// Film, TV, Theatre
Matt Smith is the Eleventh Doctor
Well, what do we think?
Now much as I was rooting for Paterson Joseph, I am rather impressed. For Steven Moffat to decide on him instantly does suggest a certain Doctorishness pervaded his audition – and given his interview excerpts it does seem he is a quirky and physical presence so that’s all to the good.
If I might be forgiven a moment’s smugness I do have a confession: as soon as I saw the BBC’s list of runners and riders yesterday morning it was his name that stood out to me.
And my first thought was “oooh, now he could be interesting”.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Plus, I hope, a pretty damn spectacular exit for Mister T.
Posted on January 4, 2009 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 1 Comment
Demons – Episode One
Hmm. Well, I can’t say I took to that. What did other people think?
Personally, despite some good direction and acting, it did seem to be living the phrase “trying too hard”, I thought.
And as for the dialogue… owcho! I think I scrambled my own insides cringing at the sheer awfulness of the horribly self aware “use the force Luke” and repeated “you must believe”s.
Frankly, like Robin Hood before it, it needs to take itself far less seriously to make a mark.
Christian Cooke is upsettingly hot though. Even if he is about 12.
Posted on January 4, 2009 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 1 Comment
Carry on Sergeant?
I must say, I’m rather bemused by the national outcry over John Sergeant’s resignation from (the stupidly named) Strictly Come Dancing.
Now, I don’t care for either of them, but this and the continuing outry over how far some X-Factor hopefuls got just confirms my belief that there’s a problem with the way people in this country vote. Why in God’s name do people get so attached to people who are crap?
It’s a dancing competition for God’s sake. Entertainment yes, but many things are and as far as I’m concerned fun is something so fundamentally important as to be taken seriously. (In the same way as nothing is so sacred it can’t be poked fun of.)
I’m sorry, but people who are daft enough to vote for someone who can’t dance in a dancing show clearly deserve to lose their money in order to teach them a lesson. (Preferably to go to charity, natch.)
Jesus… this voting for people who amuse us is what got bloody Johnson in after all.
Posted on November 22, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, The World we Live In | 1 Comment
Beautiful People
I have, of late, been watching the BBC series “Beautiful People”, inspired by Simon Doonan’s book of the same name (although the original edition was apparently called “Nasty”).
And I have to say I’ve found the whole thing extremely enjoyable. I downloaded the first couple of episodes and started watching on holiday, but found myself barely ten minutes in before stopping and vowing I had to show it to Chris on our return.
He howled his way through the first couple of episodes, and so a new obsession was born. And whilst it’s fair to say that the first couple of episodes were by far the best, on the whole it’s been a silly, joyous, camp and riotously bonkers affair that has, for me, been one of the most original series on TV for a while.
The DVD came out yesterday and so we watched the final episode last night (whole days ahead of broadcast) and it surprised me by having a surprisingly poignant ending – fair brought a tear to my eye it did.
Plus there’s a Dynasty-style catfight with the ever-magnificent Frances Barber (God I love that woman), an interesting variation on Charlene’s “I’ve Never Been to Me” so what’s not to love?
It has become one of my favourite series ever. I do hope they get another series.
The book, incidentally, is a very different kettle of fish, but still a very, very funny read. It comes heartily recommended.
Posted on November 4, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 0 Comments
Merlin: The Midpoint
So, here we are: seven episodes into the BBC’s latest family-oriented drama, Merlin. And what are we thinking so far?
Personally I’m rather enjoying it. Obviously Bradley James as Arthur isn’t getting his shirt off enough (and he looked worryingly swoon-some with red eyes in yesterday’s episode), the plots are playing wildly fast and loose with the legend, and the anachronisms are clunking around the place like mad (I mean… potatoes?) but I must say I’m rather enjoying it.
Above all I’m finding it a damned sight more watchable than Robin Hood ever was. True it’s plots are similarly repetitive (you’d have thought Uther might have learned to be more suspicious of strangers, in the same way Nottingham’s guards need a quick lesson in security) but there’s a lot more humour and charm in it, I’m finding – helped in part by a lack of over-emphasised parallels to modern day terrorism which so dogged the Hooded one’s adventures.
It’s also nicely played by all concerned. Anthony Head and Richard Wilson instil a vital sense of gravitas to the proceedings; and the stories, whilst simple, do appear to be layering things in slowly. Knowing the legend of Morgana it’s interesting to see her slowly becoming aware of her powers whilst still being the good guy (or rather… gal), and you do get a feel that a lot of stuff happened at the start of Uther’s reign that he and Gaius would rather forget.
It’s not quite the “must-see” television of Doctor Who (well, let’s face it so little is) but I’m impressed enough and enjoying it enough to keep watching.
Hmm. Thinking about it, surely the Arthur/Merlin slash fiction must be seeping through the interweb by now…
Posted on November 2, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 1 Comment
Feeding Frenzy
Coming back from Luton airport the other week, Theresa switched on the radio – as is her wont – to Radio 2 where, to a certain degree of horror on my part, we found ourselves catching the last half of Russell Brand’s radio show.
It was, naturally, the now infamous one with Jonathan Ross and the prank calls to Andrew Sachs. And at the time I thought (as I usually do of most of their material to be frank) that it was juvenile, puerile and that the whole thing was a bad bad idea.
Frankly I was embarrassed listening to it and felt really rather bad for Andrew Sachs.
But I can’t help but feel that the events unfolding over the last week were somewhat of an overreaction. Needless to say, the Daily Hate Mail led the charge, gleeful as ever to have a stick to beat the BBC, and Jonathan Ross, with. And it succeeded in whipping up the complaints from a mere couple after the show aired (which I’m genuinely surprised by – I would have expected more) up into the tens of thousands.
And I feel a little bit uncomfortable about that. If it hadn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t been for all of this it might have had the chance to peter out with dignified apologies and no carping and sanctimonious speeches and editorials, no villagers wielding torches and so on.
Sachs was owed an apology, now received (although why it should be our business to know this I have no idea – Ross at least tried to personally deliver his apology and gift privately) and I do think they should be rapped over the knuckles over the whole thing. But I absolutely hate seeing the BBC got at by the mosquitos of the tabloid press like this as if they are the arbiters of what is right and wrong.
I mean… the vacuous and borderline immoral shite that the free presses peddle is beyond belief and yet they get away with it time after time without censure.
Ultimately the only person out of this who has come out of it with any dignity is Sachs himself who, it is telling, was only after an apology.
His granddaughter on the other hand… I must say I’ve rather taken against. Anyone who uses the word “justice” to mean “I got my revenge” is as far as I’m concerned easily as bad as the Middle Englanders whose outcry inflated this whole affair.
Although seeing the Mail take up arms alongside a self confessed Satanic Slut has been deeply amusing.
I’m pleased Brand resigned in a way, though. Not so much because I can’t stand his work (and I really can’t) but because he has done the right thing.
And I hope that a good many politicians take note.
Posted on October 30, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, The World we Live In | 2 Comments
Paterson Joseph
Tell me, someone, is Paterson Joseph actually capable of putting in a bad performance?
From Doctor Who to Mitchell and Webb – even via bloody Casualty for Christ’s sake – and when gathering considerable critical acclaim for all his stage work, he just seems incapable of putting in a bad turn. Even when the material’s thin he manages to be mesmerising.
Most recently, when watching my freshly arrived Neverwhere DVD I was stunned to find him putting in a scenery-chewing performance which was nothing short of punch-the-air brilliant.
Genius actor. And… okay… kind of hot too.
(For a female comparison I can only grasp at Tamsin Grieg who also turns up in Neverwhere to similarly bewitching effect. Love! Her!)
Posted on September 27, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre | 1 Comment
TV Licencing
Now, I know I have in the past whinged about the ineptitude of the TV licensing authority, but I do strongly support the fee in principle.
Recently, Noel Edmonds announced that he hasn’t paid for his TV licence in a while (a statement which may actually not be true).
Personally I think such actions are the actions of an utter cock (because as far as I’m concerned he is) but I’m all for him doing so as long as legislation is enacted that means that people who don’t pay their licence are not allowed to appear in any broadcast media in the country. It’s a win-win situation that way.
The trouble is, though, that the news has suddenly opened up a debate about licensing again and it’s all so tedious. There’s a lot of crap about, I know. But as far as I’m concerned the following are worth ?Ǭ£140 of anyone’s money so I’m happy to pay:
- QI. It’s the best programme ever. End of story.
- Doctor Who. It’s the second best, and it keeps a number of acquaintances and an ex employed.
- The Sarah Jane Adventures. Because children need good shows too.
- The BBC News. Not perfect, but still a damn sight better than 90% of its rivals. (I mean… have you seen how shit Sky News is?)
Plus… if there’s one compelling argument in favour of the BBC being publicly funded it’s this: ITV. And, more to the point, a quick comparison of Miss Marple and Marple really does make it crystal clear.
We need this tax, people. It may be an evil, possibly – aren’t all taxes? – but it is a necessary one since it keeps one organisation in a position to save the souls of millions of TV viewers who don’t even know they need saving.
God bless you BBC.
Posted on September 21, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, Musings | 2 Comments
Choice is Bad
I have, for many years, had a sneaking suspicion that choice is, in many respects, a bad thing.
It was an opinion I first came to when various opposition leaders (which if I recall were rattled through at a rate of knots at the time) kept promising more choice for parents and patients and so on. And I always found myself thinking: “well, that’s the last thing you should be giving people, matey”.
Basically, I have come to the conclusion that what people think they want is choice, but in reality what they actually want is someone to choose for them.
I was reminded of this last night when the flatmate and I were flicking through Freeview in an attempt to find something, anything, to watch. Disappointingly it finally dawned on us that the proliferation of digital channels has merely released broadcasters from the requirement of making whatever they broadcast worth watching – almost like the competition has made them give up and just not spend any money instead of raise their game.
So there we were, faced with a choice between the Olympics (for the love of Sonia, NO!), Tomb Raider: Cradle of Filth (or somesuch tripe) and Hellboy. At which we exchanged a glance, lowered our expectations and plumped for the latter.
Amazingly, considering the awfulness that could have ensued from a plot involving Nazis, Demons, the Occult, Nazi Occultists, Rasputin and John Hurt, it turned out to be very enjoyable indeed.
(And I must say that Rupert Evans can come over mine any time he likes.)
Posted on August 18, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, The World we Live In | 0 Comments
Russell The Davies, OBE
So, the man himself, Russell T. Davies, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Now inevitably there’s a certain amount of grumbling about the honours list anyway, and there’s a certain amount of muttering along the lines of “well, he’s only brought back Doctor Who, how does that qualify him for an honour?” but I think he more than deserves this award for service to television and culture over the last twenty-odd years.
Who notwithstanding, he’s the creator of the groundbreaking series Queer as Folk which I had the pleasure of watching again recently and, with the shock value of some of its scenes long since gone, found I was just blown away by the writing. The warmth and the humour and – frankly – brilliant characterisation made me fall in love with it all over again. It’s a stunning bit of writing and well worth a re-viewing if you get the chance.
And then there’s its cultural impact which still resonates to this day.
Then there’s the quality of his other work. I have yet to see many of his other series, but two of his early works “Dark Season” and “Century Falls” had me gripped by Children’s BBC when technically I was way outgrowing it. The former clearly showed he wanted to write Doctor Who, but both also proved that kids could easily handle, nay love, proper drama at a time when the industry believed it was going out of fashion.
If anything I think its these two series that made me realise I wanted to write too.
He’s never written down to kids this one – look at “the Flashing Blade” and “Breakfast Serials” too for further proof – and I do believe that’s vitally important.
His New Doctor Who Adventures novel “Damaged Goods” is something I’ve also picked up again recently and that too is a brilliant – if very dark and, at times, harrowing – read, but also contains seeds that will be familiar to any New Series fans. (Council Estate, with sassy Girl, dark Time Lord, gays a go-go, war machine from an unseen war appearing on earth and so on…)
To see Russell talk about television is too be overawed by his intelligence, his rigour and – above all – his amazing enthusiasm for the medium. It’s always heady stuff and fires me up every time.
And then he’s effectively created a proper Welsh television industry, turning it from a small regional operation into a major powerhouse of drama. And if that doesn’t deserve an OBE I don’t know what does.
The man’s, frankly, brilliant and – despite my occasional problems with his plot decisions on Who – I love him to bits. Well done Russell, it’s an award I think is richly deserved.
Posted on June 14, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, The World we Live In | 1 Comment