Show Discussion: The Apprentice 2010

By | October 6, 2010
20 Comments

BBC1, 9pm

Lord Sir Alan Sugar returns with some more people who would like to work for him. It’s interesting that the US show is in the ratings doldrums, yet the UK show seems to go from strength to strength. As I have said previously, The Apprentice is a blind spot for me, so would anyone like to have a guess as to why that might be?

In other news, Bid TV is ten years old today and has a new set and graphics. Years ago when it was Bid-Up TV and acted like a proper auction, I found it majorly addictive to watch – engaging personalities, Peter Simon shouting at viewers and shopping that felt like a gameshow. These days it’s no more than a standard shopping channel with exciting sounding music beds. Still though.

Fun Thing Someone Else Found on Youtube Tuesday

By | October 5, 2010
5 Comments

Yeah why not. I actually saw this a while ago, and was reminded about it by Radinden on Twitter, it’s Princeton vs Agnes Scott Colleges in the General Electric College Bowl from 1966. Here is Part 1, parts two and three are easily found:

Forget the quiz, I’m intrigued by the sponsorship plugs.

Truly what modern University Challenge requires is a return to the good old Gascoigne days of variable bonus questions (I wonder why they were standardized when the show was bought back?) and, of course, Pass the Stick.

If you’re in the UK and you’d like to support The Bar, I’d appreciate it if when you order your things through Amazon, you click the Amazon link in the top left corner, there. You don’t have to buy the item in question, the logo will take you to the front page and I’ll still get a little cut. I’ll have put up £300 in competition prizes this year!

This is basically a roundabout way to advertise something in the US Store, mainly its Deal or No Deal Wii game which offers “1-4 player co-op play”, “upgradable weapons” and “classic 1950s movie locations.” Forget the recent Millionaire revamp, this is the version of Deal we’ve ALL been waiting for!

Teflon Cowell-ted

By | October 4, 2010
24 Comments

Doubtless you will have seen this piece that’s been floating round – The X Factor‘s Katie Waissel was on the books of Sony BMG (the company that Simon Cowell works for) and oh look! She appears to have made the final twelve ahead of several people apparently more talented.

Of course, this should be an outrage. And yet. And yet and yet and yet. Nobody cares because over certain things, people basically secretly enjoy being wound up. It allows them to have an opinion on something, and they’ll keep watching to see precisely how wound up they get, despite protestations that they will never watch again. Also that Simon Cowell is a bit of a bastard isn’t he? That’s exactly the sort of thing we’d expect from him, and so we secretly chuckle along because that’s sort of what we want.

The X Factor has only ever superficially been a singing competition. Sure, the cream rises, but the first six weeks of the live show or so have always really been about the order that never-had-a-chances go out and the SHOCKING DRAMA AND OUTRAGE when they go out in the wrong perceived order. Hint to Fantasy X Factor managers: Like Jedward last year, Katie isn’t going anywhere for a few weeks.

In other news: it’s Only Connect this evening!

In other other news, I’m not entirely sure I can be bothered following The Amazing Race this season. And I’m not really feeling Survivor either. This certainly isn’t the first time I’ve given these shows a break and come back to them seasons later, although I am quite looking forward to following this season of The Challenge. And I have yet to watch last week’s 71 Degrees North. Can anyone give good reasons why I would be wrong to take a break from these shows for the moment?

Sunday Sunday

By | October 3, 2010
13 Comments

Sundays are normally boring of course, but tonight there’s The Cube and The X Factor finalists revealed. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?

The forms for our second BIG PRIZE competition of the year will go up before 10pm hopefully. Good luck!

Edit: And we’re off!

The INTERACTIVE Board of Crushing Inevitability 3rd October-9th October

By | October 3, 2010
12 Comments

Not much new stuff to get excited about this week, but let’s go through the motions anyway:

  • The Cube (6:45pm, Sunday, ITV1): This week, a man attempts to win £250,000 by playing EGGBOIL, where he must successfully boil an egg to a required consistancy and all without the aid of a clock.
  • Fantasy X Factor Launch (9:30pm-ish, Sunday, Bother’s Bar) – The unofficial X Factor fantasy competition returns for its fourth or fifth year, I forget which, with another £100 up for grabs. The rules and points scoring will go up later today, and the forms soon after the final 12 (OR ARE THEY???) are released. Oh, The X Factor is also on as well, variously.
  • The Amazing Race (Sunday, CBS): I went to Stonehenge, and all I got was a lousy watermelon right in the face. This was hilarious, because we all knew it was coming but the editors were happy to play the “will it/won’t it?” card for as good five minutes. The Amazing Race also represents the only time people get excited about the UK road network.
  • Only Connect (8:30pm, Monday, BBC4): Fantasy Writers vs Bridge Players, it says here.
  • 71 Degrees North (9pm, Tuesday, ITV1): It’s cold, apparently.
  • Survivor: Nicaragua (Wednesday, CBS): Episode two’s epic Tribal Council not withstanding, I’m not quite feeling this one yet. Hopefully this will change.
  • The Challenge: Cutthroat (Wednesday, MTV US): It’s not usual to advertise an MTV show, but having watched the last season of The Challenge I think I will bill this one – sure it’s mainly good looking young people getting drunk and arguing in a house, but the tasks are on the whole fun and quite demanding. This season unfortunate contestants will be sent to The Gulag to fight for survival. Which is tasteful. It should be available from the usual sorts of places.
  • The Apprentice (9pm, Wednesday, BBC1): Sir Lord Alan Sugar is back with Nick Hewer and new adviser Karren Brady in tow. I’m going to be honest, The Apprentice is a massive blind spot for me. I know its the sort of thing I think I’m likely to enjoy, and do tend to enjoy it when I watch it but I’ve just never got round to doing it properly. I will try and make the effort this time round though.

What else is getting YOU excited?