Who was that fat-necked, balding, smug twat in the 1980s?

And so to the 1980s. As I waited for my cab home having filmed my contributions to the ’70s episode, the production team were generous about my efforts. “Have you done this before?”. “Sort of”. Read more

Who was that fat-necked, balding, smug twat?

Yes, indeed, who was that fat-necked, balding, smug twat on BBC4′s Children’s TV on Trial – 1970s flapping his arms around like a nutter? Yes, okay, it was me. And I did it for the money. Read more

Dropped Clangers

Apparently, tonight’s edition of Children’s TV on Trial, which covers the ’70s, will include a clip from the rare Clangers episode “Vote for Froglet”. Read more

Any Dream Will Do

You pays your money and you likes it or lumps it. Read more

“John Gorman, you’re still alive!”

This morning I’ve been on the phone to Lenny Henry, who’s promoting his new show, Lenny’s Britain, which comes to BBC1 on Thursday 14 June. Obviously, I took a moment to talk about ITV1′s upcoming (and now rather delayed) Tiswas Reunited. Here’s what he had to say… Read more

Kudos to Kudos

Looks like Kudos are about to come up with the goods once again. After the success of Spooks and Hustle, comes new show Outcasts, as the following BBC Press Release reveals… Read more

“Pop impresario and X-Factor judge…”

“… Simon Cowell, this is your life!” Read more

Can I have a bid, please, Bob?

Some television history is on sale at eBay. A selection of the sculptures that appeared on the set and in the title buffers of the ’80s quiz show Blockbusters have surfaced. Hamlet, Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley, Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II were saved by the seller during the closure of the Lenton Lane ITV studios where they’d been adorning the cafe for many years. Read more

Dealing at 500

It’s been a while since I watched, I’ll admit, but this press release still gave me a warm glow… Read more

Same but different

Is the BBC working against itself or has The Restaurant been renamed? I’ve just spotted this advert on Gumtree, the online classified ad service: Read more

I don’t believe it!

High Stakes, along with Believe Nothing and Hardware, was part of ITV’s attempt at re-establishing their Sunday night “edgy comedy” slot a couple of years back. Starring Richard Wilson and written by Tony Sarchet (This Is David Lander), this highbrow sitcom set in the financial world was not quite in the same league as its more celebrated ’80s counterparts, and suffered from some unrealistic and overblown pre-transmission publicity, but it was a likeable enough effort and it came as some surprise when the muted response to the first run led to the already-recorded second being shelved and eventually never transmitted. Read more

“What’s happening to me?”

Those who are still freaked out whenever they see Alan Dale (Jim Robinson from Neighbours) appearing in the likes of 24, The OC and Ugly Betty won’t love this survey from Rob Buckley of upcoming US genre series, since it includes preview clips from the remake of The Bionic Woman featuring Michelle Ryan (best known over ‘ere as Zoe Slater in EastEnders) playing Jamie Sommers.  Read more

Tonight’s Panorama

If anybody wants to see a BBC journalist losing it big time with a member of the Church of Scientology, then it will be well worth your while watching Panorama tonight. I’ve seen the clip and it is, well, a little startling really.

Peep Show

Peep Show has come to occupy a curious place in the comedy landscape. Cited by many as being the funniest sitcom of its age, it performs so poorly in the ratings it probably survives only through Channel 4′s lack of other critically acclaimed sitcoms. Read more

Jonathan Meades: Abroad Again

Lord Reith was a Presbyterian Scot, a Wee Free wallah, among whose folks the most timid involvement in sensual pleasures had you hellbound. Read more

Give them some credit

A quick one: the BBC is apparently adopting a new set of rules regarding end credits on programmes. The guidelines explain everything nice and clearly for production personnel, but I have to say that as somebody who enjoys reading the credits from time to time, this idea looks as though it is just going to result in even more screen clutter. I find the “Coming Next” taglines on BBC annoying enough as it is!

Wonder how long it will take for somebody to write to Points of View over this one?

YawnEnders

Does anybody still watch EastEnders these days? Read more

Election 2007

There is bad weather in the Western Isles. On Newsnight, “Radio 2′s Jeremy Vine” (in the words of Jeremy Paxman) has just exhibited a blurred map of Britain flecked with indistinct multi-coloured blotches. Read more

Who-rovision casualty!

This’ll get ‘em up in arms, a dispatch just now from the Doctor Who press office.  Read more