Rosie loves "Meadowlands" and so do I

Every time I stop reading Rosie O'Donnell's blog, she says something interesting. It's all part of my curse — the same one that ensures a show will be swiftly canceled if I tune in. Anyway, Rosie recently sang (or whatever you call emitting bursts of all-cap raving) the praises of Meadowlands, the UK series that's currently airing on Showtime.

Quoth Rosie:

there is an amazing new show
on SHOWTIME
it is fan freaking tastic
MEADOWLANDS

...

WOW
WOW THIS SHOW IS AMAZING
U HAVE TO WATCH IT

i dont wanna tell u anything
cause it will ruin it
watch it like i did last night
in order - in one sitting

CAPTIVATING ON EVERY LEVEL

...

it is worth getting cable for
i swear to u
the line after the title
IS THE TRUTH WORTH AVOIDING

I too am a fan of the show, though probably for different reasons (for one thing, I haven't even noticed a line after the title, concerning truth or anything else — probably because I seek out neither conspiracy nor transparency, believing life lands squarely between them). I like Meadowlands for the above-average acting, the fantastic himself-at-all-costs Mark (Harry Treadaway) and the svelte husk of Lucy Cohu's (Evelyn's) voice. If God has an accent, surely it's the same as hers. (She's the one on the left in this photo.)

And, of course, there's the draw of a slowly unfolding mystery involving some sort of witness protection program and the power of belief. Plus I wouldn't mind at all if Nina Sosanya (Samantha) were to manage my life from a command center in a seedy hotel.

Getting back to accents, though, my girlfriend finds the Meadowlands lilts too thick — she insists we keep the captions on. Like Rosie, we watched several episodes of the show in one sitting (during a very British weekend that also included Tipping the Velvet). I'm not sure I recommend watching it in a marathon way, though; it gets in your head and makes you dream about murder and sex. I mean, more than I usually do.

Sometimes Meadowlands is definitely wacky — life and golf as metaphors for each other? — and occasionally it seems to yammer on, usually when Detective/Officer/Whatever Wintersgill is revealing his tepid Jenny-like inner turmoil. But at its best, the show is compelling and disturbing, like David Lynch on a relatively clear-headed day. The characters manage to be both sinister and lovable, not unlike the Sopranos crew but in a decidedly more mind-boggling way. (In other words, sometimes you can't tell what the hell is going on.)

Sadly, there are only a couple of episodes of Meadowlands left in this too short a "season." You know these UK shows: They disappear just when we're getting hooked. In the UK, the show is called Cape Wrath, and its absence will probably provoke my wrath. And certainly Rosie's, though probably in a more shrieky, abbreviated way.

Meadowlands airs Sundays at 10:00 p.m. on Showtime. For recaps, try Robyn Charles' blog. And check out the official site — which is actually full of info, unlike most official sites.