GRcade

Octoroc wrote:I saw Wogan's erm memory-quiz-thingy on Channel Four yesterday. Funnily enough I cannnot remember its name, however, I vividly recall how utterly sh!te it was.

StayingDead wrote:Did anyone see the new programme by Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse?

I thought it was great, they certainly haven't lost their form.

Best sketch was the Dragons Den one, "The Grumpy Woman" "Theo Profiterole". Just brilliant.

Jimmy Shedders wrote:

StayingDead wrote:Did anyone see the new programme by Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse?

I thought it was great, they certainly haven't lost their form.

Best sketch was the Dragons Den one, "The Grumpy Woman" "Theo Profiterole". Just brilliant.

"Excuse me, I'm an Americorn"

Memento Mori wrote:Don't insult Lauren Laverne.

Cuttooth wrote:She didn't really do much though. She is of course far better than Michael McIntyre.

StayingDead wrote:

Jimmy Shedders wrote:

StayingDead wrote:Did anyone see the new programme by Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse?

I thought it was great, they certainly haven't lost their form.

Best sketch was the Dragons Den one, "The Grumpy Woman" "Theo Profiterole". Just brilliant.

"Excuse me, I'm an Americorn"

"It's ok, you can trust me... or can you?"
"Oh no, i'm dead... or am I?"

Memento Mori wrote:Because that will be good.

Kanbei wrote:

Memento Mori wrote:Because that will be good.

Are you psychic? Can you tell the future?

Sarge wrote:Merlin starts this Saturday @ 7.30pm on BBC1.

clicky

Advance Review: With Dr. Who on a sabbatical this year (save for a couple of one-off specials), the BBC has drafted in this medieval adventure to fill their coveted autumn primetime, early Saturday evening slot previously dominated by the adventures of the Time Lord.

The show is a kind of 'Camelot - the younger years' - that revolves around the formative years of Prince (soon to be King) Arthur, Guinevere, Morgana - and of course Merlin himself.

We begin by learning that the mythical kingdom of Camelot is ruled by ruthless tyrant Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head), who has outlawed all magic, punishing any practitioners of the supernatural with death.

It is at this point that the young Merlin (Colin Morgan) arrives in the city to work as an assistant to kindly physician Gaius. Merlin isn't like other boys (and not just because the actor who plays him - Colin Morgan - looks like his age could range from around 12 to late twenties) - he has intuitive magical powers that immediately start to land him in trouble.

Not least with brash Prince Arthur - who's played as a kind of bullying jock by Bradley James. He takes an immediate dislike to Merlin, mainly because he is the one person who has the courage to stand up to him, but also because the young Guinevere takes a bit of a shine to him.

Indeed the whole affair is a bit like some kind of high school drama transported back in time a thousand years, with the various characters flirting and bickering like extras from The OC. Indeed, it's a fun idea, reinventing this classic tale for a young-ish audience - like Smallville and the BBC's own Robin Hood - through introducing some good old teen angst.

However, such an approach needs a funny, zippy and - most important - believable script, whereas, in this first episode at least, the character interaction feels unnatural, forced and at times down-right cringe-worthy. There are stabs at comedy that are obviously for the younger viewers, whilst the romantic elements are obviously for older teens. It's kind of a mess.

The focus on the young characters' relationships also detracts from the most promising aspect in Merlin - the conflict between the supernatural world and Camelot's fiercely anti-magic ruler Uther.

This opener begins with the execution of a man for practising magic that both sets up the story for this opening episode (the man's vengeful, sorceress mother) and nicely establishes this interesting, hopefully recurring theme, for the rest of the series. Indeed some of the most promising material in episode one is the magically gifted young wizard trying desperately to hide his powers for fear of being discovered.

So it's definitely worth keeping an eye on the next few episodes of Merlin. There is definitely the potential for the show to enter the kind of fantastical, scary, but also good-natured family territory trod so assuredly by previous BBC prime-time dramas.

However, here's hoping the writing staff get their act together and create some realistic dialogue for the young cast as the series progresses.

6/10

"It's very new news to me - I really only fully heard the details yesterday," Robert told comedian/host Michael McIntyre. "We're doing four new shows with the original cast. Two of them are going to be, like, proper episodes of Red Dwarf. One of them is so exciting I've been asked not to say anything about that because other people will steal the idea - and it is a great idea, quite challenging for us as performers. And the other one is a kind of behind-the-scenes-y... the truth. There's been so many rumours and gossip about Red Dwarf, about whether there's going to be a movie and whether we all get on, all those things... The downside for me, which is just dawning on me now, is I've got to do the 'rubber' thing again, which I haven't done for ten years."

For the record, and direct from the makers, the details of the four shows right now - while wholly subject to change - are:
Show One - The Making Of The Specials
A highly entertaining look at what goes on behind the scenes on a Red Dwarf production.
Show Two - Red Dwarf Special: Part One
The cast get back into character, and costume, a decade on...
Show Three - Red Dwarf Special: Part Two
The adventure continues...
Show Four - A Clip Show With a Serious Difference
The cast do it their way. Red Dwarf as you have never, ever seen it before!

The shows will broadcast sometime in 2009 and, if successful, could pave the way for further Red Dwarf TV projects. Thanks to movie and broadcaster wrangles, Grant Naylor haven't been in a position to produce new Red Dwarf since Series VIII went out to audiences of over eight million in 1999. This exciting development suggests a new and shiny future for everyone's favourite sci-fi comedy.