Can't Talk. TV. (original) (raw)

I’m not having the best telly week. Two of my favourite shows have ended and while both have ended brilliantly, both have also left me in a bit of a funk.

Firstly, the current series of Ideal drew to a close on Monday night. I have never met anyone else who watches Ideal, so if you do now is the time to speak up. This series has been excellent and very funny but good lord, talk about pathos at the end. After a shootout in Moz’s flat between Stemroach and Cartoon Head, Moz howled in anguish as he realised his huge, flatscreen telly had taken a bullet. It was only after that we realised sweet-but-desperately-ditzy Jenny had also been caught in the crossfire. As she lay in Moz’s arms on the floor, waiting for the ambulance, she whispered, “After I’ve died, though, I’ll be alright won’t I?”. I had lump in my throat. British comedy does tragicomedy exceptionally well and as the camera panned out for the final shot, we were left slightly stunned and most definitely not laughing.

I’ve no idea whether Ideal will be back for another series and, if so, whether Jenny will have made it or not but this episode seemed quite final. Nicky has moved out, Psycho Paul has left the gang (turning his back on his criminal ways to go shoplifting in Anne Summers with Tanya), Colin and Carmel have gone to Spain, Stemroach is dead (probably), Judith has glued her wasp mask back on… it seemed like it could be the end. I really hope it isn’t, though.

And then last night, my beloved Battlestar Galactica finished for it’s mid-season break. Break my arse, though, as apparently it won’t be back until 2009 - please can someone explain to me how that is a “mid-season break” and not just the end of a series?! Admittedly I suppose it’s just a matter of semantics but either way, it’s not back on until next year and I am distinctly unchuffed – bereft, even – about being left hanging with such precious few episodes left until the end of the final season.

In some ways, though, it might be a good thing as at least it means that I get another few months of BSG-induced excitement before the last ever episode. The end has been nigh for some time now and since this series started, with each episode that has passed I have thought “well, that’s another one down”. In other ways, though, I have been in denial and while the story has been rolling merrily along from week to week with no real resolution in sight I have been able to kid myself that it would simply keep on going. Last night, however, a couple of major things happened that suddenly drove home the realisation that yes, this actually is the last series and yes, it actually is going to come to an end. And that increased my telly-funk no end.

Still, it's not all bad news in the Tellyverse and I have brand new Family Guy, Chuck, My Name Is Earl, Heroes, Reaper and the so-bad-it's-quite-compelling new rendering of Flash Gordon to keep me entertained in the coming weeks - although Family Guy, Heroes, Flash and, I fear, Chuck are all nearing the end of their current runs. Even so, that little lot should keep me going for at least a little bit; certainly long enough to lift the funk anyway.

(x-posted from my personal journal)