JOE McFADDEN, GLENDARROCH TO AIDENSFIELD & BEYOND

Tomorrow night we meet Alastair, and next week (I think) it's the Heartbeat v Loose Women edition of All Star Family Fortunes.

Fingers crossed for a HB victory.

One reality show I would like to see Joe on, is Celebrity Come Dine With Me.   Love that show!

I'd also like Joe to do a musical again.  At least not being in a long running tv series does widen his horizons somewhat, and it's always exciting to hear of new projects. 

Enjoy the weekend!

It's been ages since I posted an entry here !

I must begin by agreeing with my fellow bloggers about the way ITV have treat their employees and the viewing public.  The demise of Heartbeat is very sad but not unexpected because of the appalling scheduling (one wonders at the motives of ITV).  The expression "they couldn't run a bath" springs to mind, as do other expressions involving breweries !

Anyway, as the nights grow darker our thoughts can turn to the autumn TV schedules..... no, not ITV's bludgeoning well loved programmes, botching up our soaps and serials and ruining our Friday's with hours of unimportant football (I refer to 28th August Barcelona and who???) ... but on the good news front the return of Casualty, series 24, looking all the better for the addition of Joe as new character Alistair !  I must say I am looking forward so much to this new character !  let's face it Joe Mason came in like a lion and went out like a meek little lamb ! Maybe Casualty's writers will allow the character to retain his personality !?

After watching, and indeed, studying all of Joe's characters with my usual vigour, I can't wait for this !

Good luck to Joe.  As sad as it may be  to end an albeit successful stint in Heartbeat, I feel that this role in Casualty will really be an asset to his career.  

Scarlett (20th August, 2009). 

Having read a couple of interviews with Joe in the past few days, it's apparent that the cast and crew found out about Heartbeat's "suspension" from the media.

We can only hope that Heartbeat can be taken on by a different company - one that has respect for viewers and for its employees.

The ridiculous scheduling of the programme will no doubt have contributed to any drop in viewing figures - was that a deliberate ploy?   They certainly had no good reason for it, otherwise they might have had the decency to respond to the many letters of complaint that they received.

But after all, this was only the opinion of the viewers, who matter as little as the dedicated professionals who work on the series.  Their lack of communication or interest in what the public had to say comes across as sheer arrogance.

Financial worries like this don't happen overnight - exciting as it was for the cast/crew, and the viewers, how on earth can they justify the recent location filming in Australia.  They must have known they were in trouble then, surely?

So ITV is in dire straits, and frankly, we don't care.  What we do care about is that decent men and women are losing their jobs, whilst the people who got the company into the mess will probably keep theirs.

ITV - Independent Television?  Make that I stand for Inept or Ignorant ....

NB:  It must be stressed that these opinions are the opinions of the Admins, and some of the members, of this site, and have not been condoned or otherwise by Joe McFadden.

::So many different stories that it's hard to know what to believe.

Anyway just in case, there is now a website dedicated to saving Heartbeat.   To be honest, even if Joe weren't in it, I would want to see HB continue.   So many people enjoy it, and those people deserve to be catered for.

Is HB outdated?   In a word - no.  But maybe a little more could be made of the characters.  Joe's character seemed to have a personality transplant after the first few episodes...he came in like a lion, and soon turned into a lamb.  Of course, lambs are very sweet, but he was so different to other bobbies, that he generated a fair bit of public response, nearly all along the lines of  "a breath of fresh air".

The character of Joe Mason has such a great back story I don't know why, as yet, it hasn't been used to its full potential.  In fact, Joe has been pretty much a peripheral character imo, because although he has a lot of screen time, he really doesn't have to do much with it.

So ITV - the answer is surely to cure, not to kill.

If anyone wants to support the movement to save HB, there is a website set up:

http://saveheartbeat.proboards.com

As usual, I still have shopping to do, presents to wrap, and a house to clean.    And as usual, I wish there was one more week.

It doesn't seem a year ago does it - a year since Phil Bellamy died! 

Over at The Syrup and Feathers, the pantomime is on again, back by popular demand.  ;) 

Just one change - this year it's complete, so do take some time to settle back in our luxurious seating area, and watch Dallas in Wonderland. 

Here's wishing everyone a great time.

Rosie x

It's that time of year again! 

Happy birthday Joe ... there's a party underway on the fansite for all who want to attend.

So happy birthday as well to Nicky Byrne who hits 30 today,  And it's funny that Sharon Osbourne, who was obviously very taken with Nicky on her show some time ago, has her birthday too.

And the new series of Heartbeat begins on Sunday, two weeks after the old series ended - there's less time between series than there has been between episodes!

Rosie x

Oh, and my new Westie, Sophie, wishes Joe a happy birthday too. 

I knew it was a while since I posted a blog here.  Looking back it was actually June.

I'll continue on the seasonal theme, I don't know about the rest of the country but here up North (Tyneside), we are experiencing beautiful weather, the last two days have begun with a thick fog, easing to a mist, I live high above the river and it disappears along with the city of Newcastle and her bridges.  This is a phenomenon which never ceases to astound my children.  It is unlike a winter fog as it has the blue promise of an Indian-summer-day behind it.  Along with that are the beautiful colours of the trees, reds, golds, oranges.  I went out for a two and a half hour walk this morning just to take advantage.  My feet and legs are hurting but I'm glad I did it !

The end of this series of Heartbeat is rapidly approaching.  I suppose we can see a silver lining in the mysterious cloud that is ITV scheduling  in that it hopefully won't be too long before it returns.

It is nice to see that the JM forum is growing (almost 300 now) and Joe deserves every single fan !  Thanks also for the kind comments that have been left on the guestbook, the gallery is my personal 'baby'.  So I really appreciate that people are looking at it.    I'd just like to add (hope I don't sound like a pain) if anyone would like to use them as avatars or sigs they are welcome but please ask and credit ! Thanks ! 

The nights are growing darker now, something I find quite comforting, though conversely after a dark winter I love spring.  We mentioned this on the forum, it's nice to know others are affected by the change in season.  I am off down to the 'Big Smoke' in a few weeks, my first child-free break there for decades (obviously I was just a tot on the last child-free visit).

I do wish my dear 'comrade' luck with a new doggy !  of course they are irreplaceable but it is not so much a replacement as a new chapter.

Scarlett x

Finding it harder to find another dog than I hoped.  There must be a past the puppy stage adult Westie somewhere, who is just waiting for me!   My dog was actually irreplaceable, but a new one will bring its own character so isn't a replacement.   In the meantime, I've ordered Hamish MacBeth on DVD so I can look at Jock. 

Only three more episodes of Heartbeat to go, including tonight's..it's taken nearly a year to complete the series.  Latest is that the next run will start in 2009, not this November as we'd hoped.

Apart from that it's all quiet at McFadden Manor. 

You know when a song gets into your brain...well, I can't stop singing Galway Girl, the song in the ad. for Magners cider.  It would be better if I knew more than two lines.  I think it was No. 1 in Ireland recently?   And Gerry Butler sang it in PS I Love You. 

Speaking of Gerry, would love to see him in a movie or whatever with Joe.  They'd make good brothers.