|
|
2月24日
While I was building our tribute to 80-years-young Bruce Forsyth, I came across this 1978 picture of him with Derek Griffiths (A Royal Shakespearean actor who is a children's TV legend) and Kenny Lynch (a popular entertainer). It really took me back to a time when, as a child, I'd find myself shouting: "Mum, quick! There's a black man on TV!"
 It was that rare an occurrence; a thing of wonder - like Halley's Comet.
Years later, at secondary school, I discovered it was a shared cultural experience; we all laughed about it, thinking we were the only ones who'd done it at that time.
Then I found out that Asian kids used to do it with their equivalents too. I thought back to that era when Viacom announced they'd be launching their Black Entertainment Television (BET) network in the UK. BET will make its debut in Britain on February 28 to more than 8.8 million digital satellite homes on BSkyB. We've gone from 'spot the black face' to 'spot the white face' - how ironic. But is it necessary?
BET is the most prominent US network covering black American entertainment and culture. In Britain, no direct rival of BET's size exists although Trouble, with the likes of Girlfriends, In the House, My Wife and Kids, The Hughleys and The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, is giving it a fair whack.
Having watched BET whenever I've holidayed in the States, my concern is that BET UK will not speak to black Britons. Programmes such as those listed above invariably present an American model of ethnicity, not a British one. Just because we have the same skin colour, doesn't mean we have an identical experience. Black Americans and black West Indians and black Africans and black Britons - some similarities, some key differences. Just like the English and the Scots. Or the English and the Welsh. Or the English and the Irish (when my parents arrived here, signs for accomodation often read: 'No blacks. No Irish. No dogs').
As if to confirm my worst fears, BET International General  Manager Michael Armstrong said: "For the UK version of BET, we will be giving BET's US content a regionalised look and feel that reflects the UK marketplace, and as we grow and develop the channel, we look forward to partnering with the UK creative industry to give BET an even stronger British accent." In other words more US imports; the more things change, the more they stay the same. The UK can look forward to shows that include American Gangster (narrated by Ving Rhames, it profiles some of black America's most infamous gangsters) and, rather bizarrely, Lil' Kim's Countdown to Lockdown. This programme, about the last 14 days of the rapper's freedom before she headed to jail, first aired two years ago! What's the bleedin' point of screening it now?
Armstrong insists, "We think we will be filling a void that has been in the UK for quite some time. We will super-serve the black British, Caribbean and African communities but we also have programming that is acceptable to all lovers of black culture." I agree that there's still a long way to go with regard to decent roles for black actors and ethnic minority programming in general, but black culture doesn't begin and end with American gangsta rap and dumb American crack dealers in jail. I identify with neither, seeing more of my family's experience in Channel 4's classic sitcom Desmond's (starring the late, great Norman Beaton). And until BET UK serves me up something like that, I won't be watching.
Today I am mostly lovin' - The Big Match Revisited on ITV4. Arsenal in our eye-bleeding green and navy away strip in 1983!
Today I am mostly hatin' - Omigod. How awful, how cringe-inducing were huge chunks of BBC1's Happy Birthday, Brucie? I wouldn't feed that script to my dog and Jon Culshaw doin' the Anfield rap to Brucie's catchphrases will give me nightmares for years to come.
To my Spurs-supporting mate famouseccles; the ideal outcome for me would've been both your lot and Chelski losing. However, I will say one thing: it was a good comeback and you actually defended solidly. Fancy a lasagne on me? 
MSN Editor Coops
Don't miss a trick - Add MSN Reality TV Agent to your IM contacts
2月18日
Would you Adam and Eve it? Because I certainly can't. But there it is in black and white: after a break of 14 years, iconic 1980s TV series Minder is returning to our screens in a remake by Five starring ex EastEnder Shane Richie. Did I fall asleep and miss April Fool's Day?
The long-running comedy drama about a dodgy-dealing small time businessman named Arthur Daley (magnificently played by George Cole) and his long-suffering 'minder' Terry McCann (The Sweeney's Dennis Waterman: equally fab) was a massive ITV hit. It aired from 1979 until 1994, enjoyed spectacular ratings and made huge stars out of its two leads. It was also responsible for Dennis Waterman getting to No 3 in the charts with I Could Be So Good For You, the theme tune.
 Minder's success came from both the tangible (peerless writing, strong direction, sharp scripts, fab casting) and the intangible (the incredible on-screen chemistry between George Cole and Dennis Waterman). Sorry, but that isn't easy to replicate and reinvent. In fact, it's virtually impossible.
So who exactly are Five regurgitating Minder for? Are they hoping to build on a ready-made audience in the die-hard fans who watched way back when?
They can't be that naive, can they? Internet forums are already buzzing with indignation and fury about the butchering of a classic and the new Terry McCann hasn't even been cast yet. Perhaps the plan is to woo a new generation of viewers? Here's a thought: why not - shock! - commission an entirely different programme? Oh, and, give it another title even if it does owe more than a nod or two to Minder. Too radical? Oh well. It was worth a try.
The legendary George Cole has said that the show was of its time and shouldn't be revived. There's no arguing with that assessment however Five has ignored him: "Scripts are in development with a view to a series being commissioned later in the year," a spokesman said. Has Five lost the plot? Are they totally unconcerned that this move smacks of desperation? That it reeks of unoriginality? That it will be interpreted as: 'we have no new ideas left'? I expect a plundering of the archives for costume dramas. Heck, they're two-a-penny. Multiple versions of the likes of Pride And Prejudice, Sense And Sensibility even Robin Hood (I'll always love Michael Praed in ITV's 1980s incarnation) are not uncommon. I can tolerate a remake if there's a solid argument for revisiting it - the new version of The Bionic Woman, starring ex EastEnder Michelle Ryan, for example, is bound to include the kind of CGI and special effects Lindsay Wagner's lot could only dream of in the 1970s. But even that wasn't enough to save it from cancellation. And she couldn't escape comparisons to Lindsay Wagner so gawd knows how Shane Richie, who remains cheeky chappie Alfie Moon from 'Enders to some, will step into George Cole's shoes.
My advice to Five is to get on the blower to Sky One and ask them about CI5: The New Professionals. A laughable attempt to drag 1970s mega-hit The Professionals into the 1990s. Needless to say it was a massive flop, lasting only one series. If that's anything to go by, I seriously doubt if a noughties revival of Ar'fer and crew will be a nice little earner.
Today I am mostly lovin' - Still proud to say that name (Gooners will understand)
Today I am mostly hatin' - Lads, go down by all means. But at least go down fighting!
MSN Editor Coops
Don't miss a trick - Add MSN Reality TV Agent to your IM contacts
2月11日
So there I was frantically building content for my Grange Hill 30th Anniversary special last week when the bomb dropped. Two days before its 30th, Grange Hill got the boot and another BBC institution bites the dust (RIP Grandstand and Top Of The Pops). Last month, the show's creator Phil Redmond was scathing in his assessment of the Beeb's plans to turn Grange Hill into a show for six to 12-year-olds. He called for it to end. Well, you've got your wish mate.
 Once upon a time, Grange Hill was the punk rock of TV: gritty, shocking, uncompromising and in-yer-face. Thanks to the BBC's editorial shift, it will end its life as the Westlife of kids TV: safe, homogenised, bland, square.
Anne Gilchrist, the CBBC controller, said: "The lives of children have changed a great deal since Grange Hill began and we owe it to our audience to reflect this." Changed how? Last time I looked, kids still have to go to school. They still get bullied. They still smoke. They still swear. They still write sick notes to get out of lessons. They still have fights. They still get pregnant. They still get racially abused. So Ms Gilchrist, I don't accept your assertion. I think you'll find it's not kids that have fundamentally changed; it's their viewing habits - especially that of adolescents and young teens. Remember them? They're the demographic you don't cater for anymore.
Back in 1978, with no internet and no satellite/cable channels, the choice, if you were staying in, was BBC, ITV or homework. Now it's surfing, downloading, texting, MP3s, Friends on E4, SpongeBob SquarePants on NickToons, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive on Jetix and too many others to name. The audience that should be watching Grange Hill is watching EastEnders and Hollyoaks instead. Playground chat isn't about Togger Johnson's escapades (Tucker Jenkins' nephew) - it's about the Mitchells and the Slaters. And that's the rub.
The axing of the iconic series will leave an undeniable void,  especially if it isn't replaced by home-grown dramas. Have any of you watched kids TV lately? It's a foreign country out there. Literally. Y'see, the decline in British-made children's programmes has reached such alarming levels, media regulator Ofcom has called for a national debate on the future of children's TV. Just 17% of the UK's output originates here thanks to an overwhelming reliance on (mainly) US imports. And the figure will fall further; the BBC has increased its children's output only slightly, but ITV and the other main commercial channels have cut theirs by more than 50%.
So, nearest and dearest and others (you know who you are) to be clear; I am not just mourning the death of Grange Hill and yet another nail in the coffin of my childhood. I am also mourning the future of children's TV in this country; it is not orange. It is not bright. It is dark. And if the BBC reckons Grange Hill no longer reflects the lives of children anymore, get ready to wave goodbye to Blue Peter which is 50 in October. It didn't even reflect my life when Grange Hill started back in 1978 so gawd alone knows how it's still on air. Be afraid for its survival. Be very afraid.
Today I am mostly lovin' - Al Murray taking the rhymes-with-miss out of Westlife was absolutely hilarious
Today I am mostly hatin' - UKTV Gold, where is Dallas??!? Cliff's still in that poxy coma!
MSN Editor Coops
Don't miss a trick - Add MSN Reality TV Agent to your IM contacts
2月3日 by Sarah Bush - guest MSN blogger
From a straw poll of my friends and colleagues, it's true to say that over time Lost has lost some of its original fans. But after a gripping opening episode to the fourth season, this Lost-obsessive would encourage anyone not familiar with it - or those who dumped it in season two (when, admittedly, things got a little slow) - to come on back.
As a reminder - at the end of season three we were left with a cracker of a cliff-hanger. Quick recap: we were in a three-way battle of the wills, featuring Jack, Locke and Ben arguing about a satellite phone with a connection to the outside world. There was evil Ben from The Others tied to a tree, beaten and bloody. And then there was Locke, continuing to be a spanner-in-the-works, having just attacked Naomi the rescue girl who'd parachuted in with the sat phone. And finally there was a triumphant Jack on the damn phone calling the 'rescuers', despite Locke and Ben's forebodings of doom. Was it really a bad idea?
Unsurprisingly for Lost, we're not really given a clear 'yes' or 'no' on that one. The episode opens with a high octane car chase featuring Hurley, in what we learn is the future. This is pretty much a continuation of the flash-forward theme that so gripped viewers towards the end season three, and now seems to be the de-facto replacement of the much loved flash back device which so dominated season's one and two.
I can't really go into too much detail about the flash-forwards on offer tonight, or I'll start giving stuff away, but here are some highlights: Hurley is mad, or maybe he isn't, Charlie is dead, but then maybe he isn't, Jack did the right thing but then possibly he didn't, and they should all go back to the island, but then again maybe they shouldn't because spooky Jacob is on the prowl. Classic Lost.
This episode was really a bridging episode between season's three and four; it's got enough re-cap to get us all back up-to-speed and sets up enough new questions and possible wild-goose-chases to get us all coming back next week.
And by this point in the game, we know as Lost viewers that when we come back next week, we're still not going to know the answers, possibly some stuff will get resolved, but undoubtedly that will just throw up new questions and mysteries. Like our own lives, we've stopped expecting Lost to make sense. And with another three seasons and 48 episodes to go, even if it were to make sense, it's not going to be any time soon.
With that in mind, did this episode continue to excite and confound us? Yes, but not as well as previous season openers - I mean, who could forget the introduction of Desmond in the hatch in season two? Or meeting Juliet in The Other's version of Wisteria Lane at the beginning of season three?
These openers were surprising and thrilling - taking us down new paths we never even anticipated existing. But the season four opener is a continuity piece; it's all about re-engaging with the main characters and whetting our appetite for the long trip home.
The episode is actually called 'The beginning of the end' and it's pretty true to that title, as it doesn't feel like we're on a voyage of discovery any more, now it's all about just getting out alive.
by Sarah Bush - guest MSN blogger 2月2日
Regular readers of this blog will know that the first entry of the new month is about looking back. I've perused all the feedback and mail sent in during January. Here's what you've been saying...
I had an e-mail from one MSN user with a particular request:
"Can u get Fiona Phillips off the morning programme. I'm sure she has piles as she always sits on one cheek of her bum. She is like Ebenezer sitting there rubbing her hands together."
Mate, I can make the best apple crumble and custard in the world. I can stay awake for 24 hours. I can get a cassette out of my VCR and repair the tape. I can do all that - but I cannot get Fiona Phillips off GMTV. Do what I do - turn the telly over instead. Another e-mail, another request.
"Hi. Can u find out who that delicious guy is in the ad for Greggs pies? There is something about him when he says 'Come here!' and then takes a bite out of that pasty and the car rocks...uuuuummmmmmmmmmmmm. Thanks"
Ask and ye shall receive. It's Paddy McGuinness, lately seen in Phoenix Nights with Peter Kay. And as a special treat - you can watch it again.... Ayo wrote in to advise that I'd missed out an 'L' in Shilpa Shetty's name (the person who subbed it has been tut-tutted) in my Has The Big Brother Burst? article. The e-mail continued:
"...your article reflected my very thoughts at that point in time." Thank you very much. We aims to please. And there was more:
"Isn't it unfortunate that Channel 4 use a whole channel (E4) and it's plus 1 channel space to churn out repeats of Friends when there is so much back-catalog of incredibly insightful programming which Channel 4 could use it to showcase? And by that, I mean documentaries, magazine shows, drama and soap opera highlights and engaging discussions!" Ayo, it's all about ratings and advertising revenue. Fact is, some E4 Friends repeats get more ratings than original E4 programming. However, check out their new US import Reaper - very quirky and worth a watch. Seddy wrote in to ask when Life On Mars sequel Ashes To Ashes starts. I previewed the show in a previous blog entry - catch it on BBC1 starting Thursday Feb 7 at 9pm. More negative comments about our TV Listings service. I feel your pain - believe me. However, we are determined to iron out the teething problems and ask that you bear with us. Piglet wrote in to say: "I noticed you caught The Jam playing on EastEnders. I did manage to catch a Jam B-side on Hollyoaks. It was Butterfly Collector, a very dark and melancholy track. It took me right back." Oooooh that's a good one! Haven't heard that in ages...must dig out some of my albums. The Enjoy England adverts use The Jam's English Rose for their campaign - not sure I agree with the song choice. But The Jam still rule. :-) Thanks for all your comments and messages guys. Keep them coming in. That's it for this month as far as the mailbag is concerned. MSN Editor Coops
Don't miss a trick - Add MSN Reality TV Agent to your IM contacts
|
工具 
