Channelsurf

Newcastle Herald

Friday December 26, 2008

GR

WEDNESDAY

SOLSTROM: THE

SPECIAL

SBS, 7.50pm

WATCHING it on television is never

going to match the feeling of watching

the Cirque du Soleil performers

firsthand.

But its still quite a spectacle to

behold.

In this special, magical solar wind

transforms everyday life into a playful

world that blends fantasy with acrobatic

performance.

Ordinary characters suddenly change

into jugglers, hand-balancers, acrobats,

contortionists and a myriad of other

incarnations.

Offering sumptuous lighting, music

and striking costumes, this opulent

production is simply magic to watch.

THURSDAY

HAPPY NEWS YEAR

ABC1, 10pm

A WHOLE program could be dedicated

to the Chaser boys well-publicised

antics.

But this particular show is dedicated

to the other big news stories and newsmakers

of the year that has been.

The Chasers Chris Taylor (pictured)

guides viewers through the year in

which America elected its first black

President; China presented the Olympics

and its modern face to the world; and

a new flavour of pub-grub gelato was

introduced in Australia.

THURSDAY

THE LAND BEFORE

TIME

ABC1, 11.35am

THIS new childrens series is based on

the highly successful animated feature

produced by Steven Spielberg in 1988.

In this weeks premiere episode,

Chomper is left with no choice but to

find a new cave to live in.

When he and his friends find the

perfect cave, they accidentally create

an opening that is discovered by the

fearsome Red Claw and his Sharptooth

lackeys.

Meanwhile, the small and insecure

Ducky asks the offbeat Ruby to teach

her how to talk big.

THURSDAY

THE STORY OF 1

ABC1, 8.30pm

JOHN Farnham told us one was the

loneliest number.

Terry Jones (pictured above)  of

Monty Python fame  thinks its one of

the more interesting.

Jones takes viewers on a funny journey

around the world to discover the

story behind the simplest  most lonely

 number we have.

Using Pythonesque computer graphics,

the numeral is brought to life in all its

various guises.

Viewers also learn that without one,

and also zero, todays world would be a

very different place.

Interesting and entertaining, this film

isnt nearly as dull as it might sound.

THURSDAY

DESTINY IN ALICE

ABC1, 9.30pm

DESTINY Attenborough, an Aboriginal

mock anthropologist styled after the

famed naturalist David Attenborough,

guides viewers through the lesbian

metropolis of outback Australia  Alice

Springs  in this satirical documentary.

The town of Alice Springs has become

a place where black and white women

mix and mingle and confront the challenges

of loving across racial and cultural

gaps.

Destiny Attenborough sees but is not

seen by the women who appear in

this humorous film which is set against

the breathtaking backdrop of outback

Australia.

TONIGHT

TIN MAN  PART 1

OF 2 (CONTINUES

TOMORROW NIGHT)

Prime, 8.30pm

THIS twisted re-imagining of The Wizard

Of Ozhas elements of The Matrixand

Bladerunnermixed into what is, at the

core (beyond the special effects and

winged monkey-bats), a very sweet

story.

It comes bearing big names such as

Richard Dreyfuss and Alan Cumming,

but the story is led by Zooey Deschanel.

She plays DG  the great-great-granddaughter

of Dorothy Gale.

DG, joined by her newfound friends,

wanders down the yellow brick road to

find a powerful wizard and break the

spell of the wicked sorceress Azkadellia.

Tin Man wont knock epic fantasy

adventures such as Lord Of The Rings

off their exalted perches, but it is a

pleasant way to spend an evening or

two with the family.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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