Wendy's Week of TV: Part 35: The finale

When I first started my weekly TV update I was very diligent in writing part of it every day and then posting the whole thing at the end of the week. Now I find myself getting to Saturday or Sunday and trying to remember the details of just what I watched during the week...and often failing to do so. So I have decided that as I have reached Part 35 which matches my age Wendy's Week of TV will go into retirement, to be replaced by What Wendy Watched...in the hope that my writing about TV will be more timely and have some hope of being a little bit more substantial (for myself at least if not for anyone else).

But for this week....

Sunday: Sundays at the moment present a big evening of TV. Firstly Einstein Factor, which was its usual amusing, inoffensive half an hour. Then quickly switch to The Biggest Loser to see the weekly weigh ins. Excitement and relief as Holly and Mel fell below the YELLOW LINE and were voted off the following evening. Thank goodness. Go home and whinge girls. Megan and Julie were safe. But twists and turns aplenty as the week progressed whereby the end of the week saw the couples SPLIT UP....AAGGH...into the usual Red and Blue teams that we know and love so well. And then a punishing racetrack challenge. Nathan still believes he is manipulating everyone according to his own secret plans. I await the day we see him fall on his face. Although he is a strong player so may make it through to the end. Crossing fingers for not. I'm going for Bob...although because he is consistently the biggest loser, and the biggest loser in BIGGEST LOSER HISTORY (capitals essential here to match the overdone dramatic hyperbole of the program) the minute he has a bad week and falls below the YELLOW LINE...he'll be out of there because he is the biggest threat. Ooooh I'm getting excited already about tonight to see who loses the weigh in.
And then I watched Lost in Austen. I'm reserving my judgement somewhat until I see how it's all resolved this evening. The heroine Amanda finds a portal in her bathroom into her favourite book Pride and Prejudice whereby she and Elizabeth swap places. Naturally, Amanda's presence in the world of the book causes all sorts of problems and scrapes with the plot no longer unfolding as it should. Interesting to see a different take on Mrs Bennett from Alex Kingston. Anyway Amanda's trying her best to get things back on track but having great difficulty controlling the events around her. I thought there'd be more back and forth between the two worlds but clearly no...unless that's in tonight's finale. Did any viewers of the masculine gender watch and identify I wonder...or is this strictly girls only TV for those of us who swooned over Colin Firth all those years ago. Don't like to stereotype and generalise of course, just wondering. It was mildy entertaining. However, nowhere did I laugh out loud, so I believe Graeme Blundell's write up in the previous week's Australian to be more than a little over the top.

Monday: Choir...that's not on the telly. That's me going out to choir.

Tuesday: The Doctor defeated the cybermen. Well Mickey did really. Hurrah! Sadness, Mickey's staying behind in parallel London. Didn't feel sorry for Rose. Lesson: you can't have your cake and eat it too (or some such other inane cliche).

Wednesday: Spicks and Specks...as usual. Again same dna as the Einstein Factor here...amusing and mostly inoffensive. Without the gutsy rockin' style of Rockwiz.

Friday: Raising Helen. Why Wendy, I hear you ask, did you waste two and half hours of your life on this second rate Kate Hudson ve-hic-le? John Corbett is the answer to that. You know Chris in the Morning from Northern Exposure. I wondered how they managed to make such a mediocre movie and attract some really good actors to the project - Helen Mirren, Hector Elizondo, Joan Cusack. Still it was interesting to see Abigail Breslin before she got all Little Miss Sunshine famous. And her brother was played by her actual brother Spencer Breslin. And the eldest rebellious sister was someone whose name I believe I should know because she might be on Heroes? Not sure and not going waste internet time looking it up. Still, there could have been worse ways to spend a Friday evening. One of those movies you are glad you didn't pay money to see at the cinema or rent on video. Also one of those movies where you knew how it was going to end up after 20 minutes..but kept watching anyway.

Saturday: Gilmore Girls: I wouldn't say I'm a hardcore Gilmore Girls fan. That is, I don't own any DVDs, have never rented any out, but when it's surprisingly on the TV I will watch it if I'm free. Because it's like a fairytale, where everyone is beautiful or rich, or goodlooking, or quirky, or some combination of those qualities. It's zippy and fun. There are plenty of worse things I could be watching while I was eating my lunch. It's like Anne of Green Gables but in the 21st century.

">New Tricks: Brian (Alun Armstrong) is now definitely my favourite of the three. The scene where he was explaining how he'd put all his military band marches from LP into mp3s on his computer was great. And then he demonstrated with Colonel Bogey. Of course that was nothing to do with the plot which I only vaguely followed. Still, guest appearance from Stephen Berkoff as a "villain" was a treat.

Rockwiz: Was a repeat...Although it took about 15 minutes (until the point when the Hothouse Flowers man appeared for me to realise this). Still I watched it again. I was thinking that may mean I was little sad. But then when I got to the end decided that it was all worth it for the version of Across the Universe that he and the woman (whose name I shamefully can't remember either) sang together. It was very beautiful and John Lennon may have liked it too.

So on that Beatles note (and there are few better notes than those)...we leave Wendy's Week of TV. And Wendy is going to try and new writing about TV experiment. Stay tuned to the Spiralling Shape for What Wendy Watched.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 34

Sunday:
The Einstein Factor:...young man with Doctor Who was back as it was some kind of final. He didn't do very well, particularly on the general knowledge. I've forgotten who won, but Barry Jones was on the panel so all was well Einstein-wise.
Cranford: Long story short...everyone lived mostly happily ever after. Except Mr Carter who died. And we had the obligatory wedding scene where everyone lines the path into the church and throws rice at the happy couple...a la Sense and Sensibility/Pride and Prejudice.

Tuesday: I finished watching the motown documentary which was a nice way to spend the evening. And of course Biggest Loser...see below.

Wednesday: Spicks and Specks...John Wood...really? At the risk of offending any Blue Heelers' fans out there he's really not that interesting. Still they guy on the Hammond organ for the name that tune round (or whatever they call it was) was good.

Thursday: More Loser.

Saturday: New Tricks...I'd seen this supernatural, witch-themed episode before,but it was good to watch it again. Some nice contrast here between the characters of the three oldies. But it was all a little implausible I have to say, in comparison to other episodes.
And then there was a Doctor Who three episode marathon on DVD...the last three episodes of Martha leading up to "The Last of the Timelords". The Master was suitably crazy evil, but the little shrivelled Doctor was a bit creepy. Still The Master got his just desserts....or did he?

Sunday: Just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire...in my own home. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink say no more). Hmmmm...what did I think? Well it was all very slick and professional. And we clearly saw the journey of India through the journeys of the three children. But in the end the most interesting thing about it for me was that it was a film about television, and the power of the technology to provide a collective, national experience as well as the production of contemporary fame and celebrity. I'm pretty sure though that's not why it was Ocscar nominated...I think that was because it was basically an old fashioned Hollywood romance/drama/poor boy makes good and they all live happily ever after kind of film, just set in India. So the touch of the "exotic" in the setting was arguably what sets it apart. I'm sure someone will write lots about colonialism/postcolonialism with regard this film but it isn't going to be me.

Biggest Loser update: I preface my BL update with the advice that I didn't get to watch it every night, missing the all important Friday when the purple team CAME BACK. Drama....You know the team where the woman is the epitome of the walking wounded. (If I'm mistaken please advise). Apart from that, Nathan and Andrew (or the bully boys as my mother likes to think of them) won the "one against all" weigh in by the skin of their teeth. If anyone can tell me why one of them is on crutches that would appreciated as I missed this the first time around. And surprisingly I have missed any explanation in the regular nightly recaps of the previous episodes. The whingy yellow girls survive another week. And despite being the week's biggest losers the green boys were voted out. Surprise, surprise, (they were the biggest threats after all). And lovely mother and daughter in dark blue got a day out with their family. The challenges were less stupid than the previous week...although Shannon getting his team pull a car was mildly fascinating. And the temptation where they could choose to drink three litres of milk was a little bit gross. Especially because it was banana and strawberry flavoured. The only things that are good banana-flavoured are actual bananas. Weigh-in tonight... I can't "wait"....(comedy Wendy strikes again). "Wait" (weight)...geddit.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 33

Work has been absolutely flat out this week, what with Term starting tomorrow and everything. So my television watching has been a little random, a little distracted (although I think it's Cubitt that argues this is typical TV viewer, i prefer to give it my full attention), and just basically a little of the usual stuff.

Sunday: The Einstein Factor
Some young fella had picked Doctor Who as his special subject. Only the new series though, so his fandom is questionable. However, as he did look about 12 he probably wasn't around to watch the older series. And I'm not really qualified to ascertain degrees of Doctor Who fandom. I can't remember who won. But I do know that I don't like the changes to round two where the contestants only get to pick from the board once and then the Brains Trust get to pick one. This was the most interesting round, because you could join in. Just like trivia night in your own lounge room.

The Biggest Loser: Weigh -In Shock...the biggest one (purple lady with arm in sling and DVT) lost the littlest amount. If my memory serves me correctly (even though I am not the Iron Chef) it was .7 of a kilogram. The tension, the drama, the crying, the unbearable wait until Monday to see who got voted out. It's just all so exciting. Wendy's jumping up and down...in an ironic, mildly sarcastic mode of excitement.

Cranford: Poor Doctor Harrison...all these women thinking they were going to marry him and he only had eyes for the vicar's daughter. What's to do now that she's been whisked away from him? I couldn't stand to wait until tonight so very naughtily looked up the final episode on Wikipedia. Drama awaits us my friends with the coming of the evil railway. But a smidge of romance as well.

Tuesday: Biggest Loser return...WHAT?...they voted off Mr and Mrs Purple of the small weight loss and kept those whingey yellow sisters. I cannot believe it. Stupid!! And now it's Nathan and Andrew the big, boofy brothers against the world (well the rest of the contestants anyway). And I may as well as continue with the rest of the week here because I watched it intermittently. That challenge with the beam across the pool and the balloons looked blinking difficult. And the warehouse with the choice of takeaway food or 5dollars a day was a doozy little twist as well. Weigh in tonight!!! Tune in at 7 everyone for all the crying and over-sized scales you can possibly wish for.

Wednesday: The New Inventors.
To be fair I was only half listening to it while I did some marking. but it sounded boring. I'm sure there were some worthy inventions. However, worthy does not always make for interesting television.
Spicks and Specks: Better guests thank you ABC. Soul singer lady was excellent.
Chandon Pictures: Actually I declined the ABC's kind offer to watch Chandon Pictures and turned the television off. I know...it happens sometimes.

Thursday: Nothing doing on the actual TV so watched an old Doctor Who, Gridlock with Martha, the return of the big face and cat nun. As well as Ardal O'Hanlon for all Father Ted fans as a cat person stuck in the underground traffic. Very good.

Friday: Again, nothing on the TV, so borrowed a DVD. Burn After Reading. What the hell the fuss was about here I have no idea. Unlike Kerrie Murphy in yesterday's review in The Australian, I though Brad Pitt' gym junkie Chad was the most interesting character and he got killed off halfway through. I didn't understand the point of George Clooney's character. France McDormand grew on me. And John Malkovich did his usual schtick. I only kept watching to see if it got better. All in all, verdict, just a little bit dull.It reminded me of the time I was swayed by the glowing reviews for Get Shorty and went to the movies to see it. It's not that it was boring. It was like it was nothing, not funny, not scary, not dramatic, just...stuff happening.

Saturday: New Tricks. Now I know I'm probably not in the prime demographic for this show about old coppers, but it's amusing, smart and has some great actors. My favourite is Alun Armstrong's slightly off-kilter Brian. It's in repeats but still beats anything else on offer at this time.

Rockwiz: Some musical amusement before bed. Good.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 32

Sunday
The Einstein Factor: Yay my favourite "Parko" was on the panel. Sadly, though the Factor (as it is known for short round these parts) engaged in some blatant ABC cross promotion with the Catalyst dinosaur expert man whose name escaped me. Still, Parko...he's my favourite (after Barry Jones of course). But who's next? Tony Jones? Kerry O'Brien (well alright he could be okay), the boring new Canberra correspondent who has failed to live up to his predecessor Jim Middleton? I know...the finance report man, Allan Kohler, with his mystifying financial speak and love of obscure graphs. It's bad enough when we have to endure Jennifer Byrne with her overly sparkly eyes and peals of laughter in her voice. Not everything is so delightful surely, Jennifer?

Then the second half The Biggest Loser (or The Loser as it known for short around these parts). This is the most interesting episode of the week.....the weigh in! I love it. The drama of walking up to the scales, the whirling of the numbers on the scales, the inappropriately placed ad breaks to keep us watching through the boring bits. I have now made my allegiances. Get rid of the yellow whingers Holly and Mel. I am going for mother and daughter in blue (and you'd think I'd know their names seeing as they're my favourite..but I don't). Loving the Commando's return...he is so lame in his black sunnies, and his tough-love. I did turn off during the revealing of the "dream outfits" last night though. Enough with the crying. Give me more scenes of torture and shouting in the the best gym in "Biggest Loser history" (a phrase, which incidentally is becoming as annoying to me as Channel Seven's "after the tennis"). What is this Biggest Loser History and where can I get an updated copy? Oh, right, every night it's being written on our TV screens. That's TV history for you, ephemeral, forgettable, ever-changing and told from a number of different perspectives. You know the kind of evil postmodern history that we don't want impressionable young minds subjected to in school. Because, goodness gracious me, we wouldn't want them to realise that there is more than one version of the events of the past, present and future. Stop that anarchist talk this instant Ms Spiralling Shape with your fancy-schmancy Foucault-influenced take on the world.

And then Episode 2 of Cranford (or The Ford as it is known for short around these parts). I'll just say this. I was absolutely devastated when Miss Matilda was prevented from living happily ever after due to some French pneumonia which caused the death of her one true love. But still, I can't wait for Episode 3.

Tuesday: Sadly, I did not get to watch Doctor Who (or Doctor Who as it is known for short around these parts)as I had a visitor. Am I terrible person because at some points I would rather have been watching the television? I think I might be. Luckily it has been recorded. Phew disaster averted.

Wednesday: Spicks and Specks (or The Specks as it known for short around these parts). Okay, I'll just come right and say it, Georgie Parker was just a leetle bit annoying. There's no need to be quite so enthusiastic my dear, just because you are (groan) releasing an album. It's all so cringe-inducing. And when she sang in the word-replacing game her voice was a little bit fingernails down a blackboard. Too harsh? Perhaps. Whatever. Hamish Blake is always good value. But the man who had played the piano with Frank Zappa made my evening with his Gershwin improvisation. Fabulous!

Thursday: Biggest Loser...see above..those comments apply for the whole week.
I also tried watching Chandon Pictures. Verdict: Boring (so it's not known as short for anything). Just because you label something a comedy and then shoot on locations, in documentary style doesn't actually mean it's funny.

Friday: Who knows what television excitement is ahead of me for the weekend? (or The End as it is known for short around these parts).

Actually, I think there is not much excitement at all going by the TV guide, so I might consider renting Burn After Reading, and also plan to go see Ricky Gervais in Ghost Town.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 30

I think might have been in a post-tennis TV watching slump this week. All the promises of the fabulous programming amounted to nothing and I was left with the usual suspects: Father Ted, Doctor Who, the return of Spicks and Specks, and a one-day cricket match.

Tennis: Men's Final
Firstly, though you'd thought you'd heard the last of the tennis but you haven't. The mens' final on Sunday was heartbreaking and I couldn't make it to the end. All the way through I had a terrible feeling that Roger would not win. Even when he was playing brilliantly, Nadal always had a comeback. Finally at around 11 I went to bed with a sense of doom. Don't get me wrong I like Nadal as well, but for Federer time is running out if he's going to get the number of grand slams record from Pete Sampras. He's 27 now, which in tennis years (like animal years) is much older than it sounds. It was a little bit sad.

Tuesday: Father Ted
Was a repeat! Still better than the other options, although I did forget to watch the one "after the tennis" show I was going to try, RSPCA Animal Rescue. Maybe I need to put a note in my outlook calendar.

Doctor Who: Very good, although it's a bit confusing because I am currently watching some of the Martha episodes on DVD. I'm changing my mind about Martha, she is less annoying than Rose, but not as good as Donna. Anyway Catriona does a much better job of explaining it than me over at Circulating Library so go and read that. Let's just say Zoe Wanamaker was fabulous as a stretched out dehydrating piece of skin and the cat-nun-nurses were fun as well.

Wednesday: Spicks and Specks returns. It's always the same, relying on the quality of the panel guests for it's entertainment value. Guy Pearce - hooray! I know he's made a lot of movies, but why didn't they mention his seminal role as Mike on Neighbours. Maybe he told them not to. Anyway, there was a fair amount of bagging out of Craig MacLachlan which everyone enjoyed.

Thursday: Nothing. Continued my 30 Rock catching up marathon on DVD. I'm now up to Season 2 but think I shall post about that separately once I've sorted out what I think.

Friday: Managed to catch the end of the one day cricket after the Eisteddfod meeting. I absolutely love it when these games go down to the wire like this one did, and as I may have mentioned once or twice on this blog previously, it's very satisfying when Australia loses. Although, this summer even that's getting a bit old. Because they never win! I think New Zealand might be my favourite international team actually. Daniel Vettori was right, that Brad Haddin wicket in the previous game was suspect.

And, I kept forgetting to watch The Biggest Loser. I only managed one episode. I'm torn when it comes to the Biggest Loser. Is it exploitative of people with weight issues, or is it caring, sharing, changing people's lives in an Oprah-like confidence and self-esteem building way. I can't decide so I think that means it's both those things at once. But I do love the drama of the weekly weigh-in. Who will go below the yellow line? And the visual corniness when they have to vote and they reveal the names from under the room service tray thingies.

Although I think we all agree that "the walk" that was introduced last season is stupid and time wasting in an attempt to inject further "drama" into a program that already moves at a glacial pace. This time, they picked bracelets out of the gerbra urns. And it takes FOREVER. (Note to producers. I preferred the stone tablets from last season.) But I do like to imagine the director off-screen. "Everyone look sad now". "Everyone, Ajay's coming, line up and wait for her to deliver her lines, that are written in peculiarly short Hemingwayesque sentences". "Everyone, don't mention the welfare fraud charges". "Everyone, try not to look bored while we spend the entirety of tonight's episode, recapping what happened last night". It is perhaps the slowest show on TV (apart from Test cricket). Maybe that's why I like watching it. Because when something does actually finally happen, the excitement is magnified. As you might guess, there may be more on TBL in the weeks to come. Especially the trainers, Michelle and Shannon. I prefer the Americans Bob and Jillian. They are fierce. Although Michelle and Shannon have grown on me. It's interesting to surmise as to whether Shannon's arm tattoo is real or fake. So when nothing's happening you can study it for inconsistencies.

What do you mean I need to get a life?

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 29

Normal programming for Wendy's Week of TV will resume "after the tennis" (a phrase incidentally which Wendy will be happy never to hear again after Sunday's dream Federer v Nadal men's final).

This week,however Wendy's Week of TV has defaulted in lieu of her tennis watching obsession which included being swept up in the Jelena Dokic dream return and re-establishment as an "Australian Tennis Player". Isn't it wonderful how we embrace sportspeople when they're winning but could care less about them when they aren't. Seriously, Australia is fantastic like that, what with it's one-eyed, jingoistic nationalistic, patriotic bias when it comes to sport. Lleyton who?

Wendy also spent much of the week wondering why Nadal has ditched the long shorts and sleeveless tops which were previously his signature "look". She had an actual conversation about why tennis dresses were made of synthetic material when surely cotton would be much cooler. (But then she remembered George's disastrous attempt to institute new uniforms along the same lines for the Yankees in Seinfeld).

She also marvelled at everyone in Melbourne's ability to run around in the stinking heat for such long periods. Use the roof people!! Finally some sense prevailed later in the week.

But what she enjoyed most was Channel 7's shameless use of its tennis coverage to promote it's new year line up of what are apparently the most fantastic television programs you have ever seen in your television viewing life. Who's idea was it to put the names on tennis balls? Genius. No, really, I mean it.

Here's a list of programs Wendy won't be watching.

Desperate Housewives - you've had you're day ladies. It was a good run. And ripping off Ugly Betty by giving the short housewife ( I forget her name) fat, ugly children isn't a good look.

All Saints - "like you've never seen it before". Well actually I did watch quite a lot of Police Rescue with Sonia Todd and Gary Sweet, so I don't feel the need to watch it again but with John Waters instead of Gary.

Triple Zero Heroes - at least I think is a Channel 7 show. Sure the title rhymes but that's about as far as my interest goes.

Grey's Anatomy - Never watched it. Well that's a lie...I watched it a couple of times. Just annoyed me. Stop moping around Meredith, cut your fringe and get on with your medical work.

City Homicide - or whatever that show is with Nadine Garner and Daniel McPherson. I liked NYPD Blue, The Bill (in it's heyday), even Blue Heelers was watchable at some points. And Noni Hazlehurst is a class act, but I do not feel drawn to this program at all. Don't we have enough gritty police dramas already. Although thumbs up for Australian production I guess.

Packed to the Rafters - Well points for using Pat Rafter's name in the title. But it all looks just a bit too jolly and heart-warming for me. Even the promos are fingernails down the blackboard material. Perhaps I shouldn't judge before I've given it a chance. But it looks like they've blended Seachange, Always Greener with just a tinge of Neighbours and hoped for the best. If there is nothing else remotely watchable on any other channel maybe I'll try it out.

Sunday Night: I'm guessing this is going to screen on Sunday nights? No? What an imaginative title.

Shows I might be watching:
RSPCA animal rescue: Because puppies and kittens are cute.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 28

Tennis: I love watching the tennis. Next year I am going to get organised and take holidays for the two weeks of the Australian Open. Mind you, I say this every year and always forget. Mainly because by the time the year ends I'm so desperate for holidays I book them in too early. So, this week's tennis highlights have been restricted to late afternoons and evenings. It was exciting when the young Tomic fella won a match. But at 16 we could be pretty sure that wasn't going to last.

It was also exciting when Lleyton Hewitt lost in the first round. I have the same feelings about Lleyton as I do about Shane Warne. To put it nicely, he is not my favourite Ozzie tennis player. His eyes are scarily intense, I hate the fist pumping and the starting the lawnmower moves, and cannot stand the aggressive "C'mons!!!". I may be in the minority, but give me that lovely even-tempered Pat Rafter any day. Of the overseas players I have a soft spot for the crazy Russian Marat Safin and am very worried that now he and Federer are meeting in the third round. Because they are both my favourites. I have bad memories of staying up til past midnight a few years ago when Safin knocked Federer out (or should I say "bundled him out" whatever the heck that actually means) in a semi-final. It was devastating because I wanted so desperately for somehow the rules to be changed and for them both to win. I still do, and the match is on tonight. I will either stay up nervously biting my nails, or go to bed and pretend it's not happening, and just find out in the morning. I can't decide.

The women's tennis is less compelling (that's a polite way of saying dull), however I watched Jelena Dokic with interest, and was quite moved when she won in the second round on Wednesday night. Nutty tennis fathers need to be banned. Surely there should be some rule against family members also being coaches. Other than that, we'll just see who makes it into the second week. Oh, and a note on the commentators. PLEASE Channel 7 get rid of Jim Courier and pay whatever you need to, to bring John McEnroe back for the on court post match interviews. I don't care what it costs, I'll even chip in.

So with all that tennis a-happening there hasn't been much other TV watched this week. I did watch the Big Bang Theory again and it is growing on me. I'm enjoying its take on the petty politics of academia. And of course Father Ted and Hamish. But I think I've said enough about them on the blog previously.

I also caught the Pixies documentary Gouge on Sunday morning on ABC2. I was excited until I realised I had seen it before. Still, David Bowie had some intelligent things to say. And the songs remain vitally compelling after all these years. So it was a pleasant and nostalgic way to spend an hour.

I am getting excited about Doctor Who on the weekend, but am also living in fear and trepidation of another Andre Rieu marathon. Stupidly, we gave my grandmother Andre in Australia for Christmas. She wants to share. When we will ever learn? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And, I don't usually comment on television advertising, but if I get caught by surprise with the "there's nothing healthy about a tan" grotesque sight of the week once more I am going to scream. Actually scream. Out loud and everything. I grew up with Slip, Slop, Slap and understand very clearly about the need to be sun smart. I do not need to see scary pictures of black tumours growing under the skin to be reminded to stay out of the sun in summer. Surely today's impressionable young people would also be entranced by the lisping seagull/pelican/whatever type of bird that actually was. And if they're going for shock value shouldn't the model in the ad be old, wizened and wrinkly with lots of sun damage if this is the point they are trying to get across? Not young, in a bikini and with a light brown tan?

Really, in instances such as these we need to be able to mute sound and picture together.

Oh, I know, that's the off button. I must locate that on my remote.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 27

Monday: The Big Bang Theory
I had briefly caught this summer filler a couple of weeks ago and thought I would give it a full half hour of my attention. I'm just not sure if I'm comfortable with the basic premise that science postgraduates and researchers are innately comic because they are written as stereotypical nerds. On the other hand I did find myself laughing quite a number of times. So all in all, not quite sure what to make of it. I did like the Roseanne reunion of Sara Gilbert and Johnny Galecki. Although, on the other hand, they are almost playing the exactly same characters they did in Roseanne. She, the independent, slightly emasculating, wise cracking girl, he the weak willed slightly geeky and easily bossed around boy. So the verdict, not must see TV, but much better than the crudity of Two and Half Men that that show seems to think passes as comedy. Note to sitcom writers: Sometimes crudity is just crude. It's not always funny as a matter of course.

Tuesday: Father Ted..well duh!

Hamish Macbeth: A slight return to form after last week's very boring episode where Hamish was seemed to be on holiday at a gloomy BandB with a mystery attached. This week there were some arsons in Lochdubh, as well as tension between Esme and Rory, and the return of Isobel to cover the shutting of the local school due to one of the fires. Much more satisfying.

Wednesday:My Family. Tecnhically I didn't watch it but listened to it while I was on the computer. It didn't sound funny.

Thursday: Some of Ugly Betty. The first series of Ugly Betty was one of my favourite things. Watching it tonight it has become repetitive and just a teensy eeensy bit dull. Perhaps there is a limit to the amount of storylines they can stretch out of a Betty's so-called "ugliness", together with Wilhemina Slater's desire to become Editor in Chief of Mode and her associated crazy antics. America Ferrera still does a stand out job acting the title role, and the combination of camp comedy with melodrama is still watchable, but like the later series of Will and Grace really I think this is one series that has run its race. The glossy novelty has worn off for me at least.

Friday: One Day Cricket Australia vs South Africa. Two reasons to love this.
1. It was a day night match so I could watch the second half after work
2. It was an actual nail biter, going right down to the wire in the spirit of the one day matches of yore when Joel Garner would be steaming in and Viv Richards would be biting his nails and chewing gum.
3. Australia lost
Well that's three reasons actually. I never said I was a mathematician.

Two reasons to dislike it though are:
1. The neverending self promotion of Channel Nine of it's 2009 schedule. Hearing Tony Grieg read out the blurb for Underbelly was wonderfully funny. Was it just me or did he sound sarcastically over enthusiastic?
2. The Johnny Walker trivia where now they have recorded a player asking the question. Unnecessary. Just let the commentators do it and have a little chit chat among themselves.
3. Both teams are wearing green which seems a little short sighted...especially for the short sighted if you come in half way through. Why is Australia not wearing the yellow pyjamas?

Darn it...that's three again.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 26

Tuesday: you guessed it... Father Ted...hurrah. Lent combined with the nuns' helpline to assist Ted, Dougal and Jack give up their respective vices made for yet some more fabulous laughs.

Wednesday: The New Adventures of Old Christine
What's wonderful about summer TV is that sometimes, suddenly and most unexpectedly a show will appear, and then just as quickly it's pulled from the schedule. This Julia Louis-Dreyfus vehicle is subject to this treatment this week. Up against My Family on the ABC, I thought I'd give it another try (given that My Family hasn't been funny for many a series; really since Nick left). It does have possibly one of the worst titles in television history. Plus, it's really not that well written and a waste of Dreyfus's talents. I believe she won an Emmy for this part. i'm not sure why. It's also "old sitcom style" which, while nice for a bit of nostalgia is a little bit past it. The studio set, the staircase out of the loungeroom (admittedly not as big as Cosby or Full House...now they were sitcom sets, with stunning staircases!), the laugh track sounding audience, the stereotyping of gender roles etc etc. Still, its brightly coloured, moves along in a fairly predictable way. There are worse ways to spend half an hour (Two and a Half Men I'm looking at you. At least the kid in Christine is actual kid-sized).

Thursday: In the absence of anything remotely interesting (to me anyway) I watched a Rebus episode on DVD with my mum. We both spent the bulk of the time asking each other in a puzzled fashion "that was wasn't in the book was it?". Having both read all the Rebus novels I do have a tendency to get them muddled up in my head plot wise. But this one was nothing at all like the Black Book. I have been searching for it on my bookshelves but it must be at mum's. (we share ownership). Ken Stott looks the part (more so than John Hannah whose episodes I haven't managed to see) but it was a mildly dissatisfying viewing experience. Still, we will try the other episode Strip Jack to see if it improves.

Friday: Yes Strip Jack was slightly improved. More Rebus DVD watching. Still, I don't remember any of the plot so I'm thinking they made it up.

Saturday: Mary Poppins. Okay everyone, mock me if you will, but try to stop laughing! When I was young my mum owned the soundtrack on LP, I knew all the words to all the songs even before seeing the film when videos finally arrived on the scene. Looking back the Jolly Holiday sequence with the dancing penguins and merry go round horse fox hunt if FAR too long (by today's movie watching standards). And of course Dick Van Dyke is totally miscast with his indefinable accent. But the children are cute, the parents are lovely and it serves as a reminder of just what a beautiful singing voice Julie Andrews had in her day. I didn't make it through the whole three hours (thank you commercial television for advertising) so I missed my favourite, "Let's go fly a kite". But I did get to see Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (think I may have spelled that wrongly). And Feed the Birds which is a beautiful song. If you like musicals. Which I do. Hah!

And then, just to lighten to the mood, another Rebus. This time, A Question of Blood in which they stuck vaguely to the plot of a shooting in a boy's school. But still....they just haven't been able to flesh out the nuances of Rankin's character, with his specific tastes and love of music, and his complicated family and personal life. This is what makes the novels for me, not just a crumpled old detective in a black linen suit. Surely, that's not very warm in Edinburghs cold climate. Everyone else seems to be wearing an overcoat. Details? Not sure why the costume designers settled on that either. It was watchable, more so than Black Book anyway. Also watched some of the behind the scenes where Ian Rankin admitted that he doesn't watch the television adaptations. I can see why. He might start crying and never stop.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 25

It's been a strange old week of TV, given that I haven't watched much of it yet again. But here were the highlights.

The Cricket: I settled in for the absorbing contest of the Boxing Day Test. I'm slightly worried that one day I will be branded as un-Australian, because I actually like to see Australia lose. I believe it's good for them to experience failure and they've been on top for so long, it's satisfying to see the underdogs rise up and beat their little socks off. Sad that Ponting got out for 99. (Unlike the time some years ago when Shane Warne got out for 99...i laughed out loud for some time and still get a warm fuzzy feeling of joy when I think of it). You may have realised I have a irrational dislike of Shane Warne. I notice he no longer has the duck's bum hairdo. Has Channel Nine insisted he comb it down so we might be tricked into taking him seriously as a commentator? I am feeling sorry for Brett Lee and his injured foot, less so for Andrew Symonds....why they are persisting with him in the team I am unsure.

Anyway, for those of you who are now freaked out at my like of watching cricket, apologies. But in my opinion it's one of the perfect live television experiences, characterised by what I would describe as "the lure of the unexpected". You can sit all day with nothing happening as the images flow by, just the gentle repetitive flow of bowling and batting and then suddenly, someone hits of a six, or takes a wicket, or drops a catch. It's the spontaneity that's inherent to the live television experience (and which is missing from so much other programming, or is artificially constructed into them) that remains in cricket broadcasting (and I guess sport more generally).

Tuesday: Father Ted...obviously. I think have said enough about my adoration of Father Ted in recent weeks.

Hamish Macbeth: Again,repetitive, but a more comic episode than in previous weeks which was good.

Wednesday: New Year's Eve. I don't like New year's Eve and never really have. What is the fascination with fireworks year after year? I can't comprehend it. That being said, I don't mind lighting a sparkler and holding "actual fire" in my hand, but these overblown fireworks spectaculars affect me the same way as Rock Eisteddfods. Uggh.
So I watched the Edinburgh Military Tattoo like an old granny, and went to bed very happily at 10:30. A perfect New Year's Eve actually. (Except if you don't like bagpipes you may not have been so content).

All week: Pie in the Sky: Series one on DVD
I adore this show. Richard Griffiths is wonderful as Henry Crabbe, restaurant owner and part-time policeman. He takes his food seriously, in contrast to Maggie Steed as his long suffering accountant wife. The pies look gorgeous and while the detective plots are sometimes a little laboured and mystifying, it's really all about the food and following your dream. An optimistic little gem from the 1990s when police/detective shows didn't feel the need to turn deceased human bodies inside out on the TV screen and pick through them with tweezers.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 24 An Explanatory Christmas Edition

Due to well foreseen circumstances (i.e. Christmas) The Spiralling Shape's regularly scheduled post of Wendy's Week of TV was cancelled this week and will return to the so-called "blogosphere" next week. (Why a sphere I wonder? Is there something particularly spherical about blogging. What's wrong with a cube for instance?)

N.B. Wendy did watch TV this week, however, she also shopped, wrapped gifts, cooked food, napped, and generally organised Christmas which meant she didn't get around to writing her usual post. She also became a little obsessed with her other well known series of posts Watch Listen and Singalong and did a special Christmas series within a series. This took some time and a lot of puddling about on Youtube, leaving less time for writing about TV. However, some of the TV Wendy did watch included Iron Chef, Rockwiz Christmas Special, Top Gear, Father Ted, Father Ted Christmas Special, Carols from St Patrick's in Melbourne and the cricket. She is also watching her way through series one of Pie in the Sky on DVD and has read two TV autobiographies (Michael Parkinson (lots of name dropping) and Dawn French (very funny, sometimes sad and at one point made me laugh so much I cried). I recommend the latter.

(N.B. Wendy particularly avoided anything that involved pop or so called TV celebrities performing tortured versions of Christmas carols as she hates that kind of Christmas pap.)

Wendy's Week of TV Part 22

Part 22? Let's just say Part 22 was not a wonderful week of TV.
I missed Andrew Denton interviewing Ben Stiller because we had our Choir Christmas party. The party was pretty good but there was no blue steel and neither did we sing Wake me up before you go go. Still, ho ho ho.

Tuesday: Father Ted - up to its usual high standard and excellent as usual, especially with the cuteness of Dougal befriending the young rebel priest from the next parish, leaving Ted to picnic on his own. I particularly enjoyed Mrs Doyle's pile of egg sandwiches and the accompanying exchange between Ted and her.
Hamish Macbeth: I got bored halfway through, sad to say and wandered off. I think the quality of this show did diminish as the series progressed. I do like that Lachie Jnr moved into the funeral directing profession, but the rest of it certainly didn't have me glued to the lounge.

Wednesday: I don't think I watched anything on Wednesday...oh yes wait...Long Way Down (not memorable). I perservered because of Ewan McGregor, but I am just not finding this series that fascinating, even though for some reason I feel should. Charley Boorman lighting his fart was a low point. Maybe when they get into Africa it will become more interesting in a real boy's own adventure style. I don't know that I will last that long.

Thursday: The Amazing Race was the highlight of my viewing week. For once Nick and Starr were in last place for much of the leg. Starr was throwing a tantrum...It would have been great to have more footage of this! Tina's eyebrows are scaring me now. It's like they're malnourished. And Dandrew buying new shoes in Kazakstan airport was a lovely moment, especially later when they had to barter with their Moscow taxi driver because they had no money left. I'm not sure what Dan (or was it Andrew) handed over in exchange for the bill. It was hard to see - maybe a mobile phone? And then yay - Toni and Dallas got to the pit stop first after the hellish flour-carting challenge. Needless to say, the bumbling Dandrew came last, but lucky for them it was a non-elimination round. I can't wait for next week...2 hour finale. Get excited everyone!

That was it for the week.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 21

Saturday: I watched the Mountain program again with Griff Rhys-Jones. He has a slightly annoying habit of trailing his sentences off into a whisper, so to hear what was going I had to keep turning up the volume. I was impressed that he climbed a sheer rock face, but still if you had something else to do on a Saturday evening (and by that I mean anything), your time would be better spent. Sadly, I did not, emphasised by the fact that I then followed it up with Iron Chef.



Tuesday: Father Ted didn't disappoint, although it was a toss up whether to watch the return of Ugly Betty. I'm pretty sure I made the right decision. The bishops' visit was a delight. Best line (perhaps slightly misquoted because my memory is shot this evening) "That's what so great about Catholicism. It's so vague and no-one really understands what it's about".



Hamish Macbeth: Alright, Hamish enough with the moping and the guilts. I don't like this episode, with the artifice of Hamish running into the lady on the beach who can't move because she's standing on a landmine. Let's just get on with our lives shall we? The comic storyline was a nice one though with TV John leading Macbeth's replacement up the garden path. I particularly enjoyed the McLopez's request for paella (you need to have watched it to appreciate this).



Wednesday: Long Way Down with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. I haven't watched Long Way Round but I did expect that maybe they'd be on the road before the end of the first hour. We spent an immense amount of time watching the background preparation and logistics being sorted out. Not really the most fascinating television, although when Ewan broke his leg that was a little bit of drama. They have an easy and entertaining rapport, so in the absence of any more Wednesday night Andre Rieu marathons I guess I might watch episode two next week.



Thursday: The Amazing Race
OK, so the Kazakhstan challenges weren't really the most interesting. I think they're scraping the bottom of the barrel when one of the choices is dressing in a cow costume and searching for the meat market. Still I was glad to see the back of Terence and Sarah. Poor Terence trying to choke down the meat during the fast forward. Nick and Starr win again. Ho hum.



Friday: Miss Congeniality

I went to bed before the end. Enough said really.

All in all, the television week didn't really cover itself in glory I have to say. But sometimes there are some hidden gems amongst the summer programming. Here's hoping.

Wendy's Week of TV Part 20

Saturday: Gardening Australia

No matter how hard they try it's just not the same without Peter Cundall and his blooming lot for the week.

Mountain with Griff Rhys-Jones

I thought we would actually watch Griff climb a lot of mountains, but with the exception of the beginning and the end of this program that didn't seem to be the case. Snowdownia is certainly beautiful and the entrepreneurs making recycled paper out of sheep poo were interesting but low marks for the hour seeming to pass so slowly.

Iron Chef

I watch it because there is nothing else remotely worth watching. The scallop battle. This show is rigged I'm sure...does anyone ever beat the Iron Chef? The panel (including an actress with bizarrely long pearl earrings) seemed to dislike most of his dishes, yet still he was the winner. How does that work? Intriguing - in a non-intriguing kind of a way.

Tuesday: Father Ted

Aaah, Ted and Dougal attempt to rig a raffle for a car to fix their leaking roof. Surely there can't be any comic potential in such an innocent and straightforward storyline. Wrong. I laughed out loud on a number of occasions, particularly at the dancing priest. And, when Dougal finally realised he had the "winning ticket" no. 11. He was just holding it upside down so took a moment to realise it was in fact 11.

Hamish Macbeth

You know in another setting we would have sympathised with Alex, because her cheating, no good policeman boyfriend was in love with Isobel, had been unfaithful and made her look like an idiot for sticking around so long. But when she had the accident in the radio van and died, it was Hamish I felt sorry for. And just a little bit relieved that they finally got rid of such an annoying character. I wonder if that makes me a bad person.

Wednesday: It was my Grandma's birthday which required dinner and more Andre Rieu unfortunately. I've never seen a 45 minute encore before. What I really object to here is that these concerts totally devalue the standing ovation. A standing ovation is for something special, not just playing each song and finishing it. To most likely completely misquote Blackadder the Fourth's telegram to Charlie Chaplin, "please, please, stop".

Thursday: The Amazing Race

Finally, just as I learned their names (Kelly and Christy), the divorcees were eliminated. How ditzy were they in that paintball challenge though? Nearly as stupid as Dan and Andrew and that's saying something. It was pretty funny though when those same two couples kept doing the bleary eyed test and not even seeing the numbers they had to hand to the man with the sewing machine. How nice for Ken and Tina to give them a little hint. Tina's green hair looked great and Dallas and Toni (?) were legends, taking it right up to the perfect siblings Nick and Starr. I'm excited about next week!

Friday: Muhammed Ali documentary on SBS

Now this was interesting, particularly in the setting of Ali's achievements and his journey from Cassius Clay to Ali against the background of the black civil rights movement in the 1960s. The drama of the initial fight with Sonny Liston was exciting. And (as it was all happening before I was born) I hadn't realised the extent of the relationship between Ali, Malcolm X, and the Nation of Islam more generally. Not sure if there is a part 2 next week but I'll be watching.



Note of little excitement: the original BBC adaptation of Brideshead Revisited with Jeremy Irons starts tomorrow night on ABC2 at 7:30.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 19

Sunday: The Einstein Factor

The Einstein Factor is really heating up now with the grand final for the year tomorrow night. Sadly, the contestant with Insane Clown Posse as his special subject didn't get through, but his hair was entertaining nonetheless. Please, please, please let Barry Jones be on the brains trust. Please, please, please don't let Jennifer Byrne be on the brains trust. That's all.



Who do you think you are?

Carol Vorderman, not particularly well known in Australia I would imagine, but still an interesting subject given that she knew nothing about the Dutch side of her family. Apparently, one of her ancestors was a potential Nobel Prize recipient, something about discovering vitamins, which as we all know are very important.


Tuesday: Father Ted

Distinguished by an appearance from a younger Graham Norton as a crazed, singing, guitar playing, youth-group leading priest. Ted, Dougal and Jack find themselves sharing a tiny caravan with him and his followers as they try to have their yearly holiday. Hi-jinks galore.



Hamish Macbeth: Isobel has a makeover, Alex becomes even more annoying and the villagers think for a brief moment that they have won the lottery. Thanks to Lachie snr losing the ticket while trying to fix the village bus they haven't. Oh, and something about an evil car manufacturer testing cars in the Highlands woven in there as well. All very satisfying.



Wednesday: This was the night of the Andre Rieu marathon (6-9:15 with no breaks). Schmalzy is an understatement. Sure the guy plays the violin very nicely and his orchestra plays some jolly popular classics and well known show tunes. But do we really need this set against the backdrop of an actual fairytale castle, complete with clowns, dwarves, elephants and all manner of other bizarre props and costumes. Also, note to Andre: less with the narration about how life is a fairytale and just get on with the music. This was especially annoying when the subtitles stopped working and for the last hour we had to guess what the Dutch might be meaning. Please let's never mention this evening again. Ever.


Thursday: The Amazing Race

Gosh it was touch and go there for Ken and Tina.. They really should have chosen the Indian laundry challenge rather than the money necklace at the Indian wedding. Trust Nick and Starr to have gloves in their bags to cope with the heat of he coal fired irons. I do like how the divorcees (whose names still escape me) have started calling frat boys Dan and Andrew "Dandrew". Lucky for Ken and Tina this was a non-elimination round. Phew!



Friday: A mish-mash.

The last half hour of an SBS documentary on the Summer of Love in San Francisco was very interesting and made me wish I'd realised it was on earlier and seen the first half hour. Instead, I was watching Stateline on the storms. I've had it with news of storms (even though it looks promising for one later today here). I then saw Fast Ed and Johanna Griggs make three salads that looked easy and edible (unusual for TV cooking shows). Hmmmm...I might have to buy that edition of Better Homes and Gardens. Later, Harry Potter ate some kind of weed recommended to him by Neville Longbottom (?) and turned into a fish while searching for something in a lake. Then I went to bed. Goodness knows what happened next because I haven't read the book or seen that movie before.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 18

Sunday: Who do you think you are?
Graham Norton - I've never actually watched his show in full (screening here on ABC2) but he was a delightful subject for this episode. Once more into Ireland dear friends, and then circling back to England.

Monday: Enough Rope with Dawn French
I raced home from choir in time to catch most of this interview. I have actually never been much of a fan of French and Saunders, but did watch The Vicar of Dibley quite religiously (oh how witty I am!). Dawn has written a book about, among other things, her father. I imagine this is why she had agreed to appear with Denton - for a little bit of free publicity. However, she made a wonderful interviewee and her self-confidence and open attitude to life in general was inspiring.

Tuesday: Hamish Macbeth
Ah...the seeds of discontent are now germinating between Hamish and Alex. You can just tell TV John doesn't think she's the right one. And he should know, what with the second sight and all. I do enjoy this episode where Barney and Lachie Jnr cook up a whale-watching scam for the tourists. Nice back story for Agnes with her long lost son appearing out of the blue. A pity this wasn't followed through in later episodes. The frequent mention of tongue sandwiches was a little disconcerting.

Wednesday: Iconoclasts
I neglected to mention in last week's Wendy's Week that I had watched the Paul Simon/ Lorne Michaels episode which was really entertaining. I'm a big Simon and Garfunkel fan. My how Paul has aged. The music retains it charm however. And Lorne Michael's long standing role with Saturday Night Live is to be applauded (even though I have never really found it funny). This week it was Dave Chappelle and Maya Angelou. Less interesting I think because they had never met before the episode was shot. So it was all a bit stilted and awkward with them pseudo-interviewing each other.

Thursday: The Amazing Race
I have become addicted to the Amazing Race. I don't understand why everyone dislikes brother and sister Nick and Starr. They're no more annoying than any of the other couples. But the Frat Boys (Dan and Andrew is it?) are starting to really get on my nerves. I'm going for the separated couple - Ken and Tina? (just learning the names) and going against the divorcees (whose names I forget because they are like interchangeable Barbie dolls). I just musn't have the spirit of adventure because there would have been no way I would waded through that Cambodian lake in search for fish in a trap...even for a million dollars.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 17

Sunday: Who do you think you are
This week - Meera Syal. She had a fascinating trip back to discover her Indian ancestry. As always this program is most successful when the individual's story also teaches us about the history of a nation. This time it was the struggle against British imperialism in India.


Monday: Top Gear Australia
Finally, thanks to a little virus I was able to stay in on Monday evening and catch Top Gear Australia. Yawn. So boring. There is none of the chemistry of the presenters that makes the British show so entertaining. Let's face it, I'm not into cars but if Clarkson, Hammond and May appear on the screen I'm there for the duration. After 10 minutes with this version I was ready to walk away. The jokes are banal, obvious and quite frankly not funny. There's no wit,verve or spontaneity, and the comic set ups are strained to breaking point. Plus, what really annoyed me was that they have a Stig. We're not gullible enough to think this is the British version's Stig (because clearly he would be busy in Britain and can't be in two places at once). We're also not gullible enough to believe that the Top Gear franchise has invested in cloning technology to make this an exact replica of the Stig. So why pretend that the driver is a Stig? Why not, (and here's a radical thought), localise the franchise just a little bit with a mystery racing driver character that resonates in some way with Australia? In fact, (here's an even more radical thought) instead of attempting to replicate the entire British show, why not invest some time and money in coming up with an original motoring program that might speak with greater clarity to Australian audiences?

So many questions, so much ranting, so dull.


Tuesday: Hamish Macbeth
This isn't one of my favourite episodes at all, with the complicated storyline of the fundamentalist Christian cult pseudo-persecuting Hamish and Alex for living in sin. However, it does continue the jealous little love triangle between Hamish, Alex and Isobel that arcs over the remaining episodes so I guess that's okay.



Thursday: The Amazing Race
As I noted in my twitter update, this is exhausting television, running, jumping, shouting, leaping tall buildings with a single bound. You get the picture. Also, I don't understand all the road blocks, uturns, and other amazing race jargon so it's just as well friendly host Phil (the only one who isn't hyperactive) is there to explain it. The southern belles in their matching pink leisure wear were eliminated. Tears before bedtime. I think I prefer the pairs who don't wear matching outfits. I'm going for Dallas and his mum...we'll see if they last next week's adventures in Cambodia.

Friday: My Biggest Fan
What a heartwarming documentary this was. (nb. people who know me please be aware I am not being sarcastic!). Tara Morice (best known for her role as Fran in Strictly Ballroom) travels to Florida to meet her biggest fan, Mildred. Wonderful were Tara's reflections on her own career, particularly the pros and cons of how Fran has come to define her. But equally delightful was the story of Mildred, her family and her passion for the theatre. We were treated to a fantastic cast of characters singing and dancing their way through their annual show in the retirement community, directed by Mildred. Mildred's lip-synching, belting out an Ethel Merman number was (despite what it sounds like) an absolute joy. Poignant and life-affirming.

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 16

Saturday: Rockwiz


I hadn't caught up with Rockwiz for some time but this reminded me how much more energy the show has in comparison to Spicks and Specks. The banter between Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis give more opportunity for spontaneity. Zemiro is clever and witty but manages to avoid being smug (Wil Anderson watch and learn). The live band is genius and the audience members who join the special guests on the panel are always fascinating personalities in some way. It's funny - but the show never loses sight of its inner music nerd.



Monday: Enough Rope

I was very happy to be home early enough from choir to catch Andrew Denton interview Michael Parkinson. Parky has many great tales to tell from decades of interviewing celebrities. A delight from start to finish.



Tuesday: Hamish Macbeth

This was the final episode of Series 1. Hamish, you great big idiot. Can't you see that Isobel is in love with you??? Foolish policeman, falling for Alex's upper-class, authorial charms now that you have escaped a mountainous death. Mark my words it'll never work. Favourite moment though was Lachie Jnr's mystified question "What is this ironic?". Indeed.



Thursday: The Amazing Race

Why? Because there was nothing else on even remotely worth watching. Those Bolivian fighting cholitas (?) were frightening. And the wooden bicycles looked supremely uncomfortable. But what is most confounding is why anyone signs up for this program. It looks like torture to me. Is this what makes it successful television?

Wendy's Week of TV: Part 15

Sunday: Who do you think you are?

Barbara Windsor (she of the Carry On films) was the subject this evening. Her family history rooted in the East End of London was interesting but what was more fascinating was THAT HAIR. Many peroxided animals and/or birds may have been harmed in the construction of her "do" each morning I think. It continually upstaged her for the entire hour.

Sunday: First Australians

This was the first episode I had watched of this sombre yet enlightening series. Watch it if you can.


Tuesday: Hamish Macbeth


For me this is one of the more memorable episodes of Hamish as it introduces the supernatural element very strongly, as well as showing the sad death of Wee Jock. How nice it is to see a male character mourning the death of his doggy best friend. The intertwining stories of the prisoners on the run, the dead boy and his auntie and wee jock came together very neatly at the end. And how cute was that new puppy?!


Wednesday: Time Team

You know for big Time Team fans you can now catch this program twice a week - Tuesday evenings at 6pm and then Wednesdays on ABC2 at 5:30pm. This time the gang were in search of Bronze Age burials near Fife (I think - although maybe confusing Tuesday and Wednesday episodes in terms of location and historical epoch). You really would have to like dirt of all colour and consistences to be an archaeologist. Most stressful job on site must be the man in the bobcat who has to lift the aged stones of the graves so they don't break and fall back into the graves ruining the artefacts within.

Thursday: The Prime Minister is Missing

Harold Holt's is a fascinating story from Australian political history but in this televisual form after the first twenty minutes when we established that Holt had vanished into the sea never to return, the momentum slowed considerably. I had little trouble walking away before it finished.

Friday: Queen for a Day

Apparently every little girl in Grafton dreams of being the Jacaranda Queen. In fact, apparently little girls everywhere dream of being princesses and queens. I can't remember this myself from my own childhood but maybe it's true. Nonetheless, despite the gender stereotyping and generalisations this was a fascinating documentary about Grafton's Jacaranda festival (in spite of the mildly morbid soundtrack). Good old fashioned non-metropolitan fun is had by all for the duration. The feat of any regional town continuing the same festival for over seventy years is impressive. And those jacarandas certainly are stunning trees.

Wendy's Week of TV Part 14

Sunday: Who Do you think you are? (David Tennant)

I found out more about the history of Northern Ireland in this program than I have in the whole of my life to this point. It always amazes me how little people sometimes know about their family history.

Tuesday: Two in the Top End

The environmental message is hammered home relentlessly here. More delightful are the chats between Tim Flannery and John Doyle. It is a little disconcerting to realise that John Doyle actually sounds like Rampaging Roy Slaven in his ordinary life. Great interview with him on Sunday Arts also where he told a gleeful tale about the PM's double booking for his own literary awards. The man is a gem (Doyle I mean).

Tuesday: Hamish Macbeth

This was a rather odd episode. I also found it very strange that while I know I have watched this series a number of times I had no memory of this one. The village is putting on a production of West Side Story. Tony and Maria are being played by real star crossed lovers from different sides of the tracks. Interspersed with some singing and dancing is a visit to 60s guru Zoot (who I'm pleased to say does make later appearances) and a fundamentalist bank manager. For me the best thing was hearing The Rory Campbell trio (Rory on fiddle, Esme on piano and TV John on piano accordion) play the score of West Side Story during the village hall rehearsal scenes. It was actually very beautiful, yet bizarre.

Wednesday: Spicks and Specks

Amanda Keller is one of my least favourite television panel guests. You can see her trying extremely hard to deliver her "lines" I always think. And as my very astute mother remarked early on in this episode, "I'm not watching people being funny, I'm watching people being crude". There is a difference people - although it could always just be a matter of taste. Frankie J Holden was in on the act as well. Yes, they certainly didn't cover themselves with muso-comic glory this evening. Luckily there's always next week.

Friday: The Collectors

This is gentle television and a pleasant enough way to while away half an hour. But if you miss it from week to week you don't really care. The guy who collected electric fans was wonderfully knowledgeable about his admitted obsession. Who knew there were so many different kinds of fans? Many of them were just so beautiful...quite unlike the rusty, lint covered things we end up with today.

Looking back it's been an ABC/SBS kind of week of television viewing. Should I have been watching more commercial stuff?