Birdbox Episode 2 Now Online

Episode two of Diva magazine's online show, The Birdbox, is now available. Guests include the lovely Heather Peace, Rosie Wilby and a performance by Big Brother Shabby's band Voodoo Hussy.

Watch the episode

Share |

New Diva TV Show Birdbox

UK Lesbian magazine Diva now have an online show called The Birdbox.

The latest episode is presented by comedian Jen Brister and Diva editor Jane Czyzselska and includes articles on girl gangs, 1920's fashion, the Gay Games and gay and lesbian dating applications.

Watch the latest episode

Share |

Lip Service Episode Two Review

This week’s episode of Lip Service was such an improvement on the first episode.  

Now we have the basic backgrounds of all of the main characters the dialogue has improved and the plots are developing rapidly.

Tess provides the comic elements again by posing as a child psychologist on Lou’s show and managing to demolish a wedding cake while working as a runner and putting Cat’s mobile phone in the wash.

Most of us can also probably empathise with her struggle to have a fulfilling relationship with the uptight and closeted Louise. 

Frankie and Cat attend Frankie’s aunt’s funeral and we see Frankie at her dysfunctional best by trying it on with Cat at the funeral, attempting to lure Cat away from her date with Sam and sleeping with a thief who Frankie’s money and the necklace Jay had just bought for Becky.

Cat is still a neat freak with Tess pushing all of her buttons by being messy and disorganised.    

The sex scenes were so much more realistic than last week and it was nice to see more of the cop character Sam. 

We also have the mystery of the missing photo album, the boy at the empty flat, Annie Cawthorne and why Frankie’s relatives have alienated her. 

So plenty to keep us guessing and I for one can’t wait for episode three!

Share |

Lip Service Episode One Review

The eagerly anticipated first episode of new UK drama Lip Service finally aired last week, at the rather unsociable time of 10:30 on BBC3.

Set in Glasgow the story revolves a set of twenty-something friends of varied sexualities. 

Like most first episodes, it gives us the background to each of the characters. We discover that Frankie  (played by Ruta Gedmintas) is a womanising photographer who badgered Cat (played by Laura Fraser) to leave her girlfriend; only to run off to New York without saying a word.  We find out the aunt that brought her up after her parents died has passed away but that they hadn’t spoken for ten years.  Viewers have drawn parallels with The L Word’s Shane but I think this character is more complex and emotional and one you are either going to love or hate.

Cat comes across as a neurotic, but likable, control freak who still hasn’t moved on from Frankie. Cat’s brother Ed (played by James Antony Pearson) is an unsuccessful writer with an obvious crush on lesbian Tess (played by Fiona Button) who provides the comic elements of the show (the scenes with celebrity Lou (play by Roxanne McKee) were also very cute.

Sam (played by Heather Peace) who we haven’t seen much of so far is the cool butch cop who is interested in Cat.

Jay (played by Emun Elliott) is the male equivalent of Frankie, but has surprisingly settled down with his girlfriend Becky.

Of course a series like this that has been broadcast on one of the minor BBC channels has to draw in viewers and this was secured by including the controversial sex scene in the undertakers next to a dead body.  Weirdly enough that didn’t shock me as much as what I felt was a rather unrealistic simulation of sex (or perhaps I've been doing it wrong all these years!)

I loved the phrase 'Lezzurrection' and Tess description of lesbian dating being sitting there 'looking hungrily at women hoping that they make the first move'. I also liked that they used real elements of the culture like GaydarGirls and Diva. I think that the portrayal of lesbians (barring the sex scenes) are pretty realistic so far and they have the clothing and culture down to a tee.  I would love to know how they all afford such nice apartments though!

On the whole I really enjoyed this first episode, and comparisons to The L Word aside, I think that this is a grittier more refreshing take on the lives of lesbians in the UK.

Share |

Lip Service Maintains Viewing Figures for Second Week

New lesbian drama Lip Service continued to attract over half a millions viewers this week.

View full article

Share |

Clip of Lip Service Character Ed

Ed (played by James Antony Pearson)  is Cat's sister who has a secret crush on lesbian Tess (played by Fiona Button).

Watch the clip here

Share |

Lip Service UK Air Date Announced!!!

The eagerly anticipated series Lip Service begins airing on BBC3 at 10:30pm from Tuesday 12th October.

For those of you who haven't read my previous posts the programme revolves around a group of friends in Glasgow and stars Heather Peace, Laura Fraser and Ruta Gedmintas.


I will post a review of each episode on the blog and you can also pre-order the first series from Amazon UK.

Share |

Some of the Gayest Vampires in Film and TV

Out.com have a great article on gay vampires and it includes some of my favourite films and TV shows. See if any of your favourites are in their list.

Read the article

Share |

The Story of Sophie and Sian

If you haven't watched the ongoing lesbian storyline in Coronation Street so far then it may be worth catching up with events by watching this video on the ITV website.

Share |

Sue Perkins To Host Stonewall Awards

Comedienne and presenter Sue Perkins will be hosting the annual Stonewall Awards at the Victoria and Albert Museum on the 4th November.

Last years winners included Sarah Waters for her latest novel The Little Stranger.

Book Tickets Here

Share |

Katee Sackhoff to Join Cast of CSI Las Vegas

If you were a fan of the recent incarnations of Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman then you might find the prospect of Katee Sackhoff joining CSI Las Vegas as a feisty detective pretty exciting.   Sackhoff was previously offered a role in True Blood but opted to become part of the cast of new police drama Boston's Finest. Unfortunately the pilot wasn't picked up by any of the networks.

Share |

Another Lip Service Teaser Clip

As yet there is no official air date for Lip Service but here is another promo clip, this time about the character Cat (played by Laura Fraser)

Share |

Emma's Imagination Cover Version of 'Change' by Deftones

For those of you that have been watching 'Must Be The Music' on Sky and like Emma Gillespie then check out this amazing cover version of one of my favourite Deftones songs.

Share |

Lip Service Character Frankie

If you want to know a bit more about the character Frankie (played by Ruta Gedmintas) in the soon to be aired series Lip Service then check out this clip on the BBC Three site.

Share |

New Transgender Character in Hollyoaks

Stonewall recently published a report that found lesbian and gay people were positively represented in just 0.6% of popular TV shows. Another severely neglected area are transgender individuals. Apart from Hayley in Coronation Street, I can't think of any positive representations of transgendered people on current television so the emerging storyline of 15 year old Jasmine Costello who transitions to Jason is very welcome.

The character is played by newcomer 23 year old Victoria Atkins.

View The Stonewall Report

View the Character Profile on the C4 Website

Share |

How Do TV Execs Decide What Programmes To Axe?

The news that Heroes has been axed, just as Claire and and Gretchen's relationship was blossoming, is just about the last straw for me. I still don't know if Jenny Schecter was murdered or not and by whom, and if John Connor was left trapped in a different time to his mother Sarah (played by the gorgeous Lena Headey of Imagine Me And You) forever. I will never know how Kizza, Saint and Sugar managed to co-habitate or where the ghost of Thelma went to live once the school in Hex burnt down.

I would love know how modern ratings are measured; as with the emergence of PVRs and online players most TV programmes do not get watched in real-time.  Do the TV execs also take note of the number of fans on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and the protests when series are ended prematurely with no closure or tying of loose ends for the viewers?  Do they register DVD sales as part of their analysis or do they stick a pin on a list of shows and whichever it lands on gets cancelled?

Who at ITV thought it was a good idea to cancel the quality drama 'Wire In the Blood' created from the novels by the lesbian author Val McDermid, yet leave on anything containing David Dickinson or the word 'Celebrity' in the title?  Hasn't reality TV (apart from the excellent Come Dine With Me of course) had it's day?

I realise that sometimes real-life events, like actors wishing to leave, or in the unfortunate case of Spartacus Blood and Sand, get delayed due to illness (get well soon Andy Whitfield) but I really think that the execs owe their fans a bit of closure and should at least produce a one-off special episode to tie up loose ends before they destroy the sets.

Share |

New Lip Service Promo Clip On BBC Website

The new lesbian drama Lip Service is to be shown on BBC this autumn and another teaser clip has been released.

View The Clip

Share |

Another Gay Character In 90210!

To follow up the recent, and very brief, lesbian affair in this season's 90210 the next season will include one of the existing male characters in a coming out storyline.

For those of you who are interested, the lesbian character Gia (played by Rumer Willis) was recently introduced to the programme and began a brief relationship with ex-addict Adrianna (played by Jessica Lowndes)

The relationship lasted all of about two episodes, until Adrianna caught Gia cheating on her with her ex-girlfriend Alexa (played by South Of Nowhere's Mandy Musgrave).

Share |

Kate French Currently Starring in One Tree Hill

 Kate French (Nikki in The L Word) is currently starring as Renee in the latest series of One Tree Hill on E4.

Share |

Favourite Doctor Who Episodes Revealed

Digital Spy have compiled a list of the favourite Doctor Who episodes of the last series.  Not surprisingly the finale episode 'The Pandorica Opens' came top.  My personal favourites were 'The Big Bang' and 'Vincent and the Doctor'.

See the full list

Share |