Category: TV

Ricky Gervais – Extras

On By Rick McIn humour, TV1 Comment

I’m not much of a Gervais fan, but when Kate played the first 3 episodes of this TV series, I found them HILARIOUS.

Extras is a British sitcom about extras working on TV and film sets and in theatre. The series was co-produced by the BBC and HBO, and is created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both of whom also star in it. …

Each episode has at least one guest star; a television or film celebrity, who play what Gervais and Merchant have referred to as “twisted” versions of themselves; an exaggerated or inverted parody of their famous public personas. …

Kate Winslet
Ben Stiller
Ross Kemp/Vinnie Jones
Samuel L. Jackson
Les Dennis
Patrick Stewart

The guest star cameos are the best part.

Click PLAY or watch a clip on YouTube.

have you seen Expedition Impossible?

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Expedition Impossible is a 2011 American reality television series. The series follows thirteen teams of three competitors as they “solve problems while racing across deserts, over mountains and through rivers” across the nation of Morocco. …

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

Before its debut, Expedition Impossible drew comparisons to other reality television series, including The Amazing Race, Pirate Master, and Burnett’s own adventure race series Eco-Challenge.

Burnett has repudiated the comparisons to TAR, saying “There’s no taxis. There’s no hotels. This is very, very different. Here, you actually need to put yourself on the line, really be willing to cross the deserts and the mountains and use the camels and the horses. So, it’s a very, very much more difficult competition.” …

It steals much from Amazing Race, but is even better IMHO.

The Gypsies seem near certain to win:

John Post, 25, Pensacola Beach, FL. Sustainable Farmer
Taylor Filasky, 31, San Diego, CA. Video Producer
Eric Bach, 26, San Francisco, CA. Entrepreneur

Group of friends that, collectively, have traveled to over 40 countries.

Detective Inspector John Rebus

On By Rick McIn books, movies, TV1 Comment

When visiting Scotland I got into Rebus. Happily, Warren is a bit of a fan, too, collecting those that have been televised or turned into movies.

Detective Inspector John Rebus is the protagonist in the Inspector Rebus series of detective novels by the Scottish writer Ian Rankin, ten of which have so far been televised as Rebus. The novels are mostly set in and around Edinburgh. …

Rebus can be said to belong to a long tradition of paternal Scottish hard men. A natural leader whose gruff exterior and fierce will to succeed in his field belies a benevolent nature. …

In the Rebus television adaptations he was played by John Hannah in the first two series, but in the later series the role was taken over by Ken Stott to much acclaim. …

Hannah is a terrific actor, but I’d say Stott is much truer to the Rebus of the novels.

Stott as Rebus

Leave a comment if you’ve an opinion on the two actors.

call me a Gleek

On By Rick McIn music, product endorsements, TVLeave a comment

An unlikely hit about High School show choir set in Lima, Ohio.

How could you do an elevator pitch on that?

I’ve been rewatching the series starting with the Premiere. What strikes me second time ’round is how strong the music is, in general.

Click PLAY or watch one of my favourites on YouTube.

Glee has been a commercial success, with over twenty-one million digital single sales and nine million album sales. …

In 2009, the Glee cast had 25 singles chart on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any artist since The Beatles had 31 songs in the chart in 1964. In February 2011, Glee surpassed Elvis as the artist with the most songs placed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart …

I’m surprised the novelty hasn’t worn off.

Like many others, I’d watch an hour long show only for Sue.

And some of the characters: Kurt, Santana and especially Brittany have really grown on me over time. Coach Beiste, too.

why ‘normal’ people won’t give up Cable TV

On By Rick McIn Apple, bad news, Google, product complaints, TV3 Comments

Ad agency Hill Holliday recently conducted an experiment, asking five families to give up cable TV in favor of connected TV devices for a week.

The growing availability of online content and video subscription services, coupled with an exploding market for connected devices, has pushed the idea of cord cutting — or dropping a traditional cable TV subscription package in favor of online video sources — into the mainstream. But how viable is the concept, really?

For its experiment (which the agency stresses was not intended as a scientific research study), Hill Holliday provided each family with a different connected device: the Roku, Apple TV, Xbox 360, Boxee Box and Google TV.

An Experiment In Cord Cutting from Hill Holliday on Vimeo.

Traditional Cable TV is horrid. But the alternatives are still even worse.

When is Apple or Google going to get it right?

(via Mashable)

Bob and Doug – 12 Days of Christmas

On By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

… the classic Twelve Days of Christmas song sung by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Bob and Doug were hosts of a legendary bit on Second City Television (SCTV) , the Canadian poor man’s version of Saturday Night Live.

… Ironically, the most popular sketch was intended as throwaway filler. Bob & Doug McKenzie, the dim-witted, beer-chugging brothers in a recurring Canadian-themed sketch called Great White North, were initially developed by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas (Bob & Doug, respectively) as a sardonic response to the CBC network’s request that the show feature two minutes of “identifiably Canadian content” in every episode. …

Never have the CanCon rules so backfired. Many Americans assume ALL Canadian guys are either Bob or Doug.

To this day I still refer to my homeland as the Great White North.

important anti-bullying video

On By Rick McIn government, TVLeave a comment

Powerful.

Part of the noh8 campaign, in reaction to gay suicides and the November 4, 2008 Proposition 8 ban of same-sex marriages in California.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jon Stewart ripped John McCain a new one on Monday night. McCain has waffled back and forth on a no win issue for Republicans, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

His wife, Cindy, appeared in that video saying:

… “Our political and religious leaders tell LGBT youth that they have no future … They can’t serve our country openly,” she said on the video.

Then later tweeted:

“I fully support the NOH8 campaign and all it stands for and am proud to be a part of it. But I stand by my husband’s stance on DADT,”

You can’t have it both ways, Cindy.

Cindy McCain

McCain’s daughter wants DADT repealed. Must make for some awkward family meals.


noh8campaign.com

Biden and Colbert team up to salute troops

On By Rick McIn product endorsements, TVLeave a comment


”I’m not going to debate this war,” said Colbert, in mock pundit character. ”It’s been seven years. Who can remember who invaded who?”

If you get the chance, watch The Colbert Report for Wed. Sept. 8th.

Important commentary on ‘the end’ of the war in Iraq. And consistently entertaining.

Vice President Joe Biden served up hotdogs to the audience, all veterans of Iraq.

That’s the best I’ve ever seen Biden on TV.