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Posts from the ‘iPlayer Picks’ Category

12
Aug
grassyroots

Covering an eco music festival

As well as my personal blog at Up Your Ego I also write a blog about Jersey Life for the BBC.

When there is a cross over I’ll share those posts on here. Read moreRead more

15
Sep

iPlayer pick: Finding a solution

My iPlayer pick for this week – I say week but they normally either come daily for a week or once a month – is a double pick as I have two shows I’ve really enjoyed – one is even available in podcast form and both are radio.

The first of my picks features the dulcet tones of Derek Fowlds (aka Bernard Woolley) in a three part documentary series originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1997 but repeated on BBC 7.

It’s called How to beat Sir Humphrey and features Derek Fowlds reprising his Yes Minister role as Bernard Woolley reading a guide to the Civil Service as written by one of the original Yes, Minister creators, Antony Jay.

In the first part Anthony Jay explores public protest and even on to action committees in his guide to beating bureaucracy and officialdom.

Part two is HERE and Part three is HERE.

My second part is at the same time similar and completely opposite – it’s presented by someone that has always annoyed me as a broadcaster in the past and my first BBC Radio 5 Live pick – it’s the Christian O’Connell Solution.

I’ve already said he annoys me, I’ve never been able to stand more than a few minutes of his style before – but it’s either the guests, the format or something about BBC Radio 5 Live that matures and makes presenters more interesting.

The premise of the show is that Christian is joined by a panel of guests who then set about setting the world to rights and coming up with usually over simplified solutions to a number of issues.

The first show featured Bob Mills (I first saw him on Sky1 hosting Games World), David Tennant (no introduction needed) and Kirsten O’Brien (CBBC presenter who described the presenters at CBBC as gay, childless or don’t like kids).

It was available as a podcast so didn’t require any effort in getting it and was easy to skip if I didn’t like it – but I found myself enjoying it and wanting more after it was finished – so yeah, a surprise hit for me.

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3
Aug

iPlayer Pick: Man on Wire

When coming up with my iPlayer picks I would normally ignore anything in the top five simply on the grounds that most people will have seen it already – but I’ll make an exception for Man on Wire.

The film tells the true tale of how Philippe Petit managed to achieve his amazing high wire walk between the Twin Towers in New York back in the 70s – it’s funny, poinant, irritating and slightly scary all at the same time.

It’s a British film with a French sensability and Philippe Petit has such an over archingly exuberant personality that he brings the whole film alive – mixed with black and white footage and a selection of equally ‘interesting’ head 2 head interviews with his ‘crew’ of the time.

Watch it and enjoy.

Embed code generated using the Up Your Ego PIP tool.

I first saw Man on Wire at the first Branchage film festival in Jersey, an event I’m more closely involved in this year through the Sheer Talent/BBC Jersey Introducing gig.

Branchage pulls together films in alternative places – in locations you might not expect to see a film like The Wicker Man at the twelth century Gorey Castle.

It also mixes live music with that venue selection as well – from live scores to silent films to a heavy metal guitar solo before the screening of Heavy Metal in Baghdad.

If you can be in Jersey between 1st and 4th of October – you’ll find SOMETHING to do and probably discover a few new ‘favourite’ films in the mix.

Speaking of mix and music see if you can spot me in this months Gallery Magazine.

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27
Jul

iPlayer Pick: Taking the Flak

My iPlayer Pick is a show that is now almost half way through its seven week run, I’m talking about a new BBC Two sitcom – Taking the Flak – a look at what happens when the big boys of the BBC come into a previously uninteresting country after civil war breaks out.

Taking the Flak follows the story of Harry (Bruce Mackinnon), a stringer in a relatively un-interesting small African country as he thinks he’s about to get his big break when teh big boys appear from London.

The big boys include Jane thomason (Doon Mackichan) and David Bradburn/John Simpson (Martin Jarvis) and a rolling string of cameramen. You also get a look at the slightly weird news desk/news editor back in London calling for the story he needs and passing the pitch from the Karibu (the small African country) team on to the almight six, ten and as a last resort News 24 – clearly shot before the re-brand.

It isn’t bad and improves considerably by Episode three – anyone interested in news, news presentation and news production will have a special soft spot for this show as it is almost completely filmed in that style.

It ISN’T Drop the Dead Donkey (of which I’ve started re-watching on DVD for the fourth time) but it is a good series, well worth the seven half hour investments you’ll make.

Here is episode three.

But there is another show I’m really into at the moment that goes out at the same time as Taking the Flak – Getting On. It’s on BBC Four, is set on an old people’s ward in a hospital, is pretty much grey all over and features performances by Jo Brand and Joanna Canlan as Nurse Kim Wilde and Sister Flixter respectively. It also includes Dr Pippa Moore played by Vicki Pepperdine.

It was filmed in HD, is available in HD and I REALLY hope it comes back for another series. It’s also available on series link on the iPlayer so you can still go back and catch the whole thing – as is Taking the Flak.

There are only three parts, it is mainly ad-libbed and was directed by the ever brilliant Peter Capaldi. There is a real feel of The Thick of It in the series – but different, darker and strangely addictive. In fact of the two this is the better show but Taking the Flak is an easier watch and a simpler laugh.

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6
Jul

iPlayer Pick: 13×03 Top Gear

As I’m sure you’ve guessed from the many, many, MANY posts on the subject – I’m something of a fan of Top Gear.

So with that in mind I’ve tried my best to avoid doing the obvious and posting Top Gear episodes as my iPlayer pick – I usually rate an episode somewhere between eight and ten every week – so it would be easy for me to choose it.

But it would be to pointlessly obvious, you know I like Top Gear, you know where the iPlayer is so it sort of acts as a default Pick without me actually saying it.

However, all that said and done – I am picking Top Gear this week. There are a few reasons for it, one of which is the openly political – stop nannying us rant – straight after a scene involving a hot day, no air con and three middle aged men in a sealed up car. See it for your self HERE.

But also because it is possibly one of the funniest episodes of Top Gear in the last few years. I spent the whole 55 minutes clutching my stomach in pain from laughing so much.

The three brilliantly childish presenters confront the credit crunch, in a way only Top Gear could/would by finding three ‘sensibly priced small cars’ and showing them off to bankers – they then paint them, add loud speakers and drive around Parliament Square.

Plus, James meets American stunt driving legend Ken Block, Jeremy tests the mildly insane Mercedes SL Black on the track, and Michael McIntyre is the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car.

As a bonus here is a video of Ken Block outside of Top Gear.

When I said Top Gear was a default pick of the week – to be honest – that’s true. My real pick of the week was supposed to be posted last week and was a radio pick. But I was stuck in Bristol and left it to late – the first part expires today.

But just in case you want to look it up on your favourite download service of choice – it was called Voyage and was an alternative history story on the tale of the American Space Programme.

In this alternative world JFK just got injured and we see the programme go on towards a manned mission to Mars in the mid-1980s.

Listen to the remaining parts on the iPlayer.

Giving you the embed is a bit pointless unless you see this before 18:30 tonight (Monday 6 July) but here it is anyway – just in case.

All embed iPlayer code generated using Up Your Ego PIP.

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22
Jun

iPlayer Pick: ISIHAC

This weeks iPlayer pick comes from radio and is the second episode of the new series of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – fronted by the ever wonderful Stephen Fry.

This is Stephen Fry’s last stint in the hosts chair – taking over from the late, great and true legend – Humphrey Lyttelton. Over the next four weeks Jack Dee and Rob Brydon will do a stint of two weeks a piece.

But this is my pick not because it is the greatest edition of the antidote to panel shows of all time – but because Stephen Fry did an admirable job filling behind such large shoes.

Here it is:


iPlayer embed code generated using the Up Your Ego PIP.

Here is the BBC description: “The perennial antidote to panel games comes from Her Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket in London, with Stephen Fry the first to take on the chairman’s role from the late Humphrey Lyttelton.

“Regulars Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor are joined by Victoria Wood.”

NOTE: Frontpage photo: Stephen Fry “Meet The Author” Session @ Regents Street Apple Store, London by DG Jones

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22
Jun

Top Gear 100: Missed it

Previously on my Top Gear obsessed blog – I wrote suggestions for Top Gear 100 – that was last series and it came and then went away.

Not that the Top Gear team noticed – Andy Wilman, show executive Producer, asked the crew to work out the number of episodes and tell him when it gets to 100.

He said: “Count up how many shows we’ve done since we came back on air with Top Gear because that has got to be a landmark show and we don’t want to miss the bugger.”

Andy then went on to explain that: “I’ve just worked out that the actual 100th show was the really shit one with the Renault Avantine so I’m sorry.”

So there we have it – no leaping over caravans, burning caravans – in fact no caravans at all – just a poor to middling, if not utter turd car. Oh well.

Here is a link to a great behind the scenes video from Top Gear 13×01 to take your mind off it. I can’t embed it though. You can watch what I think is episode 100 here.

However, something I can embed for you is Top Gear 13×01 as my tip of the week.

Embed code generated using the Up Your Ego PIP tool.

And to finish off a few words on this weeks Top Gear ratings – a pretty impressive one for Top Gear and BBC Two – but not the highest of all time.

The opening episode of Top Gear 13 saw an audience of 7.1 million and a share of 30.4% reaching a peak audience of 7.8 million by 8:45.

It was hte most popular show on BBC Two by a long way – with James May on the Moon taking the second spot with 3.2 million and a 13.8% share.

In fact Top Gear also gets the award for most watched show of the day by some margin – with BBC News at 10 getting 5.2 million in second and Stephen Fry’s Kingdom on ITV 1 getting 4.6 million in third.

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9
Jun

Top Gear back 21 June

Everyones favourite motoring based televisual entertainment programme featuring three middle aged men returns on 21 June 2009.

The 13th series of the iconic BBC Two show will be pretty much business as usual – but when that usual business leads to some of the best television in the world – I say keep on keeping on!

Top Gear producer, Andy Wilman said in a BBC Top Gear Blog Post: “I’m trying to distract viewers from what the title of the actual film would be, were this new series an actual film.

“It would be Top Gear 13, which sounds like something with Dolph Lungdren in it, or bad hotel porn.”

The next series will have seven episodes and will feature a mix of all the things we’ve grown used to over the last few years.

Andy said: “Over the coming seven-week series run a race or two will occur, supercars will slide from the left of your telly screen to the right of your telly screen in a cloud of tyre smoke, and a man in a white coat bearing a gold envelope will trigger a series of comedic and juvenile adventures.”

tv_preview_two2I don’t see anything wrong with that. And for more details the BBC Top Gear Magazine Transmission Blog will be publishing a daily preview.

Some of the highlights from that blog and from the Final Gear Forum so far seem to suggest the following will, may or may not appear in series 13 of Top Gear.

The boys buy some old cars and join a group of beardy enthusiasts on a classic car rally – I’ve been to a couple of these for the Beeb and the smell – oh god the smell!

From the Mole blog post: “The twist? The office chose their co-drivers too…”

So these are the confirmed features

  • Train vs Car vs Bike [more]

That’s the only preview from the official blog so far – but what has been suggested on the rumour mill that is the Final Gear Forum?

To avoid spoiling your surprise – just in case you stumbled across this hunting for a start date (although I put that in the title), I’m just going to give you the headline for the feature and a link.

You choose if you want to follow that link to find out more.

NOTE: These are not all proven to be true and some are probably not. Just a taster to wet your Top Gear appetite.

I’ll add more to this page as I find them – in the meantime take the above with the pinch of salt they may require – nothing should be taken as gospel until you read it on the BBC Top Gear Blog or see it on the show.

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7
Apr

Genius? Old person repellent

Genius (Radio series)
Image via Wikipedia

My iPlayer pick for today comes in the form of Genius – now I know this has been around for a while now, firstly in the form of three radio series on BBC Radio 4 and a television series, currently on BBC Two.

Before I go any further I should explain that the headline isn’t a three word review of the show itself, instead its the idea I submitted – but was obviously thrown in the rejection bin.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Genius.jpg/75px-Genius.jpgAnyway back to Genius – I’ve picked the third episode in the television series, not because its the best but because its the most recent.

Dave’s special guest is celebrated film and stage actor Jonathan Pryce.

Oh and here is a bit of info on my ‘Genius’ idea – otherwise known as bench blocker.

Every lunchtime, regardless of the fact that they have all day to go into town – hundreds of retired people pick between the hours of 12 and 2 to take their lunch – on the benches in town.

They fill every single bench up – leaving just enough room to entice the unsuspecting youth into their void of nonsense and loneliness.

That young person then spends the enterity of their one hour lunchbreak from the tedium of an office and twitter listening to the tedious stories of war, cats and the daily mail – all while sat next to some smelling slightly of wee.

The alternative to this situation is to spend your entire lunch hour wandering the streets while eating a sandwich – and fending off birds or to sit at that same pointless, tedious desk you’re trying to escape.

Well with the old person repellent that will no longer be necessary.

The idea is to create a device that you hide under every bench and at exactly 12 and up until 2 it operates – all old people will avoid this device at all costs as, like a vampire with sunlight – this device makes old people whither.

I’m thinking something that plays a combination of punk music and Chris Moyles.

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