The Handmaid's Tale of being pro-misogyny are they? It is a lesson about misogyny taken too far. Love/Hate was a lesson about why being a gangster is not as good as some may think. Not one of the characters was happy or ended up well.

FrancieBrady · 05-12-2018 09:26AM

I don't need my drama to be all bang crash whallop and full of cliched characters and plotlines.

I kinda of like the slow evolution of the storyline here.

Although it has it's issues (some acting and plot) this kind of exposition has potential.
Clearly it isn't to everyone's taste and it was perhaps unwise to put it in this slot where there seems to be a cohort who want Love Hate and nothing but Love Hate. Bit early in Carolan's career to be pigeonholing him.

TerrorFirmer · 05-12-2018 06:22PM

I honestly don't think it's that bad and the story is interesting, it's the ropey acting from some of the actors that really sinks it....and it's the Irish actors which are by far the worst offenders. The only one of them offering a somewhat consistently realistic, and not over-acted performance is the lad playing Gar, Brian Gleeson is alright as well.

Most of the Nigerian actors, or actors playing Nigerians, are pretty credible too. But most of the overall support cast is just plain awful, and some of it falls down to the direction because there's a few actors stinking up the place that are capable of, and have previously delivered, far better.

Love/Hate is a tough metric obviously but putting that aside, at the very best this is a painfully average production, and a few weeks after it airs no-one'll even think about it, let alone be talking about it. It's a good idea just executed really badly.

The Late Late Show · 07-12-2018 12:19AM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

I don't need my drama to be all bang crash whallop and full of cliched characters and plotlines.

I kinda of like the slow evolution of the storyline here.

Although it has it's issues (some acting and plot) this kind of exposition has potential.
Clearly it isn't to everyone's taste and it was perhaps unwise to put it in this slot where there seems to be a cohort who want Love Hate and nothing but Love Hate. Bit early in Carolan's career to be pigeonholing him.

Taken down taken down.

ThunbergsAreGo · 07-12-2018 11:59AM

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

I honestly don't think it's that bad and the story is interesting, it's the ropey acting from some of the actors that really sinks it....and it's the Irish actors which are by far the worst offenders. The only one of them offering a somewhat consistently realistic, and not over-acted performance is the lad playing Gar, Brian Gleeson is alright as well.

Most of the Nigerian actors, or actors playing Nigerians, are pretty credible too. But most of the overall support cast is just plain awful, and some of it falls down to the direction because there's a few actors stinking up the place that are capable of, and have previously delivered, far better.

Love/Hate is a tough metric obviously but putting that aside, at the very best this is a painfully average production, and a few weeks after it airs no-one'll even think about it, let alone be talking about it. It's a good idea just executed really badly.

I think the guy playing the main "bad" Nigerian is dreadful. I cannot take him seriously at all

The dialog is also appalling especially the "interactions" of the gardai

FrancieBrady · 07-12-2018 12:16PM

The Late Late Show wrote: »

These all are good points. A major problem with this was it was put on at the same time of year as, written by the main writer of and sold as from the makers of Love/Hate. I quite enjoyed Amber and Charlie and noted neither was sold as a variant of Love/Hate (despite 2 main Love/Hate actors being the lead stars of the latter).

There is no doubt I would like to see a Love/Hate revival or a drama similar to that done. There are many out there who would want the same. If RTE gave us that, they could then produce other dramas. Who knows: if sold without mentioning Love/Hate, then people may feel differently.

:rolleyes:

I go to theatre all the time that is sold as 'from the writer of XXXXXXX' or 'from the producers of XXXXXXX' and I would never expect the same thing again as XXXXXXXX. That is just silly.
Carolan has tried something different, it isn't wholly successful, has the same faults as L/H.

Your ultimatum (bolded) to RTE is hilarious.

:D Nobody can produce drama for consumers like you tbh.

prunudo · 07-12-2018 12:17PM

It was only after reading this thread that I realised the madam in the brothel was called Marvellous. Thought they were calling her Mavolus.

The Late Late Show · 07-12-2018 07:47PM

naughtb4 wrote: »

I think the guy playing the main "bad" Nigerian is dreadful. I cannot take him seriously at all

The dialog is also appalling especially the "interactions" of the gardai

The interactions between the Gardai and the awful cliched humour attempts are surely appalling. These sort of interactions have marred many RTE dramas and they still don't learn.

FrancieBrady wrote: »

:rolleyes:

I go to theatre all the time that is sold as 'from the writer of XXXXXXX' or 'from the producers of XXXXXXX' and I would never expect the same thing again as XXXXXXXX. That is just silly.
Carolan has tried something different, it isn't wholly successful, has the same faults as L/H.

Your ultimatum (bolded) to RTE is hilarious. :D Nobody can produce drama for consumers like you tbh.

Why the personal bullying? My views are EVERY BIT as relevant as yours and I don't get abusive to other posters including yourself. Who said I wanted bloody Taken Down to be a carbon copy of Love/Hate but I expected it to be made in the same bloody spirit which it CLEARLY is not. It is tame, poorly acted and looks cheap. It is cheaply made and we know RTE do not have the money because they are paying their presenters the money that could be spent on drama. If something is from the makers of X, then it is EXPECTED it is to be the SAME QUALITY as X.

Nobody can produce drama for consumers like me????!!!! Love/Hate, The Handmaid's Tale, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, McMafia, Charlie, Strumpet City, Dallas old series, Dallas 2012-13 series, Gotham, etc, etc. prove otherwise!! That is a lot more than nobody! Plus they are different types of drama and none is a copy of the other.

FrancieBrady · 07-12-2018 08:11PM

The Late Late Show wrote: »

Why the personal bullying? My views are EVERY BIT as relevant as yours and I don't get abusive to other posters including yourself. Who said I wanted bloody Taken Down to be a carbon copy of Love/Hate but I expected it to be made in the same bloody spirit which it CLEARLY is not. It is tame, poorly acted and looks cheap. It is cheaply made and we know RTE do not have the money because they are paying their presenters the money that could be spent on drama. If something is from the makers of X, then it is EXPECTED it is to be the SAME QUALITY as X.

Nobody can produce drama for consumers like me????!!!! Love/Hate, The Handmaid's Tale, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, McMafia, Charlie, Strumpet City, Dallas old series, Dallas 2012-13 series, Gotham, etc, etc. prove otherwise!! That is a lot more than nobody! Plus they are different types of drama and none is a copy of the other.

'Personal bullying'? 'Abusive'? What are you on about?

I countered your opinion that 'from the makers of Love/Hate' somehow gave you the right to expect Love/Hate. It's a ridiculous opinion tbph.

I also found your ultimatum to RTE 'to give us Love/Hate 2 or else' ridiculous and simply said so.

Your only problem with this series is that it isn't something else. How could anyone satisfy that critical appreciation?

The Late Late Show · 07-12-2018 10:30PM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

'Personal bullying'? 'Abusive'? What are you on about?

I countered your opinion that 'from the makers of Love/Hate' somehow gave you the right to expect Love/Hate. It's a ridiculous opinion tbph.

I also found your ultimatum to RTE 'to give us Love/Hate 2 or else' ridiculous and simply said so.

Your only problem with this series is that it isn't something else. How could anyone satisfy that critical appreciation?

My problem is not that the series isn't something else (afterall, Love/Hate is not The Handmaid's Tale, neither of them 2 are Peaky Blinders, and neither of those 3 are McMafia but they are all good, different and professionally made). There are a lot of things wrong with Taken Down ranging from a deliberate tameness (which should never be in a crime or dystopian drama any more than we should see violence in Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music) to some very poor acting and cliches (the Gardai).

FrancieBrady · 07-12-2018 10:47PM

The Late Late Show wrote: »

My problem is not that the series isn't something else (afterall, Love/Hate is not The Handmaid's Tale, neither of them 2 are Peaky Blinders, and neither of those 3 are McMafia but they are all good, different and professionally made). There are a lot of things wrong with Taken Down ranging from a deliberate tameness (which should never be in a crime or dystopian drama any more than we should see violence in Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music) to some very poor acting and cliches (the Gardai).

And Love Hate suffered from the same thing. Too much violence and cliche galore.

This is good drama (Taken Down) it isn't brilliant or groundbreaking, but well worth investing in by a broadcaster, in it's own right and without having to live up to anything else.

Atlantic Dawn · 07-12-2018 11:11PM

I see it's being release on futuristic DVD in 2 weeks time, bit of a risk taking the leap from VHS...
https://ebuzz.ie/products/taken-down-dvd

08-12-2018 12:30AM

FrancieBrady wrote: »

:rolleyes:

I go to theatre all the time that is sold as 'from the writer of XXXXXXX' or 'from the producers of XXXXXXX' and I would never expect the same thing again as XXXXXXXX. That is just silly.
Carolan has tried something different, it isn't wholly successful, has the same faults as L/H.

Your ultimatum (bolded) to RTE is hilarious. :D Nobody can produce drama for consumers like you tbh.

But Francie, it is unusual to see such a radical departure from Love/Hate given that its the same team involved. Love/hate pushed the boundaries whereas this pushes a bit of an agenda.

David Simon is an example of writing style staying consistent with the Wire, the Deuce, Homocide, etc. It remained true to his style of writing and every character was told from every angle

FrancieBrady · 08-12-2018 12:39AM

Deleted User wrote: »

But Francie, it is unusual to see such a radical departure from Love/Hate given that its the same team involved.

It's not really in either the film or theatre world. Why you would expect the same in a television environment escapes me.
This series is about the same in terms of writing or production values as Love/Hate. That L/H garnered the love of a certain viewing audience has to be taken into account. While it reached a good standard, it was neither original or groundbreaking.

The Late Late Show · 08-12-2018 08:06PM

Deleted User wrote: »

But Francie, it is unusual to see such a radical departure from Love/Hate given that its the same team involved. Love/hate pushed the boundaries whereas this pushes a bit of an agenda.

David Simon is an example of writing style staying consistent with the Wire, the Deuce, Homocide, etc. It remained true to his style of writing and every character was told from every angle

Taken Down is the direct opposite of Love/Hate. This is mainly because it is written for the most part by someone else, because it is in line with RTE's new sanitised agenda for drama and features no iconic character like Nidge or Fran.

Love/Hate pushed the boundaries and went where other dramas were and sadly now are again afraid to. As said before, I do not watch or enjoy the likes of Dancing With The Stars or Daniel and Majella's B&B Roadtrip but do enjoy gritty crime and dystopian dramas. Why then are RTE making crime dramas for the first audience and not for the second? All those who do not enjoy 'torture porn' or whatever they like to call it should stick with Daniel and Majella and the Dancing thing and let crime and dystopian drama fans watch proper stuff and not watered down rubbish.

09-12-2018 04:42AM

It's watchable but there's a seeming p1sstake of AGS going on..... when you acknowledge/presume that's not the case it's a bit sh1t.
But then, the first time I saw Willie O'Dea on TV I thought that was a p1sstake too.

Taken Down [RTE]

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