And Now In Colour

Tim Firth, Tim de Jongh (aka Tim Scott), Michael Rutger (Michael Smith) and William Vandyck.
Oh. Not so catchy.
Back in the 80's and indeed early 90's, BBC Radio 4 produced many a Comedy Sketch Show.

Bodgers Banks and Sparkes, Dial M For Pizza, In One Ear, Live on Arrival, Saturday Night Fry, The Million Pound Radio Show and And Now In Colour.

Bodgers became Absolutely on Channel 4, Saturday Night Fry evolved into A Bit Of Fry and Laurie, Live on Arrival spawned Punt and Dennis. Andy Hamilton and Nick Revell grew out of The Million Pound Radio Show...oh you get the idea, but And Now In Colour remains one of the great missed opportunities in comedy.

Firthie, Tim, Mike and Will -- presented each show as if it was coming from some exterior location (fairground, space shuttle, top of the Post Office Tower and the spectacular French Special...), and spent most of the time squabbling about various recurring issues, notably Firthie's eating habits, Will's militarist upbringing and in particular the North-South divide, which usually became the North-South-Dutch divide as a result of Tim's interjections. Fish and Advocaat. And Mike's obsession with Stephen King. His surname of Rutger was his homage to Rutger Hauer.

It was in many ways a fairly traditional series for the period, with the weekly adventures being little set pieces linked by sketches and songs. I admit to being fairly obsessed with the programme, even wiring up my stereo to my old VCR one Saturday night because my girlfriend and I were going out that night, and I didn't want to miss it. Remember, this was a very long time before "Listen Again" Sky + or the lovely i-Player came into the world.
Unfortunately, this worked very well, which lead to me recording many, many hours of radio. I think my attic is still full of old Danny Baker, Phill Jupitus and Kevin Greening shows from variuos radio stations over the years. But I digress.
And Now In Colour should've been much bigger than it ever was. For a start it was funny, yes some of the sketches didn't work, but for 2 series and 2 Christmas Specials it maintained a hit rate 99% of Radio 4 Comedy these days would kill for. Well, maybe not kill, or am I underestimating the jealous nature of comedians.
A sort of television pilot was made called It's a Mad World World World, but it didn't really work. Possibly as it only had 50% of the ANIC cast, possibly because it had a crap title, probably because it had Alastair McGowan in it, and plans for a series fell by the wayside.
I can't help thinking that in this day and age it would be picked up by BBC 3, allowed to grow and eventually make it onto a 9pm slot on a Friday night on BBC 1.
A whole generation would be quoting lines like "If it's in a basket, it's free" rather than claiming to be "The only gay in the village". Which would be a much better world if you ask me.
Oh, you didn't.

The cast are still out there in various guises.

Tim Firth is an award winning writer of stage and screen, responsible for BBC tv's The Preston Front, the stage play for the musical Our House as well as writing the scripts for Calender Girls and Kinky Boots.

Tim De Jongh has written several books, the sketch series "Dare To Believe" and won a BAFTA for his work on the children's series "Ripley and Scuff".

Michael Rutger has reverted to his real name of Michael Marshall Smith, writes Fantasy Novels, and very good ones at that. And again, award winning. There is a theme emerging here.

William VanDyck writes books for children, presented King Stupid" on Radio 4, and has won many cases in his guise as a barrister.

Thankfully, the good people at BBC 7 repeat the series on a fairly regular basis. And long may they do so.

Spread the word.

Series 4

My pc blew up a fortnight ago. Literally. One minute I was downloading the Collins and Herring podcast, next thing, acrid smell, unusual grinding noise and the whisp of smoke and my connection with the developed world was gone.
Which is my excuse for not having bored you all rigid with my opinion about this series of Doctor Who.

However, gentle reader, thanks to a very reliable courier service and my shiny new laptop, say goodbye to that hollow feeling of Lack of Half Arsed TV Review misery.

I would be lying if I said there wasn't a point near the beginning of the series I was ever so slightly concerned where the show was heading.

Maybe it was me, my high expectations after so many high points, maybe I was all too ready to be disappointed in Catherine Tate, the fear of another Bonnie Langford, I don't know.

What I do know is that on initial viewing I felt a flatness to the series.

But I have to be honest, I have since gone back and started watching them all again and have found them to be fresh and highly enjoyable. For the most part.

First things first. The incidental music was a bit loud in the early episodes. As it was in the 2007 Christmas Special. And some of the very minor supporting actors were a bit rubbish, and some of the scenes featuring them can only be described as hammy and twee. But then again, I'm looking at it from the perspective of a, let's be blunt, middle aged man. And the show is aimed squarely not at me, but is part of BBC Ones's Saturday night Family entertainment package. So has to appeal to a rather broad audience.

So after a bumpy, and slightly noisy start, the series settled down, David Tennant and Catherine Tate formed a great double act. There was a good chemistry there, and it's sad to think that it will never be seen again. Incidentally, there is an episode of Radio 4's Chain Reaction out there with Catherine Tate interviewing David Tennant which is highly entertaining, and quite at odds with much of the comedy on Radio 4 these days, in that it's actually funny. God I miss And Now In Colour. And Bodgers Banks and Sparkes.

Sorry distracted again, I think it's the fact that the Spell Check on Safari seems to think that I want everything in American English.

And can I just say, Bernard Cribbens, how lovely was he? He was just wonderful as Wilf. Like a proper Grandad. Bless him and his wooly hat. Mind you, Donna's mum...what a bitch!

The monsters/aliens were pretty good too. Glad to see the Sontarans and The Ood back. And for once, the Daleks didn't get on my nerves, I suspect this had a lot to do with Julian Bleach's Davros. Dark, brooding, ever so bonkers, a pitch perfect portrayal. Maybe that's the problem with the minor actors. The series was filled with terrific actors. If they'd employed less talented "proper" actors, maybe the hammy ones wouldn't have been so obvious.

Oh, and I didn't think the Adipose were cute. I thought they were shit. And I'm not 100% convinced about the Beetle on Donna's back either. I take it that the props department were watching their Planet of the Spiders DVDs when they made that.

But these are minor quibbles. The Wasp was good. It was nice to see Martha back, and Mickey. Now that's one character who has been allowed to develop nicely. Way back in 2005, in Rose, he was just bobbins. Comedy Crap Boyfriend. I'm hoping there's a place for him in Torchwood now.

But one thing I did enjoy about this series was the fact that so much of it remained under wraps. Looking back, very few spoilers made it out. We had Rose's cameo in the first episode, the "Regeneration" and I watched the climax convinced that James Nesbitt or David Morrissey would be donning the Converse boots before the end of the 13th episode. But Tennant remains. For the time being, anyway. I quite like the idea of David Morrissey though. Maybe later.

Highlight, again, was the Steven Moffat episodes. In fact, the real highlight was the Episode Commentary Podcast with Moffat, Tennant and RTD. If it's not still on i-Tunes, I think you can still get it from the BBC Website, and it'll definitely be on the Boxset. But this series did have a higher percentage of good stories than in previous years. My other favourites included The Fires of Pompeii, the Sontaran double header and for just trying something different, The Unicorn and The Wasp and the slightly creepy Midnight.

So pretty much a big thumbs up of Uma Thurman/Even Cowgirls Get The Blues proportions all round. I may repost all of this in a couple of weeks once I've watched it all again. Re-writing history again as I change my mind. And rediscover favourite bits.

I'm just glad the series has remained so popular. The series climax attracted over 10 million viewers, which made it the most watched programme that week, and just goes to show that even with several hundred different channels out there, there is still an audience for good,high quality family entertainment on a Saturday night. Even if Last Choir Standing might make you think otherwise.

Still, it'll soon be Christmas.

David Tennant, David Morrissey, Cybermen and Victorian funerals. Hurrah!!!!

Time Team

Life, an update

Ahoy hoy.
I'm no good at this blogging thing. I'm easily distracted. Mind you I always have been, in fact some years back, my ability to be distracted hastened the end of a fairly bumpy relationship. Looking back I suppose it wasn't the brightest move on my part to try to phone in to a competition on Kevin Greening's Radio 1 show slap bang in the middle of a blazing row with my then girlfriend, but I did... Mind you, at the time 95% of our time was taken up with fighting, so whenever i phoned it would have been a bad time.
And in truth, I'd probably still do it. Apart from the fact that I'm unlikely to listen to Radio One again in a hurry, and of course Mr Greening has long since ceased from doing phone in competitions. Among other things.
Sorry I digress. See, easily distracted, told you.
Thinking back now, the prize was the complete back catalogue of the Pet Shop Boys on cd. Which at the time I already owned. Twice over. Still, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Although I'm pretty sure that "It Seemed A good Idea At The Time" may become my motto in life.
I went out a couple of weeks ago with some "young people" these dyas they are all into skiffle, hanging round milk bars, listening to the popular beat combos of the day, and we went out for a couple of drinks, and suddenly after a while I found myself thinking, "Hold on, it's daylight again...how did that happen?" Now I'm nearly 40, I work in a popular High Street bank, well, I work in a bank anyway, and my life has calmed down a lot since the 90's. I got home at 5am, and I finally recovered about 10 days later. 10 days. They want to do it again next week. This time dressed as PIRATES!
I can't do it.
There was a time when I could go out till 5, and indeed later, and still make it into work for 9. And there was a time when I would have been happy to go out as a Pirate. But not now. I'm old enough to be their dad. I take 10 days to recover. They want to hit the town, and all I can think about is, "But I'm going to miss Casualty".
So, now, here on this patchy blog, I shall admit it. Say it loud, say it proud...
I am middle aged.
There, I've said it. I don't want to be up at 5am anymore.
Oh shit, I've just realised my life has become a Janis Ian lyric. Again. Only this time I'm not depressed about being 17 anymore...

Tea and Sympathy

I don't want to ride the milk train anymore
I'll go to bed at nine and waken with the dawn
And lunch at half past noon and dinner prompt at five
The comfort of a few old friends long past their prime

Pass the tea and sympathy for the good old days long gone
We'll drink a toast to those who most believe in what they've won
It's a long, long time 'til morning plays wasted on the dawn
And I'll not write another line, for my true love is gone

When the guests have gone, I'll tidy up the rooms
And turn the covers down, and gazing at the moon
Will pray to go quite mad and live in long ago
When you and I were one, so very long ago

Pass the tea and sympathy for the good old days long gone
We'll drink a toast to those who most believe in what they've won
It's a long, long time 'til morning plays wasted on the dawn
And I'll not write another line, for my true love is gone

When I have no dreams to give you anymore
I'll light a blazing fire and wait within the door
And throw my life away, "I wonder why?" they all will say
And now I lay me down to sleep, forever and a day


Pass the tea and sympathy, for the good old days are dead
Let's drink a toast to those who best survived the life they've led
It's a long, long time 'til morning, so build your fires high
Now I lay me down to sleep, forever by your side

See. Easily distracted.
Right, I suggest that if you haven't already, get yourself a copy of Between The Lines by Janis Ian. Forgive my ramblings today, this isn't the post I was going to do. But you know how it is.
Oh, and count the shadows.

Oh For Fuck's Sake

Not the first Dick to become Mayor of London

Humph

Humphrey Lyttelton 1921 - 2008
Samantha tells me she has to go now as she's off to the country residence of her new gentleman friend, who has some interesting birds in the thicket. He keeps a young chicken, but Samantha says there are also wild breeds there, and she can't wait to see his Woodcock, Pullet and Swallow."

"Samantha is something of a keen horse woman, and she tells me that she's off to see a trainer who's offered her the chance of a couple of races he wants her to contest. She's quite excited, as he's prepared to drop his jockeys to enter her at Newmarket."

"Samantha is a qualified croupier and often works at an exclusive Soho club where gamblers pay top money to play roulette all day and poker all night."

"Samantha is off on a dinner date with a gentleman friend from Moscow who's brought over a variety of caviares and an array of vodka-based aperitifs. She says he's going to offer her delicious food in his hotel room and then liquor out on the balcony."