TV

Carpool
1x01 Jason Manford & Rufus Hound
1x02 Chris Addison & Arthur Smith
Carpool -- or Carpool with Toyota Prius Toyota, as the title screen would have it -- is an odd programme really: host Robert Llewellyn drives a famous/fairly well-known (delete as appropriate) person somewhere and they chat along the way. It's not like a proper chat show -- it's not nearly so structured -- but it doesn't strain for out-and-out comedy either. For better or worse, it really is like watching two people just have a chat in the car. Some viewers will therefore hate it, but I can see why this means it's developed a cult following among others.

Colditz
1x10 Tweedledum
Having read several articles about Colditz in the build up to Yesterday's repeat run, it seems to be a rule that this episode must always be mentioned when discussing the series. It's the award-winning one where a doctor's orderly feigns madness in an attempt to escape and (spoilers!) though he's successful, having to fake madness permanently for months on end sends him genuinely insane. Fortunately, the quality of the episode means it survives the repeated hype, particularly an excellent performance from Michael Bryant as the orderly in question.

Due South
1x11 Gift of the Wheelman [2nd watch]
Merry Christmas! Bit early, I know, but that's what happen when you watch US series at odd times -- they almost invariably have a Christmas-themed episode.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Harry Patch: The Last Tommy
Documentary on the last few surviving veterans from World War I, which aired in August 2009 after the last, Harry Patch, passed away.

The Stephen K Amos Show
1x01 Episode 1
Well that was... inconsistent.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

this week on 100 Films

3 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...

Born Free (1966)

It’s easy to see why this is a classic for animal lovers: the constantly playful cubs are are delight, the affectionate older Elsa endearing, the attempts to release her ethologically engaging

And its sequel,

Living Free (1972)

The Adamsons devote months of their time, give up a promising career, spend all their savings, drive themselves into debt, and are nearly killed several times, all in a frequently-extreme effort to save three delinquent lion cubs who would be put down were it not for their sentimental attachment.

And finally...

Late Spring (1949)

It would be a lie to say Late Spring came as some kind of personal revelation to the unimpeachable genius of Ozu; but, at least, I got on with it considerably better than I did Tokyo Story. I might even go so far as to say I enjoyed it.

More next Sunday.