Skins Finale Review: End Of An Era
March 17, 2010 by Emily Moulder
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SKINS: Thursday 18th March, E4, 10pm ALERT ME
Well folks, it’s the end of another two years at Roundview College…
We’ve become quite close to the latest Skins cast in that time. Lesbianism, drugs, drink, promiscuity, more drugs, suicide, obsession and recently, murder – this lot have done it all.
However we’re not too down about the end of this series as the show has been renewed for another two seasons. Good news for us, not such good news for teachers in Bristol…
But I’ll admit that I’m going to miss this batch of characters; Indeed Panda will have a special place in my heart forever. Whizzer! Read More…
The Man Who Ate Everything Review: Filling Facts
March 17, 2010 by George Nott
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THE MAN WHO ATE EVERYTHING: Wednesday 17th March, BBC4, 9pm ALERT ME
Not a shock-doc about some sickeningly obese greedy-guts from Oldham, The Man Who Ate Everything is a gentle journey through foodie bible The Oxford Companion to Food.
The Companion is an encyclopedia of all things edible, some 2,650 entries covering everything from aardvark to zucchini. All, with just a little bit of help, written and compiled by one man – Alan Davidson.
For many chefs his tome has become a must-have kitchen item, as essential as a fork. Fans hold a festival of the book’s food philosophy every year and one calls it “the greatest book in the English language”.
Ever wanted to know the best way to prepare the lotus fruit, star anise or tree fungus and what they taste like? Then the Companion can tell you. But Davidson was not some food snob or gourmet genius, things like Spam and lollipops are given equal weight. Read More…
The Berlusconi Show Review: The Sex Factor
March 17, 2010 by Sean Marland
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THE BERLUSCONI SHOW: Wednesday 17th March, BBC2, 7pm ALERT ME
Love him or loathe him, most people will accept that Silvio Berlusconi is a very special politician.
While our MPs have been scurrying to dodge the swinging axe of public outrage after the expenses scandal, the Italian Prime Minister has been swanning about in a manner that would see Russell Brand straight-jacketed and shipped back to sex rehab.
But despite his various scandals (a divorce after he attended a young model’s birthday, a cabinet which resembles a Sugababes audition and a smack in the face) he seems to be as popular as ever in his home country.
This spell-binding documentary from Mark Franchetti takes a much closer look at one of the most recognisable international figures of the modern age, and while it exposes some real skeletons in the old man’s closet, it also asks whether our view of him as a clown is triggered by vast cultural differences in Italy. Read More…
Life Of Riley Review: Living In The Past
March 16, 2010 by George Nott
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LIFE OF RILEY: Wednesday 17th March, BBC1, 7.30pm ALERT ME
Sitcoms have got a bad reputation. Canned laughter, contrived plots and bad gags. Extras found it easy to poke fun at the genre with fictional show-within-a-show ‘When The Whistle Blows’.
Desperate to avoid flopping into the same old format, shows like The Office, Blackadder and The Mighty Boosh have done their all not to be another Terry and June or Keeping Up Appearances.
Life Of Riley though, hasn’t bothered at all. It’s happy to sink into the mundane depths of domestic sitcom, completely lacking in laughs or inspiration.
It follows the life of Maddy Riley (Caroline Quentin), a multi-tasking mum who lives with her kids, her new David Cameron look-a-like partner Jim (Neil Dudgeon) and his kids. Needless to say the neighbours are always popping round and so is Maddy’s mum. It’s so middle of the road I’m going to coin a phrase here and call it a ‘cat’s eye comedy’. Read More…
Cocaine Cowboys Review: Miami Vice
COCAINE COWBOYS: Tuesday 16th March, More4, 10pm ALERT ME
A couple of decades ago the US seemed to have a pretty relaxed stance on those who smuggled the ol’ Colombian marching powder across their borders.
By the time the government pulled its finger out, this band of little Scarfaces had a foothold on the sun-drenched streets of Florida, and they are now proving a little difficult to evict.
Welcome to the real Miami Vice folks. This film may be over two hours in length but its visceral energy keeps it rolling along breathlessly.
We hear how the one-time retiremnet hotspot Forida, was turned into a gang battleground and epicentre for a wealthy cocaine party culture that exploded in 1979. Read More…
Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds Review: Hidden Gem
March 15, 2010 by Sean Marland
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RICHARD HAMMOND’S INVISIBLE WORLDS: Tuesday 16th March, BBC1, 9pm ALERT ME
The human eye is one of the most powerful instruments on Earth, but apparently there are quite a few things that even those of us with 20:20 vision have been missing out on.
In this new series presented by Clarkson-bothering TV personality Richard Hammond, the BBC will show us parts of the world that have up until now been off limits.
Tonight’s episode concentrates on speed, which suggests that a super slo-mo fest is approaching faster than an episode of Top Gear on Dave.
While in essence this is the whole nub of the programme, such a description really is doing an injustice to some of the genuine wonderment on display here. Read More…
Missing Review: Afternoon Delight
March 15, 2010 by George Nott
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MISSING: Monday 15th March, BBC 1, 2.15pm ALERT ME
If ever there’s an incentive to get out the house and find a job it’s daytime television.
In a land where Jeremy Kyle and David Dickinson rein supreme dwells a ‘crime drama’ called Missing, now amazingly in its second series.
With acting so wooden and a script so hackneyed, it has to be seen to be believed and will make you laugh out loud for all the wrong reasons.
The show is set in a missing persons unit headed by mumsy Detective Sergeant Croft (Pauline Quirke). It’s not long before the phone rings with a call from a frantic mum. Read More…
New Bang Goes The Theory Review: Oil Be Damned
March 15, 2010 by Sean Marland
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BANG GOES THE THEORY: Monday 15th March, BBC2, 7.30pm ALERT ME
Some lucky people excelled in science class during their school days, the rest of us had to copy and bluff our way through, ignorant of the fact that future employers probably wouldn’t be asking us to recite Ohm’s law in future job interviews.
But if you were really lucky, then your science lessons were given by an enthusiastic teacher with a bit of eccentricity and a penchant for visually impressive yet educationally-lite experiments.
Bang Goes The Theory is kind of like that kind of teacher. Full of deliciously complicated facts, but just about unsciencey enough to enjoy.
This first episode of the new series tackles all the big questions; can we make a parsnip travel at warp speed with a simple fire extinguisher? Can we identify burgulars without DNA evidence? And most importantly, what the hell are we going to do about our planet’s rapidly depleting oil resources? Read more…
Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets Review: Soggy Vegetables
RAYMOND BLANC’S KITCHEN SECRETS: Monday 15th March, BBC2, 8.30pm ALERT ME
I’ve long thought cooking shows were the opium of the lazy, burger-eating, choc-chomping masses. Laugh along with Come Dine With Me; swear at The F Word; grimace at Jamie Oliver as a human being. That sort of thing.
The problem with Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets is that it’s all about the food. As it turns out, vegetables are really boring without Gordon Ramsay chucking carrots in someone’s face.
Maybe if I shared Raymond’s passion for all things veg. I’d understand. ‘Look at this AMAZING, beautiful pumpkin,’ he gushes. ‘Look at this beetroot’s amazing colour!’ I’m looking. I need more, Blanc! Wheel the kids out or something – now there’s a good chef. Read More…
Undercover Princesses Review: Love In The Supermarket
UNDERCOVER PRINCESSES: Sunday 14th March, BBC3, 9pm ALERT ME
It’s hard enough being single these days without having to come up with an excuse for it.
“I just haven’t met the right one”
“They’re all too ugly”
“I’m too ugly”
While all the above may be true, they’re not impossible to get around while still maintaining standards and avoiding beer goggles. If you’re a Ugandan princess who has never set foot in a supermarket, however, things might prove more difficult.
Meet Sheila, who’s waiting for her man, ‘like the second coming of Jesus.’ Thank god, literally, for the person who commissioned this latest reality show where three princesses from Africa, Germany and India fly to the UK in an attempt to find love. Read more…
