View from the Arse End of the Week

N.B. This entry should have gone online on Sunday, but immeasurable difficulties with our new Broadband connection has caused delays.

One of the central ironies of writing a TV related blog is that it leaves less time for actually watching TV. Combine this with me and the Duchess relocating to a new hate nest, TV viewing has been regrettably light this week.

With a mindful eye on the schedule, however, I managed to prioritise my workload, and was witness to the birth of televisual phenomenon Heroes, sneaking a couple of elicit after hours episodes of The Thick of It into the bargain.

Sweetened by a series of breathless reviews from my square eyed Comrades, I awaited the arrival of Heroes (BBC 2, Wednesday 9pm) with bated breath. This heavyweight offering from the other side of the Atlantic has been hyped as a sci-fi revolution of sorts, picking up where lost nose-dived and tipped as Spiderman without the spandex.

Going by episodes 1 & 2, I could be spending some serious downtime with this one over the next few months. The season opener begins on solid foundations as we are introduced to the central characters and given a taste of the action to come, and Heroes has plenty to play with. Making an appearance are a time travelling Japanese office worker, flying politico and his dead beat brother, an indestructible cheerleader, and future predicting junkie artist scum Isaac. There is also something weird about a reflection going on, and the pace is set by a pater-avenging Indian Doctor, while the cheerleader’s evil adoptive dad lurks ominously in the wings.

True to form, this is comic book TV, and expect faux philosophy, page turning plot-lines and a trash clash of good against evil as its bread and butter. Heroes does, however, give the impression that it offers something more than the standard American diet, and it will be interesting to see how the story develops and the characters interact. I have a feeling that the stars and stripes are going to creep in there somewhere, but even this could (possibly) be forgiven if it’s done right.

Occupying a 40 minute slot on BBC 2, Heroes is also mercifully devoid of big brand sponsors who can’t seem to resist offering mini-sketches which look like they were thought up by humourless advertising drones taking five in the chill out room of their open plan creative work spaces. It also means you can watch uninterrupted, and don’t need to spend 20 minutes of each episode as one of those little shit wipes target audience, reminding me why I should pay the TV license.

At the risk of turning this entry into a BBC love-fest, The Thick of It (DVD) is another good reason to pay your fees. Created by Armando Iannucci, this fly-on-the-wall political satire offers a scathing and irreverent take on the corridors of power.

I missed the series when it was on TV, and having recently splashed out on the box set (can it be called a box set if there are only two discs?) I’ve been savouring these babies slowly but surely. Set in the fictional Ministry for Social Affairs (“What the hell does that even mean?” muses Chris Langham’s character in one episode) the plot follows the daily mishaps of Minister Hugh Abbot as he lurches from one political crisis to another. There to help him along the way are ambitious aide Ollie, SpAd Glenn and pragmatic spoil sport Terri.

The lynch pin of this series is without doubt, however, the PM’s Scottish “Policy Enforcer” Malcolm Tucker, who browbeats, cajoles and profanitizes his way through Whitehall like a tornado in a razor blade factory. With a visceral hatred of the Press and penchant for ruining careers (“He’ll be copy and pasting Hollyoaks extras tits in the the Sport by tomorrow”) you have to wonder how much Alistair Campbell there is in Tucker. Sharp, ruthless, and endlessly creative in his put downs, he satirises the spin and power politics of present-day Government to a brutal degree.

That’s what I call a Hero.

Brown still bouncing as bottom falls out of Cameron Leadership

After approximately one month in Number 10, Gordon Brown is enjoying an upsurge in popularity among voters, while David Cameron's support among conservatives wavers, according to the results of a new ICM poll.

The poll, conducted the weekend after the Ealing and Sedgefied by-elections, sees Browns approval among voters go up by 21%, compared to Cameron's approval going down by the same amount. Particularly telling are results which suggest that Cameron is losing support from within his own party, with 42% of voters saying they like the party but dislike Mr Cameron.

It has been a tough few months for the Tory leader; the Grammar Schools row, which led to the resignation of Shadow Europe Minister Graham Brady, undermined his authority, while a poor showing in Ealing and Sedgefield has done little to boost confidence among the rank and file. Most recently, the Leader has had to deflect allegations that he abandoned his flood-struck Witney constituency in favour of a trip to Africa to discuss development issues.

But are the latest poll figures that surprising?

Since taking control of the Conservative party in a virtual media coup in December 2005, Cameron's first battle was always to win over the traditional Conservative vote. While the past 18 months or so has generally seen the party increase in popularity, the new figures suggest that this support has been built on shaky foundations. Brown, on the other hand, assumed the leadership of his party unopposed, demonstrating a party unity that has reflected favourably in the polls.

What is more difficult to fathom, however, is Cameron's failure to catch Brown on the hop during the handover period. Brown's PMQ performances have been stuttering at best, and a deft orator such as Cameron (who could hold his own against the razor sharp Blair) should have had no trouble exploiting this more. However, with a substantial 49% of those polled seeing Brown as presiding over a real change of leadership style, this has not been the case.

It may be that Tory voters are beginning to see that party leadership is a matter of "different horses for different courses," and that what worked against Blair could have the opposite effect against his successer. Whether Brown will bounce all the way to an early election in October or May however, still remains to be seen.

I predict a re-bound.

Guardian Watch: Gestapo Tactics

Anyone who has paid any attention to the news in the last few days will have undoubtedly come across reference to Sarah Helm's My family's ordeal in police probe article in Sunday's Observer.

In the article, Sarah Helm; journalist, author and wife to Tony Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell, complains about the Assistant Commisioner John Yates Gestapo tactics while investigating the cash-for-honours allegations.

Describing the hell her family was put through in the last few months, Helm isolates an incident when police (legitimately) question Ruth Turner over her role in the affair, bemoaning how the police "Pick on a woman living alone, give her a scare and hope she'll slip up."

Am i the only one who finds this a little bit hypocritical?

Coming from an administration that has presided over the greastest assault on civil liberties in post-war years, knowingly allowed US extraordinary rendition flights through its territory and introduced more new offences than any government before it, Helm's charge would be laughable if wasn't so insulting to the thousands of people who are now feeling the sharp end of New Labour's New Britain.

The Labour leadership obviously couldn't resist bringing down some heat on Yates and is men, and in Helm they've found a relatively indirect way of doing it, free from the uncomfortable questions any formal legal proceedings might dredge up.

As a piece of journalism the article reads like it would be more at home in Pick Me Up than The Observer with Helm adopting an outraged, anecdotal tone to underline the concerned mother angle and maximise effect.

One positive aspect does come from the article however:

For those worried that The Observer has strayed from its leftist roots, this piece of pravda-esque reporting should no doubt put them a little more at ease. (ouch!)

Another week down the tubes...

TV watching was for some reason relatively light this week - though i still managed to rack up a good couple of hours in front of the idiot box.

Here's what stood out:

After a disappointing first week, Indian Food Made Easy, (Monday, BBC 2, 8:30pm) once again failed to inspire. Terminally patronising presenter Anjum Anand this time took her mission to prove that "anyone can cook delicious Indian food" to her old unversity friend, the creepily intense and somewhat bemused Alex.

The action centred around Alex's FA Cup final party with the boys, for which Anjum devised "a chilli themed feast," and proceeded to lead Alex through its execution with exclamations of "its that easy" every five or so minutes.

After having watched in horror as Anjum added cheddar cheese to a tandoori marinade in Week One, (Indian Food Made Queasy) I never really had very high expectations for this one. The food looks ok, but Anjum seems to have a knack for making you feel like a scolded child for not cooking Indian food every waking moment of your life.

That said, i'll probably tune in next week for the chilli porn.

Coming straight after, Twentieth Century Battlefields (Monday, BBC 2: 9:00pm) brought some much needed quality programming to the screen with a tactical retelling of the Faulklands War. Father and son team Peter and Dan Snow present this fascinating series which retells shell by shell some of the most bitterly fought conflicts of the last one hundred years.

With a heavy focus on military tactics and strategy, the Snows cast aside moralising to deliver a forensic account how some of the most influential events in shaping our world played out, replete with archive footage and aided by computer generated diagrams. Twentieth Century Battlefields is an example of public service broadcasting as it should be.

Later in the week, the second episode of the oddly titled Cape Wrath (Tuesday, C4 10pm) did little to redeem to disappointment of the series opener. Despite a promising premise (Meadowlands is a town inhabited solely by people on witness protection) Cape Wrath unfortunately borrows from too many different elements (Lost, Desperate Housewives, Twin Peaks) to really pack a punch of its own.

The story centres around the dysfunctional antics of the Brogan family, Meadowlands newest arrivals and most troubled residents. Within hours of moving in, Mr Brogan has killed someone, Mrs Brogan starts making eyes at the local doctor (played by a Tim Henman lookalike) with kids, ice-queen Zoe and emo basket case Mark, getting in on the action elsewhere. Comic relief is provided suprisingly effectively however in the considerable form of Jezebel, the 16 Stone scouse "beauty" next door.

Idolised and revered by her neighbours for her unparalled beauty, the character offers a glimpse of originality which makes me suspect series could develop into something more than the sum of it parts. After the first two episodes, however, i don't think i'll be sticking around to see if the gamble pays off.

Rounding off the week, My Name is Earl (Thursday, C4, 10pm) proved once again that it knocks seven shades of shit out of every other American comedy currently running on terrestrial tv. It's not particularly edgy or advanced, but its great one liners "Do monkeys worry about their looks?" and slapstick storylines prove that in the age of The Office, Curb and Peep Show comedy doesn't always have to be an unnerving experience.

This season does rely a bit more on the trailer trash gags than the last, and the show does occaisonally veer into shmaltz but My Name is Earl remains one of the best reasons to shun social interaction on a Thursday night.

Stay tuned.

Stampedes at Harry Potter Book Launch.

Forget class, race and religion, the country is being divided by new polarising forces: Those who were eagerly awaiting the fifth Harry Potter book at 12:01 am today, and those who were laughing at them.

Transcending traditional barriers of social status, intellect and taste, Harry Potter and the Marketing Dream is causing pitched battles in some unexpected quarters.

Never mind the media meatgrinder which has been manufacturing anticipation for months, some hitherto fellow travellers have been making strange noises which are starting to make me feel just a little bit queasy.

So what's the deal?

I can excuse the children (just about) as they don't know any better, but i have a hard time making sense of why fully grown people with jobs and everything are so willing to buy into this syndicated rubbish. The books may well be good, but can they really be that good?

I suspect its more down to blunt marketing, and the fear of having nothing to say at parties, that is driving this race to the bottom.

Most of all I feel sorry for the kids who are likely being denied the opportunity to discover the diverse and rare delights of childrens literature, as it is crowded out by the sequels, spin-offs, games and movies of the Rowling Regime.

This is a Liberal Democracy and theoretically people should be allowed to read what they want, but perhaps this is what was worrying de Tocqueville when he wrote about the Tyranny of the Majority.

Time for a good old fashioned book burning...

Jacqui Smith Shock Drug Revelations!

I realise this may not be the most appropriate subject to open my TV- related blog on, but this will probably be on the box later anyway and i just couldn't resist!

The story centres around the stunning revelations by new Home Secretary Jacqui "who?" Smith that she smoked Cannibis "just a few times" during University, although she had "not particularly" enjoyed it.

Coming a day after Brown announced that she would head a review of UK Drugs Strategy, including Cannabis Laws, this revelation is no doubt an attempt to demonstrate Jacqui's human side, not to mention cover her arse when her cash-strapped former smoking buddies come a- knocking to the red tops.

Well Move over Howard Marks!

Jacqui commented:

"I think in some ways I have learnt my lesson and I have a responsibility as home secretary now to make sure we put in place the laws and the support and information to make sure we carry on bringing cannabis use down, which we are doing."

I am sure this will come as a great consolation to the thousands of ordinary citizen's who will likely be hauled before a judge if the Goverment gets its way and re-classifys Cannibis as a Class B drug.

Over the coming months expect the "10 x Stronger than the sixties" argument to be trotted out ad naseum as the goverment shapes up for another assault on freedom of choice. If weed was so weak in the past, maybe this is why Jacqui didn't enjoy it? For what ever reasons, her brush with addiction has left her in no two minds about the green menace.

On her actions Jacqui further commented:

"I did break the law... I was wrong... drugs are wrong."

So much for forward thinking policy...