Small Screen Surfin'
Created | Updated Aug 26, 2004
Back again and SSS seems to be crying out for a bi-weekly slot. Probably a good idea but not something I wish to happen yet... it's seems the Fates want SSS to have problems.
Speaking of links-- I mean 'which', the first of this week's reviews looks at Gory Greek
Gods on BBC Three which is 'sordid' look at the Greek myths apparently.
As much as I sometimes dislike programmes the Beeb throws at us, I have always tried to shrug
them off as just not being for me. Like Fame Academy for instance or
Hi-Di-Hi1. But this Gory
Greek Gods is something with which rhymes with 'hit' but is certainly not that.
Ninia Benjamin is, in-part, paid to stand in Athens and talk about the bizarre origins of the Greek
myths as rotoscope animation provides visual description in this two-part drama-documentary. To be
honest it just came across to me as a cheap way to put pornography on a BBC channel. For anyone that
doesn't know what rotoscope is try here. However in the case of
GGG the rotoscope is used just to make live-action performers look cartoonish and outline
certain movements with, say, stars. A process that this programme takes great pride in when showing
how the universe came into being ie. Sex. Sex, sex, sex, sex and more sex. There's also a scene which
shows the towel encrusted with Athena's sweat and her brother's semen falling from the
sky2. Cue the ever helpful Ms. Benjamin to show
where said towel landed in Athens. Now who here on his planet believes the Greek myths to still be
true? Anyone? So why does Benjamin have to show precisely where in Athens a fictional product of
incest landed?
The acting segments in Olympus are just as riveting. Using rotoscope, of course, numerous actors
perform the atmosphere between the gods. Like Eastenders. It does Ray Winstone proud as well. I was expecting Zeus to yell 'Shaddup you slags!' at the divine collective.
Don't watch this farcical. Waste of time and money.
Speaking of which, Channel 4's Flipside TV is just as pleasant to watch. Certainly a waste of
time but money? Ohhh no, I assure you no more than a farthing was spent on this LIVE early morning
programme. It's on every night too. A desperate attempt in the wake of the Big Brother fiasco.
A Z-list celebrity like Richard 'The-Curse-of-Blue-Peter-Hurt-My-Career-Not-Drugs' Bacon or
Iain 'RI:SE' Lee hosts the programme which asks 'What are you watching right now?'. People phone in
LIVE!!!!! at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning and tell the presenter what they're watching along with
three... erm... known-ish people who sit and watch other channels on Channel 4...
What? Well we can do this LIVE!!!!! on Small Screen Surfin'! I call it Flipside
Internet. At the bottom of this column post-in and tell me what you - all my loyal
reader3 - reading on the Internet right now! Yes! You
can tell me that you're reading this!
Why is Flipside TV so cheap? Because they're showing other channels' programmes!!! Then
being 'funny'. At least that's what it's supposed to but the three etc's aren't funny! I've seen many
voice-over programmes and films and most are funny but these guys don't do that. 'I'm watching
Programme X.' 'Is it good?' 'It's all right...' 'Okay let's have a caller.'
And now the Small Screen Supplement!
I doubt I can find a TV theme linked to pseudo-pornography and 30-second cable theft so here's
Flipper4, Thunderbirds5 in the non-Busted days and Fireman Sam6 to rescue you from this week's highlighted programmes...
Keep Surfin'!7
corrupted downloads or external links/websites etc.
Although the BBC is responsible for Gory
Greek Gods... (Have words)
