UK TV

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

Five’s plans for a new channel are in even bigger trouble

7 July 2006 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Everyone’s fifth-favourite channel, Five, unveiled its multi-channel digital strategy a little while ago. One of the main elements of the strategy was to have a channel called Five US dedicated to US imports. It wasn’t long before Hallmark threw a spanner in the works by refusing Five US access to some of the most popular imports, such as House and Law and Order.

Well, it looks like Hallmark – in conjunction with the Beeb and ITV, which is busily trying to expand its US import roster – has done it again. It’s just acquired four new US shows:

  1. Smith, starring Ray Liotta and Jonny-Lee Miller as genius tacticians who plan and execute multi-million dollar robberies (hasn’t started yet in the US)
  2. Jericho, a drama about the chaos that ensues in a small town in the wake of a nuclear disaster (hasn’t aired yet)
  3. Psych, starring James Roday as a fake psychic (starts on the USA Network next week) and
  4. Saved, about a paramedic who’s a compulsive gambler (Airs on TNT. I’ve already reviewed this. Twice).

With ITV already having picked up the forthcoming Six Degrees (by Lost and Alias‘ creator JJ Abrams), Raines and The Black Donnellys, I’m guessing that Five US isn’t going to be the best network for US programming we’ll ever see.

UK TV

Review: Property Ladder

6 July 2006 Rob Buckley 4 Comments

I love Property Ladder. I’m not desperately interested in property development. My strategy for property development, which amused my wife no end when I spelled it out to her, would be a simple three-step approach:

  1. Buy a house
  2. Hire a bloke to knock it down
  3. Hire another bloke to build a new one

Simple, really, yet probably not destined to make much money for me should I ever decide to implement it.

But I love Property Ladder all the same.

Continue reading “Review: Property Ladder”

New companion talks

5 July 2006 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

I’m still not saying her name for those that really don’t want to be spoiled, even if Anna has changed her mind, but there’s an interview with the new Doctor Who companion in Doctor Who Magazine this issue, a snippet of which is available on the BBC’s site. Worryingly for Marie and others, the following incident is related during the interview:

And the night before that audition, he’d left a little note under my door at the hotel.

No mention of what was on the note.