Watching - October 2026

The Great Celebrity Pottery Throw Down (season 1, 2026)

It's surprising that it's taken ten years for the Throw Down (or, as it's known in our house, The Great British Pottery-Off) to spawn a celebrity version - particularly as this worked so well. The series is shorter than the usual one, probably because it's unrealistic to expect busy famous people to commit for weeks and weeks - but that's not a bad thing, and the series doesn't suffer as a result. And it was enjoyable to see a more normal side to people who are usually always "on".

The Charismatic Voice: "The Blues Brothers" (2026)

The Charismatic Voice is a YouTube channel featuring Elizabeth Zharoff, an opera singer and voice coach, who does singing analysis on a wide range of rock and pop tracks. What distinguishes her is a charming, child-like pleasure in music and an impressive lack of preconceptions about what constitutes good singing - whether it's Aretha Franklin, Bruce Dickenson or some metalhead gargling gravel, she's all ears. What's also amazing, to me anyway, is her apparent almost complete ignorance of pop culture - nearly all of the tracks are new to her, to the extent that you wonder whether it's put on or she really has managed to make it through four decades without even slightly encountering Johnny Cash, Metallica or David Bowie, to take three random examples. I've watched quite a few of her videos and they're usually about 20-30 minutes long, and get a bit same-y after a while. This one's a bit different: it's a 4½ hour watch through the entirety of The Blues Brothers, in which we discover that although she's not able to identify James Brown ("is that Chaka Khan?"), she does know who Cab Calloway is. Watching her reactions to the film was amusing and a little frustrating in equal measure: I'm sure she wants to come to it fresh but a little more research in advance would have helped. And yes, if you're wondering, the fact that I watched all of this does indicate that I have too much time on my hands!

The Full Monty (1997)

Thirty years old next year and very much of its time, but still funny and poignant in surprisingly equal measure, given that I would say it's primarily known and remembered as a comedy. Watched with Z.

Witness for the Prosecution (1953; 2017 production)

A wonderful setting - in the historic council chamber of London's County Hall - and entertaining performances sadly don't fully mask the fact that this is a dated and over-melodramatic piece of tosh. The ending - ensuring that crime cannot profit - also shows its age. That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the night out for both the company, the architecture and the play itself, silly though it is.

Serendipity (2002)

Not sure why I fancied this again, but it's reliable and sweet entertainment. Just as long as you don't start analysing it too much! (this is almost certainly a sign that I've watched it too many times)

Baby Driver (2017)

Stylish and entertaining crime thriller. Z's choice for film night.

Taskmaster (season 4, 2017)

I finally finished watching this, having started it months ago. A good season, but why was Mel Giedroyc collecting the wax seals from the tasks? We need to be told!!

The Celebrity Traitors (season 2, 2026)

The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked (season 2, 2026)

The format is starting to grate ever so slightly, but it was never less than entertaining and watching some of the relationships develop was nice. And I think the right result was reached. The reaction "video podcast" (it still isn't) is also a great way to capture more of the spirit. Great stuff all round.