Keen Gear: I’m inclined to list Top Gear as a guilty pleasure on my Earth Prime blog. It’s the kind of show that can be very entertaining (the British version, not the American one), but if you tell someone to watch it and see what you mean, it’ll probably be a dull episode. Most of the time, it’s just three middle-aged men reviewing cars – usually giving the big thumbs up to the models that burn the most petrol and screw up the environment. But then again, there are episodes where their intelligence is put to the test in a series of challanges – that’s when it becomes a show about three middle-aged men falling over. That’s when it gets interesting. Check the episode where the three try building original designs for motorhomes, or the one where they build their own amphibious cars. That’s when the show starts to look like a Monty Python sketch (a friend of mine asked me if the show had anything to do with Python when I mentioned that I watch it). I can imagine memebers of the troupe from that show as the cast of Top Gear: Graham Chapman as Jeremy Clarkson, Eric Idle as James May, Michael Palin as Richard Hammond, John Cleese as “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car”, Terry Jones as Michael Gambon and Terry Gilliam as The Stig – the show’s mascot.
So, yes, do watch Top Gear. Just check the descriptions on your tv guide to be sure it’s not about reviewing cars…except the one where Jeremy reviews how a Ford Fiesta would handle while chased by drug dealers in a shopping center.
And He Adjusts His Bowtie – It used to be that I could discuss Doctor Who spoilers because I was watching episodes a year or two after they originally aired – who writes “Spoilers” for old stuff? But it looks like the season finale is coming up…I actually find the Matt Smith years to be a remake/reset of the Eccleston/Tennant years – only with a lower budget, slightly wittier scripts, a younger cast and fewer spaceships crashing into volcanoes. In other words, I don’t hate it. I just wish it was as hip as it’s promoted to be, then it wouldn’t seem like a guilty pleasure. I am looking forward to Jenna Louisa Coleman as Oswin – that script for Asylum of The Daleks was Moffats best one since Blink.
Zero Hours –I find this month’s DC Comics #0 issue gimmick a bit of “eh”. It’s all setup for other crossovers or retcon stuff featuring minor characters engage in conspiratorial nonsense. It wouldn’t really be bad if it didn’t seem like they’re already planning another crossover after the “Trinity War” that’s for next year. There’s no such thing as stopping and smelling the roses – last week’s comic is stored in a box in your basement/garage/storage bin/closet/ex-wife’s attic/whatever, this week’s comic is sure to go to the same place. Before Watchmen – old news. Batgirl out of the wheelchair – old news (I would think that would be a bigger event than anything else going on – why isn’t she in the Justice League? They’re making room for Vibe?)
These brickbats? Old news.
Comic Book Rehab 