Search - The Black Donnellys - The Complete Series on DVD

Excellent series, cancelled too soon!

TVSeriesFinale.com | Los Angeles, CA USA | 06/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Black Donnellys" follows the story of four young Donnelly brothers -- Catholic Irish-American siblings in New York's infamous Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. The story is told by an unreliable narrator and Donnelly childhood friend named Joey 'Ice Cream' while being incarcerated. The series stars Jonathan Tucker, Thomas Guiry, Olivia Wilde, Billy Lush, Michael Stahl-David, Kirk Acevedo and Keith Nobbs. It was co-created by Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (best known for the movie "Crash").



The series debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007 and took the place of the troubled "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" on Monday nights. The series' initial half hour did well (10 million) but viewership fell off significantly in the second half hour (6 million). It never got any better.



NBC aired seven episodes but, with most of the rest of the network's schedule performing poorly, they had to drop it. They streamed the rest of the series online.



It's a real shame because "Donnellys" had some solid performances and interesting characters. If NBC had been doing better, they probably would have stuck with it and perhaps even renewed it for a second year."

Shame on NBC

Michael Bunker | West Texas | 06/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The networks continue to pump junk down the throats of mind-numbed dumplings who I suppose want another season of Idol and more reality TV junk. Too bad for an excellent piece of work like TBD which captured a large audience, and treated them to a quality story, not one dumbed down and marketed for the soundbite and latte' crowd. Shame on NBC for not listening to their fans, and shame on any other network for not picking up a show that is sure to do nothing but grow a loyal and true audience. Kudos to the writes and the actors, but shame again on NBC."

Deserves Another Chance

Erin Kathleen Holman | Toronto, Canada | 06/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Black Donnellys is an amazing show that never should have been cancelled. The acting, writing and plotlines are outstanding. I was captivated by this show right from the pilot, and I'm not a huge fan of the mob genre. It is a shame that it was never allowed to reach the audience it should have. Throughout the season each episode just got better and better. This is a must have for anyone's collection."

Understanding The Black Donnellys

Ruth82 | Illinois | 06/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When the pilot episode had aired, we were first engaged with a peculiar character named Joey "Ice Cream", who would later become the narrator for the rest of the story. He introduced us all to four Irish brothers, Jimmy, Tommy, Kevin and Sean Donnelly, who lived in the heart of Hell's Kitchen. Irish blood clashed with Italian blood.. and keeping the peace was quitely understood until one day. The Donnellys made a mistake by disrupting the peace and what was unknown to them.



As viewers, we were catapulted into a world of family hardships, corruption and misdoings. More characters were introduced, names that have become synonymous of characters in our own lives in one shape or form including: sweet Jenny and her father Mr. Reilly; Dokey Farrell, the brute and Irish bully; Nicky Cottero, the Italian rat; and the widowed Mrs. Donnelly, who only wanted to see her boys survive in a life of adversity. Throughout the season, we see the emotions erupt, motives unravel and suspicions revisited.



After viewing the second to last episode, we understand with clarity the core of the Donnelly family. Sean, the youngest, is clean of any misdoings and his brothers make sure that is how he stays.. innocent. Kevin acts as comic relief while being able to support his brothers both emotionally and physically. Jimmy is the oldest child, rough along the edges. He holds the family pride but is challenged with humility. Tommy is the strength of the family. He only does what he thinks will undo what is "wrong".. and realizes a world of manipulation and negotiation can only get you "right" for a period of time.



As the season drew to a close.. the second to last episode entitled "The Black Drop", was a rough and intense episode. With each episode we see the story escalate and the emotions heighten. With the final episode.. "Easy is the Way", The Black Donnellys will leave a lasting impression in your minds and your hearts."