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Broadcast version of the TV critics screen burn column.
Thursdays at 10.30 on BBC Four
Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe New Series: Tuesdays 10.30pm
#2
Posted 02 March 2006 - 11:12 PM
That was quite funny, like Harry Hills TV Burp but with a bit of sick in it.
#5
Posted 03 March 2006 - 08:51 AM
Quite enjoyed it, but overall I prefer Harry Hill's good natured ribbing over Brooker's angry and vitriolic disgust.
And Harry got in there first with the piss taking of The Apprentice contestants.
And Harry got in there first with the piss taking of The Apprentice contestants.
#6
Posted 03 March 2006 - 03:36 PM
I thought playing The Ace of Spades over footage from Question Time was genius. Will definitely be catching this again.
#7
Posted 03 March 2006 - 03:55 PM
Well it's just popped onto UKNova, so I'll be watching this tonight.
#8
Posted 03 March 2006 - 08:16 PM
Just watched it. Thought it was great.
I love Charlie Brooker's stuff. Anyone remember the Cruelty Zoo controversy?
I love Charlie Brooker's stuff. Anyone remember the Cruelty Zoo controversy?
#9
Posted 03 March 2006 - 09:37 PM
Haha yeah, it was originally Lara Croft's Cruelty Zoo wasn't it? :)
#10
Posted 04 March 2006 - 02:59 PM
I really enjoyed it. The Star Quality bit went on way too long but apart from that it was great. Any show that puts the boot into Justin Lee Collins is OK with me.
#11
Posted 04 March 2006 - 07:16 PM
Silent Runner, on Mar 4 2006, 02:59 PM, said:
I really enjoyed it. The Star Quality bit went on way too long but apart from that it was great. Any show that puts the boot into Justin Lee Collins is OK with me.
I agree with you there, that Star Quality section seemed to last an eternity and really broke the flow of the show. I also give the thumbs up to anybody giving Lee Collins a kicking, that man is a complete and utter f*cking c*nt. Thinking about it, I agree with all of your post. Hey, maybe we could be friends.
One more thing. He does try his best, but Brooker (bless/curse him) really doesn't do 'nice' very well. His screen persona seems forced, like he's modelling himself on Chris Morris' style from that The Day Today 'London Jam Festival' interview, "You could raise more money auctioning dogs", with a dash of early Alexi Sayle thrown in for bad measure.
Constantly angry young/middle-aged man, spitting out crackers (or whatever) can get a bit dull after a time.
Brooker really is a weak presenter, he seems very aware of this himself, (hence lots of pre-emptive I'm fat/bloated/unpleasant) comments, It's an old trick, but putting the boot in concerning your own work/appearance isn't some kind of 'Get out of jail free card'.
As I've said, I enjoyed (for the most part) the show (just as I enjoy Screen Burn) so I'll stop moaning.
#13
Posted 05 March 2006 - 12:06 AM
I enjoyed it. I usually hate TV programmes about TV programmes, especially as they all tend to be in the Tarrant on TV style of "smug presenter takes the piss out of easy targets backed by stilted laughter track".
It was almost like a documentary with added comedy, it shouldn't really work but did. I like the way the show made an attempt to dispel a lot of the "magic" of TV and focused on highlighting the mundanity of it all - a lot like Chris Morris' best work I suppose.
I totally agree with the other posters about the "Star Quality" segment as it felt out of place with the rest of the show. It was too long and degenerated into the same sort of shooting fish in a barrel easy laughs that similar show resort to and that the rest of the programme seemed to be avoiding.
Still, I like Brooker and it was a good first show so I'll certainly be donloading the rest of the series.
It was almost like a documentary with added comedy, it shouldn't really work but did. I like the way the show made an attempt to dispel a lot of the "magic" of TV and focused on highlighting the mundanity of it all - a lot like Chris Morris' best work I suppose.
I totally agree with the other posters about the "Star Quality" segment as it felt out of place with the rest of the show. It was too long and degenerated into the same sort of shooting fish in a barrel easy laughs that similar show resort to and that the rest of the programme seemed to be avoiding.
Still, I like Brooker and it was a good first show so I'll certainly be donloading the rest of the series.
#14
Posted 05 March 2006 - 12:25 AM
He rightly said that the Wire is one of the best telly programmes ever. "Even better than the Sopranos" in fact.
#15
Posted 05 March 2006 - 12:38 AM
Who's best? Charlie Brooker or Harry Hill?
There's only one way to find out...
There's only one way to find out...
#16
Posted 05 March 2006 - 01:52 AM
I once had the pleasure* of working (very briefly) with Brooker on some terrible 'experimental' BBC Knowledge (did such a channel ever exist?) show called something like "The Biz" or "The Kit", surely at least one of you other journos out there did the videogame slot on this? It was around about 1999, come on, own up.
I've lost the tapes, which is a good thing in some ways, because I looked every bit the fat, balding twat I am. There was some female co-presenter doing a really bad Laurie Pike/Katie Putrick(?) impression, also. Does this ring any bells?
It was all really, really embarrassing. The 'gig' was at BBC White City, but before turning up I met an old friend of mine and we had a few pints in some Charlie Chaplin-themed (I'm not joking) shite hole in Elephant and Castle, by the time I got to the Beeb I was nicely toasted (rock and roll maaaan).
Fortunately, the folks had laid out a lovely buffet of, well, bananas and Mars Bars really, so I ate lots of bananas and then said some stuff at Brooker. It was three x five minute slots all done back to back. By the end of the second one Brooker (an unknown then, TV GoHome was just kicking off I believe) threatened to punch me out, if I didn't "cut the shit out". 'The shit' being not laughing at his deeply unfunny gags. The moral of this story? Never meet your heroes or something.
It wasn't until 2004, whilst showing the tape (in a pissed up, 'seriously I've been on the TV' situation), to a friend (who recognized Brooker), that I was alerted to the fact I'd worked with the big man. He'll still always be that chunky Billy Bragg lookalike to me.
I showed the tapes to my parents and they smiled politely and mumbled something about everyone involved (including me) looking like idiots. Still, that was my 15 minutes, even if it was on BBC Knowledge (if such as channel ever existed, it could all have been a horrible dream).
That is all.
*Brooker was a massive wanker and yes, I know, it takes one to know one. Anyway, does anybody out there have the tapes (there were at least 15 episodes)? Seriously, I reckon Mr Brooker would pay good money to keep them from eBay, but I don't do blackmail and all.
Getting back on topic, I still think a great deal of his stuff (including Screen Wipe) is very good, but he really doesn't work in front of the camera and that good people, is a fact.
I've lost the tapes, which is a good thing in some ways, because I looked every bit the fat, balding twat I am. There was some female co-presenter doing a really bad Laurie Pike/Katie Putrick(?) impression, also. Does this ring any bells?
It was all really, really embarrassing. The 'gig' was at BBC White City, but before turning up I met an old friend of mine and we had a few pints in some Charlie Chaplin-themed (I'm not joking) shite hole in Elephant and Castle, by the time I got to the Beeb I was nicely toasted (rock and roll maaaan).
Fortunately, the folks had laid out a lovely buffet of, well, bananas and Mars Bars really, so I ate lots of bananas and then said some stuff at Brooker. It was three x five minute slots all done back to back. By the end of the second one Brooker (an unknown then, TV GoHome was just kicking off I believe) threatened to punch me out, if I didn't "cut the shit out". 'The shit' being not laughing at his deeply unfunny gags. The moral of this story? Never meet your heroes or something.
It wasn't until 2004, whilst showing the tape (in a pissed up, 'seriously I've been on the TV' situation), to a friend (who recognized Brooker), that I was alerted to the fact I'd worked with the big man. He'll still always be that chunky Billy Bragg lookalike to me.
I showed the tapes to my parents and they smiled politely and mumbled something about everyone involved (including me) looking like idiots. Still, that was my 15 minutes, even if it was on BBC Knowledge (if such as channel ever existed, it could all have been a horrible dream).
That is all.
*Brooker was a massive wanker and yes, I know, it takes one to know one. Anyway, does anybody out there have the tapes (there were at least 15 episodes)? Seriously, I reckon Mr Brooker would pay good money to keep them from eBay, but I don't do blackmail and all.
Getting back on topic, I still think a great deal of his stuff (including Screen Wipe) is very good, but he really doesn't work in front of the camera and that good people, is a fact.
#17
Posted 05 March 2006 - 01:58 AM
To be fair, he does make a living out of being an angry wanker. So you shouldn't have been so surprised. And let's just forget about the fact that you got pissed up before you went to work (I'm not on a high horse about it, I'd be a hypocrite).
He's a good writer. So are you.
He's a good writer. So are you.
#19
Posted 05 March 2006 - 03:38 AM
toonfool, on Mar 5 2006, 01:58 AM, said:
To be fair, he does make a living out of being an angry wanker. So you shouldn't have been so surprised. And let's just forget about the fact that you got pissed up before you went to work (I'm not on a high horse about it, I'd be a hypocrite).
He's a good writer. So are you.
He's a good writer. So are you.
Well I was young, naive and it was that long, fairly-mild Summer of 1999, where we all had fun and went mad...
Also, it was on a Saturday and I wasn't being paid by Rapide Publishing (my employer at that time, God bless) for the work, so it wasn't really work at all (I did get travel expenses from the BBC though, I like the BBC). Therefore, I had every right to get pissed up, seeing as it was my own time.
Of course, it was a nice excuse to see an old buddy in London (for fuck all) and be on TV, albeit TV that only about 13 people would ever see (with my ego I couldn't say no).
Seriously, I'd just started as a games journo and I was still far, far away from adopting the cynical "everything equals shit" stance that many people develop after about two years in the job.
The nice girl at the BBC had said all they wanted me to do was talk about some games (they gave me a list) and then bugger off. Fair enough.
When I turned up the games had changed and I had to discuss and demonstrate (not as easy as it sounds, and yes, I can pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time) shit I hadn't seen before, with a pre-scripted Brooker firing a mix of insults and questions at me. A pre-scripted Brooker, who really was being a bit of a cock and trying to play for cheap laughs by confusing the non TV sort (that'll be me) who didn't know how the tiny studio worked and all.
Unfortunately, Mr Brooker hadn't bargained with bumping into a pissed-up prick like myself and so during our first shoot most of his 'I'll get a cheap laugh by poking fun at this game geek chap' fell slightly flat. I can be a really mouthy little gobshite myself after a few and the end result of this was some very awkward TV(for 13 people).
Anyway, one of the production crew came up to me and said carry on with your rambling. For some reason I went quite camp for the most part, complemented Brooker on his biceps and enquired as to whether he'd been working out. The "I'll punch you out" threat followed (off camera) soon after. It didn't all look quite so bad in the final tapes.
The thing is, I do find the guy's writing funny, but having met him, I can imagine that bit in Screen Wipe where he tells the runner to "run"!, being a little bit too close to reality for comfort.
What do I know? Maybe he was having a bad day and I'm the bollock.
Edit: Angry Postman has a stab at trendy media type shocker!!!!!!!
etc.
#20
Posted 05 March 2006 - 07:40 AM
The show would be 20 million times better with Nigel Buckland sitting in that chair.
Brooker's just not a telly presenter. But I'm sure he knows that.
Good writer.
Brooker's just not a telly presenter. But I'm sure he knows that.
Good writer.
