TV reviews

Season finales 2008

Normally, around this time of year, I’d be putting out copious reviews of all the US season finales. This year, I haven’t, although a few escaped earlier in the year and at the end of last year. There’s a list of reasons why I haven’t done so many this time around:

  1. With the writers’ strike messing with everything, most of the series haven’t been at their best, so it might be wrong to judge them too harshly
  2. I didn’t realise some series had ended
  3. Some series had ended permanently so there was no point
  4. There’s a great big backlog of episodes that we haven’t watched yet
  5. I’ve been busy

So no Scrubs, My Name is Earl, House, Moonlight, Aliens in America, Eli Stone, et al, coverage this year, I’m afraid. Lost is still to come next week, I think. But, after the break, I’ll give abbreviated rundowns on 30 Rock, Smallville, CSI, CSI: Miami, Numb3rs, Gossip Girl and Supernatural.

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TV at the BFI in July

Time for our monthly round-up of forthcoming TV at the BFI. The big, if you can call it that, season is a retrospective of David Rose’s work. Rose was a drama-director producer at the Beeb, responsible for Z Cars amongst other things; he also helped to found Film Four.

  • 5 July, 2pm: Licking Hitler + Match of The Day – two episode of Play for Today, one directed by David Hale about WW2 propaganda, the other directed by Stephen Frears looking at a family wedding.
  • 5 July, 4.15pm: David Rose – My Journey Together. David Rose talks about some key productions.

The other TV event, other than a Dennis Potter play, Angels Are So Few (sort of the flipside of Brimstone and Treacle), being added to the Mediatheque, is a conversation with Hazel Adair, who created Britain’s first ever soap, Sixpenny Corner, as well as Compact and Crossroads.

  • 11 July, 6.10pm: A screening of an episode of Compact followed by an interview with Hazel Adair.

Not much this month, but if you’re a big TV history buff, I’m sure you’ll be dropping by.

Members’ priority postal booking opens 26 May
Members’ online and phone booking opens 2 June
Public booking opens 6 June

Sitting Tennant

Today’s Sitting Tennant (from Poly again)

David Tennant sitting

Ooh, she’s good, isn’t she? Another classic from Poly of David Tennant sitting. Note how he’s not using the chair in the right way, but the photo is still a valid entry. Is it a press shot or from an actual programme (“How I wish I could stand up again, but now I’m stuck”)?

Captions and/or links to more pictures of David Tennant in a not-vertical position, please!

News

Friday’s TV-AM news

The Rock and Steve Carrell in Get Smart

The daily news will return on Thursday 29th May.

Film

Radio

  • Anne and Nick reunite with Mad Lizzie and Wincey Willis on BBC London 94.9

British TV

US TV