1.
San Diego Comic-Con
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San Diego Comic-Con International is a multi-genre entertainment and comic convention held annually in San Diego, California. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International, San Diego and it is a four-day event held during the summer at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. On the Wednesday evening prior to the opening of the event, there is a preview for professionals, exhibitors. Comic-Con International also produces two other conventions, WonderCon, held in Los Angeles, and the Alternative Press Expo and it is also the home of the Will Eisner Awards. In 2010, it filled the San Diego Convention Center to capacity with more than 130,000 attendees, the convention was founded in 1970 by Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger, Mike Towry, Barry Alfonso, Bob Sourk, and Greg Bear. Detroit, Michigan-born, comics fan Shel Dorf, had, in the mid-1960s, mounted the Detroit Triple-Fan Fairs, one of the first commercial comics-fan conventions. When he moved to San Diego, California, in 1970, he organized a convention on March 21,1970. Dorf went on to be associated with the convention as president or manager, variously, Alf co-chaired the first convention with Krueger and became chairman in 1971. Following the initial gathering, Dorfs first three-day San Diego comics convention, other locations in the conventions early years included the El Cortez Hotel, the University of California, San Diego, and Golden Hall, before being moved to the San Diego Convention Center in 1991. I was quietly walking the floor stunned and in awe of just how much bigger it really was, the convention is organized by a panel of 13 board members,16 to 20 full-time and part-time workers, and 80 volunteers who assist via committees. Comic Con International is an organization, and proceeds of the event go to funding it, as well as the Alternative Press Expo. The convention logo was designed by Richard Bruning and Josh Beatman in 1995, in September 2010, the convention announced that it would stay in San Diego through 2015. In 2015, working with Lionsgate, a channel was created to host Comic-Con related content. According to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, the convention has a regional economic impact of $162.8 million. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, there are previews of upcoming feature films, like most comic-book conventions, Comic-Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors. These include media companies such as studios and TV networks, as well as comic-book dealers. And like most comics conventions, Comic-Con includes an area, as well as the Artists Alley where comics artists can sign autographs. Despite the name, artists alleys can include writers and even models, academics and comic industry professionals annually hold the Comics Arts Conference at Comic-Con, presenting scholarly studies on comics as a medium
2.
Glasgow
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Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, and third largest in the United Kingdom. Historically part of Lanarkshire, it is now one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and it is situated on the River Clyde in the countrys West Central Lowlands. Inhabitants of the city are referred to as Glaswegians, Glasgow grew from a small rural settlement on the River Clyde to become the largest seaport in Britain. From the 18th century the city grew as one of Great Britains main hubs of transatlantic trade with North America. Glasgow was the Second City of the British Empire for much of the Victorian era and Edwardian period, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Glasgow grew in population, reaching a peak of 1,128,473 in 1939. The entire region surrounding the conurbation covers about 2.3 million people, at the 2011 census, Glasgow had a population density of 8, 790/sq mi, the highest of any Scottish city. Glasgow hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games and is well known in the sporting world for the football rivalry of the Old Firm between Celtic and Rangers. Glasgow is also known for Glasgow patter, a dialect that is noted for being difficult to understand by those from outside the city. Glasgow is the form of the ancient Cumbric name Glas Cau. Possibly referring to the area of Molendinar Burn where Glasgow Cathedral now stands, the later Gaelic name Baile Glas Chu, town of the grey dog, is purely a folk-etymology. The present site of Glasgow has been settled since prehistoric times, it is for settlement, being the furthest downstream fording point of the River Clyde, the origins of Glasgow as an established city derive ultimately from its medieval position as Scotlands second largest bishopric. Glasgow increased in importance during the 10th and 11th centuries as the site of this bishopric, reorganised by King David I of Scotland and John, there had been an earlier religious site established by Saint Mungo in the 6th century. The bishopric became one of the largest and wealthiest in the Kingdom of Scotland, bringing wealth, sometime between 1189 and 1195 this status was supplemented by an annual fair, which survives as the Glasgow Fair. Glasgow grew over the following centuries, the first bridge over the River Clyde at Glasgow was recorded from around 1285, giving its name to the Briggait area of the city, forming the main North-South route over the river via Glasgow Cross. The founding of the University of Glasgow in 1451 and elevation of the bishopric to become the Archdiocese of Glasgow in 1492 increased the towns religious and educational status and landed wealth. Its early trade was in agriculture, brewing and fishing, with cured salmon and herring being exported to Europe, Glasgow was subsequently raised to the status of Royal Burgh in 1611. The citys Tobacco Lords created a water port at Port Glasgow on the Firth of Clyde. By the late 18th century more than half of the British tobacco trade was concentrated on Glasgows River Clyde, at the time, Glasgow held a commercial importance as the city participated in the trade of sugar, tobacco and later cotton
3.
Glasgow School of Art
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The Glasgow School of Art is Scotlands only public self-governing art school offering university-level programmes and research in architecture, fine art and design. The school is housed in one of Glasgows most famous buildings, often considered the masterpiece of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, severely damaged by a fire in May 2014, the building is now undergoing a careful restoration. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art in 1853 and it was first located at 12 Ingram Street and moved to the McLellan Galleries in 1869. In 1897, work started on a new building to house the school on Renfrew Street, the building was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, chosen for the commission by the schools director, Francis Newbery, who oversaw a period of expansion and fast-growing reputation. The first half of the building was completed in 1899 and the half in 1909. The competition was won by New York-based Steven Holl Architects working with Glasgow-based JM Architects, the Reid Building was completed in 2014 and sits opposite the Mackintosh Building on a site previously occupied by the Foulis, Assembly and Newbery Tower Buildings. The School of Architecture is highly rated by the architecture profession, the School is organised into four academic schools, the Mackintosh School of Architecture, the School of Design and the School of Fine Art, each with its own academic programmes and research centres. A fourth school, School of Simulation and Visualisation, specialising in digital and virtual technologies was introduced in October 2016, the GSA also has a long-established portfolio of non-degree provision, including leisure classes. The original Mackintosh building was damaged by fire on 23 May 2014. The extent of the damage and the future of the building have still to be determined, an initial fire service estimate was that 90% of the building and 70% of its contents had been saved. The fire, which began in the basement, quickly spread upwards and, although it was brought under control quite quickly, significant damage was done to the historic studios and stairways. The renowned Mackintosh library was destroyed, the archive was water damaged, the fire broke out as students were preparing for their Degree Show. Eyewitnesses said that the fire appeared to have started when a projector exploded in the basement of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building just before 12, 30pm. Investigators later determined that the cause was not a faulty projector, according to The Scotsman newspaper, the use of aerosol cans is against school policy. ”In addition, an intended fire suppression system for the building had not been completed. A school staff member was on hand when the blaze first ignited, a careful restoration process began soon after the fire, work on restoring and recreating the Macintosh design, including the famous library interior, started in 2016. The restoration is taking pains to perform the work with historical accuracy, including through the use of original wood species such as longleaf pine. The school currently has two campuses, the School of Fine Art, Digital Culture, and MFA programmes are in the vicinity of the fire damaged Mackintosh building. The Institute of Design Innovation, a centre of the School of Design is based in Forres
4.
Twelfth Doctor
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The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, within the series narrative, the Doctor is a time travelling, humanoid alien from a race known as the Time Lords. Capaldis portrayal of the Doctor is a spiky, brusque, contemplative, Capaldis first full appearance as the Doctor was at the end of the 2013 Christmas special The Time of the Doctor. He is accompanied in the eighth and ninth series by companion Clara Oswald, in the tenth series, he will be accompanied by two new companions, Nardole and Bill Potts. On 30 January 2017, Capaldi announced he would be leaving the programme and he also appeared in an episode of Class, marking the third time the Doctor appeared in a spin-off. Matt Smith, who played the Eleventh Doctor, publicly announced his departure from Doctor Who on 1 June 2013, on 3 August 2013, bookmakers William Hill suspended betting when Capaldi became the five to six favourite to be cast. Capaldis casting was revealed on 4 August during a live broadcast on BBC One, titled Doctor Who Live, the live show was watched by an average of 6.27 million in the UK, and was also simulcast in the United States, Canada and Australia. While Capaldi was the first choice for the role, other actors were approached in case Capaldi should turn the offer down. Ben Stephenson, the BBCs drama commissioner, said that Capaldi was suggested months before the August revelation, Capaldi prepared for the audition by downloading old Doctor Who scripts from the Internet and practising in front of a mirror. He discovered he had given the part during filming for Adrian Hodges The Musketeers in Prague, after missing a call from his agent, Capaldi rang back to be greeted with Hello. Moffat felt that an actor would work best following the youngest actor. He commented, I can absolutely believe that the strange old-young Matt Smith will turn into the strange young-old Peter Capaldi, Capaldi has previously appeared playing other roles in the Doctor Who franchise. He portrayed Lobus Caecilius in the 2008 episode The Fires of Pompeii and John Frobisher in Children of Earth and this situation was alluded to in Deep Breath, when a confused Doctor is reminded of Caecilius when he examines his face in a mirror. In The Girl Who Died, it is explained that the Doctor chose Caecilius face to himself that he is the Doctor. Capaldis casting marks the time an actor has previously appeared in the series and then been cast as an incarnation of the Doctor. Capaldi briefly appears in the 50th anniversary special, Moffat stated that it was his plan from the start that all the Doctors would fly in to save Gallifrey, and he knew there would be a new one at that time. He wrote it before knowing who would be cast, Capaldi filmed his appearance on 3 October 2013, long after principal photography for the special had ended, and the same day he filmed his debut scene for The Time of the Doctor. Capaldi kept his native Scottish accent for the role, speaking on his decision, he said he did it so he could feel closer to the character
5.
The Doctor (Doctor Who)
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The Doctor is the title character and protagonist in the long-running BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The character has also featured in one made-for-television film. In the programme, the Doctor is the alias assumed by a centuries-old alien—a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey—who travels through space and time in his TARDIS, since the shows inception in 1963, the character has been portrayed by twelve lead actors. The War Doctor and an aborted regeneration are counted in his previous cycle of twelve regenerations, a number of other actors have played the character in stage and audio plays, as well as in various film and television productions. The character has been well received by the public, with his enduring popularity leading The Daily Telegraph to dub him Britains favourite alien. On 30 January 2017, Capaldi confirmed that the series would be his last. His kind have dedicated themselves to overseeing all of time and space without interference, the Doctor chose to leave his home by stealing an obsolete TARDIS model as revealed in the 1969 serial The War Games and depicted in the 2013 episode The Name of the Doctor. With this vehicle, the Doctor explores the universe with usually human companions who serve as audience surrogate characters to ask questions which allow the Doctor to provide relevant exposition, spin-off media offer the explanation that his true name is unpronounceable by humans. In The Name of the Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor tells companion Clara Oswald that the name Doctor is essentially a promise he made, the promise itself is revealed in The Day of the Doctor, Never cruel nor cowardly. The Doctors earlier life and childhood on Gallifrey has been little described, the classic programme refers to his time at the Academy and his affiliation with the notoriously devious Prydonian chapter of Time Lords. Some are inspired, some go mad and some run away, when asked to which group he belonged, he replied, Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped. In the Armageddon Factor, it is revealed that the Doctor scraped through the Academy with 51% on his second attempt, in The Time Meddler, it is said that the Doctor was fifty years before the Meddling Monk. In Time and the Rani, the Doctor claims to have attended University alongside the Rani, specialising in thermodynamics. In The Time Monster, the Doctor says he grew up in a house on a mountainside and he is later reunited with this former mentor, now on Earth posing as the abbot Kanpo Rimpoche, in Planet of the Spiders. In other media, more has been revealed of the Doctors early life, in the Past Doctor Adventures novel Divided Loyalties, the Doctor recalls his Academy years in a dream induced by the Celestial Toymaker. With this group, he learns about the Celestial Toymaker and travels to his realm in a type 18 TARDIS with Deca members Rallon and Millennia and this leads to the Doctors expulsion from the Academy, condemned to five hundred years in Records and Traffic Control. In The Quantum Archangel, it is revealed the Doctor studied cosmic science alongside the Master, feeling that too much of the Doctors backstory had been revealed by the Seventh Doctors era, writers Andrew Cartmel, Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt developed a new direction for the series. Cartmel wished to restore the awe, mystery and strength
6.
Doctor Who
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Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called The Doctor and he explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Accompanied by a number of companions, the Doctor combats a variety of foes, while working to save civilisations, the show is a significant part of British popular culture, and elsewhere it has gained a cult following. It has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series, the programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There was an attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot. The programme was relaunched in 2005, and since then has been produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff, twelve actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The conceit is that this is a Time Lord trait through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body, each actors portrayal differs, but all represent stages in the life of the same character and form a single narrative. The time-travelling feature of the means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet. The current lead, Peter Capaldi, took on the role after Matt Smiths exit in the 2013 Christmas special The Time of the Doctor, in 2017, Capaldi confirmed he would be leaving at the end of the tenth series. Doctor Who follows the adventures of the character, a rogue Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He fled from Gallifrey in a stolen TARDIS – Time and Relative Dimension in Space – a machine which allows him to travel across time, the TARDIS has a chameleon circuit which normally allows the machine to take on the appearance of local objects as a disguise. However, the Doctors TARDIS remains fixed as a blue British police box due to a malfunction in the chameleon circuit, the Doctor rarely travels alone and often brings one or more companions to share these adventures. His companions are usually humans, as he has found a fascination with planet Earth, as a Time Lord, the Doctor has the ability to regenerate when his body is mortally damaged, taking on a new appearance and personality. The Doctor has gained numerous reoccurring enemies during his travels, including the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Master, another renegade Time Lord. Doctor Who first appeared on BBC TV at 17,16,20 GMT, eighty seconds after the programme time,5,15 pm. It was to be a weekly programme, each episode 25 minutes of transmission length. Discussions and plans for the programme had been in progress for a year, writer Anthony Coburn, story editor David Whitaker and initial producer Verity Lambert also heavily contributed to the development of the series
7.
Malcolm Tucker
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Malcolm Tucker is the protagonist/antihero of the BBC political satire, The Thick of It, and is portrayed by Peter Capaldi. His role is Director of Communications for the Government of the United Kingdom and he is one of four characters from the series to appear in the film In the Loop. Other than the obvious fact that he is Scottish and the character traits he exhibits during the series. His character profile on The British Comedy Guide says that he has split up from his partner, before the start of the series he forced his predecessor Steve Fleming to resign by announcing to the press that he was resigning before even informing him, thereby leaving him no choice. No mention is made of his background before taking the position as Director of Communications for Number 10. It is Tuckers personality that causes him to be infamous and feared along the halls of Westminster, the series is rife with scenes denoting a rather complex personality. His short temper means he is likely to verbally abuse anyone who has caused him or the government embarrassment, stress or irritancy with his hallmark of foul language. He acts as the Prime Ministers enforcer to ensure the cabinet ministers all follow the party line and he regularly uses rumours, smears, or threats of extreme violence to achieve his ends, which he terms Violent Sexual Imagery. His fierce reputation for verbally abusing people became what Deputy minister of DoSaC Fergus Williams referred to as, the only exception to this behaviour shown is Douglas Tickel, a nurse with mental health problems who becomes a pawn of Tuckers schemes to oust Nicola Murray. The best explanation for this is that the publicity Tickel generated to oppose policies made him fair game in Tuckers eyes and he does on only two occasions show remorse and regret for his actions, notably when he hits Glenn, he expresses what appears to be genuine remorse. He even feels sorry for Glenn when he has a mental breakdown. His film portrayal, on the hand, is arguably less sympathetic. His reputation precedes him in his own party, the media, while no on-screen relationship between him and Tucker is ever shown, The Missing DoSAC Files shows them to be very cordial with one another, partaking in weekly games of tennis every Sunday. While not as feared as Malcolm, Steve Fleming is nonetheless infamous throughout the party for his oily and he is shown to frequently breakdown when faced with opposition from his co-workers, implying he is mentally unbalanced. Tucker and Fleming harbour a mutual hatred, which goes back to when the former forced the latter to resign in 2003, possibly even before then. Fleming exacts revenge on Tucker by forcing him to resign by informing the press before telling Malcolm, more often than not, his petulant, passive-aggressive disposition, his feigned indifference for colleagues and subordinates opinions and his entirely unjustified arrogance simply irritate people. Tucker has very little patience for the incompetence of ministers and other servants in Whitehall to the point where he describes himself in series four as having no real friends. He considered Hugh Abbott to be bumbling, incompetent and out of touch with the public and his treatment of Hughs successor, Nicola Murray, was considerably more sympathetic, with Tucker deeming her a nice lady, and even helping to move forward her policy ideas
8.
The Thick of It
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The Thick of It is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. It was first broadcast for two series on BBC Four in 2005, initially with a small cast focusing on a government minister, his advisers. These characters continued when the show switched channels to BBC Two for its series in 2009. A fourth series about a government was broadcast in 2012. In a 2012 interview, series creator Armando Iannucci said the series of the programme would probably be its last. The series has been described as the 21st centurys answer to Yes Minister, highlighting the struggles, as with Yes Minister, the political parties involved are never mentioned by name, although the context makes clear which is which. Iannucci describes it as Yes Minister meets Larry Sanders, the journalist and former civil servant Martin Sixsmith is an adviser to the writing team, giving some of the storylines an element of realism. The series became known for its profanity and for featuring storylines which have mirrored, or in some cases predicted real-life policies. A feature film spin-off, In the Loop, was released in the UK on 17 April 2009. A pilot for a U. S. Armando Iannucci originally conceived of a political satire after arguing the case for Yes Minister in a 2004 Best British Sitcom poll for BBC Two. His idea was commissioned by Roly Keating, the controller of BBC Four, Iannucci created the first series of three episodes, which aired in May–June 2005, and a second series, also of three episodes, which followed in October. The series is written by a team of writers led by Armando Iannucci, some of the dialogue is improvised rather than scripted, and includes some very strong language. Peter Capaldi said Fundamentally 80% of the cut is the script that we started with. The improvisation just makes it more real and not written. Prior to rehearsals, the scripts are sent to a consultant in Lancaster called Ian Martin. The programmes producer is Adam Tandy, who has produced all of Iannuccis television projects since 2000, the programme is shot with hand-held cameras to give it a sense of vérité or fly-on-the-wall documentary. The documentary style is furthered by the absence of any music or laughter track. The action centres on the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, thus it acts as a super department overseeing many others, with some similarities to the Cabinet Office
9.
British Academy Television Awards
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The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955 and it is the British equivalent to the Emmy Awards in the United States. The first ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories, until 1958, they were awarded by the Guild of Television Producers and Directors. From 1958 onwards, after the Guild had merged with the British Film Academy, in 1976, this became the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The Television Awards are usually presented in April, with a ceremony for the Television Craft Awards on a different date. The Craft Awards are presented for more technical areas of the industry, such as effects, production design. Individual performances, such as actors, can either be entered by the performers themselves or by the broadcasters. The programmes being entered must have been broadcast on or between March and February of the year to be eligible for the years awards. Entry is free, and entry forms are available between November and January each year. After all the entries have been received, they are voted for online by all members of the Academy. The programmes and performances attracting the most votes, usually four in each category, are shortlisted as the nominees for each award. The winner is chosen from the four nominees by a jury of nine academy members for each award. These Awards are suggested by the Television Committee and awarded by the Academys Council and they are not necessarily always given every year, but as and when appropriate. The Awards ceremony is broadcast on British television, usually the day after it has taken place, between 1998 and 2006, it was alternated between ITV and BBC One. But since 2007, it has been broadcast by BBC One, in 1991, a controversial selection was made in the Best Drama Serial category, when Prime Suspect beat G. B. H. to win the award. Following the ceremony, four of the seven voting members of the signed a public statement declaring that they had voted for G. B. H. to win. B. H. Price claimed that the papers could not be recounted as they had subsequently been destroyed. No blame was attached to Shubik by the four judges
10.
In the Loop
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In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. The film is a spin-off from the BBC Television series The Thick of It and satirizes Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and it was nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film stars Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, Chris Addison, David Rasche, with the help of his girlfriend Suzy, Simons new aide Toby Wright manages to get him into the Foreign Office meeting that day. The report heavily opposes intervention, noting the lack of intelligence except that which is coming from a source known as Iceman. Also during the committee it is hinted at that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Policy, Linton Barwick, after the meeting, Simon is ambushed by reporters and contradicts his previous statements by saying the government has to be prepared to climb the mountain of conflict. Again he is subjected to chastisement from Tucker, returning to the US, Karen and Liza conclude that Linton has created a war committee under the guise of Future Planning. At a party Karen teams up with General George Miller who opposes the war believing that the US does not have enough troops to succeed and she tells him that they could use Simon on the committee as he would internationalise the dissent. While on a mission in Washington, Simon and Toby are invited by Karen to the Future Planning committee. Toby accidentally leaks the details of the meeting to a friend at CNN before meeting up with Liza at a bar, due to Tobys leak the Future Planning committee is swamped, but Karen and George fail to find out anything about the war. Both Karen and Linton turn to Simon to back their respective causes, Tucker, who is in the US, is diverted by Linton to the White House for a fake briefing. He confronts Linton, who tells him that he has to supply the US with the British intelligence on the situation in the Middle East, news of this reaches the papers, who criticise Simon for not acting on the issue. Suzy finds out about Tobys one-night-stand with Liza and they break up, when leaving their apartment he gives her a copy of PWPPIP to leak if she chooses, but she calls him a coward for not doing it himself. The President rushes forward the security council vote on intervention by vetoing tariffs on Chinese imports. Simon tells his Director of Communications Judy Molloy, to leak to the press that he would if the committee votes in favour. Once at the UN Headquarters Tucker gets word that PWPPIP has been leaked and it is later revealed that Michael Rodgers of the Foreign Office accidentally leaked it, not realising its importance. Miller and Tucker convince Jonathan Tutt, the UK Ambassador, to push the meeting forward so that the leak will not have time to spread in the US. However, Linton asserts his dominance over Tucker by telling him that the British intelligence has to be handed over before a vote can be taken, subsequently the committee votes in favour of intervention. After the vote, Miller informs Karen that he not resign now that the war is happening
11.
Strictly Sinatra
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Strictly Sinatra is a 2001 British drama film written and directed by Peter Capaldi. The film was released in the UK in 2001 by Focus Features and stars Ian Hart, Kelly Macdonald, the film is about a young Glaswegian-Italian lounge singer, Toni Cocozza, with a passion for Frank Sinatra and the dream of becoming a famous musician. He grows weary of playing to crowds in third-rate bars and decides to accept career help from mob enforcer Chisholm. In exchange for assisting the organization with their activities, Chisholm pays for new clothes for Toni. Meanwhile, he tries to keep his ties with the mob secret from his friend and accompanist Bill, the trio form a modern-day Rat Pack with Irene as Shirley MacLaine. While he is helping to rob a store, Toni misses a date with Irene and she and they beg him not to compete in the talent show as he will be forever indebted to Chisholm, but he goes anyway. He only places fifth and continues his singing in lounges. One day while making a drug drop the drugs he is carrying are stolen by a street kid, Toni refuses to harm the street kid, thus making him a target for the mob hitmen. He performs one last time at a birthday bash for Connollys wife, Bill rescues him by creating a distraction, which gives him a chance to get away with Irene. Using assumed names, the two manage to evade the mobsters and escape to New York City, the cast and crew issued the following statement, We are devastated to hear of the death of Ian Bannen earlier today. Ian was a talented actor, a consummate professional and a much loved colleague. The film received less than stellar reviews from critics upon its release, filmcritic. coms Christopher Null wrote, Aside from good singin and the always engaging Kelly Macdonald, theres just not much movie here. The BBCs Jamie Russell shared similar sentiments, Lacking the scope or ambition that a feature film deserves, this could have made a passable TV drama, but on the big screen its simply pointless. Not even the talented cast, which includes Ian Hart in the lead and the ever-reliable Brian Cox as one of the main gangsters, can enliven proceedings
12.
Getting On (UK TV series)
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Getting On is a satirical British sitcom based on a geriatric ward in an NHS hospital. It is written by its core cast, Jo Brand, Vicki Pepperdine, Series 1 and 2 were directed by Peter Capaldi. It first aired in July 2009, for three episodes, the second series of six episodes aired in 2010, with the third series airing in late 2012. Despite strong critical acclaim, the show was not recommissioned for a fourth series and it was shot in the closed Plaistow Hospital. A U. S. version of Getting On began airing on HBO in November 2013, a three-part spin-off series, Going Forward, was announced in March 2016 and began airing in May 2016 on BBC Four. Kim Wilde, played by Jo Brand, is a nurse who must adapt to the difficulties the modern NHS throws at her, with C. diff, form-filling. She is the member most empathetic to the concerns of patients and their families, which often brings her into conflict with her colleagues. She appears to be married, with several children, though her life outside the ward is rarely touched upon. Dr Pippa Moore, played by Vicki Pepperdine, is the tough and she is uptight, self-centred, and lacking in people skills, often being discourteous to her colleagues, her medical students, and even the patients. She, however, remains oblivious to the offence she causes, at the start of the series, she is married to a pilot called Philip but the marriage is not happy. She has something of a crush on her psychiatrist colleague, Dr Healy, denise Den Flixter, played by Joanna Scanlan, is the ward sister and Wildes immediate superior. She is legally separated from her husband, hilary Loftus, played by Ricky Grover, is the male matron. He has a relationship with Den, which is complicated by the fact that he is inexperienced in romantic relationships. The show has received high praise from television critics across the board in the UK, with praise for the actors performances. The Telegraph listed it as the best British television show of the year, Brand, Scanlan, and Pepperdine won the 2010 Royal Television Society Award for Best Writing in Comedy. and in 2010 the three also won the Writers Guild Award for Best Comedy. Both Jo Brand and Joanna Scanlan were nominated for the 2010 BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Performance in a Comedy Role, Jo Brand won the BAFTA for her performance. For the third series, Brand, Scanlan and Pepperdine were nominated for the 2012 Royal Television Society Award, all three series of Getting On have been released on DVD via 2entertain distribution. Series One was released on 7 September 2009, while Series Two was released 6 December 2010, following this, a box set containing both Series One and Series Two was released on 6 December 2010
13.
Possilpark
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Possilpark is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow, situated north of the River Clyde. The districts hub is Saracen Street, the area developed around Saracen Foundry of Walter MacFarlane & Co. which was the main employer. In the wake of the Saracen Foundrys closure in 1967, this section of Glasgow has become one of the poorest in the United Kingdom, a variety of diverse community organisations operate in the area, providing arts, sports, health and gardening provision and community regeneration. These organisations include YPF, The Concrete Garden, Possobilities and Friends of Possilpark Greenspace, in 1242, Alexander II of Scotland granted certain lands to the Bishop of Glasgow. These included the lands in the referred to as Possele, divided in the sixteenth century into Over or Upper Possil. The region known as Nether Possil was acquired in 1595 by Robert Crawford, in 1644 James Gilhagie of Kenniehill bought the estate, part of an old and rich Glasgow family with interests in coal, the Caribbean, Madeira and the Canary Islands. However, by 1698 Gilhagie had fallen on hard times, and after burning his properties in 1677 in Saltmarket and adjoining streets, after passing through various creditors hands, the lands were acquired in 1697 by Edinburgh writer John Forbes, who built a house. In 1808, the estate was acquired by Colonel Alexander Campbell, son of Glasgow merchant John Campbell senior, founder of the West Indian trading house of John Campbell sen. & Co. Colonel Campbell had served during the battles in South Africa, being present at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope in 1806, having bought the adjoining estate of Keppoch in 1838, the family seat had transferred there. Campbell rented Possil house and a park to Sir Archibald Alison, 1st Baronet, the house and park lands as laid out then, were described then as, On the death of Colonel Campbell in 1849, the estate passed to his son. When Walter MacFarlane wished to expand his Saracen Foundry company, Campbell agreed to sell MacFarlane 100 acres of the estate including the house. MacFarlane renamed the estate Possilpark, which grew from a population of 10 people in 1872, after Alisons death in 1867, the main house was also demolished as the foundry works expanded. The grid layout of Possilpark was described by the then Glasgow Town Council as. Ne of the finest and best conducted in Glasgow, and the new suburb of Possil Park, laid out by them with skill, the Saracen foundry made a series of decorative iron works, from railings and water fountains to park bandstands. These were exported all over the British Empire, and can still be found in abundance in many parts of North Glasgow, the MacFarlane company moved into standard foundry work, including being one of five foundries casting Sir Giles Gilbert Scotts classic K6 telephone box for Post Office Telephones. After a take over of the company in 1965, the works closed, the foundry site is now occupied by a number of commercial firms, including Allied Motors. Within fifteen years of the closing of the Saracen foundry, Possil had become the hub of the Glasgow heroin trade include and was to remain so during the 1980s. Large portions of the Possil have been destroyed, many of the old tenements being flattened, Saracen Street remains the main shopping area, but the whole area has been undergoing mass redevelopment since the late 1990s, which has seen many new houses being built
14.
Bishopbriggs
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Bishopbriggs is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately 4 miles from the City Centre. Historically in Lanarkshire, the area was part of the historic parish of Cadder - originally lands granted by King William the Lion to the Bishop of Glasgow. It was later part of the county of Lanarkshire, and then an independent burgh from 1964 to 1975, today, Bishopbriggs close geographic proximity to Glasgow now effectively makes it a suburb and commuter town of the city. The towns Gaelic name Coille Dobhair reflects the name of the old parish of Cadder and it was ranked the 2nd most desirable postcode in Scotland to live in following a study by the Centre for Economic and Business Research in 2015 and 2016. It has a population of approximately 23,500 people, in July 2016, Google Maps entry for Bishopbriggs was hacked, causing the main picture for it to appear as a resort in Mauritius. As early as 1568, reference is made to a path northwards from Glasgow as the passage to Bischopis Briggis. Bishopbriggs was first documented in the Cadder Parish records of 1655, even more than a century later, after substantial growth, the village was still being referred to in the terms of the larger settlement of Cadder. By 1793, the introduction of new farming techniques had improved yields, by 1836 there were almost no cotters with the largest farms employing no more than ten people, and some of those only as maid servants. Land reclamation changed the landscape so that crops could grow, where there was only marshland. Dairy farming was relied upon to cover ground rents, with the completion of the Forth and Clyde Canal in 1790, the area began to attract ironstone and coal mining industry. The Carron Company, became the main employer, building the mining villages of Mavis Valley. From there, the Forth and Clyde Canal formed a convenient, there were also freestone quarries established at Coltpark, Crowhill, Huntershill and Kenmure. Development during the 19th century was slow compared to the expansion of other nearby areas. In 1836 Bishopbriggs population stood at 175, compared to neighbouring Auchinairn Villages 284, the population of Bishopbriggs was recorded as 658 in 1861 and 782 in 1871. At the time, the village had also known as Bishopbridges and was so described in published maps up to the mid-1850s. The arrival of the railway heralded a change, although the first printed tickets called the station Bishopbridges, platform signage showed Bishopbriggs, the blonde coloured Bishopbriggs Sandstone is from the Upper Limestone Formation of the Lower Carboniferous age. It was one of the most important Glasgow building stones, and was a supplier of stone for Victorian Glasgow along with stone from quarries in other local areas such as Giffnock
15.
Puppet
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A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of her hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to move the body, head, limbs, and in some cases the mouth and eyes of the puppet. The puppeteer often speaks in the voice of the character of the puppet, the actions, gestures and spoken parts acted out by the puppeteer with the puppet are typically used in storytelling. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in Ancient Greece. There are many different varieties of puppets, and they are made from a range of materials, depending on their form. They range from very simple in construction and operation to very complex, the sock puppet is a type of hand puppet, which is controlled using one hand that occupies the interior of the puppet and moves the puppet around. A live-hand puppet is similar to a puppet but is larger. A rod puppet is constructed around a central rod secured to the head, a shadow puppet is a cut-out figure held between a source of light and a translucent screen. Bunraku puppets are a type of Japanese wood-carved puppet, carnival puppets are large puppets, typically bigger than a human, designed to be part of a large spectacle or parade. Puppetry was practiced in Ancient Greece and the oldest written records of puppetry can be found in the works of Herodotus and Xenophon, aristotle discusses puppets in his work On the Motion of Animals. In India, puppetry was practiced from ancient times and is known by different names in different parts of the country, excavation of clay dolls from Indus valley sites serve as an indication. The art of puppetry called Bommalattam is mentioned in Tamil literature Silappadikaram, puppetry by its nature is a flexible and inventive medium and many puppet companies work with combinations of puppet forms and incorporate real objects into their performances. They might, for example, incorporate performing objects such as paper for snow. The puppeteers perform dressed in black against a background, with the background. The puppeteers manipulate the puppets under the light, while they position themselves unseen against the black unlit background, Puppets of many sizes and types may be used. The original concept of form of puppetry can be traced to Bunraku puppetry. Bunraku puppets are a type of wood-carved puppet originally made to stand out through torch illumination, Bunraku traditionally uses three puppeteers to operate a puppet that varies from 1/3 to 1/2 life size. Carnival puppets are designed to be part of a large spectacle
16.
Punk rock
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Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed in the early to mid-1970s in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in 1960s garage rock and other forms of what is now known as proto-punk music, Punk bands typically produced short or fast-paced songs, with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY ethic, many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through informal channels, the term punk was first used in relation to rock music by some American critics in the early 1970s, to describe garage bands and their devotees. The following year saw punk rock spreading around the world, for the most part, punk took root in local scenes that tended to reject association with the mainstream. An associated punk subculture emerged, expressing youthful rebellion and characterized by distinctive styles of clothing and adornment, by the beginning of the 1980s, faster, more aggressive styles such as hardcore and street punk had become the predominant mode of punk rock. Musicians identifying with or inspired by punk also pursued a range of other variations, giving rise to post-punk. At the end of the 20th century, punk rock had been adopted by the mainstream, as pop punk and punk bands such as Green Day. The first wave of rock was aggressively modern, distancing itself from the bombast. According to Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone, In its initial form, unfortunately, what happens is that people who could not hold a candle to the likes of Hendrix started noodling away. Soon you had endless solos that went nowhere, by 1973, I knew that what was needed was some pure, stripped down, no bullshit rock n roll. In critic Robert Christgaus description, It was also a subculture that rejected the political idealism. Technical accessibility and a DIY spirit are prized in punk rock, in the early days of punk rock, this ethic stood in marked contrast to what those in the scene regarded as the ostentatious musical effects and technological demands of many mainstream rock bands. Musical virtuosity was often looked on with suspicion, according to Holmstrom, punk rock was rock and roll by people who didnt have very many skills as musicians but still felt the need to express themselves through music. In December 1976, the English fanzine Sideburns published an illustration of three chords, captioned This is a chord, this is another, this is a third. The title of a 1980 single by the New York punk band Stimulators, inscribed a catchphrase for punks basic musical approach. The previous year, when the rock revolution began in Great Britain, was to be both a musical and a cultural Year Zero. As a Clash associate describes singer Joe Strummers outlook, Punk rock is meant to be our freedom, were meant to be able to do what we want to do. Scholar Daniel S. Traber argues that attaining authenticity in the identity can be difficult, as the punk scene matured, he observes
17.
Craig Ferguson
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Craig Ferguson is a Scottish-American television host, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is the host of both the game show Celebrity Name Game, for which he has won two Daytime Emmy Awards, and of Join or Die with Craig Ferguson on History. He was also the host of the CBS late-night talk show The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. After starting his career in Britain with music, comedy and theatre and he has written and starred in three films, directing one of them, and has appeared in several others, including several voice-over roles for animations. Ferguson has also two books, Between the Bridge and the River, a novel, and American on Purpose. He was naturalised as a United States citizen in 2008, Ferguson was born in Stobhill Hospital, in the Springburn district of Glasgow, to Robert and Janet Ferguson, on 17 May 1962, and raised in nearby Cumbernauld, growing up chubby and bullied. When he was six months old, he and his family moved from their Springburn flat to a house in Cumbernauld. They lived there as Glasgow was re-housing many people following damage to the city from World War II, Ferguson attended Muirfield Primary School and Cumbernauld High School. At age sixteen, Ferguson left Cumbernauld High School and began an apprenticeship to be a technician at a local factory of American company Burroughs Corporation. His first visit to the United States was in 1975 when he was 13 to visit an uncle who lived on Long Island, when he moved to New York City in 1983, he worked in construction in Harlem. Ferguson later became a bouncer at the nightclub Save the Robots, Fergusons experience in entertainment began as a drummer in a rock band called Exposure. He then joined a band called The Bastards from Hell. The band, later renamed Dreamboys, and fronted by vocalist Peter Capaldi, Ferguson credits Capaldi for inspiring him to try comedy. After a nerve-wracking first appearance, he decided to create a character that was a parody of all the native folk singers who seemed to infect every public performance in Scotland. The character, Bing Hitler, premiered in Glasgow, and subsequently became a hit at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A recording of his act as Bing Hitler was made at Glasgows Tron Theatre and released in the 1980s. After enjoying success at the Edinburgh Festival, Ferguson appeared on television in Red Dwarf, STVs Hogmanay Show, in 1990 a pilot was broadcast The Craig Ferguson Show, a one-off comedy pilot for Granada Television, which co-starred Paul Whitehouse and Helen Atkinson-Wood. This was followed by Fergusons own 1992 show 2000 Not Out, in 1993, Ferguson presented a series on Scottish archaeology for Scottish Television entitled Dirt Detective
18.
Local Hero
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Local Hero is a 1983 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starring Peter Riegert, Denis Lawson, Fulton Mackay, and Burt Lancaster. For his work on the film, Forsyth won the 1984 BAFTA Award for Best Direction, Mac MacIntyre is a typical 1980s hot-shot executive working for Knox Oil and Gas in Houston, Texas. The eccentric chief of the company, Felix Happer, chooses to send him to Scotland to acquire the village of Ferness to make way for a refinery. Mac is a little apprehensive about his assignment, complaining to a co-worker that he would rather take care of business over the phone. Happer, an avid astronomy buff, tells Mac to watch the sky, especially around the constellation Virgo, upon arriving in Scotland, Mac teams up with local Knox representative Danny Oldsen. During a visit to a Knox research facility in Aberdeen, Dr Geddes and his assistant Watt inform them about the scope of the companys plans and they also meet marine researcher Marina. As time passes, Mac becomes more and more conflicted as he presses to close the deal that will spell the end of the quaint little village he has come to love. Ironically, the villagers are tired of the life they lead and are more than eager to sell. Mac receives encouragement from a source, Victor, a capitalistic Soviet fishing boat captain who periodically visits his friends in Ferness. Meanwhile, Danny befriends Marina, who is under the impression the company is planning to build a centre at Ferness. During a date, he discovers that Marina, who seems more at home in the water than on land, has webbed toes, while watching some grey seals, Danny mentions that sailors used to believe they were mermaids, and Marina tells him the sailors were wrong. MacIntyre tries everything to entice Ben to sell, even offering enough money to buy any other beach in the world, Ben picks up some sand and offers to sell for the same number of pound notes as he has grains of sand in his hand. A suspicious MacIntyre declines, only to be there could not have been more than ten thousand grains. Happer finally arrives on site, just in time to forestall a potentially nasty confrontation between some of the villagers and Ben, Happer mistakes the mob for a welcoming committee. When Mac informs him of the snag in the proceedings, he decides to negotiate personally with Ben and in the process, Happer opts to locate the refinery offshore and set up an astronomical observatory instead. He instructs MacIntyre to go home to implement the changes, Danny brings up Marinas dream of an oceanographic research facility and suggests combining the two into the Happer Institute, an idea that Happer likes. Later, Danny finds Marina swimming offshore and tells her the good news, a sombre MacIntyre returns to Houston. The final shot is of the phone box ringing and Mark Knopflers Going Home swelling as the phone rings
19.
George Harrison
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George Harrison, MBE was an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and music and film producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Although most of the Beatles songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and his songs for the group included Taxman, Within You Without You, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Here Comes the Sun and Something, the last of which became the Beatles second-most covered song. Harrisons earliest musical influences included George Formby and Django Reinhardt, Carl Perkins, Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry were subsequent influences. By 1965 he had begun to lead the Beatles into folk rock through his interest in the Byrds and Bob Dylan, having initiated the bands embracing of Transcendental Meditation in 1967, he subsequently developed an association with the Hare Krishna movement. He also organised the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh with Indian musician Ravi Shankar, in his role as a music and film producer, Harrison produced acts signed to the Beatles Apple record label before founding Dark Horse Records in 1974 and co-founding HandMade Films in 1978. Harrison released several best-selling singles and albums as a solo performer, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 11 in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee – as a member of the Beatles in 1988, Harrisons first marriage, to model Pattie Boyd in 1966, ended in divorce in 1977. The following year he married Olivia Harrison, with whom he had one son, Harrison died in 2001, aged 58, from lung cancer. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India and he left an estate of almost £100 million. Born in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on 25 February 1943, Harrison was the youngest of four children of Harold Hargreaves Harrison and he had one sister, Louise, and two brothers, Harry and Peter. His mother was an assistant from a Catholic family with Irish roots. His future wife, the model Pattie Boyd, described Harrisons parents as quite short, an enthusiastic music fan, she was known among friends for her loud singing voice, which at times startled visitors by rattling the Harrisons windows. While pregnant with George, she listened to the weekly broadcast Radio India. Harrisons biographer Joshua Greene wrote, Every Sunday she tuned in to mystical sounds evoked by sitars and tablas, hoping that the music would bring peace. Harrison was born and lived the first six years of his life at 12 Arnold Grove, Wavertree, Liverpool, the home had an outdoor toilet and its only heat came from a single coal fire. In 1949 the family were offered a house and moved to 25 Upton Green. In 1948, at the age of five, Harrison enrolled at Dovedale Primary School and he passed the eleven-plus exam and attended Liverpool Institute High School for Boys from 1954 to 1959. Though the institute did offer a course, Harrison was disappointed with the absence of guitars
20.
The Lair of the White Worm (film)
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The Lair of the White Worm is a 1988 British horror film based loosely on the Bram Stoker novel of the same name and drawing upon the English legend of the Lambton Worm. The film was written and directed by Ken Russell and stars Amanda Donohoe, lady Sylvia steals the skull and abducts Eve Trent, intending to offer her as the latest in a long line of sacrifices to her god. Before she can follow through with her actions, Angus, with the help of James, manages to rescue Eve. Angus however is bitten in the process by Sylvia, and finds himself cursed to carry on the vampiric, snake-like condition. 1986s Gothic had been a big success on video, and Vestron told Ireland that if Russell could come up with a movie, they would finance his planned prequel to Women in Love. Ireland says that Russell originally wanted to cast Tilda Swinton, but she turned down the role, Ireland also claims that Russell made the film partly as a tribute to Oscar Wilde. The film has received a critical response. On movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an rating of 59%, based on 22 reviews. Roger Ebert gave it two out of four and called it a respectable B-grade monster movie. Variety called it a rollicking, terrifying, post-psychedelic headtrip, vampire film The Lair of the White Worm at the Internet Movie Database
21.
Dangerous Liaisons
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The film was directed by Stephen Frears. Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick and Peter Capaldi appeared in supporting roles, as did the young, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, it won those for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction. In 1781 pre-Revolution Paris, the Marquise de Merteuil plots revenge against her ex-lover, the Comte de Gercourt, Merteuil calls on the similarly unprincipled Vicomte de Valmont to do the deed, offering him her own sexual favors as a reward. Merteuil is amused and incredulous, how can Valmont ever hope to bed the virtuous Madame Tourvel, never one to refuse a challenge, Valmont modifies the proposal, If he succeeds in sleeping with Tourvel, Merteuil must sleep with him as well. Merteuil accepts, on the condition that he furnish written proof of the liaison, Tourvel rebuffs all of Valmonts advances. Searching for leverage, he instructs his page Azolan to seduce Tourvels maid Julie to gain access to Tourvels private correspondence, one of the letters he intercepts is from Madame de Volanges, Céciles mother and Merteuils cousin, warning Tourvel that Valmont is a nefarious and untrustworthy individual. On reading this, Valmont resolves to seduce Cécile after all, meanwhile in Paris, Cécile meets the charming Chevalier Raphael Danceny. Danceny becomes Céciles music teacher and slowly, with a little coaxing from Merteuil, after gaining access to Céciles bedchamber on a false pretense, Valmont forces himself upon her as she pleads with him to leave. On the pretext of illness Cécile remains locked in her chambers, a concerned Madame de Volanges calls upon Merteuil to speak to her. Cécile, naively assuming that Merteuil has her best interests at heart, Merteuil advises Cécile to welcome Valmonts advances, young women should take advantage of all the lovers they can acquire, she says, in a society so repressive and contemptuous of women. The result is a perverse relationship, by day, Cécile is courted by Danceny. In the meantime, Merteuil begins an affair with Danceny, meanwhile, Valmont somehow manages to win Tourvels heart — but at a cost, the lifelong bachelor playboy falls in love. In a fit of jealousy, Merteuil mocks Valmont and threatens to trash his reputation as a carefree gigolo and she also refuses to honor her end of their agreement, since Valmont has no written proof that the relationship has been consummated. Valmont abruptly dismisses Tourvel with an excuse, It is beyond my control. Cécile, meanwhile, after a rough night in Valmonts bed. Tourvel, overwhelmed with grief and shame, retreats to a monastery where her health deteriorates rapidly, Valmont warns Danceny of Merteuil’s ulterior motives in seducing him, Merteuil retaliates by informing Danceny that Valmont has been sleeping with Cécile. Danceny challenges Valmont to a duel with swords, and mortally wounds him, with his dying breath, Valmont asks Danceny to communicate to Tourvel—by now at deaths door—his genuine love for her. He then gives Danceny his collection of letters from Merteuil, all of Paris learns the entire, grisly range of her schemes
22.
Minder (TV series)
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Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, the series is principally set in inner West London, and was largely responsible for putting the word minder, meaning personal bodyguard, into the UK popular lexicon. The characters often drank at the local members-only Winchester Club, where owner and barman Dave acted, often unwillingly, as a machine for Arthur. The series was notable for using a range of leading British actors, as well as many up-and-coming performers before they hit the big time, at its peak it was one of ITVs biggest ratings winners. In 2008, it was announced that Minder would go into production for broadcast in 2009 for a new version, the new show focused on Arthurs nephew Archie, played by Shane Richie. The series began broadcast on 4 February 2009, in 2010, it was announced that no further episodes would be made following lukewarm reception to the first series. Minder was devised by writer Leon Griffiths as a vehicle for Dennis Waterman after his success in The Sweeney, George Coles wheeler-dealer character is almost secondary, with Arthur assigning Terry a new minding job in each episode. A number of early focus on Terry in such assignments. Despite its eventual success, Minder was a burner, not helped by being delayed by a nine-week technicians strike which effectively blacked out the ITV network. Both attracted much larger audiences and by series 3, the show had become a major hit, Terry is a former professional boxer who has served time in prison, having served a substantial term because he would not become an informant against his co-accused. In the title sequence, Arthur is shown meeting Terry at the prison following his release. Terry enjoys a drink but usually responsibly, does not smoke and has an eye for the ladies, despite his incarceration, he is honest, trustworthy and loyal, particularly to Arthur, although the scrapes that Arthur lands him in make him wonder why. Arthur is a professional criminal of rather mature years, a minor con man eternally involved in dodgy dealings. In the series 3 episode In, we discover from a German police officer reading Arthurs file that Arthur served 18 months in prison during the 1950s and it is revealed in the episode The Balance of Power that Arthurs middle name is Edward. Arthur typically drives a car, beginning with a silver Jaguar XJ64.2 Series II. In the latter part of Series 3, Arthur has changed over to a silver Mercedes 280E, Series 7 again sees Arthur driving a silver Jaguar XJ6. As a used-car salesman, it is not surprising that Arthur occasionally makes use of other cars, in the Series 3 episode Broken Arrow, he uses a Ford Granada Mk. II. However, due to an accident, this car has to go in for repair, also in Series 3, Arthur uses a brown Jaguar XJR in the episodes Dead Men Do Tell Tales and Looking for Micky
23.
BBC Radio
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BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The service provides national radio stations covering the majority of genres, as well as local radio stations covering local news, affairs. It also oversees online audio content, of the national radio stations, BBC Radio 1,2,3,4 and 5 Live are all available through analogue radio as well as on DAB Digital Radio and internet services through RealMedia, WMA and BBC iPlayer. The remaining stations, BBC Radio 1Xtra,4 Extra,5 Live Sports Extra and 6 Music, all of the BBCs national radio stations broadcast from bases in London, usually in or near to Broadcasting House in Marylebone. However, the BBCs network production units located in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, the BBCs radio services began in 1922. Today radio broadcasting still makes up a part of the corporations output - the title of the BBCs listings magazine, Radio Times. On 1 January 1927 the British Broadcasting Company was succeeded in control of the airwaves by the British Broadcasting Corporation. John Reith, who had been the managing director of the commercial company. He expounded firm principles of centralised, all-encompassing radio broadcasting, stressing programming standards and these he set out in his autobiography, Broadcast Over Britain, influencing modern ideas of public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom. To this day, the BBC aims to follow the Reithian directive to inform, educate, although no other broadcasting organisation was licensed in the UK until 1973, commercial competition soon opened up from overseas. The English language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earliest commercial radio broadcasting to Britain. The IBC began leasing time on transmitters in continental Europe and then reselling it as sponsored English-language programming aimed at audiences in Britain and it was an important forerunner of pirate radio and modern commercial radio in the United Kingdom. The onset of World War II silenced all but one of the original IBC stations, at the start of the Second World War it was renamed The Overseas Service but is now known as the BBC World Service. Beginning in 1964 the first in what became a fleet of 10 offshore pirate radio stations began to ring the British coastline, by 1967 millions were tuning into these commercial operations and the BBC was rapidly losing its radio listening audience. The British government reacted by passing the Marine Offences Act, which all, One of the stations called Radio London was so successful that the BBC was told to copy it as best they could. This led to an overhaul by Frank Gillard the BBCs Director of Radio of the BBC output creating the four analogue channels that still form the basis of its broadcasting today. The creator of BBC Radio One told the press that his family had been fans of Radio London, the BBC hired many out-of-work broadcasting staff who had come from the former offshore stations. Tony Blackburn who presented the very first BBC Radio One morning show had previously presented the morning show on Radio Caroline
24.
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
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The Ministry of Defence is the British government department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by Her Majestys Government and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. The MoD states that its objectives are to defend the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its interests and to strengthen international peace. The MoD also manages day-to-day running of the forces, contingency planning. As rearmament became a concern during the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin created the position of Minister for Coordination of Defence. Winston Churchill, on forming his government in 1940, created the office of Minister of Defence to exercise control over the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The post was held by the Prime Minister of the day until Clement Attlees government introduced the Ministry of Defence Act of 1946, the new ministry was headed by a Minister of Defence who possessed a seat in the Cabinet. These departments merged in 1964, the functions of the Ministry of Aviation Supply merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971. The Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are as follows, The Ministers and Chiefs of the Defence Staff are supported by a number of civilian, scientific, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence is the senior civil servant at the MoD. His or her role is to ensure the MoD operates effectively as a department of the government, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Stephen Lovegrove—commencing April 2016 Defence Equipment & Support CEO - Tony Douglas — commencing 2016 Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Vernon C. He is supported by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Gordon Messenger, Royal Marines. First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, Royal Navy Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, the Surgeon General, represents the Defence Medical Services on the Defence Staff, and is the clinical head of that service. These forces must be capable of representing Britain as lead nation in any coalition operations, the ability, at longer notice, to deploy forces in a large-scale operation while running a concurrent small-scale operation. The MoD has since been regarded as a leader in elaborating the post-Cold War organising concept of defence diplomacy, the UK is establishing air and naval bases in the Persian Gulf, located in the UAE and Bahrain. A presence in Oman is also being considered, the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 included £178 billion investment in new equipment and capabilities. The review set a policy with four primary missions for the Armed Forces, Defend and contribute to the security and resilience of the UK. Contribute to improved understanding of the world through strategic intelligence and the defence network. Reinforce international security and the capacity of our allies, partners. Conduct operations to restore peace and stability, conduct major combat operations if required, including under NATO Article 5
25.
BBC
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The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. It is headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, the BBC is the worlds oldest national broadcasting organisation and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees. It employs over 20,950 staff in total,16,672 of whom are in public sector broadcasting, the total number of staff is 35,402 when part-time, flexible, and fixed contract staff are included. The BBC is established under a Royal Charter and operates under its Agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The fee is set by the British Government, agreed by Parliament, and used to fund the BBCs radio, TV, britains first live public broadcast from the Marconi factory in Chelmsford took place in June 1920. It was sponsored by the Daily Mails Lord Northcliffe and featured the famous Australian Soprano Dame Nellie Melba, the Melba broadcast caught the peoples imagination and marked a turning point in the British publics attitude to radio. However, this public enthusiasm was not shared in official circles where such broadcasts were held to interfere with important military and civil communications. By late 1920, pressure from these quarters and uneasiness among the staff of the licensing authority, the General Post Office, was sufficient to lead to a ban on further Chelmsford broadcasts. But by 1922, the GPO had received nearly 100 broadcast licence requests, John Reith, a Scottish Calvinist, was appointed its General Manager in December 1922 a few weeks after the company made its first official broadcast. The company was to be financed by a royalty on the sale of BBC wireless receiving sets from approved manufacturers, to this day, the BBC aims to follow the Reithian directive to inform, educate and entertain. The financial arrangements soon proved inadequate, set sales were disappointing as amateurs made their own receivers and listeners bought rival unlicensed sets. By mid-1923, discussions between the GPO and the BBC had become deadlocked and the Postmaster-General commissioned a review of broadcasting by the Sykes Committee and this was to be followed by a simple 10 shillings licence fee with no royalty once the wireless manufactures protection expired. The BBCs broadcasting monopoly was made explicit for the duration of its current broadcast licence, the BBC was also banned from presenting news bulletins before 19.00, and required to source all news from external wire services. Mid-1925 found the future of broadcasting under further consideration, this time by the Crawford committee, by now the BBC under Reiths leadership had forged a consensus favouring a continuation of the unified broadcasting service, but more money was still required to finance rapid expansion. Wireless manufacturers were anxious to exit the loss making consortium with Reith keen that the BBC be seen as a service rather than a commercial enterprise. The recommendations of the Crawford Committee were published in March the following year and were still under consideration by the GPO when the 1926 general strike broke out in May. The strike temporarily interrupted newspaper production and with restrictions on news bulletins waived the BBC suddenly became the source of news for the duration of the crisis. The crisis placed the BBC in a delicate position, the Government was divided on how to handle the BBC but ended up trusting Reith, whose opposition to the strike mirrored the PMs own
26.
Songs of Praise
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Songs of Praise is a BBC Television religious programme that presents Christian hymns which first aired in October 1961. Since 2016 it has been presented by former BBC Breakfast frontman Bill Turnbull, the first edition was broadcast from the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cardiff, and the series is one of the longest running of its kind on television anywhere in the world. Guest presenters have included Sir Cliff Richard, Gavin Peacock, Pete Waterman, Ann Widdecombe, the current main presenters are Aled Jones, David Grant, Bill Turnbull, Pam Rhodes, Sally Magnusson, Diane-Louise Jordan, Claire McCollum, Connie Fisher, Josie dArby and Dan Walker. From November 2014 the programme format changed, adopting more of a magazine format, the stated intention was to evolve the series to reflect the wider Christian audience across the country. The series continues to be usually broadcast between 4 and 5pm on Sundays and this new format replaced the previous version which included congregations from churches and cathedrals singing hymns whilst the presenter explores that weeks theme, all from the same location. The more recent Gospel Choir of the Year began recording in Birmingham Town Hall in 2013, the show has included interviews with Tony Blair, Frances Shand Kydd, Alan Ayckbourn and members of the British Royal Family. At its inception in October 1961, the programme was broadcast at 18,15, from September 1962, it moved to 18,50, and then to 18,40 from April 1977. Religious programming was also broadcast on ITV in the same timeslot, from January 1993, the programmes scheduled broadcast time was changed to 18,25 and then 18,10 from January 1996. Since then, the time of broadcast has tended to shift slightly earlier, for many years, the series was replaced during the summer months by other Christian-themed programming. Other summer replacements included Home on Sunday and Sweet Inspiration, events have included a 3 October 1982 broadcast from Strangeways Prison, a 2 January 1983 broadcast from the Falkland Islands, and a broadcast from St. Patricks Cathedral in New York. A competition was held in honor of the 20th anniversary in which people submitted newly written hymns, fifteen winners were published in a book New Songs of Praise I. The programme staged its largest event at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on the first Sunday of 2000, the programme was produced by John Forrest. In response, the Bishop of Leeds Nick Baines and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby defended the BBCs decision as reflecting the Churchs teachings on poverty, in my view, however, tackling this complex humanitarian issue is exactly what Songs of Praise should be doing. Back in the 90s I was a presenter for Songs of Praise, in the early 1990s, the weekly viewership of the show was about twenty-five per cent of the British population. In 1998, the viewership was between 5 and 6 million. Because of the time airing of Songs of Praise following the Sunday evening news. The show featured in episodes of the BBC comedy television series The Vicar of Dibley, the show is also broadcast in Australia on the ABC at 11, 30am on Sundays. A Question of Sport was the first programme to go through this process with BBC Studios winning the commission, choral Evensong Religion in the United Kingdom The Sunday Hour Songs of Praise at BBC Programmes Songs of Praise at the Internet Movie Database 50th anniversary in October 2011
27.
The Vicar of Dibley
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The village of Turville is the filming location for the village of Dibley. The Vicar of Dibley is a BBC television sitcom which ran from 10 November 1994 to 22 January 1998. It is set in a fictional small Oxfordshire village called Dibley, the Vicar of Dibley received multiple British Comedy Awards, two International Emmys, and was a multiple British Academy Television Awards nominee. In 2004, it placed third in a BBC poll of Britains Best Sitcom, the series has also done six charity special shorts, for Comic Relief, the most recent in 2015. Dawn French, Trevor Peacock and James Fleet are the actors to appear in all 20 episodes. The series was created by Richard Curtis and written for actress Dawn French by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, the Vicar of Dibley has had 20 episodes, spanning two series between 1994 and 1998, and ten specials between 1996 and 2007. In addition there have been six short charity specials, between 1997 and 2015, the first series was broadcast on BBC One from 10 November to 15 December 1994, consisting of six episodes. Following the first series, an Easter special and a Christmas special were broadcast in 1996, a four-episode second series was ordered and screened between the 26 December 1997 and 22 January 1998. The final 2006-2007 episode, in which Geraldine marries, was publicised as the last-ever episode, on 15 March 2013, French reprised her role as the Geraldine Granger as part of her French and Saunders marathon on BBC Radio 2. She was interviewed by Chris Evans on his Pause for Thought section, following the opening credits of each episode there is usually a humorous scene, e. g. a woman knitting straight off the sheep, or a man falling off a roof. At the end of episode, after the closing credits, Geraldine tells a joke to Alice, her verger. Alice usually either fails to understand the humour and tries to interpret the joke literally, in the episode Love and Marriage David is the recipient of the joke and understands it straight away, but Geraldine begins to explain it to him out of habit. In the 2005 episode Happy New Year the joke was told at the beginning,3 In May 2007, Richard Curtis received a BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award for his humanitarian pursuits as well as his creative work including The Vicar of Dibley. Other television programmes and films, such as Midsomer Murders, Goodnight Mister Tom, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, marple, and Foyles War have also been filmed in the village. The exterior location for David Hortons manor was not located in Turville, the opening titles show aerial shots of the M40 motorways Stokenchurch Gap, the Chiltern Hills of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and the village of Turville. Only two episodes plus the 2013 Comic relief sketch have scenes set outside the village, the theme music was a setting of Psalm 23 composed by Howard Goodall and was performed by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, with George Humphreys singing the solo. Goodall originally wrote it as a piece of church choral music. It has been released as a charity single with proceeds to Comic Relief and it also appears on Goodalls CD Choral Works, which also includes his theme for another popular comedy, Mr. Bean
28.
Transvestism
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Transvestism is the practice of dressing and acting in a style or manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Though coined as late as the 1910s, the phenomenon is not new and it was referred to in the Hebrew Bible. The word has several changes of meaning since it was first coined and is still used in a variety of senses. Today, the term transvestite is commonly considered outdated and derogatory, Magnus Hirschfeld coined the word transvestite in 1910 to refer to the sexual interest in cross-dressing. He used it to persons who habitually and voluntarily wore clothes of the opposite sex. Hirschfelds group of transvestites consisted of males and females, with heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual orientations. Hirschfeld himself was not happy with the term, He believed that clothing was only a symbol chosen on the basis of various internal psychological situations. In fact, Hirschfeld helped people to achieve the very first name changes, hirschfelds transvestites therefore were, in todays terms, not only transvestites, but a variety of people from the transgender spectrum. Hirschfeld also noticed that sexual arousal was often associated with transvestism, in more recent terminology, this is sometimes called transvestic fetishism. Hirschfeld also clearly distinguished between transvestism as an expression of a persons contra-sexual feelings and fetishistic behavior, even if the latter involved wearing clothes of the other sex. After all the changes took place during the 1970s, a large group was left without a word to describe themselves. This group was not particularly happy with the term transvestism, in some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional or ceremonial reasons. For example, in India some male devotees of the Hindu god Krishna, especially in Mathura and Vrindavan, dress in attire to pose as his consort. In Italy, the Neapolitan femminielli wear wedding dresses, called the matrimonio dei femminielli, a procession takes place through the streets, cogender Drag I Am My Own Wife List of transgender-related topics Transgender Transsexualism Travesti Dual-role transvestism Ackroyd, Peter. Dressing up, transvestism and drag, the history of an obsession, a Brighter Shade of Pink, Magnus Hirschfeld. Transvestism, Transsexualism in the Psychoanalytic Dimension, cherry Single, A Transvestite Comes of Age Alchemist/Light Publishing,1997, ISBN 0-9600650-5-9 Thanem Torkild, Wallenberg Louise. Transvestism and the power of underdoing gender in everyday life and work, the dictionary definition of transvestite at Wiktionary Transvestism at Britannica Online Encyclopædia
29.
ITV Studios
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ITV Studios is a television production company owned by the British television broadcaster ITV plc. It is primarily based in Greater Manchester and London in the United Kingdom and it was formerly ITV Productions, and originally Granada Productions. ITV Studios not only makes programmes primarily for its parent company ITV plc, the division is also responsible for ITVs production facilities The London Studios, 3SixtyMedia, and location hire company ProVision. ITV Studios Global Entertainment is responsible for sales of finished programmes, formats, programmes on non-ITV channels retained the Granada brand until 2009. Many of the programmes shown on ITV network show the end-board featuring the ITV Studios logo after the credits as of 2009, ITV Studios is a major commercial TV producer in the UK, creating over 3,500 hours of original programming each year across all genres except news. Its network programmes include Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Marple and Agatha Christies Poirot, Brainiac, Science Abuse, parkinson, Ant & Decs Saturday Night Takeaway, Tonight, The Jeremy Kyle Show and This Morning. ITV Studios also produces programmes for other UK broadcasters outside of its own network and these include the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 and BSkyB. ITV Studios is based in London and Manchester, with the centre in Leeds now only home to Emmerdale, the production centres in Bristol and Norwich closed in 2006 and 2012 respectively. ITV Studios also owns So Television after acquiring Graham Nortons production company in 2012, on 22 April 2013, ITV announced they had acquired production company The Garden for £18 million, which is best known for producing Channel 4 series 24 Hours in A&E. In 2013, ITV launched a new company named Potato. 2016 sees ITV Studios secure a four-year British horse racing deal which will see the Cheltenham Festival, since 14 January 2013, the ITV logo has been added to the opening credits of the majority of ITV Studios-produced shows airing on ITVs channels, similar to the BBC. In 2004, a duopoly had formed, and Granada owned six franchises, Granada bought a 64% controlling stake and took over Carlton in 2004 with the amalgamation of ITV. Consequently, programmes produced by all divisions were referred to as A Granada Manchester Production, A Granada London Production, in 2006, Granada, in association with FremantleMedia North America, produced Gameshow Marathon, an American version of Ant & Decs Gameshow Marathon for CBS. The company was formerly Granada America but was re-branded in May 2009, ITV announced on 7 May 2014, the acquisition of Leftfield Entertainment Group, which produces shows such as Pawn Stars, Counting Cars and American Restoration. The company has its origins in production company Artist Services, a company formed in 1989 by a group of investors including Steve Vizard, producing many classic shows. Half of the company was sold to John Fairfax Holdings in 1995 for A$9 million, in 1998, the entire company was acquired by Granada for A$25 million. The company rebranded as ITV Studios Australia in January 2013, with the first program carrying the new branding being the season of ABC comedy program Shaun Micallefs Mad as Hell. ITV Studios Germany programmes include Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus, Star Duell and Deutschlands Beste Doppelgänger for RTL, and East-West German comedy Ei Verbibbsch for Sat.1
30.
Prime Suspect
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Prime Suspect is a British police procedural television drama series. The series focuses on a no-nonsense female Detective Chief Inspector, Jane Tennison, in later series, Tennison is reassigned to rotating duties, including a Vice Squad in Soho, and a Gang squad in Manchester. She is promoted to Detective Superintendent shortly thereafter, the first series features sexism in the workplace as a significant subplot and a barrier to the investigation. Tennisons difficulty in achieving a balance between her work and her life outside the job and her difficulty in maintaining stable relationships are a theme within the series. Toward the end of Prime Suspect 3 she arranges to have her pregnancy terminated and it is set mostly in London and the outer areas, with series 5 being set in Manchester. Prime Suspects format is multiple episodes, each number represents a case, which runs around 3½ hours, usually aired in two parts or four parts. Prime Suspect 4 was an exception at slightly over 5 hours with three separate cases, the first five series were produced at a steady pace of one roughly every eighteen months until Mirren left the role, supposedly to avoid typecasting. She returned to the character after a seven-year gap, Prime Suspect was produced by Granada Television for the ITV network between 7 April 1991 and 22 October 2006. Prime Suspect 4 through 7 were co-produced by WGBH Boston for its Masterpiece Mystery anthology series, the music score for the first five series was done by Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Warbeck, who was nominated for a BAFTA for Prime Suspect series one. The following year, Allan Cubitts teleplay for Prime Suspect 2 brought the series a second Edgar, Prime Suspect 3 was awarded a Peabody Award in 1993 for its realistic scenes and dialogue. The series garnered multiple BAFTA Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, a Detective Chief Inspector, and later a Detective Superintendent. Tennison is the series protagonist, and the audience follow her career as she investigates cases in both London and Manchester and she is a skilled Detective, battling to prove herself in the male-dominated world of policing. Mirren described Tennison as extremely directed, ambitious, talented and very uncompromising, she is, as a result, after a fruitful career as a Senior Investigating Officer, Tennison retires from policing at the series end. The actors listed below are those who appeared in two or more cases and this list is not definitive, and as such, single-case appearances are not noted. In summer of 2015, ITV announced plans for a prequel, Prime Suspect 1973. The series is based on the book Tennison by Lynda La Plante and has adapted by Glen Laker. It tells the story of a 22 year old Jane Tennison as a young WPC officer investigating her first murder case, the series began airing on March 2,2017. The role of Tennison is played by Stefanie Martini, in interviews, Sedgwick has acknowledged that the show owes a debt to the British crime drama, and that her admiration for that show and for Mirren were factors that first interested her in the role
31.
Neil Gaiman
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Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre, and films. His notable works include the book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline. He has won awards, including the Hugo, Nebula. He is the first author to win both the Newbery and the Carnegie medals for the work, The Graveyard Book. In 2013, The Ocean at the End of the Lane was voted Book of the Year in the British National Book Awards and his father, David Bernard Gaiman, worked in the same chain of stores, his mother, Sheila Gaiman, was a pharmacist. He has two sisters, Claire and Lizzy. His other sister, Lizzy Calcioli, has said, Most of our social activities were involved with Scientology or our Jewish family and it would get very confusing when people would ask my religion as a kid. I’d say, I’m a Jewish Scientologist, Gaiman says that he is not a Scientologist, and that like Judaism, Scientology is his familys religion. About his personal views, Gaiman has stated, I think we can say that God exists in the DC Universe, I would not stand up and beat the drum for the existence of God in this universe. I dont know, I think theres probably a 50/50 chance and it doesnt really matter to me. Gaiman was able to read at the age of four, when he was about ten years old, he read his way through the works of Dennis Wheatley, where especially The Ka of Gifford Hillary and The Haunting of Toby Jugg made an impact on him. One work that made an impression on him was J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings from his school library. He consistently took them out and read them and he would later win the school English prize and the school reading prize, enabling him to finally acquire the third volume. For his seventh birthday, Gaiman received C. S. Lewiss The Chronicles of Narnia series and he later recalled that I admired his use of parenthetical statements to the reader, where he would just talk to you. Id think, Oh, my gosh, that is so cool, when I become an author, I want to be able to do things in parentheses. I liked the power of putting things in brackets, Narnia also introduced him to literary awards, specifically the 1956 Carnegie Medal won by the concluding volume. Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland was another favourite. Alice was default reading to the point where I knew it by heart and he also enjoyed Batman comics as a child
32.
Neverwhere
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Neverwhere is an urban fantasy television series by Neil Gaiman that first aired in 1996 on BBC Two. The series is set in London Below, a magical realm coexisting with the more familiar London and it was devised by Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry, and directed by Dewi Humphreys. Gaiman adapted the series from his novel, which was released in September 1996, the series and book were partially inspired by Gene Wolfes novel Free Live Free. Richard Mayhew, a Scot living in London, encounters a girl named Door on the street one night. He loses his house, his job and nearly his mind as he travels London Below in an attempt to make out of it all, find a way back. London Below is a world in and beneath the sewers. Its inhabitants are the homeless, but also people from other times, such as Roman legionaries and medieval monks, Richard Mayhew – a young businessman, who discovers the world of London Below one day after helping the injured Door recover in his flat. Door – A young woman from London Below, the daughter of a family who were all murdered shortly before the beginning of the story. She possesses her familys ability to open things. The Marquis de Carabas – The Marquis is arrogant, cunning, though very much the trickster, he is a loyal friend of Door and her family. This character was inspired by Puss in Boots, Gaiman stated this as the starting point for the character, and imagining Who would own a cat like this. Mr. Croup – The talkative half of the pair of assassins and he is short, fat, and speaks in a pompous and verbose manner. Like his partner, Mr. Vandemar, he seems to be able to move from one place to another very quickly despite his ungainly appearance. He is the brains of the pair and seems be the one calling the shots, much of the imagery used to describe him is that of a fox. Mr. Vandemar – Dull-witted, tall, and gangly, Vandemar is Croups polar opposite and he does not speak much, and when he does, his statements are often laconic and blunt. He is quite brutish and seems to nothing more than killing and destroying things. He also has a tendency to eat live animals, the descriptive imagery likens him to a hound or a wolf, and he even howls at one point when catching up with his mark. Old Bailey – An old friend of the Marquis, he keeps the company of pigeons on the rooftops and he became indebted to the Marquis long ago, and so is charged with keeping a portion of his life safe for him
33.
Angel
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An angel, especially according to Abrahamic religions and Zoroastrianism, is a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence. Most of them either as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth, or as guardian spirits. They are studied in the doctrine of angelology. In Christian Science, the angel is used to refer to an inspiration from God. In fine art, angels are depicted as having the shape of human beings of extraordinary beauty, they are often identified using the symbols of bird wings, halos. The word angel in English is a blend of Old English engel, both derive from Late Latin angelus messenger, which in turn was borrowed from Late Greek ἄγγελος ángelos. According to R. S. P. Beekes, ángelos itself may be an Oriental loan, the words earliest form is Mycenaean a-ke-ro attested in Linear B syllabic script. The ángelos is the default Septuagints translation of the Biblical Hebrew term mal’ākh denoting simply messenger without specifying its nature. In the Latin Vulgate, however, the meaning becomes bifurcated, if the word refers to some supernatural being, the word angelus appears. Such differentiation has been taken over by later vernacular translations of the Bible, early Christian and Jewish exegetes, in Zoroastrianism there are different angel-like figures. For example, each person has one guardian angel, called Fravashi and they patronize human beings and other creatures, and also manifest Gods energy. In the commentaries of Proclus on the Timaeus of Plato, Proclus uses the terminology of angelic, according to Aristotle, just as there is a First Mover, so, too, must there be spiritual secondary movers. The Torah uses the terms מלאך אלהים, מלאך יהוה, בני אלהים and הקודשים to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels, later texts use other terms, such as העליונים. The term מלאך is also used in books of the Tanakh. Depending on the context, the Hebrew word may refer to a messenger or to a supernatural messenger. Daniel is the first biblical figure to refer to individual angels by name, mentioning Gabriel in Daniel 9,21 and these angels are part of Daniels apocalyptic visions and are an important part of all apocalyptic literature. One of these is hāšāṭān, a figure depicted in the Book of Job, philo of Alexandria identifies the angel with the Logos inasmuch as the angel is the immaterial voice of God. The angel is something different from God himself, but is conceived as Gods instrument, in post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels took on particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles
34.
Audiobook
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An audiobook is a recording of a text being read. A reading of the text is noted as unabridged, while readings of a reduced version. Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to an extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the age of videocassettes, DVDs, compact discs and it was not until the 1980s that the medium began to attract book retailers, and then book retailers started displaying audiobooks on bookshelves rather than in separate displays. In 1994, the Audio Publishers Association established the term audiobook as the industry standard, Spoken word recordings first became possible with the invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1877. Phonographic books were one of the original applications envisioned by Edison which would speak to people without effort on their part. The initial words spoken into the phonograph were Edisons recital of Mary Had a Little Lamb, one early listener complained that he would need a wheelbarrow to carry around talking books recorded on discs with such limited storage capacity. By the 1930s close-grooved records increased to 20 minutes making possible longer narrative, the first test recordings in 1932 included a chapter from Helen Kellers Midstream and Edgar Allan Poes The Raven. The organization received approval for exemption from copyright and free postal distribution of talking books. M. Delafield, Cora Jarrett, Rudyard Kipling, John Masefield, Macdonald mobilized the women of the Auxiliary under the motto Education is a right, not a privilege. In 1952, Macdonald established recording studios in seven cities across the United States. Caedmon Records was a pioneer in the business, it was the first company dedicated to selling spoken work recordings to the public and has been called the seed of the audiobook industry. Caedmon was formed in New York in 1952 by college graduates Barbara Holdridge and their first release was a collection of poems by Dylan Thomas as read by the author. The original 1952 recording was a selection for the 2008 United States National Recording Registry, Listening Library was also a pioneering company, it was one of the first to distribute childrens audiobooks to schools, libraries and other special markets, including VA hospitals. It was founded by Anthony Ditlow and his wife in 1955 in their Red Bank, New Jersey home, like Caedemon, Listening Library and Spoken Arts benefited from the new technology of LPs, but also increased governmental funding for schools and libraries beginning in the 1950s and 60s. Cassette tapes were invented in 1963 and a few libraries, such as the Library of Congress, however, during the 1970s, a number of technological innovations allowed the cassette tape wider usage in libraries and also spawned the creation of new commercial audiobook market. In the early 1970s, instructional recordings were among the first commercial products sold on cassette, there were 8 companies distributing materials on cassette with titles such as Managing and Selling Companies and Executive Seminar in Sound on a series of 60-minute cassettes. His company, the Maryland-based Recorded Books, followed the model of Books on Tape but with higher quality studio recordings, Recorded Books and Chivers Audio Books were the first to develop integrated production teams and to work with professional actors
35.
Iain Banks
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Iain Banks was a Scottish author. He wrote mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, after the publication and success of The Wasp Factory, Banks began to write on a full-time basis. His first science book, Consider Phlebas, was released in 1987. His books have been adapted for theatre, radio and television, in 2008, The Times named Banks in their list of The 50 greatest British writers since 1945. In April 2013, Banks announced that he had cancer and was unlikely to live beyond a year. Banks was born in Dunfermline, Fife, to a mother who was an ice skater. An only child, Banks lived in North Queensferry until the age of nine, Bankss family then moved to Gourock due to the requirements of his fathers work. When someone introduced him to science fiction by giving him Kemlo, after attending Gourock and Greenock High Schools, Banks studied English, philosophy and psychology at the University of Stirling. After graduation Banks chose a succession of jobs that left him free to write in the evenings and these posts supported his writing throughout his twenties and allowed him to take long breaks between contracts, during which time he travelled through Europe and North America. He was an expediter analyser for IBM, a technician for the British Steel Corporation, Banks decided to become a writer at the age of 11. He completed his first novel The Hungarian Lift-Jet at 16 and his second novel TTR during his first year at Stirling University in 1972, after the publication and success of The Wasp Factory, Banks began to write full-time. His editor at Macmillan, James Hale, advised him to one book a year. His second novel Walking on Glass was published in 1985, the Bridge followed in 1986, and Espedair Street, published in 1987, was later broadcast as a series on BBC Radio 4. His first published fiction book Consider Phlebas was released in 1987 and was the first of several novels of the acclaimed Culture series. Banks cited Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C, clarke, Brian Aldiss, M. John Harrison and Dan Simmons as literary influences. The Crow Road, published in 1992, was adapted as a BBC television series, Banks continued to write both science fiction and mainstream novels, with his final novel The Quarry published in June 2013, the month of his death. Banks published work under two names and his parents had intended to name him Iain Menzies Banks, but his father made a mistake when registering the birth and Iain Banks became the officially registered name. Despite this error, Banks used the name and submitted The Wasp Factory for publication as Iain M. Banks
36.
Channel 4
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Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster that began transmission on 2 November 1982. With the conversion of the Wenvoe transmitter group in Wales to digital on 31 March 2010, before Channel 4 and S4C, Britain had three terrestrial television services, BBC1, BBC2, and ITV. The Broadcasting Act 1980 began the process of adding a fourth, after some months of test broadcasts, it began scheduled transmissions on 2 November 1982. Indeed, television sets throughout the 1970s and early 1980s had a spare channel called ITV/IBA2. It was most likely politics which had the biggest impact in leading to a delay of almost three decades before the commercial channel became a reality. The campaign was taken so seriously by Gwynfor Evans, former president of Plaid Cymru, the result was that Channel 4 as seen by the rest of the United Kingdom would be replaced in Wales by Sianel Pedwar Cymru. Operated by a specially created authority, S4C would air programmes in Welsh made by HTV, since then, carriage on digital cable, satellite and digital terrestrial has introduced Channel 4 to Welsh homes where it is now universally available. The first programme to air on the channel was the game show Countdown. The first person to be seen on Channel 4 was Richard Whiteley with Ted Moult being the second, the first woman on the channel, contrary to popular belief, was not Carol Vorderman and was a lexicographer only ever identified as Mary. Whiteley opened the show with the words, On its first day, Channel 4 also broadcast controversial soap opera Brookside, which ran until 2003. On its launch, Channel 4 committed itself to providing an alternative to the existing channels, Channel 4 co-commissioned Robert Ashleys ground-breaking television opera Perfect Lives, which it premiered over several episodes in 1984. The channel often did not receive mass audiences for much of period, however. Channel 4 for many years had a poorer quality signal compared to other channels, Channel 4 also began the funding of independent films, such as the Merchant-Ivory docudrama The Courtesans of Bombay, during this time. In 1992, Channel 4 also faced its first libel case by Jani Allan, a South African journalist, who objected to her representation in the documentary The Leader, His Driver and the Drivers Wife. After control of the station passed from the Channel Four Television Company to the Channel Four Television Corporation in 1993, instead of aiming for the fringes of society, it began to focus on the edges of the mainstream, and the centre of the mass market itself. It began to show many US programmes in peak viewing time and it gave such shows as Friends and ER their UK premières. In the early 2000s, Channel 4 began broadcasting reality formats such as Big Brother and obtained the rights to broadcast mass appeal sporting events like cricket and this new direction increased ratings and revenues. In addition, the corporation launched a number of new channels through its new 4Ventures offshoot, including Film4, At the Races, E4
37.
Professor
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Professor is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a person who professes being usually an expert in arts or sciences, in much of the world, the unqualified word professor is used formally to indicate the highest academic rank, informally known as full professor. Professors conduct original research and commonly teach undergraduate, graduate, or professional courses in their fields of expertise, in universities with graduate schools, professors may mentor and supervise graduate students conducting research for a thesis or dissertation. Professors typically hold a Ph. D. another doctorate or a different terminal degree, some professors hold a masters degree or a professional degree, such as an M. D. as their highest degree. The term professor was first used in the late 14th century to one who teaches a branch of knowledge. As a title that is prefixed to a name, it dates from 1706, the hort form prof is recorded from 1838. The term professor is used with a different meaning, ne professing religion. This canting use of the word comes down from the Elizabethan period, a professor is an accomplished and recognized academic. In most Commonwealth nations, as well as northern Europe, the professor is the highest academic rank at a university. In the United States and Canada, the title of professor is also the highest rank, in these areas, professors are scholars with doctorate degrees or equivalent qualifications who teach in four-year colleges and universities. An emeritus professor is a given to selected retired professors with whom the university wishes to continue to be associated due to their stature. Emeritus professors do not receive a salary, but they are often given office or lab space, and use of libraries, labs, the term professor is also used in the titles assistant professor and associate professor, which are not considered professor-level positions in some European countries. In Australia, the associate professor is used in place of reader, ranking above senior lecturer. However, such professors usually do not undertake academic work for the granting institution, in general, the title of professor is strictly used for academic positions rather than for those holding it on honorary basis. Other roles of professorial tasks depend on the institution, its legacy, protocols, place, a professor typically earns a base salary and a range of benefits. In addition, a professor who undertakes additional roles in her institution earns additional income, some professors also earn additional income by moonlighting in other jobs, such as consulting, publishing academic or popular press books, or giving speeches or coaching executives. Some fields give professors more opportunities for outside work, the anticipated average earnings with performance-related bonuses for a German professor is €71,500. The salaries of civil servant professors in Spain are fixed in a basis, but there are some bonus related to performance and seniority
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Peep Show (TV series)
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Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The television programme is written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, with material by Mitchell and Webb. It was broadcast on Channel 4 from 2003 until 2015, in 2010 it became the longest-running comedy in Channel 4 history. Peep Show follows the lives of Mark Corrigan and Jeremy Jez Usbourne, Mark is a socially awkward and despondent loan manager with a cynical outlook on life, while Jeremy is a juvenile slacker and talentless unemployed musician who lives in Marks spare room. Stylistically, the show utilitizes point of view shots, with the thoughts of main characters Mark, though it never achieved great commercial success, the show received consistent critical acclaim and became a cult favourite. In September 2013, Channel 4 announced that the ninth series would be its last. Series 9 was filmed throughout August and September 2015 and premiered on 11 November 2015, the final episode aired on 16 December 2015. Both endure awkward situations, Mark suffers a sexual admiration for his boss, Alan Johnson, the two desperately team up to prank call Sophie and launch a pepper spray attack on Super Hans, who has begun a relationship with Toni. In series 2, Jeremy meets and falls in love with Nancy, a happy-go-lucky American, meanwhile, Marks life is falling apart. Sophie plans to move in with Jeff, Mark accidentally forges a short friendship with a neo-Nazi and falls for a similarly socially inadequate student during an ill-judged return to his old university before losing her. Super Hans also develops a crack cocaine addiction, series 3 sees Big Suze re-enter Jeremys life. Meanwhile, Mark and Sophie have finally become a couple, yet Mark is left once again when she is relocated to Bristol. Jeremy seduces Marks sister, while Mark falls in love with Big Suze, later, Jeremy and Super Hans attempt to run a pub. In the last episode, Mark plans to propose to Sophie, nonetheless he ends up agreeing to marry her to avoid embarrassment after she accidentally finds his engagement ring and accepts a proposal which he has not actually made. Meanwhile, Jeremys efforts to get together with Suze are hindered somewhat by Super Hans attempts to go cold turkey. During series 4, Mark and Sophie visit Sophies parents after their engagement, Big Suze breaks up with Jeremy once again after he tries to prostitute her to Johnson and subsequently starts a relationship with him instead. In an attempt to get away from Sophie, Mark joins a gym and discovers that Nancy is working there, Sophie leaves on a foreign business trip, leaving Mark to consider a fling with a woman from his school reunion. Jeremy finds some highly paid work as a handyman for The Orgazoid, one of his musical heroes, in the final episode, as the wedding approaches, Jeremy is having difficulty juggling a hungover Super Hans, the wedding, Nancy and his desperate need to urinate
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