Summer's here. You can tell because there's not much on. So now, your help is needed even more. Have you seen anything good on tele at all this week?
The Daily Show's back and hasn't really done anything interesting this week. I did catch Bettany Hughes' excellent The Spartans (best watched in conjunction with Paul Cartledge's companion book) in mid-morning re-runs this week – no adverts in the whole thing, so either there's some sort of educational quarantine zone in the mornings or C4 is in serious trouble.
I did turf out some DVDs and start watching early 70s "futurisitic drama" Moonbase 3 (available on DVD still), which is really rather good and does have a Welshman running the moon. Weird that he's called David Calder, given David Calder was the star of the very similar 80s show Star Cops.
No big surprises over on The Apprentice, with James finally getting chucked out after delighting us ever more with his CV and expressions, Lorraine getting evicted for being a misery guts, and Deborah getting the boot for being a sociopath. That just leaves Kate versus Yasmine: my money's on Yasmine, which means Kate will win, even though she's a robot.
Oh, and what happened to beardy interrogator from previous years?
Still got Burn Notice and Royal Pains to watch, as well as three episodes of The Goode Family, though.
As always, no spoilers unless you're going to use the <spoiler> </spoiler> tags, please? Ta!
June 5, 2009 | Reply
The missing Apprentice interviewer was replaced because his business had just gone bust, so... he was in no position to act high-n'-mighty with anyone!
June 5, 2009 | Reply
Watched the Apprentice and found myself in the rather disturbing position of liking Debra, which really won't do. I think Kate has played a very clever game. Am pleased with myself because I did predict that final and I never normally get stuff right. I can't see he's going to give it to Yasmina though, not when she's running her own business, especially as she didn't seem to understand about profit.
I know you're not keen on A2A but I thought this week's episode was awesome. Completely on the edge of my seat for the final. No spoilers but Gene was fab and there was a storyline which made me incredibly sad.
I may even have shed a tear (-:
Caught up on last episode of Primeval which we missed, I think I am liking Ben Miller but hating Hannah Spearitt more and more. Managed thank god, to miss the worst excesses of BGT despite the children having it on almost permanently.
Can't think what else. Oh Flight of the Conchords. Hilarious. Missing Omid Djalili though.
June 5, 2009 | Reply
The highlight of the week was the season finale of Breaking Bad. The past few episodes have been truly heartbreaking and I was left with a sick feeling. This is such a dark and risky drama. Pure brilliance.
Ashes to Ashes was pretty good though I am still not enjoying Alex and her literal ideas about how the 80s are linked to the 00s (in this episode medical complications are apparently linked to how straight forward the crime is? Okaaaaaay....) but the support is all fabulous.
Apart from that... Only Greek. I've been ploughing through season 2 and loving it. Sharp dialogue full of humour and pop culture references and some really sensitive character work as well. Well polished summer fluff essentially.
Oh wait- HIGNFY as well but that should be a given. David Mitchell was a fine host, nearly as perfect as Alexander Armstrong.
June 5, 2009 | Reply
My wife and I are addicted to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Also, the second season of PRIMEVAL is finally airing here in the States, yay!
June 5, 2009 | Reply
Back from vacation, and the strain on the DVR is lessening now that the regular season has ended for most series here in the States. I figure I have about two weeks to a month before the onslaught begins again with summer shows. (Although a few have already started.)
I caught the season ender for Law & Order: SVU and the final line in the episode could sum up the show as a whole. I only watched it for the return of Carol Kane as Munch's ex-wife (making her a crossover character as well) and was intrigued by the CSI flavored storyline. (Tied in with that, there's a nice article on actor Mike Doyle in the NY Times - he ended his run on the series as their forensics guy and the article had a nice video with commentary on why this had significance to the rest of his career.)
For the most part though, since I can't just quit cold turkey, I recorded and watched a lot of episodes that fell through the cracks first time round - a 'Family Guy' that re-told a few Stephen King stories, a CSI-NY that touched on NYC history, the pilot for 'The Mentalist'. Also, what may have been the last of 'The Unusuals'. If it was, it served well as a finale. It's def. been cancelled, but I'm not sure how many are left to go.
Also started watching 'The Listener', a show from Canada. The actress playing the ex girl-friend has to be one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. The stories were mundane, but the lead is interesting - he reminds me of the main character from 'Scanners'. I guess it's the eyes...
Missed the season finale for 'Law & Order', so I hope NBC repeats it in the elephant's graveyard of Saturday night programming.
Now I'm off to watch last night's Burn Notice and Royal Pains.....
June 5, 2009 | Reply
"Also started watching 'The Listener', a show from Canada. The actress playing the ex girl-friend has to be one of the worst actresses I've ever seen. The stories were mundane, but the lead is interesting - he reminds me of the main character from 'Scanners'. I guess it's the eyes..."
How ironic: I read your mind, you read mine...