Month: November 2006

  • Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band

    To Wembley Arena (never a fun phrase to type, but it was pretty painless this evening) to see Bruce Springsteen. Now I’ve got to admit that I’m not a “Bruce” fan. In his heyday he was selling out Wembley Stadium, but we’re now in the somewhat smaller Arena – not that the stadium’s available of…

  • How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

    I don’t mention radio dramas very often here, and I should really. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is based on the book by Toby Young relating his experiences working as a journalist in America – in particular for a spell spent at Vanity Fair. In this radio version (the link works until Friday),…

  • ID Cards Back on the Agenda

    I’m getting terribly bored with this, but the PM will insist on continuing to push an utterly pointless cause. It’s ID Cards – or the really big database – that I’m talking about. He’s back on the offensive again with a piece in the Telegraph today. He seems not to have won over those readers…

  • Battersea Power Station

    I visited the China Power Station: Part I exhibition at Battersea Power Station today, which is worth going to, if only for the opportunity to have a look around the famous London landmark before it’s converted into a spectacular new venue. I wasn’t the only person going around packing a camera; everywhere I went, another…

  • Arsenal v CSKA Moscow

    A disappointing 0-0 draw. But I did take my camera…

  • The Dangers of Trade Advertising

    OK. Here’s how not to do trade advertising. Thinkbox is the marketing body for the UK TV industry. In other words, their job is to ensure that marketeers are aware of the benefits of spending money on TV, and not the internet (or anywhere else) where so much money is being redirected these days (Google…

  • Nigel Kneale Dies

    I today learnt that Nigel Kneale, creator of Quatermass and many other excellent TV plays and series, has died aged 84. A few obituaries can be found here, here, and here, with more to undoubtedly follow. [UPDATE] Here are a few more obituaries and remembrances: Mark Gatiss (BBC), Mark Gatiss (Guardian), Guardian obituary, Times obituary,…

  • Five’s Download Service

    Five’s TV download service has been working for a few weeks now, offering downloads of the various CSI flavours. For some reason the service is being heavily advertised in the marketing trade press. Indeed, I thought that maybe they’d put a free episode up for trial such is their current press spend. But no, it’s…