Celebrity Masterchef
Celebrity Masterchef pushes new boundaries. Mainly the definitions of the words “celebrity” and “masterchef”. In the last two weeks a few people you might recognise (Clare Grogan, him out of Brookside, her out of Atomic Kitten, two of the Scousers) have competed against the cast of Holby City for a place in the never-ending semi [...]
Hedz
In long summer days when good telly is thin on the ground Hedz is a great pick-me-up. It gently takes the piss out of celebrities through daft sketches where they have giant cardboard cut-outs for faces (in the style of Reeves & Mortimer’s George Michael). It’s on CBBC so is for kids really, but that [...]
Britain’s Missing Top Model
The premise of Britain’s Missing Top Model is pretty simple - eight disabled women compete to win the prize of a fashion shoot with Rankin for Marie Claire. It’s twice as tough because they’re expected to be a role model for disabled people and to look amazing at the same time. The first episode quickly [...]
The Culture Show
The Culture Show is back for a new series, full of vim and vigour. The sweetness and light of Lauren Laverne is balanced by the curmudgeonly Mark Kermode with a back-up team of eminently likeable experts who are smart but not smartarse.
The new Tuesday time slot is much better and there’s an extended version on Fridays for those too cultured [...]
Gavin and Stacey, Season 2, Episode 4
The second series of Gavin and Stacey has already had a mention here, but last night’s episode deserves another plug for being particularly fine. The characters live in a wonderful place, somewhere between surreal and utterly mundane. The wonderful oven glove scene seemed familiar and yet extraordinary.
The Mighty Boosh: a journey through time and space
Kicking off BBC Three’s Mighty Boosh night, this documentary shows how Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding became the nation’s top crimping duo. The whole crew is here, Naboo and Bollo too, plus a legion of celebrity fans. Their relentless good cheer is a joy to behold. No tortured artists here - apart from Howard Moon of course.
Delia
Aimed squarely at the can’t cook/won’t cook demographic, national icon Delia Smith tells us how to make delicious dishes by opening a few tins and digging something out of the freezer. It should have been subtitled “101 uses for frozen mashed potato”. Considering Delia once taught the nation how to boil an egg, something has gone awry. The aim of [...]
Crufts: 2008
There’s nothing like Crufts to brighten up a dreary March evening. 23,000 dogs come to Birmingham’s NEC, but only one will be crowned top dog. It’s hard to pick a favourite because there are all shapes and sizes. Last night’s show focussed on the Utility and Toy Groups so there was a great showing from the classic, the cute [...]
Hotel Babylon
Reporting from the Watchification Guilty Pleasures Department, tonight’s Hotel Babylon was a real treat. Alan Davies guest stars as a celebrity chef who is cuddly on TV but fearsome in the kitchen. ”I’m not that genial tit off the google box” he said. Not typecast at all, obviously.
I’ve come to Hotel Babylon quite late but the great thing [...]
Magnetic North
God bless Jonathan Meades. First time I saw him I was a bit alienated. Another man in a suit, I thought, talking to camera. But no, he’s anything but. His programmes are an amazing combination of high-brow and low-brow - lots of big words and high-falutin’ ideas that end in spectacular revelations about the commonplace. For [...]
