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andrewslamb
Reviews
Sugar Rush (2005)
A brilliant coming of age/friendship drama
I caught the first series of Sugar Rush on Channel 4 when it was screened but missed the second series. I bought them both last week and what a great time I have had catching up and getting to know what happened in the second series. Basically Sugar Rush is a coming of age drama, Kim Daniels(wonderfully played by the deliciously cute Olivia Hallinan)starts out as a closet lesbian who is love with her best friend Maria "Sugar" Sweet,(again a great performance from Lenora Crichlow who plays Sugar as a selfish but reliable friend to Kim) as the first series goes on we see how the girls friendship grows and lasts through various challenges such as Kim coming out to her friend. The second series builds on the first and introduces the character of Saint(Sarah) as played by Sarah Jane Potts,played wonderfully.In Season 2 there are trials and tribulations before she and Kim get together in the final episode. The final scene with the three girls all together is moving and funny. Kim has all she ever wanted a girl to love and her best friend staying with her. A big call goes out to the supporting cast the wonderful cast with Sara Stewart playing the wonderfully immature Stella and Richard Lumsden as the pinny wearing father, Nathan. A final call goes to Kurtis O'Brian who plays Kim's young brother who goes from believing he is from another planet to being a transvestite in season 2.
Al in all a great piece of drama, well written, well performed and it makes one think about growing up, friendship love and the struggles therein. One major disappointment is that Channel 4 haven't vouched for a third season. Ah well maybe one day!!
Rab C. Nesbitt (1988)
Superb, Fantastic, Brilliant
As a Glaswegian exile, now living in Bolton, England, certain things remind me of home: rain, haggis suppers and Rab C Nesbitt. Rab is everyman, he is the peoples champion, voicing their thoughts and opinions, he is the part of us that bucks the system and says it as it is. My favourite scene had to be the one with Stanley Baxter as his friend, when they attended the Football World Cup in Italy. Stanley's character is terminally ill and this is his swan song. Allow me to go a little bit deeper here, Scotland as a nation are a country of triers and doers with big hearts and even bigger ambitions. We have qualified for the World Cup on eight occasions which, as small nation we are proud of. However we have never qualified past the group stage. In Italy we were in a group with Costa Rica, Sweden and Brazil. We transpired to lose 1-0 to Costa Rica, Beat Sweden 1-0 and then in the final game against Brazil we had to avoid defeat to finally break our duck. This is the setting for the end of the episode in question. Stanley Baxters character has a heart attack before the game, amidst telling everyone who will listen that theBrazil game is not a lost cause and Scotland can cause a huge upset bygetting a result. Scotland lost 1-0, the final scene has Rab at hisfriends side as he opens any eye and with his dying breath he asks, "Well Rab?" Nesbitt is struggling back the tears and to avoid hurting his friend he lies to him, " Aye,we scudded them, we scudded them, 3-0," As a Scotsman I know the hurt of following the national team and the frustration of watching Scotland try and fail every time. This scene always makes me fill up.
Out of This World (1987)
Maureen Flanagan
I alway remember I had a HUGE crush on Maureen Flanagan when I first saw Out of this World! It was shown in the morning on ITV and I remember I always watched it avidly! Sitting with a mid morning snack and a cup of Irn Bru (I am actually blushing as I write!) I loved the fact that this foxy girl could do magic, and the fact that it was to do with aliens just made me more intent. I also remember Doug MacClure as the mayor, having seen him in a variety of Dinosaur- Cavemen Movies the very fact that this man was also on TV made the young Andy Lamb watch with a combination of amazement and wonder! Ah the joys of youth! I only wish I could find it on DVD now to see if the old saying is true that, " The Memory Cheats" a la "The Tomorrow People" and "Blakes Seven"
Suikoden (1973)
Superb
What can one say about this series? Well I remember as a youngster watching it on TV, it wasn't until I got the series on video again a few years back that i appreciated how good it actually is. Think Robin Hood and his merry men set in China at the time of the tsung dynasty and you very much have the idea. The basic idea is that Lin Chung(Atsuo Nakamora ) a brave and noble member of the imperial guard is discredited by his corrupt peers, because his superior Kao Chiu (brilliantly played by and Kei Sato) lusts after lin Chung's wife, who of course knocks him back and kills herself after Lin divorces her rather than have her share in his disgrace. The "Gang" are an assortment of characters who all vary differently but add to the overall feel of the show from Lu Ta (Isamu Nagato) The gentle giant priest, to Hu San-Niang (Sanae Tsuchida) who carries a torch for our hero, and who is a dab hand with a sword herself through to Shi Shin ,The Tattoed Dragon as played by Teruhiko Aoi. Like the merry man in the Robin Hood legend each character has their own skills and traits and each contributes to the overall story arc.Each having a story to themselves almost.
All in all the show can be summed up in one word..............Fantastic.