It Started With Swap Shop

In 1996, the BBC’s Saturday morning kids shows were still hugely popular and prestigious programmes, watched by children and adults alike. Read more

Christmas logged

Come the arse end of Christmas Day, having a second go at the trifle, we switched on five’s Greatest Most Embarrassing TV Moments (or a title something along those lines, anyway – I’m not going to look it up). It dawned on me that I’d actually seen it before, but still… This was a transmission from a dying world when Donna McPhail, Richard Blackwood and Mike McClean still seemed to have some relevance. I enjoyed most of it. Read more

Doctor Who

If you like your Doctor Who in the breezy style then “The Runaway Bride” was for you. Read more

“Interesting… Very interesting!”

In a cliched fashion, these days I spend most of the weekend, and a couple of weeknights, watching football on Sky Sports. In fact in terms of hours I probably watch Sky Sports more than any other channel, which I’m not proud of. Read more

“It’s terminal…”

Or maybe that should be “interminable”. I adore Coronation Street and always have, but in the run-up to Christmas we have two of the most unattractive and realism-lacking storylines in progress. Read more

“Rose”

Would it surprise you to learn that’s the last word uttered in “The Runaway Bride”, this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special? The press screening was this morning at London’s Soho Hotel, and an Ian Levine-less event it turned out to be. “I think he’s getting the message,” joshed, er, someone. Read more

“Remember, it’s 01 if you’re outside London”

It took a bloody age to get into the studio, but once I was there, it was great. Clapping eyes on the obligatory studio set recreation, and an audience clad in brightly coloured plastic hats… well, it was almost a religious experience.  Read more

A question of haste

It seems to be with undue alacrity that Channel 4 has announced it is to make a drama based on the recent death of ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko. Read more

Vanessa’s Real Lives

Whereas some might consider Vanessa Feltz’s new daytime show to be exploitationist, could it actually be a forum for challenging and re-evaluating societal norms? Read more

“This time we’ll kill Sarah Jane Smith properly!”

“Sonic lipstick”, a giant fold-out computer called Mr Smith, SJ whizzing around in a Nissan Figaro, a craze for fizzy drinks sweeping the nation… the preview disc for The Sarah Jane Adventures has hit my desk, and it looks awfully good. Read more

Sez Des

C4 are circulating a Des O’Connor interview to promote his turn in the Countdown chair. Here’s the relevant bit… Read more