107th: The Heckler Ed McBain’s 12th 87th Precinct novel offers a thrilling cat and mouse story between the cops and the Deaf Man, McBain’s Moriarity like figure who uses a penchant for terrorism to mask his real criminal intent. #booksky

106th: The Harvest Festival Murders the newest entry in the Crofter’s Green Sleuths is the perfect Fall cozy mystery. Once more the sleuths face multiple murders all possibly linked to the theft of microfilm that outlines UK food systems, a target of Nazi spies. #booksky

We are delighted to reveal the #BookerPrize2025 shortlist – six books that ‘are all brilliantly written and brilliantly human’. ➡️ Discover the full list: thebookerprizes.com/bp2025

#HalloweenWars is back for spooky season. So bring on the weird cakes, sugar sculptures and pumpkin carving.

Thinking of using #ChatGPT for 'help' with assessments? Think again. #university #AI www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Second viewing of the day: #TheCrimeofMonsieurLange (Renoir, 1936) the only Jean Renoir film I have never seen now available on Criterion channel. It is a classic French comedy which Renoir used to make a political statement about collective action. #filmsky

Today’s viewing: #PedicabDriver (Hung, 1989) the classic Hong Kong gangster comedy known for its spectacular aerobatics and fight choreography performed by Hung who plays a pedicab driver who finds himself involved in a battle for justice against Triad. #filmsky

Schwartz shows how newspapers, politicians and even some American businessmen used the broadcast to tamp down on media and creativity of people like Welles using the narrative that the broadcast caused widespread panic, which historical evidence refutes. 2/2

105th: Broadcast Hysteria an in-depth history of the lead up to Orson Welles/Mercury Theater War of World broadcast and focused analysis of its aftermath. Great read that uses never seen letters to Welles as well as those to FCC at the time to dispel accepted narrative of it as dangerous. 1/2

104th: Samantha Downing’s new sardonic thriller Too Old for This. It is a page turner about a retired woman, who is a serial killer that just wants to be left alone when her retired life is upended by a young woman who wants to make a docuseries leading to new problems. #booksky

Roku Channel just added S6 and 7 of UK series Great Pottery Throwdown. So if one is needed of cozy TV I highly recommend it.

variety.com/2025/film/ne... Really sad news this morning. Redford was an incredible actor, director, activist and for me the embodiment of a great American.

103rd: @janicehallett.bsky.social The Examiner an outstanding dark academia mystery told in modern epistolary form with emails, texts, and other forms of communication that together build this intriguing puzzle that grips the reader and never lets go until the dazzling end. #booksky

Drama series goes to #ThePitt. Pretty clear that White Lotus has fallen out of favor with TV Academy. #Emmys

Lead actor in a drama series goes to Noah Wylie for #ThePitt. His first #Emmys win after so many nominations while working on #ER in 90s.

Best comedy series goes to #TheStudio in an unexpected moment. #Emmys Hilarious to see a show that indicts contemporary Hollywood executives and industry win and yet fitting.

Limited series/anthology/movie goes to #Adolescence. #Emmys British TV is dominating American TV culture tonight and that is because Brit TV with shorter series are so much more focused and stronger than lots of US media.

Awesome. Colbert wins for Talk Show. #Emmys How great to see him get chants and a standing ovation from everyone in the theatre.

Outstanding lead actor in a limited series/anthology/movie goes to Stephen Graham for #Adolescence. Great to see him get recognition for his incredible abilities as an actor. A body of work that is outstanding. #Emmys

Great job #Emmys to highlight the great and important work that TV can do as they celebrate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the legacy of TV to speak to power and challenge the status quo.

Lead actress in a limited series/anthology/movie goes to Cristin Milotti for #ThePenguin. She was so amazing as Sophia in a dark and beautifully twisted series. #Emmys

Supporting actress in a limited series/anthology/movie goes to Erin Doherty for #Adolescence. #Emmys

Writing for a variety series goes to the team of #LastWeekTonightwJohnOliver as expected. They still do yeoman’s work to grapple with the harsh realities of the world today. #Emmys

Lorne Michaels seems somewhat relevant still with this #Emmys win for Variety Special for the SNL 50th Anniversary Special

Outstanding writing for a comedy series goes to the writers of #TheStudio. Rogan and company are having a great night. #Emmys

Writing for a limited series/anthology/movie goes to Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham for #Adolescence #Emmys

Supporting actor in a limited series/anthology/movie goes to Owen Cooper for #Adolescence #Emmys What a win for this young actor.

Writing for a drama series goes to Dan Gilroy for #Andor #Emmys It seems that voters have soured on Mike White.

Directing for a drama series goes to Adam Randall for #SlowHorses. Seems voters maybe moving on from WhiteLotus. #Emmys

Wow. Right after presenter Elizabeth Banks celebrated that the best limited series directing #emmy had all female nominees but one, she wound up announcing that man, Philip Barantini from Netflix's Adolescence, was the winner. Still, a much deserved win.

Directing for an anthology/ limited series movie goes to the director of #Adolescence Philip Barantini just as the Emmys highlight the category has broken history with four female directors as nominees. #Emmys

Outstanding director for a comedy series goes to Seth Rogan for #TheStudio which is an amazing production on an aesthetic and technical level. #Emmys

Supporting actor in a comedy series goes to Jeff Hiller for his outstanding work in the lovely and moving #SomebodySomewhere. What a fantastic win for him and such a moving series. #Emmys

Supporting actress in a comedy series goes to Hannah Einbender for her hilarious, funny and fierce performance in #Hacks. #Emmys

Lead actress in a drama series goes to Britt Lower for her indelible role in #Severance. What an upset as prognosticators called it for Kathy Bates. #Emmys

Supporting actor in a drama series goes to Tramell Tillman for his incredible and unique portrayal in #Severance. Great win #Emmys

Supporting actress in a drama series goes to Katherine LaNasa for #ThePitt. First upset of night. #Emmys

Lead actress in a comedy series goes to Jean Smart once again for #Hacks. No surprise as she has shown her incredible talent and range. #Emmys

Wow. Seth Rogan just won an #Emmy for lead actor in a comedy for #TheStudio. Well deserved for an inventive and hilarious show.

Remembering Chicago born film producer Hal B. Wallis who was born #OnThisDay in 1898, he enjoyed a prolific and successful career at Warner Bros and Paramount Pictures earning him a total of 19 Best Picture Academy Award nominations

Today’s viewing: #DowntonAbbeyTheGrandFinale (Curtis, 2025) an enjoyable and fitting send off to these indelible characters that is filled with lots of moments of joy, laughter, and some sadness.

Tis biscuit week on #GBBO which is always a stellar week for the series. As the world is awful the joys of the tent are needed more than ever.

102nd: @alfredmartin.bsky.social outstanding book Fandom for Us By Us a must read for media scholars and those in fan studies. Lively, informative and grounded in interviews and personal experiences the book will reshape the fields and how we think of black audiences. #booksky

If true this must be stopped. It would be a major blow to the sense that media companies are not monopolies in this moment. Zaslav has been bad for WB but this is even worse for a company with an illustrious history.

Finished #SquidGames S2 and 3 last night. Great television once more that while violent and brutal manages to reinvent itself through the focus on the emotional and psychological quotient of such blood sport for entertainment at a time of global economic inequality.

Finished S2 of #Wednesday over the weekend. It is such a fun and thoughtful approach to Adam’s characters and to the ideas that monsters are not monstrous, rather it is humans who are monstrous. Netflix should license original 60s sitcom and make it available on their platform.