Agatha Christie's Marple
5x02 The Secret of Chimneys
This isn't a Marple story originally, apparently, but she seems to slot in perfectly. A rather good tale, I thought. Plus it's a nice change to have a detective who realises Marple's abilities and doesn't just dismiss her as an interfering old fool before being proven wrong.
Despite not having shown a new episode of Marple since August (and before that, January, and so on back in huge leaps), ITV are now -- for whatever reason -- showing three in a week! Another was on tonight, with a third on January 2nd. I think their schedulers might actually be insane... especially as they still haven't broadcast the final episode of the fourth series (shown in the US in July 2009).
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
How I Met Your Mother
6x01 Big Days
Ah, it's good to have this back! OK, it only went away six(-ish) weeks ago, but as E4 showed the first five seasons non-stop it feels like an age.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson
2x06 Christmas Special [season finale]
This thing of having the last episode also be the Christmas special seems to be taking off...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Top Gear
16x00 Middle East Special
Clearly someone at the BBC must've been listening to me (of course they were!), as their episode guide has 'rebranded' these two specials since my previous comments. Yup, that must be down to me.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Music
The Christmas Collection by Johnny Cash
I've owned this CD for a few years now, but never actually listened to it all the way through -- I tend to remember around the 3rd or 4th of January, by which time it's of course far too late. A little religious for my usual taste, but still rather good. And who else would begin their Christmas-themed album with a track about being miserable?
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? by Paloma Faith
[3rd listen]
I've owned this CD for a few years now, but never actually listened to it all the way through -- I tend to remember around the 3rd or 4th of January, by which time it's of course far too late. A little religious for my usual taste, but still rather good. And who else would begin their Christmas-themed album with a track about being miserable?
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? by Paloma Faith
[3rd listen]
Articles
Apologies if you already saw these stories days ago -- I had them ready days ago and forgot to post them. Oopsie.
Trowbridge driver lost for three days
(from BBC News)
What does 2011 have in store?
(from BBC News)
What does the next year hold for us in the realms of security & foreign policy, transport, tourism, fashion and shopping -- a rather random grab bag of topics, I'm sure you'll agree. Still, I always find it interesting reading these prediction articles... I just wish I remembered to revisit them a year later to see if any of it was right.
Trowbridge driver lost for three days
(from BBC News)
A Wiltshire grandfather spent three days trying to find his way home from Gatwick Airport after becoming disorientated in snowy conditions... he failed to return to Trowbridge after dropping his wife off for a flight. Police in Oxfordshire eventually... found he had spent from 23 - 25 December driving, trying to get back.
What does 2011 have in store?
(from BBC News)
What does the next year hold for us in the realms of security & foreign policy, transport, tourism, fashion and shopping -- a rather random grab bag of topics, I'm sure you'll agree. Still, I always find it interesting reading these prediction articles... I just wish I remembered to revisit them a year later to see if any of it was right.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
TV
Re: Joyce!
Maureen Lipman's one-woman (well, almost) biography-cum-greatest-hits stage show about Joyce Grenfell, filmed for the BBC in 1991.
Maureen Lipman's one-woman (well, almost) biography-cum-greatest-hits stage show about Joyce Grenfell, filmed for the BBC in 1991.
Monday, 27 December 2010
TV
Dirk Gently
I rather enjoyed that. Long time since I read the books so no idea how well they captured the character (the story is, I believe, largely new and/or massively condensed), but it worked by itself. I believe this was acting as a pilot for a series, so fingers crossed one follows.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Pointless
3x50 Pointless Celebrities [season finale]
Neat way of naming your celebrity edition. This is actually quite a fun game show, though massively padded in the way daytime game shows are wont to be. Shame, or I might watch it more regularly.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
I rather enjoyed that. Long time since I read the books so no idea how well they captured the character (the story is, I believe, largely new and/or massively condensed), but it worked by itself. I believe this was acting as a pilot for a series, so fingers crossed one follows.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Pointless
3x50 Pointless Celebrities [season finale]
Neat way of naming your celebrity edition. This is actually quite a fun game show, though massively padded in the way daytime game shows are wont to be. Shame, or I might watch it more regularly.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Clue (1985)
[2nd watch]
This was #28 in 100 Films for this year, back in March.
Iron Eagle (1986)
[#122 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
You know how sometimes you end up accidentally watching a film on TV against your better judgement? Yeah...
[2nd watch]
This was #28 in 100 Films for this year, back in March.
Iron Eagle (1986)
[#122 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
You know how sometimes you end up accidentally watching a film on TV against your better judgement? Yeah...
Music
I often forget about music when it comes to doing these updates, so here I am trying to improve...
Back to the Light by Brian May
[2nd listen]
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? by Paloma Faith
[2nd listen]
Back to the Light by Brian May
[2nd listen]
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? by Paloma Faith
[2nd listen]
Sunday, 26 December 2010
TV
Doctor Who Confidential
6x00 Christmas Special 2010
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Poirot
12x03 Murder on the Orient Express
This seems to have come in for criticism in some quarters due to its focus on Poirot's religious conundrum. While I agree it didn't need to be made so overtly religious, when you're adapting a mystery where the vast majority of viewers know the answer, it's a good idea to find something else to hold their interest, and Poirot's out-of-character moral decision is certainly an interesting aspect of this tale. Personally, I thought it was all very well done -- hard and cold in story and shooting style, and so maybe not really suitable for Christmas Day (probably why it only managed 14th in the day's ratings) but still good.
(And if you don't know the twist, read the book or watch an adaptation, it's worth it.)
(And relatedly, I watched the famed film version close to this time last year. Coincidencetastic!)
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
6x00 Christmas Special 2010
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Poirot
12x03 Murder on the Orient Express
This seems to have come in for criticism in some quarters due to its focus on Poirot's religious conundrum. While I agree it didn't need to be made so overtly religious, when you're adapting a mystery where the vast majority of viewers know the answer, it's a good idea to find something else to hold their interest, and Poirot's out-of-character moral decision is certainly an interesting aspect of this tale. Personally, I thought it was all very well done -- hard and cold in story and shooting style, and so maybe not really suitable for Christmas Day (probably why it only managed 14th in the day's ratings) but still good.
(And if you don't know the twist, read the book or watch an adaptation, it's worth it.)
(And relatedly, I watched the famed film version close to this time last year. Coincidencetastic!)
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Music
More Christmas present-based listening...
Back to the Light by Brian May
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? by Paloma Faith
Praise & Blame by Tom Jones
Back to the Light by Brian May
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? by Paloma Faith
Praise & Blame by Tom Jones
Articles
10.3 Million watch A Christmas Carol by Marcus
(from Doctor Who News Page)
The Doctor Who version that is, naturally. Makes it the second most-watched programme of Christmas Day! Lovely.
Article also includes the rest of the TV ratings for the day, including the new Murder on the Orient Express in a disappointing 14th.
Why won’t Tom Jones accept me as his son? The illegitimate child from a one-night stand tells of his rage and pain by Aditya Bonda
(from DownloadsEdge)
A bit like a Channel 4 documentary, this: horridly trashy title, surprisingly good content.
(from Doctor Who News Page)
The Doctor Who version that is, naturally. Makes it the second most-watched programme of Christmas Day! Lovely.
Article also includes the rest of the TV ratings for the day, including the new Murder on the Orient Express in a disappointing 14th.
Why won’t Tom Jones accept me as his son? The illegitimate child from a one-night stand tells of his rage and pain by Aditya Bonda
(from DownloadsEdge)
A bit like a Channel 4 documentary, this: horridly trashy title, surprisingly good content.
this week on 100 Films
Despite it being Christmas week, I've still found time to post 4 new reviews to 100 Films in a Year, and they were...
Nanny McPhee (2005)
Rambo III (1988)
Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
More next Sunday.
Nanny McPhee (2005)
The primary-coloured sets and costumes work marvellously, a delightful mash between reality and fantasy. It could’ve been garish; instead, it’s vibrant. The effects are properly magical. They don’t overwhelm, always serving the story rather than themselves, which is probably what makes them all the more effective.
Rambo III (1988)
the one Hot Shots! Part Deux really took to task, and not without reason. Having seen that spoof several times since my youth, a few large chunks of this second sequel felt all too familiar... Stallone -- here serving as writer and star -- does leave his character rather open for mockery.
Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)
the short emulates an ’80s Saturday morning cartoon style… albeit in cinematic widescreen, evocative 5.1 Surround Sound, and with horrific R-rated gore. Yes, this probably wouldn’t actually have been shown on Saturday morning TV, even in America.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Didn’t get Toy Story 3 for Christmas? Pick it up in the sales, then, because it’s bloody good... hilarious, emotional, exciting, scary; a great comedy, a great action/adventure. And Ken’s fashion show sequence is worth the price of admission all by itself.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 25 December 2010
TV
Not much today, as I spent most of the day feeling pretty ill and doing very little. Hey-ho.
Doctor Who
32x00 A Christmas Carol [Christmas special]
Very good, I thought, though I'll need to watch it again to fully appreciate it.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The One Ronnie
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Strictly Come Dancing
8x27 Christmas Special 2010
Doctor Who
32x00 A Christmas Carol [Christmas special]
Very good, I thought, though I'll need to watch it again to fully appreciate it.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The One Ronnie
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Strictly Come Dancing
8x27 Christmas Special 2010
Merry Christmas
to all readers of My Cultural Experience!
It's this blog's third, donchaknow, and in all those years I believe I've stuck to my edict, "updated every day!"
Naturally, the site will be updated as usual today.
It's this blog's third, donchaknow, and in all those years I believe I've stuck to my edict, "updated every day!"
Naturally, the site will be updated as usual today.
Friday, 24 December 2010
TV
Have I Got News For You
40x10 (17/12/10 edition; extended repeat) [2nd watch]
Despite what some listings magazines (i.e. the Radio Times) say, tonight's episode was a new one (well, sort of), not a repeat of this. The extended edition of tonight's (i.e. not this one) is on tomorrow (i.e. Christmas Day).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Miranda
2x06 The Perfect Christmas [season finale]
How marvellously Christmassy! And what a lovely ending indeed.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
24x10 Episode 10
A good guest host! Good.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
40x10 (17/12/10 edition; extended repeat) [2nd watch]
Despite what some listings magazines (i.e. the Radio Times) say, tonight's episode was a new one (well, sort of), not a repeat of this. The extended edition of tonight's (i.e. not this one) is on tomorrow (i.e. Christmas Day).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Miranda
2x06 The Perfect Christmas [season finale]
How marvellously Christmassy! And what a lovely ending indeed.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
24x10 Episode 10
A good guest host! Good.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
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