The Square-Eyed Couch Potato: October 2010

First things first: I'm not watching too much day-to-day television at the moment, mainly because there is so little of any appeal to me, so I've been catching up with some old (and new) films, and working my way through old seasons of "Dexter" and "One Tree Hill" which ironically, are having their current seasons aired at the moment but I'm having to record them for future reference. In the meantime....

This month saw the return of "Strictly Come Dancing" to our screens on Saturday night, in a ridiculously early slot which ensures they don't clash with "The X Factor" - I get round this by taping it and then watching after Harry Hill - anyway series 8 is characterised by the usual mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. Draw your own conclusions....

The first celebrity to be voted out was drum n'bass guru Goldie, who has recently diversified into acting. He shouldn't have gone so early, but this programme is all about fanbases and preferential treatment, and "chosen ones". Initially I thought Kara Tointon was this year's "chosen one" however I'm beginning to think that title has now been snatched by Pamela Stephenson, comedienne-turned-psychologist, who seems just a little too desperate now. Also in the desperate camp this year: ex-Corrie Tina O'Brien. Just check her facial expressions when the judges are giving their comments...


At least there's no-one as annoying as Chris Hollins this year, and the standard of dancing is up on some previous years, but there is already a danger of overmarking at this stage. My personal favourites are Scott Maslen (pictured above with partner Natalie Lowe) and Matt Baker, both have started well and kept up a very high standard. But these kind of dancers don't seem to win - there always needs to be a back story, a "journey", doesn't there? There also seems to be a lack of chemistry between many of the couples this year.

Series 8 is all about one particular competitor - Ann Widdecombe, paired with Anton du Beke. Even if I don't agree with her politics, I've always had respect for her straight-talking style. Amid the serious competition, Ann has brought some much-needed laughs to the show. Put it this way, she makes John Sergeant's dancing ability look like Mark Ramprakash.

"Harry Hill's TV Burp" is three weeks into its Autumn 2010 run and already we've had "bush push!"/"It's not a cube - it's a rectangular cuboid"/Mr Fuzzy replacing Knitted Character....but this week we probably had one of the poorest Burp shows of recent years, concentrating too much on the "sick run" gag which very much overstayed its welcome. I love the show, but I'm beginning to worry that its best days are behind it.

"Coronation Street" is getting ready for its 50th anniversary and some tram-crash carnage. I can think of a list of about 20 characters who I'd love to see on the receiving end of that. In the meantime we've got one tedious storyline after another - Becky's sister, John Stape, David running Graeme over. We need some more humour, because Corrie is currently lacking in that department.

I still love "The Apprentice" and it could go on forever, because there will always be a long queue of egomaniac wannabes desperate to impress Siralan - sorry I mean Lord Sugar. This year's crop are reassuringly deluded, and the more deluded they are (including most recent evictee Shibby, pictured above), the more entertaining it gets.

Season 3 of "Private Practice" is currently running on Living TV and whilst I'm enjoying it more than the last season - after all, sometimes you just need some brain-dead ludicrous nonsense which doesn't require you to think - I think they've probably gone as far as they can go with the relationship merry-go-round. Therefore it was quite surprising that it's gone to another season. How much more can they milk it?