That’s Yer (Pi)Lot: Stars in a Spin

By | August 31, 2011
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Films in Machester today. Is anyone going to it? I’m interested to hear what you think.

I can’t say the title fills me with a great amount of confidence, second only to Guess the Star in the category of shows likely to rate less than 3m on the title alone stakes. Stephen Mulhern’s hosting this.

Show Discussion: Minute to Win It

By | August 30, 2011
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8pm, ITV2

Alright so this is on tonight and in true Bother’s Bar fashion these days I’m going to have to watch it on catch-up, although it’s alright because I was in the audience for one of the episodes.

It’s quite a different take on the original format, here two teams led by Joe Swash and Caroline Flack battle against each other in a number of minute-long games, emphasis on fun, one team gets a shot at a decent cash prize. I’ve no idea why Darren McMullen of the Aussie version is hosting this but he is and I thought he was quite good, so.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Board of Excitement 28th August – 3rd September 2011

By | August 28, 2011
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Another big week for new shows:

  • Penn and Teller Fool Us Special: Although this isn’t one of them, obviously. However it does feature Martin Daniels off of Lingo doing his dad’s all time favourite trick (that’s legendary magician and gameshow host Paul Daniels, for the hard of comprehension). (9pm, Sunday, ITV1)
  • Only Connect: This week Analysts take on mid-decade indie Joy Division rip-off sensations The Editors in the battle of wits. Or some editors, at any rate. (8:30pm, Monday, BBC4)
  • Take the Money and Run: I had a chance to catch up with this over the weekend. It was good. (Tuesday, ABC)
  • Minute to Win It: Well Cadbury haven’t sent me any chocolate yet, so this is what we’ll call it because that is what it is. Anyway I went and saw one of these being recorded and I enjoyed it a lot. I have literally no clue what sort of rating constitutes a success on ITV2 on Tuesday night, especially as it’s the night ITV1 tends to tank. (8pm, Tuesday, ITV2)
  • The Million Pound Drop – Live! Back for your next six Fridays and Saturdays, the key thing to watch out for here is that it’s Endemol Key Demographic Ratings Smackdown as on Fridays  it clashes with the ever popular Big Brother eviction night on Five (although as there is a secret eviction on Wednesday, I’m idly pondering whether there’s going to be an eviction on Friday). Interesting, or indeed, not. I’ve just noticed it’s on for an hour-and-a-half every night! (9pm Friday, 9:15pm Saturday, C4)
  • Epic Win: It’s not set the ratings alight, but I like it so sod you, Britain. (5:20pm, Saturday, BBC1)
  • Red or Black? Well soon the speculation can end, it’s TV’s self-styled biggest event of the year – seven nights (not quite consecutive as there’s a sports game on midweek) where seven millionaires could be made and all they have to do is watch Derren Brown’s The System by the sounds of it. It’s got the best possible opening and ending night – both scheduled before and after The X Factor – the early show each night being the route to the live finals, and the half hour show later in the evening being the live whittling from eight to one and the determining spin of the wheel. It’s so ridiculously ambitious I’d quite like them to pull it off, but will the reality match the hype? (7pm and 9:15pm, Saturday, ITV1)

Saturday Night’s Alright for Writing 27th August 2011

By | August 27, 2011
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Yes, new computer means the return of that picture of Elton John for a round up of your competitive entertainment tonight:

  • Epic Win – 5:25, BBC1.
  • Total Wipeout Celeb Special – 6:10, BBC1 – of note because it’s the first one on the new series five course, but the 11th to be filmed.
  • All-Star Family Fortunes – 7:00, ITV1 – The unlikely match-up of Pauline Quirke vs Jo Whiley.
  • The X Factor – 8:00, ITV1.
  • The National Lottery Secret Fortune – 8:00, BBC1.

Have a good evening!

“He thinks it’s Disneyland!”

By | August 26, 2011
2 Comments

Here’s a fun thing I came across, it’s an episode of Australian Wheel of Fortune from 1984. I like Aussie Wheel, despite everything (odd scoring system, wheel that carries on spinning forever), it’s got spunk. The host is Ernie Sigley who these days would come across as a slightly dodgy uncle I think and probably says something about how Australia may have changed culturally in the last thirty years. The hostess is the famous Adriana Xenides, letter turner for about 20 years, one of the first letter turners to have a speaking role in fact:

It’s the first Celeb Big Brother live eviction tonight, probably for the best if you talk about that in this post here.