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altariel ([personal profile] altariel) wrote2004-11-13 10:54 am
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Straight to my tellybox

I keep waiting for this season of The West Wing to pick up (season 5), but apparently we only have 5 more episodes left. This week's episode ('The Supremes') had an ever-so starry guest cast (Glenn Close, Milo O'Shea, William Fichtner (you know, the blind physicist in Contact)) as (potential) supreme court justices, but it still wasn't as good as the same episode from season 1, 'The Short List' (with Edward James "Too Bad She Won't Live" Olmos). That happens to be one of my favourite episodes of the show, however, along with the one where Yo-Yo Ma gives Josh flashbacks.

Meanwhile, the Hallmark Channel is playing back-to-back episodes from all three Law and Order shows. Criminal Intent is definitely the best, because the lead detective character is NUTS. He does disconcerting things to make his suspects talk. Cool. One fascinating thing about the Hallmark Channel is that it feels exactly like a US TV channel, except someone has sensibly realized that a UK audience wouldn't put up with adverts haphazardly interrupting the programmes every four seconds.

Currently playing also is My Life in Film on BBC Three. This concerns the trials and tribulations of Art, a struggling independent film-maker, whose everyday life remarkably resembles many well-known films. So far the one based on The Shining has been the best, although I enjoyed the Top Gun episode about Art attending a driving course. [livejournal.com profile] communicator, if you aren't watching this already, I think you'd like it. I have given up on Little Britain, the jokes in which these days seem mostly to be at the expense of the minority group rather than at the expense of the opinion being expressed about the minority group. Also, there's no narrative for the characters, so it's the same joke every week. I still like the bloke in the shop who shouts, "Margaret! Margaret!" however. Even though that's the most repetitive gag in the show. The thing I laughed at most this week was the episode of Yes, Minister in which Hacker is called upon to serve as Prime Minister. One day I will write something about The West Wing, Yes, Prime Minister, and the Special Relationship.

Our Star Cops DVDs arrived during the week, and they are shiny. Haven't played the extras yet, but there is a documentary about Mr Boucher, also one about Philip Martin, and Trevor Cooper appears to have recorded a special message. [livejournal.com profile] kalypso_v, I shall report further. The arrival of these DVDs leaves us with a spare set of tapes. Any takers? Let it be noted first that they are copies, cunningly put into boxes with covers I cadged from the video shop display. So - any takers?
ext_6322: (Prince)

[identity profile] kalypso-v.livejournal.com 2004-11-13 10:30 am (UTC)(link)
I can't recall any mention of the Special Relationship in The West Wing.

I remember Bartlet saying something about Abbey cooking dinner for the prime minister and his wife, but I don't think we met them. Anyway, that was this season so maybe it doesn't count.

The ambassador bloke was rather embarrassing.

Oh, and Robert Picardo was in the starry episode, which was nice. He was always the main reason to watch Voyager.

Quality Acting

(Anonymous) 2004-11-14 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
The ambassador bloke was rather embarassing *but* he did scratch his right ear with his left arm coiled over his head which is straight from the 'Colin Baker School Of Upstaging Pompous Co-stars', and therefore endeared me to the actor, if not the character.

Mr Altariel
ext_6322: (Default)

Re: Quality Acting

[identity profile] kalypso-v.livejournal.com 2004-11-14 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Tries] I can do that... but it does seem a bit ostentatious. I'll keep it in mind for the highly improbable scenario of my being invited to the White House, in case it's What They Expect From Snooty Brits.

[identity profile] altariel.livejournal.com 2004-11-14 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
Robert Picardo was in the starry episode

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about him. He's great in DS9 too of course.