Ira Glass, host of the acclaimed radio show, This American Life, which broadcasts nationally on Public Radio International in the United States, is the first person to admit it took him a while to find his storytelling voice. He began work at the age of 19 in 1978 at National Public Continue Reading
Road to Eurovision 2012: Week 2
I have thrown on my hoodie, corralled a group of buff young dancers, fired up the pyrotechnics machine, and with handfuls of glitter ready to throw liberally at the slightest hint of a key change, I am ready for this week’s review of the songs that will make or break Continue Reading
“Falling Skies” is back soon!
Shows that focus on an apocalypse of one sort or another are all the rage at the moment – literally in the case of the runaway hit show, The Walking Dead, which features zombies with the usual anger management issues – and I have become as enamoured of them like Continue Reading
Sonic Bliss #5: My favourite songs of the week
Another week and while I am up to my ears in kitschy Eurovision pop at the moment (and loving it!), I have not forgotten all those other pop gems gliding down my aural canals. So here they are…. five more slices of perfect unforgettable pop! “How Long Have You Continue Reading
Review: “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is the sort of movie I am supposed to love. It has the handsome but geeky married fisheries expert, Dr Alfred Jones (the ever delectable Ewan McGregor) whose marriage died long ago, who deserves a second chance at love. The driven but likeable investment consultant, Continue Reading
New TV: “Randling”
I like nothing more than watching a new TV show that is intelligent, full of fun, and has entertainment woven deeply into its DNA. (OK it is possible I like cheesecake and trips to New York a little more but for the purposes of this review, erudite, funny TV shows Continue Reading
Road to Eurovision 2012: Week 1
That is a rather bland title for what is the campiest, most kitsch and gloriously over the top music competition. It is supposed to bring all of Europe together, or at least that was the intention of its founding fathers in the aftermath of World War 2, but I am Continue Reading
“Sanctuary” – a hearty slice of urban fantasy
One of the big trends in the current television year has been the emergence of urban fantasy, once the preserve of geeks and anime addicts, into mainstream programming. Shows like Once Upon a Time and Grimm (which shall be reviewed in greater depth in an upcoming article on this blog) Continue Reading
“Modern Family” steps it up another notch
It’s doubtful I could love this show any more than I do already. The sitcom by the talented Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan is a fresh and non-sentimental take on the traditional family sitcom that hasn’t shied from tackling all sorts of controversial subjects. The most recent episode I saw Continue Reading
Are zombies the new black in publishing?
I have an idea for a book! It will have zombies and otters and self-aware Japanese robots battling for supremacy of a small farm in Kansas. This once rural idyll naturally holds the key to the future of all humanity. Think I am mad? Think again. The odds are very Continue Reading