For One Week Only, Wednesday Is Friday, And Friday Is Bumpf Day (Part 2).

Operation Good Guys Another recommendation of a comedy show form here in the U.K.... Being from the late 90's it's still perfectly in tune with more recent sensibilities so it shouldn't have dated dramatically. This one though, I haven't seen that much of, so I am also in the same boat as others - using my accidental spotting of the DVD release of the entire 3-Series in one set as a chance to go back and watch it. The recommendation though, comes from having known how popular this was, and my ability to point out some footage of it at YouTube... it's a parody / pseudo-fly on the wall documentary as began to get popular around here a decade or so (of course the concepts as old as the camera) and which ran for about three or four years. As with much stuff, it kind of disappeared after broadcast as though it was to never appear again, and yet it has resurfaced on DVD - bonus. If you like authority figures being made fun of, it's a great show... about Police.

Operation Good Guys at BBC Comedy Guide, Review at Off The Telly, at Wikipedia, at British Sitcom Guide.
Operation Good Guys 'That's Entertainment' Clip at YouTube, 'Frisk 'Em' Clip at YouTube, 'Raging Pig' Clip at YouTube. None of these likely safe for work.

Order Operation Good Guys (Complete Series 1 -3 on R2 UK DVD) at Amazon.co.uk [Direct Link].

Balls of Steel Is one of Channel 4's shows from last year (2005) that gets a compilation DVD early in 2007 - two and a half hours of highlights from a show which sets challenges to guest presenters to test their nerve in situations, most of which require them to put themselves at risk of ridicule or physical danger. Well, this one could easily be termed ironically juvenile, but I think many will still like it... *joke*. This was a popular show, some of it is truly audacious in how risky it gets... kind of 'Trigger Happy TV' without Dom Jolly, if you've seen that great show from Channel 4 back in the 90's.

Balls of Steel at Wikipedia,

Balls of Steel Annoying Devil (Free Brollies) Clip at YouTube; not safe for work.

Pre-Order 'The Best of Balls of Steel' on R2 UK DVD for January 15th 2007 release at Amazon.co.uk [Direct Link].

What's Been Happening in TV Lately? Well, I wanted to say a few things about some of the shows that have been around lately. French & Saunders (plus Lumley - as they now seem to be) returned last week with a new sitcom called 'Jam & Jerusalem'. Not seen it, bit hesitant as I think they're particularly reliant on simply using sophisticated make-up for characterisation, but they also seem to hit the spot very frequently. Particularly loved their film parodies from the previous sketch shows, but this one is a sitcom (like I say) and revolves around a small village... their previous attempt at this kind of show, 'Let Them Eat Cake' (which really bombed) finally gets a DVD release very soon, but still no sign of Dawn French's stunning 'Murder Most Horrid' appearing yet - shame. Still, 'Absolutely Fabulous' found a large cult audience in America, so perhaps this new show will too? I think it's a bit too British perhaps for that... seems to have gone down well here though.

Let Them Eat Cake at British Sitcom Guide. Jam & Jerusalem at BBC Devon, Official Website with clips, and at Answers.com.

Pre-Order French & Saunders 1999 Sitcom 'Let The Eat Cake' at Amazon.co.uk [Direct Link].

...As for Sci-Fi and all things post-Doctor Who, well 'Robin Hood' (which is simply shockingly bad) has scraped through to being commissioned a second series, even with some episodes being run-out on an unusual Sunday Evening slot - contradicts its usual Saturday Primetime slot and screams-out that the BBC have kind of lost faith in it already, but need to save face somehow. 'Torchwood' seems popular, but it completely misses to Doctor Who tone for me, too camp and a little too obviously about appealing to adults who remember the old show from their childhood but want something more without having to look elsewhere - still, hardcore fans of Who might still like it... There has been a resurgence in interest for British Sci-Fi of late, reminds me of some of the other stuff I watched many moons ago - 'Day of the Triffids', based on John Wyndhams book, was a great TV miniseries back in 1981 and had a very strange atmosphere too it, again this is given a reprieve from the skips courtesy of DVD and comes highly recommended - anything written by Nigel Kneale also deserves a mention anytime I get near this subject, 'Quatermass and the Pit' (the 1950's TV film, performed live would you believe) is out there among the trilogy of films from that time on a rather expensive but essential set, still...

Order 'Day of the Triffids' (BBC Mini-Series from 1981) on R2 UK DVD at Amazon.co.uk [Direct Link].

...Another thing to consider in comedy is the constant appearance of David Mitchell on all kinds of shows and the slight fall of Mitchell & Webb from grace and into mindless uber-fame : a good joke is a good joke, and their 'Peep Show' series for Channel 4 is one of the best of the last decade, easily, and it's had a reprieve for a Fourth Series, but Mitchell is running his fame into the ground by cashing in and doing all kinds of small roles and guest appearances, and the recent Mitchell & Webb series for the BBC is simply shockingly bad, truly naff, unfunny papp - there's a live tour DVD of their show with those characters out there, if you still care. Remember, less is more (look who's talking) when it comes to making cash from TV fame...

Order Mitchell & Webb Live on R2 UK DVD at Amazon.co.uk [Direct Link].

The Host is coming to DVD in Korea, just before Xmas of course, as per 'Lady Vengeance' last year. Still, there's a rumored HK DVD in December and the cheap price may be tempting, I still say head straight for the Korean one as it will be fault-free (if the usual standards are met) even though the extras are usually unsubbed. I still haven't seen it, passed on a Summertime chance to see it in London because of the travel, cost, and time involved. Still, since the November 10th U.K release there's been the usual tour of smaller cinemas - so I get to see it finally next week. There's also a U.K DVD date rumored for March 2007 already, and the trailer for the USA Cinema release has appeared in the past couple of days, and disappeared again it seems... Magnolia are on a role recently, some really nice films snapped-up (Kurosawa's 'Pulse' for example) and now they're getting this into cinemas stateside reasonably quickly. I won't be reviewing this one, it's already had lots of coverage and don't want to add to all that, but I suspect I will love it.

Todd's review here.
Opus' review here.
The Host Pre-order the Limited Edition on R3 Korean DVD with English Subtitles.
The Host Pre-order the Gift Set on R3 Korean DVD with English Subtitles.

Finally, Going HD TV for the Second Time with my upcoming purchase of a new TV for the bedroom, a Sony Bravia LCD TV in 32" size. Still, this is a minefield without a doubt, full 1080p-quality HD TV are still 40" plus in size - far too big unless your house deserves an airing on 'Cribbs'. So, I think that it's not possible or unlikely to occur, a 1080p set in anything smaller than 40", which brings strange images of small Japanese apartments suddenly becoming mini-cinemas - shut your eyes and squint a little, turn all the lights off and close the curtains and the lack of a sense of distance could persuade you that you're at the cinema, minus all the trivial niggles that experience entails.

I like the Bravia sets, they're the step in LCD sets that takes them into the realms of good black-levels and detail that's more than acceptable, plus the price is very reasonable and the design of the set just spot-on. Looking forwards to this purchase since the Summer, got a few film piling up from recent purchases in order to experience them on this particular new TV, even though I bought an early (for the U.K) HD TV almost five years ago - that's only got 480p on it, the new set does 720p too. And then there's the struggle to wait for a Wii and a PS3 to go with it all. Yum.