Vegetable Soup

Wii will rock you!

2006-12-11T16:50:00.000Z

They're selling on Ebay for £ridiculous amounts, high street stores sold out in under an hour, and many won't see one until well into the New Year... but I have one sitting proudly beside my telly.

Nintendo Wii is in the Robertson household and is everything it's been cracked up to be. And probably more. Forgive the air of gloating, but these moments really do have to be savoured. Nintendo, more than any other games console manufacturer, know how magical an experience gaming can be. Not for them the bangs, crashes and body counts associated with Sony and Microsoft's consoles (and don't get me wrong, I love my Xbox360); instead we have a machine that, the minute you turn the thing on, just CRAVES your undying attention.

The new controller - the Wiimote - works surprisingly well. Within minutes you'll be poking and prodding the air creating your first Mii, or playing Tennis with the pre-bundled Wii Sports. Everything works perfectly, and just as it should. Everything is just so clean, and white and it makes beautiful little noises. Even the Wiimote - which can give you the willies the first time it happens.

But nothing - nothing - can prepare you for the journey you'll take when you slip The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess into your drive. Anyone with even a passing interest in gaming will know of the Zelda franchise. Each title pushes the boundaries of how a game can feel more than the last. This game delivers hour after hour of pitch perfect gaming. It deserves a post all of its own. Which is what it shall get.

In the meantime, if you're having the same Nintendo sugar rush that I'm having and you want to share, here is my Wii Code - enter it into your Wii, and we can start sharing the love...

8048 3319 8177 0588

JUNK CULTURE

Listening: Wicked - SOUNDTRACK
Downloading: The Magic Geek - PODCAST
Watching: Torchwood - BBC THREE
Playing: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - NINTENDO WII
Reading: You're Him Aren't You? - PAUL DARROW

Things to come.

2006-12-11T17:14:00.000Z

I've got a cold. A horrible, throaty, chesty, PAINFUL cold; and I need a hug.

It didn't stop me going to London this weekend to finally see Wicked, though. It was a fantastic birthday surprise from Barry. What an amazing show it was. I was a proper gay. I got very emotional at all the sad songs, "ooh-ed" and "aah-ed" at the pretty sets and dresses, and went back to the hotel on a cloud. I love it when things move you. And I'll never watch The Wizard of Oz in quite the same light.

All of this conspires though to the crux of this post - my apologies for a lack of Vegetable Soup Podcast 6. Fret not! It's all scripted and ready to go, and once I get rid of this bloody cold I'll get down to recording it. With any luck, it should be available by the weekend. It's a good one too - full of Wii goodness and exciting geeky news. The usual. There's also a possibility of joining The Magic Geek network at some point too, which I'm very excited about. I'll let you know more when I do.

As you were.

Christmas in Risa.

2006-12-13T13:27:00.000Z

This morning in Risa, I woke up to a beautiful blanket of snow covering the buildings, the trees and ground. Christmas has officially begun.

I just had to share that with you.

If you own Animal Crossing: Wild World on the Nintendo DS, this post will make perfect sense, and I'm sure you'll share my over-enthusiasm. And while you're at it, feel free to add me to your Friends Roster.

Code: 1976-4743-1726
Name: Monkey
Town: Risa

CD REVIEW: Robopop: The Return

2006-12-20T13:09:00.000Z

Electronic pop music is not dead. It never has been. It just doesn't tend to get in the charts anymore.

The exception at the moment is Girls Aloud, who (whatever you think of them) have been churning out commercial synth pop - and pretty good it is too - since they started. And of course, my favourites, Pet Shop Boys released a career high album (Fundamental) earlier this year that made very little commercial impact but is as good a collection of PSB material as you're likely to find.

So it IS out there. You just have to look.

Luckily, a new compilation CD, Robopop: The Return, has collected together some of the best electronic pop of the last few months, as well as giving us a chance to hear some upcoming acts. If you have any interest at all in synthpop - or even dance music - you're going to love this collection.

It collects the familiar - Goldfrapp, Lorraine and Tiga - with the less familiar. Ping Pong Bitches anyone? But the over-riding impression is of a music genre which is only improving with age and deserves a wider audience.

Highlights include Tokyo Girls by Matinee Club. Matinee Club used to be called The Modern. They flirted the charts last year with two fantastic tracks, Jane Falls Down, and Industry, but fell foul of the chart regulations and were quickly disqualified from the Top 40. It's a shame, as their output is highly commercial, and could easily fill the dancefloor of every gay club the length and breadth of the country. I also love State of Play by Formatic - a track that was recently heard in the Channel 4 drama Sugar Rush. It's a poppers-rush of a track with an aggressive beat. SuperJupiter's Got To Get Some also stands out as a track that could easily reach the high end of the Top 40 if it were given a wider audience.

There really isn't a duff track on this compilation, and as an added bonus the CD release also contains a second disc of remixes. You can download the album now from iTunes, but at the moment they unfortunately are not offering the remix CD.

If you want dance music with a bit of melody and edge, or if you're looking to find something to fill the gap between PSB or Depeche Mode albums, you could do a lot worse than download or buy this CD.

Essential!

On my radio...

2007-01-12T19:14:00.000Z

Hello. It just occurred to me I haven't wished you a Happy New Year. So... Happy New Year. Anyway, down to business. Kylie Minogue starts her tour in Manchester tonight. It runs for six nights and by law every gay person in Manchester must attend.

Bizarrely enough I was invited on to Terry Christian's programme on BBC Radio Manchester this morning to talk about why Kylie Minogue is such a "gay icon". You can hear what I had to say about it by clicking the play button below. Count how many times I say "exactly" or "sensibilities"

See you at the concert...

Look Who's Back! Etc.

2007-02-12T16:08:00.000Z

Just this second finished the cover for the next issue of outnorthwest. It’s one for the Doctor Who fans. Which we all are, let’s face it.

It marks the return of the programme to TV at the end of March, and the opening of a large Doctor Who exhibition here in Manchester at The Museum of Science & Industry. The media launch is tomorrow, and we’re promised Cybermen! Expect a picture tomorrow :-)

This cover is completely open to change, as always. There’s even the chance we might not even use it, but I thought you’d like to see it anyway. Me? I’d put Doctor Who on the cover every month...

Where's the delete key?

2007-02-13T13:44:00.000Z

Today, for about 10 minutes, I directed Doctor Who. Well, kind of. Well actually, not at all, but it felt good to say it.

In reality, I was at the press launch for a new Doctor Who Exhibition which opens at The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester at the end of March. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as it turns out), I was a little bit late. So, for 10 minutes I had two Cybermen all to myself. Actual REAL Cybermen from off the telly. It feels very peculiar telling a Cyberman where to stand and where to walk. But I enjoyed every minute of it. Not that you can tell from that miserable picture.

What you are looking at in that picture is not a 38 year old man, but a 10 year old little boy.

I admit it, I'm a turncoat.

2007-03-12T15:18:00.000Z

I guess a lot of people (and by people, I mean the geeks like me) who decided they weren't going to buy a Playstation 3 can identify with the latest Penny Arcade strip (click on the strip above to see).

I was dead set against getting one. Far too expensive, backtracking on promises such as PS2 back compatibility; and the pure arrogance of Sony on the whole launch issue. But now, they go and preview two 'killer apps' for the PS3 which - fickle as I am - have turned me completely around.

Today I pre-ordered a Playstation 3. I feel dirty. And because demand is so low, most retailers are guaranteeing availability on launch day - 23rd March.

It's all because of Home and Little Big Planet. If you've caught the trailers online, you might have an idea just why these two applications could save the Playstation 3. Proper interactive entertainment. 'Creative gaming' is what Edge magazine is calling it. It could be a whole new genre of gaming.

Home is the PS3 equivalent of the Nintendo Mii. Only on a larger (much larger) scale, and incorporates a dizzying array of customisation options, and a virtual environment that encourages interaction and sharing. I can't wait to be a part of it.

Little Big Planet kind of defies description. Instead, I'll let this You Tube video go some way towards explaning it. Whatever it is... it looks mighty.

So, call me a traitor. Call me two-faced, but at the end of the day, if any company is going to produce electronic entertainment that looks this... entertaining.... then count me in.

Roll on 23rd March.

Would you?

2007-03-19T15:23:00.000Z

As has now become traditional, here is a sneak preview of the cover of the new issue of outnorthwest. As regular readers may know, I am the editor and designer of this north west based LGB magazine. I finished the cover, quite literally, two minutes ago.

Cover stars this month are Infernal. They did that annoying From Paris To Berlin nonsense last year. They have an album coming out. Hurrah. Also in this issue is one of the best features we've ever run - Would You Take A Straight Pill? Well, would you?

Anyway, thought you'd like to see it. It comes out on Wednesday 28th March.

That is all.

The Arrogance of the Geek

2007-03-23T23:18:00.000Z

I'm old enough to remember schoolboy arguments around Spectrum versus C64 versus BBC Micro, etc. You know the score... "My machine is better than yours... blah blah blah." Twenty-five years later, very little has changed.

Fans of gaming and technology (let's just cut the crap and call them geeks - that's what we are, and I'm proud to be called one) can be an arrogant bunch. They take brand loyalty to the Nth degree, and can be almost fanatical in their hatred of 'rival' products. It's utterly pointless of course, completely small-minded, and serves no useful purpose at all, but I guess it has something to do with the sizeable financial outlay we have to make to fuel our obsessions. Nobody wants to be made to feel ashamed about the £425 they've just spent on the latest gaming console, do they?

For me, it's a constant soure of annoyance. As a Mac owner, I often hear from PC owners about how much more powerful/reliable/upgradeable/nicer a PC is. I really don't care. Really. I don't. I own a PC too. I can see the benefits of Macs AND PC's (by the way, those Mitchell and Webb ads are the epitomy of geek arrogance). My Mac is fantastic for the design work I do, and it pays my bills. And my PC is a workhorse when it comes to the copious amounts of downloading I do. I love them both. Equally.

Similarly, we've now got the arrogant billionaire brawl between Murdoch and Branson. The whole Sky versus Virgin Media thing is an embaressment to their industry and, most importantly, is taking the piss out of both companies customers. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, and both companies are behaving like school children. Actually, taking one look at the childish goading on Digital Spy forums, the customers aren't exactly conducting themselves with much dignity either.

And most recently, with the arrival of Playstation 3, we now have the bitter rivalry between Xbox360 owners, and PS3 owners rearing its ugly head. There's no denying that Sony have ballsed up the launch of PS3 in Europe, but let's not forget the trauma of Xbox360's launch over a year ago. Neither company has cause to boast. Both of these consoles though, will usher in a new era of gaming. They're powerful and capable of serving up hours of quality entertainment Equally, they'll both have their fair share of disasters and mis-steps. I almost fell into the geek-trap of slating Sony before I'd had a chance to weight up what they were offering. And when I learnt what was coming up in the future for PS3, I decided I'd like to have a go. Simple as that really.

And - you might want to take a seat for this - but, for the last few hours, an Xbox360 and a Playstation 3 have been sharing space in my living room, and the planet hasn't imploded.

So if you're a geek like me, why not stop being a sheep and embrace difference? Support choice, and stop throwing tantrums at each other. Let's face it, if you had £425 going spare (who has right? But bear with me), tell me with a straight face you wouldn't be running to Game tomorrow to pick up your new games console.

And if that comes across as arrogant... well, I guess I rest my case.

Playstation 3: First Impressions

2007-03-24T11:43:00.000Z

It's flippin' heavy!

Once you get past the loveliness of its sleek, shiny black curves, the first thing you notice about Playstation 3 is its weight. Imagine holding a really fat baby.

Initial set up was a doddle, and it was hooked up to my HD telly within five minutes of leaving its box. If you've got a PSP, you'll be familiar with the interface on PS3 - they're calling it the Cross Media Bar, or XMB. It's easy to navigate, but I have to say it doesn't feel as solid as the 360's Blade system.

Getting it online was easy too. Scan for a wireless connection, enter your WEP key and you're done. The first thing to do is download the system update, then on to registration. This took FOREVER! Entering text using a controller is a nightmare, and it must have taken a good 20 minutes to get everything set up.

Once that was all done, the fun really began. Exploring a new console is always exciting... "ooh, I wonder what that does", and PS3 is no exception. One of the best features is Remote Play, which works in conjunction with your PSP. This function allows you to watch video content and listen to music that's stored on your PS3 on your PSP. Using bluetooth, it works surprisingly well. You can even access the PS3's web browser, and buy stuff from the Playstation Store. This is a smart feature, and makes me wonder why Nintendo aren't exploiting the link between the Wii and DS yet.

Getting content on to the PS3, especially video, is tricky if you're a beginner. Best thing to do is download a free application called PS3 Video 9 on to your computer and use that to convert video files. Then just copy into a folder called VIDEO on to a USB memory stick, stick it into the USB slot on your PS3, and Bob's your uncle. I've already chucked 3 episodes of Lost and Battlestar Galactica on to the PS3, and with Remote Play, it means I can watch them in bed at night on my PSP! Marvellous.

Accessing Playstation Store will give you access to loads of free, and paid for, content. You'll find games, demos and videos, as well as in-game content to download. My recommendations? Blast Factor is worth a shot, and is very similar to Geometry Wars on the 360. You can also download a full version of the classic Lemmings for only £3.49, which is a bit of a bargain really.

So, what about the games? I'll do a couple of small reviews of Motorstorm and Resistance:Fall Of Man soon, so keep checking back. In a nutshell though, they're both great titles. Motorstorm looks amazing (better than anything on 360 at the moment), and Resistance? To be honest, nothing special and I've seen better on the 360...

All in all, it's a great machine with a lot going for it. The problem is though, that it's going to take a while (at least a year) before it can really take off. If it even does. The price point is way too high, and although there are a high number of launch games, there are just no must-have titles... yet. The sooner they get Home and LittleBigPlanet launched, the better.

THE GOOD
- Remote Play
- Media Handling
- XMB interface
- Playstation Store
- Online play
- Massive storage space
- Motorstorm!

THE BAD
- The price!
- The lack of killer games
- No rumble in the controller

Overall? If you can, you should ;-)

Bearing up nicely.

2007-04-15T12:42:00.000+01:00

It's probably the hottest day of the year out there. I bet Canal Street is chocka.

It's also production week, which means I can't move away from the Mac until I've finished the new issue of outnorthwest. I've spent most of this morning working on the cover. That's it up there. This issue marks the 10th Great British Bear Bash in Manchester. Hence the bears. The BSI theme mirrors one of the videos the guys have produced for the Bash.

I think I like the cover. I've spent too much time looking at it to be honest. So I'm going to stop now. It would be nice to go out for a beer. But I have an article on gonorrhoea to design...

I just walked in to find you here...

2007-05-09T20:28:00.000+01:00

Hello. Long time no blog, eh?

There are any number of reasons/excuses I've not updated this for a while. None of which I'll bore you with; or even pretend you're interested in hearing about. Over the last few weeks though, a lot has happened.

So, here's just a random post about some of the stuff I've been up to...

GRRR! etc.
Been extremely productive at work the last month or so, primarily on a whole bunch of printed and design work for the Great British Bear Bash, which took place here in Manchester over the Bank Holiday weekend. I designed a Survival Guide for the Bash, along with production of fridge magnets, newsletters, posters and other goodies. They seemed to go down well with the guys who came to the Bash, so I'm very pleased with how that all went. It would be great to do more again next year.

Neon Condoms
As well as all the Bear materials, and the latest outnorthwest, I've also in the last couple of weeks designed a 56 page LGB rights guide (which you can download now from the LGF site); and also completely redesigned the new condom packs. If you're gay and familiar with Manchester, you'll have seen the free condom packs. Well, every year we redesign them because it keeps them 'fresh', and also, well, because we can. Usually it's a subtle redesign, but this year I've gone a bit mental. They're slight more, ahem, colourful and I'll post a sneak preview of them tomorrow.

Wales, isn't it.
I've just booked some time off to spend a weekend in Cardiff at the end of the month. And yes, it solely because of Doctor Who. I want to stand under the rift at the Millennium Centre, visit the Powell Estate, and go on the Doctor Who locations tour. I feel no need to apologise :-)

Open the Pod bay doors, Hal.
I've also been working on a brand new podcast over the last week or so with a very funny friend of mine. I'll tell you more about that in my next post... Needless to say, it's all very exciting. And drunken.

So, hopefully you can see why I've neglected this blog of late. Been a tad busy.

When I first started Vegetable Soup, I used to end each post with a list of stuff I was watching/listening to/reading etc. Then I slowly, and predictably, lost interest in it. But looking back over those earlier posts, it's actually quite interesting (to me, at least) to read. A multi-media snapshot of the time, if you will. So, starting from this post and until I lose interest again (probably around mid-August), it's the return of...

JUNK CULTURE

Music: Tony The Beat (Rex The Dog Disco Mix) - THE SOUNDS
Podcast: ZTT Podcast Episode One - ZTT
TV: Heroes (The Last Three Chapters) - SEASON 1
Game: Motorstorm - PLAYSTATION 3
Magazine: Death Ray

Nosey bastard

2007-05-09T21:17:00.000+01:00

Due to the marvel that is the internet, I've added a couple of new features to the blog this evening.

If you look on the right hand column, you'll see two new additions - Twitter, and Just Listened To...

Twitter will give me a chance to add to the blog much more regularly, with short updates on what I'm up to. Even better, I can do it from my mobile phone, so look out for ocassional drunken message in there. If you've not seen Twitter in action, visit their site and you'll have a better idea of what it's all about, and why it's so popular.

Just Listened To is pretty obvious. Through LAST FM (a fantastic social-networking music site), you can check at any time of the day or night what I'm listening to (or what I've just listened to). It even knows what I've been listening to on my iPod. There will be some embaressing stuff there, I'm sure - especially during the hours I'm at work, but hopefully you'll see some music pop up on there you might want to seek out.

So there you. No part of my life is off limits it would seem...

Red Letter Day

2007-05-10T16:28:00.000+01:00

I said in a previous post I'd let you see the new condom pack design.

And here it is.

You'll be able to pick the new pack up in a couple of months.

It's an issue.

2007-06-22T22:17:00.000+01:00

The new issue of outnorthwest is now in Shropshire being printed. I really enjoyed working on this one. Here's the cover.

This one celebrates 25 years of the Hacienda, amongst other things, and will be available across the north west from Wednesday 27th July.

If you're homosexual in any way, you might want to pick a copy up.

GAMING: Re-evaluating the Wii.

2007-09-23T23:53:00.000+01:00

Ah, the Nintendo Wii. Still in demand, and still outselling the 360 and PS3. But ask most gamers who've had one for more than a couple of months, and they'll tell you they love it, but they just don't play with it anymore.

It's certainly true in my case. I've not turned the thing on for over two months. Hi-def gaming on the 360 and PS3 has highlighted for me just how rubbish the Wiii looks in comparison on my HD telly. Talk about snobbery, but after a bout of Bioshock or Warhawk in glistening 1080i, turning on the Wii feels like someone just covered the screen with a pair of wrinkled tights.

Today though, that all changed. It's been a horrible day here in Manchester. Cold and wet. Instead of going out, my other half and I decided to stay in and watch telly. Then he mentioned he wouldn't mind a game of bowling on the Wii. He's not a gamer at all, so I jumped at the chance to share one of my passions with him. Steady!

Four hours later and we were still playing it. We even played a nine-hole round of golf. And we had so much fun doing it! Then it struck me. The Wii levels the playing field. The reason my other half doesn't turn the 360 on for a quick blast of Bioshock is because he's afraid he'll screw it up. He's afraid his confidence will take a bashing because he can't memorise the controller configuration, or grasp the games physics. And let's face it, why should he?

The Wii throws all that nonsense out the window. My other half won most of the games of bowling we played because he understands how to pick up a bowling ball and throw it. And he's got better aim than me. The Wii demands only that you have a good time.

So, if I don't turn it on again for another two months, that's fine. At least I know that when I do I'll have a bloody good time.

GAMING: Halo 3

2007-09-24T00:24:00.001+01:00

The first reviews of Halo 3 are appearing online now, and it's scoring VERY highly. It's certainly whetting my appetite even further for the next chapter in this extraordinary gaming franchise.

If I didn't have so much to do at work on Wednesday, I'd be taking the day off to play Halo 3, but as it stands I'll have to wait until 6pm, when I get home.

This is probably the most important gaming release ever, and if I can tear myself away from it, I'll try and post my impressions before the end of this week.

Oh, and if anyone is interested in setting up a gay Halo 3 clan - leave me a message either here, or on Live. My gamertag is monkeybaby360.

Thanks for the add...

2007-10-12T15:45:00.000+01:00

Like almost everyone I know, I've gone all Facebook.

Not that I want to be a 'friend collector', but feel free to add me as a friend.

The name? Grahame Robertson.

"Sitting at home in my pants."

2008-01-08T23:01:00.001Z

In further proof that machines are taking over the planet and will one day rule over us in a tyranical mecha-droidal type way, my Xbox360 has now developed the capacity to produce its own blog.

I shit you not.

Over there on the right hand side of this blog you'll see the 360voice.com Latest Entry badge. The facts are these: everytime I fire up my 360, it will remember what I've played, how long I played it for, and - if I'm lucky - how many achievements I've racked up. It will then publish it to its very own blog - which you can see in full here. And also, obviously, to this blog right here you're reading now.

Confusing? Yes, frankly.

Nevertheless, all of this serves to show you that I can no longer tell little white lies about not being able to come out for a drink tonight "because I'm off to a fabulous party", because my 360's blog will quite blatantly tell you that I was in fact sitting at home in my pants kicking three shades of poop out of the Evil Overlord Zorg.

And yet, still I add it to my blog, because I'm such a bloody geek.

Me, eh?

GAME REVIEW: Lost Via Domus (Ubisoft) - Xbox360

2008-03-06T21:28:00.006Z

Ach, this could have been SO good.

Ever since the Lost video game was announced a couple of years back, I've been looking forward to crashing on that island and discovering just what the hell is going on. Perhaps as Jack, perhaps as Sawyer, preferably as John Locke. What a shame then, that instead you play nothing but a bystander to the established Lost storyline. A bystander with a pretty non-descript and (by Lost standards at least) by-the-numbers back-story.

It starts well. The initial plane crash on the island is very well rendered and plays from a much more personal viewpoint than we've seen before. It's genuinely exciting. With the crash leading into the TV show opening titles, establishing the player as a part of the shows mythology is very well played and promises much.

What follows though, are seven 'episodes' (complete with "previously on Lost" recaps, opening titles and the closing 'boom' from the TV show) comprising of little more than rudimentary exploring, infuriating logic puzzles and pointless conversations with poorly voiced versions of the established cast. Sadly only a few of the original cast have lent their voices to the game, and the actors hired to play Jack, Kate, Hurley etc. are very poor. Unlike the, er, likenesses, which are pretty much spot on.

It's not all bad though. The graphics are actually very well executed - especially in the forest sections of the game, and - arguably - look even better than similar environments in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune on the PS3. And, yes, for fans of the show there's no denying the thrill to be had from encountering the smoke monster, entering the numbers into the computer in the hatch, and stumbling upon the Black Rock deep in the forest. You'll even find yourself exploring a couple of locations that we've not (yet) seen on the TV show.

Your character's flashbacks are also implemented fairly well into the structure of the seven episodes, and pick up towards the end, developing into an interesting enough story of twists and fractured memories. Nothing better than we've seen on the TV show, though.

But these moments are not enough to rescue some annoying game play faults. You'll find yourself throwing the controller to floor in sheer frustration during the long (long!) and winding cave sections, and the fuse-based logic puzzles that crop up far too often. The dynamite carrying section is a particular lowlight and if you get passed it without more than a few harsh words, then you'll deserve the achivement points you'll rack up for completing that episode.

So, who should buy this game? Hardcore Lost fans will find enough to keep themselves amused. Casual Lost fans would be best to rent the title. As for everyone else - steer well clear. For a TV show which - especially during the current Season 4 - has never been better, this game does nothing but validate the cry's of "confusing!", "they're making it up as they go along!" and "what the hell is happening?" frequently levelled (incorrectly, in my opinion) at the TV show.

Truly, a wasted opportunity. (5/10)

THE GOOD:
- Succesfully captures the 'feeling' of the TV show.
- Impressive visuals.
- Well structured - if pedestrian - storyline.
- A quick way to grab an easy 1000 Achievement points.

THE BAD:
- Confusing logic puzzles.
- Poor character voicing.
- Very short.
- Adds nothing new to the Lost mythology.

What you'll be watching this time next year...

2008-05-16T23:19:00.002+01:00

This is the time of year that the big American telly networks start showing off what their big shows for the new season will be.

Old favourites (of mine, at any rate) like Lost, Pushing Daisies and Medium will be coming back, so yay for that. But probably more interestingly, this year will see the launch of a US version of Life On Mars. Here's the trailer...

First impressions suggest it's everything you'd hope it wouldn't be. But take away the annoying voiceover man and it looks like it could be pretty faithful. But, it'll be interesting to see how they extend the well-paced UK storyline into a 24 part series (and potentially five years worth at that). It could be worth a look. Plus the guy is quite fit.

Best of all though is the return of Joss Whedon to television. Buffy, Angel and Firefly are three of the best TV shows of recent years, and Joss Whedon is one of the best writers working in television. Dollhouse is his new show, and I'll spare you the premise and instead link you to this page - which has all the details you'll need. I'm VERY excited about this show. Here's a trailer...

Apologies if the video doesn't work. Fox seems to be taking down all the trailers from You Tube today... Try a Google search.

DOCTOR WOOF!

2008-05-16T22:52:00.004+01:00

Yeah yeah, it's been a while, and it'll probably be a while before the next post, but after a couple of lovely messages about this blog over the last few days, I thought I'd pay lip service and write a little update.

It also seems like a good time to write something, because for a geek like me, it's been a particularly interesting week. Some interesting announcements from the US TV networks about their new shows... a fine week for gaming... and the appearance of a You Tube video that has a fleeting appearance from yours truly. So let's start with that, shall we?

DOCTOR WOOF & THE HAIRY SCREAMER

Working for a gay charity can be a lot of fun sometimes, and one of the real highlights of the year for me is working with Manbears in Manchester on their publicity material for The Great British Bear Bash. This year I got involved even more (outside of work) by taking part in one of their fantastic video projects - in this case an affectionate tribute to Doctor Who. The video was shown during the Bear Bash, and (thank God) everyone seemed to laugh in the right places :-) It was great seeing the effort that everyone puts into these videos - especially Gerard from Manbears, and Jonathan Robinson, the camera man (check out his fantastic You Tube channel here). The results of their hard work is in obvious in this video. I can't wait to get involved in more. And in case you're interested, I appear as the 'Bear Runner' (and occasionally the WereWookie) in this one :-) Oh, and my other half - Barry - makes an appearance as 'Leeloo' during the brilliant 'Fever' at the end of this video (red wig... bandages...)

Next post: Life On Mars gets a US makeover, and Joss Whedon returns to telly!

Woo, and in a very real sense, hoo.

Ignore this

2008-01-18T01:06:00.000Z

This post is merely to test if I can submit blog posts via iPod Touch.

Going back.

2008-01-06T10:47:00.000Z

It's been a while, but with a New Year comes a renewed interest in updating my blog. Let's see how long it lasts...

This past couple of weeks, I've spent a lot of time back home in Scotland celebrating Christmas and New Year with friends and family. I took the opportunity while I was there to visit the old council estate I grew up on. It's a bit more run down than I remember, and it certainly feels a lot smaller than it did, but revisiting a place that meant so much to me evoked some vivid memories.

I've posted the video I made while I was there. Hope you like it.

More posts to follow...

Probably.