Articles by Rob Buckley

About Rob Buckley
I’m Rob Buckley, a journalist who writes for UK media magazines that most people have never heard of although you might have heard me on the podcast Lockdown Land or Radio 5 Live’s Saturday Edition or Afternoon Edition. I’ve edited Dreamwatch, Sprocket and Cambridge Film Festival Daily; been technical editor for TV producers magazine Televisual; reviewed films for the short-lived newspaper Cambridge Insider; written features for the even shorter-lived newspaper Soho Independent; and was regularly sarcastic about television on the blink-and-you-missed-it “web site for urban hedonists” The Tribe. Since going freelance, I've contributed to the likes of Broadcast, Total Content + Media, Action TV, Off The Telly, Action Network, TV Scoop and The Custard TV.
Website YouTube LinkedIn
US TV

Review: Royal Pains 1×1

5 June 2009 Rob Buckley 13 Comments

Royal Pains

In the US: Thursdays, 10/9c, USA Network

As recession has struck, so US TV’s attitude to the rich has changed. Where once there was admiration and envy – Sex and the City – so admiration has faded and been replaced by amusement – Gossip Girl and Dirty Sexy Money – before eventually reaching disdain – Privileged and now Royal Pains.

The envy’s still there though.

While still wishing it had their money, Royal Pains is nevertheless quite a fun show that despite its essential dislike of the rich has heart to make up for this unworthy emotion.

Set in the Hamptons, New York state’s retreat for the ultra-wealthy, it sees disgraced ER doctor Mark Feuerstein accidentally wander into a new job as a ‘concierge doctor’ – a live-in, on-call doctor who looks after the rich and famous when they have those little problems the rich and famous suffer from: drug overdoses, car crashes – and deflated breast implants.

Continue reading “Review: Royal Pains 1×1”

US TV

Preview: Nurse Jackie 1×1

5 June 2009 Rob Buckley 7 Comments

Nurse Jackie

In the US: Mondays, 10.30pm ET/PT, Showtime

You’ve got to hand it to Showtime in the US. In the last three years, they’ve gone from being “the network that would like to be HBO but isn’t” to the near-undisputed leader in quality TV in the US. Californication, Dexter, Weeds, Brotherhood – the list keeps getting longer and longer.

Let’s add Nurse Jackie to that list.

If the US were to ever remake either Green Wing or No Angels and still make it a success, this it what it would come up with. Nurse Jackie is a nurse – simultaneously just like every other nurse but also like no other. She knows better than the doctors what should be done. She knows better than the patients.

In fact, even though everyone disagrees with her, she’s still going to do what she thinks is right to save lives, whether that’s fake a signature on an organ donor form or flush a criminal’s ear down the toilet.

Be glad nurse Jackie’s looking after you – but also be a little frightened.

Continue reading “Preview: Nurse Jackie 1×1”

Sitting Tennant

Today’s Sitting Tennant (from Rullsenberg): Richard E Grant about to glass David Tennant

5 June 2009 Rob Buckley 8 Comments

David Tennant and Richard E Grant

Got a picture of David Tennant sitting, lying down or in some indeterminate state in between? Then leave a link to it below or email me and if it’s judged suitable, it will appear in the “Sitting Tennant” gallery. You can also enter the witty and amusing captions league table by commenting on this week’s Sitting Tennant photo.

It’s Friday and we’ve arrived at the first captionable seated David Tennant of the week. It’s from Ms Rullsenberg, so she wins the first three points available for best pic of the week: this sees a very grumpy Richard E Grant being teased by a very geeky DT who’s lording his superior performance as the Doctor in Infinite Quest over Grant’s Space Ghost-like performance as the Doctor in Scream of the Shalka. Watch out in case he glasses you, David: you know how violent these drunken thespians can get.

Here’s the picture board. Remember, the new rules are that every photo displayed on Monday (one per person who sends one in) gets a point, with a bonus point if it’s from the latest DT production, and the best pic of the week will appear on Friday and get three points:

  1. Rullsenberg: 26.5
  2. Sister Chastity: 20.5
  3. Jaradel: 19.5
  4. Rosby: 2.5
  5. Persephone: 1

We’re still on old rules for marking last Friday’s caption competition, so the ten bonus points in the captioning round went to Scott 2 (his new name to differentiate him from other Scott, who IIRC correctly is the Scott with the three points) for his duck house caption; witty points went to Scott 2 as well for picture 1; Electric Dragon for picture 2; and to Electric Dragon for picture 3 as well.

That gives us the following lovely caption board:

  1. Toby: 121.5
  2. Marie: 112.5
  3. Rullsenberg: 92
  4. Jane Henry: 70.5
  5. Persephone: 45.5
  6. Jaradel: 38.5
  7. Electric Dragon: 31
  8. Rev/Views: 25
  9. Scott 2: 14
  10. Scott: 3
  11. Aaron: 2
  12. almostwitty.com: 1
  13. Stu_N: 1

Remember, you can submit as many captions as you like for today’s picture, with the wittiest getting 10 points next Friday.

US TV

Review: Burn Notice 3×1

5 June 2009 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Burn Notice

In the US: Thursdays, 9/8c, USA
In the UK: Coming to FX at some point, I’m sure

Burn Notice is the USA Network’s big and very surprising success. Despite ratings of over 6 million, it sticks out like a sore thumb, with a mixture of spy tradecraft, fights, explosions, shootings and characters who really aren’t that likeable at times – something that isn’t really true of the other shows on the “characters welcome” network that gave us Monk and Psych.

After two seasons trying to piece together who slapped a Burn Notice on him and got him fired from his spy day-job, Michael Westen found out at the end of last season – it was Frasier’s dad. With that cleared up and after refusing to take a job with the old curmudgeon, Westen has new challenges ahead: every enemy he’s ever made could be on their way to Miami to get him.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? But…

Continue reading “Review: Burn Notice 3×1”