What's the best/worst thing on TV at the moment?

[Mad Dog and Glory]

I watched two of my favourite programmes of the moment last night, which I can heartily recommend.

Help, starring Paul Whitehouse and Chris Langham, is of the highest quality. Langham is a therapist, and Whitehouse plays all his clients. It's superbly inventive, beautifully written, extremely funny and occasionally poignant. Whitehouse's versatility as a performer couldn't have a better platform, but Langham is just as good, the underplayed subtlety of his performance adding hugely to the comedy. No one can be as funny just saying the word, "Right".

My other favourite hasn't really taken off in this country yet. It's Two And A Half Men, starring Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, which is shown after Joey on C5 on Sunday nights. It's the sharpest written US sitcom import for some time.

Oh and Desperate Housewives - a masterly mix of comedy and melodrama, verging on self-parody but never quite going over the line.

I'll have to have a think about what the worst programme on TV is at the moment. Probably something I don't watch!

[My Friend Jack]

Somehow I seem to find less and less time for TV. This week I will watch one programme for sure (provided I get home in time) - Brighton v Reading on Sky Sports 1. I'll record Desperate Housewives and Doctor Who, and will probably watch them next week some time. Oh, and England v N Ireland on Saturday afternoon.

[Grammath]

The worst programme currently on TV is probably "Nathan Barley", not 'cos its as awful as say, any home improvement/property/"reality" TV show ever conceived, but because I watch it knowing Chris Morris is capable of doing so much better - its comfortably the worst thing that he's ever been involved with. I had high hopes for it and its really disappointing.

The best thing I've seen recently is retro science show "Look Around You". I like "Help" a lot too, although isn't Langham essentially doing Roy Mallard, his character from the brilliant "People Like Us", as psychiatrist rather than reporter? He's very good at it, though.

Are you also pointing it out 'cos its on straight after Buzzcocks? :D

[Cathy]

I don't know why but I have an extreme adverse reaction to 'The Prince of Bel Air' which may not be on at the moment but appears sporadically on BBC2 around 6pm - it gives me the shivers, in a bad way, and sends me screaming looking for the remote!!!!! As soon as that music starts!!

I'm loving Dan Cruikshank, although this series (around the world in 80 treasures) isn't as good as his first one where he spent a whole programme on more or less one architectural site as far as I remember.

[Just RY]

This week, on this side of the pond will see the debut of "The Office" - the yank version. Having seen the BBC version, this will be interesting to see if they can carry it off. I know that Ricky Gervais consulted on the writing of the first episode (at least). Should be interesting anyway . . .

[Jassie]

YEEES! Thankyou MD&G I thought I was the only one who was watching 'Help' and loving it. Well, me and some guy at the Guardian who mentioned how much he liked it. I've been talking it up to my friends but haven't had much luck yet. It is the programme I am enjoying the most. Alas my Channel 5 connection out here in the hinterlands isn't good enough to check out Two And A Half Men and I refuse to get a set-top box or cable...enough crap on four channels (and a snowy one) without getting more..la-la-la..

Hate and avoid all day-time TV (now I'm temporarily out of work a huge pit-fall which I am determined to avoid) and fly-on-the-wall, reality schmiality gubbins. Surely its been clinically proven by now that day-time auction programmes and chat shows decrease the populations IQ by 10 points each time, but GASP..maybe that's the conspiracy????

[Adrian]

The only show I make a point of watching or taping is the glorious Outlaws on BBC2 Sunday nights. The description "Comedy Drama" usually means it's neither, but Outlaws does both so well. Programme of the year for me so far.

I started Watching Desperate Housewifes but it went downhill and I gave up. There are so many worst programmes I couldn't even start. When I switch on the telly for Ceefax during the day I gape with astonishment at how bad daytime TV is. Doctors apart, of course.

Tried Help but didn't get into it. I'm no Whitehouse fan so that didn't help.

[megustaleer]

'Corrie' is a 'must see' for me at the moment. I'm loving watching Katy turn into a gibbering idiot every time someone mentions her father.

And the infamous Coronation Street Book Club, of course. I'm disappointed that they didn't choose 'Mandingo' for their next read. I'm sure I read that about 40 years ago!

[Dr. Strangelove]

My favourite shows on at the moment are:
Desperate Housewives
No Angels
Sex and the city

I watch them every week!!! And also been starting to watch ER, it's good! Though not as good as it would be if George Clooney was in it!

[Colinj]

By far the very worst is Eastenders or Deadenders as I like to call it It is so depressing & everyone is always sad.

This is followed by all other soaps & the never ending medical dramas & Police programms like the very in accurate "The Bill"

The best?? Made In Britain Fred Dibnah.

[Claire]

Anyone else see the new Doctor Who over the weekend? I had low expectations - but it was fantastic!

Christopher Ecclestone was fab as the new Dr - and Billy Piper was surprisingly good - and it was SCAREY too!! :eek:

[Cathy]

There's nothing better than a steam traction engine to brighten my evening!

I gave up on watching Corrie about 4 years ago, having watched it all my life before that, and I can honestly say I don't miss it one bit!!

The daytime TV thing is a disaster, apart from the programme with the guy out of Castaways on Longleat animal park, I loved that show when I was unemployed... the suspense over whether the sea lions would like their new home... when would the hippos give birth... the gamekeepers overly keen interest in whether or not the fox's nipples were showing (means she's pregnant. Great moment, for seeing the presenters horrified expression). Apart from that its all a variation along the lines of watching someone (possibly a minor celebrity prepared to do anything for TV exposure) selling something/moving abroad/swapping jobs/husbands, possibly while dieting/setting up a new business/submitting to humiliating plastic surgery. That hospital programme on daytime TV is awful (not that I ever, ahem, watched it) - literaly stalking poor confused old dears as they have their ingrowing toenails removed.

PS also saw Dr Who, thought it was brilliant, what a pleasant surprise! Can't wait till next Saturday.

[Elfstar]

YES, YES,YES. Doctor Who was brilliant. I sat with 3 of my sons, aged 11,11 and 8 and we all enjoyed it. I just cant see anything to do with The Doctor without thinking of Eddie Izzard on the Daleks........... :D

[Dr. Strangelove]

The only soap i like is neighbours. It's funny and I know sometimes it's absurd, but it's still fun.

I saw the ad for Dr Who, but I didn't get a chance to see it. I don't know why they are reviving it, I think they should have let it lay. The creatures back then would be laughed at now. The Dr Who didn't look very Dr Whoish.

[Grammath]

Anyone else see the new Doctor Who over the weekend? I had low expectations - but it was fantastic!

Christopher Ecclestone was fab as the new Dr - and Billy Piper was surprisingly good - and it was SCAREY too!! :eek:

I watched with some trepidation on Saturday as someone who used to hide behind the sofa in the Tom Baker days.

I found most of the secondary characters - Rose's boyfriend and Mum, very annoying, and these particular aliens a bit rubbish, but Eccleston as the Doctor was superb.

I'm looking forward to the episodes later in the series written by Mark Gatiss from The League of Gentlemen - how great are those going to be?! Anyone who heard his recent "Nebulous" series on Radio 4 knows these will be fab.

[My Friend Jack]

My 6 and 3 year-olds absolutely loved Dr Who. The latter has been playing at being a plastic man ever since, and keeps wanting me to draw pictures of a plastic man smashing glass!

I agree about the supporting cast, but I thought the "look and feel" was rather unusual - the use of light gave the thing a very different appearance.

[megustaleer]

The New Who:
I asked my husband to move the sofa away from the wall in case we needed to hide behind it, but he couldn't be bothered!
I didn't think I'd like C.E. as The Doctor, but he has already won me over with a quirky arrogance quite in keeping with tradition, and I've been watching since the first episode (William Hartnell).

The only time I needed the sofa was when Rose was wandering round the basement of the store and there was the sound of voices, and I was just waiting for the dummies to move. I think it was more funny than scary, but not much on TV scares me at my advanced age. The funniest bit was the attack of the wheelie bin!

I was slightly irritated by the scene where the dummies were shooting people. Couldn't see the need for the hands to drop and reveal gun barrels; why couldn't they just shoot out of the ends of their fingers?

We will certainly be watching it next week.

[megustaleer]

I knew the Corrie bookgroup would be a good plot-line! Am looking forward to this!

Sir Ian McKellen Joins Coronation Street.
***********************************

LORD of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen is swapping Hollywood for Weatherfield to appear in Coronation Street.

The Lancashire-born actor and lifelong Corrie fan, who played wizard Gandalf in the film trilogy, will join the cast later this month for ten episodes.

Speaking for the first time about his new role as Lord of the Cobbles, Sir Ian, 65, said today: “It will be a little like going home.”

He will guest star as “dodgy novelist” Mel Hutchwright – as far removed from Lord of the Rings writer JR Tolkien as Middle-Earth is from Weatherfield.

The veteran actor said he was realising “a long held ambition” to appear in the Street. He starts work at Granada on March 29 – and has told TV bosses he wants to be known as plain Ian McKellen.

Mel is the author of Hard Grinding, the novel set in a northern mill town which is being studied by the the local reading group, led by Norris Cole and Roy Cropper.

Norris invites him along to give a talk, in scenes which will be screened from May 2 – but the celebrated author is not everything he seems.

“More, I shouldn’t reveal, except that the script is hilarious and well up to the Street’s current high standards as the UK’s most popular television programme.”

[nospacesallowed]

doctor who with christpher eccelstone
good???

[megustaleer]

OMG!
Aliens Abduct Pigling Bland!

[Elfstar]

And about time too!!

[My Friend Jack]

Worst right now has to be Life Of Riley. Utter, utter rubbish. I suffered the whole of episode 1 last week, hoping there might be one moment of originality or comedy. There wasn't.

[Squirls]

Worst right now has to be Life Of Riley. Utter, utter rubbish. I suffered the whole of episode 1 last week, hoping there might be one moment of originality or comedy. There wasn't.
I'd agree with that it's like one of those crappy sitcoms from the early 80s

[Barblue]

Celebrity Big Brother! A complete waste of time and money as far as I'm concerned.

[Jeremy DEagle]

'Celebrity' Big Brother! A complete waste of time and money as far as I'm concerned.

I've fixed it for you.

[MarkC]

BSG returns for its final run next week. Contender for "best" I think. No idea about worst, I find I'm watching very little TV at the moment apart from the snooker on BBC interactive.

[David]

BSG returns for its final run next week. Contender for "best" I think.
Oh yes! Watched my boxset of the last run over Christmas to get myself ready. Honestly can't wait.

[My Friend Jack]

I love BSG as well, but am still on Series 2! I don't know where you lot find the time, really I don't. I'm still catching up on Heroes and Survivors...

[Jeremy DEagle]

I'm still catching up on Survivors...

the one from the 70s?

[David]

I love BSG as well, but am still on Series 2! I don't know where you lot find the time, really I don't.
If you hadn't just revealed that you willingly threw away half an hour of your existence on The Life of Riley I'd have more sympathy...

;)

[Jen]

I'm delighted to have a new series of QI to watch. I keep watching the repeats on Dave, but it's never as good as the first time.

[Squirls]

What does BSG stand for?

[David]

What does BSG stand for?
Battlestar Galactica.

[Squirls]

Ahh - no wonder I haven't watched it, sounds too star trekky, not my kind of thing at all.

[David]

sounds too star trekky
In fact it really isn't. It's the sci-fi show that's not simply sci-fi: it's top-notch human drama with enormous complexity and great thoughtfulness. Over four seasons I can barely think of a sub-standard episode thanks to writing and acting of the highest order. I actually recommended it to someone who thinks most sci-fi is pants (especially the likes of Trek) because I knew she'd still be able to enjoy it and she's become as big a fan as me.

This is the trailer for the original mini-series.

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[My Friend Jack]

Squirls - what David said. It's terrific.

[Squirls]

Ah well maybe i'll have to give it a try.:)

[David]

Ah well maybe i'll have to give it a try.:)
Good to hear! Still, whatever you do DON'T just dip in. It's a continuous story, not standalone episodes, and if you tune into later ones you risk spoiling it hugely because there are many surprise revelations along the way. If you have DVD rental I'd advise putting the miniseries on your list, which kicks it all off. Again, if you start with Season 1 you'll actually have missed the start of the story!

(Y'see, it's testing the old brain cells already!)

[My Friend Jack]

When I started watching it, the miniseries wasn't even available to rent, so you might have to buy a copy!

[David]

When I started watching it, the miniseries wasn't even available to rent, so you might have to buy a copy!
Mmmmm, that's true. Alternatively if you have Sky then Sky 2 repeats it every now and again so you could keep an eye out there.

EDIT: Just checked and it's on Lovefilm at least.

(Blimey - we're proper old Battlestar evangelists, aren't we?! Still, that's only because we know it's so good. Honestly - I'm a Trek fan but I'd never recommend it to people because I know you either like that or you don't. This is genuinely different.)

[Squirls]

I never rent videos and don't have Sky. I probably watch about 4 hours telly per week - mostly Corrie and a couple of things I can watch while i'm surfing the net or doing a Sudoku. I've enjoyed the last couple of episodes of The Hustle - a bit of froth which doesn't require too much concentration after a busy day at work.

The one series I have watched quite avidly recently, although it's finished now, is Outnumbered, which has had me in stitches with laughter. I was amazed at the acting skills of the little girl who plays Karen and wondered how they made it so authentic sounding when working with one so young. I read an article on the BBC website and apparently much of the show is improvised and the child is just naturally funny. My favourite was when mum and Karen where playing I-Spy at the airport. Couldn't find it on Youtube, but here's another clip which tickled me - (any parents out there recognise this?)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MvXk-Oo_IaM

[David]

I never rent videos and don't have Sky.

Ah. That's pretty much it for BSG, then! ;)

Ah well. I love Outnumbered too and it's a real ray of comic sunshine amidst an awful lot of dross.

I think Karen is just superb and she steals every show, although I think the ad-libbing can only really apply to a small amount of each episode. If you think about it a great deal of the humour relies on running gags (e.g. Mummy killing the mouse), antcipatory lines and humour that's funny to us because it's above the kids' heads. So the I-Spy gags lead up to the Muslim joke - it all centres on Karen and needs to be scripted. Or in the prelude to the wedding when she's talking to the bride about her previous boyfriends that she's overheard her parents talking about, including the one who's friends with the Queen (staying at Her Majesty's Pleasure). There's so much stuff that's very clever and neatly contrived within the show that really it can't be ad-libbed. Examples such as Ben in the clip Squirls links speculating on how someone dies from a heart attack I can see as something they just let him run with, but mostly no.

[tagesmann]

I'm looking forward to the new series of BSG and I recorded Razor last week. I've missed seeing that before.

My current favourite programme is John Adams which is on Channel 4 on Saturday afternoon. It is a very well acted and written series about America's second president.

[Squirls]

, although I think the ad-libbing can only really apply to a small amount of each episode.

Yeah see what you mean, I hadn't thought about it that deeply. My fave line from the I-Spy clip was when Karen had "Time" as her guess and when her mum said you can't have time because it can't be seen and she said something along the lines of "well how come you say have you seen the time every morning" She may or may not have improvised that, but whoever thought of it is very good at seeing things from a child's perspective. Classic.

[David]

I hadn't thought about it that deeply.
To quote Dorcas from Lark Rise, it's my one weakness...

;)

whoever thought of it is very good at seeing things from a child's perspective
That's the joy of it, isn't it! I think this is often presented as the series that parents love, but I don't have kids and yet it has authenticity written all over it. That's why it's so funny.

[Minxminnie]

I love Outnumbered too (and I don't have kids either ... I think it's schadenfreude!) Re the ad-libbing, I heard that they whisper things into the kids' ears rather than give them actual lines to say, so that the delivery comes out very natural. The kids are obviously very talented to be able to do that.
I love Karen's games with her toys, like playing at Nigella.

[Radders]

However they film Outnumbered it is still the best sitcom to have been on TV for a long time. I love it - I hope a third series is in the offing.

[My Friend Jack]

Agreed. I only "discovered" Outnumbered towards the end of series 2, but thoroughly enjoyed it. The lack of a studio audience is (once again) so very welcome (like it was with The Office, Gavin & Stacey and The Royle Family).

[aquablue]

CNN is the worse - I hate war and death.

America's Funniest Videos is the best - laughter is the best medicine and seeing folks fall on their derrière is knee slapping fun.

[Freydis]

Worst: reality shows and the loudmouths on Fox "News"

Best: Antiques Road Show, Nature, and sometimes Masterpiece

But then, maybe I'm the wrong person to ask...we only get three stations out here in the woods, and due to the mandated digital conversion will soon have to get a better antenna if we want any reception at all. Or break down and pony up for a dish and 50 stations we'll never watch (The New Caledonia Ping-Pong Network?).

[aquablue]

Worst: reality shows and the loudmouths on Fox "News"

Best: Antiques Road Show, Nature, and sometimes Masterpiece

But then, maybe I'm the wrong person to ask...we only get three stations out here in the woods, and due to the mandated digital conversion will soon have to get a better antenna if we want any reception at all. Or break down and pony up for a dish and 50 stations we'll never watch (The New Caledonia Ping-Pong Network?).

Oh yeah the Antiques Road Show I enjoy too. The last time I saw it a lady brought in this ugly-as-hell painting and when the appraiser dude gave his price, I nearly feel out of my chair. The butt-ugly painting was worth half a million dollars. OMG. Now Nature...those animal presentations are priceless- the best, bar none.

[Freydis]

a lady brought in this ugly-as-hell painting and when the appraiser dude gave his price, I nearly feel out of my chair. The butt-ugly painting was worth half a million dollars. OMG.

:lmao:

[aquablue]

;)

[Squirls]

I've just been watching the Secret Life of Elephants - awesome. They live in such a harsh but beautiful background and are amazing, complex creatures. Also a great opportunity to indulge in some anthropomorphic fun, especially when the baby elephants are pushing each other around in the mud.

[David]

BSG returns for its final run next week. Contender for "best" I think.
Well if last night's opener wasn't amongst the best TV around I don't know what is! Absolutely gripping and with thunderous revelations that sent the brain into overdrive and had me holding the sides of my head with mouth agape. Though very very bleak! I shall say no more so as not to spoil things!

[MarkC]

It was excellent and as you say very bleak. I'm wondering if that's going to set the tone for the next few episodes.

Very impressive the way they managed to answer one load of questions and pose another set of new ones all in the space of one episode.

Without having time to get into an analysis of everything in that episode -
I though the despair of the crew being shown as fighting in the halls while Adama was walking past was a particularly nice touch

Here's an interview you might find interesting (contains spoilers for the episode broadcast on Tuesday) (http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/01/final-fifth-cylon-ellen-tigh-battlestar-galactica-dualla-dee-.html)

[David]

Here's an interview you might find interesting (contains spoilers for the episode broadcast on Tuesday) (http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/01/final-fifth-cylon-ellen-tigh-battlestar-galactica-dualla-dee-.html)
Thanks for that - interesting indeed!

I'm actually a little disappointed that the whole final five stroyline wasn't even thought of until a long way into the series. Naturally the majority of plot is going to be devised as you go along but I'd have imagined something like that was sufficiently major to have been in people's heads - even loosely - instead of a response to the problem of having Baltar on a basestar! Oh dear - the pixie-dust has fallen from my eyes!

Anyway, you're right, Mark - those scenes of Adama walking the corridors were terrific. I also loved Starbuck discovering her body (a chill of realisation rippled through when she found the beacon from a Viper); was hit round the head by a brick in a sock with Dee's suicide; transfixed by Adama's confrontation with Tigh and was utterly blown away by the revelation about Ellen. I think he was right in the interview - if that hadn't been dealt with early on it would have consumed too much attention, but I don't see how that works out in terms of the 'plan'.

All outstanding stuff!

[Hazel]

I watched the first series of Outnumbered last night, and was highly impressed. It even managed to make me forget that the dad was Hugh Dennis - a worry I had before watching it. The kids are excellent. There was a documentary on the DVD, that explained the whole 'ad-libbing' claim. Hamilton and Jenkin said that the kids are given an outline of what is to happen in the particular scene and what kind of thing is expected from them, and then they just record whatever the little angels come out with. The adults' perspective is generally recorded later with Hamilton or Jenkin standing in for the kids, repeating what the kids said, for Skinner and Dennis to react to. They don't know in advance what the kids came out with. The scenes when it is obviously the kids and parents together are more scripted. However it is done - the show was a complete joy.

[My Friend Jack]

It even managed to make me forget that the dad was Hugh Dennis - a worry I had before watching it.

If I remember rightly, that's why I didn't bother watching it when it first came on TV.

[Squirls]

Oh I rather like Hugh Dennis. Didn't he used to be in some sketch show where his character was always saying "milky milky". It used to have me in stitches - but maybe i've got a pretty infantile sense of humour :)

[My Friend Jack]

The reason I took a dislike to him was the dreadful comedy shows he used to do on Radio 2. In fact, I have taken a dislike to anyone who fills the so-called comedy hour on Saturday lunchtimes.

[Adrian]

The reason I took a dislike to him was the dreadful comedy shows he used to do on Radio 2. In fact, I have taken a dislike to anyone who fills the so-called comedy hour on Saturday lunchtimes.
Bring back Adrian Juste!

[Adrian]

On Outnumbered: God, I hate moppet kids in TV shows. "I tawk like dis and I'm so cute." Only the eldest kid was bearable but the others were dreadful. The 'rents weren't much better, though being partial to Claire Skinner I'll watch her in anything. Hugh Dennis is great on radio but he's not a TV star.

And why do the kids have to talk in that annoying pitch? And why do they never shut up?