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REVIEW: The Choir That Rocks – Episode 1

By Jay Freeman
June 16, 2011 //
2

Image: ITV.

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. ITV go from making fantastic evocative, gripping, touching and harrowing documentaries to this. The Choir That Rocks, is ITV clearly taking a cue from Gareth Malone’s series The Choir from BBC Two. I’ll admit I wasn’t very keen on that but at least the BBC was original and Malone was determined, well presented, posh but not in an antagonising fashion. The Choir That Rocks is just the opposite. Highly glossy, almost Americanised in its output, it made for a boring, predictable hour long viewing.

The effort is headed by Caroline Redman Lusher, a woman who’s name echoes greediness. Redman Lusher runs Rock Choir, an organisation that has more than 8000 members. Rock Choir aims to be an exciting and empowering outlet for its members to sing pop hits in a choir-style. ITV describe it as so: “For many of its members it is a stress-busting inspiration, giving them life-changing experiences they never thought possible. ” Now I don’t know about you but that just echoes the ‘Cowell Factor’ to me.

If you thought that too then you’d be correct. Just look at what’s to follow in the coming weeks: “Over the series compelling stories will unfold and engaging characters will emerge: the plumber who practises his choirs’ dance routine while he mends a leaky boiler; the teenagers performing their version of a Pixie Lott song in the classroom; the 24 year old who has finally found her confidence since being knocked by childhood bullies, the retired husband and wife who enjoy attending the choir together and a women battling cancer who gains strength from her fellow choir members.“

I put that last bit in bold. You can just see the producers faces, can’t you? Nothing sells better than cancer to a TV executive. As if the whole singing in an arena wasn’t good enough. What’s more empowering than a woman with something as terrible as cancer, gaining strength from her fellow choir members? Nothing, that’s what.

You know how I feel about this dreadful programme. Watch it if you like, but the similarities to Gareth Malone’s series on the BBC quite frankly take the piss. It’s like a dumber characature of a series that already looked to inspire, only this time with ITV’s trademark polish of heartwarming inspiration that didn’t need to be there. To be honest, I’m struggling to see why this series was even commissioned.

Dear Adam Crozier, sort it out. This is as bad as Don’t Stop Believing on Channel 5 last year.

Link: ITV Player.

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Categories Documentary, Review, Television

REVIEW: Vexed

By Jay Freeman
August 20, 2010 //
1

Vexed is on BBC Two, Sunday’s at 9pm.

Image: BBC (but let’s face it, props go to the person who took the picture of her).

From the writer of Misfits, a programme I enjoy a large amount, comes Vexed. A crime drama, you’d be forgiven for assuming that I’d automatically hate it. But no, oh no, this is a crime drama with a twist. Like some sort of mad professor adding a mystery ingredient to a cancer drug, Vexed adds comedy to the mix, making the whole thing seem light-hearted and almost satirical of the genre in particular.

This arouses my interest. I enjoy things that take the piss out of things I hate. So the hour went disappointingly quickly, with Toby Stephens having possibly the best comic timing I’ve ever encountered. The programme revolves around Lucy Punch being transferred to the city in order to attain a promotion, however she is partnered with the laxidasical Stephens and comedy ensues. Other than that, the whole thing is one massive piss take of these kind of shows.

I can’t think of anything else to say about it. It doesn’t make you think, it’s just like Hot Fuzz but not as good.

Try it, you might like it.

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Categories Comedy, Review, Television

Meanwhile, On The BBC ‘Coming Up’ Webpage

By Jay Freeman
August 15, 2010 //
1

If this isn’t the biggest example of a shit sitcom, described in the worst way ever, I don’t know what is.

Image: BBC.

Steve and Becky are Him & Her. All they want to do is drink, eat and have sex – so they do. They don’t want to get a job – so they don’t.

We watch their endless days of nothing played out in minute detail, warts-and-all, in real time as they exist together in Steve’s bedsit, happy and ambition-free, milking the state.

People visit and they can’t get rid of them quickly enough. Dan finds reasons to come down from upstairs, lonely and looking for love. Becky’s sister Laura pops round with her loveably psychotic fiancé. They have to deal with each other’s parents. All they want is to be left alone.

Him & Her reveals the hilarious and often shocking truth of what really goes on behind the bedroom doors of today’s 20-somethings. And, to be honest, today’s 30-somethings. And 40-somethings. And 50-somethings. And 60- and 70- and 80-somethings… Because we all secretly wish we too were young, unemployed and lazy.

Him & Her, is a new comedy series starring Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani on BBC Three.

I quite like Russell Tovey. But this sounds awful. Plus, isn’t “Him & Her reveals the hilarious and often shocking truth of what really goes on behind the bedroom doors of today’s 20-somethings. And, to be honest, today’s 30-somethings” a bit of a sweeping generalisation. That sentence is also written unprofessionally.

Sort it ahhhhhht! [Source: BBC Coming Up].

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Categories Comedy, Review, Television

Most Popular Posts This Week

By Jay Freeman
August 14, 2010 //
0

We’ve had an influx of new viewers to the website this week. If you’ve visited us before, welcome! It’s mostly television reviews around here. This is a list of our most successful posts this week, in case you’re interested.

Image: BBC.

End of Series Review: Sherlock

Sherlock was the most googled thing in the UK last week, which probably shows why this was our most popular post this week. Sherlock, in case you haven’t seen it yet, is a modern adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series. And this one is Jude Law-free!

Review: Roger and Val Have Just Got In

I didn’t like it. Someone called Col did. I re-reviewed it a few days later. But the original post reigned supreme over it’s newer sister.

End of Series Review: The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors was…great. I liked it and from the amount of interest from Twitter, you lovely lot must have done, too!

Review: Grandma’s House

Simon Amstell’s acting and writing debut aired for the first time this week on Monday. I enjoyed it, but a commenter named Philip had issue with my review. This one’s worth reading for the massive essays of comments we left each other.

Review: Madness on the Fast Lane

Truly shocking television detailing the events of a day two years ago when two Swedish identical twins attempted suicide on the M6 near Stoke, before one of them was released and then brutally murdered a samaritan who took her in. Chilling but engrossing television.

So there’s the most popular five posts from this week on this very website. I hope you stick around if you’re a newbie. We post every day of the week and as the Guardian always say, ‘Comment is Free’. Good words there, because we don’t charge for freedom of speech here. Leave a comment!

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Categories Comedy, Guides, Review, Television

RE-REVIEW: Roger and Val Have Just Got In

By Jay Freeman
August 14, 2010 //
5

This week, we received a comment from someone named Col.

Image: BBC

Col left a comment. A comment that went something like this:

Bonkers. It was utter genius. You have totally missed the point! It’s all about what’s going on underneath! You’re right about one thing – it’s not a sitcom. It’s far too brilliant. The focus at the end on the child’s chair – yet there’s no mention of children. Don’t you get it? It’s dangerous. Simmering beneath the surface. Also I don’t know where you get the reception’s been bad. There have been raves all over for it! So no – I don’t agree!

I don’t like to appear narrow-minded, so I said I would watch the episode again and see what I thought. In the end, I’ve had a busy week, so I watched last night’s episode this morning, only this time I watched it all the way through. I still didn’t like it, but this time around, I did kind of see the point a bit more. There’s a lot more to the programme than what appears. I would like to clarify though, that the BBC are pushing this as some sort of comedy/sitcom, due to the endless amount of trails they’re broadcasting about it being the ‘home of comedy’ – or something similar – that are in the style of a Wes Anderson film. The programme is also featured on the BBC Comedy website, with interviews and the like. Therefore I don’t think I’m being a bit too presumptious by assuming I’d be treated to something that would make me laugh a lot.

Overall, the programme stems much more deeper than I first imagined and saw on my first viewing. It’s fairly powerful stuff, but something that I just can’t make the effort to watch more of. It’s not my sort of show really, but if you see it and think you’d like it then by all means you should watch it. Either way, I think it’s worth having a look.

If you disagree with anything we review here at RB, like Col and you can string two words together to form a polite query or opinion just like Col did, then I’d like to hear it. I love feedback. Also, if there’s anything we haven’t reviewed that’s been on lately or even further back, let us know by the usual contact details (preferably my Twitter) which can be found on our Get In Touch page to the top.

You can find the whole first series on DVD, here.

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Categories Comedy, Opinion, Review, Television

On Demand Pick of the Week: Teachers

By Jay Freeman
August 13, 2010 //
0

Our On Demand pick of this week is Teachers.

Teachers started in 2001 and was fantastic. It was a drama that focused on the lives of several teachers at a secondary school in Bristol. It lasted about four series before being cancelled and in that space of time, It was bloody brilliant.

Image: Channel4

As I said in my Reunited review about 6 weeks ago, it was created at a time when drama’s like these that were bordering on the comedy and were very light-humoured. Nothing has replaced Teachers since it was stopped but Reunited came very close. It’s worth having a look if you have the time.

You can watch it here on 4OD.

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Categories Television, Video

End of Series Review: Sherlock

By Jay Freeman
August 12, 2010 //
1

Sherlock ended on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.

sherlock bbc 2010

Image: BBC

You can watch it on BBC iPlayer, here. By the way that link’s for the HD version. Crank it up to HD if you have the means but otherwise, just watch it in the traditional resolution. It’s the same but not as highly defined!

Sherlock and The Great Outdoors have both have short-lived mini-series’ and have stuck around about as long as Steve Coppell at Bristol City. Sherlock startedwith a fantastic series opener, then moved on to a ‘middle episode’, if you will, that stagnated a bit. Even still, it was far away the best programme going and the end of the series was no exception. I particularly enjoyed the return of the on-screen graphics, showing us a text message a character recieves, for example, without us being distracted from the emotions said character is showing.

It’s little wonder that the show has been so successful and a second series is in the pipeline.

A more comprehensive look at the final episode of Sherlock, and indeed the entire series, can be found here.

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Categories Review, Television

End of Series Review: The Great Outdoors

By Jay Freeman
August 12, 2010 //
2

The Great Outdoors ended last night on BBC Four at 9pm.

UPDATE: You can catch it on catch-up, here.

The Great Outdoors - BBC

Image: BBC.

It was inevitable how this series would end. For those who haven’t watched it, yet, fear not. I hate spoiler alerts, so I won’t be revealing anything here. The Great Outdoors was a fantastic programme to begin with and unlike Sherlock, it didn’t let up in the middle of its three episode run. Mark Heap played his role well as the ramblers unhappy and unliked leader, which was perfectly contrasted in Ruth Jones’ brilliant portrayal of a woman more experienced than Heap. The ensemble cast made for some brilliant comedy moments, in particular, Steve Edge’s lack of wit and ingenuity provided many real howling laugh-out-loud moments.

In particular, what stuck out for me was when Edge punched a farmers wife in the face in order to disarm her, then declaring “I know you shouldn’t hit a woman, but she was packing, so it’s okay”. Just thinking about that moment and its truly epic comic delivery makes me laugh to myself.

The ending of it’s admittedly short series ended with despair yet happiness, which I was quite pleased with. However I worry a lot for this programme because of how the BBC treats comedy like this on BBC Four. As I’ve said in the past, they’ve cancelled We Have Answers, the AQA-based celebrity comedy show with the likes of Tim Key, Alex Horne and the ever hilarious Mark Watson. Answers was brilliant and so is The Great Outdoors but I doubt that the latter will even get a DVD release, because of its niche audience and modest viewing figures. Only time will tell but I do hope they make another series because the format doesn’t feel as if it’s over.

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Categories Comedy, Review, Television

REVIEW: Dinner Date

By Jay Freeman
August 12, 2010 //
5

Dinner Date is on ITV1 at 12.30pm on weekdays.

Dinner Date ITV

Image: ITV and me. I screenshotted it, so I deserve some credit.

I’d usually stay away from this kind of programme for a number of reasons but whilst I was waiting for someone yesterday, I caught Dinner Date and ended up watching all of it. Essentially what the show entails is one single person chooses three menus from a total of five and of those menus, also single people will cook them in a blind date form. It makes for interestingly trashy-but-good viewing and is a novel idea because from the handful of episodes I’ve now seen, it appears that the meetings are meant to be rather awkward and this makes some great television. Of course a daytime cookery programme such as this will inevitably be compared to Come Dine With Me but where CDWM is rather tired now, it’s nice to see a similar programme with a different format stand up on its own.

I can’t remember the names of the people in the episode I watched yesterday, largely because the programme doesn’t require the amount of attention needed to memorise people’s names. However, the single person looking for love was a man of smallish stature which required all three of his dates of subsequent nights to remove their heels. The way each girl went about this was rather funny, though, because they seemed rather embarassed at having to spend time with him. Call me mean if you please but I found this hilarious.

Indeed, reality shows are tiresome nowadays and I hate most of them but I quite liked being a fly on the wall in a social situation which is so easily awkward. I recommend watching if you have the means, but I wouldn’t make the effort for it. The narrator of the show is no Dave Lamb by any means, but she is suitably sarcastic. The show is pretty decent.

You can apply to be on the show here if you’re looking for culinary-judged love.

You can watch it on ITV player here if you’re bored and it’s late at night.

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Categories Review, Television

REVIEW: Madness in the Fast Lane

By Jay Freeman
August 11, 2010 //
1

This was truly shocking television. Engrossing, but absolutely shocking.

Madness in the Fast Lane was on BBC One last night at 10:35pm.

Madness in the Fast Lane

I’ve seen some shocking things. I’ve seen Two Girls One Cup and One Man One Cup, but this was a different kind of shocking. It was the kind of thing that gets you angry. I’ll set the scene.

We join the documentary following motorway traffic officers on an episode of Motorway Cops that was filmed in May 2008. Part of what happened was not allowed to be shown for legal reasons until last night. We discover with the officers that two twin sisters are walking in between the two lanes of the M6 near Stoke in the middle of the afternoon. They run across the motorway lane going northbound, missing cars by inches and risking their lives. When they’re confronted by officers and questioned, one sister escapes one of the officers holding her and runs straight in to an oncoming lorry being hit full on and being run over by a set of its wheels. Amazingly, she survived, albeit with massive injuries. Then, without warning again, her sister then runs into the path of an oncoming car, sustaining massive injuries as well. All this was caught on camera and makes for chilling viewing. We find ourselves as an audience, asking why on earth would anybody do such a thing? It’s absolutely dumbfounding. But that’s not where the story ends.

Without reciting what happens next, one sister defies paramedics advice and police orders and gets up before jumping over the barriers and into oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the motorway. Two days later, this woman brutally murdered a man who took her in as a samaritan, before attempting suicide again. Over the next 50 minutes, we’re shown interviews with the police officers who dealt with the incident, bystanders and the families of the victim she callously murdered. It was absolutely fascinating, but incredibly chilling at the same time.

In the end, I felt rather angry with the result. I won’t spoil it for you, but I urge you to catch it on iPlayer before next Monday. I’ve watched it twice and I usually hate this sort of programme.

Madness in the Fast Lane can be found here until next Monday on BBC iPlayer.

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Categories Review, Television
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