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.

Lovely Louise has popped up a few times on our rewatch of Top of the Pops, which is currently in 1996. I’m always a bit surprised by how many songs of Louise’s I know and remember fondly, and this album is a good collection of them. It’s also got a full album of good songs, with very little filler, although you obviously have to enjoy 90s pop to really dig it. I have one tiny complaint and that is the weird epic key change at the end of Goodbye to Love, which is only there about ten seconds before the end of the song. What’s the point?? But overall a great listen.

Nothing to complain about with this album, really, it was like going back in time a bit and listening to that good early 00s guitar music. There were no bangers on here, not like we know Razorlight are capable of but I really enjoyed the album overall. I do think the song with TayTay in the title is a bit weird though, it’s got nothing to do with her so why try and cash in on her name like that?

Hmm, this was an okay film, watchable and entertaining enough as it went by, but not a patch on the original and completely forgettable. Do we really need to keep making these Despicable movies? I can’t remember the plot even now, something about a school? Genuinely, the minion in the vending machine was the best thing about it.

I’m not sure what drew me to this book, but it seemed to be a clear and concise telling of what happened to those poor kids in the cave and the lengthy, ultimately successful rescue attempt. Written by a journalist, it feels well explained with good sources and a pretty unbiased feeling about what happened. Where there were dodgy decisions being made, there was still usually a reason behind them, which is highlighted well by Gutman throughout. Ultimately, it’s a great book about a difficult situation that could have been a tragedy but ended up working out okay. It makes you feel so glad that people have these skills and are prepared to help out no matter what.

This was so good. Obviously! You’ve got everything brilliant about Deadpool, the meta moments, breaking the fourth wall, the endless stream of jokes and ripping on the people that pay the bills (spends the whole time slagging off the multiverse whilst also being a solid multiverse movie!)… and then adds in the great buddy comedy with an even grumpier variant of Wolverine.

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!

I used to listen to the podcast that this book was born out of, and enjoyed it. I don’t listen to podcasts much anymore, but when I started reading this book, I realised I was going to have to listen to the audiobook version - partly because the formatting didn’t distinguish between Chris and Rosie’s paragraphs, but also because you just have to hear their excellent voices and the way they bounce off each other. I really liked the book, except the final section - I’m with Rosie that it’s a chapter that just wasn’t needed in the book really. But outside of that, it’s just the great, honest, open chat that you’d come to expect from this pair.

Oooh, I loved this. Obviously, you’ve got a dream team duo helming the movie - both have incredible star power individually, then put them together and you’ve got something special. Of course this had one of the things I like most, people that do extraordinary things but just bumbling along together, grumping at each other. It’s like Avengers scenes where they’re just hanging out, the best part!

There’s nothing subtle about these movies, they’re not particularly smart and they’re not particularly clever, they may as well just shout ‘we’re talking about racism, here, okay?’ But for some reason, I still quite like it. There are interesting things to be explored within - how a fragile peace deal can break down when another threat emerges, how desperate you can be to find out how you fit in, etc. It’s bright and colourful, with fun Disney songs, and a good (if not subtle) message.

This was a lot better than the first one, I’m glad I didn’t let myself be put off by the first. Although the story was very similar, the characters were better drawn and the pacing was much better. This had so many of the cliches that Scream riffs on - the random murder at the beginning, and the people having sex with each other everywhere, etc - that it must be part of the defining horror mythology. I’m still not completely convinced by the motivations or baddies here, but it was worth a watch, and on to the next!

I’m not sure about this one, really. It reads very easily, quick to power through, but ultimately I didn’t really enjoy the story that much. It starts with an interesting hook, that this child is left abandoned at the swimming pool and then the ramifications of taking him in and looking after him. But once all the revelations started happening, it sort of drifted away from me. Lots of people doing questionable things and contrived situations. Hmm, just not sure.

I was expecting this to be harder rock than it was, given the facepaint and all, but it’s actually very approachable, very eighties rock music. Things kick off with Crazy Nights and it carries on in the same way from there, good guitars, good vocals, no disappointments. Nothing stands out particularly either, once the first track is out the way, but overall I enjoyed it.

It’s a very chill album so you’re going to have to be in the right mood for it, and ultimately I think the best mood is going to be cuddled up on a sofa in front of a fire with a blanket, a hot chocolate, and a great set of headphones, giving it time just to listen through the whole thing. I’m never going to do that though, which in turn means I’m probably not going to listen to this again.

I really enjoyed this. We had previously watched some behind the scenes about the house disappearing at the end so knew we were building up to that… but I didn’t know anything about how it got there. The tension was brilliant, the kid actors really good and of course Spielberg & Hooper know what they’re doing when it comes to cinematography!

I feel like I’ve read this before but upon this reading, all I could really picture was the moments that were so well done in the recent TV adaptation on Prime. It’s such a good book though, starting out with a great visual, an intriguing character, a surprising situation. And it all gradually starts to unfold, the greater mystery, who can you trust, what are we going to do about it? I really enjoyed it and am glad to have read it to finally kick start the series off.

This was one of those super quick reads, a rom-com of sorts which kicks off with that age-old story of having a one night stand that then turns up at your place of work as the new starter. In this case, our heroine is the boss and Ryan is the new guy who has a lot of work to do. Neither of the main characters in this are particularly relatable, and both are surprisingly mean to each other along the way, but ultimately they do start to soften towards each other and the inevitable happens - a happy ending! A quick read, potentially not one to rush to the bookshelf for.

I don’t know a lot about Hadley Freeman’s work, but have seen the occasional article here and there. This book details her own experience of anorexia as a teenager, spending a good few years in and out of eating disorder hospitals, but it also approaches the subject as a journalist might - looking for facts, figures, the development and evolvement of the disorder and how it’s treated, plus catching up with people from her past and seeing how they are doing now. It’s a stark read, brutal in places, but a really important and honest look at a disorder that is misunderstood and often mishandled.

This is a short novella from David Baldacci, and at first I wasn’t sure I was going to finish it, but it did grow on me as the mystery started to unravel. Two college football players start looking into the death of a superstar player from a previous generation, and the answers end up being much closer to home than you would think. Not bad for a short read.

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.

Wow, this was a trip. I know (and love) a few of these songs but have somehow never actually watched the movie or seen the musical before. I like how quirky it is, having the trio as a chorus popping up in and out of character all the time, and how camp some of the acting is. And Rick Moranis is playing an adorable hero, which is cute.

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!

I noticed this game appear on Apple Arcade earlier in the year, and downloaded it but haven’t actually opened it until very recently. I was looking for something that required no brainpower whatsoever and would be a bit of a zen release for a frazzled mind, and this fit the bill perfectly. It’s such a simple premise. You are in control of a koi fish in a pond, and you direct it to swim around, gradually eating up various morsels in the pond to allow it to grow. As you grow, you can expand the pond, and upgrade the koi to swim faster and neater to gather even more. Eventually, the koi will be so advanced it will take that next step into a dragon.

I probably shouldn’t have read this in the days leading up to the latest US election but oh well. It’s another really good Ken Follett sprawling novel, where you have a few disaparate threads that gradually come together to the big picture. In this case, it’s a stark view of how easy it would be for world war three, nuclear style, to come about. Terrifying, but eye-opening - how much comes down to the leaders not wanting to lose face in front of their own people and in front of other people. That the fate of the world could be in the hands of one or two people like that, it’s unnerving. A good, unsettling read.

It probably didn’t help that I watched this sequel directly after finishing the original Cat People movie, but it didn’t live up to its predecessor at all. It’s barely connected to the first film, just happens to have some of the same people in it. This one is all about a lonely and isolated young girl and how people deal with imaginery friends and reaching out to other lonely people despite generational differences. It had interesting psychological themes, and definitely got me thinking, but it was even less scary than the first one and with barely any mention of felines, I don’t understand why this is a sequel at all.

This movie has been on the iPlayer for ages and I keep seeing it and thinking I should give it a look, the title and the poster are so intriguing! As it’s something of a horror thriller, I figured this was the right time of the year to watch it. It wasn’t particularly scary, although the bus scene and the swimming pool scene were incredibly well done. There was just something so creepy about the whole thing and the unsaid things about psychiatry and not believing women and their legitimate feelings… it was a work of art.

This was a bit of a weird one, the tone of it was all over the place and I couldn’t quite work out whether it was trying to be funny or terrifying or gory or what. The plot didn’t make a lot of sense but if you can suspend all of that, then it’s a medium okay vampire movie with some shocking gore towards the end, and the potential to kick off a bigger franchise afterwards.

This wasn’t a great movie really, but it was watchable and I managed to get to the end which is always a good sign. Kelsey Asbille does as best a job as she could with the script, but it was pretty scant - very little motivations for the characters and some twists and turns that don’t quite make sense. The visuals are pretty good though, and it does have an unsettling vibe to it.

I really rate this album. Skin’s vocals are absolutely incredible and lead you by the hand through the highs and slightly highers of this album. The only complaint is for me sometimes it’s a bit much, a bit too raging, a bit too screaming, but it’s all done for a reason which makes it better. All I Want is great track and the middle third is exceptional. Just great work, loved it.

I love Kelsea Ballerini and always look forward to an album from this country pop icon. This is her fifth, and I’m not sure it lives up to the heady heights of Subject to Change but it is SO much better than the EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat which I did not enjoy - it being a post-divorce ragefest. This is back to postivity and all comes across really well, I don’t know there’s any particular standout songs on there but definitely very listenable.

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.

This is a great legal thriller, and although initially it seems a bit complicated, once you get stuck into it, it draws you in and you have to know what happens next. There are several layers of conspiracy and mystery to unravel, including the current situation, what happened in the past in and outside of the courtoom, and who really killed Jessica Silver all along? Lots to get your teeth stuck into and a really good read.

I’ve never seen this film before and didn’t know much about it - but it was going to be the featured group dance on Strictly, and there’s a sequel doing the rounds, so it seemed about the right time to get it ticked off the list. I don’t quite know what to make of it? It seems like a Rocky Horror style movie that if you love it, you really love it, otherwise you’re left a bit nonplussed.

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.

After the snoozefest that was Friday the 13th, I wanted something a bit brighter and more cheerful and a Disney TV movie fitted the bill exactly. This was so reminiscent of High School Musical, just with added zombies on top. But it’s too different factions at a high school that at first can’t see past the end of their own noses but gradually manage to sing and dance their way to a reconciliation and a happier world. It’s not even slightly subtle with it’s message on prejudice, but still, I quite enjoyed it!

After the sad death of Liam Payne, it’s reported that all of One Direction’s albums have made an appearance back in the charts. I’m afraid part of that was me, as it turns out I haven’t done any 1D since starting this album adventure. Back to the start and their debut album and it’s great. I think nothing quite lives up to the opening track which is a standout, but it’s just good boy band pop, no notes!

I can totally see why this is called Tension II as it’s just a continuation of the previous album - great dance tunes with Kylie’s recognisably good vocals and a handful of guest stars scattered throughout. On the first listen through, I wasn’t that bothered - it was good but maybe not grabbing me as much as I’d hoped. On the second go, however, it was a lot better, and the tracks started to distinguish themselves. Midnight Ride is great, as well, with Orville’s incredible voice.

With the autumn/winter months taking hold and Halloween drawing close, it’s exactly the right time to dig out another horror movie and this time I went for the classic Friday the 13th. I don’t understand how this movie spawned a massive franchise, it was so boring? A bunch of kids running around with each other, passing the time… we literally watched them playing Monopoly. And then the occasional slasher moment that was pretty gory but felt random. I was glad when it was over but now… to watch more of the series or not?

A super quick read, this one, but a lot of fun. Once the train splits and things start to go wrong, it’s pretty obvious what’s going to happen and where we’ll end up, but who hasn’t dreamt about living a one off day sprinting around Paris with a lovely and thoughtful foreign stranger. I liked that it was instant attraction but not instant love, they gave themselves time and ended up coming back together. Holiday romance done well.

I’m fuming that I haven’t read this book sooner, it’s brilliant. A sort of memoir but focused very much on what it is to be a feminist as you grow up and try to navigate this difficult world. It was all brilliant but some of it was head and shoulders above the rest. The chapter on abortion was incisive and brutally honest, and the arguments about why women need a moment to really grab their opportunities and become legendary are great. It’s not all perfect but what I loved most about it is the message that women just need to worry less and live more.

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.

This was a good read, I think I’ve probably had it hanging around my digital bookshelf since watching the film so many years ago. It’s obviously absolutely infuriating, the sheer injustice of it all, but it’s very well written to bring you into the heart of these lives. There are lots of facts and figures but it’s never boring, and there are lots of stories of hardship but it’s never without hope. Highly recommended.

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.

Dodgy and Good Enough appeared on our 1990s Top of the Pops rewatch, and it is SUCH a tune that I had to have them as the album this week. I really like this album, it’s good solid Britpop and the full album is very listenable and catchy. I loved all of it, but have to admit whenever Good Enough comes on, it is leaps and bounds above everything else. What a tune! The album would be a 5 out of 5 score except towards the end, the songs would finish and then there would be some ambient noise or mumbling or nonsense. Seemed unnecessary.

Just love Beautiful South/Paul Heaton in whatever form, they’re just such approachable, wise, funny, moving, boppy songs. I miss Jacqui Abbott on this, and feel unjustifiably grumpy towards Rianne even though she does a great job on this album and in live performances. There are a few other guests here too, and it feels like Paul wants to get a band back together but hasn’t quite got round to it. Great songs, maybe tailing off a little towards the end, but always worth another listen.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s been in my pile to read for a while, but I only dug it out because I recently watched the Netflix adaptation that was so, so good. Having now read it, I’m impressed with what a faithful adaptation it was, with differences only towards the end. The start of the book was high quality and I was completely engrossed in the journey of Tom as he approached Dickie and started to enmesh himself in his life.

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.

This is a really interesting contemporary romance novel, because although it does follow the pattern of boy-meets-girl, romance ensues, third act falling out, getting back together, etc, it feels very grown up. The two protagonists couldn’t be more different and therefore have a lot of prejudices and cultural differences to overcome… and the backdrop to the story is Brexit and all the additional pressures and arguments that that debacle caused. Definitely worth a read, although it takes a while to get used to the quite brittle main characters.