I love a music quiz and The Hit List provides a lively boost of music and energy on a Saturday night. The scheduling of this show confuses me but every now and then a celebrity special pops up, and this past weekend was exactly that. Harry from McFly, some people from morning TV and yay, two Gladiators. Now, there were plenty of questions raised by this appearance - why those two Gladiators in particular? How much music are they going to know? And more than anything, why did they come in their Gladiator outfits??

I recently wrote about my clampdown on spending when it comes to streaming services, but I haven’t been lacking in the television department. Most of these were available on ’terrestrial’ streamers, and a great variety there has been too! Paradise I just managed to squeeze this in before my Disney+ plan lapsed, and it was really good. The twist at the end of the first episode is up there with that big LOST reveal, and it obviously speaks to the bunker fan in me. Some of the episodes in the middle felt like they lost their way a little bit but the penultimate episode featuring the build up to the big evacuation was incredible. Definitely worth a watch.

I’m always in awe of people who can write comedy songs. It seems like some kind of magic trick to me to be able to write a song anyway, to then add a layer of comedy on top is a great skill. Victoria Wood is the legend at it, but there have been many more since that also come up with hilarious works. Flo & Joan, two dead-pan sisters, have carved quite a path in the comedy singing track, and this one is brilliant.

As I mentioned in my previous post about streaming services, it was the furore around Adolescence that made me sign back up to Netflix. I was managing to ignore the babble about most shows on the network, but this one just couldn’t be let go. As soon as I started watching it, I could see why there was such a fuss - it is absolute television gold.

One of my goals for this year is to spend less on streaming services. I’ve mentioned it a few times in posts over the last 12 months or so but it has became a real focus for 2025. I totted up how much I’d spent on streaming services in 2024 and whilst it wasn’t a completely extortionate number, it was more than I was comfortable with considering there are only so many hours in the day for watching television… even at x2 speed.

I previously sheepishly confessed to purchasing a Le Creuset casserole pan and I’m sure you can imagine it gets far less use than it should do. However, I was so impressed with it at the time that I also purchased a deep frying pan by the same maker and it was also excellent… that one definitely gets used on an almost daily basis.

I’ve let my work/life balance get very out of alignment recently, and have quite a lot of catching up to do here on mrschristine.com. However, while I get my act together, I thought it was worth sharing five things that have been keeping me going over the last couple of months where otherwise I may have run screaming for the hills.

This video popped up recently on the BBC Archives, featuring a short look back in the day over whether people would buy films if they could, rather than renting them. We know the answer to that now, my bulging Apple library is a testament to it, but back then it was DVDs, rentals, and Netflix in it’s original rental-by-mail format was still a few years in the future. It’s so interesting to hear the different viewpoints. Of course the rental guy is going to think that it’s a stupid idea and he’s not going to go out of business anytime soon. And of course the people gunning for the change are saying it’s the way of the future.

I’m loving the new series of Mythic Quest, which is in its second half now, and features all our favourite characters in new and hilarious circumstances. Rachel Meyee tying herself up in knots in front of Congress in last week’s episode? Perfection. And actually, Rachel taking centre stage in that episode reminded me of this article from last year that has stuck with me ever since I read it. It talks of the decision to show Rachel’s grey hair on screen in all its glory, alongside the character of Poppy showing silvery strands in her hair too. It’s excellent, obviously, for a bit of grey haired representation, particularly as Ashly Burch looks amazing.

A recent interview with Tim Rice has brought up the idea of captioning musicals for audiences to gain a better understanding, using surtitles (not a word I had come across before) as newer generations are so used to subtitling their content anyway. It’s very frustrating at times, especially if you’re the words man… Time and time again, the lyrics couldn’t be heard when it was choral. If you’ve got great singers like Tommy Körberg or Elaine Paige singing the songs solo, you do hear the words, but the choral stuff can often be quite important and you just don’t hear it.

Okay, I’ve sat with this for two weeks and I can’t take it any more. I, like many people, trawl through the Superbowl adverts looking at who has sold out this year, and I was astounded to see Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal resurrecting their When Harry Met Sally characters to sell mayonnaise. It’s awful. I wouldn’t have minded if it had just been that once, but I’ve seen it whilst watching other programmes, when they cut to adverts it pops up. Eugh.

The Backstreet Boys popped up on Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary concert and boy were they well received! Who would have thought that Paul Rudd and Jon Hamm would be bopping along to these boys as if their lives depended on it! Plus Maya Rudolph always in flirt mode, it’s wonderful. What I love most about this is actually the YouTube comments, not traditionally a place known for positivity, are all so supportive of Brian, it makes me quite emotional. Such love.

One of my new year resolutions is to spend a bit less on streaming services, which means I’m having to be a bit more judicious about when I watch certain things… and that I’m inevitably watching more on the free services like BBC and Channel 4. It does mean an increase in ad viewing as well, which is a downside, but at the moment, it’s worth the trade off. Here’s a roundup of recent viewing, which has covered quite a wide variety of shows!

I keep seeing walking pads everywhere - the smaller, more agile version of a treadmill that is designed for walking rather than running, and getting your steps in rather than completing a marathon. Naturally with the start of a new year and resolutions being made and broken, it makes sense for a lot of conversation to centre on health and fitness but I really am seeing these small machines everywhere, they are having a moment!

There is so much content on Disney+ that it’s easy to overlook some gems, and I’m glad to have uncovered one of them - Inside Pixar. The documentary series is twenty short episodes that delve into different aspects of making Pixar movies. Lots of behind the scenes insight into various roles, from artists to writers, but also less creative roles such as the admin assistant, the facilities manager, and even a pastry chef.

The Only Fools and Horses Musical has been around for a few years now but left the West End for a UK tour last year and finally I have managed to see it. Written by Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan (son of original creator John Sullivan), the musical features all the characters you know and love, including that yellow three-wheeled van, and brings them together for a two hour extravaganza.

The second series of Silo finished on Apple TV recently and ooh it was a great ride. It picked up right where the last series ended, with our intrepid hero Juliette Nichols (portrayed endlessly brilliantly by Rebecca Ferguson) finding a new Silo - an abandoned Silo, or so it seems. Needless to say, spoilers follow if you haven’t watched the series yet, so head over and finish up the ten brilliant episodes before coming back.

I finally got around to watching Boybands Forever, a three part documentary on the BBC that aired late last year. I had planned to watch it over Christmas but a few scenes into the first episode, I thought it might be a bit depressing - turns out these boybands haven’t all had the best of experiences. So I waited until January, when we’re all experiencing the blues anyway, so why not share the pain.

I’m one of those that is skeptical of AI, both the impact it can actually have on the future, but also from the point of view of being wary it may destroy the future (Terminator movies, anyone?). So whenever I see one of those memes doing the rounds of an AI getting a question ridiculously wrong or failing to understand basic alphabet or numerical concepts, I take great joy from it.

I’ve gotten into a manageable habit with my Sims obsession - it used to be that I could sit down of an evening and start playing, and then suddenly the hours have gone by and I’ve got nothing else done other than topped the career path of a specific character. Nowadays, I dip in regularly but only for a short period of time, and it’s a nice way to play - a quick visit, a few directions here or there, see you again this time tomorrow.

There’s a lot of noise about The Sims around at the moment, as the lifestyle management game is turning 25 this year. Have I really been playing The Sims since 1999? I can’t remember being an early adopter but I definitely remember the first game very vividly, so maybe I have. The recent announcements are some sizabale updates to the base game, and a new Behind the Sims video stream, where more goodies may be forthcoming.

My album adventure for 2025 got off to a roaring start last week, although it’s not until week two that I’ve managed to nab an album actually released this year. The rules of the game (for those who haven’t been paying attention) are that the ’new’ album is from this year or the last, whilst the ‘old’ album has the rest of human history to be selected from. Two albums a week for 50 weeks of the year, hooray!

I meant to post this before Christmas but didn’t get round to it, then thought I would wait to top it up with all the festive fun that I watched as well. Except, it didn’t really feel like there was that much exceptional stuff on over Christmas? I’ve mentioned the gameshow nostalgia already, and I loved the Gladiators Celeb special, but in terms of drama and comedy, there wasn’t much beyond Gavin & Stacey, was there? So anyway, a catchup of recent viewings with or without Christmas in the middle.

My dad shared this post with me - 11 must-see astronomy events in 2025 - which covers great things to look up for, lunar eclipses, shooting stars, and the planets doing all kinds of wonderful things. The post is geared slightly towards a North American audience, so I went looking to see if there was anything similar for UK stargazers. Of course, the Royal Observatory has me covered.

I can’t stop thinking about this news item on the BBC, complaining once again about the incorrect headline summaries Apple’s Artificial Intelligence is creating based on their stories. In particular here, it claimed Luke Littler won the darts championship before he had (although he later did which I think wasn’t a surprise to anyone). It also claimed Rafael Nadal had come out as gay, based on a story about a different tennis player. As far as I can see, Nadal isn’t even mentioned in that original post.

Only Connect traditionally has special episodes over the festive period, usually featuring previous teams returning just for the thrill of the game rather than for any particular prize. There are normally four specials, but this year there were eight, which allowed for the quiz show to try out something a little bit different. Our hostess with the mostess Victoria Coren Mitchell explains it best:

Apple TV+ are offering access to their streaming services this weekend for free, worldwide. From 3rd to 5th January, you can watch any of the titles available, giving everyone a great chance to dip in and see what all the fuss is about. There’s some incredible programmes and films on there, and I thought it my duty to help narrow down what should be watched in the short window of availablility.

For the last few years, I’ve taken a laid back approach to resolution making and new year resets, given how hectic the outside world has been. There’s no need for any extra pressure, is the wisdom behind this, and that remains true. However, on a personal level, last year really didn’t go to plan at all, and whilst I did achieve some of the things I set out to do (work/life balance made some real steps forward), there was a lot that slipped by the wayside.

This festive period seems to have been all about the nostalgia, with the TV rammed full of reboots of old gameshow favourites. We’ve seen Wheel of Fortune have a festive edition hosted by Graham Norton and featuring a slightly useless Richard E Grant. We’ve had a revamped Bullseye hosted by Freddie Flintoff and guest appearance from everyone’s favourite dart player Luke Littler. We’ve even had Blankety Blank back with Bradley Walsh at the helm, losing his mind whilst trying to keep control of the chaos.

I stumbled across this little gem on TV over the weekend - 60 Songs: BBC Two at 60 - which is a lengthy compilation of random songs from the archives of the channel, in celebration of their anniversary. It’s a real mixed bag of stuff, a surprising jukebox containing performances from the likes of Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, The Kinks, Blur, Sam Smith, and so many more. Lots of genres from pop to rock, to jazz and country, if you don’t like a song, it won’t be long before another one pops up that you do like.

I always find it slightly surprising that I’ve been doing this album thing for such a long time, next year will be the tenth year of this adventure. Two albums a week, 100 albums a year, and we’re closing in on the big 1000! The worst part of the year is having to narrow down the list to the top five, but actually this year it wasn’t too hard - there were only six on the shortlist. Hopefully next year will be better.

This year I have continued reading voraciously, and although I did make progress on the bookshelf backlog, it still seems like the count of unread books goes up rather than down. I’ve enjoyed listening to a lot of audiobooks this year and discovered the wealth of reading material available digitally from the library, which hasn’t necessarily helped things! Anyway, as is now traditional, these are ten of my favourites from the year gone, in the order that I read them.

ITV recently aired a show called Tiktok: Top 100 2024. I probably don’t need to explain what the programme was about, the title leaves very little to the imagination. It was hosted by comedian Joel Dommett, who did a lot of the heavy listing, as he counted down the top 100 videos, alongside sharing facts and figures about what else is successful on the video sharing app, and how rich some of the content creators may actually be.

One of my favourite things about the festive season is revisiting all the great films and TV specials that have gone before. The vast array of choice is only growing with each passing year but there are some classics that will never not be aired over Christmas. Love Actually, the Vicar of Dibley’s Christmas Lunch Incident, and these unaired bonus clips from Peter Kay’s Car Share. I’d have it every four years if it were up to me, like the Olympics… It’s just a load of stress at the end of the day. You put on two stone over two weekends, you don’t know what day it is and when your bins or gonna be emptied. There’s piss all on television, then they’ve got the cheek to repeat that twice.

Just wanted to share this video as it’s some really solid drone work and a nice glimpse inside the White House. Not going to get political or anything, but it might be the last sensible thing to come out of that building for the next four years! I do admire good drone controllers because you want super smooth visuals and in a video like this, the turning circle needs to be managed very carefully!

In my grumpier Grinch moments over Christmas, I get annoyed at the playlists and festive collections of songs that feature ‘Christmas’ songs that I don’t think count. Those songs that are slowed down versions of absolute tunes for festive adverts, but otherwise have no connection to December. To rectify the situation, I set about creating a proper playlist, and in 2017 released the first volume.

If you tuned in to the Royal Variety Performance on ITV last week, you’ll have enjoyed a scene from the new Mischief Theatre project: A Comedy About Spies. You bet your ass I bought tickets to that show immediately that I heard about it. It’s been a while since there’s been something new like this from the group, and it should be the original Mischief members up on stage which is a double bonus.

Wham! Last Christmas Unwrapped is an unwieldy title for a one-off TV episode that was mesmerising, surprising and joyful from start to finish. The hour long show manages to pack in a brief history of Wham the band, before and after, as well as the history of the song Last Christmas, the rivalry with Band Aid, and remembering George after his death in 2016. A lot, you might think, but somehow it never felt rushed or missing a beat, it was almost perfect.

It’s an expectation at this point, to go into the Strictly Come Dancing final, and now you’re going to be in floods of tears. This one took a little while to get me, but once the emotional showdance VTs started, I was there, I was with Motsi, any notion of appearing cool was out the window. It was nice to have four finalists again, and although we all sort of knew what the outcome was going to be before we started, I was ready to enjoy the show.

Semi-final time and wow, what a spectacle this was. Right from the start it felt like a final, the standard was so high, the drama was enormous and the emotions were real. This was the first time the couples had to learn two full routines in a week (if we’re not counting the sambathon madness), and you could tell that the extra pressure was starting to take it’s toll.

There’s been a lot of furore around recently over the new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas, featuring a megamix of all the previous artists combined together. It seemed an odd idea, and it’s not really gone over very well, and barely made an impact on the music charts. So why not go back to the original and best version of the song and revisit how it all came together?

Stumbled across this during a late night YouTube music trawl and love, love, love it. I’m not sure what it’s for or why it’s happening but I’ll take more collaborations like this please!

Apple Music has been doing annual reviews for a while now, looking at the songs you’ve listened to in the year and highlighting your most listened to albums and artists for a good summary of twelve months of music. I’m always disappointed in my Music reviews though, because I don’t listen to enough variety or repetition (outside of musicals) to make it worthwhile. A lot of my listening happens via someone else’s device and a HomePod, so they get all the credit.

I’ve been very intrigued by the news that came out recently of Iga Swiatek’s one-month tennis ban for failing anti-doping tests, the way this has been handled versus others. As a long-time Simona Halep fan it was frustrating to see her sitting in the sidelines for multiple years whilst the case was investigated, and it’s not been a barrel of laughs since she returned to the courts - what with such a lengthy spell without playing competitively and the almost immediate injuries.

Whilst Strictly Come Dancing is drawing towards its conclusion for 2024, the latest series of Dancing With the Stars in the US has crowned its champion. For the last couple of years, after the big move to Disney, we’ve been able to watch all the dances regularly each week on YouTube, and all I can say is I agree with the people that think the result wasn’t the right one.

This show got off to an incredible start for me, because we have only just watched Little Shop of Horrors and lo and behold, they open the main show with a fantastic group dance based on that very musical. Best timing ever. Follow that up with the appearance of Miranda, who promised to be in the audience in November and just managed to squeeze it in before December hits. Well, how can the dancing live up to this great opening? Let’s find out!

Just in time for Musicals week on Strictly, I managed to squeeze in an actual musical viewing. Here & Now - The Steps Musical made its debut in Birmingham, and I rocked up to take in one of the shows. It was brilliant! I love Steps, their kind of wonderful guilty pleasure of music that you know isn’t exactly great art but is one heck of a crowdpleaser.

More facts dropped by Claudia at the top of the show - every couple left in the competition has scored at least one 10. But at this point we hadn’t seen a 40, despite the sheer quality across the board. No gimmicks this week, just seven couples trying to get through to the quarter finals, and musicals week. As they descended to the floor, I realised how empty it is now and that prompted me to come up with predictions for the final: Tasha, Sarah, Chris and Jamie. I want Sarah to win it but really do think Chris is in with a chance.

We all know that Bake Off viewers have mixed feelings about the show - it’s still a comfortable entertaining watch, and the bakes look absolutely delicious, but it just continues to get more and more complicated and drift further from what made it special in the first place. I wrote about this in October 2022, and everything said then still stands. However, one positive change to the show is the addition of Alison Hammond, who took over from Matt Lucas last year. She’s a breath of fresh air, hilarious with that brilliant laugh, and she works well with Noel Fielding whilst retaining her own sunny personality. She occasionally falls off the benches and generally brings a little bit of adorable chaos with her.

Oh Blackpool you say? Well why not. Did anyone actually count the number of times it was mentioned during the weekend? Still, the lights looked good, the floor was sprung, and the Pet Shop Boys were there! Seriously, I loved this dance so much, it’s some of my favourite group dance work in a while! Anyway, on with the competition!