Posted
on June 3, 2007 | |
I'm back from Norfolk. Ah Norfolk. Home of grey clouds and torrential rain blistering sunshine, beautiful broads and FRESH ASPARAGUS. Everywhere, as far as the eye can see, FRESH ASPARAGUS.
Anyway, I've spent the last week in a technology deprivation tank, to reduce potential stress from the encroachment of this modern life on my holiday. No Internet. No phone. No TV.
Yes. No TV.
Even an iPod fitted with a pair of speakers to provide music nearly hurled me over the edge. I was like some character in The Changes, ready to beat anything modern into dust using the nearest available ploughshare.
I did read some books. I'd almost forgotten how. For the curious, I burned my way through
So I haven't watched a thing, not even Doctor Who. I'll be getting round to rectifying that over the next day or so. And over the next week, I have all manner of shiny things to do: I even have a new plan for now somewhat lazy Carusometer. Fingers crossed, I might get some of them done.
And yes, I am the kind of guy who takes pictures of local television stations while I'm on holiday. Why do you ask?
Altogether now, “Live from Norwich, it's The Sale of the Century!”...
Posted
on June 3, 2007 | |
It's probably gone inexplicably beneath most people's radar, but last week's Guardian Science Weekly Podcast (and podcast extra) feature interviews with John Barrowman (you know, Captain Jack in Doctor Who and Torchwood) as he's led round CERN (the European centre for nuclear research) by Dr Brian Cox (Hannibal Lecktor. No, hang on, it's another Brian Cox).
Just thought I'd let you know in case you missed it for some reason.
Read other posts about: Torchwood
Posted
on June 4, 2007 | |
It might be news, it might not: I've been in a bubble for a week. Have we started any new wars?
Doctor Who
Film
Theatre
British TV
- Kim Cattrall to play Daniel Radcliffe's mum in a World War I ITV1 drama. I thought Rupert Grint was supposed to be ITV's saviour?
- Which of the forthcoming new US shows are the British networks interested in: news from the LA screenings
- Reality TV: the US has a show about pirates, we get one about local planning offices
Polish TV
US TV
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Posted
on June 4, 2007 | |
I'm a big man.
I say this not to boast – although wey hey! – but because it's a truism that it takes a big man to admit it when he's wrong.
I admit it. I was wrong. Paul Cornell can write. He can write very well (subject to any possible script edits made by RTD, Helen Raynor, et al).
Continue reading "Review: Doctor Who 3x8-3x9 - Human Nature/The Family of Blood"
Posted
on June 4, 2007 | |
House is a series that likes temporary mini-arcs. It never does a full-season arc; it never has an arc that really changes anything, since there's always a magic reset button at the end; and it's always about House himself, with the other characters rarely getting the fleshing out they probably deserve.
Season three has been no different. Probably the best so far, with Hugh Laurie now very comfortable in his role and even mellowing a little, it's been even more House-centric than usual. The highlight was the David Morse storyline, which was excellent but let down by a cop-out ending, unfortunately.
But the subsequent Foreman arc and finale show signs that the producers want to move things on a little. Since we aim to have spoiler-free reviews here for the benefit of UK viewers, I won't mention all the intricacies of the plot, only say that the little birds under House's not-so-tender gaze are feeling restless. Cutty and Wilson get their usual minor “Oh House!” moments, like principals in some rubbish 80s high school sitcom. But everyone else seems to be getting pushier and pushier to good effect.
The show ends on a cliffhanger of sorts - a cliffhanger only if you believe a magic reset button isn't being sent by parcel post to a certain New Jersey hospital right now – so be wary. But it's not the earth-shattering ending that season two promised, and with House warming up, it's likely that you'll leave it feeling optimistic, rather than trepidatious.
Tension: 5/10
Read other posts about: House
Posted
on June 5, 2007 | |
And then… sniff… he found out he wasn't who he thought he was… sniff… but to save everyone he had to give up the woman he loved… sniff… and then he saw what his life would have been like with her… sniff…
Film
- Lots of clips from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
- Eek. Optimus Prime v Bonecrusher
- Pathe and the Beeb are making films about Mrs T and Lord Nelson among others
- Tarantino says Italian film industry is depressing. Italian film industry says he is. So ner!
- Video of Speed Racer's Mach 5 and cast, including Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon and Christina Ricci - you'll have to watch an ad first
- America's version of Derren Brown, Criss Angel, is to appear in Mandrake, possibly as Mandrake
Commercials
- Amy Winehouse's mockney accent and 'edgy' image make Americans like her, not want to slap her [free registration required]
US TV
- They're looking for an extremely hot editor for the Daily Planet in Smallville
- Spoilers for House, Lost, et al at Kristin. Plus they'd really like to get Christopher Eccleston back on Heroes
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Posted
on June 5, 2007 | |
At The Medium Is Not Enough, we – by which, of course, I mean I – have a somewhat long-term policy regarding reviews of shows. Even the worst shows can get better after a few episodes, and of course, the best shows can get worse, too. So I hold off for a few episodes before stating for definite whether a show is worth expending valuable time on.
I started off with the third-episode verdict system: this uses The Carusometer, the most powerful and certainly the most egotistical TV quality system in the universe, to measure just how good a series' first three episodes are before declaring whether they're fit for human consumption. Look at Heroes: not exactly brilliant for the first two episodes but started to take off (literally) after three.
But there are some shows that still don't find their way by their third episode, so I came up with the fifth-episode verdict system: if the show looks like it could get better, I wait for another two episodes before passing it over to the penetrating, darkly shaded gaze of The Carusometer.
But I've noticed that some shows still don't get the hang of life for a few more episodes. Look at Torchwood: good start, absolutely dire middle, much better from about episode eight onwards.
Now there's no way I'm hanging on watching some of these shows for their full eight episodes: one episode of Ghost Whisperer was enough and I couldn't even last one minute of Angela's Eyes. If I dumped them by episode three, there's a very good chance they're going to be awful forever. Yet to avoid possibly missing a good TV show that only finds its feet at the last moment, we need some system to pick them up.
So today, I'm instigating the launch of the Random Episode Carusometer, complete with not terribly impressive graphic I whipped up in Illustrator in less than an hour.
Continue reading "The Random Episode Carusometer: Painkiller Jane"
Posted
on June 5, 2007 | |
As I mentioned at the beginning of the latest series of The F-Word, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to watch it because of the planned slaughter of lambs. However, as well as the series-long lead up to the eventual culling of “Charlotte” and “Gavin”, the loveliest, fluffiest little Welsh lambs you ever did see - they actually skip and everything – every week we've been having to watch Gordon and his planned culling and eating of anything that moves.
We've had to endure stabbing of live king crabs, stalking of deer with a rifle (to his credit, he couldn't pull the trigger when the time came) and this week, Gordon went to kill some rooks with the help of his son, Jack, much to the horror of my increasingly vegetarian self.
Now, I don't know if you've read Gordon's autobiography or not, but Mr “Where are your balls?” Ramsay does go to great “Me thinks he doth protest too much” lengths to extoll his complete lack of misogyny. He's even let a woman head up one of his restaurants, so he can't be, can he?
But after tonight's episode of The F-Word, the charge is a little harder to refute. Poor little Jack, when rushing off to collect the dead carcasses of rooks, points out they're covered in blood.
“Of course they are!” says Gordon. “Don't be such a girl!”
Oops. Can. Of. Worms....
Posted
on June 6, 2007 | |
Doctor Who
- Christopher Eccleston talks a bit about Doctor Who, his potential return to Heroes and The Dark is Rising
Film
Commercials
- Heineken is back [free registration required, I think]
British TV
- Simon Amstell is developing a sitcom based on his own life
- Sky One nabs the rights to Prison Break from Five
US TV
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Posted
on June 7, 2007 | |
Doctor Who
- Freema says she hasn't been sacked (video – as well as some wiggle room – included)
- She's also just won Best Newcomer at Glamour magazine's Women of the Year Awards (second story, some more wiggle room included)
Film
Music
British TV
US TV
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I'm back from Norfolk. Ah Norfolk. Home of 
Read more on What have you been watching this week? (w/e 3 July)