Ask Rhod Gilbert
2x01 Episode 1
I quite liked the first series of this, but really didn't expect to see it back, so that was a... surprise.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x18 (21/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 26 September 2011
Comics
Daredevil #1 by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera & Marcos MartÃn
So distracted have I been by DC's new lot I've only just got round to the similarly-relaunched Daredevil, which you may remember I mentioned a couple of months ago when CBR gave it a 5-star review. Very good it was too, an excellent example of how to relaunch a book without doing an origin story, both establishing the basics of the character and summarising recent events succinctly enough that new readers get what's going on and (I presume) established readers don't get bored to tears from recappery. This approach to a relaunch is something some of DC's lot could do with, apparently.
(Also, see the audio version here. They've up to issue four now, but I've no idea if they kept this up.)
Resurrection Man #1 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino
I'm saving up all my thoughts on the New 52s I'm reading for once I get to the end of the first month, so I'll say more on this then. But, for now, I really enjoyed this.
So distracted have I been by DC's new lot I've only just got round to the similarly-relaunched Daredevil, which you may remember I mentioned a couple of months ago when CBR gave it a 5-star review. Very good it was too, an excellent example of how to relaunch a book without doing an origin story, both establishing the basics of the character and summarising recent events succinctly enough that new readers get what's going on and (I presume) established readers don't get bored to tears from recappery. This approach to a relaunch is something some of DC's lot could do with, apparently.
(Also, see the audio version here. They've up to issue four now, but I've no idea if they kept this up.)
Resurrection Man #1 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino
I'm saving up all my thoughts on the New 52s I'm reading for once I get to the end of the first month, so I'll say more on this then. But, for now, I really enjoyed this.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
TV
Pointless
5x17 (20/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Spooks
10x01 Episode 1
And so the final series of Spooks begins… and it was actually rather good, though having watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy recently it did seem a tad overblown at times. They seem to be doing one of the Big Long Story seasons they've done occasionally over the years (or maybe it's just a two-parter, who knows), which makes sense with the reduced episode count (down to six for the first time since the first series) and the desire to wrap up Harry's story as this is The Final Season. It'll be interesting to see how much time and development the supporting cast get this year, then, especially as they're all either leftover characters who had little to do before or newbies who have a maximum shelf life of five more episodes.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
5x17 (20/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Spooks
10x01 Episode 1
And so the final series of Spooks begins… and it was actually rather good, though having watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy recently it did seem a tad overblown at times. They seem to be doing one of the Big Long Story seasons they've done occasionally over the years (or maybe it's just a two-parter, who knows), which makes sense with the reduced episode count (down to six for the first time since the first series) and the desire to wrap up Harry's story as this is The Final Season. It'll be interesting to see how much time and development the supporting cast get this year, then, especially as they're all either leftover characters who had little to do before or newbies who have a maximum shelf life of five more episodes.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100 Films
Just 1 new review was posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and it was...
Night of the Demon (1957)
More next Sunday.
Night of the Demon (1957)
A horror movie in the old fashioned mode — creepy and uncanny, rather than aiming to make you constantly jump or turn your stomach with lashings of gore. A scene at a children’s party at Karswell’s house is particularly unsettling, the apparent jollity contrasting with the ominous winds and undercurrent of evil.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
TV
Doctor Who
32x12 Closing Time
32x12a The Prequel to The Wedding of River Song
That was an amiable enough episode, even if the Cybermen were underused (as ever in nuWho, I feel). I also thought the ending -- which was effectively a prequel to next week's finale -- was a bit overlong. It might've been neater to bung up the "Next Time" before cutting to all that stuff with River, and have that instead of a regular trailer. That would've been unusual, and I'd've liked it. Or they could've made it the above prequel, of course... but I'm sure they're very aware that only a relatively small number of dedicated fans will be watching that,
[Watch Closing Time (again) in HD on iPlayer, and The Prequel to The Wedding of River Song on the official site.]
Doctor Who Confidential
6x12 Open All Hours
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Dragons' Den
9x08 Episode 8
Giving away 79% of their company?! Madness. Probably a first as well.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Great British Bake Off
2x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Perfect Couples
1x03 Perfect Proposal
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Who Do You Think You Are?
8x02 JK Rowling
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
32x12 Closing Time
32x12a The Prequel to The Wedding of River Song
That was an amiable enough episode, even if the Cybermen were underused (as ever in nuWho, I feel). I also thought the ending -- which was effectively a prequel to next week's finale -- was a bit overlong. It might've been neater to bung up the "Next Time" before cutting to all that stuff with River, and have that instead of a regular trailer. That would've been unusual, and I'd've liked it. Or they could've made it the above prequel, of course... but I'm sure they're very aware that only a relatively small number of dedicated fans will be watching that,
[Watch Closing Time (again) in HD on iPlayer, and The Prequel to The Wedding of River Song on the official site.]
Doctor Who Confidential
6x12 Open All Hours
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Dragons' Den
9x08 Episode 8
Giving away 79% of their company?! Madness. Probably a first as well.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Great British Bake Off
2x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Perfect Couples
1x03 Perfect Proposal
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Who Do You Think You Are?
8x02 JK Rowling
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friday, 23 September 2011
TV
The Jonathan Ross Show
1x03 (17/9/11 edition)
Finally, a fully worthwhile line-up of guests. Unfortunately the ITV show being almost quarter-of-an-hour shorter than the old BBC one means they don't really get enough time (especially when so long was given over to Peter Kay mucking about).
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Outnumbered
4x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x16 (19/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
5x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x03 (17/9/11 edition)
Finally, a fully worthwhile line-up of guests. Unfortunately the ITV show being almost quarter-of-an-hour shorter than the old BBC one means they don't really get enough time (especially when so long was given over to Peter Kay mucking about).
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Outnumbered
4x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x16 (19/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
5x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
After last week's flood, not much to report this week -- just one new release from last Monday (Attack the Block) and one early release from next Monday (Thor).
Number of titles in collection: 1,386 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,139 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 247 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 3,433 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,466 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,162 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
After last week's flood, not much to report this week -- just one new release from last Monday (Attack the Block) and one early release from next Monday (Thor).
Number of titles in collection: 1,386 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,139 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 247 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 3,433 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,466 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,162 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
TV
Horrible Histories Big Prom Party
This was, as you'd expect, brilliant fun. Shame they gutted the classical pieces to make it an hour long and super kid-friendly, but that's what you expect I guess.
The full programme for this Prom can be read here.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x15 (16/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
QI
9x02 International (XL edition)
Finally, an explanation of the QI scoring system! ...well, sort of.
(Incidentally, the British Comedy Guide episode guides I've started linking to for the main episode title are really rather good, not only listing the contents of the episode in full but also detailing them major differences between the regular and XL editions. In case you might be interested.)
[Watch QI XL (again) on iPlayer.]
This was, as you'd expect, brilliant fun. Shame they gutted the classical pieces to make it an hour long and super kid-friendly, but that's what you expect I guess.
The full programme for this Prom can be read here.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x15 (16/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
QI
9x02 International (XL edition)
Finally, an explanation of the QI scoring system! ...well, sort of.
(Incidentally, the British Comedy Guide episode guides I've started linking to for the main episode title are really rather good, not only listing the contents of the episode in full but also detailing them major differences between the regular and XL editions. In case you might be interested.)
[Watch QI XL (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
The DC Comics New Reader Litmus Test: The New 52
and
The DC Comics New Reader Litmus Test: Week 2
by Josie Campbell (from Comic Book Resources)
The whole point of The New 52 was to offer up a slate of #1 issues to attract new/lapsed readers to/back to the DCU. So what better way to test that than by showing all the issues to new readers, unfamiliar with comics. And what it shows is... a bit of a failure. One of the things DC was keen not to do was tell origin stories, feeling too often a re-launch meant telling the origin yet again. This survey seems to suggest they were right for well-known characters like Batman and Superman, but for all the rest (who are largely or completely unknown in popular culture), the move hasn't worked, with several newbies expressing that an origin would be better. DC's existing-reader-friendly idea of a "soft reboot" may work for current fans, but it's going to turn off newbies.
Still, in some respects one might argue this sample was flawed: it sounds like it picked on people who weren't necessarily interested in reading comics. (The second week improved the methodology, mind.) Now, that may not be true, but the people who are actually going to walk into a store and purchase these -- or, rather, DC are hoping they can attract into a store to purchase these -- are people who have an interest in reading comics, even if they've never actually read one. Would they be more susceptible to the books' charms than this lot? Or would the lack of background on unfamiliar characters still turn them off?
Either way, DC's sales have been strong, and so long as that keeps up I'm sure they're happy.
And in other comics-y articles...
New 52 Pickup | Week 4 by Steve Sunu
(from Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources)
Finally, a book I'm definitely getting that Sunu loves! (See below for more.)
Review of Batman #1 by Doug Zawisza
(from Comic Book Resources)
Five stars (out of five). Definitely looking forward to getting this one, then.
and
The DC Comics New Reader Litmus Test: Week 2
by Josie Campbell (from Comic Book Resources)
The whole point of The New 52 was to offer up a slate of #1 issues to attract new/lapsed readers to/back to the DCU. So what better way to test that than by showing all the issues to new readers, unfamiliar with comics. And what it shows is... a bit of a failure. One of the things DC was keen not to do was tell origin stories, feeling too often a re-launch meant telling the origin yet again. This survey seems to suggest they were right for well-known characters like Batman and Superman, but for all the rest (who are largely or completely unknown in popular culture), the move hasn't worked, with several newbies expressing that an origin would be better. DC's existing-reader-friendly idea of a "soft reboot" may work for current fans, but it's going to turn off newbies.
Still, in some respects one might argue this sample was flawed: it sounds like it picked on people who weren't necessarily interested in reading comics. (The second week improved the methodology, mind.) Now, that may not be true, but the people who are actually going to walk into a store and purchase these -- or, rather, DC are hoping they can attract into a store to purchase these -- are people who have an interest in reading comics, even if they've never actually read one. Would they be more susceptible to the books' charms than this lot? Or would the lack of background on unfamiliar characters still turn them off?
Either way, DC's sales have been strong, and so long as that keeps up I'm sure they're happy.
And in other comics-y articles...
New 52 Pickup | Week 4 by Steve Sunu
(from Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources)
Finally, a book I'm definitely getting that Sunu loves! (See below for more.)
Review of Batman #1 by Doug Zawisza
(from Comic Book Resources)
Five stars (out of five). Definitely looking forward to getting this one, then.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
TV
Billy Connolly's Route 66
Episode 1 (of 4)
To be completely honest, this was much better than I was expecting it to be! Most entertaining and informative.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Pointless
5x14 (15/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
5x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Episode 1 (of 4)
To be completely honest, this was much better than I was expecting it to be! Most entertaining and informative.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Pointless
5x14 (15/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
5x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Comics
Batman and Robin #1 by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason
Week 3 of DC's New 52 is out today, so while I await mine in the post it's about time I read what I picked up last week. Yes, all one of, er, it. Though with Forbidden Planet (.com) adding second printings to their orderable titles, I've decided to belatedly grab a few more well-reviewed books from the first two weeks.
Week 3 of DC's New 52 is out today, so while I await mine in the post it's about time I read what I picked up last week. Yes, all one of, er, it. Though with Forbidden Planet (.com) adding second printings to their orderable titles, I've decided to belatedly grab a few more well-reviewed books from the first two weeks.
Articles
Has Doctor Who got too complicated? by Dan Martin
(from TV & Radio Blog at guardian.co.uk)
Conclusion: no, and if you think it has you're just not paying enough attention. Despite my summarising this is still worth a read as it's bolstered by a few wonderful quotes.
As usual, Douglas Adams was bang on the money: "it was Douglas Adams who said, as a script editor in 1979, that the challenge of Doctor Who was to make it simple enough for adults and complicated enough for children."
(from TV & Radio Blog at guardian.co.uk)
Conclusion: no, and if you think it has you're just not paying enough attention. Despite my summarising this is still worth a read as it's bolstered by a few wonderful quotes.
As usual, Douglas Adams was bang on the money: "it was Douglas Adams who said, as a script editor in 1979, that the challenge of Doctor Who was to make it simple enough for adults and complicated enough for children."
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
TV
The A to Z of Crime
Episode 3 HIJKL (of 6)
I'm amused by the super-reverence shown to Lynda La Plante, while effectively saying "she invented Law & Order... seven years after someone else already did".
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Mock the Week
10x08 (15/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x13 (14/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Episode 3 HIJKL (of 6)
I'm amused by the super-reverence shown to Lynda La Plante, while effectively saying "she invented Law & Order... seven years after someone else already did".
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Mock the Week
10x08 (15/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x13 (14/9/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Doctor Who: The Wedding of River Song preview by Patrick Mulkern
(from Radio Times)
Be warned that this has spoilers for the opening few minutes, which sound absolutely bonkers and absolutely brilliant -- so good you might not want them spoiled. But no spoilers for the revelations and major plot points that follow... which sound incredibly intriguing. I wasn't convinced by the first half of this season, but I've been enjoying the second and I can't wait for this.
New 52 Pickup | Week 3 by Steve Sunu
(from Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources)
Ahead of new comics tomorrow (not that mine will turn up for a little while), I'm catching up on what Sunu had to say about last week's second batch of 13 new #1s. All things considered, they seem to be shaping up rather well... though he keeps putting the books I've chosen to buy "on the fence". Oops.
The Ten Things That the Forthcoming Star Wars Blu-rays Should Include. Revisited by Marcus Doidge
(from dvdactive)
Or: why, despite what some people claim now they have it (probably to justify to themselves shelling out £60/$80), this release is still a disappointment.
(from Radio Times)
Be warned that this has spoilers for the opening few minutes, which sound absolutely bonkers and absolutely brilliant -- so good you might not want them spoiled. But no spoilers for the revelations and major plot points that follow... which sound incredibly intriguing. I wasn't convinced by the first half of this season, but I've been enjoying the second and I can't wait for this.
New 52 Pickup | Week 3 by Steve Sunu
(from Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources)
Ahead of new comics tomorrow (not that mine will turn up for a little while), I'm catching up on what Sunu had to say about last week's second batch of 13 new #1s. All things considered, they seem to be shaping up rather well... though he keeps putting the books I've chosen to buy "on the fence". Oops.
The Ten Things That the Forthcoming Star Wars Blu-rays Should Include. Revisited by Marcus Doidge
(from dvdactive)
Or: why, despite what some people claim now they have it (probably to justify to themselves shelling out £60/$80), this release is still a disappointment.
Monday, 19 September 2011
TV
Dragons' Den
9x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x11 (12/9/11 edition)
5x12 (13/9/11 edition)
[Watch the 13/9/11 edition (again) on iPlayer.]
9x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x11 (12/9/11 edition)
5x12 (13/9/11 edition)
[Watch the 13/9/11 edition (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Doctor Who Magazine's Editor Interviewed! by Jason Arnopp
(from How to Be a Journalist)
I found this very interesting. If you're not at all curious about how magazines are put together, however, I imagine there's little of interest here. Though one quote is telling about the mindset of some Who fans:
(from How to Be a Journalist)
I found this very interesting. If you're not at all curious about how magazines are put together, however, I imagine there's little of interest here. Though one quote is telling about the mindset of some Who fans:
We also liaise with Steven Moffat - generally about our interviews, but never for reviews or opinion piecesYou just know some people claim he controls reviews.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
An absolute tonne of stuff this week, almost all of it Star Wars related, including the new Blu-rays of course. This delayed the update until today... not because of the post, for once (though it was later than it should have been), but because I was away for a few days and needed the time to account for it all once I got back. (This still only goes up to Saturday's post, however.)
Number of titles in collection: 1,384 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,139 [up 4]
Of which Blu-rays: 245 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 3,429 [up 23]
Number of films in collection: 1,465 [up 12]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,175 [up 63]
The real accounting difficulty lies down here: it's time again for a running time update. Yay! So...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
247 days, 20 hours, and 29 minutes.
(Up 5 days, 8 hours, and 3 minutes from last month.)
That's a pretty big jump -- the third biggest ever, after the one covering last Christmas (the largest by almost 3½ days) and the one three months ago. Lovely. I might check later to see how it ranks in terms of other jumps (and update this, of course).
See you next week, faithful reader.
An absolute tonne of stuff this week, almost all of it Star Wars related, including the new Blu-rays of course. This delayed the update until today... not because of the post, for once (though it was later than it should have been), but because I was away for a few days and needed the time to account for it all once I got back. (This still only goes up to Saturday's post, however.)
Number of titles in collection: 1,384 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,139 [up 4]
Of which Blu-rays: 245 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 3,429 [up 23]
Number of films in collection: 1,465 [up 12]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,175 [up 63]
The real accounting difficulty lies down here: it's time again for a running time update. Yay! So...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
247 days, 20 hours, and 29 minutes.
(Up 5 days, 8 hours, and 3 minutes from last month.)
That's a pretty big jump -- the third biggest ever, after the one covering last Christmas (the largest by almost 3½ days) and the one three months ago. Lovely. I might check later to see how it ranks in terms of other jumps (and update this, of course).
See you next week, faithful reader.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
TV
The Great British Bake Off
2x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Torchwood: Miracle Day
4x10 The Blood Line [season finale]
Much to my surprise, I actually really enjoyed that. Except for Jilly Kitzinger surviving -- what a missed opportunity for a reference to Danes' infamous "she should've run faster" -- and the mention of the families having a Plan B. Who wants them back, really? If Torchwood does get a fifth series (and, based on reaction to this one, it would be fairly lucky if it did), the less said about this one the better. We certainly don't want a sequel.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
2x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Torchwood: Miracle Day
4x10 The Blood Line [season finale]
Much to my surprise, I actually really enjoyed that. Except for Jilly Kitzinger surviving -- what a missed opportunity for a reference to Danes' infamous "she should've run faster" -- and the mention of the families having a Plan B. Who wants them back, really? If Torchwood does get a fifth series (and, based on reaction to this one, it would be fairly lucky if it did), the less said about this one the better. We certainly don't want a sequel.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
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