It’s a new week so it’s a chance for The Daily Express to find something else as a headline. Maybe the ongoing Darfur talks crisis? Maybe something about that unworkable English Parliament idea? Maybe something about yet another young black man killing another young black man with a gun? (What is that all about? Honestly?) Maybe something about the continuing cock-up that is Iraq? Or the housing market? Or Iran’s latest crazy nuclear plan?

Bugger. She’s still holding on. With three new ‘sightings.’ Just like the last load of ‘sightings’ that were more like lazy visual guess work I’ll bet. Nice to see The Scary Picture back for the week ahead. And some royal has been blackmailed about blow and blow jobs but not jobs without the blow as royals don’t do that sort of thing. But we can’t say who it is! I don’t think they can link it to Diana but I bet they try. Twits.

Still enjoying series 2 of Robin Hood much more than I thought I would, even Ralf Little couldn’t ruin it this week…

… and not just because of all the fit young men in it. I’m not that shallow. Probably. Next week’s guest star is Josie Lawrence. I wonder if she’ll do any improvised songs?

Still loving Pushing Daisies…

Don’t ask about the context of that clip. It’s extremely peculiar yet totally charming.

I had no meme today so on the bus home I racked my brains and came up with nothing. Maybe listening to my iPod and reading The Bookseller (the magazine for all those bookgeeks in the business we call books) as the same time as the brain-racking was not the best mthod. So I got home to find that I have been blog-tagged by Old Cheeser in a kind of meme… He wants 7 interesting things about me and then I tag 7 other bloggers to do the same. Seven things? I can’t think of any! But I shall try…

1. I have been a vegetarian for 21 years. How flippin’ interesting.

2. I met my husband when he was an internet buddy of my then-boyfriend. We got chatting and after that particular relationship had ended we met up for a drink and became friends. Then a few months later we did it again only it got complicated.

3. I’ve been to loads of countries but never outside of Europe. I am lazy and hate travelling so that might be why.

4. I have an enormous… birthmark. But hardly anyone has seen it.

5. I have never smoked a cigarette. I am like so straight edge. Innit.

6. I could have been called Timothy but somebody won that argument and I am not.

7. I have never voted in any of those shit tv text votes. Ever. But someone must or how else do they still exist?

Was that thrilling enough?

I shall tag Cheryl, Clive, Mimey, Phil, Fawkes, Newplanet, VOTTD … and all my Facebook friends. You know who you are.

I love those sneaky pre-air pilot episodes you can run into online. My new favourite tv show comes as no surprise to myself and shouldn’t to you too. It’s Pushing Daisies. It’s created by ‘as great as Joss Whedon’ dude Bryan Fuller (Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Heroes) and it’s rather special. I’ve probably jinxed it now just from liking it out loud but I don’t care. It’s one of those odd shows that is not going to survive in world full of formulaic cop show shite and ‘talent’ contests but will be cherished by everyone who watches it: people like bloggers and geeks. It’s got the usual Fuller weird concept: Pie maker Ned discovered as a child that his touch can bring the dead back to life when his dog got killed but there are consequences to his gift: After a minute of new life somebody/thing else has to die and if he touches his newly-reanimated subject they will die again, this time forever. He helps investigate murders by using his gift but when the newest victim is his childhood sweetheart the usual one minute rule gets broken. With Ned played by Lee Pace from Wonderfalls and Chuck played by Anna Friel from English things, with direction from Barry Sonnenfeld you know you’re in for a treat. It’s all very hyper-real with bright cartoony colours, CGI fields and amusing death touches. It’s like a mixture of previous Fuller shows but with more charm and less snarkiness (so far) and a new spin on the old classic star-crossed lovers plot. If you want to love a charming witty sweet funny show with snappy dialogue, a strong visual identity and a great cast then hunt down Pushing Daisies. It’s out there somewhere. Just don’t mention Suzie from Torchwood’s special glove. Or Amelie. ABC have ordered 13 episodes. I wonder how many will be shown? ITV have bought the UK rights and I shall be buying the inevitable DVD for sure. Now all I have to do is wait until the end of September for the next episode…

So Anna Friel is Chuck? Well yes. She’s a girl though. Unlike Chuck in the new show Chuck, who is not a girl. This Chuck (created by OC creator Josh Schwartz) is a televisually cliched nerd (in Converse of course) who hides from ‘real people’ (mostly doctors) at his birthday party organised by his doctor sister (played by Doctor Marjorie from What About Brian) while crowbarring in a few references to his old much cooler college roommate. It just so turns out that cooler college roomie is running, jumping and fighting, and being intercut with shots of a stuntman to very energetic music. Roomie guy emails Chuck a Very Important Thing before being shot dead by Jayne From Firefly, and Chuck appears to download an entire interweb worth of Very Secret Secrets, as shown by his weird image flashing flashback/forwards things (including images of pies) meaning some scary people want him taken out. And not in a dinner and movie way. Cue ninja fighter who happens to be a blonde babe, cue running and jumping, cue Jayne chasing him in a 4×4, cue a bomb threat, cue me realising it’s not as good as Pushing Daisies but it’s a good bit of no-brainer entertainment. Is Chuck the new Alias? Maybe. Just don’t mention Jake 2.0…

Tomorrow: More exclusive shit about new shit that nobody has seen yet. Unless they’re geeks like us.