Murder In A Middle Class Manner

'Midsomer Murders' (ITV) has been running for donkeys years; it's corn beyond belief. The plot, such as it is, is sub-Agatha Christie with extra-camp thrown in. There's a large amount of Home Counties smugness and a resultant nice warm glow of the English middle classes killing each other in the countryside. It must surely be a test of approaching middle age (knocking on thetvreviewguy's door like Beethoven's Fifth in a busy mood) as to whether one likes 'Midsomer' and why. Sure, the scenery is long and lovely and lush - always good for repeats and new episodes when the weather starts getting shitty in the Autumn. It could be the titillation of illicit affairs in the woods - last night's episode featured a nuns' cloisters (phew!) and some fruity goings on of the bourgeoisie (phwoar!) - that brings in the viewers by their millions. Would we all either consciously or subconsciously like to live in Midsomer? Would living somewhere with a higher murder rate than Compton, L.A., not be somewhat disconcerting? Is there anything to actually do, apart from kill or be killed? There's always been a hankering for the good life since, well, 'The Good Life' and when there's some extra-marital hanky panky thrown in, you'll always draw in the gawker, sorry, viewer. 'Midsomer' is like a nice, warm bottle of red plonk - offering nothing but a  guilty, fleeting, ephemeral experience with no zero hangover potential. Already amply parodied in 'Hot Fuzz', the programme doesn't take itself at all seriously and rarely transgresses onto 'Morse' or 'Taggart' 'proper' murder stuff (although the plot last night, quite unusually, did touch on some interesting political issues). 'Midsomer Murders' isn't quite worth dying for but...admit your age, give in to the dark side and watch.

Coming To An Airport Near You

Imagine actually looking forward to going to the airport, checking in, eating airline food and then the eager anticipation of six hours of Trans-Atlantic travel itself. For a brief period from the late 50s to the 1970s (when hijacking ended the fun), that was very much the case. Zoom forward to 2011 and this seems a quaint and ridiculous notion; passengers are treated as bombing suspects, frequently delayed, and having to endure the petty humiliations of the low cost airline and the 'pleasures' of airport shopping. Yes, it's much cheaper to fly now thank 50 years ago but it's still, by and large, an unwelcome experience. Which brings us to 'Pan Am' (RTE 2), set in a time when airports and flying were undeniably glamorous. It had 'thetvreviewguy' slightly underwhelmed but wanting more. Christina Ricci is great, the 'look and feel' of the time is almost spot-on, while the backstory is passable, if a little light. The air hostesses and pilots are reasonably skectched characters but we'd like to know more about what makes them tick. This could be down to the nature of a 'Pilot' (yes, the first episode of 'Pan Am' is called the 'Pilot') programme itself; try and cram as much establishing information as possible into your first view of a series. The spying angle didn't really work; 'thetvreviewguy' likes his espionage dark and murky.There'll be plenty of 'Mad Men' comparisons and there is something about that era that is compelling; it was a time of Post WWII swagger and optimism, pre-Vietnam and, for most viewers, a Camelot-type time that now seems a very long time ago, possibly before they were born. 'Pan Am' is a pleasant flight that will have the viewer looking forward to their next Martini at 30,000 feet.

Very Good, If Not Purrfect

Comedy panel gameshows have been a staple for 'thetvreviewguy' since he started the column; one mark of a half-decent show is longevity i.e. how long has it been running? While this can allow for the chaff (James Corden, seemingly great guy but...'A League of their Own' anyone?'), a certain amount of quality comedy wheat will be fit for harvest too, and despite running high on the irritability scale sometimes, '8 out of 10 Cats' (Channel 4), is doing something right. Jimmy Carr is the wise ass's, wise ass; rapid-fire one liners,
nasty/waspish turns of phrase (take your pick depending on your sense of humour) and, is a more than able ringmaster for team captains, professional curmudgeon Sean Locke and young pretender Jon Richardson. Add in some cracking guests like Sara Millican, and you've the makings for some excellent Friday night entertainment. Carr, once an aspirant to Enfant-Terrible of British Comedy, has mellowed in recent years; he's a generous host, allowing his team captains to shine. TV comedy relies a lot on predictibility; is that comedian likeable, is that format reassuring? While '8 Out of Ten Cats' doesn't score highly on the originality scale, it keeps 'thetvreviewguy' happy and is now main foundation stones of part of Friday night chill out TV. Jimmy Carr may be more acidic and edgy live but has found his niche as amiable and, occasionally, irritating, host.

Reviewer Knows Hollywood Star - Exclusive!

‘Terra Nova’ (Sky One) is of special interest to ‘thetvreviewguy’. Why? Not because it’s another Spielberg dinosaur/sci-fi venture. Nor because it’s soda pop TV. No, ‘thetvreviewguy’ is interested because as a baby and toddler, he used to hang out with the lead in the show, Jason O’Mara. He’s also chuffed to see that some of his early advice on acting to his fellow baby, particularly on how to cry more for milk and seek attention, has clearly paid off and led to his toddler buddy becoming a big star in the US. Jason’s acting CV is impressive – he’s done real theatre with lots of words and stuff – and while ‘Terra Nova’ ain’t Shakespeare, who’s the one leading the Hollywood lifestyle, huh, huh? And (thanks quick ‘google’ search) he’s married to a great looking actress. Jealous you might ask? Why, of course ‘thetvrevieweguy’ wouldn’t trade in his workaday career and negative equity for the thrills, spills and bellyaches of Hollywood, oh no. He’d much rather be working in as a 9-5, Joe Paycheque (‘check’ for his American Cousins), than living it up with Larry David and Co in LA. Anyhoo, back to ‘Terra Nova’; no surprises, it’s family-friendly entertainment and has so-so special effects on a medium screen TV. But there’s a crude equation that’s been around since the mid 90s that ‘Spielberg + Dinosaurs = Cash’ so this is bound to make money for the cast, producers and crew. Meanwhile, Jason will continue to live the dream while 'thetvreviewguy’, (thanks Henry Hill), gets ‘to live the rest of [his] life like a schnook’ (And cue Sid Vicious…)