BBC 'Comedy' In With the Flynns

I think I have stumbled upon the most easily pleased group of people on the planet, and yes I am including the fans of Michael McIntryre. In fact, I'd wager a lot of this bunch are McIntyre cross-overs. The motley crew I am referring to is the studio audience of BBC One's comedy (there aren't inverted commas strong enough to put around that word) In With the Flynns.

Now, you must believe me here, I wasn't actually watching In With the Flynns, I was just channel surfing (no please it's true)

when there it was. It's not like I was unlucky and stumbled on to a weak joke, because the show is as packed with weak jokes as a telephone box with half a dozen elephants in it. 

So there is Will Mellor, as dad Flynn, and he delivers this line that really should be accompanied by the sound of crickets and a bit of tumbleweed rolling through, instead it is greeted with a wave of guffaws, as the next dire joke is given an even more rapturous reception, I started to think 'who are these people and why are they finding this so funny?' It did cross my mind that it might be a laugh track, but surely a bit more restraint would be used; keeping the poor jokes to a light chortle, every now and then, not bladder evacuating joy. I watched on, stony faced, for about five minutes, while this easily pleased herd of loons split their sides. I'll bet there wasn't a dry seat in the house. But, I wondered how are they going to get that many people, of a similar disposition, to fill the entire series. But then it came to me, I'll bet they do it all in one go, lock the doors and knock out all, what six episodes, with the same audience. Only stopping to administer medical attention to those who look like they are going to die laughing. 

I hope the BBC have booked them all for the next series, because people like that are hard to find, especially when Michael McIntyre is touring.

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Glastonbury - The weekend Zane Lowe annoyed everyone!

As usual the worst thing about the BBC's coverage of Glastonbury was the presenters. Ignoring the obvious question 'do we really need them?' They were dreadful. But this surely reached its apotheosis (as they would say in an Adam Curtis documentary) on Friday night and their shameful treatment of U2.

It was hard enough to watch U2's set as it was. To catch it in its entirety you had to channel hop like a loon, but it was the general attitude to the band I disliked. Love or despise U2, the one thing they surely must command for their achievements, is a bit of respect. But from the outset, with the 'I'm a ditsy young rock chick' act from Jo Whiley and the odious pomp fest that is Zane Lowe, it was obvious U2 were not well liked. Perhaps they blamed the Irish mega band for the rain? Because, as we all know when the heavens open up at Glastonbury the presenters act like they should get some sort of award for heroism. Ignoring the fact the closest they come to mud is probably a face pack and they sleep tightly in their BBC gravy train trailers.

Anyway, after the set, which was described as 'hit heavy' (oh no, the headliners have played all their big tunes and not a bunch of obscure album tracks from Zooropa) Zane Lowe came out with an absolute classic... he called U2 a guilty pleasure. U2! Not S Club 7 or Bucks Fizz, but U2! And he seemed to mean it! A guilty pleasure to who? The Pete Docherty hat wearing little idiots that Zane Lowe obviously thinks he is 'down with?'

But the indignity hadn't stopped there. After the set, the band joined our brave presenters for an interview. Zane Lowe had departed and we were joined by Mark Radcliffe, a shambling man who can hardly seem to get a sentence out and was dressed like The Wurzels tour manager. Anyway, Bono was his usual self going on about the history of Glastonbury and stuff like that. It wasn't too dull but then just as he was about to say something else, Jo Whiley cut him off abruptly in mid sentence so we could watch a piece on the history of Glastonbury! Surely, if you have the band live in the studio, that's who we want to watch and hear the views of, not some pre- arranged short film.

Unsurprisingly U2 were not about when the piece finished. The whole episode annoyed me, that the presenters and no doubt their super hip producers can dictate a tone. Anyway, that's my rant over.

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Games of Thrones - An Unmitigated Triumph

When it first started, I thought Game of Thrones was just going to be a little diversion to ease my Spartacus with-drawl symptoms. How wrong could I have been; Game of Thrones has been a towering show. An unmitigated triumph.

From start to finish it hasn't let up on the tension, excitement, and plot twists. Which culminated in last week's uber shocker. I, for one, just didn't see that coming. You can imagine, all those who have read the books, smugly waiting for that to smack us on the chin. And was I the only person who had a restless night after? I think not. I won't give it away, in case you are backed on your planner, but I'm sure you probably know.

And, has any show ever juggled so many diverse story-lines so successfully? I can't think of one. No character was left behind or ignored, even the minor ones seemed to shine. The largely British cast were excellent. And we even got Wilko Johnson as an executioner, what more could you want!

When the BBC tries this kind of venture we end up with Merlin and Robin Hood, where everyone looks like they have just wandered out of the Student Union bar. British television couldn't do Game of Thrones, the levels of storytelling and sophistication are way beyond their capacity. Let's face it, they were laughably trying to pass The Shadow Line off as their answer to The Wire. So how many light years are they away from Game of Thrones?

Last night's finale set up season two perfectly, and I get the feeling A Clash of Kings will enjoy a spike in book sales this week. The last scene was stunning and, as the screen went black, it made me wish there was some sort of sorcery that could conjure up a season two box set right there and then.

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Nurse Jackie To Sky Atlantic - Are The BBC Mental?

So it seems that in just one week non Sky viewers have lost two great shows, Glee and Nurse Jackie.

Sky Atlantic has poached the show from the BBC and will be showing season 3 from July 5^th. Just weeks after the second season finished on BBC 2.

Now I’m not going to go into the pros and cons of shows going behind pay walls. I did all that on Monday with Glee. But what I will question is why do the terrestrial channels not want good quality shows? Nurse Jackie is quite frankly one of the best half hour dramas on the TV (if you haven’t watched it go buy it on DVD immediately) and I don’t understand why they wouldn’t fight to keep it. Poor ratings has been sited as the reason the BBC didn’t renew it but they only have themselves to blame for that by putting it on at 10pm on a Saturday night.

Up until 6 months ago the BBC was home to Mad Men and Nurse Jackie. I mean it’s one thing giving up Nurse Jackie but they gave up Mad Men! It’s almost farcical. So instead of having two of the best shows in America on the BBC, we pay our license fee for endless episodes of Family Guy, Eastenders and My Family.

I didn’t really agree with Glee moving to Sky 1. I felt like you were taking a great show away from its core audience but with Nurse Jackie moving to Sky Atlantic, well I’m pleased! It now means we can watch the new series in two weeks time and it will be treated with the respect it deserves. Not taken off for ‘book week’ mid season. True story, one week it was taken off for Book Club the week after that taken off for the Golf. If it weren’t for Chris Lilly’s Angry Boys I would be demanding my license fee back!

All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace.

There is that scene in The Empire Strikes Back, where Luke says, "I'm not afraid" Then Yoda turns all dark and sinister and replies "You will be. You will be"

That is how I always feel watching an Adam Curtis documentary series. After the shocks and revelations of The Power of Nightmares and The Century of the Self comes his latest offering, All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace. Which sounds like it should be the name of a China Crisis album from the 80's.

So what is it all about? That's the problem with an Adam Curtis series. It's like trying to nail a fart to a wall. Until you sit there and and watch the show, it's hard to describe. His style is powerful, a never ending mix of achieve footage, haunting music, and interviews. That at times, can make the viewer feel like Alex in A Clockwork Orange but, thankfully, without the eye clamps and drops.

Really, Adam Curtis' weeping theories are meant to be seen not written about. So what I'm saying is, why not give it a go. Catch the first episode on BBC iPlayer and (I started with Star Wars, so I might as well finish with it) 'take your first step into a larger world'

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The Shadow Line.

I've taken one for the team here.

I thought I'd give the BBC's new seven part thriller The Shadow Line a watch. The Radio Times have raved about it, giving it their "prestigious" drama of the week award. And it's a master class in style over substance. About ten minutes of plot crammed into sixty minutes of television. The rest was just wandering around and characters muttering half sentences. A drug baron and his nephew are mysteriously pardoned, the drug baron is murdered. Enter Jonah Gabriel the oh so enigmatic detective. I'm sure the name must mean something, but who cares. Add in some gangsters trying to find out who murdered their boss and you more or less have it.

The Shadow Line was described as a conspiracy thriller, which, is like calling something a psychological thriller. It just means nothing much will happen and you are branded stupid if you don't get it. Plus, as with most BBC dramas, the pace was slow and the script pretty leaden. I'm not sure if all the jokes were supposed to be duds, but, if so, then they succeeded. There was a press conference with some of the worst banter I've heard this side of " Two Pints of Lager". There is a strong cast, and in the main it is well acted. But you just get the feeling it's not going to add up to much.

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The Killing - Revisited.

A fair few weeks back I raved about the first few episodes of the Danish crime thriller The Killing. But wondered if it could keep up the quality and suspense over twenty instalments. Well I needn't have worried. If anything it got better and better. This was magnificent television. I won't give anything away because, if The Killing gets a repeat, and it should, it's a perfect fit for BBC 2, you should watch it. I promise you, you will be gripped by it.

But it's sad to see Danish television do something we can't. There's no way a British station could mount something so contemporary and epic. As we all know most British shows start to fade after three episodes. Mad Dogs anyone? Plus there is no way a British company would attempt twenty hours of television without James Nesbitt. You could imagine the pitch.

"It's called The Killing. It's a twenty part thriller. Our main character is DCI Sarah Lund."

"A woman? "

"Well, yes. "

"Couldn't we make it a man, and couldn't that man be James Nesbitt? "

"Well, err- "

"James Nesbitt. James...Nesbitt. Sounds good doesn't it. "

BBC 4 teased us with the trailer for The Killing II. I got all excited at the prospect of more Sarah Lund and her penchant for knitted jumpers. But the spectre of sequels past descended. Would it be the wet fish that was Prime Suspect 2 was? Or the damp squib of the second season of Murder One? I can't believe it will. I doubt it will beat The Killing, but if it's half as good, it will still be the best thing on the BBC, Nurse Jackie excluded, by a very long, long way.

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Becoming Human is no S Club Juniors.

I'm glad BBC Three cobbled together the web series ( or whatever these fangled things are called ) of Becoming Human. I'm not from the generation that can sit easily in front of a computer or a laptop screen, give me a big telly any day. Sorry, I digress. Becoming Human is the teen, school based, spin off of Being Human, then again, you already know that. But this was no S Club Juniors to Being Human's S Club. No, this was an enjoyable whodunit with a nice sub Buffyesque feel. It follows the same format as its parent show - Vampire, werewolf and ghost team up, but I felt the lighter touch worked well. For me the third series of Being Human was overblown and tiresome in equal measures, and dare I say it, Becoming Human was better acted. Craig Roberts (Adam the vampire), Leila Mimmack (Christa the werewolf) and Josh Brown (Matt the fat ghost) had an instant chemistry as they tried to solve Matt's murder. The script was also sharper than Being Human. With a nice twist where Adam kept throwing in 80's pop culture references, much to his schoolmate’s bemusement. Good to hear Rentaghost mentioned.

I've heard Becoming Human compared to Misfits, but this is unfair. Misfits is a much more adult affair, and to my mind, one of the best shows on telly. But, yet again I digress. Let's hope we get a whole series of Becoming Human. Also, let's hope they keep it light and not get too involved in the convoluted Being Human universe.

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TRUMP V SUGAR

It's good to have Donald Trump back on our screens, even if it is at 12.20 in the morning. The Apprentice USA is being slung away in double bills in the early hours. Thankfully it's not entered the Sign Zone. You know, where the BBC thinks everyone who watches telly through the night is stone death.

Well, it's been a fair few years since I last saw the highly entertaining Apprentice USA. There have been some changes. In fact the only thing that hasn't changed is Mr. Trump's hair. It's still that same intriguing puzzle, where does it come from? Is it a comb over, comb forward, what? Last week there was a fashion show on a beach. I was scared one hefty sea breeze and Donald would've been blown three miles out to sea.

The Apprentice USA is more of a game show than our more restrained version. The winning team stays in a mansion. While the losers camp in tents outside. A strong reminder of how much America is a winner takes it all society. The contestants tell us how much they hate losing and want to live in the lap of luxury, just like Mr. Trump. And boy are they loud.

What I have noticed, and it is bound to cross over to our show, is that when someone wants to slag a fellow contestant off, they shower them with praise first. It goes something like this: " I think Chad is a truly great, kind and loving person. But he has no leadership skills, he's lazy and won't fit into your organisation Mr. Trump. "

The Apprentice USA is less task orientated than our version. In the main it concentrates on what happens after and the lead up to face Donald Trump in the boardroom. This is where Trump trumps Lord Sugar ( or whatever he's called this season ) He has an intimidating air, but also he is idolised by the contestants. They want to be him. Unlike our mob who tolerate Lord Sugar because they think, 'screw the job, I want a presenting spot on Channel 5.'

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Faulks On Fiction

Faulks on Fiction ( BBC2 Saturday at 9.00 ) really should have been called Faulks on the BBC Gravy Train. Because he made Judith Chalmers look like a shut in. The idea of the show is novelist Sebastian Faulks takes us through different aspects of the British novel, the first less than riveting episode was devoted to Heroes. He kicks off with Robinson Crusoe. So we find Seb, on a beach, looking like a sun bleached Rory McGrath. But what is the point? Is this the BBC's love of scenery over content again, as so brilliantly displayed in Zen? We learn nothing really interesting about Robinson Crusoe from Seb's beach amble. In fact we learn very little through out the whole show. As Sebastian Faulks wanders the countryside to tell us naff all about Tom Jones, and stalks the nighttime city to reveal precious little about Sherlock Holmes. Seb even has time to visit the Somme, mainly to plug his own, woefully over rated, novel Birdsong.

Even the inserted talking heads ( Robert Harris and Ruth Rendell to name two) seem to be shuffled aside so Sebastian can troll off to his next venue. By the time he got to a college campus, for Lucky Jim, I'd had enough.

Late last year Mark Gatiss did a similar run through on the Horror film. But he packed his show full of informative facts, interesting interviews, and entertaining anecdotes. Which made for an enjoyable series. Faulks On Fiction tells us very little about the great works of British literature and entertains us even less.

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Whats happened to BBC 2?

Last night BBC4 showed Morgan Matthews documentary Scenes from a Teenage Killing. It was a bleak, brilliant and powerful commemoration of all the teenagers who died a violent death in 2009. But why was this shoved away on a week night on BBC4? Surely the place for this magnificent programme should have been Saturday night on BBC2. I'm showing my age, but back in the day, it would have been.

This made me think, what is the role of BBC2 these days? All the eye catching stuff goes to its much younger siblings BBC3 and BBC4. They get the hip and the heavyweight. While poor old BBC2 trundles along with endless Coast and Top Gear. Just looking at the nightly line up shows it's a channel that seems to have lost its way. Most everything on it can be moved to other BBC channels and no one would bat an eyelid. It has lost its identity which, in its hay day, was an intelligent, entertaining alternative to the other terrestrial channels. But, perhaps there lies the problem. As channels multiplied and everything spread out, things slip away.

Now BBC2 is just there. But I remember its salad days with fondness. The Saturday night Midnight Movie. Where an entire generation was introduced to Si-fi greats like The Incredible Shrinking Man and Roger Corman's Gothic Edgar Allen Poe adaptations. Not to mention all the great Hammer Horrors. But here I go, middle-aged, pining for long gone days of channel loyalty and identity. I'll be wanting the Testcard with music back next so I can sip me Horlics and have a nap.

Whatever the fate of BBC2, if you get the chance to see Scenes from a Teenage Killing, jump at it. You won't forget it in a hurry.

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Hattie.

The overwhelming thought I got watching Hattie on BBC4 last night was, what's the point? So Hattie Jacques had an affair that wrecked her marriage to fellow actor John Le Mesurier. The younger man moves in and the husband is eventually squeezed out. But that was just one aspect of her life. Surely the aim of a biographical drama is to learn about the many facets of the subject's character, so we can better understand what made them what they were. Why we liked, or disliked, them. With Hattie we got none of that. It was like we had to fill in the blanks from what we knew about her. Which, I suppose, to most of us, is very little. Tough matronly type in the Carry On's and Eric Sykes sister in Sykes. Surely this was the opportunity to widen our knowledge, not give us a grubby little episode.

The film itself was well done, if a little plodding. Ruth Jones as Hattie and Robert Bathurst as John Le Mesurier were both very good. However I had a problem with Being Human's Aidan Turner, as John Schofield, the man who destroys the happy home. His London accent seemed forced and strained, like he was auditioning for the next Danny Dyer straight to DVD epic. He makes a better Vampire than he does cockney Lothario. But the real star of the show was Marcia Warren as Esma Cannon, the perennial old biddy from the Carry On's and just about every other British film comedy of the era. She was foul mouthed, cynical and livened up proceedings no end, whenever she was on screen, which was sadly all too brief. I wished we'd followed Esma's story and left Hattie to bonk away in her caravan, on the set of Carry On Cabbie. Perhaps that's an idea for a future hour and a half on BBC4.

The BBC seems to have thrown quite a few of these biopic at us over the last few years. When they work, as with Trevor Eve's excellent performance as Hughie Green, or Michael Sheen's equally impressive Kenneth Williams, they can absorbing television. But Hattie didn't fall into that category. And how long before we start scraping the bottom of the barrel? Are we just ten years away from a Cannon and Ball biopic?

Over.

Hattie is now being repeated on BBC iPlayer.