Much deserved. One of the best in the business.

I complained about Aer Lingus giving us free fast internet. www.irishtimes.com/culture/film...

Greatest show on the radio.

Okay. I thought I was being awfully clever Blueskying this last week. I have now seen the same phrase in three reviews — including The Guardian and Rolling Stone. This is officially now the equivalent of saying THE BRIDE is “a big swing”.

Obviously, given what I do, I cringe at this terrible error, but some of the apocalyptic takes on what it tells us about the dreaded mainstream media are plain deranged.

Childlessness in British sitcoms is a fascinating phenomenon. The Fawltys had no children. George and Mildred had no children. Neither of the neighbours in The Good Life had children. Not one of the platoon in Dad’s Army *officially* has a child (except… you know), not to mention a grandchild.

Apparently I made this week's quiz quite easy: www.irishtimes.com/culture/film...

I’m really enjoying #THEPITT, but I’m not sure they pull off the real-time trick. Every now and then I have to remind myself that a relationship that seems to have developed over days or weeks, has actually played out over a few hours. A few minutes really, considering time spent together.

Is the book really “famously unadaptedable”?

"Tonight... The Chefs, Clock DVA, Eek-a-Mouse and a new session from Propeller One-Way Night Coach that I think you'll find particularly agreeable."

Let me just check below. Yup. Loads of geniuses pointing the poster towards the Sphinx. Nothing gets past social media users.

Is there a simple answer why the cost of Lavazza coffee varies HUGELY (and randomly) from shop to shop? By my calculation, one habitually overpriced “food market” chain is selling it at around 75% of the price charged in my local supermarket.

I don’t want to know how Gladys was traumatised into becoming an evil witch lady just like I didn’t ever want to know how Han Solo got his name or how Mufasa got to be king.

I was giving out about April Fools in newspapers. But today’s Connections is very good fun. Puzzle #1025 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Quality of life has improved since professional media largely gave up on the April Fool. Something welcome the Pandemic killed off.

Lot of ads on the Sky version of HBO Max.

Jesus, that Raye album is A LOT.

Terms like "Unalive" only exist because the Content Platforms control language for its users. You should NEVER use these sanitized terms outside of those damn platforms, and you should really be concerned that you're using them *at all*.

I suppose the Schleinzer film was too off-centre for them to notice. But really…

People saying this has to be Colman. But I could imagine Emma Thompson giving it a bash. (Also it could actually be an American, remember)

A critic’s job is not to tell you whether or not you should see a movie.

Don't forget the clocks go forward tonight, as they do every night, pitiless and unstoppable, silent witnesses to our inevitable decay.

Currently reading the Scott-Montcrieff Proust (and, yes, performatively letting you know). Interesting that, in 1927, he didn’t feel able to leave “croissant” untranslated. Was such a thing then still so exotic?

Has a little swoon…

I've written a novel, Experts in a Dying Field. It's out on Penguin Sandycove in June. It's about about a band and a tragedy & art for art's sake & aging & loss & community & Dublin. There's a fox in it. & sheet music. The beautiful cover's by Jack Smyth. You can preorder: linktr.ee/expertsinady...

This is interesting (if confusing).

Just as well I was left with green. One of the very “American” ones. Connections Puzzle #1019 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Well, that was utterly painful. ⚽️

I have to I hand it to the Lord of the Rings nerds. They have, over the last few days, been almost — I said “almost” — as irritating as the Harry Potter twats.

lmao

LAST SALUTE TO THE COMMODORE from (first-generation) Columbo. Patrick McGoohan indulgently decides to direct it like an off-off Broadway avant garde play. Note blocking below.

Just got a text from the HSE (that, for overseas listeners, is the Irish Health Service). Apparently they’re now based in the Philippines. Sounds legit to me.

as a French national I would like to make it clear that it's fine and good for us to make fun of Brits, but Americans can however put a sock in it

Well it looks as if there will be no surprises whatsoever in that Harry Potter series. Which, let’s be frank, is *exactly* how the modern fans like it.

Amused by the previous owner of Priestley’s LITERATURE & WESTERN MAN taking the great man to task on the first page. I can’t really see her argument here. It’s surely a plural, and that is that. @bcdreyer.social

The weirdest opinion I’ve seen expressed (a lot) about SNLUK is that Wet Leg sucked.

It's never wrong to condemn evil. But it is wrong to antisemitically condemn evil. "Epstein's crimes were terrible" - fine. "That Jew Epstein's crimes were terrible" - definitely not fine.

I honestly have no words for this.

Only fair to admit I thought #SNLUK wasn’t bad. Well, bits of it were bad, but definitely more hit than miss. Weekend Update better than any of the US versions I’ve seen.

THE BETSY. (In this edition)

People are right to point out that it’s unfair to damn SNL UK before it airs. But we can say (or I can, anyway) that the advance publicity has been terrible. This ad seems aimed at that portion of America which *always* mentions beans on toast when discussing British cuisine. The whole campaign… 1/2

I am darkly fascinated by #BookTok. Not least by the current fascination with The Count of Monte Cristo (a great book, particularly in the recent translation) and East of Eden (a book I thought we’d all decided was turgid nonsense).

The tone-deafness of the Mary Poppins thing in that SNL trailer is astonishing. It is as if they did an Irish one and had Kate McKinnon descend dressed as a Leprechaun.

Ronnie O’Sullivan makes a 153 break. Man is a marvel. Sort of a holy grail to get a televised 147+. www.bbc.com/sport/snooke...

If I live to be a hundred I will never understand why NOBODY went to see this film (and every awards body ignored it). www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlWV...

Don’t know why, but this always drives me mad. It’s “Pearl Harbor” never “Pearl Harbour”. It is a place name, therefore the US spelling remains. Thus: “The Japanese destroyed the harbour at Pearl Harbor.” (Cc @bcdreyer.social)

I’m SITTING OUTSIDE (at the national broadcaster).

There’s a lot here that’s remarkable, but nothing more so than the sense he’s *congratulating* Japan on Pearl Harbor.