Lopez Blogs

There are lots of brilliant end of decade lists flying around. Some have been particularly amazing (ADH, J Mensah and especially XO & Dluv spring to mind). I didn't have the time or the memory to be as brilliant as those guys so I have stuck with just doing my favourite five albums of the new decade/century/millenium so far. Strange fact: My absolute favourite song of the past 10 years doesn't even feature on any of these albums...(It's Will Young - Your Game)...

5 ~ The Feeling, 12 Stops and Home: I think this has a lot to do with the fact that Ruthiepoos and I saw this band live at a very early stage, watched them blossom and become radio darlings and saw each gig we attended get larger and larger, though the fans were equally as enthusiastic in the early days. Plus it was the very first act that I blogged about back in February 2006. It was a refreshing break from the gloomy indie sounds and thrust a bright dazzling harmonic sunshine sound firmly back into the charts. The songs are effortlessly feelgood - particularly the near perfect opening trifecta of I Want You Now, Fill My Little World and Never Be Lonely. Love It When You Call is possibly the best 70s mor song never released at that time, and even outside anthem Strange (which should have been the 5th single over live fave Rose) seems oddly inspiring. The guys were perfectly in sync with each other during every note and harmony on the album and their genuine affection for what they did shone through in live shows and on record. Also of note: the lovely b-side Sun is Shining which is epic enough to be on the album.
My singles: Fill My Little World; Sewn; Never Be Lonely; Love It When You Call; Strange

4 ~ Maroon 5, Songs About Jane: It was the dulcet, seductive sounds of The Sweetest Goodbye playing in a dirty white van in Love, Actually that had me rushing out to buy Songs About Jane just minutes before the band blew up and became massive. The fusion of rock, pop and r'n'b wasn't particularly unique, but the band did it so well. Frontman Adam Levine positively dripped sex appeal in his lyrics and vocal delivery (particularly in Harder to Breathe) and guided fast songs to an urgent fruition, while showcasing his more tender "let's spoon" side on the slower stuff. Again, a near perfect trifecta of single releases introduced the world to different facets of the band - Harder To Breathe was hard rocking, explosive and dirty; This Love was a great sing a long pop ditty and She Will be Loved because a massive romantic anthem. The whole album had me coming back for more though and i was soon thoroughly immersed into their world. Also of note: Their Spiderman movie contribution Woman and cover version of Pure Imagination, which has a quite terrifying middle 8.
My singles: Harder To Breathe; This Love; She Will Be Loved; Must Get Out; Sweetest Goodbye

3 ~ Kylie Minogue, Light Years: Ah the return of Kylie to her pop roots (although I'd argue she never left them) had fans capitulating with delight. It was an utter delight from start to finish like the soundtrack to some quirky camp cocktail party. And Kylie threw herself into it, without ever giving the audience the impression that this was novelty or beneath her. And that's what made it all so magical. Nearly every track on here could have been picked to be a single and nearly all of them sound brilliant 10 years on. Quite simply it was addictive, fun pop that had no hidden agenda other than to leave you feeling good at the end of it. Just listen to Kylie singing "la disco a boisen de vous" on Your Disco Needs You and try not to shimmy with incredible pleasure...
My singles: Your Disco Needs You; Spinning Around; On A Night Like This; Kids; Please Stay; Light Years


2 ~ Simon Curtis, Alter Boy: It was the album that still hasn't been released (although there are numerous bootlegs out there all with hideous tracklistings!) and perhaps it's time has passed now that the steam of the 8BitHeart campaign is gaining rapid momentum. However, it was one of the most exciting and rewarding albums that I had the pleasure to listen to, and one that gripped more than most in recent years. I've probably written more blog posts about this album than any other, so I won't go on about it too much again now. Simply put, it's an astonishing piece of work that shows a great symbiotic relationship between producer Jadion's music and Simon's lyrics. Challenging, edgy, smart and witty in equal measures, it provided me with great pop music long before Lady Gaga came on the scene. Simon wasn't afraid to tackle current issues on the album either including sending troops abroad - and their behaviour while there (Left Right Left), the intolerance of religious groups (Religion Reduced) and racism/phobias (Sugar Sugar White). Add to this some deliciously malevolent tracks (Vicious) and down right sultry (Casual Encounter) and it all added up to an album that rarely left my earphones. Also of note: The Simon penned Fadyn track Hypnotic and Disney-commissioned tune Flashback...
My singles: Answer; Broken; Put Your Make Up On; Resist; Religion Reduced

1 ~ Deborah Gibson, MYOB: And this was when Deborah the popstar returned. I'm still a bit baffled as to why this didn't set the charts alight - was the perfect companion album to Light Years for example. An excellent collection of pop/dance tunes interspersed with radio friendly ballads and the odd diversion into jazz-tinged torch songs, every single track on the album was strong enough to be a single. The title track was a punchy pop effort with brilliant kiddie-chorus refrain that worked incredibly well against the more adult nature of the lyrics. What You Want and Your Secret are also ace pop numbers with a harder dance edge than people might be used to from the Deb. Down That Road, The One (co-written by Chynna (wilson) Phillips) and Wishing You Were Here are a more subdued but no less enticing pop entry on the album, while the funky What Part of No continues the vibe and lyrical tone of When I Say No (from Body Mind Soul). In Blue and Jaded stand out as bluesy smokey torch songs that showcase a different side to Deborah's vocal and musical arrangements. It's a winning album that really needed a large label behind it to get it the publicity it deserved. Also of note: her millenial ballad (just her and her piano - spinetingling) With All My Heart; Right on Time from a charity album is an epic timeless slowie as is Run To Her (from Memory Lane). Plus a bootleg remix of Wishing You Were Here turns it into a frenetic dance number. Aces
My singles: MYOB; Wishing You Were Here; Your Secret; Down That Road; Wishing You Were Here

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

You know, every year since I was a little boy I've listened to Abba's Happy New Year song at some point between waking up on New Year's Eve and the big ben chimes of midnight. This year will be no different. I do particularly love this song, how it glosses over past regrets and looks to an optimistic future. Plus it was obviously recorded at a difficult time in the abba dynamic and the round the piano video makes me want to weep. So here it is again. Do also check out the A*Teens version - I particularly like how they say decade and make it sound like dickhead!!

21 ~ Nerina Pallot, When Did I Become Such A Bitch? (NE)
20 ~ Natalie Imbruglia, Scars (NE)
19 ~ Alphabeat, Hole In My Heart (NE)
18 ~ Mini Viva, I Wish
17 ~ BWO, Kings of Tomorrow
16 ~ Industry, My Mistake
15 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida
14 ~ Whitney Houston, I Look To You
13 ~ Alexandra Burke, Broken Heels (NE)
12 ~ Blake Lewis, I Left My Baby For You
11 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, A Stranger Saved My Life
10 ~ Simon Curtis, Delusional
09 ~ The Saturdays, Ego
08 ~ Agnes, Love Love Love
07 ~ RyanDan, Can't Help Falling In Love
06 ~ Alcazar, Thank You
05 ~ JLS, Close To You
04 ~ Leona Lewis, Stop Crying Your Heart Out
03 ~ Pet Shop Boys, It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas
02 ~ Robbie Williams, You Know Me
01 ~ Simon Curtis, Diablo (1 week)

This is my last EuropeCrazy blog post of the year, and indeed of the decade (big fanfare!!).

Yes it all sounds very final, but don't worry - this blog will be back in 2010 with the usual mix of stuff. I'm particularly excited about this blog going into its fourth year during 2010, a year which hopefully will bring new music to love, new places to visit, lots of wonderful things to write about, the opportunity to get to know some new friends and of course keep in touch with my old friends - "the regulars" who make blog-land such a fun place to be!

2009 was, on the whole, a fantastic year for me personally - a year of extreme highs (and the odd extreme low) and many of the highlights resulted from my involvement in blogging, which is a wonderful hobby and really has changed my life in many ways.

I'm sending my "Happy New Year" greetings early as the next couple of weeks will be very hectic at home, so I probably won't be able to post again on here until Monday 11th January.

So I just want to wish all the readers of EuropeCrazy a very happy new year and hope that 2010 brings peace, good health and many happy times for all of you.

Love and best wishes,
Laura.

Honourable mentions: Desperate Housewives; Gossip Girl; Reaper; Supernatural; Heroes; Smallville; Dollhouse; The Office; Community; The Tudors; Big Love; Cleveland Show; Benidorm; Big Love...


Honourable mentions 2: The Dr Who universe ~ as I type this, the Christmas specials signalling the end of David Tennant (sob) haven't aired yet, and I won't see them til I'm back from Vegas anyway. Despite only airing for a few episodes in 2009, the Doctor has had a significant impact on my tv watching. Yes, the bus in the desert special wasn't particularly amazing, though fairly solid (if only for the ominous portents). However, the Waters of Mars was amazing and I'm hoping that you'll be commenting on how perfect the final two episodes were (and explain what in the name of good God the Master is up to there - cos he looks more Servant than Master!) Add to that the excellent Torchwood mini series (rest in peace oddly sexy Ianto) and me catching up on all 3 series of the immensely enjoyable Sarah Jane Adventures and it was still a ripper year for the Doctor and his friends, past and present. Bring on 2010...


10 ~ FlashForward: It seemed that this was designed to fill the gap that will be left by Lost and by and large, it seems to have done the job pretty much. The mystery seems very confined at the moment though (with the flashforward date approaching rapidly) and the kangaroo is far less riveting (for example) than Lost's polar bear. Still Joseph Fiennes in a suit keeps me watching even when the storyline wavers somewhat :P
09 ~ Modern Family: Oh I rarely get invested in US sitcoms because I have no faith that they will make a second season and by then, I rarely have the time to get caught up on them. This one made me chuckle in the ads though so I gave it a go and i've been hooked ever since. I love to watch dysfunctional families. It makes me feel much much better about my own.
08 ~ True Blood: Sure season 2 was a barely disguised porn video but it was very engrossing, shocking, soap operatic and full of dudes taking their tops off at random moments. And really what more can one ask for (ok, so that's also just described Dante's Cove, so I guess there is some decent story telling in True Blood and Sookie Stackhouse remains the best vampire linked heroine since buffy. In your face moody Bella)!!
07 ~ Grey's Anatomy: The last half of season 5 was actually very decent and the 007 on Meredith's hand on that year's finale was just an example of how heartstopping the show could be, when it wasn't trying to be too clever for it's own good. Year six hasn't been quite as amazing, but certainly back on track after the fiasco of Denny's Ghost. Plus it's nice to see Meredith happy for a change...
06 ~ Brothers and Sisters: It's actually Scottie that is the glue in the BroSis family circle and one of the ongoing reasons for watching. Well that and now whatsisname Getty is gone. Phew. This latest season has been incredibly difficult viewing as they are tackling the cancer storyline (see also Party of Five year 4), but doing it with gritty realism, grace and oscar winning performances. Question though - did Calista Flockhart really shave her head for this?!


05 ~ Lost: Oh how year five made my brain hurt. I felt I needed a notebook like Daniel Faradays just to keep up with things. However, it was increasingly evident that the writers knew what they were doing, where they were going and taking the responsibility of wrapping up the show satisfactorily very seriously. If year six pulls this off, then this may be one of the greatest tv shows of all time and a possible number one this time next year.
04 ~ Dexter: I think Dexter could have been absolutely crap this year and I would have featured it very high on the list just for the amazing final minute of year four. I'm very swayed by how good a season finale is! Luckily year four was uniformly excellent throughout as Dexter found himself a repugnant role model for balancing job, social, family and killing. Unfortunately it all went horribly wrong and year five has the potential to be it's best yet...
03 ~ Greek: It's the sort of show that doesn't quite get all the raves it absolutely deserves and yet is easily the most quotable and delightful dramedy this side of Glee. Excellent cast, funny yet touching storylines, brilliant pop culture references - it's like Felicity with a sense of humour. Back for the second half of season 3 in the new year, long may they pledge!
02 ~ Gavin and Stacey: sob. It's all over (at least if you watched the dvds it is)... series 3 of the wonderfully warm yet hilarious sitcom bought the characters full circle and left me feeling a bit bereft that they won't be in my life any longer (Christmas specials pending). The final episode was a near masterpiece particularly the lovely Nessa-Gwen moment, a genuinely teary Gavin and Stace happy development and the dramatic conclusion to the Nessa-Smithy-DaveCoaches non love triangle. Oh what's occuring? More please - at least one offs in the future :/


01 ~ Glee: Taking over from the much lamented (by me anyway - where's the comic>!) Pushing Daisies, Glee was the most talked about show of the year. And quite rightly so. It was smart, engaging, funny, witty and sing a along all at the same time. There's not much I can say about it other than pick some of my favourite musical moments (in no particular order) from the first 13 eps of season one...

• Sweet Caroline - sure it's horribly overused by bad bar singers and karoake wannabes but Mark Salling was sweet and hot all at the same time when singing this because God wanted him to get into the hot jewish girls pants...:P
• Single Ladies - in a year of single ladies parodies, this was one of the most enjoyable. And of course the football team would put themselves through that :P Who cares? it totally made me smile...
• My Life Would Suck Without You - one of the years best songs soundtracked one of the years best cliffhangers. The tv version is much better than the soundtrack one with acapella intro and a sweetly harmonised second verse. Add the visuals of slow motion running and that kiss and you got a total winner...
• Proud Mary - it may have got stolen for sectionals, but take one of my fave songs and give it a wickedly inventive dance routine and there's nothing critical you can say about this. It rocks!
• Somebody To Love - like a big bombastic Queen number wasn't gonna get these kids rocking in the aisles!! Mercedes absolutely nails it at the end too. Get this girl a solo deal stat!
• Don't Stop Believing - ah the tune that launched a thousand shows, or at least set the standard for the next 13. Joe may have sucked the joy out of it on the x factor, but return to Glee and you'll see why this has become the surprise hit of the Christmas season. Ace ace ace.
• The video below. Just because!

TOP SHOWS BORN IN THE '00s (alphabetical order):

• At Home With The Braithwaites
• Brothers and Sisters
• Desperate Housewives
• Dexter
• Doctor Who
• Everwood
• Gavin and Stacey
• Gilmore Girls
• Greek
• Grey's Anatomy
• Lost
• Nip Tuck
• Pushing Daisies
• The Tudors
• Veronica Mars

Picking my favourite albums is quite difficult. There are those albums that I like that are critically acclaimed and I recognise the genius of them, yet they are not my favourite favourite albums. Then there are those albums that are largely ignored but I end up loving anyway. And then there are albums that are generally massive and everybody loves them. So rather than have a specific order for the top 25, I've just listed them alphabetically and then done the top 10 in order of preference if (as Shayne Ward once said) that's ok with you... :P

• Alphabeat ~ The Spell: They mixed 90s rave and house energies with the pop sensibilities of the noughties and came up with a winning combination that didn't even come close to outstaying it's welcome or being samey over the 10+ tracks. Minimum of 4 massive singles should be forthcoming...
• Bananarama ~ Viva: Ian Masterson did a bang up job with this album and then it was grossly ignored by the public. The swines. The girls had some future classics on here that were designed to be danced to - Love Don't Live Here, had it been by Kylie, would have been top ten for weeks...
• Michael Buble ~ Crazy Love: He was always quite popular, but this year he has hit the stratosphere and quite rightly so. Excellent stage presence, great voice, thoroughly nice chap but with the personality to back it up and duetted with Stacey. Plus had a bonafide pop hit with crazy catchy Haven't Met You Yet. It's only the beginning - this album will run throughout 2010...
• Alexandra Burke ~ Overcome: Well I had no interest in her at the start of the year and then gosh darn it she comes back with a banging pop tune and one of the more interesting X Factor winner albums in a long time. By keeping the tempo up and varied, Alexandra is assured a longer pop career than the boy who stole her crown...
• Dragonette ~ Fixin To Thrill: It was one of the pop delights of 2009, and they took the bold route of giving away half the songs on it before it was even out. You'd have been a fool not to buy the whole thing - in a year bereft of new Girls Aloud, this filled the smart-pop void perfectly and should have been entirely more massive...
  

• Florence + The Machine ~ Lungs: It's both a demanding and seductive debut album that is a joy to listen to; full of nuances that add dimension and layers to each song, it's powered forward by a voice that is both mesmerising and intoxicating. Critics were gushing all over it and luckily fans snapped it up in their droves to. Phew...
• Gossip ~ Music For Men: Not just an amazing album of catchy disco pop, a smart album that sent a message to a still disappointingly homophobic world. Luckily that message is overburdened with seriousness - it's about getting on your feet and dancing, because let's face it a wise woman once said 'music brings the people together'. No one is doing more for that cause than the Gossip on this ace cd...
• Erik Hassle ~ Hassle: Didn't it seem like every few weeks a new Erik Hassle video appeared for either Hurtful or Don't Bring Flowers, and that he was about to be very big indeed? The world is still waiting for that moment, but that didn't make this any less of an astonishing debut for such a young chap. Brilliant lyricist able to match his passionate outpourings to clever music. 2010 must be his big break...
• Whitney Houston ~ I Look To You: The voice was a little different. A lot had happened over the decade. Yet when Whitney returned it was like she never went away, and while it was not quite the triumphant comeback it should have been, it certainly wasn't subpar. Million Dollar Bill (particularly the freemasons mix) powered her to heights she hadn't seen for a while, but there is plenty more to come from this album yet...
• Natalie Imbruglia ~ Come To Life: Has this actually been released yet? Frustratingly delayed, it soon became a torrent favourite. tragic really because the first half of the album plays like side A of an LP. Cohesive, some brilliant tracks and all single worthy, particularly the amazing scars. Side B (or the last 5 songs) are more experimental and don't work quite as well, but for the first 5 alone this features strongly...
  
  

• JLS ~ JLS: You know, I was a little disappointed with this album at first, but the more I have listened to it, the more it grew on me. And a large part of that is to do with just how charming and enthusiastic the lads are. They make me want to love their songs and they make songs that are easy to love. Enough said ;)
• Blake Lewis ~ Heartbreak on Vinyl: Blake came back with an album that pillaged the 80s but in a loving tribute way, not in a La-Roux aren't I unique and ace (no) sort of way. The title track was by far the best, but the rest of the stuff was pretty fine too. His new 80s hair was not though. Minus one point for that!
• Nerina Pallot ~ The Graduate: It pains me that Nerina seemingly has to build her popularity up from scratch with each album release. She has a winning writing style, amazing melodies and lyrics and an enticing voice. Plus she's lovely and witty to boot? She's given you gro-lite and mineral supplements, whaddyawant from her, blood?! BUY IT ALREADY!! :)
• Westlife ~ Where We Are: I didn't really have high expectations for this album, but if you liked Westlife already it was ideal for you and if you don't, then why continue blathering on about it? They are probably not gonna change now, are they?!
• Mans Zelmerlow ~ MZW: Horribly chosen singles didn't really help the album but overall it was a great pop effort with some outstanding tracks on there that deserve a worldwide audience. Hope and Glory remains a magnificent anthem to this day...

Honourable mentions: Darin-Flashback; Marit Larsen-If A Song Could Get Me You; Neo-Neo; Annie-Don't Stop; Danny-Set Your Body Free; Julian Velard-The Planeteer; Leona Lewis-Echo...

10 ~ Mika, The Boy Who Knew Too Much: It was the year that Mika should have come back in a blaze of glory, but returned amidst general apathy and disinterest. Not from me though ~ I was quite happy to see him back with his bombastic Belinda Carlisle meets Chumbawamba We Are Golden and am still revelling in the other pop gems on the album. Rain is absolutely lovely. I could easily milk 5 singles from this :)
09 ~ Paloma Faith, Do You Want The Truth?: I was surprised by how much this album stuck with me throughout the year. I found myself wanting to return to it over and over again. XO has had some of the most passionate coverage of her, and is right in his assessment of the complexity and beauty in her work. Hopefully her medium range popularity will increase into fervent critical devotion next year - based on this excellent collection of tunes, she deserves it...
08 ~ Pet Shop Boys, Yes: If I combine this with their Christmas EP, then it gave me two number one singles this year (Love etc., and It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas) and hours of delicious pleasure. Filled with amazing innovative yet totally PSB tracks like All Over The World, Beautiful People and the lush Did You See Me Coming, it was an album that solidified they have lost none of their pop edge. Plus dear god please someone leak a demo of The Loving kind...
07 ~ Alcazar, Disco Defenders: Oh my gosh but this album was overflowing with pop sensibility and dancefloor heavenliness. Overflowing with singles, attempts at nearly every pop genre going and shameless pastiches to Abba it was definitely hard not to love this album. In a perfect world this would have spawned five top ten hits in England and made the world see that lovely a fella as Joe is, he's got a long way to go before he can do pop like this. Thank You. In every sense of the word/song...
06 ~ BWO, Big Science: It was the "difficult" post greatest hits album and kicked off with the gothic You're Not Alone. That was a bit of a misnomer really in terms of the entire album because they still had their big Chariots of Fire moments (right here right now) and epic Open Door ballads (Kings of Tomorrow) to thrill the fans. Basically even when they are operating at less than 100%, BWO are still miles better than alot of other pop groups. And quite simply one of the best pop-births of the 2000s (post on that coming soon!)...

• 05 ~ Take That, The Garden: Released in late 2008 on the back of the inspiring, anthemic Greatest Day, this was the album that kept giving throughout 2009 - largely aided by the visually stunning and highly entertaining tour they put on to accompany it. Sure, Up All Night was Shine part 2, but there were plenty of other gems on the album (including the title track, the Jason Orange led How Did It Come To This and showstopping Hold Up A Light For Me) that merely proved that Gary and the boys are some of the finest tunesmiths to come out of Britain at the moment. Lovely stuff.
• 04 ~ Little Boots, Hands: It was the album that Kylie could have recorded and been a lot more massive than the ridiculously hyped Little Boots ever was. The music was actually great - so many ice cool, radio friendly electro-pop tracks that were seemingly made for extensive radio play. An utterly enjoyable album - it was the persona of Little Boots that seemed to be at odds with being a pop princess. She lacked any of the sparkle Sophie Ellis Bextor or Kylie add to their performances and seemed more intent on being a serious, rarely smiling musician. Still, Remedy, Earthquake and Hearts Collide are top notch tunes!
• 03 ~ Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You: Brilliant album title and odd quitting music statements aside, I totally enjoyed this album despite (like Mans Zelmerlow) an odd choice of singles. The Fear and It's Not Fair were ace tracks, F*** You improved on the demo from last year, Chinese was a sweet ode to recession induced nights in (with a gorgeous choral tribute floating around) and Lily continued her knack for providing witty, insightful lyrics set to lovely singalong melodies. It's ace because it's true - I mean, no one likes the wet patch in the middle of the bed...
• 02 ~ Same Difference, Pop: Another remnant from 2008, Pop was the album that encapsulated all that was amazing about the charts at the turn of the millenium and bought it back with an updated beat. Sean and Sarah were two of the nicest people you could wish to have gracing the charts and put out an album of singalong tunes that would have done so much better had it been marketed completely differently. There were at least 5 singles here that could have been flying up the UK charts, and I'm just relieved they get a second nibble of the cherry in 2010. Bring it on I say...

01 ~ Robbie Williams, Reality Killed The Video Star: It wasn't so much a comeback, more of a reaffirmation that Robbie was one of the nation's most reliable pop acts who was maturing nicely with age, rather than chasing fashions and trends he had no business dabbling in. It's an album that gives more with each listen, has some great melody driven songs and has Robbie still sounding absolutely ace. You Know Me is one of his more lovely mid-tempo ballads, Morning Sun is almost a Take That tribute sounding song and Difficult for Weirdos is the anthem of many and proudly so. So get hysterical and historical over this album because I suspect it will feature on next year's list too...

Courtesy of Digital Spy here are the top 20 most watched TV shows on what (IMHO) was a very uninspiring day telly-wise. Last year's positions are in brackets.

1. (3) EastEnders - BBC One, 8pm - 10.86 million, 45.9%
2. (4) The Royle Family - BBC One, 9pm - 10.23 million, 42.5%
3. (2) Doctor Who - BBC One, 6pm - 10.03 million, 42.2%
4. (-) Gavin & Stacey - BBC One, 10pm - 9.17 million, 39.2%
5. (-) The Gruffalo - BBC One, 5.30pm - 8.79 million, 42.6%
6. (7) Coronation Street - ITV1, 7pm - 7.89 million, 32.4%
7. (-) Catherine Tate: Nan's Christmas Carol - BBC One, 10.30pm - 7.13 million, 36.2%
8. (-) BBC News - BBC One, 5.20pm - 6.8 million, 36.5%
9. (6) Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special - BBC One, 7pm - 6.79 million, 27.9%
10. (-) Shrek The Halls - BBC One, 4.55pm - 5.56 million, 31.9%
11. (9) The Queen - BBC One, 3pm - 5.56 million, 36.7%
12. (12) Emmerdale - ITV1, 6pm - 5.19 million, 21.9%
13. (-) The Incredibles - BBC One, 3.10pm - 5.09 million, 32.1%
14. (-) BBC News - BBC One, 11.20pm - 4.64 million, 30.5%
15. (-) ITV News & Weather - ITV1, 5.40pm - 3.78 million, 17.9%
16. (-) Agatha Christie's Poirot - ITV1, 9pm - 3.71 million, 16.1%
17. (15) Top Of The Pops Christmas Special - BBC One, 2pm - 3.4 million, 27.6%
18. (-) Happy Feet - ITV1, 3.40pm - 3.39 million, 20%
19. (17) Dad's Army - BBC Two, 8pm - 3.39 million, 14.5%
20. (-) National Lottery Euromillions Draw - BBC One, 11.30pm - 2.38 million, 17.9%

The only shows I watched were Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Strictly Come Dancing (justice was done! Well done Ali & Brian!) and of course the annual institution which is the Top of the Pops Christmas Special. Unfortunately I have to say that this year's show was endured rather than enjoyed. As I said whilst watching the show: 'thank goodness I look elsewhere for my music'.

It's always a bit difficult to subjectively pick your favourite songs of the year. Songs I may have gushed over earlier in the year have had their glow dulled by time; songs I may not be as enthusiastic about in a few months are currently hot stuff for me - so I've put together a list that more or less showcases my favourite songs I listened to this year. So not necessarily released this year (though the majority were) and not necessarily singles, but just what I ended up still really liking as I sit and type this :) Enjoy and let me know your thoughts...

RELAUNCHED SINGLES FROM 2008: Lily Allen's F*** You; Lenka's The Show; Marit Larsen's If A Song COuld Get Me You...

BEST NON SINGLES OF THE YEAR: Deborah Gibson's Already Gone; Scissor Sister's Do The Strand; No Doubt's Stand and Deliver; that choir version of Lily's Chinese...

BEST OF THE REST (in no particular order): Saturdays ~ Just Can't Get Enough; JLS ~ Everybody in Love; Mini Viva ~ I Wish; Sugababes ~ Get Sexy; Miley Cyrus ~ Party in the USA; Cascada ~ Evacuate The Dancefloor; Pussycat Dolls ~ Hush Hush; Kelly Rowland ~ When Love Takes Over; Pet Shop Boys ~ Love, etc; Jason Mraz ~ Try Try Try; Annie Lennox ~ Shining Light; Sound of Arrows ~ M.A.G.I.C; Take That ~ The Garden; Whitney Houston ~ Million Dollar Bill; Mika ~ We Are Golden; BSB ~ Soldier Down; Erik Hassle ~ Hurtful; Leona Lewis ~ Happy; Lady Gaga ~ Bad Romance; Lady Gaga ~ Love Game...

MY NUMBER ONES:

• Simon Curtis/Victoria Justice ~ On The Wings of A Dream (4 weeks)
• Sugababes 3.0 ~ Every Heart Broken (4 weeks)
• Pet Shop Boys ~ Love etc.
• BWO ~ You're Not Alone (4 weeks)
• Mans Zelmerlow ~ Hope and Glory (4 weeks)
• Marina & The Diamonds ~ I Am Not A Robot (2 weeks)
• "Abba" ~ Second Best To None (4 weeks)
• Benny Andersson Band ~ Story Of A Heart (7 weeks)
• Madonna ~ Celebration (2 weeks)
• Mika ~ We Are Golden (3 weeks)
• Robbie Williams ~ Bodies (4 weeks)
• Blake Lewis ~ Heartbreak on Vinyl (2 weeks)
• Darin ~ Viva La Vida (3 weeks)
• Simon Curtis ~ Delusional (2 weeks)
• Pet Shop Boys ~ It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas 2009 (6 weeks)
• Simon Curtis ~ Diablo (1 week)

TOP 30 SONGS OF 2009:

30 ~ James Leon, Purple Heart: Sultry, seductive, a deceptively addictive beat and chorus plus remixes by our very own Worrapolava. What more could one ask for in a rising star?
29~ Alexandra Burke, Bad Boys: Not quite as inventive as Sound of the Underground but a huge step forward for a winners first single proper and even better without the Flo-Rida bit!
28 ~ Mini Viva, I Left My Heart In Tokyo: They went back to the 80s in the best way possible with a Pete Hammond remix, but even in normal guise this was one pop treat to satiate fans during the Girls Aloud year off...
27 ~ Robbie Williams, Bodies: It didn't work for some people because it was a hotch potch of every Robbie single to date but that was exactly why it worked for me - even with his crazy X-Factor eyes!
26 ~ Little Boots, Remedy: Not quite the massive star she was lauded as early in the year, something about Victoria didn't quite click, but she certainly had a way with creating beautiful pop-dance tunes like this one...
25 ~ Jordin Sparks, Battlefield: It caused a near twitter meltdown of excitement when it was first released; six months on, it's a solid enjoyable pop tune that didn't exactly tax Ryan Tedder but is still a belter to listen to.
24 ~ Same Difference, Better Love Me: Sigh, if there had been any justice in the world, this glorious Steps-It's The Way You Make Me Feel homage would have done much better. It's lovely anyway.
23 ~ Same Difference, All Roads Lead To Heaven: Massive pop tune that had this been used as a lead off single, the world might now be appreciating what I already know - Same Difference know pop. Thank God for more from them in 2010...
22 ~ Alphabeat, The Spell: Back to the 90s, back to rave. It was Black Box, C&C Music Factory and faceless dance wrapped up in a charming singalong tune that made the Danish band more appealing than ever...
21 ~ BWO, Right Here Right Now: It may be You're Not Alone that topped my chart for a while, but this classic pop tune lingered longer in mixes and duets that it felt like it was around for half the year without ever overstaying it's welcome...

20 ~ Blake Lewis, Heartbreak On Vinyl: More 80s homage in a year overflowing with 80s homage. However, this tune had glorious lyrics matched to a synthy beat and a passionate charm to the song that made it - and Mr L - a total winner...
19 ~ Will Young, Hopes & Fears: Criminally ignored by the public (was it even released?), at least the album did well. If Annie Lennox were a man, this is what some of her tunes would sound like. Timeless, melody driven pop. Aces.
18 ~ Madonna, Celebration: Not her finest ever moment but a strong entry for Lady Ciccone. Danceable, singalong, feel good, uplifting - it even felt age appropriate for Madonna to be singing it. Ace fan-filled video for it too...
17 ~ JLS, Beat Again: Still the real winners of the X Factor as far as I'm concerned, they have certainly proved it by becoming a massive phenomenon not seen since the early days of Take That. This was sleek, up to date, non-threatening pop at it's best.
16 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Hope and Glory: Gorgeous to look at, effortless to listen to, Mans is what every country needs in a popstar and while people scoffed that this was Cara Mia 2, who cared? It was utterly brilliant and had a rather groovy keychange. Let's not forget the amazing acoustic version too. Job done.
15 ~ Simon Curtis/Victoria Justice ~ On The Wings of a Dream: The standout entry from the Spectacular! soundtrack, this showed for the first time Simon as an out and out pop singer ably assisted by Victoria. Proof that he is destined to be a major major star someday.
14 ~ Taylor Swift, Love Story: I think the Kanye jokes have been run into the ground, but this really did have quite the charming video, great cutesy lyrics, the best country crossover chorus this side of Shania Twain and a key change on a par with Don't Cry Out Loud. Of course it won me over!
13 ~ Lily Allen, The Fear: She seemed a bit more polished this time round and had as insightful lyrics as ever on this credit crunch anthem to modern life. Lush video and a brilliant chorus added to her bonkersosity made this a massive song all year round. Why didn't Stacey do it on the X Factor?!
12 ~ Sugababes 3.0, Every Heart Broken: When I belatedly fell in love with this tune I had no clue there would be a 4.0... If they ever sing this song, I won't be able to listen because everything about this slick, addictive nugget is nigh on perfect and can't be topped.
11 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, I Am Not A Robot: Wasn't she also a big pick for 2009? Whatever - she's rolled over to 2010 and I'm sure that one day this lovely simplistic minimalistic song will get the kudos and success it deserves. Quite quite amazing.

10 ~ Simon Curtis, Delusional: Kicking off 8-Bit Heart with this song (though I would have plumped for the more audacious Pop Messiah followed by this) was a work of genius. It was free, it was brilliant, it was dancey and it was completely what the blogosphere and twitter-ites needed. Smart boy-pop that matched Gaga step for step. And it was going to get even better...
09 ~ Robbie Williams, You Know Me: As I'm writing this in early December I worry that this song got a bit lost in the Christmas Chart deluge. Shame if it did because it's gentle, it's restrained and it's a bit heartbreaking and it definitely shows that Robbie hasn't lost his knack for creating utter magic.
08 ~ Kelly Clarkson, My Life Would Suck Without You: Yes yes, it may be the most audacious rewrite of a hit song (Since You've Been Gone) ever, but it was also one of the years most instant and grabbing ebulliant hits. Massive from the first note, a soaring chorus, it rampaged along at breakneck speed and was totally enjoyable from start to finish.
07 ~ Sophie Ellis Bextor, Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer: Floating around for a while in demo format, the freemasons kicked it up a gear and while it didn't quite match the chart heights it should have it was a brilliant slice of ice cool pop. Now if Victoria Little Boots could look as natural and confident as Soph, she might be in a much stronger position now...
06 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida: Take one of the best penned compositions of recent years, add one of Sweden's most likeable pop exports and give it a europop sheen and you've got the recipe for an enormously enjoyable tribute number. It takes the magic of the original number and makes it sparkle a little bit for the dancefloor. Heaven.

05 ~ Pet Shop Boys, It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas 2009: I already loved this song so wasn't sure what a remix could do for it. Make me completely and utterly obsessed with it, that's what. Whether it be the addition of organ laden carol melodies or the dramatic "BING CROSBY" or the melting of cynicism in the chorus, everything about this already theatrical number was more more more. Magnificent. If only for 2 months of the year...
04 ~ Elouise, One Night Only: I've only ever heard it sung by her live but I instantly loved this song and her ballad-to-disco interpretation of the DreamGirls classic. Plus she sang it so well, had brilliant but learnable dance moves and made it my go to saturday night anthem. Big things in 2010, mark my words...
03 ~ Simon Curtis, Diablo: Yes it was held off by Pet Shop Boys over Christmas, but I've taken into account my seasonal addictions and completely realise that Diablo is perhaps, nay indeed, one of the greatest pop songs of the year. Wry, funny, catchy, groundbreaking and as instant as instant porridge oats, it is just a massively brilliant, brilliantly massive pop tune from someone who eats sleeps and breathes pop and then channels it all into their music. And you can so tell. Amazing, amazing stuff and quite deservedly the last number one of 2009...
02 ~ "Abba", Second Best to None: I still maintain this would have made a much better X-Factor charity single but what do I know? Whatever, the staff at Hotel Rival took the Benny&Bjorn penned track and made it into their anthem, then shared it with the world. Thank heavens they did - ridiculously catchy, moderately cheesy, an completely amazing promo video to go with it (introducing the world to another doable bar man) and filled with pathos and regret. It was totally Abba and the only thing wrong with it was that Frida and Agnetha weren't singing it. Other than that, I drove my friends mad with it for weeks on end.
01 ~ Benny Andersson Band, Story of a Heart: As if the emergence of Second Best to None wasn't enough, Benny then came back with another track he penned with Bjorn and it was perhaps the most affecting Abba song since Day Before You Came or Winner Takes It All. A glorious melody, a wonderful chorus, a devastating breakdown in the middle eight and then a passion filled plea to take you to the end of the song. I could never and still haven't been able to listen to it just once. Quite quite magic, and would have made an amazing X Factor winners single.

What came to pass...

• Top 25 songs of 2008

I'm so excited because it's Christmas Eve! Being a fan of all things European, I'm well aware that Christmas Eve is a very important day on the continent, perhaps even more so than Christmas Day. Here in the UK, Christmas Day is the big one although I probably prefer Christmas Eve as it has such a special feeling about it. I found a fascinating Wikipedia article which describes the various Christmas Eve traditions in various countries -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Eve

I hope you all have a happy and peaceful time, whether you're celebrating Christmas or not. Whatever you're doing, have lots of fun! This blog will be back on Boxing Day.

Julafton och snön ligger vit över Stockholm. Vi firar dagen på grekiskt vis vilket innebär att man går ut på restaurang. Men det var inte lätt att hitta ett ställe som var öppet. Det kommer att dröja ett bra tag innan familjetraditionen släpper sitt grepp om 24 december.
Christmas Eve and Stockholm is covered by snow. We are celebrating the Greek way which means having dinner in a restaurant. But I tell you - it was not easy to find an open establishment. It seems that the Nordic traditions of celebrating 24 December at home will continue for a long time.


Visste ni att Åbo i Finland är den enda staden som numera utlyser julfred.

Greetings all and a very merry Christmas to one and all. As my most favourite time of year draws to a close, I'd like - as is tradition now - to present you with my rewrite of The Night Before Christmas, and some festive contributions (that are hugely appreciated by myself) from friends of the blog. Please enjoy, have a wonderful holiday break and many positive happy wishes for a great new year :) Oh and if you have any time for cooking left, please try some of Donal "Industry" Skehan's Christmas recipes - I've been delving into them all December with brilliant results (PS, imagine if him and Simon Curtis made a record together!! Talk about dream Christmas wishes!!)

It's me again, yes how did you guess cos the last time you were really impressed! Hope you enjoy :) Sorry my head's cut off slightly! Sorry it's so dark! Sorry it's not as funny as last year! Sorry the sound's crap! Sorry I'm such a colossal failure :P Oh pooey to all that, i think it's quite good! Merry Christmas!

Ah, the lovely Sean and Sarah from Same Difference share their unique and adorable brand of festive cheer. I'm still playing the wonderful Pop (2008) album with alarming regularity and can't wait for the 2010 version. Plus their interview in Gay Times is hilarious. "I prefer a battered cod!!" It makes me all fuzzypop inside...

Love this video from gorgeous diva in waiting, Elouise. It's so picturesque Christmas card, with the fire and the tree and the oversized brooch. Oh, and that she recognises that fizzypop makes the yuletide gay :) Amazing. SuBo!! Oh and obviously I'm fully behind Elouise as the pick for Bond song in 2011, as long as 2010 gives us full studio releases of Fireman, Another Day, Pretender and One Night Only... :)

I think Adam Tyler has rapidly become one of my favourite stars to watch in 2010. He just seems so gleeful and exciteable, almost like an overstimulated puppy! And I mean that in the nicest way possible! I love that out of all the things I've written about him, his press release quotes me saying he is "a thoroughly lovely chappy". Not only has he played bongos on a makeshift drum, but he has given me a copy of his christmas song Ghost Of Christmas Past (reviewed here) to pass onto you all for a mere 24 hours! So get it while it's hot. May I just say the full version is entirely more amazing than the clip ever gave me hope it would be. Totally haunting, ethereal chimes, a melancholy vocal and morose yet engaging chorus. Full credits if you're interested of the song in the comments...


THE PICTURES:

Ah how I've become besotted with The Morning Jolt this year, hosted ably by Larry Flick and his hilarious sidekick Keith. They have really brightened up a lot of my afternoons at work (time difference) and played some great music too. Here's to a wonderful amount of amazing DJing in 2010...

Oooo and now it's time to get all bloggy for Christmas, so in order it's seasons greetings from lovely Aaron at fabtasticmusic, then festive cheer from the super Mel at Melismatic, topped off with a double ender of two photos from the fine fella Phil at Worrapolava. Hurrah!

Then there is Will W, who (along with Mel) is probably the one person I know who shares such an obsession for Starbucks and their festive flavouring. Plus he has done a rather spiffy version of Blue Christmas, which you may or may not be able to get on his blog! If you can't get it then there is the aces Christmas gift of a remix of Hollywood Ending that Will is giving away - and being played soon on the aforementioned Larry Flick's show! Looking jolly chilly in the winter wilds of Colorado is my globe trotting amigo John of PopMusicNotes whilst below them and bunkering down from the snow in Iowa is the gorgeous Dan and his ever so wonderful family. Of course, rounding off this quadrilogy is the effortlessly cool DanUk :) And under him is the fine figure of a couple Olga and Yuri who look radiant and like little Christmas angels :)


And finally, it's the witty spunkbag (i mean that lovingly) known as Dluv who gets a pic all to himself because cos quite frankly he deserves it. And it also means anyone else who wants a pic edited in before the end of Christmas eve can do so and as an extra incentive you'll be snuggled up next to Chartrigger. Amaze!

To be updated ~ new non exclusive videos from The Feeling and hopefully more pics from readers and friends! But until then...Merry Christmas y'all!!

UPDATE#1

XO will like this and hopefully help him feel a bit better :) Paloma Faith, who expertly sang about New York earlier in the year, has done a cover version of the seminal and raucous Pogues/Kirsty McColl song Fairytale of New York. It's a song that is easy to get wrong - just look at how Ronan Keating tried to tame the song a few years back! However, even with Scouting For Girls this works really well - i love the introduction of the female vocal in the intro and the choir as effective as "BING CROSBY" in the Pet Shop Boys Fizzypop Christmas number one :) Paloma is just mesmerising to watch - slight point deducted for looking like she was reading the words, but otherwise a sterling effort :)

UPDATE#2

Two very different but great Christmas songs for you now. First up is the still wonderful purveyor of piano pop tunes, Gavin Mikhail. He's put up a delightful version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. His voice is always quite pure and wonderful, and the piano arrangement is heavenly and makes it sound like the most beautiful contemporary pop song you've heard this festive season. I love songs that are just driven by piano and Gavin excels at this. If you haven't heard his anthemic should-have-been-an-x-factor-winners-song Brave, then you are doing yourself a big disservice. Check that out now, and be prepared to hear more about Gavin in the new year... Next up is a rather different Christmas entry from two merging for a common cause groups Crocodiles and Dum Dum Girls. Merry Christmas Baby (Please Don't Die) is a decidedly fuzzy sounding, garage punk effort with jangling bells that is instantly quite brilliant and possibly sounds like The Ronettes would if they had been recording after one too many jack daniels. Surprisingly amazing (and dedicated to DanP76 & Phil - I think they'll like this!)

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK - CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONE!

21 ~ Little Boots, Earthquake
20 ~ Mika, Blame It On The Girls
19 ~ Industry, My Mistake (NE)
18 ~ William Young, Hopes and Fears
17 ~ Backstreet Boys, Bigger
16 ~ Whitney Houston, I Look To You
15 ~ Mini Viva, I Wish
14 ~ BWO, Kings of Tomorrow
13 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida
12 ~ Blake Lewis, I Left My Baby For You
11 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, A Stranger Saved My Life
10 ~ The Saturdays, Ego
09 ~ Agnes, Love Love Love
08 ~ Simon Curtis, Delusional
07 ~ RyanDan, Can't Help Falling In Love
06 ~ Alcazar, Thank You
05 ~ JLS, Close To You
04 ~ Leona Lewis, Stop Crying Your Heart Out
03 ~ Robbie Williams, You Know Me
02 ~ Simon Curtis, Diablo
Christmas Number One: Pet Shop Boys ~ It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas (6 weeks)

Coming up:

• December 26th - Top 50 songs of 2009
• December 28th - Top 30 albums of 2009
• December 29th - Top 10 TV Shows of 2009 (and best shows born this decade)
• December 31st - Top 5 albums of the millenium so far...

Pandora's Box - Gerald de Palmas featuring Eagle-Eye Cherry: absolute standout track from GdP's new album "Sortir" (which I'll probably review on here sometime) - two of my favourite singers duetting on a wonderfully wonky acoustic-flavoured tune.

Whole New World - It Bites: still loving this. It's taken me 20-odd years to repeat its greatness, but I got there eventually.

Sing - Vivienne McKone: a delicious, obscure, unappreciated oldie from 1992, which I've recently rediscovered and still enjoy as much as ever.

Morning After Dark - Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado & SoShy: it's good to have him back again, although points deducted for using the dreaded autotune. I love his facial expressions in the video though! This is a real grower - I wasn't too fond of it to start with but by the third hearing I loved it.

Won't Go Quietly - Example: Liked his first single but this is soooo much better - such a catchy song with hit written all over it!

Gloria - Mando Diao: or to be more specific, the dance mix of this song which has done really well in the Swedish singles chart and is still getting a lot of airplay on Rix FM.

I Wish - Mini Viva: I'm probably not the only one who listens to this and has fond memories of the Vengaboys (!) anyway still loving "Left My Heart In Tokyo" and the follow-up's not that bad either. A real grower.

I just noticed that this is my 1600th post, not really a significant milestone but I thought I'd mention it. I think I'll aim for the 2000th post by this time next year :)

Anyway it's been a while since I posted a TV review so I'll get this one out of the way tonight.

Let's rewind back to October.....

• Two programmes about the German capital - "The Secret Life of the Berlin Wall" and "Berlin" both screened on a Saturday night on BBC2. The first one was a refreshingly different take on 20 years since the fall of the Wall, as it concentrated on the real lives of ordinary people and how it affected them. "Berlin" was a short series, going back to various points in history to look at how they have informed the city’s progress. Again it was really good to see a documentary series like this on our TV screens - more please!
• "Private Practice" season two ended on Living, with Pete realising he’s in love with Violet, the mother of his unborn child; Addison struggling with an affair; Naomi deciding to leave for another practice after Sam telling her he still loves her; and a particularly gruesome cliffhanger where one unhinged patient holds Violet hostage and is going to cut out her baby! I haven’t really enjoyed this series if I’m honest, it’s generally been quite stale and going through the motions, and there is only so much of the relationship merry-go-round we can take.
• I never thought I'd ever say this, but I saw the shark circling around the once invincible "Harry Hill’s TV Burp". I can't put my finger on it, maybe it’s the choice of TV shows he featured, but dare I say that Harry was less than perfect this time around, although having said that it’s still the funniest thing on the TV. I liked the "where has the knitted character been this week" thing though, but black mark to ITV though for turning this into another money-making phone-in competiion. Hopefully when he comes back there will be an improvement!
• Unlike its British counterpart, "Dancing With The Stars" was played straight - it’s smooth, professional and slick with no Brucie-style "am I doddery?" jokes. No change in Bruno Tonioli though, he was still his controlled, restrained self (!!!!!!) It did however have one thing in common with "Strictly" - the wrong person won. Mya was the best dancer from day one, but try telling that to the voting public who chose Donny Osmond instead. Kelly Osbourne did pretty well though, getting into the final three. I particularly enjoyed Aaron Carter - shame that not enough of the great American public shared my view. By the way I will eventually get round to posting my "Strictly" review although I'm still too annoyed at Ricky Whittle not winning, to write anything about it just yet.
• I didn't watch "X Factor" although watched the clips of the singing on YouTube, if only to keep in the loop with my friends at work. Anyway you’d need to have been on Mars not to have been caught up in the ‘Jedward’ mania which swept the country for a few weeks. They eventually outlived their usefulness and the show got back to being a "singing competition" (© Dannii Minogue) although it was highly questionable if any of the remaining contestants did have that elusive "X Factor": I thought Stacey Solomon had a nice voice, although I didn't get Olly Murs who looked as if he’s been manufactured in a lab with the combined DNA of Gary Barlow and Will Young, only without their respective talent. The press hatred of Danyl meant that it was inevitable he wouldn't make the final. Joe McElderry won: good luck to him, he seems a nice enough young lad with a good voice but I will foolishly predict here and now that his career progression will be more Leon Jackson than Leona Lewis....
• "Hung" was a strange American drama on More 4. It started off well but I felt it lost its way qather quickly. It was the story of a man who becomes a "happiness consultant" (the key is in the show’s title!!) and a second series has been commissioned; but I don't really know if there’s enough depth in the character development to carry the show beyond one series.
• When it comes to American TV series I'm always late to the party. I recently discovered "One Tree Hill" which has been going for years! Happily there is a solution in sight: E4 has been re-running the series from the beginning so I've been able to catch up. I really like this show, which is based around the family dynamics and romances of the Scott brothers, Lucas and Nathan.
• "FlashForward" is currently on a break and will return to Five in March 2010: every week it continues to add more and more complexity but I still think it's worth sticking with.
• "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here" crowned its latest king of the jungle, TV chef Gino D'Acampo, who we've been a big fan of here at EuropeCrazy HQ for many years since he used to appear on "Good Food Live" on the Good Food channel (remember that!!) - anyway we rather enjoyed this year's series once Katie Price walked out after a week of non-stop bushtucker trials.
• Finally, season one of "Being Erica" on E4 has come to an end. I've thoroughly enjoyed this new Canadian series although it did get a little silly towards the end; again, like "Hung" I don't know how this series will develop, although I think there's another series left in it.

Kate Beckinsale Family

The photos of Actress Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman take her daughter Lily Mo Sheen shopping at the Grove in Los Angeles, CA dated December 21, 2009.

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman

The photos of Christina Aguilera and her husband Jordan Bratman Christmas shopping dated December 22, 2009.