This time last year I watched a TV show pilot that I thought was really good.   I recommended a few people watch it and it seemed to be quite well received.   Since then the show has grown into a cultural Zeitgeist.   That show was Glee.

Given my past success, I thought I’d have a shot at looking at the American 2010-2011 TV schedule that was announced this week to see if I can pick out the next big Glee.

I’m gonna be honest – legal, medical and crime shows?  Not really my thing.  I’ve watched the odd episode of CSI, Grey’s Anatomy, etc. but I just don’t get drawn in into them.  For that very reason, I’m not gonna be looking into those kinda shows.

Also, before I sink my teeth into this I just wanted to add almost every one of the trailers for these new shows look like movie trailers to me.  Admittedly, I remember thinking the same with the first Glee trailer.

Verdict: it looks kinda funny but when a show is so focused on one element (i.e. the baby) it’s questionable how far they can really go with it.  There’s only so many baby poop/sick jokes they can do.  Then there’s gonna be the baby illness.  Then the mother wants the baby back.  Don’t think I’ll be hooked.

Verdict: So obviously the show’s gonna follow the development of the relationship between the two leads.  It looks to me like this could’ve made a great movie but as a TV show, it’ll struggle to last more than 1 season.  Then again it could be 1 season of gold à la Freaks and Geeks (only the greatest TV show ever)

Verdict: I’ll be watching it simply for the fact that Allison Janney (Drop Dead Gorgeous, The West Wing, Away We Go, Juno) is in it.  But all in all it does look like it has some humorous moments.  Only problem is the very American sports arena setting may not export very well so I doubt it’ll make it to prime-time on UK/Ireland TV schedules.

Verdict: I don’t think it’s gonna be a big success but I hope Indian call centre people don’t get as hard a time when people see the comedic side of it all.

Verdict: Ohhh Becky Newton… you gave me so many laughs in Ugly Betty as Amanda.  But now this….  I see a mid-season cancellation on the horizon.

Verdict: We’ve had 5 Bring it On films.  This looks to me pretty much like Bring It On TV.  And the fact that it’s about college cheerleading, the cast have a 3-4 year max contract before a new cast rotation which is rarely a success, especially when you have teen superstars Ashley Tisdale and Aly (of Aly & AJ) in your original line-up.

Verdict: “From the writers of 500 Days of Summer”?  YES please.  Whilst the trailer didn’t fully win me over, that writing team have me somewhat optimistic.  Then again the cast lacks Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel…

Verdict: I hope this isn’t as big a let down as FlashForward (I’ll be honest I only watched the first episode of FlashForward and people I know who watched the whole thing sung its praises).

Verdict: An original superhero series that doesn’t draw inspiration from a comic book or movie is a risky plan – no fan base but, at the same time, complete creative freedom.  Some stuff about this screams cheesy (such as him being trained by circus folk) but the humorous side (“Say hello to Dorothy bitch”) has me drawn in.  Definitely one that I’m looking forward to.

Verdict: J. J. Abrams?  Success.  Black Mr. and Mrs. Smith?  Success.  I really like the look of this show.  And it looks like it has serious room for versatility with new locations, villains, etc.  Thumbs up.

Verdict: The dad may not look familiar but he played The Thing in the Fantastic Four movies.  Here he is playing pretty much the same character again sans the make up.  Julie Benz is known for her roles as Darla in Buffy/Angel and lesbian stripper in the most recent series of Desperate Housewives.  The daughter was in the Fame remake (respect for doing something with your career after… that) and the son was the child version of Chris Pine in the new Star Trek movie.  Looks like a pretty solid cast and the trailer has me intrigued.

Verdict: I’m not that pushed to watch this.  Pretty secret agent isn’t enough to make a good show.  J. J. Abrams moved on from Alias a long time ago.  We really don’t need a rehash of it.

Here’s to hoping I can be as crafty a wordsmith in my exams…

Warm salad of scallops and black pudding with a pea & mint purée

Some people get stressed during exams.  I cook.

(Recipe available by clicking on the image or here)

Here’s what she looks like:

Double Down

The bread-less burger houses 2 slices of bacon, cheese and the “Colonel’s sauce” in between 2 chicken fillets.

I’ve got a feeling I know what you’re thinking.  Something along the lines of “Omg they could only sell something that unhealthy in America”??  Well according to the NPR’s health blog it’s not as much of an artery clogger as you may have first thought.

Whilst I’m not trying to deny 540 calories is a bit hefty for a sandwich, a Big Mac weighs in at the exact same!  And this way, you’re avoiding evil carbs!

I’m not too optimistic that we’ll be seeing it on this side of the Atlantic any time soon though…

But receiving this voucher is just one part of a much bigger journey.

Back in January I heard about the new line of Adidas Originals clothing and footwear that was paying tribute to Star Wars.  My inner 11-year-old-nerd was reawoken when I heard about the SW’s; a pair of trainers whose design was based on Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing pilot outfit:

Size? were announced to be the exclusive stockist for the UK and Ireland but it was still a while longer til the SW’s were gonna be on sale.

With the hectic lifestyle I lead, remembering the release date for them proved too challenging and when I went onto the Size? Dublin blog in mid-February, I read this.  I didn’t even bother going into the store.  The “solitary pair in size 11″ were bound to have passed on to someone else.

After a quick check online I discovered that they were being sold on ebay for about €200 and that was usually before postage was factored in.  They were awesome but unfortunately by bank balance was not awesome enough to deal with that.

My only other hope was London.  When over there last week I popped into the store in Neal Street near Covent Garden.  Optimism levels soared when I saw the word “Skywalker” etched on a chalk board near the entrance (I’ll admit I didn’t even read it – the excitement had too much of a hold over me).  Had a browse around the store… no sign… asked one of the staff… “yeah we should be getting a few in next week”.  Balls.  The odds were not stacked in my favour.

By last weekend, I had come to terms with the fact that it just wasn’t meant to be and decided I needed to keep my eyes peeled for a pair of trainers that could be purchased with relative ease.

Along arrives my sister’s birthday gift card.  On I went to the Size? website and time that should have been spent working on the hefty number of assignments due very soon was devoted to shoe perusal.  My feet needed to forget about their unrequited SW love and move on.  No use in pining after someone/thing that you’ll never get with.  So my feet and I set out to the Size? store in Dublin with the hopes of scoring a date with these.

I browsed around the shelves and there they were in their black and white glory.  They looked great… but… they were missing something.  They just needed a lil something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.  I decided that trying them on would give me a much better sense of what they’re like rather than just eyeing them up on a shelf.  But just then I spotted something outta the corner of my eye.  Something orange.  Could it be?  It was.  A single SW stared me back from across the store.  My hand, almost independent of my body, lunged for it and requested a size 11 from the nearerst staff member.

my mouth made the request. I didn't freak the staff out with a hand puppet

He came back with the action figure style box and I kinda knew before I even tried them on that I HAD to get them.  Luckily they fit like a glove.

And now, reader, I am proud to say I am the proud owner of a pair of Adidas Originals Star Wars SWs.

More photos after the jump…

Another little known fact about me – Sneaker Pimps are one of my favourite bands.  And not just their own work; Kelli Dayton’s solo work after she got ousted from the band post-first album, Chris Corner’s solo project IAMX, all of it.

The thing about trip hop, however, is as much as I love it I really have to be in the mood for it.  Hence, every couple of months I “rediscover” my love of trip hop and go on a little listening spree.  Then some new album comes out, I download it and my attention is pulled away from the moody, 90′s, heavy and slow drum beat laden sound and on to the latest Britney wannabe.

Needless to say I’m on a trip hop buzz at the moment.  And a small part of me is kinda pining to have been a 90′s teenager so that I could’ve had trip hop as the soundtrack to my angst.  I scored my moody teenage years with the Offspring and blink-182… What was I thinking? I am SO much deeper than that…

Oh Claire... you had it so easy with your uber 90's style

Sneaker Pimps – 6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit) 

Sneaker Pimps – Loretta Young Silks

Kelli Ali – Wings In Motion

Arjan wrote “Groove Armada meets Alan Braxe with a little Armand Van Helden”

Nicely put, Arjan.

UPDATE: just after discovering that Fenech-Soler and SaintSaviour are the featured talents on Groove Armada’s ‘Paper Romance’.

explains why I like it then I suppose!

When Gary Lightbody writes you something this good and you’ve taken the time to record it, you release it.

You do not allow the album on which it was to be featured to get shelved.

Neither do you let the aforementioned Mr Lightbody take the song back and re-record it with his band, Snow Patrol resulting in this:

I hope you take my words into consideration next time you record something this epic.

there may be parts of it that make little to no sense but there’s a surprise about halfway through that makes it all worth it