The Medium is Not Enough TV blog: August 2007 Archives

Archive | August 2007

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August 30, 2007

The Peter Serafinowicz Show: Looks good, no?

Posted on August 30, 2007 at 15:30 | 1 comment |

Told you he was funny.

[via TV&SW]

Quick Bourne Identity/Supremacy question

Posted on August 30, 2007 at 16:53 | 2 comments |

Is the guy who shoots Conklin (Chris Cooper) at the end of Identity supposed to be the same character as the German Treadstone agent Bourne meets in Supremacy?

Reasons for

Character 2 is described as the only other remaining Treadstone agent. What about character 1 then, unless they're the same person?
They look very similar
They're both based in Germany

Reasons against

They're played by different actors
The characters have different names (at least according to the script; it's not mentioned onscreen)
Character 1 is based in Hamburg, Character 2 in Munich, but Bourne tells him he should have moved

What do you all think? Anyone have wisdom on this score?

Anyway, I'm off to see The Bourne Ultimatum now. I hear it's good.

Read other posts about: Jason Bourne

Third-episode verdict: Flash Gordon

Posted on August 30, 2007 at 22:33 | Post a comment |

It's around now - well, truth be told, it should have been a number of days ago – that I passed a third-episode verdict on Flash Gordon. However, as we all know from the clearly defined rules of The Carusometer, if there's a sudden change in quality, either upwards or downwards, we have to hold off until episode five before deciding a show's final rating.

In Flash's case, episode three was a marked improvement on the first couple of episodes. The show's now going for more or less full-on comedy, the characters are improving, Mongo is getting a bit more alien - the only thing that hasn't improved is Ming, who I think simply misses having a throne.

So episode five it'll be before the final ruling comes in. Unlike Ming, we're merciful round here.

August 31, 2007

Friday's “Hooray! I made it to the end of Big Brother this year without watching a single episode?” news

Posted on August 31, 2007 at 08:59 | 2 comments |

To Be Or Not To Be

Doctor Who

What can it all mean? No more Who? No more tenth Doctor? An October start for series five? Whichever one it is, David Tennant is going to be playing Hamlet and Berowne from July 24th until November 15th 2008

Film

Danny Boyle to direct Slumdog Millionaire
Ridley Scott says sci-fi is dead
Paul Haggis combining Fleming and Le Carré for next Bond film
Star Trek finds its new Chekov

British TV

Reece Shearsmith to star in ITV1 hotel comedy drama this Christmas
Vernon Kay to appear in final Extras
Ugly Betty to return in October?
Millionaire spin-off planned

US TV

Jeffrey Nordling and John Billingsley join the cast of 24
TNT greenlights the new Smith?
ABC orders script about the most powerful woman in New York
John Dahl to direct a Battlestar Galactica
Sony signs up Brit talent

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Read other posts about: 24, Battlestar Galactica, James Bond, Star Trek

Third-episode verdict: Californication

Posted on August 31, 2007 at 18:33 | Post a comment |

Remember when you were a kid and first learnt about swear words? You might have used them to shock, thinking how daring you were.

'Bum'.

Tee hee.

But for any adult in the vicinity, it was probably all a bit tedious. A bit dull, really.

Been there done that.

Californication has the exact same problem – but with sex. Since there's not an awful lot of swearing and sex on US TV (unless you look in particular areas), there's a temptation for any show that's actually given licence to swear and depict graphic sex to do that and nothing else. All the time.

Not wanting to sound stereotypically English and prudish, but surely there's got to be more to a show than that? We've had graphic sex and swearing on British TV for ages now and as a result, compared to American audiences, starved of any on-screen depictions of adult situations, relationships, etc, I feel like a grown-up being forced to sit through an episode of Torchwood: get over your new-found freedom, guys, and get on with the actual plot, because I'm bored now.

Californication would like to be an adult show. It has adult themes. It has adults talking about adult concepts. And it's not stupid.

But it's so self-satisfied with how cutting edge and daring it is, that it's forgotten that there needs to be a bit more to a comedy – or indeed a drama – than fornication, masturbation, and smoking (weed or tobacco; what will the parents think?).

The cast are good, there are some funny lines and situations. It's just not that funny. The characters aren't that involving - in fact, they're pretty repellent and uninteresting. At the end of each episode - how shall I put this – it all feels so anti-climatic, despite the build-up. I'm hoping it gets better though, since it still has a sheen of promise about it and the first two episodes weren't bad. And it's not stupid. And it has the occasional cameo from Lucy Davies.

So The Medium is Not Enough declares Californication a two or “Partial Caruso” on The Carusometer quality scale. A Partial Caruso corresponds to “a show with two walk-on cameos by David Caruso as a self-declared 'ladies man'. Suggesting the script should be rewritten to include his trademark killer chat-up line, 'I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but notice you over here not noticing me,' he will then be forced to leave the set when he damages his back while trying to dance at an angle of 45?Ç¬?.”

Read other posts about: Torchwood

Review: Last Man Standing

Posted on August 31, 2007 at 23:24 | Post a comment |

Last Man Standing

Just in case you're interested, my series review of Last Man Standing is now up on Off The Telly and below the fold as well. My original first episode review (with which it shares a couple of gags) is over here, and my review of the first episode of Human Weapon, which I mention in passing, is over here, just in case you want to compare and contrast for some reason.

Continue reading "Review: Last Man Standing"

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Asides

BBC3's Most Annoying Couples: People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
Poor Kelly Brook. She nearly cried on Jonathan Ross. Bad Jonathan!
Today's celebrity spot was Andrew Davies, spotted entering Golden Square in London

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