Strictly

Hey, just to throw any authority I have for taste out of the window, I love Strictly Come Dancing. I've watched it with my mum since since series 2, which is getting on quite some bloody time now... Anyways, it is such a good show and I've always preferred it to the other Saturday night juggernaut X-Factor.* Strictly Come Dancing (or Dancing with the Stars) is where a selection of celebrities dance with professional dancing champions from around the world, and basically either make prats of themselves or get better over the weeks and aim to win. There is a judging panel and their aim is to give professional constructive advice (apart from Alesha who just sat and looked pretty, thank god she's gone) and they mark the contestants out of 10 for their performances and then the public vote too and it's all halved and worked out so someone leaves every week, there's a dance off for that. So that's the gist of it, not really rocket science to be honest... But here are my favourite dances. Because instead of writing my novel (I'm about 7,000 behind target and counting, so it's going terribly.) I'm on YouTube reminiscing as I am wont to do when I should be doing something else.

Scott and Natalie - Jive

So Scott is some guy from Eastenders who, on the first ever live episode fluffed his lines in the most cringeworthy way I've ever seen. I only watched it because I was at home and my mother made me, but I literally nearly fell off my sofa feeling incredibly bad for the guy. So here he is doing some dancing. This is one of my favourite dances as it was only mid-way through the series and it just looked so damn good. Plus the song, Hit the Road Jack, a favourite of mine, so perfection. Unfortunately whatever magic dust Scott was sprinkled in on this particular night to produce such perfection swiftly faded and he never quite got it back, he actually got worse as time went on, probably because he peaked and could never quite reach the same calibre again, sad times... Plus I always had a distaste for Natalie Lowe due to her blatant relationship with Ricky Whittle (arsehole) the year before but looking back and in recent times, she is a bloody good teacher, I really do need to give her more credit.

Alesha and Matthew - Cha Cha Cha

Well, this dance essentially sealed Alesha's future in the nation's hearts. By all means it is not a perfect dance, it's supposed to be Cha Cha Cha but the amount of content is negligible but for sheer attitude and energy, Alesha nailed it. As did poor old Matthew who after winning this series was unceremoniously dropped a year later. Of course Alesha would go on to actually judge on the show and with barely any technical knowledge all she could say was, 'I know how you feel my love, you've improved though!' And... Well nothing else apart from agreeing with the other judge's technical advice and pointing on when blatant mistakes were made. The best part of the video? Watching Craig, the judge on the far left, bobbing his head in time to the music, he is the most moody and angry judge and to see him getting so into it was just brilliant.

Chris and Ola - Charleston

Chris Hollins wins the award for the least impressive winner of the series run, the pair's moniker during the series was the 'Dancing Hobbits', because they were short... Right? But when he was pitted against two unbearably smug opponents (was this the Ricky Whittle year?) it was just a case of his brilliant personality and this dance winning it for him. This is one of my favourite dances in the series because it's just a massive smile plastered across your face, it's a barrel of laughs and it's just excellent. How he didn't get four 10s the first time round is a travesty (he would do it again in the final and this would be rectified). Still this dance won the series for him and honestly? You can't deny him that.

Tom and Camilla - Show Dance

Another guy who, so upsettingly, was not actually the best dancer, but all that is completely ignored when he comes out and does this in the final. Let's be honest, he was against two incredibly smug opponents too (a running theme - just learn that to win you have to love dancing, not just get all smug because you're winning and being technically brilliant.) He wasn't the strongest dancer but he kept getting through because of his incredibly happy face and warm personality and because he genuinely loved dancing and was a massive fan of Fred Astaire. It also marks one of the first (and best) times a showdance was mostly ballroom, a lot of the time it's latin because it's free flowing and easy to just writhe about and do a ton of lifts, but this was something else. It was ballroom, it was in hold, he was out of hold, he was doing great lifts but the whole thing was just wonderful! He was doing what he loved, he was emulating the era he so often chimed on about and he did it so great. It's my favourite show dance of the series, I can't even remember the rest they were all so boring compared to this.

Matt and Flavia - Salsa

Nothing will compare to this dance, in fact I would go as far as to say it's my favourite dance of the series, it's not the best marked and it's certainly not the most mindblowing (it shockingly only got four 9s if I remember right) but this just cemented two things for me. Matt Di Angelo is a sex god, the feeling of lust was overwhelming watching this for the first time, and there was no doubt in my mind from that point on that him and his partner were having sex. Turns out I was right, they were at it like rabbits, shame that she was already in a relationship with her actual dancing partner and childhood sweetheart at the time... (They still actually dance together, brilliantly too!) Anyways, cheating dance partners aside this was just hot. It was just bloody brilliant and it I've never been so turned on by something where everyone's clothes are still on, there I said it, I'm driven by lust. He would then go on to cheat on Flavia with some woman elsewhere but... God... I love him, even if he is a naughty boy.

I might add more to this later as I recall them but I have to say one thing. The best thing about all of these dances, and why they are my favourites? Because they bring out the personality of the people doing them, it's the best form of expression and it's just beautiful to see, it's magic.

*To my readers outside of the UK, if you actually read and aren't inadvertently spat out here by an internet trawl, I know that in America Saturday is a dirge for television and your talent shows are mostly placed during the week when people are actually at home to watch them, but here in Britain someone bright spark had the idea to start their talent shows in the Autumn (Fall?) and have them go on til Christmas on the Weekend nights, so people simply didn't have to go out for drinks on the weekend and could instead stay at home and get drunk watching people make idiots on themselves on national television. As the history books will state, it then became a contest as to who could put the most outrageous exciting television on a Saturday night, specifically in the winter months, thus keeping a whole generation of people inside on the cold nights instead of out doing normal things. Strictly come Dancing and X-Factor are on the two biggest terrestrial (can I say that now we've all gone digital?) channels and compete for viewers. X-Factor was smashing the ratings a few years back but then Simon Cowell upped sticks and tried to sell his show to America (you can keep him.) and now it seems Strictly is becoming the tortoise who won the race, for now. It warms my heart at least.

Community

It really boggles my mind that the UK airs Community on the most obscure of digital channels, Sony UK something or other, but has New Girl on terrestrial Channel 4 in a prime time Friday night slot. We get very little due attention given to television shows that are particularly of interest to me from the US. I did originally have a big long rant about watching all my US imports on the internet and this went on to discuss how the US usually just remakes British shows rather than suffer the issues of translating English for Americans. I can barely count on my fingers the UK's attempt at remakes over here, we just ships the film reels over in giant boats with painted sails manned by men in red overcoats and shiny gold buttons prepared with the cannons for battle against pirates. Damn you piracy!

Ah yes, that was the makings of a very long rant there... Now is not the time for this, here is my top ten Community Episodes.

Top Ten Community Episodes

10 Contemporary American Poultry

A stand out episode for any Community fan, the first fully realised theme episode, the first time everyone thought, 'Damn they got it so right.' The campus is addicted to chicken fingers and Abed is placed by the Study Group in the position of fry cook. It then becomes a case of Abed controlling the supply of chicken fingers in very entertaining a Goodfellas gangster riff. This is also the first episode in which Jeff feels his position as head of the group slipping away and goes to great lengths to prevent this and nudges him to relinquish his position. Plus the introduction of Annie's Boobs, the monkey, not Annie's... well you know.

Best Quote: Troy:I dressed as a crazy Pharaoh for you.

9 Mixology Certification 

Not a particularly outstanding episode but a heartfelt observation of the gang together at a pub. Troy has become a man unwittingly reaching the ripe old age of twenty one and is pushed to spend his first legal drink carousing with the study group. It's one of my favourite episodes because of the interplay between the characters, we get a few insights and humorous moments from them all, even Pierce who's destruction of Troy's birthday cake is endlessly funny. We learn Shirley had some 'bad years', Annie is madly insecure, Abed finds it difficult to talk to people about Farscape so jumps on any opportunity even when it's clear he's being chatted up. Britta and Jeff, well they just spend the entire evening drunkenly bickering about what's cool, and Troy comes to terms with his pending adulthood. It's a particularly strong episode for Troy which pleases me.

Best Quote: Troy: Alcohol makes people sad.  It’s like the Lifetime movie of beverages.

8 Cooperative Calligraphy 

While the previous episode in this list is often acknowledged as a sort of bottle episode, having everyone go to a bar and bounce off each other, this episode is in essence the very definition of a bottle episode, Abed coining the term very early on. Annie's pen goes missing and after losing far too many from giving them to her friends or people simply taking them she blows a gasket and decides enough is enough. She also makes this stand on the same day that Greendale is hosting a puppy parade, so Abed and Troy miss out on this, whilst Jeff cancels a date because no one is leaving the room until the pen is found. Not only is the premise ridiculously simple, and the reactions and conclusions of the characters as the tension ramps up becomes more and more and ridiculous leads to scenes of genius hilarity. Also seeing the guys run around in their underwear is much to be pleased about. Of course the episode is worth reviewing over and over just to see that slight split second where you see the pen sneakily be stolen. The gang concludes it was a ghost, but hey they weren't far off, it's just a monkey!

Best Quote: Shirley: I'll make your ass make sense!

7 Paradigms of Human Memory 

Every television show since the dawn of time has had a reminiscent episode where it's essentially a bunch of clips of previous adventures. It's cheap and easy to do and gives us an insight into how the characters felt about certain events, did I mention it was cheap and easy to do? Well Community decided to turn that tradition on it's head and provide us with a clipshow of adventures we hadn't seen the study group actually go on, but boy do I wish they had. There was a spooky hotel, the old western adventure, filling in for Glee club, that unfortunate St Patrick's Day rafting trip, the mercury poisoning and many more I can't even remember off the top of my head. All the while there is the reveal of Annie's Boobs, the monkey's secret treasure trove of Annie's pens and hubba bubba. Then of course there is the even more exciting reveal of Britta and Jeff's continued sexual encounters throughout the season which is briefly viewed in Mixology Certification. The best part was the Dean's multiple entrances and outfits, I nearly cried laughing every time.

Best Quote: Shirley: Can we please stop fighting? We're starting to hurt innocent perverts.

6 Physical Education

What more can I love about this episode than the obvious? The way Britta pronounces Bagel? Jeff Winger/Joel McHale in his undies? Abed being Don Draper? Abed and Troy playing Bert and Ernie? Good God it can't get better than this? Can it? Well obviously it can because this is only number 6 but it was one the first episodes of Community where I had a moment of extreme belly laughing. A good sign, and a seriously memorable episode.

Best Quote: Troy: You should be like Calvin. His best friend was a tiger, he always went on dope adventures, and if anything stood in his way, he just peed on it.

6 A Fistful of Paintballs/A Few Paintballs More

It's so hard to not place this higher. Greendale has it's seemingly annual Paintball Assassin contest in which the whole place is wrecked and alliances are made and broken during a very impressive and dramatic episode. There is the introduction of the Black Rider (who actually doesn't ride anything, he's just got an awesome cowboy outfit and is Sawyer from Lost, smouldering.) Then there is Pierce playing the game to his advantage by starting off as a coward hiding in the toilets and then using his prime position to become the villain of the piece. But all hats go off to Annie this episode, she is looking ridiculously attractive and is kicking some serious ass. It begins as a western and in the following episode takes on an alliance flavour with stormtroopers filling the corridors. Who'd have thought an evil Ice Cream Company was capable of all this? A classic double parter and serious rewatch value.

Best Quote: Annie: That was a game. This is paintball.

5 Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking 

This would be much higher if the standard of episodes in the top 5 weren't so ridiculously high. Full props go to Troy once again for having the best reaction ever to meeting his idol. We all have that lingering doubt that if we were to meet the person we admire most in the world we would inevitably disappoint them, and thanks to the magic of the documentary style of the episode we get to the splice together Troy's love of Levar Burton, his meeting face during these encounters, and his multiple (hilarious) breakdowns. Nothing has made me laugh more, and it continues to work on multiple viewings. Not to mention the frankly genius move of having Jeff Winger almost on the brink of his own breakdown and brief insight into his daddy issues.

Best Quote: Troy: 'You can't disappoint a picture!'

4 Modern Warfare

I have toyed with placing this a lot higher but there were other episodes which made me laugh harder. Needless to say this is still an excellent episode. As a singular episode it's a benchmark for all following theme episodes, it managed to redefine the quality of the show all the while pushing forward the Jeff/Britta storyline extensively, and was also a thrill-ride twenty minutes of television. Chang is in essence my favourite part of this episode which I can rarely admit to but he simply nails it here. Action movie references galore, and Jeff Winger does an excellent Die Hard. Every scene is genius and there's not much more I can say than that. A truly magnificent piece of television for newcomers and for great fans.

Best Quote: Jeff: Hey Abed, your girlfriend will meet you at the flagpole in ten minutes.

3 Remedial Chaos Theory

Season 3 never really found itself until this particular episode and then all kinds of shit kicked off in the darkest time line. It's hard to know from the most recent episode which time line actually stuck with as the show recently mentioned Abed wishing he had grabbed the die when Jeff threw it, intriguing indeed. We get the same event happen over and over again, someone has to go get pizza, and each time the same events take place, Pierce mentions a liaison in a aeroplane toilet, Britta tries to sing, Shirley bakes pies, Jeff bumps his head on the ceiling fan, and yet each time something more hilarious takes place than the last, and you never question it. You just laugh along.

Best Quote: Abed: Just so you know Jeff, you're now creating six different timelines

2 Advanced Dungeons and Dragons

There was a time during my all too short years as a student when I lived with housemates who enjoyed spending their time playing Dungeons and Dragons in the living room on Tuesday nights. I remember this only after I had entered the room and had to manouvere my way to the kitchen and get a cup of tea climbing around their stupid table. One evening I attempted to play with my housemates and boyfriend and eventually got bored and read a magazine instead, mainly because I was losing. I was quite Jeff Winger about the whole scenario so it surprised and amused me at how game the Winger actually was about playing D&D. I was aware of all of the jokes, the emotional stakes that were built up within each game, and the fact that the dungeon master was always an impartial and strangely passive douchebag. The whole episode had me cracking up and this was from personal experience and from the fact that jokes were non stop hilarious. Plus Pierce's reactions and responses remind me of my own thoughts, which is probably not something I should be proud of but was ridiculously funny. Huzzah!

Best Quote: Troy: I attack using my additional notes.

1  Epidemiology

When drunk I have an unwarranted and uncontrollable love of the ever popular band ABBA. This might be a British thing as the movie version of Mamma Mia is the biggest box office sensation since Titanic, so I have the same feeling as every housewife in Britain. I wouldn't never admit this sober though, or in polite conversation. My conflicting love of ABBA and the fact that this is by far one of the best episodes of a television programme in the history of ever, is a complete package. Having an episode dedicated to Zombie movies, even horror in general and still make it a hilarious almost realistic is the reason why it is one of the best and my favourite episodes. For being such an overall hilarious and perfect episode in my mind it is my number one.

Best Quote: Troy: Oh my God Leonard's a zombie!
                    Abed: Zombie Attack!

Mad Men

Well, as the new series has started I guess I should throw my hat into the ring regarding this well loved television phenomena. The internet will soon enough be alive with the sound of those who have opinions. And as I began to write this blog about a week ago and continued to forgo it for other activities such as, the gym (audible groan), and reading The Hunger Games (disappointed sigh) this fell by the wayside. Now it's time to finish it and move on with my life.

So everyone and their dog who claims to appreciate the rich intricacies of life and literature, and general entertainment also adore this show, Mad Men, it's synonymous with quality. I suppose that sounded quite cynical so I should correct my tone, it must be stated that I genuinely enjoy this tour of the plummy depths of 60s America.

It's probably not a surprise that as a history student I enjoyed this series. At University I found several of my modern modules divided into sectors of America in the 60s, this predominantly focused on The Civil Rights Movement, but I spent a lot of time researching the entire period. The themes and events that defined it, in all honesty nothing quite grasped my attention quite as strongly as America in the 60s and it was a time I gradually learned to respect and enjoy. I learnt about the defining events in the 60s, The Civil Rights Movement, Counter Culture, Vietnam, the Cold War, Women and 'The Feminine Mystique' and not forgetting the Assasination of JFK. I rounded off my degree by writing my thesis/dissertation on Malcolm X, a truly remarkable and intriguing man worthy of everyone's attention and respect.*

So for a glorious couple of years I immersed myself in books and 60s cinema, specifically 'The Graduate' and the original 'Batman' movie, all for purely historical research purposes and discovered a world that was pretty damn entertaining. Enter Mad Men to tie up everything I loved about 60s whilst introducing a new facet, the dawn of advertising and Madison Avenue.

I'll admit, I watched the first series and found myself incredibly uninterested in the slow paced reflective way the plot seemed to move. Everyone who is anyone will recall Don's speech about the Kodak Carousel, and even though I felt a ache in my heart, I brushed away the sensation and stopped watching. I can't defend my actions, but perhaps I gave myself insurmountable obstacles to prevent myself the time and effort of trying again. I dismissed it for years as something I simply didn't 'get'.

As the 5th series edged closer and the mounting hysteria about how good a show it actually was, I decided to reconsider my ignorance. Also with the help of TV.com and 'The Great Mad Men Re-Watch' I decided to give the show another go. I decided to simply read the recaps of season 1, and watch the final episode for that key scene with the Carousel and Peggy's phantom pregnancy. Note while I was watching season 1 with my boyfriend I told him she had been getting gradually fatter, but he hadn't noticed. Maybe I did have the propensity for subtlety and hadn't realised, or I enjoy pointing out fatties.

Thankfully season 2 and 3 were much more enjoyable, I'm not sure why but something seemed to click into place. Perhaps Betty's accusations against Don and the active disintegration of thier marriage. Perhaps Peggy's upwards momentum and poor Joan's downward spiral. I know for a fact Roger Sterling's constant promise of being consistently cutting and hilarious was a pull. I also found myself strangely rooting for Pete and his boyish yet dependable ways. And of course there was the unforgettable incident with the John Deere lawnmower in season 3...

But something seemed to happen during season 4, something clicked. The whole thing, although far removed from it's original outing became something more. Was it Don's alcoholism and spiral into despair? Was it the new offices and the triumphant return of Joan? Was it Peggy's dipping of her toes into the counter culture taking place around her? I can't quite put my finger on what became some ultimately compelling about the show but it definitely occurred in season 4. My main point would probably by that for some reason the show adopted a sense of humour. Not outrageous joke after joke humour, but those occassional asides that caused me to laugh out loud and chortle for several minutes. Perhaps it was because the show spent so much time building up this world, this alien environment for the viewer, that when those moments of humour arrive, once you've invested in the characters and the world, their actions just make you laugh.

I think this culiminates in my favourite scene throughout the entire run. Peggy and Don's relationship has always been a cornerstone for the series and in this clip it's reflected quite hilariously. Then there is the whole rule which Don learns quite roughly, about never getting off with your secretary. Then there is another rule about windows in walls dividing offices, great for peeping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2eQhOW8zRo

Then of course there is the inexplicably excellent episode 'The Suitcase'. After my boyfriend tired of season 1 as I did I never asked him to watch Mad Men with me again but that specific episode is special. It simply encapsulates a relationship that has never pushed or strained or over exposed throughout the series. It was perfection.

So if anything, as I read over this blog, I think my highest reccomendation of this show would be to watch season 4. It just clicks, something makes the whole world seem more real. Don is not the infallible man of mystery he spends most of season 1 trying to pass off, he's a broken lonely figure and he's trying to work out who he is himself. As a whole, if it hasn't been known or said about a zillion times across the world over. Mad Men is an excellent drama, depicting the lifes of fleshed out and intriguing characters. The fact it takes place in the past removes nothing from the very real and tortuous emotions the characters go through. It's an intrigue and a delight and I can't say much more than that.

---

* Peggy mentions Malcolm X in an episode briefly asking a co-worker in season 4 if he knew Malcolm X had died. He asked if she read the new between the adverts in the paper dismissively. But the fact Peggy/the writers acknowledged his existence gave me a warm glow.

Skins

So I'm branching out a bit, not just films or awards, or recognition for such things. I think it's time to let it all hang out and declare my undying love for a British institution which is largely ignored due to it's juvenile core. Skins began at the same time I first began college at the tender age of 16 and as I watched the protaganists engage in hyper-sexualised drug addled alcohol fuelled lives I immediately did something most adults, never even thought of, I recognised it wasn't what my life was like. It's not in anyway realistic, so let's just leave that at the doorstep and trot onto more important things.

I am of the honest belief that Skins in the past season or two has reached a zenith of perfection. Well, not perfection, it's rare to see anything which radiates perfection, but Skins, for all it's impossibility, has become in this current series reached an excellent run. If we accept for the most part that Skins is essentially a television drama, it's not trying to be in anyway realistic, then we can accept those aspects of realism that seem to be injected in among the massively dramatic and piled on issues that our characters are faced with.

This year our cast are faced with the death of a close friend, a pregnancy, a drug circle, a very twisted fraternal love triangle, a big ole holiday to Morocco, there have been dabblings with lesbianism, and of course a trip on a boat with a funeral thrown in for good measure. As long as we accept that these things could happen it's also quite nice when the characters doing small things which reek of reality. Like one character plans to travel to Paris to meet his girlfriend who was stuck in Switzerland, these plans don't formulate, but much like teenagers with wild ideas and best intentions they discuss them. There is also his attempt to simply ring the Swiss care home where she is, these small additions make us notice that, most likely these things would happen in reality. Also simply having sex with a thirteen year old and regretting the consequences, something which is merely glazed over in the first generation.

Anyways, all I have to say, aside to skewer those who continuously moan about realism, is that overall it's an interesting, entertaining, youthful show. Thigh slappingly hilarious in particular when the previously mentioned 18 year old realises he has just had sex with a very attractive thirteen year old. This show is written by teenagers, acted by teenagers, the big decisions are made by the people who it's meant to be about. So take a moment and acknowledge that if they make a mistake in the direction they take, the decisions that are made, or even the way they handle something, it's just reflecting on how teenagers think. Then the characters are dressed atrociously but somewhat tastefully, I mean for the most part covered, in an idealistic colourful manner which teenagers would most likely indulge in given the budget. The music is a new pathway for teenagers stuck on Katy Perry and Rhianna, something I'm endlessly grateful for, as it's once again, different! Plus it sets the tone in some scenes better than stock piano keys most dramas fall back on.

So this recent run reaching a somewhat zenith is a tall order for someone who has sat through all previous seasons increasingly more intrigued than the last. Everyone has their preferred group of friends, and let's not forget, every two seasons the cast is completely replaced, something daring and different no other show would dare do through fear of alienating it's fan base. How many American highschool dramas about people of the same age continue into the college years and get so dull and tedious over the years? This keeps the show fresh and free to expand it's creative tendrils to every aspect of teenage life, something which might seem desperate to carve drama out of, but in actuality is giving everyone a voice, and also presenting some interesting character studies along the way. The fact that I can still watch this show at the ripe old age of 21 and still find the excitement and drama within says alot about my comittment to something most people my age have written off, but I also think it's a sign the show has that lasting power. I don't watch much on television on a weekly basis but I do make an effort to continue with this because it's under my skin.

And as I keep ignoring the fact that I particularly enjoyed this season I should go out on a limb and say, it's the most realistic and touching to date. Some of the characters are a bit on the ridiculous side but we'll just let that be. A character is killed off in ridiculous circumstances but finally we get to see the cast deal with a real acknowledged death, unlike in previous incarnations where a cast member is merely killed off in the last couple of episodes for increased dramatic effect. We see how the people deal with this death, there's denial, there's ignorance, there's the whole kidding yourself into believing she's still alive, there's self destruction and the list goes on... and on. But it still provides an intriguing level of story telling, as we explore how death truly affects teenagers, fair enough, it doesn't affect everyone like this, don't get me wrong, it's ridiculous how they go on, but it's still intriguing and fulfills my point that teenagers are really wonderful, if self-absorbed teenagers, thoroughly entertaining though.

Once again I've decided to ramble and gush rather than actually write a real review as I promise myself I would but this is how I personally feel about this show. It's good, and when it's bad it's still much more entertaining than anything else on television. As long as you can get past that adult rolling of the eyes and just enjoy the youthful exuberance then you'll see something unique, almost special, and as you'll remember what it's like to be truly passionate about something. You'll remember those teen years where everything was the best and most important in the whole world, friends, parties, living life to it's absolute full, music, passion! And you'll realise what an old fuddy-duddy you are when you think you could have rolled your eyes at the drama but instead find yourself immersed in Skins colourful world.

I miss those hazy exciting teen days, it's not about the drugs, or the sex, or the alcohol, because let's be honest, most of us didn't get much of any of that, it's the excitement, it's the passion, it's the dreams. Then there is the indescribable lows that are depicted as the teens find their worlds falling apart they react incredibly dramatically and self-destructively as if their whole world is falling apart, which for the most part it is. They ignore that British stiff upper lip-ness we all fall back on and full experience than emotions than beating them down and ignore them. I could learn a thing or two from them to be honest. Being a teenager is all about the fact that you could get excited about the most fascimile things, you could wear whatever you wanted, you could do whatever the hell you liked, no responsibility, the world was your oyster and adulthood and it's cynical ways hadn't started weighing on you. As I sit with adulthood hanging around my neck like a giant albatross ready to drown me in the unplumb’d, salt, estranging sea, I'll take an ounce of life.

Well shit...

Hilariously enough the day after I posted this blog Channel 4 announced they were cancelling Skins after one more season next year to say goodbye. This will probably bring back the actors who have nothing to do from the entire series to tie up the loose ends everyone so passionately complained about.

So there it goes, my impassioned entry about how much I thought the show was amazing fell on deaf ears. Or maybe the internet heard, and Channel 4 decided to spite me. So basically this is it, thanks Skins for the good times. I'll miss you, more than most.

Sirens

Looking over this blog my opinions have been very loud and obvious and completely rambling. But my suddenly developed strong sense of sharing my opinions and my brash rambling dwindled as I gradually realised that having opinions is great but being able to construct an argument, sound clever, wise and learned, well that takes some actual intelligence. I have mused on this a lot, hoping at some point I will be able to somehow write something intelligent and most importantly astute as well as witty. Anyways, without the explosive and annoying housemates around I've spent a lot more time in my own company with my own thoughts over the past few months. I'm a lot more quiet now but my opinions are still strong so here we go.

History Graduate Nicola, with her 2.1 tucked firmly under her arm is going to write a review!

I don't review things but I reckon this show needs someone to say something about it. Thing is I have opinions on lots of things but mostly everyone has said it before, with a more extensive vocabularly and a journalistic ethic attached. So I have always resigned my critical opinions about the entertainment industry to my own noggin' with the intent of keeping them locked there without any mocking or criticism.

Sirens is a show on Channel 4 (I'm an Old Blighty dweller) and is produced by old Skins chum, Chris Clough. I see some of Skins in here, it's young vibrant and character driven but this has more of a strong arch here. We are following three chaps who work in an ambulance and we get to look into their psyches and trials every week. Much better for creating well balanced characters than Skins.

The soundtrack, an essential part to Skins, is also something which screams, youthful, as well as the editing. It's sharp and mostly interspersed with music which was popular on the radio about 6 months ago, or has been on the production teams iPods for a couple of years. It's all cool kids with their almost hip music, the soundtrack is somewhat reminiscent of The Inbetweeners (a show that is equal parts hilarious and essential to life). A lot of the music falls flat but it does give the show an energetic image. The pilot episode had the added factor of music being presented in the world we were viewing, aka on the radio, a busker singing a tune, and we are hearing what the characters hear mostly. It's not a unique idea but it was deftly done, unfortunately this clever concept was scrapped in the preceding episodes. The show is clever with it's music and youthful, pretty much trying to aim for the younger audience.

With the music dealt with I can move onto the characters. The main three guys are all late 20s guys in a stressful job dealing with their own loves and tribulations and having a bit of fun in the mean time. Not a bad premise really. Lads will laugh along with their behaviour and girls will, in theory, swoon at the dudes (Mainly the delectable Richard Madden) and also appreciate the inclusion of a no nonsense strong female copper who features as a main character too. Oh yes, they are casting the net wide.

We have Stuart who is a grade A knob end, clever and ballsy with a loud mouth and an excess of all knowing bullshit to spout, but somewhere deep down he's a bit fragile with issues of being abandoned by his daddy. This is a character you should love to hate and love to laugh at, in theory. His almost omnipotent power to drive the episodes with his no nonsense life statements mean we are somewhat connected to him the most out of all the characters. This is a man who believes that life is just one long train ride to the grave, nothing exciting, nothing too thrilling, it's boring, and excitement and confusing feelings are all just distractions from getting through a monotonous day to day existence. To some extent I agree with his distinct lack of whimsy but this soulless and cold belief that we are all just animals living unimpressive undistinctive lives would disconnect him from the section of society who aren't so strongly subscribed to misanthropy. Of course over the series we get a gradually onion peeing of his character as underneath is a fragile and lonely man who has some abandonment issues from Daddy dearest and has never managed to convince a woman to engage in a long term relationship with him. In fact the only woman he has ever made a strong connection with would be Maxine, female copper lady, and we all have to accept from day one they are meant to be together.

But life is messy and the show doesn't allow this whimsical happy ending to occur. They went to University together, undoubtably to do a psychology course, and have been fast friends since, they both genuinely care for each other but guide each other through the pitfalls of life with their well versed psycho-babble. Two misanthropic, rough hewn, but sensitive peas in a pod who only truly understand each other. Unfortunately she finds someone, he realises that he cares about her but it's too late and she rejects him choosing to stay with idiotic but charismatic fireman.

Stuart's overall emotional arc is a human one. Because deep down in the six episode run the show is trying to convince us he is a human being, but it trundles along at a slow and delicate pace. Many will say nothing happened but to the character of Stuart, it seems some monumental changes took place.

Our other two main characters consist of Robb from Game of Thrones and Phonejacker. They are of course important parts to the show and the yings to Stuart's misanthropic yang.

Ashley (Richard Madden from Game of Thrones) is Stuart's partner in crime and all around best bud. Ash comes off as the stoic and calming force in the ambulance, he cracks jokes and is as much of dick as Stuart on some ocassions but all around his much more attractive features, allow him a bit of leeway, plus he is genuinely nice. Over the six episodes we learn he is relatively insecure and his relationships are based purely around sex and roleplay but he does genuinely want to be loved I think somehow. They missed a trick fully exploring his psyche because I think the direction they revealed his inner workings didn't quite fit with the mysterious alluring openly gay and relaxed behaviour he exuded in the previous episodes. So what? He only likes being submissive? It's a different aspect of gay relationships which I haven't seen explored on television but doesn't make for gripping viewing and his personality is fully explored from this point. But I shan't complain, what you get a cool tempered side-kick to support his otherwise frantics companions.

Rachid (Phonejacker) is the trainee who is being shown the ropes by our two confident young men. He is in himself very happy with himself and enjoys having plenty sex and being an all around bloke. As a noob, we learn from him the ropes of the task at hand, being an EMT, such as that awkward moment when you find your first decomposing cadaver and ICE (In Case of Emergency) contacts and the oh-so arduous inclusion of an in-house counseller checking on you after traumatic calls. Not that the noob is for bullying and mentoring, Rachid exerts his independence and tests his boundaries by pushing against his low level status by making out to his associates and himself he's better and smarter than he appears, so a bit insecure, aren't we all?

So there you go all the chaps, I've written a fair bit about them but this is a character driven show. Overall I'd say it's a character study with events thrown in to move the arcs along and give us a suitably wide variety of emotions from all three chaps, and our female conncetion. Apart from the set piece events we are mainly left with a smattering of conversation and reflection from our characters as they go about their daily lives, but of course the conversation is witty enough to be engaging. Unfortunately this isn't ER and it doesn't make for a wildly exhilarating hour long programme.

Don't get me wrong, I loved this kind of thing, but I watched it with my boyfriend who got bored after the first twenty minutes and said nothing was happening. Boyfriend continued to fidget and roll about restlessly so I had to turn it off and watch it on my own later. Moral of the story, if you want something with action go watch ... well anything that has an explosive title sequence and babes with tight t-shirts. This is a witty heart-warming show with a sardonic edge, it doesn't take itself too seriously but it doesn't blow you mind.

It's like meeting an old mate up for drinks, it's awkward at first and the musics a bit naff in the bar you're at but you let it slide and you just enjoy their company, then you walk off and don't think any more of it until your next meeting. Or is that just me?