Minty123 Reviews

Respectable (2006– )

Very funny comedy show

[28 September 2006]

We stumbled across this show by accident one evening, flicking across the channels before bed, and instantly loved it. It features a lonely, unhappily married man called Michael who visits Debonnaire, a brothel - not for sex but for the company and companionship of one of the girls, Hayley. He is very attracted to her, but is in denial about the fact that she is a prostitute, and likes to think of her more as a close friend who he can talk to.

The characters who work in Debonnaire are varied, and each one is hilarious in her own way. Maureen is the owner of the establishment, 60 if she's a day, and has catchphrases that would make your hair curl. She "takes her turn" along with the rest of the girls and wouldn't change her job for anything. Yelena is Serbian, and her direct man-hating attitude and sneering attitude to the other girls makes her one of the best characters for me. Kate is a student, working there to finance her way through her studies, and sees the job as a practical means to an end. Hayley is very naïve, and has a childlike personality but there is something very endearing about her and we can all see why Michael likes her so much.

If you haven't seen the show, I'd recommend you watch it - it's full of great lines and fantastic characters, and will have you laughing from start to finish (and for days afterwards as you remember parts again!)

Something Special (2004–2012)

Very good show for learning basic sign language

[27 April 2006]

This show is obviously aimed at very young children, as it is full of repetition, and basic sentence structure. The best thing about it, at least for me, is that it features some very basic sign language, to help children learn to sign the various words that they may come across. For example, one show has a sea theme, and we learn the signs for dolphin, crab, octopus, and fish. The presenter stays positive and enthusiastic throughout, and there is encouragement for the viewer to join in with the signs, and lots of colour and stories to keep the child involved.

I think this is a great show, it teaches sign language in a positive way, and I would love to see more shows like this on TV.

Titch (1997– )

A great series for younger children

[25 April 2006]

Titch is a children's program, about a small boy with two older siblings, Mary and Peter, and a black and white cat called Tailcoat who follows him everywhere. Titch always wants to join in with his brother and sister as they play, but they tend to think of him as a nuisance, as he's too small.

I have always been a fan of the "Titch" books, and I have to say the TV series does a very good job of conveying the stories. Titch even looks the same as I always imagined him from the books, with his big baggy blue jumper and red boots. It's easy to feel his frustration and isolation as he struggles to keep up with his brother and sister, and feel happiness when he manages to do something, or he diverts the disaster he's created for himself!

This is a great series for younger children.

Dog and Duck (1999– )

Great show for young children.

[13 April 2006]

Dog and Duck is a children's show, featuring a toy dog on wheels (the kind that a small child would push along as he learns to walk) and a toy duck. Although they are toys, they come to life when their owners aren't around. The two get into all sorts of situations in their house, usually Dog is the one who gets into trouble in some way, or gets over-excited about something, and Duck is the more sensible one who comes to the rescue and gets them both back out of trouble.

This is a great show for young children, with a really catchy theme tune. The voices for Dog and Duck fit the toys perfectly, and (as with all good children's shows) often there is a hidden message in the episode as well. It's worth mentioning the other toys in the toy box too, who include Tortoise and Elephant. If you haven't seen this show, I'd recommend giving it a try.