Archive for the 'TV Shows' Category
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Judge Judy Rocks
Judge Judy Sheindlin is one of Americas highest paid TV stars. She is a straight-talking, cut through the crap, grandmother figure who doesn’t suffer fools gladly in any way. She deals with cases where the claim is below $5,000. Many of the cases are to do with loans made between friends where one parts denies it was a loan but a gift. Cases where cars are damaged through being driven by careless mates under the influence and without insurance are also popular. She takes no prisoners when dealing with people who answer back or talk over her. She would be a really useful person to know when having an argument with someone. A pocket sized JJ would be a good idea!
Monday, January 9th, 2012
Perhaps it’s just me, but…..
I just don’t get the appeal of Big Brother. I watched the first three in the series I think, but what started as a social experiment became a programme is full of sad, egotistical, surgically enhanced wannabes who – on the whole – seem to share one brain cell between them. The trend started with Jade Goody. What makes it right for the most thick and socially inept ‘housemates’ to end up being kept in the house for most of the whole series and become celebrity household names earning squillions of money just for being stupid? It would be a very sad state of affairs if people living outside the UK thought the Big Brother housemates were a representative cross-section of the British population. How embarrassing. Don’t get me started about Stacy Solomon!
Friday, January 6th, 2012
A ‘Bird’s-eye’ view on Television
After all the trouble I had finding a decent programme to watch over Christmas and New Year I finally watched a brilliant programme on Television last night. This was the second installment of ‘Earthflight’. The photography was excellent, catching a great white shark in slow motion attacking a seal and almost swallowing it whole. Some of the scenes were taken from a bird’s-eye view – they must have literally strapped a camera to an eagles back to get some of the scenes shot over the Victoria Falls and Zambizi river. There were scenes of thousands of flamingos packed together and being chased (and caught!) by baboons and hyenas. This programme was a real pleasure to watch after all the repeats and ‘comedy’ dross aired over Christmas.
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Do British Soaps Make The Nation Depressed?
I am not a soap watcher. I find the whole thing a rather dull and an unproductive way of spending an evening after working hard during the day. Why would I want to watch a bunch of fictional characters live their lives on one road with all the apparent problems they face. This isn’t a film, it isn’t going to end. You’re going to spend your whole life watching someone else’s life. Turn the TV off, and go and enjoy your own life. The soaps are on week in, week out. What I ask is what is their purpose? They sure as hell don’t make people feel good about themselves. Instead I think it teaches people all the wrong things, go to the pub every night, have a few drinks, have a row, have an affair with the person across the road, and escape to the airport in a black cab.
I had a mate once who lived their life according to the schedule of the soaps, you name it, she watched it. Coronation Street, Eastenders, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale. The lot. Sometimes she would leave work excited to get home to spend the entire night watching soaps from the week. The saddest part of this story is when Sky+ was created, she started recording the soaps, so she never missed another episode. The key to this little anecdote is ‘I had a mate’, ‘had’ being the operative word.
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Graham Norton – The Best Talkshow On TV
The BBC has had many talk show hosts over the years. Parkinson and Ross being the stand out two. But for me, the best of the bunch has to be Graham Norton. His show is different, its not like Friday Night with Jonathan Ross where he used to flirt and make crude jokes towards his guests one by one. I didnt like his personality at all, but to give him credit, he did get some big names on his sofa.
As for Parkinson, how could I possibly write a blog post slating his talk show. It ran for centuries bringing in the biggest names across all areas. It was a great talk show.
The new kid on the block has to be Graham Norton. I really like the way he gets all the guests on the sofa at the same time. Puts a drink in their hand, and the lot of them interact. Its not just about Q&A. Everyone joins in on the questions, giving their views, telling their similar stories. I also like the audience participation, sometimes its just a case of members of the audience simply shouting out. Its like the show really is in your lounge. The show finishes with ‘The Red Chair’ where members of the audience try and tell an embarrassing story before being ejected off the seat if it sucks. This is where Graham Norton comes into his own. Simply destroying the member of the audience with a look, comment or just pure laughter. It does make for rather good television and an excellent talkshow.
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Wink Bingo signs up to sponsor The Only Way is Essex
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you are likely to be aware of the ITV2 show The Only Way is Essex. The stars of the show, including Amy Childs, Mark Wright, Lauren Goodger, Jessica Wright and Sam Faiers, have been everywhere lately, promoting their reality TV show and generally living it large.
Well now Wink Bingo, one of the most popular online bingo sites on the net, has got involved in the juggernaut that is The Only Way is Essex. Commenting on the site’s Wink Buzz page, blogger Holly has spilled the beans and let the world know that Wink Bingo will be the proud new sponsor of the new series of the hit ITV2 show.
As part of the deal, Wink Bingo will be running regular TV adverts featuring stars of the show Shell and Kylie. These ads will appear during the breaks throughout the whole of the new series, which kicked off in style on Sunday 20th March.
If you fancy finding out more about Wink Bingo, other than their involvement in The Only Way is Essex, it’s more than likely that ohmybingo.com has all the info you’re looking for.
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
The remarkable longevity of House
Another favourite TV show of mine, currently on a Sky One season-break at the moment, is House (or House, M.D.). This American TV drama is one of those addictive programmes that you cannot understand why you like it so much.
This is because it is essentially the same concept every week; Dr. Gregory House (played by our own Hugh Laurie), is given a case at Princeton‑Plainsboro Teaching Hospital (PPTH), where he works as head of the diagnostics team; the case is hard to solve but, in the end, Dr House (always) saves the day with a completely outrageous diagnosis which usually breaks the hospital rules.
The premise really should have worn thin by now (well into its seventh season), but for some reason, it just hasn’t.
Monday, December 27th, 2010
Eight days of Bauer
Most people have heard of 24 – even if they have not actually seen the programme themselves- such has been the reaction to the longest running espionage TV show ever made.
This US export is a firm favourite of here in the UK and Kiefer Sutherland’s Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) agent, Jack Bauer, is one of the most well-known characters in TV.
The show started back in 2001 (wow, is it really that long ago?) and ran for eight seasons (of 24 hours in real-time), spanning 192 episodes and a short TV movie. It finished this May as a TV show, but a feature film is already in the pipeline, so Bauer fans still have something more to look forward to.
Friday, December 24th, 2010
The sheer genius of Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is the show that took the 90s by storm, in America and throughout the rest of the world. I remember watching it as a bemused teenager back in 1990 but have since revisited the two seasons of Twin Peaks which were made and must admit; it is certainly up there with the best TV shows of all time.
While it is not to everyone’s tastes; it is very strange and the supernatural element does take over from the murder investigation drama it starts out as, but I still find it captivating to this day.
If you have not seen Twin Peaks yet, but like TV programmes like the X-Files, then I’d suggest you give it a try.
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
Have you seen Dexter yet?
Dexter is one of those American TV series that I heard about when it first came out (in 2006) but never got round to watching it. I knew the first season had been critically acclaimed and friends and family suggested I watch it, but I never did – until recently.
During the summer I had run out of programmes to watch and found the show in HMV for around a tenner. I thought it was worth the risk, and I’m glad I did. I have now seen all the seasons up until the current one (five) and think it is one of the best TV dramas out there. The sixth season has now been given the go-ahead.
Dexter Morgan, the serial killer and forensic bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro PD, is played perfectly by Michael C. Hall. You certainly never grow tired of watching as he almost gets found out for who he really is – by his colleagues and family members alike.