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The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019)
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Not that she needs a career boost, her musical career is flying high (unlike Jennifer Hudson, who seems to be using her own chat show as a way to boost it) Kelly Clarkson seems to have forged a good second string to her bow with this chat show.
It's un-pretentious, it's good fun and Clarkson is getting better in her role as time goes on. She has at the time of writing just won a Daytime Emmy, and this seems well-deserved because this show is a bit of a gem.
Long may it continue, long may Clarkson develop in her role and seek further opportunities that may come from it. Her talent allows her to do so, her human touch reinforces it.
dinnerladies: Moods (1998)
Moods
This show never really did much for me.
I know, I know, I'm sure the negative feedback will come piling through, but it just doesn't.
For all this show is funny, there's a darker edge running through it like a stick of rock that leaves a nasty aftertaste. This for me is true with a lot of the late great Victoria Wood's work sadly.
This has its moments, every episode of the show does, but it's just not my cup of tea in the same way that 'Fawlty Towers' and 'Gavin and Stacey' aren't.
I'm glad though that others on this site seem to have enjoyed it though of course, because the quality is there.
In for a Penny: Episode #6.5 (2024)
Brilliant
For just sheer fun factor value you won't find a better show than this on telly. Certainly not on ITV, a network that seems scared of their own shadow, let alone try to entertain people.
It's broad (too broad for some people it seems) it's fun, and it's held together by Stephen Mulhern as host brilliantly. Who else could you see hosting this? Nobody.
It's just a shame that ITV seem to want to bury it. If it gets any earlier in the schedules it'll come after the lunchtime news.
Typical. We get twaddle in prime time and then gems dumped elsewhere.
I hope this show runs for a long time. It deserves to.
Top Gear: Episode #23.6 (2016)
Farewell, Mr Evans
Chris Evans is a host with a long reputation.
He thought he was a good fit for 'Top Gear'.
The world thought differently. The truth was he was a square peg in a round hole. Everyone could see it.
Perhaps he could too when he watched the footage back, and he deserves some credit for walking away when he did.
For all his dashing about, for all of his clear enthusiasm, Matt LeBlanc was more engaging just by standing still half the time.
So credit for Evans for leaving when he did, he could clearly see what we could all see.
LeBlanc would continue as the host with a couple of other dud sidekicks moving forward.
The Parent Trap (1998)
The Parent Trap
You almost feel sorry for Lindsay Lohan. Her whole career (at least in front of the camera, she seems pretty infamous off of it) is made up of a handful of Disney films made in the late 90's and early 00's.
This is fine. Lohan is the centre draw here, playing both of the two kids, but the film isn't up to much at all, and certainly doesn't hold much weight under scrutiny.
It's too long for a start. It drags on for over two hours, meaning there are far too many slow moments, and I'm not sure the supporting cast do much to help Lohan carry it over the line.
She has talent, she has the ability to carry the humour and the charm, but it was asking too much of her to carry this.
The Wonderful World of Disney: Life-Size (2000)
Life-Size
This is fine.
As a vehicle for Lindsay Lohan (and I suppose you could say Tyra Banks) this is fine.
It delivers all the charm and humour you would expect for a Disney live action film, and Lohan was able to deliver both in spades at this age.
It's not a film that holds up to much scrutiny though, and I can't say it's one that I would rush to watch again.
It's held together by Lohan and that's a big ask. For all her looks, Banks is not much of an actress, and that shines through for all to see.
Overall, this is decent but rather unspectacular entertainment and I'm surprised a sequel (though Banks had a go at this already) is planned.
Get a Clue (2002)
Get a Clue
They might as well of called this 'Nancy Drew', hadn't they?
That's what this is. It follows at the plot beats and elements you'd associate with that brand to a tee. Perhaps Disney didn't own/couldn't get the rights.
What it is though is an opportunity for Disney to make use of Lindsay Lohan and her suitable range of popularity/charm/appeal.
She's good here, in not really that good of a film. What a shame she couldn't really find a decent source of material to work with once she great up. Here her potential shines through.
Overall, this isn't a bad film, it very much is what it is, but it could have been better.
Britain's Got Talent: 2024: Live Semi-Final 2 (2024)
2024: Live Semi-Final 2
I made the choice to skip the audition stage this year.
Something about Bruno being a judge and not looking like he fit in, combined with the rules going out of the window and everyone seemingly suddenly having multiple golden buzzer acts put me off.
The live semi-final's though are always good value though, so I returned to the show for these this week.
I liked what I saw. There was some nice variety on show, and some stand-out acts.
It all makes for good family entertainment, and proves to be oddly engaging too.
Whether the potential winner came from this semi-final I don't know, but I'll wait to be amazed as the week goes on.
Britain's Got Talent: 2024: Live Semi-Final 1 (2024)
2024: Live Semi-Final 1
I skipped the audition stage this year.
Something about Bruno being a judge and not looking like he fit in, combined with the rules going out of the window and everyone seemingly suddenly having multiple golden buzzer acts put me off.
The live semi-final's though are always good value though, so I returned to the show for these this week.
I liked what I saw. There was some nice variety on show, and some stand-out acts.
It all makes for good family entertainment, and proves to be oddly engaging too.
Whether the potential winner came from this semi-final I don't know, but I'll wait to be amazed as the week goes on.
Britain's Got Talent: 2024: The Live Final (2024)
2024: The Live Final
So, here we go - The Live Final of 'Britain's Got Talent 2024'.
What a final it was. It got better as it went along, with some of the lesser acts being rattled through early in the proceedings that you knew deep down didn't have a cat in Hell's chance of winning.
The press seemed to know who they thought/wanted to win all along, so it's a shame that they got their wish, because actually I thought there were some better acts there on show on the night.
I'm still not totally convinced about Bruno as a judge on the show, but on the whole this has been another good series of 'Britain's Got Talent' and I look forward to the next.
30 Rock: The Baby Show (2007)
The Baby Show
This was good fun.
Very silly indeed. This is the sort of episode that requires no real thought, you can just let it wash over you.
I like the Liz Lemmon character. She's sort of like Mary Richards on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' - she's a straight character to the crazy colleagues around her, but can be funny in her own right.
It's still very much a show in development, it doesn't all work, but it at least makes the world of making a late night comedy show look fun.
'Studio 60' was amazing, it's one of my favourite shows of all time, but you can't really say it always did this.
This episode was silly but fun.
Doctor Who: Space Babies (2024)
Space Babies
In 2005 Russell T Davies gave us 'Rose', a massive reset episode of 'Doctor Who' aimed at charting a new course after the show had gone into serious decline.
'Space Babies' feels very much like it is trying to do a very similar thing. I don't think anyone, even the biggest most loyal fan, could say that 'Doctor Who' has been good for quite some time now.
It's a show that's very easy to be cynical of, and I think everyone has their 'era' that is theirs and they are very protective of, but that doesn't help it moving forward.
I thought this was a good reset/reboot/start to the Disney+ era. I thought Gatwa is good in the role of the Doctor is that Gibson is the more spirited companion we have had in a long time,
The plot was simple (perhaps a bit too simple) and travelling with the Doctor seemed fun again, something it really didn't with the dour 12th.
Time will tell whether the show can build on this good start, but for now I am willing to give it a go.
I hope others (especially those who bang on about being 'devoted' fans) can do the same.
Morecambe & Wise: In Their Own Words (2008)
Morecambe & Wise: In Their Own Words
There have been a lot of documentaries made about Eric and Ernie, our beloved Morecambe and Wise. Many of them featuring the views of talking heads that probably actually have no real clue what they're on about.
This one however is something different. Other than a very brief appearance from Jonathan Ross to bookend the piece, this is very much the story of the duo told by the men themselves.
That elevates things hugely. This is well-made and well told, and refreshingly doesn't hide away from perhaps the duos lesser moments.
I think this has to be up there with the best documentaries made about the pair.
Britain's Got Talent: 2024: Live Semi-Final 5 (2024)
2024: Live Semi-Final 5
After a few nights back to back of Semi-final coverage it does all start to blur into one a bit.
I didn't see the audition episodes this year, so cannot comment about whether there were better/more deserving acts that "simply should have been put through and it's a crying shame/outrage that they didn't'" as I'm sure social media will be screaming, but from what I have seen this seems to be very much your standard 'Britain's Got Talent' fare.
I thought there were some good acts amongst the mix here tonight, and that the show offered some genuine variety.
Quite who told Alesha Dixon it'd be a good idea to attempt to relaunch her music career needs their head felt though. Dire.
Britain's Got Talent: 2024: Live Semi-Final 4 (2024)
2024: Live Semi-Final 4
After a few nights back to back of Semi-final coverage it does all start to blur into one a bit.
I didn't see the audition episodes this year, so cannot comment about whether there were better/more deserving acts that "simply should have been put through and it's a crying shame/outrage that they didn't'" as I'm sure social media will be screaming, but from what I have seen this seems to be very much your standard 'Britain's Got Talent' fare.
It might look a bit tired at times, but the format is stronger than the moving parts, and 'Britain's Got Talent' continues to be good old-fashioned entertainment.
Britain's Got Talent: 2024: Live Semi-Final 3 (2024)
2024: Live Semi-Final 3
The standard felt lower in thsi third semi-final.
Perhaps though having sat through two previously your enthusiasm does tend to dip a bit, especially when ITV butcher this so much by having adverts seemingly after every act has performed.
I liked the magicians, I liked the comedy singer, but apart from that it wasn't exactly vintage. The much vaunted/publicised singer at the end of the night wasn't much cop either unfortunately.
Overall though, 'Britain's Got Talent' still represents a great deal of fun, and there was enough Ant and Dec gold to carry through some of the perhaps weaker moments.
In for a Penny: Episode #6.4 (2024)
Fun
As ever, this programme is an absolute scream.
It may not be to everyone's tastes, but if they want to be bored they can always go and watch drivel like 'Love Island' or 'The Traitors'.
This is the sort of programme that people should be making. It's good old-fashioned silliness, and deserves more recognition than it gets.
Stephen Mulhern is in his element here, and his interaction with the members of the public is fabulous. You do wonder though whether there's unseen footage of them telling him to take a long walk off a short pier, but that's beside the point.
For regular moments of brilliance, this show is second to none.
In for a Penny: Episode #6.3 (2024)
Great fun
I think you'll be hard pressed to find a show that is offering more fun than this on a Saturday night. This is sunshine screaming from a screen.
ITV in their continued baffling wisdom (this is of course the network that continue to make 'Dancing on Ice', so what do I expect...) are burying this show this year. That's a real shame.
This is good old fashioned family entertainment, and it's a crying shame that it's being used as a warm-up act for lesser programmes.
I hope those that do enjoy it find it and continue to enjoy it though because we think it's an absolute scream and needs more promotion.
Top Gear: Episode #23.1 (2016)
Evans needs a friend. Enter Joey.
This was of course the grand relaunch of 'Top Gear' after Clarkson and co left.
Now, the format was always bigger than the presenters, and you would think by series 23 was pretty bullet proof.
Wrong.
The BBC made the fatal error of giving Chris Evans the keys. Evans is a man who hasn't been funny since the 90's (and even then it was questionable) and while he's certainly enthusiastic, bounces around in a manner bordering on desperation. There's one amusing moment where he makes an in-joke alluding to Clarkson's departure, but apart from that he just looks like a little boy lost.
Matt LeBlanc isn't even host, but he comes across as being far more assured.
The Big Bang Theory: The Bon Voyage Reaction (2013)
The Bon Voyage Reaction
Sending a character away on a science related trip again feels a bit like repetition, but here's hoping they manage to navigate Leonard's a darn sight better than they did Howard's. That storyline was the pits.
I thought this was a nice way to close out what has been a bit of a patchy sixth series of the show. Yes, there have been some lovely episodes, but a few too many filler/so-so ones for me along the way.
The Raj/Lucy storyline continues to be engaging, and even Sheldon's brief bit of worry about change was well-played too.
On the whole, this was a good episode, and the show again reminds us how good it can be. For me it just needs to be a bit more consistent in doing so.
The Big Bang Theory: The Love Spell Potential (2013)
The Love Spell Potential
I really like episodes of this show (and in sitcoms in general) where they just stick the characters in a room and let them drive each other bananas, and this is really what 'The Love Spell Potential' is.
It is a thinner episode, you can tell this by the fact that a lot of time is given over to Simon Helberg as Howard doing impressions. As a fan of 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' it's fun to see Helberg do his Nicholas Cage impression which he put to good use on that show back in the day again.
I thought the final moments between Sheldon and Amy were very touching actually, and their whole relationship has been beautifully played.
It doesn't always get it right, but when it is on form this is a very good sitcom.
The Big Bang Theory: The Proton Resurgence (2013)
The Proton Resurgence
It's not been the most consistent series of 'The Big Bang Theory' the sixth, with too many 'so-so' episodes in amongst the pack for my liking, but as it reaches its end it does seem to be picking up a bit more momentum and form.
This is another nice episode, boosted massively by having the legend that is Bob Newhart appear in a guest role.
Not only is he great, but you can see the rest of the cast lifting their game to meet him.
It makes for a fun episode, and both the plots work well.
If only this show could be as consistently good over a longer run of episodes.
Here's hoping this form though continues.
The Big Bang Theory: The Closure Alternative (2013)
The Closure Alternative
Now that this show seems to have branched out into telling three stories an episode to accommodate its larger cast (and the fact that everyone in it is able to carry their own storylines) the need for tighter/stronger plots is essential.
This episodes manages that quite nicely, with all the plots working well.
I like the slow growth in the character of Penny, and the continued Sheldon/Amy dynamic.
The storyline that works best though is the one involving Raj. His budding relationship with Lucy has been one of the highlights of this sixth series, and it's been lovely to see that character finally get some development.
All in all, one of the more complete episodes.
The Big Bang Theory: The Tenure Turbulence (2013)
The Tenure Turbulence
"The characters compete against each other for something".
This show has done that plot many times, and it's never my favourite avenue it chooses to mine for comedy potential, so to see it pop up again here didn't exactly make me jump up and down with joy.
This is one of the better attempts at using that plot though, especially anything that pits Sheldon up against Mrs Davis (a fun returning character).
It's also good how they developed it this time so that the girls were involved as well. Sheldon telling Amy to show some flesh to bribe the person making the decision about who would get tenure was good fun.
So overall, a tired premise, this time delivered better.
The Big Bang Theory: The Closet Reconfiguration (2013)
The Closet Reconfiguration
It doesn't do it consistently enough for my liking, but when 'The Big Bang Theory' gets it right, it really gets it right.
This is a wonderful episode, one of the best from series six, managing to capture a nice balance of heart and humour well.
The episode really makes use of the now expanded cast, giving everyone their own little moment to shine, and it works very well.
It's just a shame for me that this show that has such huge potential can't manage to produce a consistent run of episodes in this style, because there's all the talent in the world in front and behind the camera.
This was very good though.