Fantastic. With each episode the plot deepens. There is more to the characters than is presented, which the audience wants to get to the bottom of. It starts off quite simple, but it has become a major mystery. It's like a good book you don't like to put down.

You know, I'm starting to dislike Detective Frost, he's selfish, he treats his new sergeants like dirt and he has no respect for his superior officer. Still the stories are believable and captivate to the end.

Pauline what were you thinking!. Seen 3 men and a baby? Well this is 4 men, 3 kids and a woman. What is it? a drama, a comedy? Whatever it is, it doesn't do Pauline justice and she doesn't fit in this role.

Starring Kevin Eldon, Mark Heap, Simon Pegg
Writers Adam Buxton, Joe Cornish
Genre Comedy

The new show is not as good as the original series, if they repeat the earlier series give it another try. There is this regular spot where a staring contest is given the running commentry treatment, it's absolutely hillarious. Not dissimilar to 'the sketch show', but slightly more surreal and obscene along the lines of 'The Fast Show'. Still entertaining and this comedy team will always have an unexpected angle up their sleeve. You may recognise two members from 'spaced'.

Candid camera takes to the phone lines. Real people and businesses are invaded by the crank caller. They don't know it's a crank call. The crank customer calls amuse me the most because the sales staff have to be careful not to lose a customer. The customer is always right is really put to the test!

Based on the novels by Reginald Hill. Things have become a little too serious by far. I used to love Dalziel's Yorkshire rapier wit and sarcasm and bulldog detecting. That rapier wit has become stale. Still it could pick up again.

Daria(link)   imdb  

Set in a stereotypical US High School. Daria is an outcast who cynically battles her way through High School politics. The characters are engaging and incredibly well rounded for a cartoon. Hats off to the continity team on this one.

Starring Jessica Alba, Michael Weatherly, Jensen Ackles
Created by James Cameron, Charles H. Eglee
Genre Action/Sci Fi

It's good to see the freak show aspect has desisted, but it still doesn't have the impact it had in the first series. I have become interested in the new male character though, he's irresponsible, independent and unpredictable, but for him I think I would have given up by now. I think the main problem is it's got less action and too much about relationships and loyalty to friends. A new comer might miss the sci fi aspect altogether.

The Dead Zone(link) 

Based on the novel by Stephen King, it follows the main events, closer to the film version than the novel I think, but there are some changes. Anthony Hall is using the acting style of Christopher Walken for his characterisation. I think they have attempted to update the story, substituting a more recent war as one of the flash backs. It's by no means as gripping as the film, but I think that's because they are stretching it out too much. It's worth watching for the entertainment factor and there are some interesting filming techniques.

Dirty Tricks(link)
Starring Martin Clunes, Julie Graham, James Bolam
Director Paul Seed
Genre Comedy

Well! 'Men Behaving Badly' is taken a step further, with the creation of a truly obnoxious character with few endearing qualities. This is where I am interested by this programme, because then the audience is concerned with the main character getting their comeuppance.

Dr Phil  

Slightly different format to when he's on Oprah. It tends to be about one theme and a few people are interviewed and have some of Dr Phil's 'get real' advice. I think I would prefer if there were fewer guests with longer time spent on them.

Everybody Loves Raymond(link)  

UPDATED Mon 14 OCT episode This episode made me think of all those comedies that have gone before that started to get heavy and it didn't work 'Mad about You' is a case in point. This episode was serious, but they managed to keep it funny, I think it is because the childishness of the characters was maintained. I don't think it's a good idea to have serious themes running through comedies unless the comedic style is maintained. Not in a sit-com that is. It can be achieved as light relief in a dark comedy or a high drama such as 'A Few Good Men'. I just love Robert in this. Nobody ever gives him a break - especially him. It explores family life as seen through normal eyes. The Barone family are strange and display affection through criticism, smothering and emotional abuse. At the same time the 'men are from Mars women from venus' story lines run through it.

This is supposed to be about a radio psychologist, but I fell in love with Niles. He's absurd, pompous, childish and perverted yet he's loyal, gentle and caring. The earlier episodes are better as he becomes besotted with Daphne(the fake Manchunian - sorry that accent didn't have me fooled for a minute). There's plenty of banter between a cold hearted red neck father and his two middle class high society sons.

This show is totally unique, it combines crime, mystery and comedy. Each epsode involves a perplexing murder, the impossible crime. Jonathan is recruited to solve the mystery, sometimes against his will. There is a humerous relationship between the two main characters which is competitive, vindictive and tempestuous. I enjoy the challenge of having all the same information as Jonathan and attempting to use my lateral thinking skills to figure it out before all is revealed. Unlike many crime mysteries, there are no red herrings and there are clues to be found.

Judging Amy  

Focus is based around the Gray family with stories from Judge Amy and her mother a Social Worker. It's highly moralsitic and family values abound. It's also light hearted and explores some facinating issues.

It really doesn't get darker than this. Words to describe this show: depraved, debauched, perverted, deranged. It almost runs like a sick soapy. We see the lives of various residents of Royston Vasey, they have their own set of values which are accentuated by the occasional outsider visiting the town.

It has some similarities to Monty Python where males play unsavory female parts. However, in 'League of Gentlemen' the trademark high pitched voice has been dropped for a more natural voice. A favourite with Monty Python was the battle-axe housewife complete in curlers. A similar character to this in 'League of Gentlemen' is the housekeeper, but she has much more characteristics. She is played off against an upperclass employer, the two constantly taunt each other about their lives which goes beyond bitchiness, they make quite sadistic and malicious comments which are designed to cut to the bone.

In the past it was not uncommon to hear 'you bunch of women/girls' as a general term of abuse aimed at men. It had to be clear that men playing female roles were by no means homosexual or weak. When I see programmes such as 'The Fat' where men dress in ballet dresses, it's meant to be a violation of the expectation of the macho image and to be laughed at in that respect. "Look at how rediculous this image is". It's interesting the way some men play women now compared to back in the 70's; mannerisms are no longer exaggerated, they no longer take a stereotypical female and turn it into a charactature. In 'The League of Gentlemen' the females are well rounded characters in their own right. There is the rough, uncharitable female priest, the malicious girlfriend, a jobseeker facilitator with a peculiar pen fetish. They are by no means stereotypes, although some recognisable female characteristics are used.

This crew have invented a new range of male and female characters with an emphasis on all the negative human qualities. It's not that it's politically incorrect which gets explored in shows such as 'Time Gentlemen Please', 'Bottom' and 'Men Behaving Badly', nor is it about social etiquette and moral dilemas as played out in 'Seinfeld' and 'Frasier', it's more to do with sin and morality, humanity and abnormal social behaviours.

Life Support  

This programme is sick! and sadistic!!!. I love it. You know occasionally they come up with some original ideas that actually would work. Mostly it's politically incorrect to the point where I think "Law Suit".

Meet The Ancestors(link) 

Night Visions  

The Oprah Winfrey Show  

The Practice 

I'm afraid this show is in re-runs again, but if you haven't seen it yet. Wait for the beginning of the next set of re-runs. It is the most compelling court room drama I have ever watched, more compelling than 'Kavanah', 'Judging Amy'. It combines soap oprah narrative, high drama, comedy and the surreal. Sometimes you can't decide whether to take it seriously or tongue in cheek. Certainly the current shows are stretching the boundaries between a serious concept exploration and a rediculous one, but somehow you don't mind the push the boundaries out, perhaps it's because of the great chemistry between all the main characters.

Queer As Folk(link) 

I find it interesting that people like the original Star Trek and the 'new generation' and other soapy type space adventures, it's like believing in God and evolution. The only spin off I took to was 'voyager', my interest in the original was the concept of earth inhabitants learning to coexist as a global nation and working together as a team to solve problems when encountering different 'cultures' and phenomenon. 'Voyager' has the same emphasis, not much is explored regarding relationships between ship crew, it's about pooling knowledge and resources and sticking to the prime directive. There are moral dilemas when the urge to intervene is strong. 7 of nine really stole the show I think though. I think she took the place of Caz who mysteriously left the show suddenly. There is an excellent team of writers on this show, they manage to keep it fresh after all this time, only slipping into self indulgences occasionally. I don't like episodes that involve the holographic world.

Ted & Alice 

The Vicar of Dibley(link)  

This play is without doubt an intellectual's play. However, for those who do not know anything about Nihilism, Cosmic Purpose or religious doctrine, there is enough humour to be derived from the absent mindedness of the characters, the vaudavile sequences and the overall concept of the vutility of living a repetative, seemingly empty life.

There is much more to the play than that though and it's worth learning about philosophy and the religious references, for then the play really opens up on several levels. This play puts me in mind of the character in 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' or 'bladerunner' as some may know it. Wilbur Macer, he pushes his boulder up the hill endlessly, never arriving at the top. How can life give happiness or hope if it has no purpose or meaning? It's extremely thought provoking, comical, black humour. We balk at the pathos and chuckle at the rediculousness of the situation.

Wire in the Blood 

As the final episode is on Friday 11 October, I thought I better get this on now. I was thinking that this concept has been done over and over. A profiler is brought in to solve a series of murders. There was 'Millennium', 'Profiler', 'Razors Edge', 'January Man', 'Silence of the Lambs', 'The Bone Collector'. What is interesting is how they manage to reinvent the wheel. I think its a matter of what the emphasis is. There is the characterisation, the relationships between characters, police politics, the killer, the crimes. This show emphasises the characterisation of the profiler. He's unusual, obsessive and fixated on his killer. This genre keeps giving.