Tag Archive for 'BBC'

How to get on TV

It used to be quite difficult to get on TV (so I’ve heard), but the last few years have made it increasingly easier (so I’ve seen), not least due to the advent of talk-shows and reality crap like “Big Brother”. I always thought that, well, it can’t get any easier. Wrong!

The BBC has proved that it’s actually possible to get on TV and talk about quite an intricate subject, even if you’re just a cabbie and have a thick French accent. From the article:

The man, who had been waiting for his fare in the reception of Television Centre, found himself being ushered into a studio and fitted with a microphone after raising his hand when a producer called out the name Guy Kewney.

And since I’m all about multimeadia roundhouse kicks, here’s the direct link to the segment, as shown live on BBC.

Update: The cabbie actually isn’t a cabbie, but an IT expert, who was about to start a job at the BBC, writes Guy Kewney, the actual expert himself, explaining that it simply was a case of picking the wrong Guy. Apparently the IT Guy thought that being dragged onto live TV was some sort of initiation ritual at the BBC. Ah, British Humour.

Extras

My sister brought the first season’s DVD of Ricky Gervais’ Extras over from the Small Island. We watched it in one go, and well, what can I say? The Podcast fiasco? That was yesterday. Today I’ve seen Extras, and I won’t have any of that monkey business anymore.

Extras is, once again, a milestone in comedy writing. But not only that, each and every one of the guest stars are doing brilliant jobs, and unless they have been given exorbitant sums of money and a few lumps of solid gold on top, they really are to be commended for not taking themselves too seriously. Some of these stars include Ben Stiller, Samuel L. Jackson, Kate Winslet, and, my favourite of them all, Patrick Stewart. I was laughing for five minutes straight. And I mean that. No breathing, just laughing. It hurt, but was worth it.

But after all, it’s once again Ricky Gervais’ and Stephen Merchant’s writing that makes it all happen. I really wonder how the hell he comes up with stuff like that.

I demand more Extras! Ricky, make it so!




Stormgrass is powered by WordPress 2.6.1 and K2