TV

Argumental
4x08 Christmas Special
A Christmas special? Those things get everywhere these days...

The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff
1x00 Christmas Episode
Dickens spoof. Most amusing. Look forward to the full (well, full-ish -- it's only three episodes) series next year.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Junior Bake Off
Episode 13 (of 13)
Hooray!

Lost Christmas
A one-off "urban fairytale" starring Eddie Izzard. Surprisingly gritty for a kid-friendly Christmas tale, which is presumably why they wound up scheduling it so far out from Christmas (despite a Christmas Eve setting, it was shown on the 18th). I thought it was really good... until the final few minutes, when the chance for a genuinely worthwhile message was abandoned for a reset happy ending. Oh well.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Merlin
4x12 The Sword in the Stone Part One
Dark, exciting season finale stuff, but also with plenty of the funniness. Well played, Merlin. Good thing I only have to wait 'til tomorrow for the second half.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

The song ITV didn't want you to see

ITV Cut Tim Minchin’s Christmas Song Amidst Fears Of Offending Christians And Right-Wing Press
by Hannah Shaw-William (from Bleeding Cool)

This was due to air on the Christmas edition of The Jonathan Ross Show tonight on ITV1, but they seem to have had a last-minute wimp-out and cut it. (Lots more detail at the above link, including comments from Tim Minchin and Jonathan Ross.)

Fortunately, Mr Minchin obtained a copy of the final edited song before it was cut, and he's made it available to view online himself:

If you enjoyed it -- or even if you didn't -- feel free to complain to ITV about their censorship via an email to viewerservices@itv.com.

TV

It's "catch up before all that Christmas telly begins" time!

Black Mirror
1x01 The National Anthem
Media-satirising anthology series from the brain of Charlie Brooker, which in fairly typical me fashion has already finished before I'm even starting it (still, at least this was only three episodes -- I'm a series behind with Misfits and I've not even got going on the 15-part Story of Film). Very dark, very good. Anthology series are in short supply so it would be nice if this took off.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Dave's One Night Stand
3x05 Tommy Tiernan [season finale]

The Graham Norton Show
10x08 (16/12/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Have I Got News For You
42x09 (16/12/11 edition; extended repeat) [2nd watch]
A particularly good episode, I thought; and, as ever, even better extended.
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
7x07 Noretta
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Life's Too Short
1x06 Episode 6
Apparently this has been picked up for a second series. Not sure how I feel about that.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Live at the Apollo
7x06 Episode 6 [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Rev.
2x06 Episode 6
A season finale of an episode, even though there's a Christmas special next week... well, it was on two days ago, but... yeah.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

TV

The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson
3x06 Episode 6

Michael Bublé: Home for Christmas
Mmm, cheese.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Onion News Network
1x04 Fifth Anniversary

Rev.
2x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Articles

Digital Spy readers' awards 2011: The winners!
by Mark Langshaw (from Digital Spy)
I wouldn't bother mentioning this normally, but the final award prompted a laugh: in a Digital Spy poll for best entertainment news website, Digital Spy won! What a shocker.

TV

Argumental
4x07 Episode 7

Death in Paradise
1x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
That was good fun. I hope we get more.

The Royal Variety Performance 2011
Back to ITV and it gets worse. Well, there were some very good bits, but most of the singing (of which there was plenty) was appalling.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

TV

Charley Boorman's Extreme Frontiers
Episode 3 (of 4)
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
25x11 Episode 11
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

this week on 100 Films

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

Cars (2006)

it’s a bit predictable, kinda like Pixar/any kids’ movie by numbers. Pixar are usually better than that. There may be one or two slight surprises along the way — mostly in aid of a Good Strong Moral Message for the kiddies — but at times it’s a bit thumb-twiddly as you wait for characters to reach the point they’re inevitably headed for.

Diner (1982)

Diner is like a series of vignettes. There’s a loose plot holding it all together — the aforementioned wedding — but it all plays like a series of connected subplots. It’s a “slice of life” kind of film, rather than a “big story” kinda film. That works for some viewers and not for others. For me, I enjoyed some of it and some of the amusing moments, but it all felt ultimately empty.

More next Sunday.

TV

Strictly Come Dancing
9x25 The Final Part 1
9x26 The Final Part 2 [season finale]
[Watch both parts (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

TV

The British Comedy Awards 2011
Didn't agree with all the winners... but then there were a few that really exceptionally deserved it, and it was Good Fun All Round. Plus, a Harry Hill clip that actually made me laugh. First time for everything.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Have I Got News For You
42x09 (16/12/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Live at the Apollo
7x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

QI
9x16 VG Part 1
I seem to have completely missed an episode of QI. Really don't know how. Annoyed about that now.
This was just a highlights show. Which was fine. It also included at least one clip from at least one episode that hasn't aired yet. Which was different.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Best And Worst Sci-Fi Movie Posters 2011 by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
You might not agree with every choices in either category (I certainly didn't), but it's a good reminder of the last year nonetheless.

Doctor Who: Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill to leave next series by Daniel Sperling
(from Digital Spy)
I know no one really believed it when they left toward the end of the last series, but the thing is kids probably did, and it was a good surprise, and more importantly it was a good, well-reasoned send off. How are they going to bring them back after the Doctor's resolve that he was messing up their lives? And how will they write them out again in a way that tops that? As much as I love Rory, it's a shame they've not just let them go.

Doctor Who: "The assumption that the audience is intelligent has paid off" says Steven Moffat by Tim Glanfield
(from Radio Times)
Yes indeed. Though to be honest, I preferred it before all these intricate multi-year timey-wimey plots. Self-contained one- and two-parters with maybe a big linking season finale for me, please.

Collection Count

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

This week, the number of films in my collection crosses the 1,500 mark. I dread to think how few of those I've actually watched...

Number of titles in collection: 1,411 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,143 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 268 [up 2]

Number of discs in collection: 3,508 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,501 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,335 [no change]

This week should be the latest running time update, but I'm 'on the road' at the minute so don't have access to that information. Instead, I've decided to bump it back a fortnight, thereby covering whatever I get for Christmas too. Shiny.

Before then -- see you next week, faithful reader.

Films

Enchanted (2007)
[2nd watch]
This was #80 on 100 Films way back in 2008, and obviously I hadn't watched it since. It's bloody great though.

Articles

Doctor Who Magazine's Christmas tribute to Radio Times by Paul Jones
(from Radio Times)
The new DWM, out today, takes as its cover inspiration a Christmas RT from the '20s. See the original and the homage at the link.

TV

Curiosity
1x03 Why is Sex Fun?
Based on this -- a big new flagship documentary with a different celebrity presenter for each episode and that kind of thing -- the Americans aren't half as good at making documentaries as we are. Sure, it's ultimately informative, but it's also repetitive, over-directed and inaccurately titled. Plus it has a dreadfully cheesy title card/ad break bumper; so bad I thought it was years old, but it seems it's brand new. Ugh.

Frozen Planet
Part 7 On Thin Ice [final episode]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

The Graham Norton Show
10x07 (9/12/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Have I Got News For You
42x08 (9/12/11 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Live at the Apollo
7x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Onion News Network
1x03 Man-Horse Marriage

TV

Dave's One Night Stand
3x04 Stephen K Amos

The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson
3x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Life's Too Short
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Pointless
4x08 (23/3/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

A daily dose of sci-fi - Day 30

To finish we need a great tune for the end credits -
what's your favourite sci-fi theme?

This one really is very, very easy, and conforms to what I'm certain must have been a running theme...

Doctor Who

Whether it's the creepy electronic original, or one of the synth-tastic '80s versions, or the orchestral TV movie recording, or one of Murray Gold's bombastic modern renderings, the Doctor Who theme is always unbeatable. It can inspire dread or excitement as needed, and that scream into the cliffhanger... Ah, perfection!

Plus, it's easily singalongable. Who hasn't at some point oo-wee-oo'd?


That's it! The end! What a good note to end on (see what I did there?)

I've quit enjoyed this, even if I did struggle with a few answers. Maybe I should try to find another one...

Read about a daily dose of sci-fi, with links to the rest of the series, here.

TV

Argumental
4x06 Episode 6

Blue Peter
5/12/11 edition
For the making of the BBC One Christmas trail. Also, Ed Sheeran is clearly not cut out to be a presenter.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Charley Boorman's Extreme Frontiers
Episode 2 (of 4)
Most of it, anyway -- for some reason the copy on Virgin Media Catch Up died every time at the final ad break. I suppose I should just watch it online...
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Death in Paradise
1x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
25x10 Episode 10
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

A daily dose of sci-fi - Day 29

Best pre-1980s sci-fi

For this one I wanted something that was only pre-'80s -- so no Doctor Who (not even classic series only), no Star Wars or Star Trek, etc. Naturally cases could be made for all of these -- I could just have an era of Who, or the original Trek, or just Empire Strikes Back -- but I wanted to push for something different.

I don't know if "best" is quite the right word, and maybe I should've chosen this yesterday, but...

Flash Gordon serials

Larry "Buster" Crabbe starred in three of these cinema serials (the precursor of TV series, I suppose) in the '30s and '40s -- Flash Gordon, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. They used to show them on BBC One on Saturday mornings in the late '90s (God that makes it sound long ago), when I was in the early year(s) of secondary school, and my friends and I used to love them.

They're silly and schlocky, and notorious for those kinds of cliffhangers where everything seems impossible... and in next week's recap something completely different happens and everything's OK. Ah, an age before repeats or VHS or harddrive recorders or iPlayer. Or, apparently, memory.

These things aren't Great in the proper use of the word -- there's no revolutionary SF concepts or fantastic screenplays or beautiful performances to be found -- but they're damn good fun, full of scrapes and spills and primitive special effects. They're a joy.

And I don't think I've seen all of them. I've seen at least two, because I remember the serial changed on the Beeb and suddenly the lead female characters had swapped hair colours, which was most confusing. I have two on DVD -- I hope different ones -- but I'm not sure which two, because they go under so many different titles. Quick read of Wikipedia suggests I have the first and third; don't know which I saw on telly. Anyway, I must try to right this and see them all.


Read about a daily dose of sci-fi, with links to the rest of the series, here.

TV

Have I Got News For You
42x07 (2/12/11 edition; extended repeat)

How I Met Your Mother
7x06 Mystery vs. History
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]