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deronadams
Reviews
Taskmaster: A Yardstick for Failure (2023)
worst winner ever... well, so far
Sigh.
I love Taskmaster.
I love all of the foreign editions of Taskmaster.
I love 99.9% of the contestants on Taskmaster - even the ones whom I have not previously been aware, I found I grew to like them.
That's 99.9% - so, not all.
The ones I never grew to like were ones that brought nothing to the game - no style, no mojo, and, fatally, no humour.
Sadly, these unfunny ones actually *won* their season - helped, in the main, by Greg's capricious points. Sure, it's fun to see Greg throw points at someone, just to annoy other contestants, but, Greg has consistently been true to his own code - no cheating; no rule-breaking.
In this season, he threw those rules out, and threw points at the eventual winner, where those points were certainly unfairly/undeservedly accrued.
But, all of Greg's erratic point-giving could have been forgiven, if, IF, that appointee was funny, or, contributed something to the show beyond going from point A to point B.
This, sadly, was not the case this season. Greg, for whatever reason, plowed points to the current holder of the Dullest Player (so far) in TM history, to make that player the winner.
No cloud goes without a silver lining, though - I've seen the news that the winner will NOT be taking part in the next Champion of Champions, but, Kiell Smith-Bynoe will be acting as substitute. I actually shouted aloud with joy!
Midsomer Murders: A Climate of Death (2023)
shark jump? tick...
Upon reflection, it seems that MM jumped the proverbial shark with the departure of John Nettles.
Ever since his replacement arrived, the "new" Barnaby, the show has taken an ever-spiralling descent into blandness.
The current sidekick, Winter, has been reduced to nothing more than an empty-headed embarrassment, forever looking sheepish under Barnaby's incessant chiding.
And Barnaby is shown to be a dead-beat boss, forever skipping out on paying a bar/coffee tab as long as Winter is around.
Any humour that was found in this show has been painted bright orange, with bright flashing lights and directional arrows, to ensure that even the dullest viewer will understand - oh! Laugh NOW!
Yipes.
But, there's always dependable Fleur, the pathologist, who shock! Has done EVERYTHING under the sun and is SO clever, i am surprised that she even needs the detectives around to solve the case anymore. The writers have not discovered that smugness is not a virtue, and yet, Fleur reeks of it. Yuck.
The worst part of any episode has Barnaby's now-brainless wife tut-tutting him over the slightest insignificant thing - what does her character contribute to the stories nowadays?
Sigh.
The show is no longer entertaining, on any level - it has not even the saving grace of being unintentionally funny.
Dracula finally died after having a stake driven through his heart - it's time for the network to do the same to MM - it's over, folks, over.
Richard Osman's House of Games: Week 8: Monday (2018)
bully for them
SPOILER ALERT!
This is the legendary week where comic James Acaster was bullied both on and off camera by his fellow contestants. It all came to a head during the break between episodes 3 and 4, where, after his 3rd win, James was confronted by the other contestants who bullied him, simply because he was winning.
A shameful display of poor sportsmanship, as one can see how James is faced with passive-aggressive behaviour with increasing frequency throughout the shows.
At the end of the week, despite virtually not competing during the last two episodes, James does win the trophy, and, after celbratory drinks with the crew of the show, James destroys the trophy, putting the whole bad experience behind him.
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators: I No More Desire a Rose (2022)
not great; not good; just bad
This was so not worth waiting for.
As the alleged final epsiode, I had hoped that there'd be plenty of shenigans, plenty of laughs, but alas! That was not to be.
We were treated to a lump of coal in this year's Christmas stocking - I only hope they kept the receipt, as i'd like to return it.
The acting was sub-par, the omission of the main characters for the bulk of the programme, the terrible "mystery" and the final scene all led to a depressed feeling watching this episode.
The viewers deserved better, but, it seems that the writers took the holidays early, and let a group of chimps bash away at typewriters until something "good enough" arose.
If that is how any future seasons will go, then, this series has jumped the shark.
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown: Episode #22.6 (2022)
The Last of Sean Lock
It was great to see Sean Lock in his last aired episode of Cats Countdown, being, well, Sean Lock.
Being a fan of Harry Hill, it was also great to see him on the show, but the overall mood seemed a bit somber - perhaps those participating knew this would be Sean's final appearance, I don't know.
The evening was somewhat marred by the inclusion [what, again?] of. Nick Mohammed, doing his tired "Mr. Swallow" character, which was as unfunny in this appearance as it was in the first.
So long, Sean - you will be missed.
Vienna Blood: Darkness Rising (2021)
sigh - getting a bit soapy
The final episode of this season ends with an all-too-predictable ending.
This sort of torpedoed an otherwise mediocre plot - and why are the villians turning into cartoons?
Max's character's progress from last season has been demolished by the ending, whereas he decides to fool around with his ex-fiancee.
Really? After chasing the other woman all last season, getting somewhere with her this season, only to throw it all away?
Sounds very un-characterstic of Max - is the writer(s) having trouble at home?
The writing isn't as strong as the initial season, with nice charatcer development, but I fear it is going the way of Silent Witness - more melodrama than murder mystery.
Silent Witness: Matters of Life and Death: Part 2 (2021)
Murder mystery? No, soap opera
And not a very good one at that.
The writing isn't what it used to be for this show, which is a shame, as it was once better than the average soap opera.
The writers do not seem to know who the characters are, and don't seem to care. They think that character inconsistencies and plot holes can be covered up by LOUD background music/sound effects, but, alas! They cannot.
Man Down (2013)
bleeping good bleeping show
Man Down. I am a fan of Rik Mayall, Greg Davies, Roisin Conaty and also a fan of Mike Wozniak - what's not to like?
Well, the bleeping language. It's a bit bleeping extreme, even for some bleeper like me. Oh, I'm not a bleeping prudish when it comes to bleeping bad language, but the bleeping writers seem to have a limited bleeping vocabulary, and that tends to bleeping spoil the bleep out of the bleeping show.
AS Mrs. Doyle from Father Ted might say, it's bleep this, and bleep that, and don't even get me bleeping started on the bleeping sewer-mouthed Shakira.
The show could have been bleeping better - it could even have had some bleeping tenderness to it, but, bleep no.
Bleeping enjoyable, if you can get by the bleeping banter.
The Flintstones: Christmas Flintstone (1964)
um - they are "cave" men - BC, not AD?
I was always puzzled by this episode - oh, sure, it's fun & all, but premise of the Flintstones is that they are cave-men ie their zany adventures take place B.C., by which logic, there is no christianity - and thus, no christmas.
oh, well, you can't change the past - i'll just top up the rum content on the egg nog & go along with the gag.
Agatha Raisin: As the Pig Turns (2020)
where has the writing gone?
As season 3 progresses, it seems the writers have succumbed to the carbon monoxide poisoning that's been leaking into the writers' room - in short, As the Pig Turns is terrible.
The characters are cartoons, the dialogue is trite, and the acting of Agatha's portrayer is completely over the top - was Agatha always a clumsy buffoon who has trouble walking? Seems so!
Avoid.
Foncie's Photos (2013)
Vancouver through the eye of a lens
This documentary traces the career of Foncie Pulice, a street photographer who plied his trade in downtown Vancouver for over 40 years.
Foncie would take random pictures of everyday people as they unknowingly strolled in front of his camera, giving them a ticket from his photography shop as they did so, if they wished to buy a copy of the photo.
It's an interesting way to see how changes occur over those forty years, from fashion to automobiles, but it's also interesting how Foncie captures a moment from these people's lives.
And, interesting for my family, at least, my mom has a few of those very pictures that Foncie took of her, her family and friends when she was a youth living at the coast.
Thanks, Foncie.
Antonio Carlos Jobim: In Concert (2006)
Great live concert from the master of the Bossa Nova
Antonio Carlos Jobim: In Concert is a live concert from November 17, 1987, recorded at the Wiltern Theatre Los Angeles, California.
Jobim and his band perform 14 tracks, listed in order of appearance:
Samba de uma Nota Só (One-Note Samba); Desafinado; Água de Beber (Water To Drink); Dindi (Lead vocals Gal Costa); Wave (Lead vocals Gal Costa); Anos Dourados (Looks Like December) (Lead vocals Gal Costa); Gabriela (Lead vocals Gal Costa); Chega de Saudade (No More Blues); Two Kites; Samba do Soho (Lead vocals Paulo Jobim); Sabia; Samba do Avião (Song of the Jet) (Lead vocals Danilo Caymmi); Águas de Março (Waters of March), and, finally; Corcovado (Lead vocals Gal Costa).
The age of the film does not pale the excitement and joy in Jobim's performance, ably backed up by the ensemble for this concert, including some of his own family.
Doc Martin (2004)
Well, it's AN ending...
After watching the final episode of Doc Martin, I was sad to see the end of the series, but glad that the story arc realized its logical conclusion.
However, saying that, I felt that the end could have been better served if only the writers had connected a couple of story threads. In short, with Ellingham stepping down as a physician, and, the pub needing a new owner, the writers could have ended things quite happily with Ellingham taking over as the new pub owner, mellowing with time & becoming a much loved and beloved member of the community. And, at the same stroke, Bert & Al's future would be secured.
As a final thought, they also could have had Mrs. Tishell killed in a bus accident, freeing the Ellinghams from her ever-present threat to their safety - I never liked her, IMHO.