ith no new Sopranos episodes coming
our way in 2005. you may be
wondering if there's anything worth getting excited about this year. Well. there's The Sit/minus 'Ii'ii'iu (iumc and series live on DVD. Yet incredibly. 2005 is actually doing a pretty good job at proving that there‘s more to cultural life than Tony and his crew. Just.
The big TV excitement for this year revolves around two of our most gifted comic heavyweights. lilsewhere in this issue. we‘ve hornbarding you with a fawning tirade of sucky sticky at the altar of (‘hris Morris for his upcoming Nathan Barley (licbruary). a savage sitcom co-written with another cuttineg cruel satirist (‘harlie Brooker. It‘s genuinely terrifying to contemplate what that pair will come tip with. ()n marginally safer footing is Extras (June). the Ricky (iervais follow-up to The (If/ice. which concerns the world of TV and film extras. as opposed to the kind of extras you can expect in a contemporary ‘sauna'. ‘lt‘s about the minutiae of human behaviour. the excruciating faux pas.‘ stated (ier'vais on best buddy Jonny Ross‘s chat show. Which doesn‘t sound a lot unlike The Office. liact. J ude Law is reputed to be appearing as himself but whether (iervais gets his dream of a Samuel 1. Jackson cameo will he revealed soon enough.
lilsewhere. the monster movie makes a comeback this year with Peter Jackson hoping to progress further his plan for world domination by moving from Middle liarth to Sktill Island for a hold new King Kong (December). Despite the casting concerns (wooden old Naomi Watts in the lay Wray role and Jack Black in any role). Jacko is one of the few directors you could trust not to screw this one tip. More localised monsters are at play when the League of Gentlemen make the switch to the big screen in the form of Royston Vasey: The Movie (June). An excellent supporting cast includes Bernard Hill. David Warner. Michael Sheen and the bloke who plays Todd in ('rn'rir’.
There are no monsters lurking in the Sigur Ros songbook. just lush gorgeousness as exemplified on their last album. the bombastically titled t). You should pop over to www.sigur-ros.co.uk
2005 THE COUCH POTATO
For BRIAN DONALDSON, deputy editor and the man responsible for its Books, Comedy and Television pages, 2005 is set to be a great year for TV comedy. 80 what’s he so downbearted about?
where there are some images of them going absolutely mental in the studio as they prepare for their next barnstorming thunderset of cockrock ballads. due out in April. 50 Cent is another chap known for his delicate manoeuvres. Dodging bullets so they only smash through your chin is certainly quite a slick move. No doubt his creative demise (if not his actual mortal. real life one) will be complete in 2005 when he releases his follow-up to (ir'l Ric/r Or Die 'lijvt'n'. but it'll be more than fun watching him go down in a blaze ofglory with The lirlr'irtrans I)u_v .ilussur'rr' (l‘ebniary. unsurprisineg ).
(ilory is something which Ali Smith is clearly bound for as her next novel. The Accidental (May). is an absolute dead cert to win the Booker Prize at the end of the year. And if that‘s not condemning a writer into obscurity. then I don‘t know what is. Bret Easton Ellis likes to keep us waiting but rarely disappoints and Lunar Park (October) is a wildly inventive quasi-
‘THERE'S MORE TO CULTURAL LIFE THAN TONY SOPRANO AND HIS CREW. JUST '
autobiographical semi-fiction in which a writer called Bret liaston lillis has his lovely life upset when something weird happens to his daughter‘s liurby and a stranger called Patrick Bateman appears to be stalking him. You cart see what he‘s doing here. the crafty Manhattan scamp. can‘t you?
If all that postmodern doomgloomery is too much for you. the Glasgow International Comedy Festival (March) will surely provide a
bundle upon a barrel. laden with a bellyload of
laughs. Superstars such as Harry Hill. Paul Merton. Julian Clary. Ardal ()‘Hanlon. Jack Dee and Stewart Lee are all scheduled to be doing their comic stuff there. Which is very exciting indeed. ()f course. the best thing about 2005 is that once we get to the end of its vibrant l2 months. we'll still have ten new episodes of The Sopranos to come in 2006. Bada hing!
Ricky Gervais
APRIL
Edinburgh Glasgow International International Science Festival New an initiative Exploscns. potiOns. based at Tramway. experiments and discusscn. all in the Celtic Film and name of science
with a Mexican theme
Television Festival
Worth the trek to Cardiff for l0vers of celtic Culture Triptych
Three cities Three days of brilliant mUSic, Triptych D'yOu see”?
I MAY I
Cannes Film Festival
When Hollywood bows down before French Snobbery and the Riviera gets lust that little bit trashier
Likely date of Loch Fyne Food general election Fair
Whene/er we go to Farmers market and
the polls. the number more in Clachan. by
of Scottish MPs Wlll the banks of the loch
be cut from 72 to :39 Get up to yOur OXlefS in O/Sters
0—2, M' 7/3 THE LIST 27