BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER – 20:00 – Sunday – Sky One
Whilst the episode shown on Friday night was one of the best of the series, detailing the scooby gangs battle against Adam, and a couple of hundred demons too, the final episode of the series was a bit of a let down.
The plot was intriguing, if hardly original, being about an entity that attacks Buffy and co in their dreams, but the execution was a bit of a let down. It tried to invoke the dreaminess of Twin Peaks at times, including red curtains and bizarre old men, but was all too predictable, and, once again, Buffy was able to defeat ‘the enemy’ all too easy.
I can’t see where this show’s going to go in it’s fifth season, and, to be honest, I’m not really that interested anymore.
BADDIEL AND SKINNER UNPLANNED – 22:30 – Sunday, Monday – ITV
Dull, boring, and shockingly unfunny. Yup, Baddiel and Skinner’s new chat show, in which they talk to each other but no one else, has been awful thus far.
Despite promising not to talk about football, the lads have failed on both shows thus far, quite a feat considering how little they’ve talked about anything else.
Add to this a bit of terrible karaoke at the end, and you have perhaps one of the least interesting shows ever shown on ITV.
PLEASURE ISLAND – 22:00 – Tuesday – ITV
Hmmmm. Worrying. Another ‘documentary’ about the Hedonism resort in Jamaica, this awful show seems packed with the old and ugly rambling about sex. Which I’m sure is very few people’s idea of an informative, interesting show. Most of the character’s featured in the show come across as pretty desperate, and whilst the Beaches and Bars look pretty attractive, little else featured in the show does. Worth watching only for comedy value.
THE PRIORY – 18:00 – Tuesdays – C4
Chat shows are normally pretty tedious things, with guests just present to promote their new film/single/book etc. but somehow, The Priory manages to entertain for the full hour it’s on.
Sure, Zoe Ball is hardly the world’s greatest interviewer, but she has a certain charm, and the hap hazard, almost improvisational style that the show is presented in works pretty well. Plus the various quizzes and games they play throughout the show are actually fun (well, at least compared to those seen on TFI).
Not essential viewing by any means, but not bad, not bad at all.
BATTLESTAR GALACTIA – 18:45 – Tuesdays – BBC2
I used to have pretty fond memories of this show, but on seeing it recently, I can’t believe how badly it’s aged. The acting is mostly poor (bar Lorne Green, of course), the special effects shockingly poor, and the incidental music is just so ridiculously over dramatic. Add to this plots which make Star Trek look like the work of a nobel prize winner novelist, and dialogue firmly set in the seventies, and, well, you’ve got a show that isn’t really watchable at all.
TFI FRIDAY LIVE – 22:30 – FRIDAY - C4
I’ve always avoided reviewing TFI Friday due to my extreme dislike of Chris Evans and the bizarre parallel universe he’s created for himself ever since the beginning of the show.
For in this world that Mr Evans lives in, he is the most handsome, hilarious and talented man who has ever lived, and if he should doubt himself for a second, well, there’s always a Will or a Worthers to remind him how truly great he is. But I can take no more of his egotistical ramblings. No more. For he has truly lost the plot completely.
His live special, broadcast last Friday night, was about as painful as television gets, as he pulled out all the stops to get noticed (again), including brief nudity, Bon Jovi doing push ups, Caprice shoving a pie in his face, and Shaun Ryder attempting not to swear. And despite the fact that such a recipe for live tv should have created great viewing, the end result tasted very foul indeed. It wasn’t funny, it wasn’t entertaining and it wasn’t interesting.
At the end of the day it was just very, very dull, and Evans presence made it painful. Apparently Channel Four have yet to commission any more shows post December. I pray that they will see sense and cancel this show before it loses it’s few remaining viewers.
FRASIER – 22:00 – FRIDAY – C4
Sadly Frasier is another show that I think should be cancelled. Not that it doesn’t still entertain, but like The Simpsons, it’s past it’s sell by date.
The farce’s that take place get more extreme by the week, and whilst they still rise a smile from time to time, the script is nowhere near as sharp as it was during the first few years.
Kelsey Grammar himself has gone on record as stating he’s bored of the show too, so with any luck the next season will be the last, Daphne will marry Niles, and the show will be remembered in a wholly good light.
ANGEL – 21:00 – FRIDAY – SKY ONE
I’m constantly surprised with this show. I didn’t think that any of the character’s were appealing enough to keep my attention for long, but Angel has lightened up (just) enough to carry the show competently, Cordellia has finally developed a character, and Wesley, well, he’s better than Doyle I guess.
Throw in a fair few guest appearances from Buffy and co. and a harsher, more violent context, and you’ve got a programme which has, for once, improved as things have continued. One of the few new American shows that is actually any good.
Alex Finch.
EITHER/OR - 21:40, 23:30, and 2:05 - Mondays - UK PLAY
Fresh from outstanding performances at the Edinburgh Festival last year, Simon Munnery has adopted the League against Tedium for televisual enjoyment.
An Opera Singer who insults people. Contestants looking like Druids, masked by hoods and paddles, in order to avoid losing their anonymity. Choices need to be made - YOU MUST DECIDE; decisions must be justified so to seek redemption.
The process leaves one individual eventually losing; with the prize of fame being his/her punishment.
Alternative Comedy Game Shows (or Gamm Shau as Munnery would pronounce it) don't get much better, or weirder.
He should know, being the self-proclaimed 'Master of 99 languages', 'Inventor of 98 languages'!
Craig Aston.
COUPLING – 21:30 – Fridays - BBC2, + Saturday repeat, times vary.
It's not often that a Brit sitcom distracts me from Sky One's ANGEL, but this new effort from the Beeb is definitely worth setting the VCR for.
It's a relationship type thing, with vague similarites to FRIENDS obviously woven in to get it past the stupid people who write the cheques. The legendary Jack Davenport and the equally legendary Gina Bellman are both wonderful, furthermore the rest of the cast are almost as good. It's written by Steven Moffat, an unsung genius who previously gave us JOKING APART, CHALK, not to mention the unfeasibly good piece of Children's TV that was PRESS GANG.
Moffat's usual form is high farce, as anyone who remembers the scene in CHALK where the headmaster gives the Schools Inspector a tupperware box full of his own poo will be all too aware. COUPLING is yet to scale such heights, but believe me, it's only a matter of time. Don't miss ANGEL, but don't miss this either
Chris Denton.
DAWSON’S CREEK – 12:40 – Sundays – C4
Dawson’s Creek is one of those shows that can be good one week, and utter shite the next. Sometimes it’s pretty self-aware, tongue in cheek style drama, and others it’s too earnest, too desperate to make a serious point about the pains of growing up. So it’s certainly watchable, but by no means essential tv.
This week Dawson and co. visited a University Open Day, and each character met someone who either ‘made them grow up’ or ‘made them horny’, which, I presume, was meant to sum up the University experience. And it was all a bit too much. Everyone at University was passionate about their course, and, of course, they sprouted ridiculously clever and insightful dialogue at all times. Which certainly wasn’t true of my University, or any that I’ve ever visited. Still, Joey looked cute throughout, Dawson found himself humiliated for once, and his love for Spielberg was (finally) ridiculed.
Recently moved from Tuesday evenings to Sunday lunchtimes, Dawson’s Creek is far more suited to it’s new timeslot as it makes for pretty good hangover tv, when all you want is something to distract you from your throbbing headache.
Alex Finch.
BITS - Sunday - 9:55 - C4
Rapidly becoming a 4later mainstay and breaking new ground in the T4 market, BITS is the straight-talking no nonsense tv show which deals in anything related to the computer and console.
Produced by Ideal World (who are also responsible for Vids), BITS is filmed in Glasgow with presenters Aleks Krotoski, Emily ('Bouff') Booth, and Emily Newton-Dunn commenting on what is best in the technological world, from gadgets to games. It's a far cry from the Gamesmaster days, when reviews would be flowered and filled up with adjectives like an episode of food and drink.
Fortunately, those days are over. Certainly, the sight of three attractive young women beats Patrick Moore and Special Effects anyday.
Craig Aston.
BOB MARTIN – Sunday – 22:00 – ITV
If I was to say that this was the best ITV comedy in ages, it wouldn’t be saying much at all really. Infact when was the last time ITV produced anything truly funny? (Webhack briefly tries to remember laughing (intentionally) at any comedy on this channel, but sadly fails). Ah, never then.
So it’s a shame to say that all in all Bob Martin’s a pretty average show. Based (obviously) on The Larry Sanders Show, but failing to get anywhere near as satirical or cutting edge as that show, it has a fair few laughs, but you can’t help but feel that it could be much, much more funnier. Micheal Barrymore puts in an above average performance as a game show host (stretching himself there then, but then this is the first time I’ve liked him in anything, ever) and Keith Allen, though a little wasted, raises a smile once in a while.
The show’s co-written by Bob Mills, whose ‘In Bed with Medinner’ series was often pretty good, but, in comparison, this is weak stuff, lacking a much needed hard edge. Larry Sander’s wasn’t afraid to mercilessly satirise it’s lead character, but Bob Martin is almost always seen in a sympathetic light, and the show suffers for this.
Add to the mix a collection of b-list celebrities such as Jamie Theakston (who seems to be on everything at the moment) who look out of place amongst heavyweight actors such as Dennis Lawson, and all in all, it’s just a bit of a mess. Worth catching if you’re bored, which is why it’s probably shown on Sunday nights.
ANIMALS DO THE FUNNIEST THINGS – Sunday – 18:30 – ITV
These clip-show compilation schedule fillers are usually pretty poor, and this was no exception. Micheal Barrymore’s links were as painful as usual for this kind of thing, and the whole show was far too long.
So why am I reviewing this? Because it had two outstanding moments in it, which (rather embarrassingly) I’m glad I sat through the whole show to catch. One being a truly scary clip with an ostrich chasing a tv presenter, the other being a short segment about a dog called Footsie, who was born without back feet. I know it’s cruel, but I haven’t laughed so much in ages.
If this show was about 15 minutes long it would have been perfect, and maybe, one day, the producers of such shows will realise this. Ah, who am I trying to kid.
GOOD VS EVIL – Wednesday’s – 21:00 - Sky One
Good Vs Evil’s plot may seem a little familiar, as it’s been done a fair few times of late in both tv shows and movies, but basically concerns a man being killed and then being recruited by a ‘heavenly agency’ to fight evil post death.
But what’s so good about the show is that it’s self-aware, funny, and moves damn fast. In the first episode the lead character was killed, and recruited by ‘the corps’ before the opening credits, and the plots often have more twists and turns than, oh, I don’t know, a particularly twisty thing (A Curlywurly perhaps). Okay, I’d better start making sense here. Basically this show is another super-natural thriller type thing, like Buffy and Angel etc. but adds a fresh twist to an already tired genre by being a) well written and plot driven, b) interestingly shot, and c) perhaps most importantly, featuring a collection of characters who often screw up or break the rules, to refreshing effect.
Sadly this show was cancelled after it’s first season, bought up by the Sci-fi Channel, and then cancelled again after it’s second season. Still, like all the best tv, at least it won’t go past it’s sell by date.
Alex Finch
A VERY BRADY SEQUEL - Easter Monday - BBC1
Stars: Gary Cole, Shelly Long, Tim Matheson.
If the first return of the naivete and kitsch of the Brady's to the big screen wasn't enough to put you off, surely the second would be the nail in the tie-dyed coffin. However, this is not necessarily the case.
A Very Brady Sequel does follow on some of it's predecessors formula; the comparisons between Bradys and nineties attitude. This time, the theme is embedded with a story, which sees Carol Brady (Long) reunited with her first husband Roy (Matheson) who mysteriously disappeared, and was believed to be dead.
Carol's second husband Mike allows Roy to spend more quality time with his lost family (Carol and the kids) But all is not what it is supposed to be. As a film it is watchable, and predictably funny in parts. Arguably the most enjoyable bits are the cameos from Zsa Zsa Gabor and Rosie O'Donnell as auction bidders, Ru - Paul as a guidance counsellor, and Richard Belzer (Homicide's Munch) as a detective; they had to portray him as a touch talking, assertive, foul-mouthed detective, but without the use of the language keeping them in the certificate band, and to stay in keeping with the general feel of the film. That is presumably why he bawls out words like 'fricking' and 'christ'?
Oh well, it proved to be funnier than was probably intended. And not a complete total waste of an hour and a half!?!
Craig Aston.
DA ALI G SHOW – Friday’s – C4 – 22:30
I wrote a pretty scathing review of the first show of this series but then decided not to post it on the site, as I thought I’d view a few more episodes before coming to any definite conclusions. Alas the show has not really improved, and, all in all, it’s a bit of a mess.
The celebrity guests are all too aware of whom Ali is now, and thus are only doing the show in a desperate bid to raise their own profile/popularity. Thus they don’t really react when Ali attempts to take the piss out of them, and just laugh along with the joke. It wasn’t funny watching Mohammad Al Fayed or Neil Hamilton, just painful (though maybe that was the partly the point).
Out of the studio too many of the jokes revolve around Ali saying something sexually juvenile to an unsuspecting (unknown) person, which raised a smile in the first few episodes, but now seems pretty weak – the lowest point so far being when Ali swore at the ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ producer and then immediately apologised for his language. I thought the point about Ali is that he is offensive and childish, and the ‘comedy’ is immediately weakened when he apologises for what he’s said.
But by far the worst parts of the show have occurred when Ali chats up a female guest (Gail Porter, Mel from Eastenders etc.) and basically drools over them, without attempting anything particulalrly funny.
At the end of the tv night, Ali seems to find himself far funnier than anyone else does, and I just don’t think I can be bothered to watch Sacha Baron Cohen acting so smug anymore.
SMACK THE PONY – Friday’s – C4 – 21:30
I was never a big fan of this show first time round, and it hasn’t seemed to improve that much. Too many of the jokes revolve around either breasts, or women acting ‘stupid’ which rarely raise ‘belly laughs’ as they used to say.
The musical numbers are well written and performed, but sadly not funny, when compared to bands like Younger Younger 28’s who take the piss out of pop for a living. That said, there are occasional funny moments, and the show is no where near being the disaster that ‘Da Ali G Show’ is.
Worth catching if nothing else is on at the time.
HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU – BBC2 – 21:00
HIGNFY has been running for what seems like decades, but has never really received any sort of backlash, and with good reason. Whilst it’s never reached the levels of ‘classic comedy’, it has been consistently good for years.
Paul Merton and Ian Hislop make excellent team captains, a bizarre mix of the satirical and the surreal, and Angus Deyton holds the whole thing together admirably.
Far better than weaker spin off shows such as ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ and ‘They Think It’s All Over’ – there’s no real reason why this show shouldn’t run and run.
JAM – Thursday’s – 22:30 – C4
Chris Morris’s exploration of the darker side of humanity is getting better by the week, as he delves into the non-comedy subjects of fear, depression, anger, violence and suffering with vigour.
Sure, some of it is utterly shocking, but thank God for that. Isn’t it time TV did something other than bore us to death with tedious soaps and American sitcoms? C4 are repeating the show on Saturday nights in a re-edited form (under the title ‘Jaaaam’) at around midnight, so if you’ve missed the show so far, well, you’ve just got no excuse not to watch it now.
WHEN CELEBRITIES STRIP – Tuesday – 22:00 – ITV
Christ, ITV is getting poorer and poorer by the day. It must have taken about five minutes to glue together this collection of interviews with the stars (and their photographer’s) talking about going nude on film.
They tried to make it sound as if this was an in-depth study in to a late twentieth century ‘phenomena’ but, the only conclusion they could offer is that celebrities strip to enhance their careers, which I think most people knew already.
Almost as a bad as a Sky ‘documentary’ and that’s saying something.
THE X-FILES – Sundays – 21:00 - Sky One
The Seventh season of this show has got off to a pretty shaky start, which is a shame as I had pretty high hopes for it after the excellent sixth season. The first two episodes were fine, but as per usual recently, the shocking events which happened to Mulder and Scully during these episodes is quickly forgotten about and things have returned to normal all to quickly.
Sunday night’s episode featured Frank Black (from Chris Carter’s 2nd show, Millennium) looking moody and washed out, reluctantly stopping the end of the world. As Sky never got round to showing the last season of Millennium it’s hard to say whether it was a satisfying conclusion to the show, and whilst we did see Frank re-united with his daughter, well, stopping the apocalypse seemed just all too easy.
The show ended with M&S sharing a New Year’s Eve snog which seemed particularly unpassionate considering how long we’ve had to wait for it too. As this is almost hopefully the last season of The X-Files it’d be nice to see if they develop the relationship even further, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER – Fridays – 20:00 Sky One
I have this theory that all shows have a limited time span before they become tedious and repetitive. Most American shows go on well past their sell-by dates if they’re still popular and the quality (as can be seen in recent episodes of The Simpsons) starts to decline fast. Of course, some shows stay fresher than others.
The X-Files managed to stay fresh for so long by introducing huge conspiracy theories amongst the one off stories. And now Buffy’s trying to do the same, and it all seems a little weak. The Initiative, a mysterious military operation, were introduced at the beginning of this season, and it’s sadly turned out all rather poorly. Last week we found out about their ‘evil plans’ which involved creating a super demon, made out of bits of other demons, that, inevitably, has escaped in to the wilds. And it’s all a bit too ‘Frankenstein’ for my liking.
I think for the show to survive Buffy will have to leave the comforting clime of Sunnydale and escape in to the big wide world, but that seems unlikely, especially since Angel was launched. Apparently one of the Scooby gang dies towards the end of this season. Maybe, just maybe, that’ll freshen up the show a little.
THE 11 O’ CLOCK SHOW – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays – 23:00 – C4
Unlike fellow gc(uk) contributor Simon Bailey I have to profess to being pretty disappointed with this show.
Topical comedy’s supposed to be the hardest type to do, but all the 11 o clock show seems to be is a collection of ‘cock jokes’ and celebrity interviews that often have little relevance to the news (like Judge Jules last night) and are simply not as funny as they’d like to think they are. Ricky Gervais amuses from time to time, but even he’s getting pretty repetitive these days.
The fifth season’s going to need some pretty big changes if the show’s to survive, and, hopefully, that’ll include losing Iain Lee and Tommy Vance and getting in some fresh young talent.
JAM - Channnel 4 - Thursdays - 10.30pm
Jam is the latest creation of Chris Morris, who seems to be the only comedian around at the moment who is interested in breaking taboo’s, shocking his core audience, and creating tv which is, simply put, groundbreaking. We’ve already looked in depth at his last tv creation, Brasseye, and have been eagerly awaited his (low-key) return to television.
And was it worth the wait? Oh yes. Because Jam is a sketch show unlike any other you’re ever likely to see. It’s comedy which is likely to confuse and shock you, yet still make you laugh. An ambient soundtrack plays pretty much throughout the show, which adds a distinctly dark and brooding atmosphere to the proceedings.
Morris himself is barely seen throughout the collection of increasingly bizarre and unnerving sketches, featuring such dark characters as the sadistic doctor who tortures and finally kills his patients, and a man who throws himself off a building forty times, committing suicide incredibly slowly, just incase he changes his mind during the act. But this doesn’t detract from the show. The whole cast, most of whom also appeared in Brasseye, fit into his (admittedly uncomfortable) style of comedy extremely easily.
Dark, uneasy comedy at it’s very best, and well worth the wait. Let’s just hope that Morris doesn’t disappear for another five years after this all too short six week run.
Alex Finch.
TRIGGER HAPPY TV (Series review)
A program that was new to our screens only seven short weeks ago started off with much promise unfortunately faded away a little towards the end of the series.
Dom Joly has come up with a very good twist on an already used style, and came up trumps. Playing pranks on the public has been around for quite a while now, but Dom Joly added new dimensions to the genre. Unfortuately, by the end of the six week run, a lot of the sketches were rehashes of the previous ones.
Some creations were nothing short of inspired, and the odd couple I still laugh out loud at despite their repetition. I can’t get enough of the mobile phone sketch, and the fighting dogs always make me chuckle. Others though soon got tiresome, especially the foreign singers and the artist who always leaves in Trafalgar Square.
His interview with celebrities were always of a good quality. His interview with Ken Livingston was particularly memorable as Ken took the whole thing so seriously, and even more so when Dom beat on the gorilla. All in all, a very good show that got a little repetitive. It still raised laughs at the end of the series, but it was harder to laugh at most of the things.
Simon Bailey.
THE STRANGERERS - SKY ONE - TUESDAYS - 21:00
This is a mildly entertaining show. There are a fair number of funny moments, not to mention some fine performances - including a great cameo in episode 1 from Gareth "Blake" Thomas.
It's all been recorded on decent quality film at a Ministry of Defence installation, so the whole thing looks cool. The big problem is the characterisation - or lack of it. The central roles just aren't interesting enough, at least not yet, to carry a really top-notch sit-com.
Still, it's been a promising start and congratulation to Sky-One for breathing new life into British Sci-fi. Actually, THE STRANGERERS was originally intended for BBC2, but they axed it in favour of THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN. This raises the question: Just how stupid are the Corporation anyway?
Chris Denton.
MY HERO - BBC1 - Fridays - 20:30
What is it with the BBC and comedy? Much of what they produce on BBC2 (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme excepted) is normally pretty good – indeed some comedy classics have originated from the channel, such as The Fast Show, League of Gentlemen, and Have I Got News For You.
But BBC1? Everything they make is utter crap. And it all seems to be based around a repeatedly tedious formula – a central character who’s either stupid/annoying/ or simply out of touch, proceeds each week to get in to variously predictable scrapes. Beast, The Peter Principle, The Brittas Empire, Prince Among Men, even Some Mothers Do Have Em, have all used this formula, and instead of being funny, they’ve simply been irritating, with most of the jokes sign-posted a mile off. Some one must tell the Beeb that predictability isn’t ‘comedy gold dust’ – it’s the one element that’s almost guaranteed to cause viewing figures to drop, and the show to be (normally, thankfully) cancelled.
So has the BBC learnt from the mistakes of the past? Have they looked at the shows their sister channel produces and thought, why don’t we do something innovative, something original? Something funny?
No. Of course not. They’ve stuck to a failing format, and just got a better cast. My Hero certainly has potential, but it’s not used very well at all. What could have been a comedy series with unlimited possibilities – the central character can go anywhere on this planet, after all, in a matter of seconds, has, unsurprisingly, just turned in to another ‘relationship comedy.’ Sigh. I give up, I really do. Can’t they see that tv is so over populated with these shows, post Friends, that unless something startling original is added to the show, it’s just not going to work.
Ardal O’Hanlon, so good in Father Ted, puts in another ‘stupid/innocent’ performance, and the show suffers for it. Every time he opens his mouth you can predict what he’s about to say. And the show’s special effects are shockingly poor – making it look even more dated than it already is.
Jerry Sadowitz once said, all comedy has a target. But I guess he'd not yet seen this show, as all the jokes seem so aimless. Which is, perhaps, why it’s simply not funny at all.
A ROUND UP OF JANUARY'S TV.
Tv makes me despair sometimes. The schedules are filled with badly written dross, and the only things which entertain seem to be either repeats, or American. Still, some programmes have entertained. The new series of The League of Gentlemen may not be as laugh out loud funny as the first, but it’s certainly as disturbing. It’s just a shame that Papa Lazarou was only in one episode, and his comic potential wasn’t explored further. I kinda hope that this is the last series though – as surely the residents of Royston Vasey can’t become any odder.
Trigger Happy Tv started off well, but has become increasingly repetitive already. Some jokes work well at first, such as the giant mobile phone, and the cub scout attempting to get bizarre badges, but become very annoying after a while. The celebrity interviews entertain, but post Chris Morris and Ali G, it just seems a little tired. A second series has been commissioned, and unless Dom Joly comes up with some better, more original jokes, I doubt whether I’ll bother watching.
At Home With The Braithwaites is the first ITV produced drama serial that I’ve enjoyed in a very long time. Well written, amusing, and competently acted, it’s kept my attention thus far. Middle age seems to suit Peter Davidson well, and Amanda Redman carries the show admirably.
Beast however is the biggest pile of shite I’ve had the misfortune to see in a long while. The jokes seem signposted a mile off, and, simply put, the central concept of the show – a vet who hates animals, is so tiresomely pathetic that I find it amazing that the Beeb commissioned the show, and Alexander Armstrong seems to be trying to be the new Jack Docherty, which is no ones idea of a good career move.
And in brief: Gormenghast has just got worse with each episode, but I’ll comment on that after tomorrow night’s final episode – Frasier desperately needs some kind of breath of fresh air, as the formula is just getting too tedious – So Graham Norton is (easily) the best chat show on tv for a long, long while – Queer as Folk is just about the best drama C4 has ever produced, and I just hope that the second series maintains the quality - The Mark Thomas Product is essential viewing as ever, but as he gets more famous fewer politicians seem willing to talk to him – My Hero was better than expected, due to not only Ardal O’Hanlon, but also an above average supporting cast including Hugh Dennis – South Park has matured nicely in it’s third season.
And, finally, Shipwrecked is one of the best docu-soaps ever shown, if only for the constant petty bickering and childish madness. Proof that if you put a group of twentysomethings on an island all they’ll think about is food, sex, and how much the miss alcohol…..
GORMENGAST (BBC2, MONDAYS, 9PM)
The BBC have been really touting this all over the place (including a morally unjustifiable newspaper ad campaign). Sadly, if the first episode was anything to go by, it's more public money down the toilet.
GORMENGHAST is another co-production with WGBH Boston, and it follows hot on the heels of thier previous joint-venture MURDER ROOMS: THE DARK BEGINNINGS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. For those who did not see this moderately entertaining piece of nonsense, it was a costume drama with the very silly premise that Sherlock Holmes was someone Arthur Conan Doyle once met. Despite superficial differences, GORMENGAST is very much of the same stable.
The most obvious similarity is the appearance of Ian Richardson in both. He plays The Earl of Groan, ruler of Gormengast an ancient land populated, in this adaptation, largely with pantomime dames. Richardson is guilty of gross hamminess, as are most of the all-star cast and particularly the highly irritating Zoe Wanamaker. The wretched mugging of some of the talents on display here makes you curl up in to a giant ball of cringiness.
The story itself is some sort of gothic take on HOUSE OF CARDS, with lowly kitchen hand Steerpike scheming his way to the top. Only, unlike HOUSE OF CARDS, in which, yes, Ian Richardson played a conniving Tory politician, Steerpike's schemes are decidedly un-wily and non-cunning. He has to rely on the fact that his fellow characters are all Widow Twankie type half-wits to get him up the greasy pole. The set design, on the other hand, is wonderful. It's all been done by Christopher Hobbs, an obvious genius who was also responsible for the late, great Derek Jarman's CARRAVAGGIO and EDWARD II.
Energetic senior thesps Christopher Lee and Richard Griffiths, obviously recruited as a job lot from the set of SLEEPY HOLLOW, are marginally better than those around them, playing below stairs psychopaths at the court. Rhys Meyers is pretty good as the anti-hero, but even he is overly partial to a bit of gurning each time he's required to portay an emotion other than sulleness. All in all, though, this drama appears not to have been worth the effort. Fundamentally, there just seems to be no point to any of the goings on. Obviously something vital from Peake's novel has vanished in the trans-atlantic glitz.
You can see what attracted the BBC to GORMENGAST, as all the usual suspects are there - literary adaptation, costume drama, foreign money, well-known cast, etc. etc. The only thing missing in fact, is quality. You don't make good television by rehashing the same old crap. You don't make good television by pandering to the whims of foreign powers. You don't make good television by recruiting a few well known faces and hoping for the best.
The BBC - they don't make good television at all.
Chris Denton.
SOUTH PARK - SEASON THREE - SUNDAY 11PM SKY ONE
South Parks' third season has given me renewed hope in the series. This episode featured the "Sexual Harrassment Panda" visiting the small town, and soon causes everyone to start suing everyone else. The Panda's song is particuarly disturbing/funny, Cartman sues Kyle, after being called an arsesucker, and wins to great amusement, and the episode as a whole has very few flaws.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER - SEASON FOUR - EP. 1 - FRIDAY 8PM SKY ONE.
The new series of Buffy kicked off on Sky One on Friday night. And was exciting, innovative and original? No, of course not.
And as expected, it's business as usual. Buffy's still looking sad and lonely, Willow's slowly looking cuter as her confidence grows, and there is the usual nasty vampire of the week, who at first kicks the shit out of Buffy, but, by the end of the episode, is defeated rather easily.
Willow's new haircut makes her look about mid-twenties, Giles has been reduced to a minor supporting role, Xandar annoys as usual, and, well, the series looks like it's running out of steam already.
ANGEL - SEASON ONE - EP.1 - FRIDAY 9.PM SKY ONE.
Whereas, much to my surprise, Angel seems fresh, smart and, perhaps most importantly, fun. Sure, Angel's still brooding about his lost love, and Cordellia is still bitchy and annoying, but by moving the action to the city, introducing Doyle, a half human / half demon Irish chap, and upping the violence level a little, well, Angel was about as good as this sort of hokum gets.
YOU'VE BEEN FRAMED - SUNDAY 6.30PM ITV
One amusing, but disturbing at the same time, clip showed a man wondering around in female underwear. And that was that. Just a bloke in underwear. Hmmm. We suspect the makers may be getting desperate for clips to show. What could be next for the programme? Masturbating teenagers caught in the act? Old people having sex?
WILD MAN BLUES - SATURDAY 10:30PM C4
This documentary on Woody Allen and his jazz band travelling around Europe was perhaps the best thing on tv over the weekend, revealing the Woodster to be even more neurotic, claustrophobic and insecure than he is in his movies. Soon-Yi was also a joy to watch, almost constantly criticising Woody.
Alex Finch.
GC(uk) Email/Newsletter Advanced Site Search
 |
| Let Spyonit.com notify you when this page changes! |