T Boy

I can’t believe Bianca’s ‘specialty’ is still chicken nuggets. And there we are, I said a while ago my acting coach would feature in these episodes and there he was playing ‘Vince’.

Really enjoyed that 9000th episode. Lots of references to the past without being too on the nose of distracting from the ongoing story. The weak link, however, is absolutely Toadie. I don’t think many fans would be bothered now if he left for good. He’s nothing like he used to be and a chore to watch.

I don’t get why they air it on Saturdays now, not that I’m certain it’d make a difference. I was out last night and the pubs and clubs were heaving and I really don’t think children and teenagers are that into the Brits these days.

But it is still awarded on merit regardless. Everyone to have received one has been deserving, it’s just that they also use opportunity to decide which of the deserving artists receive it when. The artists have still had long and distinguished careers even if it could be argued others are more deserving. We shouldn’t be trying to take anything away from them. The fact is if you’re going to argue the point, the whole of the Brit Awards is meaningless and always have been. They’ve rarely been that deep.

But again, I haven’t stated that she deserved the award more than anyone else, just that she did deserve it. Loads of artists have one it less than 25 years into their career and yet Pink is the one gets criticised time and again. It’s clear why the Brits make their decisions on these things and that it’s usually opportunistic for them as much as the artist. Pink was launching a new album and they wanted her to perform so she got the award. Kylie got hers last night instead of any other year she could have had it because she’s had somewhat of a revival this year. I’m pretty sure Blur had a new album in the works when they won it. U2 and Petshop Boys also had new material out when they won. The fact is there is no queue and anyone arguing that the award is given purely on some measured merit and nothing else is deluding themselves. There aren’t enough years to give out the award to absolutely everyone that deserves it so there is always going to be another motive behind the choice-usually, who will actually come and perform? Kate Bush is one of my favourite artists but she will never come and perform at the Brits to receive the award. I just tire of the playing down of Pink and her success as an artist. So many fit the bill of what people are complaining about but Pink is the one people go in on.

Yeah, and I actually haven’t denied that point. I just saying she deserved it regardless of that point and regardless of the fact that others may have deserved it too. I mean, you’d probably argue with me that Spice Girls deserved winning it just 3 years and 2 albums into their career before all those artists you’ve listed when really that was also a dubious award at the time. But they don’t get played down on this site the way Pink does so some other posters always target Pink’s success to play down first. And just to clarify, I’m not saying you play down Pink’s success, I’m just stating that many here do. As for the show, I didn’t watch as I was out last night and I don’t tend to bother with it these days anyway unless I really want to see someone perform. I’ll try and check out Kylie’s performance but I wasn’t too interested in this year’s show. I’m happy Raye has done well as she’s always seemed like a great person and it’s been sad to see her struggles just to get an album out there. I haven’t actually checked out her album, is it any good?

Not that I’d doubt that the label bought the award for her, but people are so quick to do down Pink at any given moment. To have still been relevant that far into her career as a solo female is an outstanding achievement and plenty of artists have been influenced by her. Just because you think someone else deserved it first doesn’t mean that she didn’t deserve it. At the end of the day, it’s another round of music snobbery.

Let’s face it, no matter what Now 117 looks like, plenty of people will be able to moan about it.

This Slade stuff is so embarrassing as they’ve clearly miscast him. He looks 20 years too old and not intimidating at all.

Linda has rarely been portrayed as a saint. If anything, she previously existed to prop Mick up and make him look saintly by comparison. He was never allowed to be portrayed as the cause of any of the Carter problems. That was always Linda’s job. She only got saint treatment when is was she and Mick vs someone else. I don’t mind Janine getting a comeuppance as it’s unrealistic she’d get away with everything she’s done but considering all that she has done, it’s laughable she got such a big prison sentence for what amounts mainly to lying. Her crimes this time around just weren’t that great.

Honestly though I think a lot of the uplift in the show is because he left. The show was obsessed with centering everything around him and even Janine’s comeback was all about him. I hope he never returns. I wish there’d been a body.

I’d like to see Billy Joel’s new track on there as he has never appeared on a numbered Now before.

Sounds better than their last efforts. The last album was so boring I’m not sure I’ve played it since release week. It was such a shame given how good pretty much all of the preceding albums were and especially a come down from Walls.

It might help is Toadie actually seemed like some sort of a catch. But given his general personality of the last decade has been ‘being a jerk’ and that this has amplified massively since the relaunch, I just can’t see why these two women are bothering. They can’t even say he’s a nice guy.

Diane Parrish slaying as always. But who has the weapon? Is there some clue we’ve overlooked over the last few weeks

My god, what is that Slade guy’s hair?

He didn’t, it’s why the original actor left. There was a brief moment where he failed to protect Sharon in an attack on the Albert but the. He was gone. In his second guise I don’t remember much at all. I think he had an inevitable one night stand with Ben and I know he got shot but I can’t really recall any of it. The coming out storyline in hindsight wasn’t even about Johnny either. It was essentially a showcase of Danny Dyer playing against character and it was more about showing that off rather than the character of Johnny. It worked because it was a powerful scene that helped a lot of people. But then needing Linda to be homophobic to get more drama flies completely in the face of everything else. Linda is literally the gayest straight woman in existence and would surely have loved a gay son to watch musicals with. Whereas Mick’s character became all about ‘looking after’ the women on his life and telling his son to be more of a man. That very first storyline makes absolutely no sense now in hindsight.

I’m very much enjoying the new album. If the charts were a level playing field, Cry On The Dance Floor would be a massive hit.

Geri held that record for 14 years and it never helped her get to no.1 in the albums.

I’m not too worried about Johnny being very different. I think if you cut out the middle Johnny it’s pretty much character progression. That second Johnny was a masterclass of what not to do with a character. He was there to make up the Carter numbers and that was it. Elaine I don’t mind as much. I think her lack of care for Linda is just a character flaw-she literally doesn’t know what to do because she’s generally an ineffective mother who is usually too busy thinking of herself. The old Elaine was like that too. Yes, she stuck up for her daughter but this Elaine has been seen to do that too. But in all instances both Elaine’s have mostly been about themselves and putting on a front so I do see consistency. I also think her acting is ok (except for the crying at the window scene, that really was bad.)

Really good episodes this week. The Vic is full of proper drama again, Colin Salmon bringing everything in the way that Danny Dyer never could.

I know the show wanted to relaunch with a huge ‘gotcha’ moment but honestly why are Toadie and Terese married. They don’t even seem to like each other and both still have the hots for their ex. We know where this is going, so hurry it up already. Ryan Moloney is also terrible in these angst scenes. Also it’s unbelievable to think Toadie would get remarried TWICE within five years of losing Sonya. It’d be weird for a normal person but don’t the writers remember how long he kept putting off getting married to Sonya, the love of his life? And now he gets engaged to all the random neighbours.

Isn’t a part on EE something that Linda Robson harps on about all the time as if she deserves it? No thanks. This Johnny was automatically better than the last one by virtue of him not being the same actor but I think this one might actually work out in his own merit.

And not before time! Can’t wait!

Probably because they need the story to run so the characters have to be completely ineffective in their attempts to help. The Six just tell her to grow a pair, Alfie has bigger problems, Elaine just tells her to stop drinking and then holds a naff pub event, Lauren wants to take her kids away and Johnny’s previous incarnations were so woefully meek I can’t imagine him doing anything useful either. She also never has scenes with too good advice giver Yolande. In fact, the only thing she has going for her is that her useless husband isn’t around to make it all about him and ten times worse.