TV

Elementary
2x06 An Unnatural Arrangement


Friends
5x23 The One in Vegas Part 1 [4th or so watch]
5x24 The One in Vegas Part 2 [season finale; 4th or so watch]


The Mentalist
6x06 Fire and Brimstone

Alright, look: I'm not naive/stupid/ill-informed — I know there's an episode coming up called Red John (already aired in the US), and the answer to the entire series' overarching mystery is contained within… but how in the hell is that not the next episode?! I mean, I thought we might get to that reveal here — how is there at least another 45 minutes before that revelation?

Also, on a separate but related note: if the series is essentially relaunching after that point, why is said relaunch before the Christmas break? Surely it would've been neater to tell the final act of the Red John tale in 2013, then start afresh with the first episode next year? But I suppose this is US network TV we're talking about: they probably don't want anyone going away over Christmas thinking the show's finished and then not watching when it returns in January. Though how long it can go without its main driving storyline is a whole other issue.

Well, that said, it could go quite a while, because the Red John case was never really the series' primary joy; but, equally, it might feel a tad unfocused long-term without that to latch on to.

Anyway, this is really a debate for another time.

[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

TV

Friends
5x21 The One with the Ball [4th or so watch]
5x22 The One with Joey's Big Break [4th or so watch]

The Great British Bake Off
4x10 Class of 2012

Person of Interest
2x06 The High Road
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

TV

Friends
5x20 The One with the Ride Along [4th or so watch]

Have I Got News For You
46x07 (22/11/2013 edition; extended repeat)

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x09 Episode 9

TV

Friends
5x18 The One Where Rachel Smokes [4th or so watch]
5x19 The One Where Ross Can't Flirt [5th or so watch]

The Mentalist
6x05 The Red Tattoo
So... nearly... there...
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Articles

Ian Fleming hit a Nazi, but you should have seen the one that got away…
by David Mitchell (from The Observer)

Turns out Sky Atlantic's new Ian Fleming biopic is mostly fiction, but looks like it's being fact, but kinda admits it's fiction, but only after tricking you into thinking it's fact. And that's wrong.

this week on 100 Films

A busy week on 100 Films in a Year -- well, actually, it was a pretty quiet week, and then suddenly a very busy last few days.

Anyway...

First, as it's December 1st, here's the November update. And because I've reached 100 films, it looks back at all the previous #100s too. Exciting.

Secondly, as it's December 1st, it's time to launch the 100 Films Advent Calendar 2013! I Know, I bet you can barely contain your excitement. 25 days of solid new reviews -- thrilling!

Thirdly, two new reviews were published this week, and they were...


Dredd (2012)

It's the gritty take on 2000AD’s primary hero that aficionados have long desired, but also an exemplary sci-fi/action movie in its own right. With impressive gun battles, dry humour, and Karl Urban nailing the title character (yes, including the voice)

Read more here.


Shane (1953)

The general shape of the plot is one familiar to Western fans, though that may well be because the others are based on Shane: a mysterious stranger riders into town, just looking for lodgings and/or work. Turns out the honest good-hearted town-folk are in some way being oppressed by a local gang/landowner/etc. The stranger doesn’t want to intervene, he just wants a quiet life… but eventually something galvanises him and he can’t help it. Cue climactic shoot-out.

Read more here.


And finally, there were a couple of reviews new to the new blog too...


Casanova (2005)

pales in comparison to the Russell T Davies-scripted, David Tennant-starring BBC production from the same year. Where that version is witty, clever, entertaining and actually does something with the characters, this film is silly, predictable and only occasionally graced with an amusing moment.

Read more here.


Make/Remake: Assaults on Precinct 13

Comparing the 1976 cult classic to its glossy 2005 remake.

Individual reviews can be found here and here, while the comparison is here.

Swing Time (1936)

One interesting note is some story similarities to Sideways — yes, Sideways, the recent Oscar-winning indie comedy about love and wine tasting. Whether Swing Time had any influence on that (made almost 70 years later), or it’s just a huge coincidence, I don’t know, but there are several reminiscent moments throughout the engaged-man-and-buddy-find-love-in-far-off-location-(then-accidentally-let-truth-slip) plot.

Read more here.


Phew!

More next Sunday. Seven more, hopefully.

TV

Atlantis
1x09 Pandora's Box
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Castle
3x09 Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Friends
5x17 The One with Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss [4th or so watch]

Collection Count

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

This week, Amazon UK's Black Friday brings a last-minute (almost literally: it only arrived two hours ago) addition: a complete series box set of Damages to replace the only season I already owned. (And I was surprised to learn it's 3½ years since I last watched it!) Up go discs and episodes, but not titles.

And up goes the running time too, of course -- and it's time for an update on that as well (which the Damages set accounts for more than half of).

Number of titles in collection: 1,640 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,197 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 443 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 4,085 [up 12]
Number of films in collection: 1,746 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,076 [up 46]
Number of short films in collection: 406 [no change]

Total running time of collection (approx.):
293 days, 19 hours, and 30 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 11 hours and 19 minutes from last month.)

The next running time update will be the post-Christmas year-end one! Thrilling.

But before that, see you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Arrow
2x06 Keep Your Enemies Closer

Friends
5x15 The One with the Girl Who Hits Joey [4th or so watch]
5x16 The One with the Cop [4th or so watch]

Hebburn
2x01 Welcome Home
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Live at the Apollo
9x01 Episode 1

Was It Something I Said
1x07 Episode 7 (extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version on 4oD.]

TV

Elementary
2x05 Ancient History

Friends
5x13 The One with Joey's Bag [4th or so watch]
5x14 The One Where Everybody Finds Out [4th or so watch]

Poirot
13x04 The Labours of Hercules
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

TV

Friends
5x11 The One with All the Resolutions [4th or so watch]
5x12 The One with Chandler's Work Laugh [4th or so watch]

Person of Interest
2x05 Bury the Lede
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Films

Man of Steel (2013)
[#103 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]

TV

Castle
3x08 Murder Most Fowl
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty
From everything I'd heard, I was expecting this to be a complete wash-out. Actually, it had its moments -- essentially, anything pre-recorded or pre-edited, including some magnificent montages; and the throw to Australia was quite sweet. The already-infamous bit with One Direction was truly appalling, though. I don't think I've ever seen something go so badly wrong in a live broadcast before.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Friends
5x09 The One with Ross's Sandwich [5th or so watch]
5x10 The One with the Inappropriate Sister [4th or so watch]

Was It Something I Said
1x06 Episode 6 (extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version on 4oD.]

TV

Friends
5x08 The One with All the Thanksgivings [5th or so watch]

Have I Got News For You
46x05 (8/11/2013 edition; extended repeat)

The Mentalist
6x04 Red Listed
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x08 Episode 8


This is my first Monday without Doctor Who for almost four months. I miss #bbbDW50, which of course has ended... but, the moment has been prepared for...

(Which, um, you'll find out about... in about a week...)

Articles

Steven Moffat is rewriting Doctor Who folklore to produce a Christmas cracker
by Mark Jefferies (from Radio Times)

Well this could've been made clearer in-show! Or I guess they're just going to explain it at Christmas for those only tuning in then. But there should be a liiiittle more hype to the idea that Matt Smith is The Last Ever Doctor. Shame.

Anyway, yes, you read that right: Matt Smith is the Doctor's 13, ergo final, regeneration. Peter Capaldi will be the impossible 14th. Even though I believe they're still calling him the Twelfth Doctor. Confused? So say we all.

Doctor Who is was 50...

The Doctor Who anniversary may be officially over, and the glut of programming not so much winding down as stopping dead (aside from repeats, all that's left is Radio 1's The Story of Trock later today), but there's a whole load of stuff I've not got round to yet:

BBC Three's Afterparty; the last Doctors Revisited; The Ultimate Guide to Doctor Who; the 12 Again special; Radio 2's Who is The Doctor? and Blagger's Guide to Doctor Who; eight audiobooks & full-cast plays from Radio 4 Extra; plus their Who Made Who marathon, and sundry other radio bits...

So for me, the celebrations are far from over -- hurrah!

TV

Arrow
2x05 League of Assassins

Doctor Who
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
As the 50th anniversary special approaches, the surviving Doctors decide they should be involved, in this comedy special written and directed by Peter Davison. I was worried this would be terribly self-indulgent, especially when I learnt it was half-an-hour long, but... well, I suppose it is in a way, because it's very much "for fans" -- but my goodness is it hilarious! And the array of cameos is astonishing, and everyone's having a whale of a time... We've been spoilt for highlights this anniversary, but this is definitely amongst the highest.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
1x10 The Tenth Doctor

Friends
5x07 The One Where Ross Moves In [5th or so watch]

Poirot
13x03 Dead Man's Folly
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x06 Episode 6 [season finale]

Articles

Cover of the Century: The making of the "Vote Dalek!" Radio Times cover
(from Radio Times)

I meant to share this a few days ago when I read it, but forgot. I think it's somewhat fascinating, because I'd always assumed that cover was simply Photoshopped from existing elements -- but ohhh no!

this week on 100 Films

Two new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Armored Car Robbery (1950)

A solid rather than exceptional film noir, Armoured Car Robbery is worth a look for fans of the genre if they get a chance.

Read more here.


Immortals (2011)

Trailers reminiscent of 300 belie a (slightly) higher degree of artiness: in the making-of, Tarsem espouses that there are many “comic strip” movies, but he wanted to make a “painted strip” movie; Henry Cavill calls it “Fight Club meets Caravaggio”.

Read more here.


And new to the new blog...


American Dreamz (2006)

This loosely satirical comedy sees Dennis Quaid’s Bush-growing-a-brain President agree to be a guest judge on Hugh Grant’s Simon-Cowell-with-looks TV talent show. It’s pretty much as loopy as that sounds, though not as clever as it thinks it is.

Read more here.


Point Break (1991)

Jock-tastic ’80s-style surfing-based crime thriller. If you’ve seen Hot Fuzz you’ll know of this — it’s the one where Keanu Reeves lies on his back and empties his gun into the air while screaming “nooo!”

Read more here.


Sabrina (1954)

My top note for Sabrina is “morally suspect”... a variety of character traits and actions that left me supporting no character and disliking what a number of them got up to.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Happy Birthday Doctor Who...


Blue Peter
Doctor Who Special
Doctor Who Party

A pair of live episodes to mark Doctor Who's 50th, featuring a look at some of The Day of the Doctor's special effects, interviews with Matt and Jenna, a new "design something that will be in the series" competition, and makes for exciting things like a cushion and a Dalek cake. Bless Blue Peter.

[Watch the Special and the Party (again) on iPlayer.]



The Culture Show
Me, You and Doctor Who

A lovely, insightful exploration of the series' history and its impact on culture.

[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]



Doctor Who
33x15 The Day of the Doctor [50th anniversary special]

What's the 50th episode of #bbbDW50? It's the 50th anniversary episode, of course! What else would've been more appropriate?

And it was brilliant. Wasn't it? I thought so. I don't mind saying I've not always been the biggest fan of what Moffat's done as showrunner, especially over the last two series, but he absolutely nailed this. It was chock full of exciting new stuff and nods to the past, with everything from tiny subtle references for the true hardcore fan right up to big obvious "here are all the Doctors!" celebrations of the show's 50 year legacy. It was fabulous.

I look forward to watching it again in 3D. I reckon some of it will look grand. I fear the Christmas special can only be a letdown from here though, so we'll see...

But on a positive note: it's a feature-length episode that was released in cinemas alongside TV -- definitely counts for 100 Films, right? Well, does for me. I'll post a lengthier review there at some point.

[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]



Friends
5x06 The One with the Yeti [4th or so watch]
Yes, this is the only non-Who thing today.



The Graham Norton Show
14x06 (22/11/13 edition)

Featuring Matt Smith and David Tennant, dropping in halfway through like the BBC had mandated their inclusion on the regularly-scheduled episode. Which they may well have.

Actually, it left a bit of a bitter taste for me -- lots of old-fashioned stuff about the show just being for geeks, who've never touched a girl; suggesting Matt is only in the special due to contractual obligation so why on Earth has David deigned to come back; David and Matt not quite knowing what to say when Jimmy Carr asked a daft question about how can they both be in the special; and so on and so forth. It felt rather like a nasty throwback, instead of being aware that, actually, Doctor Who is now one of the BBC's top brands, a massive earner, probably more significant to culture than anyone else on the episode this evening; while they treated it a little like it deserved a nice pat on the head, a ruffle of its hair, and a half-meant "well done".

Bah.

[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]