Lopez Blogs

Hello everyone. Time for the mid week update special - purely because the US tv "season" has come to a close, and seeing as I watch so much of it I should probably do some sort of wrap up! As I do this, I am of course listening to Hotel Rival's Second Best To None (a-freaking-gain) purely because it is almost a pilot for a tv show itself. And if not then it is probably the ideal x factor finalists charity single for November (and so much better than a cover of Hero, n'est pas?). Anyway, as I so often do, I digress. So what of this tv "season"? Well at least it was more consistent than the strike-ridden last season, which I still hold responsible for killing (or at least gravely wounding) one of my favourite shows. So here is a brief run down of what shone, what stunk and everything in between...

SPECIAL MENTION:

Of course I have to mention my fave tv movie this season - Spectacular. Entirely enjoyable from start to finish and completely responsible for my current obsession of youtubing show choir versions of pop songs. And of course it featured Simon Curtis singing away in gold lame. What's not to love?! And while I (im)patiently wait for Spec2, there was quite an amusing episode of Hannah Montana this week featuring Simon. Now, despite loving See You Again and 7 Things, I've never taken the time to watch anything HanMontan, but for Simon i made an exception - I was surprised by actually how amusing (in a Saved By The Bell sort of way) the show is. The main scene that features Miley lusting after Simon is quite delightfully OTT, particularly when things start reminding Simon's character of his ex. Jenny! Artichoke Dip!! Check it out if you can :)

Shows that have lost their shine ~ I'm almost done with some of my old favourites. It's lucky that Prison Break finished this year (although a 2 hour wrap up movie has it's world premiere on Sky tv next week!) - i mean it was always a bit bonkers and illogical, but the third and fourth season really just took the piss. Ace for high octane thrills, rubbish if you wanted anything to make sense. And by god but Heroes and Ugly Betty became virtually unwatchable this year. Heroes may have won me back with the re-addition of Bryan "Pushing Daisies" Fuller and an interesting finale, but i think I'm dunzo with Betty. She has fast become the most unlikeable character on tv since righteous Krystle Carrington :(

Shows I might have left too late to get into ~ on behalf of my many friends who watch it and keep trying to convince me to watch it, thanks NBC for renewing Chuck. Yet it's one of those shows I keep meaning to watch but still haven't gotten around to. Also in that "interests me conceptually" category are 30 Rock (Adam Levine was in the freaking finale. ADAM LEVINE!), Friday Night Lights (with secret crush Kyle Chandler) and How I Met Your Mother (with Deb Gibson gal pal Dougie Howser!). If you were to recommend the dvds of just one, which would you go for?!

Shows I will be watching this summer ~ I do not trust US tv executives. Clearly most of them are stupid. In Britain (where admittedly we have shorter series runs), a show is rarely cut off midway through it's proposed run. The folks at Fox, CBS, NBC, CW and ABC just can't wait to throw the axe. So sometimes I am attracted to the idea of a show, but get this sense that it may not be long for this world. And as I am still mourning classic tv like Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, Jack and Bobby et al I am cautious with my choices and often wait til a renewal notice comes through - that way I can either watch knowing a second season is a-coming, or at least be pre-warned I'm in it for only a set number of episodes. This year I totally didn't trust Fox to renew Dollhouse, but they totally did so I will be bugging DanUK and Adem with my opinions on it this summer. Ditto as I catch up on the Veronica Mars filled Party Down and mad as a box of frogs United States of Tara. And of course I am very excited about finally getting into Fringe :) I'm unconvinced by megasmash The Mentalist though - not sure I'm a CBS guy :P

Shows that totally have my attention for next season ~ Flash Forward, V, Eastwick, the amazing Glee (which aired after AI last night and was insanely and very "me") and possibly Day One and Happy Town (which sounds a bit Eureka doesn't it?)...


TOP TEN USA TV SHOWS OF THE 2008-2009 SEASON

10 ~ True Blood (HBO): Based on the actually very charming Sookie Stackhouse books, this HBO was everything Twilight should have been - sexy, funny, scary, dramatic and kinda romantic without ramming it down your throat. I'm suffering a Twilight backlash, so this nighttime soap is the perfect antidote. Bring on season 2...
09 ~ The Office (NBC): Oh, it's all (and always has been) about Jim and Pam. They are just too darn adorable together. Plus it continues to be one of the funniest observational shows on television on what used to be Must See Thursday...
08 ~ The Tudors (Showtime): Clearly getting more historically inaccurate by the day (Henry isn't getting fat, he just has a gammy leg) but a decent dramatic portrayal of my favourite era of history ever is always enhanced by the presence of Henry Cavill (yummers) who this season is all tormented by his king-ordered murderous deeds. Meanwhile, Henry is romping through wives and is already entertaining a fourth - the brilliantly cast unlikeable Joss Stone who plays the unlikeable Anne of Cleves. Ace. Final year though next year :(
07 ~ Grey's Anatomy (ABC): Once my favourite show, it then got all mired in the homophobia and tiresome Katherine Heigl moaning about wanting to be a movie star. Oh and bad writing. The Denny's ghost storyline, though explained, was still extremely unnecessary. But when it delivers it delivers, and the final batch of episodes were just brillo. Meredith having 007 written on her hand was just jaw dropping. And the whole show is still infinitely better than it's spin off (despite that having a killer cliffhanger...)
06 ~ Reaper (The CW): By this time tomorrow, Reaper may be in hell. It's not looking good with Sock having defected to a comedy. On FOX! I mean for crying out god's sake, how long do they usually last?! Smartly written, funny, well acted and always enjoyable, this was always the little show that could on The CW and while 90210 got all the media attention this year, this little gem is what people should have been watching :( I'll be tres sad if it goes...
05 ~ Greek (ABC Family): Greek sort of crept up on me and took me unawares. While Felicity and Undeclared remain the greatest college tv shows of all time, this is not far behind. Seeing as we don't have fraternities and sororities in the UK, i'm always fascinated by them and this show continues to be hilarious and heartbreaking all at the same time. Jesse McCartney was a decent cast addition but it's Max and Casey that have my heart. PS, this show sneaks in some of the funniest one liners - comedy writers could do a lot worse than to learn from these guys :P
04 ~ Brothers and Sisters (ABC): It can veer towards the sudsy side of soap on occasions but generally it's brilliantly written and wonderfully acted. Holly has to be the most understated villain on tv (a stark contrast to the hyper Wilhemena on Ugly Betty) and it's easy to see why Tommy wanted rid. The addition of Ryan as the latest bastard to join the clan has been intruiging and frankly who wouldn't want to boff Park Guy after how moody Rob Lowe has been lately? Funniest moment? Kevin and Scotty getting all passionate at the thought of a threesome :)
03 ~ Lost (ABC): If it pulls off it's final season next year with the same skill it has year five, then Lost may well end up not only as one of the best shows of the millenium, but one of the best shows on tv ever. While I constantly feel like I need to be taking notes, it's rich and textured story telling is full of easter eggs and hints that are now starting to pay off. The finale had some strange character interactions but ultimately bought on a bit of a game changer for the islanders before they soprano'd our asses with that white screen fade out. 2010 seems SO far away!!
02 ~ Gossip Girl (The CW): Six-seven years ago, this list would have been full of WB shows including Everwood, Felicity, Gilmore Girls and Buffy. Either i've grown up or the quality on that network has gone right down hill. Luckily Gossip Girl is more than which guy you would like to spaffle on (current winner: slutty Nate) and is a veritable melting pot of teen hormones, switching partners, unfeasible dilemmas, hot DILFS (hello Rufus) and the lovely voice of Veronica Mars. Yes it's all a bit bonkers and yes it's for teenage girl but I care not. I'm entirely hooked. OMFGG!
01 ~ Pushing Daisies (ABC): Sob. It came. It saw. It sadly didn't conquer. What it did do was bring a whimsical fairy story to life in a beautifully colourful and vivid way. Not only was the entire cast top notch, but the story telling whisked you away from the worries of life on a weekly basis (at least til ABC yanked it and the poor americans are still waiting for the final 3 eps that the UK aired in April). Seeing Ned and Charlotte find inventive ways to touch, smooch and hold each other was a delight. Hated the bodged together ending, would have preferred an open ended cliffhanger over that! Still, any show that has all of the above, plus a fascination with plurals (Darling Mermaid Darlings, C'ouer de C'oeurs, Boutique Travel Boutique) and Kristin singing Eternal Flame is a-ok with me. Am I mad at ABC for cancelling it - not really, i'm just pleased they allowed 22 episodes of quirky goodness into my life! Now bring on the zombie filled comics :)
Honourable mentions: Desperate Housewives; Dexter; Kyle XY; Supernatural; Smallville

What are your thoughts?!

Sigh. Another year, another birthday over. I am officially approaching middle age :( Though i am happy to be with someone who will always always be older than me :P It's the best gift a boy could have. Oh and it's our 9 year anniversary tomorrow! Lumme! Anyway the weekend was fun. A bunch of us went to see Singing In The Rain in Liverpool and songs like Fit As A Fiddle, Moses Supposes, Singing In The Rain and of course the aces Good Morning never fail to put a smile on my face. We also had a gorgeous lunch at an "authentic" 50s diner (Best. Milkshake. Ever) and a fun evening back at Ruthies where Darren tragically revealed that he thought Eskimo was the place where Eskimos live!! That is on a par with me not knowing that reindeer were real until a couple of years ago :S On with the highlights and lowlights of the week methinks!!

BOO & HURRAH!

• BOO ~ Pushing Daisies aired it's final episode on Friday in the UK :( It was as bonkers brilliant as anything they had done before. I won't give too much away but there is a brilliant shark related death with crap CGI, some excellent quotable lines and a decent cliffhanger ending - that is then ruined by a rubbishy "lets-wrap-it-all-up" voiceover. Honestly i would have just preferred the cliffhanger. Bring on the zombie-esque DC comics!!
• HURRAH ~ Heroes and Private Practice made up for generally awful seasons with quite good finale episodes. Bryan Fuller is back working his Pushing Daisies magic on Heroes, while the final few minutes of Private Practice were generally harrowing. Naughty Megan from Felicity!!
• BOO ~ Talking of tv, I'm still wary about embracing some shows that I think I would really like for fear of them being one season wonders. Dollhouse surely looks amazing but surely is an outsider for renewal prospects? And what about Fringe? It lures me in but i've never found time to watch it. Ditto Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles... Any recommendations?
• HURRAH ~ At least some of the offerings for next year look a lot better than most of this years disappointing output. Flash Forward could be amazing if handled correctly; Eastwick could be a new sudsy smash (btw the Widows of Eastwick book is challenging me at the mo!) while Masterworks could replace my need for illogical bonkers hi-octane drama that Prison Break currently offers. The Gossip Girl spin off is clearly on my radar, as is the remake of V (though i am already annoyed with ABC over casting for that show. Maybe one day you'll know why!). Anyone else seen anything they like?
• BOO ~ what the ecky thump is going on with Sam Taylor? He managed to wangle himself two tracks on the Beautiful People soundtrack alongside luminaries like Dan Gillespie (Sex)Sells, Kylie & Dannii and SEB, builds up a following on the internet and then uh, auditions for the live stage show of High School Musical? Ok....
• HURRAH ~ The pressure is off for Girls Aloud! While Untouchable will be remembered as the first song not to make the top ten, it had to happen sometime and surely coming off the best selling album to date and a sold out tour is success enough. Singles chart positions are increasingly irrelevant in the world of pop success and it's time to embrace the new regime. Whatever that is... :P (And of course it may go top ten next week!!)
• HURRAH ~ I'm quite looking forward to the return of A-ha and The Lightning Seeds. I was quite obsessed with the latter for quite a while in the 90s...Thanks Kulpop for the info!

TOP 21 TRACKS OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ Kevin Borg, With Every Bit of Me
20 ~ Pet Shop Boys, Love etc
19 ~ BWO, You're Not Alone
18 ~ The Killers, The World We Live In
17 ~ Taylor Swift, Love Story
16 ~ Paolo Nutini, Candy
15 ~ Kelly Clarkson, I Do Not Hook Up
14 ~ Neo, Flower Power Super Girl
13 ~ Girls Aloud, Untouchable
12 ~ Alesha Dixon, Let's Get Excited
11 ~ Simon Curtis, Things We Do For Love
10 ~ Annie, Anthonio
09 ~ Alcazar, Stay The Night
08 ~ Infernal, Redefinition
07 ~ Lily Allen, Not Fair
06 ~ Sophie Ellis Bextor, Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer (RE)
05 ~ Same Difference, All Roads Lead To Heaven
04 ~ Take That, The Garden
03 ~ Little Boots, New In Town (NE/VID)
02 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Hope and Glory
01 ~ Marina and The Diamonds, I Am Not A Robot (NE/1 Week)

Highlights from the week:

• Darren and I spent the day at Alton Towers yesterday. It was full of people in tracksuits and lots of gold jewellry. And bad kissers. I know this because in the queue for Hex (rubbish) the couple behind stood so close to me that I could smell their breath (not great), see the saliva between their lips (nasty) and hear their slurping. I studied their technique intensely hoping it would make them uncomfortable (as I basically felt like the inevitable third wheel in a threesome) - it didn't. She was a rubbish, absolutely rubbish kisser. He possibly had potential if he didn't have such a crap partner. On the plus side Air, Rita and Pinball Wizard were all proper bonza.
• The cds in the car on the way there and back were well decent. On the way there I rediscovered the brilliance of Alison Moyet (in particular Whispering Your Name - vid above. EPIC), Newton's Sometimes When We Touch (discotastic) and Hazel Dean's Whos Leaving Who (I don't think you ever find out). On the way back it was Kylie's Enjoy Yourself. I did.
• Triple Hurrah! The final three episodes of whimsical delight (etc) Pushing Daisies have started airing on ITV in England. This week had so much to enjoy in it, I almost forgot the devastation of it's cancellation. Olive sings! There is a brilliant but brief Superman cape reference with visual. Caustic Emerson paraphrases Barbra Streisand. Gloves become incredibly romantic. It was all brilliant. Only two left :(
• Double Hurrah! Not only has Jesse McCartney made it possible for one to make a very decent album indeed by picking the best tracks from Departure/Re:charged, but he is also quite good on the effortlessly likeable Greek which came back a couple of weeks ago. Best new tracks? Body Language and Crash & Burn. Trust me. Or poppostergirl :P
• Hurrah! Harpers Island is here - and is basically a remake of (the best soap opera ever) Sunset Beach's Terror Island storyline. So it's rubbish but in a watchable way. When is Chris Gorman going to be the star he deserves to be? The guy is ALWAYS working!
• I may have to re-evaluate my feelings toward Secret Life of An American Teenager....
• I have broken up my obsession this weekend with Kings of Leon and Little Boots (big post on her coming soon) with the cheesy cheese on toast new song by BeFour. It's called Ding A Dong and the message is basically when life is a bit poo just sing Ding A Dong. I mocked this concept for about 3 seconds then fell in love with the song. It's ace in a crap way. I likes.
• As I mentioned last week, Susan Boyle continues to be the big fave for Britain's Got Talent, up against a jolly nice fellow who played the sax this week (but does the world really need another Kenny G?). EPIC FAIL for blatently scripted contestant, a 12 year old boy from Wales who sang Valerie incredibly out of time, then "surprisingly" got another go and sang some Michael Jackson song flawlessly (apparently. Little shrieky for my liking). Talk about completely set up....(The Singing Souls were hilarious though)

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 - Kelly Clarkson, My Life Would Suck Without You
20 - Kelly Clarkson, I Do Not Hook Up (NE)
19 - Deborah Gibson, Already Gone
18 - Sugababes, Every Heart Broken
17 - McFly, Last Song
16 - Alesha Dixon, I Get Excited
15 - Annie, Anthonio
14 - Paolo Nutini, Candy
13 - Taylor Swift, Love Story
12 - Pet Shop Boys, Love Etc.
11 - Girls Aloud, Untouchable
10 - Kevin Borg, With Every Bit Of Me
09 - Lily Allen, Not Fair
08 - Take That, The Garden
07 - BWO, You're Not Alone
06 - Neo, Flower Power Super Girl
05 - Infernal, Redefinition (VID)
04 - Alcazar, Stay The Night
03 - Simon Curtis/Victoria Justice, Things We Do For Love
02 - Same Difference, All Roads Lead To Heaven
01 - Mans Zelmerlow, Hope and Glory (3 Weeks)

Coming this week: No idea. But Little Boots will be in there somewhere. And possibly Marina & The Diamonds...

"We all need a little Christmas" warbled Angela Lansbury in Mame. And for me that sort of describes my year round attitude to pop/feelgood movies/musicals etc. It's all about the feel good factor. I'm unconcerned primarily with what other people think of things - if it gives me a great big happy, then I'm all aboard. Entertainment Weekly put this theory in a more modern context with their review of Spectacular the other week:

"But honestly, has there ever been a better moment for cheery kids put on a show Spectacular? The economy is in the crapper. We're fighting two wars. Even our gold plated Olympic hero gets busted for allegedly doing bong hits. We could use a little shiny-happy optimism!"

And Spectacular was full of the happy. Sure it didn't reach the conclusion you expected it to, but people did the right thing! They followed their path in life! They sang and danced til their little feet could dance no more! Really, if life was more like Spectacular the world would be a more cheerful place. And I would be driving a beemer with the license plate SHW BOY. Magnif. So in honour of Spectacular being released on DVD, here are the first ten things that sprang into my mind that give me that ridiculous giddy to my tummy feeling each time i see or hear them :)

1. When Simon Curtis (above at the Nick Kids Choice Awards - love how braces and shoes match. Like a metro collar and cuffs :P) sings 'as a kid I got a lot of shit for/liking my music "but what is it for?/You should listen to this because it gives more"/Yeah but it sounds lousy on the dancefloor' in the epic xenomaniac Put Your Makeup On, it instantly validates generations of pop lovers gone by and those to come. HAPPY!
2. The little boy running through the airport to tell some ten year old hussy he loves her/Colin Firth tracking down Aurelia in a little French village in "Love, Actually (see here for brilliant Love, Actually joke). Amazing manipulative uplifting music powers the scenes along to their ridiculously sweet and romantic conclusions. HAPPY!
3. Johnny comes in, does the corny but brilliant "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" line, and then Baby/Francis does the jump-lift in Dirty Dancing. Meanwhile old Daily Mail reading dowagers shrug off their fur stoles and shimmy on the dancefloor. HAPPY!
4. The key change in Taylor Swift's Love Story when she sings "marry me juliet you never have to be alone...". It's romantic bliss. And well done key changes always lead to a - HAPPY!
5. Graduation/Proms - England doesn't really do Proms. But when Buffy gets that crappy umbrella in "The Prom" and Veronica Mars gets a loud cheer from her classmates when she graduates, it's all rather lovely and emotional. HAPPY!
6. You need to grab onto the happy moments in Harry Potter, otherwise you will never be able to produce a Patronus worth your while. So when Hermione smacks Draco in the face in the Prisoner of Azkaban, although i don't condone violence, it's marvy pants and groovy because you sense it's the moment that coppertop Ron Weasley fell irrevocably in love with her. HAPPY!
7. During the final two choruses of "Human Again" in Beauty and The Beast - there is something rather exhilarating about the hope and redemption of the animated inanimate objects in this definitely not throwaway cartoon ditty. The visuals are just the icing on the cake. HAPPY!
8. When Lois proposes to Clark in "Ultrawoman" (season 3 ep of Lois & Clark), well sure it's goopy as unwhipped candy floss, but it's payoff to weeks of will-they-won't-they, and despite the shows flaws, two things were certain - Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain had great chemistry, and Lois and Clark were destined to be together. HAPPY!
9. The fact that Pushing Daisies existed at all - even if only for 22 episodes. Ditto Same Difference. One full season and one album of sugar coated delirium is better than nothing. HAPPY!
10. "and nobody in all of oz/no wizard that there is or was/is ever going to bring me down" - Elphaba gets her groove on, flies and closes the first half of Wicked with a little ditty so inspiring, so just-stand-up-for-what's-right that you can't help but cheer your little vocal chords raw. H-A-P-P-Y!

This post is dedicated to AA, SS and all those who deserve to be happy :)

What makes you happy?!

Oh. My. Effing. God. Gossip Girl was bound to end up on the front of my fave mag Entertainment Weekly (they were the cover stars of the Fall TV Preview issue) but the guys on the front of my second favourite magazine Details? Too much! Well it's not really too much, but a conker (horse chesnut) fell on my bonce today still encased in it's spikiness, so I think I am feeling a bit stabbed to be honest with you. Anyway, I've been waiting for the effortlessly giddy Pushing Daisies to return before I evaluated what's good on the box stateside, so here goes...

10: Prison Break, Season Four ~ Oh it's gone beyond ridiculousness now with beheaded people being re-headed (so there is hope for Anne Boleyn then in season 3 of The Tudors) but ignore the gaping plot holes and it's actually quite a lot of fun...
09: Heroes, Season Three ~ Hmmm, Heroes is on probation with me. That Japanese in the past storyline from year two was uber boring. Still, I am quite loving the unemployed (Eli Navarro) and overemployed (Veronica herself) VM cast; and that punky little blonde speedster is ace of base...
08: Brothers & Sisters, Season Three ~ First off, I seriously love it when children blackmail adults. Secondly the actor that plays Justin got a lot hotter over the summer. Thirdly, it is back to bickering and backstabbing wrapped up in love. Perfect. And Sally Fields rocks...
07: Ugly Betty, Season Three ~ Thank God the sandwich maker and the nerd have gone. Betty is still veering on being annoyingly righteous all the time, but an appearance from part time lesbian Lindsey Lohan and a hot new neighbour the show still has it's footing...
06: Greek, Season Two ~ Well didn't this show just sneak up on me and get all engrossing and fun? It's far superior to the dull pregnant show and that weird Middleman nonsense ABC Family foisted on us over the summer. And it has gays kissing. Marv.
05: Entourage, Season Five ~ It's nice to see Vince be persona non gratis in LA while little Eric and Johnny Drama become the successful ones. Best bit of the show is Ari Gold and Lloyd ~ when Ari convincingly bitchslaps a colleague, Lloyd squeals "ooo Ari you've got fists of fury!!" Brilliant!
04: Desperate Housewives, Season Five ~ It's five years in the future. How One Tree Hill/Veronica Mars (had it not been axed) of it. Edie is back with a secretive hubby. Gaby's daughter is brilliant. The gays are still underutilised. Carlos is still blind. Susan is still annoying. Bree is still amazing. Ergo, Desperate Housewives still rules.
03: Grey's Anatomy, Season Five ~ Considering my undying love for this show and McDreamy, I don't get why I am so ambivilent about Private Practice. Anyway, GA is back, DerMer are finally together, there is the best use of an icicle since it was used as a murder weapon in Bad Girls and finally the constant shagging around catches up with the quality of the hospital much to whatsisname's chagrin... Love love loved the 3 wives in a car accident storyline. Quite touching. I sniffled.
02: Gossip Girl, Season Two ~ Frankly this would be number two on quotability alone. This week's gem included the amazing Veronica Mars voiceover opining "What's fashion week without a fashion victim? Better watch out little J - there is a bullseye on your back" and Dan responding to Chuck asking if he was gay - "that's WAY outside my comfort zone". I really don't need to say anymore, except shame on them for using the Nelly Furtado Maneater clone Poker Face song in the opening scene. Whatever next? The Saturdays promoting Ugly Betty? Oh....
01: Pushing Daisies, Season Two ~ Chuck and Ned return! And thank god the producers realise that they are better taking on the world together rather than taking on each other. And thank god for inventive solutions to not touching each other. And thank god for it being as whimsical and magical as ever. And thank god for Chi McBride adding some much needed salty sass to the proceedings. It's the most fairytale show on tv and that suits me just fine. PS Lee Pace I love you ever such a little bit...


Still worth a peek: Smallville (despite the fact that the storyline is now so convoluted you need a degree to access it, it's the final season and seeing Clark push up his glasses in the credits is kind of a thrill); Supernatural (now with added Jesus!); Dirty Sexy Money (it's firmly on it's way to becoming Dynasty of the millenium) and Friday Night Lights (tv's best least watched drama!)

Ones I've yet to watch: Dexter Season Three; True Blood Season One; Fringe Season One;


Back tomorrow with a massive pop wrap up....