The Killing - the second series

At last, BBC4 is airing the second series of The Killing. For those who don't know, The Killing is a fabulous Danish crime series. The first series was a huge hit in the UK so expectations are very high for the second series.

Did you watch the first two episodes last night? I did, and I thought it was a very good start to the new series. It's a shorter series than the first one (only ten episodes compared to twenty in the first series) so the storyline is moving along at a faster pace. I hope that means we won't have so many red herrings this time.

It's great to see Sofie Gråbøl back as Sarah Lund, the detective who spots vital clues that everyone else always seems to miss. Another character - Brix (Morten Suurballe) - is also back from the first series. And Sarah has a new partner, Ulrik Strange (Mikael Birkkjær). You gotta love the name,"Strange"!

This series is similar to the first one, because there is a strong political element. I kept looking for Troels (from the first series) to appear though. I really miss that character!

So, there are two murder victims already and their deaths may or may not be linked to members of an extremist group. I don't want to give too much away because you may not have watched the first two episodes yet.

Please feel free to discuss The Killing 2 by leaving a comment on this post. If you want to avoid spoilers, I suggest you avoid reading the comments. 

If you missed an episode, you can catch up via iPlayer or watch the repeats on BBC4 on Wednesday, 10:30pm.

I would love to know what your thoughts are about the storyline so far. Has the second series grabbed you yet? What are your thoughts about Sarah's new partner?

And if you are a fan of the series, I'm sure you will enjoy watching this video:
Sofie Gråbøl interviewed (in English!) by Val McDermid on BBC2's The Culture Show on Friday 21st October 2011.

Downton Abbey - Series 2

The fabulous period drama, Downton Abbey, is back with a new series, and it's superb!

The first series ended with Britain declaring war on Germany, and this series is about how they are all involved (either directly or indirectly) with fighting the Great War.

I won't give too much away in case you are planning to watch it on iPlayer or for those waiting to see it in other countries.

If you did watch it, please leave a comment. Did you think it was a good start to the second series?

Downton Abbey, ITV1, Sunday 9:00 PM

Twitter: @DowntonAbbey

Law & Order: UK - Lessons in British Justice (funny!)

This short video is hilarious!

What has America learned from the curious and fascinating habits of British police and Crown prosecutors? Find out!

Law & Order: UK - Lessons in British Justice

The Killing: Did you watch the whole series? Discuss here

I have been addicted to watching The Killing on BBC 4 on Saturday nights and last night was the final two episodes of this brilliant Danish series. So now we know who killed Nanna Birk Larsen.

I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster ride with my emotions. I was eager to find out who the murderer was, but at the same time I feel bereft now that the series is finished. It was like reading a book that you never want to end.

There were so many suspects! Did you figure out who the murderer was or were you confused by all the red herrings (like I was)?

I have to say that in my opinion, the whole series was the best dramatic series, ever! It had everything - the convoluted story has been so compelling, and all the actors were superb. I was totally hooked from the very first episode.

However, saying that, I'm not sure the ending was as satisfying as I was expecting it to be. There were so many unanswered questions! I'm still puzzling over details that don't make sense to me. What about the flat? And the car that was from Troel's department?

I am eager to discuss the series now with others who watched it too. Please share your thoughts about the ending in the comments.

Spoiler Alert:
If you haven't watched this series yet, don't read the comments!

Related post:
The Killing: Compelling Danish crime thriller on BBC4

Brit Awards 2011

The BRIT Awards 2011

Did you watch The Brit Awards on ITV last night? What did you think of the show? Were you happy with the winners? I was very pleased that Mumford & Sons won British Album of the Year. They are a fab group!

Tinie Tempah, the UK rap star, won two Brit awards: for best British breakthrough act and best single for his hit 'Pass Out'.

Justin Bieber was named best international breakthrough act.

The full list of winners of the 2010 Brit Awards:

British Male Solo Artist - Plan B
British Female Solo Artist - Laura Marling
British Breakthrough Act - Tinie Tempah
British Group - Take That
British Single - Tinie Tempah
British Album of the Year - Mumford and Sons
International Male Solo Artist - Cee Lo Green
International Female Solo Artist - Rihanna
International Breakthrough Act - Justin Bieber
International Group - Arcade Fire
International Album - Arcade Fire
Critics’ Choice - Jessie J
British Producer - Markus Dravs

It was the first time the ceremony was held at the O2 Arena.

Mumford and Sons (an English folk rock band) who won 'British Album of the Year' for their album 'Sigh No More', sang "Timshel" at the awards show:


I thought the highlight of the show was when Adele sang ‘Someone Like You’



BRIT Awards 2011

The Killing: Compelling Danish crime thriller on BBC4

Have you been watching The Killing on BBC4 on Saturday nights? If not, you have been missing a cracking new series! Last night, episodes 5 and 6 were aired.

There are twenty episodes in total (spanning the course of a 20-day murder investigation) but the BBC is showing two episodes every Saturday. And the good news is that it's not too late to start watching the series, thanks to the BBC iPlayer (if you are in the UK). The series also helps viewers catch-up by showing clips from previous episodes at the beginning of each episode.

The Killing is an intense Danish crime thriller about Inspector Sarah Lund with the Copenhagen Police department. On the day Sarah is working her last shift before a planned move to Sweden with her boyfriend, Bengt, she is forced to lead a high-profile investigation, along with detective Jan Meyer (Søren Malling), into the murder of 19-year old Nanna Birk Larsen.

The series makes for very compelling viewing. Each episode is another day in the investigation and there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot as well as numerous suspects. It's a very powerful drama. Yes, the theme of murder is dark and depressing, however the storyline advances little by little just as in a real investigation and it hooks the viewer into wanting to know more. The characters are all very believable so it's easy to get wrapped up in the story.

All the actors in this brilliant series are superb. Sofie Grabol is outstanding as Detective Sarah Lund. She's amazing to watch as she portrays the detective with an obsession for her work. It's almost possible to see her mind working as she examines each detail in the case. She's a fantastic actress!

The acting by Ann Eleonora Jørgensen as Pernille Birk Larsen, the mother of the murdered teenager, is simply astounding. The raw emotion she shows in every scene is mesmerizing. I forget she's acting because every nuance of her performance is so realistic. Bjarne Henriksen as her husband, Theis, is also excellent. Together, they create a very believable married couple who are coping with the grief of losing a daughter.

The political intrigue is yet another fascinating element to this story. Lars Mikkelsen as Troels Hartmann who is campaigning to be the mayor of Copenhagen, is very watchable indeed.

I love the way all the different threads of the story weave together, and the way it makes the viewer think about the clues and ponder about each possible suspect. And there are so many suspects!

The Killing was originally released in Denmark as "Forbrydelsen" ("The Crime") and was aired in Denmark in 2007. A second series was aired in Denmark in 2009, and a third series is being made which is due to be aired in Denmark in 2012. I'm hoping the BBC will decide to broadcast the second and third series too! [Edited to add: The BBC has confirmed that it has bought the second series and will show it later this year!]

An American remake is being produced but I really don't know why it's necessary. This drama has everything and the original is perfect as it is.

Highly recommended.

The Killing BBC 4, Saturday, 9:00 - 10:55pm
In Danish with English subtitles
(repeated on Wednesdays at 11pm)

The Killing 2007 - English Trailer Season One


Full cast list (via IMDb)

27 March, 2011
Edited to add:I have started another post about this brilliant series now that it has ended. We can discuss the show there and analyze the plot.Please post your thoughts about the ending to the series on this post:

The Killing: Did you watch the whole series? Discuss here

Downton Abbey - fabulous new costume drama on ITV

So, did you watch the first episode of Downton Abbey last night? I did and I loved it. It's a new seven-part period drama, about what goes on above and below stairs at an Edwardian country house - very similar to Upstairs, Downstairs.

Downton Abbey was written and created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), and stars Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Maggie Smith. I love all the characters and all the scheming and the way the first episode has set up so many storylines. And the country house - Downton Abbey - is a star in its own right. The series was filmed on location at Highclere Castle.

It's fabulous! I'm well and truly hooked on the series and looking forward to the next six episodes!

There is an excellent website about the series with loads of interesting details. You can also follow on Twitter @DowntonAbbey for official tweets for ITV1's new costume drama.

Downton Abbey + Q&A - video via BFI Live (British Film Institute)
Director Julian Fellowes introduces his new TV drama Downton Abbey in a preview screening followed by a Q and A with cast members Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt and Executive Producer Gareth Neame.

If you missed the first episode, you can watch it via ITV Player (UK only). Highly recommended!

UK General Election 2010: The Final Leadership Debate

Eight million people watched the final leaders' debate last night between the leaders of the three main parties:

• The incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, Gordon Brown  
• The leader of the Opposition and Conservative Party leader, David Cameron
• The leader of the Liberal Democrats party, Nick Clegg

The theme of last night's debate was about economic issues.

The questions from audience members were about spending cuts, taxes, taxpayers funding the banks while ordinary people are worse off, how to rebuild the country's manufacturing industries, immigration, housing, abuse of the benefits system, and education.

In his opening remark, Gordon Brown made a passing reference to his embarrassing blunder on Wednesday (when he left his microphone on after an encounter with a woman in Rochdale so he was heard calling her 'a bigoted woman') :

"There's a lot to this job, and as you saw yesterday I don't get all of it right. But I do know how to run the economy in the good times and in the bad.”

All three leaders seemed in a fighting spirit and there were times when some of the bickering seemed to be quite intense, particularly when Brown and Cameron had a heated exchange about inheritance tax.

The discussion about immigration was interesting but it had all been said before in a previous debate. I'm still shocked that Nick Clegg proposes an amnesty for illegal immigrants. It's rather a slap in the face for those of us (like me) who came here legally.

About housing. Cameron said stamp duty should be removed for the first £250,000 and that there should be changes to planning rules so more houses could be built. Clegg proposed converting empty properties into more homes. Brown stressed the need to get building societies and banks to start lending again.

I've only mentioned a few points from the debate. A full transcript of last night's leaders' debate is available on the BBC website.

I wonder if any of the televised debates had much impact on voters. Did you watch last night's debate? Did it change your views in any way about how you would vote?

UK General Election 2010 - the second televised leaders' debate

Tonight was the second televised leaders' debate between the leaders of the three main parties:

• The incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, Gordon Brown
• The leader of the Opposition and Conservative Party leader David Cameron
• The leader of the Liberal Democrats party, Nick Clegg

The theme of tonight's debate was about international affairs.

I thought all three party leaders seemed more aggresive and determined. The debate was definitely much more animated and intense than last week's debate.

I was surprised when they talked a bit about MPs expenses since they discussed that in the first debate and they really just repeated what they said last week. 

At one point in tonight's debate, all three leaders were quibbling about Britain's relationship with America. Then when Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg started to banter back and forth, Gordon Brown stood there with a big grin on his face and then Brown told the audience: "They remind me of my two young boys squabbling at bathtime." Then he said, "'I am afraid David is anti-European, Nick is anti- American."

The immigration issue was discussed at length. Gordon Brown said (bragged more like) that there will be identity cards for foreigners coming into the UK.

I want to know how that is going to help. How do identity cards for foreign nationals make a difference to immigration? Gordon Brown is obsessed with ID cards!

Gordon Brown and David Cameron both disagreed with Nick Clegg about his plans for immigration amnesty. Brown said that the points system was working and Cameron said that we need to have a cap on people coming from outside the European Union for economic reasons.

Climate change and Environmental issues were also discussed. I was pleased to hear David Cameron say, "I've come out very strongly against the third runway at Heathrow. We should be going for high speed rail instead."

What did you think of the second debate?

UK General Election 2010 - the first televised leaders' debate

Last night was the (first of three) live televised debates between the leaders of the three main parties:

The incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, Gordon Brown
The leader of the Opposition and Conservative Party leader David Cameron
The leader of the Liberal Democrats party, Nick Clegg

This was an historic event since it was the first live television debate in a UK election.

It was a long debate - run without a break for 90 minutes - and I thought it was moderated very well by Alastair Stewart. I didn't like the the lack of audience noise though (no audience applause was allowed). It was like the audience wasn't there. The topics discussed were Immigration; the National Health Service (NHS); Education; Law and Order; and Political reform.

Nick Clegg appeared to be the most relaxed and speaking much more candidly than Mr Brown and Mr Cameron. And I was very pleased when Nick Clegg mentioned scrapping both identity cards and the National Programme for IT. He talked about the expense of the ID cards and how that money could be spent on more police officers on the streets. So true.

When the debate turned to political reform, Gordon Brown turned to David Cameron and said, "Please no more hereditary MPs." I was pleased to hear David Cameron's retort, "You've had 13 years to reform the House of Lords." Quite.

It was noticeable (and quite funny) how often Gordon Brown said, ""I agree with Nick". Hilarious! It wasn't exactly a subtle way to show that he's courting Nick and the Liberal Democrats for their votes!

Nick Clegg has been hailed as the winner of the first televised leaders' debate.

I enjoyed watching the debate, however, I don't think I learned any new information about the respective policies of each party leader so even though it was interesting to watch and probably inevitable that this sort of tv debate would happen here, I'm not sure of its usefulness. To me, it's the policies that matter, not how the person "looks" on tv.

Did you watch the debate? Do you think the tv debate is a good idea? Who do you think "won" the debate? Did the debate change the way you will vote?

If you missed it, you can watch the debate again:

The First Election Debate on ITV1: 15th April 2010

Wonders of the Solar System (BBC series)

Have you been watching Wonders of the Solar System, a (fabulous) series about the solar system? Part three - "The Thin Blue Line" - is on BBC 2 tonight 9:00pm - 10:00pm (If you missed the first two parts, you can watch the episodes via BBC iPlayer ).

The five-part series is presented by the very enthusiastic physicist, Professor Brian Cox. The programme is excellent mostly because Professor Cox explains scientific facts (the laws of physics) so that they are easily understood but not in a condescending way. It's an outstanding series, educational but also very entertaining.

Wonders of the Solar System - BBC Two



You can also follow Professor Cox on twitter

Chris Hollins wins Strictly Come Dancing 2009

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Jamie's Family Christmas - Channel 4 special

Tonight was the first two episodes of a new five-part series called Jamie's Family Christmas with Jamie Oliver sharing his secrets for preparing Christmas food with tips to make it easy and fun, and most importantly, stress-free. And what a delightful series it is too! So often I get bored by cookery shows or I'm too overwhelmed with all the fussy details to even consider tying a recipe they recommend but Jamie's series is like a breath of fresh air. I learned a lot and enjoyed watching as well. My husband and 18-year-old son watched too. The bonus is that you get to see his lovely family (Jamie's wife, Jools, and their three daughters, Poppy, Daisy and sweet baby Petal plus Jamie's Nan and Jamie's sister and Mum and Dad) It's a real old-fashioned kind of Christmas special. I can't get over how comfortable all the members of his family are in front of the camera. And very natural as well. They are all stars! There was a very funny scene during a moment in their kitchen (the show is filmed at their home in Essex) when Jools handed Petal to Jamie and he swung her around and she looked very happy - until Jools took her away from Jamie! She cried and cried. Jools handed her back to Jamie and she instantly stopped crying. Jamie looked so pleased. Such a proud dad. I loved it. And another sweet moment was when Jamie was showing his daughters, Poppy and Daisy how to make American pancakes. It was just such a charming scene to watch. Jamie's Family Christmas is an excellent series! I think it's one of the best cookery shows I've seen on TV. And there's still three more parts to be shown this week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening). If you missed the shows tonight, be sure and watch the rest of the series.

Strictly Come Dancing: Semi-Final Results!

I've been having problems accessing Blogger on the weekend hence the late post about Strictly Come Dancing. Of course, I watched the show! It was the Semi-Finals and very exciting it was too. The three couples competing were, Ali Bastian and her partner Brian Fortuna; Ricky Whittle and his partner Natalie Lowe; and Chris Hollins and his partner, Ola Jordan. I think all three couples danced beautifully but of course only two couples are allowed to go through to the Finals. There wasn't a dance-off in the show on Saturday night so the selection was based on the combination of the judges' scores and viewers' votes. The lowest scoring couple was thus automatically eliminated from the competition. The shock of the results was that despite scoring a perfect score of 50 for the American Smooth, Ali Bastian is out of the competition! I still can't believe Ali is out. I think she and Brian deserved to be in the Final. What a shame there wasn't a dance-off. I'm sure that would have made all the difference. I wonder what the judges think about this change. What do you think? Do you think the dance-off should have been dropped? Chris and Ola have fantastic chemistry and Chris noticeably improved - but I don't think Chris should have got through. On the other hand, Ricky is a very talented dancer so it was right that he got through. So it's down to two couples now. Who do you think will win? I think Ricky should win but I predict it will be Chris. And finally, what are your thoughts about Darcy Bussell, the former ballet dancer, who was brought in as an extra judge on Strictly Come Dancing? I think that as a professional dancer, she's obviously more qualified than Alesha Dixon as a judge but I'm not sure I like the way they keep messing with the show's format. I prefer it when there are only four judges not five. What do you think?

Strictly Come Dancing: Week 13 in 60 Seconds!

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Strictly Come Dancing: Week 12 in 60 Seconds!

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Strictly Come Dancing - Behind the scenes with the costume designers!

Outbreak: 70 years ago today, the start of WW2

I just watched an excellent documentary on ITV called "Outbreak" to mark the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War. It's a fascinating, hour-by-hour account of the day's events on 3rd September, 1939: To mark the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, this programme tells the story of that fateful Sunday 3 September 1939, hour by hour, chronicling the ultimatum, the declaration of war and the King's radio broadcast. Witnesses to the event share their memories, including Richard Attenborough, George Cole, Tony Benn, Vera Lynn, Betty Driver, Nicholas Parsons, Peter Blake, Lady Soames, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, other relatives of the main players and members of the public across the world. http://www.itv.com/TVGuide/?intcmp=NAV_TVGUIDE3 I find programmes like this particularly interesting because my mother is from England. She told me lots of stories about what day-to-day life was like during the war. And while watching this show, when I heard the sound of the air raid sirens, it reminded me of the sound of the sirens used for tornado warnings in Minnesota so I could certainly understand why my mother always says she is reminded of the war when tornado season starts and the sirens are sounded. Excellent documentary! Did you watch it?

Britain's Got Talent 2009 Final: The winner is Diversity!

Britain's Got Talent 2009: Final
The following are the 10 acts selected for the final:

Susan Boyle - singer
Diversity - dance troupe
Shaun Smith (age 17) - singer
Flawless - dance troupe
Stavros Flatley - Father and son comedy dance duo
Shaheen Jafargholi (age 12) singer
Julian Smith - Saxophonist
2 Grand - Grandfather and granddaughter singing act
Aidan Davis (age 11) - dancer
Hollie Steel (age 10) - singer

Only one act can win this talent contest though and tonight we find out who wins.

The winner gets to perform their act for Prince Charles at the prestigious Royal Variety Show, and pick up a cheque for £100,000

The BGT Final is starting now. Will Susan Boyle win? Who knows? There are 10 acts and they are all good.

Intro, Piers said it's really nice that we have something that takes our minds off of the greedy bankers and corrupt politicians. Here Here.

Flawless, the dance troupe are up first. Wow - they are good! They look like professionals.Very inventive act & flawless moves!

Simon said, "You didn't put a foot wrong." Piers said, "I'm not sure there are many other dance troupes as good as you in the world now. Amanda - "You make me proud to be British. It's the best performance you've done yet. Well done."

Shaheen Jafargholi is next. What a voice - and he's only 12. Amazing talent! He's so cute too - I love his dimples! The other contestants have got to follow two great acts.

Piers - "Absolutely unbelievable. That was incredible! You have got better and better."
Amanda - "Utterly extraordinary. Absolute star quality. Amazing, well done, stronger and stronger everytime."
Simon - "I'm of two minds - after last night - about putting kids on the show. but after that performance, why shouldn't we? Win or lose. this is a great thing that happened to you. Super talent and I have to say this - you're in with a good chance of winning this."

Advert break.

Aidan Davis is next. He was very, very good again but.. his act looked very much the same as his previous performance. I don't think he had time to think up something new after just being on last night's show.

Amanda - "I love your genius dancing. superstar attitude, a superstar waiting to happen, absolutely fantastic."
Simon - "Great but I have to be honest with you - not as good as last night. You still have your talent and whatever happens you still have a future ahead of you."
Piers - "I don't agree. People have to remember you are self-taught and you are brilliant. You were better than last night."

2 Grand (the grandfather and granddaughter singing act) are on now. They sang "A whole new world" and performed well together, good but not brilliant. They are a very charming act, very sweet but I don't think they aren't good enough to win.

Simon - "I think nerves got the best of you tonight. You've got as far as you are going to go. I don't think you're going to win."
Piers -"I'm so pleased you're here. The fact that you made it is an incredible tribute to you two."
Amanda - "I fell in love with the pair of you."

advert

Hollie Steel - She sang beautifully - no tears tonight! What a perfect performance. I have to say she has a beautiful voice - and probably has a very good chance of winning. And she's only 10 years old.

Piers - "You were great, you sang absolutely beautifully", "looked confident", like a star," "wonderful."
Amanda - "You were better than yesterday." and " look beautiful."
Simon - "You were fantastic. You coped with all the pressure and handled it beautifully. You are back in the competition, not through pity but through talent, and that's where you want to be."

Stavros Flatley - They are always very entertaining. I love watching their act. And they were great again tonight. I love the way the father and son so obviously enjoy doing their act together. And they really love each other which is obvious. It's great to see.

Amanda - "I'm fit to burst. You're my secret favourite act. I want you to win the show."
Simon - "Absolute utter genius. it's about how people make you feel and for whatever reason, you make people feel good. It's an absolute privilege and honour to have you on the show."
Piers - "It would be absolutely hilarious if you two performed at the royal variety show."

Advert

Shaun Smith is next. I think he's a great singer. And his performance tonight was just as good as his first perfomance. Such a natural talent. And he's so young - only 17.

Simon - "You gave the performance of your life. You sang the song beautifully. Great voice. You have a great shot at it. Well done."
Piers - "great performance."
Amanda - "vocally fantastic."

Susan Boyle is next! I thought they'd save her for last but they didn't. I'm disappointed that she chose to sing the same song as on her first audition. She's still a beautiful singer though. The audience are on their feet. She was wonderful. But will the British public vote for her? She has some tough competition.

Piers - "Wow. You've had a very difficult week, center of negative attention. And you sing better than you did last time. That to me was the greatest performance in BGT. You should win. I loved it."
Amanda - "You sang it so well this evening. You did it for Scotland. You did it for Great Britain."
Simon -"You had the guts to come back and face your critics. I got to know the real Susan. You can walk away with your head held high. I absolutely adore you."

Advert

Diversity are up next. Brilliant!! Amazing! Brilliant! Wow! Diversity are incredible. Honestly, they are a super talented dance troupe. I think they could win the competition. (funny, I keep saying that about nearly every act but they are all so very talented).

Amanda - "You rendered me speechless. Your choreography is second to none. I think you blew Flawless out of the water. There is room for you somewhere out there. A real contender tonight. There is no assumption about who will win this show."
Simon - "Right now all bets are off. If I was giving marks, I'd give you 10. There was not a step out of place, sheer and utter perfection."
Piers said "I thought flawless did better." (I think he's wrong. Diversity are incredible and much better)

Julian Smith, the saxophonist is the final act. Lovely. He's such a class act. I think everyone enjoys listening to him play. He seems like such a nice guy too.

Simon -"You did it, you gave the performance of your life. Brilliant, you have every talent."
Piers - "This was an absolutely perfect way to end the night - so naturally talented and so cool as well."
Amanda -"You've got a career after that. You're going to go a long way."

The audience vote is in: the top three acts are Susan Boyle, Julian Smith & Diversity.

Julian Smith came in third place and Susan Boyle earned second place.

The winner is: Diversity!!!

Britain's Got Talent 2009:semi final 5:Aidan Davis & Hollie Steel make the final

Britain's Got Talent 2009 The last of the semi-finals with eight more acts: First up is The Dream Bears. They are a trio of men doing a comedy dance. I think they are funny (and quite camp) but not that talented. Simon buzzed them, which didn't surprise me. And he told them it was "a bit clumsy and the costumes didn't fit." True. Piers said he found it very funny and said he loved it. Amanda said "it was a lovely bit of credit crunch camp." Good Evans a family singing group are next. Oh dear, I don't think they are doing very well - Piers buzzed them when they had barely started. The eldest, Elliot is the one with the talent. The mom and dad and two daughters not so much. Piers aaid Elliot is the star but the whole act was a disaster. Amanda said she thought it was "a great performance, well done." Simon said it wasn't the right song for Elliot's voice. I doubt they will get through to the final. And now it's Luke Clements the Juggler/Street Performer. He was quite good in his first performance - very entertaining. I wonder what he will do tonight. Well not good at all. Simon buzzed him, then Amanda and then Piers so he didn't even get to finish his act. What a shame. I was impressed with how he juggled the fire sticks. Amanda said he wasn't unique like in his audition,and that he was just a run of the mill juggler. Piers said his act didn't go to another level. The next act is 10-year-old Hollie Steel. She impressed the judges with her singing but not her dancing in her audition. She's just singing tonight though, not dancing - which is very wise. She's singing "Eidelweiss" from The Sound of Music. What a beautiful voice. Oh dear, she started to fall apart - from nerves I think - and they had to stop the show because she started to break down and appeared to be crying. Holly wants to start over again and was told they don't have time so she sobbed even more. Poor little girl. The show is live and everything stopped while her mother tried to comfort her as did Amanda and the hosts, Ant & Dec. They went to an advert break but Simon promised Hollie they will try to find the time so she can do it again. So after the advert, they announced that Hollie will return later in the programme after she has time to compose herself. Martin Machum a guitarist/singer is next. I remember that after his first performance, his mother in law marched out and told off Simon. Very funny that! Anyway, he's good but not that good. Simon buzzed him. Amanda said she loved it and thought he had improved. Simon didn't like his voice and didn't like the guitar playing but liked the band. Poor guy. I think he knows he won't get through to the final. 12-year-old Aidan Davis, a very talented dancer is on now. Wow - he's really fantastic, even better than his audition! That boy can really dance. Amanda said he "absolutely blew me away." Simon told him, "whatever it is, you've got it. Great charisma, great routine." And Piers told him "you've got something very special." Hollie Steel is back again. I'm so glad the producers of the show decided to give her a second chance because she is a very talented singer. Simon told her "You are officially now the bravest girl in the world." And he added that she "performed beautifully." Piers said she "did one of the gutsiest things", and that she should be very proud of herself, and that she is "a beautiful singer." Amanda said, "Hollie, I knew you could do it. You have a beautiful, innocent, pure voice. Well done." DCD Seniors, a dance troupe are on next. They are good but I wouldn't say they are brilliant. Simon and Piers said there have been a lot of dance groups on already. Amanda said they have the sparkle that we need in the final. I think she was just being kind. Greg Pritchard the male soprano is the final act on tonight's show. Simon buzzed him shortly after he started singing. I thought he was very good - it was weird though to hear him switch from a normal man's voice to a high female sounding voice. Piers told him his act was "extraordinary, weird but I loved it" and that he was "totally unique, oringinal." Amanda said he was "a little bit shaky, lost your timing, surprising good performance" Simon said that "at one point I thought I was in the middle of a horror movie." I thought that was a very cruel remark. Paul Potts is the special guest performer on tonight's show. Now it's down to the audience vote and the audience chose Aidan Davis. The judges have to choose between second and third place as chosen by the audience. They are Hollie Steel and Greg Pritchard. All three judges chose Hollie Steel. So the two acts (from tonight's semi-final)going through to the final are Aidan Davis and Hollie Steel. I think they are the two that deserved to go through. What do you think? The final is on tomorrow evening - Saturday, 30th May. I think it is going to be a very exciting show! The following are the 10 acts selected for the final: Susan Boyle - singer Diversity - dance troupe Shaun Smith - singer Flawless - dance troupe Stavros Flatley - Father and son comedy dance duo Shaheen Jafargholi (age 12) singer Julian Smith - Saxophonist 2 Grand - Grandfather and granddaughter singing act Aidan Davis (age 11) - dancer Hollie Steel (age 10) - singer Related posts from my blog: Britain's Got Talent 2009: Singing sensation Susan Boyle Britain's Got Talent 2009: Hollie Steel - little girl with a big voice Britain's Got Talent 2009: Episode 4: Jamie Pugh sings "Bring Him Home" - another star in the making Britain's Got Talent 2009: Episode 5 - Shaun Smith impresses judges Britain's Got Talent 2009: Episode 6 : 11-yr-old Aiden Davis steals the show Britain's Got Talent 2009: first semi final: Susan Boyle & Diversity through to final Britain's Got Talent 2009: second semi-final/Shaun Smith and Flawless will be in final Britain's Got Talent 2009: semi-final 3: Stavros Flatly & Shaheen Jafargholi make the final Britain's Got Talent 2009:semi final 4: Julian Smith & 2 Grand make the final Britain's Got Talent 2009 Final: The winner is Diversity!