Whatever you think about UK network Five (eg has no real identity, only shows imports, all its home-made shows are cheap and tacky, etc), this is probably the best thing they've ever done. It's a trailer and pre-programme countdown that features the stars of all the top US imports (CSI, CSI:NY, FlashForward, CSI:Miami, The Mentalist, NCIS). But rather than just use stock footage, with one exception they actually went on all the sets and filmed the stars in-character.
So feast yourself on Simon Baker, Laurence Fishburne, Joseph Fiennes, David Caruso, Gary Sinise, Mark Harmon, Marg Helgenberger et al ganging up together – it's much better than that CSIcrossover they did last year, at least.
So, other than Doctor Who, what have you been watching this week? As per usual, I've reviewed most of what I've seen, but of the regulars:
Community – Very funny and took the show in odd directions. However, last night's seemed to ignore that direction. Which is odd, but they've mixed up episodes before now
30 Rock – Is it bad that the new Canadian guy seemed more interesting than everyone else on the show?
Dexter – Ooh, some interesting twists and glad to see Rita having some fun for a change
Stargate Universe – Very good and unexpected. I don't know if there was a magic reset button at the end or not (tonight's ep will reveal that), but even if it wasn't, it was a good way to end the ep, crediting the audience with some intelligence. They seem to be going in the direction of "you know all the crap things that can happen when you're exploring? Well we're going to show you them all."
The Thick of It – Another good one. The opposition are starting to seem more interesting than the government though.
Still got this week's CSI, Cougar Town, Modern Family and Supernatural to watch. But I've decided I'm never going to watch this series of The Sarah Jane Adventures so I've deleted them from my line-up.
The Prisoner Big almost watch of the week was the AMC/remake The Prisoner. First, a confession – when I was young, I loved the original so much I joined the appreciation society. So I might be biased. But this was excruciatingly dull. It was beautifully shot, but the direction was in no way involving, it was literal when it shouldn't have been, made sure it rammed home the face that some things might not be real, and was just hopeless in every way. It was also so edited in such a way that whenever there was a moment that needed explaining, they tried to do it with music and a montage – it was like a rock video version of The Prisoner at times.
Episode 2 was a brief uptick, and I did appreciate the little head-nods to the original show (the map, the taxis, Rover, the abbreviated episode titles, the blazer, as well as a few plot elements), but episode 3 got so dull, so soon, I abandoned all hope and gave up. I've since found out what the ending was, and I'm very, very glad I gave up, because that sounded rubbish.
What have you been watching though?
As always, no spoilers unless you're going to use the <spoiler> </spoiler> tags, please. If you've reviewed something on your blog, you can put a link to it here rather than repeat yourself (although too many links and you might get killed by the spam filter).
About the blog
This is a UK media blog with daily news, views, exclusive reviews and good conversation. There's a bit of a bias towards the latest and greatest US TV, but we also cover British TV ranging from new Doctor Who to old Z Cars, Property Ladder to Big Brother, and BBC4 to S4C – yes, this blog is firmly part of the conspiracy to promote all things Welsh where possible, particularly Caerdydd.
Add in film, theatre, art, books, events and media journalism and you've (hopefully) got one of the best places on the web for media lovers. Oh yes, and there's The Carusometer, the ultimate guide to quality TV.
About me
I'm Rob Buckley, a freelance journalist who writes for UK media magazines that most people have never heard of. I've edited Dreamwatch, Sprocket and Cambridge Film Festival Daily; been technical editor for trade magazine Televisual; reviewed films for the short-lived newspaper Cambridge Insider; written features for the even shorter-lived newspaper Soho Independent; and contributed sarcastic articles about television to the blink-and-you-missed-it "web site for urban hedonists" The Tribe. I'm freelance now and have contributed to the likes of Broadcast, Total Content + Media, Action TV, Off The Telly and TV Scoop. Have pity on me.
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