It's Television: Dissected
TV News, Reviews and Interviews
This week we’re taking a little hiatus. A few weeks ago Josh recorded an interview with John Safran about his new show John Safran’s Race Relations. Here’s the interview in full.
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Tivo announced it will change the ‘Watch Live TV’ option to ‘Watch Freeview’ ….
http://smarthouse.com.au/Media_Centres/Set_Top_Boxes/V5V6V4B5
Although none of us know what Freeview is, it has enough pull to trick Tivo US into allowing the name change.
This week, we lounge into our new century with a look at the future (ooh, spooky) with FlashForward. There’s an I Don’t Buy It. Also, one of the most interesting discussions in Pork we’ve ever had.
It’s like delicious, fluffy mashed potato but for your ears.
Contact us by sending us email or send us an SMS on 0458 288 837 (0458 CUTTER) Continue reading “Ep 201: FlashForward, Dominos Pizza, The Future of Television” »
200 episodes! Wow. It seems like only yesterday we were preparing for our 200th episode (and John’s 54th) and now it’s here already.
The beautiful and delightful Myf Warhurst joins us to talk about Spicks & Specks.
Also, “You’re under arrest” is not one of the things Acting Sergeant Alisdair Farrell says to us. We talk to him about how the police are portrayed in drama and also how they can do their jobs with cameras all up in their grill. He’s on yet another Cops-style show, Highway Patrol.
There’s some special surprises in-store including a guest appearance by our very own James Talia, live from some balcony at Channel 9. (Oh, now that’s no longer a surprise. Damn!)
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Continue reading “Ep 200: Myf Warhurst, Highway Patrol, Surprise Guests” »
There’s been a lot of talk about Variety coming back in the last couple of weeks. Everything to do with the Hey Hey It’s Saturday reunion (other than the obvious criticisms) shows has been about variety coming back. “Isn’t it great to have variety back?” people will say.
Of course, people said the same thing when Dancing with the Stars started. Also, when I was growing up, one of the long running variety shows was the Black and White Minstrel Show, as was the Muppet Show. Take from that what you will.
The truth is, Variety never really left us because it doesn’t really exist as a genre. Is Hey Hey variety? Then what is similar between that show and Dancing with the Stars? How do they compare to the Brady Bunch Hour or The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour or Donny & Marie?
There’s almost no difference to what Hey Hey became late in its existence and a tonight show. Dancing with the Stars is closer linked to Celebrity Masterchef than it is to Hey Hey or the Osmonds.
So we take the term Variety out of the equation and what do we have? People feel like they’re missing something from their television experience and it somehow involves singing and dancing and family entertainment with a bit of light comedy thrown in.
What people are saying when they talk about wanting variety to come back to television is that they want is some sort of stagnation. They don’t want to think, they don’t want to learn, they don’t want to go on a journey. It’s mindless television and it must be stopped. Its nothing but a distraction and that’s not the way any entertainment should be. If, when watching television, you come away from it with nothing, was that time well spent?
I was outraged after the second reunion show when reading the Facebook messages on the Hey Hey page about the Black Faces debacle. People were offended that Harry Connick Jr was offended. How does that even make sense? This so called family entertainment is pitting us against each other.
Television is like one of those comic book devices that could save the world but in the wrong hands would mean disaster. Variety is just another word for television being in the wrong hands. It must be stopped.
Hi everybody. This is episode 199. We talk about the New Zealand show, The Cult and some other stuff.
Our energy levels were down. We apologise but we’re just saving it up for a big show next week.
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Sorry.
Continue reading “Ep 199: The Cult, Ads for Shoes, Garry Shandling” »
Corin and Jenna, one of the geeks and one of the beauties from Channel 7′s Beauty and the Geek, join us in the studio to talk about what it’s like to be part of a reality television series.
Marc Fennell, the star of ABCTV’s Hungry Beast is on the phone discussing the controversies around the first episode.
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Continue reading “Ep 198: Beauty plus Geek, Marc Fennell” »
With the Boxcutters team scattered around the globe this week, we take a wander down memory lane with an occasional series that we’ve now dubbed Remember When…
Remember When… Tim Ferguson joined us to talk about his impressively long career in Australian television, visiting on the eve of the inaugural Melbourne Comedy Festival show, Axed? If not, this is your lucky week because we’ve got an Encore Presentation in place of the regular show.
Here are the obligatory links:
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Continue reading “Remember When… Tim Ferguson” »
Sam Pang, host of the SBS quiz show, ADBC, is our guest this week.
He tells us things about stuff.
There’s a Things You May Have Missed about The Loop, a special Just Don’t Bother, and Brett thinks the Brownlow is both brown and low.
Listen to it y’all:
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The following took place as part of the Outland Institute radio show and our controversial “Rule of One” review process. Since this aired, last Friday, there has been another episode of :30 Seconds but the Rule of One prevails.
Last Monday, the first episode of the new sitcom from Andrew Denton’s Zapruder’s Other Films aired on the Comedy Channel.
Called :30 Seconds (complete with the colon), it’s about an advertising agency.
Yes, at the moment it seems like Zapruder’s is only coming out with shows about advertising. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Denton.
Comedy, as you well know, is a very sensitive lover. It requires caring, attention and tenderness.
To continue that already tortured analogy, the flowers and chocolate, the romance, if you will, are the acting and directing of a sitcom.
They make us feel like there might be something this relationship for us. We’re prepared to give it a chance and maybe allow a couple of dates.
The sex in the analogy that not even I can believe I’m taking this far, is the writing. It’s the writing that, BAM!, really drives home the idea that this comedy deserves a part of our lives.
As far as acting goes, :30 Seconds has the chops. Gyton Grantley, Kat Stewart, Peter O’Brien and Stephen Curry all bring their exquisite thespian skills to the set.
The glaring deficiency in the show is in the bedroom. The writing just isn’t there. So often we see a sitcom where the jokes come forced, like the writers are squeezing in the jokes regardless of context.
The secret is to let the jokes come from the characters. Especially when an accomplished cast is at the writers’ disposal, it the characters are good, the actors will find the comedy and the director will help bring it out.
The actors in :30 Seconds just don’t have enough to deal with. The characters are one dimensional at best.
The potential is there for a great comedy but the writing needs to improve.
Also, the lighting is some of the worst I’ve seen outside YouTube.
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