Wednesday 17 December 2008

TV

On the third day of catch-up my TV showed to me...!

Merlin
1x13 Le Morte d'Arthur [season finale]
Oh what a clever title! Too clever for a prime time Saturday night family drama? I mean, will most viewers even know what it means, never mind the cultural reference?

The Royal Variety Performance 2008
I almost always watch this, but often have mixed feelings by the end of it. This year, however, it was a damn fine show, with too many highlights to list here. Hurrah!

Survivors [2008]
1x05 Episode 5

Wallander
1x03 One Step Behind [season finale]
Oh he's so glum. Though quite understandably in this episode, it must be said.

Articles

Hallelujah set to be a Christmas No 1 and 2 by Sam Jones
(from guardian.co.uk)
Hallelujah!

Will X Factor winner Alexandra be beaten to the Christmas No.1 by Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah? by Lizzie Smith
(from Mail Online)
Fingers crossed!

Christmas singles

Stop The X Factor from being Christmas number one! Buy one -- or all (I did) -- of these!

New today: Hallelujah is available from HMV! A new place to buy! Yay!

Do not buy it from Amazon -- it doesn't count toward the chart.

The Facebook group has almost hit 80,000 members as of writing this, and I should think will cross that by the end of the day. There's still hope!

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
iTunes | 7digital | tunetribe | HMV
Backed by Facebook and Radio 1, this one stands the best chance.

Let's Not Fight This Christmas by Chris Difford & the Decorations
(aka The One Show Single)
iTunes | 7digital
Camp and silly, this is -- believe it or not -- the best one.

It's Christmas Time by Status Quo
iTunes | 7digital
Almost as good. These two would fit seamlessly on all those Christmas compilations.

Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth by Bandaged
(aka Sir Terry Wogan & Aled Jones)
iTunes | 7digital
It's got Sir Terry Wogan on it -- that automatically makes it a contender for Best Ever.

Once Upon a Christmas Song by Peter Kay's Geraldine McQueen
iTunes | 7digital
Not as good as it could be, but hey, it might have a chance...

Joseph, Better You Than Me by the Killers featuring Elton John & Neil Tennant
iTunes

And I'll be posting this again tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory VIII

VIII. A Breath from the Wood
by Andy Brown

This week, Poem of the Day is continuing to present Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. The first five parts were published daily last week. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment of this work, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

Why she appeared in the ruffled beards
of lichen on the trees outside my window,
asking was I now prepared to love,
or just go on pretending, I could not say.

Instead, I sat ashamed of my own breath
and stammered pointless words
about the only options left to us
the whole of the woodwind day.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.