Uncle Buck was on earlier this afternoon on ITV, so of course I had to watch it. It got me thinking, it always seems to be on around this time of year, in between Christmas and New Year. I don’t see it as a Christmas film, maybe more a film to watch over the New Year period (stemming from it always being on at this time of year). Anyone know why that is? Are ITV contractually obliged to show it at the same time every year? Interested to know how this all works!

Is this normal? I know they repeat films quite a lot on ITV2/3 but not seen it before on the main station. Surely they have the rights to other Die Hards ?

Hi, back again! In a previous post, I asked for recommendations after discovering Desmond’s on Tubi. I wanted to share my thoughts on the show.

Black Experience: as a Black American, the show shows the black experience is similar in the western world.

Norman Beaton: Norman Beaton is hilarious. I’m looking more things with him in it. He is similar to Bill Cosby. Also, the string family bond the Ambrose have is similar to the Huxtables.

Progressiveness: the show showed interracial relationships and being gay as normal (as they should) but at the time in American it wouldn’t fly.

It's bizarre. Don't get me wrong, it's a great movie, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere really make you care about their characters but whenever you change the channel and happen to see it on I always find myself watching it. Same with Titanic and Ghost - although you tend not to see Ghost on terrestrial TV very much these days.

[EDIT: Typo]

It used to show on BBC I think and I'm pretty sure it was paired with Bernard's Watch. It was about this boy who could turn into a dog but needed water sprayed on him to turn back into a boy. Every single time I've tried to explain the premise of the show to other people they think I've had a fever dream or something and made it all up but I'm SURE it existed.

I know it'll be so obscure there'll be no way to ever watch it either, but I just want to prove that I've not gone crazy.

Based on the advert, and Damian Moloney in the tiyle role, who else is looking forward to the 'Backdoor BBC reboot' of Bergerac on Dave next year? I am & wish they'd re-do Shoestring!!! (as everyone knows Season 1 of the original Bergerac was what should have been Shoestring Season 3 if Trevor Eve hadn't got fed up with TV & decided to hit the stage again!)

I'm trying to find an oldish advert, I remember it being a beer advert. Some Bank Robbers attempted to rob a bank, only to find out it hasn't been built yet. Then some guy tells them they need to wait for good things or something like that, like how their beer takes time. Then one of the robbers offers up potato and says in a very stereotypical thick foreign accent "Crisp?", the joke being he hasn't waited for the potato to become crisps yet. I've tried searching on google, but because of the context of the advert I just keep getting news about robberies or people talking about that AA advert from last year. It's driving me nuts.

Since we're all ready talking about the Christmas special

I have two, both from series 3

The tennis match I always find hilarious, and also the internet (actually, I am pretty sure one is right after the other in the series)

Binged the first series over the last two nights and really enjoyed it. Anyone else got any views on it? I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the black humour.

This is an absolute stab in the dark as I’ve been trying to find the name of this tv show for years and I’ve not had any luck.

It will have been on tv around 2005/2006 and was a family based sitcom/drama. The one episode that stuck in my memory, one of the parents found either a condom or a joint in one of the children’s pockets. I cant remember much else so as I said an absolute stab in the dark! It was definitely on after the watershed though as I remember being allowed to stay up specially for it!

i know this will probably be downvoted to hell so i want to clarify, im not a hater! i genuinely want to enjoy and appreciate the show. i love comedy & have a lot of respect for rik and ade so it would be nice to enjoy such a famous show.

anyway, i’ve always heard that the young ones is a comedy classic and i know that rik was an outstanding comic. i watched three episodes (bomb, cash, demolition) and i just feel a bit…confused?

i understand that there’s a definite generation gap (im 20 - born in 2004) and it probably plays a part in why i don’t enjoy it as much. but even still, i enjoy shows like only fools and horses, last of the summer wine, royle family etc.

so i don’t understand why i don’t enjoy this? i didn’t laugh or smile once, and it wasn’t out of disdain for the show, just confusion. i don’t really get the humour - it feels like they are either beating a dead horse or the joke just goes over my head because i don’t get what the funny part is. i get the characters of neil, rick and even mike - but vyvyan is just lost on me. i don’t get why he hates rick so much? yes rick is utterly detestable but why does vyvyan care so much? and i don’t get why he is so violent to neil and spg despite liking them? why does he respect mike?

it’s hard to explain but i just don’t get the funny part. it just to me feels very shouty and like there’s too many cooks in the kitchen, too many ideas. but i want to give the show another chance because it’s seen as a turning point for comedy - so, genuinely asking, is anyone able to explain the humour to me? i want to understand and be in on the joke but im completely lost in all honesty.

i hope this doesn’t come across as patronising, rage baity or ignorant because i truly want to like the show, but i feel i’ve missed a lot of things to actually enjoy it

Just finished it and absolutely loved it. 3 generations sat and watched it together and then a long discussion started regarding all the little asides, nods and references to books, TV, films etc, as well as very British in-jokes.

What did you notice?! Would be fun to share!

A few we've noticed so far:

The Italian Job (teetering canal boat at the end)

Mission Impossible I (the tunnel)

A Room Of One's Own - Virginia Woof

Possibly Die Hard 2? (when Gromit is falling from the viaduct into the flames)

Edit1: lots of references to Hunt For Red October/Bond too, as well as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea with the organ!

I've just finished the Christmas episode and this programme just hits the spot everytime. It is prefect Christmastime-what-day-of-the-week-even-is-it? TV.

As this was so funny as a child alongside Russell Howard good news and the lee Nelson show

Thoughts?

Not finished it but rubbish so far. Was looking forward to it aswell

I’m a Black American who recently discovered Desmond’s on Tubi and I love it. It reminds me of the Cosby Show(ironically Norman Beaton guest starred on one episode).

That said, I’m interested in more British TV. Are there some that you all can recommend that I watch?

EDIT: thanks for all the recommendations. I’ll be sure to check them out.

I was pleasantly suprised but then again my expectations were low.

It was more or less the same quality as the previous specials imo