Entertainment For Lively Minds
Eels documentary on BBC4 - transmission date change
Posted by Andrew Harrison on 4 November 2007 - 7:59pm.
In the Dec issue we've got a piece on a fascinating BBC4 documentary about Eels lead singer/sole proprietor Mark "E" Everett (above) and his theoretical physicist father. Hugh Everett III (above right, rather obviously) was a troubled genius who discovered the "Many Worlds" theory of alternative universes which so enlivens science fiction - it sounds none more WORD and none more BBC4 too.
Anyway, the transmission date has changed from Nov 30, as it was at press time, to Nov 26. It's also been retitled Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives. Apologies for this but such is the last-minute world of TV - go and set the Sky+ while you think on. Go on.
Er...
I'm not being pedantic, and I know that "set the Sky +" is just a figure of speech. But seriously: how do you set the Sky + for more than a week in advance? Can it be done? Is there a way round it? Because I'd really like to see this, and I know I'll forget.
Sky+
I don't have a Sky+ Box (I use a Topfield PVR), but I imagine there will be an option to enter recording details manually rather than using the EPG.
Sort of
There is, but it only offers days of the week, ie. 0 to 6 days in advance. Thanks, though.
Hmmm
I understand this to be the case if you're recording via the EPG, but surely there must be an option to insert recording details manually?
http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky/11749-how-far-advance.html#post68703
Yeees...
Thanks for digging, Fraser. There is a manual option, but you have to pick a day of the week with no specified date ie. you can only go as far as six days in advance. The whole system seems not to carry information more than a week ahead. For example, if you have a programme on series link then it won't set next week's until this week's has started. It's a bugger if you're going away for two weeks and you know when something's on but can't set Sky+ to record it.
Umm...
I'm not being Luddite but what's Sky+ ?
Well...
I really want to just say "It's Sky, but better - hence Sky plus."
But it's essentially the Sky digibox with built in hard drive recording, where you can programme it to record entire series, time shift, pause live TV and that.
Thanks.
But when do you get time to listen to music then?!
Guilty
You know what, you're right -Â you can't programme a Sky+ more than six days in advance. I apologise. You'll just have to put a Post It next to the telly instead.
The future
I hope you don't think I was being a smartarse, Andrew. I was genuinely hoping that I could make it work!
You know how you sometimes get e mails from Amazon telling you to buy something because you'd really like it? Well, I think Sky+ should be like that. It should know, based on recording history, that I like virtually anything HBO based - apart from Sex In The City; that I love a good BBC4 music documentary, and to never ever record anything that's on Living. I know they have a thing going with Nokia, so they could send me a text message that said "the new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm is finally starting on E4 this week. We've taken the liberty of programming it into your Sky+ box, so just go and delete it if you think we're wrong, and we'll remember it for next time" or something. If Steve Jobs ran Sky...
No, I don't think you're being a smartarse!
I thought you COULD programme it ages in advance. I am turning into my nan.
Reminder emails are a very good idea. I wish they'd tell me when a new series of something interesting was starting, instead of relying on me to see a trailer inthemiddleofmybusymodernlife. I suspect Sky would be doing a lot of that "push recording" if not for the experiment they tried a couple of years ago. The nation came home and found an edgy new comedy on their boxes - Sky had a deal to market it. The viewers went mad and they haven't tried it since.
Curb
Is the new series of CYE starting on E4 this week, or was that just a hypothetical example?
Please say it's so.
I wish
Sorry, that was just me hoping.
Eels the music not the Sky+ argument
Is the documentary going to have anything about Eels music or is it primarily about his old man? Eels is one of the best performers of recent years both live and in the studio but am not sure his old man sounds that interesting - more like a loathsome bully to be honest but shall watch it to see what insights are provided into 'E' as he seems a pretty complex character. Of more interest is the forthcoming double cd of rare live and unreleased stuff coming out in January. It apparently has cover versions of Prince's 'If I was your girlfriend' and 'I could never take the place of your man' which is intriguing to say the least.
The subject
From the article in The Word, I get the impression that it's mostly about the father's theories, and presented by the son, although hopefully there might be some Eels on the soundtrack.
Now
Right, I'm going to set it now before I forget.