Tuesday, February 27, 2007

'The Black Donnellys'

If you missed the premiere of The Black Donnellys, you can watch it online at the official NBC website or tune in Thursday at 10 PM.

Pictured here is Jonathan Tucker who plays Tommy Donelly in the show. Since so many folks might have missed the premiere, I won't give away the kicker ending, but I guarantee it's a kicker.

This show focuses on the four Donnelly brothers. The "black" part of it has to do with the Black Irish. They grew up in a rather hardscrabble street life in Lower Manhattan. Tommy, the "good" brother, is a talented artist who tends to be more on the straight and narrow than his brothers. But, as events occur, he gets dragged into the life on the streets.

Mob-related, this isn't a pretty tale. I'm not even all that sure how relevant it is to what's going on today with the mob scene. To me, it's a bit more like the Irish gangs some decades ago were brought into today's world. The locale is a bit awry. The brothers own a bar which I know is on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (see other photos below), but there's an elevated subway track, too. That doesn't mesh, but it also doesn't ruin the story.

I feel this story works despite those quirks. The acting is top-rate, the writing is believable, the streets are mean. I want to get to know these characters. I also take a personal delight in looking at the scenery of some of my own stomping grounds up close and personal.


This is a photo I took from within the same bar featured as the one a Donnelly won in a bet. If you click to get the larger shot, you'll see the piano keys on the walls, the deer head (in Manhattan, for gosh sake), and various Shamrock designs on lamps and such. Ignore the people. They aren't dangerous. They're just the NYC Fotologgers group as the Parkside Lounge was our meeting place for a long time.

I like gritty New York and so much of it isn't these days. The Black Donnellys roam the very same streets I roam when my knee is up to it. True, it's good the city has improved, but I always find the sort of neighborhoods in which the show was filmed intriguing.Looking Across the Street from the Parkside

Because the neighborhood I'm seeing in the show is so much a part of the show, I figured I'd throw a bit more local scenery into this entry. If you click on the shot, you should be able to get the full-sized image.

The first is a photo I took standing outside the bar and looking across the street as a friend of mine locked up his bike.

The next is a photo of a man walking in front of the bar. Lower East Side
And, last but not least, a shot no one could ignore. Between the subway stop and the bar, there's Essex Street. But that's not quite what the sign reads if you look from a certain angle. And, there's a $350 fine for honking.Don't Honk

This is the 'hood of the Black Donnellys and I'll be watching the show. I've been lacking a show for the 10 PM ET time slot on Mondays as there isn't anything which has caught my interest.

That is... until now. Did you watch the show? What did you think?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loved the show Jackie. I just hope it hangs on. It had me at the edge of my seat. I'm really glad the weren't commercials the first half. I think it helped the story move along. I just hope NBC does what it needs to to promote it properly. Jackie, I know you don't care for the football shows but NBC has another hit in Friday Night Lights but they don't promote it properly. If you give it a shot I bet you would like it. Anyway back to TBDs. I'm stoked. Can't wait for next week. I hope you keep blogging for it. Until next week.

Anonymous said...

With all that happened in the pilot I sure hope the writers can keep it going. Do you know if this is a full series or are they just testing the waters? Great first episode. Just out of curiosity do they really fine you $350 for honking on that corner? If so, why? That's so odd. Well anyway, great pictures Jackie! It's nice to know that everything isn't a set or a prop anymore.

Jackie S. said...

I briefly tried Friday Night Lights - just not my cuppa. It's true they moved it around too much and I don't think they promoted it all that well.

I believe this is a full series - I think they'd love to have another hit on their hands. As for the honking, those signs are all over the city. People can't wait a second and they need to do something to stop all the noise. That said, I never saw anyone stopped for honking. And the locale? I'm just glad a show set in the city is filmed here. CSI:NY isn't. They have some scenery shots mixed in, but it's filmed in California. I was shocked when I saw the bar in Donnellys. I had to check to make sure I wasn't just thinking it. They had a big show premiere party there and stuff, but I haven't been to the bar in a few years.

Sydney said...

Anon 9:31 I totally agree with you about Friday Night lights... I think I like what goes on between the coach and his wife best... last week when the ever-cool headed wife lost her head (and then recovered) when talking to her daughter about having sex had every possible emotion you could imagine that situation brings on in her perfromance... and how they dealt with it as a couple while she was on herdate, as well as when she returned. I'm glad to find a fellow fan.

Anonymous said...

Love,love,love FNL!!!! I just wish they could find a good home for it. Rumor has it it might not be around long. I hope not. The coach's wife was awsome on Wed. night. In fact it prompted a conversation with me and my 14 yr old daughter about sex. She too, loves the show.

Anonymous said...

I tried watching TBD but I turned it off about half way through. Generally interesting, but I tho't I wouldn't continue/not interest in the mafia stuff.
~Susan

dawn said...

Jackie,
I loved this show, it is New York maybe not 2007 but close. The neighborhood coould be many in Ny. Only New yorkers would see the inconsistency's in the neighborhood but it didn't bother me. I hope they keep this one. I couldn't get into FNL either. Thanks for all your reviews

Jackie S. said...

Dawn - Another commenter on my original post on the show was under the Boston impression before it aired, as was I. I think the current Irish mob scene is more in that city and it's faded a lot in NYC. Before the show aired, I surely thought it would be Boston, but I'm tickled that it's NY and areas I know so well!

Although it's mob-related, they're humanizing it well through Tommy's take. I don't think they're glorifying it any more than do The Sopranos, maybe less.

Sydney said...

Well, and as a Sopranos fan, I think since it is in it's last 6 eps (whenever they end up finally airing them...this spring I think) there is that huge crowd who'll be jonesing and may appreciate this as a quasi- replacement... Much like those of us who still miss Sex in the City have found a little comfort in watching Ugly Betty. Still wish they didn't position it right across from my must see Survivor... thank goodness for TIVO.

And to my FNL fan friend... it's been lonely!! I comment on it every Wed night here so hopefully you will too. I'd just like to hear what someone else thinks of the eps, just like you did now. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I wasn't going to watch it, but I got reeled in., Even my husband during Heroes said, "oh, I don't want to watch that", couldn't keep his eyes off the T.V and then sat down with me! I am looking forward to see how it develops too.