Wernham Hogg Paper Company

Ten years ago the Wernham Hogg Paper Company hit the headlines as the (now worldwide phenomenon) Gervais and Merchant mocumentary sit-com was first broadcast by the BBC where we became a fly on the wall in The Office following David Brent and his staff in their day-to-day business of paper.

I have to admit that I only managed to watch a few minutes of the first episode and couldn't watch any more a few years to come - not because it wasn't any good, but because I had previously worked for someone who not only looked like Brent but was exactly like Brent in so many ways and a whole lot worse so it brought back bad memories!

The person I worked with previously was so much of a bad manager that most of the staff knew him as Captain Nob-Shite as he was a Nob that talked shite and although he was only a deputy, deputy manager he thought he knew what he was doing and was under the misapprehension that he was in charge (hence the Captain title). He was the sort of salesperson who knew nothing about anything but didn't stop him from selling anything as he'd just make stuff up - the amount of refunds from people who when they got home realised he was talking shite was unbelievable.

Finally I got in to the right frame of mind as was able to watch The Office and couldn't help but laugh at the cringeworthy moments and fully emphasise with the staff that worked there!

I've not seen the US version as it will probably end up being 21 episodes per season and 51 seasons long - they seem to drag everything out far too long. Just like the classic sit-com Fawlty Towers, The Office is 2 series long which left us wanting more - better to finish at the top than half-way down the other side.

New Series of Red Dwarf Confirmed!!

A brand new series of Red Dwarf has just been confirmed!  TV channel Dave has commissioned the series which will be shown later this year.

Although the official Dave website states that "nothing is 100% definite" it has been unofficially confirmed by Kryten (aka Robert Llewellyn) who will tell you that it's being/been done if you ask him in person.

I'm a huge Red Dwarf fan but to say that Back To Earth was a bit of a let down would be an understatement so I hope they learn from their mistakes and get some laughter in the show - for me it was too silent and either needed a live audience at recordings/screenings to be recorded laughing at the show or even some canned laughter added.  For me Back To Earth was too silent and with all the previous episodes where laughter was added to the shows you laughed along with them and it made it so much better.

Fingers-crossed they don't screw up what it an iconic and fantastic Sci-Fi Sit-Com!

Get Some In!

Written by the people who also wrote The Good Life & Please Sir! and starring Tony Selby and Robert Lindsay, Get Some In! is a fantastic TV Sit-Com that was set in the 1950's.  Jakey (Robert Lindsay) goes to the RAF to do his National Service and meets the Drill Instructor from hell, Corporal Marsh (Tony Selby).

The show ran for 5 series and was originally broadcast between 1975 and 1978 and you can now get all five series of the show in a singe DVD 'Box Set' available from all good stockists (I got mine on special offer from Amazon for a bargain price of £14.97 when others were selling for £49.99 - a bargain if you ask me)!

Sanford And Son

Sanford and Son is a USA sitcom about a father and son who run a junk business together. The son goes off in the truck doing all the actual work of collecting other peoples unwanted items which they either sell for scrap or sell on from their junk yard.

Sound familiar? It should do as it is heavily based on the hit UK Television Series written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Steptoe and Son!

So far I have Series 1 & 2 (or should that be 'season' not series?) Series/season 3 is on its way in the post.

Don't get me wrong, Sanford and Son is good, but Steptoe & Son is much, much better. If you have seen both shows you will see that the acting in Sanford & Son is not as strong as in Steptoe & Son.

Redd Foxx, who played Fred G (S.A.N.F.O.R.D. period) Sanford, is a much stronger actor than that of Demond Wilson who played his son Lamont.

Redd Foxx looks quite natural as if we are a fly on the wall peering in to their lives, but with Demond Wilson you can see him avoiding looking in to the camera and pauses quite a lot waiting for a reaction from the audience.

That aside, it is still a nice accompanyment to your Steptoe & Son DVD collection.

Gibbs' Rules

Special Agent Leroy Gibbs has a list of rules that he and his fellow agents should work by. It was recently revealed by Gibbs himself that there are in fact 50 rules.

The rules I have found so far are as follows:

1) Never let suspects stay together.

1) Never screw over your partner.

2) Always wear gloves at a crime scene.

3) Don't believe what you're told. Double check. 3) Never be unreachable.

4) The best way to keep a secret? Keep it to yourself. Second best? Tell one other person - if you must. There is no third best.

7) Always be specific when you lie.

8) Never take anything for granted.

9) Never go anywhere without a knife.

12) Never date a coworker.

18) It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.

22) Never, ever bother Gibbs in interrogation.

23) Never mess with a Marine's coffee if you want to live.

Now, you will have noticed that there are a couple of conflicting rules such as there appear to be 2 rule 1's. This is because the rules seem to be quite fluid as opposed to being set in a specific order.

I'm sure as the seasons go on more of the rules will be revealed until all 50 are known!