TV

So, the BAFTA TV nominations have been announced.

Best actress
Eileen Atkins - Cranford (BBC One)
Judi Dench - Cranford (BBC One)
Gina McKee - The Street (BBC One
Kierston Wareing - It's A Free World (Channel 4)

What was the fuss all about over Cranford? Well, besides the fact they'd turned the dullest book ever written into something mildly entertaining. Yes, they threw some money at it and they were all nicely costumed-up, but nobody in it stuck out for outstandlingly amazing acting.
Didn't watch the other two.

Best entertainment performance
Simon Amstell - Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC Two)
Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins - The Friday Night Project (Channel 4)
Stephen Fry - QI (BBC Two)
Harry Hill - Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1)

Tough one. Stephen Fry is a living legend and can officially Do No Wrong. And I've been a long-time Harry Hill fan and always watch TV Burp, despite the fact large chunks of it often fail to make me laugh. Prime example: FIGHT!!!

Best comedy performance
Peter Capaldi - The Thick of It (BBC Four)
James Corden - Gavin and Stacey (BBC Three)
Stephen Merchant - Extras Christmas special (BBC One)
David Mitchell - Peep Show (Channel 4)

Stephen Merchant ought to win this one, yet I do like Peep Show (mainly to puzzle over David Mitchell's bizarrely dark eyes).

Best drama serial
Britz (Channel 4)
Cranford (BBC One)
Five Days (BBC One)
Murphy's Law (BBC One)

Really, Cranford was nothing special.

Best factual series
Meet The Natives (Channel 4)
Paul Merton in China (Five)
Tribe (BBC Two)
The Tower: A Tale of Two Cities (BBC One)

Meet The Natives was hands down the best documentary series I've ever seen. Funny, informative, insightful - what more could you ask for? Yet, it's up against Tribe, probably my second favourite. Am currently subscribed to the blog for Bruce Parry's next series, Amazon (which I notice got a bit of publicity on the BBC front page today). Tough one, but I'd like to see some recognition of the genius that was Meet The Natives. Amazon can win next year ;-)

Best entertainment programme
Britain's Got Talent (ITV1)
Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1)
Have I Got News For You (BBC One)
Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One)

OK, so Stephen Fry can win best Entertainment Performance, and TV Burp can win this one.
I don't see the appeal of all these celebrity / singing and dancing shows. I think I am the only person at work who hasn't watched any of them.

Best feature
Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection (BBC Two)
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (Channel 4)
The Secret Millionaire (Channel 4)
Top Gear (BBC Two)

Well, Heston has to win this one, hands down - if not for anything else but the amount of effort that went into researching and preparing each dish.

Best special factual
Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain (BBC Two)
Earth: The Power of the Planet (BBC Two)
The Genius of Photography (BBC Four)
The Relief of Belsen (Channel 4)

The Genius of Photography was a great series, really enjoyed it, even if it did go on a bit in places.

Just watched the White Season on BBC2, kind of by accident. I had read that White Girl was worth watching (it was - watch out for that in next year's BAFTAs) and inadvertently pressed 'series link' on Sky and it taped the rest of the week's programmes. 'The Poles are Coming' was about the recent massive influx of Eastern Europeans and the widespread perception that they are 'stealing our jobs' when, in fact, it's simply that they are prepared to do the jobs that young British people are not prepared to (i.e. a 10 hour shift squash picking for £7 an hour). It also showed how Poland is becoming desperately short of skilled workers and it trying to lure them back, with limited success. 'The Primary' was about a multi-cultural primary school in Handsworth. I love school documentaries, they always have the sweetest kids. Tonight I got round to watching 'All White in Barking', which was essentially about xenophobia and racism and it got me a bit wound up due to other people's intolerance. Gah!

Comments

[Stray Taoist]

TV Burp is one of the only things watched in our house (seeing as Top Gear and Doctor Who are over.) Now, I am not sure you, or even I, are the target audiences. My offspring laugh like drains through the whole thing, even at bits I would prefer they didn't. Ah well.

But it is great, as my second male child has a very infectious laugh, and laughs a lot, and loud.

As for the rest, well, I have no idea.

[heather]

Yeah, I barely saw any of those except I did love Cranford.. Sobbing.

I meant to watch White Season but then just never got round to it... Maybe I think I don't have the energy for serious TV (although I'm managing 10 Days to War: excellent too).

[Em]

My partner used to loathe Harry Hill when 1st arriving in GB PLC whilst I cringed at his one time helper Al Murray (as the pub landlord) but we've both mellowed and now she looks forward to each week's TV burp.I did enjoy Andrew Marr's history of Britain (though my Dad deemed it 'biased' whilst I thought it objective). The genius of photography was also wonderful but probably largely overlooked.Of these nominees The Street was just stunning, hugely emotional and renewed my faith that the medium of TV could still produce something of worth.

[Teresa]

But... but... I loved Cranford! (although, I had to watch it illegally)

[Kirsty]

I thought Cranford was just a bit... nothingy. Especially compared to Gaskell's other works, like 'North and South' and 'Wives and Daughters'.

Am currently watching Lark Rise to Candleford which is *much* better, despite the awful and entirely unnecessary West Country accents.