BBC debate was a cross between Songs of Praise and Over the Rainbow – The Guardian Charlie Brooker's hysterical take on the final leadership debate. Controversial plan to move officers out of Mitcham police station – Wimbledon Guardian I love the fact that there may be a real police station (well I guess more of an office really) opening up not far from the fictional Sun Hill station. In fact they could just buy the Bill studios and save themselves some money! Absolute Radio settles trademark fight with Absolut vodka – guardian.co.uk Yes, cos I'm always getting vodka and a radio station confused. Just last night I popped into my local and was amazed to be given a small radio set with my cola… Hulu ‘abandons UK plans’ after broadcaster talks collapse – Telegraph After the demise of Project Kangaroo, the worry was that we'd simply written away the hope that the UK would offer any major catch up TV service, and had basically handed everything other to the Americans. It seems that day is slightly further away than it was before. Although we shouldn't count our chickens before they've hatched… BBC’s 530 days of repeats in a year –... View Article
Yesterday I posted an article about voting that I wrote something like fifteen years ago, that I stumbled on whilst clearing out my hard drive. Photo by Ell Brown. Creative Commons licensed. Not long after, I found another file. It’s called startrekquotes.txt and is a collection of Star Trek quotes aimed at starting a new website some years ago. The site never got made, and perhaps that’s something to do with collected quotes, which are reprinted below, in full…
Oven Bottom Muffins And if you don't actually know what oven bottoms are… they are the bread products of the gods. Muffin maker goes into administration – Tameside Advertiser Sad news that the world's largest producer of oven bottom muffins has gone into administration. Brief Overview series Ep. 8: Bohnanza – TimothyP on Vimeo Bohnanza is one of the most brilliant and addictive card games I've ever come across – it's sheer brilliance in a can. I'm not sure this video really gives the true impact of the game as well as playing it but it will certainly give you an idea of why we play this game in the pub a LOT. (Plus I love the fact he's clearly using a chopstick as a pointer) BBC News – Channel M cuts sharpen focus on future of local TV news Channel M was hailed by the Conservatives as an example of a bold new future of local TV news. And now it's cutting back… Mark Thompson prepares for his Paxman interview – Westonenunker on YouTUbe With the help of a certain war film… I think someone had an agenda with this one 😉 [Caution – very STRONG language in subtitle... View Article
GMG to drop original programming and cut staff at Channel M – guardian.co.uk Says something about local TV in the UK if Guardian Media Group can't even make it work in a city the size of Manchester. Sam Smiths Pubs Locations Sam Smiths are a strange company. They don't do music. They don't advertise. Food is usually very basic. It's hard to buy their beers anywhere other than their pubs. They only sell their own products, with the odd exception of McCoy's crisps. They don't even have a website. Their pubs don't even have their logo on it. They don't particularly innovate. At all. And they haven't put their prices up (bar duty) for about 18 years, so you can get a pint for less than £2. Oh and they have some of the finest, best looking and well looked after pubs you'll find in the UK. But you'd never know where they are. Unless someone created a website to tell you… Top marks to James Gretton then! A brief view of the power of Samuel Smiths Old Brewey – Tadcaster From BBC's Inside Out Yorks and Lincs, a different insight into the strange world of Sam Smiths, and their... View Article
London’s lighthouse and the story of Trinity Quay Wharf – BBC London London has a lighthouse. I never knew. Residents want answers over “hated” Colliers Wood tower – Wimbledon Guardian "At a public meeting last week more than 100 residents voiced their anger at the condition of the 17-storey structure – which they claim is crumbling dangerously and has become home to rough sleepers." Whether London's ugliest eyesore has or not become home to rough sleepers, I don't know. I do know that someone asked me for some spare change a couple of nights ago – and that's never happened in the six years I've lived in the area. UK Newspapers Want BBC Mobile Apps Blocked For ‘Undermining’ Them, BBC Disagrees – paidContent:UK "I wondered how long it would be before print media pointed at the BBC’s new smartphone apps plan as another example of expansion in to their commercial territory. The answer: just 24 hours…" How Time Lord Doctor Who took on Mrs Thatcher – BBC Newsnight "Doctor Who actor Sylvester McCoy has claimed that scriptwriters of the cult TV show wrote material in the 1980s which was designed to undermine Margaret Thatcher's government." BBC R&D Heritage Microphones On... View Article
BBC Trust’s service review of Radio 2 and 6 Music As a 6music listener, I was particularly keen to see what the Trust thought of the station during its recent review. It seems pretty positive stuff with some sensible tweaks to the format and encouragement. Flickr: London dot gov The Greater London Authority is getting all social media and inviting you – yes that's YOU – to join their flickr group and post photos of London. I suspect they won't want ones of graffiti, overcrowded tube trains and traffic jams though. Ban all advertising in public spaces, says thinktank – guardian.co.uk If I remember correctly, over in the kingdom of Bhutan they did something akin to what this thinktank are suggesting. The idea is that the key to success of the country is not wealth but the happiness of the population. I think they banned billboards as part of that. It's an intriguing concept and as someone who has to walk past about 15 billboards in a mere ten minute walk to the tube station, one I'd happily support! Gross national happiness – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wikipedia explains Bhutan's concept of Gross National Happiness Noel Edmonds develops TV quizshow... View Article
One cookery programme firmly with the recession in mind however the recent Economy Gastronomy. Every week, the presenters would pop over to someone's house, try to get them to plan their meals and eat more sensibly.
There was a fundamental problem with BBC One's scheduling of Torchwood: Children of Earth. And that problem was that it was on every single night of last week. It was perfect for the story - of that I cannot deny. However I was out on Wednesday evening and on Thursday evening too. The result was I ended up watching three episodes back to back on Friday evening which was, to be honest, a little on the intense side. It's a rather dark plot after all.
