"Father Figure" Episodes 1-5, Episode 6 BBC 1, review

Jason Byrne's TV sitcom is old school stuff, quite fun, if you don't mind lots of slapstick, food fights and manic Irish mammies. It's "Father Ted" meets "My Family". Pauline McLynn (doing a variation on her Mrs Doyle from "Father Ted") does well as the obsessed gran. I used to like Karen Taylor (playing Elaine, the mum) in "The Sketch Show".
My wife and I got a few laughs - "I'm a human poo", grandpa stuck in the couch and the kitchen wrestling match.
It's all a bit broad, the slapstick and the kids could get a bit wearing (lacking the charm of "Outnumbered") after a few episodes.
Episode 2: How getting a new TV turned into a search for a lost child and a dogging misadventure in the family 7-seater wasn't worth the journey. Three laughs in 28 minutes - not a good strike rate. But it's funnier than "Big School" and "Bad Education" ... which isn't hard.
Episode 3: The 1978 flashback of the "Housewife of the Year" contest had shades of "Father Ted" lunacy. I did enjoy the "getting in touch with your inner mammy" training. Pretty silly, but probably the most consistent episode so far.
Episode 4: More chins than a Chinese phone book. A cute intro scene with chin 'puppets', Peter Serafinowicz's dulcet tones and Mount Rushmore-like chin, "Tai chin", chin-envy and Jason Byrne does some funny business with fitted sheets and duvets.
Episode 5: Meh? Forgettable. Something about going cold turkey with gadgets.
Episode 6 was the best so far. "Mother Figure" had dad having a phantom-pregnancy. This show is plain silly with no hidden agenda - just to make you laugh. It's not smutty like some UK sitcoms (see above).
It succeeds about 50% of the time, not a bad strike rate compared to some of the slop coming from the US fall season sitcoms. Poor Rebel Wilson ("Super Fun Night") and don't get me started on Robin Williams' ("The Crazy Ones").

"Count Arthur Strong" BBC2 Episode 2 review

You have to be in the right mood for this surreal little show. I must have been. The Christine Keeler reference in the life drawing class got me from the first scene. The running joke about the poor chap being mistaken for a newsagent, ending up being stalked by Jack the Ripper in an icecream van was like a bit of "Father Ted" lunacy. The slow motion shot of Michael through the window, with his finger to his lips as a gobsmacked kid watched the van glide away was the highlight of the episode.
The harried Michael continues to try to research his famous comedian dad (being played by the accomplished actor, Rory Kinnear, son of the comedy actor, Roy Kinnear). This is a tasty bit of casting.
I thought this episode worked better than the first.
But ignoramus Arthur, spouting malaprops could get a bit wearing, if you are not 'in the right mood'.

"Count Arthur Strong" BBC2 Episode 1 review

Hated the laugh track. There were few big laffs. The mucus bit at the eulogy didn't work. Liked Barry Cryer's cameo. Liked the one-legged Polish crone in the ambulance. ("Give her the Heineken Manoeuvre"). Liked the delightful caf characters, especially the frustrated Bulent. "Two teas?"

I didn't listen to the original Radio 4 show. Not sure where this is going, but I'll give it a go next week. Graham Linehan (The IT Crowd, Father Ted) has a good track record. He obviously likes quirky, eccentric (daft?) characters.
Do I want to spend 30 minutes with a silly old fart? (or is he?)
Bring back Father Jack.

My suggestions for sat nav voice instructions

• Christopher Walken
• Carol Channing 
• Robert De Niro (as Travis Bickell, "You talkion' ta me?")
• Sarah Millican ("Turn left, flower")
• Dylan Moran (see Black Books)
• Joan Rivers
• Jack Dee
• Barry White
• Barry Humpries (as Dame Edna Everage)
• Paul O'Grady as (Lily Savage)
• Paul Keating ("Next left, scumbag")
• Kenneth Williams (I know this is impossible)
• Julian Clary
• Elmer Fudd ("I said Wight, Wabbit!")
• R.A.F. pilots or Neanderthals from The Armstrong Miller Show
• Father Jack (from the sublime Father Ted)
• NOT Jeremy Clarkson
• NOT Marlon Brando (mumble, mumble)
• NOT Tony Abbott (He'd always tell you to turn RIGHT, and you can't trust a word he says)

Any suggestions?

Television shows they should bring back!

Look at all the recycled crap being brought back -  90210, Dallas, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, Mockingbird Lane (The Munsters) - granted, the last two got cancelled pretty damn quickly.

Here's my wishlist:

• Thank God You're Here *
• The Panel *
• The Late Show *
• Talking About Your Generation *
• Father Ted
• The Hour
• North Square
• This Life
• Black Books
• The I.T. Crowd
• Drop the Dead Donkey
• The Name of the Game (How old are you?)
• The Avengers
• The Samurai (the first Japanese show I ever saw)
• Thriller (U.K. early 1970's)
• Kolchak: The Night Stalker
• The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (ahead of its time - loved the way Dwayne Hickman would talk to the camera - and the dynamite supporting cast - Tuesday Weld, Frank Faylen, Warren Beatty, William Schallert
• The X-Files (My daughter's pick)
• Callan, The Professionals, The Sweeney, The Persuaders (My wife's pick)

Fat chance, but it's nice to look back.

* Australian shows