Tag: tv

June 23, 2012
Comedian Jimmy Carr has been in the news this week, due not so much to revelations that he benefited from a tax loophole that saw him pay 1% tax on earnings reported as 3 million a year; but more due to Prime Minister David Cameron targeting him, and him alone, for comment, saying his tax arrangements were “morally wrong”.

Now, I’m not defending Carr’s tax arrangements, but I feel it inappropriate for him to be singled out in this way by the leader of the government. I might be more in agreement with this, if the morally righteous Cameron hadn’t himself inherited a fortune made on off-shore savings, and if he had thought to comment on others who might deserve it a little more, such as businessman and government advisor Philip Green, whose own tax arrangements have saved him in excess of 250 million of personal and corporate tax.

April 6, 2012
I was somewhat uplifted to hear that Mad Men was not doing very well on Sky Atlantic – viewing figures are down to 47,000, from 255,000 when it was shown on BBC4. According to some sources, this means the show is costing Sky £5 per viewer.

I enjoyed the first four series of Mad Men on the BBC, and was annoyed when I heard Sky had poached it, just as they did with Lost (from Channel 4) and numerous other programmes. I guess they think that by outbidding an open broadcast channel for an established show, they will attract the fan base and get new subscribers. I’m pleased to observe that it doesn’t seem to have worked. Like me, I am sure many folk will simply wait for it to come out as a boxed set, and watch it at their leisure, knowing the cost of the series will probably be less than one month’s subscription to Sky. And that isn’t even considering a possible eBay resale after you’ve watched it!

February 23, 2012
On BBC Question Time tonight, Ed Vaizey was asserting that RBS shares were up. David Dimbleby disagreed – “They are 40% down on last year.”

This is where Ed Vaizey, grasping at straws, actually said “Well they are up on their lowest point”.

February 18, 2012
Is anyone else watching this? Excellent BBC 4-part drama about a heist at a money-counting secure vault. More twists and turns than a curly-wurly, and some excellent acting, especially from Steven Mackintosh.

We’ve recently had episode 3 of 4, but all the episodes to date are on BBC Iplayer – http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01bpkk9/

January 28, 2012
Is anyone else watching Eternal Law on ITV?

The premise – two angels sent to earth to help humanity, in the guise of lawyers – made me cringe when I heard it, but it really isn’t bad at all. Although it sounds like a typical American series, it is actually UK made, and set in York, and stars the excellent Samuel West. Apparently, it is made by the same team who brought us Life on Mars (which I loved) and Ashes to Ashes (which I hated).

January 11, 2012
As some of you know, I watch quite a bit of TV, too much in fact; and I have a minor interest in adverts. Some ads make me laugh, some I just consider pure art, but some really get me irritated.

The one that is currently doing my head in is the one for Flora Cuisine, a emulsified cooking oil substitute. The advert shows celebrity Vernon Kay being cooked for by his mum (and it *is* his real mum). As mum starts a stir-fry with a good dash of what appears to be liquid margerine, Vernon turns his nose up, and asks “What’s that?”. His is told (as are we) that it is Flora Cuisine, which has “45% less saturated fat than olive oil”. Wow says Vernon (and all of us), it must really be good and healthy then.

January 2, 2012
When I saw the laughable Doctor Who Christmas Special, one of my first thoughts was “oh well, Moffat must be spending his time on the new series of Sherlock.

However, having just caught the first episode of series 2 – “A Scandal In Belgravia” – on iPlayer, this is apparently not the case.

[Spoilers follow]

December 16, 2011
I have been watching Fringe Series 3 on DVD, and thoroughly enjoying it. I don’t want to post spoilers, because my DVDs are being lent to at least two people when I have finished with them; but last night I watched episode 3.16 – “Os”, and was delighted by the turn of events at the end. Both shocking and hilarious – I am still chuckling over it today, and can’t wait to see how it develops.

Anna Torv is a genius!

December 11, 2011
Had a fairly quiet weekend, as I’ve been nursing a bad cold, and this close to Christmas, I want to make sure I get rid of it quick.

It was a good excuse to watch some Fringe. I picked up the third season on DVD a few weeks ago, so today I watched the last two episodes of season two again, and then watched the first DVD of series 3 straight through. Brilliant stuff.

October 20, 2011
A while ago, I posted that I had bodged together a pair of prescription passive 3D specs. They worked well, until I decided I could improve on the taping of the lenses, and managed to completely mess one of them up.

Meanwhile I discovered these on eBay. They are framed, and therefore not flimsey like other clipons, they are fairly flat and not curved, which means they fit well to most prescription frames (at least those I have tried). And they are only 4 quid, including postage.

August 24, 2011
I’ve just finished watching the final episode of the BBC’s “The Hour”. Much has been said in the press about it being a British equivalent to “Mad Men” (lazy reporting – the two shows have nothing in common at all, aside from most of the male characters wearing suits), and of the frequent misuse of modern dialog in a drama set in the 50s.

The anachronistic language didn’t bother me too much, but one thing did. Throughout the whole drama, set in 1956, the two principle characters jokingly refer to each other as “Moneypenny” (frequently) and “James” (rarely, in response). The first James Bond novel was written in 1953, and at the time of the drama, only 3 novels had been published. While it is true that both the characters are intelligent and well read, so may have been familiar with these early novels, it seemed to me the joking seemed based on the depiction of Miss Moneypenny in the films, the first of which wouldn’t be produced for another 6 years.

I felt this was typical of the sloppyness (or absence) of basic research on the period. Despite this, I found the show fairly enjoyable to watch. However, this was mainly for the characters, as I felt the plot itself was rather weak.

What follows contains serious spoilers. Do not read if you haven’t yet watched this program (but intend to).

April 10, 2011
Have just finished the final episode of Fringe Season 1 and I loved it. For some strange reason, I was under the impression that Series 2 wasn’t available yet on DVD, but that proves not to be the case, although it is 30 quid at all of the usual online outlets I have looked at (Amazon, Play etc.).

Time to hang out on eBay for a while, I think.