Dan's Media Digest

What television shows are you watching?

24. A disappointing season in so many ways, but still an enjoyable way to pass the time. However, I'm very happy the producers will be revamping for season 7, as "terrorists attack L.A" is becoming incredibly tired...

The Apprentice. This is always a great mix of comedy and drama. The only reality TV show with any brains. There's not a bad mix of people this year and the weekly tasks have been enjoyable, so far. Entertaining and revealing.

Dexter. This is a great show about a Miami forensics expert who moonlights as a serial-killer. It's stylish, slick, brilliantly acted and I enjoy the series' slippery morality with its central character. Think American Psycho meets CSI. Dexter isn't on UK screens, but if it appears you should watch it. Phenomenal stuff.

Doctor Who. It's settling into formula at times, but this is still the best thing the BBC has done in years. The latter half of the season looks more promising, with The Master's return to the series...

Heroes. This is a sugary pleasure from start to finish. Pure entertainment, blessed with good performances, a hectic pace and a writing ideology that poses questions and answers them compellingly and quickly. It's a joy to get immersed in.

Life On Mars. I've just finished catching up with this series in a marathon DVD session and watching both series back-to-back has highlighted problems -- like how each episode's villain tends to be one of two characters you meet! But, while the "whodunits?" are a little weak usually, the performances are fantastic and the central conceit (coma or time-travel?) is brilliantly written. Philip Glennister and John Simm are both amazing in this.

Lost. This is still my favourite show, although Heroes battled valiantly with it earlier in the year. I don't think there has ever been a more multi-faceted and complex series that continues to impress and amaze after three years of scrutiny. It has great actors, brilliant stories and exciting plot arcs. I just hope it sustains itself and ends on a high.

Peep Show. The best comedy on TV, which has just finished its fourth series. I'm amazed how the series never gets tired, with the lives of losers Mark and Jez just getting funnier. The iconic "in head" style lends itself to dark comedy brilliantly and this is a real treat. The only downer is that it's over far too quickly.

Trick Of Trick. Derren Brown is the best thing to happen to magic since those David Blain specials before he went nutty sitting inside a box over the Thames. Derren's new show is a little padded and essentially just twists on his same basic tricks, but there's always something special to see. The guy waking up in a photo booth in India was classic!

What magazines are you reading?

As a film fanatic, I devour Total Film and Empire every month. I used to get Hotdog, but haven't bought that in over a year now.

What books are you reading?

I'm on a Chuck Palahniuk kick at the moment, prompted by the release of his latest novel Rant. I've just finished Diary and have Haunted, Lullaby and Rant on my shelf waiting. Not sure which one to tackle next, but it'll be good nihilistic summer reading!

What was the last DVD you purchased or rented?

I last bought Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut from HMV because it was reduced to £10 and I've been eager to see this alternative edit for months now. A review will be online soon.

As for rentals, I'm days away from completing my free month's trial of the Blockbuster rental service. I've been impressed with it, but after a month I've caught up with all the films I've missed, so don't want to dish out £15 per month for a trickle of releases. The last DVD I watched from them was Howl's Moving Castle.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

I hate to admit it, but I last saw Ghost Rider while at Portsmouth about 6 weeks ago. Before that I saw Hot Fuzz. I was keen to see 300 when it was released recently, but never got round to it.

What were the last foreign language films you saw?

They were both from Korea. I finally saw The Host a few weeks ago, which I found sporadically brilliant, but prolonged. Before that Sympathy For Lady Vengeance was an enjoyable revenge flick, but not a patch on Old Boy.

What film are you most looking forward to this summer?

Umm, I was quite interested in Spider-Man 3 until the reviews became mixed. As a child of the 80s, I have a pang to see Michael Bay's Transformers. Summer means big-screen spectacle to me and I think Transformers has the best chance of satisfying on a visceral level with giant transforming robots blowing crap up!

What has been the biggest cinematic injustice of 2007 so far?

The poor distribution of films like Shane Meadows' This Is England, or the fact nobody went to see The Fountain or Inland Empire while shit like Norbit, Ghost Rider, Mr Bean's Holiday and Wild Hogs reigned supreme at the box-office. My faith in the British movie-going public has seriously diminished, particularly after they showed such good taste by keeping Hot Fuzz riding high for so many weeks.