|
|
9月29日
by guest blogger Laurel White, MSN TV
If you like TV that tests your brain, JJ Abrams, creator of the hit shows Alias and Lost, has a new, exciting project named Fringe that may just turn out to be what the doctor ordered. It's set to premiere on Sky1 this Sunday. Fringe is a supernatural, X-Files-esque mind-bender with similar drama and complexity to Abrams' previous work. The show stars Joshua Jackson (best known for his role as Pacey in Dawson's Creek) as Peter Bishop and Australian John Noble (recently seen in Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King) as Peter Bishop's eccentric genius of a father. Alongside Anna Torv (the BBC's Mistresses) as FBI agent Olivia Dunham, they investigate aspects of fringe science (telepathy, levitation, invisibility etc). After watching the first episode in its entirety, I have to tell you – viewers are in for another interesting ride.
 It's perhaps inevitable, but it's difficult to avoid comparisons to Lost. I was immediately struck by Fringe's similarities to Abrams' earlier show – it starts off with a dramatic, tragic plane ride and the action moves on from there. Other Lost characteristics can be quickly ticked off the list too:
Tough, sexy female lead (played by a previously not very well known actress): Check.
Mysterious, dramatic music and abrupt camera cuts: Check.
Gross-out gore: Check.
Conspiracies: Check.
Constant emergence of new elements of mystery: Check.
Sexual tension: Check.
Secret codes: Check.
In short, if you liked Lost, you're going to love Fringe. Hope that doesn't sound too simplistic, but that's the way I see it. All the ingredients are there to capture an audience with a yen for all things Abrams: Fringe is dramatic, complex, intriguing, and just a bit freaky. In the US, critics have been very receptive: Barry Garron at Hollywood Reporter found it promising because "it is reminiscent of battle-of-the-sexes charm". USA Today said, "What Abrams brings to Fringe is a director's eye for plot and pace, a fan's love of sci-fi excitement, and a story-teller's gift for investing absurd events with real emotions and relatable characters." Travis Fickett of IGN gave it 7.6 out of 10, calling it "a lackluster pilot that promises to be a pretty good series."
The makers of the show, and selected members of the cast, talked in some detail about their new series. Here's a snippet of what JJ Abrams and Joshua Jackson said...
FRINGE INTERVIEW (abridged)
QUESTION: For the creators, did you guys decide that it was time to do something new to The X-Files, or what was the genesis of this show?
ABRAMS: It wasn't like, okay, let's do The X-Files again. It was what kind of show is… something we would tune in to see. It was how can we do a show that lives in that universe? And certainly The Twilight Zone, X-Files, Night Stalker, those were shows that I loved.
QUESTION: Why is it even when you have the opportunity to make blockbuster theatrical films you stay with television shows to do them?
ABRAMS: It's such an amazing medium. It's this organic, ongoing thing, and when you have actors as good as we have and you've got a story that I'm really excited that we're telling over a
long term, and also episode to episode, to me it's a thrill.
QUESTION: What about bringing a show that has so much complexity to it? If there's any knock people have had about Lost, it's that sometimes it's too hard to figure out what's going on and follow the storylines or know where the show is going?
ABRAMS: Week to week, there will be stories. So you can tune in and just watch that, but there will, over the course of seasons and then the series itself, bigger arcs of stories. So I think we're trying very diligently to do a show that doesn't require the kind of insane, absolute dedication to a series that, if you miss an episode, you truly have no idea what's going on, but hopefully you want to see every episode because they'll be exciting and fun.
QUESTION: Mr. Jackson, can you talk a little about your character and what you think his biggest faults are?
JOSHUA JACKSON: What faults?
(Laughter)
Well, what drew me to the character was the fact that you have this man who has this native intelligence but hasn't really ever chosen to do anything other than get by with it… Then I also liked, there's a built-in, ingrained conflict for Peter because he doesn't want to be here, period, but then he also really doesn't want to
be forced to confront his father, and he's sort of a reluctant participant in the group.
Fringe Sunday October 5 at 9pm on Sky1
by guest blogger Laurel White, MSN TV
9月26日
At half past eleven on Monday night, I caught myself yawning for the umpteenth time through Lipstick Jungle (Living +1) and wondering what all the fuss was about. Created by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, from a novel of the same name by Sex And The City (SATC) author Candace Bushnell, it's Living's new baby. Albeit without the pzazz, energy, humour, wit and originality of SATC. To support its new acquisition, Living launched its biggest ever marketing campaign; partnerships with Coffee Republic and Heat magazine (which created a Living-branded faux back cover) were just for starters. I even saw a 'Lipstick Jungle' logo on a pavement on London's Kings Road.
Yet for all that activity and hype, the return was just 200,000 viewers. Including a very bored yours truly. In short, extremely disappointing for Living. Embarrassing even.
Lipstick Jungle revolves around the lives and loves of three women: married mother-of-one movie executive Wendy Healy - played by Brooke Shields. Married magazine editor-in-chief Nico Reilly (24's Kim Raver), and fashion designer Victory Ford (Lindsay Price, best known here for her role as Janet Sosna Saunders on Beverly Hills 90210). So far, so what? is what I say. OK, it's only the first episode and it may yet improve (SATC didn't find its feet immediately either) but it left me cold.
Everything's so blah - the script, the characterisations, the fashions, the interiors...The person that stood out, the one that immediately intrigued, is Victory's Mr Big - billionaire knight in shining armour Joe Bennett. He's played with assurance by 80s brat-packer heartthrob Andrew McCarthy (Mannequin, Pretty In Pink, St Elmo's Fire). I want to know more about him; I want to find out what makes him tick - can't say the same about anyone else.
Initial stateside reviews weren't exactly enthusiastic; The New York Times called it a "wooden clog of melodrama squeezed into a flimsy, satin and marabou mule". Entertainment Weekly said it's "full of awful lines", while showbiz bible Variety said SATC: "did it better already" and America's TV Guide called it "excruciatingly self-derivative". Over here, The Independent said: "Lipstick suffers from dialogue that is at best clunky, and at worst toe-curlingly inane." As for moi? My feelings can be summed up with a shrug of the shoulders and one word: meh.
Today I am mostly lovin' - I went to a press screening for The Second Coming, the third-season opener for Heroes. I've got to admit, I switched off during the tedious second season. However, from what I've seen, it's back on track. Save the cheerleader, save the world! Can't resist this one either; ZelebAir's viewing figures are shockingly bad. It's official - it's a flop.
Today I am mostly hatin' - Apologies to those that loved it, but Lost In Austen went out on a damp squib of a final episode. Nice try ITV, but back to the drawing board me'thinks.
MSN Editor Coops
Don't miss a trick - Add MSN Reality TV Agent to your IM contacts
9月23日
by guest blogger Laurel White
Half the fun of watching crime TV shows is attempting to guess the next twist during advert breaks. Or trying to solve the murder before the show’s players do. Let me tell you: it's just not as easy as it looks. So, next time you're near chucking the biscuits you're munching at the TV out of frustration ("It's her secret twin that's done it, you idiots!"), step into the detectives' shoes.
Need a hand? Let me help out.
I recently attended the press launch for the 9th season of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. This event was like no other; highly impressive, no expense spared, highly concept-based. The concept? Immersing us poor, unsuspecting reporters into the murky world of Law & Order. What I thought was a special treat for the new American intern turned into a boot camp for crime solving. Challenges included:
• Scene of the Crime – Learning how to identify key evidence from an array of clues, piecing them together to form the basis of a case.
• Forensic Tests – Learning how to analyse various pieces of evidence (from finger prints to DNA) by using a variety of methods.
• Suspect Interrogation Training – Witnessing an assortment of interrogation techniques used by the police, including confrontation and recognising specific body language, and then putting this training to the test.
• Closing Statements – Led by 'The Lawyer' the suspects are put on the stand and jury members, using all of the evidence and skills gathered to uncover the murderer, give a verdict.
I ended up with finger print powder all over my nose. I was dressed head to foot in a "coming-of-the-Apocalypse" biohazard suit. I had to strap a light to my head (better for examining the crime scene, you see).
Not to mention the ambushing I got while examining the scene itself (murdered wife plus enraged husband getting past the guarded doors equals terrified reporter turned crime scene investigator). I learned that the 'good cop/bad cop' interrogations are quite a bit harder than they seem. You try entering a glary, empty room to see an orange-suited, moody, murder suspect scowling up at you while maintaining your cool to interrogate them. I did fairly well with 'good cop', but when the accused started flailing their cuffed hands at me during the 'bad cop' bit, I admit I backed down a little bit: ("So, er, you're sure you didn't do it then?")
So much for being the Mariska Hargitay tough girl I'd always imagined I'd be in the interrogation room.
I've seen the premiere episode of Law and Order: SVU's 9th season and take it from me; it is absolutely gripping. You will have no nails left. It features guest actress Cynthia Nixon, better known as Miranda from Sex and The City. She has just received an Emmy for her guest role. It's a mind-bending tale of child abuse, mental illness, and murder with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The SVU team are back and certainly better than ever.
Make sure you check out the season 9 debut on the Hallmark Channel, Sunday October 5th at 9pm. They're much better at this business than I am.
by guest blogger Laurel White
9月20日
I went to the UKTV Entertainment Upfronts press launch earlier this week. They spent a heck of a lot of money on it; star guests, dancers, pyrotechnics, smoke machine (it took place at what used to be London's Hippodrome club. Nuff said) comedian Michael McIntyre as the host. It was probably overlong but the bits that worked, worked really well. A much funnier event than these things often are - it was incredibly profane too. I can't repeat much of what was said. I could try, but it would just look like this: "f*&@ing, s**t, c£$t, f*&@ing, s**t, c£$t!"
 UKTV revealed that a stellar line-up, including John Cleese, John Sergeant and Red Dwarf, will feature on their new entertainment channels Watch, Alibi and G.O.L.D. We saw a VT of forthcoming highlights for the respective channels and then Michael McIntyre interviewed guests from certain shows. Admittedly, results were mixed. I couldn't see the point of talking to the stars of Mistress as we'd already heard from them the first time around when the show was on BBC1. The exchange with Johnny Vaughan was, for the most part, awkward but things got off to a great start with John Sergeant, Marcus Brigstocke and Rufus Hound. So here's what's in store:
Coming up on Dave: Argumental - a panel show which positively encourages an argument presented by John Sergeant
Batteries Not Included - a look at the mad world of gadgets with John Cleese (yes, him!) and Alex Zane
Car of the Year 2008 - with new host Johnny Vaughan
Four new episodes of Red Dwarf
Coming up on G.O.L.D: (Go On Laugh Daily) The dedicated comedy channel launches with Blackadder: The Whole Rotten Saga. Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Richard Curtis, to name but a few, come together for the first time to reveal a unique insight into the iconic comedy.
Coming Up on Alibi: This channel will be dedicated to crime drama and among its shows will be the classic Shoestring. Unfortunately, there'll be no escape from Jessica Fletcher as Murder She Wrote will also be a staple.
Coming Up on Watch: This is the new entertainment platform showcasing the likes of Dancing With The Stars - the US version of Strictly Come Dancing (Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli were in attendance). The stars of the channel will undoubtedly be Richard and Judy. They got the biggest cheers at the launch when they were unveiled on a red chaise lounge. Recreating the trailer, which promotes their chat show Richard and Judy's New Position, a troupe of dancers energetically kicked their heels to Björk's version of It's Oh So Quiet. We're told this new show will be packed with celebrity guests, the Book Club as well as Thank You Britain, a campaign that focuses on acts of generosity. Judge the show for yourself on October 7 at 8pm. So, will you be watching?
Click here or image to watch the best of Richard and Judy
A different subject, but I can't leave it any longer. Ladies and gents, a question. What were you doing on Thursday September 18? Because you certainly weren't watching television. As you can see from my picture above, I wear glasses (I'm short-sighted) so I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I checked the Thursday overnights on Friday morning. But no. There it was in black and white. The highest-rated TV show was BBC2's amusing panel series Mock The Week. With three million viewers. Three million! This is a country of 60 million, and even if you allow for the people that don't have TVs or the people who were out or the net surfers or those that preferred digital/satellite, three million is astounding. Of course, it's very good for the likes of BBC2, Five and Channel 4, but it's a disaster for BBC1 and ITV1. Where did all the couch potatoes go? Here are the figures:
BBC2: 21.00 - Mock the Week: 2.9m *the slot winner
Channel 4: 21.00 - The Ambulance: Eight Minutes To Disaster: 2.6m
ITV1: 21.00 - Ann Widdecombe Versus Girl Gangs: 2.5m
BBC1: 21.00- The Undercover Soldier: 2.3m *it started with 2.6m but lost viewers during transmission. This is the BBC1's worst performance in the 9pm slot since June 2006, when A Life of Grime averaged just 1.9m. The slot average is 4.2m
Five: 20.00 - Uefa Cup: Everton v Standard Liege: 2.1m
I'm sure ITV1 will be very disappointed with the performance of their much-hyped Ann Widdecombe programme. She was investigating why Britain's teenage girls are increasingly attracted to gang culture - but nobody gave a toss. BBC1 may have suffered due to a late change in schedule - personally. I was watching Channel 4's excellent Cutting Edge documentary The Ambulance: Eight Minutes To Disaster. We viewers witnessed an entire month of call-outs made by ambulance 212 in Reading, Berkshire. After seeing the large proportion of alcohol-related incidents, I now have a new appreciation for the phrase 'the demon drink'.
Today I am mostly lovin' - Michael McIntyre for describing Strictly Come Dancing's bronzed, shirt unbuttoned to mid-chest Bruno Tonioli as "Three buttons short of a heterosexual" - ha,ha,ha,ha! Hilarious!
Today I am mostly hatin' - Sorry, but I really can't get into Lost In Austen (neither can the rest of the UK, judging by the viewing figures). For the uninitiated, think Pride and Prejudice meets Life On Mars. Anyway, I've watched just about every version of Pride and Prejudice available, but this one leaves me as cold as Keira Knightley's overrated movie did.
MSN Editor Coops
Don't miss a trick - Add MSN Reality TV Agent to your IM contacts
9月15日
by Guest Editor Elliot Pickup
Since 2005, the new revival of Doctor Who has dominated Saturday night television and the genre of family-friendly drama. Everyone in Britain knows the Time Lord; he's a large part of popular culture and part of our national heritage. But the end of the series is a massive gap in the BBC's Saturday night line-up and only something equally as spectacular would fit the bill. Hence all the hype about Merlin - every inch a suitable replacement.
 I took myself off to the swanky launch held in central London. The launch was in two parts; the first segment was a screening of the premiere episode of Merlin in Waterloo's IMAX cinema. The ever-impressive IMAX was packed with a crowd ranging from hard-nosed hacks to some of the actors appearing in the series. The buzz of excitement was palpable as press, cast, crew and some lucky fans waited. Now obviously we can't say too much about the episode itself, but I can tell you this: the first thing that immediately stands out is the impressive cast. The show is littered with familiar faces, such as Anthony Head (King Uther Pendragon), Richard Wilson (Gaius, the court physician) and John Hurt, who appears as the voice of the great Dragon.
Other stars lined up include Santiago Cabrera from Heroes (as Lancelot) and former EastEnder/Bionic Woman Michelle Ryan as the evil sorceress Nimueh. Further guest stars will include Eve Myles (Torchwood), Will Mellor (Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps) and Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing). Two not-so-familiar faces occupy the main roles of Merlin and Arthur: Colin Morgan and Bradley James, respectively. Playing opposite them as the leading ladies are Angel Coulby (Guinevere) and Katie McGrath (Morgana).
The show is set in the world of Albion and Camelot, but the series focuses on a young Merlin and Arthur who are finding their way and carving their destinies; Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father, is still King. Aiming for a similar audience as Doctor Who, Merlin has the playful, more obvious and less sinister overtones that will capture the younger crowd. But there is also plenty for adult viewers to enjoy. The story isn't too complex; everyone can keep up and no-one will be lost in the twists and turns of the plot. Production company Shine has done an amazing job creating this world and the characters. Equal credit must go to The Mill, the British Oscar-winning visual and special effects team behind Gladiator - the CGI is stunning and at times you forget that what you are watching isn't real. I was very impressed with Merlin and if, as expected, it goes up against The X Factor, it will be a fantastic alternative to endless sob stories and emotional manipulation.
After the screening, there was a reception at the OXO Tower in central London (top-notch canapés and drinks). The majority of the cast were there, which was really great. I spotted Anthony Head talking to Russell T Davies (Doctor Who revivalist) and Richard Wilson. I also saw Michelle Ryan (a real stunner in the flesh), Julian Rhind-Tutt and Will Mellor. I also spotted Bradley James and Colin Morgan having a drink together. All in all it was a great night and if the launch is anything to go by, the series itself will be a massive success.
Merlin starts on Saturday at 7.30pm on BBC1
by Guest Editor Elliot Pickup
9月7日
Regular readers of this blog will know that the first entry of the new month is about looking back. However, I've been a bit lax lately due to a combination of being away and being busy with Big Brother and X Factor. However, I've perused all the feedback and mail sent in during July and August. Here's what you've been saying...
 On the whole, my piece on Comedians & Controversy was received with great interest. The idea was sparked by Russell Brand's recent faux pas. However, my description of Jim Davidson's "laugh-free act about his black 'friend' Chalky" didn't meet with MSN User Mark's approval. He said:
"Hmm me thinks me hears an ethnic lefty with a chip on her shoulder. I have seen him many times and the audience were laughing. Maybe the audience was not made up of uptight homosexuals and chippy ethnics, but hey ho, we the white working class were laughing." In response Mark, not every white working class individual is enamoured with Jim Davidson. Similarly, it's possible that there are non-whites that do like him. Either way, one thing's for sure; I'd rather be "an ethnic Lefty" than a has-been woman-beater.
When EastEnders' Wellard went off to that great dog kennel in the sky, we compiled a list of the Top TV Dogs. However, as is always the way, we left some out. MSN user Uzma wrote in to say: "What about The dog from Come outside? Pippin, I think his name was.. he was my favourite when I was a child." Colin also put pen to paper (after a fashion): "I really liked the feature on Top TV Dogs but feel that the most important one was missed out. Surely Spit The Dog of Tiswas fame should rate up there with the best. Thanks for a fun listing." Colin mate, I bow down to you. That's a great shout! I will add Spit The Dog to the feature at some point in the future.
Goodness! My piece on Teenage Kicks & Other Dire Sitcoms truly opened Pandora's Box. How dare I criticise that critically-acclaimed rib-tickler (not!) Two Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps! Here are just a few of the objections received....
"Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. There is no way you can put this down. I know many people who enjoy it and it has never failed to make me laugh. I don't know what your problem is, but a show that is popular and has been running for a good few years doesn't deserve to be attacked by the likes of you."
Tom said: "What a negative review of sitcoms that are actually crowd pleasing, feel good shows."
Katherine added: "The likes of My Family and After You've Gone have been going on for so long because people do find it an enjoyable and entertaining programme."
Rob said: "Come on 2 Pints of Lager, Teenage Kicks & My Family??? What are you thinking woman lol!"
Daniel went for the jugular: "With all due respect, I don't think the programme is meant to be aimed at people that are slightly older." Ouch mate!
Lewis added: "It can't be one of the worst British sitcoms because it has had seven series."
Guys, there are times when editors here at MSN write articles  from a very personal point of view. When we do this, we put a disclaimer on the article in question to indicate the stance it's written from. It says: The views in this column/blog are those of the author alone and not of MSN or Microsoft. List-based content is always subjective. One man's meat is another (wo)man's poison etc. Therefore, no list can possibly ever be definitive. However, when I selected some of what I believed to be Britain's Worst Sitcoms, I took into account factors such as air-dates, running times, longevity etc. The likes of My Family and After You're Gone are acknowledged as ratings winners, but that doesn't make them of the calibre of the likes of Fawlty Towers or Porridge. They will NEVER make a top 20 list of Britain's Best Sitcoms. Not while the likes of Blackadder, Hancock's Half Hour, Steptoe & Son, Till Death Us Do Part and Only Fools (pre millionaire days) are fresh in the memory.
On the same subject, Claire wrote in to say: "Are we to gather from your rubbishing of our nation's sitcoms that you are working on a brilliantly original sitcom that will have us all laughing?" Claire, my Oscar-winning script is in development as we speak. On the other side of the coin, Jonny enthused: "Can I just say you are f*cking ace! I thought I was the only person that hated (with a passion) the nauseating banality of My family and that Two Pints was wildly overrated... thank you for making me realise I am not alone ;-) ". No Jonny, thank YOU for making me realise that I am not alone. :-)
Finally, the last word to Sarah: "OK, we get it. You don't like Ray Quinn, we're all well aware of this by now. Move on please and stop mentioning him in every list you do whenever you get the chance, it's very tiresome." Where has the notion that I take the mick out of the adult Munchkin in every feature I write come from? He's only mentioned in X Factor content and anything I do relating to 'most-annoying' after all.....
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 
