| UK TV highlights for December 1999 |
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| Jump
to: Week One: 1st - 3rd Dec Week Two: 4th - 10th Dec |
Week Three: 11th -
17th Dec Week Four: 18th - 24th Dec Week Five: 25th - 31st Dec |
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| Highlights by Paul Spragg (PS), Tom
Spilsbury (TS), Clayton Hickman (CH) For full day-by-day listings of all UK TV channels, see magazine |
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STARGATE SG-1 | ||
| Jolinar's Memories Wednesday 8th, 20.00 |
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| When Tok'ra host and Carter's
father Jacob is captured, he is taken to a planet ruled by a Goa'uld named
Sokar who has decided to model himself on the Devil. Enlisted by other Tok'ra,
SG-1 sets out to rescue him. |
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| Generally, you tend to expect that little bit more of a two-part story, and Jolinar's Memories really delivers. Obviously given a fair share of the budget, the CGI landscapes are particularly impressive when the team first arrive in 'Hell'. Using a memory-retrieval device, Carter is able to access Jolinar's memories in order to find a way to escape, leading to tough times for the main characters as the device is used to try to extract information from them by a familiar figure. It's not hard to guess who's back, so I won't spoil the surprise, bit it could make for some interesting plotlines as the series progresses towards the end of its third season. (PS) | |||
| 1st - 3rd December Back to top |
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Sacrifice of Angels Thursday 2nd, 18.45 |
DON'T MISS... | ||
| STARTING THIS WEEK | |||
You know, the one with the big battles. No, the really big battles. Actually, although the battles are the one thing that everyone remembers Sacrifice of Angels for, that is actually doing the episode an injustice. It marks the turning point for Dukat, who descends into madness after this episode, and the re-introduction of the Prophets, who would become increasingly important to the series from this point on. |
Odo has to decide who his friends are, Damar decides who his enemies are, and Weyoun is just having the time of his lives. It's crunch time for everyone, (esp-ecially if you're the 'angel' to which the title refers) but the war itself is only just hotting up. One of the show's very finest instalments. (TS) DOCTOR WHOThe Silurians Tuesdays, 18.00 THE SIMPSONS Bart Sells His Soul Wednesday, 19.00 |
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| LOOK OUT FOR | |||
| Buffy The Vampire Slayer Sky 1 begins a series of the best Buffy episodes as a Christmas treat, starting on Friday at 20.00 with The Puppet Show. |
| 4th - 10th December Back to top |
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Winter Angel Tuesday, 21.00 |
DON'T MISS... | ||
Although apparently based on the 1970s BBC series of the same name, which concerned a government-run investigative team who uncovered threats to world ecology, this one-off special is the same programme in name alone. And even then, they've added a space. A very expensive-looking production, this film updates the concept to the Nineties where former head of Doom Watch, Dr Spencer Quist gathers together a rag bag team of students and professors with an interest in ecology in order to find out what's been happening in a remote power station near Newcastle. |
With some fine performances and excellent (if sometimes gory) special effects, the production is only let down by its occasional impenetrability - the writer should have been told that not everyone has a degree in advanced scientific gobbledegook. On the basis of this film, Doom Watch is certainly deserving of a follow-up series, if only because beautifully-produced Sci-Fi drama like this is such a rarity on British TV. (CH) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYERTed Thursday, 18.45 |
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| LOOK OUT FOR | |||
| The
Simpsons Season Eleven - first UK showing for new episode E-I E-I D'oh on Sunday at 18.30, featuring a guest vocal performance from popular beat combo The B-52's. |
| 11th - 17th December Back to top |
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Heavy Metal Monday 13th, 21.00 |
DON'T MISS... | ||
The sliders arrive in the middle of the ocean. This causes some degree of concern, as swimming to shore after each slide may not be useful or possible. Bumped out of their 'sliding radius', the team seek passage on a ship to get back to dry land. Then it gets boarded by pirates. Don't you just hate it when that happens? |
Possibly one of the dafter ideas the Sliders creators have had, Heavy Metal is actually one of the more enjoyable episodes this season, if only because it's something a bit different. Plenty of fighting, a spot of action, sympathetic characters and Maggie manages to get lucky in a surprisingly hot and heavy scene. And you can't say fairer than that. (PS) EARTH: FINAL CONFLICTInfection Thursday 16th, 20.05 XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS King of Assassins Saturday 11th, 20.00 |
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| LOOK OUT FOR | |||
| The
Simpsons Season Eleven - first UK showing for new episode Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder on Sunday 12th at 18.30 |
| 18th - 24th December Back to top |
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White Hole Sunday 19th, 00.50 |
DON'T MISS... | ||
Season Four's Holly story is an undoubted highlight of the show's entire run, as the crew discover a white hole, spewing Time back into the universe in random pockets. So what is it? Well, attempts to boost Holly's IQ back to 6,000 so she can count without banging her head on the screen result in her lifespan being reduced and the Dwarf floating in Space. So what is it? Only joking. Season Four contains some of the best Sci-Fi concepts the show has utilized, and playing pool with planets is fantastic. |
So what is it? I believe we've experienced this Time period before. Well, attempts to boost Holly's IQ... And that one. Luckily, the comedy isn't lost in the shuffle with Rimmer's attempts to explain a simple concept to Holly and the return of Talkie Toaster particular highlights. So what is it? Well, attempts... (PS) FUTURAMALove's Labor Lost in Space Thursday 23rd, 22.30 THE AVENGERS They Keep Killing Steed Friday 24th, 11.00 & 17.00 |
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| STARTING THIS WEEK | |||
| Due
South Season Three first UK showing of last ever episode Call of the Wild, Monday, 18.25, BBC2 Meego Season One - first UK showing of the show about an alien who crashes on Earth and becomes a nanny, with hilarious consequences, weekdays over Christmas from 20th at 10.00, repeated at 15.00 |
| 25th - 31st December Back to top |
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Mawdryn Undead Boxing Day, 09.15 |
DON'T MISS... | ||
As a pedantic Doctor Who fan, it is my duty to point out that Mawdryn Undead completely messes up all established UNIT continuity, by setting part of the story in 1977. However, once one gets over that small point, the story remains one of the highlights of the Davison era. As well as bringing back the wonderful Nicholas Courtney as two versions of the Brigadier, we also meet new companion Turlough, who is actually plotting to kill the Doctor for the Black Guardian. And this is only the sub-plot! The main story revolves around a group of scientists who wish to gain the secret of eternal life, but entirely mess it up. David Collings excels as the tortured Mawdryn while Davison is just hitting his peak. An adventure which showcases Doctor Who at its most thoughtful and scientific. (TS) |
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| STARGATE SG-1 Secrets Wednesday 29th, 21.00 This is an introspective Stargate tale that sees most of the main cast discovering a secret (surprising eh?), Daniel's about Sha're and Carter's about her father. Jackson's return to Abydos is the most affecting of the plotlines, but Carter's reunion with her father is also emotionally played. Meanwhile, O'Neill meets a reporter who has somehow uncovered the truth of the Stargate Project and is determined to expose it. Truth exposing is unusual for The X-Files' Chris Owens, but he does a fine job with a small role here. (PS) |
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| hIGHMore highlights, with full UK broadcast
and merchandise listings for December, in Cult Times #51 |