keris stainton

The second Dr Horrible ... so good.

Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Have y'all watched it already?

I just watched it and it's just gorgeous. I loved it.

And the "Bad Horse" and "Dr Hammer" bits are way too funny for someone whose ribs are still hurting from throwing up on Tuesday night. Gah.

So that's my Saturday nights sorted, then

Did you watch it? I only offered to review it because it's co-presented by the lovely Nick Knowles, but it was pretty much pure joy from start to finish.

Plus two choirs sang Mary Mary's Shackles (Praise You), which I absolutely love. I also love it because every time I hear it, I'm reminded that my former brother-in-law thought they were called "Hairy Mary". And I just found the video (which I also love, due to its New York-iness) on YouTube.

Maybe if I found a magic lamp...

Can anyone think of any way - any way at all - that I can move to Stars Hollow, Connecticut?   

Yes, I'm aware that it doesn't actually exist, but still ... I *really* want to live there. Can no-one make it so?

Jill, if you're still watching Gilmore Girls (and I hope you are), the Stars Hollow set was also the set of the (fabulous) movie, The Music Man. Also, I've just learned via this site, Dukes of Hazzard! Woah, I also just found out that The Dragonfly Inn was the Waltons house on The Waltons and it's currently used on Pushing Daisies*.

Maybe I could sneak in and live there and no-one would notice...

* Is anyone still watching Pushing Daisies? I wanted to love it, but I really, really didn't.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

God, Alan Sugar is an idiot. Adrian Chiles, however, is a god. I cannot believe he called Michael an "odious little tw*t" - how's he going to face him when he's fired. Although the way this season's going, the odious little tw*t is going to win.

I found it!

Thanks for your suggestions, but I was just sitting here thinking about the actor with the red nose and the glasses and I had a feeling he was probably in Carry On films. So I Wikipedia'd them and found it was Jack Douglas.

Then I IMDb'd Jack Douglas and spotted it! The Shillingbury Tales!

"Classic ITV comedy-drama from 1980, set in the fictional village of Shillingbury in Hertfordshire. Londoners Peter and Sally Higgins move to the idyllic English countryside to enjoy the ambiance of fine thatched-roofed cottages, strawberry cream teas, oak-timbered pubs and a collection of eccentric locals, including grumpy farmer Jake (Jack Douglas), his sexy daughter Sally (Linda Hayden), crafty tramp Cuffy (Bernard Cribbins), old busybody Mrs Simpkins (Diana King), nosy postman Harvey (Joe Black) and the twittering Reverend Norris (Nigel Lambert)."

It wasn't David Janson at all. It was Robin Nedwell! And his wife was played by Diane Keen. I don't know how I forgot she was in it, because I loved her when I was a kid, particularly in The Cuckoo Waltz.

It was on Sunday nights and an IMDb user compares it to The Darling Buds of May (like I just did in the comments!).

So do you remember it now?! I'm off to order the DVD.

Name that TV show!

Okay, this has been driving me mad for a while.

I remember a TV series from the eighties. In my mind it was called The Canterbury Tales, but had (as far as I remember) nothing to do with Chaucer.

It was set in a idyllic country village (possibly in the Cotswolds or, you know, Canterbury).

I thought Geoffrey Perkins was in it. Or maybe Jim Broadbent. But it's not listed for either of them on  IMDb. Or that other guy. You know, big fella, red nose, thick glasses. You know! He's been in loads of stuff!

I do remember the main actor was an actor I thought was called David Jansen, but not The Fugitive. This guy was a British actor with a big mouth (lots of teeth) who appeared in a lot of British TV shows in the late 70s, early 80s.

I haven't been able to find anything online.

Does it ring any bells with anyone?

Perfect day (and it's not even 10!)

I am having such a lovely day. Before preschool Harry reached a new peak of cuteness, shouting to me from his bedroom, "Come here! I missing you!" (It wasn't true, he just wanted me to find his race cars for him, but it was still cute.

Then, waiting for the bus, we played with some blossom petals and then Harry said, kind of wistfully for a 3-year-old: "Petals on the breeze..." I said, "Petals on the breeze? What's that from?" and he said, "Goodnight Harry." David's favourite book. I know children have great memories, but I so so love that Harry's quoting from a book. And in context! (It also reminded me of the lines in Goodnight Harry that always make me laugh. Following the petals on the breeze, it says "They felt the dew of the night." Again, it doesn't work written down, but David always adds "already" and it gets me everytime.

Then I walked back from preschool via the park and it was just beautiful: blossom, bluebells, a Dalmation puppy (you don't see so many Dalmations anymore, do you? Bloody de Ville) and I listened to a Michael Neill podcast, which was just as funny and insightful as ever. Then I got home, settled down at the computer and watched this:

The thing is, the day's only going to get better because this afternoon, me and D are off to York for the night. Finally - finally! - celebrating my deal (and going to see Shaun Smith). Yay!

Sit, Ubu, Sit

I'm so excited about this book!

"Sit, Ubu, sit." "Good dog." was the production company logo thingie at the end of Family Ties, which I LOVED.

By scriptwriter and producer, Gary David Goldberg, it's subtitled: How I went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair.

Sounds like a perfect holiday read to me. Now I just need to book a perfect holiday...

As I suspected...

Go to the official site, click on "About the movie" and then "Match your man"

Things That Make Me Happy No. 15: Gavin & Stacey

Earlier I was telling David that I felt fed up because it seems particularly Sunday-ish today. He reminded me that Gavin & Stacey is on tonight and that was all I needed to cheer me right up.

I picked this clip because as soon as I saw Smithy dancing, I was filled with a warm glow and watched the rest of the episode with a dopey smile on my face. Also, I love this song.

Oh Universe, you're really spoiling me

Okay, yesterday Trashionista got a friend request on GoodReads from Evan Handler. Evan Handler!

He's got a book out, which is why he's on GoodReads, but you know who he is, don't you?

He was in The West Wing, i.e. my Favourite TV Show of All Time (Seasons 1-4)! He was in Sex and the City! He was in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip! He's in Californication, i.e. my Favourite New(ish) TV Show.

He's Evan Handler! I love him!

So I sent him a message, basically telling him I'm a huge fan (I offered to review his book too, obviously).

This morning I got a reply. From Evan Handler. And, yes, there's a good chance it's not him - it's really his assistant or his publicist - but I don't care. It begins "Keris" and ends "Evan" and that's enough for me.

He thanked me for my "nice comments" and didn't even say "which chilled me to my very core." (No, I'm kidding, I was very restrained.)

Plus I asked him if they were making more Californications and they are! Taping starts "soon". (Not quite the exciting inside info I was looking for, but still.)

I love my job.

Feeling the love

"Your a pathetic Self righteous hypocrite."

Yep, that's the ill-spelled, comma-free and randomly capitalised rantings of an Adam Carolla fan following my latest Dancing With the Stars review.

The Adam Carolla fans hate me now? I am completely cool with that.

Is anyone watching Oprah?

It's freaking amazing!

More later...

Okay, so this guy was on. He's blind, but finds his way around using echolocation, which is "the ability of humans to sense objects in their environment by hearing echoes from those objects". And you know who else uses it? Dolphins. Amazing

In fact, I think it might be the most amazing thing I've heard of since "Synesthesia" the ability to see feelings and sounds as colours. (Apparently it's why Stevie Wonder is such a musical genius - he sees the music as colours and shapes and fits them together to make beautiful music.)

Dancing With the Stars

First review up on TV Scoop this morning. Priscilla Presley stunned me (in a good way). Look:

Chicken or small?

Harry's got the pox. Chicken pox. We knew it was coming since the first case at preschool was before half term (i.e. weeks ago), but he seemed to be holding out.

Yesterday I noticed three tiny red pimples on his face. I took him in to school and asked what they thought and they said they didn't look like pox, so he stayed. When I picked him up, they pointed out another one on the back of his neck. Last night in bed he was scratching away at his head and his ear.

This morning there's one more on his neck and one in his hair, but the three on his face are gone. So he's got three, um, poks*. Three's enough. This epidemic began with just three poks - the mum of the little girl who was first down admitted to me that they'd taken her in to preschool even though they knew about the pox because her husband said he couldn't cope with looking after two kids. For one morning. Sigh.

He's fine in himself, a little whingy, but mostly fine. And I'm glad he's getting it out of the way. Of course it will be his first "proper" illness so I might wig out a bit. (I already have - I've just eaten a Toblerone for breakfast. Chocolate - the first resort of the neurotic...)

*surely the singular? Like "Twik" and "Weetabik" (both coined by my nephew, Toby).

 

Anyway, it's not all doom because it gives me a chance to quote my favourite ever Friends episode, from which the title of this post comes.

RYAN (played, brilliantly, by Charlie Sheen): Hey baby, I'm back... [Phoebe is sitting by the window in a veil.]

PHOEBE: Hey Ryan, what's up?

RYAN: What's goin' on?

PHOEBE: Well, no no, you have to stay back. I, I have the pox.

RYAN: Chicken or small?

PHOEBE: Chicken. Which is so ironic considering I'm a vegetarian.

RYAN: Why aren't you at home in bed?

PHOEBE: 'Cause my, my grandmother's never had chicken pox. Please, please tell me you have, 'cause oh my God, I forgot how cute you are.

RYAN: I'm sorry, I never had 'em.

PHOEBE: Ohh, ohh.

RYAN: If I had one wish, it would be to build a time machine, go back to when I was 7, when Jimmy Hauser had the chicken pox. I would grab that kid and rub him all over my face.

PHOEBE: Yeah, or you know, you could just wish that I didn't have them now.

RYAN: Can I please see your face?

PHOEBE: Nope. You don't want to see a face covered with pox.

RYAN: Your face could be covered with lox, I wouldn't care.

PHOEBE: And you hate fish. Oh. That's so sweet, alright. Ok, alright, you can see. This is me... [she unveils herself right as a huge lightning bolt crashes outside. Ryan screams in terror.] Oh, I am scary!

RYAN: Sorry, the lightning. Lightning was an unfortunate coincidence. You look lovely, lovely.

PHOEBE: I hate this. 'Cause I tell you, I had the most amazing two weeks planned for us, and almost everything I had in mind, we had to be a lot closer than this.

RYAN: Phoebe, I have spent the last eight months in a steel tube with men, thinking about this moment. I am not gonna let a bunch of itchy spots stand between us. [He walks to her and kisses her.]

PHOEBE: Ok, this is the most romantic disease I've ever had.

[Source]

Interlude

I'm in London for the day for a (potentially very) exciting meeting. Eep. While I'm away, please enjoy this video of Stephen Colbert's Ellen dance...

If you can't say anything nice...

I've been called "heartless", "nuts", "stupid", "pathetic", "rude", "deprived", "inanimate", "a lost cause" and an "idiot" by incensed Torvill & Dean fans.

That's not a sentence I ever thought I'd type.

I particularly like the irony of the following comment:

"if you dont have anything nice to say, refrain from opening your gob and talking absolute crap. jayne and chris are the best ice dancers on the planet and people like you make me sick."

Another game

Another post! But it *is* bonus day...

I enjoyed the movie game so much (and you were all so brilliant at it!), I decided to do a TV one. But first the last two answers to the movie one:

7. Off you go, you small boys.

Is from Gregory's Girl. Not the best quote, but the only one on IMDb that *I* recognised and I've seen the film about ten times!

15. - Who the f*ck* is Dick?
      - Huh? You want me to suck his dick?

Is from True Romance. Said by the fabulous Bronson Pinchot, it's my favourite line in the film.

*Sorry, meant to asterisk this last time, but then I forgot!

Okay, so now the TV ones. Same rules apply:

• NO Googling or using IMDb search functions (they're not all from IMDb anyway, because some of the IMDb quotes were rubbish).

1. Half Iago, half Fu Manchu, all bastard. Black Books, Fran (Fran *Katzenjammer*?!)

2. I am making a mental list of those who are snickering, and even as I speak I am preparing appropriate retribution. The block of cheese was huge - over two tons. And it was there for any and all who might be hungry. The West Wing, Diane

3. - I'm thinking of having an affair with your wife! Oh, you know what, I just did!
    - Really?
    - No, freak show! She's fictional! Friends, Diane

4. I heard him yelling at you the other day, 'You can't shoot straight you big titted bitch'. Spaced, Sarah (it's one of my faves too, Sarah!)

5. - I really think the reason you and I always fight is that, since we were little, Dad's always played us off each other.
    - Dad always said that was your fault. Arrested Development, go Stella! :)

6. Do bears bear? Do bees be? Moonlighting, Leanne

7. I laugh in the face of danger. Then run and hide until it goes away. Buffy, Marissa

8. By your inflection I can tell that you think what you're saying is funny, but... no. Will & Grace, Diane

9. Fine, if you guys wanna sit around for an hour after school swapping makeover horror stories, then count me in. Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I plucked outside of my designated brow line? Man, was my face red. Gilmore Girls, definitely not Stella :)

10. I'm thinking balls are to men, what purses are to women. It's just a little bag but we'd feel naked in public without it. Sex and the City, Lazy Perfectionista

Good luck! Yay! You got them all. And quick, too. Well done! :)

All new Dancing With the Stars!!

Okay, I'm excited. I so loved the last couple of seasons of Dancing With the Stars and next month it's back - back! Ah, Tom Bergeron. How I've missed you!

The line-up? Mixed.

People I've heard of:

Steve Guttenberg - had such a crush on him in the Police Academy movies (the couple I saw)

Shannon Elizabeth - from American Pie

Penn Jillette - one of Penn & Teller and father of the celebaby with the coolest name ever: Moxie Crimefighter

Marlee Matlin - Joey Lucas! I LOVE HER! One of my Top 5 favourite West Wing characters and an all-round fabulous actress and inspiring woman. Do you know, I read this line-up a few hours ago and I know Marlee Matlin is deaf, but it was literally only just as I was uploading this pic that I realised ... she's deaf. How's she going to do this? I mean, Heather Mills was one thing (and, much as I dislike her, I did admire her for taking part ... until that fake fall, that is), but Marlee Matlin is deaf! In a dancing competition. I love her.

Priscilla Presley - I don't know what to think about this. And I'm kind of scared to see if she's had any more surgery. Last time I saw her (in Morrisons ... no, not really, it was on This Morning), she looked like the Joker.

Monica Seles - Is she the one who used to go out with Matthew Perry?

People I haven't heard of:

Adam Carolla - a comedian
Jason Taylor - NFL
Marissa Jaret Winokur - Broadway star (she was Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray)
Kristi Yamaguchi - figure skater
Cristian de la Fuente - actor
Mario - rapper

What makes me laugh about this line-up is you can just see the researchers going: "Right, got a disabled one, a black one, a fat one, an old one, a sporty girl, a sporty boy, a hot girl, a hot boy, a funny one, one for the older ladies, one for the older gents ... and Penn Gillette."

I seriously can't wait.

This week's...

... America's Next Top Model review is here.

Lazy links

I'm just trying to get everything out of the way so I can go and watch Juno. So I'll be quick.

Great article by Kira Cochrane.

My review of America's Next Top Model.

Will report back re Juno (okay, now I *have* to go! Ha!).

America's Next Top Model

Yes, although I boycotted the last cycle due to the "murder victims" photoshoot, I was convinced to watch this one by someone offering to pay me to review it. My morals only go so far, you know. Got to keep the kid in ... I was going to say "shoes", but he's only got one pair and I think they're a bit tight...

Anyway. You can find my review of the first two episodes here.

Please, if you watched it, come and share your response to Tyra's "entrance". I've never seen anything quite like it.

It's funny because it's terrifying

Yes, this is John Oliver again, but that's not why I'm posting it. It's very funny and extremely scary. Funny, scary and John Oliver. What more do I need? (Um... some prawn crackers would be nice...)

And, yes, those books are real. I checked.

Things That Make Me Happy No. 11: Cop Rock

"It was an attempt to combine musical theatre with police drama"

If you're an obsessive fan of Gilmore Girls (Hi, Diane and Stella!) you may have already seen this, but I only just got around to looking it up ... and I could not believe my eyes. Or ears.

Just to be clear, this is a real TV show. And not only that, this is what Steven Bochco did after Hill Street Blues.
 

This? Hasn't helped.

Warning: li'l bit rude

Excuses, excuses

Sorry to have been a bit quiet lately. There are a few reasons:

1. The letter "o" on my keyboard is loose and Harry thinks it's hilarious to pop it off and hand it to me with a big grin ... and now it won't go back on. Now typing hurts my wrists.

2. Like Claire, if I dream about someone, I generally become obsessed. The other night it was John Oliver from The Daily Show. So I can't blog because I'm busy watching clips of Mock the Week on YouTube. (Also, if you think he's another one of my dodgy crushes (how dare you!) then read this and you'll see why I love him so very much.)

3. I've got a novel to finish writing (not that I've written anything so far this week...).

4. I've got a novel to finish reading (Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries To the Nines).

5. I've got a Christmas tree to dispose of...

Things That Make Me Happy No. 10: Sesame Street

Totally fixated on Sesame Street at the moment. It started when I spotted Elmo alphabet rap and watched it with Harry. Inevitably that led to me clicking on about twenty other videos and then twenty more ... and then searching for "Rubber Ducky" and then I saw one with John John (remember little John John) which led me to this.

It sounds ridiculous, but Luis and Maria (not to mention Oscar) feel like family. God, I loved Sesame Street. I think that's where my New York obsession began...

About time

I've missed you.

Yay, Alesha!

Wasn't it fabulous?! I couldn't believe Alesha won, but I was thrilled that she did. Um. Did he drop her at the end, or what?

Things That Make Me Happy No. 8: Morecambe & Wise

I haven't watched Morecambe & Wise for years, but when I saw this on an advert, I remembered why I used to love them so much. If you don't at the very least smile when they start dancing, then you must be dead inside. Dead inside!

For Beth (but really for everyone)

I've been corresponding with a dance-obsessed American author named Beth Kephart. I tried to send her the links to some of Alesha's dances, but the didn't work, so I'm sticking them here to see if that works.

If you're not interested in Strictly then just talk amongst yourselves (also, I'm sad for you). Beth, the dance starts at 3.35 mins in case you're not interested in all the waffle.

I'm just watching The X Factor for the first time*...

... can someone explain Rhydian to me?

Did he turn up with his hair like that or did they do that to him?

* in case Kylie and Jason do Especially For You.

UPDATED: Not to worry. He's the Welsh Josh Groban, clearly.

Things That Make Me Happy No. 2: Kevin Bacon on Will & Grace

My eyes! My eyes!

"But have you seen Mel B's paso doble from the week before this?"

Said my lovely friend, Jo. Why, no! I hadn't. I have now. Holy. Crap.

And thanks to having to check news sites for my job, I saw a spoiler and this week's sounds pretty fabulous too. Can't wait.

I'm dancing with the stars!

Read my Dancing With the Stars review and Strictly Come Dancing review. Go on!

One of the (many) things I bought in Borders in New York* was this Dancing With the Stars exercise video. Featuring Maks, Kym and a woman I don't know, it includes Paso Doble, Cha Cha, Samba and Jive and can all be done without a partner (which is essential since David would rather poke his eyes out than Cha Cha).

Yesterday I did the warm-up and the Paso section and it was fantastic. The trouble I usually have with exercise videos is that I get bored. Of course, they need to teach you the basic steps before going on to the routines, but then you have to plough through all the basics each time you do the routine. Yawn.

But not on this DVD! (I sound like an infomercial...) They launch straight into it. So it's really hard (and possibly quite dangerous if you're not sensible about it), but it also means it's challenging and I like to be challenged.

My first go of the Paso, I probably managed to do maybe 40% of it, but I really enjoyed it and I was laughing as I did it, not just because I was making such an arse of myself (there was no-one there to see me), but because it was just such fun to be doing the Paso moves I've been watching on TV for so long!

It's going to take me ages to learn the routines, so I'm confident this DVD will keep me going for a while. Plus, even though I didn't manage half the moves, I was knackered at the end of it (it probably only took about 20 mins) so it's got to be good exercise too.

Later, Harry wanted to do some "dancing" so I put it on again and did a bit of the Cha Cha:

Me: This is hard!
Harry: It's hard, Middy! Well done!

Heh. Thanks, kid.

*Stupid pooter on the blink again. Well, not on the blink, it's full. I need to free up 20mb (?) of space in order to run the photo software. I'd like to delete some photos, but I can't without the photo software...

Meanwhile, back in The Real World

Still having computer problems so still no photos. I could just tell you all about it, but you'd fall asleep without the photos, I promise. Will ring Mac ... when I get a chance (should be in about 15 years when Harry leaves home).

Anyway, I'm getting my New York fix since I discovered I can get The Real World: New York on demand (on Virgin cable). I loved this show so much and this morning, watching the first episode, it was like rediscovering old friends. I sat there going, "Eric!" "Norman!" "Julie!"

I hope they show The Real World: San Francisco (pictured). I was OBSESSED with that show. I think I've written about it before, but Pedro Zamora (second from the right) died of AIDS and I was devastated (I know it's hard to believe, but AIDS - or at least AIDS awareness - was fairly new) (And, yes, Lisa, I do come from "olden times".).

Judd, first right, is a cartoonist and he's written a book about his friendship with Pedro. Called Pedro & Me: Friendship, Loss and What I Learned, it's been on my wishlist for a while, but now I'm watching The Real World again, I'll have to get it.

You should be dancing... yeah!

This week's Dancing With the Stars review. And Strictly Come Dancing. Blimey, better late than never.

And my favourite dance of last weekend was...

And I'm going to miss them this weekend. Pah.

Gorm

Because I am a berk who scans the information handed to me by the preschool and then immediately forgets everything contained therein, I didn't realise today was an inset day, i.e. Harry is off school.

Luckily, I have recently befriended one of the other mums who texted me this a.m. (literally minutes before we were due to set off) to let me know. (Thanks, Jo!)

I have tons of work to do and very little time in which to do it, so I'll be awol for yet another day.

In the meantime, you can read my Strictly review here, my Dancing With the Stars review here and watch this and tell me if you think she faked it:

Even more TV

Did you think I'd finished? Gosh, no. I watch a heck of a lot of TV. So Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. You know how much I love The West Wing (it's my favourite TV show Of All Time) and so I was gormlessly excited about Studio 60.

Then Stella (who, let me just say, once described The West Wing as a "travesty of television") told me it was awful and backed it up by telling me about someone who LOVED The West Wing, but thought Studio 60 was a smug wankfest or somesuch. I must admit, I was a little worried.

But I love it. I get the "smug wankfest" comment, I do. There were a couple of episodes there (the ones with John Goodman, if you've been watching too) that really annoyed the hell out of me because they were smug and condescending, but part of the script was about the fact that the show (the show within the show, I mean) was smug and condescending. I appreciate the fact that when Sorkin is being smug and condescending he knows it, admits to it and doesn't care.

The thing I love the most about Studio 60 (as with The West Wing) is the characters. I love Matt Albee and Danny Tripp (and Sorkin writes male friendship beautifully). I love Harriet Hayes and I love Jordan McDeere.

I loved in the first episode when Matt and Danny were sitting in the fake car and when they came to get out, Matt walked out through the open back, but Danny opened the door and so we learned a little bit about their personalities right there. I really loved the Very Model of a Modern Network TV Show song.

One thing that's missing from Studio 60 is momentum. Very little happens and the stakes are very low so when I finish watching one episode I don't have an overwhelming urge to watch the next (unlike Brothers & Sisters), but when I do watch it, I generally have a smile on my face throughout.

I do wish Sorkin would stop repeating plotlines though. If you've watched Sports Night, The West Wing and Studio 60, you'll notice a lot of the same stuff ... even some of the same lines. I know he used to write on crack, but that's not really an excuse now, is it?

On a related topic, every week when The Guardian previews 30 Rock, it blethers about how it's similar to Studio 60, but genuinely funny. First of all, Studio 60 isn't a comedy, it's a drama, so saying 30 Rock is better because it's funnier is redundant (although I do find Studio 60 very funny). Second of all, I watched the first episode of 30 Rock and, though I loved Tina Fey in Mean Girls, I was put off by the very first sketch being about "Pam - the overly confident, morbidly obese woman". Yeah, hilarious.

Dancing Queen

Strictly review here and DWTS here. And my favourite this week here:

More TV

Yep, my relationship with The Sopranos has been up and down too. Sometimes it's just been too dark and too violent for me to watch and yet I always come back to it.

Partly I think it's because of the amazing acting. James Gandolfini is incredible, but so are everyone else. There isn't one duffer in the bunch (A.J. was a bit wooden in his early teens, but he's going great guns now).

Partly I think it's because it's kind of entertaining to submerge myself in something so entirely amoral. Everything about it is wrong and so I don't worry about the wrongness of any particular event.

I think that might be why I've never really had a problem with the treatment of women. Of course, both Tony's wife Carmela and his therapist Dr Melfi (who was raped in an earlier series - interesting how male scriptwriters often choose to rape a strong female character)  are well-drawn characters and both are brilliantly acted. Plus, rather than being decorative or irrelevant, the female characters - Tony's appalling mother, Livia, his sister, Janice, and daughter, Meadow, and particularly Adriana - have been integral to the plot.

Anyway, I seem to have gone off on a tangent - what I wanted to say was that the final series has contained some incredible moments that will go down on my mental "best TV of all time" list (Christopher's demise will be one of them; A.J.'s attempted suicide is another). When it's good, it's brilliant. I just hope the ending isn't too disappointing.

Too. Much. Telly.

There is so much great American telly on at the moment, I can quite believe it. It reminds me of the glory days of a few years ago when there was something fabulous on every night of the week and each morning I would work out what day it was by remembering what I'd watched the night before ("Ally McBeal was on last night so it must be ... Thursday!"). Yes, I know my old life was sad and empty.

First up is Brothers and Sisters. Much like The West Wing, I resisted watching this one originally, despite the presence of the glorious Rob Lowe. I didn't watch The West Wing because I thought, "Politics, bleugh". I didn't watch Brothers and Sisters because they showed two at once and it was on past my bedtime. I didn't say my current life was exciting. Anyway, Gabrielle sorted me out with the first season and after watching the pilot I ended up watching something like 12 episodes in four days. (Screen in screen while I worked.) I love it. I love Sally Field. I love Kevin, played brilliantly by the Welsh - Welsh! - actor Matthew Rhys.

Of course I love Sarah played by Rachel Griffiths (though I do persist in thinking of her as Brenda). I love the family dynamic so much that I've actually dreamt I was involved. Yep. Sad. And I really love Rob Lowe's character, Senator Robert McCallister. I've been amazed at how different he is to Sam Seaborn (despite also working in politics albeit for the Other Side). Even after more than 20 years of loving Rob Lowe (admittedly at some times more than others, although that girl actually was legal in most States ... and the UK), I didn't realise he was such a good actor.

Next we have Rescue Me also provided by Gabrielle since it's shown in the UK on Sky One and we lost Sky One to Richard Branson's little spat. I've got mixed feelings about Rescue Me. At first I loved it. Denis Leary's great, I love the humour and the relationships between the firefighters, but then in, I think, the second series, it got too uneven. One week it would be slapstick and hilarious and the next it would be horrifically depressing. I mean, really depressing. I had to stop watching. But then, mainly thanks to Gabrielle's recommendation, I started again and the third series has been great. With one exception. A big exception.

First of all, let me just say that I have a problem with the women in this show. They're all completely insane. Insane in different ways, but, to a woman, totally hatstand. That bothered me at first until I realised that the men are all f*cked up too.* There have been numerous scenarios that basically seem like Denis Leary's w*nk* fantasies, but, you know, it's his show, that's okay.

* Who am I asterisking for? It just seems polite.

But then in the third series the character he plays, Tommy, went round to see his miserable ex-wife who had recently begun a relationship with his brother. And raped her. And left, clearly pleased with himself. The brother came home and the wife, instead of being devastated, had tidied herself up and greeted him with a smile. Then, a few days (presumably) later, she comes round to see Tommy and she's wearing a mac. She drops the mac and she's in her underwear. She pushes him down on the sofa, mounts him, rides him and then leaves saying, "Payback's a bitch." Payback's a bitch? We were supposed to equate that with his rape of her? That was her revenge? Seriously? It plays in to the belief that women actually enjoy rape and it disturbed me profoundly. Oh and of course, it left Tommy smiling again.

And yet, despite the above, I haven't stopped watching. I feel like I should have, but generally it's so entertaining and so well-written that I can't. I need to be more like Meg Cabot and have a definite cut-off. Hers is if a child is killed, she's out of there (and she actually stopped watching Rescue Me when Tommy's son was killed by a hit and run driver). Mine should be gratuitous violence against women and I'm out of there. I'll work on it. Which leads me to...

Well, I'll have to keep you in suspense cos I've got to get Harry out of the bath (don't worry, he's not alone, but David's going off to make dinner. Yes, I know I have an easy life).

My new favourite advert

This week's dancing reviews...

... can be found here (Dancing With the Stars) and here (Strictly Come Dancing). My favourite dance from both shows was, I think, Mel B's jive (although there were so many great dances it would be hard to pick just one), but my favourite dancing overall (dancing overall?) was Harry's.

He became frenzied from the opening titles of the Strictly results show and by the end of the 45 minutes we were both exhausted. We rumba'd (pointing our toes, stretching our arms, even doing back bends), we quickstepped (running and hopping up and down the room, holding hands) and I took a breather and filmed him for your viewing pleasure.

The genius of The Daily Show

If you didn't see it last night (or the night before if you're in the US), then please go to the Comedy Central website and watch the John Oliver Tortured Logic clip. Brilliant.

Dance, dance, dance!

I'm reviewing both Dancing With the Stars on Friday nights and Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday nights for TV Scoop.

No, David is not thrilled. But I am. I thought I'd stick my fave dance of each week here (you know, at the same time as the BSP of my reviews!). So here's last week's: