Good Omens
It’s been awhile since I’ve really had something on TV to kind of gush about.I miss the days when Doctor Who was appointment television – it hasn’t been that way for a while now, and the Walking Dead is still around but kind of a shadow of it’s former self.
I’ve been planning on watching Good Omens, but haven’t got the opportunity until this past weekend – the freedom of fathers day gave me enough time to binge this and it far exceeded my expectations.
I remember picking up the book from the library when it first came out, and not really getting too far into it… It seems like a good idea, and I always did dig Neil Gaiman, (ont as much Terry Pratchet. I know, heresy, but discworld just wasn’t my thing) and a number of my friends liked it. I just never got terribly far into it. After watching this, I may have to give it another try.
The thing that strikes me so much about this end of the world comedy about a Demon and Angel attempting to prevent Armageddon, it that it looks so cinematic. It feels like summer blockbuster – even more so than the actual summer blockbusters of recent 
years. There are moments where I see David Tennant’s demon Crowley and he is so very perfectly framed and lit that I feel like I’m watching one of the set pieces out of some movie commercial I’ve been watching for the past two months – you know what I mean? It’s that excitement that we used to get from seeing Jurassic Park posters all over the place, along with promotional items at the local fast food joint and larger-than-life stand-ups in every theatre.It feels epic and big and I genuinely can’t think of another actor who could’ve pulled this off in such a massive scope. Honestly, every bit of casting here is well done, I didn’t even realize that was Michael McKeon as a witchfinder general until the credits rolled! Brian Cox as death is another welcome familiar, well not face… But his voice and presence I certainly felt. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Michael Sheen in anything before, but his angel Aziraphale is a pitch perfect foil for Tennant’s Crowley and the two have an undeniable chemestry. The effects are top-notch, and the entire series just leaves me 
wanting to see more of these two characters. Even watching young Sam Taylor Buck play the 11 year old antichrist, all I could think was that this kid was going places – probably not too far from becoming a leading man in a few years.
If I have any criticisms, it would be my opinion that wordy British humor sometimes dosen’t translate onto screen. Those long asides that are perfectly hilarious in print can stop the pacing of a show flat. It happens occasionally here, and Pratchetts influence reminds me a lot of Douglas Adams same meandering style of tangent. It’s a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent series.
Seriously, I can’t recommend Good Omens enough. It’s a good enough incentive to get Amazon Prime (That and the fact that it has the entire run of Dark Shadows!), even if only for a month (long enough to watch the six episodes of Good Omens). As soon as there is a DVD release of this thing, I’m going to be there on day one!
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