He's not the messiah

[susie_flo]

Hello fiends, long time no witter!
 
In square-eyed news, it is with great sheepishness that I admit I have been watching ITV's 'Superstar'.  I can't help it... I love Andrew Lloyd Webber, even if he is Mr Toad.  And JCS is his second best musical EVER.  Also G and I have tickets to the stadium tour in September so we have an interest in who gets the role of Jesus.  

But - good grief - it is a truly terrible programme.  The OED ought to print a photo of a row of TV talent show judges next to the word 'hyperbole'.  Apparently the Superstar judges are ded - DED, I tell you - on a daily basis, from the lethal greatness that is karaoke.  We're speed-watching it a couple of days behind schedule because some of the content is so ear-curdlingly horrible that we can only watch with the aid of fast-forward.  But, for anyone else who is secretly watching, I am sad that the adorable Geordie Wardy has just been booted out because I had a big soft spot for him.  (We called him that because he looked a little bit like a northern wardytron),  He has a gorgeous croony cabaret voice, like fat Elvis but 30 years too young.  Totally unsuitable for Jesus, but I reckon he'd go down a storm as Enjolras in Les Mis.  I also quite like the chap called Ben but I'll be surprised if the role of Jesus goes to anyone other than the blonde beardy twit called Nathan, who has a proper 70s rock voice.
  
As for the rest of the casting, Judas (the real star of the show) is being played by Tim Minchin.  I have mixed feelings about this because, much as I like Tim Minchin, his voice is a tad nasal and not what I'd call a rock operatic belter.  I'll be delighted to be proved wrong.  Also I'm trying to expunge from my brain the fact that Chris Moyles has a bit-part.  *shudder*  And Melanie C is playing Mary Mag (meh),  And I totally disapprove of turning a West End show into a stadium gig.  But, despite all of the above, I am v much looking forward to it.
   
In other news, a shiny new gadge has arrived in the post and I could weep with boredom over it.  It is an external 2TB hard drive for my laptop.  I can't even be bothered to get it out of its dullard box.  It was with extreme grudge that I forked out for it in the first place, as I can really do without the expense, but my 3-month-old Macbook has already run out of startup disk thanks to my insanely HUGE photo and video files.  (This is a hidden expense of getting a DSLR that nobody mentions).
 
Oh - in case anyone is still reading - I have two quick TV-related Qs.  

Q1:  Did any of you watch Braquo?  If so, could you let me know whether it is ok to start watching at season 2, or is it better to watch season 1 first?   (I am not sure how 'stand-alone' each season is)
 
Q2:  is it worth watching Lost?  My gut feeling is no, because there are a gazillion seasons and that's a lot of my life and I heard that it is polyfilla central once it gets you hooked.  But some people argue that it pays off in the end.  Does it? 

Well thanks all!  Enjoy the sunshine x

Comments

[snorkel-maiden.livejournal.com]

I watched Lost, and I did enjoy it. But- to get the most out of it takes a lot of concentration. There are links within references within sub-plots within plot twists, and honestly I got totally confused about the significance of everything long before the end. If that sort of thing appeals, though, you might like it a lot.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Hmmm - that actually makes it sound quite intriguing, though I can see how it could be annoying too

[lazy-hoor.livejournal.com]

1. I have only seen season 1 of Braquo and I'd imagine that you'd need to know the background before you watch season two. It's not like CSI where each ep is pretty standalone, there are a series of (slightly preposterous) events and I'm guessing they'd be referenced in the second season.


NB I am incredibly anal and wouldn't dream of starting watching something from season 2!

I have season 1 and can share it with you if you want to PM your email address...

2. No.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that would be fabbo, thanks! I am a bit anal too so being able to watch S1 would be great. A friend has replied on FB and said that he gave S2 10/10. You can mail me at susan@susanflockhart.com. Cheers.

[lazy-hoor.livejournal.com]

Oh that's good to know. I would like to see it but Mr Hoor got fed up with S1! It was a bit silly but entertaining nonetheless.

Spiral is also good though the version I acquired kept cutting out towards the end and then the next one I got wouldn't play through the media player so I'll have to burn it onto disc.

Been watching The Borgias all last week - it's ace! And I read a book about the history of the papacy and the TV series isn't that far off historical fact. Saucy buggers, those popes.

[lazy-hoor.livejournal.com]

I'll try and sort out Bruaquo this evening btw - all the files on my home PC.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Fantastic, thank you.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Just a quickie to say thanks ever so much for the file links. I've just checked and can access it at work so am looking forward to a proper look at home.

[lazy-hoor.livejournal.com]

No worries at all! :)

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Lost is only 5 seasons. I was forced to stop watching part-way through season 3 when Sky & Virgin had a spat and we lost Sky 1, and I've never caught up. I suspect I'd have to start from the beginning again.

As for Superstar, I strenuously object to prime time tv yet again being used to effectively subsidise the production costs of AL(B)W*'s latest offering. HE DOESN'T NEED THE MONEY! A revival of any of his damned shows will make a bloody mint with or without several weeks-worth of free prime-time advertising. But at least this time it's not the BBC licence fee providing the subsidy.

In addition, songs from the musical sung by women, ie not the contestants in the show, keep getting radio airplay and ear-worming me. Thanks to my Mother's admiration of AL(B)W, as a child I was exposed to many 'original cast recording' albums of his shows, and as a result have a near encyclopaedic knowledge of the music and lyrics to most of them. Which is how come I recognise that they're not the version from the film, or original soundtrack, and so must be from the new effort.

* Andrew Lloyd (Bloody) Webber

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Heh... somehow I am not sensing ALW love. Though it's funny that you're an expert nevertheless.

I know he doesn't need the money, but I do so like the choons. And at least he's reviving one of his brilliant Tim Rice collabs, rather than one of the duff ones he did on his own. My only real horror in the whole thing is being lured into watching IT(B)V, which is proving to be gut-wrenchingly awful from beginning to end.

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Yes. I note that Tim Rice wanted nothing to do with the tv show...

Thing is, a lot of AL(B)W's stuff is ... catchy, for want of a better word. OK, the good bits are ripped off from other, better composers, but it does tend to ear-worm one very easily.

[the-meanest-cat.livejournal.com]

Ooh and ps, I have watched enough eps of lost to recognise your icon

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Best. Character. In. The. Show.