Congratulations to the former pop singer Sinitta on her adoption of two gorgeous children.
Several years ago, she gave me a fascinating interview for a magazine I was then working on.
By the way: she is 41 not 39. She was born in October 1966 and I have her on tape saying so.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Thursday, 10 January 2008
For God's sake use the grown-ups...
Arsene Wenger is, without doubt, the greatest manager Arsenal has ever had. His record is outstanding.
However, can he please choose the first team for the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Spurs and not play the juniors?
I understand all about giving the youngsters experience but at the end of the day the fans want to see the club win matches and win trophies.
The club has not won anything for three years since we beat Manchester United 5-4 on penalties in the FA Cup Final.
Realistically, it looks as if Manchester United will win the Premiership; we almost certainly will not win the European Champions League so at least play a full-strength side to win one trophy this season.
Please.
However, can he please choose the first team for the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Spurs and not play the juniors?
I understand all about giving the youngsters experience but at the end of the day the fans want to see the club win matches and win trophies.
The club has not won anything for three years since we beat Manchester United 5-4 on penalties in the FA Cup Final.
Realistically, it looks as if Manchester United will win the Premiership; we almost certainly will not win the European Champions League so at least play a full-strength side to win one trophy this season.
Please.
Monday, 7 January 2008
A variety of British talent...
On Saturday night an ITV documentary focused on talent shows and compares those of yesteryear - Opportunity Knocks and New Talent - with today's offerings Pop Idol, Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor and the like.
I didn't see the show but one obvious answer to the problem that no winners of today's shows seem to have long-lasting careers is that there is nowhere for them to go.
A winner of Opportunity Knocks or New Talent could land a regular spot as the singing guest on The Two Ronnies or appear on The Morecambe and Wise Show. Then there were variety shows such as Live From Her Majesty's and Summertime Special where the artiste could get more exposure.
How often have you seen Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts on TV these days since his win? Apart from, that is on the Royal Variety Show (which was part of his prize anyway) or propping up the sofa with Phil and Fern? What about Damon Scott (the 26-year-old with the monkey puppet miming to Michale Jackson) or the two barmen whose name escapes me. How often will we see Rhydian Roberts on telly? What about Same Difference? Even Leon Jackson, the winner who can't actually sing in tune, hasn't anywhere to appear.
Bring back variety shows - television which the whole family can enjoy. It's not a new idea but it is one whose time has come.
I didn't see the show but one obvious answer to the problem that no winners of today's shows seem to have long-lasting careers is that there is nowhere for them to go.
A winner of Opportunity Knocks or New Talent could land a regular spot as the singing guest on The Two Ronnies or appear on The Morecambe and Wise Show. Then there were variety shows such as Live From Her Majesty's and Summertime Special where the artiste could get more exposure.
How often have you seen Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts on TV these days since his win? Apart from, that is on the Royal Variety Show (which was part of his prize anyway) or propping up the sofa with Phil and Fern? What about Damon Scott (the 26-year-old with the monkey puppet miming to Michale Jackson) or the two barmen whose name escapes me. How often will we see Rhydian Roberts on telly? What about Same Difference? Even Leon Jackson, the winner who can't actually sing in tune, hasn't anywhere to appear.
Bring back variety shows - television which the whole family can enjoy. It's not a new idea but it is one whose time has come.
Saturday, 5 January 2008
The death of British TV
We don’t have enough celebrities so we create them with reality shows and then complain that they have no talent.
British television has never been able to sustain for any length of time a 5-nights-a-week chat show and the reason is simple – there are not enough celebrities. The nearest we have come was the long-forgotten Jack Docherty who was on Channel 5 when it first launched. (One of his stand-in hosts was Graham Norton. Norton’s own show on Channel 4 could not really be described as a chatshow since it was more a vehicle for Norton’s own sense of humour and obsessions. The celebrity guests were mere catalysts for the fun.) Even the genial Terry Wogan, one of our brighter broadcasters, struggled after a while with a primetime show broadcast three times a week. His show is now probably best remembered for George Best’s incoherent rant about sex and drinking.
In the United States things are very different. The late Johnny Carson reigned supreme on The Tonight Show for 30 years and his replacement Jay Leno has been in the chair for the past 15 although he has announced that he will stand down in 2009. David Letterman has hosted his own show for a dozen years, as has Conan O’Brien who will take over when Leno retires. Usually in the UK chatshows are weekly affairs and a veritable who’s who of showbusiness have at one time or another tried their hands at hosting duties including Simon Dee, Michael Parkinson, Jonathan Ross, Michael Aspel, Clive Anderson, Clive James, Graham Norton, Frank Skinner, et al. Some of these suffered because the host was more interesting than many of his guests – or more egotistical.
American visitors to these televisual shores only grace the sofas when they have a new book/film/TV show to plug and are usually so tiresome and uninteresting that viewers quickly tire of these incessant plugs. We are not so deferential to celebrities in this country as America. When did you last see a sitcom star receive a round of applause for just walking onto the set?
So what do we do to combat this dearth of celebrity? We promote and publicise people with little talent and/or no brains and bestow fame and riches upon them. This is how someone like Jade Goody comes to be on the cover of showbusiness magazines and how Rebecca Loos ends up giving a pig a masturbating a pig.
British television has never been able to sustain for any length of time a 5-nights-a-week chat show and the reason is simple – there are not enough celebrities. The nearest we have come was the long-forgotten Jack Docherty who was on Channel 5 when it first launched. (One of his stand-in hosts was Graham Norton. Norton’s own show on Channel 4 could not really be described as a chatshow since it was more a vehicle for Norton’s own sense of humour and obsessions. The celebrity guests were mere catalysts for the fun.) Even the genial Terry Wogan, one of our brighter broadcasters, struggled after a while with a primetime show broadcast three times a week. His show is now probably best remembered for George Best’s incoherent rant about sex and drinking.
In the United States things are very different. The late Johnny Carson reigned supreme on The Tonight Show for 30 years and his replacement Jay Leno has been in the chair for the past 15 although he has announced that he will stand down in 2009. David Letterman has hosted his own show for a dozen years, as has Conan O’Brien who will take over when Leno retires. Usually in the UK chatshows are weekly affairs and a veritable who’s who of showbusiness have at one time or another tried their hands at hosting duties including Simon Dee, Michael Parkinson, Jonathan Ross, Michael Aspel, Clive Anderson, Clive James, Graham Norton, Frank Skinner, et al. Some of these suffered because the host was more interesting than many of his guests – or more egotistical.
American visitors to these televisual shores only grace the sofas when they have a new book/film/TV show to plug and are usually so tiresome and uninteresting that viewers quickly tire of these incessant plugs. We are not so deferential to celebrities in this country as America. When did you last see a sitcom star receive a round of applause for just walking onto the set?
So what do we do to combat this dearth of celebrity? We promote and publicise people with little talent and/or no brains and bestow fame and riches upon them. This is how someone like Jade Goody comes to be on the cover of showbusiness magazines and how Rebecca Loos ends up giving a pig a masturbating a pig.
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Excuses, excuses...
Former soap star Martine McCutcheon says that she decided not to pursue a career in Hollywood because she missed the rain in England.
Of course you did, love...
Of course you did, love...
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Even in death, one can grieve in complete sentences
Death can be a tragedy but it can also inspire moving poetry, songs, books and other works of art.
Who can forget the majestic verse by Laurence Binyon read out at the Cenotaph each year?
"They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We shall remember them."
Compare that to the semi-literate drivel left on Bebo by the young parents of a baby who was killed by a rottweiler last week. While I cannot comprehend the depth of their feelings, is it too much to ask that they use English?
The mother wrote: "RIP my lil angel mummy knows your still here love u alway and foreva x x x x x x" adding, ""R.I.P my sleepin angel always in our hearts loved so much the pain im feelin is like no otha missin u so much ur always here watchin us all."
The father added: "Never gona 4get ya lil man, RIP 4eva n always, miss ya so much, ur mummy sez i can ave ur iggle piggle, so gna keep him in car wi me xxxxx."
The mother's sister tried to save the child and was praised by the mother in terms that resonate with those used by some gangster talking about some other no-mark. "She's a heroine and will be respected for what she did for the rest of her life."
Apart from the foolishness of allowing a baby anywhere near a rottweiler, this is also an indictment of the education system of this country.
Who can forget the majestic verse by Laurence Binyon read out at the Cenotaph each year?
"They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We shall remember them."
Compare that to the semi-literate drivel left on Bebo by the young parents of a baby who was killed by a rottweiler last week. While I cannot comprehend the depth of their feelings, is it too much to ask that they use English?
The mother wrote: "RIP my lil angel mummy knows your still here love u alway and foreva x x x x x x" adding, ""R.I.P my sleepin angel always in our hearts loved so much the pain im feelin is like no otha missin u so much ur always here watchin us all."
The father added: "Never gona 4get ya lil man, RIP 4eva n always, miss ya so much, ur mummy sez i can ave ur iggle piggle, so gna keep him in car wi me xxxxx."
The mother's sister tried to save the child and was praised by the mother in terms that resonate with those used by some gangster talking about some other no-mark. "She's a heroine and will be respected for what she did for the rest of her life."
Apart from the foolishness of allowing a baby anywhere near a rottweiler, this is also an indictment of the education system of this country.
The footballing prats
If ever evidence was needed that most footballers are complete prats, I present this picture of Manchester United's Carlos Tevez...
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