Tag Archives: John Finnemore

Avenue 5. Series 2. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast: Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, Suzy Nakamura, Lenora Crichlow, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ethan Phillips, Himesh Patel, Jessica St. Clair, Kyle Bornheimer, Andy Buckley, Daisy May Cooper, Ada, Pålsson, Neil Casey, Lucy Punch, Justin Edwards, John Finnemore, Sacharissa Claxton, Leila Farzad, Jonathan Aris, Arsher Ali, Kelly Coughlin, Julian Ovenden, Priyanga Burford, David Fynn, Julianna Kurokawa, Joanna Scanlan, Amanda Lawrence.

To be given the opportunity to study the craft of a genius, that is surely all any writer or observer of life can ever hope to be gifted, and to be involved with one of Britain’s foremost political satirists and writers of modern farce, even in a viewing capacity, must be at the very least, sheer heaven.

John Finnemore’s The Wroxton Box. Radio Comedy Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: John Finnemore, Michael Palin.

The trouble is with the 20th Century, there are just too many candidates for the title of most destructive human to walk the Earth. Some merit their position purely by being in a position of power, by sending their armies into invade and cause annihilation of a particular people, of lives wiped out and their history’s erased purely out of suspicion and greed. For some though the misery they cause comes down to public arson, of dismantling the nation’s heritage all in the name of so called progress; Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher undoubtedly belongs in the column, and so too does the murderer of the Railways, Dr. Richard Beeching.

John Finnamore’s Double Acts: The Goliath Window. Radio Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Simon Kane, John Finnemore.

Looking back at the way the English language has evolved, advanced to a point where it was almost beautifully poetic, even when it was intended to deride and ridicule the pompous, arrogant or ridiculously self-important, it seems a shame that in the current age we seem to have fallen back on a much cruder tongue, to a point where even the insults are flat and rely on slugged barbs rather than wit, wisdom and the smile of a verbal attack well made.

John Finnemore’s Double Acts: Mercy Dash. Radio Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Julia McKenzie, Gus Brown.

The point of comedy is that it has to be seen as possible, that the situations we encounter in today’s world can traverse the boundaries and still be funny no matter the time or setting, for the modern viewers can claim programmes such as Only Fools and Horses explore the world that it inhabited to such a point that many of the scrapes encountered by the loveable Trotter rogues can still be seen to be relevant almost 40 years after their first airing. It has criss-crossed the times it was set and is able to make people laugh; the same is said for any programme in which today’s circumstances can still be seen for what they are, no matter what context they are set in, it is why programmes such as Fawlty Towers, Yes Prime Minister or even the hit American series Frasier, still works.

Cabin Pressure, B.B.C. Radio Four. Series Four Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Benedict Cumberpatch, Roger Allam, Stephanie Cole, John Finnemore.

The B.B.C. has always given comedy shows that gain a good following on the radio a big leg up to television when the time was right, the crossover a seamless and natural curve in the life of decent shows that grow up to big favourites on the small screen. From the days of Hancock’s Half Hour , the B.B.C. has nurtured the radio comedy like a gleaming talented child. It is a bit surprising to find that even after four series of the hilarious and cleverly written B.B.C. Four Extra programme Cabin Pressure, it still doesn’t seem to be any closer to getting the nod to transfer over.