The Cellar

Yes yes, I know it’s Eurovision tonight (and Thursday) (and Saturday) but we live in a FAST MOVING WORLD, so here are some interesting things we’ve gathered today:

• Can you draw? Victory Television are looking for people to draw something for Draw It! The prize is a verbal or written credit. The pilot filmed today, so if you went let us know what you think. I think if it’s an hour it’s dead before it begins, and we hope it places heavy emphasis on comedy.
• SRO Audiences seemed to have turned something up called The Face for Sky Living, which seems to be a modelling version of The Voice, featuring Naomi Campbell as a mentor. I look forward to seeing how the blind auditions pan out for that. Actually it might be more like The X Factor, but that doesn’t allow me to make a clever joke.
• The people behind The Amazing Race and Lord of the Rings are planning a reality game called The Quest for ABC. Details via The Futon Critic, but it sounds Very Much Like The Sort Of Thing We Like, although we’re not massive fans of LOTR, or indeed The Amazing Race these days.
• Whodunnit? starts in the US on June 23rd. I’m looking forward to this, especially if they don’t take it too seriously (the show’s being hosted by the estate’s butler, which is a good sign). Something doesn’t quite add for me about the premise – there’s a murder mystery each week, but one of the contestants is also the murderer but a different murderer murdering the contestants and they’ll be unmasked at the end of the series which sounds a little silly, but I’m hoping I’ve missed some important plot point and that it’s an enjoyable reversioning of Mole-der in Small Town X.
• New episodes of Pointless begin May 27th.
• Finally this Saturday some folks in the US are doing a 24 Hour Game Show Marathon for cancer charities. Last year it was quite good fun, this year they have bigger intentions, and it will all be streamable. If you enjoy it, give generously. And if you want to participate then donate more than $25 now for a chance. The fun begins at noon Baltimore time, which is 5pm UK time.

Alright, the Olympics are practically over and we have to get back to normality (until the Paralympics start). In the meantime you ought to know that my e-mail is currently buggered, so if you need to get me then try and catch me on Twitter or something.

Here’s what’s interesting on this week:

• The Great Escape – Glad I stuck with this. (Sunday night, TNT in the US).
• Pointless – New episodes! They’ve just recorded 100 more, and I think there were still episodes left over from the last batch they recorded. So look out for more repeats in about a fortnight’s time. (Monday, 5:15pm. BBC1)
• Amazing Race Australia – The final three episodes of what has been an enjoyable series go out Monday – Wednesday nights.
• Big Brother - I’m going to lump all of it here. It’s the civilian final of BBUK on Monday night (9pm, Five) and then Celebrity BBUK begins on Wednesday (9pm, Five). Whatsmore new Australian BB starts on Monday on Channel 9.
• The Olympbrig Boxing – Poker! Tuesday at 8:30 and all the details here. I’m currently looking a bit lonely
• And that’s it until…
• All New Total Wipeout – all old jokes. (Saturday, 5:25pm, BBC1)
• Red or Black - We’ll have a show discussion thread about this. (7:15pm and 9:15pm)
• The X Factor – New series (Saturday 8pm ITV1)
• Secret Fortune - This week has Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull as lead-in. Good luck! (Saturday, 8:20pm, BBC1)
• Fort Boyard – and adventure fans are well catered for on France 2 (Saturday 7:35pm UK time, France 2)

Olympic Games? WHAT Olympic Games?

In other news, it looks like another episode of Bother’s Bar favourite quiz-with-deathtraps Japanese show Escape Game DERO! has been translated into English. And here it is! Only three rooms this time though.

Friend of the Bar VierkanteO explains that the new series of De Slimste has been doing very well in the Netherlands, yet there’s still no sign of a UK version. FOR SHAME.

Finally US host Bill Rafferty passed away at 68 over the weekend. Here’s a video of him hosting the original US version of Every Second Counts:

Right, I’m busy for the next few days (although I will still be sproadically around) so here’s a Board of Excitement to tide you over:

• The Great Escape (Sunday Night, TNT in the US) – Episode two of this turned out to be slightly more interesting than episode one, so we’ll see.
• It’s my birthday (Monday, all day) – 31, in case you were wondering.
• Amazing Race Australia (Monday) – This is still a great series generally, but there have been fewer surprising challenges compared to the first one this time round I feel.
• All New Blockbusters (Challenge, 8pm) – The new series begins with a christmas celebrity special.
• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: The People Play - Three evenings of live shows beginning Monday at 9pm with members of the public. This time round you can play along at home and the results will get announced from the studio, and there’s an “Ask the Nation” lifeline. There will be a Show Discussion post set-up for these specials.
• King of The Mountains (Thursday 8:30pm, Pokerstars) – it’s Le Tour, so it’s time for Le Tour(noi). $10 buy-in tournament. All the details here. It’s open to anybody elegible.
• Reflex (Friday) – This is filming up in Salford. We have people going so look out for a write up.
• Fort Boyard – 2011 episodes on TV5 (not being shown in the original broadcast order, in case you were wondering) on Saturday at 5:24 apparently, although it was meant to be 5:26 this week just gone and they slipped in a ten minute extra programme. Meanwhile episode 2 of the 2012 season goes out on France 2 at 7:35pm UK time, although that was about ten minutes late yesterday as well. Those pesky French and their timekeeping, eh? Discuss the 2012 season through this link.

I can’t remember the last time there was a Board of Excitement, precumably because there’s been very little excitement over the previous weeks. Here we are though:

• Tipping Point (Weekdays, 5pm, ITV1) – Ben Shephard hosts a quiz based around those coin pushers you see in the arcades. Top prize is £10,000 apparently, there’s a Show Discussion post about this set up for 2pm tomorrow.
• Amazing Race Australia (Monday, Australia) – this continues to be very good, although last week’s episode was slightly weaker than the others.
• And then not very much until SUPER SATURDAY.
• Who Wants to Be A Millionaire (Saturday) – This is for a recording where they try out some new game elements (presumably as a test for the civilian live shows the following week). I was hoping to go to this myself, but a friend’s birthday dinner is falling on the same day so I’ve had to cancel. If you go then of course we are interested in your thoughts. There do not appear to be any tickets left for it.
• Fort Boyard 2011 (Saturday, 5:26pm, TV5Monde Europe) – Last year’s batch…
• 17 Meter (Saturday 7:15pm UK time, Pro 7) – The Whole 19 Yards lives on in Germany. Sounds like there’s some sort of interhost team rivalry being set up this time round.
• Fort Boyard 2012 (Saturday, 7:35pm UK time, France 2) – This year’s batch. So exciting!

OK, there’s a new show called The Great Escape beginning on US network TNT this evening.

This looks terrific, no?

In other news, very pleased that Amazing Race Australia did something I thought would have been a good idea years ago to get round one of the show’s more stupid elements – namely the kicking of teams when they’re down (who wants an exciting finish anyway?) – rather than penalize a team behind you at the time, teams secretly vote for who they wanted to do a U-turn on the leg before catching a plane to the next destination, the results of the U-turn not found out until after the detour so not limiting it to people behind you but any team in the race. A chance to peg back a strong team rather than have a foregone conclusion, doubly helped by having enough of a leg after to have a chance of fighting back. Good work Australia, and good work Israel who apparently did it first. Now bloody watch it if you’re in Australia – it’s been moved to Monday nights now and is not rating brilliantly.

What have we got to numb the pain of existence of this week?

• Mix It Up Real Good - We’re playing 2-7 Triple Draw Limit Lowball tonight. It’s a free game, and you’re welcome to join us regardless of talent or league ambition. Details here, register early is my advice.
• Wie is De Mol? – The Anglicised version of this usually comes in Monday. It’s the only reality show on telly I’m bothered about at the moment, but I will advice also that The Amazing Race and Survivor are on this week tonight and Thursday.
• Cleverdicks – For what it’s worth I will set up a show discussion post for this tomorrow, although as it’s on Sky Atlantic I don’t know how well viewed it’s going to be. Sounds like it would be better suited to Sky Arts. Friend of the Bar Dave Matthews sent us a recording review late last year. (7pm, Weekdays, Sky Atlantic)
• The Exit List – Last in the series and probably ever. (8pm, Tuesday, ITV1)
• Accumulate! – Watch them all here. (Thursday)
• Jacpot! – Spotted this in Iain’s TV guide, it is OF COURSE a new version of the US 70s and 80s quiz Jackpot! which was popular in Wales for a bit. (8:25, Friday, S4C)
• Pointless Celebrities – This week Brian Blessed and Anthea Turner are on. (6:05pm, Saturday, BBC1) The civilian version continues weekdaily at 5:15pm on BBC1.