A night of pure TV gold. (Part one)
The right singer crowned winner of The X Factor 2008.
Plus drama and a big surprise in the Strictly Come Dancing Semi Final.
Within minutes of Alexandra Burke’s deserved X Factor victory last night, this image of her CD single cover arrived in my in-box.
The moment she was joined on stage by her hero Beyonce Knowles to duet on Listen will live long in the memory.
As will the relief on Simon Cowell’s face after Alex, 20, was announced as the winner.
She was clearly in a different class to runners up JLS and third-placed Eoghan Quigg.
Month: December 2008
ONE Foot In The Grave writer David Renwick can sometimes be mistaken for a younger Victor Meldrew.
Ask him about writing a script and his replies will include words like “agony” and “torment”.
And then there’s his explanation for bringing back Jonathan Creek after a five year absence.
“I had three options. I suppose,” he told me.
“Retire, which is becoming increasingly tempting.
“Or go away for the best part of six months and struggle to come up with something else that interested me.
“And then sit and write it and decide whether I liked it and then try and interest someone else in it.
“Which even if the BBC had bought it, would take the best part of another year, just going through the system, and then all that time delay.
HIS job is to deliver a vision of the future.
Peter Salmon is the first Director of BBC North, based at MediaCity in Salford Quays.
In his first interview since his appointment was announced this week, he told me: “We’ve done good things in Manchester.
“Now we can do truly great things here.”
I spoke to Burnley-born Peter yesterday, shortly after he visited the rapidly developing site where he and 2,400 BBC staff will be based by 2012.
You can read the online version of today’s MEN news story here.
But I thought those interested in the issues might like to read more of what he said.
As well as seeing a wider selection of the excellent MEN photos taken by my colleague Chris Gleave.
Having just got the job, this wasn’t the time for Peter to give an in-depth interview about his future plans.
But in a ten minute chat he outlined a snapshot of his current thoughts.
Along with the moment he came over all Peter Kay.
TIME to get a few things in proportion.
The X Factor is just a television show, not a matter of life or death.
The elemination of Diana Vickers has probably done her a favour in terms of her future career.
So why was Eoghan Quigg blubbing like a baby when she went out?
And how will he cope if he wins next Saturday’s final?
Diana, 17, was still maintaining she and Eoghan, 16, are just very good friends at her last press conference yesterday.
But that’s not how it looked on Saturday night.
Still sobbing, Eoghan ran on stage to embrace the Lancashire student before she had finished her farewell song.
IT won’t come as a surprise to fans of one of the best dramas on TV.
But the BBC has now officially confirmed that Spooks will return for an eighth series in 2009.
Filming begins in March.
Here’s this morning’s official release:
“Consistently hailed as a benchmark for modern drama, compelling spy series Spooks is to return next year the BBC announced today.
The hit drama from Kudos Film and Television has been recommissioned for an eighth series while it currently enjoys its most critically-acclaimed series ever.
This series witnessed the arrival of Robin Hood star Richard Armitage as Lucas North, the return of Hermione Norris as Ros Myers, the shattering discovery of Connie James as the MI5 mole and the shocking murder of Ben Kaplan by one of his own.
The highly topical series continues to secure strong ratings, regularly attracting over 5.7 million viewers on BBC One and BBC Three, and has received a deluge of positive feedback from both fans and the press.
Details of the new series are being kept under wraps until the current series has finished airing but Simon Crawford Collins, Executive Producer and Joint Managing Director at Kudos, promises there will be even more compelling storylines and high drama in series eight.
‘Spooks is currently enjoying an exceptional run on BBC One and BBC Three and viewers will be shocked when this series ends with a sting in its tale.
‘As for next year …we’re currently working with our fantastic team of writers to predict the big stories for 2009 to keep Spooks prescience in these dramatically changing times.’
Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, who commissioned the eighth series, continues: ‘I’m delighted Spooks is returning to BBC One and BBC Three next year.
‘Spooks continues to be a channel defining show, consistently pushing the boundaries of television drama while maintaining strong viewer loyalty and attracting critical acclaim. I can’t wait for series eight to burst onto our screens in 2009.’
Richard Armitage, who joined at the beginning of the current series, says: ‘I’m thrilled with the response we’ve had to this series and I can’t wait to find out what the next series has in store.
‘If the climatic episodes at the end of series seven are anything to go by, I think series eight will be spectacular. I am excited about taking Lucas into deeper and more dangerous territory, and seeing if he can survive!’
Hermione Norris, who is approaching her fourth series of Spooks as Ros Myers, adds: “Spooks is a fantastic show to be a part of and I’m delighted to be joining the team again next year.”
The final episode in the current BBC1 series in screened at 9pm next Monday.
It ends with quite a cliffhangher – that “sting in the tale” – with almost a year to wait until we find out what happens.
DID you see that coming in Survivors last night?
Government minister Samantha Willis certainly surprised me in the third episode of the BBC1 drama.
As did the the location used by actress Nikki Amuka-Bird and the rest of the TV team to portray the home of Samantha’s small community.
Interviewing Nikki back in September, she told me about filming the scenes at the Earth Centre, near Doncaster.
You can read more about both Nikki and Survivors in yesterday’s MEN interview here.
I have to confess I’d never heard of the Earth Centre.
And, perhaps, I’m not alone…as it failed to attract visitors and closed in 2004.
THE con is back on.
Hustle returns to BBC1 next month for a fifth series.
With Adrian Lester back as Mickey.
Reunited with Robert Vaughn and Robert Glenister (pictured) as Albert and Ash.
Guest stars in the new series include Bill Bailey, Kelly Adams, Matt Di Angelo, Tim McInnerny, Kate Fleetwood, Patrick Bergin and Adam James.
Previous regulars Marc Warren (Danny), Jaime Murray (Stacie) and newcomer Ashley Walters (Billy) have left the series.
But Adrian says it was great to be back on set with the dream team of Vaughn and Glenister.
REPORTS about the casting of a new factory boss in Coronation Street have missed out a family link.
Craig Kelly arrives on screen in February as Luke Strong, who turns out to be the majority shareholder in Underworld.
And former Queer As Folk star Craig just happens to be the elder brother of ex-Shameless actor Dean Lennox Kelly.
Dean, 33, whose recent credits include The Invisibles, The Passion, Cranford, Sorted and Doctor Who, began life as plain Dean Kelly.
But as there was already an actor of that name, he added his mother’s maiden name – Lennox.
While Craig, 38, has played a string of roles since appearing as Vince Tyler (pictured) in Russell T Davies’ classic Manchester C4 drama.
Including Casualty, Waking The Dead and teacher Mr Treblecock in the third and final series of The Grimleys.
ITV has now released the first publicity pic of Demons.
The six-part drama stars Philip Glenister as American Rupert Galvin.
It’s due on screen early in the New Year in a weekend schedule which will also include the 2009 series of Dancing On Ice.
I asked Phil if part of the attraction of the role was the fact that, perhaps, his eldest daughter could watch him on screen.
“Well, yeah, I’ll try it out on Millie, maybe.
“I don’t know, because it is quite scary in places.
Life of Wylie 