UK TV

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

Events

Event review: Andromeda at the NFT

11 July 2006 Rob Buckley 3 Comments

Julie Christie as Andromeda

Event: Andromeda at the NFT

Date: 10th July 2006

Host: Richard Hollis

Guests: Peter Halliday, Michael Hayes

Series summary: British scientists pick up a message from the Andromeda galaxy. After decoding it, they find it contains instructions on how to build a computer. They build it and after an accident that kills a lab worker, the computer creates a new life form in her image, which the scientists call Andromeda.

Episode summary: Episode six, The Face of the Tiger, sees the computer become ever more valuable to the government after it develops anti-ballistic missile technology. The computer, however, is starting to assert its own agenda through Andromeda, who is becomingly increasingly human.

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David Tennant covering fire

10 July 2006 Rob Buckley 15 Comments

To protect myself from any backlash stemming from my review of Saturday’s episode of Doctor Who, I thought I’d point you all in the direction of this not particularly pleasant piece in the Daily Mail. It’s about David Tennant on the beach and asks (because like Jeopardy answers, all Daily Mail headlines must be in the form of a question) “Is this the palest man in the galaxy?”

Hmm. Someone who spends all his time in Wales, Scotland and TV studios looks a bit pale? What are the chances of that happening?

News

Survivors may be back

10 July 2006 Rob Buckley 4 Comments

SurvivorsRemember Survivors? No? It was kind of a dark version of The Good Life, in which everyone in the world bar a couple of ‘lucky’ survivors is wiped out by accidental germ warfare, leaving those behind to eke out an existence for themselves by growing their own vegetables.

It degenerated after a while, but was a good show and it had one of the most chilling title sequences ever (you’ll need RealPlayer to watch it).

It turns out the BBC is considering reviving it, according to the Media Guardian (free registration required). Interesting choice for the next revival: I’d have gone with Blake’s 7 because the whole “terrorists or freedom fighters?” thing would work quite well right now, but I suspect Survivors would cost a whole lot less to remake. The question is, does self-sufficiency still resonate the way it did during the 70s?

UK TV

Review: Doctor Who – 2×13 – Doomsday

10 July 2006 Rob Buckley 22 Comments

Doomsday

Cyberman: Dalek?

Dalek: Cyberman?

Cyberman: Did your sensors detect the fluid that I just expelled from my right lateral articulator joint?

Dalek: My probes observed the phenomenon

Cyberman: Are they able to analyse it?

Dalek: They report it is composed of waste oil and grease and certain biochemical solutions

Cyberman: Where is it now?

Dalek: It is sinking into the floor where it is being absorbed by human excretions such as dandruff and hair

Cyberman: That’s your void ship that is. Your mum made that. It’s like the best thing she’s ever done.

Dialogue from Doctor Who episode Doomsday.

So it’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for. The Daleks and the Cybermen had a great big fight and Rose is stuck in another universe. And it was all just so mediocre.

I wanted to like this. I really really wanted to like this. But I was bored. I may reconsider if I ever get round to watching the episode again. Already, my brain is trying its hardest to filter out the dross and crud surrounding the few good things in the episode.

But nothing can alter the fact that from about 7.20pm on Saturday night I was clock-watching.

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US TV

Weirdest channel I’ve come across yet

7 July 2006 Rob Buckley 5 Comments

Lorne GreeneIf you have Sky, you’ll probably have done this yourself. You’ll flick through the EPG looking for something to watch and none of the main channels will be showing anything. So slowly you start scaling your way up the EPG to channels that have roughly seven viewers each and are dedicated to useful things like dog-bonnet crocheting.

I came across the most bizarre one the other night. The Bonanza channel. Yes, an entire channel dedicated to that lovely Western starring Lorne Greene. It’s something you can do I guess: the series started in 1959 and finished in 1973, so that’s 14 years of episodes that you can show. I shudder to think of the DVD box set possibilities.

But seriously. How many people want to watch nothing but Bonanza? And if they did, would they not worry about missing episodes when they have to do things like go to work, eat and sleep? I wonder how long it would take for the channel to get back to an episode you’d missed. Or do they just show the same series repeatedly for a month or two then work their way onto the next series?

Ah the crazy world of the Bonanza Channel….