Schedule reel

ITV1 are revamping their weekend line-ups, then. With Coronation Street and Emmerdale returned to weekdays (two eps of the former on Friday nights, an hour-long edition of the latter on Tuesdays), how do the first new-look Saturday and Sunday evenings stack-up? Well… Read more

Two thousand and heaven

I’m currently working through this year’s Off The Telly review of the year. The piece is a collaborative effort, so not all the opinions espoused therein are mine. That being the case I thought it might be a bit of fun to post here a list of my entirely own favourite programmes from 2007 – feel free to add yours to the following: Read more

Right to reply

Well, Merry Christmas everyone. Read more

The advent frown

Everyone must have a piece of Christmas television that’s become a tradition in their house - The Snowman, The Queen, Top of the Pops. For me, it’s always been the Christmas edition of Blue Peter. Read more

Brushing® up a classic

So it is all true. This, from PR firm Henry’s House … Read more

“Is it true you’re bringing back the Master?”

‘The Voyage of the Damned’, then. Lots of fun, not the most cerebral slice of Who ever, but terribly exciting, and with one real groaner they could only get away with on Christmas Day. That’s what I reckoned, anyway.  Read more

Name that Who-ne

Ouch, that’s a shocking pun. Sorry everyone. Read more

“You’ve just eaten the baby Jesus!”

Apropos the time of year, five of television’s greatest ever Christmas episodes: Read more

“All them programmes is recorded in August!”

Broadcasters have been ripping off millions of viewers through phone-ins. The Controller of BBC1 was forced to resign over media pressure. Thousands of viewers risk being disenfranchised by digital switchover. And what’s Liberal Democrat broadcasting spokesman Don Foster doing? Counting up all the repeats on Christmas telly again. Read more

Great to be back, so it is!

Jim McDonald’s return to Coronation Street has been long overdue, and for once I’m actually not speculating nor pondering the plotlines ahead for Charles Lawson, though one can imagine that something isn’t quite going to go to plan when Liz and Vernon (a fantastic character) tie the knot in two weeks. I’m just glad the ex-con, ex-Army patriarch with the temper from hell is back. Read more

Be seeing you

Lark Rise to Candleford is a splendid period drama, which will be livening up Sunday nights on BBC1 from mid-January. And I’m just back from the press launch at London’s Soho Hotel. Read more

That happy day

The Extras Christmas special (most probably the last ever episode of the series) is on BBC1 Thursday, December 27. Read more

Review of the Year time

So with 2007 winding to a close with Manors Reborn and Doctor Whos preparing to disembark TARDISes, the time has come to solicit contributions for this year’s OTT Review of the Year. Read more

“I’ll just wank off Ianto”

Those words spoken, of course, by John Barrowman at this morning’s press launch for series two of Torchwood (TX-ing from mid January on BBC2). This was as he sat down next to Gareth David-Lloyd in the screening room. The first actual words spoken in the second series, though? Oh, go on then – “‘Scuse me, have you seen a blowfish driving a sports car?” Read more

“Please… don’t let me be the only one!”

Notes to Editors
The architect behind the Daleks, Terry Nation is acknowledged as one of the creators of Doctor Who. Although he wrote half of the episodes of the first series, he left at the end of that series and launched his next BBC masterpiece, Blake’s 7, about a mob of criminals on the run from the sinister Terran Federation in a stolen alien spaceship. Terry Nation died from emphysema in 1997. Read more

Holding out for Heroes

I’m conscious that last time I mentioned it on here, I was pretty hacked off with Heroes. I’m following the second season, currently airing Monday nights in the US. Read more

“More space for new ideas”

The Channel 4 winter launch. Held – ominously enough – in the former Tycoon Towers on the South Bank. Julian Bellamy, the network’s Head of Programmes did the honours. He began by reflecting on promises to overhaul the schedule, made back in August at the Edinburgh Festival. “This is the moment where you find out if we’ve delivered on those committments, or if they were just empty words”. Read more

All talked out

So, ITV1 have announced the guest line-up for the last ever Parkinson. Prepare to fill in your bingo cards now: “Joining him in the studio for this final time are David Beckham, Billy Connelly [sic], Dame Judi Dench, Sir David Attenborough, Sir Michael Caine, Peter Kay, Dame Edna Everage with music by Jamie Cullum”. Read more

“I can reveal the latest news from the I’m a Celebrity… camp”

To the Soho Hotel in London, and ITV1′s winter season launch. Taking to the mic – to no applause – Simon Shaps, now tentatively essaying a beard. He began with a few “messages” from the I’m a Celebrity… camp, revelling in the fact this was a show that required no context-setting with the assembled. Lynne Franks had suggested we “all hold hands” apparently. Read more

Absolutely hot off the press

Just been interviewing Gordon Kennedy, who tells me this afternoon he’s going to be updating the ABsoLuTeLy (those crazy caps!) Productions website to announce the release of an Absolutely DVD box-set, collecting every episode of the show.

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