It’s time once again for Comedy Showcase, Channel 4’s annual(ish) series of sitcom pilots. For the next 7 weeks they’ll be trying out new comedies, each of them hoping to be commissioned for a full series. Who knows, maybe this’ll be our first look at another comedy classic, just like that other one they greenlit last year. No, you do know. Oh, it’s on the tip of my tongue. It had DuncanFromBlue in it. Yeah, that one.
First up, which presumably means C4 think it’s their best bet for a future hit, is Campus. Starring Andy Nyman and Fit Dad, formerly of The Sarah Jane Adventures, it’s from the makers of Green Wing and credits no less than 8 (EIGHT!) writers. And later in the run, look out for The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, which pairs lowculture favourite Russell Tovey’s Arse with Arrested Development’s David Cross and movie director Spike Jonze, With Hilarious Consequences.*
*Actual Hilarity of Consequences may differ from that advertised, please see Terms & Conditions
- Comedy Showcase: Campus, 10pm, Channel 4
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Arrested Development,
Campus,
Channel 4,
Comedy,
Comedy Showcase,
Fit Dad,
Russell Tovey's arse
Since Amstell left, my favourite remaining little pop show (RIP Popworld. RIP) Never Mind The Buzzcocks has lost its way. Depending on the guest host it has either left you wishing for the return of Simon Amstell, or, in some drastic cases, the return of Mark Lamarr. Which is No Good Thing and would possibly bring about the apocalypse.
That all changed last night. Best friend of Lady Coren, Claudia Winkleman hosted with wit, charm and gumption. And if that wasn’t good enough, we were also treated to Jamelia as a guest. I don’t know how much they pay her to appear, but whatever it is, it’s not enough. She is fantastic.
She started off telling us about the movie that she’s currently filming in Hungary, and how Vinnie Jones pushed her into the cage of an allegedly vegetarian bear that was too busy snacking on chicken sausage sandwiches and coke. But never mind because in the fair words of Jamelia herself, the movie is shit so we probably won’t ever see it. But that was only the beginning, then she regaled us with the story of the time when a fan shoved her baby through her car window as the car carried on. Sadly the baby is now back with its frankly terrible mother, because Jamelia didn’t think she could get away with passing off a white baby as her own. And then came the best part of the show. She had delicious revenge on some rapper person who several years ago tried to sell a story on her, and as Dame Jamelia of Pop-stardom said herself: “I just find it funny that I’m here and he’s over there in the line-up.”. Quite.
Witness the brilliance on iPlayer here.
Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Wednesday, 10pm, BBC2.
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Claudia Winkleman,
Jamelia,
Never Mind The Buzzcocks,
Vicky Coren,
Victoria Coren,
Vinne Jones
Within five minutes the first episode of the eighth season, Spooks had proven that it is still one of the best dramas around. If any justification were needed for the Licence Fee then this is it. So the Daily Mail and its Army of Tutters can shut their collective face.
Each episode is an hour of exhilaration, suspense and audible gasps of ‘Ooooh!” and “No!”. Mostly in equal measure but you never know with Spooks. After all they did immerse us into the drama with the same gusto that far-right extremists immersed Lisa Faulkner’s hand and head into the deep fat fryer in only the second episode.
Which I’m sure had most people heaving, but I couldn’t stop myself from hoping that she hadn’t requested an open casket service. Nothing quite says ‘Classy Funeral’ like the smell of chip fat wafting over from the coffin. And then there’s always the possibility that an elderly guest with dwindling eyesight might mistake the coffin for the buffet table and that would be all.
In any case, I digress. Let’s face it, the chances of Spooks ever being less than brilliant is about the same as finding me in B&Q of a Saturday taking an active interest in allen keys. Yes there was a blip with Spooks Club Juniors, but if we try hard enough I’m sure we can erase that from the world. As I’m sure the actors in it would like to.
So back to the present, and last night’s episode was just on fire. To recap, Harry was kidnapped, had a faked execution, Ruth popped up for a visit from her new life in Cyprus with her husband and step-son, and she got kidnapped, and then the nice men who kidnapped her, shot her husband, and Malcolm saved the boy, and then retired. That’s about it in a nutshell. There was of course the lovely Lucas and and amazing Ros, and that annoying girl who doesn’t really do anything anymore but moan and look like a changeling.
Catch up on iPlayer here.
Spooks, Wednesday, 9pm, BBC1.
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Daily Mail,
Death by deep fat fryer,
Deep fat fryer death,
Lisa Faulkner,
Spooks,
Spooks Code 9
Apologies for missing out last month, but I’ve had the kind of poor health that would make me a shoo-in for next year’s X Factor. In a couple of months that have had us blubbing at many soap deaths and despairing at many unwanted returning characters, who have our forum users been loving and loathing?
[click to read more…]
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Coronation Street,
EastEnders,
Hollyoaks,
Home and Away,
neighbours,
Soap,
soap death,
Soaps,
soapstar superstars,
The Archers
One of our favourite ever reality shows is back tonight. The first series of The Restaurant surprised a few people with its success, but now its third run is here, it’s firmly established as a BBC Two favourite. What makes it work is the combination of so many winning elements: useless participants (and the occasional good ones), marital strife, homoeroticism, challenges, food, tinned mango pulp as a dessert, Sainsbury’s tortilla chips as a main course, the awesomeness of advisor Sarah, and, at the heart of it all, Raymond Blanc himself.
Blanc is much more genial than Alan Sugar, much less repetitive than “Michelle” Roux Jr, and yet you never feel that he lacks authority. However, the undoubted star of series one was Maman Blanc, Raymond’s mother, whose absence was sadly felt last year.
If you haven’t caught on to this show, think of it as The Apprentice meets Come Dine With Me meets Masterchef meets Kitchen Nightmares. Only way, way better.
One thing to note this year: it looks like we’re down to one show a week rather than two, which decreases your commitment but also means less time for the epicness of the challenge to see who goes home. I’ll sit on the fence about this change for now.
The Restaurant, 8.00pm, BBC Two.
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BBC Two,
food,
Raymond Blanc,
The Restaurant
Admittedly it is sandwiched between boobs and softcore porn shows, and it’s highly likely that you’ll see the 793rd repeat of the Jonathan Ross interview, but Chelsea Lately is the best thing to be on E! since Kathy Griffin did their red carpet coverage of the Golden Globes and told everyone that then nine year old Dakota Fanning had entered rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. Yes, it’s that good.
Hosted by sometimes Jew and often alcoholic Chelsea Handler, the show is a sort of cross between Loose Women (only witty), Have I Got News For You (only with actual women with something funny to say) and the many late night talk shows usually hosted by old pasty white men. Ooh and there’s the Mexican midget Chuy.
The main reason that you have to watch this (or add it to your DVR because E! often randomly swap the show’s timeslot) is that while on some talk shows it doesn’t make for good television if an interview isn’t going well (Have any of us really recovered from the Parkinson/Ryan incident?) on Chelsea Lately, it does. Big style. When it happens, and it does a lot, Chelsea Handler excels. She’s sharp, barbed and like a shark, she can smell fear, and even the slightest hesitation from a guest will have her verbally rip them to pieces for our entertainment. In fact I’d go as far as to say that had the Roman Empire had Chelsea Handler, there would’ve been a lot of starving lions and more living Christians. So frankly, the Pope should make her a Saint.
Chelsea Lately, Weekdays, 10.30pm (probably), E!.
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Chelsea Handler,
Chelsea Lately,
E!,
Have I Got News For You,
Kathy Griffin,
Loose Women,
Meg Ryan,
Michael Parkinson
Oh Lily Cole. Bless her M&S contract. She may be a student at Cambridge but she’s still a model at heart. As she proved last night on The Graham Norton Show. Which is rapidly turning into a celebrityJust a Minute/Gladiators style tussle between the hundred or so guests that they squeeze onto the sofa each week.
Honestly, they move it to BBC1 and suddenly every Tom, Dick and M&S model wants to be on it. Though why it couldn’t have been Erin I don’t know, at least she can arch her back and still hold a conversation.
There’s a very good reason why models don’t do interviews… they are utter morons. And they don’t recognize Very Good Television like The Supersizers Eat when they see it. How Dame Sue Perkins didn’t give in to the urge to slap La Cole after her “How very method-acting of you” comment, I’ll never know. History of Art indeed.
There were other guests of course, Isabella Rossellini popped in for a chat about her latest career move – shrimp sex. And in one fell swoop destroyed all hope of a credible career in Lily Cole’s mind. Still, she’ll always have her History of Art degree to fall back on.
And then, as a thousand angels cried tears of joy, Michael BOOBLAY appeared and all was well in the world.
He talked about touching Oprah, he got two women flat on their backs and legs akimbo within a few seconds of meeting them, and he talked about meeting the heirs apparent to the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Children of the Corn twin horror crowns - John and Edward and their lack of sex education. And generally just looked quite hot. Which will do me. And in any case, he looked as if he’d finally reached his goal weight after having that last bout of Stomach Flu.
To see the hilarity ensue, catch up on iPlayer
The Graham Norton Show, Mondays, 10.35pm, BBC1.
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Emily Blunt,
Isabella Rossellini,
John and Edward,
Lily Cole,
M&S,
Michael BOOBLAY,
Michael Buble,
Oprah,
Sue Perkins,
The Graham Norton Show,
The X Factor
Last year’s series of The Sarah Jane Adventures wasn’t quite as good as the first, but it was still better than a lot of so-called “grownup” telly. New sidekick Rani helped everyone get over the departure of Maria, although the latter’s still not been forgiven in some quarters for leaving and taking her Fit Dad with her. So on to the third series, starting today on BBC1. For the first time it’ll be shown twice-weekly, with the first part of the story on Thursdays, and the conclusion on Fridays. So now you don’t have to wait a week to see the cliffhanger resolved (or, much worse, turn over to the CBBC channel and put up with the animated logo in the corner.)
The other big news this year is that as well as more K-9 appearances, the Doctor himself will be showing up. Leading up to the next Doctor Who special next month, David Tennant will be guest-starring in the third story. Sadly if you’ve seen the trailers you’ll know we’re also due a reappearance by the Raxacoricofallapatorians – with the gang caught between Slitheen and Blathereen. But at least in the past the farty green toddlers have fitted in a bit better here than on the parent show. I’m more worried that Play School icon and Chancellor of Exeter University (no, really) Floella Benjamin is said to have a bigger part this year – her brief turns as Professor Rivers in Series 1 and 2 did quite enough to spoil my childhood memories as it is.
But that’s all to come – first up Elisabeth Sladen and co have another monster from the parent show to contend with in “Prisoner of the Judoon.” And Luke continues to grow an inch taller every episode. Probably.
- The Sarah Jane Adventures, BBC1, Thursdays & Fridays 4:35pm
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CBBC,
Doctor Who,
Elisabeth Sladen,
Floella Benjamin,
The Sarah Jane Adventures
Like far too many US series lately, Ugly Betty has been struggling for some time with how to follow up a great first season. The second season was very bitty, and the third season even more so. Whilst there have been some elements that have really worked, such as the development of the relationships between Betty, Marc and Amanda, these have often been squandered in an attempt to keep reverting back to old ways (e.g. Betty moving home) rather than being used to drive the plot and characters in new and interesting directions.
[click to read more…]
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Channel 4,
ugly betty
The South Bank Show is one of the few television shows (along with BBC Two’s The Culture Show) to look at the arts, in all their forms. One of the great things about it is that you can see the likes of Will Young, Victoria Wood and Coldplay being taken as seriously as people involved in more ‘high’ arts. It’s not something I watch religiously, but it’s good to know it’s there – only it won’t be for much longer, with Melvyn Bragg retiring next year and the show going with him.
Anyway, tonight’s episode is unashamedly populist but looks no less interesting for it, as it focuses on Disney Pixar. With new Pixar film Up released this week, and the 3D version of Toy Story also showing, it might seem like a canny time for publicity, but it’s not just an advert for their current output – there are interviews with many of the team, including boss John Lasseter, lots of detail about their production and animation processes, some stories about their history, and a look into what’s coming up from the company. Reviews suggest the coverage of new Disney hand-drawn film The Princess and the Frog is reason alone to watch this, though I’m also hoping for some news about Toy Story 3 and Cars 2.
The South Bank Show, ITV1, 10.15pm
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Disney,
Disney Pixar,
ITV1,
Pixar,
South Bank Show
