Markie_P

Really sad that he's left us. Thankfully all his late 70s early 80s BBC series have all been uploaded onto YouTube. In the scheme of great comedians, Kelly Monteith seems to have been overlooked. Watching him from a 2024 point of view he seems a bit tame, but I can remember being 11 and roaring with laughter watching him. He has a knack of breaking the fourth wall, and taking everyday situations to their most ludicrous extremes. Having said he's pretty tame, there was still a certain amount of material that was "acceptable" back in the day that wouldn't be approved of nowadays, and thank God. I got a little creeped out in series three when he had binoculars and a telescope in his flat so that he could spy on women. Euch! But 95% is simple harmless fun. He was supported by lots of famous people, including Gabrielle Drake (Nick's sister), Victor Spinetti and Gorden Kaye. Great nostalgia. Recommended.

This Belgian crime drama certainly has me glued. Although it deals with some of the most heinous sexual crimes, these are portrayed in a sensitive, and sometimes darkly humorous way, so that they're not too harrowing. Of course, it's fiction, and thus how Hannah Maes et al deal with crimes and have them all wrapped up within the hour - and how the police in real life deal with crimes are two distantly related concepts. Hannah's subplot, throughout S1, is somewhat difficult to follow. Events become more opaque every week, and Hannah seems to fall more and more off the rails as the weeks go by. I haven't started series 2 yet, so I'll have to reserve judgement on whether that becomes clearer. As far as the regular week to week stories go, they're interesting, engaging to watch and sensitively dealt with. Of Hannah Maes' male charges, Bob is to me the most interesting to see his development, from a somewhat ignorant sexist pig to diligent cop. Kevin is the cutest - I really want him to come out as gay (remember I have 2 series still to watch!) and he seems to be the most empathetic towards the victims. I'm afraid Charles, likeable though he is, reminds me of the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz, with his walrus moustache and all!

I've long been a fan of Rudolf Nureyev, so I was delighted to discover this film. It depicts Nureyev's first visit to Paris, and the events surrounding his defection. There is plenty of stunning ballet dancing, our hero being played by Oleg Ivenko, himself a very talented ballet dancer. The actor who played the child Nureyev also put in a fine performance. The film is beautifully shot, and the storyline is very engaging. The only slight criticism I have is that the timeline keeps jumping around, and sometimes I found it a bit confusing. The ending is absolutely gripping - I hadn't really considered the danger Rudolf Nurev's life would be in after the defection. So yes, an absolute must see, and it's on iTVX, so anyone can watch. Superb. Full marks.