Archive | Books

An archive of blog entries about books.


November 10, 2008

Knight Rider does Torchwood

Posted on November 10, 2008 | 1 comment |

Joe Queenan identified in his classic book, America: Red Lobster, White Trash and the Blue Lagoon, the modern trend of really bad books (eg anything by Tom Clancy) quoting better books (eg anything by William Shakespeare) in their opening pages as a way to make themselves seem better by association.

I'm sure there's an equivalent phenomenon in television, so does it say something about Knight Rider's quality levels that it's outright quoting Torchwood (and Heroes) in the opening minutes of its Halloween episode?

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October 30, 2008

Thursday's "bye bye David Tennant" news

Posted on October 30, 2008 | 3 comments |

Doctor Who

Awards

Film

Books

British TV

US TV

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October 6, 2008

Strictly Love competition winners

Posted on October 6, 2008 | 1 comment |

Time to announce the winners of the Strictly Love competition. Plenty of top-notch entries for this one so Julia Williams, Strictly Love's author, has had her work cut out for her on the judging (fortunately no Brucie jokes to deal with, though). But the winners are…

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September 22, 2008

Competition time: Strictly Love

Posted on September 22, 2008 | 9 comments |

Okay, so I know I don't cover it much here, but Strictly Come Dancing has just started up on BBC1. Other blogs cover it much better than I ever could, so I heartily recommend you head over to them if SCD is on your must-see list.

However, to coincide with its return to our screens - and the recent publication of Julia Williams' latest book - we're running a competition in which you can win copies of Strictly Love as well as 'dancing masterclass in a book', Collins' Need to Know? Ballroom Dancing.

Strictly Love

Guilty feet have got plenty of rhythm! Kick off your shoes and snuggle up with this warm and witty new novel from the author of the bestselling Pastures New

Lawyer Emily promised her late father that she'd devote her life to good causes. So how comes she spends her days defending Z-listers, desperate to prolong their 15 minutes of fame?

Katie is obsessed with being the perfect wife and mother - unlike her own one. In which case, why is husband Charlie permanently AWOL these days?

Dentist Mark is licking his wounds after his wife walked out on him and desperately missing his kids. Can he cope with becoming a singleton again - on top of a devastating legal case against him?

Meanwhile, happy-go-lucky Jack the Lad Rob is hiding a secret tragedy!

Isabella's dance classes give the four the perfect opportunity to forget their troubles and re-invent themselves. They can be whoever they want to be - they'll just let their feet do the talking. Over the weeks, as they foxtrot, tango, waltz and cha-cha-cha their way into each other's lives, they discover the truth about each other - and themselves. But will they like what they learn?

Thanks to Julia's generosity, we have an astonishing five copies of Strictly Love to give away, as well as two copies of Need to Know? Ballroom Dancing, and all you have to do to enter is to leave a comment below by Friday 3rd October, letting us know your most memorable dancing experience ever - it doesn't even have to have been you dancing. The two most interesting experiences (or two best recounted experiences) will win copies of both Strictly Love and Need to Know? Ballroom Dancing, while three runners up will each receive a copy of Strictly Love.

As always, entrants must live in the UK. Plus it'll help if you include your email address when you leave the comment so we can contact you if you've won - don't worry, we won't publish it.

September 18, 2008

Thursday's bloodier news

Posted on September 18, 2008 | 3 comments |

Doctor Who

Film

Books

British TV

  • Red Dwarf cast reunite for new episodes, John Cleese and Johnny Vaughan get new series - all on Dave
  • Mutual Friends' ratings down to 3.3m
  • Channel 4 could face £100m annual deficit

US TV

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September 17, 2008

Wednesday's further hitchhiking news

Posted on September 17, 2008 | 4 comments |

Film

  • Michael Douglas to star in Solitary Man
  • Photos of Colin Firth, Ben Barnes and Emilia Fox in The Picture of Dorian Gray
  • Ben Affleck to write, direct and star in adaptation of The Prince of Thieves
  • Andie MacDowell, Cary Elwes and Brian Cox to star in As Good As Dead

Book

  • Artemis Fowl author to write sixth Hitchhiker's Guide

Theatre


British TV

US TV

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September 15, 2008

Review: Tess of the D'Urbervilles 1x1

Posted on September 15, 2008 | 8 comments |

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

In the UK: Sundays, 9pm, BBC1

Good old BBC. Always going off and finding some classic to lavishly adapt for a Sunday evening's viewing. Here we have Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy's slightly weird but eternally relevant look at the double standards relating to sexuality that British society has had almost since the dawn of time.

Now the Beeb normally goes in one of two ways with its period stuff. Either it goes all silly, gets an all-star cast and turns everything into an unrelenting series of cameos and over-the-top performances. Or it puts on its serious hat and decides to go full tilt for 'quality mode', hoping that it'll get a backpack full of BAFTAs to take home from the next awards ceremony.

Fortunately, the Beeb has gone for option two with Tess, producing something that's not 100% true to the book and that's got more than a few idiosyncrasies of its own, but which is ultimately worth watching - so far, anyway.

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Monday's world peace picnic news

Posted on September 15, 2008 | 1 comment |

Doctor Who

  • Guess Who isn't in the specials after all [anti-spoiler?]

Awards

Film

Books

Radio

Theatre

British TV

US TV

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August 22, 2008

Friday's ellipsis news

Posted on August 22, 2008 | Post a comment |

Doctor Who

Film

Commercials

Theatre

British TV

US TV

  • Pictures of the “KITT cave”…
  • …and there are plans for the Hoff and William Daniels to cameo
  • Stargate: Atlantis movie greenlit
  • …as is new series Stargate: Universe
  • Regina King, Kevin Alejandro and Michael McGrady join LAPD
  • James Cromwell joins My Own Worst Enemy
  • NBC acquires the British version of The Apprentice
  • Navy SEALs become 24 extras

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August 21, 2008

Thursday's unpleasant news

Posted on August 21, 2008 | Post a comment |

Doctor Who

  • Photos from Torchwood filming

Film

  • Ben Affleck to star in Mike Judge's Extract?
  • Alex Proyas to adapt Heinlein's The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag

French TV

  • Babies banned from watching TV

British TV

US TV

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Featured Articles

Clone 1x1

Attack of the Americans

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Asides

  • Tue 18 Nov: Does it count in the CSI: Miami drinking game if David Caruso and Emily Procter are apparently in the same scene together, but they never speak to each other and you never see both their faces at the same time?
  • Sat 15 Nov: The Ascent of Money "sponsored by Cayman Islands". Huh. What's going on there then?
  • Sun 02 Nov: Do you think it's deliberate that Sam's mom in the US version of Life on Mars is called Rose Tyler?
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