RELIABLE AND EXPENDABLE! 'THE GOODIES' RETURN...

Cycle power makes a comeback with THE GOODIES. Image: BBC.

UK TV fans of the ever enduringly quirky, surreal, often laugh-out-loud comedy and slapstick inventiveness of the classic seventies BBC series THE GOODIES, which well and truly launched the back in the day careers of writers/actors Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor (the latter's biro proving invaluable to the creative process!), will be pleased to know that their very first season from way back in 1970-seven episodes- is now available from this month to view on the BBC channel of the VIRGIN MEDIA ON DEMAND service. Still proving an artistic stigmata to some parts of the BBC management forty-three years on, though the corporation's commercial wing is perfectly happy making continued profit from it where they can, some of these original episodes have not yet been released on DVD in Blighty as far as I'm aware, so this prime factor makes them worth catching. Picture and sound quality are also of an okay standard. As to the actual content of the shows? Well, some look pretty dated in places, featuring the kind of sexism and occasional racism that you just couldn't get away with in these times of political correctness, but there's also no denying that the series format and main characters remain as inspired as ever, alongside some stand out moments that surprised me with some genuine golden belly laughs.

The Goodies opening theme - YouTube

"The Goodies are coming for you, and you, and you..."

 

BACK ON THE BEAT IN "SOUTHLAND"

Officer Sherman (Ben McKenzie) will get his man in this year two poster for the superb SOUTHLAND. Image: TNT/WARNER BROTHERS.

Whilst we await news on when the third series of the superb, highly acclaimed cop drama SOUTHLAND, created by Ann Biderman and Executive Produced by John Wells, will arrive on UK television shores (surely by the end of the summer?), die-hard fans wanting their dramatic fix, and those regular viewers who want to know what all the fuss is about and who've never seen it before, can now catch up with the gritty series and its diverse and intriguing characters, and witness their stories so far in protecting the citizens within the City of Angels, on the VIRGIN MEDIA ON DEMAND service, which is currently showing both Seasons One and Two.

If anyone out there reading this blog hasn't caught it, you're missing out on a terrific series, so get with the In Crowd and enjoy it!

The two series are also available at a very good price here:
Southland - Season 1-2 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Ben McKenzie, Arija Bareikis, Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy, Regina King, Michael McGrady, Kevin Alejandro, Tom Everett Scott, Clifton Collins Jr.: Film & TV

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: "VERONICA MARS"/"HEROES" KRISTEN BELL

Pretty against pink: Kristen Bell. Image: ULIKE.

Literally bringing psychological and physical sparks to the second and third series of HEROES (now showing on the UK's VIRGIN TV CHOICE and the SYFY Channel) as the cute but electricity bolt shooting Elle Bishop, lovely actress Kristen Bell has certainly made an impression since first coming to major TV prominence in the hit Teen detective series VERONICA MARS in 2004. Turning down a major part in LOST's Fourth Season, Bell, whose early acting roles normally showed her as spoilt teen brats with daddy issues, soon turned out to be HEROES most noteworthy gain when she first appeared with her innocent, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth looks which soon displayed a toying, fiery and destructive temper (and which, despite the odd guilty moments as a goodie working alongside her ex-Company man father (Stephen Tobolowsky), eventually saw her her confused soul hanging out with the villainous Sylar (Zachary Quinto) before her characters sad demise). With an advancing and highly mixed bag of movie material (from thriller (David Mamet's excellent SPARTAN) to high comedy (FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL), and especially impressing STAR WARS fans with her appearance in the Kevin Spacey produced comedy drama FANBOYS (and looking great in a Princess Leia slave girl outfit, I might add!)) plus appearances in commercial blockbusters-to-be like SCREAM 4 (alongside fellow HEROES actress Hayden Panettiere), as well as continuing high profile TV work, this is one young actress whose commercial voltage looks set to keep the screen alight for a long while yet.