SMart – Heroes – Heroes Unmasked – 14 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the end of Bear Behaving Badly.

There’s a Children in Need trail.

Then, an episode of SMart – Food. First, some painted toast.

Mark makes a picture with flour.

Some edible stained glass windows using boiled sweets and dough.

Kirsten meets Prudence Emma Staite, as artist who makes sculptures out of chocolate, all designed to be eaten.

She and Kirsten make some chocolate portraits.

Mark makes a picture with rice.

Morph tries his hand at teaching.

Kirsten makes some pop-art with potato prints.

Mark helps some children with their art problems.

There’s a brief biography of Cezanne.

The big studio art piece is portraits made from a lot of food.

Media Centre Description: Mark Speight and Kirsten O’Brien present the programme that turns everyday objects into exciting and easy-to-make pictures, as well as answering art queries. Kirsten’s dreams come true as she learns to make art with chocolate, Mark gets creative with flour and there are some surprising facts about old master Cezanne.

Recorded from CBBC Channel on Wednesday 14th November 2007 10:43

BBC Genome: CBBC Channel Wednesday 14th November 2007 10:45

After this, there’s an ad for the CBBC website, and the recording finishes with the start of Get 100.

The next recording starts with the end of Autumnwatch and a look at what’s on across the BBC.

There’s a Radio 5 Live trail and a trail for Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

Then, a repeat of the Heroes episode we saw last week – .07%.

Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with the newly-discovered superpowers they possess. After ‘helping’ Suresh search for more people with special abilities, Sylar’s rampage continues with two Heroes being confronted by the stronger-powered serial killer. Nathan must factor what he’s learned from Linderman into difficult decisions that will shape the future. As Thompson uses every tool at his disposal to find Claire, Linderman drafts Jessica into his far-reaching plans.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Wednesday 14th November 2007 21:00

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Wednesday 14th November 2007 21:00

After this there’s a trail for Lead Balloon and a trail for The Might Boosh.

Then there’s the start of Heroes Unmasked…

Which continues in the next recording. It’s Heroes Unmasked – Isaac which says goodbye to Isaac Mendez. It’s still quite odd to hear him with his natural UK accent.

There’s a clip of him in a UK production of Taming of the Shrew.

Oh God, now they’re captioning Mr Bennet as “H.R.G.” Make it stop.

Milo Ventimiglia talks about his relationship with Isaac, before heading off to a job interview.

Ruth Ammon talks a lot about the design of the rooftop outside Isaac’s apartment, and how it started as one of Isaac’s paintings, so they needed a distinct piece of decoration that would make it instantly recognisable.

Dennis Hammer: “It was a very difficult thing to lose him because he’s a fantastic guy and gave a great performance and it was one of the things in the first season that was difficult.”

My recording cuts off before the end.

Media Centre Description: Behind the scenes of the drama series Heroes. This edition looks at Isaac Mendez, the character who has overcome drugs, the loss of his girlfriend and the prospect of death, whilst still managing to remain a Hero. Includes an exclusive interview with actor Santiago Cabrera, plus a look at how the Deveaux Rooftop was created and conceived, a set that has been the scene of dramas for so many of the Heroes.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Wednesday 14th November 2007 21:45

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Wednesday 14th November 2007 21:45

The last recording today starts with the end of Drop Dead Gorgeous.

There’s 60 Seconds of news.

There’s a trail for Radio 5 Live and The Mighty Boosh.

Next, there is a new episode of Heroes – Five Years Gone.

Future Hiro explains to Hiro and Ando what happened. “Five years ago, a man named Sylar exploded in the heart of the city, changing the world forever.” In this future, Hiro tried to kill Sylar but couldn’t because Sylar had already got Claire’s powers. Hiro tells him that Peter got his message, and saved Claire. Future Hiro asks him if he killed Sylar, and Hiro has to tell him no. He tells Hiro he has to go back. “On the day the bomb explodes, you have to kill Sylar.”

But their discussion is cut short as the authorities arrive – led by Matt Parkman. Is he working for the bad guys now? He captures Hiro, but Ando and Future Hiro get away.

They need help to get Hiro back so he can go back in time to kill Sylar. They need to find Peter, so they go to Las Vegas, where Peter’s girlfriend is. Guess who she is? It’s Jessica. Of course, Ando’s reaction is “Maybe the future’s not so bad.” Hardly surprising, since he was one of her best customers when she was selling webcam access.

She doesn’t want to take them to see Peter. When she meets Peter, he’s got a huge scar on his face. I was hoping for an eyepatch or a goatee, given this is sort-of an alternate universe story, but a big scar counts too. But we do learn that it’s not Jessica, but Niki, who’s in charge.

Nathan is President. He talks to Mohinder, asking if he’s found a way to reverse the superpowers. Mohinder admits he hasn’t. Nathan starts talking about another option. “In your original assessment, you posited a potential solution. Extinction.” “Yes, but I never meant to suggest that…” “‘They wouldn’t be the first species to be exterminated for the preservation of another.’ Your words.” “I was talking about the natural order of things. What you’re talking about is genocide.” “Self-defence. And I’m not suggesting it lightly. We’ve just run out of options.” “You’re one of them, Nathan. Am I supposed to march you off to the gas chambers as well?” “I’m thankful for the secrets you’ve kept. But let’s be honest. I can fly. I’m hardly dangerous.”

Bennet appears to be running some kind of underground railroad for superpowered people. And because he’s a good guy now, he’s lost the horn-rimmed glasses. Future Hiro and Ando ask him to put them in contact with some of the people he’s saved. They use the fact that Hiro helped save Claire’s life five years ago to work on him.

Bennet goes to see Claire and tells her she needs to disappear again. But she’s got a boyfriend and they’re planning to get married.

Parkman almost captures Ando and Future Hiro  but Peter arrives and gets them away. Parkman goes to see Bennet, who had tipped Parkman off about them, so they’re working together. But Parkman turns on Bennet, and finds out where Claire is from him, so he can bring her to Nathan.

Ando learns from Peter that he’s dead in the future.

Mohinder tells Nathan that he thinks Hiro is trying to go back to the past and Kill Sylar, stop the bomb and save the world. Nathan tells him “Today I’m going to announce that you’ve developed a treatment to reverse this.” “You’re going to lie.” “The world will cheer.” “And what happens when people start dying?” “I’ll say you made a mistake… ..a fatal error. At first, the world will mourn. They’ll be united in grief. And then they’ll just be united.” Then Parkman arrives to tell him that the Hiro they have in custody is one of two. Parkman says “I want to put him down.” “No. I want Dr Suresh to do it.”

Parkman has brought Claire back for Nathan. He’s monologuing now. “I’m the leader of the free world. For all I know, I’m the most special person there is. Lord knows I found enough power. Met a lot of special people. Like this girl named Candice, who allowed me to become president. But I’m done. I just want to eliminate the competition. I don’t need any more power, especially not after you.” Then he changes into Sylar and starts taking the top of her head off. This is getting very grim.

Peter, Future Hiro and Ando go to the DHS to rescue Hiro.

Upstairs, Mohinder is there, about to deliver the fatal poison to Hiro, while the Haitian uses his power blocking powers to keep Hiro there, and to ensure that Peter and Future Hiro can’t get past Matt and his troops. But Mohinder hasn’t lost all his morals, and he injects the Haitian instead, which allows Peter and Future Hiro to use their powers to get to Hiro.

It’s a good thing Mohinder read Isaac’s comic. This is what Isaac meant when he told Sylar he was giving them the means to kill him.

Future Hiro gets shot by Parkman. He phones Nathan, who’s just given his address telling the world he’s discovered the cure. He tells him that Peter’s holding him off, so Nathan/Sylar just flies away from the memorial.

He gets Peter out of the room, and the two face off, Sylar revealing his true identity.

Hiro transports Ando and himself back in time, after some encouraging words from Ando. He’s back on the balcony outside Isaac’s apartment. He looks at the comic, showing him killing Sylar. “Now the hard part.”

Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with the newly-discovered superpowers they possess. Thrown five years in the future, Hiro and Ando discover that people with extraordinary abilities are not only widely known about, but are being registered, imprisoned, hunted and even killed as terrorists. As the President takes his first step towards a ‘final solution’, the pair get swept up in what could be a final battle and encounter a range of new and darkly familiar faces.

Recorded from BBC THREE on Wednesday 14th November 2007 22:00

BBC Genome: BBC THREE Wednesday 14th November 2007 22:00

After this there’s a trail for The Mighty Boosh and Radio 1Xtra.

Then the recording stops with the start of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. No, they’re not re-running the series, it’s the rather less successful original movie.

SMart – Spooks – Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross – 13 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the end of Bear Behaving Badly.

There’s an ad for the CBBC Website.

Then, an episode of SMart – Imagination. This is a repeat of an episode from 2006.

Media Centre Description: Mark Speight and Kirsten O’Brien present the programme that turns everyday objects into exciting and easy-to-make pictures, as well as answering art queries. Mark paints a picture on an RAF plane, Kirsten finds that art is a fairytale and Morph’s imagination is all at sea.

Recorded from CBBC Channel on Tuesday 13th November 2007 10:43

BBC Genome: CBBC Channel Tuesday 13th November 2007 10:45

After this there’s a trail for The Sarah Jane Adventures which I appear to have been neglecting in my archiving.

Then the recording stops with the start of an episode of Get 100.

The next recording starts with a trail for Children in Need and a really strange ad for Radio Five Live.

Then there’s a repeat of Spooks which we looked at last week.

Media Centre Description: Drama series about the British Security Service. Attempting to stop an Iranian nuclear deal on British soil, Adam is framed for the killing of a mugger, who turns out to be a journalist investigating the Tehran train bomb. Ros fears Adam may have been compromised by his source, the Iranian Special Consul’s wife, with whom Adam is conducting an affair. The journalist on the verge of printing the story, Ben Kaplan, might in fact be the one person that can save Adam and the credibility of MI5.

Recorded from BBC ONE on Tuesday 13th November 2007 20:58

BBC Genome: BBC ONE Tuesday 13th November 2007 21:00

After this, there’s a trail for The Street.

There’s a trail for Radio 1Xtra.

Then the recording stops after the start of The Ten O’Clock News. It leads with a damning report about abuse within the immigration services. It’s depressing to see that this country can’t run a decent, humane immigration system no matter who’s in power, although in this instance, the abuse was from people working for private contractors.

The next recording starts with the programme already in progress. It’s a new episode of Spooks – series 6 episode 6, and this recording is missing most of the ‘Previously On’. Adam and Ros talk about what happened at the end of the last episode, when Ros killed Ana, the wife of the Iranian Consul, after she tried to kill Adam. She tells Adam “Harry’s told Bakhshi. We’ve agreed to let him prepare his own cover story.”

Harry tells the team that he’s been informed that, because the Iranians knew that the original trigger plans were fakes, there must be a mole on the Grid. Which might be awkward for Ros since she definitely put three listening devices there. And her handler from the shadowy Yalta group listens in while Harry is telling them that.

Now they know the triggers obtained by the Iranians are heading to Tehran today, they have to ground every flight. But then they receive an email threat telling them that if the triggers don’t make it to Tehran, a poisonous neurotoxin will be released into the water supply.

Ros meets her Yalta handler. They’re behind the real triggers. They’re anti-American, so arming Iran seems sensible to them.

Ros suggests they try to get the Iranian Consul Bakhshi on their side, And that’s how we learn that she didn’t kill Ana at the end of the previous episode.

They discover that the triggers are flying out to Tehran on a British airline flight. Malcolm gets on the plane to set up covert communication for the Grid, but while he’s there he’s monitoring the maintenance team, who are saying that the plane’s flame arresters have been smashed, meaning the plane shouldn’t fly. “If she hits turbulence, there’s nothing to protect the fuel vapour. If she flies through an electrical storm, she’s a sitting duck.” But they can’t delay the flight because Bakhshi would release the poison. And of course, Harry finds out it was the Americans who crippled the plane so it wouldn’t take off.

Adam boards the flight. He’s given three possible passengers who could be the courier, and he’ll have to search their bags somehow, without tipping anyone off, because if the Iranians get wind of it they’ll release the poison. Luckily, Ros is also on board posing as part of the cabin crew.

Jo and Malcolm get to where the poison is set to go off, but there’s a trap and it’s released. So they have to find a way to stop it entering the water supply.

Malcolm realises that because the pumping station is underground, if they kill the power, not contaminated water can be pumped up. So Jo has to go to town on the mains electricity circuits with an axe.

Harry goes to see Bakhshi to try to get him to stop the triggers. As leverage, he lets him talk to his not dead wife.

Ros and Adam don’t find anything on any of the three suspect passengers. But then they discover that Connie’s list was incomplete and there is an extra passenger. They work out who it is, and Adam ascertains it’s an American man, who he suspects isn’t the frequent Tehran visitor he says he is. They also get word that the poison has been stopped, so they can now do whatever they can to stop the triggers. Adam roughs the man up, handcuffs him, and destroys his laptop, as that’s the only place the triggers could be.

The plane is supposed to divert from Tehran, but the pilots are not altering course because they now think Adam’s behaviour is a hijack attempt. Malcolm instructs Ros to send a code via Bluetooth, which cuts the plane’s fuel pumps so it has to make an emergency landing, But it also causes some extreme turbulence, and Ros is knocked unconscious. One of the passengers sees this – he’s one of the suspects Adam had to check out earlier – and he takes some breaths from the oxygen masks, then leaves his seat to help Ros. Then he and Adam get her into a seat and put a mask on her, then share the other mask. I did like this moment of solidarity.

Nobody thinks to help the handcuffed American though.

Harry talks to CIA chief Hogan and tells him they found the courier. Hogan tells Harry that the American was one of his agents, put there in case Adam screwed up. Which I guess he did. So the courier is somebody else.

Harry phones Adam to tell him the news. He figures out that the reason the pilot wouldn’t reroute when he got the orders to was because it’s the pilot who was carrying the triggers. But he’s being held on the plane and can’t stop the pilot.

Somehow, the Iranians have someone on this NATO airbase ready to switch bags with the pilot.

The man who was in the Grid sweeping for listening devices was actually working for Yalta. “We can’t afford to burn Ros. Not yet.”

Ros finally realises the pilot was the courier, but she doesn’t find anything in his bag. Then she sees the jeep with the pickup man driving away and realises the triggers are gone.

Media Centre Description: Drama series about the British Security Service.

Recorded from BBC THREE on Tuesday 13th November 2007 22:30

BBC Genome: BBC THREE Tuesday 13th November 2007 22:30

After this there’s trails for Radio 1XTra, Can Fat Teens Hunt, and Titty Bang Bang 3. Then there’s 60 Seconds of news.

There’s also a trail for The Mighty Boosh.

Then the recording ends with the start of Celebrity Scissorhands.

The final recording today starts with the end of Imagine… about the artist Louise Bourgeois.

There’s a trail for The Street and a trail for Arrange Me A Marriage.

Then, an episode of Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross, something which has become a rare treat. In this episode he reviews:

• American Gangster
• Beowulf
• The Jane Austen Book Club
• Brick Lane

There’s a report on which films are attracting Oscar Buzz.

And a location report on Brick Lane.

Media Centre Description: Russell Crowe talks about his role as a 70’s cop in ‘American Gangster’, which sees him working with ‘Gladiator’ director Sir Ridley Scott again. Plus, reviews of the epic adventure ‘Beowulf’ and a look at the film version of Monica Ali’s bestselling novel ‘Brick Lane’.

Recorded from BBC ONE on Tuesday 13th November 2007 23:23

BBC Genome: BBC ONE Tuesday 13th November 2007 23:25

After this, there’s an ad for TV Licensing, then the recording stops with the start of the film Ash Wednesday.

SMart – Invaders from Mars – 12 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the end of an episode of Bear Behaving Badly.

There’s a trail for Raven: The Secret Temple.

Then, after a long hiatus, it’s an episode of SMart – Elements.

It’s a signed showing. I’m not quite sure there’s enough wind to really get Mark’s hair like this.

They make windsocks decorated as carp.

Morph does a bit of unintentional kitesurfing.

Mark draws a picture of the Great Fire of London.

Mark visits an art project where a group of children help build a dragon sculpture of wood.

Then they set it on fire. Typical bloody kids.

There’s a short biography of Turner.

Mark draws the Weather.

They use a digger to make some bigger art.

In Arty Towers, they make some bubble painting.

Kirsten makes an underwater scene.

Here’s the big studio picture. I think it’s the end of V For Vendetta.

Media Centre Description: Mark Speight and Kirsten O’Brien present the programme that turns everyday objects into exciting and easy-to-make pictures, as well as answering art queries. Mark helps some Cornish viewers send a sculpture up in flames. Kirsten makes art for a windy day. And a digger driver creates a picture in the mud.

Recorded from CBBC Channel on Monday 12th November 2007 10:43

BBC Genome: CBBC Channel Monday 12th November 2007 10:45

After this, there’s a trail for Young Dracula.

Then the recording stops with the start of Get 100.

The other recording today starts with a trail for Brasil Brasil.

Then, we have a classic movie, which I’m surprised I never recorded on my tapes. It’s Invaders from Mars, the 1953 original, not the 1986 Tobe Hooper remake.

I love 1950s titles.

And you don’t often get the credit “Production Designed and Directed By”

Young David MacLean is a keen stargazer. His dad is an important scientist working somewhere secret.

Late at night, he’s woken up by a lot of noise, and sees a flying saucer appear to land somewhere behind his house. We see, but he doesn’t, that the saucer buries itself under the ground. He tells his father about it, and he goes out to see if there’s anything there, but he’s somehow taken underground.

In the morning, he hasn’t returned, so his wife calls the police, who go and look around. Then one of them falls into a newly appearing hole in the ground. Shortly followed by the other policeman.

David’s father returns, but he’s very sullen and miserable.

David notices a strange scar on his neck, and when he asks about it, his father hits him in the face.

David goes out and looks at where the saucer landed through a telescope, and he sees a little girl walk over there and disappear.

He goes over to the neighbour’s house and tells the girl’s mother that she disappeared, but as he’s telling her, the girl arrives at the door. She’s got the same impassive expression on her face as his father.

He runs out, and sees smoke coming from the house’s cellar. Someone has poured petrol down there and set it alight.

He goes to the police, but the police chief has also been changed, and orders him to be put into custody. But the thing I want to talk about is how, for a film that’s directed by the production designer, it has a lot of very minimalist sets. The police station has almost nothing in it, and I wonder how they wind that clock.

The desk sergeant, who hasn’t been taken over, calls for someone to come and see David. She’s Dr Pat Blake, from the city health department, and she listens to David’s story about the spaceship and how his father changed. He can’t quite believe it, so she phones a local astronomer Dr Stuart Kelston, who tells her he knows David. “He’s a pretty realistic young fella.”

David’s mother comes to pick him up, but his father is with her too, so she’s been taken over. Dr Blake prevents them from taking him by telling them that he’s developing Polio. She’s my favourite character so far.

She takes David to see Dr Kelston. “He’s my favourite astronomer” he says. Then there’s a very long exposition scene during which he talks about the possibility of life on other planets, and around other stars. He singles out one in particular just as an example – Wolf 359. Which I only knew as the location of a massive space battle in Star Trek The Next Generation and had just assumed it was made up. But it’s a real star. So now I’d really like to know if they used it in Star Trek as a reference to this film, or if it’s just a coincidence.

His lecture moves to more local places. “Here’s one of our artist’s conception of a Martian landscape.” “Grass, lakes, vegetation?” “They’ve got oxygen in their atmosphere, and water vapour too.” “And ice caps at either pole, just as we have.” “Still, what does all of this mean?” “That some form of life exists on Mars.” “But it looks so bleak and deserted.” He just showed an artist’s impression with grass and vegetation, and then says there might be some form of life. So what’s grass and vegetation then?

He then breaks out his collection of models of spaceships that people have “reported seeing.” He’s got all sorts of spaceships.

Even one that closely resembles the one David saw.

David gets to use the big telescope at the observatory. Kelston is still lecturing. “There isn’t enough oxygen on Mars, and the surface is too cold to support human life as we know it. There is a theory, consequently, that their cities are underground, near some central core of heat, or that they live in spaceships.” “You don’t believe that?” “I’m a scientist.” “But it can’t be proved.” “It can’t be disproved, either. Could you disprove, for example, that the Martians have bred a race of synthetic humans to save themselves from extinction?” “Synthetic humans?” “The theory calls them mutants.” He’s the worst scientist ever.

He shows them one possible reason why Martians might want to come to earth. There’s a rocket at a nearby airbase. He explains what it might be used for. “Then it’s merely a matter of time before we set up interplanetary stations, equipped with atomic power, and operated by remote control. And if any nation dared attack us, just by pushing a few buttons, we could wipe them out in a matter of minutes.” And he’s worked out a complete conspiracy theory-style explanation for everything. “What’s David’s father?” “He’s an engineer over at the Armistead Plant.” “What’s made at that plant, David?” “Gosh, I don’t know. Dad will never talk.” “Because the plant your dad works at is where the whole motor assembly for that rocket was made.” “But what did they want with little Kathy Wilson?” “Nothing, David. But Kathy’s father is Dr. William Wilson.” “The physicist?” “The man who conceived that rocket and whose house was burned down.”

They look at the place where the saucer landed, just in time to see David’s father bring General Mayberry there, and watch hm fall into the ground.

Kelston contacts the military to warn them, and there’s an interminable montage of tanks being loaded onto trains. There’s a lot of stock footage in this film.

They get news that young Kathy, the girl who burned her parents’ house down, died of a cerebral haemorrhage, so Dr Blake goes to see, and comes back with the cause – a tiny implant in her neck.

One of the local factories is blown up, and the two policemen who were converted earlier are found there. They both collapse as their implants kill them.

At the rocket base, General Mayberry is spotted, with two large cases. When he runs, guards shoot at him, and the cases explode, so he was clearly going to sabotage the rocket.

We meet Dr Wilson, the father of young Kathy, who’s processing his grief by getting on with all his sciencing. I don’t know how many physicists work by pouring coloured liquids into flasks, and having lots of bunsen burners, but I guess I just don’t understand all this advanced science.

Outside his building, David’s mother pulls up, and tells the guard her car isn’t running, and when he tries to help her, her husband whacks him over the head. Then he takes a rifle into the facility, and tries to shoot Dr Wilson, but luckily he happens to duck at exactly the right time. They drive away, but have a crash and are caught by the army and taken to a hospital.

The Army blast a hole where everyone has been disappearing, and finally see what’s under there, which is not much. They think the saucer must have moved underground.

Dr Blake gets news about David’s parents and takes him aside to tell him they’re being operated on to remove the implants. But as they’re talking, they hear the strange sound that’s preceded other disappearances, and they both vanish underground. I did wonder how the film would contrive to get David into the spaceship, because it was obvious that would have to happen.

We get our first very dark and murky look at the Martian “mutants”.

Two of them carry a ball containing another creature, presumably an actual Martian rather than a mutant. He doesn’t say an awful lot, so I’m assuming it’s all telepathy or something.

 

On the surface, the army use their special detectors to find out where the saucer has moved to, and they start laying charges to break through, while also bombarding other locations as a distraction. There’s an awful lot of explosions, all of which seem to be stock footage too.

Sergeant Rinaldi, who was sucked underground earlier, arrives to talk to David and Dr Blake. The shoulder of her dress has been ripped, but in a sexy way. She asks him who the strange creature is. “He is mankind, developed to its ultimate intelligence. These are his slaves, existing only to do his will, just as you will.” So an ultimate intelligence just defaults to total slavery? That’s a depressing thought.

There’s an awful lot of running around, explosions, and corridors. Dr Blake is prepped to have an implant

After more running about, shooting mutants and collapsing tunnels (I swear they use the same collapsing tunnel shot about six times in this movie) she’s rescued by Dr Kelston.

Just to ramp up the tension a bit more there’s a countdown to when the army’s explosives will blow up the ship.

But there’s still a search for David and Sgt Rinaldi, so it’s a race against time. But they’re all trapped by a tunnel collapse. They find David and Rinaldi, and David gets one of the mutants’ tunnelling guns to make a new exit. Sure enough, the same footage of a tunnel explosion.

The saucer starts emerging from the ground.

This isn’t the best print of the film – it’s probably an old telecine from a while back, and it’s got a lot of scratches, but this scene of Blake and Kelston running is just completely out of focus. Probably a telecine glitch, as I can’t imagine it would be this out of focus in the film.

The saucer flies up, but then the explosives go off.

Dr Blake reassures David about his parents. “With a control point destroyed, nothing can possibly happen to your mother and father now. They’re going to be all right.” “Gee, thanks.”

But we don’t see them again, and the last shot is David asleep under the watchful eye of Kelston and Blake, as if they’ve adopted him. Slightly weird.

Media Centre Description: Sci-fi classic. A young boy’s excitement at seeing a spaceship land outside his house quickly turns to fear when everyone who visits the site returns in a zombie-like state, apparently under the control of the alien life forms within the vessel.

Recorded from BBC FOUR on Monday 12th November 2007 22:00

BBC Genome: BBC FOUR Monday 12th November 2007 22:00

After this there’s a trail for Visions of the Future and Brasil Brasil. Then the recording stops with the start of a repeat of The Martians and Us.

 

Heroes – Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – 11 Nov 2007

It’s two repeats today. And we seem to have skipped Saturday altogether, so I’ve missed an episode of Robin Hood. And strictly speaking, both of these programmes are from Monday, but because we use the standard TV Broadcast day, that starts at 6am, so these count as Sunday.

The first recording is not only a repeat – of Heroes – Parasite – but it’s only 5 minutes long, and a few seconds before the end, it switches to the end of an episode of Father Ted. I’m not even sure how a Media Centre recording can even do that. It’s very strange.

Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with the newly discovered superpowers they possess. With the election and NYC’s destruction looming, Nathan has a disturbing meeting with the shadowy Linderman. Hiro’s attempt to steal the sword steers him into a grim new direction. Suresh makes a breakthrough on ‘the list’, but at great cost. DL begins to suspect all is not well at home. Isaac paints his most terrible painting yet. New Hero Candice Wilmer makes an illusive debut.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Monday 12th November 2007 00:02

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Monday 12th November 2007 00:05

The Father Ted mystery is somewhat explained by the other recording, which appears to start where the last one ended with the end of Father Ted as well.

Then it’s a repeat of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – 4am Miracle.

Media Centre Description: Drama series about a late-night comedy sketch show. Matt waits for a moment of early-morning inspiration to rescue him from writer’s block. Jordan and Danny compete to see which of them will make the better parent.

Recorded from More 4 on Monday 12th November 2007 00:08

The recording stops with the start of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Here’s the ad breaks from Studio 60.

Adverts:

• Kinder Bueno
• Puzzleball
• Dyson
• Waterstone’s
• Topps Tiles
• trail: Forgotten Heroes: The Not Dead
• trail: True Stories: The Mosquito Problem & Other Stories
• Staples
• Baileys
• HSBC
• Echo Falls
• Philips Sonicare
• F&F
• Into The Wild in cinemas
• trail: The Secret Millionaire
• Barclaycard – Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt
• Navman
• Waterstone’s
• Bisto
• PC World
• The Big Yellow Self Storage Company
• Daily Telegraph
• Ladbrokes
• Ricky Tomlinson’s Footy DVD
• Barclaycard – Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt
• Twinings – Stephen Fry
• Ladbrokes
• trail: True Stories: The Mosquito Problem & Other Stories

Space 1999 – Have I Got News for You – 09 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the end of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased).

Then, an episode of Space 1999 – Dragon’s Domain which I looked at from one of my tapes.

Media Centre Description: Sci-fi drama series about space-age castaways adrift on the remnants of a lunar colony. The moon drifts into a zone whose strange character gives one man a chance to vindicate himself.

Recorded from ITV4 on Friday 9th November 2007 18:58

After this, there’s the start of an episode of The Contender.

The next recording starts in media res as I’ve missed the start (I see the start time of the recording is 9pm dead, so I was probably recording other things at the same time which I didn’t save.

It’s Have I Got News for You presented by Michael Aspel.

Ian’s guest is Reginald D Hunter.

Paul’s Guest is Sara Cox.

Media Centre Description: The topical comedy quiz is guest hosted by Michael Aspel as team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop are joined by Sara Cox and Reginald D Hunter.

Recorded from BBC ONE on Friday 9th November 2007 21:00

BBC Genome: BBC ONE Friday 9th November 2007 21:00

After this there’s a trail for the Ten O’Clock News.

Plus a new trail for The Mighty Boosh.

Then the recording stops with the start of The Armstrong and Miller Show. I’m surprised I didn’t archive these.

Here’s the ads from Space 1999.

Adverts:

• Ucan Car Credit
• JML Blu Step
• Daily Mail
• trail: Grand Slam of Darts
• Barclaycard – Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt
• Timeshift
• Mars
• The Sun
• National Lottery
• Currys
• Lions For Lambs in cinemas
• Lovefilm
• Ask.com
• trail: Stakeout
• Minute Maid
• Navman
• PC World
• Panasonic Lumix
• Abbey
• Cyprus
• The Sun
• Citroen C3
• Ask.com
• PC World
• Argos
• WSPA
• The Sun
• National Lottery
• Royal Navy
• Argos
• iPhone
• trail: Jericho
• Vision Express
• Currys
• Daily Mail
• Boss

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – Heroes – 08 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the end of Property Ladder.

Then, the next episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – 4am Miracle.

The studio is being sued by a former writer who claims she was forced to work in a hostile work environment, and she was fired for “not being one of the boys”. A lawyer visits to talk to the current writing and producing team, none of whom were there when the writer in question was there, so it’s a bit odd, but the rationale is she’s there to see what the actual work environment is like. Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that this is Aaron Sorkin again writing about something that happened to him? I did like that the lawyer, Mary Tate, is from the firm of Gage Whitney, which is the name of the firm that Sam Seaborn worked at before he joined the Bartlet campaign in The West Wing. In joke or a way to same money clearing the name?

Jordan has got a fake training baby which has sensors and tracks whether the baby is being cared for. Danny thinks it’s weird and she challenges him to look after it for the evening. I don’t think he’s holding it right.

Harriet is still working on Luke’s movie about the Rolling Stones, and they’re running over. She’s playing Anita Pallenberg, who was Keith Richards’ girlfriend, and the scene involves a 17 year old boy who shot himself in the head with a gun owned by Richards. This scene has Anita there with him, and portrays it as some weird Russian Roulette thing. Harriet doesn’t like the way it’s being portrayed, as the death was ruled a suicide, and Anita testified she wasn’t even there at the time, but it seems like Luke wants to make it look more like she’s responsible, and they argue about it. I’d have thought a better time to argue was before they were on set, with an actor rigged with blood packs that probably take an hour to reset when they have to go again.

“You’re shaking it like a snowglobe.” I see something like this, and think that maybe training babies are a bad idea. They might teach you to be as blasé with a real baby.

Simon is talking to Tom about the lawsuit, and it emerges that he slept with the woman a few times. “You got to go talk to the lawyer.” “I’ll lose my job. I’ll lose my house. I’ll lose my Lincoln Navigator.”

I’m going out on a limb to say that Harriet’s new boyfriend Luke is an arsehole. After another take, while they’re resetting the blood packs and cleaning the set again, he asks her what happened and she starts telling him about the big fight she had with Matt, and all the time she’s opening up to him, he’s throwing peanuts in his mouth, then he tells her he doesn’t care. “I thought the conversation was gonna be about you and me.” Then he says “You ready to go back to work?” “Yeah. I’m sorry. How much longer?” “As long as I feel like.”

Cal brings in a guillotine prop, and they joke about it. “You didn’t have a mini-guillotine?” “No, I wasn’t raised by the Addams Family.” They want to try it out, and Cal suggests Simon puts his head in, and I’m glad they don’t because then they try it on the fake baby, and naturally it cuts the doll’s head off. “I didn’t have it set right.” I’m just wondering, if this prop can do that when it’s set wrongly, where’s the propmaster who should be keeping this thing out of the hands of people who might want to play with it? This whole show is a health and safety nightmare. No wonder it’s being sued.

Matt reads the complaint against the show, and comes across a section where the writers were discussing all the ways they might have sex with Harriet.

It looks like Luke is breaking up with Harriet, which might explain his behaviour. “I can’t let you talk about Matthew like that.” “And why not?” “‘Cause he’d never let anybody talk about me like that.” “You’re a sucker, Harriet.” “Maybe. But he’d never go three hours into overtime just to screw with some guy who used to be his friend. Print takes four, seven, 12, 14 and 15. You got the shot. I’m out of here.”

Simon confesses to Mary about his affair. “I slept with Karen Salisbirk.” Tom asks “Is there any way this helps us?” She replies “No.” “I told you” says Simon. But it’s OK because the woman who Simon slept with was someone else. “Karen Salisbirk is short and blonde.” “Then who was the tall redhead?” “I don’t know.” “Connie Briar.” “Connie Briar! Yes! I should call her.”

Mary leaves, and gives Matt her card, implying he should call her and ask her out. “You want to wait till you’ve got Harriet out of your system?” “Yeah, probably should.” “How long do you suppose that’ll take?” “I have a hunch it’s gonna be a while, but you’re all right for asking.” “No wonder the girls like you.”

Matt talks to Danny about it and comes to a realisation. “I’m saying, she doesn’t come up here anymore. I had no idea how much I needed having her around.” “I know.”

Cal brings Danny the baby, after he’s had props fix it. “It was an hour of bionic pediatric surgery from props and f/x.” “What about the computer chip?” “Clean as a whistle. Baby thinks it slept three hours, was fed, changed and spoken to in a soothing voice.”

Maybe Danny shouldn’t have trusted props with the baby.

Harriet comes back from her set as Matt is still struggling with a sketch. “It’s a single-cell paramecium.” “That’s where I get stuck.” “I’ll put my stuff downstairs and come back and see if I can unstick you.” “I’d appreciate that.”

Media Centre Description: Drama series about a late-night comedy sketch show. Matt waits for a moment of early-morning inspiration to rescue him from writer’s block. Jordan and Danny compete to see which of them will make the better parent.

Recorded from More 4 on Thursday 8th November 2007 21:58

After this, there’s the start of a documentary called The World’s Most Offensive Joke.

The next recording start with the weather, and it’s not looking good.

There’s a trail for another Stephen Poliakoff film, A Real Summer.

There’s also an information film about digital switchover. My memory of this is that it didn’t happen until around 2012, but I just checked and it happened by region, and the earliest ones were being switched over (i.e. the analogue TV transmissions were stopped) right around this time.

There’s also a trail for The Graham Norton Show.

Then, another repeat of Heroes – Parasite which we saw on its first showing.

Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with the newly discovered superpowers they possess. With the election and NYC’s destruction looming, Nathan has a disturbing meeting with the shadowy Linderman. Hiro’s attempt to steal the sword steers him into a grim new direction. Suresh makes a breakthrough on ‘the list’, but at great cost. DL begins to suspect all is not well at home. Isaac paints his most terrible painting yet. New Hero Candice Wilmer makes an illusive debut.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Thursday 8th November 2007 23:18

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Thursday 8th November 2007 23:20

There’s a trail for Never Mind the Buzzcocks and trails for The Mighty Boosh and Radio 1Xtra.

Then the recording stops with a few minutes of World Bowls.

Here’s the ad breaks from Studio 60 – including the first advert I’ve seen for the iPhone.

Adverts:

• trail: True Stories: The Mosquito Problem & Other Stories
• B&Q
• Confused.com
• Sainsbury’s Insurance
• trail: Deep Water
• Jon Ronson on Nutty Americans
• trail: The Sopranos
• Bath Store
• Vauxhall Antara
• UBS
• Actimel
• Nivea for Men
• iPhone
• Ski-Ride-France.com
• Barclaycard – Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt
• trail: Forgotten Heroes: The Not Dead
• trail: True Stories: The Mosquito Problem & Other Stories
• Lions For Lambs in cinemas
• Polaris World
• Sainsbury’s Insurance
• E.on
• Army
• Herbal Essences
• SCS
• Ing Direct
• trail: Deep Water
• trail: 4OD
• Audi R8
• First Direct – Matt King
• Halfords
• Think! Always wear a seatbelt
• Stella Artois
• trail: The Sopranos
• trail: Film 4
• Barclaycard – Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt
• Renault Laguna
• Nivea for Men
• Jon Ronson on his contemporaries

Heroes – Heroes Unmasked – 07 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the end of Autumnwatch.

There’s a look at programmes across the BBC. I wonder why they’re excluding BBC Three.

There’s a trail for Capturing Mary and a trail for Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

Then, a repeat of Heroes – Parasite which we looked at last week.

Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with the newly discovered superpowers they possess. With the election and NYC’s destruction looming, Nathan has a disturbing meeting with the shadowy Linderman. Hiro’s attempt to steal the sword steers him into a grim new direction. Suresh makes a breakthrough on ‘the list’, but at great cost. DL begins to suspect all is not well at home. Isaac paints his most terrible painting yet. New Hero Candice Wilmer makes an illusive debut.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Wednesday 7th November 2007 21:00

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Wednesday 7th November 2007 21:00

After this there’s a trail for Lead Balloon.

there’s a trail for Radio 1Xtra.

and a Match of the Day themed Children in Need trail.

Then the recording stops with the start of the next programme…

Which is Heroes Unmasked. My recording is missing an episode title, but Genome tells me it’s Bad Company.

Sendhil Ramamurthy wonders why nobody believes him when he tells them about the genetic clues to superheroes.

Zachary Quinto talks about Sylar using all the tools of logic to persuade a scientist that he can help him.

Jeph Loeb: “One of the things that Zach is awesome at is taking on other people’s personalities.”

It slightly took me by surprise that, when the subject turns to Malcolm McDowell, they start playing the Z-Cars theme.

Dennis Hammer says McDowell was at the top of the list.

Adrian Pasdar: “When you’ve got a universal icon and a legend like Malcolm McDowell, you just feel like… wow! If I’m going to be beholden to somebody, ot’s got to be somebody with weight, and Mr McDowell certainly brings that.” There’s a lot of people saying nice things about Malcolm McDowell so I wasn’t surprised there was no interview with the man himself.

Did the actors playing the Petrelli brothers decide that they’d dress as each other for these interviews?

The episode stops before the programme ends.

Media Centre Description: Behind the scenes of the drama series.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Wednesday 7th November 2007 21:45

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Wednesday 7th November 2007 21:45

The last recording today starts with the 1Xtra advert. There’s also a trail for Celebrity Scissorhands and for Can Fat Teens Hunt which is so “Monkey Tennis” it hurts.

There’s also another Might Boosh trail.

Then, a new episode of Heroes – .07%.

Bennet gets a visit in his cell from Claire, but after last week, he’s not falling for Candice’s chameleon trick.

Nathan talks to Linderman in his vault, who shows off his superpower – healing.

Linderman explains his plan. He’s been arranging things, and the end result is Peter Petrelli wiping out most of New York. “A united sense of hope couched in a united sense of fear. And it is your destiny, Nathan, to be the leader who uses this event to rally a city, a nation, a world.” He also shows why he’s so confident that he can get Nathan into the White House. He has an Isaac Mendez painting to prove it.

Peter and Sylar have a big fight in Mohinder’s apartment, until Sylar hurls a lot of broken glass towards where Peter went invisible, and one of the shards goes right into his brain and kills him.

Niki’s boyfriend D.L. tells her (or Jessica) that he’s going to take Micah away. “He’s not safe as long as Linderman owns our lives. Not as long as you’re around. Look at what you brought into our house.” “What, money? Rent? Poor me.” Then a man arrives to take her to see Linderman.

Mohinder brings Peter’s body to the Petrelli’s house. Still dead. Everyone’s sad.

Linderman tells Jessica that he needs Micah’s ability. “You need something from me, point and I’ll shoot. Micah’s off limits.” “The request was a courtesy, dear.” “Send anyone you want. You’re not touching my son.”

Bennet guides Parkman on how to escape from his cell, Parkman frees Sprague, who them uses an EMP to kill the alarms and security systems, so they can get Bennet and escape.

Nathan, too is very sad about Peter, although “He isn’t supposed to die this way” isn’t the positive emotional expression when Nathan knows exactly how Peter’s supposed to die, and it’s a lot worse than this.

Claire’s still there, and asks to have time alone with him which they reluctantly allow, then Claire does the thing that others really ought to have done before this, and pulls out the glass shard from his head, so he then revives.

Bennet, Parkman and Sprague are making plans. Parkman has worked out (before Bennet did) that Linderman is the one really running the company.

Talking of Linderman, he comes personally to meet with Micah, and Jessica seems perfectly happy to give him up. Until the car drives off, and she turns back into Candice the shapechanger.

Mohinder still thinks Peter is dead so he turns to someone to help him. It’s Thompson.

Sylar goes to Isaac, who knew he was coming. “It’s all right. I finally know my part in all this. To die here with you. But not before I show them how to kill you… ..and stop the bomb. I finally get to be a hero.”

Claire and Nathan finally talk. He tells her he wants to look after her, but he can’t do it while the election is going on. “It’s just one week.” “And then what?” “And then you come home to your family.” Then there’s an awkward hug. Maybe’s it’s not always about the hugs.

Sylar is now painting the future. He has a slightly different art style to Isaac.

Finally, we go to Hiro and Ando, who transported five years into the future to the balcony of Isaac Mendez’s apartment. In the apartment, Hiro wants to look for clues as to what went wrong, so he can fix it. He also thinks Isaac might still be alive. He finds the apartment full of a rather crazy timeline of criss-crossed string and note.

Isaac isn’t there, but someone else is. It’s Hiro from the Future. I have to say, this show is still delivering on these cliffhangers.

Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with the newly-discovered superpowers they possess.

Recorded from BBC THREE on Wednesday 7th November 2007 22:00

BBC Genome: BBC THREE Wednesday 7th November 2007 22:00

After this, there’s 60 Seconds of news.

There’s a trail for Titty Bang Bang 3 then the recording stops during Celebrity Scissorhands.

Spooks – 06 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the programme already running – the BBC are so lax at start times.

Good thing it’s a repeat of the previous episode of Spooks seen last week.

Media Centre Description: Drama series about the British Security Service. As an Algerian extremist escapes his home detention, the team fear he may be plotting a terror attack on US businesses in the UK with the help of local Iranians. However, working with the Americans to stop the attack proves a trying task given their recently-deceitful behaviour.

Recorded from BBC ONE on Tuesday 6th November 2007 21:00

BBC Genome: BBC ONE Tuesday 6th November 2007 21:00

After this there’s a trail for a BBC film called Learners starring Jessica Hynes and David Tennant, which looks like just my kind of thing, so I wonder why I didn’t record it.

Then there’s the start of the 10 O’Clock News, leading with the Queen’s Speech.

The other recording today also starts with the programme in progress. I notice that neither of the recordings today have the usual 2 minutes padding, so I was probably recording several other programmes today, but those ones I didn’t archive.

It’s the BBC Three premiere of the next episode of Spooks – Episode 5 of series 6.

Jo has a new fancy man. I’m sure this will be entirely unproblematic.

Adam and Ros are following a Russian mule, Valentino, who’s arrived in Britain to hand over blueprints to nuclear triggers to Iran.

Before the mission, Adam was involved in an attempted mugging. He throws the man against a steel cage during the scuffle and he collapses. Adam makes an anonymous 999 call and leaves.

They discover that the Russians are also tracking the mule, and Adam is captured, then released by them with a warning to stay away from Valentino. “What does it say?” “It’s not exactly polite.” “The gist?” “The gist is back off Valentino, he’s our man, and the rest is…” “Is?” “Siminekee.” “That’s Russian for testicles, isn’t it?”

Jo’s new flame Ben is a journalist, and he’s received pictures of Adam and his mugger.

Ros’s handler from the shadowy Yalta organisation asks her to plant some bugs in the grid. “You’re joking? Malcolm’s wired the grid with every detector known, I’d never get it through pods.” “There’s nothing that will pick up these little gems.” In return, he tells her where Valentino can be found.

Ben meets Jo and shows her the pictures he was sent. He says the man who accosted Adam was a journalist. “I think the Government’s covering their tracks about something, and this man here is on to them. I want to know why he was silenced.”

Adam goes to the Safe house where he’s meeting with Ana, the Iranian Consul’s wife, and Ros is there. She tells him that he should stop seeing Ana, that it’s dangerous. “I was just trying to protect her.” “She’s a big girl, Adam, she doesn’t need protecting, and you’re compromising the operation.”

Harry and Connie bring Valentino in and lean on him to get him to work for them. They let him go, and he goes to pick up his holdall with the secret plans, but they’ve already switched it for a holdall with fake plans.

Ros breaks into Ben’s flat to find out what information he’s been sent. She finds the pictures he already showed to Jo, but he’s also got aerial footage of the Tehran train blast, so Adam’s going to look even more guilty, especially if the journalist doesn’t wake up from his coma.

Which he doesn’t, as Harry tells Adam. He thinks Adam was set up by Ana. He gives him a wodge of cash and tells him to lie low for a while.

Jo talks to Ben. “You know what you’ve done so far? You’ve just removed one of the best officers from his job, you’ve left the security services vulnerable to becoming state- controlled. So if that makes you sleep safer in your bed at night then… well done.”

Sure enough, the grid is visited by people from the Home Office, wanting to know where Adam is.

He’s Headline News.

Ros gives him some information about the journalist’s movements. “We follow him for most of the day, but then we lose him for three hours.” “Where?” “Waterloo Bridge.” Maybe he was going to see something at the BFI Imax.

Adam asks some of the homeless people in the underpass. One of them recognises the journalist, but tells him he’s also a homeless man. Adam brings him to identify the man’s body. “What happened?” Adam says “He fell. It’s definitely your friend?” “No mistake.” “I think he’s been the victim of identity theft.” Adam realises that he’s not a journalist at all, and it’s all a set up, but by whom?

Adam gets chased by police, and he’s helped by journalist Ben, of all people. Looks like he’s had a change of heart.

Valentino has been spooked by a phone call to his family, and hearing them being arrested by the Russian secret police. He goes to a church, keeps doing the sign of the cross the wrong way round, which annoyed me, and when Jo is finally able to get into the church, she finds he’s killed himself.

The fake journalist leads them to CIA chief Hogan, who admits that the nuclear triggers were the Americans’ plans all along. “You saying America’s arming Iran?” “No, we’re selling them blueprints with a deliberate error. A tiny miscalculation that will set their nuclear programme back a decade.”

But with Valentino dead, they need someone to pretend to be him. “Somebody with no identity, no past. Somebody if interrogated would know nothing, say nothing, wouldn’t be missed. And most importantly would disappear again afterwards.” Luckily, Adam recently met someone who fits the bill perfectly – the friend of the man who was set up as the journalist. “I’ve got a coffee and five grand. Which do you want first?” The handover is very tense, but seems to go off smoothly.

Jo and Ben meet up at the book market that’s outside the National Film Theatre, somewhere I used to go regularly.

Adam, against Ros’s strong advice, goes to see Ana in a hotel. Ros gets a tip-off from her Yalta man, and goes to the hotel. She sees Ana’s handler from the Consulate there, so they know she’s there with Adam. Meanwhile, Adam has been drugged and is seeing things.

Ana says he’s had too much champagne and needs water, so she puts in in the bath and starts it filling.

But Ros is on the case, and catches Ana as she’s leaving. She finds the room they were in, pulls Adam out of the bath and revives him. Ana tells her that her husband knew the American plans were faulty, so they made a deal with someone else. “My country just obtained a real firing set. We are now a nuclear power.” Ros closes the bathroom door, fits a silencer and we hear two gunshots. This show is cold.

Media Centre Description: Drama series about the British Security Service.

Recorded from BBC THREE on Tuesday 6th November 2007 22:30

BBC Genome: BBC THREE Tuesday 6th November 2007 22:30

After this there’s a trail for a new series of The Mighty Boosh.

There’s also a trail for Titty Bang Bang 3 and 60 Seconds of news.

There’s also the Chris Moyles Rollercoaster ad.

Then the recording stops with the start of Celebrity Scissorhands.

 

Bob the Builder: Project Build It – Heroes – Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – 04 Nov 2007

Today’s first recording starts with the end of Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies.

Sid and Andy play a balancing game.

Right after this there’s a presentation glitch.

Then there’s a trail for Tommy Zoom and a recycling song.

Then more Bob the Builder: Project Build It – Lofty’s Shelter. Bob and the machines are going to build a new shelter for all the machines in Sunflower Valley, but Bob says Lofty will be outside, like he was with the old shelter, and he’s upset but finds it hard to tell Bob.

It’s coming along nicely.

Lofty has to go to town to pick up some materials, and when he’s coming back, he meets a goat and some sheep, and the goat teaches him that sometimes you have to ask a few times before people listen to you.

This goat is very useful, and even helps Lofty find his way when he gets lost.

When he gets back he thinks he’s too late to ask, but there is room for him, and the shelter is finished, looking like they’re living under the hill. Very Hobbity. But Bob realises they might have a problem. “How do we keep the grass cut?”

Lofty knows just who to ask.

Media Centre Description: Animated adventures with Bob the Builder and his friends as they construct a new, ecologically-friendly town from scratch. The machines are building a shelter using materials found in the local area. Lofty really wants a place inside but is having trouble asking Bob for permission. Lofty goes to Bobsville to get some plastic sheeting. On the way he gets lost and meets a goat and some sheep. They put him on the right path, explain how to ask for things and end up helping keep the grass roof trim.

Recorded from CBeebies on Sunday 4th November 2007 07:58

BBC Genome: CBeebies Sunday 4th November 2007 08:00

After this there’s a trail for Tommy Zoom then the recording stops with the start of an episode of Pinky Dinky Doo.

The next recording starts with the end of Graham Norton Uncut featuring Jackie Collins and John Waters.

There’s an ad for the BBC News website, then another repeat of Heroes – Company Man.

Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with the newly-discovered superpowers they possess. H.R.G.’s past catches up to him as Matt and Ted Sprague come to Texas looking for answers and take him, his wife, son and Claire hostage, leading to a tragic and explosive showdown. Secrets are revealed and new threats to the heroes are introduced.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Monday 5th November 2007 00:30

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Monday 5th November 2007 00:30

After this there’s the PSA about Sparklers. Then the recording stops.

The final recording is another repeat, which is a good thing because the beginning is missing. It’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – The Friday Night Slaughter.

Media Centre Description: Drama series about a late-night comedy sketch show. Matt, during a bout of self-medication, has to decide which sketches will make it to air. Tom and Dylan subject him to particularly intense lobbying.

Recorded from More 4 on Monday 5th November 2007 01:15

The recording ends with the start of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Here’s the (very few) ad breaks from Studio 60.

Adverts:

• trail: 4OD
• BMW 1 Series
• Actimel
• PC World
• Rennie Dual Action
• trail: True Stories: Promises

Bob the Builder: Project Build It – Charlie and Lola – Heroes Unmasked – Robin Hood – Have I Got a Little Bit More News for You – 03 Nov 2007

The first recording today starts with the end of Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies.

There’s a short piece about acorns and oak trees, then Sid sings the Big Fun Time song, and he and Andy have a race to build a tower.

Then, another episode of Bob the Builder: Project Build It – Bob’s Fresh Start. This looks like it’s the first in the series, as all the machines are looking at a model of the new community they’re going to have to build.

When Bob’s mobile home arrives, they find that Spud has stowed away, and is also excited about the new town.

Spud and Muck have to collect wood for a fire from the nearby forest, and Muck is scared. Especially when they get lost.

Muck finds his tracks and they find their way out.

They make it back to Bob’s mobile home. “Hi everyone. We’ve got wood.”

Media Centre Description: Animated adventures with Bob the Builder and all his friends as they construct a new, ecologically-friendly town from scratch. It’s the team’s first full day in Sunflower Valley and the machines are all a bit nervous. Muck denies being scared. Bob announces that the very first job will be to build a hardstanding to support the mobile home. It’s getting dark and they have no electricity, so Muck volunteers to collect some firewood. He gets lost, but soon realises he can follow his tracks home.

Recorded from CBeebies on Saturday 3rd November 2007 07:58

BBC Genome: CBeebies Saturday 3rd November 2007 08:00

After this there’s a trail for the CBeebies Autumnwatch and an Eco Beebies song. Then the recording stops during an episode of Pinky Dinky Doo.

The next recording starts with the end of Pingu.

There’s a trail for Monster Cafe then Andy does the birthdays.

Then, an episode of Charlie and Lola that’s new to the blog – Everything is Different and Not the Same which is from series 3.

It’s the start of the autumn term, and Lola has some new school equipment.

But she’s upset that the leaves are turning different colours. “Oh. But I like the leaves being ON the trees, Charlie. Why do they have to fall off?”

Lola and Lotta have to sit at a different desk. And their teacher has changed too.

Marv suggests that for the Autumn Fair, they bury a time capsule “and then in the future, trillions of years away, the future people dig it up and open it, and they can see how different things are from now.”

Lola really doesn’t like the leaves falling.

Someone contributes stick insect eggs to the time capsule. “By the time the future people find our time capsule, the stick-insect eggs might have hatched. Oh! And they might have grown ginormous.”

Lola and Lotta are making a picture of a tree for their new teacher. Lola moves a cake onto a pile of tin cans, and honestly, the next minute or so has (as my daughter observed) Hitchcockian levels of suspense before it inevitably falls onto their picture.

Lola and Lotta are “Hiding Gating” – hibernating until spring.

Charlie and Marv bury the Time Capsule as part of the Autumn Fair.

Lola and Lotta get a star from their teacher for their tree picture.

Media Centre Description: Children’s animation. Join Lola and Charlie, a brother and sister, as they deal with topics that affect their everyday lives. Lola is so looking forward to going back to school for the Autumn Term, but when she gets back to school, she finds that everything has changed! The school smells funny, the desks are different and she has a different teacher. Lola discovers all kinds of things about Autumn are different, and she doesn’t like it one bit. Lola decides to hibernate and wait for spring!

Recorded from CBeebies on Saturday 3rd November 2007 09:58

BBC Genome: CBeebies Saturday 3rd November 2007 10:00

After this there’s a trail for Space Pirates and one more reprise of the Autumn song. Then the recording stops during an Autumnwatch programme What’s in Your Patch?

The next recording starts with a trail for Long Way Down.

Then, it’s a repeat of an episode of Heroes Unmasked – Turning Tides.

Media Centre Description: Behind the scenes of the drama series. The programme takes a Bennet’s-eye view to reveal where the web of lies and deceit all began. Featuring backstage footage of Bennet’s world going up in flames, and insights from HRG himself Jack Coleman and his on-screen friends and foes. They share stories about the filming of shocking scenes.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Saturday 3rd November 2007 17:43

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Saturday 3rd November 2007 17:45

After this, there’s a public information film, Don’t Fool With Fireworks.

There’s also trails for Electric Proms and Capturing Mary. Then the recording ends with five minutes of What The Papers Say.

The next recording is the next episode of Robin Hood – Ducking and Diving.

Marian has tipped off Robin that the Sheriff’s spy Henry of Lewes is coming through the forest on his way to give the Sheriff information of where the King will be landing. But Allan a Dale tips off Gisborne and the spy takes another route. Unfortunately for the Sheriff, when Henry arrives, he’s been stricken by some illness. I do like the Sheriff’s big Newsnight-style war map.

The Sheriff brings in a physician called Blight, played by the great David Bamber, and he’s a rubbish doctor.

The Sheriff brings in another healer, Matilda, played by Josie Lawrence, She’s great.

Robin gets into the castle and meets Matilda. She knows him, having helped with his birth. “Mmm, what’s that beard? It’s neither grown nor shaven. Make up your mind.” He tells her who Henry is and why it’s important he doesn’t tell the Sheriff what he knows about the King’s return. She drugs him so he can’t remember anything.

Matilda’s daughter is close to giving birth, so she asks Robin to make sure she’s looked after. Her baby is breech – it hasn’t turned head down – so the birth could be dangerous. Djaq only knows battlefield medicine, but Little John has had experience, and he’s able to turn the baby.

Slimy physician Blight accuses Matilda of poisoning Henry, so the Sheriff decided to have a ducking. Matilda survives two duckings, and after the second she curses the Sheriff, but during her third ducking, we see Robin underwater, with a tube she can breathe through, and he helps her escape. While the Sheriff and Gisborne are distracted when the empty ducking stool comes up, Robin’s men grab Henry.

Back at camp, Rosa has had a little girl.

Henry, now their prisoner, manages to get Much’s knife and threatens him, so Robin has to kill him.

Robin sets a trap for the traitor, and finds Allan. “You’re lucky I’ve left you with a life to swear upon. Never, never let me set eyes on you again.”

Media Centre Description: Drama series giving a contemporary feel to the classic legend. A horrified Robin realises that his plan to capture the Sheriff’s spy Henry of Lewes has failed because he has a traitor in his gang. Luckily, Henry has arrived at the castle unconscious and Robin can also depend on Marian’s spying and loyal wise-woman Matilda to help him in his mission. Can Robin silence Henry and rescue Matilda before the Sheriff ducks her for witchcraft, and will he work out who the traitor is?

Recorded from BBC ONE on Saturday 3rd November 2007 19:13

BBC Genome: BBC ONE Saturday 3rd November 2007 19:15

After this, there’s a reminder of voting for Strictly, and a trailer for Electric Proms. Then the recording stops with the start of National Lottery In It To Win It.

The last recording today is Have I Got a Little Bit More News for You hosted by Jo Brand. I’ve missed the beginning of this programme.

Ian’s guest is Julia Hartley-Brewer.

Paul’s guest is Andy Hamilton.

One of the stories covered was the visit of Saudi King Abdullah. Judging by this photo, he didn’t bother turning up and sent Steven Seagal as his body double.

Media Centre Description: Jo Brand guest-hosts the topical news quiz with Paul Merton and Ian Hislop. The guest panellists are Andy Hamilton and Julia Hartley-Brewer.

Recorded from BBC TWO on Saturday 3rd November 2007 21:00

BBC Genome: BBC TWO Saturday 3rd November 2007 21:00

After this, there’s trails for Autumnwatch, and Capturing Mary. Then the recording stops with the start of another Stephen Poliakoff film, Shooting the Past.