The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log » ITV

Primeval resurrected

Joe — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:47:57 +0000

A lot of us were less than happy when ITV cancelled their science fiction show Primeval a few months ago, especially as the series had developed significantly from its early ‘monster of the week’ format (for those unfamiliar with it, temporal anomalies are allowing creatures from different eras into our own time, where they must be contained by a secret government organisation) to include ongoing story development with questions of morality and destiny with the ramifications of characters accidentally or deliberately manipulating events to alter the time stream and so history, why the public are kept unaware of the work (a growing source of tension for the scientists working on the team) and more. In short we heard that the end of the last season (a cliffhanger at that) was the last we would see of it as the troubled ITV were trimming budgets and another series of the effects-heavy show was not on the cards. Just as the show had developed into something interesting that made you want to follow it.

(Hannah Spearrit demosntrates to Andrew Lee Potts how she negotiated a return for the show)

Now the BBC site is reporting that two more seasons comprising thirteen episodes in total across both seasons have been commissioned as part of a multiple production deal with ITV, UKTV, BBC Worldwide and German channel Pro7. The original cast (well the surviving characters anyway) are due to return to their roles (no word on whether Ms Spearitt will grace us with more of the infamous ‘pants’ scenes though, sadly), with season four due to air early in 2011. Good news for fans.

New Dennis & Gnasher coming on the Beeb …. Softies beware! (maybe)

Richard — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:16:45 +0000

The new Dennis The Menace & Gnasher TV series on children’s BBC starts on September 7th (just in time for back to school). It looks and sounds a lot better than the 1996 25 minute per episode version which was a rather too diluted thing altogether.No doubt it will be less anarchic than Dennis at his best and the voice still isn’t right, more “Horrid Henry” than the Dennis I always heard in my head.Molly thought it looked pretty good, so that’s at least one 10 year old tuning in.

The new animation has already prompted the usual wailing and gnashing (sorry) in the press about toning the show down; allegations of removing the edge, taking out any weaponry, no picking on Walter the Softy. The Mail managed to get a nice piece of BBC bashing and accusations of PC behaviour within the opening paragraph:

Dennis is no longer the menace he once was after a BBC makeover that has transformed him into a politically correct shadow of his former self.

There’s very little information available about it as far as I can see, but Down The Tubes had this from 2007:

“The series is currently in pre-production and will aim to retain Dennis’s classic streak of schoolboy naughtiness and charm. The BBC said it was really interested in a new series but wanted the format to be more compact and exciting, Benjamin Gray, DC Thomson’s executive manager, revealed, referring we assume to shows such as the 1996 Dennis and Gnasher animated series. “We feel we have got that with this new series.”

More video and not many details on the promotional website and fun and games on the CBBC website. More wonderful comic strip Dennis available every week in the Beano and online at Beanotown.

DC Thomson buys Friends Reunited

Joe — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:44:48 +0000

Scottish publishing empire DC Thomson, home to long-loved titles like the Beano, Sunday Post and the Dandy among many other publications, has bought the Friends Reunited website through its subsidiary Brightsolid Limited. DCT picked up the site for £25 million according to the news this morning, buying it from seriously struggling commercial broadcaster ITV, which bought it for £120 million only four years ago. Ouch. Paw Broon said he was looking forward to using the site to re-connect with members of the Broons clan who had moved far away from Glebe Street over the years, while Danny from the Bash Street Kids said it was a cool way to keep in touch with other school friends who had to move due to the competition for student places. When we asked Oor Wullie for his response he simply commented “jings”. (via the BBC)

(The Broons do Friends Reunited in their own inimitable style, (C) DCT, art by Dudley Watkins)