One of the good things about the post-christmas turkeys blow out of old films and comedy reruns, is come the new year we are inundated with new programs to tickle our televisual fancies. Life on Mars has already been discussed at length, as has Poppycock and twaddle or whatever it is called, but what is it you are looking forward to of the new bunch? And what have you seen that has intrigued, dissapointed or just had you looking forward to a quiet night in with the remote in hand and a cup of cocoa instead of the after-work pint?
Premiere Fixtures
Seen: Hyperdrive
I was quite looking to this - Hyperdrive - with a couple of comedy favourites - Nick Frost (Spaced and Shaun of the Dead), and the Deadpan Kevin Eldon (Big train e.v.a.) I thought would make a basis for a good chuckle. The premise for the series being about a space crew trying to sell Peterborough as a Hi Tech business development for interstellar relocation whilst amusing seemed a little shallow, but in actual fact its the script that seems to have let it down - the first episode seemed based around aliens rubbing their knobs on the captains head for shits and giggles, neither of which transpired to me the viewer. The rest of the episode revolved around an escaped alien devouring the crew whilst the commanders wrestled to sign a deal of huge proprtions to a bunch of once isolationists, all due to the premise of the minister having been on a Kibbutz with the number one Female Officer, who spent most of her time lacklustringly trying to touch up the captain. I'll give it another couple of episodes to see if it defrosts, but I'm not holding out much hope - it looks like a poor mans Red Dwarf without the budget to match.
Looking forward to: The IT Crowd
Channel 4 have been touting this new series The IT Crowd for the last week - for obvious reasons, as a monkey in the game I guess for 20 years I have been waiting for a series to mirror the goings on in my daily life - all I have had is the Bastard Operator from Hell or the completely unrealistic Jumping Jack Flash as the only media offerings that have anything near what I do in lead roles. BOFH was a web only skit with a couple of mini clips which I did see some of my past in. Fielding a fair few players from Nathan Barley and an early days, semi-fair perception of us guys in the basement, I'll be interested to see how this pans out - an adaptation of my working life? I doubt that, but anything that sheds an insight into what we do with comedy - well I suppose it might help my Mum understand what I do for a living (Kill Zombies, post blithering unread tripe on the interweb).
Still at least it has got me listening to Mötley Crüe today which is not so bad....
So what televisiual temptings have you excited this season?
[ 12.01.2006, 08:37: Message edited by: Waynster ]
Posted by H1ppychick (Member # 529) on :
My Name is Earl, but I haven't watched it yet so can't comment. Inadvertently missed the premiere last Friday but spotted a late night repeat on yesterday that I've recorded for my later viewing pleasure.
I just like Jason Lee.
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
My Name is Earl was great, I laughed a lot and really enjoyed the characters and plotline.
Hyperdrive was ploddy, it had better effects than RD but none of the heart, the only really funny moment came with the converstaion between the Captain, The bedside light and the alarm clock, which was very RD/H2G2 in its execution.
The IT Crowd will be abailable to watch online ahead of its broadcast. Last show to do that I think was The Mighty Boosh series 2, which I though was very funny but seems to have been overlooked by BBC3 for rescreening..
There's nothing I'm really looking forward to this season, unless I missed a memo there's not much new been commisioned.
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
Mind, I'll be watching this after the pub tonight:
148 glasses of white wine 28 large Chardonnays 19 glasses of red wine 24 bottles of beer 17 vodka shots 13 Smirnoff Ices 9 WKDs 9 Bacardi Breezers 8 Sidekicks 8 Vodka Kicks 8 Mudslides 8 tequilas 6 gin & tonics 5 apple shots 5 glasses of Champagne 5 Archers Vea 4 vodka & Red Bulls 4 Caipirinhas 4 pints of cider 3 Margharitas 3 Sambuccas 3 vodka cranberries 3 Screamers 3 vodka & tonics 3 Screaming Orgasms 3 rum & cokes 2 Martinis 2 Cosmopolitans 2 Pimms & Lemonade 2 whiskeys 2 Baileys Glides 1 Malibu & pineapple 1 Caribbean Twist 1 Slippery Nipple 1 Frangelico
Fucking lightweight.
Posted by dang65 (Member # 102) on :
quote:Originally posted by H1ppychick: My Name is Earl
My son recommended that. It does sound good. About some bloke whose name I forget who's right down on his luck decides to put right all the wrongs he's done, working through a ginormous list, or something (my son takes a long time to get his point across).
Posted by Dr. Benway (Member # 20) on :
I'd watch another series of Hot Tub Ranking.
Posted by Kiki (Member # 865) on :
I saw the last 15 mins of Hyperdrive last night. I recognised Nick Frost and Kevin Eldon and figured it might be interesting. I don't quite know what to make of it. Some of the jokes, like the previously mentioned conversation with the lamp, made me smile, whereas other jokes (holding a meeting in a urine processing area) made me cringe. I guess I'll watch it again and see how it turns out. The programme I am most looking forward to is Doctor Who. I really enjoyed the series last year, especially the Daleks, and I'm very curious to see what the new series, with the new doctor, will be like.
Posted by Benny the Ball (Member # 694) on :
I really like Jason Lee, so I'm probably giving My Name Is Earl more of a chance than I should. It was okay, just not great.
Darryn, saw the advert for Booze Bird last night, there was a little flash of pain across the presenters face, as though she was remembering the taste of the drink that was one too many, and looked like she was going to cry/vomit...
I hope it's as good as an old body programme where the presenter went out and got drunk to explain the effects of booze, then went on to explain why men get beer tits, that was good.
Posted by Vogon Poetess (Member # 164) on :
I was looking forward to the Sky One premiere of Bones last night. It's a cross between (rip off of) The X-Files and CSI starring David "broody and sexsome" Boreanaz in a dark suit, helping some chick and her gang of geeks solve crimes using science and the FBI. Basically it's a TV show designed especially for me. It was utterly ridiculous and I loved it.
[ 13.01.2006, 06:53: Message edited by: Vogon Poetess ]
Posted by Roy (Member # 705) on :
Did anyone watch Animals on Channel Four last night? I wanted to watch it but the missus got all squeemish and made me turn it over.
Also, I am looking forward to The Eleventh Hour on ITV next week with Patrick Stewart, but I'm not sure if I can get past his "..and he sees...everything" performance in Extras.
Posted by Vogon Poetess (Member # 164) on :
quote:Originally posted by Roy:
Also, I am looking forward to The Eleventh Hour on ITV next week with Patrick Stewart, but I'm not sure if I can get past his "..and he sees...everything" performance in Extras.
Yeah, I'd really like to see him on stage, but also think I may struggle to overcome this memory. I think it was the clear sense of how much fun he appeared to be having in that brief role- like it was the most enjoyable performance of his entire career.
Posted by Dr. Benway (Member # 20) on :
That was the best bit of extras.
Posted by Black Mask (Member # 185) on :
quote:Originally posted by Roy: Did anyone watch Animals on Channel Four last night? I wanted to watch it but the missus got all squeemish and made me turn it over.
I got bored and turned it off. I can't fucking stick animal rights activists, the mere mention of animal rights makes me want to stick an orangutang in a whirring blender full of cancer.
Posted by dance margarita (Member # 848) on :
148 glasses of white wine 28 large Chardonnays 19 glasses of red wine
what? is chardonnay not a white wine anymore then?
my maths is shit and theres no calculator on this computer: how many bottles of wine on average is that a day? and the rest... fucking hell, what must the bbc have spent on insuring her.
Posted by Dr. Benway (Member # 20) on :
I turned it on thinking that it was the Gervais standup, saw a load of dogs wearing gas masks, and so turned it off again.
Posted by Roy (Member # 705) on :
I bet those dogs loved it. Everyone likes dressing up now and again.
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
148 glasses of white wine - 18.5 bottles 28 large Chardonnays - 7 19 glasses of red wine 2.4
total - 0.9 bottles a day
She was drinking all day so it's not actaully that much, even with all the other booze added in.
I watch about 10 minutes, decided I hated her, she was an annoying drunk.
[ 13.01.2006, 07:23: Message edited by: Darryn.R ]
Posted by jonesy999 (Member # 5) on :
I really liked My Name is Earl. I was a bit drunk, though. We'll never really know if I like it properly until the next episode, assuming I'm not drunk then.
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
The next episode is tonight Jonesy, do you have brewskis ?
Posted by jonesy999 (Member # 5) on :
No but I'll be at a party. I'll probably stick in on the sky+ and never get round to watching it.
Posted by H1ppychick (Member # 529) on :
Navy NCIS season 3 starts tonight - yay.
And ditto to Veep on the Bones thing, but seeing Angel in daylight just seems all kinds of rong.
Posted by Boy Racer (Member # 498) on :
...Earl was decent enough. Jason Lee has enough sleazy charisma to carry a movie given the chance (for God's sake Miramax sign him up as Kevin Smith's Fletch now you fuckers!) so a TV show's light work really. I also like the 'tache. And any show that hi-lights the simple joys of It Takes Two by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock deserves further attention.
Other than that more The Wire, Deadwood, and I'll give Jack Bauer another chance to make me laugh my arse off by dying and coming back to life whilst riding a shark on smack to save America, or something.
[ 13.01.2006, 08:09: Message edited by: Boy Racer ]
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
BR, they're tipping Zach Braff to play the young Fletch now.. (Fletch wins)
I'd prefer Jason Lee too
Posted by not... (Member # 25) on :
I liked jason Lee since 1991 when he was a skateboarder and starred in seminal skate movie Video Days (directed by Spike Jonze)
This makes me the best at liking Jason Lee on this thread.
Also I am going to watch MNIE tonight and I have already watched the first one which I liked.
[ 13.01.2006, 08:54: Message edited by: not... ]
Posted by Dr. Benway (Member # 20) on :
Damn. Not.. Wins at internet again.
Posted by Benny the Ball (Member # 694) on :
Yeah, well I liked Jason Lee when he was a bad footballer with dreadlocks in a bun, so there!
Posted by rooster (Member # 738) on :
Been watching My Name is Earl for a while now... Even though I am HUGE Jason Lee fan (he was the reason I even watched the show at all), I didn't watch most of the shows until there was nothing on but repeats of my must-see shows.
Now that the new season is here, the only new show I've really been excited about is the second season of Beauty and the Geek, which I guess isn't technically new at all.
Posted by H1ppychick (Member # 529) on :
WTF is Beauty and the Geek?
Posted by rooster (Member # 738) on :
They tout it as Ashton Kutcher’s 'social experiment.'
Basically they take eight total geeks (ex: Rubik’s Cube world record holder) and eight ditzy but attractive and socially adept women and pair them up to learn from each other.
They then test the women on things like rocket science and history and the men on fashion and dating etiquette. Pretty amusing.
[ 13.01.2006, 11:57: Message edited by: rooster ]
Posted by H1ppychick (Member # 529) on :
Oops.
Posted by H1ppychick (Member # 529) on :
Also, check out Wes, he's a total hottie. I'm not sure that he qualifies as a geek, though.
Posted by rooster (Member # 738) on :
Ugh, Wes's bio says "He also enjoys building things and once built his own" that's it! it cuts off. What the hell did he build?
*and yes, he is geek hot.
Posted by froopyscot (Member # 178) on :
I rate the same as h1ppy on the geekiness quiz.
Just for the record.
Posted by Louche (Member # 450) on :
quote:Originally posted by rooster: Ugh, Wes's bio says "He also enjoys building things and once built his own" that's it! it cuts off. What the hell did he build?
A TiVO. He built a TiVO.
Posted by froopyscot (Member # 178) on :
For a slow day, that could be a thread of its very own, though I'm certainly not going to start it. Complete the statement, gettit.
"...and once built his own nuclear reactor, which he used to power legions of fembots."
Posted by dang65 (Member # 102) on :
Just did a search of TMO for mentions of Hyperdrive which I watched for the first time last night and this thread is the only place I can find any reference to it. Anyway, it doesn't seem to have progressed much beyond the original reviews but it was pleasant enough lighweight larfs to keep me watching. Seems odd to make something like this which has been so thoroughly done before with Red Dwarf and H2G2, but it kind of just about holds up on its own in a lame sort of way.
But the rest of the thread is interesting to look back on. Whatever happened to The IT Crowd? Did they ever make a second series? It was a bit hit and miss from what I saw, but it looked like it could possibly get better so pity if it was ditched.
Also, is there any new stuff of this ilk coming along in the near future? I don't watch telly much these days but when I do there always seems to be endless variations of those comedy panel shows which all run into each other - 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Stop The Week, QI... er, loads of others all blurred into one. But are there any good sitcoms now? (I don't watch American ones. Got nothing particularly against them, just don't ever seem to bother watching them for some reason.)
I'm looking for Mighty Boosh kind of stuff I suppose, though even that was kind of the tail end of 90s comedy really, as is Hyperdrive. What's the future?
Posted by Abby (Member # 582) on :
Boosh-3 I hope. Which is allegedly being filmed now, and is set in Dalston! Hah - Dalston!
Posted by dang65 (Member # 102) on :
As if by magic, I notice they're advertising the second series of The IT Crowd on the telly now. Fingers crossed for quality.
Posted by missgolightly (Member # 34) on :
I loved the first series of IT Crowd, so fingers crossed the second is just as good. Scarily enough though, I've just looked it up on the imdb and they've made an american pilot of it!
Complete madness.
Also according to the imdb - I have the same birthday as Chris Morris!
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
I just downloaded episode one of the new series of FLASH GORDON !
It is allegedly the biggest pile of shit ever.
I will watch it tonight and let you know.
Posted by MiscellaneousFiles (Member # 60) on :
quote:Originally posted by Darryn.R: I just downloaded episode one of the new series of FLASH GORDON !
OMG! I don't see how it could possibly improve on the 1980 film.
Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
That is a fantastic film, isn't it.
Check the angular vector of the moon! Posted by Samuelnorton (Member # 48) on :
quote:Originally posted by mart: That is a fantastic film, isn't it.
Check the angular vector of the moon!
lol. A film that defined my childhood, along with the equally rubbish Clash of the Titans.
"Dispatch Warlock and Ajax... To bring back his body..."
Posted by MiscellaneousFiles (Member # 60) on :
As a five year old with access to a VCR on Summer holiday loan from the school my dad taught at, Flash Gordon ranked right up there with Star Wars.
ETA: Wasn't it War Rocket Ajax, Snorts?
[ 14.08.2007, 05:01: Message edited by: MiscellaneousFiles ]
Posted by Samuelnorton (Member # 48) on :
quote:Originally posted by MiscellaneousFiles: As a five year old with access to a VCR on Summer holiday loan from the school my dad taught at, Flash Gordon ranked right up there with Star Wars.
We must have watched it every other day during the Summer of 1981 - I was ten years old, and were staying at my Aunt's place preparing to fly out to Cyprus.
Plenty of classic scenes, but none topped by Peter Duncan being killed by the wood beast - spare me the madness - and Timothy Dalton's Freeze! Bloody bastards! Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
Or Ornella Muti's curiously erotic experience with the bore worms.
Posted by MiscellaneousFiles (Member # 60) on :
I was totally in love with Princess Aura. Looking back on the film upon its DVD release, I was surprised to find that she really was rather attractive, unlike so many of my other childhood crushes. Michaela Strachan, ffs? What was I thinking?
ETA: Yeah, I'd give Aura a curiously erotic experience with my 'bore worm'...
[ 14.08.2007, 05:07: Message edited by: MiscellaneousFiles ]
Posted by Samuelnorton (Member # 48) on :
quote:Originally posted by MiscellaneousFiles: Wasn't it War Rocket Ajax, Snorts?
Yes, but the accents were so bad that we have always had Warlock and Ajax burned into the memory. Like Princess Aura's 'could tears come from my eyes?' sounding like cochea scab from my aye.
Bring me... The bore worms... Nao! Not the bore worms! Posted by Samuelnorton (Member # 48) on :
quote:Originally posted by mart: Or Ornella Muti's curiously erotic experience with the bore worms.
Lol. Posted at the same time!
Posted by Samuelnorton (Member # 48) on :
quote:Originally posted by MiscellaneousFiles: Michaela Strachan, ffs? What was I thinking?
I feel for you. Mine was Sophie Aldred.
quote:ETA: Yeah, I'd give Aura a curiously erotic experience with my 'bore worm'...
You were that close to having me destroy my keyboard. Bloody bastard!
[ 14.08.2007, 05:12: Message edited by: Samuelnorton ]
Posted by MiscellaneousFiles (Member # 60) on :
quote:Originally posted by Samuelnorton:
quote:Originally posted by MiscellaneousFiles: Michaela Strachan, ffs? What was I thinking?
I feel for you. Mine was Sophie Aldred.
Was she the one who played Ace in Doctor Who? God yeah.
Oh. Posted by Nathan Bleak (Member # 1040) on :
I used to have a crush on Bonnie Langford when she played the Doctor's assistant. I even sent her a Christmas card one year, and got a signed photo in return. It was the hair. I'm completely powerless when confronted with a shock of red curls.
Posted by Samuelnorton (Member # 48) on :
quote:Originally posted by MiscellaneousFiles: Was she the one who played Ace in Doctor Who?
Hmm, yes.
quote:Oh.
Exactly.
[ 14.08.2007, 05:22: Message edited by: Samuelnorton ]
Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
I bumpd into Bonnie Langford once. Quite literally. A friend and I were walking past the stage door entrance of the Grand Theatre in Leeds and she came out. I bumped right into her and my friend said "Ew Bonnie Langford!" and, er, we walked on.
Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
A cute post on IMDb:
quote:I was fortunate enough to briefly go to the same school as Lena Headey http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372176/ and we were at Princess Street Infants in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset at the time of Flash Gordon's release. She had seen it, I hadn't (I was a Star Wars kid). I fancied the pants off of her. She never seemed to even notice me. But I remember one playtime she ran up to m and said "We're playing Flash Gordon, will you be Flash?" I just ummed and erred. She'd obviously asked all the main guys who were playing football or something. She was now just after anyone in trousers. "Go on!" she said. "I'm playing Princess Aura!" Stupidly, I said no. A year or so later she moved to Yorkshire, I never saw her again. Now she's a movie star. GUTTED! Especially now as I've seen (and love) Flash Gordon and realise what Aura and Flash got up to.
So if anyone out there has invented a time machine, you be sure to let me know.
PS: Hi Lena. Keep it up girl! If you want to come round and play Flash with me....please do. Tight red lycra and stuff. You know, do it properly!
Dan.
Awww.
Posted by Nathan Bleak (Member # 1040) on :
Bit creepy.
Posted by MiscellaneousFiles (Member # 60) on :
You get the impression that Dan now watches Flash Gordon at least five times a day, alternatively wanking and punching himself in the face whenever Aura appears on the screen.
Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
Yeah, that is a bit creepy, I suppose. But nice creepy. Maybe.
He's probably photoshopped Lena Headey's head onto Ornella Muti's body and has that as his screensaver.
Posted by Nathan Bleak (Member # 1040) on :
It's like... what does he think would have happened if he'd played Flash Gordon with her? That she would have slept with him? At the age of four or five or whatever? That somehow she would have gone out with him all the time from infant school through to adulthood, and now he'd be married to a film star? It doesn't make any sense. He probably would have had an unmemorable lunch break playing Flash Gordon, she would have left and he still would never have seen her again. He'd still be the same sad sack sniffing round the imdb telling people how he once played Flash Gordon with someone who, 20 years later, has achieved some success in Hollywood, which really is equally pathetic as a boast.
Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
Yeah, what a fucking loser.
Imagine being so sad as to have wistful memories of your childhood crushes and muse on what-might-have-beens in a lighthearted way. The twat.
Posted by Nathan Bleak (Member # 1040) on :
Well, for all the plausibility of it, I may as well muse on what may have happened between me and Lena Headley, if my parents had lived in Somerset and not Dorset. I don't know. Maybe there's nothing odd at all about ret-conning yourself playing with a four year old and imagining having sex with her. We've all done it I suppose.
Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
Exactly.
Posted by Physic (Member # 195) on :
quote:Originally posted by Nathan Bleak: I'm completely powerless when confronted with a shock of red curls.
"How you doin'?" Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
Red Curls you say... me too, total sucker, from Ren (Raelee Hill) from neighbours to Rosie Vela and most stops in between probably, like say Patsy Palmer if she had a perm, but not Jenny McAlpine, no way.
With a special mention for Heather Carolin.
[ 14.08.2007, 08:42: Message edited by: Darryn.R ]
Posted by Samuelnorton (Member # 48) on :
quote:Originally posted by Darryn.R: Ren (Raelee Hill) from neighbours
Mmm. Hmm. I used to go out with a Ren lookalike. She was also a Vegan and very receptive to my babble on the Jewish connection with the Fur Trade - I think my turgid spiel on the etymology of the name Pelzer must have clinched it.
Pfft. I have to wonder how I managed it to be honest. I must have sounded very strange, in a magnetic sort of way. Or something.
[ 14.08.2007, 08:52: Message edited by: Samuelnorton ]
Posted by mart (Member # 32) on :
That London's got red curls.
Posted by H1ppychick (Member # 529) on :
Blimey. I thought it was only me that had heard of Rosie Vela. AFAIK I'm the only person of my acquaintance that had her album.
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
Would that be Zazu ? Nice in a 90's jazz club stylee:
"I been tryin' to see ya baby. I been dyin' to keenovay"
Posted by H1ppychick (Member # 529) on :
yeah, that's the one - I probably still have it on cassette somewhere
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
Holy Christ ! Flash Gordon is so bad it's almost laughable. Somehow they've turned it into Sliders meets sub standard Buffy with touches of Stargate and Xena.
Some hot costumes for the ladies, but Ming doesn't look like Ming, he's just some dud in a coat and Flash actually has a rectangle for a head.
Dire.
Watch it.
Posted by Hades (Member # 57) on :
quote:Originally posted by Darryn.R: Holy Christ ! Flash Gordon is so bad it's almost laughable. Somehow they've turned it into Sliders meets sub standard Buffy with touches of Stargate and Xena.
Some hot costumes for the ladies, but Ming doesn't look like Ming, he's just some dud in a coat and Flash actually has a rectangle for a head.
Dire.
Watch it.
So do you not like it beacuse "it'snot propper flash Gordon" or because its actually a bad program if you removed the name as well.
I read a review someone that said "if you renamed it Rift busters, changed flashes name and the name of the alien planet would people still be as critical of it?"
Posted by Darryn.R (Member # 1) on :
It's awful. Pretty much period awful.
I'm not slating it for not being Flash, just for being really bad, especially when some decent sci-fi shows get cancelled for no good reason.
Posted by Hades (Member # 57) on :
Apparently the producer has been listening to fans critasisms and for the second half of the first season flash will be spending more time on mongo and Ming will be more ..... well merciless.
Whever or not that will help the show is anyones guess.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I liked jason Lee since 1991 when he was a skateboarder and starred in seminal skate movie Video Days (directed by Spike Jonze) 
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
