The Couple Next Door's return slammed as 'waste of time and energy'
The Couple Next Door has made its comeback on Channel 4 for a second series this week, but the thriller hasn't quite hit the mark with fans.
The show, which originally featured Outlander's Sam Heughan and Poldark's Eleanor Tomlinson, now sees Annabel Scholey leading as heart surgeon Charlotte in a plot brimming with love triangles.
Charlotte seems to have it all, including a perfect marriage to Jacob (played by Sam Palladio), but their world is rocked by the entrance of enigmatic nurse Mia (Aggy K Adams) and Charlotte's old flame Leo (Sendhil Ramamurthy).
With promises of sultry drama and shocking turns, The Couple Next Door returned this Monday (14th July) aiming to captivate audiences with its second season.
Despite showrunner David Allison hinting at a "sexier, bigger and bolder" narrative, viewers were left wanting after the premiere episode, reports the Express.
Disgruntled fans expressed their opinions on X (formerly Twitter), criticising the second series' erratic opening.
A disgruntled viewer posted on X: "Just watched the first two episodes of series 2, it's a dreadful unbelievable storyline is ridiculous.
"After a first really good series this was a disappointment."
Another viewer hinted at the show being an unexpected favourite, commenting: "This is so bad, it's brilliant #TheCoupleNextdoor."
Yet another viewer complained: "Five percent authentic story and ninety five percent gratuitous sex. A waste of time and energy."
A fourth viewer commented on the show's unique aesthetic: "This is such a weird show. The locations don't look very British. It's all a bit artificial-looking."
Another viewer offered a dreamlike interpretation of the drama: "This is like someone who's in a coma, in the hospital, is dreaming it all..."
Despite some initial scepticism, The Couple Next Door has managed to retain a fanbase that's willing to embrace its eccentricities.
An enthusiastic fan couldn't contain their excitement for the new season, proclaiming: "Holy f*** 'The Couple Next Door' season 2 is seriously good!", and awarded it four stars.
Meanwhile, another viewer gave the show a second chance, confessing: "Giving #TheCoupleNextDoor another chance as I got bored halfway through."
As viewers debate whether the second season lives up to expectations or falls into the realm of the overly bizarre, the series continues to stir conversation.
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Telegraph
15 minutes ago
- Telegraph
10 scenes ruined by ridiculous product placement
When you go to the cinema or turn on your television, chances are that you are going to have something sold to you, ideally very subtly, while you watch it. There is a reason why technology and luxury goods companies pay millions to have their products displayed on screen, and that is because this kind of subliminal advertising is supposed to work. However, sometimes they overstep the mark, which is deemed to be what happened when Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks was deemed to have breached Ofcom's rules after an episode made both verbal and visual reference to the financial services app ClearScore. Of course, the advertisement of goods on-screen in film and television has existed since the medium came into being, and, at its best, can transform the fortunes of a product. Sales of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses soared after Tom Cruise wore them in Top Gun (and its sequel), and after M&Ms refused to allow their sweets to be used on-screen in ET, Reese's Pieces were only too happy to oblige instead. They duly reaped the benefits of their confectionery becoming every child's go-to treat that summer. Put the right product in the right film or series in the right context, and the results can be stellar. Get it wrong, however, and it can either be humiliating, bizarre or both. It was not for nothing that both Wayne's World and Arrested Development had some of their best jokes revolving around the egregious promotion of on-screen products, and audiences now are savvier than ever about being given the hard sell through cynically thought-out marketing schemes. Here are 10 occasions when the product placement went that bit too far, and the picture or show suffered as a result. Wings (1927) The first film to win Best Picture at the Oscars was a silent aeronautical epic that introduced many cinematic precedents, including a pioneering use of product placement that now seems comically on-the-nose. Although it was not the first picture to contain an advertisement of a commercially available product (that would be 1920s short film The Garage, with Red Crown petrol), there is a scene in which a young Gary Cooper, playing the Tom Cruise-Maverick character of his day, firstly impresses two would-be pilots by telling them about his daredevil antics, and then produces a bar of Hershey's chocolate. The full-screen close-up, with the camera lingering on the chocolate just that bit too long, established a more unwelcome trend that continues to this day. Mac and Me (1988) McDonald's and its wares has been found in countless films, not least those aimed at children, and the fast food giant is all too aware of the power of the commercial tie-ins that it specialises in. However, the worst picture that it has ever been associated with is almost certainly the dismal E.T rip-off Mac and Me, which focuses on the friendship between a young boy and a 'Mysterious Alien Creature' (or MAC) but in fact seems to exist as an extended advertisement for the Golden Arches, to say nothing of Coca-Cola. How else to explain a bizarre, almost horrific extended scene at a McDonald's establishment, complete with a terrifying Ronald McDonald himself dancing madly? Still, its producer RJ Louis – a former advertising executive who worked on McDonald's campaigns – could at least proudly boast that he was 'still the only person in the universe that ever had the exclusive motion picture rights to the McDonald's trademark, their actors, their characters and the whole company'. Yes, and Mac and Me – a film in which a child in a wheelchair flies off a cliff – is the miserable result. You've Got Mail (1998) Back in 1998, Starbucks was still a relatively hip coffee chain that had pioneered initiatives like jazz being played in their stores, exotic iced drinks with names like 'Frappuccino' and comfy sofas to lounge on. All well and good, but none of this excuses the sheer ubiquity of its name-checking and on-screen presence in the Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks romantic comedy You've Got Mail. For a film about the struggle of the quirky independent (Ryan's bookstore owner) against The Man (Hanks's bookshop chain owner), there is an awful lot of emphasis on them all visiting Starbucks (yes, including Ryan, who is otherwise vociferously anti-corporations). In a line that has become duly (in)famous, Hanks's character has a mini-monologue about how the coffee chain specialises in being all things to all men, ending with a remarkable line reading of the words 'Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino!' Cast Away (2000) Hanks must have enjoyed his experience of acting alongside commercial products, because one of his next big roles came a couple of years later when he played FedEx systems analyst Chuck Noland, who is shipwrecked when a FedEx cargo plane crashes and must fend for himself on an uninhabited tropical island. While the film attracted much attention for the Wilson volleyball who becomes a mute companion of sorts to Noland, its central message – that Noland will ensure that the last surviving FedEx package will eventually make it to its destined recipient – means that the film (which has not endured especially well) ultimately plays out as the longest, most expensive FedEx advert ever made. It is almost a surprise, when the end credits begin, not to hear a voiceover deliver the parting line: 'FedEx: getting you your deliveries, whatever the circumstances.' Casino Royale (2006) Daniel Craig and Martin Campbell rebooted the Bond franchise for an edgier, post-Bourne audience, and the results are still terrific. Less tremendous, however, is the sheer amount of product placement on show, as if producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson had taken fright at the potential cost of making an 007 film and had chosen to offset their expense against as many on-screen commercial partners as possible. You'll find everything from Heineken to Virgin Atlantic here, but there are a couple of truly excruciating moments, whether it's Bond driving, of all things, a Ford Mondeo, or the scene in which, asked by Eva Green's Vesper Lynd if he's wearing a Rolex, he replies 'Omega', only for Vesper to purr 'Beautiful.' Apparently the various advertisers paid $100 million to have their wares displayed on screen. For a franchise often (and rightly) criticised for its over-reliance on commercial tie-ins, this was a scheme worthy of a Bond villain. Jack and Jill (2011) In his memoir Sonny Boy, Al Pacino candidly explained the peculiar circumstances by which he came to play himself in the disastrous Adam Sandler 'comedy'. 'Jack and Jill was the first film I made after I lost my money. To be honest, I did it because I didn't have anything else. Adam Sandler wanted me, and they paid me a lot for it. So I went out and did it, and it helped.' Sandler (who Pacino calls 'a great actor and a hell of a guy') may have saved the great actor's bacon, but it was a different kind of foodstuff that features in the film's most peculiar scene. Pacino, in full 'Hoo-ha!' mode, over-enthusiastically promotes Dunkin' Donuts new drink, the Dunkaccino, at Sandler's behest. Announcing that his name is now 'Dunk', Pacino raps away, misquoting famous lines from his earlier films ('You want creamy goodness, I'm your friend/Say hello to my chocolate blend') and humiliating himself beyond measure. When Pacino, watching the commercial's playback, remarks to Sandler, in character, 'Burn this…this must never be seen by anyone', you can only wish that his request was followed. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) You would struggle to mount a defence of any of Michael Bay's Transformers films on artistic grounds – they are, after all, loud and imbecilic pictures aimed at pubescent boys that are intended to sell toy robots- but the sheer level of on-screen shilling that goes on during the miserable fourth instalment took excess to new depths. During its interminable 165 minute length, no fewer than 55 brands are featured on screen, most obviously Bud Light and Victoria's Secret, and Bay's background in advertisements is clear from the lingering close-ups that he gives every one of these products. Nearly every one, that is. Hilariously, it came out in 2016 that the Chinese company Wulong Karst Tourism were suing the producers for $27million on the grounds that their logo was not displayed prominently enough in the finished film, a reminder that this monstrosity was made during that brief, bizarre period when Hollywood desperately sucked up to China. In this instance, clearly not effectively enough. Sherlock (series 4, 2017) This is less offensive or annoying than many of the other examples, and more simply jarring. By the fourth series of the much-admired Cumberbatch-Freeman Sherlock Holmes revamp, it was clear that the show was not operating in the same way that most BBC series did, and so the usual Beeb rules of not using recognisable technological products (ie Apple's iPhones) did not apply. Therefore, we are shown Cumberbatch's Sherlock using a then-modish iPhone 6S, which, viewers are invited to infer, is the technological equivalent of the great detective's legendarily wide-ranging brain. It's not so much horrible, as just a bit forced. One half-expects the great detective to ask 'Siri, how do I solve this particular case?' Ted Lasso (2020- ) It is obviously unfair to criticise Apple for asking that their products be included in series that they have funded at enormous cost to themselves, and many people are enormously fond of the big-hearted comedy-drama Ted Lasso, with Jason Sudeikis as the sunniest football coach you could ever hope to meet. It's just a shame, then, that the product placement here is ladled on with a trowel. Virtually every single scene features a character wielding an iPhone or a MacBook, checking out something on an iPad or watching an Apple-branded monitor. And the software gets a big plug, too. When Ted's chatting to his son back home in the United States, what's his method of choice? FaceTime, naturally; Zoom doesn't get much of a look in here. Incidentally, Apple will only allow their products to be used for non-villainous characters, so Anthony Head's dastardly rival football club owner doesn't get a look in. Barbie (2023) Greta Gerwig's feminist toy fantasia was a huge box office hit and critically acclaimed, not least because it was thought to subvert its potentially tacky consumerist message with a deep strain of self-aware humour. (See, for instance, Rob Brydon being introduced in his micro-cameo not as the notorious 'Sugar Daddy Ken' but as 'Sugar's Daddy, Ken'.) However, it also functions as a two-hour advertisement for Mattel and the Barbie character. Despite its satirical nods at Mattel's patriarchal set-up, it's also a picture that is very keen to sell expensive merchandise to its audience, ranging from Tag Heuer watches to women's Birkenstocks. And when Ryan Gosling's scene-stealing Ken turns up at the end in a hoodie emblazoned with the term 'I am Kenough', it is no great stretch to imagine the sweater's £58 price tag becoming part of an incredibly expensive post-film shopping trip.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Jazz legend sets the tone to mark launch of Stirling's newest live music venue
Dom Pipkin, described by Blues in Britain as "one of the world's greatest exponents of New Orleans piano", entertained guests at the Golden Lion Hotel's Cronies bar. Stirling's flourishing cultural and musical landscape continues to expand with the unveiling of a new piano lounge within the historic Golden Lion Hotel. Patrons and special invitees were treated to a performance by one of the world's most celebrated jazz and blues artists, Dom Pipkin, on Wednesday evening (July 9) at the hotel's Cronies bar. The renowned pianist and composer drew a diverse crowd, including local musicians and creative talents from the area. Pipkin, hailed by Blues in Britain as "one of the world's greatest exponents of New Orleans piano", has established himself as a fixture in the US city's music scene, gracing stages at events including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival and the prestigious 'Piano Night'. Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey, said: "I lived in New Orleans for a time and I'm a huge fan of Dom and his music. It was incredible to see him play in Stirling and it's yet another milestone in the city's growing reputation for arts, music and culture. "The evening at the Golden Lion set the bar for our fantastic hospitality industry and will hopefully spark more innovation and attractions across the sector to boost our appeal to both residents and visitors. "We've got so much going on in Stirling and we're committed to working with our communities, local organisations and businesses to unleash the area's full cultural potential and maximise the benefits of a vibrant night-time economy." Hotel owners, Gary and Ros Atkinson, first encountered Dom's musical talent years ago at Ronnie Scott's in London. Ros recalled: "The moment he started to play it took our breath away and we immediately booked him for our Scottish hotel. "Since then, we have been lucky to become good friends and watch him perform may times, including in Europe with his band Morcheeba. "We have created our Cronies Piano Lounge as a stylish and relaxed venue for cool music and classic cocktails and were thrilled when he immediately agreed to play and launch our series of lounge music piano nights. It was great to see the audience appreciate the art of a true British jazz legend." The hotel is recruiting a line-up of top pianists to perform Friday nights, Saturday afternoons and evenings, and Sunday Jazz Lunch. A full schedule will be released shortly. The Golden Lion, a 66-bedroom establishment and the oldest building on King Street, boasts notable ties to Rabbie Burns. As part of the Bloody Scotland crime-writing festival in September, it will host The Whisky Night – an evening of spirited conversation and music. The event will feature appearances from Rebus creator Sir Ian Rankin, singer-songwriter James Yorkston, Colin MacIntyre of Mull Historical Society, and author Natalie Jayne Clark. Mr Atkinson, a business ambassador for the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and a member of their Scottish Business Advisory Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the city's potential. He said: "This is a great city with a great hospitality offering and we are working closely with local tourism, businesses and the council to promote Stirling. There are exciting times ahead and it's great to have so much local support." Councillor McGarvey further emphasised the importance of collaboration, saying: "Having dynamic partnerships with creative entrepreneurs like Gary and the local hospitality and tourism trade is at the heart of our strategy to build our offering to local residents and UK and international visitors." Ewan Duncan, the owner of Europa Music in Stirling's Friars Street, Scotland's largest vinyl record shop, shared his delight at the return of live music events. He said: "It was great to see live music with a world-class jazz pianist in a hotel back on the up and up and to have such an appreciative audience there to enjoy it." Dom said: "I'm just lucky they want to listen to me as an artist doing what I do. I was delighted to support the new venture by Gary and Ros and spread my alternative blues gospel. I will be back later in the year and wish them and every artist performing here every success."
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
BBC University Challenge viewers witness 'best comeback ever' in show's history
The new series of University Challenge kicked off with a dramatic showdown between students from Sheffield and Warwick - and viewers were left stunned by the result The latest series of University Challenge launched with a thrilling face-off between Sheffield and Warwick students, leaving viewers gobsmacked by what's being hailed as the most remarkable comeback in the programme's history. Monday's episode (July 14) saw Sheffield take an early lead, racking up a formidable 170 points to Warwick's 120. However, in a breathtaking final few minutes, Warwick rallied to clinch victory with a decisive 210 points, completely flipping the match. BBC presenter Amol Rajan was visibly taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, labelling it a "brilliant comeback". He said: "That is an absolutely perfect example of how momentum is everything, because you (Sheffield) began in the first 10 minutes by soaring and taking it away and then just disappeared at the last five minutes. I'm so sorry, bad luck, but you lost to a fantastic team." He went on to praise Warwick as "inspirational", saying: "You guys are going to be an eternal inspiration for teams that are quite far behind with five minutes to go. "But in the end you won by a comfortable margin. It was a brilliant comeback, we shall definitely see you again. Well done." Amol also hinted that this might not be the last we see of Sheffield, adding: "170 might well be enough to come back again, so we might well see you again." Viewers were quick to take to social media to share their reaction to the gripping match, celebrating it as an exhilarating kick-off to the new season, reports the Express. One commented: "What a great start to the new series, and what an excellent recovery from Warwick! Well done them, and best of luck to them and Sheffield who will surely be back too, in your next matches!" Another chimed in, stating: "Excellent start to the new series. This bodes well for the coming weeks..." Amol's return as quizmaster also garnered praise among fans. A delighted viewer remarked: "Monday nights are made for this! Two really likeable teams and what a comeback from Warwick. Quizmaster looking very sharp as ever. Welcome back @amolrajan." "Wow what a comeback from Warwick," another fan said. "They stayed in the game when all seemed beyond them. No wonder that show was picked for episode one." "That was by far the best comeback I've ever seen on this show," another avid fan said. The 42-year-old quizmaster reprised his role on the show after viewers recently watched him embark on an emotional journey to the Ganges in search of healing following his father's death. The British-Indian presenter has openly discussed his struggles with bereavement, revealing how grief "can really screw you up". His pilgrimage to India's largest religious festival, the Kumbh Mela, served as a significant step in confronting his loss. On The One Show, he shared how the profound experience had "made a big difference" in coping with his sadness.
