What a fucking awful year this has been for deaths of greats. There are a few here I'd forgotten just because of how overwhelming the big ones like Brian and Sly were.

Forgot to mention that I also got a brief mention on one of my new favourite podcasts and my choice of the 1997 episode of The Bill 'Twanky' as a Christmas highlight for me.

Here is the first of a two part interview I did with actor Dominic Power, who shares his memories of working on The Bill and Emmerdale, as well as discussing his current venture Online Screen Acting Academy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Mr...

The secret is out – my authorised biography of Sir Roy Clarke (Last of the Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances, Open All Hours) is to be published by Ten Acre Books in 2026. Getting to know Roy over the years has been a joy and it's a honour to be entrusted with telling his story. Watch this space.

The same people who "love Christmas" so much that they put up a tree in November also take it down on Boxing Day *the actual literal second day of Christmas*. They also then complain about how much the hate January. Well folks, you did it to yourselves! We invented Christmas observence for this!

I took a road-trip with @Bob_Fischer yesterday in preparation for a project that will be announced next year. This was one of our numerous stops. Please SOMEBODY buy the Open All Hours shop and ensure that it remains operating as a business of some kind. Or give it to us... we have plenty of ideas!

#OnThisDay 14 December 1989 The Mirror brings us a photo special from #TheBill: GREETINGS FROM THE BILL - They're in great nick for Christmas

I think it's actually down to the way in the 1960s Britain caught on to American culture at a bit of a time-lag, plus the breakup of the Beatles. I shall explain in a thread.

...closely followed by one from the 1990s. Enjoy!

Something a little bit different for the YouTube channel this festive season. I give to you these compendiums of Christmas continuity, idents, trails and assorted miscellany. First there's one from the 1980s...

Glad to see City Lights given another new lease of life. Here's hoping that Series 4, 5 and 6 make it on to the BBC iPlayer as well soon. :)

This is on the BBC Scotland channel and iPlayer tonight from 9pm, a trip back to the 80s and 90s in the company of cast, crew and creator of City Lights. A few rarely seen bits of archive, including clips from the pilot with Billy Greenlees as Chancer and no studio audience.

Part 2 of my interview with actors Karl Collins and Chris Simmons for The Bill Podcast is now available. Hope you enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vAN...

Network DVD and Blu-rays are available again via Future Network/Quoit Media futurenetwork.wales?v=7885444af42e Liquidated stock apparently. Now I can finally buy Bottoms Up! on blu-ray and never watch it.

Very sad news. Probably one of the finest actresses this country has ever produced. An journey that went from a Liver Bird to an Oscar nominee. From a could have been Doctor Who companion to returning as Queen Victoria in the show. years later. My heart goes out to her family at this time. RIP

Here is the first of a two part interview I did with actors Karl Collins and Chris Simmons for The Bill Podcast. As well as their memories of Sun Hill, we also discuss working together again on Chris' directorial debut 'The Broken Arrow'. Hope you enjoy! Part 2 coming next month. :)

Spent today organising my Doctor Who figures into a display cabinet for my office that I got second hand recently. Might paint it TARDIS blue as well.

My good friend and publisher Oliver Crocker has helped to bring to life the memoirs of Barry Appleton, who before going on to write for The Bill and Taggart, served as a real life Detective in the Flying Squad. I can't wait to read this when it comes out! www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Twentieth-Ce...

I’ve just heard BBC Studios will be issuing replacement discs for the original UK release of Doctor Who The Collection Season 20. To claim send proof of your original purchase and a your address to [email protected]

A couple of overnight uploads means we've been able to extend this to eleven regions.

Happy 70th Birthday to #ITV - to celebrate why not have a listen to this album that celebrates the very best of broadcasting from that era… open.spotify.com/album/0AxH9KGl… @itvnews.bsky.social @classicfm.com @boomradio.co.uk

This is good news. The TV Times is now included in the British Newspaper Archive. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/tv-ti...

Went to the Glasgow Film Theatre last night to see a brilliant new film Dirty Boy, written and directed by Doug Rao and starring Graham McTavish. Definitely go and see it if you can! I was honoured to interview Doug for The Bill Podcast and it was a pleasure to meet him and Graham afterwards. :)

True story.

21 years later, Southern Independent Television advertises in the trade newspapers to thank suppliers and advertisers for their support since 1958.

It's disgraceful that the BBC have done this. It's bad enough that other TV companies have made it difficult for independent researchers to access their archives and I hope this disappointment can be stopped.

At about 4.10pm on this day 54 years ago, something weird started happening on Scottish Television. There was no announcement, and no credit was given to the person who had created them, but strange short films suddenly started popping up in the schedules youtu.be/AA9IdHtHk_0?...

I want one!

Lulu is a bit of a divisive figure here in Scotland. For instance my Mum cannot stand her (and apparently Barbara Dickson can’t either). A lot of the antipathy seems to come from the fact she changes her accent whenever it best suits her. Still it was fascinating to hear more about her music career

I remember buying this at the time and it introduced me to so many classics.

hough rarely enforced these days, the G-G-G-G-GHOST Act of 1923 mandated that any crew of tough guys had to employ at least one token comedic coward who would invariably be the first member of the group to bump into a supernatural entity (real or faked) or escaped gorilla.

#OnThisDay 1983: An episode of a one-off drama series from Thames Television Storyboard, Woodentop was broadcast on ITV. The following year, it would ultimately be crafted into what we know as The Bill. #80s

Ah, the most unsettling version of the BBC Video closing theme. There was a comment on a deleted upload of this which I think summed up why it’s so haunting. “It’s like the video was dying and it was saying goodbye to you.” youtu.be/9KLblR43_sM?...

FYI. The BBC have announced that if any more contestants need to be edited out of MasterChef, the gaps will be filled with Pages from Ceefax.

Been enjoying some Crown Court episodes recently and one has just been uploaded featuring a Scottish cast consisting of Alex Norton and a very young Peter Capaldi! www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkiU...

In a kinder, gentler world, "Sydney Sweeney" would be an eccentric pensioner who turns up one day at the Rovers and has a whirlwind romance with Betty Turpin. It ends when she finds out he's only after her police widow's pension.

FACT: There are masses of people who are obsessed with 1980s ITV regions AND doing parkrun every Saturday. Loads of us. Honest. Due to huge* demand, I'm releasing this map where I show the 15 geographical areas labelled with the parkrun I did first there. * = not that huge. Alright, nobody asked.

Calling all #DoctorWho fans! We are offering up for sale, 12 photographs signed by the legendary Louise Jameson on behalf of Stageworks East West Theatre, who were co-producing The Omega Factor: By The Pricking of My Thumbs with the late Natasha Gerson (daughter of the series creator Jack Gerson)

I'll give them a tenner for it.

🟦 CLEAN FEED | Opinion | STV is vulnerable: but is anyone interested in buying it? cleanfeed.thetvroom.com/22973/opinio...

How sitcom works. How TV works. How class works. How immigration and integration works. How character works. How comedy works. @athenakugblenu.bsky.social and I bit off a lot with this one, and all in the name of Hyacinth Bucket, pronounced however you like. pod.link/1614879928/e...

Been getting more into this great podcast and this one is a real favourite as goes into the form of why sitcoms with familiar patterns and characters do work.

Thames Television is 57 years old today so lets celebrate their programmes to the ITV Network with this small selection.

#OnThisDay 1968 : First transmissions from Thames Television in London was broadcast. They would broadcast as a regional company until the end of 1992 but would continue to make programmes as an independent thereafter.

Yorkshire Television is 57 years old today so lets celebrate their programmes to the ITV Network with these selection of programmes.