Long long day, nothing to say… except maybe whoops I married a gay!

God how old is this monstrosity?

What would those newer Little Britain fans make of Mash & Peas?

Calling all comic nerds! I bring potentially great news via Newsarama via Hollywood Reporter:

HBO hears word, brings ‘Preacher’ to small screen
By Borys Kit Hollywood Reporter Nov 29, 2006

HBO has seen the light and is bringing “Preacher” to the small screen.

The pay cable network is developing a one-hour series based on the popular 1990s Vertigo comics series. Mark Steven Johnson, the writer-director behind comic adaptations “Daredevil” and the upcoming “Ghost Rider,” is writing the pilot, while Howard Deutch is attached to direct. Johnson and Deutch will executive produce along with Michael De Luca, George Agusto, Chris Bender and JC Spink.

“Preacher,” which ran from 1995-2000, told the story of a down-and-out Texas preacher possessed by Genesis, a supernatural entity conceived by the unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon. Given immense powers, the preacher teamed with an old girlfriend and a hard-drinking Irish vampire and set out on a journey across America to find God — who apparently had abandoned his duties in heaven — and hold him accountable for his negligence.

The series was created by Irish-born writer Garth Ennis and British artist Steve Dillon, who will serve as co-executive producers. Ken F. Levin, who reps the duo, also will serve as co-exec producer. The series — which developed a rabid fan base — was known for tackling religious and political issues, its dark and violent sense of humor and its observations of American culture. It also was one of the series that helped define Vertigo, the adult-oriented line of comics from DC Comics.

There have been several attempts to bring the comic to the screen, whether big or small, but nothing stuck. A movie version, to have been produced by Kevin Smith’s View Askew, among others, got to the casting stage, with James Marsden attached for the title role and a reported budget of $25 million. The project reunites Johnson with Deutch; Johnson wrote “Grumpier Old Men,” which Deutch directed. Deutch’s directing credits include TV’s “Gleason,” the pilot for “Melrose Place” and the 1986 film “Pretty in Pink.”

Yes! It was a comic! With pictures as wel as words! For grown ups!

It’s been a strange day.

I listened to Suede on my I-Pod (inspired by that book what I did get for a quid) and then they were playing in the pub. Not in person, mind, as they all went splitty uppy after the drugs, guitar solos, more drugs, big lurgees and fighting and stuff. It must have been unofficial Suede day. Strange. But why?

I did the commute to London as I was on the grown-ups’ table at a big meeting at Book Shop HQ. Wandering down pissy alley and then wandering round in the relative darkness of the building trying to find a light switch: Strange. Being a relative adult all day and keeping the weirdness in: Strange again. Lots of lovely food and a trip to a certain massive comic shop that also sells other nerdy things later made me rather pleased.

Veronica Mars scored its best ever rating in the big important age (youngish people) ratings group. About bloody time. We love you, Veronica.

Jinkies!

Or maybe not. Anyway, here’s the third and final part of that Buzzcocks thing…

…so says that catholic bishop from my earlier post today.

The one who wanted to impose his morality on the people who deal with equality laws.

Oh the irony is lost on the brainwashed and vile.

Maybe that won’t exactly happen but here’s part deux of the Buzzcocks debacle…

Yay!

Whoopeee!

Harry’s back! (soon) …

There now follows an advert…

HARRY HILL’S TV BURP – New Series -
logon to http://www.tvrecordings.com/ for FREE tickets!

The multi award winning Harry Hill is returning for a sixth series of the hugely successful TV Burp on ITV1! The big-collared-comic will once again be summing up on the week’s most popular television. Harry will engage himself with the country’s biggest soaps, check out TV’s brightest stars and cover all moments from news to reality TV.

There are limited FREE tickets available to be in the audience of this new series. Please log on to www.TVrecordings.com and book your FREE tickets online!

The recordings will be taking place at Teddington studios for thirteen weeks only, every Thursday between 18 January and 12 April with a Christmas Special on 21 December. Doors will open at 6.30 pm. Harry Hill is exceptionally popular so we advise you to book your tickets early in order to avoid disappointment.

By unpopular demand…

It’s time for some stupid people doing stupid things again. From today’s Daily Hellfire & Brimstone comes the following marvellous example of love thy neighbour (but don’t touch his bottom or winkle)…

Don’t impose your morality (Oh the irony!): Catholic Archbishop attacks gay rights bill

Ministers have been accused of overturning the nation’s morality (aka upsetting some Catholics) in a searing attack on new gay rights laws by a leading Roman Catholic churchman. Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols threatened to withdraw Catholic co-operation with the Government over schools, charity programmes and adoption agencies if the new sexual orientation regulations go ahead. The fierce assault on the new laws signalled an ominous deepening of the row between Labour and the churches over the new laws, which are designed to stop businesses from discriminating against homosexuals. Archbishop Nichols declared that ministers were “engaged in an intense and at times aggressive reshaping of our moral framework”. And he added that “those who are elected to fashion our laws are not elected to be our moral tutors. They have no mandate or competence to be so.” (I thought in this country the politicians dealt with politics and the religious types dealt with religion. And baking cakes. When did we become a religious state? I must have missed that.)

The Church of England has already warned that it believes the new laws would make it possible for a gay couple to sue a vicar who refused to bless their same-sex partnership. Catholics have threatened to shut down their adoption agencies, which successfully found familes for more than 200 children last year, if they are forced to place children with gay couples. (Dictionary definition of chadirdee!)

The Sexual Orientation Regulations are set to go into law in England in April (hurrah). Final details have not yet been made public, largely because of a row between staunchly Catholic Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly (Double Meh) and Cabinet colleagues. But yesterday Miss Kelly gave a confirmation that the new laws will go ahead. She told a conference run by the Commission for Racial Equality: “Anger about people not being able to fulfil their potential brought me into politics. Whether the barrier is their background, their race, religion or sexual orientation the Labour Party has always been prepared to take the decisions to open up opportunity for all.”

Archbishop Nichols gave his scathing verdict in a sermon in St Chad’s (wot no tolerance?)Cathedral. He told the congregation: “The Government must realise that it is not possible to seek co-operation with us while at the same time trying to impose upon us conditions which contradict our moral values. It is simply unacceptable to suggest that the resources of faith communities, whether in schools, adoption agencies, welfare programmes, halls and shelters can work in co-operation with public authorities only if the faith communities accept not simply a legal framework but also the moral standards at present being touted by the Government.” The Archbishop, who is a favourite to take over from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the English Roman Catholic leader who is likely to step down in the next few months, said an inversion of family morality was being “forced on us.” He said: ‘Take the notion of the family and the moral equivalence being forced upon us between marriage of a man and a woman, on the one hand, and on the other, a legally recognised partnership of two people of the same sex.’

The attack is particularly sharp because Catholic bishops in England have traditionally leaned, like many of their flock, towards support for the Labour Party. They have published guidance on Catholic teaching in advance of elections that has broadly supported Labour. However ministers have been told that the Catholic church will shut down its seven adoption agencies rather than place children with homosexual couples. This, the Church has warned, would leave a ‘huge gap’ in the system for helping children in care. (More for the kiddy-fiddling priests that don’t get the Bishops nearly as upset?) Roman Catholic agencies find homes for about one in 20 of all children adopted from care.

Both Catholic and Anglican leaders say schools and church groups are deeply reluctant to rent out halls or facilities to gay pressure groups. (Pressure? It’s more like fairness) They fear that conference centres and retreat houses could also be sued if they refuse to accept bookings from homosexual groups. (Nothing like a bit of equality to bring the ‘PC gone mad’ brigade out)Church of England leaders have said that priests could be sued for failing to bless same sex couples or give communion to churchgoers whose behaviour they believe to be wilfully sinful.

The deep anger now coming from Church leaders has found echoes civil areas. A Christian magistrate in Sheffield, Andrew McClintock, has been forced to resign from family court duty after he said he would not support the adoption of a child by a gay couple (good riddance) . The Sexual Orientation Regulations would have an impact on religious believers in business. Christian hoteliers will be compelled to rent rooms to gay couples, while Muslim printers will be unable to refuse to print homosexual magazines or advertisements. (homosexual advertisements? And since when did The Mail even like Muslims anyway? They hate them more than they hate gays and lezzas)

While the final version of the rules – which the Government has produced to meet the demands of a European Directive – have yet to be published in England, the version which will operate in Northern Ireland from 1 January has appeared. The Northern Ireland rules, which appear to cement the role of the province as a test bed for new legislation and forms of taxation in England, say those found guilty of breaking the rules will be fined between £500 and £1,000 for a first offence. Subsequent serious offences can attract penalties of up to £25,000.

And this is why I don’t like Catholics, sorry, Mondays.

“It says in this here book that black people should sit at the back of the bus…”

I could use a rubbish Bash The Bishop caption but I have more class than that.

I am not obsessed with Barrowman. Honestly. It’s just that he is so blatantly a bit wrong in the head but in a good way (unlike say Tom Cruise who is his ‘slightly’ shorter ‘cousin’) and when you combine him with fellow gay Simon Amstell it becomes something mind-warpingly peculiar. For example:

But does this whet your appetite for the whole episode? In chunks? Does it?

If I get a “hyesss” from anyone other than That Cheryl I might consider it.