HARRY HILL’S TV BURP
Now on it’s 7th (!) series, it’s still slightly weird to me that Harry Hill is now the face of mainstream comedy, alongside Al Murray. Anyway, the series continues in the same vein it always has, it’s “comic look at the week’s TV” modus operandi is still surreal and affectionate in an Iron Fist in Velvet Glove sort of way. The way he’ll say incredibly cruel things about people in a clip and then have them come out and do a skit or song with him is impressive.
MONK – “MR MONK AND THE THREE JULIES”
This week’s episode was a high point in the latest season of Monk. Less reliance on a guest star, an actual mystery, no wringing of pathos and/or tragedy from Monk’s condition, Randy wasn’t a total goof, and lots of stuff for all the characters to do rather than another Tony Shaloub twitch-a-thon.
PSYCH – “LIGHTS! CAMERA! HOMICIDIO!”
Conversely this was a low point for Psych. While the clues in the mystery were fair, the culprit wasn’t ever on the radar as a suspect. And so the normally strong mystery structure was gone, meaning it had to coast on it’s ample charms. Not sure if this was due to some sort of writer’s strike lack of rewrites, or a meta-textual conceit to do with the setting of Spanish language soap opera that the mystery took place in. Still perfectly watchable and rewatchable due to the comedic performances of the ensemble cast.
DETECTIVE CONAN – “CLASH OF RED AND BLACK – THE BEGINNING”
Episode 491 marks the beginning of the end game in the mystery of Eisuke Hondou, the clumsy student who appears to have connections to the Black Organisation. As Conan tries to find the link between him and Rena Mizunashi, the news reporter detained due to her involvement with BO, it leads them to a case that has nothing to with that at all…
In fact the case resembles those times in soaps where they crowbar in a socially relevant message with no subtlety whatsoever. However, the case is completely fair to the home viewer as this series tends to be.
Nonetheless I look forward to see how this overall arc progresses, as the series excels when it drags Conan and the supporting cast from Poirot-style external investigators into the chaos of the case itself.