The Commonwealth Curse or Blond Things To Box Up For Me That I Get To Untie Later

So it's Boxing Day in Canada and Britain (and some other Commonwealth countries). (For Americans, it's The Day-After-Christmas-Day-Sales-Day.) Maybe it's a commonwealth thing but sometimes I just love me some bad British TV and music.

After getting sucked into the first episode in London, I just managed to finish watching the Britannia High series from ITV in Britain and while it's doubtful there will be another season with its low ratings and cheesy Fame meets Disney morning shows (Hannah Montana, Suite Life, Wizards of Waverly Place (probably my new favorite kids show)), I was still addicted despite inconsistent characters and unbelievable plot development (if you can call it that). But hey, it's a musical show in the British vein of S Club 7 so I was in! Plus Adam Garcia plays a hot teacher. Yum! (I will still always regret not watching the not-great-but-apparently-great-dancing-with-hot-lead-newcomer-Adam-Garcia-in-Saturday Night Fever-the-musical in London when I lived there).

Matthew James Thomas plays Jez and in his episode (103), his gay character sings three songs "Proud", "Wake Up" and "I Am Who I Am". You would think it's all about coming out. Strangely it isn't and we sort of discover that his character is already open and out. He's singing those songs because he wants his father to accept him as an ARTIST and not a business man (his father is already okay with him being gay). Hmm... that's a new one. Strangely refreshing and Matthew Thomas is cute as a button as Jez. Sadly, in real life, he's dating costar Sapphire Elia (who plays queen bitch Claudine).

"Proud" is actually pretty good but it sounds like such the Gary Barlow song (oh look, Gary Barlow from Take That is in charge of music on the show! Which explains why everything sounds like mediocre boy-band music that I love just because I'm that shallow):



"Wake Up" is also the closing credits number:


Plus for you Skins fans, Mitch Hewer (Maxxie) is in Britannia High. His hair is more natural looking here, but I think he looks far better as Maxxie (with a NSFW photo after the jump). Here's an awesome promo from back during Season 2 with Mitch Hewer as Maxxie and two others dancing to Hofesh Shechter's choreography.

Hmm... Mitch Hewer with the swoopy blond look and Matthew Thomas with the swoopy blond look. I guess I'm just into the swoopy blond look. Hey, I admitted I was shallow.

Here's Mitch Hewer's looking VERY different as Danny in Britannia High doing a dance:


Below is Mitch Hewer's Cosmo shoot for charity when he was still doing the aptly named Skins (NSFW):