Paris Hilton British Best Friend (ITV2)

Paris Hilton is as shallow as a muddy puddle on the side of the road, so when i tuned into her new 'reality' show, this time based in London, i thought i knew exactly what to expect; Paris walking around London (we get that) Paris spouting inane slogans like "bitches" and "Bestiesss" (we get that too) and a really formulaic mess of a show which is part Beauty and the Geek part Americas next top model. Well i got it right it is all them things! But somehow it was strangely entertaining, mainly due to some excruciating voiceover from Hilton, and some hilarious on the spot insults to the contestants. 

The show is basically just a load of women (most of them hideous to look at in daylight) and one man (gay of course!) partaking in 'challenges' to impress Paris. I have to single one of them out as she looks like a drag queen who has mated with Herman Munster her name is Layla (one to look out for, total total rotter) 

The first challenge is for the contestants to stand infront of Paris and have her judge their hair and 'look.' Trust me this was hilarious. Naturally these people think they look like supermodels, so when Paris Hilton rips into their terrible hair extensions they fall to pieces like recovering alcoholics. 

Whats worse is Paris gets 3 total and utter no bodies to "interview" her "besties;" one of the panel is Mark Durden Smith who sits on the panel like a washed up commercial actor who may or may not take one too many pills later on. They they ask the contestants boring questions and the airheads (and the gay!) respond with long pauses and one word answers, naturally talking doesn't come easy to these kind of people, considering their all surgery enhanced page three models or Mickey Mouse students from gutter towns. 

This show ridiculously shallow and bordering on offensive; it's so bad its good. 

I'm off to find out what on earth TTYN means. 

7/10! 

LOST "Jughead" (Sunday 9PM Skyone)

Lost continued at quick pace this week with the episode "Jughead;" like "The Lie" before it, Jughead actually moves the story forward alot more than most would expect of Lost. The biggest complaint i hear about the show from "non viewers" is that "nothing is ever revealed." In honesty that is rubbish; i have been suprised though, at the amount of secrets that are being revealed. In this episode alone we learn of Desmonds new born son (Named Charlie, though i thought Jughead might have been more appropriate) We learn that Charles Widmore was once on the Island as an other (interesting, but the reveal was slightly unremarkable) and most interestingly IMO we were told Widmore has funded Daniel Faradays research for most of his life. 

I didn't quite grasp the implications of this; surely Faraday is unaware of the grander picture of Widmores plan; he seems far too aloof to be revealed as a 'villain.'

This episode was focussed totally on Desmond and the islanders, Jack, Kate, and the rest of the Oceanic Six didn't appear and the episode probably suffered for it. As much as i like the periphery characters their stories don't quite have the gravity of the familiar ones. Though i'd love to see more of Miles and Charlotte they've been dominated by Faraday so far this season, and i hope they are not ostracised or god forbid killed. 

Desmonds story flowed along nicely and his pursuit of Faraday's mother came to an abrubt end at the end of the episode but we all know it won't end there, one for the future for sure.

The on island stuff was fine enough but the confrontation with "Jughead," a nuke from the 1950's was truly mundane; when the islanders were once again transported Charlotte had a severe hemorrhage (She needs a constant!) and left us wondering if she will survive (surely she will!) 

This was one of them Lost episodes that moves the story along nicely; but doesn't pull up any trees in the excitement stakes. It has to be truly terrible for me not to like an episode of Lost so predictably i thought it was good. 

8/10! 

Crimes Againt Cinema Take 6

Jack Bauer taking names!!!!

If you are not following the U.S. schedule of television you should avert your eyes and wait until you have seen the latest episode on SkyOne on Monday 2nd of February.



The following takes place between 1.00pm and 2.00pm. We are already into the 6th episode of the excellent 7th season and we continue from the last episode where Jack Bauer shot the neck of FBI agent Renee Walker and then proceeded to bury her alive. For those worried this season was about Jack reinacting the stunts of David Blaine you can relax, it was merely to keep the trust of terroist facilitator David Emerson.

In the opening minutes of the episode 3rd and 4th members of Jack's A-Team Chloe and Bill came to Walker's rescue after being alerted to her location by Jack - when and how he did this is the mysteries of 24 we love, like how Jack never needs to go to the toilet. Alas Walker was safe and well and taken to the terrorist rendevous exchange. Meanwhile Jack and Tony failed to play it cool and Emerson finally came to his senses and realised that CTU wasn't a breeding ground for future domestic terrorists and pulled a gun on Tony. In a matter of seconds and skillful shooting Jack and Tony turned the tables and took control of the situation, ready to put their ambush plan into action. With the A-Team combined plus Walker they set about readying themselves for the Mutombo-Diamond exchange. Chole fits a tooth transmittor to Matobo and we are ready to go. Jack and Tony foil the attempts of Dubaku to gain the Matobo's and his Diamonds and their plan is working prefectly. At this stage we are all wondering who the FBI insider is, if it turns out to be Walker that would be retarded, it wouldn't make sense. More likely a possibility would be her boss or the creepy Milo wannabe Hillinger, who I have just realised plays recurring nutty art house Director Billy Walsh on Entourage.

Elsewhere in the episode I have an issue. For some reason it takes nearly 45 mins for the secret service agent to get around to finishing of the job of making it look like the First Gentlmen has partook in a murder suicide with his dead sons ex fiancee. What on earth was he doing in this episode???? Just admiring the view? well he paid for it in the end - the muscle relaxant wore off the worst secret service agent in history is possibly no more.

I hate the President, they have turned her into the perception of what a sexist mysogenoust would see. She is useless indecisive and fails to listen to advice, she has let her emotions take control of the situation. Added to this the actress has the most annoying voice in the history of 24 U.S. Presidents and is closely rivaling Sherry Palmer as my least favourite 24 woman.

She refuses to heed the warning of Dubaku and he crashes some planes - she still fails to act - leading the secretary for sefence to resign and leaving her Chief of Staff and the head of Homland security to plan behind her back a way of changing her mind with the use of her husband.

As she drags her feet Dubaku has chosen his next target and the poor victim is nowhereville Ohio. You can't blame Dubaku he has warned her numerous times. It is very clear that again Jack Bauer is going to get little help from the powers that be.

Crimes Against Cinema take 5

OMFG! Gossip Girl is Back.

What do you get if you take The OC, remove all the quirks and the few likable characters, add a ridiculous voice over by Kristin Bell and set the whole thing in New York. Yep Gossip Girl. I never thought anything would ever make me nostalgic for the O.C, but some how Gossip Girl manages to do just that; When i see the ridiculously good looking ambiguously aged actors cast in half light pouting their way through meaningless scripts, i actually yearn for Ryan's predictable fist fights and the obligatory appearance by the music worlds flavour of the month.

To be honest this is the first episode of Gossip Girl that i have ever watched; and i probably won't go back for my second slice; and lets face it, this program isn't aimed at me; its aimed at 13/14 year old girls who use txt speak and bitch about girls at school all day using internet lingo; the script is so contrived it even references the culture it knows is watching (The voiceover at the end says "xoxo," i mean come on) And anyway the O.C definitely wasn't aimed at me and i still watched that.

This program goes to far, and at the same time doesn't go far enough; it wants so desperately to be edgy yet can't have any swearing or any real sexual scenes for fear of alienating its audience; characters will reference things like "getting drunk," and "hooking up" but i only saw one sip of alcohol drunk and the actors pouting lips got in the way so it just dribbled down his chin and on to his 10,000$ suit. 

For some reason despite the characters in the O.C being ridiculously spoilt, rich brats, i still found time for them; in Gossip Girl i just want to kill them, they prance around in designer tat (sex and the city lite) and play croquette at lavish dinner party's. The problem is the interest in all this opulence is lost as soon as they open their mouths; lest we forget all the characters are complete "bitchaes" to each other anyway and that grated. 

Best bit of this episode had to be when an English "Lord" revealed his true identity, after posing as a yank. Of course his adorable British accent gets him laid. (yes i've just booked a one way ticket to new york on expedia in case your wondering) 

Lame, Lame, Lame. xoxo

Greatest Moment in TV History

There are no words that can do justice to this clip. Quite simply, it is funny.

Superbowl Preview

This sunday sees the greatest show on earth come to our screens as the Arizona Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Tampa, Florida.

The most feared D in football take on the surprising offensive powerhouse in this years NFL final spectacle.

The Cardinals have defied all expectations after coming out of the weakest division with a 9-7 record and going on to the superbowl. It is their first visit in the playoffs for well over 50 years and if victory is the result it will be a true cinderella story.

The Steelers can make their own bit of history as Mike Tomlin the second year coach would become the youngest coach to lead his team to a superbowl victory.

For those in the U.K. those with out Sky television will be treated to the ineptness that is the BBC's coverage of a sport they show no interest in bar the showpiece event of the infamous superbowl. If you have Sky watch it their with the legend that is Kevin Cadle.

LOST "Because You Left" (Sky one Sunday 9PM)

As season openers of Lost go Because You Left, the long awaited season 5 opener, ranks highly, though having being spoilt by previous opening scenes this one was less than thrilling it has to be said.  The revelation that Daniel Faraday is a Dharma worker attempting to drill through to the mystical wheel that 'moved' the island was interesting; but didn't evoke the incredible thrill i felt after watching the superb season 2 opener which revealed the inside of the hatch. 

The episode catches us up with the Oceanic Six who have been, it is revealed, off Island for three years, and are still struggling with their various afflictions, when Ben demands they all return to the island or risk an incredible catastrophe. We see Hurley and Sayid team up to disastrous effects; and an unlikely pairing of Jack and Ben doesn't go a whole lot better; though disappointingly it leads to the shaving of Jacks infamous "junkie beard.' 

Kate is still living a lie, looking after 'son' Aaron though one plot point for the future is revealed when lawyers demand she give a blood test causing her to baulk and leave home.  Who is behind the law suit will surely drag on throughout this season (someone representing Claire?) 

The real interesting stuff happens on the island; where Sawyer et al realise the effects of the islands move; they are now stuck within a series of 'Flashes' which transports them to various times in the islands history, or indeed, future. The writers now have infinity to play with, a clever move; expect to see the islands transported back to when the four toed statue is complete in the near future. 

The episode certainly sets up the rest of the season nicely; and it was lovely to see a television heavy weight back in the fray; but i can't shake that feeling that it didn't quite have the 'punch' of previous season openers. 

Your Country Needs You (Saturdays BBC One)

There's something about the BBC one "talent" shows that make them incredibly difficult to connect with; with X Factor and the admittedly terrible Britans Got Talent, there is a distinct knowingness inherent within the show that what they are doing is ultimately a money making exercise slapped on the screen to give gorping saturday night pizza munchers something to laugh at while they order their meat feast.  With BBC one everything is just a little to serious, and in turn a really painful watch. 

Last nights episode of Your Country Needs You, (why? i don't know!) was definitely the worst yet. The show revolves around the concept that if Andrew Lloyd frog face writes the Eurovision song England can somehow manage to win; despite the fact that the whole thing is a complete un-winnable farce. 

The acts were plucked from various arenas; the streets, panto, the stage, the pub circuit; and let me stress it really shows. Never have i seen a talent show where the acts have less talent that the audience watching; in fact, the wooping and screaming from the audience is actually more in tune that the singing that went before it. 

The worst of all the acts is definitely the above pictured "Twins" (yes thats really the moniker they've chosen) They look like two brain dead actors playing bit parts in a Paris Hilton film, and their singing is as flat as Andrew Lloyd Webber's face.  What's more annoying than the terrible fair served up is the wooden and lying judging panel, who sit with moronic smiles smudged across their faces hailing the talentless schmucks as the next Tom Jones or Sugababes. 

Your country needs you! As the weeks go by I'm starting to see why! Because they NEED some singers with talent, so they can ditch the signing face aches they've already aquired. 

One to Avoid! 

Friday Night Lights

Some shows we discover through the high profile advertising campaigns used to draw in viewers, some we discover through word of mouth and then there are some we discover by complete accident.  I recently found Friday Night Lights, now this is a show that has been on U.S. screens since 2006. However I was more familiar with it predecssor the Peter Berg Directed and Billy Bob Thornton starring film of the same name. 

As has become a common theme in the UK every year a handful of shows from the U.S.A. get picked up that fly and do really well. There are those shows that get picked up that are awful. Then there are those that the powers of be clearly have no idea how to market or use in their schedule, Friday Night Lights is one of those.  As I think back now and after researching this I can confirm, FNL was picked up in the U.K by ITV, but they really didn't know what to do with it. FNL was broadcast on 4th string ITV channel ITV4, now a male skewed channel bring sporting highlights and anything with an Andy Mcnabb and Ross Kemp soul. So the thought process must have been as follows: we have a serious drama based around sport this will be perfect for our male skewed audience. Wrong! If someone had took the time to actually watch this show they would realise that the sporting side of this drama, the American football is merelya narrative flux for each season. Football isn't the story the people and their lives around it are.

FNL is an adaptation of the original book and 2004 film of the same name. The TV show is set in the small town of Dillion, Texas where the small community come together every friday night to support the high school football team. In this part of Texas football is life and those past and present earn a prestigious status akin to the gladiators in Roman times.They are the stars and the heroes of the everyday folk in Dillion.

We are introduced to the show as new Coach Eric Taylor is taking on a team with great history. THe local community unsure as to whether this new comer is capable to take over a team with such a proud tradtion as the Dillion Panthers. We are introduced to the Back up quarterback Matt Saracen, a supposed loser never going to grace the field, he lives with his grandma and has to resort to getting lifts from his hyper intelliigent friend Landry. Landry wonders out loud as Matt reads the local paper featuring star quarterback Jason Street. Street as he is known is set for a bright future and is ranked as the best high school quarterback in Texas and is being scouted by top college teams like Notre Dame.  The other star of the team is Brian "Smash" Williams the fast talking brash loudmouth running back of the team. Hi nemesis of sorts is fellow panther and full back Tim Riggins. Three things Tim loves are beer, football and women normally in that order. One thing he doesn't like is Smash. As Tim says " That dude could be Santa Claus and I still wouldn't like em".  Tim lives with his brother good hearted who looks out for Tims best interest. Tim dates Tyra Collette Tim likes the simple things in life and declares that he wants to 1 percent of best friends streets NFl earnings and run a ranch in Texas for them He sees life in Texas in the future as a good one and toasts to Street "Texas forever". Street dates Lyla Garrity, cheerleader and daughter of car dealership owner and Panther fanatic Buddy who is one of the boosters who raises money for the team and harbours a great amount of influence and power for everything Football in Dillion.

Coach Taylor is supported by a doting wife and daughter who Matt takes a shine too, though she vows she never dates football players. Coach Taylor who has coached Street at all levels of his playing career is under great amount of pressure as expectations are incredibly high for a team with the top quarterback in the state. 

When Friday Night arrives things get off to a good start as the Panthers score. However they struggle against the counter plays, the trick plays of changes of direction and cannot contain the offence of their opponents Westerby. At halftime Street displays his excellent ability by relaying to the coaches the defences they are facing and what the team is struggling with In the second half as Westerby take a ten point lead 24-14, Street forces a pass and it is intercepted, the Westerby player is returning the ball for a touchdown, only Street is between him and the potential winning touchdown. Street attempts to make a tackle. 

This is where the real depth of FNL begins and instigates the dramatic storylines that make this show great. In the tackle Street makes he takes a big hit he forces the ball free and the Panthers recovers it but he lays prone on the ground unable to move. Everyone rushes onto the field an ambulance is called. Street has broken is back he will be unable to walk again. A once bright carreer is ended and everyones life is sent into turmpooil. Coach Taylor is now without the star player that makes his team tick, the pressures on him now even greater and his families livelihood.

Jason has to deal with his new found disability. His girlfriend Lyla try's to hold on to the future they had planned together. Riggin's feeling unwarranted guilt blames himself. Tyra who has shown affection towards Street in the past starts to question her life and where it is going, she doesn't want to end up uneducated like her Mom and stripper sister Mindy. Smash still with bravado but deep down worries that a failure of the Panthers will see him fail to move on to a top college and then a pro career and hence not being able to provide for his family. Matt Saracen is confronted with being thrown into the spotlight of being QB1 and dealing with the expectation and pressure from a baying crowd, he has to follow in the footsteps of a giant.

The journey that the show takes us on is vast heartfelt and harrowing but never leaves the viewer feeling unsatisfied. Everything is stellar about this show and it wouldn't be amiss from being held up there with pantheon of shows like The Wire. It is a shame that due to the ineptness of ITV that only series 1 has been shown on British TV. Just because the sport is American Football shouldn't override the fact that this is an incredible drama series. It should have been given a prime time or popular slot, if so I have no doubt it would have done well. It is a shame not as many people get to enjoy this show. I pray for fourth season in the U.S. it all depends on ratings of course. Perhaps HBO may take kindness on this series if NBC/DirectTV refuse to continue the show. HBO as seen with The Wire, never fails to support talent and quality.

LOST is Back... Big 'Time'...

Rejoice! Lost has finally found its way back on to our screens after what seems like a ridiculously long hiatus; the length of which was no doubt influenced by the frustrating writers strike which caused a complete shut down of most quality American dramas and thus in turn destroyed the lives of many a fan; me included.

Lost was back last night in the states (airs on SKYone in the UK later this week) with a two hour season opener which reacquainted us with our favourite losties, on, and off the island. 

The First of the two episodes dealt mostly with on island shenanigans, while the second part was a slower more concentrated look at how the "oceanic six" have coped with "lying" about the true nature of their island exits. 

Was i impressed? Yes... Both episodes we're thumbs up all round, with the first hour just slightly ahead in the entertainment stakes. There were also a couple of nice surprises with an on island reprise for Ethan, and a great Cameo appearance by the long lost Ana-Lucia.

A proper "blow by blow" review of the two episodes is upcoming, but for now, its great to see one of TV's heavyweights back with a bang.

Big Chef Takes on Little Chef

Who would have thought that plonking the "best chef in the world," in what is, lets face it, the worst 'restaurant' on the planet, could be such an enjoyable piece of programming.

When i first started watching i assumed this "kitchen Nightmares" style mash up would involve Heston barging into a run down little chef and barracking the employees because they can't cook an omelet.  Turns out Heston doesn't roll that way, oh no, this guy is no Ramsey, he's a pro, he really cares about his food, so much so that creates ridiculous combinations that have been celebrated world wide. 

To be honest the real enjoyment in this program came not from the regeneration of little chef because lets face it, who cares whether that blot on Britons roads had a simultaneous chip fan fire and no one could find the damp towel.  The real enjoyment came from the managing directors ridiculous, pompous and frankly insulting diatribe, born from sitting in four and half million management seminars. His catchphrase was "blue sky thinking;" something i assume means... urm... you know! thinking outside the box... catching the first light of the morning. 

Ian Pegler the aforementioned managing director, was the kind of man you would laugh at if he turned up in a hostage video pleading for Gordon Brown's help, only to have his head sliced off on a grainy internet web page; not only was everything he said taken from one of the huge folders you get when you secure a job at a crap high street mobile phone shop, he was also completely unafraid to lambast Heston's painstakingly created culinary masterpieces that he makes in a science laboratory. 

Against all odds Heston somehow succeeds; he rebrands the little chef we all know and love (dead earwigs down the back of your seat) and makes it into an american diner with meeting place seats and a slightly better menu.

The only problem for Heston is that he couldn't re-brand the staff; because lets face it they all looked like members of Leatherface's family from Texas Chainsaw Massacre; sniveling, educated by dusty bin; and the kind of people you wouldn't want cooking your even if you were forced at gun point by Jack Bauer. 

Suffice to say Channel 4 managed to create a fab program, by simply creating a huge culture clash that they knew could only end in, well, conflict.

Celeb Big Brother

Ok so yesterdays video was of course a clip from the brilliant Christmas special of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchants Extras. Scarily accurate if you look at this years line up and the events to date. Though I have to admit that I have not been bitten by the Big Brother bug, have I finally escaped the curse. Though as much as I lament Big Brother, I know it it is trash tv but, there are people out there, myself included who from time to time need some form of over your head entertainment that doesn't require any brain power. What better than Big Brother as the viewer sits and watches the world go by. Though Celeb Big Brother should be more interesting than regualar summer Big Brother due to the strength of celebrity culture at this time. It gives us a chance to see how "the other side live". If you ever wondered how a middle aged rapper from Compton or a glamour model lived then this is a show for you. Though it's not really their reality, it is the faux world created by the producers in an attempt to provide entertainment through the ridicule of the fame hungry and money grabbing celebs. The most insightful thing I have seen thus far was Verne Troyer and Coolio being at least honest and saying out loud to each other that they were here for the money. Verne Troyer I undertand this he hasn't had the most prolific career, but Coolio must surely have made a good living he had a successful music career back in the nineties. Anyway this faux reality does it's best for an insight into the celelbrity lives so many people clamour for but we are never going to get the so called "truth" or real world unless we have a Truman Show type show where the occupant is not aware that they are being watched. So called reality shows that "follow" celelbrites around are so predictable and created that any actions or interactions are merely as a result of them being watched.

“ man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning.” Clifford Geertz: An American Anthropologist and professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton

It appears we will stay in a cyclical cycle of creating celebrity culture and reinforcing it through these reality shows until we have perhaps all had our 15 mins fame, where we have satisfied that thirst for what we deem celebrity to be. Or perhaps if we can understand reality but through a form that does not conduct itself in a faux reality setting then perhaps the cycle can be broken.

Celeb Big Brother 2009

Here is a brief look at recent activity.

Darts - The Greatest TV Sport?

I believe  Darts defined as a sport is severely underated and undervalued.  Not only is the requirement of the game for endurance and dexterity of the highest level. For shear adaptability for tv, and the drama it can provide is at times unparalleled.

Evidence of this is the 9 Dart Finish by Raymond Van Barneveld - The first ever in a World Championship. The 9 dart finish is one of the hardest things in sport.

Posiedon (2006) BBC1 22:40, 02/01/09

I couldn't help but right about a film on this occasion that is shown on BBC1. Whilst watching it the thought came to me once a film or TV show has been made on a subject, where it is able to be the definitive portrayal of a subject or genre should there ever be another made?

If you look at 2006's Poseidon, as boats sinking in films go there are two that stand out the original Poseidon and James Cameron's Titanic. Hence the motive behind the makers of this film must be purely money, because as far as recognition can go it was never going to beat a record 11 academy award wins that Titanic achieved when it matched the 11 by Ben Hur.  However when you think that Titanic made over a billion dollars the the box office can you expect to match that commercial success. It barely made back its budget of $150 million at the worldwide box office. The only shining light being the work of ILM as they received an Oscar for their work on Visual Effects.

The overriding point being should they have ever gone near this topic. On the release of Poseidon, Titanic would be very much in peoples mind's being only nine years old. So as risks go investing in a film of this genre and subject seems foolhardy.  Remakes are of course popular but the adage must surely be do not touch a specific topic/subject that has already been done to such commercial and critical success. Taking Titanic out of the equation then a remake of  The Poseidon adventure still doesn't seem sensible. A huge box office success in 1972 off of a budget of $5 million it was the second highest grossing film of that year behind The Godfather Part 2. The film was the second in a trend of disaster movies in the 70's which were a success at the box office. The thinking perhaps behind the remake was that it was following the same suit after the release of The Day After Tomorrow in 2004. However bring in the overreaching shadow of the at sea disaster movie and the comparison was always going to hinder the success of Poseidon. All this is not even taking into account any reviews professional or fan based of the film itself, though the relative lack of world wide commercial success and lack of core critical response then chances of success is slim. 

If we now draw the issue of remaking specific genre or subjects to a wider view, can we ever envisage anyone with any sense whatsoever of remaking either Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's list or making films specific to the content of these films. There is of course always space for films from this period to be made but to attempt the topics that the aforementioned films seems ludicrous, so why in the disaster film genre should there be any difference. The Day After Tomorrow proved that disaster films are still a viable form of entertainment and critical success, but the decisions made on a less sensitive subject than WW2 and the holocaust seem out of alignment with the thinking given to films such as Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. As far as D Day landing films, could any film ever compare to the opening sequence in Saving Private Ryan? The short answer is no, however this does not mean there are not still many stories and subjects to explore in WW2 For instance the British on D DAY as not specifically been looked at for many a year and outside The Longest Day many peoples consciousness may not be aware of the actions taken by the British and other Allied forces on D-Day.

Christmas 2008

When I took a look a the xmas scedule in the weeks proceeding the festive time of year I have to say I was left underwhelmed. I felt there was a severe lack of impact from the shows on offer, unless you were of course a Dancing or Doctor fan.  The brilliance of Wallace and Gromet can not be denied but at a mere 30 mins this can not hold up an entire schedule.  Outside of BBC 1 it was as if nobody else could be bothered. Apart from  Channel 4's controversial decison to let Iran's infamous leader Mahmoud Ahmedinajad present their alternative xmas message we were left with a severe lack of festivities. Not even the usually reliable soaps could provide the backbone to shore everything up. All the shock and surprise of Eastenders big storyline had been bled dry weeks before the big day. The usual release of soap storylines in the press weeks in advance had its usual impact, though thats a story for another day. The subplot of Ian Beale as Scrooge, inviting all the soaps misfits who couldn't be bothered to visit their families was at best lazy. 

So as much as Xmas day tv dissapointed it was the days of xmas eve and New Years day that provided the real gems of the Christmas Tv schedule. First of all there was the xmas edition of Gavin and Stacey - the ever brilliant series didn't fail its audience with its normal portrayal of a family xmas with usual family dysfunctionality that never bordered on the ridiculous. This show purely and simply brings joy, it is uplifting and heartfelt and never fails to bring a smile to my face. If you still haven't seen this show use some of your xmas money to go out and buy both series 1 and 2 on dvd. The acting is brillinat the writing is brilliant, need I say more. 

Our second xmas saviour was the surprise return of Jonathan Creek. I always loved this show but at times the more recent episodes tried to hard to be clever, but with the 2009 version we were given a brilliant mystery that slowly fed us the bits of information yet still left me surprised by the ending. Perhaps helped by the fact it was written and Directed by the brilliant David Renwick this ranks up there with not only the best TV over xmas but also the best episodes of Jonathan Creek.

2009 shall be fine

Hello, we're back after our Christmas break, with much to discuss.There will be a breif review of the christmas period then a look forward to 2009 and what we can look forward to.

Of course 2009 couldn't begin without a reality show and it is back - Celebrity Big Brother we'll have to wait and see if there is anyone famous - as I write it's looking like Coolio could take the title of most famous celeb, it will be a close run thing with Tommy Doherty. WHO HEY HE!!!!!!!!!!! What are you talking about!!! It is Tommy Doherty.

Anyway we'll be back with a more detailed review of the celebs and how the show begins over the weekend.

Happy New Year