“There Was A Time When The World Asked Ordinary Men To Do Extraordinary Things.”

Band of Brothers is a 2001 war drama miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Based on the book of the same name by Stephen E. Ambrose (1992), it tells the story of the real events of World War 2, following the men of “Easy” Company, US paratroopers, and their stories from their training through their involvement in Europe against Nazi Germany, up until the end of the war.

The (Real) Story and (Real) Characters

Over the course of ten episodes, we follow in the footsteps of “Easy” Company,  , 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division, from their basic training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, USA, to the airborne landings in Normandy, France, the infamous Operation Market Garden, in Holland, the cold winter siege at Bastogne, Belgium, and the unit’s capture of the infamous Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, in Berchtesgaden, Germany, up until the Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. The story mainly revolves around Major Richard Winters and the real men of Easy Company who fought and lost the lives during the war, and through these events, we learn of these men’s experience and hardship. Their struggles, both physical and mental, that they must overcome, and ultimately, their strong bonds that would forged them into this Band of Brothers.

Made in the same gritty, war story style as Saving Private Ryan, this TV show’s quality surpass even that of a Hollywood Blockbuster, and with the cast of characters that can only be explored with justice in a TV series, Band of Brothers sets a benchmark for great Television that has never been topped since. This is one of the best miniseries that has ever been made.

Written by Krongfah Mahankalarp, Writer at Day X Productions

“Back in the 90’s…”

BoJack Horseman is a Netflix Orignal adult drama-comedy animation created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. First premiered on Netflix in 2014 it stars Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman, along with Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. It currently has five seasons, and has recently been renewed for a sixth season.

The Story

BoJack Horseman is set in a semi-alternate world of Hollywoo(d) where humans and two legged humanoid animals live together. BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), a washed up alcoholic horse who once starred in a famous 90’s sitcom, Horsing Around, seeks to spark his life into relevance once again with a warts-and-all biography with the help of his human ghostwriter Diane Nyugen (Alison Brie). Tagged along for the adventure is his human slacker friend Todd Chavez (Aaron Paul), his pink persian cat agent Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), and his self-imposed doggy bestfriend/rival Mr. Peanutbutter.

But don’t let the colourful (literally) and wacky cast of characters fool you. The story of BoJack Horseman is dark and dirty, with each characters having to deal with their own very real problems.  Depression, addiction, self-destructive behavior, are only a few examples. Even though the show is filled with colourful animals, it is very much about the human experience. But even though the woods is dark and scary, there is always a light shining through the leaves, and as Todd Chavez would say “the only way out is through.”

The Theme

Even with it satirical take on the world of Hollywoo(d), making fun of ridiculousness the show business left and right. The main theme of BoJack Horseman is about the human experience. The characters are dealing with their own problems, be it depression, alcoholism, marriage issues, or even self-loath. This is what makes this show great, because even with their colourful and funny outside, everyone is broken in their own ways.

This show, in the writer’s opinion, is one of the best thing Netflix has to offer right now. Do not write it off as a stupid adult comedy show because BoJack Horseman is anything but that.

I especially recommend it for people who may have deal with some of these issues. I can’t guarantee you that it will cure your depression, but it will help you, like it helped me.

Written by Krongfah Mahankalarp, writer at Day X Productions