Nerves ahoy as this is the first week when someone actually gets voted out. After last week's incredible opener, where everyone put in a good show and we saw a minimum of mistakes, I think the nerves and the training schedules started to get the better of some people as there were a lot more wobbles during the evening. But let's see how that played out, couple by couple. No …

I missed this when it came out last year, but James May’s adventures around Japan are an absolute must watch. Apparently this show was pitched to the BBC originally but they never made it, leaving Amazon to pick up the tab for a six-episode stint around the many islands of Japan. James May makes a brilliant host for this show, the premise being that he loves Japan but has never …

Right, we're in it now, aren't we? The first proper week of people dancing and showing us what they've got. What an incredible show it was, a bonanza of lights and colour, banging tunes and of course buckets and buckets of glitter. I think we say this every year, but the standard seems so high? I don't think there was a single dance that was cringey and unwatchable, and there's …

I don't remember which was the first Pitch Meeting video I watched, but I do know that ever since then, I've been obsessed. Ryan George, of the TV and film site ScreenRant, creates and features in these incredible videos that recreate what might have happened in the pitch meetings for a variety of different films. They are ridiculous and hilarious and, more than anything else, always completely spot on. A …

Like many people, I spent some of my lockdown time in the garden: digging, planting, weeding, wondering, waiting. It seemed like a sensible thing to do, we weren't allowed to go on any grand adventures, so why not go on a bit of a journey closer to home? I've tried growing things before, my so-called Great Gardening Adventure that resulted in a couple of tomatoes, a withered cucumber, and some …

In 2019, I wrote a quick post after every week of Strictly Come Dancing. Last year, I wrote absolutely nothing about the show, even though the fantastic Bill Bailey won it and I spent the entire two and a half hours of the final crying at everyone being so emotional. This year? Who knows, maybe something in between? It seems about time to dust off the glitterball on the blog …

I used to be an incredible podcast fanatic, but my interest has waned steadily over the past few years. The prevalance of celebrities picking a genre and talking to other celebrities about it got boring for me, so I moved on to audiobooks and music instead. The other trend that seemed to be a move in the wrong direction for podcasts was the silo effect - exclusive podcasts to various …

I'm always interested in new and helpful ways of tracking your health and fitness data, but well aware of the perils of getting obsessed with it. It needs to be a guide rather than the be all and end all of everything. That's why the Gentler app caught my attention - advertising "better control of your well-being" by turning data into more human and accessible insights. It has all the …

When I want something a bit more relaxing to watch, I dip into Dawson's Creek on Netflix. Maybe relaxing isn't the right word, all those hyperbolic teenagers making a drama out of a molehill, but it's a comforting treat regardless. The only problem with it is, up until this past week, the theme tune was Run Like Mad rather than the correct I Don't Want to Wait by Paula Cole. …

I recently finished watching the second series of Home Before Dark, an Apple TV+ show that is a mystery adventure following a family in a small town. When you try and describe this show in any more detail than that, it starts to sound a bit odd: Well, there’s a ten year old girl who thinks she’s a reporter and digs into a cold case when her family moves back …

I've previously watched all the James Bond movies to date, pending Time to Die, in a big journey from the opening credits of Dr. No to the closing sequence of Spectre. It was a heck of a ride full of highs and lows and good action sequences and questionable moments, and I loved it. So having completed the movies, tick, tick, tick, what next? I decided I wanted to read …

Apple TV+ has a great strike rate so far when it comes to their TV original releases. We’ve watched a really good percentage of them and enjoyed almost all with just a couple of near misses along the way. That means we try and give everything come up a go because the chances are more than good that it’ll be worth watching. Thus, we watched Physical, a series staring Rose …

It’s not ideal, is it, having to host an Olympic Games during an enduring worldwide pandemic. Tokyo 2020 delayed their games by a year and still it didn’t feel like it was really the right time to go ahead with it. But when would be the right time? That’s the difficult question. Many, many precautions were put in place and still athletes were having to self-isolate after catching or being …

I mentioned yesterday in my post about Riviera that I wasn't a huge art fan, and that's true but it made me wonder if it's because I don't know enough about the subject matter. A solution to that quickly leapt to my attention - the DailyArt app. The title says it all really, the app presents you with a new piece of art every single day with a bit of …

I'm not a huge art lover, so it's a bit of a wonder that the Sky show Riviera appealed to me. The show initially followed the dramatic and over-the-top adventures of an art curator in the South of France, dealing with deception, murder, and rebellious families, all with high fashion and expensive paintings draped along the way. The main draw, if I'm honest, was the lovely Julia Stiles and actually …

A fun fact from Disney's behind the scenes of the recent Loki series is that the God of Mischief has been on the big screen for less than two hours out of the fifty or so available in The Infinity Saga. Two hours across ten years, and yet this character is so incredible popular. I saw one of those weird bracket competitions on Twitter for who was the MCU's best …

Of course the overarching plan is to watch all the films in the world, but there are quite a lot in existence already and then all these creative types just keep making more, so, you have to pick and choose. I'm sure you're well aware by now that I love a structured challenge and I saw Stephen King tweeting recently about his ongoing project - to watch a movie from …

How joyous for Wimbledon to be back on our screens! One week down and one to go, and what great tennis we've seen so far. I hadn't particularly intended to write a post about this year's championships, but then I remembered that it's so-called Manic Monday, and it's potentially the last one we will see. Going forward, Wimbledon will no longer have that sacred Middle Sunday off, instead they will …

The second series of Apple TV+ series Trying came to an end yesterday, bringing to a close an emotional but fantastic series that has already been renewed for a third. I don't know why I didn't write about this series after the first series, but now eight further episodes on, I think the second series has outclassed the first outing anyway, so now seems like a better time to give …

If you've read any of my Film Watch posts for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you'll have noticed a trend towards the end of the first three phases that goes something like: 'I think this is a good film but I've totally lost the plot and don't know what's going on. I'll have to go back and rewatch the movies and do some homework.' Well, with the bonus of ever-extending lockdowns, …

To celebrate their 100th anniversary (there's a lot of great history there that's probably for another time), Kotex have launched a global She Can Initiative to support and promote menstrual cycle hygiene and education - getting rid of that never-ending stigma about the cycle that half the population live with for a good portion of their lives. As part of the intiative, they've launched a series of videos with inventor …

I am completely in love with the show For All Mankind. The sheer audacity of the whole thing is wonderful. It’s out there but also somehow grounded in reality. If you’ve not seen it, or read my thoughts on Series 1, the premise is an alternative history where Russia landed on the moon before the US, and everything that follows from that. I read a review of the show that …

I can see why The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was scheduled to be the first of the new breed of Marvel TV shows to appear on Disney+. It's a more standard superhero series than the innovative approach taken by WandaVision. However, I loved both of them equally in different ways. Falcon was a much calmer show, despite traditional action sequences, superhero fight scenes and plenty of drama. Although it …

"I need another pair of earphones," I said. "What's wrong with the five pairs you already have?" "I don't have five!" Indignantly, I counted them. I didn't have five. I had six. But they're all for different purposes, you know? Original AirPods - revolutionary and brilliant but struggling for battery life. AirPods Pro - to replace the AirPods, which I never quite got round to throwing away. BeatsX - sporting …

A medium level spring clean uncovered this little gem in a dusty box tucked away in a random corner. I got super excited when I first saw the edge of it, because I thought it was the original part one book by George Gipe. Sadly that one is still missing in action. And I never did have a copy of part three.

I've been loving the new Star content that was released on Disney+ in the UK recently, and one of the first things I checked out was Cougar Town. Featuring the lovely Courtney Cox and a lot of people that used to be in Scrubs, the show revolves around a really tight-knit group of family and friends as they navigate divorce, new relationships, new parenthood, empty nests, and lots of other …

In my last post I mentioned that Inside the Factory inspired my purchase of a casserole dish. If you're not aware, the show features Gregg Wallace and Cherry Healey visiting various factories around the country, sometimes world, to find out how our staples are made. It's always interesting to see how a factory works, how the weird machines do what they do, and our hosts give us lots of fascinating …

Last week, a Le Creseut casserole dish was delivered to my house. You know the ones, top of the range pots and pans that come with the associated price tag. I could tell you the excuses and reasons behind this - spending more time in the kitchen, should have the best tools you can, not spending on a lot else at the moment - but actually there are only two …

More and more content is being added to the Apple TV+ streaming service, and I've noticed they've started increasing their children's output alongside the adult dramas and films. Recent additions include the acclaimed Wolfwalkers and a new series of Snoopy and Charlie Brown, but one that really caught my eye was Stillwater. Obviously, it was the panda that made me give it a watch, and whilst the show itself is …

This weekend, I finished watching the final season of Agents of Shield and it was, as expected, brilliant and moving, hopeful and emotional, and an action-packed time-travelling ride to the end. The first thing to say about it is thank goodness it came to a good conclusion, that for the most part the time-travel story made sense, and it was a happy ever after for almost all of the characters. …

I wish I could say that the many lockdowns of 2020 turned me into a domestic goddess with a sparkling clean house and freshly baked goods spilling out of the oven every day. It did not. I, like many people, spent a lot of time in my pyjamas, working too many hours, and watching too much TV. But, I have managed to get in the kitchen for the last couple …

It's been about a month that Apple Fitness+ has been out in the wide world and I've been using it pretty consistently since then. I wrote some thoughts when the service initially launched and I thought it would be worth an update. My bottom line feelings haven't changed: it's a great addition to my fitness schedule but it doesn't replace anything wholely. I turn to it when the main aim …

We're in the middle of another lockdown which means opportunities to go outside are few and far between, and that living vicariously through YouTube is the order of the day. I've suddenly realised the appeal of those "slow television" videos, particularly where people are just walking around looking at stuff. If you like a bit more content than that, I've also found just the thing! Tom Scott has a YouTube …

The first two episodes of WandaVision appeared on Disney+ this week and I very quickly devoured them both. I wasn't expecting to be as interested as I was, thought maybe I'd check it out when I had the time, but all the hype surrounding it completely sucked me in. Here are five immediate thoughts about the show: In navigating the menus to get to the show, Disney+ recommended their new …

I can't believe I didn't write anything after watching the first series of Staged in summer of last year. David Tennant and Michael Sheen bantering for 6 x 20 minute episodes. It was one of the bright spots of culture that came out of the specific circumstances of lockdown. Despite it being an epic piece of work, I suppose no one really wanted a second series as it meant life …

Hooray for the dreaded time of year where I pick out the top five albums I've listened to over the past twelve months. Each week for 50 weeks, I listen to two albums. One is a new one (this year or the previous year) and one is an older one (from any time previous to that). So I can't promise to have listened to every album that was released last …

Normally at this point, I write a post setting up some goals for the coming year. Like many people, I'm certain that setting new year's resolutions is NOT the thing to do for 2021. I can't even bring myself to look at my 2020 post to see the things I wanted to achieve that absolutely didn't happen. 2020 was an unpredictable and unprecedented year that is best put behind us …

There's an enormous amount of TV out there - existing and brand new, bingeable and streaming weekly - and the vast catalogue is only going to keep on growing. In fact, the appetite for amazing TV seems to be growing with many famous names and faces making the transition from the big screen to the small screen... and, of course, the big screen not being so big at the moment! …

Browsing the news today and this post caught my eye describing the surge in purchases of physical cassette tapes. Cassette tape sales are estimated to have doubled this year compared to 2019. The British Phonographic Industry, which represents record labels, projects 157,000 tapes will have been sold in the UK in 2020. That's the highest number since 2003, when compilation Now 54 - featuring the likes of Busted, Girls Aloud …

As we're still unable to go to theatres at the moment, the Mischief crew have decided to bring the theatre into our homes - hooray! Their improvised show Mischief Movie Night has gone online, starting yesterday and streaming every day until New Year's Eve. I was lucky enough to see this show in person a few year's ago and although I've never been entirely comfortable with improv, you know you're …

Not everyone loves Christmas, obviously, and even more so when the festive season is taken out of context and moved to a different season than you're used to. Peter Kay's YouTube channel popped this video of Car Share clips up recently, highlighting when Kayleigh brought her Christmas CD into the car during the height of summer. John wasn't impressed, to say the least! My favourite quotes: She says that's all …

One thing that's become clear over the past year or so of chaos is that it's helpful to focus on the things that you can control. With that in mind, I focused in on achieving my Apple activity badges each month - the personalised ones, not the all-three-rings-every-single-day one. At first it was just a bit of fun, and then, despite my best intentions, it became a complete the full …

In a festive season where everyone's plans have gone awry, we instead focus on the Christmas content we know and love. There are so many TV Christmas specials out there, but only a few that I revisit on a regular basis. Here's a countdown of five of them... Vicar of Dibley - The Christmas Lunch Incident Just a joy from start to finish - Geraldine trying to do the best …

Now that I've finished watching the second season of The Mandalorian, I've been catching up with some of the news surrounding it. Whilst the show is on, I try and avoid articles because of spoilers, even if we were all watching at the same weekly pace. A story I read recently made me think about how great this second series has been for women - strong characters, great actors, and …

I've listened to more audiobooks this year and delving into the world more has opened up a few surprises. I was hugely looking forward to the audiobook of Troubled Blood, the fifth book in the Cormoran Strike series. I've exclusively listened to the first four books via Audible because Robert Glenister's narration is so good, and the content is so detailed and dense that having it read to me helps …

The good thing about the first series of The Mandalorian taking so long to come to the UK is that we didn't have that long to wait after watching it for the second series to begin. The bad thing is, now we're going to have to wait ages for the next installment. However, series two did come to an impressive conclusion this past week, with a guest appearance that seems …

It feels like Apple Fitness+ was announced so long ago - time moves slowly these days, right? But finally, mid-December, the new service launched and I was very keen to try it out. It's a subscription service that you can either purchase separately or as part of a bundle of Apple services (my option), but it's squarely aimed at people who have an Apple Watch as well. Once you're on …

It's taken a while for me to get to the end of Tehran, the Apple TV espionage thriller based in the Iranian city. Initially, I was watching it week on week as it was released, but I'm no fool. I knew the penultimate episode would have one heck of a cliffhanger, so I opted to save it a week and watch two episodes together. But then, a week became two …

This week the 2021 Grammy nominations were announced and immediately two things stood out to me: firstly, I get very confused by the categories at awards shows and secondly, by far the more important fact, women are having a really good showing this year! For the first time ever, all the nominees for best rock performance are women, and the same can be said for the best country album (sort …

I don't normally care for nature programmes. I mean, let's be clear, I think they're incredible. The time, effort and production values always blow me away and whenever I see an episode of a nature show, I'm usually entranced. But they don't really grab me and I don't seek them out. However, I couldn't really ignore the enticing idea of Paul Rudd narrating a half hour show that focuses in …