The Zhoosh! Brighton Blog
Lesbians on TV! Candy Bar Girls and The Night Watch
Think you don’t see enough lesbians on TV? Get set for a new six part reality TV series starting on Thursday, which will follow the lives and loves of a group of young lesbians who are working to get London’s Candy Bar ready for its re-launch following a recent refurbishment.
The series ‘Candy Bar Girls’ will feature owner Gary Henshaw, locally known for his portfolio of gay clubs in central London such as Kudo’s and Ku Bar, trying successfully to re-launch Candy Bar.
Its stars include former Big Brother housemate Shabby Katchadourian, former Shipwrecked contestant and the bar’s DJ Lil’ J, model and pole dancer Dannii Oriso and her girlfriend Lucy, a Candy Bar bouncer.
Shabby, Dannii and Lucy
The programme was created by Lion Television, whose previous productions have included Britain by Bike, Homes Under The Hammer and Britain From Above. Jeff Ford, the Channel 5’s director of programmes stated “This is not about being salacious: it’s about our mission to reflect Britain and maybe people who haven’t been reflected, perhaps ever.”
In a somewhat contradictory fashion Channel 5 have also stated “viewers will be drawn into a world filled with raunchy drama and unique characters.” Indeed, even before its been aired it has caused controversy, with Ofcom launching an investigation into a series of promo’s for the show. The promo’s include one which shows neon lights flashing the words “pussy loving ladies” followed by two women stroking a fake cat as a voiceover enquires “Well, what were you expecting?” The other two follow along the same lines, teasing the viewer with their suggestive imagery.
Salacious or not I’ll certainly be watching. Its nearly time to make your own mind up. Candy Bar Girls starts at 10pm on Thursday, Channel 5.
Another sapphic treat gracing our screens in the coming week is the The Night Watch. The film adaptation of Sarah Waters’ war time novel will finally be shown on BBC2 on 12th July. The 90 minute adaptation chronicles World War Two backwards, beginning the tale in 1947 and ending in 1941. It is this structure that makes the novel so unique, inspiring a sense of mystery about how the characters got to where they are when the novel begins.
The tale centres on a group of young Londoners, whose lives are inextricably linked through their wartime experiences. We find Kay (Anna Maxwell Martin-Bleak House) the main protagonist, roaming the streets haunted by a great loss in her past, whilst lesbian couple Helen (Claire Foy – Little Dorrit) and Viv (Jodie Whittaker-Cranford) who run a marriage bureau together, face relationship turmoil. Viv finds herself unable to break free from her married lover whilst Helen obsessively clings to her tempestuous affair with another London lesbian, Julia.
The Night Watch
Adaptations of Waters other novels, Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith set a high precedence, and it seems that The Night Watch is set to deliver. It was shown early this year at the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, to critical acclaim.
The Night Watch will be shown on BBC Two and BBC HD at 9pm on Tuesday 12 July.
