You're Nicked!

 'Law and Order UK (ITV) ' is yet another variation of the seemingly endless franchise that has grown hydra-like from the original US series going back over 20 years now. While 'thetvreviewguy' hankers after phrases like 'has she been mirandised?' or 'he's gonna lawyer up', he enjoys the new version where 'guv' has replaced 'loot' and a D.A. is a barrister and other localisation phrases (in the London edition, 'Man One' and 'Man Two' are more likely to be stage/character directions than statutory charges). The British and American legal systems are very different and it would be great for DPP lawyers if they got to act like detectives tracking down and questioning a witness. But the adherence to the structure of dividing the episode between 'Law' - the cops - and 'Order' - the court advocates - makes for easy and entertaining comparisons with their US counterpart. Programmes like 'Law and Order' go as far as they can in the hour-long, one-off, no-swearing formats that they have. Serious issues, moral dilemmas if you like, get a brief but often serious examination in the limited time available. Bradley Walsh, sans silly glasses, is a good little actor, and the cast is always loyal to the ensemble nature of the script; no grandstanding here. And the verdict from 'thetvreviewguy'? To the charge of fast-moving, watchable crime drama; guilty.

Hope and some Joy

Did you like ‘Raising Arizona’, the Eighties Coen Brothers flick? Did you think ‘this is a very funny movie’? Did you also think; ‘hmm, this is so good, I’d like to see it turned into a tv series’? Probably not.Yet this is precisely what has been done with ‘Raising Hope’ (SKY 1). They’ve even taken the first part of the movie title, spot what they’ve done there? Alright, maybe ‘thetvreviewguy’ is being too critical; it’s a not too bad, nowhere near ‘The Simpsons’; it's trailer-park comedy that has endearing characters and some excellent lines. However, homage, imitation and plagiarism are all related concepts and it can be hard to know where one flows into the other. ‘Raising Hope’ is funny and reflects the down-turn zeitgeist; money is too tight to mention for this amiable family of eccentrics and the humour is affectionate and not mocking. Slices of Americana have always appealed to ‘thetvreviewguy’ and this is no different; not, as stated, highly original but nevertheless and good take on the American white working class (more likely now, sadly, to be working part-time or being unemployed). ‘Raising Hope’ is perfectly acceptable as Sunday evening fare; it should raise a few laughs too.

In the Great Scheme of the Universe Can Things Only Get Better?

Brian Cox is one of the new generation of science presenters that don’t look like crazy scientists should. Young and hip, these new sciensters are media savvy and tv friendly. Professor Cox, formerly a member of ‘D-Ream’, is the latest in a long line of rock star astronomers and physicists spanning that universe from Brian May to, er, Brian Cox.‘Wonders of the Universe’ (BBC2) takes us out of the Solar System and asks the really big questions that ‘thetvrevieguy’ likes to have explained for him in…really…simple…terms and on this front, Cox doesn’t disappoint. That’s not to say Cox talks down to his audience; this is really complicated stuff, and as Cox himself said, some of the material is barely skating undergraduate physics let alone heavy duty equations (thank God) and jargon-filled discussions. Instead (and this is something the BBC has good form on) graphics and narration tell the story of how and why we’re all here. He addresses the really big questions; what happened before the big bang? How will it all end? Do aliens roam our planet in disguise? (ok, ‘thetvreviewguy’ made up the last one but you get the picture).  Light years ahead of other tv space/science programmes.

Going Ape - Evolution

Are we still evolving? Well, that all depends on who you're talking too. Steve Jones, leading boffin, reckons we've stopped and took a graveyard walk with host Alice Roberts to show how mortality rates have improved through natural selection and, of course, modern medicine. Meanwhile, another White Coat reckons we're still changing and, surprisingly, we're getting shorter and fatter. Either way, BBC2's 'Horizon' hit the nail on the head again for the non-technical viewer, i.e. 'thetvreviewguy' who tries to make a date with this enjoyable and informative programme whenever he can. Alright, he may not fully understand the quantum mechanics stuff and the multi-universe theories (indeed, being honest, hardly at all), but at least he feels a but cleverer after tuning in. Dr Alice Roberts, a foxy egghead if ever there was one, is never less than a likeable and learned host as she steers us. It's less than 100 years since the Scopes Trial and vast swathes of the American South believe in the literal truth of Genesis; even the 'tvreviewguy' knows that fossils are more than 4000 years old. Science on TV doesn't have to dumb down to be watchable and 'Horizon' has kept pretty high standards since first being on air in 1964. As MTV used to say, 'Feed Your Mind'.

Riddle Me This...Great Unanswered Questions

Who is the best person to have on a quiz team? A generalist? A specialist? Or, in the case of 'Great Unanswered Questions' (BBC2); how about someone who knows everything? Dr David Booth, in the eyes of 'thetvreviewguy', seems to be (and emphasis on the words seems); one of the smartest people on the telly. Booth is amiably accompanied by comedian host Colin Murphy, bearded nerd Matthew Collins and a different celebrity guest each week. The Science Doctor answers questions on everything, without apparently goggling, being wired for sound or reading from cog notes on every subject from archery to zoology. Smart TV is in short supply and 'Great Unanswered Questions' treats their viewers as smart too. We live in a paradoxical world where instead of handling a surplus of information through specialisaton, we do process information by knowing some things about many things; the ubiquity of information resources means that we can get legitimately tell ourself that learning is so analogue. 'Great Unanswered Questions' takes trivia and expands it; we get the factoid but also the reason behind it. Most appealingly, it feels like fun and the conversation is kept on a smiley keel by Murphy who is often gobsmacked by what his panellists know about 'stuff'. There are Known Knowns, Unknown Knowns and what Booth and Collins know; 'thetvreviewguy' knows he likes this, but knows he has lot more to know after each viewing.

Easy like Sunday Evening

‘The Sunday Night Show’ (ITV) is, shock horror, surprisingly good. ITV has produced a ton of rubbish over the last few years. Since the breaking up of the franchise, it has nearly always chased ratings over quality. So what does ‘thetvreviewguy’ like about ‘The Sunday Night Show’? Adrian Chiles, Brummie Everyman, chairs a panel for a half hour of chat looking back on the week. There are ultra quick ‘celebrity’ interviews (uhm ‘Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow and charlatan health doctor – she of the fake MD – Gillian McKeith were on last Sunday). There’s still some unfortunate ‘and now for something completely different’ links from trying a break a silly world record to the Egyptian revolt.  Chiles, however, is perfect in the role; he has a lightness of touch and proves he’s no dummy when it comes to current affairs. And it has a great slot; 10pm on a Sunday night is usually when ‘the fear’ of the working week hits home. This show lightens your mood and allows you to put of the inevitable ensuing depression that comes when the thought of re-boarding the day ship enters the mind. Give yourself a well earned break and go with ‘thetvreviewguy’s recommendation to tune into ‘The Sunday Night Show’.

They Shall Not Pass

The catchphrase 'I've started so I'll finish' will have a certain resonance for the over 30s viewer by instantly reminding them of 'Mastermind' (BBC2) and the magnificent Magnus Magnusson. In the multi-channel, multi-platform world of today, we might consider the universal appeal of a high-brow quiz show to be quaint and strange. When a taxi driver took on and beat University lecturers and professionals it was remarkable; you could have easily renamed the show 'Battle of the Classes'. The downside for many, but not in the opinion of 'thetvreviewguy', is that 'Mastermind' heralded the way for a generation of pale imitations and mountebanks to the world of knowledge and, yes, they're probabl thinking of the egregious Anne Robinson. The question writers never set out to embarrass; this is solely done achieved by the poor contestants themselves who crash and burn under fire. It's a contest of wits and a clean fight to boot; there's no room for strategizing or tactics, your score depends on how well you know your specialist subject and how you stand up against the pressure of being on TV. It's a family favourite too and demonstrates that the pursuit and expression of knowledge can make for excellent viewing. Although 'thetvreviewguy' doesn't warm as much to the present host John Humphreys as to his predecessor, he still enjoys watching one of the smarter programmes on the box.