Viva Laughlin

Viva Laughlin
We definitely aren't laughlin with this show, that's for sure.
Genre: Dramedy Musical Running Time: 42 minutes Country: United States Release Date: October 18 – October 21, 2007 Network(s): CBS Created by: Peter Bowker Bob Lowry Starring: Lloyd Owen Mädchen Amick Ellen Woglom Carter Jenkins Eric Winter D.B. Woodside Hugh Jackman Seasons: 1 Episodes: 2 (5 unaired)

Viva Laughlin is an American musical comedy drama television series adapted by Bob Lowry and Peter Bowker (creators of the original series) from the popular BBC show Blackpool, and named after the latter's sequel, Viva Blackpool.

Plot

Ripley Holden, a casino owner, plans on establishing a resort on the Laughlin Strip. The show is based on "Blackpool," a BBC murder mystery musical series that was created in 2004.

Why It's No Laughlin Matter

1. Throughout the show, the characters will spontaneously burst into a song at irrelevant times, with it getting very annoying at times. The show would've actually been slightly better if they just dropped the music act.
   • For example, Hugh Jackman's character begins to sing Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones, and it's as cringe-worthy as you are imagining it.
2. They play the original songs over the characters' singing, making it sound more like a rough draft.
3. Additionally, the original vocals rarely synchronize together, which significantly worsens the sound.
4. Another problem many people have pointed out is how terrible the singing is.
5. Despite having some very solid actors, such as Hugh Jackman, the acting in this show is definitely not the best and could use some serious improvement.
6. None of the characters are likable in any manner, as it is impossible to connect with them knowing they will break into a song 5 minutes later.
7. The dialogue is bad and can be cringe-worthy at times.
8. The plot and writing are terrible.
9. Because of all of the aforementioned, the show was canceled after airing two episodes, unless you consider Australia's Nine Network, which dropped the show after only one episode, leaving five episodes unaired.

Redeeming Qualities

1. It's a good thing that the original series, Blackpool, but sadly, this version does not live up to how good the predecessor was.
2. At least the songs they choose are good, despite being ruined with the awful singing.

Reception

The show was critically panned when the first episode aired, which led to CBS canceling the show after only two episodes, as stated before.

External Links

• Viva Laughlin at the Internet Movie Database
• Viva Laughlin on Rotten Tomatoes

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