Pardon My Fangirling: Iwan Rheon

It will be my goal to avoid mentioning Game of Thrones (of which I am a fan) beyond the introduction of this article. I will freely admit, prior to a random Google search roughly a day ago, my knowledge of Iwan Rheon’s career 100% tied to his amazingly vivid portrayal of the fantastically maniacal villain Ramsay Snow (Bolton). This writer has since had her eyes opened to the extensive layers of this versatile performer’s career... not only is Iwan Rheon a talented actor, he’s is also a skilled singer/songwriter.

Last year, Rheon released his first album (Dinard), which at present seems to be primarily available through digital download sources. I was stunned (and pleasantly surprised) to find a large percentage of his music readily available through my typical go to source (Apple Music... still waiting on you, Sigma... but that’s another blog). Prior to Dinard, Rheon released three EP’s (“Bang! Bang!”, “Changing Times”, and “Tongue Tied”.) I’m working my way gradually through the selection (which is fairly extensive, especially considering the fairly short period he’s been releasing work) and I find myself definitely becoming a fan.

The music has strong acoustic leanings, Rheon’s strong and layered vocals and acoustic guitar make up most of the songs. Would mellow be the best word? This writer’s initial thoughts compared his work to an early Ed Sheeran... a trifle raw and acoustic. A man and his guitar. Not only does Rheon seem to be a fairly prolific songwriter, his songwriting is style is complex and interesting. I hate to fall back on a cliche, but the lyrics definitely paint rich and vivid portraits of the narratives told within the lyrics.

So, to make a long story shorter, if you like singer-songwriter, acoustic based music, definitely check out what Iwan Rheon has released. I can only hope his well deserved acting break-out (Ohhh.... Ramsay, Ramsay, Ramsay, what will you do next?) will not hinder the incredible musical work he is doing. Here’s to hoping for more music soon...

Here’s a music video for the title song off his EP, “Bang! Bang!”. Check out his YouTube for more.

If You’re Not Watching, You Should Be: Houdini and Doyle

I remember the dark days... raise your collective hands if you remember the days of NBC’s poorly received remake of Coupling or CBS’s... notorious... take on the British musical police procedural Blackpool (blog post to come...) titled Viva Laughlin. I first learned about Houdini and Doyle (which initially aired in the UK on ITV) when I was catching a Graham Norton rerun with series star Stephen Mangan. I was supremely disappointed that I wouldn’t get to see what sounded like a fascinating series. However, then I learned Fox had picked up the historical police procedural, and I will admit that I was a bit nervous...

 It seems... though I’m hesitant to type this... that the television industry be gradual wising up to some of their mistakes of old. Fox didn’t remake the series!!! The network did the smart thing, and aired the original series (can you believe it!). The two men are assisted (and occasionally shown-up) by police officer Adelaide Stratton (Rebecca Liddiard). 

The series follows Arthur Conan Doyle (Stephen Mangan) and Harry Houdini (Michael Weston) as they investigate crimes (usual with a paranormal, or unexplained nature) on the streets of London at the turn of the twentieth century.

This writer was initially struck by Mangan’s extreme likability. It was his charisma on the above described Graham Norton Show, which initially convinced me to take a look at Houdini and Doyle. Not being a Showtime subscriber (or a huge Matt LeBlanc fan...) I had yet to catch an episode of his long running, Showtime hit Episodes (A problem which has since been remedied). His portrayal of author Arthur Conan Doyle is one to watch. He manages to not only play the comedic elements, but can switch to the more dramatic elements involving his family with ease, injecting a note of sobering realism to the character.

The entire cast is beyond stellar. Manga is partnered with Michael Weston, who has also been a new name for me (despite having been making his way around Hollywood as far back as Garden State). *Smacks self out of nostalgic college refection*. His portrayal of the always interesting Houdini is a constant breath of fresh air, giving new life to a figure who is no stranger to viewers the world over. He will be one I be watching from now on.

I feel a write up praising (which I wholeheartedly would) Rebecca Liddiard’s portrayal of Adelaide Stratton will not receive enough justice in a general piece like this. So I beg the readers forgiveness, and say I’d like to save this for a longer, more specialized post. The character, a lone female police constable in a completely male dominated society is a fascinating one, and I applaud the creative team for their decision. I hope we get to see more of this character.

Blackadder fans will recognize comedic genius Tim McInnerny as Horace Merring. The comedy veteran brings his usually interesting and dynamic screen presence to Houdini and Doyle as the police commander operating over Houdini and Doyle.

Houdini and Doyle has been chugging along (readily available on your local Fox affiliates... watch it live on Monday nights!). And it has been with much glee that it was been holding enough numbers to avoid the cancellation axe in the quiet early days of summer. Some ratings figures I’ve seen show a ratings uptick as episodes have gone along. So, if this show even sounds remotely up your alley, check the show out. While, I’ve seen rumors (as official as IMDB can be...) that there might be a second series, let’s make it so Fox doesn’t have a reason to not bring it back next summer.