THE BARON 1.1

"What a dreary, forsaken place. Even the fish have left."

-- Malcolm McLaren

Originally intended for primetime ITV last August, reality series The Baron finally arrives on the airwaves 10 months after it was filmed, dumped into a 10:35 timeslot. Since filming ended last July (a TV lifetime ago), former-popstar Suzanne Shaw has won Dancing On Ice, Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren flew out to Australia (but refused to leave his hotel room) for I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, and EastEnders legend Mike Reid sadly died.

It was Reid's death that put the brakes on The Baron last summer, out of respect for the comic actor's passing -- but now this series, his last TV appearance, is being shown as a tribute with his family's blessing...

The Baron, then. What's it all about? Basically, the parochial fishing village of Gardenstown in north-east Scotland need a new Baron, so 3 celebrities arrive hoping to win the position. Each celeb stays with a family during their stay, while running a political campaign to gather support from the villagers, who will select their Baron in a secret ballot 10 days later.

As you'd expect, there are cultural problems to overcome with the god-fearing villagers. They're an old-fashioned bunch whose religious attitudes cause problems for "godfather of anarchy" Malcolm McLaren – forced to stay with two elderly evangelists who haven’t a clue who he is. The whole experience is something of an ego-crushing experience for Malcolm, really. But it's hard to feel sympathy for a man who admits that St Alban's is as far north as he's ever been. And was it me, or did McLaren wakes up at noon and come downstairs with a face smeared with talcum powder?

Mike Reid is more accepting of the cultural divide and plays his "man of the people" role, in-between cracking jokes that sometimes fall on deaf ears. It helps that he seems genuinely appreciative of the village's rundown, rambling beauty – and people know who he is, which helps him make the biggest impact. And, to be frank (no pun intended), he's more affable and open to the experience than the others. But I'm not sure how much of this is a "likeable everyman" performance he's honed through the years. Are we seeing Frank Butcher or Mike Reid?

Smiley, bubbly Suzanne is certainly a big hit with the kids -- who follow her around rather excitedly for autographs, possibly just amazed to see an adult without a lattice of wrinkles on their face. Gardenstown has an average age of 63 by the looks of it...

In this first episode, which covered the first few days, the celebs basically introduce themselves to the locals. Mike strolls around the village, cracking gags in the local Spa (ooh, the tumbleweeds) and joshing with drinkers in the pub, before unsettling a vicar who overhears his plan to introduce 24-hour drinking if he wins. Suzanne is all teeth as she bounces door-to-door meeting people. Malcolm decides his only chance at victory lies with securing the underclass vote, so he hones in on a leather-clad middle-aged man for a chat.

The main "task" involved giving a speech to the community in the town hall. Mike trots out his catchphrase ("Paaaaat!") and endeared himself with humble, respectful words about the sense of community in Gardenstown. Suzanne speaks honestly about how much she has to learn about village life and being a baron(ess). Malcolm's speech is full of words that go over the heads of most people (English is a second language for some, too), but they certainly understand his worrying claims to be "wicked" and a "bad boy". Eyes roll as they listen to the sinner in their midst. Pitchforks at the ready...

The audience write anonymous comments on slips of paper after the speeches end, for the celebs to read back home. Mike is disappointed to learn a few villagers don't trust him, or believe his commitment to their village after just a few days. Suzanne is angry someone thinks she has "no substance" (and that they spelt substance wrong.) Malcolm is peeved to find someone has labelled him "strange". The very idea!

I'd certainly label this programme "strange", though -- but it was also oddly beguiling in its cheapness and silliness. It's all a rather weak popularity contest (already a two-horse race between Mike and Suzanne), but there's fun to be had in the village's old attitudes, which give everything a whiff of Royston Vasey with religion.

I predict Suzanne will win, for what it's worth. She's got the youth vote sewn up and her cheeriness will endear her to much of the older generation. Mike can probably count on old fans (and there are plenty there), but might find he comes across as a little "fake". As for Malcolm... well, I think I can hear the villagers constructing their Wicker Man already.


24 April 2008
ITV1, 10.35 pm

Hancock: Super Smith

I love Will Smith. In a masculine, admiring way. He can do comedy (Men In Black), he can do family entertainment (Independence Day), he can do romance (Hitch), and he can do straight drama (Ali/The Pursuit Of Happyness). He's a top movie star, an all-round decent guy, and a genuine role model for kids. Okay, that's enough of the love-in...

Smith has a comedy out this summer called Hancock, where he plays a layabout, grouchy superhero nobody likes. It's crammed full of amazing special effects and everything I've seen has looked very entertaining. I'm really looking forward to it, actually -- particularly because Smith's the kind of performer who can make you laugh at jokes you've seen in a trailer a hundred times before. Check out the sneak-peak above.

Being Human becomes a series

Yes! Yes! Yes! BBC Three's drama pilot Being Human has been commissioned for a full series. You may remember it was part of the revamped channel's "pilot drama season" in February; the idea being that the best pilot would be given a full season.

That prize went to the brave-but-shoddy Phoo Action (days after its transmission, weirdly), but the Beeb have obviously realized Toby Whithouse's comedy-drama (about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost living together) was by far the more accomplished entrant, and received the more positive feedback.

Rob Pursey, executive producer for Touchpaper Television, said:

"The pilot of Being Human gave us the opportunity to try something really unusual, and we were quite overwhelmed by the positive public response. So we’re delighted that the BBC has given us the go-ahead for a full series."

BBC Three controller Danny Cohen said:

"[Being Human] struck the most powerful chord with the audience."

A full series, written by Whithouse, should arrive in 2009. Great news!

THE APPRENTICE 4 – Week Five

"We are sizzling hot superstars. I'm overwhelmed by how good we are."

-- Lindi

The firing of Simon has left a hero-sized gap that needs to be plugged, but I can't see many fitting replacements in this bunch, can you? Well, maybe Lee McQueen, who doesn't seem as two-faced and needlessly petty as the rest. This week Sir Alan Sugar sets the teams an ice-cream making and selling task. So who'll get the cream, and who's going to get licked?

The specifics involve Alpha and Renaissance making 3 brand new flavours of ice cream at a farm, before selling those products to the untapped London market. Sir Alan puts Lucinda in charge of Alpha; leading Helene, Raef, Lindi, Lee and Jenny M. After feeling the wrath of Sir Alan in the boardroom last week, lucky-escape Claire is put in charge of Renaissance; leading Jenny C, Michael, Kevin, Alex and Sara.

Claire and Renaissance head off to Bockingford Farm in Kent, where they quickly decide on 3 original ice cream flavours: Berry Mania, Chocolate Orange and Scrumpilicious (cider and elderflower). Claire, Jenny C and Michael rush off to buy 50 oranges as ingredients, but find the local shop (for local people) only has 4 left. There's also the important matter of taste-testing their products, but Claire's trio miss their appointment with local volunteers and are forced to take the advice of two drunks in a pub. Naturally, the inebriated men prefer the cider-flavoured ice cream! They're not so keen on the Chocolate Orange, so it's ruled out...

At Downside Farm in Sussex, Alpha are having a tougher time deciding on flavours, but eventually settle on Tantalising Toffee Apple, Cosmopolitan, and... Avocado and Chilli? Their taste-test session goes far better than Renaissance's, as a village hall of people volunteer to help. It soon becomes clear that the "mashed potato" Cosmopolitan isn't very popular, so they rule it out.

Now that each team have decided on their two flavours to sell, the next day involves selling as much as they can to London businesses. Unfortunately, Claire's Renaissance only managed to get two appointments pre-arranged yesterday, so they spend most of their day trudging around snaffling small orders. Alex isn't happy. Is he ever? I know the girls swoon over him, but he's permanently glum about whatever's going on. Sometimes he has the right to be, but how often does he take the "easier" role in the tasks (doing the laundry, making ice cream) while others do the more crucial, business-specific work?

Things couldn't go better for Lucinda's Alpha, as six appointments are already scheduled and Lucinda has put Lindi in charge of Jenny M and Raef to generate sales. However, scratch below the surface and there's a problem: 3 of the 6 appointments are customers who already manufacturer their own ice cream in-house, so aren't likely to buy from an outside company. D'oh! "You can still sell to them," argues Lindi.

Fortunately, sales go well everywhere else, particularly when Alpha secure a 100-litre order from an independent cinema chain (snatching the business from under Renaissance's nose, by liaising with the chain's boss.) The promise of a 130-litre order from a gastro makes Jenny M give too much incentive to land the deal, offering them exclusivity of the product in their market.

The day draws to a close, with Lucinda's Alpha seemingly in the lead. It's been a good task for eccentric Lucinda, who has impressed most people with her management style, refusing to get in a flap when problems present themselves, and consequently winning the admiration of Lee and Sarah.

At the last-minute, Claire's Renaissance visit a trendy bar n' grill and secure an order for 200-lires of ice cream. Will it be enough to win? Not according to Alpha, who take great delight in rubbing their huge success in Renaissance's face back at the house. It's surely in the bag for them.

The next morning, both teams assemble in Sir Alan's boardroom. Margaret reveals that Lucinda's Alpha took orders worth a total of £1,273.64, but Nick's figure puts Claire's Renaissance at £1,455.45! Victorious and gob-smacked by the win, Claire's team fly off by helicopter for an activities day at a country estate.

Lucinda is shocked to have lost the task and brings Jenny M and Lindi back into the boardroom with her. The first thing Sir Alan can't get his head around is why Jenny M and Lindi started offering exclusivity on sales – something that is beyond their authority and will damage the farmer's future business.

Jenny M's frosty nature is brought into focus, and Nick even chimes in saying "I've always thought there was a bit of a chill in the air between yourself and the others." Ultimately, Lindi has to take the blame for a lot of the sales mistakes, as she was put in charge of that by Lucinda.

Sir Alan is close to firing Jenny M for her exclusivity mess-up, but he lets her off and decides to fire Lindi because she was in control of sales -- where they lost the task. Lucinda is visibly sad to see Lindi go, but in the taxi home Lindi just seems disappointed that Sir Alan "hasn't seen how special I am. He must have missed that point..."

Overall, this was an entertaining episode -- I particularly loved the taste-testing drunks and the steal of the cinema's business – but it wasn't anything special. It was a welcome surprise to see Lucinda do well as manager, as I've been expecting her to crash and burn any week now. I'm still not convinced she has much to offer beyond an easygoing management style, but we'll see.

And what's happened to Jenny C? Without her glasses she's become relatively normal now, and seems to have transferred her bitchiness to Jenny M. Raef, Michael and Kevin disappeared into the background a bit, but this episode saw Lindi grab the limelight (I forgot she was on the show last week), only to get fired. Oh well.

And as for Alex; well, if anyone's got a game-plan on The Apprentice this year, it's him. He may have volunteered to be team leader in Week One, but ever since then he's been content to sit back (printing photos, doing the laundry, making ice cream) and criticise the team leaders around him (Simon last week, Claire this week.)

So who's going to win? At the moment, I think it's between Raef (cool, calm, collected), Claire (who adjusted her brashness well this week) and maybe Lee (who needs to lead a task, but I like his common-sense.) Dummy Kevin, daffy Lucinda and nice-but-dim Michael must surely be up for the chop soon, while the two Jenny's, Sara and Helene need to prove themselves.


23 April 2008
BBC1, 9.00 pm

Where Are They Now? The Cast Of Aliens

You may like to know this post was updated and republished to my new blogging home at www.dansmediadigest.co.uk, so click here!



I love ensemble casts in films (particularly war films), and the ragtag group from James Cameron's Aliens (1986) are one of the best. Even as a kid I knew every Space Marine's name, which shows how much impact they had as a dynamic, cohesive team. Every character refused to be pushed into the background by all the monsters on display (except perhaps Wierzbowski).

And, while it's pretty obvious what happened to the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen since the film's release, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at what the whole cast got up to -- 22 years after battling extra-terrestrials with Pulse Rifles on LV-426...

SIGOURNEY WEAVER as Ellen Ripley (now aged 58)The civilian with first-hand experience

Already a big star when Aliens was released in 1986, having starred in the seminal Alien ('79) and global smash-hit Ghostbusters ('84), Weaver went on to become one of the 1980s most famous faces -- with memorable roles in Gorillas In The Mist, Working Girl and Ghostbusters II.

In addition to starring in Alien's other sequels -- Alien3 ('93) and Alien Resurrection ('97) -- Weaver also appeared in the comedy Dave ('93), thriller Copycat ('95) and drama The Ice Storm ('97), before combining her geek/comedy/sex-appeal for Galaxy Quest ('99). She more recently starred in rom-com Heartbreakers ('01), The Village ('04), and provided the US narration for BBC documentary Planet Earth. She is currently filming Avatar – a 3-D sci-fi epic that reunites her with Aliens' director James Cameron – which is due for release in 2009.

Sigourney had married theatre director Jim Simpson in 1984 and the couple had a daughter, Charlotte Simpson, in 1990.

LANCE HENRIKSEN as Bishop (now aged 67)The resident "synthetic person"

James Cameron cast Henriksen as android Bishop after working with the actor on Piranha II and The Terminator (where Henriksen was the original choice for Schwarzenegger's cyborg role). Following Aliens, Henriksen has had a very busy career, alternating between low-budget films ('89s Pumpkinhead, '05s Hellraiser: Hellworld), mainstream disappointments ('93s Hard Target, '94s The Color Of Night, '95s The Quick & The Dead), and voice-over work ('99s Tarzan, '06s Superman: Brainiac Attacks). He is also the only actor, other than Sigourney Weaver, to appear in more than one Alien film – with a small role in Alien3.

Still a popular character actor today, Henriksen has been steadily employed since Aliens, racking up an extensive (if not exactly glittering) filmography. An attempt to break into television with X-Files follow-up Millennium ('96-'99) introduced him to new fans, but the show wasn't a hit with the general public. More recently, he appeared in Alien spin-off Alien Vs Predator ('04) playing the originator of his Bishop android, and has a slew of low-budget films ready to roll out in 2008/9.

Henriksen is an accomplished painter and potter, and lives in Southern California with his wife Jane Pollack (whom he married in 1995) and their 8-year-old daughter Sage. He married his first wife Mary Jane Evans a year before starring in Aliens, but they divorced in 1988. He has one 21-year-old daughter, Alcamy, from that first marriage.

MICHAEL BIEHN as Cpl Dwayne Hicks (now aged 51)The laidback marine with a crush on Ripley

Another actor brought onto Aliens from The Terminator by James Cameron, Biehn subsequently starred in Cameron's The Abyss ('89) and Terminator 2 ('91), although his scene was cut from the theatrical release. After appearing in a run of mainstream duds ('93s Tombstone, '95s Jade), Biehn has mostly focused on straight-to-video fare ('97s Asteroid, '01s Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, '05s Dragon Squad), although he sometimes gets small roles in bigger films ('96s The Rock, '00s Cherry Falls).

More recently, Biehn's cult appeal got him a role in Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror ('07) and he is in talks to appear in Avatar, where he'd reunite with Aliens co-star Sigourney Weaver and James Cameron.

At the time of making Aliens, Biehn was in a 6-year-long marriage to Carlene Olson, but they divorced in 1987. He married Gina Marsh in 1988, but they divorced in 2004. He has a total of four children from both marriages -- twins Devon and Taylor (now aged 24) with Carlene, and Caelan Michael (now aged 16) and Alexander (now aged 5) with Marsh. He is now in a relationship with actress Jennifer Blanc. Interestingly, he's good friends with actor Brian Austin Green – who is playing his Terminator character's brother in Terminator TV spin-off The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

PAUL REISER as Carter Burke (now aged 50)The greedy corporate slimeball

After playing corporate creep Carter in Aliens, Reiser's only notable big-screen roles of the past 20 years have been Beverly Hills Cop II ('87), The Story Of Us ('99) and One Night At McCool's ('01). Instead, he chose to work steadily in a range of comedy-dramas that went straight-to-video, or had limited distribution, and has recently appeared in some original movies on cable channel Showtime.

Reiser's failure to capitalize on Aliens' success was probably down to his decision to focus on TV work. A year after Aliens he starred in the popular sitcom My Two Dads ('87-'90) and followed that hit with Mad About You ('92-'99), co-starring Helen Hunt.

His last screen credit was for The Thing About My Folks ('05), which he also wrote the screenplay for. His development company Nuance is currently trying to get projects going for NBC. He recently made his theatrical debut as a director of Woody Allen's Writer's Block and had a Mad About You reunion in '05.

CARRIE HENN as Rebecca "Newt" Jorden (now aged 31)The sole survivor of the colony

Despite making a memorable impression in Aliens, which was her acting debut, Henn chose not pursue an acting career. Instead, she earned a degree in liberal studies and child development in 2000, married a fellow student in 2005, and now works as a school teacher in Atwater, California. She still keeps in touch with her Aliens co-star Sigourney Weaver.

BILL PAXTON as Pvt. Hudson (now aged 53)The highly-strung marine

Paxton has arguably had more success than Sigourney Weaver, if not as much critical acclaim. Following Aliens, he has never stopped working and starred alongside co-stars Lance Henriksen in Near Dark ('87) and Michael Biehn in Tombstone ('93). He has also had roles in a mix of popular films, including: Predator 2 ('90), Apollo 13 ('95), Twister ('96), Mighty Joe Young ('98), U-571 ('00), Spy Kids 2 ('02) and Thunderbirds ('04).

Having had a small role in The Terminator (he was the mouthy street punk Arnie got his clothes from) before Aliens, and became something of a "lucky charm" for director James Cameron -- who has cast him in most of his subsequent films: True Lies ('94), Titanic ('97) and Ghosts Of The Abyss ('03). In 2006, Paxton moved into TV to star in Big Love – a HBO drama about a Mormon family, which has earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

He married Louise Newbury in '87 and they now have two children (James, 14, and Lydia, 11).

WILLIAM HOPE as Lt. Gorman (now aged 53)The insecure rookie commander

After playing cowardly Gorman in Aliens, Canadian-born Hope went on to appear in a number of flop films, with his most notable credit being Hellraiser II ('88). He moved into television in the 90s, appearing on many British shows such as The Vanishing Man ('96), sitcoms Drop The Dead Donkey ('96) and Gimme, Gimme, Gimme ('99), before dividing his time between occasional screen roles ('04s Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow) and voice work in video-games. More recently, Hope continues to appear in straight-to-video films and television series like Ultimate Force ('06) and Midsomer Murders ('07). Outside of his acting, he is a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

JENETTE GOLDSTEIN as Pvt. Vasquez (now aged 48)The butch female marine

After playing macho Vasquez in Aliens (her film debut), Goldstein joined her Aliens co-stars Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton in Near Dark ('87), before going on to star in various films and television series. Her credits include small roles in Lethal Weapon 2 ('89), Star Trek Generations ('94), Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas ('98) and Clockstoppers ('02). Aliens director James Cameron also cast her as John Connor's stepmother in Terminator 2 ('91) and as an Irish mother in Titanic ('97).

The majority of Goldstein's work has been on the small screen, with blink-and-miss-it roles on shows like MacGyver ('91), L.A Law ('94), 7th Heaven ('98), ER ('98-00), Six Feet Under ('01), Alias ('03) and 24 ('04).

She has worked in theatre throughout her entire career, appearing in plays in New York, Los Angeles and London. She is currently writing a one-woman show for herself.

AL MATTHEWS as Sgt. Apone (now aged 66)The cigar-chomping team leader

Matthews' career after playing gruff Sgt Apone was restricted to a handful of films you've never heard of ('88s Stormy Monday and American Roulette), and small roles in The Fifth Element ('97) and Tomorrow Never Dies ('97). Since then, he has maintained an interest in folk singing, writing music, and was last known to be living in Spain in 2005. His website makes it clear he's not dead, anyway!

MARK ROLSTON as Pvt. Drake (now aged 52)The tough guy

After appearing in Aliens, Rolston went on to have an incredibly busy career, appearing in all manner of films and TV shows, such as: RoboCop 2, Body Of Evidence, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scanner Cop, The Shawshank Redemption, Lois & Clark, ER, Babylon 5, Strange Luck, Profit, Hard Rain, Rush Hour, The X-Files, Angel, Dark Angel, Alias, The Shield, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 24, Enterprise and CSI:NY.

His roles are usually fairly minor and he usually appears in just a few episodes of each series. More recently he has appeared in TVs Reaper, Cold Case and provided a voice in a Turko video-game out this year. He is also appearing in Saw V later this year. Away from acting, he likes to play golf and enjoys yoga.

RICCO ROSS as Pvt. Frost (now aged 48)The reliable marine

Ross, born in Chicago, has enjoyed a career on both sides of the Atlantic after Aliens, appearing in US films/TV (Highlander, Mission: Impossible, Wishmaster, Beverly Hills 90210, The Pretender, Babylon 5, JAG) and UK TV (Doctor Who, The Bill, Murder Most Horrid, Jeeves & Wooster, The Tomorrow People). He recently appeared in ER ('06) and is currently filming The Least Among You.

COLETTE HILLER as Cpl. Ferro (age unknown)The Drop Ship Pilot

Appearing in Aliens actually marked the end of Hiller's career. She instead chose to focus on theatre, and now has two teenage children. Just recently, Hiller finished a project in London called Sing-London (Jun-Jul '07), which was a week of singing celebration.

DANIEL KASH as Pvt. Spunkmeyer (now aged 49)The blink-and-miss him marine

Aliens was Canadian Kash's first movie. He went on to star in Street Legal ('91-92), 3 episodes of the RoboCop TV series, Law & Order, had a recurring role in Due South, appeared in 3 episodes of Goosebumps ('98), Relic Hunter ('01), Mutant X ('03) and was a bodyguard in Lucky Number Slevin ('06). He recently appeared in 4 episodes of The Dresden Files ('07) and just finished filming Magic Flute Diaries. He also made his directorial debut in 2001 with an award-winning short film about a phobic superhero called Germgirl, following it up with the shorts Flip Phone ('03) and For Lease ('07).

Daniel is a fitness fanatic and channels that into running, lifting weights and playing basketball, has been married to actress/producer Hayley Tyson since the mid-80s and they divides their time between L.A and Toronto.

CYNTHIA DALE SCOTT as Cpl Dietrich (age unknown)The plucky marine

After receiving a degree in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design, Cynthia joined a theatre/dance company which later fell apart. She moved to London and became involved in the post-punk indie music scene, before getting an Equity card to work in the British entertainment industry and supplement her music work. Aliens was her big break, and its success led her back to the US. Sadly, her filmography after Aliens only contains an episode of 1987 TV series Mr Belvedere, Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here ('88) and Rush ('91).

TIP TIPPING as Pvt. Crowe (13 Feb 1958 – 5 Feb 1993, aged 35)The cool-headed marine

Originally a Royal Marine Commando and SAS soldier, Tipping became a stuntman by trade and only had a few acting credits before Aliens. Before then, he performed stunts in movies such as Octopussy ('83), Krull ('83), Never Say Never Again ('83), Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom ('84), Lifeforce ('85) and Death Wish 3 ('85).

After appearing in Aliens as Private Crowe, Tipping embraced both aspects of his job: he helped with stunt-work on Willow ('88), Batman ('89), 7 episodes of Doctor Who ('88-'89), Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves ('91) and dozens more. He also appeared in front of the camera in small roles on Doctor Who ('88), Casualty, The Bill, Boon, Inspector Morse, Bergerac, Chancer, and Bottom (he was that burglar Richie and Eddie captured in one episode!)

Tipping tragically died while filming for BBC rescue reconstruction series 999 in 1993, after his parachute failed to open during a skydive over Alnwick, England.

TREVOR STEEDMAN as Pvt. Wierzbowski (age unknown)The illusive marine

As with the aforementioned Tip Tipping, Trevor Steedman divided his time as a stuntman and a supporting actor. After Aliens, he had minor roles in Rumpole Of The Bailey ('87), Dangerfield ('96), Crime Traveller ('97), Snatch ('00) and Deadmeat ('07). His stunt-work before Aliens had only included A View To A Kill ('85), but he went on to perform and coordinate stunts on many projects, including: London's Burning, Rob Roy ('95), Tomorrow Never Dies ('97), Rebus, Hustle, Children Of Men, and the upcoming Daylight Robbery.

His character in Aliens has become something of a cult, as Wierzbowski was rarely seen throughout the film.

As you can see, some of the cast are missing photos (either because I couldn't find one, or the ones I did find are too small). If you can help plug the gaps, please e-mail me and I'll credit you below. It would be nice to see a completed line-up, wouldn't it? But good luck finding a photo of Cynthia Dale Scott! Update: 28 Oct 08; Dom Beaudoin kindly sent a link to some photos of Cynthia, so I have been able to fill that space. Thanks! Update: 6 Nov 08; Matthews Hollingshead has provided a recent photo of Colette Hiller, so thanks very much!

MOONLIGHT 1.10 – "Sleeping Beauty"

Writers: Trevor Munson & Ron Koslow
Director: John T. Kretchmer

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Shannyn Sossamon (Coraline), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jason Dohring (Josef Kostan), Jordan Belfi (Josh Lindsey), Tami Roman (Maureen), Rashawn Underdue (Tim), Nick E Tarabay (Ralf Martan), Ian Abercrombie (John Whitley), Alice Greczyn (Sam), Paul Rae (Tom), Kavita Patil (Doctor Duffy), Al Galvez (Dan), Robert Noble (Toupee Man), Elizabeth Chambers (Victoria's Secret Model), Jane Galloway Heitz (Elderly Woman), Dierdre Holder (Nurse Linda), William August (Nurse), Betty A. Bridges (Paula), Edward Carnevale (Doorman) & Chase Kim (Detective Kim)

A hitman targets Josef and Mick's investigation discovers hidden depths and secrets about his old friend...

"You just gonna stand there all day, or you
gonna help me find out who killed me?"

-- Josef Kostan (Jason Dohring)

It was about time the show focused on 400-year-old vampire Josef (Jason Dohring), who has been unfairly pushed into the background for too long, appearing just occasionally to raise a smile before disappearing. Sleeping Beauty involves an assassin, hired by a sick old man, travelling to L.A to kill the playboy vamp...

This is actually the first episode written by Moonlight's creators, Trevor Munson and Ron Koslow, who are credited as executive producers but left the day-to-day running to showrunners David Greenwalt and later Chip Johannesen. If this episode exemplifies their take on the material they created, I hope they write more – as this was the first episode that gripped me from the teaser and entertained throughout.

Wizened millionaire John Whitley (Ian Abercrombie) dispatches hitman Ralph Martan (Nick E. Tarabay) to kill Josef, who later interrupts Josef's poker night with some fanged buddies, by spraying them all with bullets and detonating explosives to finish the job. This was all in the first few minutes of the show!

Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) is heartbroken that his old friend has been murdered this way -- resolving to find out who killed him, and why. Beth (Sophia Myles) becomes aware of the incident through BuzzWire and is assigned the case by her boss, finding her professional duties and personal relationship with Alex colliding rather uncomfortably.

But of course, Josef isn't really dead. No, no. He miraculously survived the attack and is just as eager as Mick to find out the identity of his would-be killer. Unfortunately, Josef's laid-back demeanour isn't best suited to hiding out at Mick's apartment (he can't help bringing back a group of babes to entertain himself), and the extreme danger he's in barely seems to register.

The Sleeping Beauty of the title (well, one of them...) is Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon), now confirmed as Mick's vampire wife who has somehow turned herself back into a human – but was stabbed by Beth in the climax of last week's episode. Coraline is now in hospital getting medical attention, with Beth feeling guilty about her rash decision to stake her competitor for Mick's affections. As for Mick; well, he wants to know how Coraline has reversed her vampirism (as he longs to be mortal again), but she's too weak to give him clear answers. Instead, he extracts some of her blood into a syringe, intending to investigate her biological make-up for answers...

After being tipped off about his Josef's survival by Josef's traitorous security man, Martan returns to finish the job. Josef and Mick are in the fire-damaged luxury apartment so Josef can retrieve the contents of a fire-proof safe, when Martan strikes again. Mick manages to defeat the hitman, thanks to his superior strength and agility (although the Martan puts up a commendable fight, considering his disadvantage!), and gets the name "John Whitley" from Martan's lips as he's dangled over a balcony.

Beth discovers that Whitley is a 93-year-old real estate tycoon living in New York, and she travels with Mick to investigate why he's put a price on Josef's head. Josef himself has vanished after hearing about Whitley's connection to the Martan, keeping something a secret from his best-friend. Meanwhile, Martan is handed to the cops, but escapes during transit...

In New York, Mick and Beth manage to sneak into John Whitley's home and confront him about why he paid Martan to kill Josef. Whitley claims that Josef killed his daughter in 1955 and, now that he's old and in poor health, he doesn't want to go to his grave without ensuring Josef (real name: Charles Fitzgerald), pays for his crime. As proof, Whitley shows them his daughter's diary, which proves she was madly in love with Charles/Josef before her untimely death, and knew he was a vampire.

Mick and Beth quickly locate Josef in a house he owns, and he leads them into a bedroom where the episode's true Sleeping Beauty resides: Sarah Whitley, still the same age she was when she "died" in the 50s. Josef explains that, given his vampirism, Sarah wanted to be "turned" so they could be together forever. He eventually gave in to her demands, but the process didn't work – causing her to slip into unconsciousness, but unable to age. He's been keeping her comfortable for the past half-century, hoping that advances in medicine will find a way to revive her, so they can be reunited.

Martan (the Kato of hitmen, it seems) pounces once again, grappling with Mick and Josef in Sarah's bedroom. Martan succeeds in paralyzing Josef with a stake, but Mick manages to get the upperhand and snaps Martan's neck, before pulling out the stake from his friend's stomach. Satisfied that Josef isn't a killer and Whitley just didn't have all the facts about his daughter's "death", Mick offers Beth the chance for a fun-packed evening taking in the city, but Beth is feeling guilty about leaving her boyfriend back home, and shoots down his proposition.

I had fun with this episode. The story was relatively simple, but the mystery surrounding Whitley's motives was maintained well, while the pace and energy stopped things becoming tedious. It was also great to see an episode revolve around Josef for once, even if he still shrank into the background as Mick and Beth investigated events around him...

Maybe Josef's personality is just too passive and selfish to take charge of an episode with an investigative aspect (which demands active empathy for others), but it would be a shame if Jason Dohring doesn't get a chance to take Josef into fresh territory. I really liked the revelations about Josef's love life, as it's now clear his own past life has parallels to Mick's current one. But, in case you didn't pick up on that very obvious aspect, Beth did plenty of knowing looks and sideway glances to Mick! But is Mick-Beth as doomed as Charles-Sarah?

The subplot for Coraline wasn't particularly eventful, but it was interesting to see her vampire nature takeover the sicker she got – with fangs protruding when she spotted a nurse's neck pulse in one scene. If she has found a cure for vampirism, it seems to only be a temporary fix. I'm sure the blood Mick took from her will prove insightful, in any case...

While not quite the blistering, high-octane adventure the superb teaser promised us, the performances continue to appeal and the central relationships work. O'Loughlin and Myles are great together, but O'Loughlin and Dohring also work brilliantly as a duo. I even like Jordan Belfi as Beth's boyfriend Josh, who isn't a clichéd scumbag and instead has my sympathy as he watches his beautiful girlfriend slip away from him.

It's even better that Mick is a decent guy in Josh's eyes (having helped him on a few cases), so the blame for any break-up with Beth wouldn't be wholly directed at "the other man". It's Beth who's making the obvious play for Mick; even if he's (understandably) not pushing her away with much gusto.

Josef's presumed death also gave O'Loughlin a brief tear-jerking moment to reflect on his loss, that made a refreshing (if too brief) change of gear for Mick. If there's one thing Moonlight needs, it's more opportunities for its actors to stretch themselves.


22 April 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 4.3 – "The Ties That Bind"

Writer: Michael Taylor
Director: Michael Nankin

Cast: Tricia Helfer (Natalie), Edward James Olmos (Adama), Jamie Bamber (Lee), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck), Grace Park (Sharon Valerii/Sharon Agathon), Leo Li Chiang (Tattooed Pilot), Finn R. Devitt (Nicholas Tyrol), Michael Hogan (Tigh), Jennifer Halley (Seelix), Christina Schild (Playa Palacios), Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Richard Hatch (Zarek), Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta), Michael Trucco (Samuel Anders), Aaron Douglas (Galen Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Dean Stockwell (Cavil), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Rekha Sharma (Tory), Andrew McIlroy (Jacob Cantrell), Judith Maxie (Picon Delegate), Iris Paluly (Speaking Delegate #2), Marilyn Norry (Reza Chronides), Donna Soares (Speaking Delegate #1), Biski Gugushe (Sekou Hamilton) & Ryan McDonell (Lt. Eammon "Gonzo" Pike)

Cally suspects her husband is having an affair, Lee settles into civilian life, Starbuck faces an untrusting crew on her mission, and the Cylon insurrection continues...

Boomer: But we're killing them. I mean,
we're truly killing them. My own sisters.

Cavil: They can trust their god to watch
over their immortal souls.

Boomer: But what about ours?

Cavil: We're machines dear,
remember? We don't have souls.

The Ties That Bind takes some interesting and unpredictable steps, now that we've been acclimatized to the new situations with the Four Cylons aboard Galactica and a split in allegiance amongst the Cylons. This episode returns to both storylines, with Cally (Nicki Clyne) growing suspicious of husband Tyrol (Aaron Douglas)...

If there's one thing I don't like about BSG it's the limp supporting characters (people like Gaeta and Dee), who've been on the show since day one but rarely do anything. These wallflowers sometimes get a chance to shine, but they're usually developed through relationships with more important characters (see: Dee and Lee), with Cally slotting into that group very nicely...

Cally's relationship with Chief Tyrol was sweet and engaging a few years back (when he was infatuated by sexier Boomer and didn’t notice her), but it stagnated after they married on New Caprica and had a daughter. In fact, the only relationship that's ever worked for me on BSG has been Helo/Sharon and Lee/Starbuck.

Here we discover that Cally is having a very tough time bringing up a baby, particularly now her husband is spending less time with his family. Of course, Tyrol has more important things on his mind -- after discovering he's a Cylon, which has caused an understandable identity crisis for him. In an effort to work it through, he's started seeing fellow-toaster Tory (Rekha Sharma) for late-night chats in a bar, and it's here that Cally catches him – jumping to the conclusion that he's having an affair.

On sewage ship the Demetrius, Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) is having difficulties leading her small crew to Earth, as she can't quite remember the way. It doesn't help that her crew – an irritable bunch that includes Helo (Tahmoh Penikett), Gaeta (Alessandro Juliani), Seelix (Jennifer Halley) and secret-Cylon Anders (Michael Trucco) – just don't have any faith in her, or the mission.

The Demetrius is also causing problems for President Roslin (Mary McDonnell), as Vice-President Zarek (Richard Hatch) is growing irritated by the number of secrets Roslin keeps from open political debate. Zarek confides in Lee (Jamie Bamber) about his unease that Roslin is essentially becoming a benign dictator, and at a subsequent meeting with the Quorum Of Twelve, Lee embarrasses Roslin by bringing secret proposals to the Quorum's attention.

With the Cylons, a newly-resurrected Cavil (Dean Stockwell) is angry and baffled that the Number Sixes are leading a revolt against his plan to lobotomize Cylon Raiders (who are refusing to attack the colonial fleet because they sense the presence of the "Final Five" Cylons onboard.) Later, he tries to broker peace with the Sixes, by agreeing to leave the Raiders alone and revive the Number Threes (who were "boxed" because of their worrying messianic beliefs last season), but Six wants to take things even further: Cylon reunification between the "Standard Seven" models and the mysterious "Final Five".

Cavil agrees to all of Sixes demands and Number Threes' consciousness is downloaded into a central resurrection hub back at the algae planet. The Cylons jump to that destination to rejoin with their sibling Threes, but bad feelings mean they take separate Basestars. After arriving, leader Six Natalie (Tricia Helfer) realizes she's been led into a trap – as Cavil's Basestars surround hers and launch a devastating attack -- with no Resurrection Ship in the vicinity for her to download to. Boomer (Grace Park) watches helplessly as Cavil kills her "sisters", giving them no chance of rebirth.

It's a neat twist, and I found it very interesting to see the differences in opinion between the humanoid Cylon models. I'd always thought the entire Cylon race believe in "one true God", but Cavil makes it clear that he doesn't believe machines have souls. But is this really the end of all the Sixes, leaving Caprica Six the only surviving model aboard Galactica? And for how long will the other models accept Cavil's leadership? After all, he's essentially wiped out two Cylon models purely because they had opinions he didn't agree with!

The big surprise in The Ties That Bind involves Cally back on Galactica, as she follows her husband to a secret rendezvous with Tory and Tigh (Michael Hogan) in a weapons locker (designated "1701D", Trekkers). Confused by what they're all up to, Cally sneaks in-between the bulkhead -- prying off a metal plate to see inside the locker and eavesdrop on their conversation, where she hears Tigh mention they're all "skinjob" Cylons!

Distraught to learn her husband is actually the enemy (and Cally has historically been particularly spiteful about "toasters"), she takes her baby to an airlock, intending to commit suicide/infanticide by ejecting them both into the coldness of deep space, rather than face the truth.

Tory arrives, trying to reason with Cally, claiming that they're not "inhuman" machines and don't even fully understand what they are. Cally is gradually persuaded to give up her daughter to Tory, who promptly knocks Cally to the floor after taking possession of the infant. Dazed, Cally can only watch as Tory (cradling her hybrid child), ejects her into the vacuum of space.

So yes, the death of a character (who's very unpopular amongst fans, but I never had an issue with her), and a few welcome insights into the Final Five – who perhaps aren't as benevolent as we've been led to believe. Or maybe each can make their own moral choices, and Tory's darker nature is just coming to the surface as a consequence of her "power"? She does seem to be embracing the sense of worth and uniqueness being a Final Five affords her. And I take it from her power-blow to Cally that the Final Five have the same super-strength seen in the "Standard Seven".

A very enjoyable episode all round, particularly regarding actress Nicki Clyne, who goes out with some style and gives a very strong performance. I could even forgive Cally's crazy decision not to inform the crew about the "skinjobs" before killing herself. But Galactica really needs some kind of CCTV, doesn't it? It was also a strong episode for Rekha Sharma as Tory – a character who has gone from background decoration to compelling villainess in just a few episodes. I still have my doubts about the writers' decision to make Tyrol and Tigh Cylons, but Tory and Anders are both benefiting from the insidious undercurrent their characters have now.

The direction was excellent from Michael Nankin – helped by the excellent production design (see the sweaty, rundown Demetrius set) – and the tricks to convey Cally's mental fragility were wonderful. BSG has always been very strong production-wise, but there were plenty of little touches that really helped sell the series' reality (like Cally's reflection in the airlock porthole), and the CGI for the Basestars are things of almost-psychedelic beauty. Superb.

Overall, things are really up and running now, and the show hasn't put a foot wrong so far. I'm predicting a proper civil war to break out amongst the Cylons (as Cavil's actions can't go unchallenged, can they?), and the Number Threes will surely have to be "unboxed" for some reason soon. And have they really wiped out all the Number Sixes? As always, there's plenty of questions and the promise of answers to come. This was a very strong episode that provided two big surprises I didn't see coming, and was a fitting end for beleaguered Nicki Clyne.


22 April 2008
Sky One, 9.00 pm

Who Drew Jessica Rabbit?

The rather brilliant Pixeloo blog recently updated with this "untooned" version of Jessica Rabbit (using a photo of Angelina Jolie, sort of merged into the cartoon original). Very impressive work. Be sure to check out Pixeloo's freaky rendering of a "real" Homer Simpson and Mario!

Hopefully there'll be more to come, as this guy's very talented. You can see a time-lapsed video of how he created Jessica Rabbit below:

CHUCK 1.3 – "Chuck Versus The Tango"

Writer: Matt Miller
Director: Jason Ensler

Cast: Zachary Levi (Chuck Bartowski), Sarah Lancaster (Ellie Bartowski), Adam Baldwin (Major John Casey), Joshua Gomez (Morgan Pace), Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah Walker), Tony Todd (CIA Director Graham), Bonita Friedericy (General Beckman), C.S. Lee (Harry Tang), Ryan McPartlin (Captain Awesome), Julia Ling (Anna Wu), Vik Sahay (Lester), Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike), Scott Krinsky (Jeff), Philip Shahbaz (Art Dealer), Keli Daniels (Hotel Employee), Matthew J. Willig (Uri), Brandon Molale (Ivan), Lorena Bernal (Malena) & Grant Thompson (Allan Watterman)

Chuck embarks on his first mission, as Morgan and the rest of the Nerd Herd try to help him become store assistant manager...

Sarah: You have no reason to be nervous.
I’m not going to leave your side.
Chuck: Me? Nervous? No. Never.
Sarah: Your hand is a little moist.
Chuck: Yeah, it does that when I’m freaking out.

While certainly a marked improvement over last week's bland episode, I'm still struggling to get excited about Chuck, or even enjoy watching it that much. The premise is fun, the actors are good value (the core of Levi, Baldwin and Strahovski are excellent), but the espionage drama is mishandled and the humour is limp...

Chuck Versus The Tango finds Chuck (Zachary Levi) embroiled in his first mission, accompanying secret agent protectors Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and John (Adam Baldwin) to a swanky art auction. They're there to catch arms dealer "La Ciudad" – who's trying to sell a painting with an explosive device hidden in the frame. That's not a bad little set-up, but the plot is very thin (the villain doesn't even get a proper, on-screen comeuppance), and our time is divided with a weak subplot with Chuck's friends at the Buy More store...

You see, Chuck is hoping to become store assistant manager by impressing his boss and fending off competition from rival employee Harry (C.S Lee). His plan involves fixing a large amount of computers with the help of best-friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez) and the rest of his "Nerd Herd" co-workers, but his mission at the art auction leaves his friends facing the task alone.

The whole Buy More aspect to the show is leaving me cold at the moment. I don't find Gomez or any of the other Nerd Herd characters particularly funny or interesting (but I admit it's early days), so whenever the show goes back to the Buy More store my attention wanes.

It's much more exciting to see Chuck, Sarah and John on a mission, and the art auction scenes aren't too shabby once we get into them. As mission prep, Chuck has learned how to Tango by taking lessons from his sister's boyfriend Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) – and it comes in handy when he's asked to dance by sexy Malena (Argentine model Lorena Bernal) at the auction, although he soon realizes he's been taught the woman's part!

The frustrating thing about Chuck is that the performances of Levi, Baldwin and Strahovski are several notches above the writing. If it wasn't for Levi's amiable likeability, Baldwin's amusing gruffness, and Strahovski's genial beauty I'd be switching of after 10 minutes. The casting is first-rate, and the simmering sexual tension between Sarah and Chuck is proving enjoyable to watch – despite the fact it's developing too quickly...

I don't see any reason why Sarah and Chuck wouldn't start a real relationship – as both appear smitten already. It may have been wiser to make Sarah more work-focused and unaware of Chuck's feelings – as unrequited love is more interesting than what we're being given here. Sarah seems to want Chuck to make a move, and Chuck (while designed as the "stereotypical geek") doesn't strike me as the socially-awkward, romantically-dysfunctional type. It's not a case of "will they/won't they", it's "when will they".

This was a funnier episode than last week, but the show is still far from laugh-a-minute stuff. I giggled maybe two or three times, and usually only at an actor's performance and reactions, not anything that stemmed from the written jokes or visuals. I'm not demanding the blistering gag-rate of Family Guy and Scrubs, but I'm a firm believer that a comedy needs one solid laugh every minute. Chuck isn't getting anywhere near that.

None of it would matter if the plot could survive without humour -- as even a straight drama with Chuck's premise would be entertaining. But, while there's a handful of nice scenes here (the Tango, the chair interrogation, a fight on a rooftop), the actual storyline once again doesn't sustain its 43-minutes. And the Buy More subplot to help it last the distance didn't appeal.

On the positive side: this episode worked better than last week's in every respect, so hopefully the improvement will continue. They have good actors and an entertaining idea to play with, but they just need more complex stories to sustain the 43-minutes, and a big increase in the joke-rate – because there's nothing worse than a comedy-drama that's successful at neither.

And, incidentally, is 10pm really the ideal timeslot for this? I suspect it would help if Virgin1 showed it at 6pm. It's hardly adults-only material, is it.


21 April 2008
Virgin1, 10.00pm

Steve Coogan in Hamlet 2

I'm a massive Steve Coogan fan, but in the UK he's somewhat hobbled by his greatest comedy creation: faded Norwich TV/radio personality Alan Partridge. Everything he does is compared to that masterpiece, although his recent sitcom Saxondale began to carve out its own niche last year.

Coogan has been building a fan-base in the US for awhile now -- primarily in small roles given to him by showbiz fans. Ben Stiller possibly helped get him involved in Night At The Museum, and Coogan has a main role in Stiller's upcoming comedy Tropic Thunder as a reckless film director. Larry David also got Coogan a sizeable role in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing Larry's therapist.

He's not exactly a big star in the US, but there's apparently a subculture of comedy fans who have seen his back-catalogue of work, and appreciate it over there. It's sort of like how Ricky Gervais was only an "underground" hit with industry insiders after The Office started getting some buzz in L.A -- nabbing him guest spots on the likes of Alias because he was a cult figure.

I think Coogan's trying to make the same leap Gervais made from cult figure to wider appeal. He got some great reviews playing Tony Wilson in 24 Hour Party People (2002) and popped up in Coffee & Cigarettes (2003), before getting a big Hollywood try-out in Around The World In 80 Days (2004) alongside Jackie Chan. But that film turned out to be a boring, unfunny mess.

He divides his time between the US and UK, it seems -- filming Saxondale and A Cock & Bull Story in the UK, while nipping back across the pond to work on Night At The Museum and a small role in Marie Antoinette (2006).

Anyway, apart from a part in Tropic Thunder this summer, and a return in Night At The Museum 2: Escape From The Smithsonian as that tiny Roman, Coogan is properly headlining the comedy Hamlet 2 this year. In it he plays a high school teacher who tries to motivate his students and save the drama department by writing a crappy sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Hamlet 2 is written by the guys behind South Park and Team America, and became one of the Sundance Festival's biggest purchases for distribution -- just behind Little Miss Sunshine's record. The red-band trailer is above, so play it and watch. It looks sort of interesting, but it didn't make me laugh particularly hard, I have to say. One to keep an eye on, though, as the pedigree is good...

I'm just glad Steve Coogan's getting a big role in a US comedy -- but whatever happened to that idea for him to co-star with Ben Stiller in a remake of The Professionals? Him as a suave Roger Moore type to Stiller's Tony Curtis: that would be perfect.