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Wossy

I don't listen to his radio programme, so I don't know what all the hoo-ha is about. Some prank call in bad taste. Not heard it. As far as Russell Brand quitting, hasta-la-vista-baby, for I absolutely cannot fathom why he is so popular. If I had to describe him in a word, that word would be "odious".
Now, Wossy, unless he has invested in Icelandic stock, he probably has some cash set aside for a rainy day, hence the three months suspension probably won't unduly affect him, however it is a blow to the public. Why? Because he is extremely knowledgable about film, so his Film 2008 programme is both informing and informed. He is also good at being wickedly cheeky yet able to put people at ease, so his chat shown was always interesting to watch. I really enjoyed the few episodes of his guide-to-Japan that my Digibox was working for (any chance of a repeat showing sometime?). It is true that they have quite a well-rounded performer in Jonathan, he isn't a staid old fart and he isn't a halfwit. By taking him out for his suspension period, it is us viewers (and listeners, if you liked his radio programme...) who will ultimately lose out.
What is more relevant is a possible review of his pay. I heard he gets £16000 a day. Don't know if that is near-accurate, but I'm sure he gets at least a million a year (which is just shy of £3000 a day).
Why?

As good a presenter as he is, does this justify his weekly (perhaps even daily) take-home to be more than somewhat more important people - nurses, for example, earn in a year for significantly more effort?

It is, of course, deeply ironic that a prank call has brought shame and ruination to BBC Radio 2 while Channel4 is showing "Fonejacker"...

 

I can never finish my contract...

It was to be that we would all be taking November 11th off. It's a public holiday in France, for reasons that are obvious if you've had any sort of worthwhile education. This has changed. Don't know if I will be taking the day off or not, but my day off that week, I think, is the Thursday. Perhaps somebody pointed out that giving us all the public holiday as our day off is slightly unethical? Whatever... This has altered the day off rota so that I will not be working the last Friday in November, and accordingly not the first Monday in December... which was to be my final day. So instead I will say bye-bye on Thursday and just skip the last two days...
The rota quotes me as having the following Tuesday off (it is supposed to shift back a day each week). I wonder if anybody has told it I won't be around? ☺

 

Dead Set

Now I had, a long time ago, thought of Charlie Booker as a bit of a self-obsessed twit, but after watching his Screenwipe a few times, it became clear that, far from being a twit, he is probably one of the last intelligent items of programming around. His tactless humour takes the crassness of 'current' television and throws it back at us, pointing out the obvious and sometimes the not so obvious, but down deep in his soul, I bet Charlie is making this programme with only one thought on his mind: why are you actually wasting your life watching this bollocks, you stupid flamin' mindless sheep!
And thus, it is possibly a stroke of genius that he has put together a series for E4 called "Dead Set" where the country (possibly the world, it is hinted...) falls under a Zombie Apocalypse and the only survivors are a few people scattered around, and the Big Brother inmates, plus a studio PA, a guest, and the loathesome director (producer?), not to mention a brilliant turn by Davina McColl!
The real BB person-in-charge might be a dead cute girl with a lovely personality, but you know we all want it to be a horrible sod like this guy. The kooky inmate is actually quite smart, and the others? Well, let's just say that some of them would make Jade Goody appear MENSA-capable. We are hit with memorable multi-dimensional characters, a pretty obvious situation, realistic events (assuming you can accept the zombies), yet through it all, it is fairly low-key. Some of the one-liners will smack you in the face, while some of them you might not pick up until you back up the tape and watch again.

I am slightly disappointed that RadioTimes devotes pages and pages to "Doctor Who", yet this gem seems to have passed by largely unnoticed. It has, for me, been the must-see this week, and is probably the highlight of my entire Autumn. I might even suggest it as being the televisual highlight of the year, only my memory doesn't really go back that far...

 

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