International Rhubarb
The British Academy Television Awards are doled out tomorrow. No, I don’t really care either. They usually get some smug, gobby nerk to present them and... oh, what’s the point?
With the Samurai Su Doku in The Times nailed and nothing to do for the last ten minutes, I skimmed down the list of nominees in the various categories, trying to scrape together a modicum of interest. One category that did catch my eye was Best International Show. Judging from the nominations it translated as best American shows shown on UK TV. The nominations are:
Californication (Five)
Family Guy (BBC Three)
Heroes (BBC Two)
My Name Is Earl (Channel 4)
As with most years, the TV BAFTA nominations are pretty much divvied up between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five. The various other satellite/cable channels people can gormlessly click between don’t get much of a look in because they pretty much only show imports, repeats, or cheaply made tat.
That said, Sky News gets a nod in the Best News Coverage category for its reporting on the Glasgow Airport Attack, while BBC Three and Four, E4 and More 4 have nominations here and there in other categories so it isn’t solely down to the terrestrial channels.
So let’s look at those nominations for Best International Show again:
Californication (Five)
Family Guy (BBC Three)
Heroes (BBC Two)
My Name Is Earl (Channel 4)
And at the same time remind ourselves that last year various terrestrial, satellite and cable channels in the UK screened the final season of The Sopranos, season six of The Shield, season four of The Wire, the third season of Battlestar Galactica and the first season of Dexter. All of them could have been nominated for that category, but instead...
Californication (Five)
Family Guy (BBC Three)
Heroes (BBC Two)
My Name Is Earl (Channel 4)
What. The. Fuck?!
posted by Good Dog @ 12:46 pm
11 mouthy comebacks
11 Comments:
I was going to agree with you and suggest that the whole thing is just another cog in the bullshit machine, and that any US show willing to make a star available for the evening would probably get an automatic nomination.
However, in the interests of thoroughness, I though I'd better check out the BAFTA website first.
Oh, joy!
It's been flooded with bitchy comments from the usual crowd furious that there are no nominations for Doctor Who or (fuck me) Torchwood.
All I can say is that never in my life have I had such respect for the Academy.
If they want to claim that Family Guy is the greatest programme in the universe, who are we to argue?
Haven't seen "Californication" (although I hear it's good. "The Week" have just picked it for "DVD of the week" desipite it not coming out until June - WTF?!) and I think "My Name is Earl" is seriously over-rated but the other two seem OK.
Personally would have liked to see "Galactica" and "The Wire" on there too, but this is BAFTA, so hardly surprising, especially when you consider how few people have seen the shows.
I found Californication to be virtually unwatchable.
The writing isn't half as clever as it thinks it is, and David Duchovny has less emotional range than a piece of haddock.
Good to know that its not just British shows that get overhyped.
I checked out the comments on the BAFTA site. What a bunch of utter dollops! Especially the cocks who think Doctor Who and Torchwood should be nominated because they are popular. Fuck off and vote for those people’s choice awards you morons!
If they checked the nominations for the Television Craft Awards, which aren’t handed out until May 11, they’d see that Steven Moffat was up for writing Blink. There are nominations in the Visual Effects and Sound Fiction/Entertainment categories. And... oh my fucking god, Murray Gold gets a nod too for creating his atrocious racket. Marvellous.
Got to say, I did enjoy Californication. Actually, I don’t mind My Name Is Earl either, especially when all this country has to offer is the likes of My Family.
It’s just that looking at the quartet of shows nominated, the list is so fucking uninspiring. If they picked four great US dramas and chose the clips with care, the nominees reel alone could show up the current homemade dramas.
So why not come up with a format for a show yourselves, guys? I'm being serious btw, not facetious.
Come up with a show with a full-on series Bible, the works. Take it to the networks, see if you can get a producer on board. Maybe if you pool your money together you could get a pilot made, that sometimes sweetens the deal. See if you can sell it.
I've always been of the opinion that if you hate something, you should change it. Like those great philosophers at Honda.
Lucy, the Dog and I are so doing... ;-)
Great.
And when it comes on the telly, I'll slag it off proper. See how you like it ; )
Oh come on... If that's not divine justice, I don't know WHAT is! Betcha scared now punks...
Seeing as this started with a post about the BAFTA's, did you notice that several awards this year went to a programme that consists of a shortsighted, middle-aged man taking the piss out of British TV?
Nice work if you can get it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
J&C,
Kids these days, huh? Always opening their mouth at the most inappropriate place and missing the point altogether.
But you're right. God bless dear old Harry Hill. His Burps are the only thing I regularly watch on godforsaken ITV.
There’s only one thing for it...
FIGHT!!!
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