Lopez Blogs

New Spectacular Preview:

Ah finally, the musical fruits of the forthcoming Simon Curtis movie are starting to show up online. Unfortunately, other than backing vocals, this isn't very Simoncentric but does give you a good idea of what the movie will be like. There are fairgrounds, freestyle dancing, choreographed dancing, chaste smooching (near the end) and more flashes of Simon in uncomfortable looking gold (for more spectacular Spectacular previews with Gold Simon, click here). It's building up my anticipation factor nicely - the song is a catchy little number, exactly what I was hoping for. I can't help but feel though, that when Simon takes the mic and centre stage, his tunes are going to blow this musical sky high.

Britannia High - episodes 2&3:

After a disasterous ratings start for episode 1 (3.3million - more people watched Antiques Roadshow!! Well, England is an increasingly aging population...), the second show in this rather addictive new series had a lot to prove. Coming after the F1 racing event, it boosted the viewing figures to 5.7million and tackled the serious issue of adult illiteracy to song and dance. As you do. (Note to producers - surely you could have got Fan"can't spell my own name"tasia to guest on this?) Anyway, Danny is the lead character for this week's show. He is still dating gabrie, er I mean Lauren and rather than knuckling down with his studies, is more intent on being the class clown. The little scamp. Still it's hard to get annoyed when he sings pop songs like I'm The Man (above) which have brilliant lyrics like "I'm the fizzy in your pop". Quite. The musical numbers continue to be quite enticing as a whole actually - following on from the positively peppy theme tune (Start of Something) and the positively percolating pop of Watch This Space (an ace jewels and stones remix of this is doing "the rounds"), there is the aforementioned I'm The Man, and the quite melodramatic (Meatloaf would have a field day with this, such is the passion and melodrama) Changing Man. The songs work because they are an extension of the script and further the storyline - Danny sings along to Changing Man because he realises he has to step up to the plate and face his inner demons. This was the episode with Girls Aloud in (well Nicola and Kimberley) and they acted their little socks off. And by acted, I mean don't expect any National Television Awards anytime soon lasses :P Still they were playing themselves, so one can't expect too much...

And so I finally get to last night's episode. As Jez is my favourite character by far (he is such a style icon and has good popstar hair - see pic at bottom of post), I was quite looking forward to his episode. It kicked off with a birthday party in a roller disco and an S Club worthy singalong called Wake Up, which frankly deserves to be top 5 for at least 2 weeks. It was a rather poptastic and glorious start to the show, which i watched with Ruthiepoos (although she was in her home and I was in mine, so we shared our opinions by text). The exchange went something like this...

Me: Ah a dance routine at a roller disco. Remember that please for my birthday next year...
Ruth: Stop giving it away. I paused it and now am a minute behind you...
Me: I've never seen anyone devour a burger so very quickly. I think I have an inappropriate crush on Jez.
Ruth: Me too!
Me: Ruth, that makes you the worst lesbian ever, although he does have a hint of Ellen about him if you squint your eyes...
Ruth: I just think he's really cute.
Me: I'd soon ram that cuteness out of him...
Ruth: :O
Me: BB is being really unreasonable. Oh no, i think the posh dad just outed Jez over a game of pool.
Ruth: Posh dads are never bothered by gay sons because they all got buggered senseless in boarding school and kind of enjoyed it.
Me: Oh! He is singing a very sad ballad and it is quite beautiful.
Ruth: :*(

And so it went on. If you haven't seen the show, then that above exchange is a little bit shit really, but trust me at the time it was powerful stuff :P And don't call this a banterview. I don't want D'Luv suing my ass. Anyway, the song at the end ("Proud") was incredibly lovely and typical Gary Barlow ballad stuff. Boys singing at a piano always get to me. Magnif. PS - why Adam Garcia has only been in one episode so far is beyond me. The show needs some slightly older totty on it and lord knows the headmaster ain't fulfilling that role...