DISQUS

Huhn. After all this time organising <<Mr Black>> for the show, and he never showed?

DAMN YOU, <<Mr Black>>!

For mine - I go with the Mel Brooks defence; ANYTHING, even the death of millions, can be funny. Just for heaven's sake, MAKE SURE it's funny before you do it...

For what it's worth, go and read a translation of the original "Monkey" novel. Despite being written in the 16th century, reads just as funny and bawdy as the TV series. I mean literally the tone of the book was captured perfectly by the show, weird amalgam of japanese/english/chinese elements that it was. All of which means uhh, err, slapstick and dirty jokes are both culturally universal AND timeless.
Erm. Or something. In any case - HIGHLY recommended...

On a weirder note - how cool to see "Monkey" as played by Jet Li in the 80's-tastic action movie from last year 'the Forbidden Kingdom'. Missed opportunity however with Jackie Chan in the film - sadly, not playing 'Horse' who was a dragon that now thinks he's a man - despite being a pretty good match for that 70's actor!

Vale BSG, Vale...

...you will be missed.

(I was going to say with it's passing the TV world is a darker place, but really - as wonderfully depressing as the show was, I think the average brightness just went up-! Let alone, in the current market, in the TV climate, there will probably never be another big cast, big budget sci fi show like it. Perhaps for a decade or more. It's the logical end of a run that began with the 'New' Star Trek, to be improved on by Babylon 5, via Serenity and everything else since-

- and yet it still never made the Boxcutter Golden Age of Television list. Bastards :-)

@ Brett
+ @ Actual Chad-

...Chads signoff reminds me more of the (RRR podcast) 'All over the Sho'p signoff - highly recommended, even if living up to it's name in format. The point BEING *erm* instead of saying goodbye with "Bonjour"
"see you all next week and- Bon Jovi, everyone!"

Anyway... considering how *hot* Greg Evans was, he's completely a forgotten TV relic these days. Why hasn't a 'Getaway' or whomever grabbed him? Not a fan, just curious how you can go from hero to zero in an industry (admittedly over 20+ years) where Richard Wilkins OMIGOD MY EYES - still gets a go. Let alone the Wilkins-in-waiting: Dermot Brereton.
And how many female co-hosts has Karl Steffanovic out-lasted on the morning show now, with zero discernable change to ratings? But yes Nine, it's the chicky that's the problem...
*ahem*
Why

Actually, to clarify further, I'm fully in the 'one good episode followed by one bad episode' camp. I've personally quite enjoyed a lot of the stuff they've done in the last few weeks, even whilst recognising that it doesn't quite hang together. At this point it's clear that there's just waaay too much plot for the amount of time remaining, even allowing for final double-lengthers (ooh err, guv'na), and it's completely screwed with the shows pacing...

Technically more about "Lost" more than BSG; and about two years out of date, but read "http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15499" for a pretty good summation of the problems of episodic TV pacing and picking when to end your story arc...

testing out my html in a dead topic. Carry on!

Don't you say nuthin' bad but my sweet, sweet BSG-
*hugs teddy bear closer to chest*

It will finsh strong. It will finish strong-

*slight tear or nervousness at cheek*

____

Not to drop the show into complete Nerds-ville, but with 'BSG' ending soon, 'Lost' in the long win-up phase, the 'Soprano's' long gone - What are the great white hopes for TV? Anyone want to take a guess on what the next 4-5 season-long-can't-miss show going to be?Nothing currently in production seems to have the potential for more than two seasons...
Not to be too downbeat with the first comment of the week, but the Brown Age of television seems closer than ever. Thank god for 30 Rock and the Soup.

OMFG - upon reviewing (err, re-listening) the episode... did John totally (retrospectively) KILL John Hindle-?!
"Quel Horror..."

Also - for all the occasional mentions-in-passing, has B-Cuts ever actually reviewed Battlestar: Galactica?? Clearly the best show on TV right now...
*deliberately thumbs nose at 'Lost'*

Dangermouse fans, represent- *taps chest, throws a sideways v-for-victory handsign*

"See, Baron-y"
"Ooh, Crumbs-"
"Good G-rief..."

Ahh, such memories. Much like 'the Goodies', or even (gasp) Benny Hill, I will quite happily cop to any corny humour - if it's funny, it's funny. Put this on a t-shirt, folks: "'Clever' is irrelevant..."

Count Duckula, maybe?

Err... point or order, Mr Speaker - wasn't it Yeardley Smith ("Lisa Simpson") rather than Nancy Cartwright that was the secretary on Herman's Head?
(and I'm too lazy to look up the dates - but *there* was a show that deserved to be on the GAT list...) Whatever happened to the "Brown Age of Television, by-the-by?)

PS - Josh, I admire you're restraint in talking about scientology without using the obvious South Park reference (let's show 'em who really runs Hollywood!).
(BTW - any idea how 'the Simpsons' voice acting is recorded? I can't imagine Harry Shearer not pulling the piss out of Nance UNMERCIFULLY if they did it face to face...

PPS Brett - don't let Dr Death Kinal discourage you from talking about Top Gear - it's nice to see ONE show on the tele that doesn't mind admitting that they're simply cocking about for laughs and have no higher purpose in mind. I like "story" too, but every circus needs strongmen, tightrope walkers - and the occasional sideshow geek. Is it just because it's English TV, Kinal?

PPPS - why won't Josh use his powers for good, instead of evil?? Kyle and Jackie O still walk the Earth, unmolested. YOU BASTARDS-!

PPPPS - (that's a lot of P) - thanks to having to move house over Xmas, I can no longer receive Foxtel. Pity me!
(at least the Soup still shows up on Channel Bittorrent)

Personally, I can't help feel it's more like a deliberate attempt at distraction - ie, here, there are these filters, and by the way the NBN is coming-! meanwhile, don't look at what this other hand over here is doing...

... clearly they should just 86 the filter as a bad idea (I understand why they might string (crazy Sth Australian politics) it out, but really the grown ups will eventually step in), and the NBN kerfuffle seems so much hot air for what should be a simple decision.
So call me paranoid- but it's all a deliberate attempt to keep various god-botherers at bay.
meanwhile, back in television-land - how safe do you think Peter "He who bones She-who-must-not-be-named-but-was-once-Boned!" Overton feels in his new job? Don't let the paint dry on your carspace, Petey...

WWE Raw passes the Bechdel test, but WWE Smackdown does not. Conspiracy?
I'm just sayin'...

@Adam D.

can we add 'She-who-can-be-boned-but-not-be-named' to the list? Just to hear how the boys defuse that particular paradox...

Will *no*one stand up for Jon Pertwee? The ruffled shirts, that roman profile, the super-winged car, those cat-like dance moves-
err *getting all flustered* RoWR!
uhh...I hope Ms Mords doesn't drop by and read that-!

As for La Badler, I was just a little disappointed a) no link to the fantasy island bikini pics? b) no mention of the fabulously sh#t "Highwayman" action show - starring Jane, Mark "Jacko" Jackson and Sam "Flash Gordon" Jones. It had a helicopter that folded up onto a truck, people!
(am I showing my age? guarantee *that* one'll never make it to DVD...

Haven't seen the show, but I picked out "Call of the Weird" through blind chance in a second hand bookshop in Darwin a year or two back - and absolutely agree with both John's points.
1) Mr Theroux really might be that naive-
and 2) certainly the book is an afternoon's read at it's longest*

*mind you, if you don't drink in Darwin, a LOT of things can compress into a single afternoon. Just sayin'...

Well, I have foxtel, so there are waaaay too many crap reality and poor lifestyle shows...

Also, I guess we can forgive Senor SockWa for not adding an Australian Wing to the Hall of Shame; allow me to rectify this -

- "the Bob Morrison show" (still the gold-standard in crap Aussie sitcoms; by comparison, Hey Dad was formulaic but nonetheless Perfectly Acceptable Comedy(tm)
- "Mother and Son" (my GOD, I hated that show)
- "All Together Now"
- Pretty much anything with Garry Who.
- Or Franky J. Holden.
- "Countdown: Revolution" (sorry, JimBob Young - but when 'Chook' was the breakout star, well...)
- "Sports Tonight" (ie 'how to suck the life out of human achievement by dragging everything back to the mediocre)
- 'Whatever that gameshow Greg Evans left "Perfect Match" to go do' was
- for that matter, the 'Perfect Match' remake with Cameron Daddo
- John 'Burgo' Burgess's "Catchprase". Never did see ANYONE get a single answer right. Pedants of the world, unite!
- "Funky Squad"(whilst 'Frontline' bored me to tears - I honestly believe that you, me, my dog Spot, ANYONE could have written the script for that show. But again, 'Perfectly Acceptable Comedy(tm)'. Funky Squad, though - total misfire on all counts)
- "Chances" pretty much deserves a nod just for hyping itself as "yay us - nudity' before it aired, then taking about 8 episodes to get to the goodies. On behalf of all us (then) horny teenage boys who were waiting anxiously - you bastards.

- "Hey Hey it's Saturday" - but only the last 5 seasons, when they completely gave up even pretending to change up the formula.
(No shame in being in a rut after twenty-five years, I guess - and I still defend Hey Hey as being the perfect show for it's timeslot (long story short; no segment over ten minutes, no ongoing plot to lose track of if you turn up late after the footy/ go hit the shower before going out/ duck down the road for fish'n'chips). Perfect for a Saturday night.
But those last few years... whew, what stinkers*
(the first ten years are still gold, and well worth a youtube or two)

...



* sorry, Wilbur

Many years ago, in the dim dark days before pay tv in Oz, the desperate lonely wrestling fans of Melbourne would congregate at the Prince Patrick Hotel (or the ZigZag factory, or even the Metro Nightclub) every fortnight to watch the latest Pay Per Views from the US. Managed to keep the same crew together for about three years, as I recall; Good times, good times...
Occasionally up here in ol'Sydney town they still show the big shows Greater Union Cinemas - TV on a big screen makes for quite an odd vibe

*addendum to above*

(addendum? Oooh, look who's using all the 50cent words he knows, Martha!)

I know, obviously, that the networks have LONG been aware that we the viewers are not their actual customers. It's right there in the name: Free-to-air. WE *gathers the Boxcutters family in a big awkward hug* are the PRODUCT of TV, not the customers. Ch 7 (for eg) offer 800, 000 of us (and our undivided attention) to an advertiser, for a tidy fee. That's the incentive to the customer (the advertiser) to pay money, and that's where the profits lie.
*BUT*
Knowing all that, why do we still expect the networks to care about "we the viewer"?! I'm as guilty as anyone, I just am confused as anyone why we're so desperate for an owner to put their individual stamp on their network.*

______

*mealy-mouthed disclaimer; if we were talking about a blog, I'd be outraged if there *wasn't* an editorial 'point-of-view' put across, on any/every topic of interest. I'm not sure I know why I expect TV stations to be neutral. I just do, and it's not logical.

Kudos to JohnBo for putting his finger (however obliquely) this episode on the crux on the dilemma of free-to-air: you're either a content provider, or a content re-broadcaster.
Somewhat amazingly (to me at least), the front runner in setting themselves up for the future of TV is the BBC; They're totally prepared to spend money to make money on Dr Who, Top Gear and a bunch of others. For every failure that a BBC - or Showtime, or HBO- produce, at least there is decent content to on-sell. Maybe not 2-and-a-half-men syndication $$ content, perhaps; But DVD sales are a more direct revenue line, and a tidy one at that...
The free-to-air's still seem to miss the point a fair bit; yes, the Simpsons can break even in a primetime slot, but you don't attract new viewers. And when viewers leave for Channel Bittorrent, they tend not to come back, and the pie continues to keep shrinking.

As a business strategy, this is right up there with running your business hunting whales for lamp oil; or still charging $35 for a music CD*
Funnily enough, people STILL seem to be spending their nights watching a screen; that much hasn't changed. SURELY the networks know that they've pissed off their audiences to the point where they're actively looking to ditch free-to-air for more (strangely) compelling content. Aren't they? Don't they?. Or is it much like the music industry, pathetically attempting to mine for gold in a well-tapped vein, aware of the diminishing returns but too afraid to let go of the teat
(to mix - if not openly sudoko-ise -metaphors beyond all comprehension)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go provide backdrop for Navy SeaBoat Series III**

____
* sadly, not a joke; some people still pay actual cold hard cash for music

** even sadder, this also is not a joke. Gawd bless your tax dollars going towards providing some very expensive backdrops for Lisa McCune***

___
***who is amazingly TINY in real life, and much much cuter than onscreen would have you believe. Err.. I may have said too much, especially as Ms Mords occasionally peruses this forum-!

@ Catbrain,

funny thing is, I used to work with Simon-Baker-Denny(-Sangster-Renouf-Peacock)'s brother, who just stuck with the Baker surname and just haaaaated being asked about it...
(Denny is his step-dad's name, for those that didn't know)

But you forget SBD's most memorable role - as shlepping around in the background of Melissa Tkautz's "Read my Lips" film clip!

As good as it was to hear Ray go on about the 'Golden Years' of wrasslin' at Festival Hall (aka 'the House of Stoush'), but some seriously freaky timing - Walter "Killer" Kowalski passed away from a heart attack on Sunday night, US time, at the age of 81...

Possibly the worlds scariest vegetarian (suck it, PETA), Kowalski had remained involved in the sport right up to this day, and his wrestling school is responsible for training up Chyna, HHH and RVD amongst many many others. From the NY Times obit:

“I was leaping off the rope, and Yukon Eric, who had a cauliflower ear, moved at the last second,” Kowalski told The Chicago Tribune in 1989. “I thought I missed, but all of a sudden, something went rolling across the ring. It was his ear.”

Yukon Eric was taken to a hospital, and the promoter asked Kowalski to visit him and apologize for severing his ear. Reporters were listening to their chat from a corridor.

“There was this 6-foot-5, 280-pound guy, his head wrapped like a mummy, dwarfing his bed,” Kowalski said. “I looked at him and grinned. He grinned back. I laughed, and he laughed back. Then I laughed harder and left.

“The next day the headlines read, ‘Kowalski Visits Yukon in the Hospital and Laughs.’ And when I climbed into the ring that night, the crowd called out, ‘You animal, you killer.’ And the name stuck.”

Kowalski came to incur the wrath of the fans. As he told Esquire magazine in 2007: “Someone once threw a pig’s ear at me. A woman once came up to me after a match and said, ‘I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.’ Then she stabbed me in the back with a knife.

Crazy, crazy business... but such fun!

I still say the exclusion of Stevie Moffat's "Coupling" from the Boxcutter Golden Age of Television was the <strike>story no parent can afford to miss </strike>/<strike>proved that the whole list was intellectually bankrupt</strike>/ <strike> worse than Hitler</strike> greatest travesty known to man...

Oh - and apologies for the double post - but what "Gladiators" really needs is a taste of openly-laughing-at-the-product-on-screen a la the late great Billy J. Smith, "It's a Knockout" style. Or - if you're old enough - "Almost Anything Goes".
Really, there's quite a lineage of ridiculously overwrought (but fun) physical game shows.
Still not a patch on "Running Man", of course.