UK TV

An archive of blog entries about UK TV programmes and production.

UK TV

Third-episode verdict: The State Within

17 November 2006 Rob Buckley Post a comment

The State Within Carusometer3 Minor Caruso

So we’re up to episode three on The State Within and I reckon we’re ready for a third-episode verdict.

After a really dismal first episode, things got better in the second episode, and improved still further with the third episode. Most of the stupidity has gone and the things that suggested they thought we were stupid have gone, too. It’s not so overblown; and the action they intended to be exciting in the first episode has been replaced with action that actually is exciting.

But the constants throughout have been the multiple, over-complicated plot strands; the ridiculously stereotypical US characters; and the generic British characters. The decision to make up countries, airlines, etc, mean that we might as well be observing the parallel universe’s planet Aaargh for all its relevance to the real world – at least 24 can accuse China or thinly veiled versions of Iran of being evil without worrying too much; here we have to deal with Tzazarazzakastan – who cares if fictional made up country with no real-world parallel is up to no good? Borat has more to say about former Soviet Republics’ human rights records.

So it’s getting better, but I think individual episodes are going to top out at a two on The Carusometer at most. On average though, it’s earned a three, so that’s what I’m awarding it.

The Medium is Not Enough has declared The State Within to be a three or “Minor Caruso” on The Carusometer quality scale. A Minor Caruso corresponds to “a show in which David Caruso might guest star after having demanded script approval, as a result of which all lines in which he’s not referred to as ‘big man’ will be rewritten by both his personal psychic and his agent. During filming, he will call his co-stars ‘actors’ in a sarcastic tone of voice, maybe with air quotes”.

In other words, it’s not worth getting into, you probably shouldn’t hang around for any further episodes if you’ve already started, and if you’ve taped them, you can dump them now without having watched them.

Glasgow’s first superhero comes to the Web

17 November 2006 Rob Buckley 5 Comments

Fraser Coull of Silly Wee Films has asked me to mention his upcoming new TV series, Night is Day. Since he’s actually been nice enough to comment on this blog about the crapness of Torchwood, I’m happy to oblige. Says Fraser:

Okay, so “Night is Day” is an internet drama series about Glasgow’s first superhero, and the first 6 episodes (each lasting 10-15 minutes, except for episode 6 which will last 25 minutes), the first episode will be shown on Sky channel Propeller TV at somepoint in the near future. Episode 1 which is completely free to watch, will be made available online on the 25th of November, and each following episode will be released monthly for only £2 each.

Inspired by the likes of “Doctor Who”, “Spider-Man” and “Angel” and not at all like “Torchwood”, you can find out more at http://www.nightisday.moonfruit.com.

There’s a YouTube trailer for the series below and you can also read an interview with the Silly Wee Films people at Channel 4’s IdeasFactory.

News

Doctor Who Weakest Link rumoured (and confirmed!)

16 November 2006 Rob Buckley 7 Comments

David TennantThe Sun is claiming that David Tennant, Freema Agyeman and various Doctor Who allies and enemies are to appear on a special edition of The Weakest Link. No word if they’re going to be old-series allies and enemies, although if the rumour is true, I’d expect to see Lis Sladen and John Leeson in there at the very least. Who else would you like to see? Do you reckon they can persuade Pipes (by which I mean Billie Piper, rather than the scary, cat-nibbled ghost from Ghostwatch)? And do you reckon they can stop RTD from working his way on?

UPDATE: Scott has been nice enough to point out that filming will be on the 21st November at Pinewood Studios and you can get tickets at the BBC tickets unit. Thanks Scott!

UPDATE 2: Tickets have gone now. Sorry, guys.

UK TV

Review: Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares 4.1

15 November 2006 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

Gordon Ramsay in Spain

In the UK: Channel 4, 9pm, Tuesdays. Repeated Thursdays 9pm, 12.05am, More4

In the US: BBC America, probably in 2007.

Characters re-cast: 0

Major characters gotten rid of: 0

Major new characters: 0 – it’s all Gordon, all the time!

Format change percentage: 10% (for one episode)

Number of cahones: 2

Gordon Ramsay can sometimes be something of a self-parody. A former professional football player who runs a half-marathon every Sunday, he’s now a multi-millionaire celebrity chef, best known for bullying people, shouting, asking people where their balls are (now in Spanish, as well as English!) and swearing. He is almost a living, breathing, stereotype of masculinity. All he needs is a rusty white van, a proper haircut and a rottweiler and he’ll be able to set up a testosterone donation centre for anyone who CAN’T FIND A PAIR! (I imagine, if it were possible for him to do so, Ramsay would talk like that: in capitals and exclusively punctuated with exclamation marks. He would also be known only as Ramsay.)

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, now in its third series, gives Gordon a chance to use all four of the aforementioned talents in combination with his fifth, lesser known skill: helping people. Episode one gave him the chance to go to the Costa Del Sol to aid an ailing restaurant recover from a debt of €120,000. Said restaurant had found a niche on its particular part of the Costa: rather than copying all the other restaurants on the Costa and serving up sausages and chips to everyone (that really fills my very soul with despair. England, what has become of you?), the restaurant owner, Laurence Davey, had decided to serve Spanish food.

Was it still too adventurous for all those English people abroad? Or was the food just awful and liable to kill people, the service rubbish, and the floor itself covered in doggie excrement? Gordon was going to find out and tell Laurence how to fix it.

The trouble is, Gordon brought along his Ernest Hemingway guide to being a man…

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