Monday, April 04, 2005
Last Evening on Radio & Television, or While the Pope Lay in State
I hardly do any media reviews on my blog. A good reason for that is probably because I am a media person myself (What they say about taking up residence in an outfit fashioned out of Silicon Dioxide - never mind even if it is double-glazed), while the unconscious motive might have something to do with a fear of having to shut my blog, and then get an online petition signed afterwards.
In Britain, there are a few media institutions I really admire and respect. Two to be precise. One is Radio 4 and the other is the Guardian newspapers.
On Radio 4, A World In Your Ear, last evening had a bit about podcasting. Me being in the sound business, found it very interesting. This program was followed by Word of Mouth - bloody funny! Then to top it all, Analysis discussed blogging with interviews with some prominent people including Instapundit Glenn Reynolds and even Iain Duncan Smith, who seems to know quite a bit. <aside>Lessons for our netas and thalaivars? (Ok thalaivis too!)</aside> There were also some liberal speakers on the program, mostly other British MPs. Here is a complete transcript.
Then, I settled down to watch Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket and switched on the TV. Right then, the program on Channel 4 was 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches. I came all the way from Madras to study film in the UK, and one of the biggest motivating factors was British TV comedy. So I promptly put Joker and Private Pyle on hold while I watched some 'telly'.
Now, almost all reports on the listing tend to say something about the Python's "Dead Parrot" sketch "Ceasing to be", "Having expired", and being an "EX number 1". While the Little Britain "Andy and Lou" sketch was fabulous (the current number 1), I was very interested in the number six spot. Goodness Gracious Me's "Going for an English" was rather bittersweet considering that I too wait tables in a "curry house".
<aside>I'm glad that at-least some of the best of British television comedy was available in India while I grew up, either through satellite television, or on video and briefly, and very briefly through a short-lived resurrection of DD2.</aside>
Now why the hell am I doing a TV and Radio roundup now? What was so special about last evening? Well, the fact is that the Pope had died and I heard a lot of people complaining that there was nothing else on the air! Here's proof!
Comments to Last Evening on Radio & Television, or While the Pope Lay in State
> What they say about taking up residence in an outfit fashioned out of Silicon Dioxide
- irundhalum idhu romba over... :)
posted by 
Chakra
Over and Out!... KoNavaai number 7 :p
posted by Anand
Hey Anand,
Been a real long while. Well to start off with a surprise, I found just about enough time to watch both Stanely Kubrick & Darren Aronofsky's films. Not all of them ofcourse!
I watched "Requiem for a Dream" & "Clock Work's Orange". My ideas and hope for creating concepts to make or show movies in different style has come alive(once again).
Yeah KUBRICK died and for a second i thought Rushdie was dead.
What's very interesting is, I watched both the movies one after the next and there wasn't a moment where i felt bored or yawned. It dfntly didnt occur like a CULT movie to me, those frames, those background scores were all like Deja Vu to me.
Sooner or later when I'm in a meeting at my office, I would be reminded on the "Beethoven 3 some " from Clock Work of Orange and at that Time, i would start writing the story based on Chaos Theory!!
laters mate...
posted by Ari
Post a Comment
