In the US: Mondays, 10/9c , CBS In the UK: Oh, the usual places. You know, Five, Five USA, Living – them lot
CSI: Miami, as we all know, is science fiction. It’s set in a distant future, where impossible science allows us to solve improbable, futuristic crimes with undreamt of techniques, and where a robot called Caruso (aka the Carusobot) is allowed to run a crack crime fighting team of scientist-cops.
Yet for the opening episode of this eighth season of CSI: Miami, in which the (not very) brain damaged scientist-cop Eric Delko is close to death and begins to hallucinate, we find ourselves cast backwards in time to the dim and distant past of 1997 where we discover how this crime-fighting team was assembled and the most important fact of all – how the Carusobot got its Shades of Justice.
It’s a strange world, this 1997. Strange, in the sense that it’s exactly how the real world is in 2009. Suddenly, the technology’s the same as our technology, the crimes are the same as our crimes, police officers work in police stations that actually look like normal police stations, and there are procedures that almost correspond to normal police procedures. How can this be? Is CSI: Miami really set in some alternative reality where 1997 is our 2009, and our 2009 is 2021? It’s a hard one to fathom.
But the strangest thing of all is this: in 1997, the Carusobot was still able to act like a real person.
I don’t mean to be funny, but can I ask you a simple question:
What’s your favourite comedy show?
What makes you laugh out loud, it’s so funny? It can be an old show, a new show or a show you’re in, for all I know. Good starting points are The Day Today, The IT Crowd and Gavin & Stacey, I feel (although the latter is technically a dramedy or comedy-drama, but I’m don’t really care, since it makes me laugh). I myself am also very partial to the first series of Look Around You.
But how about you?
As always, leave a comment with your answer or a link to your answer on your own blog.
In the US: Mondays, 8pm, NBC In the UK: BBC2, the end of the year/start of next year
Well, as ‘please watch us again’ titles go, Redemption could hardly be bettered – and that’s what the latest volume of Heroes is called. Last season was something of a disaster creatively – at least volume 3, since volume 4 was pretty much a return to season one form – with the show haemorraging viewers for most of its run as a result.
So here we are again at the start of a season. As per usual, there are big hopes for the show. As per usual, it’s written by Tim Kring.
Oh bugger.
But actually, for a Tim Kring script, it’s really not that bad. In fact, in a whole lot of ways it was very, very good. But like Father Ted’s Ford Cortina, it seems that all the slight tapping on the bodywork hasn’t yet quite managed to get the show into shape.
Time for our regular look at what TV’s on at the South Bank in London in November. Quite a lot of tele this month as part of the Radical Television Drama season, but nothing else except for the Queen in 3D. Seriously.
4th: The Wednesday Play: The Big Flame+ discussion with Tony Garnett Docu-drama following striking dockers in Liverpool.
4th: The Wednesday Play: Up the Junction + Diary of a Young Man (episode 1) Two Ken Loach films, one by Nell Dunn, one by Troy Kennedy Martin.
8th: The Wednesday Play: Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton + Play for Today: All Good Men Dennis Potter’s attack on the party political system, followed by Trevor Griffiths’s blistering polemic on the left/right struggle.
12th: TV preview: The Queen in 3D Yes, 3D films of the Queen that will be part of Channel 4’s The Queen in 3D.
13th: Scum + Q&A The famous play set in a borstal that launched Ray Winstone’s career. Q&A will include producer Margaret Matheson and writer Roy Minton.
16th: Play for Today: Bloody Kids Stephen Poliakoff’s drama about a kid who fakes being stabbed in the chest
18th: TV sold to the highest bidder – Thatcher’s television revolution Raymond Snoddy chairs a panel including Sir Michael Grade, Alasdair Milne, Tony Garnett and David Rose to examine the impact of Thatcherism on drama.
18th: Play for Today: The Black Stuff The play that spawned Boys From The Black Stuff.
19th: John Hill: from the The Big Flame to Leeds – United! How TV responded in drama to the industrial conflicts of the 60s and 70s.
25th: Play for Today: Leeds – United! + Q&A The fight of women clothing workers in Leeds for better pay in 1970. Followed by Q&A with producer Kenith Trodd, writer Colin Welland and director Roy Battersby.
26th: Oi for England + Made in Britain Neil Pearson in Trevor Griffiths’ play about the National Front, followed by Tim Roth as a disaffected skinhead.
29th: Play for Today: United Kingdom + Q&A A left-wing council is removed from office after overspending. Directed by Roland Joffe. Q&A with producer Kenith Trodd.
Champions’ priority booking by phone: September 28 Members’ priority booking opens: 11.30am September 29 Public booking opens: 11.30am October 6
All shows are £5 on Tuesdays. Conc prices are available to senior citizens, students, unwaged and disability visitors. Proof of eligibility may be required.
As always, visit the BFI web site for more details
