Did anybody see the 1st; of a new 3 part series last night on BBC1@ 9pm, called "Zen". ? Based on a book, the story of a "honest "detective in an otherwise corrupt police force, entwined with an even more corrupt policital background.
The opening credits promised much with the series being set in Rome, split screen photography including Romes' famous architecture and a nice shot of several "classic " Fiat 500 s together,allied with a musical score to try a replicate something John Barry might have done in the early 1970's. all very retro. Not a bad effort, but I feel that TV and continental films then were of their time , and were better for that. The flavour of the programme too, seemed to try a recapture that period , with shots of Italian motoring through the surroundind hills and countryside.
Being set in Italy, I expected it to be this way and also include our beloved Italian cars. The main character drives an Alfa, whilst other characters drive Fiats, the "baddies" having a 1990's Fiat Croma which was involved in a climatic car chase against Zen s' Alfa before the Alfa s' gearbox turned into a box of noisy nuturals.
Pity many of the English actors did not try to attempt to copy an Italian accent, I've never heard so many Mancunians/ Londoners !! An obvious flaw in the programme.
Despite this, I quite enjoyed it and will look forward the next episode........any comments?
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