TV

Lark Rise to Candleford
2x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Poetry

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
Classic nonsense. I suspect this is destined to be a Poem of the Week before too long, though I do try to limit the number of very well known ones.

The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll
Preface
Fit the First
I am essentially lazy, hence why I'm reading Carroll's relatively-long-but-not-that-long poem in segments. See above for an infinitely more manageable (in length, at least) alternative.

David Tennant does a Christian Bale

Don't worry, dear Tennant fans, this is a spoof. You can hear Bale's original rant in full here.

"What the FUCK?!"

"I... I..."

"You fucking unprofessional Cyberman! What the FUCK do you think you're DOING?"

"I... I... well..."

"Fucking hell! Put the fucking helmet back ON!"

"But... but I'm really hot..."

"What?! What the FUCK? You don't fucking get it, do you? DO YOU?"

"But... I'm not in shot..."

"Oh! OHH! He's not in the fucking SHOT!"

"And I'm... I'm suffocating..."

"Oh, he's SUFFOCATING, and he's not in SHOT! Well GOOD for YOUUU!"

"I... but..."

"Shut up. Shut UP. Shut the FUCK UP. Just shut up. SHUT UP. I said SHUT THE FUCK UP. Shut up! FUCKING SHUT THE FUCK UP. OK?"

"O--"

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP. Fucking unprofessional fuck. Get off the set. Get off the fucking set. I'm not coming on this fucking set with this fuck on it."

"But... I play all the Cybermen..."

"Well la-de-fucking-da! The Cybermen can FUCK OFF then. You and me, we're through. Professionally, we're fucking through."

Originally posted here, but you have to log in to Facebook to see it, hence this re-post.

Amusingly, Bale's Wikipedia page is currently locked.

TV

Natural World
Elephants Without Borders
There seem to be loads of elephant-related programmes on recently. Inevitably there's some repetition of content, but the images are still amazing. This one marked itself out with some astounding aerial photography.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

QI
6x07 Fingers and Fumbs (extended edition)
Having moaned at them having both versions of QI on iPlayer (regular and extended), they now only have the shorter cut. How bloody stupid.
[Watch the shorter version on iPlayer.]

Terry Pratchett: Living With Alzheimer's
Part 1 (of 2)
Fascinating, well-made documentary.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

The British Academy Film Awards 2009

Not many surprises here then, though from what I know most of the nods were deserved. It amuses me that bookies had Noel Clarke as third favourite to win the Rising Star Award -- obviously they know nothing of the dedication Doctor Who fans show to current & former cast & crew members, and the ability of Who fandom to swing an online poll whichever way they want.

Aside from a few good speeches and a few good jokes (including a well-timed jibe from Wossy about his recent suspension), perhaps the most notable thing about this year's awards was the BBC's decision to show it across three channels -- the red carpet on BBC Three, the first hour on BBC Two, and the final hour on BBC One. It seems a ridiculous idea, but actually make a lot of sense: when most viewers only care about the tip-top awards, why waste an hour of primetime BBC One with Best Hair & Make-Up and Best Cinematography? I'd be annoyed if they weren't shown at all, but as they were on BBC Two for those of us who are interested, it seems sensible enough to me.

More bemusing was choosing not to show in full the Best Animated Film award (WALL-E!) and Best Animated Short (Wallace & Gromit!), both of which had very popular and notable winners.

Films

Marnie (1964)
[#6 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Marnie Trailer
Absolutely brilliant! Hitchcock merrily takes the mick out of his own unreleased film, in the process making it appear even better -- and suggesting it might be a good deal funnier -- than it actually is. I wish more films were trailed like this; though if they were, it would make this shining example less unique and enjoyable. It's on the DVD and I recommend it highly.

TV

Cracker
1x03 To Say I Love You Part 1
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

So, Demons, eh? So much for being just one week behind, I'm now over two. And I was doing so well...

Poetry

The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde
Wilde's long but rewarding poem about a hanging that took place while he was in prison. The carefully-observed rhythm, rhyme and alliteration are all right up my street. (I'd consider it for Poem of the Week, but it's so bloody long...)

Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine #405
Matt Smith is the Doctor... though he's not treated to that famous DWM headline just yet, 'cause there's still four episodes left for The Other Guy. There is his first-ever exclusive magazine interview since landing the part, however, and despite filming being six months away there are a few tidbits for fans nonetheless.
Not a great deal else of note in this issue, it must be said, especially as the key snippets of news were blown on Outpost Gallifrey the day before it came out. I guess they've given up on their former policy of not stealing DWM's news in advance then.

TV

Moses Jones
Part 1 (of 3)
A good little thriller, even if there were one or two logic holes. Hopefully Matt Smith will use a different accent when it comes to playing the 11th Doctor -- that one's a bit too similar to Tennant's for my taste.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Torchwood: Children of Earth Trailer
Looks good! Shame it's not going to be on for ages.

Articles

Interview with Mouse Guard's David Petersen by Chris Dahlen
(from A.V. Club)
Mouse Guard is bleedin' brilliant, and this is a nice interview with its creator/writer/artist, covering topics from how the series began to where its going to plans for a movie version that are kinda surprising...

Poem of the Week: Poetry

by Edmund Vance Cooke

In the week I start the Poetry module of my MA, I thought this was an appropriate choice.

To deftly do what many dimly think;
     To fund a feeling for the world to borrow;
To turn a tear to printer's ink;
     To make a sonnet of a sorrow.

Edmund Vance Cooke lived between 1866 and 1932. For a bit more info and some more of his work, look to Representative Poetry Online. (He doesn't have a Wikipedia entry! Shocking, I know.)

TV

Lark Rise to Candleford
2x06 Episode 6
If I didn't know better, I'd've thought this was the last episode. By Lark Rise standards, positively action-packed.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

2009’s Oscar nominees: What if Celebrity Nudity Database.com picked the winners? by Keith Phipps
(from A.V. Club)
Highly amusing. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Kate Winslet and The Reader seem to win most things.

Hell is plastic: 18 calamitous music and movie packaging gimmicks by Christopher Bahn, Josh Modell, Keith Phipps, Leonard Pierce, Noel Murray & Scott Tobias
(from A.V. Club)
I personally love novelty packaging, but it's true that some of it is a disaster.

"Surprises" Promised For Oscars
(from Studio Briefing)
"this year's Oscars show will 'have its own narrative line -- not merely handing out the awards, but doing it in a way that tells a story'". Well, that's... different...

TV

Broken Saints
Chapter 19 Signals
Yes, the pretentiousness still lingers, but look at the story move! If only it had gone at this (relatively normal, it must be said) rate from the earliest episodes it might've garnered a wider appeal.

This World
Mandela: The 90th Year
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Argumental
1x13 Best of Argumental [season finale]
Mostly just bits we've already seen, of course, but it was a long series with lots worth re-enjoying; plus, I missed two episodes, so there were a few things I'd never seen from them. And it was worth watching just for the short segment of outtakes, including John Sergeant having to mime pressing a buzzer -- at least ten times more entertaining than that sounds.
Argumental returns in March -- yay!

Broken Saints
Chapter 18 Forecast
Elements like prophecies and dreams are often rather silly things in drama -- they tend not to advance the plot, just pad things out suggesting what might be to come. While the Tarot card reading in this episode is very atmospheric and nicely done, it's also incredibly easy to guess the significance of every part; consequently, it doesn't add anything to the story and goes on far too long. Nice fight at the end though.

Articles

Is Matt Damon right to brand James Bond 'repulsive'? by Ben Child
(from Film Blog at guardian.co.uk)
"Matt Damon has confirmed he will return for a fourth Bourne film, and used the opportunity to take another side-swipe at 007. But will the British secret agent have the last laugh?"
Yes, because however good Bourne is, the Bond franchise will far outlast him.

Porn interrupts Super Bowl TV coverage by Robert Booth
(from guardian.co.uk)
"As this year's clash between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals neared a thrilling climax, TV viewers in Tuscon, Arizona, witnessed an intimate exposure of a completely different order... with less than three minutes to play in a tightly fought final, the Cardinals had taken the lead with a crucial touchdown. Fans watching in Arizona would have been forgiven for scenting a victory for their team against the odds. Then the pictures from Tampa disappeared. Instead, viewers were astonished to see a woman unzipping a man's trousers to reveal "full male nudity" followed by what was described as "a graphic act" between the couple. Somehow, the feed from Super Bowl XLIII had been mixed up with a 30-second excerpt from Club Jenna, an adult cable TV channel featuring Jenna Jameson, one of America's most famous porn actresses."
All I have to say about this is, "lol". And some quotes to add to the humour:
""I just figured it was another commercial until I looked up," Cora King, of Marana, told the Arizona Daily Star. "Then he did his little dance with everything hanging out." Another viewer, Jeanene Piek, said she was outraged that her granddaughter had seen the clip. "I was in a state of shock. I am totally disgusted," she said."

TV

Broken Saints
Chapter 16 Fallen
Chapter 17 Lazarus
Lazarus is by far the best chapter yet, containing both some comprehensible plot and some decent character drama too. And then, just to cement things, the closing quote is from Doctor Who!

TV

QI
6x06 Fakes and Frauds (extended edition)
They put both cuts of QI on iPlayer now, y'know. Why?! is all I have to say on that.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Eurovision: Your Country Needs You
Episode 5 (of 5)
In which the person who will inevitably lose this year's Eurovision for us was chosen, and it was... oh, darn it, I've forgotten. They all sang the song the same anyway, despite the judges insisting they all "made it their own". What a load of twaddle.
Despite our protestations, we've still won Eurovision more times than anyone else... or possibly exactly the same times as someone else... still, we're either first or joint first.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
16x02 (30/1/09 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]