US TV

Eli Stone reunion: Kerr Smith, Daniel Benzali and Victor Garber

3 April 2009 Rob Buckley 3 Comments

It’s a weird world at ABC. They cancel shows like Eli Stone and Pushing Daisies, but despite still having episodes in the can, they’re not going to bother airing them except at some indeterminate point in the future, probably while everyone’s on their summer vacations. Which means we in the UK get to see them first.

Eli Stone – which probably deserved to die judging by its descent into silliness without the depth, pathos or George Michael of season one to justify it – has been having a couple of reunions over on the SciFi Channel in the UK.

Justice

Victor Garber and Kerr Smith, who appeared together over on Justice before it got cancelled, have been in more or less every episode that hasn’t been aired in the US – although you never see them together, the unlucky, cursed guys.

Victor Garber

Kerr Smith

Meanwhile, Murder One lovers will delighted to hear that Daniel Benzali has been temporarily reunited with the law to appear as a judge.

Daniel Benzali

Just thought I’d mention it.

Friday’s news without people

3 April 2009 Rob Buckley 11 Comments

Doctor Who

  • Trailer for the new K9 series. Oh dear

Film

British TV

  • BBC3 commissions two new sitcoms, including one with Nigel Havers
  • Trailer for Ashes to Ashes series two
  • BBC’s The Street might be cancelled because of ITV redundancies
  • Devil’s Whore sequel on the way
  • 4oD now available on the web
  • UKTV Style to relaunch as Home

US TV

BFI events

May at the BFI

2 April 2009 Rob Buckley 4 Comments

The BFI’s remembered to send me the brochure this month, so here’s our regular look at what’s on TV-wise at the South Bank in London in May.

  • 9th: The Best of Ianucci
    Armando Ianucci’s choice of his best work as performer and writer-director
  • 9th: Ianucci in person
    A career interview in which Armando Ianucci will talk about his TV work. Asking the questions: Graeme Garden of The Goodies. No, seriously.

However, other than that, everything else is dedicated to a John Mortimer retrospective.

  • 4th/22nd: The Sunday Night Play: The Wrong Side of the Park; Monitor: Mortimer’s Hampstead
    A play about a malicious lodger and a Monitor item providing context.
  • 8th: Television Playhouse: Collect Your Hand Baggage; Shades of Greene: Special Duties and The Invisible Japanese Gentleman
    Kenneth More as a man who has never grown up; John Gielgud as a CEO who hires a nun to buy him out of purgatory; Denholm Elliot musing on the curse of ‘the writer’s eye’.
  • 10th/18th: A Voyage Round My Father; The South Bank Show
    Mortimer’s best-loved play, followed by a special devoted to Mortimer’s methods and philosophy.
  • 14th: Thirty Minute Theatre: Bermondsey; Knightsbridge; King’s Cross Lunch Hour; and Mill Hill.
    A heady and controversial mix of gay sex and class; high farce; Mortimore’s most Pinteresque play; and a dentist’s sexual fantasies.
  • 17th: Play for Today: Rumpole of the Bailey
    The very first appearance of Rumpole. BBC4 showed it recently and it’s very good. Followed by:
  • 17th: John Mortimer Remembered
    A panel of guests who knew John Moritmore discuss his work and influence. Includes Daisy Goodwin, Jacqueline Davis, Colin Rodgers and Alvin Rakoff.
  • 21st: Will Shakespeare (episodes one and two)
    Tim Curry plays William Shakespeare in this demonstration of how events in his life fed into his plays.
  • 22nd/28th: Playhouse: Unity
    A dramatisation of the English aristocracy’s collusion with fascism.
  • 23rd: Titmuss Regained
    A three-part satire of the Thatcher era starring David Threlfall.
  • 29th/31st: Edwin; On Reflection: Mortimer on Oscar Wilde
    Alec Guinness wonders whether a friend’s son really is his son. And Mortimer refelcts on Oscar Wilde – obviously.

Meanwhile, back in the Mediatheque, there’s a season of ‘Funny Girls’ that includes episodes of Sykes, Fawlty Towers, Wood and Walters and The Mrs Merton Show, as well as the pilot of Meet The Wife.

Members’ priority booking opens: 11.30am April 7
Public booking opens: April 14

As always, visit the BFI web site for more details

UPDATE: Yes, Tim Curry as Shakespeare: