Airing dates for US shows, both in the US and over here

Digital Spy has some useful nuggets of info about when various US shows are going to air, both in the UK and the US:

  • Sky One has the full rights to the first three seasons of Bones, so you won’t be seeing it on terrestrial channels any time soon.
  • Prison Break will be returning to Five in January.
  • The fate of Eureka, aka A Town Called Eureka in the UK, hangs in the balance. Cancellation is a possibility.
  • Traveler will appear on ABC in either January or February.
  • Kyle XY, which has already been picked up for a second season in the US (excellent finale by the way), is close to being acquired for UK audiences by… The Disney Channel. Arse.
Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Gallifrey – “Panacea”

PanaceaAt the request of Lisa and because it seems like a jolly idea, I’m going to start reviewing the Big Finish stories, something that launches a new category on the blog: audio plays. I’m not going to review all of them, because there’s only so much time in the day and only so much cash in my pocket (although if Big Finish would like to just send them to me, that would be just fabby), but I’m certainly going to carve my way through the Doctor Who and Sapphire and Steel stories at the very least.

However, we’re starting with what looks like an ending: Panacea, probably the last of the ‘Gallifrey’ range of stories, which are set on the eponymous home world of the Time Lords. Featuring former companions of “the good Doctor” Leela (Louise Jameson), K9 (John Leeson) and Romana (Lalla Ward and Mary Tamm), Gallifrey has been running for three series now; Panacea ends those series’ many story arcs and if the now-former Big Finish producer Gary Russell is to be believed, marks the end of the range.

So would I recommend buying the whole lot, now the series has finally displayed all its colours? And can I do it without spoiling you? Here’s hoping!

Continue reading “Review: Gallifrey – “Panacea””

Lost: Time to start watching again

UK Lost fans, it’s time to start watching the show again tonight. There is the possibility you’ve gone off it over the past few weeks, because frankly it’s been dull. Tonight, it’s time to start watching again.

Having seen all the episodes in the rest of the season already, I can confidently say that they’re all good from tonight’s episode onwards. So if you’ve lapsed, tune in tonight and I’m pretty sure you’ll remember why you liked the show in the first place.

Me and Ricky Gervais: our shared mind

Sometimes I wonder if Ricky Gervais and I have the same brain. Okay, he’s a comedy genius, I’m not. But sometimes he says stuff and I wonder how the words in my brain have managed to come out of his mouth.
Take today’s outpouring at the Extras press launch:

As he considers his first move into drama with his co-writer Stephen Merchant, Gervais said UK broadcasters “just can’t do or don’t do” shows of the calibre of US hits like the Sopranos, 24, The Wire and The Shield.

“I just can’t remember the last time I watched a British drama, probably something like GBH,” said Gervais at today’s press launch of the second series of Extras.

“I don’t give them a go and turn off. They just don’t come into my vision. I only watch about five British shows and they are probably all reality shows.”

Which would be spooky enough as it is. Then this:

Gervais also excluded Paul Abbott’s six-part BBC series State of Play from his assessment – “oh yes, of course, sorry”

Aargh! It’s like having a trapdoor at the back of your head and knowing someone’s been sneaking a peak when you’ve been looking the other way.
Even worse, I can’t make my old observation about how the Discovery channels only show stuff about sharks and the history channels only show stuff about Nazis any more, because Gervais has already used it in his Animals tour. Everyone thinks I’m trying to pass off his jokes as my own. Git.