This is 2008
Music
Who’ll be The Next Big Thing over the airwaves? We introduce some of the leading candidates, in ten words or less.
The Courteneers – Mouthy singer does old school R&B.
Glasvegas – Moody guitarscapes with a hint of 50s bebop.
Duffy – Young Welsh woman with remarkable retro voice.
Foals – Brainy punk-funk from Oxford dropouts.
Ting Tings – Clever boy-girl pop duo who do it themselves.
MGMT – Dreamy, happy acid psych-pop from Brooklyn, USA.
Film
It's going to be a summer of much-awaited sequels...
Batman, The Dark Knight
If no other movie came out in 2008, we probably wouldn’t care. Christian Bale returns as our favourite nocturnal vigilante with issues and Heath Ledger’s last performance as the Joker should be both scary and poignant. Coming July 25th
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Dr Jones is finally out of retirement, after 18 long years – start untangling the bullwhip. Coming May 22nd
Star Trek
Nerds rejoice! Not only is Star Trek back, but Lost writer J.J. Abrams is directing it and Simon Pegg plays Scotty. Beam us up, please! Coming December 26th
Sport
2008 Summer Olympics
BEIJING, CHINA
With this summer’s games, we’ll get a taste of what’s in store for us in 2012. Keep an eye on Shanaze Reade, Britain’s 19-year-old BMX double World Champion, who swears she’s not leaving China without a gold medal.
Lewis Hamilton
After missing out on the F1 World Championship by a single point in his sensational debut season, Britain’s next sporting superstar will be back with a point to prove and an even better car. No longer the fresh-faced rookie, Hamilton has proved that he’s a brilliant professional who has what it takes to beat the best in the world. And all of the country will be hoping he does. He’s still only 23 years old, and his amazing story is going to run and run.
World
The Nuclear Debate
The British Government has given the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations. While it could be 12 years until the first station is built, the issue of nuclear power will continue to be a hot topic of debate in this country. People in favour of nuclear energy say it will reduce carbon emissions and make Britain less dependent on other countries for energy; people against it worry about nuclear waste, which remains dangerously radioactive for tens of thousands of years.
Mad Weather
Back when etc. was young, the most interesting weather we ever got was plenty of snow in the winter. But over the last few years, Britain has been suffering some severe meteorological madness – and if the scientists are right, it’s only going to get more extreme as the effects of global warming play out across the country. With birds nesting in the winter and floods devastating us in the summer, never mind tornados in the suburbs, what will 2008 bring? Expect people to be boasting that ‘I was there during the blizzard when Radiohead were halfway through their set at Glastonbury.’ Maybe.
The US Election
It’s easy not to care about politics, particularly those on another continent, but this one will genuinely make a big difference to the rest of the world. George W Bush’s turbulent time as US President will come to an end in November, and his replacement will have a number of massive issues to deal with – the carnage in Iraq, for one thing, never mind the fact that if the US doesn’t take a lead on environmental issues, then the future of the planet looks more than a little hot. The Democratic Party, in particular, will be aiming to restore America’s image overseas – and if they win, we may well end up seeing a female or coloured resident in the White House, both of which would be historic firsts. Whatever the case, expect media saturation for months in the run-up to Election Day.
The End of the World…again
If these predictions were ever right, our world would be destroyed a hundred times over. Still, religious zealot Pyotr Kuznetsov – a divorced 43-year-old architect and self-proclaimed prophet –
has decided that the world will most definitely end in May. Even crazier is the fact that he’s found 29 other people who agree with him. Currently, the pessimistic gang has barricaded themselves in a cave outside a small Russian village, while Kuznetsov now lives in a mental hospital (surprise).
Year Of The Rat
February 7 marked the Chinese New Year for 2008 – the Year of the Rat. The rat marks the beginning of the Chinese astrological cycle, so expect a year of pioneers and new beginnings.
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