AE on Telly News (NEW CONCEPTS)

[Mick Harper]

CNN had a choice of lead story last night. The end of the Iran War or a judge ordering Donald Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center 'by midnight'. Liberal America watched with apprehension. Would they put anti-Trumpery ahead of news value? You really have to ask?

[Mick Harper]

Another News Value Clash

President Trump had assured us a peace deal between America and Iran would be signed 'on Sunday' (his birthday, whether coincidentally or not). The Iranians were reported as being not entirely on all fours with the scheduling but not about an agreement having been arrived at.

So naturally I tuned in Sunday morning, i.e. now, to find out the latest. Al-Jazeera led with an update. Still roughly the above was the burthen of their lead story. Except, critically, the Iranians may be having reservations about the agreement itself. What do they know? I turned to CNN to find out.

They led their 9 a.m. hour-long news bulletin (from London, as is often the case when America is in the middle of its night) with eight and a half minutes on the New York Knickerbockers winning a basketball competition and the exuberant street celebrations that ensued thereby. Then, in other news, said roughly what Al-Jazeera had said.

You don't pays your money and you takes your choice.

[Mick Harper]

Is my conspiratorial paranoia working overtime or did something happen on last night's Newsnight? It had not recorded on my digibox when I settled own to watch it this morning, as is my daily wont. The five minutes of weather (which I record automatically in case of Newsnight overrunning) wasn't showing the weather. It wasn't on my digi I-Player and according to the BBC's own website, it will be available 'soon'.

[Mick Harper]

There's an eight-hour bio of Mussolini on Sky Atlantic. That's right up my street: eight hours will provide me with plenty of material I haven't already acquired and it will be made by Italians, so interesting from that point of view as well, both artistically and historically.

When I settled down to Episode One I found it was in subtitles and, while I could see it had OK production values, it just wasn't worth the pfaff of reading subtitles (which were exceedingly small). But why was it subtitled? Why isn't it dubbed? Because dubbing is crap, you say. (And expensive, Sky America says.)

Bollocks to you both. AI can now do the entire job, and do it better, with the flick of a switch. It will even flick the switch if you ask it.

[Mick Harper]

Al-Jazeera thinks Tony Burnham won the Makerfield by-election. Do they know something we don't know?

[Mick Harper]

Reporter: Are any of you standing for the leadership?
Cabinet ministers: No, it's a foregone conclusion.
Reporter: So that means a coronation for Andy Burnham then?
Cabinet ministers: Looks like it.
Labour MP: I might stand.
Reporter: Who are you?
Labour MP: I was a junior minister for a bit.
Another Labour MP: And me.
Reporter: Who are you?
Labour MP: I was Keir Starmer's bagman.
Reporter: Do either of you represent a different wing of the party?
Labour MP's: Not really.
Reporter: Do either of you disagree with Burnham's known policies.
Labour MP's: Not really.
Reporter: Are there a lot of other people like you in the Parliamentary Labour party?
Labour MP's: What, putting ten minutes on Newsnight before party and country, you mean? All of us, I should think.

[Mick Harper]

Older members will get a warm glow from hearing one of Sky Movies 'new' offerings this month is The African Queen starring Humphrey Bogart in a straight role, with Katherine Hepburn.

The reason for the nostalgia is that the BBC only had a few films and this was one of them. Since we only had one channel we spent most Sunday afternoons watching The African Queen. And I would like to point out to younger members, we were all the better for it.

[Mick Harper]

The American Experiment (Netflix)

I thought I had better give this heavily-trailed five-part documentary on the Revolutionary War a go. When the first four talking heads turned out to be two black female academics, Tom Hanks and ex-V.P. Mike Pence, I decided more thought has been put into balance than I can probably cope with.

[Mick Harper]

Champion, the Wonder Horse (Talking Pictures)

This 1950's American TV series, currently showing on the estimable Talking Pictures channel, holds two world records:

1. The theme tune sung most frequently in British primary schools that trail off after the first line.
2. The most number of plotlines featuring people trapped in mines who'll be in deep do-do unless a horse can communicate their predicament and whereabouts to a ten-year-old boy using a combination of head movements and expressive whinnies.

Mister Ed, it ain't.

[Mick Harper]

Countryfile (BBC-1)

Oh, it's the Viking Way this week. You won't have heard of this but it's a 147-mile continuous path in eastern England, established in the 1970's. But odd all the same. I thought the Vikings were mainly sea-faring despoilers of monasteries and suchlike. I hadn't associated them with long country walks. Lot I know.

Anyway, first up was the son of one of the Founding Fathers of the route and, as luck would have it, a keen metal detectorist who has devoted much of his life to investigating the family path and its immediate surroundings. Naturally enough the first question Countryfile asked him was what Viking impedimenta he had discovered in all those years.

He produced his best shot, a small 'thingy', and said, "It can't be dated, we don't know who left it or when, we don't know its function but it's probably a gaming piece." As evidence of a Viking presence some may find this wanting but it'll have to do because next up was:

"Adam, you're looking at some fabulous farming innovations taking place in these parts."
"Yes, indeed. I shall be investigating a huge glass structure -- the biggest of its kind by far -- devoted to hydroponics, controlled temperatures and so forth."
"Will this be useful to farmers?"
"If you are Sir James Dyson, the billionaire maker of vacuum cleaners."
"Is his structure showing a profit?"
"No."
"And now for the Countryfile weather forecast."

[Grant]

I'm glad you also have never heard of the "famous" Viking Way. Countryfile were desperate to present it as a national treasure.

Are the BBC taking money for product placement now?

[Mick Harper]

They will now knowing two people are watching the wretched programme.

[Mick Harper]

Gomorrah (Sky Atlantic to Virgin)

This is an Italian-made sub-titled series about an organised crime gang in an unnamed city. The punning title alludes to this

[Mick Harper]

Ludwig (BBC-1)

This has a detective-hero who is near-genius level when it comes to solving complex murders but suffers from a mental condition that makes leaving his house a severe trial. He can however be tempted out by a sort of mother-figure who understands him and with whom he has an ambiguous relationship. I just don't know how they dream up these scenarios.

They are called 'mystery-dramas' because they mysteriously keep dreaming up the same one.

[Wile E. Coyote]