Hello there, I hope you’ve had a good month. Thanks to my foot injury I haven’t been out much for a while, but I am doing fine, as it has been feeling a lot better. And my mother is doing well too, although she did struggle in the heatwave we just had. I’ve included a little update on my caring situation in this post for those who are interested.
For the most part, however, my focus here will be on entertainment. And on that front the most significant thing is that I’ve been on the radio! I was very kindly invited to join in a discussion about audio description, and it’s already had some excellent feedback. Then beyond that, my mother and I have been celebrating David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, and I’ve been watching Doctor Who and some comedies.
So there’s plenty to get through in this roundup as usual, and I hope you enjoy!
Contents
Disability
Carer Updates
With Carers Week coming up on 8-14 June this year, here’s a little update on how things are going for me as an unpaid carer. There isn’t a huge amount to report at the moment, so it’s not worth doing a separate post on it.
Healthwise, I’ve not been out much for nearly 2 months, as I have a form of metatarsalgia, which affects the ball of my foot. And the recovery time for that is inevitably slow, as I still have to move about to do my day-to-day activities and help Mum with various things, so I can’t just rest it all the time. The recent heatwave hasn’t helped either, as that’s exacerbated it a bit.
However, it is a lot better than it was, to the point where it’s a very low level soreness that I only sometimes feel when I take steps now, not all the time. So I am getting there, and I’m hoping to gently venture out in June. I might try to get some better shoes first though, as I think the slippers and trainers I had before were a big part of the problem. I’ve already bought new slippers that really seem to have helped. We also have some new mats in the kitchen that are much softer to stand on than the thinner mats we had on the hard tiles before, so they’ve made a difference when standing to prepare food, do the washing up, etc.
The heatwave has been difficult for Mum too of course, although now her sleep cycle and mental state are more stable, she’s coped with the hot weather a lot better than she did last year. I’ve also done my best to keep her cool, by using fans, giving her ice lollies, closing the lounge curtains during the day to keep the room in the shade, and opening her bedroom window at night.
There’s only so much we can do though, so she did have a few little moments of confusion when the temperature or humidity got particularly bad. On the hottest day, for instance, she got disorientated in the lounge a couple of times in the evening. And there were a few nights during the past week where she got a bit restless or confused – on one occasion she woke me at 3:30am because she’d got lost coming out of her bedroom to go to the toilet, while on another hot night she was in a half-asleep state and called out for her mum around 1am, mistaking me for Nan when I responded until I told her who I was.
But on the plus side, there were a couple of mornings where she unintentionally dropped back off to sleep and had a nice lie-in, finally getting up 1 or 2 hours later than usual. So that was great, as catching up on some of the sleep she had missed meant that she was much more focused and relaxed during the daytime.
And in general Mum has done very well this month. She’s still in good spirits and doing chores around the house, and with my free time it’s been easier to help her out with things. Indeed, as frustrating as it’s felt not to go out for walks, meet friends, see shows, etc, it has nevertheless been nice to just spend a couple of months at home since leaving my support worker role, focusing on Mum and myself and little jobs that need doing around the house. As much as I enjoyed my previous job, it has been very liberating to escape the 9 to 5. It had clearly become too much in the circumstances, so I made the right decision.
I’m still doing my freelance accessibility testing work here and there anyway, so I’m getting a little bit of experience and income that way. A decision hasn’t been made on my application for Carers Allowance yet, but they did ask me for some information about my self employment this month, which I promptly sent back. So I’m glad it’s going through the system at least, and all I can do is keep waiting to see if anything happens. Mum’s Dial-a-Ride application was sorted very quickly this month though, I’m happy to say, because her Taxicard approval streamlined that process nicely. We don’t yet know how much we’ll use it, but it’s great to have it available.
In Touch Discussion
Towards the end of the month I had the honour of appearing on In Touch, the BBC’s radio programme for visually impaired people on Radio 4. This was my second appearance on the show, having been interviewed back in 2020 by Fern Lulham about audio description in theatres.
Fern had organised this particular edition as well, which was also about audio description, and very kindly invited me to be part of it. So I joined presenter Peter White and fellow guest Nia Greer from Vision Support UK, and the three of us had a lovely discussion about the accessibility of audio description on streaming services.
We had each chosen a different series on a different platform, and we all watched the first episode of each one in advance of the recording. We then chatted about the audio description specifically, including how helpful it was, what was missing, how easy it was to turn on, etc. The discussion flowed really nicely, with Peter ensuring we all got a fair turn, so I enjoyed doing it.
The programmes were:
- The Night Manager (Series 2) on BBC iPlayer – Peter’s choice.
- Scarpetta on Amazon Prime Video – Nia’s choice.
- The Dinosaurs on Netflix – My choice. Well, one of several options, as Fern had asked Nia and I to each send in a list for them to pick from.
You can listen to the episode on BBC Sounds, and I hope you find it interesting. The folks at accessibility agency VoiceBox certainly did, as they were inspired to write a thoughtful article in response to it, and I’ve seen other lovely comments on LinkedIn too. So I’m delighted that it’s resonated with people and given them pause for thought, as that was our hope.
It was a pioneering feature for the show, as they’ve never done this kind of review before. So if Fern and Peter do feel that it’s gone down well, as the immediate feedback seems to indicate, then they hope to repeat it in the future with other guests, like they already do for audiobook reviews.
I also enjoyed each of the programmes that we looked at, so I’m going to be watching them in full and reviewing them on this blog in due course.
David Attenborough
100th Birthday
He made it! One of the country’s most beloved figures, Sir David Attenborough, celebrated his 100th birthday on 8 May. Not that you’d know it, because he’s looking great for his age and is remarkably still working, having just narrated Blue Planet III which will be broadcast in the autumn. So fair play to him, and congratulations on such an illustrious milestone!
His long and distinguished career, showcasing the world of nature in his many beautiful documentaries, has been nothing short of extraordinary and hugely influential, bringing astonishing wonders to our TV screens that we would never otherwise have been aware of. He’s conclusively demonstrated why we should take more care and responsibility for our planet for the benefit of all, and has inspired countless scientists and other people to try and ensure that happens. He also has a voice and demeanour that you could listen to for hours, he’s never boring.
There’s a huge collection of his TV programmes on BBC iPlayer (including some from his very early years), along with a few audiobooks on Audible and radio shows on BBC Sounds, a lot of which my mother and I have never got around to before. But we have enjoyed some of his shows in the past. So we’re planning to gradually go through some of that material in the weeks and months ahead – not all of it, obviously, there’s far too much – because this special occasion is the perfect excuse to do so.
The audiobooks are of most interest to Mum given her blindness, so we’ve started listening to those together while we’re having our dinners. Meanwhile I’m going to watch some of the TV shows here and there, as and when I get time alongside the many other things on my watchlist – some of which have audio description, so if I find any I think Mum will particularly enjoy too, then we’ll watch those together as well. So it’ll take a while, and I might expand my DVD and Blu-ray collection as I go along, but we’ll see how it goes.
To begin with, therefore, we’ve really enjoyed watching the BBC’s selection of TV programmes to mark David’s centenary this month.
100 Years On Planet Earth
This was a special concert from the Royal Albert Hall, featuring beautiful pieces of music from some of his biggest shows, with performances by Sigur Rós and Dan Smith from Bastille among them. Alongside those renditions, presenter Kirsty Young took us through David’s phenomenal career, we were shown a lot of stunning footage, there were interviews with stars including Michael Palin and Chris Packham, and there were tributes from many other people who have worked with David and been inspired by him.
I particularly liked the specially filmed sequence that showed the birthday message from the King being delivered by a myriad of animals across the country to David’s letterbox. That was really sweet and very cleverly put together, with some gorgeous views of the coasts and countryside.
We were also shown the amazing sequence of a young iguana being chased by snakes from Planet Earth II, with the score performed live by the orchestra. Then towards the end, HRH The Prince of Wales gave a really nice speech to congratulate David on his long life and career, and David got a lengthy standing ovation after the audience sang Happy Birthday. He then closed the show by narrating the lyrics to the song What A Wonderful World over beautiful footage of animals. So it was a lovely celebration altogether, perfectly highlighting his many achievements over his incredible life, and the lasting legacy he has gifted us with.
Secret Garden
This new 5-part series gives a beautiful insight into the wealth of wildlife that exists in people’s backyards. Each episode focuses on a different location, including a millhouse by a river and residential properties in Bristol, along with countryside, woodland and coastal gardens. It’s amazing and adorable to see how many different animals frequent these spaces, which is always more than you’d expect, and what they get up to when our backs are turned. I’m also glad that they’ve continued the tradition of showing how things were filmed at the end of each episode, because the production team are very resourceful and extremely patient.
Making Life On Earth
This documentary looks back at how David and his team made the landmark series Life On Earth, as it’s now 50 years since he first embarked on the project in 1976. It’s a fascinating story, because it fulfilled a long-held dream of his to make a series about the evolution of animal life on our planet, and nothing like it had ever been attempted before. It took 3 years to film all over the world, there was no email or internet to research and organise things in those days, there were practical and political hurdles to overcome, and there were even some dangerous moments too.
So it’s well worth a watch even if you’ve never seen the series itself – indeed, like me, it may well tempt you to check it out in full, which I’m going to do at some point soon.
Other TV Shows
Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary
This month I’ve continued my in-depth look through the modern era of Doctor Who by reviewing the 50th Anniversary specials from 2013 and associated bonus material. The Day Of The Doctor is a brilliant episode, paying tribute to the history of the show and setting things up for the future, through an exciting adventure across time and space. There’s also Matt Smith’s triumphant final episode as the 11th Doctor, a lovely biographical drama about William Hartnell becoming the first Doctor, a very funny comedy about some of the Classic Doctors trying to get a role in the anniversary special, interesting documentaries, and lots of other stuff. So I hope you enjoy digging through it all.
Next up I’m going to be jumping back further in time to watch the movie from 1996 on the new 30th anniversary Blu-ray that’s just been released. I’ve only ever seen the film once before, a long time ago, so I don’t remember it very well, and I’ve never owned it in any format, so almost all of the special features will be completely new to me, apart from one or two things I’ve seen online already. So I’m really looking forward to watching that.
Open All Hours: Inside Out
It’s 50 years since the classic sitcom Open All Hours, about corner shop owner Arkwright (Ronnie Barker) and his nephew and assistant Granville (David Jason), first hit our TV screens. Both actors have been in better sitcoms in my view (they also starred in Porridge, which the BBC prioritised over this one, and we all know that David led the cast of Only Fools And Horses), but they had brilliant chemistry here, as they had enormous respect for one another. And there’s a gentle charm and warmth to Open All Hours that makes it enjoyable to watch.
It worked so well because the shop environment allowed for a variety of different characters to enter, some of whom were regulars. Penny-pinching Arkwright was determined to swindle money out of them in any way possible, as well as being desperate to get his hands on Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Barron) across the street, who always stood up to him. And poor Granville was desperate to get a girlfriend and live a more interesting life, with Arkwright often sabotaging his plans.
Then of course there was Arkwright’s stutter, used to great comic effect without being offensive (his attempts to say things like Engelbert Humperdinck or ginger cake are particularly memorable). And the till was a character of its own, nearly chopping their hands off in every episode. So from this little shop came many avenues for stories and comedy, which writer Roy Clarke tapped into nicely.
The sequel series Still Open All Hours, with Granville running the shop following Arkwright’s death, wasn’t as good as the original given Ronnie’s absence. But it was still pretty amusing thanks to David Jason playing the lead, alongside a good cast of supporting characters. It also lasted for 2 series longer than its parent show, running for 6 series from 2013-2019. There were plans for a 7th series, but the Covid lockdown scuppered it and it never came back.
To mark its big milestone, therefore, Gold aired a special 2-hour documentary about Open All Hours during May. It featured interviews with Roy Clarke and David Jason, plus other stars of the show and members of the production team, all recalling their experiences fondly. Archive interview footage of the late Ronnie Barker and Lynda Barron was also included, while Ronnie’s daughter Charlotte was among the contributors as well.
It was a very comprehensive tribute to the show altogether, with some nice little insights and plenty of funny clips along the way. There were also a few outtakes from Still Open All Hours, sweet thank you letters to the cast from Roy Clarke to tell them what had become of their characters, and a brand new scene filmed last year to tie up the story for Granville, as he muses for one more time outside the shop. So that was a lovely way to end it.
Morecambe & Wise: The Lost Tape
BBC Four aired a lost episode of Morecambe & Wise during the month, which was recovered by a charitable trust called Film Is Fabulous. It was broadcast on what would have been Eric’s 100th birthday, for which a mural was also unveiled to mark the milestone.
It’s the third episode of the first series of their BBC show, and is almost complete apart from a missing boxing sketch, which may have been cut from the tape to leave room for adverts when the show was to be sold overseas.
In the 25-minute episode, Eric gives Ernie some very complicated directions, the two of them visit a nudist camp, and Eric brings out a sexy dancer covering her modesty with balloons. It’s all fairly amusing, though nothing special compared to their later work. And there are also music performances by The Paper Dolls (led by Susie Mathis) and Trio Athénée, who aren’t very exciting.
So it was interesting to see it for the first time out of curiosity. I wouldn’t buy an entirely new box set of the show on DVD just for that though, if it was the only thing they added to a future release, unless it was very cheap.
Harry Hill: Stand-Up Specials & TV Burp
Big-collared comedian Harry Hill celebrated entering his 60s with a new tour last year, from which a stand-up special was broadcast on Sky this month. And it’s a lot of fun, as despite his age he still has a lot of energy and creativity, and his act is still as mad as always.
So I decided to look at all of his previous stand-up specials as well, along with the DVD compilations I have for TV Burp, his brilliant ITV show where he made hilarious observations and sketches relating to recent programmes.
You can check out my big review post for all the details, where I’ve also briefly mentioned some of his other stuff too, and I’ve put together a long playlist with a wide selection of clips.
Conclusion
And that’s it, I hope you found my latest roundup interesting as always.
In June I’m hoping to go out a bit more again, though I’ll take it easy at first until I can be sure I’m not flaring up my injury. I do have a theatre show booked that I really want to see if I can, but I’ll have to see how it goes.
In any case, I’ve got lots to keep me busy on the entertainment front in June and beyond. Apart from the Doctor Who Movie, I also want to check out a couple of other Blu-rays that I have on pre-order for June, plus all of the programmes that I helped to review for In Touch, the finale of Good Omens, the bonus summer series of Mock The Week, and some of the shows by David Attenborough. Plus there are other things I want to try and start reviewing more regularly, now I have more time on my hands, just to keep things nice and varied.
So I hope you have a nice time in June and the weather behaves for the start of the summer. And as always I’ll see you for another roundup next month, along with anything else I write about in the meantime.
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