Radiation by Fiona Rae

The final of Lost will blow your mind.

What she said. It's choiiiiiiice. After a mediocre start to the season, the last few eps of Lost have been outstanding. I especially enjoyed the Nikki and Paulo episode "Expose".

Meanwhile I'm stunned that TVNZ are playing season two of Veronica Mars at 3pm on a Sunday. Do they want people to just download it or something?

Hum... I'm afraid the only thing that blows my mind about Lost is that people still don't get the wisdom of Anton Chekhov - no slob in the yarn-spinning racket - who famously observed that, "One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it." Hey, I've read Nietzsche, know what a panopticon is, and can fan-wank along with the best of 'em but really... sometimes you've just got to stop with the foreplay and put out.

idiot savant, my theory about that is either a) TVNZ has incompetant programmers/buyers who really don't know what they are doing, or how to negotiate a contract, or b) they don't care

the first law of housework: the only thing more boring than doing housework is watching someone else do it.

Au contraire, my dear... there's some pretty scenic housework action here (moderately safe for work).

And this book sounds quite edifying as well.

And now, a new feature of Radiation, which I probably pathetically will not be able to maintain, the weekly rundown:

This will be great. I hate reading a review of a show, only to realise that it has been and gone, and the point of the review is to say, "Ha ha. You missed out on seeing something fantastic."

What's with that, anyway? You would think that from the point of view of a TV channel, getting people to watch would be a good thing, so having a review come out, minus spoilers, before it aired would be a good thing too. Provided it's a good review, of course.

What's with that, anyway? You would think that from the point of view of a TV channel, getting people to watch would be a good thing, so having a review come out, minus spoilers, before it aired would be a good thing too. Provided it's a good review, of course.

It's certainly working for HBO with Flight of the Conchords.

It's not just the advance reviews, it's the deal with Sub Pop Records and everything.

sometimes you've just got to stop with the foreplay and put out.

Actually, it seems you don't: Daniel Zalewski at Salon likes the delayed gratification of the Lost experience, "TV's first tantric narrative" apparently, which sounds vaguely masochistic.

Dirty little downloaders will know that all the good shows have now had their season finales in the US: Lost, Heroes, Grey’s etc are all on the summer break

Also on this list is House MD (or just House as everyone calls it).

The first half of season three was brilliant, with the awesome House vs The Asshole Cop storyline, and the realisation that House is a lying, cheating addict and all his colleagues are what the addiction world calls enablers.

But the second half of the series was decidedly meh. Without revealing too much, I will just say that it's more focussed on the individual episodes stories than the series-long relationships, and that what could have been a cool series finale, ended up being "Uh, was that it?"

I am, however, still in <3 with House (not Hugh Laurie, mind), and am looking forward to series four.

Fiona:

Ewww... once I managed to uncross my legs, I must admit I get rather fraked off by the subtext - which pretty much becomes screaming text here - that Lost is for smart people, and pretty much everything else is for brain-dead, pap-fed morons. I don't need every plot point and character motivation signposted in 100 ft high neon; but I would like some idea that there's a little more going on on the creative front than 'wouldn't it be really cool if..., and we can make it work later'.

I've probably used up my ration of drooling fanboy praise of Battlestar Galactica -- but it's a show that managed to turn out a season finale that struck a fine balance between providing some closure, and still leaving you hanging for what comes next. (And avoiding spoilers, the last ten minutes threw every theory I have out the nearest airlock with extreme prejudice.)

For those of us with friends in America there are new seasons of Top Chef and Big Love starting next week. Yay.

Oh, no, Martha - top chef started already, last Thursday!

The observant among you will have noticed that Battlestar Galactica's second season has finally started on TV3

Indeed. Got the DVDs for Xmas and have been making them last - only one episode left. After watching it we always have the "That's so good! Why can't they make more shows this good?!" moment.

I'm tempted to complain about them putting such great stuff on at such rubbish hours, then I think about how many of my evenings are already filled with pretty good shows - I really don't need any more. So I'll probably pick up the Veronica Mars DVDs too.

I think Angela Petrelli has the power of evil, don't you?

Haven't worked that one out yet. She seems to care for her family so probably isn't all bad. How about X-ray vision? No one else has had that yet have they?

Little Fish is screening on Rialto; nice turns from Martin Henderson and Sam Neill

Talk about playing against type - in both cases. I was pretty impressed by the subtlety of the special effects - if I hadn't known who Martin Henderson was I might have thought he really was an amputee.

P.S. Nice to see you writing here again, I was beginning to think being accosted by strangers at BDO might've put you off :)

speaking of television ... Alan Dale the kiwi actor (anyone remember Radio Waves on South Pacific TV?)(SPTV was the fore-runner to TV2) now starring in Ugly Betty has just scored a role in the fourth installment of the Indianna Jones franchise.

I can't tell you what the role is, but the NZ MSM shouldn't expect everything delivered to them on a plate via PA.

now starring in Ugly Betty

It would be remiss of me not to mention his recurring role on Lost. :-)

I must admit I get rather fraked off by the subtext - which pretty much becomes screaming text here - that Lost is for smart people, and pretty much everything else is for brain-dead, pap-fed morons. I don't need every plot point and character motivation signposted in 100 ft high neon; but I would like some idea that there's a little more going on on the creative front than 'wouldn't it be really cool if..., and we can make it work later'.

Quite. My full thoughts on the topic here (spoilers, obviously), but it's worth pointing out that in the replies to that Salon.com article, many people point out that it's not all the teasing that annoys them, it's the fact that in order to enable all the teasing, the characters are forced to act in really stupid and unbelievable ways. That's just bad writing.

It would be remiss of me not to mention his recurring role on Lost. :-)

Ha! I stopped watching mid way trhru the 2nd series -- and my life is no worse!! I kept telling myself I'll catch up by watching the Box Set on DVD but ... funny how it seems so less important now ...

Here in Sydney the shadowy figure hidden behind bandages in Ugly Betty has been revealed as ......

Here in Sydney the shadowy figure hidden behind bandages in Ugly Betty has been revealed as ......

Matthew Ridge?

So how 'bout that Power of Art?

I surprised myself and enjoyed it more than A History of Britain. One episode in, Schama seems to have taken the opportunity to pick and choose artists and works of particular personal interest that enable a truly engrossing discussion - something never really possible with History.

Rough Crossings next?

Or something truly controversial from Niall Ferguson?