The ‘Nazi porn’ TV train rolls on – and so does its Churchillian interpretation of history
There is then much debate about whether Chamberlain thought he had bought time by refusing to fight over the Sudetenland, or whether he genuinely thought, in his…
The crimes of Jimmy Savile will haunt British television for years to come
October 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of Operation Yewtree, the police crackdown that put behind bars sexual predators Gary Glitter, Rolf Harris and Stuart Hall. It was…
Council House Swap, review: a show so dreary and dull it seemed to slow down time itself
We can’t expect the television schedules to be all killer and no filler, but Council House Swap (Channel 5) is a programme so dreary that it asks…
Today’s snowflakes couldn’t cope with the Big Freeze of 1963
Parents at a Merseyside school were admonished this week for keeping their children at home after the half-term holiday because… it was windy. “I have to say…
Jane McDonald: My Yorkshire, episode 1, review: a lovely if uneventful hour of local pride
McDonald started off in Holmfirth, prompted by warm memories of watching Last of the Summer Wine with her family: “Sunday nights in our little back-to-back in Wakefield……
Why British television would be foolish if it didn’t find a home for our good Neighbours
Each generation has “their” Neighbours cast, and the celebrities who cut their teeth on the Street, such as Russell Crowe and Margot Robbie. For those coming of…
The Teacher, review: Sheridan Smith excels as the tutor you wouldn’t let near your teenage sons
It’s Sheridan Smith season. Last month she played a grieving mother in the BBC drama Four Lives. Next Monday we’ll see her in ITV’s No Return, as…
Without America, All Creatures Great and Small may never have been born
Whether it’s the dizzying effects of the Marvel universe, or the high-stakes family affairs of Succession, American TV has never shied away from drama. So the news…
All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special, review: as cosy and comforting as you could wish for
You could watch It’s a Wonderful Life while eating some figgy pudding, wearing a Santa hat and pulling a cracker, and it still wouldn’t feel as Christmassy…
Gyles Brandreth: how Charles Dickens made me a man
Charles Dickens shaped my life. That sounds like hyperbole. It isn’t. The spirit of Dickens informed my childhood (and not just at Christmas) and his career as…
Gregg Wallace’s Grand Christmas Adventure, review: a man of weird habits and endearing enthusiasm
Gregg Wallace has been doing the rounds recently, talking about Christmas. Perhaps you’ve missed this, so let me fill you in. Gregg has eight Christmas trees in…
Parking Fines: The Big Con? review: helpful advice for taking the great swizzlers to task
Conran assiduously picked apart the relationships between the private parking companies, the lawyers they use and the trade bodies of which they are members. Needless to say,…