Bad Monkey is not a hugely enticing name for a TV show to me, and even now I’m not 100% sure how it ties in to the story. There is a monkey in it, but most of the time it seemed to be a pretty good one. The star of the show is not, as it turns out, the monkey, but actually Vince Vaughn who puts in a really star turn as Andrew Yancy, an on-again off-again police detective who does NOT stop talking but has a heart of gold and goes with his gut to somehow get to the right result. He draws people in around him, they trust him even though he annoys them, and sometimes he even gets the girl.

There’s no theme this week so the dancers are just doing their own separate things, but with one thing on their mind (apparently) - getting to Blackpool. The B word is so over-used at this point in the competition that you really just want this week over so we can get there and get it done with. But apart from that, another great week of dancing gets underway!

Icons week is finally here after quite the build up. It feels odd going from one theme week directly to another, but actually if you dig into it, this isn’t so different to other weeks - a variety of different songs by a variety of different artists. The big news this week was poor Amy, taken ill at the end of last week’s show. The legend is on the mend but has Lauren stepping in for her this week with JB.

I knitted a couple of these fingerless mittens last year and they all disappeared, gobbled up by adoring fans I like to think. So after a couple of recent froggings, I figured it’d be nice to knit up something super quick and easy and one that I could keep for myself this winter.

This is a bumper edition of the television roundup from recent weeks (and months), it’s been a little while since I did a collection of recent viewing but also I’ve been under the weather which means the volume of episodes ticked off has seen an upsurge as well. Let’s get straight on with it!

Halloween! The timing of this theme week feels a bit off as Halloween isn’t actually until Thursday, five days after this special goes out. But never mind, we’re always ready for a bit of costume and make-up. It can be a challenging week this one, because if you don’t recognise the couple it can be harder to connect to them, but I don’t think that will be a problem this time out.

I previously wrote about the new feature in Apple Podcasts that auto-generates transcripts, with mixed feelings about it. A great improvement, and a step forward for accessability, obviously, but the accuracy and layout of it weren’t exactly what I would have gone for. I said at the time: As a creator, that’s all you actually have to do, read it and check it. You can opt out and provide your own transcripts if preferred, but this would at least be a great starting place to save some time. It’s not perfect, as you’d imagine, being a first release and relying on computer-generated text-to-speech that is so much better than it used to be but still has room for improvement. Because it is just transcribing the words, there is no differentiation between speakers, whereas I used to create my transcripts more like a script.

It was quite nice this weekend that there was no theme, there was no drama, no injuries, it was just straight on with the business at hand. Judges appear, couples down the stairs, let the games begin! JB & Amy - Jive Using polaroids as a learning tool is interesting, I know it was to tie in with the theme of the dance, but actually seems to work quite well. There was something a bit off about the knees or the feet or something here, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Still a competent dance and he looked like he was having fun.

A recent addition to Apple Maps is the option to create a Custom Route, and this is a great integration for me. It’s not new technology to be able to plot a potential walking route for yourself, I’ve been using various options for a while. Being able to plan where you’re going, how far a route is, how long it might take, whether it crosses busy roads, etc. it’s all part of the fun.

This week, the action seemed to get straight underway, and I was glad of it because had started watching the show late and didn’t want it to go on all night! Nick was back on the dancefloor after a flurry of injuries, and so we get a bit of bonus movie week in a non-theme weekend. Let’s go! Shayne & Nancy - Cha Cha Meh, not bothered by this one. It was a bit boring for a cha cha. Also, the bowling ball bounced which isn’t really supposed to happen! He seemed more relaxed than previously, but I still don’t buy them as a partnership. Judges seemed to like it.

It’s no secret that I love Miranda Hart so it’s been a joy for me to see her out and about in the last week or so, emerging from a period of severe illness to release a new book about her experience and learnings. I was lucky enough to see the lady in question at the Cheltenham Literature Festival last night, and just want to celebrate that fact. She was so lovely and had the warmest reception from the crowd, as people say ‘a lot of love in the room’.

I’ve wanted to write about Knit in a Box for ages. I love, love, LOVE this concept. A subscription box, you get a surprise pattern with all the yarn, buttons and accessories you need to complete it plus a few small gifts scattered in here and there. It’s beautifully presented and really the kind of thing that just makes you happy. There are subscription options (frequency and type, ie. children’s box, ladies box) and the occasional special edition. You can get the surprise box each time, or wait until the contents are revealed and buy as one offs if they appeal. It’s just gorgeous stuff.

I’ve been gradually discovering some of the fun things that the latest iOS and watchOS releases can do, but one of the main ones in Apple Fitness suddenly became very handy recently. I was under the weather recently, and I suddenly remembered the new feature that allows you to pause your activity rings on the Apple Watch. That’s right, PAUSE!

Movie week! Always a fun week, guessing the movie as the couples walk down the stairs, admiring the costumes and makeup, and generally relishing in how many films we’ve watched and how many more there are still to go! Nick Knowles was absent this week after picking up another injury, that’s concerning for him at such an early stage, will have to see how well he recovers. And after the surprise elimination last week of Tom & Nadiya, all eyes on the dancefloor for who will be next to exit stage right.

We’re a week into October already, so I’m a bit late to share this, but I recently stumbled on the Optimistic October calendar produced by Action for Happiness, and I love it. It’s just a simple idea each day to try and feel a bit happier and why not? It’s been a while since I did a 30 day challenge but this one seems a worthy contender.

I’m a bit out of the loop on movies at the moment, we’ve not been doing very well on the film front as TV and particularly nostalgic stuff has taken more of a front-seat. But from the looks of things, there’s not that much going on at the moment anyway. November has a few options to choose from but October and December are looking very light.

There were the tiniest of tweaks to the format of this show that for some reason I found really unsettling. Tess and Claudia were already there bang on screen after the credits, rather than walking out to meet each other. And let’s not talk about what a mess the judge’s little dance section is these days! But anyway, they are tiny things that just help to distract from the fact that we’re saying goodbye to our first dancer this week!

Earlier in the year, I wrote about the first cardigan I had knitted. I’m very proud of it and still wear it, but do have to admit it doesn’t fit at all well and the colour continues to annoy me. I knew as soon as I’d finished the first one that I wanted to knit it again and do better, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve had the pieces of this finished for a while but it’s taken me far too long to get round to sewing it all up together - finally have achieved it and wahey, cardigan take two!

At the very start of the show, Claudia introduced the contestants about to come out, telling the live audience that they were bound to be super nervous and needed big cheers as they descended the stairs. Well, when they came out, not a single one of them looked nervous! They were all dancing and jigging about and looked like they were having a great time. Long may it continue!

This is 100% the wrong time of year to be sharing this link, but it’s something to bookmark for when the weather clears up again. We’re heading into autumn and the garden is starting to wind down a little… I mean, I can’t say it ever really got going for me this year but let’s go with it.

It’s been a while since I last did a roundup of TV I have watched recently, partly that’s because a lot of sporting events got in the way of my series watching, and partly it’s because there haven’t been that many things that have really, truly, grabbed me. If it’s good enough for a separate post, I’ll do that, but here are those that don’t quite spark more than a paragraph.

A month ago, I was feeling quite grumpy about Strictly Come Dancing. There was all the bad news, and the new contestants weren’t hugely grabbing me, and whatever, maybe I could just give it a miss this year. Guess how long it was into the launch show before I was giddy and clapping and bouncing around the room? About ten minutes, if I’m being modest, five minutes if I’m being truthful. How can you hate on the Vengabus and the 90s tunes that followed?

I know it doesn’t seem like it because I’ve spent quite a lot of time talking about Wrexham AFC, but I’m not a big football fan. It’s not a sport that particularly grabs me and although I can admire the set pieces that deliver incredible goals, they are so few and far between that it’s not always an entertaining ninety minutes for me.

I haven’t written about anything I’ve knitted for several months but I’ve still been working on various things in the background. The main problem is that I haven’t managed to actually finish a project in ages. Step forward the Mastadon hashtag #finishorfrogalong in which people own up to their own stash of unfinished projects and encourage each other to do the same. The idea being that you either finish it or you ditch it because that’s the only way to move forward!

Every now and again, I read a book about people climbing Mount Everest - the last one quite recently. There are always mixed emotions reading these stories because it’s incredible, what people can do and the sheer adventure of it. There’s such a huge history from the early treks to try and reach the top to the current era where the volume of expeditions means Everest is at risk of being over-touristed.

Last year (in fact so long ago that I’d forgotten I’d ordered this and it was a surprise present in the post), I bought The Researcher’s First Murder by John Finnemore. This was one of those purchases that was really to support the creator more than for my pleasure, because a) I love JF and b) this thing is far too smart for me, but wahey, it has arrived and it’s beautiful!

I love this recent article on the BBC about a guy called Rob Johnson who has been getting niche and forgotten songs put on the streaming services - just by asking them to upload them! No matter how many tracks a streaming service claims to have, there’s always going to be something missing, and this is all about a mission to try and right that wrong. Most of the time it’s not a malicious or contractual act on the record companies part, they’ve just got a lot going on and it’s easy to miss something along the way.

I like a bit of Batman as much as the next person, but there’s no arguing the fact that the character did go through a bit of over-exposure a few years ago. With the huge Christopher Nolan trilogy, and then endless news about who was going to play the character next, it felt like you couldn’t blink without seeing those bat ears sticking up somewhere. So I wasn’t looking for another Batman vehicle, but the new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader on Prime was surprisingly good.

I probably don’t make the most of my Apple News subscription, but I do enjoy the magazines that are included as part of the price. The TV guides alone are worth the price, but there is a lot of choice on there - history, gardening, interior design, cars, sports, gossip, fashion, you name it, it’s in there. And just recently, some new knitting magazines have been added which is a great update for me!

This week I finally got around to watching Ripley on Netflix, the recent adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley written by Patricia Highsmith. I didn’t know a lot about the story, I’ve not seen the 90s film starring Matt Damon and not read the book even though it is in my digital library waiting to be opened. So I went into this with no expectations other than the love I’m assuming everyone has for Andrew Scott.

With the joy of the Olympics still fresh in our minds, former sprinter and gold medal winner Michael Johnson has announced a new athletics competition that he’s launching to keep the momentum of the sport going through the four year gaps between Olympic sessions. He’s calling it the Grand Slam Track, and the initial format imitates that of the tennis tours - with four big meets during the year to see the best face off against each other.

Way back when, I watched the first few episodes of WandaVision and really enjoyed the pastiche of early sitcoms. The black and white cuteness, canned laughter, and surprisingly funny moments. I was curious to know whether it was just Wanda’s take on the genre that I liked or if the genuine article was just as good, so I sought out the first series of The Dick Van Dyke Show - available on Amazon Prime/FreeVee in the UK.

The 90s repeats of Top of the Pops on BBC Four have had a bit of a break recently (Proms and the Olympics will do that to your channels) but came back with a bang with this amazing episode. It kicked off with the Backstreet Boys which was such a surprise to me that I almost choked on my drink, and aside from the next song, continued to astound and surprise.

I guess just power on through it and keep going as if nothing happened? It feels a bit odd that this year’s batch of contestants have been revealed over the past week or so, at the same time that the accusations of mistreatment from former guest dancers continues unabated. It’s an unexpected situation we find ourselves in, one that leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth, but at least there are some safeguards in place for this year’s willing participants. I have to admit to being a bit disappointed by the names announced (Sarah Hadland excepted, OBVIOUSLY) and sort of wonder if there have been more people declining the opportunity due to the ongoing furore.

I had planned to write about the closing ceremony but in the end, it didn’t grab me as much as I’d hoped. It seemed to pick up pace after Tom Cruise threw himself into the mix, quite literally, but I was already asleep by then, and it sort of feels not worth watching on replay. Although clips and pictures I’ve seen do make me excited for LA’s hosting stint when it begins.

It won’t be news to learn that I love a good quiz, and what’s even better than general quizzing? Music quizzes! I love The Hit List when it comes round but a new contender to the quiz throne has arrived in the form of Popmaster TV. Turning a beloved ten minute radio quiz into a successful hour long TV show isn’t an easy task but they’ve done a fantastic job.

So look, it turns out, watching two weeks of non-stop sport pretty much all day, every day can be a bit much. I’m a gibbering wreck. But I’m also still loving it and don’t want it to end tomorrow. It’s hard to reconcile the two positions but I’m powering through to enjoy every minute before the main Olympics disappears for another four years and we can turn our attention to the Paralympics.

In the last Olympics post, I mentioned that I’ve been watching the surfing which is new to me (and relatively new to the Olympics) and that’s one of the joys of this competition as a viewer - finding those odd sports that you’ve never heard of before and that absolutely captivate you.

You know that thing where certain things seemed different and nicer and more magical when you were a kid, and then when you view them through adult eyes, you sort of wonder what on earth it was all about? Well, I experienced that recently on re-reading the trilogy of Faraway Tree books by Enid Blyton.

So far, I’m loving everything I’ve seen of the 2024 Olympics. Obviously, I’ve not been able to cover off everything that was on my spreadsheet schedule, even with as many screens open as possible. There’s an overwhelming amount of sport - and this is just for the events I’m hugely interested in, never mind the ones that could get my attention if I caught a glimpse.

The Paris 2024 Olympics got underway yesterday with an Opening Ceremony that will be a talking point, even if it wasn’t quite as successful as the organisers hoped. It was different, which always ruffles feathers, and it was inconsistent and messy but there was a lot to like in there. It’s hard for me not to compare everything to the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which was legendary, but each of them are different beasts.

I have been really looking forward to the upcoming Olympics. It’s in a sensible timezone for me, I have managed to wangle some time off work to watch as much as possible and hey, it’s summer of sport fun! I’ve pulled together my spreadsheet of which sports are on when, only for the ones I’m interested in, obviously, and I’m hoping to refine that each day to make sure I’ve got a timetable of the best viewing available.

Accidentally coinciding with the D-Day commemorations in June and going on for several weeks after, I managed to time a viewing of the trilogy of Band of Brothers shows - the original Band of Brothers, which was my second run through; the Pacific, which was the weakest of the three; and then Apple TV+’s latest offering Masters of the Air.

The second week of Wimbledon was somehow so much better than the first but also really quite frustrating. The singles action got really interesting and good, but it felt much harder to keep track of everything else. It was a really, really wet fortnight and it’s so impressive that the schedule didn’t slip very much considering there were a few days with basically no play. But the concertina effect did make it hard to find anything outside of the main show courts.

Although the UK is suffering from a lack of summer at the moment, the sporting events continue apace. Some are enjoying the football, if enjoying is the right word(?) but for me, it’s all about the tennis. Going into Wimbledon this year, the field seemed wide open and even more so when Sabalenka pulled out of the championships. My focus has been on the women’s side, as always, but it’s hard to avoid seeing what’s been going down on the men’s side of the draw too. But here are some thoughts from the first week, anyway:

It feels like the blockbusters have been on the low side recently, but the next few months have quite a few famous names and faces back on the big screen. We’ve drifted from keeping up with the immediate and more expensive releases, but am really enjoying digging out hidden gems and older classics. However, may have to make an exception for some of these!

I enjoyed pulling together the previous TV roundup of shows I’d watched that didn’t really warrant a full post but where I did have some thoughts to share, so I thought why not make it a regular feature? I’ve not been well recently so my TV watching and book reading has gone up massively, but now the summer of sport has arrived, this may not be the case over the next month or so.

Well. Ncuti Gatwa’s first full series outing as the Doctor has drawn to a close and what an adventure it was. I last wrote about everyone’s favourite two-hearted time traveller after the bifurcation event in December which was our first glimpse at the Doctor’s new incarnation.

This year’s Apple WWDC has been and gone, and it’s taken me a while to get round to writing about what was unveiled during the Keynote. In part, that’s because it probably wasn’t as exciting as it could have been. The normal announcements and reveals felt very rushed because half of the presentation was saved up for the AI stuff.

What could be better than finding yourself on a sunny Sunday in the supposed UK summertime, invited into the back gardens of some proper posh countryside houses in the heart of the Cotswolds? That’s what Bibury Open Gardens Festival promised and whilst the title is a bit grandiose and misleading, it was surprisingly fun.