Since I'm telling you about all the films I watched on TV every couple of months, I thought it only fitting that I should also tell you about some of the TV that you're probably not watching and therefore no doubt missing out on. (I am going to assume that you already watch the popular shows such as Spicks and Specks, The Gruen Transfer, and anything on Go.)
And yes, I am aware that all but one of these shows is on ABC2, but I didn't realise it'd pan out that way until after I'd written the thing.
Sanctuary (Monday, 9:30 p.m. ABC2)
Kind of like what Torchwood was in it's first two seasons, only not as dark, not about alien technology, and not in Cardiff. Instead of scavenging alien technology, they hunt down "abnormals" (humans with genetic mutations) to give them a safe place to stay. Those of you who are fans of the Stargate franchise are going to have to get used to Amanda Tapping speaking in an English accent whilst having black hair. (The show seems to attract the Stargate cast. There have been at least two other actors from the franchise on the show, I think.)
There also seems to be a recent tradition of any work involving Nicolai Tesla making him a bit quirky in some way (e.g. The Prestige). This show is no different: he's half vampire. Also, Jack the Ripper can teleport, hence why he was never caught. And it works. Seriously. Any episode with either of them in it is just so much fun, and what's wrong with a show having a little fun with history? Doctor Who does it all the time.
Deadwood (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ABC2)
It's the gold rush in the wild west, and a little settlement called Deadwood is attracting prospective, uh, prospectors and other folk looking to make a fresh start by selling their trade. There's no law in Deadwood, though, so it's pretty easy to get away with scamming someone or exacting revenge. If you've seen any reviews for this show you'd think that even though it's notorious for being foul mouthed with the occasional sex scene, critics think it's one of the best shows ever made for television.
And they're right. Hell, the opening credits are a masterpiece, let alone the rest of the show. Everyone is flawed, people who you would normally label "protagonists" have no qualms dealing with people who you would normally call "antagonists", and at least one person has already been shot in the back. The mentality that this sets up makes every second tense drama that you can't turn away from. Unless you can't stomach seeing someone bash someone else's head with a rock in self defence, then you probably do want to turn away.
QI (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ABC1)
Yes, it's on at the same time as Deadwood, but that's what digital video recorders are for.
QI (supposedly) stands for "Quite Interesting", and that's an apt name for this quirky little half hour. Think Spick and Specks meets The Einstein Factor meets The Gruen Transfer. Actually, don't think that, because you'd still probably not get the right idea.
It's a panel quiz show hosted by Stephen Fry, where three British celebrities/comedians and Alan Davies discuss and try to answer the questions that Mr Fry asks. The interesting answers get points whether or not they're right (sometimes even when they have nothing to do with the question), and obvious answers get penalised. There are no teams: everyone fends for themselves, and everyone often winds up with negative points at the end of the show.
Each batch of questions (or indeed and entire show) deals with a specific subject, and each season's subjects begin with a specific letter. So all the questions in Season 1 are about topics beginning with the latter 'A', Season 2 with the letter 'B', and so on. The topics and questions are therefore always fresh, and so the show never feels stale.
Scrapheap Challenge (Weekdays, 6:30-ish p.m. ABC2)
Yeah, it's back. If you missed it the first time round, here's your chance to catch it again.
The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (Weekdays, 7:10 p.m./7:35 p.m. ABC2)
If you aren't watching these shows, why not? There's a good reason Jon Stuart keeps winning those Emmy Awards and why Stephen Colbert is nominated for them. You can probably get away with missing the occasional episode, since it is pretty hard to not watch other things in prime time, and you can also get away with not watching on Mondays because that's when they show the "global editions" of the shows which are edited highlights of the previous week. But to not watch at all is inexcusable, because you are missing out on some of the best (mainly political) satire television has to offer.
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