A return to duty

An new Call of Duty video game has been announced. It is a reboot of the Modern Warfare iteration of the brand that broke records when the 3 games were released between 2007-11. However the games did sparked contervesty, in one level of the third game an US special forces operator undercover with a Russian terrorist group finds himself in the middle of an attack on Moscow with the player given the option of killing people or not. The reboot with the simple title of Modern Warfare will be out later this year.

Who's in the final?

Britain's Got Talent suffered an embarrassing technical failure last night. A score board showing those who had made it to the Grand Final showed an act that had been eliminated instead of one that did make the final. The Grand Final is on Sunday.

We have to play where?

Tonight sees the final of the Europa League between London clubs Arsenal and Chelsa. The choice of venue has sparked much fury. The capital city of Azerbaijan Baku is hosting the game. This has caused many to complain about the distance fans will have to travel to see the final. The decision making Baku the hosts was 2 years ago. A decision made with not much hindsight.

Return to the Valleys

Every now and again a sit com hit (To the Manor Born and The Royale to name 2 examples) is revived for Xmas. This year it is the turn of Gavin and Stacey. The story of an Essex boy and a girl from Wales who fall in love. The show was written by James Condren and Ruth Jones who also play the titular characters best pals. Condren has made his name in the US winning a prestigious Tony Award and presenting his own late night chat show.

More gender swapping

Peep Show is the latest British TV show to be given an US make over. The Sit Com starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb as 2 misanthropic losers was unique in that scenes were played out in the point of view of the characters involved. However the proposed US version will have the main characters going from Male to Female. Of course gender swapping of characters in not an new thing. The most famous example is of course Doctor Who. However after a promising start ratings wise the figures went into a steep decline. Whether this new version of Peep Show gets off the ground remains to be seen.

Don't you remember these guys Harrison?

After the fan petition was launched for a second film detailing the early adventures of Han Solo Harrison Ford has stated that he will be the only actor to play another of his iconic character Indiana Jones. Harrison has seemed to have forgotten a couple of things. In the third Indy movie The Last Crusade there is a prologue featuring a teenage version of the character played by the late River Phoenix. There was also the TV series Young Indiana Jones Chronicles with Sean Patrick Flannery playing Indy and with guest appearances by the likes of Daniel Craig, Catherine Zeta Jones and Jon Pretwee to name just 3. Sorry Harrison.

We want more Solo

A fan petition has started for a follow up to last year's Solo: A Star Wars story. The campaign has the blessing of Ron Howard the director of the film after the pair of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired. The film has the dubious record of the lowest grossing Star Wars saga but that has not stopped the fans wanted another adventure with Han before the days he joined the rebellion.

Where have our points gone?

As if finishing last at this year's Eurovison Song Contest the United Kingdom has seen it's points total reduced. On the night the UK's enterent Bigger Than Us by Michael Rice scored 16 points. However due to complications over voting that has been reduced to 11. Rice is taking it all in his stride and saying it was a great experience.

TV ratings 21-05-2019

The second part of BBC1's new drama Years and Years posted a very disappointing figure. Starring Emma Thompson and written by Russell T Davies the dystopian drama was seen 1 and a half million viewers while on ITV Hatton Garden the dramatisation of the events surrounding the infamous robbery was seen by nearly 2 million more at the same time.

Not going well for Jamie

It has been announced the celebrity chef and healthy eating campaigner Jamie Oliver's chain of restaurants have gone into administration. The blame has been put on tough high street conditions. Oliver still has a couple of restaurants that were outside of the group operating. no word of how employees will be affected.

John Wick takes out The Avengers

At the North American box office Avengers Endgame reign as the weekly No 1 came to an end at the hands of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum the latest in the series of films starring Keanau Reeves as a hit man trying to turn his back on crime but for events to conspire against him. However there was was some good news for the fourth Avengers as it overtook Avatar to become the all time second highest grossing film at the North American box office with only Star Wars: The Force Awakens making more money.

Hatton Garden is here at last

This Monday night ITV's 4 part dramatic retelling of the Hatton Garden robbery begins.Diamonds worth up to £14 million were stolen during a daring robbery committed over Easter Weekend 2015. The drama was supposed to have been shown in December 2015 but due to legal wrangles over a trial one of the gang members was facing for another crime the drama was pulled from the schedules at the last moment because it felt it might be prejudicial. Another delay came when a gang member who evading capture was finally arrested and for the same reason it was delayed again. Now finally the drama can be shown however one curious thing is that an number of films (Including King of Thieves starring Micheal Caine0 about the event have come out about the event without much trouble.

We don't want Robert

Robert Pattinson has been linked with the title role of Batman in the next film to feature the Gotham City vigilante. However this news of Pattinson even being considered caused bit of a backlash with some fans launching a petition to dump Pattison from the role. The reason for this extreme reaction can be traced to Pattinson's role in the teenage vampire romance film series Twilight. Though the Twilight films were a massive box office success they were predominately seen by teenage girls and looked down upon by male viewers. Since the end of the Twilight series Pattinson has mainly worked in low budget films. Other actors being considered for the role of Bruce Wayne are Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Arnie Hammer. Hoult and Taylor-Johnson have comic book experience through the X-Men and Kick Ass films while Hammer played another mask wearing avenger in 2013's infamous The Lone Ranger co-starring Johnny Depp as Tonto. We should be hearing who is wearing the cape and mask in the next few months.

The numbers are in for Chris and Zoe

New figures have shown 1 million listeners tuned in Chris Evans new Virgin Radio in it's 3 first months. In the same period Evans replacement as host BBC Radio 2's Breakfast Show Zoe Ball maintained the figures of 9 million listeners that were tuning into the show when Evans was in charge. If Virgin Radio hopes were that the listeners of Evans Radio 2 flock to his new show then they have been dashed big time.

It's over for Jeremy

ITV have announced with immediate effect that The Jeremy Kyle has been axed after a guest committed suicide after failing a lie detector test over weather he been unfaithful to his partner. The programme has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons more than once. On one occasion a man headbutted a love rival on the show and he was sent to prison, the judge called the show human bear baiting. Another show featured Mick Philpott who is currently serving a manslaughter sentcane for the deaths of 6 of his children after he set fire to their home in an attempt to frame his lover. The Jeremy Kyle Show will go down as one of the contersial programmes in UK TV history.

Deja vu Russell?

Tonight on BBC1 sees the start of Years & Years an new drama written by Russell T Davies. It tells the story of a family during a turbulent future in the UK. One of the reasons is the rise of a political outsider played by Emma Thompson. Some will be reminding of a simaller plot of the third series of the revived Doctor Who in which The Doctor's old foe The Master sizes power on the back of a populist movement. Another familiar element is the name of Thompson's Years & Years character Vivenne Rook which is a bit simaller to the character in the Harold Saxon arc of Vivian Rook a journalist who figures out Saxon is not who his and pays for it with her life. So what is Russell's obsession with the name of Rook?  Growing up Russell loved reading the late Jean Rook, a journalist for the Daily Express whose columns were scathing of the Royal Family. Another link to the third series of (what has become known as Nu Who) is that Ann Reid and Jessica Hynes who play members of the family in Years & Years appeared in early episodes of the 3rd series.

2019 BAFTA TV Awards - the results

Darkly comic thriller Killing Eve was the big winner of the night taking 3 awards. Best Drama Series, Best Actress for Jodie Cormer and Best Supporting Actress for Fiona Shaw, Sky drama Patrick Melrose took away 2 prizes for Best Drama Serial and Best Actor for Benedict Cumberatch, Ben Wishaw won for true life drama A Very English Scandal. Lee Mack beat Ant & Dec to the Best Entertainment award and Joan Bakewell was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

James Cameron: past and future

After Avengers Endgame passed Titanic to become the second highest grossing film at the international box office James Cameron posted his congratulations in the form of a print advert featuring artwork of the Avengers insignia sinking the ship. Cameron still holds the title of director of the biggest grossing film at the international box office. The past decade has seen Cameron working on an number of sequels to it. Disney through their takeover of 20th Century Fox have now became owners of the Avatar franchise have announced that the sequels will be released in alternating years with an new Star Wars trilogy. The first Avatar follow up is due for release in 2020.

Freddie Starr (1941-2019)

The death has been announce of Freddie Starr who at his peak was one of the UK's most popular comedians. Starr worked as a child actor he appeared in the film Violent Playground which starred David McCallum who would go onto star in The Man from U.N.C.L.E and NCIS. As anyone who was around in Liverpool in the 1960s Starr wanted to be a pop star but thanks to his mimicry skillls he found him having a career in comedy. As well having his own shows Starr would appear on other people's including sharing the screen with  none Muhammad Ali. Freddie Starr kept up his dramatic work with a role in the British Gangster film The Squeeze starring Stacey Keach. Due to his fame Freddie Starr was never far from the headlines some tines with frivolous ones like 'Freedie Starr ate My Hamster!' but much darker ones. Starr was arrested as a result of Operation Yewtree on historical sexual abuse allegations but was never charged. Freddie Starr did not live a quiet life.

Freddie Starr R. I. P.

You really should be careful Danny

The BBC have fired Danny Baker from his Radio 5 Live show after posting a tweet concerning the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first child being born. The offending tweet had a photo of a couple with a baby chimp in their arms. This was thought to be a reference to the Duchess ethic orgins and in a swift response Baker found himself out of job.

Gary and Jurgen's potty mouth

Last night saw a sensational second leg of the Champions League Semi Final between Liverpool and Barcelona. Liverpool staged a magnificent come back after losing the first leg 3-0  by beating their Spanish rivals 4-0. Jurgen Klopp the Liverpool was interviewed after the match. Klopp could not hide his delight and ended up using the f word. Before using the word Klopp made sure the interview was going out after the watershed before swearing. Gary Lineaker who was presenting match coverage for BT Sports was  told to say sorry for the swearing but he wasn't going to because Klopp was justified after his team's performance. Liverpool will find out who they will play in the final when Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur play their Semi Final second leg tonight.

Trouble in Westeros

Game of Thornes producers have found themselves under fire for a couple of issues. The first is some leaks detailing the plot of the shows final episodes with fans voicing their displeasure on what is supposedly is going to happen. Though people have to remember that the show overtook the books is based on a couple of seasons ago. The other is over the appearance of a Starbusks cup sitting next to Emila Clarke in a feast scene in the near medieval show. The producers claim it was a honest mistake and not sneaky product placement.

It pays to avenge

Avengers: Endgame after only 2 weeks is now the second highest grossing film at the international box office 2 Billion Dollars. If it continues at it's current pace it should overtake Avatar in a week or 2. One factor that has to be remembered that Avatar was bolstered by 3D screenings which had higher ticket prices. The early 2010s saw a 3D craze that saw nearly every film released in 3D though it seems to have died out. The first of the Avatar sequels is due out soon and director James Cameron still stand by 3D.

Avoiding spoilers

You may find yourself missing your favourite programme. So here are some tips to keep surprises fresh.


Avoid the internet

The world wide web is full of sites that discuss every detail while a programme is on


Avoid Newspapers

The printed press likes it spoilers


Avoid blabbermouths

There are people in the world who can not keep their mouth shut

Awful quiz show answer of the day 03-05-2019

On today's Tipping Point a contestants was asked for which 2017 Steven Spielberg film did Meryl Streep receive an Oscar nomination. The answer given was Pirates of the Caribbean which was released in 2003, did not star Sreep or was directed by Spielberg/ The actual answer is The Post.

Awful quiz show of the day 02-05-2019

On today's Tipping Point a contestant was asked which member of The Smiths wrote the novel The List of the List. The answer given was John Smith. The Smiths famously did not a member whose name was Smith. The actual answer is Morrisey.

Awful show answer of the day 01-05-2019

On today's Tipping Point a contestant was asked what is the name of a Buddhist temple. The contestant's answer was mosque. The correct answer is pagoda