Posts tagged video
The Best Commercial Of The Year – Hands Down!
Dec 3rd
Okay – tissues at the ready!
Here’s the most beautiful, awesome and most powerful commercial I’ve come across this year – hailing from Australia and in support of marriage equality.
The video’s called ‘It’s Time’ and is already a viral sensation with over 3 million views on You Tube in the last week alone. It’s one of the most potent videos I’ve seen so far in support of equal marriage rights – and far better than the bland and gutless US equivalents which have so far failed to really take off.
I don’t normally touch on political / social issues here on the site, but as a gay man myself in a long term relationship I feel very passionately about the cause of marriage equality. In fact not being able to marry has caused myself and my partner a lot of problems – both personal and financial. I honestly don’t understand how people who constantly call for smaller government seem so determined to have that same government legislate people’s private lives! Still it’s a battle we WILL win in the end – marriage equality is inevitable.
The handsome star of the video is a New Zealand actor / director / writer called Julian Shaw More >
Dallas: The New Trailer
Dec 2nd
The pre-launch hype continues!
Even though it doesn’t debut until summer 2012, TNT are determined to make a big splash with their remake of the iconic primetime soap Dallas. Check out the latest trailer, which features some more scenes from the new show as well as a selection of soundbite heavy cast interviews (lit to within an inch of their lives!)
I’ve said before I’m not really a Dallas fan but I think the show’s makers are being very smart by featuring both new cast members AND several of the originals. In fact I was talking about this very topic just the other day with a network executive friend of mine. He felt that one of the reasons the new Charlie’s Angels failed was that it had no link to the past – and I think he could be right!
So will Dallas succeed? Well given that TNT has a huge middle American audience I’d say it stands a very good chance. Plus soap operas seem to be back with a vengeance, given the success of ABC’s Revenge. In fact I wonder if the broadcast nets aren’t kicking themselves a bit that they let Dallas slip through their fingers and head to cable.
Anyway More >
Absolutely Fabulous: Do Show Revivals Ever Work?
Nov 29th
If you’re a fan of British comedy you doubtless know all about Absolutely Fabulous, the Jennifer Saunders penned fashion comedy that’s been a huge part of the UK TV landscape for years now.
Originally the show ran for three seasons from 1992 – 1995, followed by a 2 hour finale in 1996. But then Saunders decided to revive the show in 2001 for a further two seasons and an additional 3 specials. Now Ab Fab, as it’s known to its fans, is coming back for three more specials to celebrate its 20 year anniversary, including one this Christmas. But is that really such a good idea? When should great series bow out gracefully?
Here’s the deal. I was a huge fan of the original 3 season run of Ab Fab back in the 90′s, when it truly was groundbreaking and funny and very fresh. At the time the show was a real shot in the arm for the British comedy scene, a bridge between the ‘alternative comedy’ movement but also mainstream enough for my parents to watch. But even back then Ab Fab had some writing issues – often scenes would drag on for far too long or stretch a good idea More >
In Production: Game Of Thrones – Season 2
Nov 21st
If you, like me, are hungry for more Game Of Thrones, take a look at this just released behind the scenes look at the upcoming second season…
I can’t really call this video clip a First Look or a proper teaser as it doesn’t reveal a whole lot – but it’s at least a vague taste of what’s to come.
Game Of Thrones was a show that really surprised me first time around. I’m normally not a fan of grungy, fantasy series but Thrones was so fascinating and complex and featured such terrific characters it was hard not to get sucked into the world. For me the series got better every single week – and it seems I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, with viewing figures climbing pretty much every week, ending on a high of 3.04 million.
My instinct is that Game Of Thrones will really explode in Season 2, in the same way that True Blood truly took off after its first season. The big challenge will be maintaining the show’s quality – and bringing the series’ more fantastical elements to life – remember Daenerys and her recently hatched dragons!
The second season of Thrones will launch on HBO in More >
First Look: TLC’s Geek Love
Nov 19th
Okay – I have to hand it to the guys at TLC – they’re definitely on a roll at the moment!
While other networks continue to wallow in ‘over-produced’ reality and fakery, the TLC team are digging up some truly fascinating subcultures. Obviously there’s Toddlers and Tiaras and Extreme Couponing – and coming in December, here’s Geek Love – the show that shines a spotlight on the world of nerd loving!
At the moment Geek Love is just a 2 part teaser – but I have a feeling that just like Extreme Couponing this one’s going to capture the public imagination. I think it’s a fascinating world and let’s face it, geeks are hot at the moment (check out the ratings for The Big Bang Theory and to a lesser extent New Girl)
That said – I wish this teaser was a little more polished. The trailer seems to consist of a speed dating event and a range of sound bytes – feeling more like a network pitch tape than an actual show. I’m surprised TLC allowed such a raw cut to be shown.
I’d also argue that the guy at the 1.35 mark is actually fairly handsome and with a bit of styling and a few trips More >
Coming Soon: I Hate My Teenage Daughter
Nov 15th
When Does It Start: Wednesday 30th November at 9.30pm EST on Fox.
In A Nutshell: Two former nerds try to deal with their bratty – and popular – teenage daughters.
What’s It About: Annie (Jamie Pressley) and Nikki (Katie Finneran) are two best friends who found themselves bullied during their own teen years by the popular kids at their schools. Now single parents with teenage daughters they’re determined to bring up their own kids differently to how they were raised themselves. But when their daughters start acting like Mean Girls, Annie and Nikki will need all their resources and cunning to get their kids back on the good girl track…
First Look: House Of Lies
Nov 12th
We all know art imitates life – and it looks like we’re going to be seeing a lot of shows in the coming months that use the current financial crisis as a backdrop.
Hot on the heels of ABC’s hit Revenge (rich people behaving badly) comes House Of Lies – the new Showtime series that’s about the ’1% sticking it to the 1%’
Based on a book by Matthew Kihn titled House Of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch And Then Tell You The Time, Lies features a team of consultants who’ll go to any lengths to get their clients the information they need.
Leading the pack is Don Cheadle, another acclaimed actor heading to the small screen (and we wonder why movies suck so bad!) Then there’s Kristen Bell, a talented actress who in my opinion hasn’t quite found her career making role yet. Bell plays a ‘razor sharp, Ivy League graduate who works with Cheadle’. Cue plenty of snappy banter!
All sounds great on paper – but am I the only person who thinks this trailer really sucks. I didn’t laugh, or even smile, once – the characters seemed totally obnoxious – and I didn’t even find the show clever / More >
Richard Recommends: American Horror Story
Nov 2nd
The Fall season is in full swing now – and what a season it’s been so far!
I don’t know about you but I’m feeling pretty spoiled for choice at the moment when it comes to TV shows – with a pretty stacked DVR that fills up every day. It’s quite a job keeping on top of all the great shows out there.
Best night of the TV week has to be Wednesdays – with Modern Family, Suburgatory, Revenge and The X Factor all essential viewing. And then there’s American Horror Story – the deliciously dark treat from FX that’s arguably the scariest TV show ever created!
I’ll be honest and admit that I was a little skeptical about Horror Story when I first heard about the show – mainly because of the series creator Ryan Murphy. Murphy’s Glee went off the rails alarmingly quickly and Ryan himself is a polarizing figure who doesn’t exactly do himself any favors in the PR department. I worried that American Horror Story would be too ridiculous and over the top and ultimately collapse under the weight of its own craziness.
Richard Recommends: Suburgatory
Oct 28th
Time for a little comedy here at Remote Patrolled – and one of the most unexpected surprises of the Fall TV Season.
Let’s be honest – did anyone have high expectations for the new ABC sitcom Suburgatory? Aside from a dubious title and a complete lack of buzz there was also the fact that Suburgatory hailed from the producer of Emily’s Reasons Why Not – one of the biggest sitcom misfires of the last few years (remember how the Heather Graham starrer only aired ONE episode!)
But that’s the thing with the TV industry – you just never know where the next big hit might hail. Suburgatory isn’t a smash hit quite yet, but it’s doing a very good job as part of ABC’s terrific Wednesday night line-up and is gradually winning over an army of fans. For me the show is delivering at least 5 proper laughs an episode – which is 5 more than Two And A Half Men has ever given us – total!
In case you haven’t caught Suburgatory yet here’s the basic story. The show follows George and Tessa, a father and daughter who relocate from Manhattan to the suburbs. Tessa is the snarky teen who hates her new More >
2011 Fall TV Preview: Grimm
Oct 24th
When Does It Start: Friday 28th October at 9pm EST on NBC
In A Nutshell: Crime fighting gets a fairytale spin…
What’s It About: Nick Burkhardt is an ordinary homicide detective who’s about to make a startling discovery. Turns out Nick is descended from a long line of ‘Grimms’, crime fighters with the ability to see supernatural monsters hidden to the normal human eye. But Nick is also the last of his kind and must now devote his life to fighting fairytale killers who have infiltrated the real world…
