Elvis Costello

The first season of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... clearly demonstrated that if he were to stop making music, he could start a new career on television. Costello is a natural when it comes to hosting; his years of performing on-stage have provided him with the kind of charisma that makes him perfect for this kind of thing. Guests obviously feel relaxed and the conversations are effortless and interesting. He brings with him a wealth of musical knowledge and that makes Spectacle one of the best music shows around. This second and, sadly, final season of Spectacle is more of the same, but the episode count has been cut in half. Costello's star power is able to attract some rather impressive guests, such as Bruce Springsteen, plus Bono and the Edge from U2, although they tend to bring out his more showbiz, schmaltzy side. He's much more relaxed with the likes of Ron Sexsmith, Nick Lowe, Ray LaMontagne and Neko Case, or when the tables get turned and Weeds' Mary Louise Parker interviews him. Of course, it would be nothing without the music and the performances are an integral part of the show. Anecdotes lead to songs, but not always the most obvious ones – everyone is more than happy to not only sing their hits, but also more obscure songs from their back catalogues or even covers that inspired them. Bono dusts off "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" and Springsteen gleefully duets with Costello on "Pretty Woman." But the best episodes are the ones with multiple guests where they simply sit around, swap stories and perform stripped down versions of their best work. They end up being a cross between In The Actor's Studio and a songwriters' circle, and 50 minutes just aren't enough for those episodes. One would suspect that there was a lot of material that didn't make it into the final show, meaning additional chats and songs on the pair of spacious Blu-Ray discs, but that isn't the case. There are just three bonus tunes that didn't make it, including an absolutely horrible version of Costello's "Alison" performed by Bono and the Edge. There is also a 42-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that delves a little deeper than this kind of thing usually does, but still doesn't offer any major revelations and is inconsequential when compared to the main attraction.