J. D. Salinger dies – NY Times

Mr. Fry went to San Francisco to see the big iPad reveal (can totally picturing him going all fanboyish, with ruddy cheeks and yelling quite loudly – gimme,gimme, gimme

Our lovely friend Amy is happy Jack Bauer is back – check out the Carnival of Bauer over at TV Tyrant

Ooooh we are getting Walter vs William Bell showdown on Fringe – EW

Guy Ritchie sets aside Lobo to do Sherlock Holmes sequel – LA Times

Some Lost tidbits

Investigate the Lost subway system over at Give Me My Remote

TV Addict is listing questions we’d like to see Lost answer in its final season

A whole bunch of stuff on Lost over at Pop Candy

And last but not least

Ugly Betty just got canceled. Officially hate ABC. And there is a petition if you would like to sign. I will miss Mark/Amanda and Grandma Suarez terribly.

And I think Lainey said it best:

So Ugly Betty has been canceled. It would be easy to blame ABC for their scheduling f-ckery, not unlike Friday Night Lights and NBC, moving the show from one day to the next and killing it on a Friday and then confusing the viewers and of course they suck and should hear it and we hate them but there’s also the question of viewers…and if we’re using Friday as an argument, consider the dumbassness of Ghost Whisperer which does just fine on Friday. So to me, what’s maddening is not so much a matter of the networks being assholes, which is always the case anyway, but the matter of what people watch. Sh-t,
that’s what.

All I will say is Squeeeeeeee! And don’t forget to check out Jorge Garcia’s blog.

Source: Pop Candy blog

Image: ABC

Dear faithful readers,

have you been watching Ugly Betty this season?

You know you totally should. It has been my “feel good” TV for a while although I will admit they have been threading water in season three. But this season has been quite, quite good. And fun. Much like Betty herself who is going through a transformation of a sort, the series is going through its Renaissance. It is not that they have changed the format or anything of the sort I think the writers just built upon what they already had and made it 10 times better.

The story lines are interesting but not OTT, some fresh blood has been brought in the form of Adam Rodriguez (of CSI fame who seems to be flourishing now that he got away from Horatio Caine’s watchful eye) and I’m still totally loving on Betty, Mark, Amanda, Hilda, Justin. Even Daniel. And some rumors have been floating around that Liza Minelli is set to appear on the show. If true how utterly, utterly fab! (Cabaret is one of my all time favorites).

I do hate it when network start to mess around with shows (only with the ones I like, natch) but when they start changing air times and air dates etc it never, ever bodes well (think Jericho, Eli Stone, hell any show you might have liked that got canceled. Once they start fiddling with it, it is never for the better). Ugly Betty’s ratings have been (for the lack of a better word) dismal this season (compared to when the series started). And it is irks me just so because the show by far surpassed everything they have done so far.

Maybe they should bring in Salma Hayek again. Maybe they only have one season left in them, but be as it may my dear readers do give it a watch I promise you you won’t be disappointed.

My dear readers,

I am not the one for post-apocalyptic movies. I never understood Mad Max fascination. And then that dislike was cemented with the opening sequence of Waterworld – you remember that scene when Kevin Costner pees in a cup and then drinks it? All I will say is ewww… and I don’t get disgusted that easily

Anyhow there is a bit of a buzz about The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. It is a story about a man traveling through post-apocalyptic America who is trying to save a sacred book that holds the secret on how to save the humanity. Now no matter how much I like Denzel Washington I thought of giving this one a miss but then I’ve read it also stars Gary Oldman. And I like Gary Oldman. So I just might give it a watch after all. You can check out the trailer below and do let me know dear readers if you have seen The Book of Eli and most importantly if it is any good.

Dear faithful readers,

by now you might (or might not) know that I will watch anything food related. Yup I love to eat and I just can’t help myself but to watch anything cooking related. So the other day I watched the new series with Gordon Ramsay. It’s called Gordon’s Great Escape. He goes to India to try and learn more about the Indian cuisine.
And when I saw it was produced by Channel 4 I thought great because I cannot stand the American version of Gordon Ramsay. The one you can see on US version of Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen. It’s just phony. He is phony. And fake. And horrible.

On the other hand I quite enjoy the Gordon Ramsay of UK Kitchen Nightmares – the man who is clearly passionate about food, about the ingredients, about helping people. So I thought it would be worth the watch.
And then there is the fact I studied in Birmingham once upon a time where I clearly went through baptism of fire (hm quite literally when it came to curries and my jars of masala and tumeric are just waiting for a proper recipe to finally be put to good use.

So the expectations were high.

And it is worth the watch because of all the glorious food. The food, the spices, the ingredients, the way it is prepared – it is quite astonishing. I did know about some of these techniques (for example the way nomads in the desert wrap up the meat in leaves and then dig a pit and cover it with hot coals to be cooked) but some things were a revelation – a small tribe that makes chutney with ants and ant’s eggs because meat is in short supply so they use what they have. Or how they prepare fresh food on the trains rather then reheat things (which usually happens where I come from).

But then there is Ramsay. Now he had a shitty year. He just lost a Michelin star. So one would think this would be an opportunity to go back what he does best – cooking. But he is so for the lack of better word irritating. The thing is these people in remote parts of India don’t have a clue who he is. And they don’t care. So his I’m-a-master-chef shtick obviously is not cutting any mustard. None is yelling “Yes chef!” and quivering in their pants at the mere sight of him (actually I think he is lucky that Indian people are so mild mannered – where I come from someone would slap him within minutes.)
Now me being me I will attribute that to the fact he indeed did have a shitty year. He is in a country he has never visited before where some people understand him and some do not. So he is acting like one of the those annoying tourists who think if you shout in your own language long enough the natives will understand you. Me thinks it’s a defense mechanism. Or maybe I’m just naive and he is actually a pillock.

Be as it may if you can get past the bouncing and shouting Ramsay with extra relish do give it a watch because as I said the food is glorious.

Dear faithful readers,

on my first ever trip to London at the ripe old age of 17 I was in McDonalds with my friends (I know but for us it was a novelty at the time) and we took out a big map of tube in London. For one of the first stops on our whistle stop tour I circled Baker Street. Yes that’s how horribly geeky I am. And while I do not consider myself a die hard Holmesian I have read all of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes stories many times over since I was a little girl and I do consider myself a Holmes enthusiast.

I put off watching Guy Ritchie’s version of Sherlock Holmes ever since it was released really because well… it was hyped up so much and with it being this big Hollywood production I thought it couldn’t be good. Besides the only screen version of Holmes I ever saw was the one with Jeremy Brett and in my mind he embodied Sherlock Holmes so perfectly how could Robert Downey Jr. even compete? I didn’t want my favorite childhood/teen stories ruined on the big screen.

My dear readers I was in for quite a shock. Visually from the first second there is no mistaking it for anything else then a Guy Ritchie movie – I love how he uses browns, greys and blues to give you this perception of grittiness that was London at the time (and if you have seen Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels you will know what color palette I’m talking about). And I absolutely loved the visuals of London – that city can be tiring as hell for a tourist but it never fails to take my breath away.
(On a side-note and if you don’t mind a) being a tourist and b) paying an exorbitant amount of money for the ticket at Madame Tussauds in London they have quite a cool part of the exhibition with a reenactment of London of that time – quite spooky, quite cheesy but quite fun).

Now for the Holmes himself – the only version I knew was Jeremy Brett’s – contemplative Holmes, lost in the haze of smoke (and sometimes drugs) who sprung to life when a new case presented itself. Robert Downey Jr. knocked my socks off by interpreting Holmes as this physical, wiry, bushy haired, hard (and quite sexy) super sleuth. I said it once and I’ll say it again – very few actors can compete with Downey Jr. on top of his game (and for the record I cannot even begin to compare Jeremy Brett and Robert Downey Jr since both interpretations were so different). And I loved how Guy Ritchie used his signature slowmo shots to give us the visual version of Holmes’ thought process. As for Jude Law’s portrayal of Watson – well I’d be lying if I said I hated him. He was quite, quite good and him and Downey Jr. played really well off each other.

I do have to mention the script writers – Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg – who did create a wonderful script. I would imagine it would be a daunting task to adapt Arthur Conan Doyle for screen because a) it has been done before and done quite well too and b) Holmes stories do have a great legion of fans who have high expectations of any and all screen adaptations. But I think the writers did a great job – the story is fast paced, interesting and I loved, loved, loved the Holmes – Watson dialogues.

Last but definitely not least I have to mentioned the music – Hans Zimmer did the original score and I think it complimented the movie beautifully.

All in all it was quite a treat and a pleasant surprise. Having said all of the above – I would still love to see the Holmes version with my favorite duo – Hugh Laurie as Holmes and Stephen Fry as Moriarty

So tell me dear readers and especially any Holmes fans – did you see the movie and what did you think? Di you love it or hate it? Do sound off in the comments below.

Image: Stock.xchng

For any of you readers still watching House do pop over to Give Me My Remote and show Erik some comment love – even though I don’t watch House anymore his recaps are the best ever and the discussion is always lively.

Jennifer Morrison returns to House (good for her but I hope they give her something better to work with this time around) – EW

ABC is NOT giving up on V and Flashforward – Scifiwire

A new intro for Perfect Strangers (I really did love that show and to this day I’m curious how exactly did they make those bibibabkas) – Pop Candy

Is Star Trek better then Doctor Who (it’s not really about that but check it out anyway) – TV Scoop

I will be the first one to say to pull the plug so not to drag it out but Supernatural has been so damn good this season one more year would not be a hardship – EW

Zap 2 It has a handy guide for the midseason TV shows – Zap 2 It

Go and read some Wil Wheaton go on, you know you want to – WWdN

Jorge Garcia and the polar bear – Dispatches from the Island

Speaking of Lost if you want to discuss the Last Supper promo photos head over to our friend Amy – TV Tyrant

I know this is old-ish but Stephen King’s top 10 movies of 2009 and even more interesting top 10 books of 2009 – EW

Don’t forget Leverage returned so make sure to watch

And a bit of a bad news – Michael C Hall is battling cancer, sending some good thoughts his way and wish him speedy and complete recovery – Telegraph

Image: Stock.xchng

Dear faithful readers,

since I know how much all of you love British shows and especially British comedies I thought to come up with a list of alternative shows to some of the all time favorites. Do bare in mind these are not exact replicas (because that is well impossible) but I think all of the shows listed below do represent a good alternative if you need a good laugh or three. Of course if you have any good suggestions do leave them in the comments below.

If you liked Red Dwarf… you might enjoy Hyperdrive

I know, I know Red Dwarf is very difficult to replace. However Hyperdrive just might be a good contender. And if British Science fiction set in space is not enough to entice you the fact Nick Frost (of Hot Fuzz) plays one of the main characters just might have to do.

If you liked Yes Prime Minister… you might enjoy Thick of It

Thick of It is a modern political satire featuring employees of the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship. We have another somewhat dimwitted minister and a gang of players around him that well you know spin things. Oh and unlike Yes Prime Minister you can expect some really strong language (if you are bothered by such a thing).

If you liked Are You Being Served?… you might enjoy The Brittas Empire

Now before you even start The Brittas Empire could never ever replace Are You Being Served? But if you are craving a British comedy fix this just might do. It also features an assemble cast and stars Chris Barrie (of Red Dwarf fame) who is rather good as the dimwitted Gordon Brittas, manager of the Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. Plus there are seven (7!!!) seasons which should occupy you for a while.

If you liked Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares… you might enjoy The Restaurant

If you enjoyed Ramsay’s no nonsense talk of the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares you should definitely try out The Restaurant. 9 couples take part in a competition to open up a restaurant with French chef Raymond Blanc (and before you dismiss it as a reality show yes it is but it is also definitely much more interesting then that – I know it boggles the mind Brits can even do that better). There were 3 seasons so far but I would definitely suggest to start of with the first season since this last one was a bit of a dud.

If you liked Keeping Up Appearances… you might enjoy Fresh Fields

Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) cannot be replaced. And although Fresh Fields is another sit-com about a married couple living in the suburbs Hester Fields (played by Julia McKenzie) is definitely not a ruthless social climber. But it is quite entertaining and there is a spin-off series French Fields.

If you liked The Royle Family.. you might enjoy Outnumbered

The Royle Family might seem like it is about nothing at all, just a family sitting around and watching the telly but it can be damn funny (definitely check out their 2008 Christmas special, even the 2009 Christmas special wasn’t so bad). Outnumbered features another family living in the suburbs – mum Sue (played by Claire Skinner) and dad Pete (played by Hugh Dennis) who are outnumbered by their 3 kids. Some of the script is usually improvised to make it more realistic. Definitely give this one a go (there were 2 seasons).

If you liked The Office… you might enjoy The IT Crowd

Of course I am talking about the UK version of the Office in case you were wondering. The IT Crowd is written Graham Linehan (who also wrote Father Ted) and it is not trying to be a mockumentary like the Office but is more in vein with the traditional sit-coms (the first season was filmed in front of live audience). The story follows the IT support team of a corporation based in London who are completely ignored and despised by the rest of the staff which suits them just fine since they are not really what you would call socially butterflies.

Dear faithful readers,

I do know we haven’t done one of our Stephen Fry Appreciation Mondays in a while. So you probably know that our Mr. Fry has gone into communication shut down until April to work on the second installment of his memoirs (in case you didn’t know you can read about it over at his blog). Now we only have to sit tight and wait until October when the book should be out (or at least that is the information that I have). I would be lying if I didn’t say that I am extremely curious what this book is going to be like – I mean the whole Cambridge and after-Cambridge stuff is bound to be interesting and well if Moab is anything to go by I know we can expect very candid reminiscence.

Anyhow I have been reading the Oscar Wilde book through the Christmas period and although it is a collection of children’s stories I have enjoyed it quite a bit. Do give it a read if you still haven’t (it was out of stock for a while but it is now available on both Amazon and Book Depository).

And last but not least I leave you with his nugget of information I have read ages go but didn’t post for some reason – in an interview for the People magazine Hugh Laurie said the following:

We’ll definitely be doing more Fry and Laurie, he said. “We used to talk about doing something like a stage review. Stand-up comedy is a massive industry now but actual sketch comedy on stage I don’t think anyone is really doing that now, and that’s something we thought we would try and do.”

I know I’d be willing to stand in line to get tickets for that particular show. Or the memoirs launch – I’m not fussy that way

Source: Buddy TV

Dear faithful readers,

I really never was a big fan of the whole superhero thing (well apart from Superman as I have elaborated here) but I never really got into it properly.

And before you suggest I should start reading comics well I did and I do. Believe it or not I have actually learned to read while flipping through comics when I was on the potty and later on when toilet training took effect. In fact to this day there is still a stash of comics in the bathroom. Yes I know it’s too much information But to give you an idea (the comics I’ve read when I was little were Alan Ford; Dylan Dog, Zagor and Martin Mystere. So you see I’m not a total ignoramus when it comes to comics).

But I digress. Last summer when there was nothing to watch I saw Iron Man for the first time. And I loved it. LOVED.IT. I loved the storyline, the acting (Robert Downey Jr. on top of his game is a sight to behold), the special effects, even the music. And cameo by Jon Favreau. All of it. The whole package. I converted in an instant. And I’m not really the one to enjoy big budget extravaganzas.

When the trailer for Iron Man 2 hit the internets well I was a bit apprehensive. Surely the second installment will not live up to the hype. But do you know what? It just might. Judge for yourself.