They’re Back, And It’s About Time!

Top Gear’s back!!

The new series finally returned on Sunday, to much hype (trailers and the cover of Radio Times) and applause. Unless you’ve been living in a bubble for the past six months, you’ll know that the series return was postponed when Richard Hammond suffered a nearly fatal accident whilst filming in a jet powered car. It’s credit to his strength of character that he recovered from apparently quite serious head injuries, and that he recovered so quickly.

The show made much of Hammond’s return, with his entrance down a staircase lined with dancing girls and fireworks followed by the usual banter from Clarkson and May (although I should point out that Clarkson hugged Hammond. He was obviously so pleased to have him back. This was swiftly followed by Hammond saying “You’ve been nice to me”, to which Clarkson replied “It’ll never happen again”!)

From then on the show was a normal Top Gear – pratting about re-laying a road, Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Then, saved until the end, was the film of Hammond’s crash. There had been much criticism of the decision to show it, but I think it was a good call. Most of what they’d filmed that day would have been useable anyway, so why waste a decent film? And then there’s the sense of closure – there’s the crash, that’s what happened, can we get on with life now? Instead of just presenting it as a normal film, they got Hammond to talk through what happened (with some spookily accurate comments about the danger and potential of big crashes on the film). The crash moment was nasty. I always thought it would be. But it’s been shown and now, as Hammond said “Can we never mention the crash again”.

And I say yes, let’s get on with the pratting about with cars! 

Having my Tea

Sunday night I had the good fortune to have tickets to go and see the recording of Hamish & Dougal’s Burns’ Night Special. I’d arranged to meet up with Clair and Kate beforehand (which was good as I had their tickets!), so we sat in a nearby coffee place and chatted about various comedy things until it was time to head towards the theatre.

We’d decided to go to the theatre early to see what was happening and generally hang around (and maybe do some star spotting!) and it’s a good job we did. We arrived to find a small queue forming, so we promptly joined it and began the waiting. Soon a lovely BBC Audience lady came and gave us numbered stickers for our tickets, which guaranteed us a seat. After a bit they let us into the bar area of the theatre, which was good as it was starting to get a bit cold.

We went straight to stand by the doors into the theatre, as we’d already decided we didn’t want anything the bar had. Watching the rest of the queue come in I spotted Carrie and she came and joined us too. Then there was more waiting, and chatting. Barry Cryer appeared at one stage, fought his way through the crowd and then later fought his way back again. Then we noticed the girls on the door had sheets of paper with writing on. We tried to work out what they were, but had to wait until we went in to see for sure.

After an eternity of waiting, we went in, and were handed a sheet (which turned out to be the last page of the script with a song for us all to join in with). Carrie and I grabbed some front row seats, slightly to the one side, right next to the stage. We were glad to sit down. Once most people were in the musicians came on stage and began to play some tunes while we all settled down. It was great being so close I could watch them play and enjoy the music. Soon I noticed the familiar figure of Jon Naismith in the wings opposite frantically trying to catch the attention of the musicians so that the could stop and he could begin the introductions. He did manage it and did the usual spiel about what would happen, and his ‘new’ joke (which was the same one that he used at Clue in November). He introduced writers and performers Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden to great cheering and applause. Barry told a few more jokes (one about Bono, which I’ve heard him do before, and something about The Scotsman saying the show was racist and that they did have a Goodie in the cast!), and then Graeme introduced the rest of the cast (Alison Steadman and Jeremy Hardy). I’m sure at one point during this Graeme looked over and smiled when he saw us (well, possibly when he saw Carrie as he’s bound to recognise her more than me). I also wondered if the invite had said ‘wear brown’?

Then the recording began. I won’t tell you about it – you’ll have to listen on Thursday. But it was very funny, although I think the really funny bits were the mistakes, so will get lost in the retakes. There were some particularly funny moments when the sound effects (both live and recorded) didn’t happen quite right, and Jeremy had a great deal of trouble saying the word ‘liqueur’. But they were all picked up at re-done at the end, so the broadcast version should sound better. We spent a good evening laughing and cheering and clapping in the right places (and some wrong ones!) but all too soon it was over.

We went out from the theatre and into the bar to wait by the door, expecting the cast to come out that way. Carrie and I found out pens to get our pages of script signed and cameras for photos and tried to calm our nerves (Carrie said something at this point I can’t repeat, but makes me laugh to think back on it). Then Kate pointed out that Barry and Graeme were already at the bar! How they’d got there so fast I don’t know, but we had to fight through the crowd to make our way over to them. As we went round a pillar Graeme looked our way and smiled as he saw us coming, so I said to Carrie “he’s seen you”, at which point she stopped. So I said “go on then” and she asked why she had to go first. I said it was because she was nearer! So she went and asked for her autograph and then asked for a photo, which I took. I realised as I was holding the camera up that my hand was actually trembling, such is the effect that a Goodie can have on me! (I was worried afterwards that it might have effected the photo, but fortunately it didn’t).

Then it was my turn. I asked Graeme to sign my script page, which he did (with a kiss under his name!). Then I asked if I could have a photo too. I managed not to make the same mistake I had in Edinburgh and fumble and drop my bag and coat, and I thought enough to take my bag off my shoulder and put it in my hand, so that it wouldn’t be between me and Graeme. He put his arm around my shoulder and I put mine across his back. It felt so comfortable that I really wasn’t bothered when Carrie was struggling to get my camera to take a picture. It seemed that we were standing there for ages, but I wasn’t in a hurry to help! (To be honest I’m not sure I could have, as I still wasn’t doing very well at speaking). But eventually the picture took and I had to move (damn!).

Then we chatted a little to Graeme (well, I was there, but didn’t say much), and he asked if we were going to get Barry to sign our scripts too. We said we were, but that we were waiting for him to come inside (he was standing outside the door, smoking) and we knew he would as his beer was still at the bar. Graeme said something about his [Barry's] wife still being there too. Then Jeremy Hardy, Alison Steadman and a crowd of other people came and talked to Graeme, so we stood to one side and debated whether or not to stay and have a drink. While we were deciding we asked Jeremy and Alison to sign our scripts, and we spent a bit of time chatting to Jeremy, mainly about his problem with liqueurs! He was lovely and seemed happy to chat too. Then Carrie decided not to wait for Barry to come back in and went outside for an autograph. I thought this was a good idea, so I went out too. Coming back inside we carried on debating about stopping for a drink, when we noticed that Graeme was gathering his stuff and looked like he was going. Suddenly we weren’t at all bothered about stopping! So we got our stuff and followed him out (claiming that we weren’t really following him). We all stopped outside to say goodbye, and as Graeme was adjusting his scarf someone (I can’t remember if it was Kate or Carrie) commented how nice it was, to which he replied that we all looked lovely too. Then we all said goodnight and went our separate ways home.

So on the third time of meeting Graeme I still didn’t get a hug (although the long photo pose kind of made up for it). But then no one else did either. It wasn’t really a huggy night. Maybe next time … ?

A Bit of Old Telly?

ITV began their new series Raiders of the Lost Archive last night. The concept was good, of showing old and rediscovered clips to the performers who were in them. Unfortunately the programme didn’t live up to its promise. Most of the clips were not shown in their entirety, and then what was shown was talked over by either the performer in question or by Patrick McGuinness, the presenter. (I was also not impressed by the way McGuinness kept implying that he’d done the research and found these films, but that’s just the presenting style the programme seemed to be taking.)

I will keep watching, if only to see Bill Oddie reunited with clips from The Goodies in Engelbert with the Young Generation, some of which I saw at the Missing Believed Wiped screening in December.

I suppose I should be pleased that ITV are doing something positive towards items being returned to the archive, but it feels like they could have done so much more with the concept they had. 

What a Find

Well the new series of Time Team began on Sunday, with possibly the best episode ever!

The team were on the Isle of Man (which I’ve always thought was worth a visit, and even more so now) to dig the last un-dug early Christian chapel thing. They thought they knew where it was (under a golf course!) and were expecting graves, but I don’t think they were expecting finds quite as good as they got. The highlights were a burial in an airtight, stone lined grave, which had preserved some thousand year old human hair, and a stone with ogham script on.

All very exciting stuff. I hope the series carries on being this good. I was worried that it was starting to loose its way.

The End of the Doughnut?

A story in today’s Guardian reports that the BBC are considering closing (and presumably moving out of) Television Centre. Would that mean the end of the old concrete doughnut? I hope not. As a building it’s design is iconic of 1960s Britain. Surely the building itself is listed and would be preserved, with perhaps a new use. I’m sure you could fit several trendy flats in some of the old studios?

It’s all tied in with the long awaited licence fee announcement from the government.  While the BBC is expected to make programmes and oversee the digital switchover, the government don’t seem that keen to give them any more money. But the big spend is the proposed move to Salford of the Children’s and Sports departments and Radio Five Live to a new, purpose built broadcast centre. I’m all for big companies moving out of London, and I think it’s a great idea. Hopefully it will make some of the BBC less London-centric and will give jobs and opportunities to people a bit further north who don’t want to move to London just to work in major broadcasting (sensible people!).

We’ll wait to see what happens …

Top Telly

There was some great stuff on the telly and radio over Christmas – Christmas specials for Strictly Come Dancing and The Vicar of Dibley, best of the year stuff for ISIHAC and the Now Show. There were some great films too – Zulu, The Great Escape (which hasn’t been on at Christmas for years), Time Bandits and I ended up watching Back to the Future and One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing again too. There were some new films on too, but I seem to have missed all of those!

The highlight of Christmas had to be the Doctor Who special. Entitled The Runnaway Bride, it followed on from the last episode of the previous series. I won’t give the plot away, for those who haven’t seen it, but I was slightly disappointed with it. Last year’s Christmas episode was great. It had all that you want from Doctor Who, but with a bit Christmassy too. This year’s Christmassy elements felt contrived and the whole episode seemed over-long. Maybe it was missing the familiarity which last year’s had, with Rose and her family and the return of Harriet Jones.  But it did have probably the best car chase of the year!

New Year telly saw the pilot of the Doctor Who spin-off Sarah Jane Adventures. Despite being aimed at a young audience (not exactly sure of the target age group, bit it isn’t going to be me!), it was very enjoyable and I suspect the series will do well (It can’t really do worse than the ill-fated K-9 and Company). The characters were well written, the plot moved along at a good pace with plenty of humour, presumably from Russell T Davies. Kids TV hasn’t been this good for years, well not since RTD was writing for it! I especially appreciated all the nods back to Doctor Who, not just of the current series, but the old stuff with UNIT  – there were pictures of daleks and the Brigadier and dear old Harry in Sarah’s attic.

And the biggest question from the show what was the car that Sarah was driving? Well, it was a Nissan Figaro – a Japanese import based on the body of a Micra and the styling of British 1950s sports cars. And do I want one? Of course I do. It’s on my list of must have cars somewhere between a Fiat 500 and a Mercedes SL300 Gullwing!

Happy New Year

Both Christmas and New Year have come and gone without much comment from me, so I thought I’d jot down a few thoughts before it all fades into the haze that is my memory. I spent the time with family, and it was good to be back “up-north” where people speak properly! Actually it was astounding to notice the differences in not just the accents, but also the attitudes of people between here and back home. They say everyone’s more friendly in the north – well it’s true. People you pass on the street never speak to you down here in the south.