New Year's TV
I decided to go to Pontypridd to see out 2009 and see in the new year in a decision that my friend Richard Strange (a Welshman himself) described on Facebook as being 'profoundly odd'. It is in a sense difficult to disagree but I enjoyed hanging out with some of my friends. There was unsurprisingly little to do there on New Year's Day so we stayed in and watched a considerable amount of television.
David Tennant's final episode of Dr Who was hotly anticipated, though not by me it has to be said. I am a casual Dr Who watcher at best and am pretty bemused by the fanaticism that surrounds the show. Credit where it's due though, they've done well to successfully resurrect the franchise. I enjoyed the second half of 'The End of Time' more than the first which was pretty baffling and difficult to follow and the performance of Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott was a particular highlight. The fact that the Doctor seems able to get out of whatever scrape he gets into as the Dr Who universe appears not to have any defined laws is pretty annoying. The new Doctor Matt Smith already being criticised for being too young and peculiarly, my dad's already laid into him for saying 'Geronimo!'. I'm sure the show's rabid fans will have plenty to sink their teeth into with the new series.
Next up was the finale of Gavin and Stacey, a programme which has become critically acclaimed for reasons I struggle to fathom. I've heard the show described as a comedy drama, but it's neither funny enough to comedy nor dramatic enough to be drama. I've watched all of the final series and there tends to be on average, two chuckles an episode. Rob Brydon as the slightly camp, enthusiastic Bryn steals every scene he's in. It's all very touchy feely (I can't help but feel that if I knew the preposterously lovey dovey Gavin and Stacey in real life, I'd find them intolerable) without a tremendous amount of substance. Or humour. Or wit.
The final episode was the same sort of thing. Happy endings all round as Nessa (who is unlikable to the point of being quite annoying) calls off what would have been a loveless marriage to Dave Coaches and Stacey becomes pregnant. I've been perhaps overly scathing here. The show is certainly watchable but ultimately just quite pointless. Also, I've still not forgiven Matthew Horne and James Corden for their sketch show which will surely go down, to steal a quote, as one of mankind's greatest crimes.
It has not been a fantastic Christmas for comedy on television, if truth be told. The Royle Family and Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas were disappointing, while My Family's festive effort was utterly dire. However, Not Going Out was excellent and I'm pleased it has been brought back from the dead for a fourth series. A surprise hit was 2009 Unwrapped With Miranda Hart, a talking heads spoof review of a fictionalised year that utilised the talents of the YouTube phenomenon Cassetteboy amongst others. Consistently funny stuff.
David Tennant's final episode of Dr Who was hotly anticipated, though not by me it has to be said. I am a casual Dr Who watcher at best and am pretty bemused by the fanaticism that surrounds the show. Credit where it's due though, they've done well to successfully resurrect the franchise. I enjoyed the second half of 'The End of Time' more than the first which was pretty baffling and difficult to follow and the performance of Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott was a particular highlight. The fact that the Doctor seems able to get out of whatever scrape he gets into as the Dr Who universe appears not to have any defined laws is pretty annoying. The new Doctor Matt Smith already being criticised for being too young and peculiarly, my dad's already laid into him for saying 'Geronimo!'. I'm sure the show's rabid fans will have plenty to sink their teeth into with the new series.
Next up was the finale of Gavin and Stacey, a programme which has become critically acclaimed for reasons I struggle to fathom. I've heard the show described as a comedy drama, but it's neither funny enough to comedy nor dramatic enough to be drama. I've watched all of the final series and there tends to be on average, two chuckles an episode. Rob Brydon as the slightly camp, enthusiastic Bryn steals every scene he's in. It's all very touchy feely (I can't help but feel that if I knew the preposterously lovey dovey Gavin and Stacey in real life, I'd find them intolerable) without a tremendous amount of substance. Or humour. Or wit.
The final episode was the same sort of thing. Happy endings all round as Nessa (who is unlikable to the point of being quite annoying) calls off what would have been a loveless marriage to Dave Coaches and Stacey becomes pregnant. I've been perhaps overly scathing here. The show is certainly watchable but ultimately just quite pointless. Also, I've still not forgiven Matthew Horne and James Corden for their sketch show which will surely go down, to steal a quote, as one of mankind's greatest crimes.
It has not been a fantastic Christmas for comedy on television, if truth be told. The Royle Family and Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas were disappointing, while My Family's festive effort was utterly dire. However, Not Going Out was excellent and I'm pleased it has been brought back from the dead for a fourth series. A surprise hit was 2009 Unwrapped With Miranda Hart, a talking heads spoof review of a fictionalised year that utilised the talents of the YouTube phenomenon Cassetteboy amongst others. Consistently funny stuff.
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