Catching snippets
Thursday, March 30, 2006 by Chris Orton · Comments Off
For some of us, now is the time when our hard-drive recorders come in very handy. Unlike Graham, who was fortunate enough to have attended the Doctor Who press event the other night, us lot had to retune our Sky Digiboxes to BBC Wales last night to catch some of the first glimpses of the new series, or try to see clips on one of the breakfast programmes when we should have been at work. Read more
“I’m the new new Doctor!”
Thursday, March 30, 2006 by Graham Kibble-White · Comments Off
As expected, the papers are full of Doctor Who stuff today now we’ve passed the embargo date for news from the Cardiff launch. Naturally, then, I can’t resist adding my own thoughts to the rage of info pouring through. Read more
The Apprentice
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 by Phil Norman · Comments Off
It’s the reality show for people who don’t like, even expressly detest, reality shows. Read more
Time waits…
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 by Graham Kibble-White · Comments Off
So, I’m back from Cardiff and the Doctor Who series two launch. As per the Guardian’s grumblings, info about the event is embargoed until tomorrow, so I’ll punt some stuff up on here then.
Paul Abbott was there, though.
Louis Louis: Slight return
Monday, March 27, 2006 by Graham Kibble-White · Comments Off
Well, it’s more than a slight return. It’s an actual return. Read more
The never ending bottle
Monday, March 27, 2006 by Chris Orton · Comments Off
And so the final dregs have still be to be drained from the vessel containing the Last of the Summer Wine. Tuning in last night for the first time in a while it is refreshing to see little has changed for the old men of the Dales. It is quite incredible to think the show has been running for well over 30 years now, especially considering it was last really funny in about 1984 during the Compo, Clegg and Foggy golden age. Read more
Shafted: The return
Sunday, March 26, 2006 by Graham Kibble-White · Comments Off
Ah well, the PA wires seem to be carrying the headline ITV news (see previous post), so what the hell… Read more
A bit of a do
Thursday, March 23, 2006 by Graham Kibble-White · Comments Off
I have a love-hate relationship with the big fuck-off new TV season launches. I love going to them, but I hate being there. Read more
The Apprentice
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 by Rob Buckley · Comments Off
Part reality-TV car crash, part Big Boy’s Book of Business, The Apprentice is a television show many people end up loving without really understanding why. Read more
The Chatterley Affair
Monday, March 20, 2006 by Stuart Ian Burns · Comments Off
On Sunday night, during the closing credits of the programme which proceeded a timely rerun of Ken Russell’s once controversial adaptation of DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, the announcer reminded the viewer that it featured, “Joely Richardson… and Sean Bean… and Sean Bean’s bottom”. Read more
Stelling tales
Monday, March 20, 2006 by Graham Kibble-White · Comments Off
A slight return on Chris’ Jeff Stelling comments, here. Read more
Deal or No Deal?
Saturday, March 18, 2006 by Ian Jones · Comments Off
In a turn of phrase that wouldn’t be out of place tumbling from the lips of its loquacious host, the Saturday night incarnation of this show has turned out to be something of a curate’s egg. Read more
“Before you send $30m of my money to Mexico I want to ask some questions!”
Saturday, March 18, 2006 by Ian Jones · Comments Off
The seventh – and last – series of The West Wing has begun transmission on More4. Having previously bailed out from the show on grounds of it no longer being not even a faint shadow of its former mighty self, it’s proved impossible not to be drawn back to see how the whole sprawling mess tries to resolve itself. Read more
When is the end of your schtick, Vic?
Friday, March 17, 2006 by Jack Kibble-White · Comments Off
There has been heated debate on internet forums this week regarding the BBC3 programme When Comedy Changed Forever. This one-off, 60 minuter put forward the thesis that modern television comedy owes an enormous debt to Vic Reeves Big Night Out. Taking this assumption as its intellectual starting point, the rest of the programme was then bolted round the idea, and presented to us via some ugly graphics that were meant to denote the different ages of TV comedy as distinct geographical locations. The upshot was – a clip of Ben Elton being obsequious to Geoffery Archer on an episode of Wogan aside – there wasn’t really much of interest in the programme and its whole point came across a little spurious. Read more
The Apprentice
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 by Chris Hughes · Comments Off
Let’s brainstorm some words to describe the new series of The Apprentice, shall we? Marker pens at the ready… Read more
Doctor, Doctor, can’t you see I’m burning, burning?
Monday, March 13, 2006 by Graham Kibble-White · Comments Off
So, it’s official, then. And once more I’m gearing up to go Doctor Who nuts as the new series’ press launch has been confirmed for March 28 in Cardiff. The invites are ebay-ably attractive – David T, Billie P and an in-a-spin TARDIS on one side, some generic landscape shot on the other; both adorned with Photoshop whispy bits of business. Read more
The best a man can get
Sunday, March 12, 2006 by Chris Hughes · Comments Off
Simon Hattenstone has been eulogising Sky Sports’ Jeff Stelling in The Guardian this week, and rightly so. There simply isn’t a better sports presenter on British television at the moment, and Gillette Soccer Saturday never fails to deliver. Panellist Charlie Nicholas has been the star for two Saturdays now, first entering into raptures over Arsenal’s win at Fulham, then conveying at high volume the drama of Portsmouth’s last-minute winner against Manchester City. Read more
That’s after your own programmes
Sunday, March 12, 2006 by Steve Williams · Comments Off
As Steve pointed out before Christmas, Nationwide, or something like it, is due for an experimental return to BBC1 this summer. Read more
The Apprentice
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 by Andrew Collins · Comments Off
If I had a bomb, and a place to drop it from, I’d drop it on you, business hopefuls. Read more
Time Shift: Sun and Moon
Monday, March 6, 2006 by TJ Worthington · Comments Off
One of the great joys of BBC4 is that its schedulers and programme makers are never afraid to rummage around the dustier corners of the archives. Read more