Love Soup: Whose God is it Anyway?

I should start by saying that the best comedy on British telly at the moment is toe-curlingly rude secondary school sitcom The Inbetweeners. It’s on Channel 4, though, which means I can’t embed it here. So here’s episode 10 of Love Soup series two instead: also brilliant (and pretty rude too). Love Soup’s quite difficult to describe. I suppose it’s quite gentle, from the old-time Jazz theme tune to the undemonstrative presence of Tamsin “The Archers, Green Wing, Black Books” Greig and the clever, slightly meandering plotlines that sort of fade out rather than coming to an end. This one’s got Stacey from Gavin & Stacey too, doing wonders for her career by playing three different characters and doing a posh accent. The whole thing feels impeccable: cast, script, direction. Lovely.

The Noisiest Have I Got News For You Ever

I’m very pleased that Have I Got News For You is back. Here’s the latest show (episode three) from the current run (series thirty-five! Can you believe it?).

In these post-Angus Deayton days we get to enjoy different presenters in each show. This week, the marvelously loud Brian Blessed. Joining them are the MP Alan Duncan and the comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Comedy gold.

(You might prefer the extended 45 minute version).

Briefings - David Attenborough

Probably as out of step these days as you could be and with several BBC Directors looking on in the front row this is a sober and welcome reminder of Reithian/Carleton Green values from the BBC’s longest serving employee (1952 and counting)

This lecture from David Attenborough and commissioned by the BBC as part of Ofcom’s never ending PSB review , it hit the headlines last week for its passing criticism of the BBC’s reliance on makeover shows. It is in fact a 30 minute canter through hammocking, the impact of ITV, and a withering dismissal of “niche” channels which “have their place” but …. And in a piece of supreme ironic scheduling the BBC have tucked this spirited defence and history of public service broadcasting on BBC Parliament on a Saturday night. You really will not see his like again.

The Age of Terror: The Paris Plot

Did you know this? Did you know that Algerian Islamists planned and set out on a 9/11-style attack on Paris in 1994? Did you know that the plane actually made it into French aerospace and onto French soil? Did you know that the terrorists shot and killed three passengers and were subsequently killed themselves when the plane was raided?

This is a terrific documentary which starts out on the classical model with talking heads, library footage, and crackly cockpit recordings and then piles on the drama with Hollywood-grade re-enactments and a tense orchestral score. Peter Taylor, who practically invented the study of terrorism thirty years ago tells this tense tale. The final scene is so like an action movie that it requires a stunt coordinator. Bleak and gripping stuff.

Here’s a long article about the series by Peter Taylor himself.

I’m just going to say it: Basil Brush is brilliant. Funny, fast-paced, clever and cheeky. The canned laughter is weirdly appropriate, the funny sound and video effects make the thing seem really contemporary, and the super-ironic scripts respect the parents watching. Basil, a very small fox as I’m sure you’ll remember, has been integrated into his otherwise entirely human community rather well (I mean nobody ever says “hold on. Isn’t that a very small fox?” or “how did the fox pay for that cappuccino?”). An excellent example of a kids’ serial keeping up with the times beautifully.

Miss Austen Regrets

We tried to watch this half-arsedly over the top of Sunday papers but couldn’t. It was too good. Even if, like me you’re not normally a big one for the (endless! Austen!) costume dramas. And apparently a great antidote to Becoming Jane (which I didn’t see, not being a fan of (endless Austen) costume dramas).

Doctor Who: The Sontaran Strategem

To the other delight of early evening Saturday. I’m not going to try to write much about this because I’m basically an ignorant Doctor Who neophyte who’s turned up very, very late. But surely, even for the old timers this was a special one. On top of the expected but marvellous geekery and weird ugly robot things - sharp writing, irresistible casting, beautifully shoehorned topical business, and inscrutable little romantic sub plots. I had no idea.

I’d do anything

I fell for this hook line and sinker with the first episode I’ve watched - this one. I love it. All. The febrile speculation about ‘The Nancys’. The overacting. The Andrew Lloyd Webbering. The pompous, shouty judging. To say nothing - or not enough - of Barry Humphries. What a vague old (unexpectedly?) soulful character he is.

Made in England by Seth Lakeman

Entirely satisfactory clash-of-cultures music doc from Devon folkie Seth Lakeman and Brummie hip-hop crew Moorish Delta 7 (MD7). Creativity and curiosity on both sides make for a thoroughly convincing ‘mash-up’ (I think that’s what the young people call this sort of thing). Heartwarming.
(Sorry, only two days to go on this one. Thought it was worth posting anyway).

Humphrey Lyttelton, 1921—2008

Humphrey Lyttelton, who died earlier this evening, loved Buddy Bolden, a troubled, almost mythical jazz trumpeter from turn-of-the-century New Orleans. In his later life, Humph attempted a kind of reconstruction of Bolden’s music, which can’t have been easy because it was never recorded in his lifetime. I’d like to have featured one of Humph’s Bolden videos here by way of a tribute (there are lots on YouTube) but embedding is switched off for these videos. So here, more obliquely, is a six-minute introduction to Bolden from Ken Burns’ famous 2001 documentary series Jazz.