A Not So New Year

My first blog post of 2015...

Though if you take in the news of Blur reforming and Kathy Beale
returning to Eastenders you'd think we'd ended up back in 1995.

Or if the vile actions of Chelsea fans on a Metro train in Paris
are anything to go by, 1955.

Goings-on have been relatively OK so far, no major upsets as such,
but it's not to say that all the wounds from last year have been healed.

One such worry being the future of the Radio Academy which was pretty
much up in the air at the AGM held before Christmas, not helped by
the raised voices of those in attendance, but this Tuesday coming
a meeting revealing the plans for the future and the results of the
trustee's strategic review will be taking place, again on the seventh floor
of New Broadcasting House.

Understandably Ben Cooper has a tough job along with his BBC Radio 1/1Xtra
duties, but I'm pretty sure that the whole debacle would have been less
heated if back in November last year, they'd openly admitted than
they were financially screwed, rather than dress it up by announcing
a new event that even at this stage hasn't even been finalised.

Elsewhere my outings elsewhere to both London and various soul
dos this year have been sparse.

Save for a couple of outings to come in Brighton in April and late August,
I've started to catch funk fatigue (if that's the right description)
not helped that the Margate Weekender earlier in August has gone up in price.

Part of this is due to the organisers getting hold of the Winter Gardens
to host amongst other things a live Roy Ayers performance, but
for me it's another indication that the event as a whole is turning into another Caister, with big crowds, and endless rotations of a Philly Compilation CD.

Still on the plus side, Joey Negro's going to be doing a DJ set on one of the nights.

Happier times have occured now and again, including last night
where I saw the ever-amazing Andreya Triana performing at the Lexington,
a delightful little bar near Angel in London and the best sound setup
I've heard at a gig where they've actually bothered to make sure it doesn't distort.























A.T. was performing tunes from her upcoming album "Giants" and 
this was proper solid stuff.

A few are predicting she'll go the same way as Sam Smith and George
Ezra, but with tunes of such great quality, I very much doubt she'll
be troubling The X Factor as one of their guest performers this autumn.

She's probably taken a few pointers off of another giant, and the
gentle jazz giant at that.



So overall it's rather quiet, but hopefully things will pick up in
the Spring, not least with my 30th nearing, which I'm sort of celebrating
by traveling to Manchester the week before and finally seeing this guy performing live.




Despite having already interviewed him for Blam Jam...

They'll be happy times in '15, just fewer and fulfilling.

Wobbling Through '14

The last 12 months have been, how can I describe them?

Colourful.

The best way to sum them up would be to represent them
in photographic form chronologically.

January


















Tony and Bluey from Incognito, on an early
morning visit to St Pancras station.

Feburary

 

From the best band in the world,
to the worst movie in the world...

March

Sat in the audience for Celebrity Fifteen To One
as hosted by fellow seagull lover, Adam Hills.

I ought to adapt his catchphrase as my New Year resolution,
"Stop Being A Dick!".

April

Getting down with an inflatable seagull
in Brighton.

May

The Brazilian Baron, Mr Marcos Valle.

June

Belated birthday celebrations with the team
(and Gordon!) at Folded Wing.

Meeting my "dream mum", Mary Anne Hobbs.

Bagging the best LP of '14,alongside
the man behind it, Gilles Peterson.

July?...

That's when things started to go pear-shaped.

Up until then it had been a relatively positive period, with a few minor wobbles though nothing too drastic.

But a lot of things were starting to build deep down.

The World Cup was done and dusted, the atmosphere
within the studios of CSR started to fade with almost everyone
going home for the summer, and now a member of the committee,
it was hard for me to stay in the loop of what was going on.

Then it all came to a head one Wednesday afternoon,
when I received an e-mail with two pieces of bad news.

One I had been not "hoping for", but expecting over a few months,
but the other came as a shock and rendered me inconsolable,
reacting in a distressed panic.

I won't say what it was, or who were involved, but it was radio
related, and meant an awful lot, despite being something
I should have gotten over more swiftly.

And on looking back, those who were involved did not deserve
such an emotional outburst on my part.

I managed to escape from my woes briefly that weekend
by returning to Canterbury and spending a night in London seeing
the amazing Andreya Triana in concert, which allowed me for
a short while to forget about my frustrations.


















I could hide my anxieties really well if in my
true home of London.

But on returning to Ramsgate, I was in that much of a state, I wasn't
able to enjoy things I had previously done, including this year's
Margate Soul Weekender that took place the following weekend.

The large crowds and overwhelming thoughts were too much to contend
with, not helped by by outbursts and misunderstandings
at home that weren't needed at such a time.

It never rains, etc...

Despite spending the whole of August helping to run a radio station
for under 25s, and a visit to a radio imaging conference in Amsterdam
in September, it was hard to disguise that I was still down,
and hoping that the Radio Festival in October would be a turning point.

Sadly it wasn't to be, as save for some really good sessions,
my anxieties got the better of me, being in the presence of
radio professionals who were where I wanted to be.

I think I even collapsed on the floor at one point because of it.

At the end of October another setback struck, and this time I was
so distressed, I wouldn't even leave my own bedroom.

However many good friends both near home, and within radio
were supportive, with one such blog from Anthony Gay,
the MD of Reelword Europe jingles, getting across some
very straight but forward-thinking home truths about my
chosen career path.

"Get Over Yourself"

The last couple of months have fared slightly better, due to spending
more time within the surrounds of CSR, leading to better shows
(well, as I see them at least), and starting my own podcast
exploring the mental challenges I face, through the use of
specially designed audio stories.

The highlight of the former being an 80s Special hosted just before
Christmas to celebrate 5 years at CSR.

The intro can be heard below, though it may not be up to Reelworld
standards. (and sorry about the rap...)



My latest podcast can be heard as well, looking at how I managed
to turn my worries of our Xmas outing into an audio diary.



I was hoping the above would have been a positive end to
an uncertain year.

But mental anxiety hits you when you least expect it
and unfortunately, circumstances in the last day or so have lead
to another wobble, along with the accompanying struggles to sleep at night,
and more misunderstandings.

But the underlying worry of my wobbles, are that the things which
provided positive episodes in the past, have now become triggers
of such wobbles themselves.

And that's what I'll need to confront in 2015 but I'm hopeful
the end result will be positive.

It would be ideal to end the blog where it started, and a song from Bluey
and Incognito which really helped me during the tough times,
and may have the solution to the above concerns.

"Why push and shove, and kill the love?"



Ultimately, there may be far more to a happy future
than a life in radio, and that's what I'm really running away from.

And maybe at the end of 2015, I'll have a whole year's worth of photos
worth revisiting.

"A Little Time, To Think It Over"

The blog post title has reminded me, I still need to give Paul Heaton
and Jacqui Abbot's album a listen.

Even if Jacqui wasn't in the band when they released the
song as quoted.

Anyway, the few months or so have been quite eventful.

Late October/early November was rather tough and I'll explain
in more detail in a later blog around Xmas, but the last few
weeks have been very busy, a lot of it spent at CSR where
I have probably been the most off my feet ever, in five years
at the station.

This has mainly been due to our recent charity fundraiser
"Operation Heroes" where we broadcast live from Mungo's
bar to raise money for the SNAAP charity in Herne Bay
helping those with special needs.
















 

In the last few days I've also been working on the Xmas
imaging which has gone from run of the mill festive idents,
to branded song intros which came about from a chat
in the editing room, and it just spurred me on to get
them produced. 



I love working that way, with lots of others in the same room
as ideas spur off the cuff, and fellow members will give
me their thoughts instantly.

A lot of my time has also been spent outside of Canterbury, attending
radio events in London, namely Wednesday night's Radio Academy AGM
chaired by Ben Cooper at what has been quite a tough couple
of months for the Academy with the sudden ditching of the Radio Festival
and "Not Sony Awards" and the redundancies of it's executive staff.

And as the meeting itself went to show, they still don't have
any real idea on what will happen in 2015, which lead to a few
animated responses from those in attendance.

One of them being radio futurologist James Cridland whose
live tweeting sums up (in a far more smarter sense than I can)
how worrying the situation really is.

I managed to put my worries to one side after the AGM itself
by heading to the Horse and Groom pub for the Soundwomen
Xmas drinks where it was nice to see a few familiar faces
with a more positive outlook on all things radio for 2015 onwards.

After a rather lengthy day in Canterbury, and a late visit
to London to see another screening of "The Room" (which I may
cut back on next year) I'm having a couple of rest days in Ramsgate
before Sunday where I am hosting my 5th birthday Blam Jam
in the form of an 80s special.




I have been excited about this for months, and it will be an amazing
way to round off what I'd say has been an enjoyable, if at times
changing year at CSR.

I have even bought a Christmas jumper for the occasion!

Want to see it?

You'll have to wait until Sunday.

After that I'm putting all my radio exploits to one side until January
though there's a good chance I may record a festive themed episode
of my new podcast, "Adventurous Sound Dissections".



I have enjoyed making these and I hope you have found them
as revealing.

But at present, I'm happy that my current situation is stable.

Hitting You Between The Eyes (And Ears)

Again, a long time since I last blogged but with a lot else happening
and dedicated blogs for my greater interests, this one doesn't necessarily
need the overload of updates it once had this time five years ago.

I may as well start by writing down what I'm able to remember as of
recent, and last night I watched out of curioisity ITV's biopic
on Cilla Black starring Sheridan Smith as the singing Scouser.

There's a generational interweave within my family sharing a
dislike for the entertainer from my Dad repeatedly moaning about
her BBC 1 series from the 70s where Lulu would seemingly be guesting
every week, to my overall indifference to Blind Date which I suppose
was the 80s and 90s answer to the X Factor, in that it gained lots
of viewers, yet every show was the bloody same each week.

As for the drama "Cilla" it kept my attention for the length of the episode
but the one bugbear was that visually, Sheridan Smith rather than
looking like Ms White, bore more a resemblance to Yvette Fielding
around the period she had left Blue Peter and was co-hosting ITV's
Saturday morning toon-fest "What's Up Doc?".






















With that memory stuck in my grey matter, it was hard to associate
the character with Cilla, but then again, save for Most Haunted
Yvette was a more tolerable presenter, whilst growing up.

I need to consume a lot more television, last night especially helped
me forget that my day-to-day life at present, whilst not terrible,
has it's uncertainties here and there though gradually they seem
to be disappearing.

Though it's not just escaping to the word of a flat screen that proves
worthwhile, as last week I attended The Imaging Days in Holland,
the first even of it's kind devoted entirely to the geeky yet misunderstood
world of radio imaging.

A lot of the experts giving presentations were from the UK, but
it was the talks that explained why rather than how we do it
that got me with presentations from Slovenian advertising consultant
Lenja Faraguna, and American imaging producer Ryan Drean whose
respective presentations gave useful advice on how to progress
further in a radio career, beyond the technical side of things.

And when I say no-holds-barred...


















In fact, a really good video highlights package has been posted
of the event, and definitely the perfect advert for potential delegates
to visit Haarlemm next year.



My next big radio event where I end up making a fool of myself
in front of the industry pros, will be the annual Radio Festival in Salford
next month, where I'm particularly looking forward to sessions from Iain Lee,
and an insight into the political interview from the masters of interrogation
John Humphrys and Nicky Campbell.

No time like the present however, and this weekend I'm lending
quite a hand to the arrivals weekend at CSR FM, welcoming the Freshers
and in my case producing the audio that will have them thinking
"I want to be part of this".

And inevitably they'll do a better job than me on the air as well.

It's all rather exciting.

My Audio Adventures - Spring '14

This must have been the longest gap between posts on my blog in well,
forever I guess.

Though in an age where my daily exploits can be written down and reflected
on in shorter form on social networking sites as opposed to lengthy tangents
on one site, then I guess many users don't want an overload of information.

Though now and again it's good to reflect on some of the high points
and despite a few wobbles, over the last couple of months, it's been
fairly positive.

In April I made my way to Newcastle for the annual Student Radio
Conference with the CSR team where as well as making the most of
the cheap drinks, we all gained valueable advice from the bigger
radio peeps into taking the station to the next level.
 
















So much that I have recently stood for and won the "Head Of Production"
role at CSR's recent committee elections and am looking forward
to working alongside an already amazing team.

As for my show itself, Blam Jam recently managed to get an interview
with the musical genius that is Bluey from Incognito, nicely timed
for the band's 35th anniversary year.

The interview can be heard below and from last week's show,
I've also produced a special insert with the Cog founder waxing lyrical
on Brazil.





In terms of live gigs, my favourite had to be the Baron of Bossa
Marcos Valle who according to Gilles Peterson on his BBC Radio 2 special
last night, has his last name prononced "Val" rather than "Vallay".


















An ideal warm up to the World Cup even if the musician's home team
haven't exactly been playing fairly so far in the tournament.

As if my radio exploits weren't enough I have also been moonlighting
on the small screen, making a few short appearances in the audience
of Celebrity Fifteen To One on Channel 4 that I attended back in March.

















It's safe to say I looked more stupid than most of the celebrity
contestants under the interrogation of Adam Hills.

Bringing things a bit more up to date, I recently made another visit to the Folded Wing offices in London to give company founder Karen P a special
(late) birthday present.

Her own jingle from JAM Creative Productions!

The audio presentation itself can be heard here, and it was worth the wait as
despite myself and Karen sharing the same birthday, Karen ended up
receiving two even bigger birthday presents that week in the form of awards for Jamie Cullum's Radio 2 show.




Karen however was very flattered with her present and she also gave me a rather nice present of a her own, a book with lovely Polaroid photos of British seasides.

I'm hoping it's not the last thing that we both work together on.

And on the subject of jingles, this weekend I shall be heading to
Portsmouth for Jinglemad.com's Jingle Day which is actually lasting
a whole weekend.

I'm only there for the Saturday however due to booking a session
with the amazing Mary Anne Hobbs in London the next day as part
of a series of sermons from "The School Of Life".

Two of my biggest radio inspirations in one weekend!

There may again be a few wobbles over the coming weeks, but
this summer looks set to be superb, and I hope to post the high
points right here on my blog in the next couple of months.

March Malarchy

The bright skies are coinciding with a fair few pick-ups in day
to day life, to the point that when I get home I am utterly knackered.

So much better than struggling every night to get some shut eye.

In-short I'm enjoying life, and now is a good time just to
reflect on what exactly I have been doing.

Two visits to London were on the agenda this week, the first was
up to Elstree to be in the audience the the last of four Celebrity
Fifteen To One's as hosted by Adam Hills.

Having seen him host a special one off edition last autumn for
Channel 4's 80s night, I'm excited that they're using him for
more celebrity specials this year, though Sandi Toksvig will
be hosting the regular series with non-celebrity contestants.

Amongst those taking part on my visit were Dara O'Briain,
Johnny Vegas, Marcus Brigstocke (still in crutches after his skiing
accident), and a very wiley Ann Widdecombe.

I won't give anything away but it was a fun night, with
Adam Hills being a professional and witty host.

The show should be going out next month.

I was back in London on Wednesday, this time at the Shepherds
Bush Empire to see the gentle jazz giant that is Gregory Porter.

















Performing songs from all three of his albums, the man gave
a great combination of energy and warmth, encouraging
the audience to participate, and even sticking around in the
entrance to sign CDs and even vinyl copies of his material.

Whilst waiting to see the great man, I noticed one of his biggest
fans, a star from Eastenders also present, a singer and actor himself,
though nowadays I think he prefers to be recognized less
for his vocal abilities.

He was more than happy to have a photo with me, mind.

I was back in Canterbury on Thursday for a couple of days,
the first helping out with CSR's Worldfest event which despite
a few issues with strong winds, we got through and handled the
event in a solid manner.

















There were a few good acts performing including rock and roll
tribute act "Stranded At The Jive In" and "Mariachi Margarita"
a Mexican trio who got the crowds of Canterbury on their feet.

A CSR station meeting was on the agenda last night which
I did attend, despite feeling extremely tired due to a walking
outing with the Canterbury group of Advocacy For All, a social
group helping to integrate people with learning difficulties.

One of our members really enjoys walking, so felt the need to take
us on a rather lengthy ramble outside Canterbury and all the way
back again.

And as it had been raining the night before, it wasn't without
the occasional muddy puddles.

Safely back in Ramsgate now, and not a great deal going on
though I'm back with my radio show this coming Sunday.

April is looking hopeful with more outings planned including
a visit to Newcastle for this year's Student Radio Conference.

I'm hoping to post a blog about what I get up to there
after the event itself, provided it doesn't get too chaotic
and drink-induced.

Like that's going to be avoided.

Flustered In February

It's been an interesting February, if at times frustrating.

As is often the case, when you plan something over a long length
of time, it's expected to be the case that it doesn't go as well as it
should.

Health circumstances hit a low last weekend when a dentist's
appointment to remove a really painful tooth turned out not to be.

After waiting a very long length of time to go into the sedation clinic
I was really frustrated when they told me that they weren't removing
a root canal that has been causing me pain since last Autumn,
but a wisdom tooth that I thought already had been removed.

This caused me to get really frustrated and tell them to their faces
that I wasn't happy with how it had ended up so they half sedated
me and numbed my mouth, only not to bother removing any teeth
as a whole because they thought I was too agitated.

It's lucky I was half-sedated as I would have been furious with
them.

Thankfully with the help of the staff at Victoria House, I have
managed to get a new dentist who I shall be seeing tomorrow
afternoon for an x-ray and hopefully re-booking another
sedation appointment.

Having spoken to other people, I know I'm not the only one to
have been shafted by a sedation clinic.

I hardly got any sleep last night because of ongoing frustrations,
and unsettling thoughts regarding radio work and being able to find any
I can make a mint out of.


I'm a little better as I type, but little things such as different
audio editing platforms and technical struggles at CSR have been causing
a lot of aggro.

Regarding the station as a whole, they need help, and a lot of it.

This maybe just a minor lull, but after a disastrous social meet-up at
the Penny Theatre last Tuesday, there's an air of uncomfortableness
within the members and low morale.

When your surrounded by other volunteers from the newspaper and
university television station who try too hard to act like the "archetypal lad"
at a stag party, you know fully well that you're not fitting in.

In terms of a social life, my soul outings in Thanet have been dead in
the water.

Either I have come to terms with the fact I'm not enjoying it anymore,
or it's a case of trying to blend in with an over-40 crowd who want
to re-live their 70s and 80s headiness of soul music, scared of moving
forward.

A disastrous night at a soul-do in Ramsgate proved just that,
which could have been recreated in my own bedroom by just sticking
a Philadelphia compilation on at full blast.

So as a whole, that explains why I haven't been active with my blog
over February.

Things may pick up in the Spring, but if they do, I shall have to make
a lot of changes to how I approach day-to-day life beforehand.

World Class To World Crass

So quite a busy 2014 so far, and this weekend certainly won't
be slowing down.

I'm up very early tomorrow, making my way to CSR's Studio Blue,
not just for another stand in stint for the regularly absent James Waters
but also to record beforehand, my show for next Sunday showcasing
the finest in World Music as part of CSR FM's "New Year Revolution".

All of the specialist presenters have been asked to take on
a different music genre to what they'd normally play, though
I will admit that I am cheating to a point, as a lot of the tracks
I've lined up may have occasionally featured before on Blam Jam.

Though I doubt a French cover of "No Woman No Cry", and the
raucous rhythms of Tricot would have been aired on my show before.

It's going to be exciting.

As for James Waters himself, he's moonlighting over at BBC Radio Kent
tomorrow morning as a guest weather forecaster for Pat and Steve.

There's a CSR presenter who's getting proper radio exposure
on bigger platforms.

After a short lie down however, I shall be heading over to London
for Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards.

I'm on my own this time as Karen P's up in Southend celebrating
her mum's birthday, and Jimmy Jean Lister's got a 40th do elsewhere,
but I'm really excited as a whole.

Here's a few favourites of mine that are up for track of the year.

Mount Kimbie - "Made To Stray"



Osunlade - "Dionne"



The Stepkids - "Get Lucky"


And my overall winner;

Lone - "Airglow Fires"


Either way, it's going to be an incredible night.

Fun In '13. A Photographic Reflection

Wow. It's been quite a year.

In no way did I expect to finish it in my own space near the sea
living independently, and everything turning into an adventure.

I've had so many exciting escapades, especially in the last 6 months
from The Radio Festival, to the annual Summer Soulstice in North London,
the Margate Weekender, and even little things like a short visit to
Leigh On Sea to see someone very special.

I am also still enjoying my radio exploits at CSR, where since June
and the 150th show I have loved doing it more than ever, helped
by an equally amazing and supportive team at the station both on and off-air.

I will definitely be carrying on with it in the new year, working my way
up to show 200 and five years on air.

Although I'm happy in my new home, things can never be 100% perfect.

Where I would rather be spending tonight either in London or at
one of many soul-dos North of the Dartford Crossing, my advance
forward planning means I am stuck in Margate for my New Year's
celebrating.

Times change and tastes change, and it's quite possible that even
more changes positive and negative will take place in the coming year.

But I am sure it will all be relatively positive and through so many
really helpful friends, I have learnt to recognise my triggers
for when things start to become uncomfortable for me.

Even if I start to feel uneasy before midnight, I'm not going to prolong
my agony, even if I am on a train back to Ramsgate when it reaches
midnight.

But rather than worry on what could (and probably won't) happen,
in my usual tradition my last blog of the year revisits the snapshots
of my happier times in 2013.

Which there have been a lot of.


















A rare instance of a Blamires family photo.




















My Thanet soul family, before attending an
amazing gig from the Brand New Heavies.



















Making myself at home in "The Attic"
as part of CSR's Awake For 48 charity broadcast.



















Worldwide winner Andrew Ashong. This man's
got great things for him in '14, "smelling like flowers"...




















The man responsible for everything "Worldwide" itself.
The legendary GP.

















And another GP, the gentle jazz giant that is
Gregory Porter.





 











My best soul friend, Theresa B.
In case you're wondering, the "B" stands for "banana"...



















The Folded Wing team at the Radio Academy
Summer Pub Quiz. We came 6th out of 18.



















Drunken antics at the Farmhouse tent at this year's
Lounge Festival. Just a shame we didn't get a photo
of my "Miranda Hart fall" as a result of that drink.


















With Bah Samba's Yasmine at the Margate
Soul Weekender.



















An amazing woman throughout '13.
Miss Andreya Triana. (And her drummer!)



















Meeting Mike Rutherford off of Genesis at this year's
Radio Festival.


















Alongside an award winner. CSR's Al Chisholm
from the legendary pairing that is Al & Jack.

Al wasn't half jealous of my Tyne Tees hooded top...


















And the rest of the CSR team. You really have been
the very best.


















Chaos on the annual December Uni Reunion crawl.




















The delightful Sandie P. If you're reading, you've been really lovely
to me throughout 2013, with your warm "Bonfire Heart"...

(Yes, you saw what I did. It was rubbish.)


















And last of all, Sandie's delightful daughter Karen.

I've said it many times, but Karen P and the rest of the peeps
at Folded Wing, you have made my year very special.

Before I could even settle in to my new seaside surroundings,
I was back in London to record my much awaited podcast about
my experiences with bipolar which I am really happy with.



In spite of that, in the 18 months leading up to the recording and despite
Karen's lovely words, I was still convinced that the original concept was
a ridiculous idea and even though I was happy with it initially, I thought
everyone else would perceive it in the same way.

That was until the night before my visit over to the Wing and in
my East London hotel room I stumbled across a video of a film
from 1977 about the dangers on railway lines, which made me
realise that maybe I hadn't thought up the most stupid idea
ever to be given the green light.

(Watch with caution)



I can only describe this film from the late 70s as
"We Are The Champions Extreme".

If anything, it helped me realise that some of the scenes in this
film, are a lot more disturbing than the fear of a klaxon being set off,
as depicted in my own podcast.

Whilst it's a revolting premise, Guru Larry manages to provide
an amusing critique of the 1977 short film in the video below.



Seriously though, I have had one of the happiest years ever,
and I'm hoping that the following 12 months will be even happier
with quite a lot already lined up.

Thanks so much for reading and making it even more special for me. xx

Flat Screen Flirting In 2013

It's that time of the year again where barely anything celebratory or
interesting for that matter, happens so an ideal time for me to post
the annual blog about the box.

And surprisingly it's ITV who have amazingly come up trumps
this year, where despite a change of visual identity (looking very
innapropriate during the news) the ditching of the "1" from their
main channel has done wonders.

Those who have a longer attention span will have enjoyed "Mr Selfridge",
and the acclaimed "Broadchurch" in the Drama department, but
it was the return of two well-rested entertainment shows that caught
my eye, as is always the case.

First up in February was the triumphant comeback of Ant & Dec's
standout show, the "Saturday Night Takeaway" which after a four
year break was back to what it was best at.

Highlights included the return of the surprise element to "Ant Vs Dec"
which even if it looked a little pre-planned still provided entertainment,
and the two new incarnations of Little Ant & Dec, proving that maybe
the concept can last with different toddlers in the shoes of the duo.

Add to that a number one single in the form of their biggest hit
as PJ And Duncan, proving more successful than any of the acts from
ITV2's "Big Reunion".

















I for one, cannot wait for the second series of "Splash!" to be out
of the way with, so the Geordie jokers can return.

The other show that made a successful long awaited return to ITV's
airwaves was "Catchphrase" under the wing of new host Stephen Mulhern.

Whilst it may still have a few teething problems in terms of the game's
pacing (and a mixed reaction to the 3D graphics), it's good to have
the gameshow back in a primetime slot, and with a new arrangement
of the original theme tune from when TVS produced the show.

Not all fortunes of Channel 3 have been positive however, certainly on the sitcom front where the double billing of the rather crass "Vicious" with Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi, and the depressing "Job Lot" didn't fare well
with viewers and critics.

Yet both have been recommissioned for second series in '14, though
"The Job Lot" has been demoted to ITV2.

Where sitcoms have caused little excitement, docs on the box have
done the reverse.

One such highlight being Channel 4's "When Bjork Met Attenborough"
a rare case of a documentary that actually made me sit up and listen.















Just a fantastic insight into how music and nature blend together,
and the most unusual instruments.

Give it a viewing on 4OD if you have a spare hour.
It will not be wasted.

Storyville over on the BBC also provided interesting insights,
notably "The Great Hip Hop Hoax" profiling two rappers from
Dundee who having failed to tempt record exacts with their
rhythms set to a Scottish accent, they passed themselves off
as Californian rappers, forging their way to success.

Well if success counts as getting backstage access at the 2005
Brit Awards, and an appearance on MTV Select.

Despite a rather weak conclusion, definitely an entertaining story.

Children's programmes in 2013 were also on form, despite
the departure on the BBC from channels 1 and 2 the year before
which encouraged nostalgic parents to start complaining after
the move took place.

One commendable effort, "The Dumping Ground" was brave enough
to carry on the goings on of Tracy Beaker's care home without
the main protagonist, though some of the storylines have become
rather over the top over the course of the series.

A recent Christmas special paying homage to Alice In Wonderland,
hints that the series may be going the Grange Hill route
of substituting fantasy sequences in place of real-life situations.

Though it's understandable, considering the target audience
have extensive imaginations.

The most innovative children's programme this year on a personal
viewpoint has to be CBeebies' "Swashbuckle" the channel's first
live action gameshow of it's kind, which a lot of thought must
have gone into considering the potential consequences
of putting children into a competitive environment.

Though part of the reason for my inclusion is that the host of the show
Gemma Hunt has been a long term crush, for quite some time.
















Seriously though it's a good blend of games and comedy sketches
giving the show a pantomime feel to it. A sketch involving
the Sugarhill Gang's "Rappers Delight" being a personal highlight.

But overall the main premise is that the Swashbucklers taking
part, come out having enjoyed the experience as a whole
whether they win or lose in the end.


So that's my rather rushed as always, dissection into the year's
visual delights, proving if ever that I'm keen to learn more
yet revisit my younger side at the same time.

Messed Up Movies: Festive F**k Ups

I’ve arrived home from my annual web-free holiday retreat,
and have spent most of that time analysing some of the most mediocre holiday movies attempting to bring warmth and sentimentality, and instead giving us gormless and unlikeable characters, blended with a brandy butter topping of blandness.

Providing a fitting festive finish to my series of movie blogs,
a selection of hilarious video reviews help to illustrate
the cinematic equivalent of finding dogshit in a Christmas stocking.

And as you’ve probably guessed, it’s not for the easily offended.
 
Jingle All The Way (1997) Reviewed by Doug Walker


First up, a film that typifies the very worst of late 90s pop culture,
and a very difficult period for me personally, growing up.

I wasn’t dragged into seeing this movie, but the constant
promotion on television was enough to do my head in, and having seen
it in full 15 years later they didn’t half attempt to sell out some shite
in the 90s.

I'm surprised they didn't just open up and use the fact it was
directed by the same man as The Flintstones movie from 1994,
to discourage people from flocking in.

The film’s premise involves Arnold Schwarznegger acting at his most
out-of-depth, as a negligent father doing all he can to mend wounds,
by going all out to get hold of a “Turboman” action figure for his son Jamie, as played by Jake Lloyd.

In fact I’m surprised the negative reaction from this movie didn’t
persuade Lloyd to quit acting earlier, before his Star Wars shambles.

If “Jingle All The Way” is supposed to be a heartwarming Christmas movie,
then it’s lacking some very crucial elements.

There’s no likeable characters whatsoever, whether it be Schwarznegger’s gormless and idiotic lead, topped by an accent that if you were blind,
would fool you into thinking Tommy Wiseau was in the lead role.

Not to mention a mother with no sign of emotion, and the son Jamie
who apparently we are meant to sympathise with, but fails
due to his character being an obnoxious little shit.

The movie overall is a disgusting portrayal of the “want want” culture
ever-present in the late 90s with little moral values.
It's probably surprising how this didn’t spawn off a Turboman
real-life action figure spin off of it’s own.

Well, in actual fact it did, only that children growing up in 1997
were more interested on getting their mits on a doll of Tinky Winky
and his pals.

Eight Crazy Nights (2002) Reviewed by Doug Walker

Up next a movie from Adam Sandler, proving that even in animated form,
he is still bloody annoying, and visually disgusting.

In an attempt to provide a movie celebrating the festival of light,
we end up with an unintentional cause of distress, regardless of
whatever faith the viewer believes in.

If any at all.

It’s all a result of this display of lazy plotholes, unmemorable musical numbers, forced laughs, and a complete lack of sincerity within any of the characters.

Not only does Sandler voice the lead role, but two other protagonists
including OAP Whitey who’s voice could make Jar Jar Binx sound tolerable.

Because too much time is spent trying to make the audience laugh,
there’s barely any breathing space available for the more
“sensitive scenes” to be taken seriously.

And as a bad movie normally warrants an obligatory product placement scene, we are treated to a supergroup of sell-outs, with real shopping outlets from Dunkin’ Donuts, to Victoria’s Secrets proudly displaying their logos, and Adam’s OAP character proudly extolling their virtues in (I can’t believe I’m writing this), a performance that makes this example look subtle.

The most saddening thing about this movie, is that the animation itself
is really impressive.

But with a barrage of toilet humour, with a forced in dosage
of sympathy, I can only describe this as the “Patch Adams”
of festive movies.

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) Reviewed by Doug Walker

There really are no words.

You can put all the really dreadful movies I have reviewed over the last 6 months to one side, as nothing can be as terrible, and free of any sense
of logic than this.

Yes, it’s not technically a Christmas special as such, but as far as shitty movie spin offs go, this is possibly the visual equivalent of the side effects from food poisoning.

And even though I’ve never been a massive fan of the Star Wars franchise, I feel the pain of those who were disappointed in seeing Mark Hamil, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, and even Harrison Ford resorting themselves to this steaming pile of rot, that even creator George Lucas has disowned.

Whilst Christmas is not specifically celebrated, “Life Day” is the premise of this special, though due to the incessant number of sketches, and a poorly
thought out holding device, we barely get a bleeding explanation as to what “Life Day” actually is.

The rot commences pretty much straight into the special with a sketch
involving Chewbacca’s family (?!) made up of no comprehensible dialogue, which in this case is substituted for an endless barrage of moans
from the clan of Wookies.

No subtitles, no explanation, even exposition would be welcome
in this instance all down to the fact that no one knows
what the fuck is going on.

It’s very possible that the fans warmed to Chewy enough to warrant
a whole family of furry bastards?

I bet that’s where the director of The Neverending Story 3 got his ideas from.

And where there is any action, it’s wasted in an animated section
which as the Critic rightly describes “looks like Dragon’s Lair had melted”.

Certainly in the case of the animated Hans Solo turned Mick Jagger.

From a British perspective it also achieves the impossible of
making Kenny Everett’s Captain Kremmen look like less of a parody.
Though that’s partly because the radio genius’ animated sci-fi spoof
was actually entertaining.

The overall problem with the Star Wars special is not just being a stupid idea full stop, but it’s just thrown together as if no one gave a toss.

The instruction video for the setting up of a transmitter being a fine example.

And what may be the saving grace involving a cameo appearance by
Bea Arthur turns into a melancholy waste, involving the closing down
of the Cantina on Tatooine.

Yay! Happy holidays! We’re closing down your watering hole!

The only way this special could have been given the green light was
because, back in the late 70s, the men in suits were more tolerable
of fan fiction that got sent to them parcel by parcel.

As this can only be the direct adaptation of a crazed Star Wars fan’s
fantasy adapted word for word, drawing for drawing,
incomprehensible line of dialogue, for incompreh-

You get the idea.

Maybe if the same people who commissioned this, went on
to run the BBC in the late 80s, I would have achieved my dream
of presenting alongside Sarah Greene on “Going Live!”,
and millions of undeserving viewers would have ended up
seeing the shambles.

Because really, it wouldn’t have made any sense whatsoever.

But the real reason this came about, and why it was screened in
mid-November (?) was to give Kenner an opportunity to use it as
a shop window to advertise their Star Wars related merchandise.
I give up.

There's only so many advertising/product placement jokes
I can scour through.

Olive The Other Reindeer (1999)



I couldn’t end this blog on a downer, so to finish, an animated special that has all the key elements lacking from the rot posted above, which helps with it being overseen by the man behind the best animated series ever.
(Well, prior to 1999)

“Olive The Other Reindeer” is a blend of charming and
well-made animation,a witty plot with subtle gags, and amazing
and well-produced musical numbers even making special guest star
Michael Stipe sound cheerful.

The story involves Olive, a dog who believes she can join the
rest of the reindeer in saving Christmas, against the threats of a mailman
who bears an identical resemblance to Randy Marsh.

As you’ve probably guessed I can’t really justify the brilliance
of the animation itself, though that’s partly because Ben Baker from TATP,
has written his own blog going deeper into the brilliance of this animation, hidden, but at least shown in this year’s Channel 4 Christmas schedule.

Thanks for reading, and here’s hoping 2014 brings many more hilarious
and hilariously bad pictures to the big and small screen.