Their new series takes on the task of combining puppets with real people, and scores a huge hit. 2 foxes, a pigeon, a cat and a dog meet with a variety of other creatures, and interact with the occasional human.

The anthropomorphism gives the animals a really familiar feel, while retaining their sense of animal. You can easily imagine them as humans, although the show would be meaningless and, frankly, not very funny if they really were. A scouse pigeon becoming a born-again Christian?

The writing is absolutely superb. It has touches of Eddie Izzard, combined with a decent helping of Blackadder style wit. The deadpan delivery of some lines is only exaggerated by the juxtaposition of, say, a fox in a tie.

The fact that the first episode featured none other than CBBC’s original puppet master Toby Anstis (better known, perhaps, as Otis the Aardvark’s devoted sidekick) was a stroke of utter genius. Similarly, replacing Del Boy and Trig in the bar scene from Only Fools and Horses with two foxes. Proper comedy references, in the most irreverent style. I only hope there’s more to come!

There is a little part of me which hopes that the lampoon of “Strictly Dog Dancing”, where owners take classes in dancing with their dogs, has its roots in real life. In a way it’s too funny to have been dreamt up as a comedy device.

The sad thing is that, great though this series is, I can’t see it making it on to the big boys’channels. It’s a little too cultish, and perhaps a little too racy - without that mass appeal. Still, so long as this series live up to my expectations - and there follows a second season - I’ll be happy.

Mongrels. Check it out.

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In the Western Conference finals we have the two best teams from the Western Conference in the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks. They finished first and second respectively and were only separated by a single point at the end of the regular season. Both teams have overcome tough series on their way to the finals.

San Jose overcame playoff giants Detroit in only five games in the second round and finally look like they might overcome their playoff curse. Chicago defeated Vancouver in six games in the second round, repeating what they did to the Canucks in the previous year’s finals. Chicago have taken the first game 2-1 in what was a tight affair. This series looks like it is going to be a close one and could go the distance.

In the Eastern Conference we have two teams that you would not have bet on to be in the Conference finals; the Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers. Finishing eighth and seventh in the regular season, the Canadiens and Flyers have defeated some of the NHL’s best teams to get to where they are.

Montreal have arguably had the hardest route to the final, having played both the Washington Capitals (the NHL’s number one team) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (the defending Stanley Cup champions). Both series went to seven games and Montreal showed true grit and determination in getting by those teams.

The Flyers have also had to fight for their place in the Conference finals. They defeated the New Jersey Devils in five games, an impressive achievement indeed, before making one of the greatest comebacks in any sport against Boston in the second round. They were 3-0 in games and came back to 3-3 to force a seventh game. In that seventh game they were down 3-0 and came back to win the game 4-3 and the series 4-3.

The Flyers have taken the first game 6-0 in the Eastern finals, but don’t count the Canadiens out yet, they know how to stick around.

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Sorry Ovechkin, looks like posing in GQ didn’t make you a better hockey player…

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As the NHL season begins to wind down we find ourselves staring down the barrel of some brilliant play-off hockey. Whilst the final play-off spots are not yet set in stone, I believe the 16 teams that currently occupy the play-off spots will be the ones that are still there at the end of the NHL regular season.

In the current group is a great mixture of the old and the new. Should the Detroit Red Wings make it into the play-offs, it will be their 18th consecutive season, which is an amazing feat considering the unpredictable nature of hockey. They have consistently proven themselves to be one of the best franchises of all time. The Montreal Canadiens could also be joining the Red Wings in the play-offs and bring with them the most successful record of any NHL team. Another team with a proud history are the Boston Bruins and it looks like they will also be fighting it out for the Stanley Cup.

Some surprises have managed to find their way into the play-off spots so far this season and they look like they will comfortably qualify also. The Phoenix Coyotes are perhaps the biggest story of the season and, should they win the Stanley Cup, it will be the perfect ending to a fairytale season. The Colorado Avalanche have also been somewhat of a surprise package also and yet they find themselves on the verge of play-off qualification with several games to go.

At the top of the pile sit the Washington Capitals. They have been a dominating force all season and look like the favourites for the Stanley Cup as things stand. Returning the play-offs also will be Pittsburgh. The Penguins are the current Stanley Cup holders and their experience will keep them in good stead. Chicago and Vancouver, along with New Jersey, San Jose, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Ottawa help to round off a great group of teams, all with a decent chance of taking the Cup. The play-offs should be fantastic.

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What an Olympics it has been. The last two or so weeks have been enthralling, with each of the events having its own drama and excitement. Personally, the snowboard cross and the skiing cross were a lot of fun to watch, as were the moguls and some of the shorter distance speed skating. However, no event could compare to the Hockey.

The women’s hockey team did their job from day one as they were expected to and simply blew away the competition. It is great that Canada succeeded in this event and took the gold, however, I for one, am hoping that in four years time, the competition will be slightly harder to make for more exciting games. Nonetheless, very well done to the women’s team.

In the men’s competition, boy were we treated to some energetic and quality ice hockey. The surprise package of this tournament has to be the Slovakian team. They played with so much determination and pride that I feel bad they did not take home a medal. A fourth place finish is no mean feat considering the Russians and Swedes (whom Slovakia defeated) did not place in the top four at all.

The Canadian team started off a little tentatively, and who can blame them? The pressure they were under to do well in their own country must have been enormous and it would be a very proud player who would not admit to feeling incredibly nervous. However, when it counted, they got the job done. They destroyed their old enemy Russia for the first time in 50 years at Olympic level which was a huge feat in itself. They also did the business against the Slovakians in a difficult semi-final.

However, none of this compares to coming back from an early round defeat to the Americans to then face them again in the final and beat them to take the gold medal. They came out strong and played to their strengths. Even Crosby, who had had a relatively quiet tournament came up big for Canada in the end, netting the overtime winner to send the Canadian fans, and Canada itself, into raptures.

Important news, the three valleys ski bookings for our winter trip have been sorted. I need part of the cost by Saturday.

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Much like Canada, Russia could be found guilty of underachieving recently at the Winter Olympics. They have not won a gold medal in some time now and it is hard to see why. The Russians always bring a strong team forward to compete and on paper, they look formidable.

For this year’s upcoming Winter Olympics, the Russians, once again, are bringing a strong team to the games. If we were to compare all the teams just by looking at the roster, then it should be said that team Canada do look the strongest, but the Russians are not far behind them, along with Sweden and the USA.

Starting with the goalies you have Ilya Bryzgalov, who has been a fortress between the pipes for the surprise package Coyotes this NHL season. He has played no small part in their success and should do a great job if called upon by the Russians. Nabokov, for the San Jose Sharks has also impressed, as has Varlamov for the Capitals. The Russians seem to have the goaltending more than covered.

When it comes to the Russian defense, it becomes a little harder to work out how well they will perform. Sure, there are some top players from the NHL in there, such as Vochenkov, Gonchar and Grebeshkov. However, there are a lot players from Russian teams in there as well. This is perhaps the Russians weakness, their defense may lack a little something that could give an advantage to other teams.

However, if the Russians can be accused of weakness in the defense, they more than make up for it in their forward lines. The names Ovechkin, Malkin and Kovalchuk should send a shiver down anyone’s spine. Ovechkin is arguably the best player year in year out in the NHL and has proved it on more than one occasion this season. Malkin is playing at the top of his game for Pittsburgh, and Kovalchuk is having a season to savour for the Thrashers also. With Semin and Datsyuk also a part of the Russian side, look to this team to score plenty, and I mean plenty of goals.

The Russians come into the Winter Olympics well prepared and with a very strong line up. With their strengths in their goaltending and forward line, they should be successful, however a weakness in defense may make that gold medal a little hard to reach.

Before I log off I have some vaguely interesting news, as you all know I have been working on the conversion rate for the tattoo removal page. Which yes is ironic considering how many tattoos I actually have. But the good news is that the conversaion rate has actually jumped after all that version testing! How exciting is that?

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As the Winter Olympics draws near, we all get caught up in the excitement that surrounds the Hockey. Each country starts to weigh up their chances of taking the gold, some with a more realistic chance than others. The front runners for this Winter Olympics have to be Canada, Russia, Sweden, the USA and then Finland and the Czech Republic, probably in that order as well when one looks at the rosters.

Canada will no doubt be eager to do better than their performances in Turin back in 2006 when they finished outside of the medals. By just glancing through their roster it is easy to see that their team is full of superstars and has real strength in depth. The forwards look like they will create and score many goals with Heatley, Thornton and Marleau (all from the San Jose Sharks) in such top form in the NHL. Crosby will be a massive part of whichever forward line he is on, as will Toews who has been on fire for the Chicago Blackhawks this season.

In defense sits Seabrook, Boyle and Keith amongst others, who have all been outstanding so far this season and have been major factors in the success of the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks respectively.

Roberto Luongo has been awesome goaltending for the Canucks as has Martin Brodeur for the New Jersey Devils. With the strong defense and formidable goaltending that Canada possess, it will be difficult for any team to score more than a couple of goals a game against them.

As I mentioned earlier, there is strength in depth to this team. Even if the front runners aren’t performing there is still talent coming off the bench on the third and fourth lines. There are plenty of goals in this Canada team and if they manage to cancel out their opponents firepower, as they are more than capable of, they should perform very well.

On a completely seperate but equally Canadian note. A friend of mine the other day asked me to check out val thorens ski and tell them how it compared to Canada. And I mean, I know that I am in Britian now and not everyone knows the majesty and wonder that are the rockies, but really, I can’t actually take this question seriously. It’s completely absurd!

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What many people who adore Alfred Hitchock’s films don’t seem to realize is that Hitchcock was no more a fantastic script-writer than anyone else in the business…

…yes, his films were incredible—ground-breaking, willing to take creative risks that others shied away from—but his scripts were often no more than a basic blue-print; a tone setting device rather than a definitive outline to be followed rigidly. Hitchcock himself was not ashamed to admit these things, citing that film-making was something which had to be envisioned powerfully in ones mid before being transferred to first script, then celluloid.

I wonder if film-making of Hitchcock’s caliber could be achieved today with such an ethos and a million script discussion meetings? Something tells me that’s highly unlikely; the very story-line of recent Daniel Day Lewis film debacle ‘Nine’, directed by Rob Marshall, championed the ‘no script, just passion’ ideal, but, unlike Hitchcock’s films—which all flourished from a solid idea of what would eventually happen and where things would begin—it fell flat on its face with a big thump, despite an enormous budget and a slew of some of the hottest female actresses ever to grace the silver screen.

It’s a good question: could Alfred Hitchcock cope with todays behemoth budgets and fixation with casting, sex appeal and obsession for aesthetics over good old-fashioned creative vision? Somehow I doubt things would be the same.

Take The Birds, for example—one of Hitchcock’s most renowned pieces besides Psycho. By all accounts it’s a great film, but what if it hadn’t been made and the idea had surfaced instead in 2010 under the guidance of someone else? Would the evil birds have looked any better brought to life with CGI technology and crazy amount of cash? Or was it that slightly dodgy fluttering shadow quality that gave the birds the menace, as well as their violent action?

Sadly, it seems the days of vision over script are gone for good—but never-mind, we’ll always have Hitchcock for that.

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For any fan of Twin Peaks, ‘Fire Walk with Me’ is a must-see. In fact, after the painful cancellation of the television series, it is a much-needed extra chunk of David Lynch’s fertile imagination.

Because it is a prequel, there are lots of things to find out; and if you want to try and get to the bottom of Laura Palmer’s death, then this is a very good place to start. The whole thing gives fans an extra bit of insight into the events leading up to her murder.

The first treat of the movie is the cameo by David Lynch as Gordon Cole. But try not to laugh too much at the absurdity of his character in case you miss out on any of his strange dialogue with Agent Chester Desmond. And this previously unseen Agent is the second treat. Chris Isaak is perfect in the role and puts in a very fine performance indeed.

‘Fire Walk with Me’ is a very, very strange film. Although, we would never have wanted it any other way, would we? There are some really peculiar moments, like when a very scary-looking David Bowie suddenly appears in a corridor. And then there is the scene in a bar where the dialogue is purposely drowned-out by music.

All in all this film is vintage Lynch; it is an outing into the strange, disturbing and intriguing world of ‘Twin Peaks’. If you liked the series, then you are going to love this. Many of the show’s characters are here, along with a couple of interesting new additions in the forms of Harry Dean Stanton and Kiefer Sutherland.

But do not expect too many answers… It may just be that you will simply end up with far more questions. Although that is what makes it all so very interesting in the first place…

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What a way to win a game on Stars territory for the first time in three years. It has been on everyones mind lately, with the Oilers hanging around the bottom of the Western conference if they were going to make a playoff run they would need to hurry up and do it quickly. Being plagued with injuries and illness (including the dreaded H1N1) and star forward Hemsky out on a season ending injury, it was looking for awhile that the only hope for the Oilers was a top pick in the spring.

But then tonight happened, and the team seemed to take coach Pat Quinn’s advice to just carry on to heart. The reward? Edmonton’s first back to back win since October when the plight of of injuries started. Won with a slightly fluky goal in the 5th round shootout by favorite Horcoff, this still in my opinion wasn’t the most exciting part of the game.

What was the most exhilarating aspect for me was the fantastic show of goaltending on both sides of centre ice. After fan favorite Dwayne Roloson was traded to the Islanders for (considerably less attractive) Khabibulin, I didn’t really know how to react. But with Khabibulin banged up and out of the game it was left to Deslauriers to step up. And step up he did! Turco and Deslauriers were making the forwards throughout the game work hard for every shot. Not to mention that Turco’s glove hand was pretty much a magnet for the entire night. But the first star of the night inevitably went to Deslauriers! All in all, good show, and showing that the Oilers may be starting to turn their luck around, or at least keep their heads above the water!

More good news, the Habs celebrated a win during their centennial game helped out by Mike Cammalleri’s hat trick! Another notable centennial celebration was Lach and Bouchard having their numbers brought up to the rafters to join the Habs elite with retired numbers.

That’s all for now really, when I started this blog it really wasn’t intended to be all about hockey. But I just figure thats more interesting then stories about me cleaning my bathroom or getting drunk off champagne at the company Christmas party last night. Well maybe not more interesting then that last bit…more varied and exciting updates coming soon!

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