Month: March 2012

The CarusometerA Carusometer rating of 4

Third-episode verdict: GCB (Good Christian Bitches) (ABC)

19 March 2012 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

In the US: Sundays, 10/9c, ABC

Time to look at the first three episodes of ABC’s GCB (Good Christian Bitches) to see if it’s a show you should stick with or a give a try.

The short answer is it isn’t. After a first episode that didn’t exactly demonstrate much by way of originality, wit, or intelligence, it’s only gone downhill. Episode 2 saw the pseudo-Hooters waitresses fighting for the right to wear demeaning outfits, while episode three was basically a Desperate Housewives script with the serial numbers filed off, populated by people with emotional intelligence of muskrats.

It’s unsubtle, stupid, populated by some very bad actors, and worst of all, not very funny. Avoid.

Carusometer rating: 4
Rob’s prediction: Dead by the end of the season

UK TV

Question of the week: who should cameo on Downton Abbey?

19 March 2012 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

Downton Abbey

Loads of people, it seems, want to cameo on Downton Abbey. Ted Danson, Joanna Lumley, Joan Collins and more all want to appear in the ITV show about posh people saving the day with their vast wisdom.

Today’s question is:

Who do you think should cameo on Downton Abbey?

It might be because they would be good on it; it might be because you hate Downton Abbey and there’s someone you think should suffer. But what’s your suggestion and why?

Answers below or on your own blog, please

Competitions

Review and competition: Doctor Who – The UNIT Files on DVD

19 March 2012 Rob Buckley 7 Comments

The UNIT Files

BBC Shop BadgeStarring: Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen
Writers: Malcolm Hulke, Terry Nation
Director: Paddy Russell, Barry Letts
Price: £30.63 (Amazon price: £12.99; BBC Shop price: £22.25)
Released: January 9th 2012

It’s competition time again, you lucky people, courtesy of the BBC Shop throwing me a load of DVDs that I don’t really want. This time round, it’s your chance to win an entire box set: Doctor Who – The UNIT Files. Now this contains one Jon Pertwee six-parter featuring UNIT and that has the word ‘Invasion’ in the title, as well as one four-part Tom Baker story featuring UNIT and that has the word ‘Invasion’ in the title. Can you guess what the stories are?

Yes, it’s Invasion (of the Dinosaurs) and The Android Invasion, written by two of Doctor Who‘s old reliables: Malcolm Hulke and Terry Nation. And for once, I’ve actually sat down and watched them. Well, not the DVD extras, of course – don’t be silly.

Find out what I thought of them and how you could win them on DVD after this shiny trailer:

Continue reading “Review and competition: Doctor Who – The UNIT Files on DVD”

Monday’s “Grimm renewed, the BBC’s sci-fi comedy pilots and Matthew Rhys is an American” news

19 March 2012 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

Film

UK TV

  • Hollyoaks‘s Gerard McCarthy joins The Fall
  • Johnny Vegas starring in BBC3’s UFO sitcom A Saucer Full of Secrets, BBC planning alien invasion comedy V Sign

US TV

US TV pilots

US TV

Review: Missing (ABC) 1×1

16 March 2012 Rob Buckley 12 Comments

Missing (ABC)

In the US: Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC

Spies are back. In a sense, they never really went away, but with several spy show pilots lined up for the fall, Covert Affairs now a regular on the USA Network and Homeland clearly the best new show of last fall, it seems like we’re ready to have secret agents back in our lives now, particularly with ABC’s Missing being thrust onto our screens just to fill in the gaps.

The big new trend in spy shows, though, as that list shows, is female spies. Covert Affairs stars Piper Perabo, Homeland revolves around Claire Danes, The Asset‘s lead is Ali Larter and Missing has Ashley Judd doing a Jason Bourne all over Europe (yes, they actually have come all the way to Europe to film this).

I say doing a Jason Bourne but Missing is really a sort of hybrid between The Bourne Identity and Taken, with former CIA operative Judd beating up Eurotrash to rescue her son, who’s been kidnapped by who knows who? While it never quite hits the heights of either movie, it’s actually a pretty good stab at doing both on the small screen.

Apart from the chase on Vespers. That was just silly. Here’s a trailer – yes, that is Sean Bean. Yes, there are a lot of spoilers for later episodes.

Continue reading “Review: Missing (ABC) 1×1”