The Big 40,000

Thanks to all my readers again (especially the regulars) as I've just passed 40,000 hits this afternoon and it's still 2 weeks until the first birthday of this blog!

Even more impressive (to me anyway) is that 20,000 of those hits have come in the last 2 of those 12 months.

A little feedback wouldn't go amiss though ...

Doctor Who - Season 3: Only One Month to Go!

Between "Doctor Who Magazine"(issue 380 below), the main BBC site and "Outpost Gallifrey, there's been a flurry of news in the past 24 hours, so I'm cramming it into this one post.

Most importantly perhaps is the start date. It's not the 7 April/Easter Saturday start I expected nor the (apparently) slated 24 March which DWM and BBC Wales originally worked to. Because of a football match (aaaaargh) it's being delayed a week to 31 March.

The opening episode has long been known to be "Smith and Jones", but as of yesterday we are only missing 3 episode titles. Here's what is known now:

1. Smith and Jones by Russell T. Davies,

directed by Charles Palmer tx 31 March

2. The Shakespeare Code by Gareth Roberts,

directed by Charles Palmer tx 7 April

3. Episode 3 by Russell T. Davies,

directed by Richard Clarke tx 14 April

4. Daleks in Manhattan (part one) by Helen Raynor,

directed by James Strong tx 21 April

5. Episode 5 (part two) by Helen Raynor,

directed by James Strong tx 28 April

6. The Lazarus Experiment by Stephen Greenhorn,

directed by Richard Clarke tx 5 May

7. 42 by Chris Chibnall,
directed by Graeme Harper tx 12 May

8. Human Nature (part one) by Paul Cornell,
directed by Charles Palmer tx 19 May

9. The Family of Blood by Paul Cornell,

directed by Charles Palmer tx 26 May

10. Blink by Steven Moffat,
directed by Hettie MacDonald tx 2 June

11. Utopia by Russell T. Davies,

directed by Graeme Harper tx 9 June

12. The Sound of Drums (part one) by Russell T. Davies,
directed by Colin Teague tx 16 June

13. Episode 13 (part two) by Russell T. Davies,

directed by Colin Teague tx 23 June

(I've added the broadcast dates assuming no pesky interruptions for sport, of course).

Meanwhile the DVD release of last Christmas's "Runaway Bride" is to be a standalone (albeit accompanied by the hour-long "Music and Mosters" special episode of "Doctor Who Confidential"). It's in the shops on 2 April (just ahead of the "Survival" release). Cover reproduced below.

I'm assuming this means a further hour's worth of extras will be on the Series 3 box set in November. I expect this may be the animated adventure, "The Infinite Quest", which will run in CBBC's "Totally Doctor Who"

The Return of "Seven Days"

This will hit you out of the blue as much as it did me (if it registers at all).

Back in mid-2001 BBC2 started a tardy screening of the US sci-fi series "Seven Days", whose 3 series simultaneously came to an end in its home country. BBC2 also only ran just over half the first (1998/99) season even then, in their one of their 6pm slots. I was impressed by the relative grittiness of the series and the sexiness of leading man Jonathan LaPaglia (above and left).

Imagine my surprise as I awoke on the sofa around 10 past midnight this morning to find it was back on! As someone who scours the "Radio Times" this was doubly surprising, but a little infuriating as the re-runs began on Tuesday morning resuming straight where they left off 6 years ago. Apparently it will carry on in this graveyard slot each weekday.

I'd urge sci-fi fans to tune in/tape/Sky+/whatever (likewise anyone who fancies Mr LaPaglia). The premise of the series is a little like "Quantum Leap" meets "Stargate SG1" with prickly protaganist Parker being sent back seven days with the benefit of hindsight to avert a disaster of some proportion. I'd guess the reason the BBC has kept it on ice so long is that the political situation in the USA and the world has moved on noticeably from when "Seven Days" was produced (today's ep battled nasties in war-torn Bosnia).

Sadly LaPaglia's star seems to have sunk also, and he's stuck in the shadow of elder brother Anthony.

Footballer Totty - Danny Murphy (Motherwell)

Found this pleasing picture of Motherwell player Danny Murphy at the weekend.

That's right - show off them thighs!

Skins' Joe Dempsie naked screencaps

Happened upon these screencaps of Joe Dempsie in a recent "Skins" episode and thought I'd share.

Been missing the recent showings owing to programme clashes and just plain falling asleep on the sofa. However, the next episode this Thursday sees some unexpected sexual shenanigans between ostensibly straight Tony (Nicholas Hoult) and token gay boy Maxxie (Mitch Hewer). So that's sure to get my attention!

Hoult is obviously generating heat - he guested on last week's "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" and has just been announced as taking the lead in a one-off BBC drama, "Coming Down the Mountain" by Mark Haddon. Meanwhile his child-star debut in "About a Boy" is being screened again at the weekend.

01/03/07 update:

DS interview with Mitch Hewer ,who plays Maxxie here:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a42216/skins-star-mitch-hewer.html

So what can we expect from your episode?
"I'm not going to give away the storyline - but something happens between me and Tony. We get close... and he ends up going down on me. A lot of things happen in the Russia episode. It's a good episode!"

Really? Tony's on the turn?
"Yeah, well, as I said, Maxxie does that with Tony. It's not Maxxie's choice, but as I said, I can't really give the storylines too much away. "

Gay Porn Star Peek 46

More Alex Corsi 1
More Alex Corsi 2
More Alex Corsi 3



Peter at Sweet Adonis
preview here

Doctor Who - Season 3 finale filming

Many people spotted the production crew out in force in Cardiff city centre yesterday. Here are three shots from Freema Agyeman's fan site where she is seen with co-stars David Tennant and John Barrowman both filming scenes and comparing puffa jackets.

I've kept back the more spoileriffic ones - more can be accessed by this Digital Spy post.

Meanwhile David Tennant and his "Runaway Bride" co-star Sarah Parish can be seen on BBC One on Sunday night in Tony Marchant's "Recovery". David is likely to pop up on TV and radio to promote this in the next couple of days.

Barearsed Daniel Radcliffe

A Digital Spy thread brought this to my attention.

Who'd have thunk it of the "Daily Mail" !

(and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=436877&in_page_id=1773&in_a_source=)

More Scottish Rugby Totty

Good excuse for another Sean Lamont pic anyway. Here it's in action against Wales and getting mucky from the pitch markings. In the days after he's been in the news again as one of three Scottish players involved in a 'tug-of-love' between club and country.

Also here are Stuart Moffat who's returning to the homeland with Reivers and bear-cub Scotland player Allister Hogg.

Irish Rugby totty - "Captain Underpants"

No 6 Nations matches this weekend but I thought I'd catch up with some related scans.

First to the Emerald Isle with 6 ft 6 Lions, Munster and Ireland star Donncha O'Callaghan. As I'd seen for myself on the tottyland site he went rather beyond the call of duty during a Celtic League match in a very welcome manner. Here "Scotland on Sunday" relates his explanation:

However, O'Callaghan took his eccentricity to new limits in a recent match against Cardiff, and this has become a favourite on Youtube.

After ripping his shorts, he threw them to the sidelines and, concerned that Cardiff would get a free throw, he duly took his place in the lineout wearing nothing more than a pair of skimpies (Munster red of course) to cover his embarrassment. It was probably just as well that the referee insisted that he find some shorts, because goodness knows what the lineout lifters would have grabbed to hoist the big fella skywards.

"I haven't heard the end of it, and to be honest it's something I really regret," O'Callaghan revealed last week. "I wish it had never happened. Everybody knows me for being outgoing and stuff like that, but it's only when you watch it back that you see how embarrassing it was.

"I was disappointed it happened, and Deccie [Declan Kidney] had to apologise on behalf of all the management, and things weren't right. But at the time I was faced with two options: stay or leave the pitch and be down a man. You've got to understand like, I've played with Paulie [Paul O'Connell] when he's had two teeth knocked out of the front of his mouth, and he played on. So I didn't think it was acceptable for me to go off.

"People think I'm a messer and a joker, but my family know me well, and they knew it was upsetting enough for me, so they were supportive. The brothers would be slagging and jockeying around and stuff like that, but they were supportive really."

Date a Hot Scot

Choose your hunk at http://www.dateahotscot.com/meet_the_scots13.html

I'm probably putting the cat among the pigeons here for the Scottish Tourist board, but nowhere does it say you can't vote/enter if you're a guy living in Scotland.

Those of you fancying a trip over might well be even more interested

I voted for Thom.

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Here's Vin Marco in a recent shoot for ManifestMen. See that little bit more via Google Blogs



And this is Edgar at Bi Latin Men ...

http://www.megapleasures.net/BLEdgar1/index.html

The Revelations - If I Called You on the Telephone

I apologise for more girls on the blog but this is a really catchy track, as heard on Alex Lester and the Dawn Patrol on Radio 2.

Attitude: February 2007

Now that I've bagged the issue, here's a further inside peek at McFly and a rather gorgeous pic of ex "Bill" actor Ciaran Griffiths who's about to go full-on gay as Mickey Maguire in "Shameless".

Billy MacKenzie x 2

Dundee's finest, the late great Billy MacKenzie with a cover that I think betters the original of "Heart of Glass'



I never claimed to understand this one but I always loved it - "Party Fears Two", the Associates first hit in March 1982. It also became the theme tune to Radio 4's "Week Ending".

Here Billy MacKenzie is joined by the equally handsome Alan Rankine. I believe the clip is from a scant remembered BBC2 show called "Friday Night, Saturday Morning", here presented by BA Robertson.

Hollyoaks' latest couple ... ?

I've been very scathing of the teen soap "Hollyoaks" in the recent past. It was deserved. However a new production team took over last year and I have to admit it's now watchable again.

Particularly of interest has been a slow burning gay storyline which has exploded this month. The characters of John-Paul and Craig started out ostensibly straight and both have girlfriends. It's been clear to viewers for some time that John-Paul was in the closet and pining for bezza mate Craig. What has caused the twist here is that when he came out it appears that the feeling may be mutual.

"Inside Soap" magazine in this "Valentines Week" photo certainly appear to believe it's on.

Rugby totty - Johnny Wilkinson

He has all the charisma of Steve Davies or Michael Owen but he still makes the grade totty-wise. After a stunning comeback last weekend here's Johnny Wilkinson as you don't normally see him. Not just injury free, but in pinstripes - very MenatPlay actually!

Rugby totty - Ross Ford

A likely lad who was eventually called to action in last weekend's Six Nations match against England is the borderer Ross Ford.

Rugby totty - Rob Dewey

In the starting line-up for today's home match against Wales is another piece of prime Scottish beef in the form of Rob Dewey. I hope the Dieux du Stade people give him a ring ...

There were these 2 Dames ...

Regular readers may know it's not often I have an all-female pic on here but when it's these 2 ladies and the lady photographer Annie Liebovitz, then I make exceptions.

Porn Star Peek 43

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"Life on Mars" - Radio Times cover 2

Actually more like 2b as this isn't actually what you will see on the newsagent's shelves, rather it's on page 3 behind a 2007 format version using the same photo. A bit of a shame they couldn't have had the balls to use this retro one properly but I guess the bogus date and (more importantly) the 5p cover price might have been a risky strategy.

We've had to wait 50 weeks since the end of series one and this set of episodes will be the last. However a US version (produced by David E Kelley) is in development and there is talk of a spin-off entitled "Ashes to Ashes" set in 1981 still featuring the Gene Hunt character. The very fact that the latter idea can be does rather point to a specific resolution to the central mystery of the show though. I'm afraid I'm already resigned to having an unsatisfactory conclusion as I feel there's been an ineptness in production that flaws both the 'real' and 'imagined' theories.

Fine Young Hannibal - Gaspard Ulliel

Following in the teethmarks of Brian Cox and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter is the comely French actor Gaspard Ulliel. The 22 year old former model is the star of the new prequel movie "Hannibal Rising".

(I nicked the pic and the headline from a Times supplement last Saturday)

Folk totty - Seth Lakeman

His pictures don't really do him justice as was confirmed for me when he appeared live on the BBC 'Breakfast" programme yesterday morning - he really is gorgeous ! Later Seth won Best Singer at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.

His latest single "King and Country" is out now.

Attitude - naked McFly

Getting McFly naked now seems almost default.

It seems Attitude magazine has not died as this is the cover of the latest issue, but whether it was intended as the January or February issue is another matter altogether ...