Pop Buzz UK

With the first news on the next UK Big Brother just being revealed, it appears that Poland is just about to dose of Big Brother 3, after programme makers Endemol sold the series lock, stock and barrel to the Polish broadcaster TVN.

While we in the UK are looking forward to the ninth series of the biggest and best reality television show, Polish people are just about to experience what is rightly considered the best ever series.

If you need a reminder, BB3 was the one where Jade Goody, the most successful Big Brother contestant ever, appeared, and showed off her flabby body for all to see in a late night drunken game.

She didn’t end up winning it though, with Kate Lawler proving to be the most popular house mate at the end of the 12 week series.

Endemol has until now just sold the rights to the show’s format rather than a whole series in its entirety, so this is an unusual move on their part.

(more…)

Almost two weeks ago, lanky funnyman Iain Lee left his job as a talk show host on LBC Radio, and I wrote a long post telling the story of his time there, and imploring someone to employ him sooner of later. Well, I’m delighted to tell you all that someone has, with Virgin radio giving him a show on a Sunday night.

From January 6th 2008, Iain will be hosting his own 10pm-1am show on Virgin. This is the same timeslot in which Iain used to host his Triple M straight to air experimental programme, although we don’t yet know what format the new show will take.

It also puts Iain in direct competition with former LBC colleague and friend Clive Bull, who took over the timeslot when new LBC owners Global radio decided that Iain’s face didn’t fit any more.

Iain and Clive have an interesting relationship in that Iain used to ring Clive’s show under different pseudonyms well before taking the job working alongside him.

This is the first hire by Virgin Radio programme director, David Lloyd, who was a big fan and supporter of Iain Lee when he was at LBC. He left his role as LBC managing director around two months ago to join Virgin, and has now seemingly decided to take Iain with him.

(more…)

Cult British comedy show Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is going to be made in to a modern American sitcom.

The original BBC made show ran from 1973 to 1978 with Michael Crawford in the hapless Frank Spencer role. Now Fox has ordered scripts for an American version of the show. I remember the show well, as it was shown all through the 1980s on a seemingly never ending series of repeats. But it never got boring, as each of the twenty two episodes was highly original.

Phil Stark, the man behind That 70s Show, is to write the scripts for BBC Worldwide and Sony Pictures Television. He will also be executive producer alongside the BBC’s Paul Telegdy and Ian Moffitt.

I have mixed views on this news, as although I loved the original show, I can see it being completely muffed up when it’s remade by a big American network. No offence, but the British and Americans seem to have a slightly different sense of humour.

(more…)

Led Zeppelin are reuniting for a one off gig at the 02 Arena (formerly Millennium Dome) in London on November 26th. The concert will raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, a fund created in honour of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun who died last year.

To deal with the massive demand for tickets for this one off chance to see a legendary British rock band, the organisers held a lottery where you applied for tickets, and the lucky ones would be chosen by a computer.

Over a million people put their name down on the website, and now the lucky few have been chosen. Remember that the venue only holds 20,000 people so it was a 1 in 50 chance to get hold of a ticket.

(more…)

I’m a big fan of the Red Dwarf series, with it’s hilarious take on Sci-Fi films and television series. So I’m gutted to hear that the BBC has turned down the chance to make a ninth series of the hit show.

Series creator Doug Naylor recently issued a statement about the decision at the ‘Dimension Jump’ convention:

“Some time ago, BBC2 decided not to take up their option for a potential Series IX, instead they said they were keen to pursue other projects.”

“They also told us that they weren’t interested in buying the TV rights for the Red Dwarf film, despite liking the script, as they weren’t convinced the film would be a success.”

(more…)

The British Jukebox is back again, this time with a Retro music special. I’m now writing a new blog specifically about British Music over at Brit Music Scene, so feel free to join me there for more of the same.

So, without further ado, for all those fans of British Music, take a listen to this week’s selection, which ranges in age from the 90s to present day. This week we have songs from The Stereophonics, Led Zeppelin, Oasis, The Cure and The Clash. Enjoy…

(more…)

September 11th has rolled around again, as it keeps doing every year, and luckily it seems this year is another quiet one.

That wasn’t the case 6 years ago though, when America was attacked, and dragged unceremoniously in to a new war for the 21st century.

This was one of those World events where everyone can think back and remember what they were doing when they heard the news, and saw the terrible scenes of carnage happening in New York.

As a Brit, it was no different for me than most Americans, the only thing being I wasn’t likely to know anyone directly or indirectly affected.

I was sat at home on the afternoon (British time) that it happened. My parents were away on holiday, and I also had a week off work to chill out and relax. I was playing Excitebike 64 on my Nintendo 64 when the phone went. My brother had Sky News on and was watching the first plane hit the Twin Towers. He described it at the time as an accident, as that’s what the authorities thought. I quickly turned my game off and sat enthralled while watching the events unfold.

(more…)

I was going to save this until Ziggy was actually evicted from the Big Brother house, but he’s hanging on in there so well that I think the time is well overdue. Before Big Brother 8, Ziggy was already semi famous, being a member of a boy band called ‘Northern Line’ for a few years. I say semi famous because these lads were not exactly Take That, and didn’t actually do very well.

They did have one song which did ok though called ‘Love On The Northern Line’ and this is the video for it.

It’s pony (pony and trap = crap) isn’t it? I was going to try and tell you which one Ziggy was in the video by saying “the gay looking one with the black shirt half open showing his navel”, but that applies to all of them.

(more…)

I love everything about Monty Python, from the TV series, to the films, and even beyond that with Terry Gilliam’s films, Michael Palin’s travel programmes and everything else they’ve done since. So when I find some new bit of comedy gold related to the Python empire, I like to share it with my readers on Pop Buzz UK.

This version of Monty Python’s ‘The Holy Grail’ is scarily well done, with the added animation on the Lego mouths very well done. Obviously it’s not as good as the original, but seeing it done in Lego adds a whole new level of fun to the whole scene.

Ever since the Lego Star Wars games came along, there seems to be a craze for turning everything in to a Lego version, and I for one, think they work extremely well, being both funny and clever at the same time. I’ll try and dig out some more classic British pop culture moments recreated in Lego, and post them up for you all.

Lego, Monty Python, The Holy Grail, YouTube, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, Star Wars, Lego Star Wars, UK, British, Pop Culture

Carrying on the attempt at educating anyone who thinks British music ended with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, here is another selection of great music from the UK. It’s all handpicked by me, and whether you think it’s great, OK, or downright unlistenable, just let me know by using ye olde comment box down there!

This week we have a Dance music special, with songs ranging from the early 90s up to this year. Enjoy!..

(more…)

Carrying on the attempt at educating anyone who thinks British music ended with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, here is another selection of great music from the UK. It’s all handpicked by me, and whether you think it’s great, OK, or downright unlistenable, just let me know by using ye olde comment box down there!

First off I have an apology to make to Carrie who requested some Cast on this week’s jukebox. Unfortunately I can’t find hide nor hare of them anywhere on the interweb, and that includes radio.blog.club and trusty old YouTube. I’d planned to feature ‘Fine Time’ by them but all I could get was a shoddy cover, so you’ll have to dig out that CD after all!

We do have another 5 fine songs though, so sit back and enjoy…
(more…)

Carrying on the attempt at educating anyone who thinks British music ended with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, here is another selection of great music from the UK. It’s all handpicked by me, and whether you think it’s great, OK, or downright unlistenable, just let me know by using ye olde comment box down there!
(more…)

Carrying on the attempt at educating anyone who thinks British music ended with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, here is another selection of great music from the UK. It’s all handpicked by me, and whether you think it’s great, OK, or downright unlistenable, just let me know by using ye olde comment box down there!
(more…)

They’re All Dead Dave by JM

www.fictionscribe.com
thenewaustralian.wordpress.com
100poundstogo.wordpress.com

I was standing in the lounge and frowning at the television when I asked my husband if he remembered that show. That British one… No, not Little Britain… The one with… What for? I’m doing a guest post on Dave’s blog.

That’s when my husband looked at me strangely and asked me why didn’t I do a post about Red Dwarf? Pure genius and so utterly obvious I had to smack my forehead.

Why was it genius and utterly obvious?

Because I hear Red Dwarf.

Red Dwarf is one piece of British genius that makes my heart beat a little faster. (Actually, that would be the dreadlocked Dave Lister, but we won’t tell my husband that.)
(more…)

British Cop Shows by Gillian

http://gillpolack.livejournal.com
www.foodpast.com

Australia isn’t quite as addicted to British cop shows as Britain is to Aussie soapies. Not quite. It comes close when I visit my family in Melbourne, though. It doesn’t matter that I’ve traveled hundreds of miles to visit, if Inspector Lynley is on, I have to sit quietly and wait it out.

Not that my family likes Inspector Lynley. “He’s too perfect,” my mother says, once a week. She prefers her cops to be more… interesting. Like John Thaw.
(more…)