Category: General TV

Chris & Julia’s Sunday Night Takeaway

Ten launched its new show on Sunday, choosing to continue the pairing of I’m a Celeb hosts Julia Morris and Dr Chris Brown.


It’s over to Daisy for her thoughts on the premiere (thanks, Daisy):

I only watched about half an hour of Sunday Night Take-away, so my opinion might be worth peanuts, but I thought I would give it a thread just to give others a chance to comment.
Before the show even began, I noticed that on FB, under the show’s own posts, 90% of Australians seemed to be crying out, “Not Julia Morris! 😭”. About 80% were crying out, “Stop ruining yourself, Dr Chris!”. They weren’t even trolls. Just normal Australians saying that Julia is a shocker, and together they make a dismal team. The “yays”, were minimal. On the shows on post!
But I thought, why not have a peek at what probably might be another Julia Morris train wreck, and so I recorded 30 minutes, until I realized it was up against mafs and Would I lie and a couple of goodies.
So here is my take. Thankfully, Julia had reined in some of her physical antics and sexual inuendo (I’m not against sexual inuendo if it’s funny), and mostly run with the eye-crossing and strange mouthing. Part of the problem is that those things aren’t funny to most of us. The other problem is her history of rat-nursing, floor-rolling and kangaroo hopping is still too fresh in our memories. Chris’s problem is the professional crime of being Julia’s unfunny side-kick. Please channel 10, stop letting these two embarrass themselves, and give them some straight roles.
The show itself had me confused. I wasn’t sure if I have been so accustomed to bad rtv, that I will watch anything, or if my feeling that I was watching a type of telethon (WA’s annual tv fundraiser comprised of professional and amateur acts and hoc production) was accurate.
I saw people from the audience surprised by Chris chatting with them, and divulging a little tidbit of personal information; some guy waxed his legs, and a girl used her boyfriend’s credit card and spent $500 on a dreadful Bali-do and some eye-lashes. There was Justin who surprised his girlfriend…but not us….with an on air marriage proposal. It was obvious where that was going, but well done Justin. The girl looked stunned. Hard to say no. They had big screen filming of random families ready to join in some game, which turned out to be singing lines to a song. I can’t recall the band or song, but Dave will know. Oh and there was a white couch on a beach somewhere that a “lucky viewer” could win $2 000 by finding and sitting on it. I got no further than that. Add to all that, some cross promotion with other channel 10 shows. No wait; I forgot the Little Julia and Little Chris segment, where six year olds dressed up and replaced the shows hosts for 10 minutes. Hmm …that one writes itself. 🤔
My overall assessment; not for prime TV, but if you woke up at at 3.00 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep, it would look good next to a channel selling exercise equipment. Australians are being so dumbed down by the main commercial stations, that they might swallow this show as good entertainment, but it’s the MacDonald’s of TV IMO.
Comments anyone?



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Why you should be watching Pointless

Pointless has screened on UK TV since 2009 and – fun fact – was first pitched with the title Obviously. It’s a fascinating show to watch with someone else so you can try to beat them. Plus, the guy who voices the remake of Danger Mousr is the host, so bonus points.
Ten decided to do an Australian version last year but it has not rated so well and is seemingly teetering on the edge of extinction.
Here, guest recapper Daisy sums up the show’s big win today and puts her case for keeping Pointless.

Pointless Nightcap. 🍸

Tonight on Pointless, Mark Humphries deftly spreads his long pianist digits and waves at the big prize of $30,500! And the first round is “Animals starting with B”. Woolif is comfy in his recliner, calling “bilby”, “beaver”, “boa constrictor”. We always record the show and join the TV contestants later, so we can press pause, and cheat. Nathan and Mel are out and now, after the ad break, we go “head to head”. (I’m trying to type but Harry is farting and it really stinks. “Harry!” Woolif puts the dogs out).
I will use the break to tell you why I love Pointless. Firstly, Mark Humphries is a refreshing surprise. I’m usually very picky and critical of tv hosts, but this blond string bean; Charles and Camilla’s love child, schooled at Eton boys’ school, (he correctly says “fewer” not “less”), where he was either head boy, or that kid who got his lunch money stolen and his beautiful tidy hair flushed in the urinal.

Where did this guy spring from? I have never seen him before and I was happy to see the producers didn’t recycle Grant, O’Keeffe or Rove. Mark Humphries has a quirky way of taking the pees out of himself. He has a great partner, in Andrew Rochford and together they toss jokes back and forth, clever ones, and Dad jokes. There are no giant egos here.

Back to the show, I am now watching Ant and Kate go head to head with Liz and Matt for “fill in the missing letters to name the rapper”. It wasn’t as hard as it sounds. The beauty of this show is being able to sit in your underwear in your lounge room, whilst being as smart as Barry Jones. Matt and Liz got snuffed and now it’s down to Ant and Kate to take out the money.
For the final round Kate and Ant choose State Premiers over Child Classics. There’s a sense of understated excitement leading up to the end. Ant and Kate want to travel. They choose Morris Iemma. And it’s POINTLESS. And Ant and Kate take home $30,500!


Now, maybe I haven’t made the show sound great as Woolif and I think it is. Maybe ‘you had to be there’, but I highly recommend you get comfy in your undies, pjs or a trackie, and get with your family and give this addictive show a try. The stars of it are Mark Humphries, Andrew Rochford and YOU as you press pause on the remote to beat the clock and answer the quiz questions.



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Show Me The Movie – Daisy’s recap

Show Me The Movie launched last year – it’s like Spicks and Specks but about movies instead of music. And not as good.
Rove and Joel Creasy are back but the talented Zara from Offspring (Jane Harber) has been replaced by Brooke Satchwell.
Over to Daisy for her “nightcap” recap:
Daisy’s nightcap:
When I first saw the preview for Show Me the Movie, I thought “Rove McManus and Joel Creasy; nah”. Also the preview was awfully lame, but when I found out that Mark Humphries from Pointless was a guest, I thought I would give it a go, just tonight.

So what we have here is a quiz show based on movies, obviously. There was a panel of three celebrities on each side, with Rove as host. The format offered up a variety of question styles, the way that Spicks and Specks and Talkin’ Bout Your Generation did, but with more of an air of desperation.


For me it was a 1 star because the production was as slick as a show on Australian tv in the 60s. I couldn’t get past my dislike of Joel Creasy and his attempts at 1 dimensional camp humour, and I found the rest of the cast pretty average. I’m still a Mark Humpbries fan, although I prefer him hosting rather than trying to compete for camera time with 6 not-so funny people.

But that was my take. QI it ain’t. It might improve with time, or get dumped. I hope that some of you enjoyed it, but I won’t be watching again.
Let me know what you thought of it.



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Ten’s new streaming free for a month

Ten’s new streaming service, 10 All Access, has launched.
It’s free, but only for the first month, so now is the time to binge watch old episodes of Survivor (which we get via CBS’s takeover of Ten).
Other US shows include Cheers and The Good Wife, while Aussie content includes old Bachies.
Read about it here.



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New show: Take Me Out

Joel Creasey’s new show starts on Seven tomorrow.
He’s the young Aussie comedian who has appeared on I’m a Celeb and Rove’s Spicks and Specks-but-with movies-and-not-as-good show.
Here’s a promo.

So, it’s the Aussie version of You’re the One?



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General Chat – May 22

What’s everyone watching, besides MasterChef and/or House Rules?

I’m hooked on Netflix’s 3% – I’m a sucker for a dystopian future drama. The only annoying thing is that it’s a Brazilian production and Netflix has decided to dub it into English. I’d prefer subtitles but I can bear it if I don’t watch the actors’ mouths.
The premise is the world has gone to hell, with overcrowding, people scavenging for food – you know the drill. However, each year all the 21 year olds can compete in a contest to determine the best and brightest.
The winners – the 3 per cent – can then lead a life of luxury in the mysterious “Offshore”.
If you’re a sci fi fan do check it out. I’m on a real sci fi run at the moment, with my other must watches being Westworld and Handmaid’s Tale – heavy viewing sometimes and not for everyone.



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General chat – March

Time for a new general chat thread.
I’ve been watching random stuff on TV – a bit of Mary Portas: Secret Shopper from Netflix and I caught part of the Prime Suspect flashback series which follows the start of Jane Tennison’s police career in the 1970s. Looked ok.
Sadly I finished Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (after I slow start I really enjoyed it) and am devastated to learn they are not making a third season. I need a new show to get hooked on. I’m still watching The Walking Dead but more so out of habit.
What’s everyone else watching?



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What are you watching?

Not much on TV at the moment so it’s the perfect time for binge watching a series.
I’m hooked on The Leftovers, which I started a few years ago and abandoned after the first season. Seasons two and three are absolute corkers – bizarre, dark and beautifully filmed. Justin Theroux, Ann Dowd (Handmaid’s Tale), Carrie Coon and Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy) are just brilliant.

The basic premise is that, one seemingly ordinary day, 2 per cent of the world’s population vanishes. No one knows where they went and why some people “departed” and others did not.
Watch Season 1 trailer



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