Box-Eyed: QI & Big Top

In this week's Box-Eyed column at Newslite.tv, I look at US comedian John Hodgman's toecurling appearance on QI, and defend (sort of) BBC sitcom Big Top starring Amanda Holden's hotpants.

"Put simply, Hodgman was one of QI's worst guests -- although not as bad as scruffy Scotsman Phil Kaye. It didn't help that his presence (not just as a rare guest from overseas) was highlighted by the unfair decision to stick him in the middle of teammates Sandi Toksvig and Sean Locke for the show's first ever three-person team. It felt very much like Hodgman had been crowbarred into the episode, and the show thus felt unbalanced. It also brought too much attention to Hodgman, who was suddenly given a weight of expectation -- after all, why else would they upset the delicate balance of QI if he wasn't going to be comedy gold?" Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: I ♥ Miranda

This week, my Box-Eyed column at Newslite.tv takes a quick look at BBC2's silly-yet-endearing old-school sitcom Miranda, based on comedian Miranda Hart's Radio 4 comedy series Miranda Hart's Joke Shop.

"Miranda Hart plays a comic version of herself; a posh-accented owner of a small joke shop who delegates the everyday running to her friend Stevie (Sarah Hadland), while essentially trying to get her thirtysomething singleton life on-track. Think a girly Black Books with penis-shaped pasta instead of books, and no alcoholism." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: Did Jon Culshaw make a good impression?

For the second week running, there's just the one review in my Box-Eyed column over at Newslite.tv, this one taking a look at Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson's new impressions show, er, The Impressions Show.

"For many people, impressionists are only above ventriloquists on the ladder of entertainment. Both are "party trick"-style skills that audiences find diverting, but the actual content of their material can leave a lot to be desired. Consequently, both have their peaks and troughs in widespread popularity, but there's generally an appetite for lighthearted impressions-based sketch shows – something less politically-motived than Rory Bremner, and more along the lines of Alistair McGowan's Big Impression or Dead Ringers." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: Good news for Russell Howard?

For various reasons, there's only one review over at Newslite.tv this week, and it's of BBC Three's new satirical comedy Russell Brand's Good News.

"Is he? Good news, I mean. Stand-up comedian Russell Howard is best-known as a regular on satirical panel show Mock The Week, and has proven himself a likeable enough panellist. But he's not a particularly extraordinary talent in my eyes. His comedy sticks to exaggerated anecdotes aimed at students -- the kind of stuff a witty 19-year-old friend would come up with in the pub and could themselves work-up into a five-minute set if they were so inclined." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: Six for the Fall

After an extended break due to a heavy workload and holidays, my Box-Eyed at Newslite.tv finally returns this week with a brief look at six Autumn TV shows I recommend you try out (if you're not already).

Box-Eyed: Deadliest Warrior, Strictly Come Dancing & Peep Show

In this week's edition of Box-Eyed over at Newslite.tv, I check out Bravo's controversial US acquisition Deadliest Warrior, and celebrate the return of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and Channel 4's Peep Show.

"All publicity is good publicity. When Charlie Brooker savaged DEADLIEST WARRIOR on You Have Been Watching, he actually gave it the kind of marketing push execs can only dream of." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: Shooting Stars & The X Factor

After a short summer break, my Box-Eyed column is back over at Newslite.tv. This week, there are capsule reviews for the return of comedy quiz Shooting Stars and talent show The X Factor.

"Time hasn't been kind. There's something a little tragic about Reeves and Mortimer peddling their brand of surreal comedy now they're both 50. It's difficult to keep a youthful, anarchic streak alive when you're middle-aged (ask Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson), so watching two crinkled men beckoning down "The Dove From Above" or singing in a "club style" wasn't funny, or even pleasantly nostalgic, it just felt tired and stale." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: True Blood, You Have Been Watching & Big Brother 10

In this week's Box-Eyed column over at Newslite.tv, I take a quick look at True Blood on FX, Charlie Brooker's You Have Been Watching and Big Brother 10.

"You can be forgiven for forgetting that BIG BROTHER is on this summer, as the tenth series is being ignored by a media that's decided everyone's bored with the decade-old reality show, has lost its live-feed on E4, and has also been unfortunately overshadowed by news events like the politician's expenses scandal, swine flu and the death of Michael Jackson." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: The Week Ahead

Something a little different on Box-Eyed this week, over at Newslite.tv: a look ahead at eight TV highlights this week, from the return of Torchwood and Mock The Week to 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Top Gear, and plenty more inbetween.

"Arriving to prop up the channel's Thursday night comedy triptych, it's the return of satirical panel show Mock The Week with host Dara O'Briain and comedians Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard, Andy Parsons and Hugh Dennis. It's a show that's suffered from near-constant repeats on Dave (a la QI and Top Gear), but it's always nice to hear some fresh, topical gags. I give it two-minutes before Boyle makes a bad-taste Michael Jackson joke. Earlier if Dara's introduction is short and sweet..." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: Are Thursdays Still Funny?

In this week's edition of Box-Eyed over at Newslite.tv, I take a look at BBC2's new Thursday night comedy line-up, with capsule reviews of fantasy spoof Kröd Mändoon & The Flaming Sword Of Fire, sketch show That Mitchell & Webb Look and horror-comedy Psychoville.

Box-Eyed: Six Shows for Summer

In this week's Box-Eyed column at Newslite.tv, I recommend six television shows that are on British airwaves this summer -- featuring aliens, fame-hungry housemates, a human lie-detector, a girl with no memory, a man with two personalities, and a geek with government secrets in his head. Enjoy!

Box-Eyed: Eurovision '09, Have I Got News For You & Lie To Me

In this week's Box-Eyed column at Newslite.tv, I grow tired of Have I Got News For You's guest-hosting format, celebrate British success in Eurovision, and ponder the truth about Tim Roth's new series Lie To Me...

"There were times during the Rolf Harris edition [of Have I Got News For You] when I actually forgot this was designed to be a news-based quiz, as it had instead turned into a kind of Rolf Harris festival and appreciation society. Knowledge of Rolf being in the hot-seat had me awaiting the unavoidable mentions of Australia, didgeridoo's, art, animals, etc. And the show didn't disappoint: Rolf drew cartoons, played his stylophone, made some jokes based on his Animal Hospital days, and dropped in mentions of painting the Queen. They even played his old swimming public service video!" Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: Is Reggie Perrin rising or falling?

In this week's Box-Eyed column at Newslite.tv, I take a second look at the remake of Reggie Perrin, starring Martin Clunes as the troubled office manager having a mid-life crisis. I didn't care much for episode 1, but has it risen or fallen in quality since?

"The one bright spark about the show (beyond [Martin] Clunes) is his relationship with co-worker Jasmine, played by the attractive Lucy Liemann. She's the only normal character in the show that's free of sitcom tic's and quirks, and it's easy to feel drawn to that normality, just as Reggie is." Continue reading...

Box-Eyed: What You Should Be Watching

Box-Eyed is the new name for TV Week, my column over at Newslite.tv. It will still feature "off-cut" reviews of shows that don't get covered in great detail here at DMD, but the new title will enable me to broaden the scope of what can be written about. For e.g, this week it's a rundown of 8 shows airing on UK TV that I think you should be tuning in for...

TV Week 40: Hell's Kitchen, Tonight's The Night & Britain's Got Talent

My fortieth TV Week column over at Newslite.tv has brand new reviews for celebrity cooking series Hell's Kitchen, John Barrowman's wish-fulfillment series Tonight's The Night, and the return of Britain's Got Talent. Please head over there, have a read, and leave a comment!

"Of all the menaces Russell T. Davies has unleashed on us in Doctor Who, perhaps the most insidious has been actor John Barrowman. The musical theatre star attempted a TV career in the '90s (with Live & Kicking and The Movie Game), but proved unpopular. Playing Captain Jack in Doctor Who and Torchwood changed all that, and now he's a ubiquitous BBC presence. TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT is his latest entertainment vehicle; a clear update of Jim'll Fix It, with elements of The Generation Game, Surprise Surprise, and Britain's Got Talent." Read more...

TV Week #39: Chris Moyles' Quiz Night, Primeval & Robin Hood

My thirty-ninth column for Newslite.tv contains a review of Chris Moyles' Quiz Night, and abridged versions of my reviews for Primeval and Robin Hood's third season premieres (owing to the fact things have been particularly busy this week -- sorry.) Please direct any comments to Newslite.tv's page.

TV Week #38: Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, I've Never Seen Star Wars & Genius

My thirty-eighth TV Week column for Newslite.tv enjoys a spin in Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, is largely unmoved by I've Never Seen Star Wars, and giggles at Dave Gorman's Genius.

STEWART LEE'S COMEDY VEHICLE is essentially one-man stand-up, televised from a comedy club setting. There are brief interludes for home viewers (a Kevin Eldon sketch, most notably), but most of the trimmings are only there to comically illustrate something Lee mentions (a faux Amazon recommendations widget, Radio 4 comedy writers speaking in oscillating voices.) To be honest, these were distractions that didn't really add anything, beyond provide employment for the likes of Simon Munnery. The joy of stand-up is having someone fill your head with mental imagery, so cutting to an illustrative sketch inspired by one of Lee's comments worked against that alchemy. Continue reading...

TV Week #37: Horne & Corden, The Big Red Nose Climb & Comic Relief Does The Apprentice

My thirty-seventh TV Week over at Newslite.tv features a reprise of my reviews for The Big Red Nose Climb and Comic Relief Does The Apprentice, but also features a brand new review for BBC3 sketch show Horne & Corden. Enjoy!

The critics have savaged HORNE & CORDEN, but it's not as awful as other BBC3 efforts with a similar format (The Wall, Blunder.) I guess everyone just expects more from this ubiquitous pair, who have yet to equal their Gavin & Stacy breakthrough. The problem with this sketch show is brutally simple: H&C are talented performers, but weak writers. I think it's safe to assume that Ruth Jones, the co-writer of Gavin & Stacey, is the real brains behind the award-winning series -- which, let's be honest, appeals to audiences more for its feelgood factor than an abundance of belly-laughs. Continue reading...

TV Week #36: Moving Wallpaper, Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder & Celebrity Juice

My thirty-sixth TV Week is an ITV-only affair, with a look at mockumentary Moving Wallpaper, sketch show Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder, and comedy panel show Celebrity Juice.

"While definitely entertaining, [MOVING WALLPAPER] just seems to lack the kick, insight and inventiveness that similar shows (like 30 Rock) achieve much easier. I'm also not sure a traditional ITV audience will get the joke (or be that interested in zombies), while the audience tuning in for Kelly Brook and horror-tinged comedy will probably find Moving Wallpaper rather toothless. Still, for an ITV comedy, this is already their best attempt in years -- and I'm hoping we'll get to see the Renaissance pilot as the last episode." Continue reading...

TV Week 35: The Colour Of Money vs. Let's Dance For Comic Relief

My thirty-fifth TV Week is something of a special edition, as I take a look at a primetime Saturday battle: in the blue corner, Chris Tarrant's The Colour Of Money for ITV1; in the red(nose) corner, Let's Dance For Comic Relief for BBC1. Ding! Ding!

THE COLOUR OF MONEY is of crucial importance to ITV, who are hoping to sell the format abroad for untold millions and recoup major financial losses last year. So, in comes host Chris Tarrant -- presenter of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire; a format ITV never owned, so made no profit from its phenomenal global sales. Created by David Young (who also dreamed up The Weakest Link), Tarrant's latest money-spinning project trades on similar tension and a "shoutability" factor for home viewers. The rules are tricky to explain in writing, easier to pick up in the viewing... continue reading...