Charlie Brooker, that guy who rants about TV on BBC4, has finished writing and filming a fantastic-looking new series for E4. It's called Dead Set, and seems to be about contestants on Big Brother leaving the house to find a zombie apocolypse on the outside.
Here is the trailer.
I'm looking forward to this quite a lot. There hasn't been a good horror series since Jekyll.
Showing posts with label E4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label E4. Show all posts
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Censor Sensibility
The Channel 4 franchise is rubbish. Well, that's a lie- it's excellent, but it's rubbish in one field. Why do they feel the need to censor programs at 2pm because they contain questionable words?
Let me explain further... the other day, they showed an episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel throw their daughter a 1st birthday party. They get her a novelty cake which is supposed to be shaped like a bunny. But it isn't. It's shaped like a penis. Hilarity ensues. However, if you're airing that episode on E4 at five in the afternoon and won't allow the word penis on air, the plot does lose a bit of sense.
The end scene is supposed to go like this:
Here is E4's version of that scene:
Making no sense at all, but at least the kids watching at home won't question what a penis is.
There seems to be something vulgar about the word "Penis" in the land of Channel 4. Watching The Nutty Professor the other day on Film4 (and being slightly freaked out at the fact it was made twelve years ago), they cut out the line after Professor Klump gets thin for the first time, looks down at his trousers and exclaimed "My penis! I can see my penis!". However, what they decided was perfectly acceptable for 1pm is the scene where the newly thin Klump goes to a comedy club and defends a comedian, claiming his date to "give the nigger a chance"- and then later calls a piano player Niggeraci. What are Channel 4 trying to do here... be too sensitive? Worry that if they edit that out, people will be more offended?
And despite cutting out jokes that end up creating an episode that makes no sense (seriously - try watching a Scrubs episode called "My Dirty Secret" on E4 in the evening. The episode is about Eliot accidentally giving a patient an orgasm during a pelvic exam and then focuses on her inability to say rude words - the edited episode is something like 12 minutes long), Channel 4 still continue this tradition- to the point that they're now airing Desperate Housewives at 2pm, which when recorded without the adverts is now 35 minutes long.
I just don't know who they're trying to protect with most of these bizarre edits. Are they worried that an unattended 8-year old is going to be watching Friends at 5pm and then ask his parents what a penis is? It's silly is what it is.
Let me explain further... the other day, they showed an episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel throw their daughter a 1st birthday party. They get her a novelty cake which is supposed to be shaped like a bunny. But it isn't. It's shaped like a penis. Hilarity ensues. However, if you're airing that episode on E4 at five in the afternoon and won't allow the word penis on air, the plot does lose a bit of sense.
The end scene is supposed to go like this:
(Rachel wipes away some tears.)
Ross:
What's wrong? Are you okay?
Rachel:
Oh yeah, nothing! These are happy tears! This is just what I wanted.
Phoebe:
(pointing at cake) Hey, you made it into a bunny.
Joey:
(looking worried) What is wrong with me. It looked more delicious when it was a penis!
Here is E4's version of that scene:
(Rachel wipes away some tears.)
Ross:
What's wrong? Are you okay?
Rachel:
Oh yeah, nothing! These are happy tears! This is just what I wanted.
Phoebe:
(pointing at cake) Hey, you made it into a bunny.
Joey:
(Looking worried) What is wrong with me. It looked more delicious when it was-
(Cut to bizarre audience laughter)
Making no sense at all, but at least the kids watching at home won't question what a penis is.
There seems to be something vulgar about the word "Penis" in the land of Channel 4. Watching The Nutty Professor the other day on Film4 (and being slightly freaked out at the fact it was made twelve years ago), they cut out the line after Professor Klump gets thin for the first time, looks down at his trousers and exclaimed "My penis! I can see my penis!". However, what they decided was perfectly acceptable for 1pm is the scene where the newly thin Klump goes to a comedy club and defends a comedian, claiming his date to "give the nigger a chance"- and then later calls a piano player Niggeraci. What are Channel 4 trying to do here... be too sensitive? Worry that if they edit that out, people will be more offended?
And despite cutting out jokes that end up creating an episode that makes no sense (seriously - try watching a Scrubs episode called "My Dirty Secret" on E4 in the evening. The episode is about Eliot accidentally giving a patient an orgasm during a pelvic exam and then focuses on her inability to say rude words - the edited episode is something like 12 minutes long), Channel 4 still continue this tradition- to the point that they're now airing Desperate Housewives at 2pm, which when recorded without the adverts is now 35 minutes long.
I just don't know who they're trying to protect with most of these bizarre edits. Are they worried that an unattended 8-year old is going to be watching Friends at 5pm and then ask his parents what a penis is? It's silly is what it is.
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Yesterday I Got So Scared/I Shivered Like a Child...
I'd like to point out a show I've been watching, I think possibly alone. It's a six-part British sitcom about a 16-year-old boy starting at a comprehensive sixth form having previously been in private education. I know, I'd instinctively have assumed it was drivel, too, but the trailer made me laugh, so I set the first episode to record.
It turns out to be very good. It's on on Thursday nights, repeated on Wednesdays at a ridiculous hour. It's pleasingly mature and clever, and it's a programme about young people that isn't ridiculously outlandish, which is nice: this week's episode featured a party with the parents upstairs and the closest thing to a sex scene the show has had yet — and that didn't count. Compare that to something like Hollyoaks, where the local school seemed, last time I saw it, to be a hotbed of knife crime. I'm sure that happens sometimes, but it's nothing I can relate to. The main character, Will, reminds me a lot of Mark from Peep Show, and The Inbetweeners shares Peep Show's liking for overblown "toe-cringing" farce climax scenes — and a Google search reveals Peep Show's script editor co-writes it. It's the first time E4 have commissioned a sitcom, and I think they've done bloody well for their first go.
There's not much of this series to go now. I think maybe three episodes, if you include a late-night repeat. The last couple of episodes are on Channel 4's free catch-up thing. It's also on 4oD, although I think you'll need a few spare pounds to catch up.
It's definitely worth a look, though.
It turns out to be very good. It's on on Thursday nights, repeated on Wednesdays at a ridiculous hour. It's pleasingly mature and clever, and it's a programme about young people that isn't ridiculously outlandish, which is nice: this week's episode featured a party with the parents upstairs and the closest thing to a sex scene the show has had yet — and that didn't count. Compare that to something like Hollyoaks, where the local school seemed, last time I saw it, to be a hotbed of knife crime. I'm sure that happens sometimes, but it's nothing I can relate to. The main character, Will, reminds me a lot of Mark from Peep Show, and The Inbetweeners shares Peep Show's liking for overblown "toe-cringing" farce climax scenes — and a Google search reveals Peep Show's script editor co-writes it. It's the first time E4 have commissioned a sitcom, and I think they've done bloody well for their first go.
There's not much of this series to go now. I think maybe three episodes, if you include a late-night repeat. The last couple of episodes are on Channel 4's free catch-up thing. It's also on 4oD, although I think you'll need a few spare pounds to catch up.
It's definitely worth a look, though.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
No Skin Off My Nose
I'm a student. Being a student, I often find myself hanging around with other students. It's something I cannot avoid. Try avoiding it, and you become an outcast. Try it if you want.
However, being a student with all my student mates often means I go to student parties. The last party I went to was a two-day bender of which an onion ended up in the toilet, and we watched Elf on TV. This is typical student life. However, it'd never make an episode of Skins (E4, Mondays 10pm)
Skins has recently entered its second series on E4. It's become so successful because of it's ability to 'handle the true side of teenage life'. I watched all of the first series because I wanted an opinion of it so when discussing it with aforementioned student friends, I could express a view instead of agreeing with everyone. My opinion turned out to be a negative one, and I was a bit disheartened when the series finished that I had spent many hours of my life watching a half-arsed drama. Kidnappings had occured, eating disorders were dealt with in a patronising way and the final dramatic scene involving a car accident also involved a song and dance number. I'm not kidding. Watch the last episode on 4od.
If you've never seen it, let me give you a run down of the characters.
And that was it. It was hard seeing these 2D characters move forward as a plot device, so I gave up. There truly was no reason to give the second series a watch. I had given my opinion that Skins went in my 'Apathy' pile, but I'm glad I did give this new series a chance. This Monday's episode was one of the best examples of TV drama I had seen in a good while. It was humourous, dramatic and even had Shane Ritchie as a perverted drama student. It also introduced us to Sketch, a never-before-seen character, and her obsession with Maxxie.
So, congratulations to Skins in being able to convince me to carry on watching it. Nothing like this has happened since the premiere of Torchwood's second series. Although, that's getting more rubbish by the week.
However, being a student with all my student mates often means I go to student parties. The last party I went to was a two-day bender of which an onion ended up in the toilet, and we watched Elf on TV. This is typical student life. However, it'd never make an episode of Skins (E4, Mondays 10pm)
Skins has recently entered its second series on E4. It's become so successful because of it's ability to 'handle the true side of teenage life'. I watched all of the first series because I wanted an opinion of it so when discussing it with aforementioned student friends, I could express a view instead of agreeing with everyone. My opinion turned out to be a negative one, and I was a bit disheartened when the series finished that I had spent many hours of my life watching a half-arsed drama. Kidnappings had occured, eating disorders were dealt with in a patronising way and the final dramatic scene involving a car accident also involved a song and dance number. I'm not kidding. Watch the last episode on 4od.
If you've never seen it, let me give you a run down of the characters.
Tony - a student who looks a bit like Adric from Doctor Who, but contains as much charisma as a pot of paint. Sleeps with anything he sees and likes to live his life like a retarded Casanova. Got in a car accident at the end of series one and is not a twat anymore. He's now a twat with no motor skills.
Michelle - Tony's on/off/on/off/on girlfriend. Loves Tony, despite him treating her like dirt. Will try anything pill-based. Since Tony's accident, she appears to be a slut. But is still in love with Tony, because that is her one character trait.
Sid - Tony's best mate. The most likeable of the lot. Obsessed with Michelle, sex and sex with Michelle. Does anything Tony says. Started having feelings for Cassie. Michelle once tried to have sex with him, but decided her feelings for Tony were too strong. Because she loves Tony. Because that is her one character trait.
Cassie - a girl with OCD and an eating disorder. She's kooky. That's literally it. For the second series, she's moved to Scotland where she's learnt the highland fling. THAT'S LITERALLY IT.
Maxxie - has two x's in his name. 'Nuff said. He's also gay. Tony made out with him once, much to the annoyance of Michelle. But she forgave him because she loves him because that is her one character trait.
Anwar - The "hilarious vigin" out of the gang. Maxxie's best mate. He's yet to have his own episode. I don't think the writer's have thought of a decent back story for him. Most likely to be the first one killed off.
And that was it. It was hard seeing these 2D characters move forward as a plot device, so I gave up. There truly was no reason to give the second series a watch. I had given my opinion that Skins went in my 'Apathy' pile, but I'm glad I did give this new series a chance. This Monday's episode was one of the best examples of TV drama I had seen in a good while. It was humourous, dramatic and even had Shane Ritchie as a perverted drama student. It also introduced us to Sketch, a never-before-seen character, and her obsession with Maxxie.
So, congratulations to Skins in being able to convince me to carry on watching it. Nothing like this has happened since the premiere of Torchwood's second series. Although, that's getting more rubbish by the week.
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Scrubs Up Nicely
Just so you know, the British premiere of the new sixth series of Scrubs airs at 9pm on E4 tonight. I thought I might as well let you know, as E4 have done bugger all to advertise it.
Scrubs is an odd comedy to watch. However, I always find myself only wanting to watch the first twenty minute of show. Why? It's because I know that in the final five minutes a lesson will be learnt, or a character will die, or J.D will finally see how an action he's done has made somebody miserable, or Elliot'll break up with whoever she's dating in this series. It's odd that a comedy set in a hospital can often include more drama than, say, a drama set in a hospital.
Scrubs is an odd comedy to watch. However, I always find myself only wanting to watch the first twenty minute of show. Why? It's because I know that in the final five minutes a lesson will be learnt, or a character will die, or J.D will finally see how an action he's done has made somebody miserable, or Elliot'll break up with whoever she's dating in this series. It's odd that a comedy set in a hospital can often include more drama than, say, a drama set in a hospital.
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