Post Christmas TV & Movie Round-up

Once I come back from the in-laws in January, and have finished my next Open Uni story I'll update on the great TV series that finished in December (The Killing II, Rev, Merlin) but for now I thought I'd update on a few one-offs I've watched in this no man's land between Christmas and New Year.

Following a viewing of the original on Christmas Eve, on Boxing Day we settled down to watch Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) over dinner. While not quite as innovative or original as the first, this film gets off to a strong start with inventive (and believable) new ways of separating Kevin from his family. This time they go to rainy Florida while he ends up in snowy New York, with his dad's credit card, and, inconventiently, recently escaped burglars the Wet Sticky Bandits. More time is spent this time around on the main set piece of Kevin attempting to murder the Wile E. Coyote-related burglars with ingeniously placed holes and buckets. There is some great comedy to be had with reliable Tim Curry as an over zealous hotel concierge and some good continuity gags from the first film, such as Harry still having Kevin's front door handle burned onto his palm. The pigeon lady's emotional arch isn't as touching as the scary neighbours in Home Alone, especially as the scenes between Kevin and his mother are where the real heart of the film lies.

A couple of programmes starring Alexander Armstong and Ben Miller caught my attention on Channel 4 the other night. First we watched The Best Bits of Armstrong & Miller (2001), which featured highlights from the duo's final Channel 4 sketch show, and not any of the first 3 series for unknown reasons. I remember laughing along to this series when it went out, though many of the sketches I'd forgotten. I remembered Nude Practise though, which sees the characters running an inexplicable naked vets... Odd. Some of the best bits are the running gags and one liners, such as the inspirational teacher who tells his class to 'fuck off' as soon as the bell goes, or the camp TV gossip columnists who open the episodes. It's all good stuff, up there with the best of their BBC work.
I suppose the purpose of this strangely scheduled clipfest was to help promote the sitcom pilot that preceded it, also starring Armstong and Miller as a pair of Edwardian fops, Felix and Murdo. It was a curious set up. Written by Simon 'Men Behaving Badly' Nye it had an oddly disjointed, undercooked feel. I suppose, as a pilot episode, it's flaws can be forgiven, especially as Armstrong and Miller's central performances were so reassuringly well delivered. If it were to run to a series I'm not sure I'd be tempted back, but we shall see.

Another comedy one-off, on BBC2, was I suppose a pilot too, for a TV version of the Radio 4 programme I've Never Seen Star Wars. Oddly though, this has already been on TV, on BBC4 and hosted by Marcus Brigstocke. The terrestrial (mainstream?) version here was hosted by Jo Brand and featured Stephen Fry as the guest, apparently because he had time among his other many projects to fit in a bit of boxing, ear piercing, building flatpack furniture and watching Only Fools & Horses. It's an interesting premise for a show, thought I think it would work better without the studio bit and if it just featured footage of the guest enjoying the new experiences. To be fair, it was the attraction of Brand and Fry that drove me to the special, which I suppose was the point, and I doubt I'd bother with it again unless the guest was someone of interest.

There's a second episode of It'll be Alright on the Night airing before the year ends, but I'll write about the first to cover both. This is one of the few shows I'll make a point of watching on ITV, even more so now that isn't-he-dead-yet Dennis (S)Norden doesn't host it. Griff Rhys Jones is a much more agreeable guide to the pratfalls, fluffs and plain weirdness that makes up the long running blooper-fest. I'd seen several of these clips before, but that didn't make them any less funny. From the Blue Peter presenter dropping the Trafalgar Square Christmas star to Martin Clune's inability to write a prescription, there's something so funny about the material found on this show. I love it, and am not ashamed to admit it!