I must confess that I suspected a hoax when my youngest daughter told me that E, Mark Oliver Everett of Eels, appears in a new Netflix series, Love.
Naturally, curiosity got the better of me and, sure enough, there he is in episode four.
He doesn’t exactly act in this scene, but maybe he’s branching out a little. I’ll say now that I didn’t watch the first three episodes.
Loving the More 4 Father Ted (Jack) back-to-back tribute tonight.
Father Jack is no longer with us. Sadly, Frank Kelly passed away today. If there was a God, which there obviously isn’t, one would connect the date to the passing of Father Ted himself. So sad though.
For a minute or two, just listen and appreciate.
While in the Dun Cow (the one in Bournmoor, not Sunderland) with old gentlemen the other night, I showed my companions a picture of Sara and Hoppity. This one.
Their reaction was along the lines of:
What the fuck’s that?
That thing looks evil
That’s disturbing
It’s wrong
They were astonished to find that this has been a children’s TV programme. At first, they couldn’t remember it, but as soon as I mentioned Sara Brown, one of the gentlemen recalled the full name of the series. And, after he sang the first line of the theme, another joined in. Our youngest companion claimed not to recall the series, but he probably didn’t want to acknowledge his age (he’s certainly old enough to have been a regular viewer). And, there wasn’t anything else to watch at the time, since there was just the one channel. Or were there two? I must check.
For a number of years, the BBC used to play clips from Eels songs when advertising future TV programmes. It’s been a while since they last used one though. Until now, that is. Over the past few days, the intro from the trouble with dreams has accompanied trailers for new programmes.
A good choice.
Recent events brought back old memories of (very) early childhood TV viewing. As a young child, I found TV quite boring. Children’s TV, that is. I pretty much tolerated Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men, possibly only because Little Weed was kind of cute. In a British middle class sort of way.
I never understood Bill or Ben though.
I also struggled a little with Sara and Hoppity.
Sara Brown has a toy as naughty can be, and he starts to sing when you wind up his key. One leg is much shorter, but give him a chance, and he will tell you how he can manage to dance;
Dear old Hoppity, naughty Hoppity, there is no toy as naughty can be;
Clever Hoppity, lovely Hoppity, he sings tiddly dum and he sings tiddly dee …
And it goes on in some weird, demented kind of way. That was a tiny piece of the theme tune: a tiny piece is enough.
The series was made in 1960, slightly before my time, but there was a lot of repetition on TV in those days. To me, in around 1965, it was new. And horrible. One can’t help but wonder how anyone could have imagined that such shit could have been of benefit to young children.
There’s a video or two on YouTube; I couldn’t bring myself to add I’m sure that such programmes must have damaged many children, now middled aged adults.
I’m now watching the third episode of And then there were none on TV. My second in command and I went to see the play in town a few months ago; it’s nice to see a more prolonged version (the judge has just been shot).
I was never a fan of Ms Christie’s works, but they do translate to the stage (and TV) pretty well.
My second in command wants a dog. We’ve decided to introduce one to our home on retirement. Well, it wouldn’t be fair on any creature to have to fit around our lifestyle. While the arrival of such a creature may be several years away, my second in command has already decided on a name. Hector. Apparently, she has fond memories of watching the children’s TV series, Hector’s House.
I’m currently watching Kelly’s Heroes, a film I first watched, in Sunderland, with mates, when I was around 14. So much time has passed since then; I have a grandchild of pretty much the age I was at the time, and a couple of that bunch of mates are no longer with us (Geoff Strong and Steve Aiken). Great memories.
Years have passed and I keep thinking … burning bridges lost for evermore.
I’m currently watching Stargate Universe on Netflix. It’s not great, but a person doesn’t need to think too much while viewing. However, at the end of this particular episode, just after the hallucinogenic alien tics were removed from people’s heads, and just as I was starting to nod off, the music caught my attention. Eels. Eels’ Agony, from the Souljacker album. One of their best albums. I may need to watch the remaining (many) episodes.