I Love The 90s: The Vicar of Dibley

 

"My lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, he makes me lie down In  green pastures." This is probably the only hymn I actually know and it's all down to one show, The Vicar of Dibely. As you zoom from the busy motorway out to the rolling countryside of rural England in the opening credits, you are transported to the idyllic tiny village of Dibley, where you are introduced to it's slightly barmy inhabitants, including the one sane person in the place, the beloved vicar of Dibley played by the incomparable Dawn French. From writer Richard Curtis, the man behind 'Black Adder', 'Love Actually' and Oscar nominated 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', The Vicar of Dibley is a classic British sitcom and in my eyes is one of the best shows ever made.

 

 

Whatever Happened To RnB? - Christmas Edition

Remember when ‘Heartbreaker’ ruled the UK charts and a Fugees reunion still seemed possible? In this weekly feature, I’m going to take a look back at some of the best RnB artists of yesteryear, sharing their signature videos and underrated hits, as well as looking at what they’re up to nowadays.

Previous posts have focussed on Mya, John Legend, Amerie and Jamelia. However, it's that time of year once again so today, it’s the Christmas Edition!

Hey Christmas!

Robyn's 'Call Your Girlfriend' - Youtube FaceOff!

BBCs Live Lounge is great and all but what I love most is trawling through Youtube to find the best cover versions of my favourite songs by unsigned artists. If you put the time in, you'll find so many different and innovative interpretations of the biggest hits right now... but who has the time for that I hear you say? Have no fear for that's what our Youtube FaceOff is all about. 

First up is one of my favourite songs of the past few years, 'Call Your Girlfriend' by Swedish popstar Robyn. It's a sad mournful ballad about breaking up someone's relationship but its disguised brilliantly as a bouncy pop/dance tune. Here's the original video, which sees Robyn dancing around in an almost empty set surrounded by lights. And the best thing is, it's all done in one take!

Nocturnes by John Connolly

I’ve never really been the biggest fan of short stories; I often find they don’t have the length to fully explore characters and storylines in enough depth to make them believable and enjoyable. But my previous reading of short stories has usually come in magazines or crap local ghost story books that you get at national trust properties. So it was with some trepidation that I picked up a copy of John Connolly’s Nocturnes but it completely changed my mind on short stories.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Zombies are everywhere. From ‘The Walking Dead’ to ‘Left 4 Dead’, from ‘Rec’ to ’World War Z’, the last ten years have seen zombies infect the public consciousness through a mix of popular films, comics and computer games. The difficulty recently has been in keeping this crowded sub-genre still fresh and exciting without treading over the same ground. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ mixed things up by bringing an element of romance into the proceedings, (becoming the first ‘rom-zom-com’) but no one’s ever seen a zombie falling in love with a human before. Until now. We’ve seen zombies sprinting, shuffling and moaning but Isaac Marions’ debut novel reaches far deeper than this, daring to ask the question ‘Can a zombie think and feel… and even fall in love?’

‘Scream and Shout’ Video – Will.i.am ft Britney Spears

It’s finally here. The long awaited duet between the Black Eyed Peas frontman and Miss Britney Spears has appeared online but does it live up to the hype?

Whatever Happened To RnB? - Jamelia

Remember when ‘Scandalous’ ruled the UK charts and Ms Dynamite was a new exciting artist? In this weekly feature, I’m going to take a look back at some of the best RnB artists of yesteryear, sharing their signature videos and underrated hits, as well as looking at what they’re up to nowadays.

Previous posts have focussed on Cassie, Ciara, Missy Elliott, Brandy, Monica, TLC, Mya, John Legend and Amerie. Today, it’s the Brits turn!

Hey Jamelia!