Husskade's Reviews

Survivor (I) (2001–2023)

8/10

20 January 2024

Well, the U. K ..ie my home finally got round to doing another series of Survivor after many, many years and they seem to have paid a bit of attention to other franchises and basically gone back to early days of the U. S version because that really was the best. (With acknowledgment to Australian version where I'm convinced that at times they're out to kill them) What they haven't done is gone wildly politically correct or at least they haven't smashed it into our faces they've just a shown us Brits as we are. They have done a pretty good cross representation of us Brits...from the posh Toff to the not so posh working class with everything in between. And our nations and regions are shown. And they actually left the survivors with nothing initially, old style, earn your stuff the hard way !

Even Joel isn't as annoying as he can be. My only real and constant gripe is the background music. It's far, far too loud. It's intrusive, relentless and infuriating. On U. K TV we suffer from 'whispering' where for some reason the broadcasters seem to think we don't need to hear the words that are said...they are either drowned out by background music or the voices are so quiet you struggle to hear. Many folk leave subtitles on permanently...it really can be that bad.

So BBC do us all a favour and tweak the sound levels...it spoiling a good programme.

Give it a whirl....these survivors mean business, just like they used to.

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Fight to Survive (2023– )

4/10

Is the new trend in competitive Reality Shows ?

25 August 2023

I wanted to like this. It has all the ingredients for a programme that should...should be an enjoyable watch. It has familiar people we've all seen before if you watch Survivor type shows. People who know how to use tactics, people who don't mind going without to get to a win. People who are willing to compete with each other. People from 'Survivor', 'Alone', Naked and afraid'..you get the picture. Theoretically they know what they're doing and they also know how to react to camera and be interesting. And yet it's not a good watch.

It's not about surviving, it's about fighting. It's appealing to something rather unpleasant in human nature and rewarding it.

Consequently any given episode revolves around people moaning and being genuinely uncomfortable and these are people used to survival situations. Plotting to make life as horrific as they possibly can for the others is the way to go. In other words for me it's nasty.

It goes against many of the principles of the shows a lot of them have been in before. Seems that survival principles are for sale.

What's bothering me is this trend towards who can inflict the most discomfort on the rest seems to be the way this type of show is going. Who behaves the worst and the cruelest is the featured contestant and might well win. Where is this going ?

As unlikely as that seems consider...the closing hook on an episode is that someone says forcefully they are going to make people fight for water. Really ? Water ?

Chances are this won't actually happen but it's the selling point for next week.

If you enjoy this kind of thing go for it. Not for me.

To me it's appealing to an aspect of humanity that is a concern.

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Caught in the Act: Unfaithful (2022– )

5/10

'Cheaters' ....reborn !

23 August 2023

Warning: Spoilers

We've been living in a reality Tv world where nothing is new. At its best it's a rehash of an older previous series but with new shiny bells and whistles and in the best cases a new and improved twist so that it's not a total rehash except for the name.

So now we have 'Cheaters'...sorry 'Unfaithful : Caught in the act'.

Now I admit it's that long since I've seen 'Cheaters' I'd almost forgotten about it and when I started this I recalled something familiar and then the penny dropped.

But I thought 'give it a chance'. Tami Roman seems convincing ish...polished I think is the word. The office /come home / come whatever it is where the interviews take looks okay until you notice it's looks suspiciously dressed by a realtor who is selling it.

The alarm bells started to clang when the 'badly done to' start to appear. These 'cases' are taken on her 'whim ?'. No...I don't think so. The case commences and the investigation starts. And with it there's the endless product placement for secret cameras and recording devices.

(Thanks for that by the way. I now know if I ever want a secret camera I can get one for my bag,my glasses etc basically you name it and there's a camera available to put in it).

So we have one placement, one incident and they call it quits. Everything is done.

The badly done to one has their worst suspicions confirmed but (and the twist) they get an offer they can and often do refuse.

Reactions to their news did vary.

And this is where I really got irritated. The 'acting' needed was clearly beyond several of them. Smashing up a room is nowhere near as tidy or precise as went on here. It was bad. The I realised that MTV were consulting their standard cast list of reality show 'victims' when one person presented themselves who's been on at least another three episodes of their programme list. Two separate episodes Catfish and another of a Catfish offshoot. Their appearance is striking and unmistakable and their IG is happily broadcasting 'See me on this show'. And that's when I stopped being accepting of the 'pretence' and got irritated instead. We all know these shows are worst a total set up, definitely scripted or 'enacted' but surely we don't have to see the same people rehashed. At what point do they stop being participants and become actors instead.

It's a shame in a way. There's room for a 'Cheater' type show but this isn't it. Or if if it is it has to be far less slick and far more realistic.

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Deep Fake Love (2023– )

3/10

Demonstrating Deep Fakes.

9 August 2023

This show makes Temptation Island look positively helpful to relationships . (Almost) It's the same premise..couples in relationships in trouble decide the best way to deal with it is to go on TV, and get involved with others and look for a happy ending with their original partner and with some money.

The twist here is that they are shown 'Deep fake' videos of their partner engaged in...being engaged with someone else.

Some videos are real and some are most definitely not but they don't know the difference.

We are in on the 'joke' (is it a joke or game ? ) anyway...in the end the truth of the videos are revealed to the partners but even when they are told what is true and what isn't the doubts are clearly planted by the Deep Fakes so positive endings are in doubt.

And then there's the 'bait' partners ..no one cares about them. It seems that any feelings they may have are inconsequential.

The take from this programme is that Deep Fakery in the real world is scary and concerning.

We definitely cannot believe what we think we see and this show shows it possibly better than any 'news' or political pundit ever has.

Here it's being done for 'entertainment' ...but in the real world it can be used for anything.

My overriding feeling watching this show is it's voyeuristic and essentially very cruel.

It's playing on anyone's deepest insecurities and once triggered and 'proved' (even though they're not) how do you go on from there. It will be interesting to see if another season is done and what happens in the long run to these couples.

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Million Dollar Island (Australia) (2023– )

6/10

Imitation of Survivor.

28 July 2023

A good or bad imitation ? Well I started off quite keen on this but the gloss faded fairly quickly.

Other reviewers have detailed the main premise of the show and how, over time the prize becomes smaller ...shares not a Million. (That's okay if you know from the off that that is what's happening...not the initial impression given) For me a major irritation from virtually the beginning (second episode) was that it was clear who would end up in the final because they'd skewed the play so that the highest 'earner' was immune from play. It also became clear that food would become an issue and control/ownership of it certainty revealed some people for who they are.

On a personal viewing level there was one player who is probably the most objectionable contestant I've ever seen in a reality survivor type show.

And as a viewer, if they decide to do it again get rid of Ant Middleton...he is dreadful he just hasn't got the charisma or skills to voice over a game show like this. His other show demanded very little from him but in this one his gaps showed. In fact they need to re jig the constant and repetitive stream of words from both Ant and the contestants...it was the same thing over, over and over again. Possible it's because the people competing weren't articulate or interesting enough to fill the time. They certainly lacked the strategic skills they could have used...except for the production rigging of the play.

And the final game...(contestants looking suddenly showered, brushed and in freshly ironed clothes) well, the final game required luck. Just luck..And do we really have to hear over and over again why they want the money... I'd love to say I'd enjoyed the series...all I can say is it's okay. I've actually had the last episode saved to watch for several weeks because it's so frustrating to watch but curiosity won out.

But as I'm watching it and writing...I have to repeat their last game is luck...luck...and that is so poor after everything that's gone before.

So it's a series that starts with a bang and ends on a decided whimper.

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Estate of Panic (2008– )

6/10

Screams and chaos

3 June 2023

Warning: Spoilers

It's cheesy, it's slightly silly. It definitely takes its source material from Fear Factor but is far more chaotic.

And for me that's where the problem lies. It's the chaos....it's almost impossible to follow what's going on properly because the camera is swooping around or sand is falling from the ceiling or something else is blocking the scene.

On the other hand there's some serious quite disturbing moments where you do wonder just how panicked people actually are and it stops being a game. There's the shrinking room scenario (shades of so many horror films) where the ceiling ends up so low it's worrying.

My favourite was the 'glue' floor, knee deep glue and the poor woman stuck in it and her plaintiff 'I can't move' will stay with me.

I actually liked Steve Valentine....his profound amusement at tormenting the contestants is brilliant. He's the sophisticated version of TJ Lavin.

Must add though...I do hope someone paid the clean up crew and the animal wranglers the big bucks because it must have been hell to sort out the sets afterwards.

Overall it's a good fun watch...it's definitely different but for me the chaos robs it of that indefinable something that makes it a great show.

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Apex (2021)

5/10

Respect Bruce Willis please....

4 May 2023

Okay. It's not a brilliant film. Certain of the actors are simply ...well, let's put it this way some actors should never ever try to master an accent. But Bruce Willis does as best as Bruce can do. It became common knowledge that he was using hearing aids for dialogue cues and at times it shows. He's lost his verve and it shows. He looks tired. But what we didn't know but do know now is that he's struggling with Dementia...in this film it's possible his aphasia was starting.

So he's doing or done what many top rank actors before him have done...he's made sure he's getting enough tucked away to look after his family and himself when he is no longer able to function. Which now in 2023 ..is showing sadly.

He's made some fab action films and played some memorable even iconic characters so cut the man some slack.

Enjoy this film for what it is...and respect and enjoy Bruce. While we can.

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Help! I'm in a Secret Relationship! (2022– )

3/10

The secret is ....?

20 April 2023

In the time of if humans do it we'll film it I suspect we're getting near to the bottom of the 'reality' show barrel now if this is anything to go by.

In fairness the first series wasn't dreadful but that might just be novelty value. But it was watchable.

The second series is woeful and I think that the presenters know it's struggling. (It's coming to something when what I'm really interested in is what Rahne is wearing because the clothes always look great however, I digress.) I'm beginning to wonder if some of the 'hidden' are just using the series to raise awareness of their job/art/ whatever. Others come across as actors looking to find work. There's an awful temptation to take mental bets on what the 'secret' is about and sadly it's now far too obvious. The 'reveals' are not very revealing because they are telegraphed all the way through.

The series is an offshoot from 'Catfish' which despite its longevity keeps going crossed with a series about 'Ghosting'.

It's a shame it's become so dull to watch but perhaps it's because the premise is actually too serious or intimate for such a lightweight program.

Sometimes the trick is to know when to call it quits.

I hope the presenters get something of a much better calibre to present on MTV because they deserve a good show to front.

If you're really bored and there's genuinely nothing else to watch give it a go...Series 1 but 2. No....

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Tempting Fortune (2023– )

7/10

Distasteful.

4 April 2023

Warning: Spoilers

This is one of those programmes where you wonder why people can't see how much they're revealing about who they are.

It's simply about spending from the pot now..instant gratification or delayed gratification.

Except the gratification isn't at your at your own expense.

It's at the groups.

It's actually a horrible watch but one of those where it's intriguing as to who believe they're entitled to 'now' and who is prepared to wait. And the ingenuity of some excuses for what is simple selfishness.

(And as an older person myself...I'm actually appalled by one persons actions.) It's interesting but humans at their best and worst.

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Grace (2021– )

5/10

Oh dear.

28 March 2023

I watched this on the back of watching 'No offence'. Huge mistake.

If anyone has a personality in this series I've yet to see it.

I've read all the Roy Grace books and this series doesn't do it justice in fact it took me a while to realise it was a TV adaptation of the books (it could be that this particular tv iteration of it isn't in book release order or in original broadcast order. ) It's poor...John Sims is, as others have said flat...lifeless, in fact boring.

The scene I'm watching right now is beyond bad. It's actually embarrassingly cringe worthy.

Well...all in all, if you genuinely can't find anything else to watch give it a go.

But for me there's not a lot between watching paint dry and this.

What a shame.

Watch 'No offence' instead.

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Gassed Up (2022– )

4/10

I tried....and failed.

6 October 2022

I watch time wasting telly.

I'm happy to admit that I watch reasonably watchable rubbish and in particular, vaguely competitive rubbish telly particularly in the middle of the night. (Insomnia is a pain.)

So I gave this a go.

And I'm sorry I did

I feel that (as the cliche goes ) my licence fee has been thrown away on a seriously self indulgent jolly for people who really don't either need or deserve the gift of this particular jolly.

In parts it genuinely looked like someone had sat and thought 'What can we add next to waste more money'.

The tractor competition made far more sense and was far more watchable.

It's an odd addition to the reality competition portfolio of programmes that BBC usually follows.

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