TV

Colditz
2x05 Frogs in the Well

Due South
1x14 An Eye for an Eye [2nd watch]

Nazi Collaborators
Episode 2 Chaim Rumkowski
I'm sure no one's particularly bothered, but it seems the listings for this episode (including the one linked above) were wrong.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
24x05 Episode 5
This episode seemed to have a particularly eclectic selection of guests.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Thorne
1x05 Scaredycat Part 2

TV

Colditz
2x04 The Guests

Due South
1x13 Hawk and a Handsaw [2nd watch]

Nazi Collaborators
Episode 1 Pierre Laval
Original 13-part series for Yesterday looking at (the title might give this away) those who collaborated with the Nazis. For more info, try this press release, or this (slightly harsh, I think) review of episode one.

Mad Men
4x11 Chinese Wall
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Thorne
1x04 Scaredycat Part 1
It's a fortnight since I finished the first serial in this series. Feels ages ago.

Fiction

Star Trek: Countdown by Mike Johnson, Tim Jones & David Messina
Number One (of Four)
Having watched Star Trek again the other day, I was inspired to finally read this, the four-issue mini-series that tells the events leading up to the film (those in the original/future timeline, featuring Nero, Spock 'Prime' and the Next Generation crew). My copy of these came as an Amazon-exclusive with the Blu-ray. Scaled to fit, it's a teensy bit small, but just about readable.

Articles

The Disney 50 at BFI Southbank
(from BFI)
To celebrate Disney's 50th animated feature film (they've made many more than that, I'm certain, but the 50th in their canon, or Animated Classic line, or whatever they choose to call it these days), BFI Southbank will be showing one a week next year. Which is rather nice. If you live in London.

TV

Colditz
2x03 Odd Man In

Have I Got News For You
40x06 (18/11/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Miranda
2x02 Before I Die
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Articles

Joss Whedon bares his teeth over new Buffy film by Ben Child
(from Film Blog at guardian.co.uk)
This was all over twitter and even made it into Proper News, so you've probably heard, but in case not...

TV

Ask Rhod Gilbert
1x08 Episode 8 [season finale]

Colditz
2x02 Ghosts

The Sarah Jane Adventures
4x11 Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith Part One
4x12 Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith Part Two [season finale]
Nice finale to a good season, well done all. Had sneakily hoped for a trailer for the next series, as they've already filmed half of it, but no such luck. Ah well.
[Watch parts one and two, or a compilation of both, on iPlayer.]

TV

The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson
2x01 Episode 1
I wasn't sure we'd see this back -- and the BBC certainly look to have buried it, at half 10 on Sundays -- but I'm glad it is, because I do like a good impressions show, and this is actually a rather good one.

The Rob Brydon Show
1x05 (15/10/10 edition)
Watching the fifth episode fifth? Why, that's not in the spirit of how I've viewed the series so far! (And I'll be watching the sixth sixth too. Shocking!)

Films

Star Trek (2009)
[2nd watch]
This was #24 in 100 Films 2009. Last time I watched it was in the cinemas, 18 months ago.

this week on 100 Films

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

Force of Evil (1948)

comes well recommended, with places on several 1,000 Best Movies lists and inclusion both on They Shoot Pictures…'s 250 Quintessential Noir Films and in the US National Film Registry, not to mention a full 5/5 in Paul Duncan's consistently handy Pocket Essential Film Noir. But it didn't work for me. To be blunt, I found it dull.

The Spiral Staircase (1945)

screenwriter Mel Dinelli and director Robert Siodmak spin a yarn that, over the course of just one dark and stormy night, blends together gothic horror, film noir, serial killer thriller and Christie-esque whodunnit. The resulting blend makes for a film that is, for several reasons, an exceptionally entertaining work.

More next Sunday.

TV

Children in Need 2010
Being the post-midnight stretch, naturally (are you surprised I'm thorough enough to list it separately?)
Lots of repeats, as per usual, but once you've stuck with it for five hours it feels wrong to quit with only two to go. Besides which, they often pull out a couple of new bits, not to mention the final total. Down on last year though it may be, £18.1m is nothing to be sniffed at.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Merlin
3x11 The Sorcerer's Shadow
Guest starring the guy who plays Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter movies -- he's in the sorcerer's shadow indeed.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Russell Howard's Good News
3x04 (11/11/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the short edition (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Toy Story 3 (2010)
[#114 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

TV

Children in Need 2010
How good was that Doctor Who trailer?! I was naturally excited for the Christmas special anyway, but that looked exceptional. And beautifully shot too.
Meanwhile, 'East Street' amused me because I have almost no idea who is in which soap, so that could just be what either is always like for all I knew. But they pitched it such-like that I got (all?) the jokes. So that was nice.
More CiN tomorrow, of course.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Colditz
2x01 Arrival of a Hero

Mastermind
for Children in Need [2010 special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Solaris (1972)
[#113 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Being the Russian original, obviously. My review of the US remake is here.

Articles

A Serbian Film: Is this the nastiest film ever made? by Geoffrey Macnab
(from The Independent)

If this was just another bad and grotesque horror film, nobody would be paying any attention to it. The fact that it has already provoked such ferocious debate suggests that it can't be dismissed that easily.

If you've heard of the film or the controversy but don't know any details, this article will go someway towards enlightening you; not just by mentioning what in the film is controversial, but also the debates, discussions and reactions around it.

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,242 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,102 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 140 [up 3]

Number of discs in collection: 3,040 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,308 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,333 [no change]

Statistic of the week:

Total running time of collection (approx.):
214 days, 22 hours, and 44 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 15 hours, and 46 minutes from last month.)

Incidentally, the next time I do a running time update should be Christmas Eve! Exciting stuff.

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Colditz
1x14 Gone Away Part 1
1x15 Gone Away Part 2: With the Wild Geese [season finale]

The Graham Norton Show
8x04 (12/11/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

QI
8x09 House and Home
I notice in this week's Radio Times (or rather next week's; the one that's out now and covers from next Saturday on) that the QI XL repeats are returning. It seems they're picking up where they left off (the first will be for episode 7), which is probably a good thing (especially for me, as I missed episode 7 due to the extended repeats stopping).
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

TV

Have I Got News For You
40x05 (11/11/10 edition; extended repeat)
An exceptionally amusing edition, I thought.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Mad Men
4x10 Hands and Knees
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

The Rob Brydon Show
1x03 (1/10/10 edition)
Stephen Fry -- yay! Seasick Steve -- yay! And Daniel Sloss, one of the few young comedians I actually quite like.

Films

The Spiral Staircase (1945)
[#112 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

Articles

Couple who met at university to marry by James Browne
(from Caledonian Mercury)

Two people who went to university together are to get married, it has emerged.

William Windsor (or possibly Wales or possibly Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) and Kate Middleton, both 28, met at St Andrews University eight years ago.

Mr Windsor is a Flight Lieutenant in the RAF – and also a prince.

Wall-to-wall, dewy-eyed hysterical coverage can be found in every other media outlet.

TV

Colditz
1x13 The Way Out

The Event
1x05 Casualties of War
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
24x04 Episode 4
Presented by Sir Terry Wogan. I need say no more.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
4x09 Lost in Time Part One
4x10 Lost in Time Part Two
[Watch parts one and two, or a compilation of both, on iPlayer.]

TV

Ask Rhod Gilbert
1x07 Episode 7

Colditz
1x11 Court Martial
1x12 Murder?

Due South
1x12 You Must Remember This [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Miranda
2x01 The New Me
A triumphant return for one of the Beeb's best sitcoms currently on the air. We're having a rather good time for sitcoms at the minute, actually, I think.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Spooks
9x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
Series finale? Could be. But apparently it isn't.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

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.

TV

Colditz
1x09 Bribery and Corruption

Have I Got News For You
40x04 (4/11/10 edition; extended repeat)

Merlin
3x10 Queen of Hearts
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Russell Howard's Good News
3x03 (4/11/10 edition; extended repeat)

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

It's one of those weeks where more's changed than it appears in the list, thanks to a raft of new acquisitions, some DVD-to-BD upgrades, some DVDs disappearing in advance of a future upgrade, and more shenanigans of that sort. Hence the 24-hour delay.

For the curious, the TV episodes figure jumps so much thanks to Doctor Who series 5 (13), the complete Dollhouse (26), and a classic Doctor Who (Horror of Fang Rock, 4).

Number of titles in collection: 1,239 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,102 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 137 [up 5]

Number of discs in collection: 3,037 [up 14]
Number of films in collection: 1,305 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,333 [up 43]

Statistic of the week:

DTS soundtracks:
258
(20.8% of the total)

Last week I promised to provide updates on some of the stats from the early weeks of Collection Count, and so here's another: the number of titles which include a DTS soundtrack, originally featured exactly a year ago on (obviously) 13th November 2009.

On DVD, DTS soundtracks were a coveted rarity (as far as I've been able to tell down the years, most audiophiles believe they're superior to Dolby). But while Dolby tracks dominated the surround sphere on DVD, it seems that on Blu-ray DTS's DTS-HD Master Audio format has beaten out Dolby's TrueHD on the whole. Which, in short, means this number is jumping up all the time. Lovely.

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

The Event
1x04 A Matter of Life and Death
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

The Graham Norton Show
8x03 (5/11/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
5x24 Doppelgangers [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Articles

Q&A: The executive producer of 24! by Catriona Wightman
(from Digital Spy)
Beware of spoilers if (like me) you've yet to see season eight, but there are also some intriguing largely-non-spoiler-y hints about the potential movie (which isn't greenlit but is very much in the works).

Title of Christmas Special Revealed!
(from Doctor Who official site)

Back in July, Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, revealed the story will be, 'Doctor Who's clever twist on the much loved A Christmas Carol' and now the title reflects that... The Doctor's next adventure is entitled: A Christmas Carol.

Smacks a little of "oh fine, let's just call it that then" to me.

TV

Argumental
3x13 Best of Argumental [series finale]
These end-of-season compilations feel so pointless when they're literally just a "best of" -- add unseen bits and outtakes, please.

Due South
1x10 A Cop, a Mountie, and a Baby [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Mock the Week
9x11 (7/10/10 edition)
It's a bit odd watching something topical like Mock the Week a month or two after broadcast. When you catch them a year (or more, or much more) later on Dave, it's just very old news; but like this, it just feels a tad out of date. This episode especially, I suppose, because it covers the Chilean miners when they were still very much stuck down the mine.

QI
8x08 Hypothetical
Annoyingly, I completely missed episode seven because BBC Two decided to stop showing the extended versions for no apparent reason, and I didn't realise soon enough to catch the (inexplicably, not series-linked) regular episode. Grr.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
4x07 The Empty Planet Part One
4x08 The Empty Planet Part Two
[Watch parts one and two, or a compilation of both, on iPlayer.]

TV

Mad Men
4x09 The Beautiful Girls
How does this keep being so good? And why don't more people watch it?
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
24x03 Episode 3
aka The Jedward Edition. Oh my.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Thorne
1x03 Sleepyhead Part 3
Twist-tastic! Though that bit with the tongue at the end could've been done better -- it was so CGI-y I assumed the story had somehow slipped into a dream.

TV

Due South
1x09 Chicago Holiday Part 2 [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Thorne
1x02 Sleepyhead Part 2

TV

Colditz
1x08 The Traitor

Due South
1x08 Chicago Holiday Part 1 [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Thorne
1x01 Sleepyhead Part 1
This is Sky's attempt at home-produced Adult Crime Drama... so why it has a name like a CBBC series I don't know.

Whites
1x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

TV

Ask Rhod Gilbert
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Colditz
1x07 Lord, Didn't It Rain

Dave's One Night Stand
1x04 Sarah Millican
One of the more successful editions of this series, I thought; certainly more so than the preceding episode.
There's one more episode of One Night Stand (tonight's, in fact), but as it stars the unfunny Russell Kane and two others I'm never sure about, I just can't be bothered -- the Johnny Vegas one was bad enough.
[Watch it (again) on Dave's website.]

Downton Abbey
1x07 Episode Seven [season finale]
A satisfying finale: packed with drama, but enough happy resolutions and/or desired turnouts to keep it enjoyable without slipping too far into implausible audience-wish-fulfillment. Looking forward to seeing where they go with it in the second series -- covering the years of the First World War, as it seems to imply, or perhaps a Surprising Four Year Jump Forward? Either way, it's eagerly awaited.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Spooks
9x07 Episode 7
One of the better episodes this year, even if it did feel like one huge infodump in places. Ruth's subplot was excellent, however.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

this week on 100 Films

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

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Somehow, it holds a decent score on both viewer-rated IMDb and critic-rated Rotten Tomatoes. This surprised me for two reasons: one, I thought it had gone down badly; and two, it deserved to go down badly. No pleasant surprises here — it's as weak and irritating as the title.

Hercules (1997)

the tale is told with surprising faithfulness. There’s still a healthy dose of anachronistic content to liven up the humour though. In fact, the sequences with Hercules’ adoring fans and merchandising empire ring even more true in this Twilight-obsessed world than they did 13 years ago.

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

Rambo becomes a superhuman killing machine — running round a jungle topless, muscles shiny and bulging, taking out more-or-less an army single-handed. It’s cartoonish and ludicrous, which can be fun in its own way... but only for action movie fans, losing any crossover appeal the first film had.

And as we passed into November last Monday, there's also the October summary to check out.

More next Sunday.

TV

Argumental
3x12 (2/11/10 edition)

The Armstrong & Miller Show
3x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Dave's One Night Stand
1x03 Johnny Vegas
Or, The Fat Northerner Edition.
[Watch it (again) on Dave's website.]

House
7x05 Unplanned Parenthood
It's quite neat being behind on programmes -- there's no new House on Sky1 this Sunday, thanks to a two-week hiatus in the US, but being a week behind already I shan't notice. Shiny.

How I Met Your Mother
5x23 The Wedding Bride
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Merlin
3x08 The Eye of the Phoenix
3x09 Love in the Time of Dragons
The Eye of the Phoenix was particularly good, I thought; perhaps Merlin's best episode, in fact.
[Watch The Eye of the Phoenix and Love in the Time of Dragons (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Due South
1x07 Chinatown [2nd watch]
A particularly good episode, I thought. Just in case you're interested.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Event
1x03 Protect Them From the Truth
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

The Graham Norton Show
8x02 (29/10/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Mentalist
3x04 Red Carpet Treatment
[Watch it (again) on the new-look Demand Five.]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Some solid increases this week. It would've been more, but I was forgetting that TheHut-owned sites such as Sendit and Zavvi are untrustworthy when it comes to sending out items complete or as advertised, so there's a number of returns to make. They're also not top of the pile when it comes to sending out pre-orders, so a few things to wait for there too.

Best of all, though, is the number of titles in my collection. In case you need it spelling out: one, two, three, four...

Number of titles in collection: 1,234 [up 7]
Of which DVDs: 1,102 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 132 [up 6]

Number of discs in collection: 3,023 [up 15]
Number of films in collection: 1,304 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,290 [up 10]

Statistic of the week:

Number of titles produced in the '00s:
664
(53.8% of the total)

After the look-how-far-I've-come first anniversary list of stats a fortnight ago, I've been curious about how a few other early Statistics of the Week have changed in the past year. So, over the next few weeks, I'll be picking up on some I've done before.

First is the first, number of titles produced in the '00s, which was at 589 titles (or 55.3% of my collection) back on 30th October 2009. The total has increased (by 12.7%), but how large a part of my collection they are is down (by 1.5%). Clearly I've bought more older films this year, though with the '10s now in the equation for the newest releases I should imagine it will only sink further in future.

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Colditz
1x05 Maximum Security
1x06 The Spirit of Freedom

Due South
1x06 Pizzas and Promises [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Electric Proms 2010
Elton John
His collaborations with Leon Russell sounded great, but Plan B's version of I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues was atrocious, his weak vocals sounding like a bad X Factor audition. Even Elton looked uncomfortable, and he'd supposedly picked the guy.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer, or listen to the full 2½-hour concert in HD Sound.]

TV

Due South
1x05 They Eat Horses, Don't They? [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Mad Men
4x08 The Summer Man
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
24x02 Episode 2
Catherine Tate doesn't make a very good host. That's two eps down, two bad hosts. Still, Jack Dee next week (well, tomorrow night) -- he's more experienced at things like Reading Out Loud.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Story of England
Part 5 Henry VIII to Industrial Revolution

TV

Argumental
3x11 (26/10/10 edition)
Coincidentally, this evening we learn via Marcus Brigstocke's twitter that Argumental has been cancelled. Shame -- I really rather liked it, especially as it was somewhat different from the identikit form of most comedy panel shows.
There's one of those online petitions to get it uncancelled here. At the time of posting, it's ratcheting up signatures at a rate of knots.

Colditz
1x04 Welcome to Colditz
Apt title, as we finally have an episode set almost entirely inside the prison. Though it begins with a lengthy (too lengthy, to be honest) sequence with another escaped prisoner. All looks set for a fourth 'first' episode, but no -- after his capture we don't see him 'til a brief, silent arrival much later in the episode. Who is he? Mysterious. Unless you recognise the actor.
In the main plot, there's another new arrival, as the British offers are delivered a new CO. Why? Not sure. But it makes for a plot, so, super.
I don't mean to sound like I'm doing Colditz down though -- it's fantastically well done; in particular, this episode and the preceding one are both excellent hours of TV. I hope it continues in such a vein.

Just Good Friends
1x03 Let's Spend the Night Together

House
7x04 Massage Therapy

Whites
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

TV

Ask Rhod Gilbert
1x05 Episode 5

Colditz
1x03 Name, Rank and Number
Another excellent, standalone, WW2-set story. Though this time, it ends with the series' first few scenes at the titular prison. It seems the cast is complete.

A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss
Part 3 The American Scream [final episode]
Mark Gatiss' series comes to a close by examining the re-emergence of American horror films in the '60s and '70s, and why he believes the genre has stalled rather after this point. It's another insightful, personalised account -- again, despite the criticism from some quarters about what he's chosen to leave out, we're talking here about a three-hour documentary covering decades and decades of a major genre; there's not room to cover it all, and the level of insight he offers is preferable to a dry overview of everything (which, even then, would surely miss some things).
Indeed, the sole shame with this series is that it's only three episodes long -- another two, or even three, covering the beginnings of screen horror and just where the genre has (or hasn't) gone in the last 30 years would be most welcome.

Spooks
9x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Colditz
1x02 Missing, Presumed Dead
Having spent episode one introducing us to a collection of characters and how they landed themselves in Colditz -- without a single scene at the titular prison -- episode two now jumps back to England to start again with a new chap. It certainly seems an unusual way to structure a series. And the number of scenes set in Colditz this episode? None, again.

Downton Abbey
1x06 Episode Six
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Dragons' Den
What Happened Next 5 Theo Paphitis [season finale]

Due South
1x04 Manhunt [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Poirot
12x02 Hallowe'en Party
ITV chose to air this on Wednesday. Much more appropriate today, I feel.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Articles

Johnny Cash comic hits iPhone, iPad by Mark Langshaw
(from Digital Spy)

the App scans the user's device for music by the late country and Western star to accompany each scene.

Ooh, that's clever then.

TV

Lots today, including Sarah Jane guest starring the Doctor. But first...

Colditz
1x01 The Undefeated
Apparently Colditz hasn't been shown on UK TV for 15 years, and next month's DVD release is the first time it's been out on DVD too. And there I was thinking it was popular. Still, it makes it understandable why Yesterday have made such a fuss about this repeat run, currently showing weeknightly at 10.
Episode one (which actually features no scenes whatsoever at the titular prison) is very of its time in terms of pace and style. Though that's not necessarily a bad thing -- look how much I loved The Sandbaggers, for instance -- it'll take a few more episodes for it to settle in and for me to decide what I really think.

Due South
1x03 Diefenbaker's Day Off [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Have I Got News For You
40x03 (28/10/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

The Mentalist
3x03 The Blood On His Hands
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow
2x06 Leeds [season finale]
Please make it 45 minutes again! Everyone was very good tonight, but all were cut off far too quickly.

The Sarah Jane Adventures
4x05 Death of the Doctor Part One
4x06 Death of the Doctor Part Two
I think it's safe to say this is the story everyone's been waiting for (and I'm sure it got higher ratings because of it), as the new Doctor meets not only Sarah Jane but also another former companion, Jo Grant, and Russell T Davies writes for the 11th Doctor for the first time.
And it certainly paid off, both in excitement and emotion -- Sarah Jane's speech at the end, about the fates of other companions, was (for this Who fan, at least) incredibly moving. It also ably proves why a) all Who fans should be watching SJA, and b) why, for all the Moffat-love, RTD's departure is a loss to the series.
[Watch parts one and two, or a compilation of both, on iPlayer.]

TV

The Event
1x01 I Haven't Told You Everything
1x02 To Keep Us Safe
It feels like this has come in for quite a lot of flack, but personally I quite liked it. It's not the greatest start to a series ever, this is true, but while the writing, acting, etc, aren't exceptional they are fine -- which is more than FlashForward managed most of the time. I was also more engaged and intrigued than I was by Lost, plus it seems to have potential for on-going stories (something else FlashForward really lacked). So, we'll see... though the way the US viewing figures have tailed off (almost halving since the pilot) doesn't bode well for long-term success and/or renewal.
All that said, the SUV that could apparently travel as fast as a plane was ludicrous.
[Watch I Haven't Told You Everything and To Keep Us Safe (again) on 4oD.]

The Graham Norton Show
8x01 (22/10/10 edition)
Graham moves into the Wossy slot, but fortunately they haven't messed around with the format of his show. Super.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Living Free (1972)
[#111 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Several DVD-to-Blu-ray upgrades fiddle the stats this week; a few more are on their way to do the same next time too.

Number of titles in collection: 1,227 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,101 [down 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 126 [up 3]

Number of discs in collection: 3,008 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,296 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,280 [no change]

Statistic of the week:

Number of double-dips:
119

With (as noted) several DVD-to-BD upgrades this week, I was curious just how many titles I've upgraded (i.e. double-dipped) in my collection. This number represents the number of times I've re-bought something I already owned, be it on DVD or BD, whether I kept the previous edition or not.

Incidentally, my most-dipped title is -- surprisingly, as I'm not especially a horror fan -- The Evil Dead. Not only that, but I still own all the copies I bought. (For the curious: my first copy was the fabulously packaged "Book of the Dead" Edition, my second a trilogy box set, and my third a box of banned films that happened to include The Evil Dead. Thanks to the trilogy set having two copies of the film (in its original fullscreen and cropped widescreen forms), I actually own four copies of it.)

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Dave's One Night Stand
1x02 Jack Whitehall
Despite the fact I usually loathe Jack Whitehall, this was rather good all round, particularly the songs by one of his guests.
[Watch it (again) on Dave's website. The first episode, starring Ben Elton, is also available.]

Dragons' Den
What Happened Next 4 Deborah Meaden
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Rob Brydon Show
1x01 (17/9/10 edition)
Still resolutely watching these entirely out of order. I don't think it really matters.
Who'd've thought Brydon's duets with Tom Jones would be so... good? He's surprisingly musical.

Films

Born Free (1966)
[#109 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
[#110 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

Articles

Nolan: Dark Knight Rises finds the future in IMAX, not 3-D by Geoff Boucher
(from Hero Complex at the Los Angeles Times)

[It won't be in 3D because] we want the look and feel of the film to be faithful to what has come before... Our ambition for the third movie is to complete a story that has begun. This is not starting over, this is not rebooting. We're finishing something, and keeping a consistency with what's come before has real value.

Good point. Can someone please tell this to Peter Jackson before The Hobbit starts shooting?

Talking of which...

Peter Jackson explains Hobbit casting by Naomi Rainey
(from Digital Spy)
Richard Armitage does seem odd casting for a four-foot-tall stocky dwarf, but I can see where Jackson is coming from -- most of the lead characters are dwarves, so some variation amongst them makes sense.

TV

Band of Brothers
Part Six Bastogne [2nd watch]
This is one of the episodes that most sticks in my memory (as I may've mentioned, I haven't watched the series for almost a decade, so that feels a little significant). It was, naturally, another very good instalment.

Film 2010 with Claudia Winkleman
Episode 2 (20/10/10 edition)
In many respects, Film 2010's 8-year-old blogger should've been the best person to talk about Back to the Future. But then it's more than two years old, so I guess he refuses to watch it. (Thank God he didn't, incidentally. I hope he's gone now...)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Just Good Friends
1x02 Hello Again

Law & Order: UK
3x07 Anonymous [season finale]
Another good, strong episode for the season finale. I think L&O has improved a bit this series.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Mad Men
4x07 The Suitcase
Even by Mad Men's consistently high standards, this was an exceptionally excellent episode. Awards all round, please.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Podcast

Radio Free Skaro
#221 2 Entertain or Not 2 Entertain
Doctor Who-related podcast, which this edition has a lengthy interview with Dan Hall, commissioning editor (i.e. Man In Charge Of) the classic series DVD releases. If you're interested, be sure to skip straight to the interview (starts at 20:06, to be precise) -- the opening twenty minutes are an irritatingly waffley discussion of Sarah Jane Adventures and other really boring waffle about Who news, which simply proves some podcasters still need to learn how to edit -- and also that they really should edit.
As for the interview itself, as a Who fan and DVD fan I found most of it rather reassuring. There's a lot of discussion about things that feel irrelevant or don't need going over (it opens with a massively overlong chat about the syncing up of the US & Australian release schedule with the UK one), but the stuff on future Revisitations sets, the possibility of more animated episodes, the release of Shada and the possible potential for Blu-ray is all interesting.

Articles

Christopher Nolan reveals title of third Batman film and that ‘it wont be the Riddler’ by Geoff Boucher
(from Hero Complex at the Los Angeles Times)
While the title isn't the most exciting proposition -- The Dark Knight Rises -- I'm glad they won't be using the Riddler. He's different to the Joker, of course, but I was concerned that he'd be too similar to the way The Dark Knight used the Joker to really work as a different-enough villain. Personally, Catwoman seems the most obvious choice to me, but we'll see.
In even better news, though, it won't be in 3D! Hurrah! Here's hoping it'll all be in IMAX -- I likely won't be able to see it on an IMAX screen, but the IMAX segments of The Dark Knight look so amazing on Blu-ray that I want to be able to see it there.

TV

Band of Brothers
Part Five Crossroads [2nd watch]

Russell Howard's Good News
3x01 (21/10/10 edition; extended repeat)
In a Good News rarity, this edition's stand-up -- Jimmy McGhie -- was actually quite good and likeable. Wonders never cease.
Even better, they've finally started putting the extended version on iPlayer. I would say "well done" but, well, I'm not sure it's good to congratulate someone for something they should've done a long time ago.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Story of England
Part 4 Peasants Revolt to Tudors
"That the Pope of Rome is Father Antichrist, and false in all his workings, a false extortioner, and a deceiver of the people"
True today, of course, but written in the early 1400s. Seems people of the past were always more progressive than we think...
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Whites
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Articles

Ronald D. Moore on Why Galactica Steered Clear of ‘Technobabble,’ Aliens by Lisa Grossman
(from Underwire at Wired)

I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve gotten that say, “I’ve watched this episode three times, and I hate it more every time I watch it.” Well, that’s a fan.

A spot-on description of sci-fi fans.
The whole article's interesting for anyone who likes Battlestar Galactica, though be warned it has some huge spoilers towards the end.

TV

Ask Rhod Gilbert
1x04 Episode 4
I think I must've misunderstood something: I thought Russell Kane was a comedian, but I've seen him on several programmes now and it's not just that I don't find him funny, the studio audiences never seem to laugh either.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Band of Brothers
Part Four Replacements [2nd watch]

Due South
1x02 Free Willie [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss
Part 2 Home Counties Horror
Mark Gatiss' excellent personalised history of horror films continues into the '50s, '60s and '70s with the rise and fall of Hammer horror, not to mention other British, British-inspired and gothic horrors. Plus, 'folk horror' films, a term Gatiss seems to have coined (at least, that was the impression the programme gave), covering the likes of Witchfinder General, The Wicker Man and Blood on Satan's Claw.
The series is so good, it's almost a shame it's so short and focused -- a couple more episodes dealing with pre-Universal horror and where the genre has gone in more recent years (as I believe tonight's final part only covers US horror in the '60s and '70s), done with the same level of insight and quality, would be most welcome.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Spooks
9x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

New Eighth Doctor costume revealed by Chuck Foster
(from Doctor Who News Page)

Considering he now exists solely on audio, and therefore in stories of dubious canonicity and outside the mass public consciousness (arguably, even outside mass fan consciousness), the reveal of a new costume for the 8th Doctor might just be considered an irrelevancy. Or, if like me you still love McGann's incarnation, it's a little bit interesting and perhaps even exciting.

I like where they've gone with it -- it echoes the TVM costume while being new, though the bag seems unnecessary. The retro sonic screwdriver is also nice -- it would fit neatly with the TVM-stlye console room, I feel.

Still, there's no denying this revisionism comes too late. Back when Big Finish did their second 'season' of 8th Doctor audio and the promo photos had a shaven-headed McGann, I felt they should've officially restyled the 8th Doctor with short hair and a more modern costume... more-or-less exactly the look the new TV series gave Chris Eccleston just a few years later, in fact. At this point, it's rather a last-ditch attempt to drum up more interest and make the 8th Doctor's adventures still feel current -- which Big Finish naturally want to do, as he's the most recent Doctor they're allowed to use.

TV

Band of Brothers
Part Three Carentan [2nd watch]

Downton Abbey
1x05 Episode Five
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Have I Got News For You
40x02 (21/10/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

Just Good Friends
1x01 After All This Time

QI
8x06 Happiness (extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

Sarah Jane's Alien Files
1x02 Episode 2
I'm warming to this a bit now... but perhaps that's because I watched it while wrapping some presents, which it happened to be the perfect length to cover.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Film / Theatre

Oklahoma!
A filmed version of the late-'90s West End revival, directed by Trevor Nunn and starring Maureen Lipman and a pre-X-Men Hugh Jackman.

this week on 100 Films

6 (six!) new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...

The Band Wagon (1953)

In this behind-the-scenes musical, Fred Astaire plays Tony Hunter, a slightly washed-up star of stage and screen. One can’t help but wonder if his performance has an autobiographical edge. It’s of no concern to the viewer though, because he’s as wonderful as ever.

Brigadoon (1954)

The Scottish accents are appalling, the costumes and setting gratingly twee, the Highlands recreated entirely on a soundstage... But the ill-conceived cast, costumes and studio-bound setting begin to pale under the charm of Gene Kelly and the machinations of the plot. Even the Scottish accents, though consistently dreadful, eventually become less irritating.

Gigi (1958)

a film about largely horrid people doing morally dubious things. It begins with an elder gentleman singing Thank Heaven for Little Girls; not because they bring a youthful joy to old age, but because they’re a constant source of new young ladies for him to have affairs with — he’s a dirty old man really.

Grindhouse (2007)

Rodriguez packs every scene with at least one element you should expect from this style of cinema: graphic blood-spurting violence, horrific mutations, vicious zombies, over-the-top logic-light gunfights, entirely random explosions, clichéd dialogue, stock characters, extended shots of the female form… Have I missed anything? If I have, it’s probably there too.

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

at times it reminded me of Pride & Prejudice, albeit a version with much of the dramatic tension removed. For instance, Austen’s tale spends a long time creating a bad impression of Mr Darcy, only to eventually reveal his (mostly) good intentions. St. Louis manages all of five minutes in which the Darcy-ish character is suspected of having done something dastardly before the truth is revealed.

Witchfinder General (1968)

it’s more like an historical action-adventure [than a horror film], with soldiers dashing around the countryside, horseback chases, bar brawls, ambushes and the occasional sword fight.

More next Sunday.

TV

Argumental
3x10 (19/10/10 edition)
Poor Ben Miller -- he did really well and didn't win once.

Band of Brothers
Part Two Day of Days [2nd watch]

Merlin
3x07 The Castle of Fyrien
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
24x01 Episode 1
So Mark Ronson made for a pathetically weak host, which I suppose was to be expected. It just goes to show, reading aloud from an autocue requires more talent than you'd think. That Paul Foot guy was surprisingly good though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
4x03 The Vault of Secrets Part One
4x04 The Vault of Secrets Part Two
[Watch parts one and two, or a compilation of both, on iPlayer.]

Articles

PSP named UK's 'most returned gadget' by Mark Langshaw
(from Digital Spy)
With all the residual PlayStation hatred of a former N64 owner (not to mention GameCube, Gameboy Advance and DS), I'd just like to say... hahahahahahahahahaha! PSP sucks!

*ahem* I do apologise. Well, a bit. Not much though.

TV

Band of Brothers
Part One Currahee [2nd watch]
Despite owning it on DVD since its release, and now Blu-ray too (well, instead), I don't believe I've watched Band of Brothers since its original BBC Two broadcast. With 10 days 'til sort-of-sequel The Pacific is released on DVD & Blu-ray, it seems a good time to finally reacquaint myself with its predecessor.
It's still thoroughly excellent, even though (as I recall it) the best is yet to come. One notable thing, nine years after it was first shown: how many of the faces are now much more recognisable. It's an incredible cast.

House
7x03 Unwritten

The Mentalist
3x02 Cackle-Bladder Blood
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow
2x05 Bristol
So they're in Bristol, but they don't have Russell Howard on? What is the world coming to...
Though there's something even more troubling about this episode: Squeezing five comedians into the show's regular 45 minutes usually means we don't get to see enough of the good ones (equally, it means the poor ones are gone pretty quickly), but this edition is cut down to just 30 (for no apparent reason). It means everyone bar McIntyre is really rushed; ridiculously so, in fact. Why, people-who-do-such-things, why?
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Articles

BBC confirms BBC One HD launch details by Andrew Laughlin
(from Digital Spy)
Hooray! With the existing BBC HD even more freed up to show stuff from the other channels, hopefully this will mean less instances of stuff not getting an HD simulcast. Sarah Jane in particular has been annoying me in this respect -- while CBBC and BBC One are showing two eps per week, on Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday/Thursday respectively, BBC HD is showing just one episode every Saturday. What? Why? Gits.

Director Norrington quits Crow remake by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
I'd be lying if I said I'd been massively excited for this film, but the people involved and the 'new direction' talk had piqued my interest. So, this news is a shame.

Neil Gaiman drops Doctor Who hints by Morgan Jeffery
(from Digital Spy)
Beware spoilers, though I think Gaiman does a good job of genuinely teasing without giving away anything significant. In other words, it's more fuel for speculation (much more) without providing anything definitive.

Warner Bros confirms Hobbit cast by Christian Tobin
(from Digital Spy)
It's been the talk of the 'net today, but in case you missed it, nine of the leading roles in The Hobbit (in addition to the likes of Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis returning) have been confirmed. They're a mix of "brilliant!", "interesting..." and "I have no idea who that is".