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The Charlotte Church Show

All Acting Regiment

19:06 / 04.09.06

I've always had a bit of a soft-spot for Church, being roughly her age. Considering that she went through all the "star" crap at a young age, she's managed to come out of it as a seemingly confident, no-shit-taken young woman. Her personality being more interesting than her music, I watched this show with quite high hopes.

Well. It was very much as you'd expect a show hosted by a 19-20 year old to be, but, in fact, better. Compared to the T4 presenters she seems a lot less stuck-up. Did you see it? What did you think?

Whisky Priestess

19:09 / 04.09.06

... no, no, it's not.

All Acting Regiment

19:42 / 04.09.06

No? To be fair I didn't see much of it. Have I done my trick of raving about how good something is without realising that it's been spewing hate-speech, or did you just think it was shit?

Ganesh

19:43 / 04.09.06

Shit, I didn't see it. I really like La Church on paper, and I have a sneaking suspicion that not consuming too much of her actually stokes my approval. Maybe her show's something I ought to avoid. Those who saw it: what were the highs and lows?

Janean Patience

20:39 / 04.09.06

I rather like Churchy myself, and for parts of this show she was pretty funny. Overall, though, it was poor. The problem is with the format: mixing sketches and songs and celebrity guests is very old-fashioned variety, and the Welshness of it all made it seem very parochial, like a regional favourite suddenly going nationwide.

Charl herself was sparky but inexperienced, with guest Denise Van Outen stepping in several times to help the presenting run smoothly. She's likeable but lost over 50 minutes of this and that and oh we just thought of this, and will be killed in the ratings by Ross next week.

(I wasn't criticising the Welsh above, by the way, some of my best friends are Welsh and one is extremely Welsh so I'm well aware that they're frequently the subject of unthinking racism. Still, something in the show did raise the goggle-eyed spectre of Owen Money.)

Mike Modular

22:46 / 04.09.06

I found it a bit Background TV. I'd wanted to like it, as I think CC is generally a good thing. But, yeah, it was a bit of a weak idea stretched over a long timeslot. The speed-dating section where she dragged up and donned black prosthetics was initially a bit uncomfortable viewing, but she showed enough natural wit to impress me (and the fact that she didn't really attempt to sound male was possibly a masterstroke). However, I did somewhat drift off as the show progressed, so can't really give a full considered review...

I'll give it another go though, but hope she gets to sing with a more worthy guest band that, er, whoever it was this week...

gingerbop

23:59 / 04.09.06

Unfortunately I didn't see it, but can make a fairly relevant off-topic comment.

It's in response to Legba's "less stuck up than some T4 presenters" comment. I don't know T4 presenters by name, but one came to the door of our big-top (apparently just in passing), when we were doing our end-of-year show for Circus Space.

Entry was £5.50.

She asked the door-staff (Emily), "Do I have to pay?" To which the Emily replied "It's £5.50 for everyone." Said presented sneered, said "Well, I won't bother then", and off she walked.

The Falcon

01:20 / 05.09.06

Damn you, June Sarpong!

The adverts were quite decent for this. I - ah, I missed it, yes.

■

09:41 / 05.09.06

I thought it was a bit weak, really. I made a point of taping it, just in case it was any good, as I was out on Friday and have just realised I gave up half way through and didn't bother finishing it. She's not bad as a presenter, but the writing is clunkcy and it was all a bit stilted. The Wales vs The World bit in particluar made me squirm.

All Acting Regiment

12:04 / 05.09.06

Big top sounds about right. I have a real issue with most of the T4 people. I liked the people who were doing popworld- Simon Amstell and the lass whose name I forget- but not now that it's Zane Lowe or Alez Zane or whatever that fuck's called, with his sub-Boosh persona and looks.

There was something rather Amstell-ish about Church, I thought- sort of "stuck in the middle of a celebrity world I realise is a load of balls, and having a good chuckle at it, but not in a hateful way" kind of thing.

Whisky Priestess

00:18 / 06.09.06

Yeah, but the script (or ad-libbing) needs to be sharp and convincingly delivered for that to work, for my money. The problem with the punchlines-on-the-distant-horizon gags she was given is that CC can't really tell a joke. Fair enough, she's a singer, not a stand-up, but it's still a bit embarrassing.

All Acting Regiment

11:51 / 08.09.06

Well, it's on again tonight. I'll give it a chance.

The resistable rise of Reidcourchie

14:13 / 08.09.06

I quite like Charlotte Church for reasons I don't understand. I'll probably watch it if I'm not out of a Friday evening.

I did feel a little sorry for Denise Van Outen who, reading between the lines, seemed to be saying she'd just spent some time in LA failing to get her film career off the ground.

Whisky Priestess

11:52 / 11.09.06

Ruby Wax and Patsy Kensit as "guests": question is, were they bussed in to make Church look good, or bad?

The Paris Hilton sketch: least funny thing I've seen on television for a very long time. I feel like I'm in some sort of Des O'Connor flavoured time warp.

Church is a good mimic; so far we've heard Valley Girl and Sarf London. This may stand her in good stead after the inevitable mid-series cancellation.

All Acting Regiment

15:58 / 11.09.06

Yeah, the Paris thing was so...yeah. It seems that slagging off Paris Hilton is like the Mercury Prize of bitchiness: everyone who does it just ends up looking a little bit shitty, really, cf Banksy.

Whisky Priestess

20:23 / 11.09.06

It's the easiness of the target that disappoints me. That and the complete inability to hit said large, easy target.

Tryphena Absent

20:48 / 11.09.06

Well all I can say is the show is shit but at least she's not fucking scared of a piece of cake. For that Charlotte you will forever be in my heart.

All Acting Regiment

12:16 / 12.09.06

Aye aye.

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