Monday 16 June 2008

The end of the affair

For the first time in my existence I am without a daily serial, nothing on wireless, television or the world wide web. Poor, feckless Bel.

I stopped watching Neighbours a while ago. It had become so dull without the Timmins family, there was not enough carry-on with Lou and Harold and too much of: ruddy Carmella and her tedious nervy b's, Paul being "he's- a-good-boy-now" and that vile Jane Hall. It had lost its high campery and mental melodrama. I guess they are saving their best storylines for Pantos in Blighty. Recently I was told that Neighbours had improved but when I attempted to watch some of it before the 7 o'clock news my interest was not piqued. Well apart from seeing Paul attempt to rekindle romance with the character played by Jane Hall;he pretended to fall over and hurt himself. That was sheer Actoring master class with Stefan Dennis.

Despite that one glorious moment, it could be all over between Neighbs and me. Actually it could also be the end of Neighbours; ratings are bad.

Despite the lack of daily serial, there are programs that I watch and listen to on a weekly basis. My favourites are generally panelish shows where people humorously and dismissively opine and compete, such as Top Gear and the Insiders. Top Gear initially drew me in as it looked like Top of the Pops for cars - the sight of those presenters standing beside a car, raving and joking while surrounded by a studio audience was very appealing. Am not sure about Australian series, could be like Torque but I will be in the market for a motor (plus i always watched Countdown). I rather enjoyed watching Never Mind the Buzzocks on You Tube for a while. Some episodes from last year and the year before that were entertaining. And I'm partial to that news quiz on radio 4 (?). That can be very funny unlike the Australian Good News Week.

I cannot believe that show is on television again!! Why do stations keep giving Paul McDermott air time to recycle shows from his “heyday”. What does he have on them? And why do they allow him to sing the shows' signature tunes? And how could he do that? I guess he hasn’t twigged to the parallels between him and the Little Britain Dennis Waterman skit. Dennis has a much better voice anyway, and he was tops in the Sweeney, well I like him in everything from Up the Junction to New Tricks, well sort of. Did Rula get him a spot on the Rock Follies? That would have been some showstopping tune. Unfortunately I have never seen Waterman's portrayal of William Brown.

There is a hastiness of cooks on the television but I haven’t really been into those programs, there will only ever be one King’s Kitchen after all. Admittedly the 21st century cookery show is a whole new genre. I generally prefer reading cookery books and recipes. However, I quite like watching the cook and the chef. Maggie Beer’s manner reminds me a bit of that woman Megan who sang for the Fifth Corruption (not the fifth column that’s what the Duke of Edinburgh called Lady Di). Oh and Flight of the Conchords makes me laugh aloud oh and I ….

6 comments:

David Nichols said...

Neighbours will come back.

spades of said...

I was over Neighbours too, but I watched a few episodes in Queensland and was hooked right back in.
It may have been the sea air wreaking havoc with my brain, however.

Mistress Bel said...

and pineapple is very good for digestion. I watched a bit of neighbs the other night as I had read that Harold was back. However, half way through that episode i got distracted by something else (no doubt a text about Kerry O'Brien's ears or was it Jeffrey Smart on Talking Heads, that was great)and i haven't watched Neighbs since.

Wayne Davidson said...

I miss Rock Follies.

Mistress Bel said...

Yes. I wouldn't mind seeing it again. HOwever i do have one of their lps or is it the only one. My favourite song was (time off for) good behaviour . I wonder if Andy McKay wrote that one? He wrote most of the songs..

ooh look

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw_4SragVNE

Wayne Davidson said...

Actually, UKTV played it a few years ago, it was wonderfully awful (not a criticism of course). Little Nell is in it as well as Rula and Julie Covington (who you do want to stop singing after a while). I like how The Little Ladies' manager says "Cray-zee about it", all the time. OK, back to listening to ONJ.