The Passions of the Populists

[Mildly Diverting]

...the old Basil Rathbone and Nigel Green movies about the great detective.

Nigel Bruce.

Sorry to interrupt a fine thread. I'm quite enjoying Murphy's Law if that counts.

[Jemble Fred]

And Takeshi's Castle, but that's not exactly populist.

That program would probably be alright if it wasn't for fucking Craig Charles taking the piss out of it for idiots. I remember one episode he'd obviously been told to laugh at everything happening on screen... for 2 FUCKING MINUTES. Craig Charles imitating breathless laughter while japanese people get hit by things is probably the most annoying thing ever.

You had to do it, didn't you? Ruin this perfectly lovely populist thread with a show that I've never heard of. Presumably it was regional. Typical VWs bah grumble etc. ;) if necessary.

[Partridge's Love Child]

...the old Basil Rathbone and Nigel Green movies about the great detective.

Nigel Bruce.

Sorry to interrupt a fine thread. I'm quite enjoying Murphy's Law if that counts.

Yes, quite right.  Nigel Green was the tall moustachioed lad in Zulu (and also appeared in The Avengers a couple of times, but I won't go into that again).

I've not enjoyed the second series of Murphy's Law as much as the first.  Perhaps that's because I fancied that arse off of that bird*.

Edit:*Oops, sorry Sheepy.

[Dr David V]

Jemble Fred - Get Sky, watch Challenge and Trouble, and you'll see it soon enough. I think Craig even referenced it in that Celebrities Disfigured programme. Oh, and remember to put it on mute and imagine all the Japanese voices.

[Vermschneid Mehearties]

The Crystal Maze and Knightmare. Brilliant TV.

Recently I've been watching a show on after E.R called Third Watch which is really quite good.

[Jemble Fred]

I love a bit of Countryfile, me. Especially when I was living in London. Son of a thousand farmers, you see.*

Go on, show us your bottom. Show us one of your bottoms. Show me your bottom!

*"Your Mum got about a bit" – thought I'd save you the bother.

[Narshty]

Both are formulaic mainstream Hollywood light entertainment at its absolute peak. Steve Buscemi firing at his own men with a remote controlled machine gun while in the throes of "space dementia" (their term, not mine) is one of the comic highlights of the 90s.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

What's more populist than Coronation Street?   Pisses all over EastEnders in every positive respect.  Character-driven not issue driven. Often amusing, occasionally hilarious, it is one of the very  few things worth watching on ITV.

[Ambient Sheep]

Wogan.

Think about it - three nights a week, forty minutes of live chat with generally interesting subjects and musical acts, and a superb host. Everyone liked it at the time (barring the losers who thought it made them look 'cool' to spout "I 'ate Wogan, he's on every channel all the time!!!" pointlessness)...

I'm sorry, I have to disagree.

Wogan's *original* TV chat show, the 50 or 60 minute one very late on a Saturday night, was absolutely brilliant.  Long, in-depth and surprisingly revealing interviews with prominent people.

When they then converted it to the three-nights-a-week early-evening format I instantly felt it had lost something - not only was it shorter (30 minutes, I thought, not 40) thus cramping the interviews, but the pre-watershedness meant that some interviews were a lot less interesting.  Then, as it went on, they started to seriously run out of guests, and it ended up just being a total plug-show.  In its original format it was much more Parky-like, arguably better in fact.

So no, after the first few months I didn't like it at the time, but not because I disliked Wogan, nor because I disliked him for being over-exposed; but the *show* was over-exposed, and I for one was relieved when he finally jacked it in.  (Or was told to, I forget which.)

[mikeyg27]

Well, if Hollywood films have entered the picture, then I nominate


Earth gets saved from destructiion.
A plot "inspired" from elsewhere (War of the Worlds).  
Spectacular special effects (White House blowing up, anyone?).
Aliens.
Actors on top form.
Hilarious dialogue ("Oh no, you do not shoot that green shit at me!").

What more could you want?

I don't care if you can't stomach the patriotic tone, this film never fails to entertain me. Go watch it now. But not Men in Black. That's shit.