Remembering Ghostwatch
It is Halloween today and the ghoulies will be out in force tonight, so it is time to recall the last time that UK TV tried go for the full blooded experience. In 1992 BBC1 unleashed Ghostwatch on the viewing public promising viewers an investigation into a haunted house with hosts Michael Parkinson, Mike Smith, Sarah Greene and Craig Charles, however the more media astute were more than aware that Ghostwatch was nothing more than a piece of fiction. Ghostwatch was going out under the Screen One banner, Screen One was at the time BBC1's single drama strand. Over the years it had shown films like Alive and Kicking a harrowing tale of addiction that starred Lenny Henry and Robbie Coltrane, A Very Polish Practice which saw Peter Davison star in the sequel to A Very Peculiar Practice and A Foreign Field starring Alec Guinness, Leo McKern and Lauren Bacall in the story of D-Day veterans going back to Normandy. To understand how Ghostwatch became a cause celebre you have to understand a few things, every other Screen One production was shot on film where as Ghostwatch was made as a standard TV production, ITV was showing Wall Street on at the same so an amount of people will have missed the announcement at the start that tried to infer Ghostwatch was not what it seemed to be and the use of professional actors to play members of the public. However after the scares started the hotline whose number posted became deluged with calls and a lot of people missing the message telling them it was piece of fiction they had been watching. And at the end of night people thought Michael Parkinson had become possessed by a ghost and Sarah Greene had been eaten by cats. Such was the fury caused by Ghostwatch it has never been repeated on UK TV, although you can get it on DVD. Ghostwatch has lived on many other ways, you can see it's influence on films like Paranormal Activity and perhaps that just shows it became a long lasting phemeon
Monday, 31 October 2016
Sunday, 30 October 2016
The dangers of spy photos
In the last few days a series of spy photos of filming of the seventh season of Game of Thrones have been unleashed on the web. This has of course unleashed huge amounts of speculation especially given the presence of 2 actors in costume, given that these characters have neither met in the books or the TV show this led to tongues wagging. For the sixth season the same issue arose when pictures surfaced of what would become known as the Battle of the Bastards. Now this not a new problem for producers but given the rise of websites such as Digital Spy it is somewhat tougher to keep plot developments as a surprise. As for Game of Thrones we will just wait for next year as to see how what was photographed plays out.
In the last few days a series of spy photos of filming of the seventh season of Game of Thrones have been unleashed on the web. This has of course unleashed huge amounts of speculation especially given the presence of 2 actors in costume, given that these characters have neither met in the books or the TV show this led to tongues wagging. For the sixth season the same issue arose when pictures surfaced of what would become known as the Battle of the Bastards. Now this not a new problem for producers but given the rise of websites such as Digital Spy it is somewhat tougher to keep plot developments as a surprise. As for Game of Thrones we will just wait for next year as to see how what was photographed plays out.
Saturday, 29 October 2016
Friday, 28 October 2016
Trouble at ITN?
After 30 years with ITN Mark Austin has announced that he is quitting. The reason? Apparently there has been a bit of an ego clash with fellow presenter Tom Bradby. Bradby has recently taken over Austin's role as News at Ten anchor. Not taking this lying down Austin bagged an exclusive interview with Prince William. But according to some this was edited down as per Bradby's request. And now Austin has gone, though Bradby will now have to deal with the equally competitive Robert Peston. What of the programme itself? Ever since ITV moved it's evening news slot from it's regular 10 o'clock slot in 1999 just to show films with out having to interrupt films, there have been numerous changes brought about scheduling. And to make matters worse BBC1 pitched up in the 10pm slot themselves and now have a healthily lead over their rival. ITV is rumoured to be lunching an entertainment news programme in the slot, though the history of shows that are based on the likes of the US's Entertainment Tonight in the UK are not very, who remembers BBC1's Entertainment Express with Selina Scott for example? ITN may find itself having to weather even more changes.
After 30 years with ITN Mark Austin has announced that he is quitting. The reason? Apparently there has been a bit of an ego clash with fellow presenter Tom Bradby. Bradby has recently taken over Austin's role as News at Ten anchor. Not taking this lying down Austin bagged an exclusive interview with Prince William. But according to some this was edited down as per Bradby's request. And now Austin has gone, though Bradby will now have to deal with the equally competitive Robert Peston. What of the programme itself? Ever since ITV moved it's evening news slot from it's regular 10 o'clock slot in 1999 just to show films with out having to interrupt films, there have been numerous changes brought about scheduling. And to make matters worse BBC1 pitched up in the 10pm slot themselves and now have a healthily lead over their rival. ITV is rumoured to be lunching an entertainment news programme in the slot, though the history of shows that are based on the likes of the US's Entertainment Tonight in the UK are not very, who remembers BBC1's Entertainment Express with Selina Scott for example? ITN may find itself having to weather even more changes.
Thursday, 27 October 2016
The staying power of Hollyoaks
This week sees Hollyoaks overtake Brookside as Channel 4 longest running soap which is quite remarkable when you take into account some things. The first is that apart from a brief period in 2001 Hollyoaks was always in the ratings shadow of it's older stable mate, it never had anything to match the water cooler storylines like the body under the patio. It was looked down by the critics who praised the more gritty and realistic Brookside especialy as it had given the start of the careers of 2 of the most lionised writers currently working in British television Paul Abbot and Jimmy McGovern. While Hollyoaks has been more than happy to trade on the good looks of it's cast as seen in the calenders which feature them just wearing underwear. Yet the 2 show would see differing fortunes. Brookside suffered a steep decline in popularity that saw it go from having 3 episodes a week to just 1 and in it's last few months a late night slot that saw swearing and violence in the storyline revolving around drug dealer Jack Michaelson, a character seen as a barbed reference to former C4 head man Michael Jackson seen by the producers as having run down the show in preference to property porn shows like Location, Location, Location and it ended in 2003 without any fanfare. It is worth remembering that Hollyoaks is the last UK wide purpose made soap to have lasted more than 10 years since Eastenders began in 1985. In 2014 at the British Soap Award it won the title of Best British Soap breaking the duopoly of the prize that had been held by Coronation Street and Eastenders since the awards had started in 1999. Though Hollyoaks does feature in the upper echelons of C4 ratings nowadays, the first look episode that airs on E4 after the previous episode has been shown on C4 always rates highly of the digital channels top 30. It is curious to think that a show as highly derided as Hollyoaks should outlast one as much praised as Brookside.
This week sees Hollyoaks overtake Brookside as Channel 4 longest running soap which is quite remarkable when you take into account some things. The first is that apart from a brief period in 2001 Hollyoaks was always in the ratings shadow of it's older stable mate, it never had anything to match the water cooler storylines like the body under the patio. It was looked down by the critics who praised the more gritty and realistic Brookside especialy as it had given the start of the careers of 2 of the most lionised writers currently working in British television Paul Abbot and Jimmy McGovern. While Hollyoaks has been more than happy to trade on the good looks of it's cast as seen in the calenders which feature them just wearing underwear. Yet the 2 show would see differing fortunes. Brookside suffered a steep decline in popularity that saw it go from having 3 episodes a week to just 1 and in it's last few months a late night slot that saw swearing and violence in the storyline revolving around drug dealer Jack Michaelson, a character seen as a barbed reference to former C4 head man Michael Jackson seen by the producers as having run down the show in preference to property porn shows like Location, Location, Location and it ended in 2003 without any fanfare. It is worth remembering that Hollyoaks is the last UK wide purpose made soap to have lasted more than 10 years since Eastenders began in 1985. In 2014 at the British Soap Award it won the title of Best British Soap breaking the duopoly of the prize that had been held by Coronation Street and Eastenders since the awards had started in 1999. Though Hollyoaks does feature in the upper echelons of C4 ratings nowadays, the first look episode that airs on E4 after the previous episode has been shown on C4 always rates highly of the digital channels top 30. It is curious to think that a show as highly derided as Hollyoaks should outlast one as much praised as Brookside.
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Channel 4 shows that are not on All 4
There are some shows that are not available on the All 4 service. Here are 3 examples.
Man to Man with Dean Learner
This follow up to Garth Marenghi's Darkplace sees Richard Ayoade reprise the role of the dubious enterpuer as each week he interviews one of his clients (always played by Matt Holness) and plug their latest venture. Darkplace is on All 4, so why this show is absent is baffling.
Who Dares Wins
The station first effort at a sketch show. Cast members include Tony Robinson who was doing this show in between playing Bladrick and Rory McGrath who later on They Think it's all Over would put on a blindfold in the hope he would get to touch a fit young lady.
Armstrong and Miller
Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller did 3 series for Channel 4. Yet there is only a compilation of the third series on All 4. This means we have go to Youtube to find classics like Force on the Case, the story of maverick bookshop owning cop Jack Force and his train driver friend Chuffy.
There are some shows that are not available on the All 4 service. Here are 3 examples.
Man to Man with Dean Learner
This follow up to Garth Marenghi's Darkplace sees Richard Ayoade reprise the role of the dubious enterpuer as each week he interviews one of his clients (always played by Matt Holness) and plug their latest venture. Darkplace is on All 4, so why this show is absent is baffling.
Who Dares Wins
The station first effort at a sketch show. Cast members include Tony Robinson who was doing this show in between playing Bladrick and Rory McGrath who later on They Think it's all Over would put on a blindfold in the hope he would get to touch a fit young lady.
Armstrong and Miller
Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller did 3 series for Channel 4. Yet there is only a compilation of the third series on All 4. This means we have go to Youtube to find classics like Force on the Case, the story of maverick bookshop owning cop Jack Force and his train driver friend Chuffy.
Friday, 21 October 2016
Changing faces on panel shows
A new series of QI starts with Sandi Toksvig taking over as host from Stephen Fry. This brings to mind the many other times there have been changes in personnel on other such shows. Here are some examples.
Call My Bluff
This classic show was revived in 1995 with Bob Holness as host with Alan Coren and (none other than) Sandi Toksvig as team captains. In 2003 Holness was replaced by Fiona Bruce and Toksvig made way for outspoken journalist Rod Liddle. Audiences did not respond well to the changes and the show was axed soon after
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
In 18 years Phil Jupitus was the one constant feature on the show that saw many changes of host and rival team captains.
A Question of Sport
4 hosts and 14 team captains prove testament to the (nearly 40 years) long running show that many people tend to look down their noises at.
They Think it's All Over
The irrelevant sports quiz started with Nick Hancock as host and David Gower and Gary Lineker and finished after 11 years with Lee Mack, Boris Becker and Ian Wright filling those roles.
Thursday, 20 October 2016
More GBBO fallout
In the latest twist concerning the move of Great British Bake Off to Channel 4, the director of TV at ITV Kevin Lygo has said the station did not make it's own bid for the show as the on screen talent were not signed up with the package. As Paul Hollywood is the only one making the move, you have to wonder what was going through the heads of Love Productions chiefs when they signed the deal with C4 without checking if the stars would going with it too.
In the latest twist concerning the move of Great British Bake Off to Channel 4, the director of TV at ITV Kevin Lygo has said the station did not make it's own bid for the show as the on screen talent were not signed up with the package. As Paul Hollywood is the only one making the move, you have to wonder what was going through the heads of Love Productions chiefs when they signed the deal with C4 without checking if the stars would going with it too.
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Best of: Porridge
Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale and Fulton MacKay star in Dick Clement and Ian La Frennis classic sit-com, here are the 5 best episodes
1: No Peace for the Wicked
Ever have one of those days where you want to spend the day by yourself only for the whole world to turn up, Fletch has one only this time it is x100
2: The Harder they Fall
Fletch finds himself drawn into Harry Grout's Boxing match fixing schemes and it may mean he has to dash Godber's hopes.
3: A Storm in A Teacup
When unknown to him a tube of pills falls into his mug of tea, Fletch has to find more pills for Grout or face his ire.
4: A Test of Character
When Fletch tries to help Godbar pass his History exam in his own unique way. He is surprised to find his help rebuffed.
5: Disturbing the Peace
With Mackay gone on a training course, Fletch and his fellow inmates think that they will be in for a easy time of it. That is until a face from Fletch's past turns up.
Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale and Fulton MacKay star in Dick Clement and Ian La Frennis classic sit-com, here are the 5 best episodes
1: No Peace for the Wicked
Ever have one of those days where you want to spend the day by yourself only for the whole world to turn up, Fletch has one only this time it is x100
2: The Harder they Fall
Fletch finds himself drawn into Harry Grout's Boxing match fixing schemes and it may mean he has to dash Godber's hopes.
3: A Storm in A Teacup
When unknown to him a tube of pills falls into his mug of tea, Fletch has to find more pills for Grout or face his ire.
4: A Test of Character
When Fletch tries to help Godbar pass his History exam in his own unique way. He is surprised to find his help rebuffed.
5: Disturbing the Peace
With Mackay gone on a training course, Fletch and his fellow inmates think that they will be in for a easy time of it. That is until a face from Fletch's past turns up.
Tuesday, 18 October 2016
End of the road for Noel Edmonds?
This week sees the start of the final series of Deal Or No Deal on Channel 4, the station say it is working on other projects with host Noel Edmonds. It is worth remebering that this is the show that brought back into the limelight a man who has both a large number of both fans and detcetors.
For 17 years between 1982 and 1999 Edmonds had a prescene on the BBC1 Saturday evening schedule. Moving from presenting kids show Saturday Swapshop he started with The Late Late Breakfast Show, a mix of music star interviews (Paul McCartney, Tom Jones and in what would be their last interview together ABBA) and audience particption. The show started off with weak ratings and changes were made for the next one with the main one being John Peel being dropped as co-host in favour of the much more youthful Mike Smith. The ratings then improved massively but there was problem with one of the regular slots, Give it a Whirl saw members of the public take part in stunts such as going down on a zip wire from a very tall height, but over the years an number of particpents had suffered from serious injury this culminated in 1986 in the tragic death of Micheal Lush who in practice for a stunt that involed bungee jumping from a box fell to his death. With the blame put on cost cutting execs the show was axed at once. For 1987 Noel's usually weekday quiz show was moved to Saturday for 1 year. 1988 saw the start of Noel's Saturday Roadshow, in this format each edition came from a different location, though this tended to be a BBC TV centre with Edmonds being joined by a special guest as co-host, for one example in an edition that was supposdly to be coming from a space station Les Dennis took on the role of an spaceman the show proved to be a success it paved the way for Edmonds biggest show yet.
Making it's debut in 1991 Noel's House Party was for much of it's run was a ratings bemoath. The show run on a diet of pranks and gunging. The biggest impact the show had was the creation of the pink known as Mr Blobby whose pouplarity was such it had a Xmas No 1. Such was the pouplarity of the show Edmonds tried to launch 2 theme parks, but they failed amid much legal problems. The show itself ended in 1999 amid decling ratings and strained relations between Edmonds and BBC top brass.
Edmonds was in Telly exile for 6 years when in 2005 he strated to present DOND for Channel 4. The pairing seemed unlikely when you rember that the station's Brass Eye made Edmonds look a bit of fool talking about the made up drug CAKE and the part of the brain known as Shatner's Basson. But DOND proved to be a great sucess and Edmonds would present 2 shows for Sky Are You Smarter than a 10 Year Old and Noel's HQ which saw Edmonds rail against red tape in a manner reminsct of US firebrand Glen Beck, both shows did not last long. So as DOND ends what now for Edmonds. Given some recent eccentric behaviour such as making some rather distasteful remarks about cancer, it may be a very long time before he is ever in the limelight again.
This week sees the start of the final series of Deal Or No Deal on Channel 4, the station say it is working on other projects with host Noel Edmonds. It is worth remebering that this is the show that brought back into the limelight a man who has both a large number of both fans and detcetors.
For 17 years between 1982 and 1999 Edmonds had a prescene on the BBC1 Saturday evening schedule. Moving from presenting kids show Saturday Swapshop he started with The Late Late Breakfast Show, a mix of music star interviews (Paul McCartney, Tom Jones and in what would be their last interview together ABBA) and audience particption. The show started off with weak ratings and changes were made for the next one with the main one being John Peel being dropped as co-host in favour of the much more youthful Mike Smith. The ratings then improved massively but there was problem with one of the regular slots, Give it a Whirl saw members of the public take part in stunts such as going down on a zip wire from a very tall height, but over the years an number of particpents had suffered from serious injury this culminated in 1986 in the tragic death of Micheal Lush who in practice for a stunt that involed bungee jumping from a box fell to his death. With the blame put on cost cutting execs the show was axed at once. For 1987 Noel's usually weekday quiz show was moved to Saturday for 1 year. 1988 saw the start of Noel's Saturday Roadshow, in this format each edition came from a different location, though this tended to be a BBC TV centre with Edmonds being joined by a special guest as co-host, for one example in an edition that was supposdly to be coming from a space station Les Dennis took on the role of an spaceman the show proved to be a success it paved the way for Edmonds biggest show yet.
Making it's debut in 1991 Noel's House Party was for much of it's run was a ratings bemoath. The show run on a diet of pranks and gunging. The biggest impact the show had was the creation of the pink known as Mr Blobby whose pouplarity was such it had a Xmas No 1. Such was the pouplarity of the show Edmonds tried to launch 2 theme parks, but they failed amid much legal problems. The show itself ended in 1999 amid decling ratings and strained relations between Edmonds and BBC top brass.
Edmonds was in Telly exile for 6 years when in 2005 he strated to present DOND for Channel 4. The pairing seemed unlikely when you rember that the station's Brass Eye made Edmonds look a bit of fool talking about the made up drug CAKE and the part of the brain known as Shatner's Basson. But DOND proved to be a great sucess and Edmonds would present 2 shows for Sky Are You Smarter than a 10 Year Old and Noel's HQ which saw Edmonds rail against red tape in a manner reminsct of US firebrand Glen Beck, both shows did not last long. So as DOND ends what now for Edmonds. Given some recent eccentric behaviour such as making some rather distasteful remarks about cancer, it may be a very long time before he is ever in the limelight again.
Monday, 17 October 2016
Book Review: Vicious Circle by Wilbur Smith
I decided to clear out some books and give them to charity, the first book that went was Vicious Circle and I did so without a moment's thought because it is perhaps the worst novel I have ever read. To make it clear I liked the previous novel by Smith (Those in Peril) to which this is a follow up. However this is a novel which seems to ply in some of the most ludicrous characterisation you will ever find any where, the main bad guy is the son of a Nazi war criminal so you left in no doubt that he will turn out to be a bad one and he starts to sexually molest his young half sister pretty soon as we are introduced to him. Once he is sent to prison he becomes a partner with (in more than one way) a large African-American crimelord and when the two of them break out of prison and commit numerous crimes including the feeding of the half sister and mother to crocodiles which is filmed and watched by the evil pair in their African hideout. Now the politically correct will probably find this offensive in so many ways however I find it so in the sole count it is clumsily constructed. The plot is resolved with an assault on the hideout with our hero serving the bad guy a taste of his own medicine. You do wonder if Smith made the villain so despicable as to justify the brutal violence that is dished out by both sides. Yes Smith in his previous novels tended to deal with absolute black and white situations, but not such in a ham fisted way. Smith is now co-writing his novels and you do have to wonder what was behind the move soon after the publication of his worst novel in his long career.
I decided to clear out some books and give them to charity, the first book that went was Vicious Circle and I did so without a moment's thought because it is perhaps the worst novel I have ever read. To make it clear I liked the previous novel by Smith (Those in Peril) to which this is a follow up. However this is a novel which seems to ply in some of the most ludicrous characterisation you will ever find any where, the main bad guy is the son of a Nazi war criminal so you left in no doubt that he will turn out to be a bad one and he starts to sexually molest his young half sister pretty soon as we are introduced to him. Once he is sent to prison he becomes a partner with (in more than one way) a large African-American crimelord and when the two of them break out of prison and commit numerous crimes including the feeding of the half sister and mother to crocodiles which is filmed and watched by the evil pair in their African hideout. Now the politically correct will probably find this offensive in so many ways however I find it so in the sole count it is clumsily constructed. The plot is resolved with an assault on the hideout with our hero serving the bad guy a taste of his own medicine. You do wonder if Smith made the villain so despicable as to justify the brutal violence that is dished out by both sides. Yes Smith in his previous novels tended to deal with absolute black and white situations, but not such in a ham fisted way. Smith is now co-writing his novels and you do have to wonder what was behind the move soon after the publication of his worst novel in his long career.
Sunday, 16 October 2016
TV shows I have never watched a whole episode of
The Royale Family
With apologies to the late Caroline Aherne I could never get past those droning voices
Holby City
About the same time as Casualty went into full blown soap mode, along comes Holby City to make it even worse.
Downton Abbey
This may have been perhaps the most popular show worldwide in the last few years but I could not get bothered about some Lord and his household
The Royale Family
With apologies to the late Caroline Aherne I could never get past those droning voices
Holby City
About the same time as Casualty went into full blown soap mode, along comes Holby City to make it even worse.
Downton Abbey
This may have been perhaps the most popular show worldwide in the last few years but I could not get bothered about some Lord and his household
Thursday, 13 October 2016
The best TV show fan vids on Youtube
The following is a list of fan videos set to a pop song.
1: the would be relationship between Alex Drake and Gene Hunt in the first season of Ashes to Ashes is set to Bryan Ferry's Slave to Love with great effect though the pedantic will point out the song came in 1985 4 years after the events shown.
2: Chris Cornell's Bond theme You Know My Name makes it's first appearance on this list. Here it is used to soundtrack the events concerning Matthew McFadyen's character Tom Quinn in the first season of Spooks or as is it known in the US MI-5.
3: Swedish rock band The Ark song One of Us is Gonna Die Young is used to soundtrack Peter Davison's tenure as The Doctor in Doctor Who's early 1980's period.
4: The first of 2 videos that use a Bond theme to illustrate the adventures of Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes. Here it is Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die. Effective during the Reinbach Falls sequence. On a side note Roger Moore himself played Holmes in a US TV movie
5: Philip Glenister's memorable performance as Gene Hunt makes it's second appearance on the as Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back is used to soundtrack's the characters would be amorous encounters in Life on Mars.
6: And lastly in a case of doubles You Know My Name plays out over scenes from Jeremy Brett's masterful performance as Arthur Conan Doyle consulting detective.
The following is a list of fan videos set to a pop song.
1: the would be relationship between Alex Drake and Gene Hunt in the first season of Ashes to Ashes is set to Bryan Ferry's Slave to Love with great effect though the pedantic will point out the song came in 1985 4 years after the events shown.
2: Chris Cornell's Bond theme You Know My Name makes it's first appearance on this list. Here it is used to soundtrack the events concerning Matthew McFadyen's character Tom Quinn in the first season of Spooks or as is it known in the US MI-5.
3: Swedish rock band The Ark song One of Us is Gonna Die Young is used to soundtrack Peter Davison's tenure as The Doctor in Doctor Who's early 1980's period.
4: The first of 2 videos that use a Bond theme to illustrate the adventures of Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes. Here it is Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die. Effective during the Reinbach Falls sequence. On a side note Roger Moore himself played Holmes in a US TV movie
5: Philip Glenister's memorable performance as Gene Hunt makes it's second appearance on the as Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back is used to soundtrack's the characters would be amorous encounters in Life on Mars.
6: And lastly in a case of doubles You Know My Name plays out over scenes from Jeremy Brett's masterful performance as Arthur Conan Doyle consulting detective.
Thursday, 6 October 2016
What happened to travel shows?
There are 2 kinds of travel shows that have been on UK tv. The travelogue which features the presenter going on a trip to a location and relate to the audience certain facts, opinions and anything that will interest the audience, this has featured the likes Jerome Flynn, Michael Palin, Joanna Lumley and Michael Portillo. Some of these have themes like Portillo's railway journeys. The other kind is that of the show that would feature reports, news and opinions, the 2 most famous examples being ITV's Wish You Were Here and BBC1's Holiday (whatever the year was) although there were others that came and went. ITV axed Wish You Were Here in 2003 in order to show Emmerdale from Monday to Friday at the same time while Holiday was axed for a similar reason in order to make way for The One Show in 2007. Some will point to the abundance of Travel Channels that have presenters talking about the latest offers but they do not feature reports. The problem I have with the current crop is that they tend to be more about the presenter than the location, with the old school you got more than a flavour and you felt you were there. Perhaps with travel being more affordable perhaps that is the reason for the decline
There are 2 kinds of travel shows that have been on UK tv. The travelogue which features the presenter going on a trip to a location and relate to the audience certain facts, opinions and anything that will interest the audience, this has featured the likes Jerome Flynn, Michael Palin, Joanna Lumley and Michael Portillo. Some of these have themes like Portillo's railway journeys. The other kind is that of the show that would feature reports, news and opinions, the 2 most famous examples being ITV's Wish You Were Here and BBC1's Holiday (whatever the year was) although there were others that came and went. ITV axed Wish You Were Here in 2003 in order to show Emmerdale from Monday to Friday at the same time while Holiday was axed for a similar reason in order to make way for The One Show in 2007. Some will point to the abundance of Travel Channels that have presenters talking about the latest offers but they do not feature reports. The problem I have with the current crop is that they tend to be more about the presenter than the location, with the old school you got more than a flavour and you felt you were there. Perhaps with travel being more affordable perhaps that is the reason for the decline
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Best of : Doctor Who - the 6th Doctor
The best 5 stories from Colin Baker's brief but eventful run
1: Vengeance on Varos
Still relevant to this day the story that made Mary Whitehouse, Michael Grade and Jonathan Powell take notice.
2: Attack of the Cybermen
Who cares wrote the script, this is in the high echelon of Cyber stories
3: Trial of a Timelord - Parts VI to VIII aka Mindwarp
Featuring Brian Blessed doing what he does best, roaring the scenery down. The powerful ending was undermined when John Nathan-Turner got cold feet ordered a retcon.
4: Mark of the Rani
Kate O'Mara makes her debut as the cunning Timelady in a tale that sees The Master try to derail the Industrial Revolution
5: Revelation of the Daleks
Unpleasant facts about what people are eating, Rock and Roll that is very powerful and Davros showing he can get around feature in a story that had it's last line cut due to it's first axing.
The best 5 stories from Colin Baker's brief but eventful run
1: Vengeance on Varos
Still relevant to this day the story that made Mary Whitehouse, Michael Grade and Jonathan Powell take notice.
2: Attack of the Cybermen
Who cares wrote the script, this is in the high echelon of Cyber stories
3: Trial of a Timelord - Parts VI to VIII aka Mindwarp
Featuring Brian Blessed doing what he does best, roaring the scenery down. The powerful ending was undermined when John Nathan-Turner got cold feet ordered a retcon.
4: Mark of the Rani
Kate O'Mara makes her debut as the cunning Timelady in a tale that sees The Master try to derail the Industrial Revolution
5: Revelation of the Daleks
Unpleasant facts about what people are eating, Rock and Roll that is very powerful and Davros showing he can get around feature in a story that had it's last line cut due to it's first axing.
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
TV review: The Agency
Channel BBC2: Time: 10:00pm Monday
Starring Morganna Robinson
A mock documentary set at a fictional talent agency, The Agency sees Morganna Robinson take on the identities of various celebrities and their daily routines. For example Eastenders star Natalie Cassidy takes her Dad to an audition with Morgan Freeman, only for him to talk over the Hollywood star during it. Robinson is certainly one of the best mimics to have emerged in the UK in the last 20 years, her Joanna Lumley is spot on as the one time Purdy in a break from her usual exotic travels makes a documentary at a Premium Inn and at the entertains fellow guests and staff. Robinson does not limit herself to her own gender, for one example she does Danny Dyer. the star of various critically derided gets news that he has won Rear of the Year much to his delight and prepares it for the ceremony only for his agent to tell him he has won the Bellend of the Year yet he is still delighted and that is Robinson's great skill in making you believe the real Dyer would behave in such a manner. One wishes that Morganna Robinson was given a much higher profile vehicle but I guess we have to make do with The Agency.
Channel BBC2: Time: 10:00pm Monday
Starring Morganna Robinson
A mock documentary set at a fictional talent agency, The Agency sees Morganna Robinson take on the identities of various celebrities and their daily routines. For example Eastenders star Natalie Cassidy takes her Dad to an audition with Morgan Freeman, only for him to talk over the Hollywood star during it. Robinson is certainly one of the best mimics to have emerged in the UK in the last 20 years, her Joanna Lumley is spot on as the one time Purdy in a break from her usual exotic travels makes a documentary at a Premium Inn and at the entertains fellow guests and staff. Robinson does not limit herself to her own gender, for one example she does Danny Dyer. the star of various critically derided gets news that he has won Rear of the Year much to his delight and prepares it for the ceremony only for his agent to tell him he has won the Bellend of the Year yet he is still delighted and that is Robinson's great skill in making you believe the real Dyer would behave in such a manner. One wishes that Morganna Robinson was given a much higher profile vehicle but I guess we have to make do with The Agency.
Monday, 3 October 2016
Channel 4 on the move?
With all the talk of The Great British Bake Off moving to Channel 4 another move involving the station has some what been ignored. That is the station itself is moving it's headquarters from London to Birmingham. This is not quite in the same league as the BBC's moving a large number of departments to Salford as no programme has been made at C4 headquarters since the demise of Right to Reply in 2001. So what is behind the move? Some would suggest this is the price for the station has to pay avoid privatisation as suggested by former culture sectary John Whittingdale in view on the station's ever increasing commercial outlook. One final point, will will see the same stories in the press bemoaning the money spent on moving people as what happened with the BBC's Salford move?
With all the talk of The Great British Bake Off moving to Channel 4 another move involving the station has some what been ignored. That is the station itself is moving it's headquarters from London to Birmingham. This is not quite in the same league as the BBC's moving a large number of departments to Salford as no programme has been made at C4 headquarters since the demise of Right to Reply in 2001. So what is behind the move? Some would suggest this is the price for the station has to pay avoid privatisation as suggested by former culture sectary John Whittingdale in view on the station's ever increasing commercial outlook. One final point, will will see the same stories in the press bemoaning the money spent on moving people as what happened with the BBC's Salford move?
Sunday, 2 October 2016
Saturday, 1 October 2016
What ever happened to education on TV?
The great statement of the purpose of mass media to educate, inform and entertain really needs to be looked at in these current times. Those of a certain age will recall the days of schools programmes being shown on both BBC1 and ITV but with the advent of daytime television in the UK they were shunted off to BBC2 and Channel 4 but they were silently dropped from both channels in the last few years. The days of the Open University on during weekend mornings are also long gone with students needed alerts to tell them when a programme linked to their course was on. And adult education programmes that for example taught forgien language are now gone. Some will say that in the age of the internet you can learn anything who needs to watch TV programmes but it is rather sad to see TV relinquish one of it's responsibilities in such a fashion.
The great statement of the purpose of mass media to educate, inform and entertain really needs to be looked at in these current times. Those of a certain age will recall the days of schools programmes being shown on both BBC1 and ITV but with the advent of daytime television in the UK they were shunted off to BBC2 and Channel 4 but they were silently dropped from both channels in the last few years. The days of the Open University on during weekend mornings are also long gone with students needed alerts to tell them when a programme linked to their course was on. And adult education programmes that for example taught forgien language are now gone. Some will say that in the age of the internet you can learn anything who needs to watch TV programmes but it is rather sad to see TV relinquish one of it's responsibilities in such a fashion.
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