I've had a bit of an iPlayer festival this evening, beginning with Russell Howard's Good News. The content is largely a matter of taste, with mixed reviews on the interweb; personally I like the upbeat and slightly childish angle Howard puts on things. I also like the production team's choice of soundtrack - I discovered this evening after much aggravated searching that the opening credits are scored to Kasabian's "Faste Fuse". Incidentally, the album it's from, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is very good and worth a listen if you're so inclined.
Next was a serving of Malcolm Tucker profanity and healthy dollop of cynicism in The Thick of it. The Opposition are sniffing round DoSAC, much to Terri's interest and Tucker's bridled digust. I can't quite get used to Roger Allam as Peter Mannion after his role as SuperMac in Ashes to Ashes ( - but that's probably unique to me since The Thick of it didn't register on my radar until after season 2 of Ashes to Ashes). Anyway it all plays out as expected - the Opposition are hamstrung by SpAd problems of their own in the form of "Blue Stu" (I think that's what they mockingly called him... it's a bit too late in the day to recall accurately) and everybody sort of wins through at the expense of (mostly the Minister's) truth, honesty and dignity.
Finally, the first episode of series 14 of Top Gear. In short, Eric Bana was entertaining, German limo test was dull apart from the usual overworn jokes about the Stig and the Romanian Road Trip was interesting in parts (Ceaucescu's palace, rural Romania and the post Communist legacy) but also came across as overworn, and overstaged - particularly the dacia sandero gags, which after 5 minutes became tedious beyond further remark. Hope next week's a return to usual broadcasting.
The BBC seems to be hitting the mark on several fronts for good entertainment at the moment (including it's drama series Garrow's Law, which besides what I've already mentioned plus Olivia Poulet is another attractor for my beady eye atm)- and even the stuff I would call pointless drivel seems to attract lots of praise from viewers and critics alike. I'm inclined to believe that it does well to please such a wide audience. I'm happy to leave the debates about the remit and size of the BBC (and its paypackets) aside for the time being whilst I have something to cheap to do on the long winter evenings...
Next was a serving of Malcolm Tucker profanity and healthy dollop of cynicism in The Thick of it. The Opposition are sniffing round DoSAC, much to Terri's interest and Tucker's bridled digust. I can't quite get used to Roger Allam as Peter Mannion after his role as SuperMac in Ashes to Ashes ( - but that's probably unique to me since The Thick of it didn't register on my radar until after season 2 of Ashes to Ashes). Anyway it all plays out as expected - the Opposition are hamstrung by SpAd problems of their own in the form of "Blue Stu" (I think that's what they mockingly called him... it's a bit too late in the day to recall accurately) and everybody sort of wins through at the expense of (mostly the Minister's) truth, honesty and dignity.
Finally, the first episode of series 14 of Top Gear. In short, Eric Bana was entertaining, German limo test was dull apart from the usual overworn jokes about the Stig and the Romanian Road Trip was interesting in parts (Ceaucescu's palace, rural Romania and the post Communist legacy) but also came across as overworn, and overstaged - particularly the dacia sandero gags, which after 5 minutes became tedious beyond further remark. Hope next week's a return to usual broadcasting.
The BBC seems to be hitting the mark on several fronts for good entertainment at the moment (including it's drama series Garrow's Law, which besides what I've already mentioned plus Olivia Poulet is another attractor for my beady eye atm)- and even the stuff I would call pointless drivel seems to attract lots of praise from viewers and critics alike. I'm inclined to believe that it does well to please such a wide audience. I'm happy to leave the debates about the remit and size of the BBC (and its paypackets) aside for the time being whilst I have something to cheap to do on the long winter evenings...
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