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July 01
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 June. Here's what you've been saying...
 My feature on Controversial TV Adverts sparked a flurry of e-mails and also comment here on my blog. Some users were astounded by the objections. Ruth Margaret said of the Quorn commercial: "I cannot believe that there have been complaints about this advert! I am 59 years old and think it's humorous. The way the girl tells her brother off in case he touches her food is so funny. She is fantastic!"
Steve wrote in to say: "Looking at some of the adverts you put on there, it became quite apparent that it was a female writer. Why? Because some of them mentioned adverts that degraded women but none of the ones that I've seen that have been very sexist to men have been mentioned." Steve went on to make a case for male victims of domestic violence. In my defence, my source was The Advertising Standards Authority's lists of the most complained about adverts. It is therefore a fact that the number of commercials perceived to demean or degrade women far outweigh those perceived to demean or degrade men. Or at least, more Brits wrote in to complain about the former than the latter.
My gender has nothing to do with the adverts featured in the article - I am limited by my source.
Alistair sent me an e-mail and said: "You say the advert for Trident was the first time you'd complained to the TV standards, well this is the first time I've complained to MSN. What is it with 'faux'? Everything is 'faux' from handbags, to wallpaper! What's wrong with good old-fashioned fake?" Ha, ha Alistair! Loved your observation and sense of humour. I have no idea where this 'faux' thing came from but I guess I was being pretentious using it in preference to 'fake' which sounds so ordinary in comparison.
(no name) wrote in to big-up my ego: "I found your article on adverts highly amusing; it was a good, well-written piece...but what made me laugh was two things... 1: The pictures rekindled memories of the adverts and I found these funny as I did when I watched the adverts originally...2: The amount of people complaining was hilarious, I am just wondering why people feel the need to complain about things which are intended as jokes? Such as the KFC, Oasis and Pot Noodle... who are these people?" Well (no name), you know what they say: one man's meat is another man's poison.
After reading my interview with fired Apprentice candidate Lucinda Ledgerwood, Jeanette wrote in and said: "I have just read the article you wrote and feel I must write (I have never in my life done this before). This interview was the best that I have ever read. You asked really relevant and interesting questions. I am just in a state of shock at being surprised to read something of interest from a reporter. Well done you!" Thank you very much Jeanette, very kind of you.
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
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June 27
Summer TV. Usually, it's nothing more than an assortment of sport, Big Brother, tacky documentaries from the school of 'my baby weighs more than a baby elephant' and endless repeats. However, I'm pleased to say that the BBC is breaking the mould with its five-part thriller Criminal Justice. To be screened daily over five nights starting from Monday June 30, this compelling drama offers a thought-provoking insight into the criminal justice system.
 Actor Ben Whishaw plays happy-go-lucky youngster Ben Coulter who's just yer average bloke, if a little sensitive. After 'borrowing' his dad's black taxi cab, his life is changed forever following a wild encounter with a woman he picks up. Some drink, drugs and sex later, he wakes up to find her stabbed to death. Panicked, Ben flees. However, fate conspires against him and a traffic accident results in capture. Charged with murder, he can't remember what happened the night before and Ben's world descends into a labyrinth of foreign places: a police station, a prison, a courtroom. Naive and petrified, he has to learn to survive alongside disturbed cellmates, dodgy screws and hardcore career criminals of the likes of Hooch (Pete Postlethwaite) and Freddie Graham (David Harewood).
Fans of American shows Law & Order and Murder One will be familiar with the dramatic premise employed here as Criminal Justice follows Ben's story from the crime through to the police investigation, court case and verdict. It's not perfect - the pace is uneven at times (especially at the beginning and in the middle) but the brilliant cast make up for that. With every instalment, the tension racks up to almost unbearable levels and Ben's memory blank proves a highly effective suspense-driver. Did he really do it? Is he truly guilty? Are we sympathising with a man capable of murder? By the time the verdict is in, you'll have no nails left.
Criminal Justice is written by former barrister Peter Moffat who also gave us the brilliant Cambridge Spies and Kavanagh QC. A rollercoaster ride through the Criminal Justice system, it's well worth investing your time and emotions over its five-day run. Why? Yes, it's well written and acted - that goes without saying. But crucially, the unsettling lesson to learn is that in the Criminal Justice system, the truth is optional. Moreover, it can be a luxurious liability. What really counts is playing the game, and the system, in order to get the best result possible. Suspects do it to win their freedom; barristers do it to win their case and police officers do it to meet their targets. After watching this intriguing drama, you may no longer be surprised at why, for example, figures for rape convictions remain disgracefully low.
Criminal Justice: preview
Today I am mostly lovin' - House. Yes it is occasionally silly and yes it does stretch credulity at times, but I can't get enough of it (and Hugh Laurie).
Today I am mostly hatin' - Has anyone told Toyota that there's a credit crunch on? Where are they getting the money to advertise that bloomin' advert using The Feeling's Join With Us every five minutes? 'Ring, ring, beep, beep'? I'll give you 'wring, wring' in a minute Toyota. Grrrrr!
MSN Editor Coops
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June 17
Back in January, I was invited to the press screening for new ITV1 show Pushing Daisies. My write-up was extremely enthusiastic as you'll see if you read the blog entry Why Anna Is The Real Friel. However, I also expressed a reservation that I am now inclined to view as incredibly portentous. I said: "I must admit, I can't help feeling that this show's UK success may be curtailed by the channel that's bought it. It just doesn't feel like an ITV1 series (more BBC2, Channel 4 or E4). I really hope I'm wrong..."
 As it turned out, I was right. Ratings for the quirky drama dropped from a solid debut of 5.7million viewers to 2.4million for Corpsicle, the last season one episode. And not even a massive 13 million lead-in from the final of Britain's Got Talent, the most-watched TV programme of the year so far, could help it.
Once upon a time, we were fed a steady diet of reputable American imports on ITV: Happy Days, Mork & Mindy (utterly lame - but that's the benefit of hindsight), Laverne And Shirley, CHiPs (dance Ponch, dance!), TJ Hooker (calling all lovers of bad TV!) Soap, The Incredible Hulk, The Man From Atlantis (it didn't last long, but it had cult status - even back then), The A-Team...Somehow, somewhere along the line ITV lost their Uncle Sam Midas touch. Oh they can do shows about obese children and finding the next new British 'star' until the cows come home, but getting a US series to work primetime on ITV1? As arduous a task as enduring Fiona Phillips' Chelsea love-ins.
In a way, ITV were arbiters of their own doom. They splashed out on Pushing Daisies, their first imported peaktime drama since 1996's Millennium (Chris Carter's follow-up to The X Files), only to drop the second episode. According to the broadcaster, it had to be skipped because they could only fit in eight of the nine shows before Euro 2008.
What they didn't anticipate was the absolute fury of fans whose  posts on forums up and down the country forced the furore into the media spotlight (the BBC could barely contain its glee in its news bulletins). ITV had to publicly acknowledge their action: "Episode two was the only show we could drop without spoiling the storyline," a spokesman reportedly said. A promise to show the missing link at a later date was also dutifully dispatched. However the damage was done. ITV's casual disregard for viewers led some to vote with their remote controls and boycott the rest of the series. Others headed for torrent sites and/or swore that they'd wait for the (June 23) DVD release.
Get Pushing Daisies on DVD here
Re-commissioned for a second US season, Pushing Daisies stars Lee Pace, Anna Friel (Goal!, Rogue Trader, Brookside), Chi McBride, Kristen Chenoweth, Swoosie Kurtz, Ellen Greene and is narrated by 'Carry On' star Jim Dale. I can't see ITV1 sticking with it - not in a primetime slot anyway. The Pushing Daisies fiasco has illustrated yet again that US imports are ITV's bête noire.
Today I am mostly lovin' - Come Dine With Me. I prefer the old format, but the new Channel 4 shows are simmering along nicely (did you see what I did there?) and Dave Lambert's sarcastic contributions are hilarious!
Today I am mostly hatin' - Am I the only person creeped-out by 10 Years Younger's Nicky Hambleton-Jones?
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June 09
Acknowledging that I'd complained about one of the Trident commercials (featured in my piece on Controversial TV Adverts) prompted some users to write in and slate me. (no name) said: "Would you like me to get you a peice [sic] of fish, for the chips on your shoulder. Pulling the 'race card'. How original. Im [sic] actually black myself, and I nor anyone I know found that offensive. All idiots like you acheive [sic] by playing the 'its so offensive and racist' card is an even worse sterotype [sic] that we all out to claim the white man is victimising us yet again. Grow up, your [sic] pathetic."
Conversely, I've had e-mails and messages from other users genuinely interested in my reasons for objecting. Sonia wrote to say: "I read your article about the TV ads and needed to ask you why you felt offended about the Trident gum ad?"
I really hope a previous blog entry I penned entitled Leave Tom And Jerry Alone will throw some light on the subject. Have a read of it first and then watch the videos below. Contrary to the opinion of a few, I am not easily offended and I am no Mary Whitehouse. However, this advert prompted a heated reaction within my circle of family and friends every time it aired as we all felt it was insensitive. If my explanation hasn't satisfied you, feel free to let me know. By the way, I am not looking for converts here; I realise that many people liked this Trident TV commercial and found it hilarious. We'll agree to disagree on its merits. However, I've been asked to explain myself and so....
Is this noughties advert.......(watch)
....any different to these plus half-century old depictions of black people featured in the ending montage of Spike Lee's Bamboozled? I made my decision. You can make yours. [watch]
Today I am mostly lovin' - How utterly cool of ITV to use Marlena Shaw's classic rare groove 'California Soul' to advertise their summer programming. If you want to hear the track in full, check out my music list at the left hand side of my blog.
Today I am mostly hatin' - Alexandra's attitude (Big Brother). Listen luv, respect isn't a birthright. You have to earn it...
MSN Editor Coops
MSN Predictor - who's going to win Big Brother 9? Get predicting.
Don't miss a trick - Add MSN Reality TV Agent to your IM contacts June 04
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 May. Here's what you've been saying...
Rather controversially, I included The Apprentice, ER and Friends in my list of TV Shows That Lost It. Suffice it to say, some of you weren't impressed. Bradley wrote in to say:
"I have just finished reading your article, and have to say I think most of your comments are widely off the mark."
Jason said: "I think you're losing the plot. The Apprentice is the best thing on TV at the moment and each series goes from strength to strength."
Andrew said: "I mean come on - Friends - you will find looking at the television viewing figures for this shot up towards the end of the series ! Madness ! ER- its still going strong... Re-write this article - please ! For modern entertainments sake. P.S You should have gone to Specsavers."
Andy said: "Sorry Lorna, you're talking c**p about The Apprentice. If these individuals were any good at their job, then the whole programme would be a complete waste of time - don't think you've grasped that! It's because they are so useless at their chosen tasks, that's what makes' this programme so entertaining. As for referring to 'French wording' in your criticism of the programme, please remember what country you live in, do the French use any our wordings..NO!"
My response? Well, I pretty much explained my point of view in the original article. However I will add that irrespective of the entertainment value of useless Apprentice hopefuls (Michael Sophocles, for example), the entire premise is seriously undermined if the calibre of the contestants is too low; Sir Sir Alan Sugar himself has acknowledged this. As for 'French wording' - a quick scan of your history books will tell you that this country was conquered by the Normans and elements of the language remain in colloquial use today. Every word I've used is in the Oxford English Dictionary and you can't get more British than that, can you? Tally ho!
 So last month, I put together a page of Apprentice Look-Alikes. I think this one is my favourite - a tad cruel perhaps. But then again, so was Jenny Celerier at times. Abby wrote in to say: "Your page with the pictures or the look-alike Apprentice candidates from past and present was very good, esp the ginger one (provides some very much needed relief from revision).
Thanks Abby - hope you passed those exams! Gareth wrote in on the same subject:
"You said that Claire Young from the Apprentice looks like Kerry Katona and I must agree there is some resemblance, but I feel you're missing out on a far closer resemblance between Claire and podgy Trowbridge based snooker player Stephen Lee (picture of him here). Not that I'm trying to tell you how to do your job or anything..." Gareth, if your settings had allowed, I would've written you back to thank you for giving me a much-needed laugh that day. Very funny!
MuBeE wrote in regarding a gallery feature for Britain's Got Talent: "I was reading the little paragraph that you wrote about Suleman/Signature...I couldn't help but notice that you referred to Michael Jackson as the 'former' king of pop....what was that about...? So you're trying to say that Elvis is the 'former' king of rock...? I can't get it why people like YOU from the media are so against the dude; you are so delusional that you really think that by bad mouthing the biggest star the world has ever seen, you'll get a bit more views on you're stupid page."
MuBeE, me and Michael go back a long way; right back to Jackson 5 days. As great as he undoubtedly is musically, his crown has slipped somewhat. But that's just my opinion.
Fraser wrote in with regard to a feature I compiled on the Top Footy Shows: "Not one Scottish show in the top 16? No Sportscene with Archie "Wooof!" Macpherson? No Scotsport (Britain's longest-running football show) with Arthur Montford's famous jackets? No "Only An Excuse?" which has become essential viewing every Hogmanay? Is this MSN UK or MSN England?" Fraser, you make a very good point. I can only say in my defence that I tried to include shows that are broadcast nationally on terrestrial and multi-channel platforms, rather than regional variations. Unfortunately I have never seen the shows you refer to and despite input from two Scots in the office, neither mentioned your faves! I will definitely bear this in mind for the future.
My blog entry Let's All Laugh At Fiona Phillips! continues to cause a stir and opinion is firmly divided. Jonathon wrote in to say: "You are so right. I have been a United fan for 32 years and my son likes Chelski, but I would never support them. Any chance you could get this trailer-park-trash off GM.TV and leave the beautiful Penny Smith to present?" Thank you for your comment Jonathon. Unfortunately, this is one area where I am unable to assist you. On the other hand, Cheryl takes a different view: "If you do not like GMTV when Fiona Phillips is on...either turn the TV over or try exercising your fingers and turn it OFF. I happen to like her and so do many others - grow up and whinge about something worthwhile." Cheryl, something tells me you're whistling in the wind but it's always good to have an opposing point of view.
Finally this month, acknowledging that I'd complained about the Trident commercial, featured in my piece about Controversial TV Adverts, has prompted some users to write in and slate me: (no name) said: "Would you like me to get you a peice [sic] of fish, for the chips on your shoulder. Pulling the 'race card'. How original. Im [sic] actually black myself, and I nor anyone I know found that offensive. All idiots like you acheive [sic] by playing the 'its so offensive and racist' card is an even worse sterotype [sic] that we all out to claim the white man is victimising us yet again. Grow up, your [sic] pathetic." Ooooooooh! I did hit a nerve there, didn't I! As so many of you are genuinely interested in my reasons for objecting, I shall explain fully in a day or two. Stay tuned...
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
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