8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
4x05 (13/9/13 edition) [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Friends
1x20 The One with the Evil Orthodontist [goodness-knows-what-th watch]
The Great British Bake Off
4x04 Pies and Tarts
Paul Hollywood seemed on particularly mean form this week, though Ali-who-wouldn't-taste-his-fruit probably deserved to go.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Saturday 14 September 2013
DVD Extras
Carry On Screaming
and
Interweb of Fear
The two main new documentaries on the Scream of the Shalka DVD (out Monday).
The first concerns the making of the serial itself, with some insights into the original plans (a 12-episode series of three four-parters!), the difficulties getting it made, and also the wonder how well it came together on so little time, money and expertise. It also includes the revelation that, were it not for Shalka, the revived TV series might never have happened: it was the research done into the rights situation so they could produce Shalka that meant that when BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey was saying they couldn't put Who on TV because of rights, the BBC website team were able to put her right. Architects of their own destruction, maybe, but it worked out well for all of us!
The second is about the aforementioned site, and the BBC's web presence more generally, including some of the groundbreaking and experimental things it was able to get away with... before the higher-ups shut things down, in spite of their popularity. It also doesn't shy away from some of the bad ideas, either.
One thing I got from both documentaries is what an ungrateful, hateful bunch Doctor Who fans can be. You can get that impression just by going on most dedicated forums for a few minutes, but you may assume it's isolated. However, stories of Who fans' nasty behaviour and negative attitude crops up in both these pieces. It's sad, really.
and
Interweb of Fear
The two main new documentaries on the Scream of the Shalka DVD (out Monday).
The first concerns the making of the serial itself, with some insights into the original plans (a 12-episode series of three four-parters!), the difficulties getting it made, and also the wonder how well it came together on so little time, money and expertise. It also includes the revelation that, were it not for Shalka, the revived TV series might never have happened: it was the research done into the rights situation so they could produce Shalka that meant that when BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey was saying they couldn't put Who on TV because of rights, the BBC website team were able to put her right. Architects of their own destruction, maybe, but it worked out well for all of us!
The second is about the aforementioned site, and the BBC's web presence more generally, including some of the groundbreaking and experimental things it was able to get away with... before the higher-ups shut things down, in spite of their popularity. It also doesn't shy away from some of the bad ideas, either.
One thing I got from both documentaries is what an ungrateful, hateful bunch Doctor Who fans can be. You can get that impression just by going on most dedicated forums for a few minutes, but you may assume it's isolated. However, stories of Who fans' nasty behaviour and negative attitude crops up in both these pieces. It's sad, really.
Comics
Dredd Underbelly: Part One by Arthur Wyatt & Henry Flint
(from Judge Dredd Megazine #340)
While the campaign continues to get a Dredd sequel made, here's the official comic book sequel to last year's movie.
It's a bit hard to get a handle on it in this first instalment -- these feel very much like the first 10 pages of a graphic novel-length tale, rather than a self-contained chunk of action. That said, it manages to give Anderson a nice re-introduction, an action sequence for Dredd, and then establish the storyline. It also expands the world of the film, introducing Cursed Earth mutants. Thankfully, Flint's design for the muties is less comic-book and more how they might look in the film's universe.
There's definite promise here, but I suspect it will read better in collected form than in short monthly parts.
Nonetheless, Megazine #340 is in shops from next Wednesday.
(from Judge Dredd Megazine #340)
While the campaign continues to get a Dredd sequel made, here's the official comic book sequel to last year's movie.
It's a bit hard to get a handle on it in this first instalment -- these feel very much like the first 10 pages of a graphic novel-length tale, rather than a self-contained chunk of action. That said, it manages to give Anderson a nice re-introduction, an action sequence for Dredd, and then establish the storyline. It also expands the world of the film, introducing Cursed Earth mutants. Thankfully, Flint's design for the muties is less comic-book and more how they might look in the film's universe.
There's definite promise here, but I suspect it will read better in collected form than in short monthly parts.
Nonetheless, Megazine #340 is in shops from next Wednesday.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I believe I've had Blu-rays as part of my collection since before I started this weekly round-up, so this may be a first ever: a week with lots of new additions that is entirely DVD-only. It's not long 'til my next expected BD (a week Monday, to be precise), but still: this week, it's all good ol' Digital Video Disc.
That includes four bargain-priced Doctor Who DVDs (my collection edges ever nearer to completion), one new Doctor Who DVD that arrived a few days early, a box set I've waited so long to get I had to buy it used, and an upgrade of a US series from its barebones US edition to special-feature-packed UK release (weird, eh).
Number of titles in collection: 1,609 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,181 [up 6]
Of which Blu-rays: 428 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 4,014 [up 14]
Number of films in collection: 1,716 [up 6]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,946 [up 25]
Number of short films in collection: 392 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
I believe I've had Blu-rays as part of my collection since before I started this weekly round-up, so this may be a first ever: a week with lots of new additions that is entirely DVD-only. It's not long 'til my next expected BD (a week Monday, to be precise), but still: this week, it's all good ol' Digital Video Disc.
That includes four bargain-priced Doctor Who DVDs (my collection edges ever nearer to completion), one new Doctor Who DVD that arrived a few days early, a box set I've waited so long to get I had to buy it used, and an upgrade of a US series from its barebones US edition to special-feature-packed UK release (weird, eh).
Number of titles in collection: 1,609 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,181 [up 6]
Of which Blu-rays: 428 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 4,014 [up 14]
Number of films in collection: 1,716 [up 6]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,946 [up 25]
Number of short films in collection: 392 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
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