HERE’S the front cover of today’s MEN Christmas TV special.
It’s something I’ve been proud to write for a number of years.
Lots of hard work goes into the supplement, not least from our talented team of sub editors, designers and features executives.
If you can’t get hold of a hard copy, some of the feature material is available online.
As well as a preview piece I wrote for yesterday’s paper.
Author: ianwylie
ALAN Davies always brings a sense of mischief to interviews.
As is the way with television, we met up in August to discuss the return of Jonathan Creek on New Year’s Day.
While Alan also voiced his fears about QI’s move from BBC2 to BBC1.
The online version of today’s TV feature interview with Alan is here.
And here’s some of the extra material which failed to make the final cut:
On his Creek debut almost 12 years ago:
“When I originally started it was very good for me, because I hadn’t been on a film set before. So the first episode of Jonathan Creek was the first proper acting I’d done.
“And it was a very good school. You had to learn every last syllable and get it right, and get it right from every angle. So I was back to school, in a way. Here we are – this is proper television now.
THE sun was streaming through the windows of the conference room where I met up again with Robson Green and Mark Benton.
We were there to discuss their ITV1 Christmas film Clash Of The Santas.
Plus, as it turned out, Robson’s views on Coronation Street and Mark’s role in Harry Hill’s new comedy Soapington Way.
Clash Of The Santas features Robson in a skirt.
“It’s a very short skirt, and green tights,” he pointed out.
“After a while, I forgot I had them on.”
As well as dressing up as an elf, Robson got to wear a Rainbow Santa suit.
A night of pure TV gold. (Part two)
Over on BBC1, it was obvious something was wrong as soon as the Strictly Come Dancing results show began.
Bruce and Tess announced that the voting lines had been frozen, which didn’t make sense.
Until you realised that the public could not influence the fate of Tom Chambers and professional dance partner Camilla Dallerup.
After two dances, Rachel Stevens and Vincent Simone, together with Lisa Snowdon and Brendan Cole, had tied for first place with 75 marks.
So as joint top of the leader board, they were both awarded three points.
Leaving Tom and Camilla in third place with just one point.
As Strictly fans will know, the judges have 50 per cent of the final mark, with the other 50 per cent in the hands of the public phone vote.
A night of pure TV gold. (Part one)
The right singer crowned winner of The X Factor 2008.
Plus drama and a big surprise in the Strictly Come Dancing Semi Final.
Within minutes of Alexandra Burke’s deserved X Factor victory last night, this image of her CD single cover arrived in my in-box.
The moment she was joined on stage by her hero Beyonce Knowles to duet on Listen will live long in the memory.
As will the relief on Simon Cowell’s face after Alex, 20, was announced as the winner.
She was clearly in a different class to runners up JLS and third-placed Eoghan Quigg.
ONE Foot In The Grave writer David Renwick can sometimes be mistaken for a younger Victor Meldrew.
Ask him about writing a script and his replies will include words like “agony” and “torment”.
And then there’s his explanation for bringing back Jonathan Creek after a five year absence.
“I had three options. I suppose,” he told me.
“Retire, which is becoming increasingly tempting.
“Or go away for the best part of six months and struggle to come up with something else that interested me.
“And then sit and write it and decide whether I liked it and then try and interest someone else in it.
“Which even if the BBC had bought it, would take the best part of another year, just going through the system, and then all that time delay.
HIS job is to deliver a vision of the future.
Peter Salmon is the first Director of BBC North, based at MediaCity in Salford Quays.
In his first interview since his appointment was announced this week, he told me: “We’ve done good things in Manchester.
“Now we can do truly great things here.”
I spoke to Burnley-born Peter yesterday, shortly after he visited the rapidly developing site where he and 2,400 BBC staff will be based by 2012.
You can read the online version of today’s MEN news story here.
But I thought those interested in the issues might like to read more of what he said.
As well as seeing a wider selection of the excellent MEN photos taken by my colleague Chris Gleave.
Having just got the job, this wasn’t the time for Peter to give an in-depth interview about his future plans.
But in a ten minute chat he outlined a snapshot of his current thoughts.
Along with the moment he came over all Peter Kay.
TIME to get a few things in proportion.
The X Factor is just a television show, not a matter of life or death.
The elemination of Diana Vickers has probably done her a favour in terms of her future career.
So why was Eoghan Quigg blubbing like a baby when she went out?
And how will he cope if he wins next Saturday’s final?
Diana, 17, was still maintaining she and Eoghan, 16, are just very good friends at her last press conference yesterday.
But that’s not how it looked on Saturday night.
Still sobbing, Eoghan ran on stage to embrace the Lancashire student before she had finished her farewell song.
IT won’t come as a surprise to fans of one of the best dramas on TV.
But the BBC has now officially confirmed that Spooks will return for an eighth series in 2009.
Filming begins in March.
Here’s this morning’s official release:
“Consistently hailed as a benchmark for modern drama, compelling spy series Spooks is to return next year the BBC announced today.
The hit drama from Kudos Film and Television has been recommissioned for an eighth series while it currently enjoys its most critically-acclaimed series ever.
This series witnessed the arrival of Robin Hood star Richard Armitage as Lucas North, the return of Hermione Norris as Ros Myers, the shattering discovery of Connie James as the MI5 mole and the shocking murder of Ben Kaplan by one of his own.
The highly topical series continues to secure strong ratings, regularly attracting over 5.7 million viewers on BBC One and BBC Three, and has received a deluge of positive feedback from both fans and the press.
Details of the new series are being kept under wraps until the current series has finished airing but Simon Crawford Collins, Executive Producer and Joint Managing Director at Kudos, promises there will be even more compelling storylines and high drama in series eight.
‘Spooks is currently enjoying an exceptional run on BBC One and BBC Three and viewers will be shocked when this series ends with a sting in its tale.
‘As for next year …we’re currently working with our fantastic team of writers to predict the big stories for 2009 to keep Spooks prescience in these dramatically changing times.’
Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, who commissioned the eighth series, continues: ‘I’m delighted Spooks is returning to BBC One and BBC Three next year.
‘Spooks continues to be a channel defining show, consistently pushing the boundaries of television drama while maintaining strong viewer loyalty and attracting critical acclaim. I can’t wait for series eight to burst onto our screens in 2009.’
Richard Armitage, who joined at the beginning of the current series, says: ‘I’m thrilled with the response we’ve had to this series and I can’t wait to find out what the next series has in store.
‘If the climatic episodes at the end of series seven are anything to go by, I think series eight will be spectacular. I am excited about taking Lucas into deeper and more dangerous territory, and seeing if he can survive!’
Hermione Norris, who is approaching her fourth series of Spooks as Ros Myers, adds: “Spooks is a fantastic show to be a part of and I’m delighted to be joining the team again next year.”
The final episode in the current BBC1 series in screened at 9pm next Monday.
It ends with quite a cliffhangher – that “sting in the tale” – with almost a year to wait until we find out what happens.
DID you see that coming in Survivors last night?
Government minister Samantha Willis certainly surprised me in the third episode of the BBC1 drama.
As did the the location used by actress Nikki Amuka-Bird and the rest of the TV team to portray the home of Samantha’s small community.
Interviewing Nikki back in September, she told me about filming the scenes at the Earth Centre, near Doncaster.
You can read more about both Nikki and Survivors in yesterday’s MEN interview here.
I have to confess I’d never heard of the Earth Centre.
And, perhaps, I’m not alone…as it failed to attract visitors and closed in 2004.
Life of Wylie 