tellyjelly

Eastenders: 26 February 2009

We're expected to believe a lot when we watch soaps: that a group of Metallica fans would descend on the Rovers Return when Becky is working alone, or that Maria is now sympathetic toward Tony Gordon (in Coronation Street of course). As ever, Eastenders has to go that step further and venture into what can only be described as surrealism. I'm referring to the impossible expectation that we the viewers could possibly ever believe ... that Ian Beale is preparing to 'celebrate' his fortieth birthday. He has been fifty for at least twenty years, and yet here he is having a mid-life crisis when he should be having a party for the fact that he now gets his telly licence for free. This is just too much. I can just about accept that Patrick is ashamed of being caught up in a riot (fifty years ago, when Ian first set up the fruit and veg stall), but Ian being forty, never.

University Challenge: The Final 2009

The celebration of knowing nothing continues as Ms Trimble makes the news for being an intelligent woman. Hold the front page - she not he knows lots of things. The same news item also reported how there is a Facebook group for members to express how much they hate her. So let's get this right: she isn't a rich footballer or an X-Factor wannabe, she isn't married to a footballer, isn't that glamorous, but is knowledgeable about arts based subjects, so that's enough to inspire some to want to vent their anger against her?  

Coronation Street: 23 February 2009

Ken has been acting suspiciously for a few weeks now, and this includes taking poor little-legs Eccles out for five hour walks, but it has gone unnoticed until he made the mistake of buying wine in the corner shop. Blanche is worried he might be taking up novel writing again, because we all know the effect that had on him last time (for those who haven't kept up with the action, he became an alcoholic in the course of a week) but we the viewers know Stephanie Beecham of the Barge is his latest distraction. Will he or won't he sail away with her to Manchester? My guess is he'll stay in Wetherfield and have one more thwarted ambition to add to his list. Even though Stephanie makes his favourite leek and potato soup and Deirdre just opens a can, he is stuck in Coronation Street forever.