Category: Life: TV and Movies

My other half has got me watching Ugly Betty, but so that I can catch up with the episodes I’ve been watching pre-recorded episodes. I’ve just finished watching Episode 7 which according to the DVD player was 42 minutes long: however, the same episode on the UK TV schedules with advertisements takes up a 55 minute slot – that’s 13 minutes of advertisements!

It’s only a bit better then the US version where the show takes up a 60 minute broadcast slot – providing 18 minutes of adverts: that’s more than a quarter of the “show time” being ads.

This is one reason why I like the BBC (no adverts) and pre-recorded shows.

It’ll be interesting to find out advertisement lengths per hour in other countries…

Warning – this post contains spoilers concerning the ending of series “three” of the “New” BBC Doctor Who series with David Tennant and Freema Agyeman. Do not read on if you haven’t watched it and don’t want key details being given away.

Many thanks are due to Jo for the words of the Jaffa Cake Advert Song which went like:

Jaffa, Jaffa, Jaffa, Jaffa
Now listen general public for goodness sakes
my family they go crazy for these jaffa cakes,
like when I’m bouncing little baby on my knee,
the first words that he speak were ‘they’re orangey’,

My wife she say I’m crazy need to see a shrink,
he prescribed two a day with a nice hot drink,
it’s the spongey bit for granny she lose all control,
I can’t see it myself cos I like a fig roll.

If you are still reading this Jo, let me know which Amazon you’ll prefer to receive a voucher for (.uk, .com or other) and I’ll arrange for one to be sent to you.

Another £5 to anyone who can find a copy of the video online OR can find/upload an episode of the BBC’s Galloping Galaxies….

Yesterday I watched SpiderMan 3 with my other half and I must admit it did seem a bit “not good”. The opening credits were good – giving you a quick refresher of the previous two films, but then it was very slow going and some bits were just irrelevant (how “important” was it that we found out the Marcus Flint did “that crime” and that the editor of the Daily Bugle wanted a picture disproving Spiderman and then MJ on broadway). This meant that once the action actually started, it was over pretty quickly (some of it such as Peter vs Green Goblin Jnr was difficult to watch as it was so fast-paced you couldn’t keep an eye on the action). I’d say around 7.5-8/10, not brilliant but if you are stuck for something to do with yourselves ona damp bank holiday weekend, you could do worse.

This story on BBC news reminds me of my situation just a few months ago when I was a Star Wars virgin. Yep, until November time I hadn’t watched more than just a few minutes of Star Wars – but my other half made me watch it and like the guy in the BBC article, I didn’t find it as bad as I expected.

I’ve only seen 3-6 but I don’t think I’ll bother watch the first/last 3.