Bbc 4

[wpdavid]

BBC4 may have started showing 'Ripping Yarns'. They certainly showed the one about the most boring man in the world last night, so maybe we'll get the whole series over the next few weeks.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ah, I loved that. Tompkinson's School Days was my fav but also loved the one where Palin is the fan of a hopeless northern football team and sets about recruiting the olde tymey players from their glory days.

There's a great scene where he smashes up his own parlour after a 10-1 defeat and utters the immortal "Useless, useless bastards."

Every sports fan can relate, I'm sure.

 

[stumpski]

A bit late notice, but BBC4 have a documentary on Elvis Costello tonight. Followed by a concert from the great man himself. And that's followed by a programme about Blondie.
Life doesn't get much better.

In case any of you missed it, there was a very good programme about Graham Parker yesterday. I'd actually forgotten just how good an album 'Squeezing out sparks' is, but I'll need to dig out my copy as soon as I get a spare moment. 'Protection' and 'You can't be too strong' are unbelievably good songs, but there's plenty of others to enjoy too.

Bit late now, but damn I wish I'd seen those. When I was younger I was hugely into that skinny-tie new wave, and regarded Parker, Costello and Joe Jackson as some kind of holy trinity - although Jackson rather lost his way early on. I'm going to see EC this autumn, and being unfamiliar with his recent stuff (i.e. from about 2005 onwards) I'd be interested if anyone can point me towards some highlights.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Ah, I loved that. Tompkinson's School Days was my fav but also loved the one where Palin is the fan of a hopeless northern football team and sets about recruiting the olde tymey players from their glory days.

Medium sized laddie for a Great Big PALFREY... THUMP.

Wonderful series.

 

[wpdavid]

Bit late now, but damn I wish I'd seen those. When I was younger I was hugely into that skinny-tie new wave, and regarded Parker, Costello and Joe Jackson as some kind of holy trinity - although Jackson rather lost his way early on. I'm going to see EC this autumn, and being unfamiliar with his recent stuff (i.e. from about 2005 onwards) I'd be interested if anyone can point me towards some highlights.

Brumby's probably your best bet. Having been an absolute EC nut until about 1986, I found subsequent efforts less interesting.
However, if you can recommend any of Parker's more recent recordings, I'd be interested to hear about them..

In other news, the latest BBC4 item to grab my attention was last week's programme about Kate Bush. Truth is I don't know much of her stuff beyond the singles, but the documentary was very good.

 

[wpdavid]

For the BBC4 faithful out there, tonight's program about Joy Division promises to be one of the more interesting ones in recent times.