Be Excellent To Each Other

Victoria Coren Mitchell is a QPR fan at least, so I've got to like her a bit.

The new Buzzcocks was unwatchable because of Daisy May Cooper's constant screaming.

That’s much the same as me. It’s probably not helped by the fact that I find the adverts themselves annoying simply by their existence. I haven’t watched ITV/Channel 4 since I was a kid, so I’ve kind of been immune to adverts for many years. Now that we’ve got this Lego show on the go, and Russell likes Taskmaster, the flow of the program is interrupted by that awful clip of proto Alan Carr saying he turned down some Bonjela every five minutes. Why do the advert breaks containers the same five ads for every break? Why on earth would you think I wanted to watch that?

And let’s not forget Mrs Browns Boys. The show everyone hates and yet I’ve yet to meet someone who has actually seen it. We know we hate it, though.

I don’t dislike VCM, but she shouldn’t write her own stuff, and I get a bit bored of ‘if you want to go and play a dumb persons quiz, go to those other shows. This one is for clever nerds, (guffaw)’. Maybe I do dislike her. I don’t know. I feel like I want to like her but dislike what she says.

She is not in the new (started this week) series. Looks like they are going to do guest captains on that team.

The first week was Courtney Love, and despite her saying she's not had alcohol for several years, the evidence begs to differ (unless it was something MUCH stronger). I don't think anyone else had much fun on that episode.

Once again, it's got the problem that I don't really like Greg Davies, and he's presenting it. Not that keen on Jamali Maddix coming up with Hilarious Back Stories for each member of the Line Ups either.

There is just enough there to keep me coming back, but If I came into the Sky version of this cold, I probably wouldn't have kept watching after the first one or two.

Cunk on Earth was brilliant though, loved that.



I suppose someone somewhere likes it.
I only needed a few short moments to know that I absolutely fucking hate it.

I don't think I've seen more than 30 seconds at a time, and that was plenty to make an informed choice.

Eesh. I've not seen the new buzzcocks but that sounds horrible.

I think what was good about original buzzcocks was it felt a little like you were in a boozer with them all and felt less like showmanship and more like banter. I suspect it doesnt help that my attachment to current music is very limited. And if they are including the bands I know, it probably feels overly nostalgic.

There's a music quiz show out here called 'Spicks and Specks', it's very long running and it has a nice mix of humour and friendly chat. There's a bit of banter but it's not BANTZ, it's far more gentle an good natured. It's actually aged quite well and old episodes are still entertaining, even though some of the guests are very 'low budget', many of them I have no clue who they actually are.

It's strange, as although I find I feel like l'm moving away from the nasty/sarky kind of humour in general, I still really like the offensive / dark sort of humour. Last year I watched a few Anthony Jeselnik specials - wow, so incredibly funny (and offensive, but clever, and funny).

I'm on episode 2 and it's glorious.

After you're done watching S2, move over to Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee, which is also good fun. Although I've only seen the original NZ version of that, not the AU version.

I tried giving new Buzzcocks a go and it was ruined by Courtney Love being even more annoying than Daisy May Cooper would have been.

Also, Noel Fielding is just rubbish isn't he? He's pure getting carried on GBBO by Alison Hammond (who is great).

Rivals on D+ is great, obv.

I'm putting in here because it's the most English thing ever.

Rivals on Disney+ is absolutely amazing

I said to Russell that I bet you’d be watching that.

I am probably late to the party.

Slow Horses on Apple TV+ Is just fantastic. Great scripts and Gary Oldman is just great as a spy master.

Watched the entire thing the day it came out.

I watched the first episode, but my wife wants to watch it with me, and we just haven't found the time to do this yet.

Come for the sex. Stay for the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

Two episodes in and there's nothing left of the scenary left to chew on. It's awesome (and obviously the spiritual successor to Garth Marengi's Dark Place)

Rivals is superb, enjoying it much more than I expected.

Now you should all read the book!

I had no doubt.

We watched an ITV drama called ‘The Suspect’ over the past few nights. It’s like every other mild ITV psychological thriller, but the whodunnit element was completely destroyed by their being a really tight cast of characters and only one incidental character who appeared over and over for seemingly no reason, so of course it was that character otherwise why was he part of the show?

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. This shits on just about everything else over the Christmas period and has Easter eggs everywhere. The geezer who's taken on the voice of Wallace is excellent.

Welcome return to Gladiators yesterday, and delighted with the return of the hamster balls.

Still slightly annoyed about the lack of sync between the amazing theme tune and the visuals on the intro however- how hard is it to flip a gladiator on the beat?

We saw Giant in panto this Christmas. He is one massive dude.

He’s everyone’s favourite in this house, but we also really like Legend. His character is superb.

Legend is my spirit animal

Legend is playing such a great character, and it’s funny to see when he can’t keep a straight face.
Viper is just shit.

Viper is for the under 10s basically

Darwin is under 10 and thinks Viper is rubbish. Your opinion poll of one disproves your theory.

Late to the party as ever, but I watched Bodyguard (the BBC series with Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes) and Ludwig (with David Mitchell) recently.

Bodyguard was incredibly tense, and although a few things stretched my suspension of disbelief a little bit it held my attention to the end. Hopefully we'll end up getting a second series, but after 6 years it seems unlikely.

Ludwig was also great, reminded me very much of Jonathan Creek. That _is_ getting a second series, which I can't wait to see!

We're smashing Black Doves on Netflix, that's pretty good so far.

'Patience' on Ch4. Created by Matt Baker, who also created Professor T, so it makes sense that this one is about an autistic criminal records keeper who helps the fuss solve crimes. Mrs W and I binge watched it yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Disappointed to learn that they haven't fixed the constant high pitched whine. I honestly can't understand why it's there or other people haven't complained about it

That's Bradley Walsh JR.

The Rig Series 1 (Amazon)

It's basically everything Doctor Who was when it was good at telling longer stories.

It's B movie level plot, with a solid enough cast (Mark Addy, one of the other guys from game of thrones, the receptionist from Shitt's Creek to name but three) squeezing every ounce out of every line.

There is an oil rig and Strange Stuff happens. What is it, how can it be stopped? Etc.

Well worth six episodes.

I've been working through it while I'm rowing, on season 2 now. It's a bit of a load of meandering old tosh, it sometimes feels like they were writing it as they went along. But it's mostly entertaining enough.

Season 2 is much much worse

"Doctor Who, with swearing" was exactly how someone on here described it last year.

The concept sounds good and it was an interesting story which had me keen to find out more, but goodness me S1 was so slowwwwwwwwwww. We've been hesitating over series 2, as I just can't be doing with a series that goes nowhere fast and possibly never even gets anywhere.

Even less inclined to watch it now

Last One Laughing has been great so far.

I saw the Canadian version of this a while back and that was good too. They put a load of comedians (basically anyone who has been on Taskmaster) in a big room and they have to try to make each other laugh. If you laugh (or smile) you get a yellow card. Do it twice and you're out.

Jimmy Carr is hosting and throwing in various curveballs to catch people out. The show has changed my opinion on Daisy May Cooper a bit. I used to find her unwatchable but she's kind of endearing on this.

We watched three episodes of this last night. I think my funny bone is broken as I find very little funny, apart from Bob Mortimer who’d make me laugh just by looking at me. So have you got a kitchen island? Already gone.

There's not been anything in terms of actual jokes particularly. But it's more the situation of it that's making me laugh. Like that Russell guy, I've never laughed at any of his actual comedy but watching him trying not to break is entertaining somehow.

I don’t know who the Russell guy is, unless you mean my Russell, in which case, yeah, dreadfully unfunny. But I can see how you’d laugh at him.

I gotta say, I found it funny for the most part but most of that was from knowing that this whole group are all friends IRL and it’s just mates having a good time. I felt like I was in on the joke rather than it being an actual competition.

Gangs of London:
Season 1 was decent! Some big budget action scenes, at times it felt like a movie.
Season 2 was wobbly! Had its moments but the story arcs went all over the gaff.
Season 3 is (so far) meh*… who are we meant to be rooting for?

*

This season is probably the stupidest thing I've seen for ages, love it.

Spoiler for episode 4:
just absolutely destroyed me.

This City Is Ours - BBC.

Sean Bean as the head of a Liverpudlian drug dealing family that typically gets into an internal battle for control. Fortunately, he doesn't have to attempt to adopt a Liverpudlian accent.

Not bad. Not as violent as Peaky Blinders or Kin (which I gave up on). Has some bottom-of-the-food-chain characters doing stupid things that are likely to get them chinned, but what can you expect from food soldiers?

Stupid title, as there's no inter gang element to it.

7/10 so far, but that could change if the ending is brill or stupid.

Edit: The ending was OK.