Last night I sat with my mother and watched series 1 of OF&H on DVD, she never saw them when they first came out and these days needs me to explain who's who and what's going on ... There was nothing on TV for someone of her age.
The 'deepfake' Queen's alternative Christmas message on Channel 4 has resulted in over 200 complaints to Ofcom... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55478579 Those people ought to be complaining to their parents, for failing to bring them up properly. Anybody tuning in to that garbage on Christmas Day expecting to be entertained needs their IQ checked. Millions of people with any measure of common sense simply didn't watch it.
Just watched Dr Who for the comedy value- it didn’t disappoint. Dr Who is now not only a woman, she’s a lesbian. Her BAME female assistant wants to explore her Milky Way.
I kind of liked it. Superficial storyline as ever, tailored for the 2 minute attention span generation. But nicely produced. Presumably shot a long time ago - no pandemic references at all. And I have no problems with the new love interest angle even though it has nothing to do with what the series was created for. Nothing's going to change until we get new producers (again) who'll take it in a different direction. And that could be quite a while away. So why not just go with it and see what we get later this year. It'll be Ms Whittaker's 3rd series. No actor has played the Doctor for more than 3 series since 1981.
The programme is inter galactic light years away from what it once was. I grew up in the Pertwee / Tom Baker eras - both top quality actors who managed to make good drama out of low budgets and foam monsters. The programme is so keen to pack political correctness into every scene now that its disappeared up its own rear. Jodie calling her assistants her “fam” and Bradley Walsh achieving the genetically impossible in having a grandson who is black.
Spot on with the Pertwee / Baker comment. The 1970's were the Golden Age for Dr Who without a doubt. The low budgets actually made some of the stories better. More suspense, more background & depth. Far fewer effects, but occasionally still chilling ones. Little political correctness back in those days (just basic morality), and almost no sexual content at all. That only began increasing around '82-'83, when I think some rather dodgy characters were producing the programme. And of course by 2005 when the show was rebooted, TV for older kids was already over two decades more 'adult' in nature. Mary Whitehouse would have had even more fits than she used to. The show flipped itself inside out in 2005 as well, becoming much more about the Doctor than the stories themselves. That worked OK for a while, but it has continued and even increased ever since. About 6 years ago I think they ended a series with a plot twist, that all the Doctor's enemies throughout the universe lost their memories of him. Effectively forgot that he ever existed. This appeared to be a 'clean slate' and a chance for the producers to drop all the tiresome messianic stuff about all bad guys trembling at the mere mention of his name. Good idea I thought naively. A new start. But sadly this plot idea was abandoned about 2 episodes into the next series. And now the current producers have saturated every part of the show with PC & Woke values. Having said that, I don't mind the idea of Bradley Walsh's character having a black grandson. They aren't blood related on the programme, and their characters are obviously representing modern diversity. Presumably the next Doctor will be played by a BAME actor - which I have no problem at all with as long as they can actually act. Though personally I'd prefer it to be a bloke again. And we could really do with some more original, clever storylines and less navel gazing. Guess I'm just too old fashioned.
The only reason I occasionally watched Dr Who was when Jenna Coleman was in it..... had nothing to do with the series which I detest!
Ms Coleman is indeed premium eye candy Cute accent too. Bit like a Lancashire version of Cheryl Tweedy (before the horrific tats)
News out today that Jodie Whittaker is stepping down from Dr Who after the next series. That is the formula these days. All the previous 4 incarnations of the Doctor have lasted 3 seasons.
Wily Harold and Edward Heath both used to go on telly to address the nation. In both cases the public got fed up with being lectured, and their popularity suffered. The PM should take note.
While working yesterday and today I have had an old Denis Lawson drama from the 80s running in the background - The Justice Game. This dates back to a time when Lawson was in just about everything. I am just switching to Hill Street Blues, another of my favourites from that era.
There was the three-day week. Previously the devaluation of the pound (but not the pound in your pocket)
Economic crisis. This is a public health crisis of a different magnitude. Any PM has a duty to explain to the widest possible audience.
Just when we needed cheering up... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55588672 I'd rather watch that Pooch grooming thing - or maybe saw my own head off
There is a program about Ivor Cutlor on Sky Arts channel tomorrow night at 9pm. If you don't know him, and like offbeat humour, give it a go, no. 11freeview.