Catching snippets

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!”

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

It’s the reality show for people who don’t like, even expressly detest, reality shows. Read more

Time waits…

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

Well, it’s more than a slight return. It’s an actual return. Read more

The never ending bottle

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

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

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

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

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

A slight return on Chris’ Jeff Stelling comments, here. Read more

Deal or No Deal?

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!”

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?

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

Next Page »