'Tis The Season

Last weekend there were three Christmas specials. My Family, The Royle Family and Benidorm all returned for the holidays. All hour long episodes.

The Lakes + Dockers + Hearts And Minds

These are all drama's with a Jimmy McGovern connection. In addition to writing, or partially writing, all of these he is credited, or partially credited, with Cracker, The Street, Moving On, Accused and worked on the early episodes of Brookside.

The Lakes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lakes_%28TV_series%29

Dockers: Dockers is a landmark one-off drama suspended somewhere between Ken Loach and Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff. A striking Channel Four production Dockers dramatises the infamous struggle that developed when five Merseyside dockworkers were fired for refusing to work overtime with no pay, and gained the support of co-workers who wouldn't cross their picket line. As a result, those who stood in solidarity with the original five were sacked as well--500 in total--leading to a two-year stand-off. Co-written by award-winning screenwriters Jimmy McGovern (Cracker) and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting), the two-year ordeal is brought home with startling reality, not least because of the contribution of the real-life Liverpool dockers who helped develop the script in extensive writing workshops, lending the film an authenticity it might have otherwise lacked. While the narrative hangs around the moving central story of one family in which both father and son are caught up in the strike, dramatic conflicts develop on multiple levels: between father and son; between the families of the sacked workers (this is particularly well realised as one long-time friend, played by The Royle Family's Ricky Tomlinson, turns scab); and between the workers and the union that betrays them. Ken Stott and Crissy Rock (Ladybird, Ladybird) are outstanding as the central working-class couple, old before their time at 47, and if nothing else, the film reveals one further reason why Liverpool loved Robbie Fowler quite so ferociously: during post-goal celebrations, Fowler lifts his jersey to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with a message of support for the wronged dockers, ensuring national attention for the action at a time when all hope seemed lost. --Tricia Tuttle

Hearts And Minds: Made in between series two and three of "Cracker as he slowly handed over the reins to Paul Abbott, McGovern crafted a semi-autobiagraphical four part drama for Christopher Eccleston (so memorable as the ill-fated DCI Bilborough in "Cracker"). Concerning Eccleston's ex-shop steward turned novice teacher Drew MacKenzie's first year at an inner city Liverpool comprehensive, McGovern's drama is gritty, caustic, sharp and moving. The hallmarks of McGovern's writing are all there: sharp dialogue, naturalistic acting, bristling social conscience and the ability to turn narrative on its head with dramatic plot twists. While perhaps not in the same league as his work on the awesome "Cracker", "Hearts and Minds" is top notch drama from one of modern British television's foremost dramatists. Taken as a body of work, "Cracker", "Hearts and Minds", "Go Now", "Hillsborough", "The Lakes", "Dockers", "Sunday", "Gunpowder, Treason and PLot" and now "The Street" show that for true mastery of the TV drama, few can beat McGovern. The cast is uniformly excellent, with Eccleston's bustling, energetic performance as Drew the highlight, but credit for David Harewood's Trevor, providing the weary conterpoint to Drew's idealism. Mike Leigh alumni Peter Wight is also excellent in the first episode.

Peep Show update

Peep Show wrapped up it's 7th series tonight. All those episodes have been added to Disc 3 along with a 48-minute Christmas Eve behind-the-scenes special called Peep Show And Tell and four programs Robert Webb did which followed the Peep episodes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peep_Show_%28TV_series%29

Public Eye

Public Eye ran for just over 10 years. All but 5 of the first 41 episodes (Series 1 - 3) were wiped and lost. This website offers a good insight into what made this program different from others of this genre. http://www.contquots.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Eye_%28TV_series%29

Emmerdale 2010 - Disc 12

Emmerdale - 2010 - Disc 12

Brookside - Disc 9

Brookside - Disc 9

The Bill 1996 - Discs 6 - 7 - 8

The Bill - 1996 - Discs 6, 7, 8

Happy Christmas

Just finished watching tonight's hour long My Family Christmas Special "Mary Christmas" and looking forward to tomorrow's Royle Family special Joe's Cracker. Merry Christmas everyone.

Psychoville update

This one fell through the cracks of my mind. Psychoville, the popular star-studded spooky black comedy from a couple summer's ago, returned with an hour long Halloween special back nearly 8 weeks ago. Ooops.

the other Lord Peter Wimsey

Lord Peter Wimsey returned to the BBC in the 80's with 3 new serials, this time with Edward Petherbridge in the lead role.

Lord Peter Wimsey

Lord Peter Wimsey was a fictional detective created by Dorothy L. Sayers for stories she wrote in the 1920's and 1930's. These BBC adaptations featured Ian Carmichael in the title role. A few of these productions were also featured on PBS Masterpiece Theatre in the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Peter_Wimsey

Stay Lucky - Disc 3

Stay Lucky - Disc 3 (Series 4)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stay_Lucky

Drama Smörgåsbord - Discs 24 & 25

Drama Smörgåsbord Discs 24 & 25.


The Best Of Both Worlds is about a British stewardess with two husbands in two countries. Check the reviews on IMDB.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276645/


The Second Coming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Second_Coming_%28TV_serial%29


Who Killed Lamb?
"Detective Chief Superintendant Jamieson of Scotland Yard investigates the death of prominent businessman Octavious Lamb but it appears he may not have been quite the man of industry he would have people believe, DCI Jamieson is put out to discover a whole ream of suspects, all of whom have received a letter telling them that Lamb is the person who has been blackmailing them for years. This is good strong detective drama with the fabulous Stanley Baker (who was making a few TV appearances around this time as his film career faded a little) and excellent back up from Denis Lill. Other familiar televison faces such as Peter Sallis, David Swift and John Challis appear."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069499/


A Rather English Marriage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Rather_English_Marriage


Come Rain Come Shine
This was just on last night.
"David Jason stars as cockney ex-docker Don Mitchell in this emotional drama. Don is incredibly proud of his son David's affluent lifestyle. The cars, the detached house and private schooling for the children were things Don could only dream about as a young man. His wife Dora (Alison Steadman), on the other hand, has doubts about her son's financial affairs. When David's life starts to unravel under a mountain of debt, family bonds are tested to the limit."

Half Broken Things "is a psychological thriller by English author Morag Joss. It won the CWA Silver Dagger in 2003. It was adapted for television in 2007, and stars Penelope Wilton, Daniel Mays and Sinead Matthews. The lives of three very lonely people - pregnant Steph, on the run from her violent boyfriend, Michael, a petty thief who proves her knight in shining armour, and Jean, a sixty-year old spinster nearing the end of her career as a house sitter - collide dramatically within the grounds of the illustrious Walden Manor, where together they seal themselves away from the outside world and build a new life together. However, the fantasy cannot last forever, and events soon take a murderous turn when the first unexpected guest arrives."

The Mill On The Floss
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mill_on_the_Floss



Last Of The Mohicans + Elizabeth R

The Last of the Mohicans and Elizabeth R are a couple of drama classics from the BBC that also helped kick off the long running Masterpiece Theatre series on PBS in the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_the_Mohicans_%281971_series%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_R

Snowy

Snowy. An Australian drama series from 1993 "set in the picturesque mountains of Australia, illustrates the family lives of those working on the famed Snowy River dam during the 1950's. It's the story of Australians whose lives would never be the same again ... and of immigrants from war-torn Europe who served their two-year contracts as virtual slave labor away from their wives and families."

Accused

Accused, a new 6-part drama anthology written by Jimmy McGovern (The Street, Moving On) concluded this evening.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accused_%28TV_series%29

Miranda - update

Miranda concluded it's second series this evening with a Christmas episode. Created, co-written and starring Miranda Hart with a cast of Tom Ellis, Sarah Hadland, Patricia Hodge and Sally Phillips, this sitcom seems to be getting more and more popular and I would assume it'll be back next year for a third series. The second series also had Red Button Extras and I have attached them to the end of each episode. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_%28TV_series%29

Misfits - Series 2

Misfits Series 2 concluded this evening with a special Christmas episode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misfits_%28TV_series%29

The Armstrong & Miller Show

The Armstrong & Miller Show is a comedy sketch program that first appeared on Paramount Comedy and then Channel 4 back in the 90's. In 2007 it was brought back and on BBC. Featuring Alexander Armstrong (Reggie Perrin, Life Begins, Beast) and Ben Miller (Look At The State We're In, The Worst Week Of My Life, Moving Wallpaper, Popetown).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstrong_and_Miller_%28TV_series%29

My Family And Other Animals

Those of you in snow and ice country might find this disc a little warming.

My Family And Other Animals is an autobiographical book by the late Gerald Durrell about his childhood years in Corfu (1935-1939). It was adapted for TV in 1987 and again as a film in 2005 (which was also featured on PBS Masterpiece Theatre in the US in 2007).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Family_And_Other_Animals_%28film%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Durrell

All Creatures Great & Small - Disc 13

Will it really be 20 years ago Christmas Eve that the final episode of All Creatures Great & Small was broadcast for the first time? Yikes. Here are the 2 films that preceded the television program. All Creatures Great & Small was released in the winter of 1975 and starred Simon Ward as James Herriot and Anthony Hopkins as Sigfried Farnon. It Shouldn't Happen To A Vet followed two years later with John Alderton as James Herriot and Colin Blakely as Sigfried. New Zealander Lisa Harrow (Nancy Astor, Kavanagh QC) played Helen Herriot in both films. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Creatures_Great_and_Small_%28film%29

UltraViolet

UltraViolet was a horror drama serial.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_%28TV_serial%29

Supernova

Supernova was a sitcom starring Rob Brydon (Human Remains, Marion & Geoff, Gavin & Stacey) as an astronomer working in the Australian Outback.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernova_%28television%29

In Sickness & In Health

In Sickness & In Health was the excellent second sequel to Till Death Us Do Part. I had kind of forgotten about this until someone recently asked me about it. Previously I was missing some episodes, but it's been complete and upgraded for a while now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Sickness_and_in_Health

Off The Rails (New Zealand)

Off The Rails was a 12-episode program about the railways in New Zealand how they enabled the country to grow and prosper. (Not to be confused with another disc I have by the same name from 2001 featuring 19 episodes about the restored steam lines of Britain.)

British Steam

Great collection of vintage films about the story of steam in Britain. For detailed information contact me and I can e-mail you a zipped file with all the particulars.