The BBC Four Thread

Nekarsulm

Yep, he was in The fall, and also in Wallander. Its a bit like TnaG over here, keep recycling the same actors in various program's.

volchitsa

Wait, I thought The Fall was that Northern Irish program? With Jamie Dornan as the serial killer? What would a Swedish bishop's husband be doing in Belfast finding murderers? Don't they have enough to be going on with in Sweden? Looks to me like they have plenty of their own!

Skid X

Skid X wrote: »

I quite like the look of this one. Some good contributors listed.

Wednesday 9pm & 2.30 am How Quizzing Got Cool: TV's Brains of Britain
We all love a good quiz. So here's a question - when did ordinary contestants turn into the pro-quizzers of today? Giving the answers are Victoria Coren Mitchell, Judith Keppel, Chris Tarrant, Mark Labbett, Nicholas Parsons and many more. Narrated by Ben Miller.

I enjoyed that, it covered a lot of ground in one episode. They seemed to have a lot of material about the history of TV quizzes which was only incidental to the title. Might have been scope for stretching it out to a few more programmes.

Highlights included watching Paul Sinha from The Chase losing at every TV quiz he entered until he got offered a gig on The Chase http://www.paulsinha.com/quizzing


It gets another repeat late Saturday Night at 2.30 (early Sunday)

Skid X

There's a three episode reboot of the Total War simulation game 'Time Commanders' starting tonight at 9pm

That annoying Cookery presenter Gregg Wallace is presenting it now. One of the Military experts appears to have become a woman since it last aired in 2005

Harry Palmr

Gregg Wallace turning up on BBC Four can only mean the end of days is very close

ahlookit

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Gregg Wallace turning up on BBC Four can only mean the end of days is very close

How did Alan Partridge not get that gig?

Surely his experience of hosting Skirmish (a military-based quiz show which found minor daytime fame on UK Conquest) would make him the ideal candidate. It could have been his ticket back into the BBC.

Tom Mann Centuria

Feared the worst but I thought Gregg Wallace did quite a good job, just an enthusiastic observer, interacted pretty well with the teams and historians imo. I'm not a fan normally, he's like a cooking Dominic Littlewood.

brian_t

I see filming of Spiral (Engrenages) series 6 has finished. Something to look forward to next year hopefully.



https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211333164984258&set=a.2339448165031.139021.1214718847&type=3&theater

volchitsa

Oh I love Spiral, much better than Modus which I'm sad to say I'm finding just a tad unexciting this time around. Well I guess they're not comparable, but Modus to me is just a random thriller, somehow it hasn't quite got what I loved about the Bridge or The Killing. Not too sure why. Or maybe I've just overdosed on Scandi Noir.

brian_t

volchitsa wrote: »

Oh I love Spiral, much better than Modus which I'm sad to say I'm finding just a tad unexciting this time around. Well I guess they're not comparable, but Modus to me is just a random thriller, somehow it hasn't quite got what I loved about the Bridge or The Killing. Not too sure why. Or maybe I've just overdosed on Scandi Noir.

I've just caught up with Modus and I agree with your assessment. I'm glad it's just 8 x 43min episodes.

Having a car that doesn't start might seem quirky but really it's just plain silly.

volchitsa

brian_t wrote: »

I've just caught up with Modus and I agree with your assessment. I'm glad it's just 8 x 43min episodes.

Having a car that doesn't start might seem quirky but really it's just plain silly.

I love that even though you're not keen either, you're clearly obliged (like myself!) to struggle on and keep watching right to the end. just giving up is not an option somehow.

(Agree about the car btw.)

corks finest

Poochie05 wrote: »

Definitely in need of a Nordic Noir fix! There was a call for extras for The Bridge Season 4 recently so good to know filming is underway

Just watched,,a man called ove,,,,,,,,,,,, fantastic,funny,sad,bit of magic,really good

SEPT 23 1989

Hopefully they show All Aboard The Sleigh Ride again this year

brian_t

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Hopefully they show All Aboard The Sleigh Ride again this year

Christmas eve at 7pm and again in the early hours of Monday 26th at 1.30am

Poochie05

We watched it last year, was bizarely hypnotic and relaxing. Even my Dad who is a serial channel hopper was hooked!

SEPT 23 1989

Poochie05 wrote: »

We watched it last year, was bizarely hypnotic and relaxing. Even my Dad who is a serial channel hopper was hooked!

very relaxing

the canal barge trip is another one to watch

brian_t

brian_t wrote: »

Slow TV continues this Christmas with an hour-long trip on the Flying Scotsman.

On a journey from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster in the Midlands of England, the crew will take locomotive 60103 down the Severn Valley Railway.

This is on Thursday 29th December @ 9pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

May is back for three new editions of screwdriver and spanner action. The projects being a Hornby toy train, a food mixer and a Honda Z50a trail bike and they'll be shown at Christmas.

Not just any old toy train but the Hornby Flying Scotsman with realistic chuffing sounds which James ripped open on Christmas Day 1972.

It's on Wednesday 28th December @ 9pm


And just to add that at 6:30pm on Monday 2nd January on BBC2 Michael Portillo travels on the Flying Scotsman as part of Great British Railway Journeys.

Hotblack Desiato

It was once the fastest locomotive in the world so it's hardly Slow TV!

Harry Palmr

BBC Four new bits for the next two weeks

Saturday
Modus final two parts

Sunday
The Barber of Seville from Glyndebourne
Rossini's comic opera traces the efforts of Figaro to win his master his chosen bride.

Monday
Time Commanders (if you must!)

Timeshift Series 16, Booze, Beans & Bhajis: The Story of the Corner Shop
4/5 The growing and shifting fortunes of the British corner shop over the past 70 years.

Tuesday
Digging for Britain Series 5, East
3/3 Finds include the theatre where Shakespeare premiered Romeo and Juliet and Henry V.

Wednesday
Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb
The construction of a structure to entomb the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Thursday
Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream
3/3 While the Habsburgs headed for extinction, Vienna blossomed.

Friday
Darcey Bussell: My Life on the BBC
A celebration of the ballet dancer who grew up in public and conquered TV on the way.

Saturday
Top of the Pops Christmas Hits
With Madness, East 17, Coldplay, The Human League, Pet Shop Boys, Slade, Mud and more.
(yes obviously it a repeat but not in this form!)

Sunday
King Lear
A portrait of a man unravelling - pitted against his daughters, nature and the universe.

Monday
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
2016: Supercharged - Fuelling the Future, Let There Be Light!
1/3 Saiful investigates how to generate energy without destroying the planet in the process.

Bob Monkhouse: The Last Stand
Bob Monkhouse entertains a room of comedians with stand-up, chat and a comedy masterclass.

Tuesday
The Ballet Master: Sir Peter Wright at 90
Celebrating the life's work of ballet legend Sir Peter Wight as he turns 90.

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
2016: Supercharged - Fuelling the Future, People Power
2/3 Saiful Islam investigates how humans as living pulsing machines actually use energy.

Time Commanders
3/3 A team of karate veterans try to defend the Roman Empire against Attila the Hun.

Wednesday
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
2016: Supercharged - Fuelling the Future, Fully Charged
3/3 Saiful Islam explores an important issue facing the modern world - how to store energy.

James May: The Reassembler
Series 2, Christmas: Hornby Train Set
1/4 James reassembles his favourite childhood Christmas present - the Hornby Flying Scotsman.

Pop Quiz: The Comeback
1/2 Guests include Toyah Willcox, Tom Bailey, Andy McCluskey, Steve Norman and Mari Wilson.

Thursday
Flying Scotsman from the Footplate
Flying Scotsman travels along the Severn Valley Railway, with 'cab cameras' capturing all.

Friday
2016: A Year in the Life of a Year
A comic cultural review of 2016, told through mash-up and manipulated archive footage.
(this is by Brian Pern, Star Stories and Bellamy's People genius Rhys Thomas)

Saturday
Dawn French Live: 30 Million Minutes
Dawn French in her acclaimed one-woman show, filmed during its final West End run.

Sunday
New Year's Day Concert
2017 - Highlights
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in its traditional concert.

Monday and Tuesday are all repeats

Wednesday
James May: The Reassembler
Series 2, Food Mixer
2/4 James reassembles the 135 parts that make up a 1960s Kenwood Chef a701a food mixer.

Pop Quiz: The Comeback
2/2 With Nick Heyward, Carol Decker, David Grant, Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston and Ranking Roger.

Thursday
Sword, Musket & Machine Gun: Britain's Armed History
Cut & Thrust 1/3 Dr Sam Willis discovers how medieval weapons shaped Britain.

Friday
Top of the Pops The Story of 1983
1983, and there are signs that the show is going through something of a mid-life crisis.

Top of the Pops
1983 - Big Hits With Wham!, The Police, Culture Club, UB40, Duran Duran, The Beat, Bananarama, Elton John.

Phew.

Skid X

Nice one Harry.

That Bob Monkhouse standup looks interesting. It was filmed shortly before he died of Cancer in 2003, he wanted to have one last show in front of his peers and other comics.

They have used clips of it in documentaries but it has never been broadcast in full until now.

patmac

Skid X wrote: »

Nice one Harry.

That Bob Monkhouse standup looks interesting. It was filmed shortly before he died of Cancer in 2003, he wanted to have one last show in front of his peers and other comics.

They have used clips of it in documentaries but it has never been broadcast in full until now.

'My parents laughed at me when I said I would be a Stand-Up comedian, they're not laughing now!'
Classic Bob.
Watched nearly all of Modus but missed the first half-hour of the final episode for some reason. What happened to the woman that worked for the shipping executive Stahl?

volchitsa

patmac wrote: »

'My parents laughed at me when I said I would be a Stand-Up comedian, they're not laughing now!'
Classic Bob.
Watched nearly all of Modus but missed the first half-hour of the final episode for some reason. What happened to the woman that worked for the shipping executive Stahl?

Handsome young ex Marine serial killer got angry at her in the car when she queried his plans and strangled her. It was a bit odd actually, except I suppose to show his impulsive violent tendencies.

I also thought his turning up at Ingvar's house to kill her was weird in the 1+5 context. Why was she a suitable replacement for dead Stahl? She wasn't connected to all the others. Was she?

Or was that to show us he'd gone totally rogue? Makes the whole gay-punishment business a tad pointless if so. Or am I (as I often am) missing something?

brian_t

volchitsa wrote: »

I also thought his turning up at Ingvar's house to kill her was weird in the 1+5 context. Why was she a suitable replacement for dead Stahl? She wasn't connected to all the others. Was she?

Or was that to show us he'd gone totally rogue? Makes the whole gay-punishment business a tad pointless if so. Or am I (as I often am) missing something?

The Lesbian in the BMW was going to be the last 1+5 but at the last moment he switched to our heroine.

Earlier in the series he had been told to take care of Stina but because she was austistic - he couldn't. This was a weakness on his part (from his point of view).

When Ingvar rang him, she reminded of this weakness and the fact that she knew about it. Therefore she had to go.

That's my take on it.

It wasn't a great series but I don't regret watching it.

volchitsa

Do we know the security agent was a lesbian? I must have missed that.
So we have a closeted gay man killing homosexuals, aided by an openly lesbian woman? Seems a bit OTT really.

Alun

volchitsa wrote: »

Do we know the security agent was a lesbian? I must have missed that.

It wasn't the security agent in the BMW, it was one of the lesbian couple who were surrogates for the gay couple in another, different, BMW.

What amused me was that the baddie drilled a hole in the car's bonnet to disable tone headlight, presumably so he could spot which car it was. good job he didn't try that trick in Ireland

volchitsa

Oh sorry, got ya now, I was thinking about the security agent that he strangled in his own car, not about the arty lesbians who were part of Ståhl's group and thus of course in the 1+5 thing. (Not big into car makes, as you can see - a better identifier for me is generally "the red car" or the "dark blue car"! )

Cheshire Cat

Alun wrote: »

What amused me was that the baddie drilled a hole in the car's bonnet to disable tone headlight, presumably so he could spot which car it was. good job he didn't try that trick in Ireland

That's what we were saying, too

brian_t

BBC4 seems to be welcoming in the New Year with a repeat of the second series of The Young Montalbano on Saturday evenings.

An Ciarraioch

Nothing says Christmas Eve more than a Slow TV Sami sleigh ride! Apologies - just saw the posts on previous page.

An Ciarraioch

The regular Christmas offering of the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures - after Kevin Fong's space talks last year, this time it's all about energy, with the intriguingly-titled "Supercharged" at eight tonight.