Little Dorrit

How good is Little Dorrit!?

The Secret Diary of a Call Girl - Episode 2

Its a little late, but thanks to my DVR I was able to catch up with some of last week's programming over the weekend.

As for The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, I was a little disappointed. There really was no story. It was basically a 1/2 hour vignette and that's about it.

A good review is available at TV Scoop.

The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle - Tonight!

The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle, written by Jennifer Saunders and clinical psychologist Dr Tanya Byron, takes a dark, comedic look at the daytime talk-show format.

Host Vivienne is a straight-talking protagonist, like Sally Jesse Raphael, Ricki Lake, Jeremy Kyle and Dr Phil all rolled into one. But her ambition knows no bounds – she wants to be Oprah.

Flattened by a blundering security guard on set following a punch from a guest, Vivienne is hospitalised and begins to question her future as a talk-show host – until her manic producer, Helena, reveals that ratings have doubled as a result of all the drama. Cue an ever-more determined Vivienne, who dreams of becoming the next Oprah and embarks on a quest to book the guests with the most tragic stories to tell.

The influx of troubled visitors to the show sparks a new recruit to the behind-the-scenes crew, in the shape of show psychotherapist Dr Jonathan Fowler.

Robin Hood Premier on Saturday

Eye of the Gorgon: Part I

Yes! Eye of the Gorgon so far is great! It feels like old school Doctor Who - a little creepy, a little cheeky and a lot of fun.

I don't want to give too much away before it appears on one so hurry up and watch it!

As always, for up to the minute Sarah Jane Adventures news, the best source is Captain Jack Harkness.

The Whistleblowers - Drama That Delivers

Initial Impression: Sucked in right from the beginning.

The Bottom Line: I can't wait for Thursday night.

Thoughts: I read Daphne Lockyer's teaser storey on The Whistleblowers the other week and it really got me looking forward to the premier of the programme.

All I can say right now is that I am utterly hooked. The Whistleblowers is one of the best thriller/drams out there. (Looking forward to Spooks returning though.)

Ben Graham (Richard Coyle) and Alisha Cole (Indira Varma) are our two protagonists - two very human lawyers (who would have thought it). They see the need to get involved when they witness the horror of "extraordinary rendition." They have their reservations though. Who wouldn't feel a twinge of trepidation when a man with a hood over his head is thrown into a van in front of you and you are told to look the other way? They vacillate but Ben's curiosity leads him deeper down the rabbit hole. Then things start to get difficult and the classic "the government can ruin your life" tactic kicks in. Lucky for Ben, Alisha "stands by her man" when it would have been far easier and lucrative not too. And the storey unfolds. I won't spoil it.

These are two characters played by two wonderful actors. Coyle is bang on - Jeff's a great character and but he inhabits Ben's character as well. Let's hope he can make him just as memorable. And Varma is a sight to behold too - assertive, bright, beautiful - we're glad that she's off Torchwood and on show where she can shine like she did far too shortly on Rome.

The editing and pacing feel right and the direction and camera work is equally solid. My only complaint is the end of the episode and how Ben and Alisha handle the press. It felt a little "hokey" to me. Its a minor hitch that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the programme. Hopefully the storey and the characters continue to impress.

I will be watching this Thursday for The Whistleblowers.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Initial Impression: Should have been an hour premier.

The Bottom Line: Hold your criticisms until episode four.

Thoughts:

If you combine a little Sex in the City with a lot of Hotel Babylon and add a generous portion of Billie Piper you get the Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Any proper review has to wait until around the fourth instalment. The characters are not developed and Belle/Hannah (Piper) as of episode one is nothing more than the write up over at ITV’s profile page:

Be fabulous but forgetable. That's Belle's motto when she's out working. She is confident, beautifully dressed and genuinely loves her job. Her parents think she works late as a legal secretary. In reality she leads a double life.

And her double life, or rather the separation of the lives, is the theme du jour. I suspect the dynamic of the show will be the close calls and near collisions of people from Belle and Hannah’s respective spheres.

For example, when meeting her Madame/Agent (played by Cherie Lunghi and lifting a page from Jacqueline Bisset’s portrayal in Nip/Tuck of the equally bitchy and interesting James LeBeau) Belle expresses her mortification should her parents find out what she does for a living and asks if she can further pixelate her web profile photo.

We know that she is going to get recognized somewhere despite her best efforts to be “fabulous but forgetable.” We also know that she is bound to get into a relationship which will cause some tension as she struggles to keep her two lives separate.

A show about the oldest profession is bound to have some expectations. I suspect there will be plenty of twists on old conventions which is why I will continue to watch.

And Billie looks delectable and might just fill out the role in more than the obvious ways. I have a feeling she will impress.

I’ll hold off on doing a comparison between Hotel Babylon and Secret Diary until the latter can stretch its legs a bit – but two shows adapted from two tell all books? C’mon. I won’t be the only one who does so.

Legit on BBC One Scotland

Legit

9:30 - 10:00

(Episode Four of Six)

The Old Team: Jealous of a successful old school mate, Fox decides to catch up with his old pals Wee Paul and McKee. He drags best mate Danny along for the drunken ride. Offensive language

The Rest of This Week: What I'm Looking Forward To

Thursday - 27 September

BBC 2

Saxondale
9:30 - 10:00

Tommy embarrasses Magz in front of her new spiritual pals, leading her to question their relationship. When he spots her with the new yoga instructor, he convinces himself their relationship is over and attempts to win her back using every trick in the book, from begging to feigning terminal illness. Last in series.

ITV 1

The Whistleblowers
9:00 to 10:00

New drama series created by award-winning writer Tony Marchant. Richard Coyle and Indira Varma star as Ben Graham and Alisha Cole, who return home one night to see a hooded man pursued and bundled into a car. Their decision to investigate changes their lives, as they become enemies of the state and are forced to turn whistleblower in an attempt to save the man, themselves and the very fabric of society. With Daniel Ryan, Dhafer L'Abidine, Drew Edwards, Kieran Bew, Jasper Jacob, Douglas Hodge, Rob Dixon, Crispin Redman, Patrick Driver, Allan Corduner, Kathryn Sumner and William El-Gardi.

ITV 2

The Secret Diary of A Call Girl
10:00-10:30

Billie Piper stars in this new series about the exploits of a high-class escort who enjoys what she does but has to keep it a secret from everyone in her personal life. Based on the best-selling diaries of a writer using the pseudonym Belle de Jour, the adult drama co-stars Cherie Lunghi and Iddo Goldberg

Friday - 28 September

ITV 4

The IT Crowd
10:00 - 10:35

"The Joy of Sex:" Jen has to deal with Douglas's unwelcome advances after he appoints her as his new personal assistant, and Moss gets free rein in the office.

Sarah Jane Adventures - Revenge of the Slitheen

In a word: Meh.

In multiple words: I am looking forward to next Gorgon themed episode. I have waited a long time for the Sarah Jane Adventures so I won't be giving up quickly. All in all I agree with the review that Anthony Garnon wrote over at Sarah-Jane.tv, especially when he begins to discuss the villains of the hour, the rotund and eggplant-like Slitheen:

The Slitheen are still an incredibly clumsy creation. They look very silly on screen, and not good silly. They wobble about, which kinda deflates any dramatic tension that the creatures may have built up. Despite Alice Troughton's beautiful direction, the creatures don't convince on a grand scale - but that, on reflection, creates a very low key feel; one which suits this particular adventure well, with its goal of relaunching the series after 9 months away.

Unlike Davies' Torchwood, which started with so much promise (I will watch the new series anyway) I think this programme may slide into itself - especially if the teaser for the next episode is any indication.

As a side note, I thought having Sarah Jane drive a Nissan Figaro was brilliant. Giving her a signature car brings up memories of John Pertwee driving around in Bessie.