I spend too much time watching television so if I write a bit about I maybe I can justify my actions. Here’s what has been flickering before my eyes recently:

The Big C is a new series on the network which is as good as HBO aka Showtime. No idea about anyone planning to screen it in the UK, as is often the way with new things that I like (see Party Down and United States of Tara for other examples of this) and this caught my attention because it has Laura ‘The Actor Previously Known As Mary Ann Singleton’ Linney in the lead role and she’s always pretty damn good in everything. She plays a rather uptight woman who finds out that she has cancer but it’s more about how people react to bad circumstances and the weird behaviour of humans rather than a miseryfest pity party ‘dark’ kind of comedy. Only seen the first episode but I liked it a lot.

True Blood is now in its third year over on HBO and is definitely more confident now. The wobbly first season which I temporarily gave up on is a distant memory now and they’ve got that third season peak thing going on like Buffy (if you want a lazy vampiric comparison). This year is pretty much Twin Peaks + gore + sex + silly accents + more gore so that’s all fine by me.

The Great Outdoors is a quiet little BBC Four comedy that did its three episode run with little fanfare but caught the attention of people who like an amusing character comedy. It’s the least ‘sit’ sitcom ever as the characters are part of a walking group and if you liked Rev recently you may well like this too. It’s on the iPlayer (for now) and there’s a link a few lines up on the name of the programme.

Hung is another HBO show and there are a lot of those around as it’s the Summer time. Series one of this was a bit just ok but year two is coming together nicely as we are used to all the characters and the comedy can come a lot easier. Easily my favourite comedy drama about a male prostitute.

Persons Unknown is a nice silly mainstream American mini series (on NBC) so nobody can say fuck or bugger which is a bit weird to me. It’s got a finite lifespan so the plot is rattling along nicely and it is a bit like what the recent disappointing remake of The Prisoner should have gone for. It has Dee from Battlestar Galactica in it as a completely different character (both butch and violent! Excellent!) that what we are used to so hurrah for acting and that.

Grandma’s House is currently on BBC2 on Monday nights and even though we’ve all remarked that Simon Amstell is not the world’s greatest actor the writing is good and it’s a half hour of enjoyable domestic comedy which always contains a couple of moments I can relate to … and so will you if you have been to family gatherings as an adult. So that’s pretty much everybody then and mine are from Essex so I get a bonus point. Bound to be on that iPlayer as well as the telly.

Louie is my current favourite comedy. It’s just very very good at being funny and also having a point to it, which sounds simplistic but this is pretty essential. It’s on FX in America so will probably end up of fucking Sky.

That Mitchell & Webb Look is that thing that I have written about quite often on my other blog and it’s still on the iPlayer. The hit and miss sketch show (for that is what it is) is still good fun although by the time it gets to being on my telly I’ve run out of LOLs due to note books, blogs and generally waflling on about it a lot.

Haven is a newish sci-fi-ish show on that American channel they all SyFy and it’s apparently based on a Stephen King book (or is it a short story? I have no idea). It’s corny fun if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing and it uses the following familiar types of plot: city cop and local cop team up, small town with secrets, inevitable sexual tension and big life-changing secret from the past, all with slightly dodgy CGI.

We’ve also been still watching Emmerdale with our dinner as it’s quite fun and not just because of Duncan Preston’s jacket potato fillings plotline, the sheer volume of sarcasm from nearly every character, Amanda Donohoe doing that face at the cliffhanger, an interesting soap opera gay couple or the oddness of Pauline Quirke being there. Yes i am an old pensioner. I blame that trip to the Yorkshire Dales.

It’s all about my other blog today aka That Mitchell & Webb Log what with the sketch show returning tonight at 9 on BBC2. If you like to laugh then I suggest you tune in…

Ah, happy memories of attending those warm-ups , recordings and schmooze-a-thons with nibbles and booze.

All new!

Basically the same!

Yes, I am back from outer space (well technically just The BBC, Waitrose, Up North and John Lewis) with a sad look upon my face because I am a year older and shall blame those stoopid locks. Anyway, enough with the Gloria Gaynors, I have a new Word Press (or is Wordpress one word?) version of my blogs as Blogger was becoming as reliable as a Sugababes line up (of the musical not criminal kind). So what to do with it now? Er…

Did that on Friday, as seen on The Other Blog. Full report over there as usual.

Did this over the last month or so and very nice it is too… a truly geeky lounge now completed. Now for all the other rooms of our house to be sorted out, which may take us up to the debut of the 13th Doctor.

Worst tabloid headline of the day award goes to this:

It’s funny because his character is called Potter which they have changed to Botter because Bot is short for Bottom which is what those gays like putting their penises into. Oh my sides have split. Ouch.

Obligatory Doctor Who nerdgasm:

Big Finish kept Doctor Who alive through the wilderness years before Russell “Tea?” Davies jizzed his magical gay space love all over it and made it the merchandising opportunity it is today, and they are having a fine 2010 so far. These two plays are part of a current fashion for interesting old-yet-not-quite-as-before teamings of Docctors and companions of yesteryear and are just two of the reasons why I have re-subscribed. Great for tube journeys where I cannot be distracted by visual stimulation and highly recommended. Also: Tegan bloody Jovanka, which has still not become official Cockernee rhyming slang to the best of my knowledge .

And finally, to test out this new YouTube embedding function, a music video from We Have Band:

They do indeed have a band and a very fine band it is too.

From my other place aka That Mitchell & Webb Log :

In an exciting role-reversal of my day job a very nice publisher sent me a sample copy of a new book and some publicity shots. Can you guess what it is yet?

Clue:

(Not actual size. Obviously. But a very nice cover nonetheless)

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you have heard of David Mitchell and Robert Webb and have also probably laughed at something they have said or an action they have done with their bodies. Well now you can add laughing (or at least smirking) at something they have written on paper to the list because they have made a book and it is available to buy in shops (please support your local book shop instead of supermaket because I have a thing about that) right now. You would imagine it would be called That Mitchell & Webb Book and you’d almost be correct because they have cunningly swopped a That for a This to keep us on our toes but have had the courtesy to keep the highly descriptive term Book in the title.

The usual subjects get their attention: pointless newspaper columnists who have just had babies and feel the need to prattle on and on about it, showbiz magazines’ circles of shame (here given a new funny twist), trivial micro-celebrities’ love lives, baldness, bad backs, disgraceful things you can learn from the internet (please do not actually stab The Queen or even A Queen) and the witless crap that is found anywhere the public are encouraged to share what they reckon about current events.

Highlights of the book include the ‘coping with’ mini essays that were previewed in The Guardian a few weeks back on subjects ranging from coffee to the smoking ban (that makes it sound like the book revolves around using stimulants in public which would be nice but is sadly untrue). Unlike some other comedy books this is not just material from their television and radio sketches transcribed and recycled for a new format, oh no. All new!

There are some rather familiar-looking magazine features focusing on Ted and Peter the snooker commentators, a series of post-it note conversations from unlikely famous (and fictional) flatmates, Alan Bennett (not the real Alan Bennett)’s Clarksonesque newspaper column rantings, and a nice diary of David’s stalker which is probably scarily near to the truth of someone’s life. They might even read this blog so “hello” stalker if you’re glaring at these words.

If you’re a fan of the comedies like I would imagine you might be you’ll also enjoy the bit where they spoof another (some might say tediously whimsical) comedy duo’s book but even if you’re only after photographs of Rob in his Flashdance leotard you’ll be pleasantly surprised, if a little bit creepy.

All in all it’s a nice package full of amusing original material (always good) so I would recommend acquiring this book by hook or by crook (but not by nicking) and not just because I like rhyming words. An easy Christmas list present for a lazy relative to buy you (better than getting a racist stand-up comedy DVD like I did a few years back) if you can wait that long or maybe you have some long-forgotten book tokens in a dusty drawer somewhere? Go and check, they have no expiry date. The RRP is £18.99 but due to the Net Book Agreement (don’t get me started) you’ll probably be able to find it for £12.99 in most places that sell this sort of thing. A bloody bargain!

This Mitchell & Webb Book is out now from 4th Estate and if you can read and laugh at the same time you’ll enjoy it.

Some important comedy dates:

That Mitchell & Webb Sound series 4 starts next Tuesday 25th August on Radio 4 at 6:30 and is bound to be on that iPlayer thing and then the CD comes out in November which is well worth buying or asking an imaginary festive bearded man in red to buy you as a gift.

Peep Show series 6 starts on Channel 4 on Friday 18th September with the DVD scheduled for November.

Here’s Isy Sutie on location courtesy of Sam Bain’s Twit pics. With a handbag on her head.

I love David Mitchell’s Observer column this week and not just because of the synchronicity with my most recent blog.

From David’s column:

Explaining why mid-terrace residents had no option but to keep the unsightly wheelie bins in front of their houses, a Chester resident said: “Otherwise they would have to walk three bins all the way down the street, round the corner and into the backyard. Imagine doing that with three bins? It’s just crazy.”

I can almost hear the Oxfam advert: “This is Andrea. Every week, she has to walk three bins all the way down the street, round the corner and into the backyard. It’s either that or people will see her bins. It’s crazy, but you can help.”

What’s crazy is that, in the face of environmental disaster, when councils are at last prioritising recycling in a way most scientists would describe as “much, much, much, much, much too slowly”, people are moaning about ugly bins rather than grasping a fairly simple opportunity to do their bit. So you have to keep the bins in front of your house? Well, keep the bins in front of your house then, you moaning bastard.

Recent (well technically forthcoming) That Mitchell & Webb Sound sketch writer Eddie Robson scores bonus points from me for also being one of my favourite Big Finish Doctor Who writers. I hadn’t checked the credits for the latest rather enjoyable downloadable story The Eight Truths / Worldwide Web (as these weekly downloads are then released monthly on CD and it will be a few months until the shiny discs arrive) but it turns out that he is the man responsible for them.

If you like those funny eight legged folk who made Doctor Version 3.0 go all Tom Bakery and are a fan of Peep Show’s Big Suze aka Sophie Winkleman (and who isn’t?) then you can keep the Dok-Torrr pangs at bay while waiting for The Waters of Mars by buying these little gems. But not gems that make you go all culty…

Everything seems to happen on Twitter now but as we are on holiday this week I feel that I can get away with posting photographs of the adventures…
Monday:

That Mitchell & Webb Sound recording number 3 of 3 at the BBC Radio Theatre. We did the “we’re on the guestlist” thing, watched alot of comedy being performed, met some nice people, chatted to a certain comedian’s parents, then went to a kind of “wrap party” thing afterwards in the pub round the corner where more fun was had. I love my “hobby job” as a fan geek transcriber of all things Mitchell & Webb.

More on this evening over at That Mitchell & Webb Log of course.

Hello Blogfans. I am rather busy having a life for once (whatever next?) although that life mostly involves working (boo) so here are some things that excited me this week:

Comic Relief! 21 Radio Times covers to collect! Etc! LOLz!
I bought the Harry Hill cover as it was not Simon Pegg. One cover is enough for me.

Caprica! Someone had the clever idea of bringing the pilot out on DVD (in June) so the fanboys can decide if it’s good or Dollhouse. We shall see…

New Mutants! After 32 failed young mutant series, Marvel are bringing back the old lot. This picture is new (by Alex Ross) but they will look a bit older than that. I shall give it a go.

Mission To Magnus! (Google it but if you are going to be interested you’ll already know what it is. Clue: Big Finish, full cast, audio play, ‘missing’ Season 23, nerdgasms.

Red shoes and blue suit with brown coat! And that lady from all the telly and theatres! With a Robot Wars thing?

Busy times again. I’ve been in Lewes (which is a village or town or something, not a man) for an overnight sales conference in a suit that is a bit too tight on my bum and belly. I think it’s time to go up a size, how horribly inevitable… It was a good afternoon and morning, with a nice evening inbetween with a good mix of people, some excellent drunkish awkward moments in the bar (not by me), a hint of nemesis potentials (the most joyless woman in the world) and a lovely room that was unfortunately bloody cold due to being old and not-very-insulated.

The room service lasy seemed very determined to let me let her close my curtains for me. How odd. I think I took away all her fun. On the bed is Fables Volume 11, which I read from 1:05 to 2:00 last night/this morning.

It was odd to be without Jamie but it did mean that I had both packets of biscuits. Which almost made up for it.

Mmm…

Those old Doctor Who casting rumours keep coming back again and again. No spoilers here but if true it’s a great actor and it’s going to make the Daily Express readers all miserable which is a super bonus. Stupid bloody people with their own twisted interpretation of Timelord physiognomy, how very odd.

Talking not of yet more events in December, how about this?

PLAYING SHOP

Playing Shop is a new sitcom written by and starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb (Peep Show).

They play Eric and Jamie, two of the most dynamic, practical and driven men ever to try and run a business out of a garden shed. Convinced that everyone else involved in commerce are idiots, they think that this insight alone will make them millionaires. To such men, redundancy is just an opportunity – an opportunity to blow all their money on two massive trips to Rymans. Armed with new computers, state-of-the-art stationery and a blogger’s contempt for the rest of mankind, all they have to do is sit back and wait for greatness to be thrust upon them. Oh and somehow earn enough money to keep themselves in lager and snacks. They’re up a creek basically, although they have got a paddle – they’re just not sure whether they can be bothered to use it. Welcome to the epic struggle of two men attempting to make a fast buck without getting up before eleven or ever missing “Bargain Hunt”. If you would like to join us for this brand new comedy on Saturday 20th December at Teddington Studios, then apply now!

Teddington Studios? Only in the freezing Winter, once again. But why not? Anybody want to come?