Television
The secret of Civilisation
No modern critic would dare match Kenneth Clark’s fearless way with sweeping statements
With Paxman gone, there are even fewer reasons to like the BBC
In a double blow for the beleaguered BBC, the corporation has lost three of its most compelling attractions in little…
Must every quality TV show begin with a young woman’s corpse?
It was Shetland that tipped me over the edge. Not the place, but the TV series. Although that’s set in…
Diary
My surgery has been calling in all those over 75 for a special session with their doctor — a sort…
It has to stop?
Upspeak can damage your career prospects
Is a new art form being born on Woman’s Hour?
In a comic-strip cartoon, beads of water apparently radiating outward from the head of one of the characters indicate embarrassment.…
Agitprop for toddlers
The oddly strident politics of CBeebies
Getting Nixon taped
Simpsons star Harry Shearer on what it takes to play the president
A writer’s notebook
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, the Master of the Queen’s Music, recently wrote about the almost total ignorance of young people…
The people’s champion
Gary Bell is the rudest man in Britain. I have known the bastard for years and no one —move over,…
It’s everywhere
They’re now televising proceedings from the Court of Appeal. Great. As if I didn’t have enough to do already, keeping…
Tales of the unexpected
‘Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,’ said John Lennon. Quite apposite from a man…
Counting the cost
The acclaimed television series Breaking Bad has ended. Steffen Huck on what it can teach us about economics
Diary
If you haven’t scuffled you haven’t lived, and our local scuffle is the best of the best. A scuffle is…
The latest brilliant idea over at Channel 4
It is very lucky for the BBC that Channel 4 exists. Whatever imbecilic, supposedly attention-grabbing trash the BBC commissions, there will…
