Congratulations to SU Member David Barrett for directing some of the best television of 2017!
Talkhouse TV Columnist Jim Hemphil selected Blue Bloods as One of the Best TV Shows of 2017.
SU Member David Barrett is Co-Executive Producer of Blue Bloods and directs many of the episodes. Writes Jim Hemphill, “Perhaps the best reason to watch the show from a filmmaking perspective is the fact that so many of its episodes are helmed by one of the best directors currently working in movies or television, David Barrett. Barrett is a master of mise-en-scène who beautifully integrates color, movement and framing to convey psychology in the dramatic scenes and elicit an almost physical reaction from the audience in the action set pieces; yet his approach is so inextricably linked to his scripts’ internal mechanisms that the style borders on being completely invisible. It’s the kind of craft the masters of the classical Hollywood studio system like Michael Curtiz and Victor Fleming were known for, but which is in less ample supply these days – making Barrett’s talent all the more admirable and valuable.”
In addition, The Atlantic rated the Star Trek: Discovery episode directed by David Barrett as among the 24 Best Television Episodes of 2017.
CBS Star Trek: Discovery
David Sims writes about the episode, “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad“ (S1, E7), “Like every single new Star Trek show, Discovery launched with the problem of trying to balance an established fanbase against an attempt to revitalize the franchise’s 50-year-old formula. The storytelling rigors of Gene Roddenberry’s original creation forbid so many classic narrative tropes, including conflict among the crew, and fans are still ready to raise hue and cry if they’re violated. Discovery, nonetheless, has charted a more exciting, serialized course, alienating some fans and delighting others with its freshness. The best episode of its first season so far has been “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad,” which was a delightful blend of old and new. It featured Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson), an updated version of a character from the original 1960s series, and a plot mechanism (the ship getting stuck in a time loop) that Star Trek has seen before. But it managed to feel fresh and fun without sacrificing the more analytical notes of Discovery’s forbears, setting a promising blueprint for the show’s future.”
