Literally every thought I've had about BBC's Bodyguard in the last 22.5 hours

***This post was written after episode 4 of BBC's Bodyguard and contains spoilers for episodes 1-4. If you haven's watched them yet and don't want to ruin them, don't read on.***

I'm not normally one for writing - or, really, thinking - about TV, but darn gosh, BBC's Bodyguard has really got to me. I mean really, haven't-been-able-to-think-of-anything-else-since-last-night's-episode got to me.

Is Julia Montague/Keeley Hawes really dead?

The big question on everyone's tweets - did they really kill off one of the two main characters at the end of the third episode (revealing the death in the fourth episode)? My initial thought was no. You don't hire a flawless actress like Keeley Hawes - Mrs Durrells, for goodness sake - for a BBC six parter, only to kill her off halfway through... or do you?

Apparently, Bodyguard writer Jed Mercurio has form for killing off key characters halfway through a series (I've not watched his other shows, so couldn't comment). And you know what? I salute that. TV dramas (plus films, books...) are so predictable these days. Everything sticks to the generic conventions that everything will be alright in the end, so it's refreshing to see that challenged, and the equilibrium thrown off.

If she is dead, the chemistry between Julia and David/Dave that kept the series afloat in the first three episodes will be lacking for the last two, meaning something seriously juicy will have to replace it to keep the audience interested.

Who put a blank bullet in David/Dave's gun?

Literally no idea. Perhaps he did itself in a state of PTSD. Next.

What's in a name?

While we're on the subject of the blank bullets in David/Dave's gun, one theory doing the rounds is that a very-much-still-alive Julia had someone replace the bullets as she knew how upset David/Dave would be on hearing about her 'death'. Personally, I think this is a bit too slushy for a gritty show like this BUT - it's all a bit Shakespearean isn't it, with more than a hint of Romeo & Juliet about it. Julia Montague is very close to a combination of Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague. Just sayin', folks.

Is Tahir Mahmood guilty? 

Honestly, I don't think he is. He clearly didn't know what was in the briefcase he was handed it by his colleague. Just a scapegoat for a larger plot.

What was in the briefcase?

I don't think there was a bomb in there when Tahir opened it for David/Dave. If the blast did come from the briefcase, someone tampered it between David/Dave confronting Tahir in the corridor, and Tahir walking on stage with it. Who was the woman who walked into the auditorium late? What did Kim see that made her run towards the stage?

What's the deal with Tom Fenton?

Tom Fenton was Julia's PPO until David/Dave takes over the role. We meet him in the first episode, at Julia and David/Dave's first encounter, when the latter suggests to Julia that she might use the underground entrance in future. He's still around in the third episode, as part of the security team in the auditorium shortly before the bomb goes off. and interviewed afterwards. So if he's still working in security, why was he taken off duty at Julia's PPO and replaced with David/Dave?

The other suspicious characters

• Chanel, the former PA fired in episode one, who tried to sell dirt on Julia to the tabloids, before climbing into a car driven by a man who knew the rooftop shooter.
• Julia's ex-husband, Roger Penhaligon. He sees her ambition as a threat.
• Vicky/ Vicky's new boyfriend. Does the boyfriend exist? If so, did he have anything to do with replacing the bullets? Or has she made him up to cover for something else? Definitely something dodgy going on there.
• Anne Sampson. Power struggle between two leading ladies? Nah, not buying it.
• The man who linger behind David/Dave in the hospital, when he's waiting for news on Julia. 

Is David/Dave in on it all?

Could it in fact be that David/Dave has been part of an elaborate plan to assassinate Julia Montague all along, working in cahoots with others - perhaps his disgruntled ex-Army pals, perhaps with others in government?

What a coincidence that he, a serving security police officer,  happened to be on that train in the first episode, the one in which he talked a suicide bomber out of detonating a bomb, thus landing the job as the Home Secretary's PPO? Could that have been an elaborate ploy to land him the job? Does he know Nadia after all? Was his relationship with Julia all an act on his part, an attempt to win her trust? The more I think about it, the more I believe this - after all, the show is named for this character. Who was he on the phone too shortly before the bomb went off? Gah, so many questions.


So, my current thoughts: Julia is dead. David/Dave is involved, somehow, along with a couple of the other characters. I NEED to talk about this - tweet me if you have thoughts/opinions/theories.

Disney Pixar confirms what fans knew all along

Never has a film with so few words revealed so much.

I've just come across this official Disney video on YouTube (it was released a year ago, so forgive me for being a little late to this party -- although a similar version was recently re-released on the Toy Story Facebook page). It reveals links between different characters, locations, companies and objects in seemingly unrelated Pixar films.

Of course, the fan theories have been flying around for years. Put aside a few hours to fall down that particular internet rabbit hole. There's an entire, extremely detailed, website dedicated to it. I've read somewhere that every film gives a clue as to what the next film will be, even when they feature seemingly unrelated characters, but somewhere along the way, a release date was delayed and the system was messed up. I've never looked into it too carefully.

I can't believe I never noticed the Jessie (Toy Story) or Nemo (Finding Nemo) toys in Boo's (Monsters Inc.) room.


Or, to put it another way; every Disney Pixar film ever made has been an advert for every Disney Pixar film ever made. Damn, those Disney folk are clever. I'd be willing to bet that this video only shows a tiny fraction of the truth, too -- they can cash in on this one for years.

What's missing? Add your Pixar knowledge in the comments below.

Scribbling Lau is now on Facebook. You can also find me on Twitter and Instagram.

Taylor Swift and Zayn Malik release I Don't Wanna Live Forever video

I'm not normally one for music blogging, but when Taylor Swift releases a new tune, I'm all over it like a cheerleader on a football captain.

T-Swizz has partnered up with one time One Direction member Zayn Malik to release I Don't Wanna Live Forever -- the soundtrack to the new Fifty Shades movie, out in February.  On first thoughts, the pairing of pop's golden girl and rebel guy seems an odd one, yet it works.

The song's been floating around since late last year, but they released the video this week -- and as you'd expect with anything from the Fifty Shades family, it's all a bit saucy (excusing some questionable miming from Zayn in the opening verse).

 Champagne flows, things get smashed. There's strobe lighting. It takes a few watches to fully take it all in. Purist Taylor Swift fans who still hark back to her innocent country beginnings (I'll admit, I was one of them myself until Out Of The Woods won me over with its relentless catchiness) will hate it. That lipstick! Those hair tosses! That pout!

There's something for fact fans and Londonphiles too: it was filmed in the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in King's Cross.



*Hums to self for rest of weekend* Wu-ooh-uh-uh.

FYI, the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack also has offerings from the likes of John Legend, SIA, Nick Jonas & Nicki Minaj, and Corinne Bailey Rae. Not a bad line-up at all.


Scribbling Lau is now on Facebook. You can also find me on Twitter and Instagram.

Ab Fab The Movie: review

**** (4/5)
(Contains mild spoilers)

Sweetie darling, haven't you heard? Patsy and Edi are back with a new Ab Fab film.

Their characters may be growing older disgracefully but Lumley and Saunders don't look as though they've aged a day since the final episode of the final series aired at some point in the noughties. This time, the perma-high duo find themselves in the south of France rather that the streets of London, but the effect is much the same. Sure, the plot has more holes than Edi's string vest, and the green-screening leaves something to be desired, but it's got the Ab Fab charm stamped through it like a stick of rock.

With a film as widely anticipated as this, it's hard not to go in with some expectations, although with early reviews ranging from 1 star t 5 stars, it's hard to know what those expectations should have been. What was widely reported is the sheer deluge of celeb cameos the film has, and those reports certainly weren't exaggerated.

It starts with Jamie Laing from Made In Chelsea eight seconds in, and continues via Emma Bunton, Jon Hamm, Alexa Chung, Christopher Biggins and Jean Paul Gaultier (to name just a tiny proportion of them) before coming to an outrageous halt with Barry Humphries (as Dame Edna Everage).

The one to watch out for, though, is Rebel Wilson. Her three minute stint as an air hostess demonstrates a proclivity towards comic timing second only to the great Lumley herself (whose sharp one liners and infinite facial expressions really come into their own).

Comedy wise, the first few scenes don't have the hilarity expected, but the pace soon picks up. Sure, the jokes aren't to everyone's tastes, which I suspect was the source of may of the harsher reviews I've read, but anyone who enjoyed the TV series should find the same light relief in the films. We may not have been rolling around in the aisles (wouldn't want to spill our Bolly our smudge our make up, would we?), but it's a solid conveyor belt of belly laughs.

The one thing that doesn't sit well with die-hard fans of the TV series is some of the unrealistic changes in character, not least the revelation that dim old Bubbles had something vaguely resembling a plan all along.
Edi and Saffy showing something vaguely resembling sentimentality towards each other and new addition to the family, Lola is somewhat unsettling and untrue to the character dynamics we've grown to love all these years. What's more, it adds a sense of finality to proceedings, all but confirming what we all thought we knew -- that this will be the final airing for our Bolly-guzzling buddies.

Taylor Swift's 1989 album, reviewed

I wanted to like Taylor Swift's new album, 1989, I really did. I'm a massive fan of Taylor Swift's work, and seeing her live is quite an experience, so I was keen to get hold of a copy of the album as soon as possible.

The album design is definitely one for traditionalists - the cardboard sleeve complete with simple, home photo style shot of Taylor is perfectly in line with the Girl-Next-Door image the lady has projected so far. In a well-thought out touch, the album also contains an envelope of polaroid-style photos of Taylor, complete with handwritten captions which later transpire to be song lyrics - something which is bound to get hardcore Swifties squealing with delight.

A brief flick through the photos and we're onto the main course, the music itself. The technopop twist that we've been promised/threatened with in the run-up to album release rears its head straight away in the opening track, Welcome to New York, a generic, poppy tune with very little to identify it as Swift's work.

Second track Blank Space has vague overtones of her iconic vocals...and a couple of interchangeable tracks passed before anything else caught my attention.

The hidden gem on the album is the already released single, Shake It Off. Not only does it go some way to showing off her incredible voice, the lyrics are the Taylor that we all know and love. From this point on, the album becomes slightly more Taylor, although she's definitely stepped away from her Nashville roots. Sob.

So a pop album it is, but it's hard to compare it to any particular pop artist, not because it's so unique, but precisely because it's so generic. It's easy to get the feeling that T-Swizz was aiming for a Madonna cerca-Immaculate-Collection-style album, but she's not quite there yet. Technopop is for singers who can't sing and need autotuning to within an inch of their lives. Unless something dramatic has changed since the Red tour came to a close in February, Taylor Swift can, very much, sing.  It's not that it's bad music - it's not. But Taylor Swift is a phenomenal musician when she's at the top of her game, and it's disappointing to not see her full vocal potential shine through in 1989.

The real test will be how comfortably she performs this new music style live. Thus far it seems that the Swizzle PR machine has cottoned on to Taylor Swift's once-teenage fans having grown up, and showing less interest in her songs about Harry Styles and the like, so Taylor's music has been prodded in a new direction out of necessity rather than choice. Only time will tell.

And now, let's all take a second to enjoy some vintage Taylor Swift, complete with country twangs:

McBusted spaceship lands at the O2

When boybands McFly and Busted announced they were teaming up to create a superband, so many logistical questions ran through my head;

• How would they decide which songs they would sing? Would they alternate between hits from each band, or would they dedicate half of the show to each band? 
• Would there be squabbles when reassigning the lyrics of old favourites? 
• Would they come out on stage in different colour shirts, like two football teams, allowing fans to distinguish them?

From a personal point of view, I have very little interest in music, but professionally, this is one music interview I'd love to do.

Much of the fan base of the bands has stayed the same. That is, the once 14 year old girls are now 20 somethings, worried about mortgages instead of maths homework, and the previously compulsory chaperoning parent replaced at the concert by bored boyfriends. But deep inside, the screaming teenage fangirl lives on, and 20,000 screamed their hearts out at the O2 on Friday night.

The bands burst onto the stage in a pyrotechnic explosion, making quite an entrance, and showing that they are still the cheeky chappies they'd always been. Launching straight into Busted's Air Hostess, even The Boy was forced to admit it was "quite a good start".

They hopped between songs from both bands throughout the show, covering Busted classics such as Crashed The Wedding (featuring Matt Willis in a wedding dress), What I Go To School For and Thunderbirds Are Go, and McFly favourites such as StarGirl, All About You and Room On The 3rd Floor. There was also, randomly, a cover of The Jackson Five's I Want You Back - an odd choice of song to cover, resulting in a performance that was fun, but forgettable.

And yet despite the perfectly crafted pyrotechnics, there was a definite suggestion that the choreographer/director had a nightmare trying to organise the boys into any sort of order. The energy was there - they raced around the stage never stopping, dropping in the iconic Busted scissor kicks at every opportunity. The movement never once waned, right through to the stage exit where they took it in turns to take a running leap into an offstage pit.

Despite the relentless pace, the overall effect was one of organised chaos, reminiscent of a teenage boyband doing their first ever gig, wanting to cover every inch of the stage and put their all into it, in case they were never invited back. Perhaps this was intentional, a nostalgic nod to their earlier successes when they were barely out of their teens themselves, or perhaps they'd been hitting the energy drinks a bit too hard backstage.

At one point they descended into the centre of the O2 onboard a spaceship.

Ultimately, the high energy performances, pyrotechnics and, yes, nostalgia (songs such as Nerdy, I'd forgotten even existed until I heard them) resulted in a lot of fun, but not once was there that spine-tingling, goose-pimply moment that a strong performance will evoke in every single audience member simultaneously.
Certainly the atmosphere wasn't as strong as when I saw McFly at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. Perhaps they have taken on too big a venue, or perhaps they're trying to flog a long dead horse. Or perhaps they were sticking to what they do best; tongue in cheek, rather than tears in eyes.

An aside: On a completely separate note, whilst walking along one of the corridors of the O2 we passed actor and all round legend Rob Brydon. We later realised that he was three boxes along from ours. My claim to fame will now always be that I sat closer to the stage than Rob Brydon did.

Taylor Swift at the O2 11/2/13

Following on from last week's Taylor Swift concert, I was fortunate enough to be able to go back this week to see the final date of the Red tour.

As expected, she was once again phenomenal, although her voice seemed to be straining in parts. Fair play to the girl, she's just around 80 tour dates and probably hasn't been home since about 1972. She probably just wanted to go home, onesie-up and stuff her face full of chocolate chip cookies.

One of many outfits

Nevertheless, she put on a fantastic show, with multiple outfit changes, audience interaction, and plenty of high-flying, platform-raising stunts. The crowd this week weren't quite as wild as last week -for a start, no audience members were wearing wedding dresses- and her special guest Ellie Goulding didn't get quite as mental a welcome as last week's guest, Danny O'Donoghue. O the luck o'the Irish.

T Swizz and Ellie Goulding do their thang

Special mention to support act The Vamps who were her support act for the tour, and were great at getting the crowd going on both date.

Taylor Swift at the O2, 4/02/2014

Taylor Swift at the O2 was always going to be a sight to behold, what with her massive UK fan base, unique sound, and self-confessed love for "Fundon" (which is how she refers to London), but I hadn't predicted just how incredible the London leg of her Red tour was going to be.

Thanks to the lovely Julia at Ketchum, and their client Stub Hub, we were in a corporate box, which was an experience in itself, and for any other show, the main part of this blog post would be talking about that - but the dynamic performance of Taylor Swift overshadowed even that.

Corporate box- cheeky! Photo courtesy of Emma Cleaver

When we arrived, the support act were just wrapping up -it turned out to be The Vamps, a band whose music I am vaguely familiar with, but who I'll be listening to more now. Then came the inevitable gap between them rounding up and Miss Swift coming onstage, at which point we took the opportunity to survey the audience from our vantage point. A scuffle amongst the floor level crowd and a gathering of bodyguards centred around a middle-aged woman indicated that Taylor Swift's mother had arrived.

At about 8.30pm Taylor Swift arrived on stage, and the fun really began. From the off, her confidence and clear enjoyment made her dynamic to watch. Her oufits- of which there were predictably several in the 100 minutes she was on - had her own quirky style injected into them. She opened in a pair of high-waisted hotpants, demure blouse and red sparkly flats- a lady clearly at home with the fact that her eternally long legs do not require heels!

Ethereal being T-Swizzle is literally put on a pedestal

Despite her fondness for her instruments, she barely stood still for the whole performance, dancing on stage, in the audience, on an elevated catwalk, and at one point in a hanging platform which carried her from one side of the arena to the other. Damn, that girl can work a crowd, at times resembling a young Immaculate-Collection-era Madonna, at other times her youthful side showing through.

One thing I did learn is that Taylor Swift's fans are hardcore. We saw all kinds of crazy outfits, from onesies to wedding dresses - presumably a homage to TS's penchant for wearing them in music videos-, fans with her name, quite literally, in lights, all of which made for a great atmosphere and enhanced the performance no end. But I have NEVER heard a crowd go quite as wild as when she introduced her guest for the night as none other than The Script's Danny O'Donoghue.

The set list was varied, from her newest material, her mainstream hits such as 'We are never getting back together' to her old school stuff, including my personal favourite, Love Story.

I would definitely see Taylor Swift live again- which is why I'm doing exactly that next Tuesday. Same time, same place, hopefully the same incredible performance!

The opener

Monday music motivation

We all struggle of a Monday morning, no matter how much we love our job. If there's one thing I've learnt over the last few months, it's that music goes a long way to easing the pain- the more upbeat, the better - which is why I've started this new Monday music motivation series. Enjoy.

Sunny climes, beautiful people, wealth to burn...happy Monday y'all!

Upcoming artist: Mariama Samba

It's been a while since I've done a music post - anyone who knows me knows that music isn't really my thing - but I've heard some great stuff coming out of Mariama Samba's YouTube channel recently and wanted to share it with you. This is her video for 'My Other Half' - have a listen and let me know what you think!

The Hangover Part III review

**May contain spoilers**

The Hangover Part III has not received rave reviews – to put it mildly – but that’s only to be expected; the generic conventions of a sequel, particularly the third instalment of a trilogy such as this, dictate that it will be inferior to its predecessors, luring in faithful audiences only by their undying hopes that they will get a replica of the first film. In this case, it was not to be.  For a film named “The Hangover”, the lack of alcohol was glaring, although the concept of the plot being one giant hangover from events past was not wasted.

To be honest, it was better than expected. For starters, any film which features Mmm Bop by Hanson in the first few minutes of the soundtrack is A-OK by me. Ignoring the dodgy CGI giraffe and subtle-as-a-brick product placement (Tab, anyone? Beats by Dr Dre...), the film has some pretty funny scenes, although predictably the plot line is further-fetched than a camel in Antarctica; you get the impression they wrote the jokes first and built the plot –featuring kidnap comedy giraffe deaths, and the predictable return to Las Vegas- around the jokes.

That said, it’s a great way to round off the trilogy, bringing it to a timely end (yet leaving it open should they feel the need to return to it in the future...). It’s funnier than many critics have made it out to be, with laughter rolling around the cinema throughout. A particular highlight is the scene which unfolds on top of Cesar’s Palace, and had me chuckling for a good few minutes afterwards.

If worse comes to worse, kick back and enjoy the magnificent views that Bradley Cooper brings to the film. I for one was particularly appreciative of the camera shot towards the end, set up from an angle which seemed to have no purpose other than demonstrate the length of his mighty pins. Amen to that.

Conclusion: worth seeing if you fancy a light-hearted giggle. Go in with low expectations and you’ll enjoy it more. Don’t leave as soon as the credits start rolling – the best is yet to come.

Gavin & Stacey goes Stateside

When I heard that Gavin and Stacey, the best thing to ever come out of BBC3, was headed for a US makeover, I was not amused. The brilliant sitcom is intrinsically based on the cultural quirks of England and Wales (co-creator James Corden found inspiration for the show when he attended a wedding consisting of both English and Welsh guests), so short of hitting on the US/Canada divide - and I think How I Met Your Mother has sufficiently covered that one from all possible angles- it's difficult to see how this show would translate for an American audience. Add to this the fact that the chemistry between the actors of the British version is largely what makes it such a success, and many British fans found themselves wishing that the US would leave this one alone.  The one saving grace of the US remake was that James Corden and Ruth Jones were on board as executive producers.

The trailer has now been released, and things aren't looking good. The intermittent title screens  suggest it to be a budget rom-com. The casting choices are interesting- the woman who plays Stacey's mum in the US version has a striking resemblance to Joanna Page, who plays Stacey herself in the British version. On first glance, it looks like Jack Black has been cast to play Smithy, a possible saving grace, until it's revealed that it's actually stand-up comic Dustin Ybarra. 

It also appears that there are exact replicas of some of the scenes in the British version, the kitchen table rape alarm scene being a prime example. However, without the comic genius of Rob Brydon, it doesn't seem  to have the same wit and sparkle. Whether there is the all-important chemistry between the characters remains to be seen. Have a watch and let me know what you think.

The World's End - Teaser Trailer

Only Pegg can take something simple like a pub crawl, set in a small British town, and turn it into a feature film, let alone one featuring explosions, perfectly-timed comedy lines, and the oh-so-British slapstick comedy that Pegg and co. (Shaun of the Dead, Paul) do so well.

So the teaser trailer for what I'm hoping will be my second favourite film of the year (there's room for negotiation, depending how Gatsby turns out) is very exciting. I'm just disappointed that the eponymous "World's End" doesn't seem to refer to the pub of the same name in Camden Town, North London.

I  can't be the only one hoping that one of the pubs in the film is named the Winchester, can I?

Emeli Sande - Crazy In Love feat. The Bryan Ferry Orchestra

A cheeky browse on Twitter this morning saw me finding a link to Emeli Sande and Bryan Ferry's cover of Crazy in Love, part of the Great Gatsby soundtrack. I couldn't actually watch the video until I got home this evening, so spent all day hyping it up in my mind, until I had a solid idea of what I expected- a slow and sensual rendition of Queen Bey's best-known work.

That was not what I got. This rendition is pacey, full of bring-on-the-trumpets jazziness, a perfect backing soundtrack for the automobiles of the '20s speeding past the watchful eyes of Dr. Eckleburg into the lively city beyond.

 Never have I been so excited about a film!

Sensorites- Slipstream

Having hit the "Repeat" button on Sensorites' single Fool enough times for even the inanimate objects in my life to know all the lyrics - I defy you to listen to it a couple of times and NOT have it playing in your head for the rest of eternity- I had a dig around their YouTube channel to see what other mischief they've got up to.

Slipstream is not a song for the mild-mannered, as suggested by the single cover. The lyrics aren't quite as catchy as Fool, but the melody is one of those that you'll catch yourself humming half-heartedly as you go about your business, until you get to the two words you do know. You'll sing these words with such oomph and gusto that you'll scare all elderly women and cats within a 2 mile radius.

The more I listen to Sensorites, the more they sound like an awesome Oasis-Scouting for Girls-Arctic Monkeys mash up. And that's OK with me.

It's nearly here! The Great Gatsby theatrical trailer

Never have I anticipated a film release as much as I am looking forward to The Great Gatsby. The trailer shows Leo Di Caprio playing the brooding Jay Gatsby, although whether he is in with a shot at becoming more synonymous with the role than Robert Redford remains to be seen. I'm still not sure about the casting of Carey Mulligan as Daisy - this is not to discredit her in any way as an actress, but it's a role I could very much imagine Emma Stone adopting quite well. I was also interested to learn that Tobey Maguire had been cast in the narrative role of Nick. Being from the Spiderman era myself, I struggle to imagine him carrying off enough authority as is required to play Nick, but with Baz Luhrmann firmly at the helm, I also struggle to see how any tiny detail of the film could be allowed to go awry.

Looking at the trailer, it seems set to be everything it should -as a subscriber to the idea that films never do justice to the books they're based on, I don't want to speak too soon- but the glitz, the glamour, the extravagance all seem to add up to another Luhrmann classic.

The UK cinema release date is set for 16th May. Meanwhile, I'll be curled up on a beanbag re-reading Fitzgerald's finest work,and anticipating the inevitable tsunami of '20s flapper-style dresses hitting the high street.

Labrinth feat. Emeli Sandé - Beneath Your Beautiful

Love, love, loving this beautiful track at the moment. Thought-provoking lyrics and perfectly executed, as expected of the wonderful Emeli Sande. Hit play, close your eyes and relax.

Ariel Winter covers Taylor Swift song

I'm not normally a massive fan of music covers - particularly when the original singer did such a good job of the song, but coming across this cover, I had to share it.

Originally sung by Taylor Swift (who I am a fan of, however uncool that may be), Ariel Winter -she of Modern Family fame - has done a fab job of covering it. And only 15 years old too! 

Last Tango in Halifax - the best TV drama of 2012?

I'm writing this off of the back of seeing the last episode of one of my favourite TV shows for a very long time: Last Tango in Halifax.

For those not familiar with this BBC six-parter, the basic premise is thus; a pair of would-be lovers reunite in the autumn of their lives and take the decision to get married.

If you haven't guessed by now, my favourite television dramas are not those with the flash special effects, expensive sets and fantasy elements which the rest of the world tend to go for (unless you consider the set of "Wild at Heart" to be expensive, in which case, consider that to be the exception to my rule). I prefer TV dramas which are real, which real people can relate to, and which do not use explosions and car chases to hide shoddy writing and a mediocre plot.

Last Tango in Halifax is, by contrast, brilliantly written. It seamlessly manages to encompass almost every aspect of modern life -marriage, divorce, alcoholism, sex, sexuality, homophobia, illness - yet despite all this drama, maintains a relatable element.

In contrast to the heavy-hearted subject matter, there were some great comedic antidotes to the potential doom and gloom, perfected partly by Sally Wainwright's admiral writing talents, and partly by Sarah Lancashire's professional and timely delivery.

So inspired by the brilliant writing that I went on to watch this video from the BBC Writer's Room, which, combined with my recent reading of James Corden's autobiography, has reawakened my passion for trying my hand at scriptwriting.

The Joneses (Borte, 2009)

***Contains spoilers***

Like a blend of Stepford Wives meets Desperate Housewives meets the OC, The Joneses is a somewhat bizarre mix that doesn't really work.

The idea is thus; An elegant, aspirational new family move into an already elegant and aspirational neighbourhood, as sort of Wisteria Lane for golfers. The family go about introducing themselves to their eclectic group of neighbours until, not too far into the film, the twist is revealed; the family are not actually a family, they are a group of salespeople thrown together with the intent of imitating the perfect family, selling the perfect lifestyle to their neighbours.

For me, the revelation of the twist came far too soon; a lot more suspense could have been created if the reason for the strange behaviour was not revealed until later.

The cast (Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, Ben Hollingsworth), although neither unattractive nor untalented, lack a certain je ne sais quoi as an ensemble; the chemistry between the "parents" of the family is lacking, despite their supposed extra-curricular attraction. The romantic thread of the plotline is somewhat predictable, and even the death of The Joneses' neighbour, an apparently poignant and guilt-evoking moment in the film, raises little emotion.

Overall, this film has the makings of a good idea, but is not executed in a way to fulfill the potential.