On Christmas Day evening the whole family enjoyed Lapland, a play that followed a dysfunctional family from Liverpool as they attempted to enjoy Christmas together in the land of Santa Claus, following a death in the family.  The dry, black comedy was brilliantly executed as a family who don’t quite see eye-to-eye  gradually falls apart under the strain of having to spend Christmas together.

Then, between Christmas and New Year there was, what is now, the ubiquitous year in review as Charlie Brooker put his normal sarcastic spin on the 2011 news stories in another edition of his Screen Wipe.  And that was it!

My son is one of many going loopy over the US sitcom, The Big Bang Theory.  He received a DVD and two t shirts for Christmas, and was very happy.  But I’m afraid it doesn’t do anything for me.
So, was 2012 going to be any better?

Fortunately the second series of Sherlock began on New Year’s Day.  Three more episodes written by the likes of Steven Moffat, Steve Thompson and Mark Gatiss – one third of The League Of Gentlemen & writer and presenter of the fabulous A History of Horror which was screened last year on BBC4.

I am loving the second series of Sherlock, the 21st century re-interpreting of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. The writing and acting is sublime, witty and truly original, as such.  The idea of bringing the most famous Victorian detective, who first appeared in 1887, into the present as Holmes and his fabulous sidekick Dr Watson use text messages & a blog to help advertise their services and solve detective mysteries.  With the drug-addicted Holmes preferring nicotine patches over opium pipes.

I’ve just watched the second of three episodes, a reworking of the most famous of Conan Doyle’s stories, The Hound of Baskerville (based on The Hound of the Baskervilles) which was written by Mark Gatiss. I don’t want to give the story away, and only urge you to watch it on Catch-Up TV or the iPlayer if you have so far given the series a swerve.

Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson; and there is support from the wonderful Una Stubbs as their mothering landlady.
I’m hoping there is something else to look forward to after next Sunday’s final episode. Any ideas?

The Reichenbach Fall, the final episode of the current series of Sherlock is on Sunday 15th January on BBC1.  Sherlock -the second series is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 23 January 2012.

Outcasts out on BBC DVD & Blu-ray

Following a successful run earlier this year on BBC, Outcasts, a well made British sci-fi drama mini-series receives a DVD & Blu-ray release on 4th April.

A fleet of anti-matter transporters leave planet Earth amidst growing fears for the dying planet and seek out a new life-supporting planet.  Some arrive safely on the planet Carpathia and begin a new life based on a society free from war.  The new settlers build the town of Forthaven and begin their new life full of optimism and hope but there is trouble ahead.  They soon find out there is more to Carpathia than they can understand and the strange ‘happenings’ begin to threaten their peace and faith.

A diverse group of individuals led by President Tate (Liam Cunningham – Harry Brown) and his core team of Stella (Hermione Norris-Spooks), Cass (Daniel Mays-Ashes To Ashes) and Fleur (Amy Mason-Being Human) left their old lives behind in extraordinary circumstances. Promised a second chance at life, the group settled alongside expeditionaries Mitchell (Jamie Bamber-Law and Order) and Jack (Ashley Waters-Bullet Boy) creating a society, far away from Earth… and their pasts.

The arrival of the last known transporter signals fresh hopes and dreams. Will Stella’s husband and daughter be on board? Why does Tate seem anxious about one particular passenger, Julius Berger? And will the transporter land safely and bring a fresh hope or will it bring another threat?

Outcasts features a cast of established actors and dynamic young stars and seeks an answer to the critical question: how do you create a new and better world?

Outcasts is released on April 4th 2011 by BBC on 3 disc DVD & Blu-ray (aprox.450 minutes).
The DVD includes bonus material: Reaching out to the stars: Hear from the creator, producer, director and cast from the series, Forthaven – Set Tour.

Arctic with Bruce Parry

The Arctic is on the point of enormous, irreversible change, and this stunning DVD highlights what that means to those who live their lives there. It’s the story of the winners and losers in the great wilderness.

TV adventurer Bruce Parry has built a worldwide reputation for getting right to the heart of a subject by immersing himself in the culture and environment. So while the series documents how the region is being dramatically transformed by global warming, the focus is human rather than scientific, about people not politics.

Over the course of one bright Arctic summer, Bruce and the Bafta-winning production team travel nearly 11,000 miles through Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia and Northern Europe. The effects of global warming are magnified here – sea ice is melting, new land is appearing and new boundaries are being drawn.

Ways of life that have remained virtually unchanged for millennia will cease within our lifetimes, while for others the untold riches of the oil, gas and minerals slowly being revealed under the polar ice cap promise countless new opportunities.

This beautifully filmed series captures all the incredible scenery of the Arctic Circle as Bruce uncovers the fascinating stories of fishermen of the coast of Alaska, oil workers tapping the vast wealth of the Canadian interior, native hunters desperately clinging on to the last breath of their culture and scientists mapping the shrinking glaciers.

Buzzin Media Free Competition

PLEASE NOTE: THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED

Enter our free competition for the chance to win a copy of the Arctic with Bruce Parry DVD .  Just answer this simple question:

Q: Which of these aren’t in the Arctic Circle?

a: Switzerland
b: Greenland
c: Alaska

Submit your entries to comps@buzzinmedia.co.uk with the subject line: ‘Arctic’ (other subject lines will not be entered) with your full name, address & contact number.

This Buzzin Media Competition ends on 28th March, 2011.  The editor will randomly choose 3 winners. The editor’s choice is final.

Arctic with Bruce Parry is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on 28th February 2011.

Human Planet - the Complete Series

Following the global success of Planet Earth on DVD, with sales of over 5.4 million, Human Planet, the latest breathtaking series will be available on BBC  3-disc DVD and Blu-Ray from 21st February 2011.

Human Planet examines the extraordinary ways human beings survive in the most hostile environments on earth. Awe-inspiring and astounding, this series turns the camera on ourselves, the human species. Three years in the making and filmed in over 70 locations using HD cameras and state of the art equipment, this ground -breaking series brings you stories that have never been told before.

Each one of the eight episodes takes the audience on a journey to reveal real life dramas about men, women and children and how they have used their remarkable adaptability to survive and thrive in the most remote places imaginable.

With John Hurt narrating and a stunning soundtrack by multi-award winning composer Nitin Sawhney this DVD also includes amazing extras such as a featurette based on the hardest volcano shoot ever and behind the lens with the cities team in Morocco.

Humans are the ultimate animals – arguably the most successful species on the planet. From the frozen arctic, to steamy rainforests, from tiny islands set in vast oceans to the driest deserts we have found astonishing solutions often in the face of extreme adversity.

Oceans – Into the Blue
Humans have always been drawn into the big blue yet we are not adapted to a life aquatic. Somehow we a have found remarkable ways to immerse ourselves in the ocean realm. This episode takes us from the shores of our continents to people who virtually live most or their life at sea.

Deserts – Life in the Furnace
Humans can live for many weeks without food, but only a few days without water. When the heat is on, your whole life is dictated by the quest to find this most precious resource. In deserts around the world humans have found extraordinary ways of conjuring water from the dust.

Arctic – Life in the Deep Freeze
For much of the winter the people of the Arctic have seen no sun, but with the start of Spring windows of opportunity start to open up. These often brief opportunities offered by nature will take these incredibly hardy people through another year in nature’s deep freeze.

Jungles – People of the Trees
There are more species here than anywhere on earth, yet for human beings jungles are complex and extremely unforgiving places. The only people who really survive successfully in these forests are the few who have come to understand the rich tangle of raw nature that surrounds them.

Mountains – Life in Thin Air
Mountains are some of the most inhospitable places on Earth. The higher you climb the harder it gets.Yet humans who reach for the sky have found the most incredible ways of adapting to places that literally take your breath away. This episode takes you from the people of the lower altitudes to those who live in the highest and most isolated places on earth.

Grasslands – The Roots of Power
Grasslands are our ultimate success story, the bread basket of humanity, won by the control of the land and the domestication of animals. But even in the environment where we are best adapted to flourish life isn’t always a picnic. This remarkable episode reveals that grasslands may well be the place where we laid down the roots of human power but the battle for supremacy isn’t over yet.

Rivers – Friend and Foe
Rivers provide all the essentials for human life – fresh water for drinking, food and natural highways, they provide life lines in virtually every habitat on earth. This exciting and surprising episode shows that living by a river isn’t always easy.

Cities – Surviving the Urban Jungle
Cities are the habitat built by humans for humans; over half of the human population now live in the urban jungle. They may have been built to keep wild nature out, but nature cannot be pushed away.

Buzzin Media Free Competition

PLEASE NOTE: THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED

Enter our free competition for the chance to win a copy of the Human Planet DVD .  Just answer this simple question:

Q: Who narrates the Human Planet Series?

a: John Lennon
b: John Hurt
c: John Barrymore

Submit your entries to comps@buzzinmedia.co.uk with the subject line: ‘Human Planet DVD Comp’ (other subject lines will not be entered) with your full name, address & contact number.

This Buzzin Media Competition ends on 14th March, 2011.

The editor will randomly choose 3 winners. The editor’s choice is final.

Danny Cohen says: “The return of Upstairs Downstairs was fantastically well-received but what drove us to recommission was the wonderfully imaginative and distinctive plans the team have to take the drama forward.”

There are currently plans for six brand new episodes of the popular programme each being one hour long, which will chart a period of social change in Britain in which class structures and relationships between master and servant are tested to their limits. The new series will portray a society in its endgame.

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, says : “Upstairs Downstairs is the BBC’s biggest drama series launch, alongside Sherlock, since Doctor Who in 2005. When it returns in the first half of next year viewers will find everything they loved at Christmas, but with bold new stories that shed a fascinating light on a changing society. A huge shock will ensure events at 165 Eaton Place are never the same again.”

Writer Heidi Thomas says: “For me, going back to Eaton Place feels like opening a jewel box – the house is packed with gems. The Holland family and their servants are set for an extraordinary year, and I am thrilled to be their guardian during this momentous chapter.”

Outnumbered Series 3

Capturing family life in the Brockman household, BBC DVD has released the award-winning Outnumbered Series 3 on DVD.  It is also available as a download on iTunes.

Fresh from its success at the 2009 British Comedy Awards, including the top prize of Best Comedy, the semi-improvised family based sitcom Outnumbered returns for a third series on DVD.

Written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin’s (creators of Drop the Dead Donkey) this critically acclaimed comedy, puts three young children at the very centre of the story – and allows them to improvise the storyline with some very amusing consequences.

Buzzin Media Free Competition

Enter our free competition for the chance to win a copy of Outnumbered Series 3 on DVD.  Just answer this simple question:

Q: What is tha name of the family in Outnumbered?

a: The Brockmans
b: The Beckhams
c: The Bennetts

Submit your entries to comps@buzzinmedia.co.uk with the subject line: ‘Outnumbered DVD Comp’ (other subject lines will not be entered) with your full name, address & contact number.

This Buzzin Media Competition ends on Wednesday 22nd December, 2010.

The editor will randomly choose 3 winners. The editor’s choice is final.

We have all heard horror stories of exorbitant charges and lazy incompetent workmen and looking through the Yellow Pages and the like is really a minefield when looking for someone you are able to trust.

Thanks to TV programmes like Watchdog and its spin off, Rogue Traders the general public can at least be aware of some of the scams used by dodgy plumbers and the like and also give some helpful advice to people looking to have work done.

In a recent edition of Rogue Traders a plumbing company was called out to a house that they were told had a drain blockage in the cellar, a job that the presenters knew could be quickly and easily rectified by a proficient plumber.

As is the nature of the programme, this particular plumbing company had plenty of previous history of ripping of customers and the team set out to catch them red handed on camera.

For a job that should have cost under £100, the customer was given a bill for a staggering £646. On top of that the plumber was also caught on camera stealing dishwasher salt and cleaning products from the house!

While it is satisfying to see these con-men caught in the act, it is depressing to think that the same could easily happen to you or me. Rogue Traders do give excellent advice as to how to avoid this happening by, for instance, obtaining three individual quotes for any work but this can be a problem in times of emergency.

We are also told to make sure that tradesmen are certified by organisations or have relevant qualifications to do the work. By the far the best tradesmen are normally those recommended by others and it is possible to find plumbers to fix heating or unblock a drain in your local area through the internet.

These tradesmen are normally judged by others who have used them and are awarded with stars, customer ratings and price protection for the work you are looking to have done.

Thanks to programmes like Rogue Traders we are much better aware of what to ask and who to avoid when it comes to repairs in our homes, but we must always remain on our guard.

Top Of The Pops

The line-up for the Christmas and New year Top Of The Pops specials have now been announced and will be hosted by Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates.

The Christmas day episode to be broadcast on the BBC at 2pm, and is to include Dizzee Rascal, Kasabian, La Roux, Sugarbabes, Lily Allen, Florence & The Machine, Muse, Diversity, JLS and Alexandra Burke.

The New Years Eve edition will be shown on BBC at 6pm and will feature performances from Robbie Williams, Shakira, Tinchy Styder, N-Dubz and Calvin Harris with the programme also taking a look back over the 2009 songs and artists.

Catherine Tate

Catherine Tate is going to be back on our screens this Christmas with her annual festive offering in ‘A Christmas Carol’ on BBC 1.

Tate will be playing the feisty nan who takes-on the part of Scrooge and even her dead husband is supposed to make his TV debut on the one-off special.

Grandson Jamie will of course be played by the talented Matthew Horne along with guest stars Roger Lloyd Pack who played the part of Trigger in ‘Only Fools and Horses as the ghost of Christmas Future, David Tennant as the ghost of Christmas Present and Ben Miller as the ghost of Christmas Past.

After being away from our screens for the past two-years, the 2009 Christmas special looks to be a real treat for all the family as nan gets a taste of her own medicine and the hope that she will mend her ways, if that’s likely, I don’t think so!

Now On BBC 1

The third series of Gavin & Stacey starts tonight and have now been promoted to BBC 1 with their hilarious sitcom written by actors James Corden and Ruth Jones.

If the second series is anything to go by, for which they won eight major awards, this one looks to be continuing the laughter as Gavin and Stacey return to live in Barry island with her new son.

Will Smithy realise that he and Stacey are made for each other and give everything up to be with her, and his best mate of course, or will Gavin and Stacey give married life a try?