Very sad to see @cstonline.bsky.social conclude its run after two decades. A wonderful and valued space for informed writing about television. Kim says farewell here. cstonline.net/cstonline-by...

Nigel Kneale alert! 🚨

In case anyone was wondering the answer I found was the date and time David Rose went to see The French Connection at Shepherd's Bush Odeon.

buttondown.com/cooray_smith... It's time to begin again. Free for all, but why not subscribe afterwards, at Psychic Paper.

This a very nicely put together piece and is well worth your time. I loved hearing Arthur Hailey’s comment on Airplane! in particular.

I loved the ”new“ Doctor Who episodes. Thanks to all involved with the recovery.

Watch The Nightmare Begins again, but this time with a commentary recorded over the moving pictures with me, Tim Burrows and Oliver Crocker, including some background to its return: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d...

Scholars urge BBC to rethink changes to archive access [free to read but requires a quick registration] www.timeshighereducation.com/news/scholar...

As ever, the BBC's official comment completely fails to recognise the concerns of hundreds of scholars and independent researchers. @greavesian.bsky.social, Kate Murphy and I, along with many, many others will continue to try to make the Corporation abandon their obduracy and see sense.

Scholars urge BBC to rethink changes to archive access Matthew Reisz for @timeshighered.bsky.social on the profoundly problematic (my words) research restrictions at BBC Written Archives [£; but free to read if you register] www.timeshighereducation.com/news/scholar...

As we count down to the release of You Are Not Alone: A Gay History of Doctor Who, we're highlighting some of the book's key personalities, beginning with Waris Hussein. The veteran director of Doctor Who's first story discusses his experiences navigating the world of 1960s TV as a gay Asian man…

This was an hour's dreamy weirdness. utter bliss @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

This was great fun. I was slightly alarmed at how many of the "spot the fake film" candidates I'd seen. It also reminded me that after the initial premiere of TROTPP, ITV used to show a version with the heist scene cut out. It was infuriating.

Nothing to worry about but has anyone seen Mollie Sugden since that rocket went up last night?

Delighted to be taking part in BBC Radio 4's Front Row on Easter Monday, 6 April at 19.15. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... Chaired by Samira Ahmed, the programme is wholly dedicated to early television, with children's TV pioneer Joy Whitby, BFI TV curator Lisa Kerrigan, and author Frances Spufford.

This is a great piece about how a roving subjective POV works to invite an audience into a story visually. It happens to be mainly about Blake's 7 but it also applies to things you're less snobby about. Camfield was honestly as great as we genre fans claim. Read it when you've the time it deserves.

The next 'Directors of Blake's 7' essay is a deep 'wallop' into the work of Douglas Camfield. Expect The Sweeney, a video that showcases an alternative 'Duel', and no doubt subsequent revisions in light of the recovered Daleks' Master Plan! pinkforyouractualpterodactyl.com/2026/03/30/t...

On Star Trek (1967), the first of the anthologies of adapted TV episodes by James Blish, for those who might enjoy that sort of thing: 0tralala.blogspot.com/2026/04/star...

A quick plug for our latest video podcast if you missed it yesterday: youtu.be/Zloo0WZT8tk?...

Laurie Webb, aka Mr Ollis from Doctor Who’s The Three Doctors, was one of my favourite Who people. He also delivered one of its best lines (“You’d never believe me woman: supper ready?”). Laurie died, peacefully, on Sunday, just five weeks short of his 102nd birthday. What a life: he was adorable.

Hooray!

New Series! THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (1975) pod.link/1569929507 Clouseau returns & with Gary from @thesitcomclub.bsky.social we chat about the film that put Peter Sellers back on top, cast a Panther TV show & expose the King's Canadian caperings. Also: Viz man meets Victor Spinetti & Zwamm?!

I am pleased to report that it's still possible within the BBC to find something interesting, think that it will interest others, and just decide to make a programme about it... (I realise that sounds flippant, but be assured this was a zero-budget production, made almost entirely on my own time)

Watching last night’s Face the Music. Gerald Moore was a breath of fresh air wasn’t he? ”Shall I turn the pages?” What a card.

I plowed through both seasons of Gangsters over the past two weeks, and then ordered an expensive copy of the DVD that won't even arrive until May, and all in preparation for this moment.

The latest newsletter includes some shameless clickbait - we reveal the date that David Rose went to see The French Connection at the Shepherd’s Bush Odeon.

A new episode of World of Telly is now available wherever you get your podcasts. This month we take a look at the 1970s crime drama Gangsters. A video version is also available (please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel if you can): youtu.be/Zloo0WZT8tk

It's pronounced Artemis One One actually.

I have a new documentary coming out on BBC Sounds this week, about which I am very excited! Yes, I am serious - and don't call me Shirley... (poster by @andydrewz.bsky.social)

Visiting my brother for the weekend and he's obsessed with watching YouTube reaction videos which are probably the most dispiriting things I've ever seen. The life is draining out of me.

Back back back.

THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT!

The Everly Brothers! Simon and Garfunkel! Cook and Moore! Reunions people asked for. But what if there were reunions people *didn't* ask for? Would there be civil unrest? Well, me and @whenisbirths.bsky.social have just signed our first book contract in almost 20 years so you'll soon find out.

Sunday on RFS #1061, we present an interview with John Franklin from @filmisfabulous.bsky.social! We cover the recent #DoctorWho finds, why cutting copies are an important development in the missing episodes hunt, and more!

I have a Julian Glover story. Years ago, I was at a Doctor Who convention in Swansea, and the mighty Julian was being interviewed on stage. They invited questions from the audience at the end, and I asked a non-Who question about his memories of playing Dubcek in Granada's 1980 dramadoc.

Happy Birthday Julian Glover, born this day in 1935.

Look at the size of this epic that just arrived. Thanks to @greavesian.bsky.social for alerting me to its existence.

This is a great book. Don't worry about whether or not you're a Doctor Who fan, The Long Game should be in the library of anyone interested in television.

21 years today since #DoctorWho returned - but how did that recommission come about? My book The Long Game tells the story...

Just to say we're running a bit behind with our latest podcast episode - it's the longest episode we've ever done. All being well, it should be out on Tuesday.

In 2019, @samiraahmeduk.bsky.social visited Barry Cryer at home to talk about his time working with Kenny Everett. And now you can hear that conversation on today's new episode of Through the Square Window: pod.fo/e/3bf3b0

I'm a huge fan of Sylvia. Here she is in one of my favourite photographs.

Remembering Sylvia Anderson on what would have been her 99th birthday.

Great news, but what will they talk about during the mid-session interval on the night of the final now?

New J.H. Prynne just dropped.

Watching Gangsters again in advance of the World of Telly podcast about it and look what old friend just turned up. This just raises further questions. Wasn't Gangsters made in Birmingham? How many of these staircases were there about?

This is an enjoyable chat, and I’m looking forward to both the documentary and Paul’s forthcoming book When Saturday Came which sounds right up my alley.

My life is entirely Flight-related at the moment - thanks to Radio Free Skaro for having me on to talk about my forthcoming BBC Sounds documentary about Flight into Danger, and my new Doctor Who BBC Audiobook Star Flight!

Monday.