Review – Black Sails
November 11, 2017
“Mr Holmes doesn’t work here any more.”
Category: Television
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Wheeler Dealers
May 25, 2016
Wander from the surfaced path of terrestrial television and you soon find your feet trudging through the quagmires of cable, satellite and freeview broadcasting. There are so many channels, and thanks to a quirk of the universe, twenty-four hours in the day. To any right-thinking person there simply isn’t enough content to fill the millions … More Wheeler Dealers
The Champions
April 27, 2016
There’s a Golden Age of television theme tunes, from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, a time when the programme and the opening music became one in a perfect marriage. The Persuaders is a stand out theme, along with Van Der Valk, but there’s one more worth mentioning: The Champions. Written by Tony Hatch, who had … More The Champions
The Bridge
January 8, 2016
There was a time when Sweden’s reputation centred around Abba’s spangliness and Volvo’s lumpen reliability. And then a darkness befell the nation from which we ultimately tripped over The Bridge. To those who aren’t interested in trivia, when the Øresund Bridge was built, connecting Copenhagen in Denmark with Malmo in Sweden, it was the first … More The Bridge
Arthur Daley
August 5, 2015
This post was written a couple of days before the sad news of George Cole’s death. I hope this is a fitting tribute to the actor and his greatest character… There are few people whose names enter the lexicon of a language. If you hate the thought of spending money you’re a Scrooge. Block progress … More Arthur Daley
The Ghosts of Motley Hall
June 26, 2015
“We’ve been reading through this mountain of inanity, boring ourselves senseless.” Not the sort of line you’d expect from a ghost, but this was one of many violent outbursts from the foghorn mouth of General Sir George Uproar (KCMG), self-appointed leader of the Ghosts of Motley Hall. Between 1976 and 1978 the Ghosts of Motley … More The Ghosts of Motley Hall
A Tale of Two Sci-Fis
April 2, 2015
In the green corner we have DC’s Arrow. In the multicoloured and slightly off-white with orange corner Defiance. Their differences couldn’t be more stark. I like a good sci-fi story either in film or television. I hate bad sci-fi, I hate bad film and television and the reason for my displeasure is lazy writing and … More A Tale of Two Sci-Fis
An Audience With Kenneth Williams
February 8, 2015
Back in the 1980s, pseudo-celebrities didn’t voluntarily debase themselves in the jungle, they sat in the audience of these shows watching real celebrities demonstrate to them how its done. In 1983 it was the turn of the foppish Kenneth Williams, star of the Carry On films, Hancock’s radio series and Round the Horne, to speak … More An Audience With Kenneth Williams
Anyone for Demis – How the World Invaded the Charts
February 8, 2015
If your idea of foreign pop is Sylvia singing Eviva Espana in 1973 then you’re in for a treat with this mind boggling cornucopia of old 45s from yesteryear. Sylvia, by the way, was about as Spanish as Scottish salmon; born Sylvia Vrethammar in Sweden, she was like the Hawaian singers who first hit the … More Anyone for Demis – How the World Invaded the Charts
Strange Days: Cold War Britain – Two Tribes
February 8, 2015
During the programme Anyone for Demis, we were introduced to a disturbingly large unit of Soviet soldiers singing and dancing at the Royal Albert Hall. They were over here for a bit of a knees up and not to absorb us into the communist bloc. This Russian bonhomie was not how the politicians of the … More Strange Days: Cold War Britain – Two Tribes
Morecambe and Wise – The Whole Story
February 8, 2015
Fenella Fielding seduced Ernie Wise. She was one of hundreds of major celebrities who would subject themselves to the ritual humiliation and a slap in the face from Eric Morecambe. And these were celebrities, major celebrities, not the half-baked desperadoes who go by the name of celebrity in the 21st Century. A roll call of … More Morecambe and Wise – The Whole Story
Queens of British Pop: Part 1
February 8, 2015
No one featured in the first episode of the Queens of British Pop had their lapels attacked by Eric Morecambe! Dustie Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithful, Suzie Quatro and Kate Bush escaped the spectacle and their careers carried on regardless. Only Dustie Springfield is gone, the others continue to this day albeit in various guises … More Queens of British Pop: Part 1
The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruikshank
February 8, 2015
What must it be like to have so much money you can build your own fantasy world? I suppose the people who come closest to this dream are film directors like Peter Jackson or George Lucas who spend most of their adult lives immersed in a green screen universe of robots and goblins. In the … More The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruikshank
Christina, A Medieval Life
February 8, 2015
Unlike Simon Schama, Michael Wood doesn’t treat the subjects of history like film stars. He treats them like real people. That’s not necessarily a criticism of Schama: he tells a good tale and tells it well. But Wood is more down to earth, his enthusiasm is instant, boyish, infectious. In this investigation Wood rummages through … More Christina, A Medieval Life
Sherlock Holmes – The Norwood Builder
February 8, 2015
The impact of Sherlock Holmes relies on the actor who plays him. Some swear by Basil Rathbone. Hip metropolitan young things won’t have heard of the character until Benedict Cumberbatch took on the role. In between, a number of names have come and gone: Matt Freyer, Robert Stephens and even Michael Caine acting as a … More Sherlock Holmes – The Norwood Builder
Life of a Mountain: Scafell Pike
February 8, 2015
And talking of haggard, nothing is as haggard as the rock faces around Scafell Pike. Which makes Terry Abraham’s film all the more incredible in the way he has turned something as rough as rock into a sublime study of natural beauty. For two hours we are up on the tops, down in the valleys, … More Life of a Mountain: Scafell Pike
Jo
February 8, 2015
Jo doesn’t have whining music ten minutes from the end. But Jo is an ex-alcoholic drug user with marital issues. Dead wife, drugged up daughter and he’s a cop in a parallel universe Paris. Jo isn’t a science fiction cop show though. For some reason he seems to be the only French person in Paris. … More Jo
Continuum – Season 1
February 8, 2015
Remember Rachel Nichols in GI Joe? Clad in a one piece outfit full of hi-tech gadgetry? She’s here again in Continuum, clad in a one piece outfit full of hi-tech gadgetry. However, the producers cleverly disguise it as a two piece outfit with the lower half turning into a pair of trousers. And then the … More Continuum – Season 1
The Big Bang Theory – Season Six
February 8, 2015
Or Friends with PhDs. When I saw a scene in which Penny sat down with the Other Two drinking wine and discussing partners I had a feeling this would be the last episode I watch of TBBT. Remember the glory days when Penny was the socially aware, but academically dumb hallmate contrasting with the socially … More The Big Bang Theory – Season Six
Wainwright – The Man Who Loved the Lakes
February 8, 2015
There are many who worship the ground Wainwright walked on. Many who live by his little guide books consider him the Daddy of the Lake District fells. Grown men kneel before him, women cast themselves in front of steam trains in an act of sacrifice. Wainwright, to his devotees, is a god. A legend. I … More Wainwright – The Man Who Loved the Lakes
Simon Armitage – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
February 8, 2015
I first came across Simon Armitage on Radio 4 discussing his translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a medieval epic poem written by an unknown poet possibly from Derbyshire. Armitage allows me to boast about one of my two claims to fame: In the 1980s I worked with Norbert Hannett, father of Factory … More Simon Armitage – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Jon Ronson – For the Love of…
February 8, 2015
…Crazy Rulers of the World Before I get to the asylum of Shutter Island, let me start with something else I’ve been watching all week. I came across episodes of Jon Ronson’s documentaries on Youtube and whilst I’ve seen some of them before, the Crazy Rulers of the World series, I hadn’t come across his … More Jon Ronson – For the Love of…
The Opening Sentence 