THANK 'EW G'UBNAH!

I've been obsessed with BBC America for a while, and last month we got a dish that carries it. I love the programs - even the repeats. I'm currently watching Being Human and Skins, but recently thrilled to Torchwood: Children of Earth and Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead.

Over at BBC America's site, they have a British American Dictionary that I found pretty amusing. You can check it out (dirty words included) here.

SHALLOW SEXUAL BOAST

I love British humor, and thus, am a huge fan of the BBC. One show that always makes me giggle is That Mitchell & Webb Look. The show is unique, in that although it is a skit show, it features mostly the same skits from week to week, and in many cases, the plot from one builds to the next. Oh, and unlike some skit-based shows (I'm looking at you, Mad TV), this one is actually funny.

This skit is funny, in that dry, droll sort of British way. Enjoy!

DR WHO SEASON 4 TRAILER

From BBC, via You Tube, here is the Season 4 official trailer:

ROSE TYLER RETURNS TO DR. WHO!

Sci Fi nerds everywhere rejoiced Friday night, during the last 30 seconds of Dr.Who. It would seem, Rose Tyler, Dr. Who's sidekick for seasons one and two, somehow came back from the dead. Adding to the emotional drama of the moment, playing in the background, was the song that played when she "died." (Only true Who fans will know what I mean.) I listed the song as one of my tunes back in January (post here). Here is the clip (via You Tube):



Yes, somehow, she's back. And I can't wait to find out what comes next.

FAT FIGHTERS!

I'm a huge fan of BBC America, because of shows like this. Little Britain is a sketch comedy show that always cracks me up. It differs from regular sketch shows in that it focuses on the same 12 (or so) sketches week in and week out. This is one of my faves, "Fat Fighters" (and we all know who they're making fun of, don't we?).

WELCOME TO HOTEL BABYLON

Hotel Babylon, one of my favorite BBC America programs (right up there with Torchwood and Little Britain) has added a new character - a bellhop to be precise. A quick search of the interwebs turned up some interesting information (and photos) of this new bellhop. His name is Paul Telfer (IMDB here), and he's hot. No, make that super-hot. But don't just take my word for it. Check him out for yourself. (And for a more pictures, including a grown-up shot of Paul, click here.)

TV REPORT (Finale, Pt. 2)

And now, for the final installment of my Summer TV Report: the stuff that didn't suck.

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List - quote possibly the best season yet, on every level. Despite major setbacks in her personal life (too numerous and severe to go into here), Kathy's comedy was on-point all season long. But what really stood out for me was the "serious" stuff; i.e., the visit to death row, etc. Can't wait to see her next stand-up special, or the next season.

Damages - Even though this FX Networks drama is just getting started, I've enjoyed every single episode. Expertly written, acted and directed, each episode has been a shining beacon of what quality drama can, and should be.

Dr. Who - although I must admit to missing a couple of episodes, this Sci Fi Channel import from the UK continues to entertain on every level. Even my mom is hooked on the show now.

Chelsea Handler Lately - this late-night latest addition to the talk-show landscape has me in stitches nearly every time I watch it. We'll see if E! shows a little better judgment and keeps this show... or at least better judgment than it showed when it gave the thumbs-up to Sunset Tan or that show with Kim Kardashian. (Can anyone even tell me who the hell she is?)

Kyle XY - yes, this show blows, and blows on a weekly basis... but that's what makes it so much fun. I don't think I'll be back for another season after this one.

Countdown with Keith Olbermann - yes, as in the daily news program on MSNBC. If you haven't checked this show out yet, you need to. It is an amazing blend of news, satire and commentary... the kind this country could use more of. It's like The Daily Show, only for real.

TV UPDATE: Enter the Doctor

I'll admit, I was almost ready to throw up my hands, give up and go watch Dead Like Me DVDs. The summer season was shaping up to be a boring, long exercise in patience. I'm just waiting until Battlestar Galactica returns. By the way, if you're thinking of catching up, there are about 55 episodes, including the mini-series. And the show returns in October, so you'll have to watch about 3-4 hours a week to do so. If you're already seen Season 3, you've got Season Two (20 episodes), Season One (13 episodes) and The Mini-Series (3 episodes) to watch. Good luck, with however many episodes you've seen.

Personally, I will be whittling down my watching list, soon, as a couple of more shows are debuting... one of which is the BBC's Dr. Who. (This can be seen in the USA on Sci-Fi Channel.) I'm excited to see how the series opens, after last year's amazing two-part finale, featuring the "death" of the Doctor's longtime sidekick and love-interest, Rose Tyler. I prefer this new doctor to the prior one (they switch actors every so often, but you'll have to watch the show to understand why. Well, actually, I've watched a couple of seasons now, and I still don't completely understand it all).

But most of all, I just glad to have a familiar face back. Hey Paula! - the show following Paula Abdul is already getting predictable, after just two episodes, and Paula Deen is in repeats.

Happy Viewing!

SUMMER SERIES' RETURN (Part 3)

The final part of my series focusing on summer TV concludes with the three shows I'm looking forward to the most. I'll watch every episode of this show, and in some cases, I'll even watch the re-runs. They are (in no particular order):

MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST [Bravo Networks, Third Season] Kathy Griffin is one of my favorite stand-up gals, and the show that follows her daily life quickly became one of my favorite reality TV shows. Kathy is funny, and there's no debating it, but her funniest bits seem to come in her private life.

I've actually had the honor of meeting Ms. Griffin (a long time ago), and she was really sweet. And (wait for it...) funny. She was a participant in a home-version of Match Game for a pal's birthday bash, and she brought the house down every time she opened her mouth.

Kathy had a batch of bum luck, both career wise (when she got dumped from E!s live red carpet team) and personally (a nasty divorce), but it hasn't seem to affected her desire entertain her loyal fans (read: the gays).

Overall show rating: 8

DOCTOR WHO [Sci Fi Channel, BBC] I say, "season debatable" because Doctor Who is a show that has had many, many lives on UK television. I only started watching last year, because it was on after Heroes, but before Battlestar Galactica, on Sci Fi's Friday night line-up... it made for an amazing night of viewing.

I caught up on older episodes this year, and wasn't as impressed with the cast. The title role of The Doctor changes actors from time to time, it seems. I like the newer guy — and he was great in the last Harry Potter film. It also seems like they're switching side-kicks this new season, so I'm a little on the fence about this... but I'll give the show's new season a solid try.

The eye candy is non-existent on this show, but the writing, acting, FX and musical score are all top-notch. And I mean, top-notch... the kind you don't find on American TV shows.

Overall show rating: 7.5 (but could go up, depending on the new sidekick)

RESCUE ME [FX Networks, Third Season] This is, by far, one of the best TV shows of the past decade. In my humble, and only partially-informed opinion, Rescue Me outshines The Sopranos, The Closer and just about all the other dramas on cable right now. The writing is crisp, clean, and only bested by the acting. The LA Times recently handicapped the Emmy race this year, and Rescue Me was among the shows it placed out in front, to take home some statues this year. And I can't think of very many shows that would be as deserving.

It would be easy to make a show about firefighters in New York, and pull on out heart strings after what happened on September 11th, but this show rises above such simple tactics. (They've touched on it, once or twice, but have managed to avoid any cliches.) The show deals with a wide variety of issues, and manages to infuse the many story arcs with humor and pathos... not an easy feat.

As for the man-candy, this show offers up plenty. (Firefighters, 'nuff said!) But the good looking, hard bodied men fade into the background thanks to the phenomenal acting and writing.

Overall show rating: 9

SWEETIE, DAHLING...

My mom does crossword puzzles all the time — and I mean all the time. The only problem is, she feels the need to drag anyone and everyone around her into her activity, blurting out things like, "what's the name of an ice cream company, starting with the letter..." (and she's the ice cream fan in the family!)

Now, don't get me wrong: my mama's way smart; book smart (advanced degrees, multilingual) and pretty street smart for a senior citizen. (She's an amazing artist, too — watercolors, chalk, pencils, you name it!) But the crossword puzzle? This can be an activity spanning several hours. (OK, to be fair, she does the puzzles from several different papers, but still... those puzzles take up hours of her time.) I don't blame her for needing the occasional hint, but sometimes, the clues she calls out stump me, to the point of obsession. Other times, they spark my curiosity, and I end up off, on my own trivia-hunt.

The other day, she asked, "Do you watch, 'Absolutely Fabulous'?"

Do I? Why yes, I even own a box set of DVDs of that very show!

The answer was the name of one of the lead characters... an easy one, if you ask me. But it got me thinking about AbFab, and funny ladies, in general. A quick web-search took me to the BBC site about the show, and to the How Fab Are You? Quiz — a personality test, of sorts. I took the quiz, and the art next to this post shows the results.

If you've ever seen the show (and you have a sense of humor), get over to the site and take the test...

Hmmm... I wonder if Lacroix does personality tests, sweetie...