Categories
TV

Not the 6 o’clock news

One night last week I was flicking between the six o’clock news services and I came across a Channel 9 story about someone’s wedding dress being delivered late for the wedding. WTF? Look, I feel sorry for them, but THIS IS NOT NEWS. You don’t want your journos to be aloof and distant from the  ... [More]

Categories
TV

Pondering digital TV

Even before the ABC switched over to the ABC1 branding to help emphasise ABC2, I had started shopping for a digital Set Top Box to get the new channels. I’ve been able to sample them through the TV tuner in the computer, but of course watching on the big screen* from the couch is always  ... [More]

Categories
TV

An easier way

Stupidest commercial of the moment: that Fisher and Paykel washing machine advert with the woman continually bending down/standing up to empty washing out of a frontloading machine, and bemoaning “Surely there must be an easier way?” Pah, some adverts just make me want to throw a brick at the TV, and shout at the screen.  ... [More]

Categories
Melbourne TV

The crossing

(With apologies to Bargearse.)

Categories
TV

Lunchtime bargain find of the week

Like most technology, DVDs rarely do anything other than drop in price. I just found The Late Show — Best Bits: Champagne Edition for $19.95 in Dymocks. According to the ABC Shop Online and that wondrous assistant to DVD shopping, DVD Plaza’s Pricecrawler, it’s widely available at that price. 6 hours of 90s-era hilarity for  ... [More]

Categories
News and events TV

Snippety snippets

A few brief snippets: Okay, so it’s December now. And I’ve sent precisely zero Christmas cards. Really should get into action, shouldn’t I — I’ve already got some from overseas. Who Do You Think You Are with Stephen Fry on Sunday night was gripping, fascinating, poignant television. Looking forward to the rest of the episodes.  ... [More]

Categories
TV

Election notes

I got my sausage at the polling place sausage sizzle, so I was happy. There seemed to be a few wedding parties about during the afternoon. I guess they’d managed to find church halls that weren’t being used for polling. (One wedding party on the steps of St Paul’s in Bentleigh were memorably sipping from  ... [More]

Categories
Doctor Who

RIP Verity Lambert, 1935-2007

“My father Sydney was a watchmaker from Nottingham, and my mother Verity was – well, she was a nurse, actually.” — John Smith/The Doctor, in the episode Human Nature, 2007. For all you did, thank you, Verity.

Categories
TV

Blast from the past

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the short Doctor Who charity scene just released… You can also watch it and find out more detail at the BBC’s web site. And don’t forget to donate here to Children In Need. My response (after you’ve watched it — spoilers!)

Categories
TV

DVD Fireplace

Most bizarre thing seen in the shops recently: DVD Fireplace, $19.99. Clive James used to show this kind of thing on his TV show. Video fish tanks, fireplaces, washing machines… does anybody really buy this stuff?

Categories
Doctor Who

Doctor Who 2007

So there we go, the series has ended. Some great episodes. The Runaway Bride: Enjoyable enough. Loved the highway chase scene — and the way it captured the excitement of the TV audience in the little kids in the other car. One day the ABC programming people will learn to programme Christmas specials at Christmas,  ... [More]

Categories
transport TV

A better way

If you’re watching TV tonight, you might see Metlink’s new advert, with the slogan “A better way”. One of the shots is filmed not far from my house, on Jasper Road in Bentleigh, as a lady in a hairdresser’s chair floats past Camille Shoes. I quite like the ad. But as with a lot of  ... [More]