Critic Cal

The big TV channels have been tweaking the format in relay for some years; finally, after numerous iterations, the BBC have hit upon the ultimate reality TV contest…expertly crafted to provoke maximum despair; a sitting quarry for all that pent-up frustration (which I would doubtless be tempted to unleash all the more loudly and frequently if only I had Charlie Brooker's vitriolic eloquence). I'm talking about The Voice . That's what it's ALL about, apparently. In a remarkably groundbreaking and radical move, they've decided to make their latest search for talent about…well…talent. Blind auditions! Wow! We are in post- SuBo Britain now people -- a new era has dawned, and there's no going back. Gone are the days when we didn't realise that even people who looked slightly odd might be able to do something impressive…something powerful enough, even, to bring a conservative tear to the heavily-mascaraed eyes of female TV judges, to 'go viral' across

It is probably a good thing that I find telly increasingly boring. I've  always watched too much, and to have that temptation removed by restlessness is much easier than to have to resist it through discipline. But I quite miss the days where I was at least capable of sitting down for more than 20 minutes at a time and genuinely enjoying something without feeling like it was stealing a chunk of my life. So now, whenever I do find something that successfully keeps me entertained enough to not count the minutes, it's quite satisfying. One recent such discovery has been 'Cracker'…they were repeating it on one of the ITV channels last year and, thus inspired, we've managed to pin down a generous-hearted friend with a boxset. It is gripping stuff… Mr W says it's a program for ladies, cos it's all about a man who understands you perfectly, and that's what ladies like. He could be right. Most programs for ladies don't have so much violence, depravity a

Interesting how science fiction so often proves an ideal platform for investigating reality. I guess because we get to set the ground rules ourselves, almost like experimental test conditions. In practice, it is hard to identify one's own worldview; it is hard to be consistent within it; it is hard to coexist with people whose worldviews are different. Science fiction sneaks under the radar of our presuppositions by legitimising a suspension of disbelief. That the world in question is invented removes any ambiguity about the rules under which it operates, supplying fictitious but well-defined premises from which to explore all sorts of interesting 'what ifs'.[1] I was delighted by ' Moon '; as playful and thoughtful a sci-fi film as you could hope for. Plenty deep, but completely unpretentious. [2] A brief synopsis, I suppose, to begin…(see the Wikipedia page for more but there's a fair old number of spoilers in there). Sam Bell is nearing the end of a 3-ye

Picture the scene: the aging, cantankerous supremo presides, hands folded, at the head of a grand table, flanked by trusty advisers. The candidates enter, a mess of nerves and brashness in varying ratios. Invited, by turns, to take the floor, they each make their bid for the favour of their patron: Impress him, and fortune and fame could follow. Leave him cold, and expulsion awaits. This was the first time I'd seen King Lear (unless you count Ran )... It's playing at the Tobacco Factory until the 24th March and is a brilliant production -- catch it while you can! [1] The 'candidates' in question are Lear's three daughters; the reward, his kingdom, which he has decided to apportion as dowries so that he can retire from his duties whilst retaining the recognition and honour that are his 'due'. Ever eager to feed his own ego, he demands they compete with one another in declaring their regard for him, by which he will determine their relative portions. Gone

Frothy it may be but I have a soft spot for New Girl …the new Zooey Deschanel vehicle which is basically just an unashamed excuse for her to kooky-it-to-the-max [1]. I like it because it is gentle; the characters are nice to one another; people are allowed to be different…at least up to a point. But somehow, in its deliberate quirkiness, the unchallenged social norms of the 'situation' become all the more striking. Most sitcoms seem to draw from the same pool of 'skeleton' episodes, by turns fished out and furnished with appropriate situation-specific embellishments. Episode 8 was 'the one where two people reach the point in their relationship where they're supposed to have sex but it all gets rather awkward'. Zooey's character had been seeing a fellow teacher for a couple of weeks and they decide it's time to 'get serious' in the bedroom department. They both feel vulnerable and nervous; they are not yet at a point in their relationship wh