Gavin and Stacey

Today’s Joanna Page: Top of the Pops

17 March 2009 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Next week, more rampant (implied) Joanna Page nudity in Ready When Your Are, Mr McGill, which ITV thoughtfully decided to repeat last week. Until then, you’re just going to have to cope with her and most of the cast of Gavin & Stacey as backing singers on Comic Relief‘s revival of Top of the Pops last Friday. It’s Tom Jones, Ness and Bryn singing ‘Islands in the Stream’, which went to number one this week – can you believe that Sir Tom actually complained to Ruth Jones that Stacey’s accent was too Swansea?

Anyway, enjoy!

Tuesday’s not quite number one detective agency news

17 March 2009 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Film

  • Paramount acquires Le Carré’s The Night Manager
  • Karl Urban joins And Soon The Darkness remake
  • JJ Abrams to make movie based on unpublished Wired story about a diamond heist
  • Zac Efron to play Jonny Quest?
  • Chow Yun-Fat to play Confucius

Theatre

  • Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia to be revived at the Duke of York with Neil Pearson

Canadian TV

British TV

US TV

More Comic Relief sketches – commercials, Outnumbered, Smithy and the England team, and David Tennant as one of The Proclaimers

13 March 2009 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

US blogging pal Toby has been paying far more attention to Comic Relief than I have, it seems. I feel quite shamed. So this is me, being shamed into action.

First up, as pointed out by Tobes, here’s a selection of much-loved characters from British commercials – as well as Michael Winner – clubbing together to come up with an idea for Comic Relief. Can you recognise them all?

Outnumbered is also doing a sketch and here’s some footage that didn’t make it (thanks again Tobes!)

I can’t embed this one, so you’re going to have to go over to The Mirror‘s web site to see it, but James Corden does a turn as Smithy from Gavin & Stacey with the England football team, too.

And lastly, have you ever wondered what David Tennant would look like blond? Or as one of The Proclaimers?

UK TV

Review: Horne & Corden 1×1

12 March 2009 Rob Buckley 17 Comments

In the UK: Tuesdays, 10.30pm, BBC3

I did have a premonition this was going to happen. Ages ago (2007, I think), I caught an episode of Big Brother’s Big Mouth hosted by James Corden and Matthew Horne. It was appalling. Absolutely appalling. I tried to forget it altogether.

So when Gavin & Stacey came around, I had no recollection of having seen either of the two before. It was only when reading about their new BBC3 sketch show, Horne & Corden, and their BBBM gig got mentioned, that it all came flooding back in its horrible glory.

"Oh no. Please don’t let it be like that," I prayed. "Gavin & Stacey was brilliant. Surely they’ve learned and moved on. Surely it’ll be funny."

No. It really wasn’t. In fact, it was so unfunny and joke-free, lovely wife actually fell asleep in the middle of it.

Not a good sign.

Continue reading “Review: Horne & Corden 1×1”

Today's Joanna Page

Preview: Safety Catch (series two)

11 March 2009 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

As Radio 4 comedies go, Safety Catch is an odd little show. Starring Darren Boyd (Green Wing, Smack the Pony), Joanna Page (Gavin and Stacey), Brigit Forsyth (The Likely Lads), Lewis McLeod (Look Around You) and Sarah Smart (Wallander), it’s aimed at the same kind of liberal, middle class audience as more obvious fare like Claire in the Community.

But it’s about a man who makes a living from mass murder, gun running and selling weapons to child soldiers ("putting the infant in infantry").

No wonder then that yet again it’s been marooned in the 11.30pm slot when it returns for its second series on 1st April.

But, hey, I went to see two episodes being recorded last Sunday. Here’s what that was like.

Continue reading “Preview: Safety Catch (series two)”