The Black Donnelly's

[garnigal]

I finally watched the premiere episode that I taped three weeks ago. It was amazingly well done - dark and gritty camera work, excellent writing. It really drew me in, hit me emotionally. Thing is, I'm still not sure if I can watch it. Oh, I like it. I was definitely interested. But I know how it ends. Or at least, I know how it ends in real life, and the final scene definitely gives the feeling that the real life ending isn't that far off in the show. I admit, I like my TV a little... lighter than this.

So who's been watching it? If you have, do you know anything about the real Donnelly's? Would you still watch it if you knew anything about the real Donnelly's? I've got the second episode taped (was there a new one on the 12 as well, cause I missed taping it if so), should I keep going? Is my heart going to stop hurting? Is my stomach going to stop clenching?

Help?

Comments

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I'm really worried that he's got an entire arc planned out. Remember Forever Knight? And the line "those aren't the bodies we're talking about"? Really worries me.

I was more bothered by them turning it into Irish vs Italians than them moving it to present day New York. What, Irish killing Irish isn't believable anymore?

I actually grew up about 40 minutes north of Lucan, in Wingham, so it's local history for me. Definitely giving me some ominous feelings about how all this ends. And since in real life Jimmy survives... we've already got that much accuracy.

[midknightwriter.livejournal.com]

There's a TV show about the Donnellys? What? And nobody told me this? Ann, please enlighten me.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

It's only very loosely based on the Donnelly's. It's written and created by Paul Haggis (hee, haggis), the guy who wrote Crash and Million Dollar Baby, so it's got that going for it.

It's set in present day New York, in working class neighbourhoods and is basically about a gang war between the Irish Donnelly brothers (Jimmy, Tommy, Kevin and Sean) and the Italian mob that's trying to take over the neighbourhood. Jimmy has a damaged leg and a heroin problem, Kevin's a chronic gambler, Sean a chronic womanizer and Tommy is the one trying to keep his brothers on the right side of the law - or at least out of jail.

By the end of the first episode, Sean is in ICU, Jimmy's in jail and Kevin and Tommy have committed mass murder of the Italian mob boss, Sal. So it's pretty dark.

It's obviously really loosely based on the Donnelly's - I can see how it was an inspiration to Haggis, but it's definitely it's own thing. I'm a little worried it's going to end as badly as the real Donnelly story though, which makes it very hard to watch. I mean, how attached do I want to get to characters who may have a very short shelf-life?

If you are interested, I've got the first two episodes on VHS. It airs Mondays at 10 on Global if you want to jump in now. It's only three episodes in so far, so we're probably due to start with the reruns.

[serennig]

Didn't kow there was a show, probably won't be watching it. Besides knowing how it ends, much like you it's also almost "local history" (entirely because of my 4 years in London/Ingersoll, that is). I like documentaries. I sometimes like docudrama. But knowing that they've taken the same story but changed it makes it not the same story, so it's no longer docu-anything. Which makes it just another darkish story somewhat based on a dark truth, and frankly, that's neither entertaining nor sufficiently intellectually stimulating to me to make up for its lack of entertainment.

Then again, I'm the gal who still only likes to watch HGTV or Disney movies... light-hearted fare. The most trauma I can tolerate on TV is that found in Firefly or BSG if Mike's watching it... and even then I have to leave the room at the suspenseful parts. My CSI days are over, and I don't even like Law & Order anymore. :P I'm a wimp. Basically.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Then this definitely isn't for you. I'm not sure I can watch it - it's too well done. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat for the whole episode, I was so tense and concerned.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Let's watch the Donnelly's kill people and possibly die in the process.