Tag Archives: B.B.C.

Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War, Television Review. B.B.C.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast: Larry Hulme, Travis McMahon, Abe Forsythe, Caribe Heine, Peter Houghton, Clayton Watson, Dominic Gameau, Matthew Le Nevez, Ryan O’Kane, Brendan Cowell, Richard Davies, Alexander England, Nicholas Coghlan.

It could possibly leave younger viewers stumped at the fuss, however Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War is one of the finest pieces of television plays concerning cricket ever conceived for the medium. That though is not hard; as pretty much anything that tries to capture the intrigue, drama and microcosm of life that goes on within the test arena has been fairly awful. Unless it is one of those great documentaries narrated with elegance and knowledge of the game by the actor Jim Carter, then they tend to go the same way as the rather disappointing Bodyline miniseries from 1984, forgotten and not worthy of the moment in time it was ungraciously trying to capture.

Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War, Television Review. B.B.C. full post

(596 words, estimated 2:23 mins reading time)

Merlin, Television Review. B.B.C. Television.

Picture courtesy of the B.B.C.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath, Richard Wilson, Nathaniel Parker, Anthony Head, John Hurt, Michael Cronin, Eion Macken, Rupert Young, Alexander Vhalos, Emila Fox.

After a five series run, the B.B.C. television programme Merlin has come to its final ending. The trials and tribulations of the young apprentice sorcerer at the court of Camelot has reached its final and prophetic conclusion and whilst it should be mourned as it passes over to the realms of future repeats on unneeded digital channels and the mythology of future Trivia Pursuit questions. It should be noted that it was a much needed boost for Saturday evening television programmes, dominated at times by the surreal and those only ever interested in fame.

Merlin, Television Review. B.B.C. Television. full post

(471 words, 1 image, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Film Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Dean O’ Gorman, Aiden Turner, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, Aiden Turner.

 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Film Review. full post

(522 words, 1 image, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)

The Hairy Bikers Larger Than Life Tour, Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The Hairy Bikers, David Myers and Simon King, have become television cooking icons with their easy banter, superb knowledge of their craft and their towering personalities. These two men have made a contribution to the idea of combining cooking with the noble idea of the original B.B.C. mantra of Inform, educate and entertain.

In their case by travelling round the country and to far flung corners and blending the food of those places with a soft approach to laddish humour. It appeals to both genders and provides relief from the cooking shows that in some quarters can look down on their audience.

The Hairy Bikers Larger Than Life Tour, Empire Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(346 words, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

Steptoe And Son, Theatre Review. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.

Photograph by Steve Tanner. Dean Nolan, Mike Shepherd as Steptoe and Son.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Mike Shepherd, Dean Nolan, Kirsty Woodward.

Albert and Harold Steptoe, national comedy legends that were bought to B.B.C. television by the incredible writing of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, two men bound to each other through blood, despair, apathy and a small measure of distant attachment. No one could have predicted how much the two men would change the television viewing habits of the nation as they settled down each week to watch the Steptoe and Son.

Steptoe And Son, Theatre Review. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool. full post

(427 words, 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Brian Nash, Nasher Says Relax: Inside The Band And Beyond The Pleasuredome. Book Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The name of Frankie Goes To Hollywood still resonates down through the decades. From the band’s early days as the emerging Liverpool act to true world domination and the all too quick days that followed after the five men went their separate ways and the band was no more, every snippet of information is digested by their loyal fans.

Brian Nash, Nasher Says Relax: Inside The Band And Beyond The Pleasuredome. Book Review. full post

(467 words, 1 image, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)

The Hollies, Radio Fun. Album Review.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Among the many things to thank the B.B.C. for, somewhere near the very top should be that unlike the amount of early pioneering television programmes that were wiped to save money and space, at least the corporation managed to have the foresight to know where they could lay their hands on the early recordings of some of the more influential pop groups of the sixties.

The Hollies, Radio Fun. Album Review. full post

(461 words, 1 image, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)

The Secret History Of Our Streets, Television Review. B.B.C.2.

L.S Media Rating ****

At the time of Charles Booth, London was the biggest and most populated city the world had ever seen. An ever changing metropolis that Charles Booth mapped with great care and dedication on how each street fared in its social standing, position, the type of people who lived there and needs.

The Secret History Of Our Streets, Television Review. B.B.C.2. full post

(427 words, 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

True Love. “Nick”, Television Review. B.B.C. Television.

Originally published on L.S. Media. June 18th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: David Tennant, Joanne Froggatt, Vicky McClure, Lacey Turner, Luke Bryant, Jo Woodcock, Peter McNeil O’ Connor.

It may be the thought of Sky Arts encroaching into old familiar B.B.C. territory with their half hour series of plays that forced the channel to follow suit and commission Dominic Savage to write five stand-alone plays that break the boundaries of television drama production.  Whatever the reason, Dominic Savage came up with the goods in the first of these to be televised over the next few nights and in Joanne Froggatt, David Tennant and Vicky McClure they hit quality drama gold.

True Love. “Nick”, Television Review. B.B.C. Television. full post

(479 words, 1 image, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)

Bert And Dickie. B.B.C. Television. Television Review.

Originally published on L.S. Media. 26th July 2012.

Matt Smith and Sam Hoare as Bert and Dickie. Picture from the B.B.C.

L.S. Media Rating ****

Cast: Matt Smith, Sam Hoare, Geoffrey Palmer, Douglas Hodge, Thomas Arnold, Matt Barber, John Bird, Ron Cook, James Frain, Clive Merrison, Clive Russell, Sarah Vickers.

There will always be one story to come out of an Olympic Games that is ripe many years later to get a writer of quality excited and in turn the creative juices will bring about a script that is both touching and passionate and yet reveals the hidden anguish behind some of the great Olympians.

Bert And Dickie. B.B.C. Television. Television Review. full post

(453 words, 1 image, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)