Christ on a Bike (Richard Herring)

Richard Herring! I was saving myself for something good to make the 200th post in this blog that no one reads, I could have reviewed Bramwell, the Victorian lady doctor (she fails at everything! Women shouldn't be doctors!) but I waited for this.

Anna, Lauren and I went to see Richard Herring at the venue under the cinema last night. He'd finished the first show, literally forty minutes before coming on and doing it all over again, but he did not seem tired at all, phew!

At Lauren's request we sat in the front row of the tiny venue, Rich was practically doing the show on top of us. I don't like sitting in the front row but I was completely at ease being in the front last night, creepily it's probably because of listening to [sometimes during the year] three podcasts a week starring young Richard I think of him as a pal of mine, I mean I know what he's up to all the time without even reading his blog or stalking him (makes a change). Let me tell you Lauren, we're not sitting in the front for Greg Davis next week, I'd be far too scared of him massively looming all over me and grimacing...

Christ on a Bike was brilliantly entertaining. Seeing one of Richard Herring's shows is like seeing a lecture given by a scarily intelligent manic child with a beard. He has so much energy and is so enthusiastic about his subject, he has really researched, but when grown-up reasoning with dream-Jesus fails, knob jokes are always there to fall back on. Also, Rich doesn't grimace.

I enjoyed the show as much as Hitler Moustache, but it was more gentle, tackling Jesus is safer than tackling Hitler, after all Jesus would most likely let you have the ball but Hitler would have SS surrounding him at all time and you'd never be allowed on the pitch. I'd still find the image of Jesus handing me the ball so much more infuriating though... Smug git!

Bronson (2009)

Tom Hardy is a bloody good actor. I really liked this film but if it had been anyone else it I don't think it would have worked.

Desperate Romantics (BBC2-Tuesdays 9pm)

Oh, so another thing I'm desperately obsessed with is the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (I'm so cool) though I've never been that fond of Rosetti- who seems to be the leader of the boyband in the new television series. The show is written by Blackpool creator Peter Bowker, who has dropped some clangers in his time so we weren't really sure what might happen- judging from the amazing trailer it was going to be great; Rafe Spall as Holman Hunt, Posner (Sam Barnett) of the History Boys playing Millais and some pretty boy playing Rosetti, David Bowie singing in the background, yeah! But how was it going to be done, surely not with Bowie singing all the time? (this is what Anna hoped for) No, thank god, no modern songs playing over the top, but thank god it is not too serious either! It is very good and very funny.

Rafe is a fantastic actor and does comedy very well (I hope he doesn't turn ham one day, remember when Timothy Spall was so good in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, and then he got famous and now he's a total luvvie? sigh, the good old days) Sam Barnett is super-duper cute as Millais and even though it's sort of a Posner-role at least he's finally getting a chance to play someone who's not gay! I can't wait to see him and Effie being all cute together- Tom Hollander is fantastically serious as Ruskin, this is also a great change for him, his memorable roles are always so typecast creepy little slime-buckets, he is the straight man and he does it with surprising depth! It's only episode one so I don't know, maybe Aiden Turner as Rosetti (formerly seen in that BBC3 Vampire/Ghost/Werewolf flat-mate show) will grow on me, but I found him sort of wooden and very over the top- it is possible to play a drunken reprebate without going into caricature you know...

Of course another joy for me watching this show is the feeling I reckon my whole family get when we sit down to watch University Challenge and they get twenty or so and I only get the music and picture rounds... I know what they're painting! I can guess what masterpiece they are suddenly being inspired to paint! I am smug.

Catch up on the iPlayer! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lvyq2