Month: May 2006

Categories
BBC One Videos: TV

Digit Al vs. Helen Coonan (both voiced by Matt Lucas)

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Maybe its just my uninformed 21-year-uni-graduate perspective on it, but the whole digital television thing in Australia doesn’t seem to be taking off.

The UK seems to know what its doing, and I know there’s legislation in Australia that prevents certain programming and multichanneling, but I think the only way people are going to migrate to digital TV is if there is more content on more channels, I have a HD television, and as nice as the picture is on the news, I’d rather have an ABC3 or a TenTwo.

Three of my closest loved ones have had set top boxes forced on them as “presents”, and after the initial “gee… thanks John”, I like to think they’re actually using them, for example my chicken pox laden four year old niece, whose father won’t get Foxtel got to watch ABC Kids on two channels today, with children’s programming stretching from 4.30am to 3pm across ABC and ABC2.

This video is an ad for the UK’s digital television push, the character ‘Digit Al’ is voiced by Matt Lucas and the ads have been “interrupting” normal television across the UK since the 5th of May.

Categories
ABC1 Videos: Chaser's War

Chaser by request

pursuit

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stupid

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Short of uploading entire episodes of The Chasers War on Everything (which I’ve already done once, but I like to think I was kind of making a point with that), I try to be selective in what I post, keeping it vaugely relevant to the media.

That said, I’m always happy to give people what they want, so here’s this weeks PursuitTrivia with Philip Ruddock, and Chris walking into shops wearing a stocking on his head.

Categories
SBS Videos: Idents

Thanks Inkproject. My 200th Post.

Download the whole H264 bunch in one swoop here (15.5mb *.zip).

sbsfive

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sbsfour

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sbsone

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sbsthree

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sbssix

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It was a few months ago when I wrote my 100th post, and I’m not sure if this is slow or quick, but here we are at the 200th. To celebrate I thought I’d “re-release” my favourite series of Australian idents thus far in the year-and-a-bit that I’ve been blogging.

Its the SBS liquid series created by Sydney agency Inkproject, they’ve done a lot of really amazing stuff for SBS, and samples of all of it are on their website.

Categories
ABC1 Videos: Chaser's War

This week in current affairs shows: Part 9

chaserswar

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This weeks lesson: youth gone wild

The Chaser looks at the current affairs programs portrayal of all our wasted youths, reminisces on the days when kids fished and had wholesome upbringings free of the word “emission” and questions ACA’s polling techniques.

Categories
ABC1 Videos: Chaser's War

Nine’s Journalistic Prostitution

chequebookjournalism

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I didn’t watch the miners interview but apparently Nine ran a promo during it calling Seven “ambulance chasers” for the Kochie security tag incident.

Channel Nine are hardly anyone to question another networks ethics (throwing stones in glass houses and all that), and this is The Chaser’s response to it.

And in case you were wondering what those subliminal messages to the ABC’s new managing director Mark Scott were..

Continue reading “Nine’s Journalistic Prostitution”
Categories
BBC Two Videos: Broadcast News Videos: Openings Videos: TV

You’re watching Newsnight, are you trying to impress someone?

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ringersnewsnight

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After the passionate response I got to the new BBC 6 and 10 o’clock news I thought the next logical step would be Newsnight.

I’ve never actually seen the show, but I have seen it parodied on Dead Ringers (second video). Am I right in saying the Australian equivalent would be Lateline?

The combination of round desk and couch looks interesting, and the huge screen at the back seems more versatile then the usual plasma or graphics that accompanies most news presenters.

Categories
Foxtel Videos: Openings

Love My Opening Sequence

lovemyway

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I just spent the last two days watching the entire first season of the Foxtel drama Love My Way, and damn it was good. It’s been so long since I got into an Australian drama, it was almost a novelty to see Australian culture reflected in a scripted show, I’m so used to my Six Feet Unders and the like.

It was refreshing that the show wasn’t based around a profession (doctors, cops, ranch hands or whatever it is the McLeod’s Daughters are). The characters are pretty fucked up, but none of it seemed contrived, the situations and storylines grow organically.

I don’t want to spoil the plot if you haven’t seen it, but episode eight was pretty hard to watch, its very emotional, and while the plot turn that occurs may seem like a way to wrap up the season or just generate some drama, its dealt with in such a blunt and raw way it actually works.

Its only 10 episodes so if you have a spare 500 minutes I really suggest you watch it, it will reignite your faith in Australian television.

I read somewhere that the commercial stations wanted to air it, but Claudia Karvan and co said no so unless you have Foxtel, the DVD’s may be your only option.

Categories
BBC One Videos: Broadcast News Videos: Openings

The Six and Ten of BBC News

bbc6

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The opening for last nights BBC News at 6pm and 10pm. The sets are excellent, and much better than anything we have in Australia.

Categories
ABC1 Videos: Chaser's War

The Ad Road Test. Or, How I learned to stop liking advertising and embrace idents.

adroadtestunilever

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While there are some ads I like, most ads like the new Click deodorant one suck, I’m a graduate of a Bachelor of Communications (in Advertising), and its the general insincerity that drove me from attempting to get into the industry, and probably why I like idents so much.

This video is from last weeks Chaser and shows Chris trying to pick up with the help of his new supermarket scent, he oddly enough even gets into the Unilever offices where the stuff is made, and judging by the fact he didn’t get kicked out I’m guessing they approved (or didn’t know about it).

Categories
BBC One Videos: Promos

Eurovision

chaserswar

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Just in case you didn’t feel like watching Tracy Grimshaw ask the miners “what was it down like there?”, the Eurovision Song Contest is on SBS at 7.30pm tonight.

This is the BBC promo for this years competition.