Reviewed: 30 Rock (Sunday, 3e)
It never ceases to amaze me when Irish TV stations bury great American shows in their schedules. And the BBC are as bad. Comedies seem to suffer more than most, and for reasons I can’t fathom. In recent years Seinfeld, Larry Sanders, Everybody Loves Raymond and Arrested Development have all been broadcast at baffling times. So 30 Rock is in good company, I suppose.
Currently being shown late on Sunday nights on 3e, it rivals Curb Your Enthusiasm for the title of the best comedy show currently on TV that nobody watches, and wipes the floor with more popular shows. And not only is it funny, it’s also very clever, and littered with pop culture references.
Take last Sunday’s show for example. With Tracy Morgan (who plays comedian Tracy Jordan) off sick, the show’s writers got inventive, and this particular episode was played as an episode of a realty show called Angie's Queen of Jordan, featuring Tracy Jordan’s wife and friends. And they really went for it.
There was no 30 Rock theme tune or opening credits, and if you didn’t know what was going on you would’ve been very confused (hardly a plus, I admit, but you can’t knock these guys for being so brave), as it looked and felt just like a reality show and not a lot like 30 Rock. While Angie got some of the best lines (she was constantly telling Liz Lemon not to try and impersonate African Americans, or as she put, ‘other racists’), Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy stole the show. Again.
Constantly referred to in on-screen titles as ‘Tracy’s Gay Boss’ he spent most of the programme failing miserably to express his masculinity, with Baldwin once again proving that he is a comic master and the natural heir to Spencer Treacy’s crown as the ultimate funny straight man.
The only negative was the subplot about Frank meeting up with the sex offender teacher who seduced him in school. The always amazing Susan Sarandon tried her best as the teacher, but it was all a bit spooky, really; except when Frank chose Teach over Skelator when she told him to grow up.
Much more inventive than any other current sitcom, 30 Rock remains so far ahead of the opposition it’s almost unreal.
It deserves a much bigger audience than it could ever hope for in this slot.
New this week
The Borgias (Saturday, Sky Atlantic)
Yet another big name, big budget production comes to Sky Atlantic. Written and directed by Neil Jordan, this one’s like The Sopranos in the Holy See as the focus is on a family who definitely put the ‘I can’ into the Vatican. Whether it’s any use is, of course, another matter, but the story’s a cracker and the cast includes heavyweights Jeremy Irons and Derek Jacobi.
In 1492, Rome is the centre of the Christian world and the power that comes with the Papal Throne is much desired – especially as Pope Innocent VIII lies dying. It’s an opportunistic moment for Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (Irons), a morally corrupt clergyman who’s not averse to using bribery, simony and cold-blooded murder to open doors.
An outsider in Rome due to his Spanish heritage, Rodrigo makes cunning use of his son Cesare (Francois Arnaud) in his schemes. As his manipulations see him elected Pope Alexander IV, the bloody reign of one of history’s most notorious figures begins.
Really, this is just another in an increasingly dull line of swords ‘n’ sex adventures (The Tudors, Spartacus, Rome, Camelot), and needs to give viewers a bit more drama for a change. Fingers crossed.
Who Do You Think You Are? (Wednesday, BBC ONE)
The Beeb’s genealogy show returns with what promises to be a fascinating family tree. June Brown is known to many as Dot from EastEnders, and here the 84-year-old embarks on a journey that includes Holland and Spain. As it turns out, Brown has a Scottish grandfather, an Italian grandmother, and an Irish grandfather. She also has great-great-great-grandfather, Isaac Bitton, who was a champion bare-knuckle boxer in early 19th Century London. Lined-up for later in this new season are JK Rowling, Alan Carr, Larry Lamb, and Robin Gibb.
Ending this week
Undercover Boss (Tuesday, Channel 4)
This redundant reality show comes to a close with Poundworld director Martyn Birks, who returns to the shop floor to take a look into poorly-performing stores in the British high-street budget chain. This series has long passed its sell-by date. Every week it's discovered that poorly paid and short-time contracted staff can often be demoralised and unmotivated, and that can be bad for business. Hardly a revelation, is it?
Repeat of the Week
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Monday, Syfy)
One of the great TV shows, created by Joss Whedon (who went on to conjure up two other crackers, Firefly and Dollhouse), and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, a Sunnydale High School-attending teenager who happens to kill vampires, demons and witches in her spare time. See it here from the very start and relive every splendid moment.
Guest stars of the week
Rob Brydon has a bit of sing-song on the cards as his guests next Friday on BBC TWO include Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. Also appearing is Chris O’Dowd, who’s enjoying plenty of success on the back of his role in Bridesmaids. On the same night, Chris Moyle’s Quiz Night (Channel 4) has Dermot O’Leary, Barbara Windsor and Micky Flanagan. Otjherwise, it’s pretty grim – although there is a repeat of Alan Carr’s final Chatty Man (Tuesday, Channel 4), where his guests include Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.
Casting Couch Corner
Who’s heading to what show
Look out for a hopefully bizarre sitcom called Wilfred. It’s an American remake of an Australian show, starring Elijah Wood as a young man who sees his neighbour's dog Wilfred (Jason Gann) as a human being in a dog suit . . . Due on Sky One in October, Terra Nova is a sci-fi drama about a family living in a future world that is overcrowded, polluted and on the brink of collapse. Dublin-born Jason O’Mara stars as Jim Shannon, with Shelley Conn playing his wife. They and their family escape through a portal to prehistoric times as part of a human colony trying to rebuild society from scratch during the reign of dinosaurs. The show’s exec-produced by Steven Spielberg, who was, of course, behind the Jurassic Park movies . . . More Christmas TV news: Nigel Havers will feature in a Christmas special of the period drama Downton Abbey, playing a Lord.
Sat Nav
Satellite Highlights
A Town Called Eureka (Tuesday, Syfy)
Back after a long break, season four of this fun and quirky sci-fi show about a hi-tech town and its low-tech sheriff Jack Carter resumes with a double-bill. First up, an attempt is made to bring Zane and Fargo back from space. While in space Fargo shares a secret about Jo with Zane. Later, a new scientist arrives in Eureka with a digital virus that infects the town’s music system.
True Stories: Babes in Hollywood (Tuesday, More4)
Here’s what Hollywood is really like. Directors Dan Sturman and Dylan Nelson follow a dozen child actors over three months, as they try to win roles in Hollywood against staggering odds, with casting agents sorting through thousands of candidates for each bit part. For example, eleven-year-old Megan and her mother have lived for three years at a housing complex called Oakwood, where they sleep on the floor of an unfurnished flat and dream of Megan becoming a star.
What You Watched
RTÉ’s top 20 programmes (viewed as live) for the week ending 10.07.2011
Figures in multiples of a thousand (eg: 500 = 500,000)
RTÉ One
1 Fair City Tuesday 503
2 Saturday Night with Miriam 11 452
3 My Showhouse Tuesday 440
4 Traffic Blues Sunday 408
5 Fair City Wednesday 407
6 Fair City Thursday 407
7 Prime Time Thursday 403
8 EastEnders Tuesday 402
9 EastEnders Thursday 400
10 Fair City Sunday 383
11 Terry Wogan's Ireland Tuesday 370
12 EastEnders Friday 368
13 Prime Time – An Audience Special Monday 363
14 The Big Money Game Saturday 358
15 EastEnders Monday 356
16 The Matchmaker Friday 351
17 Nationwide Monday 350
18 Health of the Nation Wednesday 339
19 Off the Rails – The Complete Collection Wednesday 311
20 Paul Flynn: Irish Food Tuesday 309
Fair City took over top spot with Tuesday’s edition, the only show that passed the half-million mark this week. Miriam O’Callaghan stayed steady (up just 1,000), while My Showhouse also improved, by 8,000. Traffic Blues rose two places to 4th despite losing 10,000 viewers. But the biggest losers of the week were Paul Flynn: Irish Food (down 16,000), Off the Rails – The Complete Collection, which shed 37,000, and Health of the Nation, down a massive 55,000.
RTÉ Two
1 The Sunday Game Live Sunday 351
2 The Sunday Game Live Sunday 292
3 Come Fly with Me Tuesday 212
4 Blue Bloods Tuesday 205
5 CSI Wednesday 204
6 The Sunday Game Sunday 196
7 The Good Wife Thursday 163
8 Home and Away Thursday 162
9 Home and Away Wednesday 159
10 Blue Bloods Tuesday 147
11 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Monday 145
12 Home and Away Tuesday 135
13 Home and Away Friday 133
14 Home and Away Monday 132
15 Mr Deeds Saturday 132
16 CSI Wednesday 130
17 The Walking Dead Monday 128
18 The Good Wife Thursday 126
19 The Spy Who Loved Me Sunday 121
20 The Simpsons Thursday 118
The GAA championship games continue to dominate, but new shows Come Fly with Me (3rd with 212,000) and The Good Wife (7th with 163,000) both make a strong impression. It was also a great week for Blue Bloods, up to 4th and breaking the 200,000 barrier. CSI also broke the 200,000 mark, but as was the case with double-ups of Blue Bloods and The Good Wife, its second episode drew far fewer viewers.
