Sunday:
The Einstein Factor:…young man with Doctor Who was back as it was some kind of final. He didn’t do very well, particularly on the general knowledge. I’ve forgotten who won, but Barry Jones was on the panel so all was well Einstein-wise.
Cranford: Long story short…everyone lived mostly happily ever after. Except Mr Carter who died. And we had the obligatory wedding scene where everyone lines the path into the church and throws rice at the happy couple…a la Sense and Sensibility/Pride and Prejudice.

Tuesday: I finished watching the motown documentary which was a nice way to spend the evening. And of course Biggest Loser…see below.

Wednesday: Spicks and Specks…John Wood…really? At the risk of offending any Blue Heelers’ fans out there he’s really not that interesting. Still they guy on the Hammond organ for the name that tune round (or whatever they call it was) was good.

Thursday: More Loser.

Saturday: New Tricks…I’d seen this supernatural, witch-themed episode before,but it was good to watch it again. Some nice contrast here between the characters of the three oldies. But it was all a little implausible I have to say, in comparison to other episodes.
And then there was a Doctor Who three episode marathon on DVD…the last three episodes of Martha leading up to “The Last of the Timelords”. The Master was suitably crazy evil, but the little shrivelled Doctor was a bit creepy. Still The Master got his just desserts….or did he?

Sunday: Just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire…in my own home. (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink say no more). Hmmmm…what did I think? Well it was all very slick and professional. And we clearly saw the journey of India through the journeys of the three children. But in the end the most interesting thing about it for me was that it was a film about television, and the power of the technology to provide a collective, national experience as well as the production of contemporary fame and celebrity. I’m pretty sure though that’s not why it was Ocscar nominated…I think that was because it was basically an old fashioned Hollywood romance/drama/poor boy makes good and they all live happily ever after kind of film, just set in India. So the touch of the “exotic” in the setting was arguably what sets it apart. I’m sure someone will write lots about colonialism/postcolonialism with regard this film but it isn’t going to be me.

Biggest Loser update: I preface my BL update with the advice that I didn’t get to watch it every night, missing the all important Friday when the purple team CAME BACK. Drama….You know the team where the woman is the epitome of the walking wounded. (If I’m mistaken please advise). Apart from that, Nathan and Andrew (or the bully boys as my mother likes to think of them) won the “one against all” weigh in by the skin of their teeth. If anyone can tell me why one of them is on crutches that would appreciated as I missed this the first time around. And surprisingly I have missed any explanation in the regular nightly recaps of the previous episodes. The whingy yellow girls survive another week. And despite being the week’s biggest losers the green boys were voted out. Surprise, surprise, (they were the biggest threats after all). And lovely mother and daughter in dark blue got a day out with their family. The challenges were less stupid than the previous week…although Shannon getting his team pull a car was mildly fascinating. And the temptation where they could choose to drink three litres of milk was a little bit gross. Especially because it was banana and strawberry flavoured. The only things that are good banana-flavoured are actual bananas. Weigh-in tonight… I can’t “wait”….(comedy Wendy strikes again). “Wait” (weight)…geddit.