AdamY

On the subject of American sitcom / cheesy comedies, I just watched the first episode of New Girl on 4OD and I'm hooked! I'd been meaning to watch it online ever since seeing it advertised in the US during the summer, but now it's on here I've finally got around to it and it's hilarious. Zooey Deschanel's character Jess is so weird and quirky, as has been said in the papers in the run-up to it's premiere yesterday she's just an inch shy of being the most annoying person ever, but it's written so cleverly that she stays right on the edge of funny and cute and never goes over into 'really bloody annoying' territory. Looking forward to the next episode!

I believe they get sent back / away and recycled, but I think it varies shop by shop as to if that's on the night or the following morning. If you go to a newsagent first thing they might still have them.

The layout looks pretty brilliant, but anyone else think that track looks far more Vekoma / Maurer than it does Gerstlauer?Ah, just read on TTF the noise report states manufacturer is the same as Saw. That's new track from Gerstlauer then.

It says on the plans there is no complete roof; it was actually one of the first things I noticed. It does however say "partial thematic" roofing so there could be a few wooden boards or scraps of sheet metal between some of the beams. I don't get why people are complaining about the weather though, considering Stealth is right next door with no building at all and the trains will get wet anyway when it's raining because they'll, um, go outside. I'm slightly disappointed because there probably won't be dispatch lighting, but it could be cool in other ways. It opens up the possibility of some nice shadows being thrown around, and to my mind when we're supposed to be watching the skies, surely it's more ominous to be exposed? Being inside would create a certain feeling of safety. Hopefully they'll pick up on this element and add some station sound bites to this effect, along the lines of "Keep a look out! Watch the skies!"

So much to look at in one update, me gusta. The station looks so much better than I could have imagined, I can't wait to see the tower from the same angle as the last photo in the church album because I'm sure that looks amazing too. I'm staring at it in the time lapse image The fire engine looks great with it's end in the water - and this is the first time I've properly been able to make out the 'inland lakes' on the island too which is cool. All-round awesomeness.

Oh don't worry, I'd set myself on myself too because I love it! I'm just saying I don't personally believe a film has to be very recent to remain a popular theme park attraction.But in essence, you're right - it has no right at all Edit: Benin, do you have a camera in my room or something? You ninja me EVERY time I post! But I agree that it could have been the best thing to ever happen to them - it was the best when they used the money to repaint The Hulk, pay for Spiderman's HD upgrade, etc etc - if they'd carried on like that and invested in a wide ranging selection of new attractions they would have ridden this wave for the next 10, 15 or even 20 years. Like this they will suffer huge boom and bust, and will have destroyed a large part of their physical land and brand image in the process.

I wouldn't say it's crap either, not by a long way. It's a really classic fun experience ride - it ticks all the boxes in terms of drama, excitement, guest interaction and triumphant 'victory' narrative. And although Jaws may be old, it's still a film I would imagine the vast majority of visitors have seen, and everyone knows about. Hell, Jurassic Park and The Mummy (excepting Dragon Emperor) aren't exactly young kids are they? Twister is younger than the original JP, yet there's talk of it going but no threat to Jurassic Park.Frankly I hate the direction Universal are taking. Not only are they removing their classic attractions by the bucketload - sometimes inevitable I agree - they're replacing them with a monopoly of one IP. Not happy. And let me ask you, how many people have seen episodes of The Twilight Zone before going on holiday? Not as many as have seen Twister, Jaws, or any of their kind I'm willing to bet.

Wish I could be there with it today - so sad

Oh man that looks brilliant! Funny, I checked literally two days ago to see if there was an update and was disappointed. Typical! I'm looking forward to having me some dual station flyers with this (dual stations were confirmed as part of the system a while back) And that ker-clunk-ker-clunk-ker-clunk as the train moves over the join in the transfer track is so realistic - sounds just like Inferno doing it

Had one of those days that are just really awesome today. Spent the afternoon with a rather lovely person and then went out for dinner with friends tonight. Nawww

Gah, Benin ninja'd me again @ Mark:I suppose that's true actually. Tomb Blaster doesn't set you up for anything and then surprises to a certain degree, but Saw takes itself so seriously that you come out slightly unimpressed. I often find that with horror films themselves actually, they're so uptight and made to seem so intense that they can't live up to it. Perhaps like Th13teen.Now I've had a chance to read yours as well Benin that's interesting to hear about Amity, I'd never heard that before. Would have liked to have seen it but was too young to be looking for stuff like that.

Interesting read, as ever Mark. However - and let me make clear first I overall don't like Saw - I might question a few points you made. With this I think it's just a person's mentality towards the ride - suspension of disbelief is important in all forms of themed entertainment from rides to theatre. If you went into one of the best themed rides in the world - say, Revenge of the Mummy's queue, you could brush it aside and say "well clearly this isn't an ancient tomb, and it isn't a film set either". So perhaps you're being a little unfair. If you go in with an open mind and go with it, I think it works to a certain extent. Do you consider yourself a true adventurer when venturing into the depths on Tomb Blaster? Second, on the theming front. Whilst it isn't great by international standards, or say Nemesis, I think it's some of the best Thorpe have done. People say Tidal is good, but I always see it as rather broad brush - there are nowhere near the number of details on it as there are on Saw. I like things like the brain chunks, CCTV cameras, frayed cables, all the junk in the station, the hanging bits and bobs around the trap inside etc etc. Even if you do discount the traps and blood spats ect, you mentioned the station as being good. To me, the whole concept of theming is to invoke an atmosphere and mood - and Saw's station accomplishes this masterfully. It's the only reason I can take some enjoyment from Saw - the atmosphere is good inside the station. It's the same as Th13teen for me; ride may not be up to much but the experience saves it. Lastly on some of the little things like the sound during the first block run with the Billy puppet. I agree when first opened it drove me mad that you couldn't hear it, but since they seemed to turn it up I can hear it perfectly clearly and quite enjoy it. I agree it's perhaps a design flaw that the spiel is delivered there though because I do feel like I've missed out if I'm on the first train. So like I say, I'm by no means a fan of Saw. As a ride it is crap. But I think it has a few redeeming qualities, and you have perhaps been a bit overly critical in your words, but as ever I respect your stance!

Yeah, agreeing with Benin (! ) that sounds highly unlikely to me. B&M never bother with a pull through (don't need to see RCS leave to know that) so why would they test in phases like that? Also, I can't vouch for other manufacturers but B&M deliver trains fully assembled. Having seen both pictures of Inferno's trains arriving at Thorpe and Air's vehicles sitting as individually wrapped rows on the car park at Alton, as well as pictures of trains for Krake and Raptor inside B&M's plant, I am completely confident of this.

Saw went through something like 750 testing cycles IIRC. Also, finished in January it was not - they were still paving a day or two before opening. I'm also fairly confident that trains are there already, but even if they aren't they will be absolutely imminent now because I would say second week of Jan would be the latest they would want them to comfortably fit in all the testing and signing over.

Furthermore, I insist you halt discussion immediately and relocate to my favourite topic, the musicals topic!

Was lucky enough to find this lurking under the tree on Sunday:IMO Midnight Syndicate's best work yet, it has a bit of a different façade in terms of sounds and instrumentation, but is still traditional Syndicate underneath. Love it, would urge anyone who has liked the music of theirs played at Fright Nights to give it a listen!Also there......Was this. It was a surprise but a great one! Featuring themes from Fallout 3 and MW2 to Zelda, Mario and even Angry Birds - excellent fun!*plugs in headphones*

Hello Graw! I already said this but I love your avatar Merry Christmas!

Sounds good Mer! Hope you have fun!Well our traditions start on the 1st December, because that is the first night of my school and our partners' Christmas Concert, woo! We're an all boys school and they're all girls, so we have lots of choirs / orchestras etc who rehearse and perform together. It goes on for two nights and it's great fun and a brilliant atmosphere and just wonderful to be in I'm in senior choir and our A Cappella group. Because my sister went to the other school and is four years older than me, we've now been every year for the past 9 years! Most certainly tradition.After that comes a few days at a place called the Bluebell Railway! ([plug]www.bluebell-railway.co.uk[/plug]) I've grown up with the place and now volunteer there for 3 or 4 days each year during the 'Santa Special' period, helping with the on-train catering and general behind the scenes running of stuff. There's always a magical atmosphere there - all the steam, little kids screaming with excitement and old folks looking with wonder seeing a steam train for the first time in 45-odd years, all the stations lit up in the darkness with coloured fairy lights... It's really magical We always drive down there at about 7:30 to get there for 9, so the carols come on in the car and it's all amazing! This year for the first time we all spent a day down there together and actually went on the 'Victorian Christmas' train together which is kind of the adult alternative to the santa specials for the little kids.Around the 20th we usually go and see something in London, this year it was Chicago but a couple of years ago we went to the ENB's production of The Nutcracker at the Colosseum which was awe-inspiring and oh so Christmassy!Somewhere around all that lot we fit a bit of shopping! A new tradition the past two years has been the addition of a day in Oxford Street which is far more fun than Sutton!As for the day itself... We still do stockings for each other! We spend an hour or so sitting upstairs talking and unwrapping a few silly presents from those, then get ready and stuff... I mostly have a shower first so that I can sit in my room and put the news / radio on just to confirm to myself that it is indeed Christmas by hearing someone else say it! After that we go downstairs and have a tiny breakfast (last chocolate on the advent calendar!) and open one thing each, but save anything else for when we've gone and picked up my nan from her house. That's usually about 10, so we come back and my mum and nan start cooking while my sister and I sit in the lounge watching stupid TV and opening stuff When the food is in the oven and just needs to be left alone my sister and I give the other two their presents, at which they always protest we shouldn't have After that the day tends to descend into a blur of food, wrapping paper and Christmas Specials!Continuing Mer's theme,"It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!"

When have they done that then, Mr 9? Show me a B&M or Vekoma with half good seats and half crap seats, and I shall mange mon hat

I really would say the only reason for the trains being how they are is an honest realisation from Intamin that they can't do the full wing coaster after trying with Baco. I mean honestly, the ride is going to be a completely different experience depending on your seat, and not in a good way - the people on the inside will always feel hard done by. Who would design a ride like this by choice?

I agree with you Sheepie that the layout looks pretty nice, but the trains are pointless and (according to the new render) ugly, and it's bound to be uncomfortable and unreliable. If it weren't for the stupid trains I'd be tempted to say I wouldn't mind a 165' rather than 200' one for Thorpe in 2015, it looks in style like quite a nice 'modernised' step-up from the megalites. Good colour too!

I guess it might be because it's under a GDO - makes permission easier to get in some respects, even though it will be harder in terms of noise approval. So probably overall around equally hard as it is to get permission for an area where noise isn't an issue but medieval forts or 'special' trees etc are.

Calling anyone who wants a 10-minute journey of amazement, 90's celeb culture nostalgia and theme park history... Watch this video.

That picture of the rather sexy Raptor makes me want to see Swarm's trains in the flesh even more - I bet they'll look properly evil

I see you laughing at Skyrim, and raise you Christmas Number 1 Stolen From CoD!http://www.gamezine....tmas-number-oneI quote you the headline: "Skyrim Slays MW3 for Christmas Number One"! This is a sweet victory indeed