Friday

Have you been watching professor Brian 'D-ream' Cox on wonders of the universe, if so you'll love this.

The Killing - Forbrydelson

Saturday is almost here and I will get my weekly fix of the killing (forbrydelson) on BBC4. The Danish crime thriller has given the Beeb's smallest channel a genuine hit and some of its best ratings. I read that it was getting higher ratings than AMC's Mad Men got when screened on the channel. Pretty good for a dark subtitled crime thriller set in Copenhagen? Why are we so surprised that other European countries can produce drama to match the greats of HBO on a shoestring budget? Also why are great catches like this tucked away on a niche channel? The Nations dumbing down continues apace a whilst over half a million of us in the know are staying in on a Saturday night to find out who killed Nanna Birk Larson (NBL for the addicts).  AMC are remaking htis for an American audience but I don't think I'll bother as it is the Danish back drop, design, culture and general differences which I enjoy the most. That and Sarah Lund's knitwear , self cleaning jumper which she has had on so long it would put my teenage daughter to shame.

For the uninitiated I suggest you reach for the BBC Iplayer and catch up. No spoilers on here and no spoiler comments please. I genuinely haven't a scooby doo who killed NBL, she was killed in the first 5 minutes of episode 1 and I have lost count of the amount of people I suspected.

A useful selection of links for the Killing:

The BBC site including Iplayer where all 14 episdoes are available to watch

The Guardians (late starting) Killing blog

Buy yourself a Sarah Lund jumper, a snip at 280 Euros

tak for læsning

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Jeremy

Yes I know there are more important things going on in the word than the closure of a digital only radio station that caters for a niche audience but I don't care it's my radio station. This is footage from the BBC Director General's appearance on Newsnight where he was savaged by Jeremy Paxman, who I have to say has balls of steel to make his boss look like a twat on national television. This footage has been cut together with footage from the Thick of it by some clever bastard.



This on I love as Adam Buxton (of Adam and Joe fame) offers the director General out for a fight on Channel 4 news.

Conspiracy

Call me cynical but as the BBC 6 music/Asian Network radio station closures have panned out this week I have a nagging feeling that I am being used. The leaking of the news that 6 music was to close on Friday  was the kick start to a massive campaign by a very vocal 6 music listening community. There are around 600,000 listeners per week to the digital station that has finally given a modern music appreciating audience a medium that they hold dear and will defend. You only have to see how much of a stink was kicked up when someone decided that Georg Lamb would be a good idea on the station. There is also a fair amount of presenters/guest presenters and bands that are being very criticising of the BBC for axing 6 music.

Now I'm not one for conspiracy theories and I'm not going to go all David Icke on you but hear me out. I'm Mark Thompson and I need to trim some of my output because of a reactionary right wing press witch hunt to destroy the socialist nightmare that is the BBC and a Tory Government is just around the corner. I want to close a radio station that serves a minority audience but it will be a little bit tricky to pull off without compromising the public broadcasting remit that the BBC has to answer to. What can I do? I'll also announce the closure of another minority audience radio station one that has a similar number of listeners. Only this station has quite a passionate following and is used mainly by people of a certain age who would exploit all social networking tools and media to demand that their station remain open. There will be a massive backlash across all the news outlets and the BBC trust will have no option other than to reverse the decision. 6 Music will stay open and may even gain some more listeners who will tune in to hear what the fuss is about. In the mean time my original target will close and Asian network will be no more.

Just a prediction. Hope I'm wrong and they both manage to stay open. I don't listen to Asian Network but I have no doubt that the people who do love it as much as we love 6 music. The BBC is meant to cater for minority audiences in a way that commercial television and radio doesn't. If that means people who listen to bhangra or a John Peel Beta Band session from 1998 we aren't going to find it on radio 1/2 or any of the commercial station sin between 'go compare' and 'we buy any car' adverts. Thats why we pay the TV licence.

In the oft misquoted words of Voltaire "I don't agree with that Pap your watching on BBC3 but I'll defend to the death your right to watch it"

We own the BBC.

On my radio

I have always been a defender of the BBC. I admit that I do not watch or listen ot a lot of its output, especially that aimed at the teh majority market, soap operas, dancing programmes, etc. I do enjoy the fringe output that the BBC produces the latest gem is that of Charlie Brookers Newswipe programme which I don't feel could have been made anywhere else but the BBC. Stewart Lees comedy Vehicle last year was my favourite programme. I don't really find the appeal of anything that is broadcast on BBC 3 but hey ho each to their own. Apparently not though as rumours are abound today that the radio stations 6 music and Asian Network are to be axed. I don't listen to Asian Network so I can't comment but the axing of 6 music using the argument that the commercial sector should provide this kind of output is just outrageous. Yes it wen through a rough patch when George Lamb was on in the morning but those dark days are over and the station is a pleasure to listen to the majority of the time and provides a service that is not available anywhere else on that medium. There is no national radio station for serious music fans that wish to escape the dross that is current popular music. Except 6music. It will be a disgrace if this is axed. They wouldn't dream of axing radio 3 and if Radio 3 was a digital only station it would have similar listening figures. SAVE 6 MUSIC

Haiti

I've not watched a lot of the coverage of the Haiti earthquake on TV as it's pretty horrendous. I've been following  relief efforts in the papers and reading about it. I'm not an expert by any means but it seem there are a lot of soldiers going there and not many people getting the aid they need. The sensationalist reporting is reaching new heights though, I've seen a few video reports on the BBC's website and the BBC reporter I have seen before but he seems to be in his element reporting all the violence and looting. Is it really looting when your starving? Whats the difference between finding food and looting?

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="250" caption="Matt Frei"][/caption]

Sorry I seem to have got his image mixed up with Damien Day from drop the Dead Donkey.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="226" caption="Damien Day"][/caption]

Nazi Punks Fuck Off pt2

I can’t help but feel that the build up for Nick Griffins appearance on BBC Question Time has reached fever pitch. The arguments about the BBC inviting him on to the programme have all fell on deaf ears and tonight will see the first appearance of a far right politician on the programme. There has been plenty said about the BBC’s stance on his invitation. They have been elected and the BBC’s argument that they will give them the same opportunity as other political parties with MEP’s counts to some degree. The fact that they are a technically illegal party is pretty significant and the BBC should have waited until they were forced to invite them on the programme. The BBC’s whole stance with regard to the BNP is one I can’t really work out. They will go that far out of their way to remain impartial to the degree that they will give an open platform to fascists, holocaust deniers and climate change deniers, I’m just waiting for a paedophiles alliance to be given a slot. All the interviews with BNP members and activists I have heard from the BBC have been terrible. I just hope someone tonight can give Nick Griffin a good grilling. Unfortunately the ‘not sharing a platform with fascists’ approach has so far only worked in Griffins favour, he hasn’t been challenged enough on a high profile stage. Will tonight be an exception?

Tonight is going to be car crash television and I can’t wait.

Christ for president/metal health

If one more news person says historic, momentous or extraordinary in regard to Barrack Obama one more time...well I won't do anything obviously. In the age of 24 hour news coverage and news channels there has arose the need for people whose skills are based on endless waffle and repeated phrases for hours on end until something actually interesting happens. It make genuinely awe inspiring moments and defining news events less interesting than celebrity big brother. Lets go back to ordinary news, lets hear the news after its happened without the build up. On these steps Barrack Obama is expected to make....In two hours there will be.....This is mic that in three days will speak the hopes of a nation....This toilet will collect the first bowel movement of the first African American president....blah blah blah.

I wish all the best to all the Americans who have gotten rid of an idiot warmonger and I hope Obama delivers on his promises of change I really do. In the UK we will remain a little sceptical, we did after all vote in Tony Blair and New Labour on similar promises and look how that's turning out.



I spent this historic and momentous day going to see Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke. A truly bleak and depressing film that affected me deeply. I urge anyone to go and see it. Mickey Rourke is outstanding and the ensemble of burnt out wrestlers knocking each other around the ring for the amusement and entertainment of the baying crowd was an uncomfortable watch. It's interesting that I have heard different interpretations of this film from papers such as 'the wrestling rocky' or a 'bit like champ', unfair and pretty ignorant comments I think. The Wrestler is a unique story and one that will go on to be a classic.

Stronger than Jesus

The new A camp single is lovely, I was a big fan of the first album and much prefer the loungey laid back feel of A camp to the frankly quite dull cardigans. Unfortunately it seems to have been playlisted on 6 music and has been played 4 times already today(that's in one day). So no doubt by this time next week I'll be sick of it. I can't understand the obsession with playlists, I can on commercial radio where they probably are paid a fee, but the BBC isn't.

Oh yes and stop playing Keane, they are fucking shit, a wetter band I have never heard.