rik mayall is an utter b'stard

he is the only one, the one and only, there is no other b'stard. rik mayall is just so wickedly brilliant, his depiction of alan b'stard the evil member of parli-a-ment is a turn of genius, a mark of comic prowess, capped by an unending charisma energy personality. [my fave scene]. his aptitude for hilarity and skill at delivery is quite unmatched, the depths of his schemes and cunning are supremely creative and unbelievable, like the time he faked his own death by gunshot, right after putting down ten thousand pounds on ten to one odds that parliament would bring back the death penalty, which they did in light of an mp's shooting on the steps of westminster; or like the time he proposed a postcode lottery for cancer treatment so that 'only the right people get better'. there's nothing more satisfying than b'stard's brashness (brilliant clip with stephen fry and 'piers'). there's nothing like mayall, whose turn in blackadder as lord flashheart encapsulated his arrogance, misogyny, and hilarity (see here). there's nothing like b'stard, who always finds a way out, always gets his way, and it's always uncut, unbelievable, unadalterated fun.

the values of baby looney tunes

i watched this show because i like to keep cartoons on in the background. it was lame. but, i noticed something about it that i hadn't been seeing much of elsewhere: really overt exemplifications of positive values for kids. for example, there was one episode in which bugs and babs were fighting becuase they no longer wanted to share their room or toys. but daffy and the others got them to unknowingly meet each other, and convinced them that they ought to share, that they ought to get along, because they had been friends for so long, and so had they all, and, it is better to share and love than to hoard and fight. most of the cartoons i see on teletoon are fun and frivolous and sex. maybe it's because this show was on nickelodeon that it was explicit in its promotion of positive values; maybe it's because all the voice actors in it are canadian. regardless, i was pleased to see a show whose basis was essentially the adventures in co-operation of a group of anthropomorphised animal children.

wild roses

new cbc show. it's well-acted. it's well-made. it's canadian.

i like that it takes place in calgary. i like the dynamics between the characters, and the diversity of character types, which reflect parts of the canadian identity. i like the juxtaposition of the two families, rich/poor, male/female, wilfull/less-wilfull. i like the story, and its unfolding, which is gradual and careful. not like a fox show, where the emphasis is on showmanship.
try it.

http://www.cbc.ca/wildroses