NY-LON *A review*

I just caught the second episode of this excellent show being screened on Channel 4 here in the UK (Tuesday nights at 10) ... I think its worth a look. I missed the first episode, but I think NY-LON is one of those good shows where the narrative is so well constructed that you will still be able to follow the story. The story is simple enough, Edie (Rashida Jones) works in a record store in New York City who meets Michael (Stephen Moyer)a stock-broker who lives in London. They fall in love (I assume they do on the night they meet as I did not see the first episode), but they are seperated by the Atlantic ocean. They also have very complicated and different lives.

Edie's friend (who happens to be her fragile ex-boyfriends brother) has just died, and her ex-boyfriend wants her back. She lives a fairly bohemian / rock and roll type of life, her best friend is the bartender at the local bar, and her friends are all seemingly arty types. Michael lives the fast life, his best friend is his very wise flatmate. He has just found out that his sex buddy (not really his girlfriend) is pregnant, and we learn that his father was never around, and he comes from a strict Catholic upbringing. So far, so good.

Both Edie and Michael seem to have found each other, but they are too afraid of being hurt and their lives seem to get in the way. The story runs at a good pace, and was not very predictable. The situations and dialogue are utterly believable. One scene where Michael's friends tells him 'I tried the NY-LON thing, but I dumped him once he moved to the same city' winks at the idea that the romance may be doomed should one of them move as they would lose that sense of excitmenet and longing.

The show also seems to burrow elements from 24 as split-screen and a clock at the bottom is utilized to very good effect with some very clever editing. The cast is note-perfect, with the exception of perhaps David Rogers who plays Luke, Edie's stoned out ex-boyfriend. His over-the-top performance gets a tad grating at times. But that;s just a minor quibble. If you are a sappy romantic who likes a good story, catch NY-LON if you can.

Here's the link to the show's official site :

http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/N/nylon/