Lopez Blogs

Often I am as baffled by the state of UK tv as I am by the mind boggling antics of US tv networks (don't get me started on the recent Dollhouse axing!). To be fair, most UK tv shows are far shorter runs (anywhere between 6 and 13 episodes) which means they are already written and filmed before they even hit the air. There is far less likelihood a show will be cancelled midway through it's run (though not unheard of, and of course it can be shifted around the timeslots to bury it if a total flop). However, this causes problems in terms of never knowing when a show will air. Unless it's a national treasure (like Dr. Who), it's unlikely to air at the exact same time each year and may not be on the same channel (shows have switched from BBC3 to BBBC1 or ITV to ITV2). Still, it works well enough and there are 3 big returns for the autumnal season that all come back in the very near future. Excitement he wrote...

Dr. Who - The Specials:
Ah the Doc. One must credit David Tennant (mostly RAR!) and writer Russell T Davies for making the latest incarnation of Dr Who so darned entertaining and frankly brilliant. This year has been somewhat of a year off and affectionately known as "the specials". The traditional Christmas special aired in 2008 which wasn't too bad at all, while the Easter special was a not very budget busting bus in a desert exercise with some nice moments and a lovely bit of foreshadowing about the 10th doctor's demise (coming this Christmas to a screen near you!) The first of the final three specials ("The Waters of Mars") airs this very Sunday! I'm sure there is lots to be excited about, but the fact that it has Shane in it from Neighbours (remember stripper Daphne? That was so cutting edge back then. Nowadays no body blinks an eye at that sort of thing in soaps. Heck, even Leanne in Corrie was a prozzie!) is very exciting indeed. There'll be some exclusive trailer on next Friday's Children in need of the 2 Christmas specials, and if you need more Doctor then make sure you attend the wedding of Sarah Jane. For much more comprehensive coverage, you will no doubt need to visit the excellent Dr fan, Dan Project 76. That is all...

Beautiful People - Series 2:
I've just had a bit of a marathon session rewatching the first series of this rather endearing show. It's sometimes laugh out loud funny, sometimes gently amusing and sometimes incredibly touching which was an entirely winning combination for me. Yes, it's about a young lad who grows up to be gay, but it's more about that universal feeling of just seeming like you are different to everyone else when you are a teenager. The first series was littered with some wonderful scenes, but two of my favourites have to be...

• A very lovely scene where Simon's parents (Andy and Debbie) discuss their son being different in bed, and Andy becoming quite adamant that he will not force his son into being something he's not. Very reminiscent of my parents, and what a super place the world would be with more people like that in it...
• Later that very episode, Simon discovers a love for football (well Posh Spice had just hooked up with David Beckham) and is rather good at it, scores a winning goal and gets a Posh Spice doll from the school bully. All set rather movingly to the Kylie/Dannii duet, Winner Takes It all :)

And talking of music, the series is packed with wonderful choices. Whether it's dramatic fare like I've Never Been To Me, Don't Cry Out Loud (best key change ever) or PSB doing Somewhere, or newer tunes like the two theme tune songs from Dan Gillespie Sells or an update of Jolene by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, it all fits rather well into the atmosphere the show has created (and let's not forget it introduced the wistful voice of Sammy Taylor who must be close to be being big soon, surely?) Series 2 starts this Friday on BBC2 (featuring Dannii Minogue and Dana International!!) and I am as excited about it's return as I am about it's soundtrack (overseen by the aces Ian Masterson). Hurrah!
(Note: Apparently the PSB track Beautiful People was originally meant to accompany the series!)

Gavin and Stacey - Series 3:
I can't rave enough about this show. I just find it utterly adorable and hilarious. And I seem to have been waiting forever for a resolution to that devastating Smithy-Nessa moment at the end of last year's festive special. Series 3 FINALLY starts on 26th November 2009 and is likely to be the last we see of the show apart from the odd special here or there. I will be sad to lose these characters (particularly Pamela, Gavlar's mom) and their quirky little in-jokes (like singing the rappy bit to World in Motion), but I would rather they go out on a massive high (like Royle Family or Vicar of Dibley) than run itself into the ground. Sigh - the 26th can't come quickly enough!!

QUICK RETRO BITS:

• Having devoured the latest Adrian Mole book (The Prostrate Years - marvy read; highly recommend it!), I've gone back to the start and am just about to re-watch the tv version of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole for the first time in yonks. I also have the second series (Growing Pains) from 1987 (where Lulu replaced Julie Walters as the mom) and the Cappucino years (Cold Feet for nerds) from 2001. Can't wait :)
• Talking of old shows I must watch soon, one can't ignore the festive pull of the amazing Box of Delights tv adaptation. Sure it's aged worse than Madonna's arms, but there is still an innocent magic, an air of danger and something compelling about this classic old show. if you haven't seen it, at least go out and get the novel version - it will definitely tide you over until sexy Ben Barnes does the next Narnia movie!
• Finally, I'm pretty sure it's only me, but did anyone catch Jon Lee (former S Clubber) in the remake of the Famous Five last year?!

Back tomorrow with weekly catch up post; Sunday with all the X Factor news!