Ten TV Programmes You Used to Run Home From School For, And Made Your Weekend.

With Mark Gosselaar and Dennis Haskins (Zack Morris and Mr. Belding) talking about a possible Saved By The Bell reunion, I immediately went into nostalgia overload thinking about the programmes, along with their theme tunes, that we, people in our mid to late 20’s, used to love back in the day. They really don’t make it like these anymore!

10: California Dreams:

A high-school show produced by Peter Engel (he also produced Saved by the Bell). This show centred around a group of high school students who had a band called, you guessed it, The California Dreams. Unfortunately they never did make it, and the group went their separate ways as they left high school. Their last performance on The Pier still makes me emotional!

 9: Miami 7:

Yep, the programme with the cheesy songs and even cheesier acting from pop group S Club 7, as they leave England and try to make it big in America. I dare you not to sing along with them!

Kimberley Walsh Takes Centre Stage

Another Girls Aloud-er is attempting to step out of Cheryl’s shadow and is going solo. This is right bang smack in the middle of their Ten Tour rehearsals. Fresh off her stint on Strictly Come Dancing before Christmas, where she was the runner up, Kimberley Walsh is releasing her first solo album, entitled ‘Centre Stage’, which is full of songs recognisable from the theatre.

Kimberley performed her first single from the album, ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’ at the National Television Awards last week, and it received mixed reviews. Admittedly it wasn’t the best vocal, especially when you put her against X Factor’s Ella Henderson, who gave a stunning rendition of Cher’s Believe at the awards. But taking into account it was Kimba’s first solo performance, and on a huge stage at the O2, she must have been extremely nervous. And I definitely give her kudos for actually singing live (yes, I’m talking to you, Cheryl!)

'Just Do It!'

My blogs are usually centred around entertainment news, but I’m going to do a more honest, personal blog today. I really hope this doesn’t go against me in the future, but here goes nothing!

I’ve been doing a great Radio Production Course in Radio Kerry since last September, and we’re halfway there now, and it’s got me thinking, ‘What’s my next step after this?’ and ‘How will I get there?’ These questions have never been more important to me than now. Yesterday, Kerry entrepreneur Jerry Kennelly came in to Radio Kerry to talk to us about what made him so successful, and I have to say I did take a lot from it, and I loved his straight talking, no nonsense attitude. The biggest thing I took away from him was that you have to go out there and make it happen, because no one else will. You have to stand out in the crowd and offer what no one else is. You have to show your passion by going beyond what the person next to you is doing. You have to be excellent in your field. And he should know, he is a multi-millionaire after all!

 You have to be extremely motivated to do what he does, and I realise that is something I need more of! Don’t get me wrong, I am a hard worker and I do have a certain amount of drive, but after I left college and started looking for something, anything, and I never got passed the interview stage, it made me question myself, and I lost focus. But at the end of the day, I am 28 and I want to work, I want to have a career, and I need to make it happen!

My first step, seeing as I couldn’t get work, was to look for a media related course so I can up skill, so I’m not sitting around doing nothing anymore, which is way I’m doing the radio production course. While I do enjoy radio, my passion lies with writing, which is why I try and update my blog when I can, to improve my skills, and show people what I can do. This morning, our tutor asked to write down three things that we want to do before we finish the course, and do them. I’m going to write it down here, for everyone to see, which will hopefully give me the kick up the ass to do it!

 1. Talk to people:

 One of my big problems that I have is my shyness and my nerves. I am slowly getting better at it, and I like to think that I am a nice and friendly person, but for some reason I seem to have difficulty making conversation with people. But I just need to just get on with it, and hopefully it will become easier for me.

 2. Get my name out there:

This one could possibly help with my first goal, but I need to start thinking ahead about what I want to do once my course is finished. I am starting to get good at networking on Twitter (I followed and tweeted some of the people in the media industry that I am interested in). But I need to start actually emailing people and tell them that I am interested in getting experience with them and ask to meet them.

3. Just Do It!

I need to do more than I am doing, and right now there is excuse not to. I’m going to do one thing a fortnight (depending on work load/assignment), for myself. I’m going try my best to use my initiative and creativity and get it done. Hopefully I’ll report back and let you all know how I am getting on with my goals, wish me luck!

'Baby, Can You Handle This?' Destiny's Child Are Back!

It was 2004 when my favourite girl group Destiny’s Child released their last album ‘Destiny Fulfilled’, so I was extremely excited this week when Beyoncé said on her official website: ‘I am so proud to announce the first original Destiny's Child music in eight years.’ The album, entitled ‘Love Songs’, will be released on the February 4^th, just before Beyoncé’s highly anticipated Superbowl performance. So of course it is expected that the other band members, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, will join her on stage for a special reunion.

While there have been nothing said about a Destiny’s Child tour, I am waiting patiently (okay, maybe not patiently), hoping that there will be one. I saw them on their last tour in Landsdowne Road, and I have to say it was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Our seats were very far away but the atmosphere was just electric, and I will never forget it for that reason. The moment when Beyoncé came on stage by herself and sang ‘Crazy in Love’, and afterwards the crowd just erupted, and were clapping and screaming for what seemed like an hour, while Beyoncé just stood there and bowed every couple of minutes, with no sign of the crowd stopping, was incredible. Another amazing moment was at the end when the group were singing ‘Lose My Breath’, and in the middle they started singing ‘Olé, Olé, Olé’, and of course when an Irish person hears that they just go crazy, and that’s just what the crowd did!

The new album is mainly covers, which is a bit disappointing, but they do have one original song, ‘Nuclear’. Have a listen to it below and let me know what you think.

Celebrity Big Brother 2013

The 11th series of Celebrity Big Brother kicked off on Channel 5 last night, and I have to say I wasn’t really that impressed by the line up. It was a lot stronger the last couple of years and the only people I knew, or have any interest in, are X Factor star Rylan Clarke, Claire from 90’s pop band Steps, and ‘The Hills’ reality stars Heidi and Spencer. I have to admit I was so excited to hear that these two were going into the house, simply for their entertainment value alone. They love nothing more than being the centre of attention, especially if it’s negative. So it definitely won’t be boring with them in the house, and I cannot wait to see the drama they (Spencer really) will cause, and after seeing the other contestants, I think they are going save the show this year.

The concept of this years show is that half the ‘stars’ are in the luxury house and are treated with champagne, food, hot showers, proper beds, a jacuzzi etc, while the other half were sent down to a cramped, smelly basement where they had no beds, no food, and have to take cold showers. Personally, I don’t splitting them up works. They all need to be together, to get to know each other for the first few days, let tensions build, bring in the alcohol, and let the fireworks begin. It’s worked well the last few series, so I don’t know why they feel the need to change it. Right now the girls (Claire, Gillian and Tricia) all seem to be getting on well, but you know that isn’t going to last!

Former model Paula Hamilton gave me the biggest laugh last night when she was the first celebrity to enter the basement, and when she was joined by Toadie from ‘Neighbours’, she had no clue who he was, and thought he worked on the show and was there to get her out. Having said that, she seems really unstable and it was very uncomfortable to watch. I hope she is the first one out because I don’t think she can cope with the pressures of being in the house.

What I noticed in the line up was the lack of younger contestants than previous years. The only two were Sam Robertson (Adam Barlow from Corrie), who came across as extremely cocky and put me off straight away, and the obligatory glamour model who thinks she’s intelligent but really isn’t, Lacey Banghard, yes BANGHARD (insert jokes here!). I think this will change the dynamics completely, but I’m not really bothered, cos whos in the house? Speidi’s in the house!!

 Right now, my money is on Rylan to win. He is fresh off The X Factor, so he is the most talked about celebrity going into the house, plus he comes across as a genuinely nice, likeable, fun guy, but he could be in danger of becoming too irritating and annoying pretty quickly.
 
 List of contestants:

1: Frankie Dettori (jockey)

2: Rylan Clarke (X Factor contestant)

3: Lacey Banghard (glamour model)

4: Ryan Moloney (Toadie from Neighbours)

5 and 6: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (The Hills reality stars)

7: Sam Robertson (Adam Barlow from Corrie)

8: Gillian Taylforth Kathy Beale from Eastenders)

9: Neil 'Razor' Ruddock (ex soccer star and Jim Davidson's replacement)

10: Claire Richards (Steps)

11: Tricia Penrose (Heartbeat actress)

12: Paula Hamilton (model and Simon Cowell's ex)