October 2004 – Page 2

Big Match Update

Quick reality TV update – as if you needed one.

I spoke last Sunday about Sky One’s programmeThe Match. Now I haven’t watched any of it apart from that first episode and the actual game tonight. The celebrities were better than I thought they would be, and I thought it was a shame that they lost (2-1). Jonathan Wilkes turned out to be something of a star, really, and scored the goal for the celebs. Poor old Gary Lucy didn’t do very well – apparently, they kept putting him on the bench all week, and he was up for the public vote several times. He did, however, survive to play part of the game. Perhaps it was one of the better reality TV shows.

[Sky Showbiz Report: Celebs Narrowly Beaten In The Match]

Cybill Disobedience

The experience of watching your slightly pissed auntie making an exhibition of herself at a wedding

Earlier tonight we went to see Cybill Shepherd at The Soho Theatre. It’s her so-called*Cybill Disobedience tour,*where she performs jazz, her own songs and tells stories from her life – if you didn’t know, she once dated Elvis. Well, I think I should have learnt my lesson from seeing her last year. This show wasn’t that different, but it’s a little like watching a car crash (or at least aliens trying to fix a car at the side of the road). It’s billed as comedy and was amusing (although not laugh-out-loud funny), but, really, you couldn’t keep your eyes off her. Was she drunk (no, I suspect that was pretend), but she was certainly a little odd. Stephanie Merrit in last week’s Observer likened it to “the experience of watching your slightly pissed auntie making an exhibition of herself at a wedding” [source], which I think sums it up.

Entertaining but scary. Strange and a little unnerving.

Oh, and the picture is from her remarkable promotional appearance on GMTV sometime last week. She may just be a great promoter, but I think she needs to think a little more!

Autumn Again

It’s still my favourite season even if it was cold this morning.

Every year I talk about how nice autumn is (see, I did it here in 2003) and how much I like the season. If you have any doubts as to why I like the season, then just go look at Flick’s autumn tag– it’s stunningly beautiful. Every autumn is the same, with lots of work and me craving a holiday (see, I did that in 2002). This year is no different. But I have to admit – it was very cold this morning.

The Timewarp Times

The past is coming back – really. It’s the Eighties again: not to be outdone on the list front The Sun lists predictions for top toys this Christmas.

Timewarp one – every year we hear the same things: there’s a lot of serious stuff in the news right now – still, The Guardian has put together a list of Conservative leader Michael Howard’s favourite words in order of the frequency with which he used them in today’s speech: Howard’s buzzwords.

Timewarp two – like it’s the Eighties again: not to be outdone on the list front, The Sun lists predictions for top toys this Christmas, and they report that Cabbage Patch Kids are making a comeback – and are expected to be among the best-selling children’s toys this Christmas. Oh, and they have a list too

And if that’s not bad enough, timwarp three – space hoppers are back: 20 space hopper riders are to hop up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh this weekend,according to The Scotsman.

A Mighty Wind

IMDB says, “Mockumentary captures the reunion of 1960s folk trio the Folksmen as they prepare for a show at The Town Hall to memorialise a recently deceased concert promoter.”

So the setup of the DVD we watched last night was a television reunion of a few old folk singers who had hits in the sixties. Christopher Guest’s A Mighty Wind isn’t as good asBest In Showor*This Is Spinal Tap,*but it’s a passable and amusing way to spend an evening. It seemed less realistic than other spoof-documentaries, and I found some of the deleted scenes on the DVD to be funnier than the movie itself. However, there are some good performances and an interesting soundtrack, and it does make you smile.

Worth taking a chance on.

The Match

A reality TV show where the stars are hot!

Really, it’s too good to be true. Tonight Sky One starts a reality TV show calledThe Matchwhere a series of hot young male celebrities become footballers. I think many of those signed up for The Match have a footballing interest/past which means they should be pretty good. Next week they get to take on a team of British footballing legends but in the meantime they are all stuck in a house 24/7 with cameras watching them only to escape for training sessions. Tonight proved it was the real deal as ex-England coach Graham Taylor took the team through their paces. Gary Lucy and Philip Olivier(both pictured) are on the bench tonight and subject to the public vote. Somehow I think they will both survive. And while we are on the subject of Phil Olivier, how did I miss his Doctor Who appearances?

Today In London

Today was busy, but I really wish I hadn’t had to go into work.

On the upside, last night’s visit to The Borderline was great. On the downside, PY had his mobile phone stolen from his pocket at a Starbucks. And what does that say about us? Instead of standing at the bar waiting for the gig, we went to Starbucks for coffee. Today, I had the morning off work as we’d bought PY’s mum a trip on the Orient Express from Victoria. The carriage was very impressive, and it sounds like they had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I had to go back to work in the afternoon.

And tonight’s Evening Standard headline managed to get Iraq on the front cover for once.