Zelf ben ik onder meer groot bewonderaar van deze series: Band of Brothers, Boardwalk Empire, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, The Wire en True Blood.
Onlangs ben ik begonnen aan een serie die niet uit het HBO-kokertje is gekomen, maar van een concurrerende betaalzender, Showtime. Deze serie heet Brotherhood en de eerste reeks is in 2006 uitgezonden op Showtime en bedacht door Blake Masters. Brotherhood gaat over twee broers in Providence (Rhode Island) uit een buurt van Ierse Amerikanen. Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) is een lokale politicus met ambities en zijn broer Michael (Jason Isaacs) is betrokken bij de Ierse maffia in de buurt. Hierdoor komen de broers geregeld tegenover elkaar te staan.
Het maffia thema met bijbehorend geweld heeft natuurlijk veel raakvlakken met die van de Italiaans-Amerikaanse maffia in The Sopranos, terwijl de politieke verhaallijn lijkt op hetgeen in The Wire is vertoond.
Ik heb in Nederland nog weinig gehoord over deze serie, maar destijds waren de critici in de VS behoorlijk lovend.
Van wikipedia: "Many critics compared the series to The Sopranos. Some felt that it was actually closer in tone to another HBO drama, The Wire, in terms of portraying "a fine-textured portrait of a blue-collar city" and predicted comparable under performance in terms of finding an audience. LA Weekly stated that the show may be more satisfying for viewers than the sixth season of The Sopranos in terms of emotional payoff. Critics have characterized the show as being part of a wave of programming that puts Showtime on a level pegging with their pay cable rival HBO in terms of quality.
Critics have praised the central performances of Clarke and Isaacs. They have also commented on the authenticity in casting down to the minor roles and the strong characterization of the supporting cast. The Hollywood Reporter named the show as the one to watch over the summer it debuted and stated that the ensemble of well drawn characters created a "reality that speaks to the collision of interests, the dispersal of power and the impossibility of effective compromise." The Phoenix picked out Annabeth Gish's against type role as an adulterous addict as potentially re-defining her career. Variety said that Isaacs performance as Michael provided the lifeblood of the series by grabbing the attention. The Seattle Post Intelligencer described the show as a "masterpiece." Variety called it "the jewel Showtime has sought for years." The show has been criticized as lacking the humorous approach of Italian-American gangster stories like A Bronx Tale, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos. The show has also been described as initially off putting due to its flawed characters but more involving as it progresses. Canadian tv show EWTV dubbed it the Irish Mob version of the The Sopranos. "
In de VS is het niet verder gekomen dan 3 seizoenen, dus ik heb er na deze eerst reeks nog twee te gaan.
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