Tag Archives: TV

by | August 10, 2011 · 7:55 am

escaped lions+rioters+cancelled football=a good idea?

News that a Russian news agency has claimed that lions and tigers have escaped from London Zoo as a consequence of the rioters and are to be heard roaring on the streets of the capital had me in stiches. It was nice to have something to laugh about.

With the news that Wembley will be unemployed as the footie is cancelled perhaps there is a solution here that suits all. Let’s round up the big cats and set them loose on the pitch and then we can throw the rioters and looters to them. It should be a sell out live and think of the TV rights. Maybe we should get Bernie E on board to help sell them?

Think about it; the ultimate phone in viewer and audience vote; show the looters 10 at a time and have a vote on which order they get thrown to the beasties. Ought to go down a bomb yes? Beats all that Big Brother, X-Factor, Got Talent rubbish hands down, a vote ’em off show that really sends them off.

Hang on. Where was I? I think I’ve just woken up from a dream.

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by | August 9, 2011 · 10:39 am

an attitude to death

A couple of readers have question my attitude to death in the wake of recent posts. It is a simple one; we are going to die and we know that it will come to us at some point, so why not just accept it as being a truth and get on with living?

I first encountered death aged about 13. My grandparents were all long gone and the first body that I saw was not anyone that I knew, but there they were. Within months I tripped over the grim reaper again when I witnessed a road accident and one of the victims died despite the efforts of myself and others to save them. Since then I have seen others die in accidents, lost both parents and other relatives, friends, colleagues and acquaintences to a point where I have lost count. Maybe that toll has hardened me, but I think that it may be more that I have become used to death. It hasn’t diminished in its impact, but I have learned to cope perhaps?

My own end will come some day. I have come close more than once and realised some years back that, whilst I enjoy experienceing things in life, the last experience that I will have is that of dying. On that basis, when it comes, I will do my best to enjoy that too.

My belief is that when you die you are dead. There is no afterlife in my world, no heaven or hell, it’s just over and I will be gone. And so I will make the best of what time I have here, trying not to abuse the world around me and its many life forms and helping where I can.

Our time to go is our time to go. It may seem too early to others (or too late to some), but it is our time.Do I get angry over some deaths? Yes I do, and when I do I try to do what I can to speak out, but not to rant because you can’t undo death so why waste the effort? Instead I would rather use reasoned argument to try and change things so that there is less risk for the future.

As for emotional response to death, if you want to wail and nash your teeth over it then that is your choice. I choose to honour the dead my way.

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by | July 5, 2011 · 10:09 am

when tv adverts were fun – good sport your missus – another from Castlemaine XXXX

With their Ute teetering an the brink of disaster, could this pair have misunderstood the lady?

Watch it here and make up your own minds. Castlemaine XXXX at its finest perhaps.

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by | June 21, 2011 · 2:18 pm

the end of tennis as I knew it

I’ve read in the paper’s over the last few days about it being 30 years since a certain loud mouthed brat made his mark at Wimbledon, and almost in some way celebrating those events.

For me I can only mourn the passing of a game that I used to enjoy watching. J P McE may have made the game more exciting for some, but his blatant gamesmanship in producing those stage managed tantrums was a turn off and so I did. I’ve only watched part of one Wimbledon event since (some awfully piggy faced woman was making equally piggy grunts every time she hit the ball) and that was because I was a guest in the house; I would not have watched from choice.

The Brat should have been thrown out when he failed to heed the warning and told to come back when he could get on with the game. Instead they reduced tennis to the level of professional wrestling.

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by | June 13, 2011 · 8:00 am

when TV adverts were fun – Carling Black Label parody the Levi’s Launderette ad

The Levi’s launderette ad, where the handsome young man comes in and strips down to his boxers, was a memorable ad in its own right(see below), making a star of Nick Kamen and also bringing a new audience to the music of Marvin Gaye.

Then The Oblivion Boys had another go at it on behalf on Carling Black Label. Enjoy it here.

As a bonus, check out the original Levi’s 501 ad.

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by | June 12, 2011 · 7:12 pm

why are publishers so reluctant to pay up for content?

I’m in the process of having to take strong action against one publishing house and am actively chasing another for payment for articles that I have written for them and, in the former case, for several photos to accompany the article. Both articles have been published against agreed terms, so what is the problem with coughing up what is owed?

One problem is that it is taking me longer to chase them than it did to write the darn things in the first place, but I am going to keep going even if I end up taking them down the small claims route.

It is a shame as it takes away both the pleasure of having something published and any feeling of support for that publication, but such is life. There are a lot of shysters out there.

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by | June 11, 2011 · 7:24 pm

at last, arise Sir Bruce!

It’s long overdue, but at last Bruce Forsyth has got his knighthood, so the disappointment that I didn’t get mine (one in the family ought to be enough) is offset by the joy the Bruce has his, long overdue, reward for goodness knows how many years of entertaining us.

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by | June 6, 2011 · 7:00 am

when tv adverts were fun – something for the ladies?

Australian lager adverts in the UK have always shown an element of dry wit. This one is the old favourite “something for the ladies?” overloading of the ute (pick up truck) from Castlemaine XXXX. Enjoy:

Something for the ladies?

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by | May 30, 2011 · 6:48 am

when TV adverts were fun – whitbread abdul the bulbul emir

This is just one of a series, but features a young Stephen Fry as Ivan, an equally young Blackadder colleague Tim McInnerny as the minstrel and Tony Cosmo as Abdul.

The words used in the song in the ad are obviously geared around the product, but use the tune and general theme of the original as written by Frank Crumit in 1941 (ish) using Percy French’s 1877 poem,

A number of references to the song and the ad call it Abdul la BulBul Emir (and have assorted spellings of Emir). This possibly comes from a mis-hearing of the proper title Abdullah BulBul Emir. I had alway known it as Abdul the BulBul Emir from having first heard some rather rude versions over the years prior to seeing the Whitbreadversion, but, anyway, here is the clip:

Whitbread’s Abdul

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by | May 16, 2011 · 8:00 am

when TV adverts were fun – Carling Black Label on snooker

Another older clip and back with Carling Black Label. Here we have snooker world champions John Spencer and Terry Griffiths with top referee of the time Len Ganley and with the voice of the late “whispering” Ted Lowe. Spencer’s throw away “you ask him” at the end is a classic.

Anyway, enjoy the advert here.

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