Posted
on October 1, 2007 | |
Film
British TV
US TV
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Posted
on October 1, 2007 | |
Stayed up last night to watch the More4 documentary celebrating 25 years of Channel 4. It was a bit patchy, and surprisingly didn't really cover why Channel 4 was set up in the first place - or how - but it wasn't bad.
But due to the pressing need for sleep and since Bastard was busily recording House of Flying Daggers on Film4, I didn't see the last half hour. Did anyone else? And was it in any way uncomplimentary to the current bosses about Celebrity Big Brother, complete lack of anything halfway decent on in terms of drama, documentaries, etc?
Posted
on October 1, 2007 | |
The PR woman has been belting on at me for ages to give this a mention, and seeing as today, it's now available to the public rather than just we brave beta testers, I thought I'd finally relent and talk about Locate TV.
It's supposed to be like Google for tele, movies and actors. You type in the name of a film, TV show or actor, and it tells you what the actor's been in, when the next showing of the programme or movie is online or on television (you can tell it where you live and what TV services you have access to) or whether it's available on DVD. You can then embed a little widget in your blog that gives other people access to the equivalent information for their region, etc.
At the moment, it has two problems, apart from a not inconsiderable slowness, IMHO:
- The widgets are fugly. Ugh.
- It doesn't do a good job of aggregating data into an easily consumable format - true of Google as well, I suppose, but not helpful when you have to keep going back and forth between search results to make sure you've covered all eventualities.
If you do a search for Doctor Who, for example, it gives you 30 results. The first three are
Doctor Who (2005) - TV Series
NEXT ON: Saturday 6th October 12:00pm - UKTV Gold
Time-travelling adventures, following the exploits of the Doctor, aided by his trusty sidekick
Doctor Who - TV Series
Sci-fi adventures with the eccentric Time Lord
Doctor Who - TV Series
A mysterious traveler can visit any point in space and time.
Could have done with them stuck together, I reckon, although the spelling of traveler in the third one suggests an American source, even though it just lists DVDs.
So still a bit wobbly, but could be useful with a bit more smartness in the aggregation logic and a better web designer.
UPDATE: Stu tells me that a similar - and possibly better - service is available from Bleb. Thanks Stu!
Posted
on October 1, 2007 | |
In the US: Fridays, 9pm et/pt, CBS
In the UK: Either Virgin 1 or Living from January 2008
Ooh, I can tell why David Greenwalt legged it in about ten seconds flat after becoming exec producer of this. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner in the which show absolutely, definitely has earned the right to be first cancelled this season. David Tennant - don't worry, your girlfriend's coming back home soon.
If you've seen anything involving vampires whatsoever, if you've even so much as skimmed an Anne Rice novel, you'll get an eerie sense of dé jà vu from Moonlight. Angel, Interview with a Vampire, or heaven forfend, Forever Knight (and I'm not even talking about the relatively average TV series with Geraint Wyn Davies, but the abysmal pilot movie with Rick Springfield) have all done vampires better.
And not one of them was a stupid, episode-long trailer for a bloody iPhone.
Continue reading "Review: Moonlight 1.1"
Read other posts about: Moonlight
Posted
on October 1, 2007 | |
In the US: Wednesdays, 10/9c, ABC
In the UK: Acquired by Channel 4
If you're going to have a show about ridiculously rich people, I guess this is the one to have. Having lots and lots of money, apparently, turns you into murdering, suicidal, adulterous, drug-addicted, idle, alcoholic, spoilt idiots who can fritter millions away on whatever passes through your frontal lobes from second to second.
This isn't just me being mean to the characters: that's explicitly how the rich 'Darlings' are portrayed in the eyes of our 'hero', Nick, who grew up with them thanks to his father being the family lawyer.
Now his father's dead, the Darlings want him as a replacement but he wants nothing to do with them.
Despite its message though, I found it hard to get too excited about it, even with Peter Krause as the lead. Who am I going to identify with: the Darlings or their slightly less rich new lawyer who finds that absolute power really does corrupt absolutely?
Continue reading "Review: Dirty Sexy Money 1.1"
Posted
on October 1, 2007 | |
In the US: Thursdays, 10/9c, ABC
In the UK: Not yet acquired
It's hard to work out what kind of hate drives this “Sex and the City for men”. It's clearly misogynistic: it has an extremely low opinion of women, thinks they're all cheats or stupid or sex objects. But despite supposedly being pro-men, it's clearly misandristic (is that even a word?), arguing we're all cheats or stupid or put upon wimps. Misanthropic, maybe, since it must think we're all rubbish, but with different reasons for hating each group, is it really the blanket hatred misanthropy suggests?
Whatever the hate, Sex and the City for men it is not. After all, Sex and the City was about four relatively likeable, initially single women trying to find love/sex/initmacy. They had interests of their own, talents, sense of humour and more.
Here, we have four “big shots” - CEOs and high flying execs of various companies - who are married or formerly married, all being extremely rubbish to everyone around them. Their one common interest appears to be being bitter and being pampered at a club for rich people.
Prepare to hate them back.
Continue reading "Review: Big Shots 1.1"
Posted
on October 2, 2007 | |
Doctor Who
Film
Books
Commercials/Music
- As much as we can take: 3 to have 10-second ads featuring the Sugababes
British TV
US TV
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Posted
on October 2, 2007 | |
Here's one for the anoraks among us (which must include me, since I'm starting it): spotting subtle references to Doctor Who in The Sarah Jane Adventures. And I mean subtle, not Sarah Jane saying, “I met this alien called the Doctor and travelled in space and time”.
That's very unsubtle.
I mean subtle references like the following:
- “UNIT”
- “The Brig” (he's alive and still working with UNIT!)
- “Slitheens in Downing Street?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ something a friend once said” (reference to new Who. And she thinks of Rose as a friend, which is nice)
That's the most my hazy memory can dredge up from yesterday. Comment below if you spotted any others or want to whip back in time to last week's episode and spot references there, too.
Ah, feel the nostalgia.
Current odds of the Doctor appearing in the final episode of the series, based on off-hand remarks made on-screen and in the press: 10-1
Posted
on October 2, 2007 | |
There's quite a few things to look forward to next month at the BFI, which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Channel 4. It's also celebrating the 25th anniversary of S4C but that's apparently only produced one good episode of one programme ever. 'British' Film Institute my arse.
Anyway, here are things that you might want to buy tickets for, although you'll have to join the queue or see if 4oD has them:
- Monday 5th November: The cast and crew of Peep Show showing clips from the unseen pilot, among other things
- Saturday 10th November: All of Spaced, followed by Pegg, Hynes, Wright and co discussing the series
- Sunday 11th November: All of A Very British Coup and Ultraviolet
- Monday 12th November: Episodes of Brass Eye, Jam and Jaaaaam
Plus there are six Film on Four productions, including My Beautiful Laundrette. Get thee to a membership application form, if you've not already joined.
Posted
on October 2, 2007 | |
What with Fox launching its Fall season earlier than everyone else, already K-Ville's time has come. The Carusometer must be sated. It dials are whirring, its sunglasses are flickering. It's even bought a new suit - black, of course.
It's time for a third-episode verdict.
Continue reading "Third-episode verdict: K-Ville"
Read more on Friday's Sitting Tennant (week 11, 2010)