Monday 19 December 2011

YouTubeXL: More Packed With Entertainment Than Seventeen Double Issues Of The Radio Times (Part One)

So, as promised we’ve been on the prowl for more excellent full shows that are available on YouTube. We’ve actually found such a bumper crop, we’re going to have to split them over two updates, and even then use the old ‘read more’ button to try and keep everything relatively neat and tidy.

So, if you’re reading this from the main page of the blog, click the ‘read more’ button just beneath this photo of Tatu. If you’re already reading the full article, hey, here’s a photo of Tatu!

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Why Tatu? Because it’s nearly Christmas. It’s our present to ourselves. We haven’t mentioned them for ages. BROKENTV FACT! We’ve gone off The One With The Dark Hair Out Of Tatu, now. Our favourite one out of Tatu is now The Ginger One Out Of Tatu.

Okay, on with the show. In a slight modification of what we said last time, most of the videos we’ll be linked to should play on the Xbox’s new YouTube app. As we discovered after sitting down in front of our proper telly to watch that Handmade Films documentary the other day, some of them are automatically blocked on Xbox Live due to ‘copyright restrictions’ (which we suspect is a cover for the fact it’ll take the processing power of the forthcoming Xbox 720 to cope with the awesomeness of Granada continuity announcer Colin Weston).

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy at least a 60% probability of enjoying the following on your proper television for free! (Or on your computer.) (Or tablet computer.) (Or whatever.)

The Bazura Project’s History of Sinema

Violence | Sex | Money | Profanity | Drugs | Fame

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From that Australia. This is one of our sleeper hits of the year, being the kind of show that we checked out because it sounded quite interesting – a pair of witty film nerds wax wry about the seedier side of cinema. Or, as they have it… Sinema. Oh, you saw that in the title just up there? Well done you.

If you want a handy reckoner, it’s kind of like Adam & Joe doing a version of Newswipe only about films, and not really anything like we’ve just made it sound. Or if you prefer, a bit like classic late-night Channel Four video review show Vidz, except not that much really. Ah, just give it a watch, it’s really good. The first episode might not grab your attention fully (it didn’t with us when we watched it anyway, though we are grumpy bastards, so your mileage may very), but from episode two onwards it just gets better and better.

Some nice guest appearances in there for fans of Newstopia, by the way. As if us telling you to watch it isn’t enough to compel you to watch it anyway. You kids!

End of Part One: Series Two

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For our money, this might just be the best comedy show ever broadcast on ITV. Yes, better than Rising Damp (which we’ve always felt is overrated, to be honest). Yes, better than Spitting Image, Hot Metal, The New Statesman, even Bottle Boys. We’ve gone on about it numerous times before, and despite it being as good as we’ve said all those times, it’s still no closer to appearing on ITV3 or on a Network DVD. For shame (though we suspect all the parodies of other shows contained within would make it an absolute nightmare to clear for release).

So, for now, enjoy the several episodes that have been uploaded in full to YouTube. The first series is still floating around there in chunks, but it’s full-everything-in-one-go episodes we’re looking at here, so we’ll give you an episode from the superior series two to be going on with. Several other full episodes from that series are also on YouTube, which we’ll not link to directly here just in case ITV’s ninja lawyers are lurking. Oh, they’re fast enough to remember they made this show when it suits them, aren’t they?

This Morning With Richard Not Judy: Series Two

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Happily from what we hear, sales of the Fist Of Fun Series One DVD are looking healthy enough to suggest Lee, Herrings and Evans will consider doing the same for Fist S2, and if we’re especially lucky, TMWRNJ after that. So, what better time to revisit the most distant of those potential releases, so that you’ll remember how good it was, but by the time it gets released you’ll have forgotten all the specifics and have to buy it again in order to watch it?

No better time, that’s what.

Tiswas Reunited

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From a brilliant, fondly remembered yet never repeated show that first went out on early Sunday afternoons, so Saturday mornings. Or more specifically, a Saturday night a few years ago. (“Eh?” – Reader’s voice.) Yes, it’s Tiswas Reunited, the reunion show for the most anarchic kids TV show of all time. (“Ah.” – Reader’s voice.)

And if that’s not enough, how about twenty-two minutes of the original show itself? Featuring the St Winifreds Choir, Dr Hook and Cliff Richard. Or, if you want to recall what happened after the ‘Was finished, twenty-five minutes of it’s Hampshire-based successor, No. 73.

 

The Best of The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine

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From the ATV years, meaning it’s sadly unlikely to get proper repeat showings any time soon. A huge shame. For a real treat, skip to 13 minutes and 40 seconds to see the brilliant undertakers sketch guest starring Spike Milligan.

Prisoner Cell Block H

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Now this is one of those moments that will make you glad we live in such a wondrous age. You know when you tentatively do an internet search for something, knowing that there’s no way it’ll ever be there, but it won’t hurt to try? But it’ll never work, not ever, never, no? And then that thing IS there, and you start getting all carried away wondering if you can move on to be able to pause time using willpower and stuff?

Well, good news everyone! Every episode of Prisoner Cell Block H is available in full on YouTube. Vinegar Tits, Bea Smith, The Freak, Lizzie Birdsworth, Meg Jackson, Lexie Patterson, all there in their full glory. (Well, we think it’s every episodes, there are certainly loads of them there anyway.)

Here’s the first ever episode. Don’t blame us if you end up watching the lot and later find yourself making bathtub grog or running a numbers game in order to become top dog.

The Micallef Pogram

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Staying down under, here’s one of the greatest television comedies ever broadcast, and the genesis of our pathetic nonsexual man-crush on Shaun Micallef.

Following on from The Micallef Program and The Micallef Programme, this third series saw the action get even more stupidly enjoyable than before. This series probably generated most of the material used for the UK edits of P(r)ogram(me) that were shown on Paramount over here, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s just so freaking enjoyable – even now, the title sequence (comprised of material purporting to be from sketches in the show, but actually being from unused skits) makes us do a great big soppy old smile. See, THAT’S how good it is. The ‘best of’ bits in the titles weren’t good enough to actually get in the show.

Ah, the Amazing Vole. We hardly knew ye.

Inspector Herring The Movie

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We’re on a Micallef tip now. Here, in full, in Russian with English subtitles, is Inspector Herring: The Movie. Or, as it’s generally known, the final episode of Newstopia. Starring ‘Zorn Micalley’.

Thank God You're Here

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More Micallef. This time in the original Australian version of Thank God You’re Here, the UK version of which ITV have one series then dumped it. Still, fingers crossed for series two of The Marriage Ref, eh?

In English, but with Polish subtitles. For some reason. (That reason being it’s been uploaded by a Polish improv comedy website.)

 

TOMORROW: MORE VIDEOS OF THINGS.

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