I have a confession to make. I don't watch much American network TV. In fact, I haven't watched more than a few hours worth in the last year or so. It wasn't always thus, once upon a time I watched TV whenever I could, bought Variety every week for their in depth Nielsen's chart and made my own ratings predications. I was addicted. When I became acquainted with British TV it was no better, in fact, it was much worse, since I had to rely on PBS and later A&E to occasionally pick up shows, all the while knowing there was an amazing selection of high quality television I was never going to see. Luckily this problem has been solved beyond my wildest dreams, thanks to the likes of BBC America and Comedy Central. But, just as I was logging more UKTV viewing, my yank TV viewing began to fall until it finally hit rock bottom. Oh, I know all about Friends and Buffy and How to be (or even Marry) a Millionaire, but, I just don't care anymore. What I've seen of them has been dishearteningly uninspiring. There are some American shows I like, but, I simply don't have the time to chase them down around the dial. I'd much rather watch Father Ted, Gormenghast or Changing Rooms than anything the major networks put on these days, though once the likes of The Simpsons, NYPD Blue and Malcolm in the Middle hit DVD I'll jump at the chance to catch up. But I digress...
As I said, I just don't keep up with USTV these days so I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a DVD of Robert Halmi's Hallmark production of Alice and Wonderland which aired in the US last year and popped it in the player for my kid. Much to my delight, Alice turned out to be as much a British production as American, and while the cast and crew feature a liberal smattering of stateside talent, it was a virtual cornucopia of UKTV mainstays. Everyone from Christopher Ryan (Mike, the cool one, from the Young Ones) to Miranda Richardson (Queenie in Blackadder) to Robbie Coltrane (the original and best Cracker). Every scene seemed to introduce another familiar face, there's Ben Kingsley, the etenal Peter Ustinov, Pete Postlethwaite. laugh legend Ken Dodd, Sheila Hancock, Never the Twain's Donald Sinden and Joanna Lumley - a cracking cast if ever there was one. Luckily, this great ensemble of Brit-thesps does not go to waste as Alice is quite enchanting and very nicely conceived with inventive effects and a well wrought script. The Americans in the cast do a bang up job as well,
