Friday 23 December 2011

TV

Argumental
4x08 Christmas Special
A Christmas special? Those things get everywhere these days...

The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff
1x00 Christmas Episode
Dickens spoof. Most amusing. Look forward to the full (well, full-ish -- it's only three episodes) series next year.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Junior Bake Off
Episode 13 (of 13)
Hooray!

Lost Christmas
A one-off "urban fairytale" starring Eddie Izzard. Surprisingly gritty for a kid-friendly Christmas tale, which is presumably why they wound up scheduling it so far out from Christmas (despite a Christmas Eve setting, it was shown on the 18th). I thought it was really good... until the final few minutes, when the chance for a genuinely worthwhile message was abandoned for a reset happy ending. Oh well.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Merlin
4x12 The Sword in the Stone Part One
Dark, exciting season finale stuff, but also with plenty of the funniness. Well played, Merlin. Good thing I only have to wait 'til tomorrow for the second half.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

The song ITV didn't want you to see

ITV Cut Tim Minchin’s Christmas Song Amidst Fears Of Offending Christians And Right-Wing Press
by Hannah Shaw-William (from Bleeding Cool)

This was due to air on the Christmas edition of The Jonathan Ross Show tonight on ITV1, but they seem to have had a last-minute wimp-out and cut it. (Lots more detail at the above link, including comments from Tim Minchin and Jonathan Ross.)

Fortunately, Mr Minchin obtained a copy of the final edited song before it was cut, and he's made it available to view online himself:


If you enjoyed it -- or even if you didn't -- feel free to complain to ITV about their censorship via an email to viewerservices@itv.com.