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.
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US TV

Preview: Cavemen

30 July 2007 Rob Buckley 3 Comments

Cavemen

In the US: Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC. Starts 2nd October

In the UK: Not yet acquired

I’m in something of a quandary. Normally, I deploy The Carusometer after the third or fifth episode of a show has aired. But this pilot has now been shifted to fifth in the running order, with an all-new first episode being shot right now. So do I hand it over to The Carusometer now?

That probably wouldn’t be fair. Let’s wait.

Anyway, there is a supposed truism that comedy allows society to examine taboo issues in a safer environment. Cavemen, based on an advert of all things, is supposed to be a more comfortable look at racism and stereotypes by featuring white people pretending to be cavemen, in the stead of ethnic minorities.

Yes, a show about racism that – unless I blinked or something – didn’t feature a single ethnic minority actor. How’s that for irony?

Continue reading “Preview: Cavemen”

News

Monday’s “five more days until I’m on holiday” news

30 July 2007 Rob Buckley 7 Comments

Joker

Naughty Heath. Don’t be so mean to Maggie

Doctor Who

Film

Books

Theatre/Comedy

  • Amnesty launches Behind The Fringe vodcasts

British TV

US TV

US TV

Preview: The Big Bang Theory

27 July 2007 Rob Buckley 3 Comments

The Big Bang Theory

In the US: Mondays, CBS. Starts September 24th

In the UK: Channel 4/E4. No air date yet

Newsflash! Guys who understand science are all nerds! They have no social skills and they have pathetic hobbies! They can’t talk to girls, either!

And blonde, cute women: they’re dumb! Dumb as posts! They’re into astrology and go for men with really big muscles and no personalities! They certainly don’t know anything about science or computers and look down on anyone that does! But they’re always warm and empathetic and never frightened by odd, stalker-like behaviour!

Welcome to the world of Chuck Lorre, creator of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, CBS’s latest foray into the world of obvious comedy and relentless stereotypes.

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US TV

Preview: Californication

27 July 2007 Rob Buckley 11 Comments

Californication

In the US: Mondays, 10.30pmET/PT, Showtime. Starts August 13th

In the UK: Five/Five US. No air date yet

You’ve got to hand it to David Duchovny. Let’s face it, he’s not as young as he was. He’s not exactly decrepit – far from it – and time has treated him very well. But it’s not the early 90s and those calls for him to star in things like The X-Files and, more relevantly, The Red Shoe Diaries aren’t coming in as often as they used to.

Faced with that problem, what does he do? He exec produces his own show, in which he stars as an irresistible 40-something who spends every waking moment sleeping with women less than half his age. And a few others as well.

Nice one, David.

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US TV

Review: Damages 1.1

27 July 2007 Rob Buckley 6 Comments

Damages

In the US: Tuesdays, 10pm, FX

In the UK: Not yet acquired

Do we really need another show about lawyers? Haven’t we had just about every insight possible now into law, the lawyers, victims, etc?

And indeed, it’s tempting, at first, to assume that Damages is a show about lawyers. With a name like Damages, you might think it’s about the corrosive effect the law, crime, etc have on those who have to deal with it. To a certain extent you’d be right.

But Damages is really just a psychological thriller that happens to have the law as a backdrop. Starring Glen Close, Rose Byrne, Ted Danson and Tate Donovan, it’s a show about lawyers, all right. Really nasty, ruthless, backstabbing lawyers.

Continue reading “Review: Damages 1.1”