John Prescott laughed off some gentle - and not so gentle - mocking over his peerage on the quiz show Have I Got News for You. Asked about his forthcoming ennoblement by panellist Ian Hislop, he said he was not Lord Prescott quite yet, adding 'so don't kneel now, kneel later.' When it was suggested he should join the pantomime circuit, the former deputy prime minister said he had been 'doing it for the last forty years.' Prescott - who, I must admit, I've always rather liked in the 'at least there's no front with him' kind of way - chaired the BBC1 show, broadcast on Thursday, for the first time. P
oliticians who have appeared on or hosted the show in the past, and by and large massively improved their public popularity as a consequence, include Charles Kennedy, Neil Kinnock, Ken Livingstone and, most obviously, Boris Johnson. Lembit Opik appeared on the programme earlier this month shortly after losing his Commons seat and is now considering a career in stand-up. Prescott, who stood down as an MP at the last election, is one of a handful of former cabinet ministers set to join the House of Lords after being nominated for a peerage. He has also said he wants to play an active role in Labour's future and is standing to become the party's treasurer. Yer Keith Telly Topping is reminded, at this time, of one of Little Bobby Thompson's finest one liners. Having noted that he was secretary on his local social club's committee he added, sadly, 'I wanted to be treasurer ... but I was too well known!' During Prescott's appearance on the show, the former MP was also reminded of one of the most memorable moments of his political career - when he punched a man who had thrown an egg at him during the 2001 general election campaign. Comedian John Bishop, another of the panellists, said he believed he had only been booked to appear on the show 'so they could put a Scouser between you two for a bit of balance.' Ian Hislop replied: 'No, you have only been booked to take the first punch.' Prescott has introduced several factual TV shows in recent years as well as making a cameo appearance in comedy series Gavin and Stacey. And, like Michael Portillo before him, he seems a lot nicer outside of parliament than he did when he was in it!
It was very nice to see Paul's new drama, Pulse, getting some splendid reviews over the last couple of days. The guy in Metro, for instance, said that it was a pilot 'crying out for a series,' and TV Times called it a 'slick, unsettling drama that deserves a longer run.' Lets hope so.
And, on that bombshell, here's yer next lot of Top Telly Tips:
Friday 11 June
Right, so, anyway, the World Cup kicks-off today with two games from Group A - South Africa v Mexico (2:30 ITV) and France v Uruguay (7:00 BBC1). So, for the next month, From The North and the Top Telly Tip's slot on Simon Logan's Afternoon Show (accept not alternative) will be officially acknowledging it's existence and bringing you both details of the matches themselves and some alternatives.
I mean, I'm going to be watching the vast majority of the matches myself so it'd be hypocritical of me to pretend that it doesn't exist here! So, let's start with tonight's alternative, Taggart - 9:00 ITV - and there's been a maaaardaaaar. Hang on, firstly, that's not unusual, but secondly, this is on opposite France/Uruguay. That's makes it not so much an alternative, as 'more of the same.' In this episode, Robbie Ross starts to feel the heat when Thomas Duffy, one of his informants, is brutally murdered, and the word 'grass' daubed in paint at the crime scene. Duffy's name appeared in Ross's contact book - which was stolen by a woman Ross took home with him. Ross knows he must speak up, but before he does, another name from the book turns up dead. Can he solve the case before his career becomes the next casualty? Or, alternative, will Thierry Henry and his - somewhat younger - pals find a way past one of the meanest defences (in all sense) in South America. Tough call. On both counts.
Saturday 12 June
There's three matches to whet your appetites today, dear blog reader. South Korea v Greece (12:00 ITV), Argentina v Nigeria (2:30 BBC1) and, of course, England v USA (6:15 ITV). And, there's yet more football on tonight's Doctor Who episode - 6:45 BBC1 - in which Matt Smith gets to show off a bit of his fancy footwork for a Sunday League team when the Doctor investigates a mysterious staircase.
One that everyone who goes up it never comes down. Scary. It looks like a really good episode although I do have to warn you it does, unfortunately, feature a guest appearance by James Corden. That bloke's everywhere tonight. He's also got his own show, James Corden's World Cup Live - 9:45 ITV - in which he celebrates the 'colour and fun of the World Cup' it says here after every ITV evening match with Abbey Clancy, celebrity guests, a football hero, a studio full of fans and his very own human world cup wall chart. Tonight's guests are Freddie Flintoff and Katy Perry. Yeah, I think I might give that one a miss. Bring back Fantasy Football League, at least that had some proper comedians on it.
Total Wipeout: The Legends - 5:45 BBC1 - for winning contestants on Total Wipeout there is glory, a shiny trophy and the title of champion. But what do the gallant, damp, muddy losers get?
Until now, the answer was nothing. That was until now. Eighteen losers who have made their mark on the Big Red Balls over the last three series return to the purpose-built course in Argentina to face their fears and try once again to conquer the daftest obstacles in the world. With Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram. Or, you could stick with England against the USA on ITV. Now, here's a funny thing. America is just about the only country in the world where football isn't a national obsession - by and large they think it's a game for girls and don't even use its proper name. And yet, their team is actually half-way decent (ranked in the top twenty in the world). Although England should still beat them. I say should, please note. Watch, they'll go and give us a right good twanking now.
Sunday 13 June
Sunday's games in South Africa are Algeria v Solvenia (12:10 BBC1 - and, do you know what, I really might give that one a miss!), Serbia v Ghana (2:20 ITV) and game of the night, Germany v Australia (7:00 ITV). Ooo ... clash of cultures. Vorsprung durch technik versus The Beautiful Game. Efficiency takes on flair. Or, the Aussie equivalent, anyway.
Who Do You Think You Are? - 9:15 BBC1 - is, of course, a series in which celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past. It's been hugely popular in the UK over the last few years and has seen many memorable episodes.
Well, now the Americans have got in on the act, producing their own take on the format. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker has always assumed that her ancestors were recent immigrants to the United States, but her coast-to-coast journey reveals that her family's roots are set deep in American history, including the California gold rush and even the Salem witch trials. It'll be worth watching to see if Sarah blubs as much as her Sex in the City cast-mate Kim Catterall did in her episode. Neither of them, however, will be able to hold a candle to Natasha Kaplinsky who cried non-stop of sixty minutes. yes, love, families can do that to you.
Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections - 7:15 BBC2 - sees the Hamster revealing the startling engineering connections behind Hong Kong's Ocean Airport, one of the busiest and biggest in the world, sited on a specially constructed island.
The world's largest construction project drew inspiration from a Thirteenth Century Arab irrigation machine, a World War II bomber, car suspension, a bizarre Cold War spy device and a brass band, all resulting in the new gateway to Asia. Has the misfortune to be on opposite Germany/Australia though, so I wouldn't expect the bumper Top Gear-sized audience you normally get Richard.
Monday 14 June
Extraordinary People - Hayley: The Ninety Six-Year-Old Schoolgirl - 9:00 Five - is one of a series of absorbing documentaries exploring remarkable stories of human experience from all over the world. This film picks up the story of twelve-year-old Hayley, who has featured in three previous documentaries. Hayley suffers from progeria, a rare condition which causes sufferers to age prematurely. Promising medical tests in the US now offer the hope of finding a cure for Hayley's affliction. The previous documentaries on this poor little girl have been really rather good - even life-affirming. However, you may prefer Italy v Paraguay on BBC1. (Today's other matches, incidentally, are Japan v Cameroon, which I am looking forward too (2:30 BBC1) and then even more promising Netherlands v Denmark (12:10 ITV). Now ...the question is, which Netherlands is going to show up? Will it be the glorious totalvoetbal geniuses who light up the world stage, or will it be the team that fights among themselves and had their best players taking a huff and stomping off home? You're never too sure with the Dutch. Oh, and for all Newcastle fans, remember, Jon Dahl Tomasson is still playing for Denmark and is still banging in the goals. He couldn't hit a barn door for six feet when he played for us!
Dispatches:
How the Banks Won - 8:00 - is an episode of Channel 4's flagship current affairs strand in which Will Hutton investigates the banks and discovers that while ordinary taxpayers have taken the pain of the financial crisis, for the banks it's largely been business as usual. Hutton analyses the banks' accounts and shows how they are using government-guaranteed funds to gamble with derivatives just as they did before the 2008 crash. He also reveals how the banks are still paying vast salaries and bonuses to their management. The rotters. But, hang on. Don't we own most of them now? Can't we just go in there and tell them to stop?
Gladiators: Back from the Dead - 9:00 also on Channel 4 - is a documentary recreating the world of the Roman arena and revealing how six gladiators lived, fought and died.
The programme follows archaeologists and forensic anthropologists as they analyse dozens of Roman skeletons found in Britain over recent years. Made, as usual, as most of Channel 4's pop history conceits are by the Team Team production people. They're usually very good too. Possibly even worth missing the Azzurri for. Although, for the ladies (and the gay guys, for that matter) I do have to note, eleven very fit Italian men in tight-fitting blue shirts. I'm just saying ... it's a question of priorities
Tuesday 15 June
What do you mean you don't fancy Brazil against North Korea tonight (7:00 ITV)? Does nothing please you, dear blog reader?
The Brazilians. Spirit of 1970. Pele. Jairzinho. Rivalino. The other eight. All right then, Britain's Nazi King Revealed - 8:00 Five - might be to your tastes. Edward VIII is popularly remembered as the king who gave up the throne for the woman he loved and, something of a 1930s version of Prince William, more a pop star than a future monarch. Yet his reputation has been tarnished by revelations that he was friendly with Hitler and that the Nazi leader planned to install Edward as a pro-fascist king in the event of a German occupation of Britain. 
That was why shortly after the war broke out, he and Wallace were parcelled off, quickly, to the Caribbean to get them out of the way should the worst happen. Newly released FBI files reveal the extent to which Edward was distrusted by the British and American governments, and the potential risk that he posed to the war effort. Okay, I'm sold, that might just be worth missing Brazil/North Korea for. Although not in North Korea. Oh no. Viewing there is mandatory.
In tonight's episode of Holby City - 8:00 BBC1 - Faye (Patsy Kensit) learns she is expecting a boy and tries to keep the peace between Joseph and Linden.
Interesting thing about Patsy Kenist, she's been married more times in real life than she has in a long-running soap opera. That's almost unique, I'd've said. Meanwhile Connie (the show's best actress, by far, Amanda Mealing) discovers Penny and Oliver's sibling rivalry is compromising patient care, she shames them into settling their differences.
And, finally, if you haven't already exhausted yourself watching rank outsiders New Zealand takes on Slovakia (12:15 BBC1) or the potentially brilliant Ivory Coast playing always difficult to fathom Portuguese (2:30 ITV), Family Food Fight with Flora - 7:30 Five - sees two chefs, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Matt Tebbutt, helping families improve their cooking skills. Mine doesn't need any improving, thanks, I've got a fully working microwave and a freezer full of beef burgers. In each episode, the experts show two hapless households how to make tasty, healthy meals before setting them up in a high-stakes cook-off. This instalment features a couple who claim to have never used their modern kitchen, and a mother of five who uses too much salt in her curries. Incidentally, just going back to the Côte d'Ivoire for a second, did you know they have a player called Sol Bamba in their squad? Just thought I'd mention that. Cos it's funny.
Wednesday 16 June
The popular US drama NCIS - 9:00 Five - is all about the navy's dedicated federal agency.
The murder of a marine brings Gibbs and the team into contact with the Office of Special Projects - a specialised NCIS unit based in Los Angeles. The LA agents suspect the murder might be linked to an international arms deal they have been investigating. Elsewhere, Tony becomes concerned about Ziva's behaviour. Or, alternatively, there's South Africa v Uruguay (7:00 BBC1). The Rainbow Nations versus the least colourful team in world football. That's a tough one to call.
Peckham Finishing School for Girls - 9:00 BBC3 - is a series in which four privileged young ladies - Stephanie, Serena, Claire and Cat - experience life on the other side of the tracks in south London.
The girls move onto a council estate and immerse themselves in the alien and unfamiliar world of Peckham's vibrant, multi-ethnic community. Attitudes are further tested when they meet the four local women who have volunteered to act as their personal guides for the week - streetwise Kerri, unemployed Sarah, single mum Lashan and hard-working Aleisha. Yet another life-swap reality show from TV producers who seem to think the public are fascinated by this kind of thing. As if the shockingly poor ratings for The Duchess on the Estate and that thing with Mel B living on the poor in Leeds didn't do enough to convince them otherwise. Me, I'll be watching the highlights of either Honduras v Chile (12:10 ITV) or Spain v Switzerland (2:30 BBC1).
Finally for tonight in Kimberley Walsh: Blue Jean Girl - 9:00 Sky1 - you get pretty much what it says on the tin.
Kimberley - the fourth one out of Girls Aloud to make a bid for TV stardom of one sort or another - reveals the history of denim. When's Nadine going to front a documentary on ... I dunno, shoes, or something and make it a nap-hand, eh? Or, alternatively, there's football. Watch, we'll find they've even got their fingers in that. I expect Cheryl will be called up to the England squad any minute as cover for yet more injuries.
Thursday 17 June
Location, Location, Location - 8:00 Channel 4 - sees Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp host the property advice series in which their advice is never taken by banal young professionals from London area who knit their own museli and are, likely, totally impressed with the latest Coldplay CD. Today, the couple visit the Home Counties (what a massive surprise), meeting two couples who do not have a home between them. One has spent years chasing a million pound property dream, while the other has spent months stuck back with the in-laws. Or, you may prefer France v Mexico (7:00 BBC1). I know I do. Today's other games, incidentally, are Argentina v South Korea (ITV 12:10 - that's going to be a question of who bursts into tears first) and Greece v Nigeria (2:45 BBC1).
In Frost on Satire - 9:00 BBC4 - Sir David Frost presents an investigation into the power of political satire with the help of some of the funniest TV moments of the last fifty years.
Beginning with the 1960s and his own That Was The Week That Was, he charts the development of television satire in Britain and the US and is joined by leading satirists including Rory Bremner, Ian Hislop and John Lloyd from the UK and Jon Stewart, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and Chevy Chase from across the Atlantic. Oh, now that does sound good.
To be honest, with the World Cup in full flow you do have to look around to the margins of telly to find the odd nugget, often in the form of repeats - as many of this week's list proves. Although it is out there and anybody who says 'there's nothing else but football on' simply isn't trying hard enough!
Still, look on the bright side, it's only once every four years. Although, ever other two years you also get the European Championships, too. Anyway, Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers - 7:25 BBC3 - is, of course, an Oscar-winning claymation from Nick Park. It is Gromit's birthday and Wallace gives him a pair of mechanical techno-trousers that cause quite a stir. But things continue to go wrong when Wallace rents a room to a rather suspicious penguin. Do you know what, I know I've seen it probably fifty times, but I think I still might give that a go over France/Mexico!
And so to the news and there's lots of it. We start with some sad tidings from America. The actress Rue McClanahan, one of the stars of the TV show The Golden Girls, has died following a stroke at the age of seventy six. The award-winning performer played feisty Southern belle Blanche in the popular comedy series. McClanahan, who underwent heart bypass surgery last year, is the third of the regular cast members to die. Only Betty White remains, following the deaths of Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur in 2008 and 2009 respectively. McClanahan had a varied stage career before landing the role of Blanche Devereaux in 1985. Earlier in her career, she had appeared with Arthur in the 1970s sitcom Maude as her best friend and sidekick. In later years, she continued to appear on TV and on stage, playing the elderly mother of a drag queen in 2008 serial Sordid Lives. McClanahan, who was born in Oklahoma, married six times and wrote a memoir in 2007 entitled My First Five Husbands... And The Ones Who Got Away.
Channel 4 has reportedly angered leading Catholics by commissioning equality campaigner and outspoken critic of the Vatican Peter Tatchell to front a new documentary about the Pope. The broadcaster has selected Tatchell, who is one of the founding members of the Protest The Pope campaign group, to present a sixty-minute programme on the Holy Father. The programme is scheduled to air on Channel 4 in September to coincide with Pope Benedict's planned visit to the UK. Tatchell has previously been a vocal critic of the Pope's stance on homosexuality and contraception. He has also claimed that the religious leader is 'an unsuitable guest of the UK government.' Channel 4 said that the programme will consider the Pope's impact on the developing and Western worlds, with a wide range of views being covered, reports the Daily Telegraph. However, former Tory politician and resident gobshite Ann Widdecombe, who converted to Catholicism and has presented programmes on religion for Channel 4, said that the programme would demonstrate the anti-Catholic bias in Britain. 'I think this will confirm the view that there probably already is in the Vatican that this is a profoundly anti-Catholic country,' she said. Err ... it is, Ann. Sorry, like, but it has been since some time in the late 1500s and certianly since 1707 and the Succession to the Crown Act. Thanks to that, it is illegal for a Catholic to ever become monarch of this country, so how much more anti-Catholic do you want? 'I wouldn't call this the right thing for any serious broadcaster to do, but they're doing it for the publicity, they're doing it to stir up controversy. Mr Tatchell certainly won't be sympathetic to his subject, so what’s the point of doing it? It won't be sceptical, it will be hostile.' Catholic writer Christina Odone added: 'Peter himself would be the first to admit that he is no authority on the subject. And perhaps it would be good, rather than have some polemical, knee-jerk reaction to the Pope if Channel 4 would be interested in actually shedding light on a figure who is so important, and so often misinterpreted and misunderstood - and of whom more needs to be known. I don't think the founding father of [gay rights pressure group] Outrage! is the right person for this.' In response, Tatchell defended his right to present the 'robustly factual' programme, which will explore the Pope's 'personal, religious and political journey since the 1930s, as well as the motives and effects of his controversial policies.' Channel 4 head of specialist factual Ralph Lee added:
'The Papal visit in September provides an ideal opportunity to examine the impact of Benedict XVI after five years in office. In keeping with Channel 4's remit to provide a platform for diverse and alternative perspectives, equality campaigner Peter Tatchell will assess the effect of the current Pope's teachings throughout the world and the conflict between some of his values and those held by modern Britain.' Incdientally, did you know, The Vatican City are one of only eight fully-recognised sovereign states whose national football team is not a FIFA member. The others are Monaco, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, the Marshall Islands and Palau. Nevertheless the Vatican City has played two games against international opposition, both ending in goalless draws. The first was against San Marino in 1994 and the second against Monaco in 2002. The Vatican City recently played a match against a Swiss club side, SV Vollmond, on a small field just outside of the Vatican and, with the help of The Lord, won 5-1. The Vatican City squad consists largely of members of the Swiss Guards (the voluntary military force who traditionally act as the Pope's personal bodyguards and are, frankly, rock hard) plus some members of the Papal council and museum guards. Although, it should be noted that the Pontiff himself is a more than decent right-winger. Or, is that just a dodgy rumour put about by Peter Tatchell?
Charlie Brooker decided to postpone an edition of his quiz show You Have Been Watching scheduled for Thursday night. Channel 4 was intending to broadcast a special crime drama episode of the programme but chose to delay airing it following the shootings in Cumbria earlier in the week.
Writing on his Twitter page, Brooker explained: 'Given recent events, we've decided to postpone tonight's scheduled episode of You Have Been Watching. There'll be a different ep in its place.' He added: '[For what it's worth], it's a decision I completely agree with. It'll now be shown at a later date. For those asking: the ep being postponed is a crime special - which for obvious reasons feels tonally wrong at present.' Yep. Probably the right call.
ITV announced its schedules for the remaining episodes of Coronation Street's Siege Week yesterday afternoon. The shelved fourth episode of the week - which would have been broadcast on Wednesday evening - will now go out on Monday evening at 7.30pm. Thursday's scheduled episode will follow it at 8.30pm. The climax to Siege Week - which was originally intended to broadcast on Frdiay - will now go out on Wednesday (9 June) as part of an hour-long screening, which will take in the episode which was due to air at 7.30pm on Monday evening.
With me so far? Monday's second episode - due to air at 8.30pm - has now been placed on Thursday (June 10) and will be attached to that evening's scheduled episode in another sixty-minute slot from 8pm. Coronation Street schedules will then return to something appraoching normality from Friday 11 June. An ITV spokesperson said: 'We apologise to ITV viewers for the interruption to this week's Coronation Street scheduling but, against the backdrop of Wednesday's tragic events in Cumbria, it would have been inappropriate to broadcast these episodes this week.' What the hell are you apologising to your viewers for, ITV? Anybody was so much as an ounce of human decency in them understands the reasons behind it and, if they don't then, frankly, they can sod off and die in a ditch, on fire. Sometimes, there are more important things in the world than a soap opera. And this was one of them. Sunday's intended Coronation Street omnibus, meanwhile, has been replaced, very curiously, by the 1960s film adaptation of Pollyanna. Thanks to Andy Barton for the heads up on the schedule changes, by the way.
Queen of the WAGs, Christine Bleakley has reportedly sacked her agent, John Noel, as she 'faces a dilemma over the future of her career.' According to the Sun, the One Show host made the decision after becoming concerned over the advice she was receiving concerning a possible move to ITV.
It is thought that Bleakley is 'tempted' to accept a one million pound offer to defect to the commercial broadcaster. However, Noel was said to be keen for her to stay with the BBC. A source said: 'Christine's future is now very much up in the air. She feels she is being pulled from both sides and was worried she wasn't getting the right advice. She's decided the best way to tackle it was to ditch her agent and clear her head.' Bleakley's one hundred thousand pounds-a-year contract with the BBC is due to expire in September. Insiders say that quitting her current job would be a difficult move for her as she is 'very fond' of the corporation. A spokesman for John Noel Management merely confirmed that it had, collectively, parted company with Bleakley.
Louie Spence is reportedly 'dragging his heels' over signing a new contract for the second series of Sky's Pineapple Dance Studios.
According to the Sun, the dance centre's artistic director is holding off from signing the new deal with Sky due to money issues. 'The show has been an unexpected hit. Louie has become a household name and he's well aware he should milk his fifteen minutes of fame,' a source said. The report claims that his fellow Pineapple Dance Studios star Andrew Stone has already signed his contract. It was previously claimed that Spence was being lined-up to join the judging panel on next year's So You Think You Can Dance.
Author PD James has claimed that ITV's decision to axe The South Bank Show was 'an act of cultural vandalism.' Yes, we know it was, love. But, what you gonna do, you know? Speaking at a Media Society dinner this week in honour of former South Bank Show presenter Lord Melvyn Bragg, James said that the long-running programme's cancellation on ITV 'tells us more than we need to know about the channel.' She added: 'I have very little hope for the future.' The eighty nine-year-old Tory peer, who spent five years as a BBC governor, also praised Lord Bragg for his contribution to broadcasting, reports the Guardian. 'For thirty years he has educated, entertained and enriched all our lives,' she said. 'The programmes are an archive of the Twentieth and Twenty First Century. That is a huge achievement.' Last December, James criticised the BBC in an interview with the corporation's director general Mark Thompson. She told Thompson that while some BBC programming is of a high quality, other material is more tenuous in its value as public service broadcasting. Although, yet again, and curiously for a BBC governor, she seemed to completely forget about the third branch of the BBC's Royal Charter - to educate, inform and entertain. At the dinner last night, James again called on the BBC to 'behave better' by devoting less money to 'overpaid bureaucracy' and more to fostering creativity.
Fans of FlashForward plan to stage a 'blackout' to protest the show's recent cancellation.
Members of a FlashForward fan group will gather in front of ABC offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta on 10 June. They are to mimic falling unconscious for two minutes and seventeen seconds, just as in the programme's pilot episode. No, really, I'm not making this up.
Penny Smith said goodbye to her colleagues on GMTV on Friday. The presenter left the show after seventeen years. The move is part of ITV's ongoing revamp of the format. According to BBC News, Smith was presented with a video of her best bits during her final episode.
She was also serenaded by soul singer Curtis Stigers, who was her partner on the BBC's competition Just The Two Of Us in 2006. During Stigers's performance, Smith began to cry. Yeah. He makes me cry too, love. He's horrible, that Curtis Stigers. She joked: 'I was doing so well. I've got extra eyelashes on and everything!' She added: 'Thank you to everybody who's said really nice things to me today. Thank you for supporting us. It's been great! My dressing room's awash with flowers.'
Emily Deschanel has suggested that she could be involved in a romantic storyline on Bones in the future.
Deschanel, who plays Brennan, explained that the relationship between her character and Booth (David Boreanaz) is developing. '[In] the one hundredth episode we came very close,' she told E! Online. 'You know, I think we keep moving forward.' Deschanel also hinted that the show's creator Hart Hanson has already made a decision about the future of the couple. 'I was just talking to Hart, the creator of our show about, like, do Booth and Brennan get together in the next season,' she said. 'And I can't tell you what we decided. It was a discussion. He wasn't just dictating it to me. I'm a producer on the show. I have a say in these things.' She added: 'Some fans want us to get together and some don't, so we have to make everyone happy somehow.'
And lastly, some hot off the press Qi news. Filming has been continuing, apace, for the last few weeks on episodes of the forthcoming seventh, 'H', series. Details are as follows:-
Episode 1. The guests are Bill Bailey, Danny Baker and Eddie Izzard.
Episode 2. With Bill Bailey, Gyles Brandreth and Sue Perkins. Theme: Hands, hearts and heads.
Episode 3. With Rich Hall, Andy Hamilton and Phill Jupitus. Theme: Happiness.
Episode 4. With Bill Bailey, Rob Brydon and Rich Hall. Theme: Holidays.
Episode 5: With Ronni Ancona, Phill Jupitus and Robert Webb. Theme: Hypnotism.
Episode 6 With Rob Brydon, Fred MacAulay and Sandi Toksvig. Theme: Highs and lows.
Episode 7. With Jack Dee, Phill Jupitus and Ross Noble. Theme: Hotch potch.
Episode 8. With Rob Brydon, David Mitchell and Sandi Toksvig. Theme: History.
Episode 9. With Chris Addison, Sean Lock and Dara O'Briain. Theme: Horrible.
Episode 10. With John Lloyd, Sandi Toksvig and Johnny Vegas. Theme: Hypothetical questions.
Episode 11. The series' one hundredth episode. With David Mitchell, Jeremy Clarkson and Ross Noble. Theme: Health and safety.
Episode 12. With David Mitchell, Sean Lock and Danny Baker. Theme: Hoaxes.
Episode 13. With Jimmy Carr, Dara O'Briain and Clare Balding. Theme: Horses.
So, some very interesting first-time guests, there - Robert Webb, Ross Noble, Chris Addison - not to mention an appearance in an episode, at least, by the series' creator, John Lloyd.
No news yet on when the series will start but, if last year is anything to go by, November or December looks a good bet. The fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth episodes will be filmed shortly, one of which is the series 2010 Christmas Special and will feature a 'surprise' guest star. Santa? Sadly, there's also no news yet on when the BBC are intending to get their shit together and show the four outstanding episodes of Qi: XL from the last series.
oliticians who have appeared on or hosted the show in the past, and by and large massively improved their public popularity as a consequence, include Charles Kennedy, Neil Kinnock, Ken Livingstone and, most obviously, Boris Johnson. Lembit Opik appeared on the programme earlier this month shortly after losing his Commons seat and is now considering a career in stand-up. Prescott, who stood down as an MP at the last election, is one of a handful of former cabinet ministers set to join the House of Lords after being nominated for a peerage. He has also said he wants to play an active role in Labour's future and is standing to become the party's treasurer. Yer Keith Telly Topping is reminded, at this time, of one of Little Bobby Thompson's finest one liners. Having noted that he was secretary on his local social club's committee he added, sadly, 'I wanted to be treasurer ... but I was too well known!' During Prescott's appearance on the show, the former MP was also reminded of one of the most memorable moments of his political career - when he punched a man who had thrown an egg at him during the 2001 general election campaign. Comedian John Bishop, another of the panellists, said he believed he had only been booked to appear on the show 'so they could put a Scouser between you two for a bit of balance.' Ian Hislop replied: 'No, you have only been booked to take the first punch.' Prescott has introduced several factual TV shows in recent years as well as making a cameo appearance in comedy series Gavin and Stacey. And, like Michael Portillo before him, he seems a lot nicer outside of parliament than he did when he was in it!It was very nice to see Paul's new drama, Pulse, getting some splendid reviews over the last couple of days. The guy in Metro, for instance, said that it was a pilot 'crying out for a series,' and TV Times called it a 'slick, unsettling drama that deserves a longer run.' Lets hope so.
And, on that bombshell, here's yer next lot of Top Telly Tips:
Friday 11 June
Right, so, anyway, the World Cup kicks-off today with two games from Group A - South Africa v Mexico (2:30 ITV) and France v Uruguay (7:00 BBC1). So, for the next month, From The North and the Top Telly Tip's slot on Simon Logan's Afternoon Show (accept not alternative) will be officially acknowledging it's existence and bringing you both details of the matches themselves and some alternatives.
I mean, I'm going to be watching the vast majority of the matches myself so it'd be hypocritical of me to pretend that it doesn't exist here! So, let's start with tonight's alternative, Taggart - 9:00 ITV - and there's been a maaaardaaaar. Hang on, firstly, that's not unusual, but secondly, this is on opposite France/Uruguay. That's makes it not so much an alternative, as 'more of the same.' In this episode, Robbie Ross starts to feel the heat when Thomas Duffy, one of his informants, is brutally murdered, and the word 'grass' daubed in paint at the crime scene. Duffy's name appeared in Ross's contact book - which was stolen by a woman Ross took home with him. Ross knows he must speak up, but before he does, another name from the book turns up dead. Can he solve the case before his career becomes the next casualty? Or, alternative, will Thierry Henry and his - somewhat younger - pals find a way past one of the meanest defences (in all sense) in South America. Tough call. On both counts.Saturday 12 June
There's three matches to whet your appetites today, dear blog reader. South Korea v Greece (12:00 ITV), Argentina v Nigeria (2:30 BBC1) and, of course, England v USA (6:15 ITV). And, there's yet more football on tonight's Doctor Who episode - 6:45 BBC1 - in which Matt Smith gets to show off a bit of his fancy footwork for a Sunday League team when the Doctor investigates a mysterious staircase.
One that everyone who goes up it never comes down. Scary. It looks like a really good episode although I do have to warn you it does, unfortunately, feature a guest appearance by James Corden. That bloke's everywhere tonight. He's also got his own show, James Corden's World Cup Live - 9:45 ITV - in which he celebrates the 'colour and fun of the World Cup' it says here after every ITV evening match with Abbey Clancy, celebrity guests, a football hero, a studio full of fans and his very own human world cup wall chart. Tonight's guests are Freddie Flintoff and Katy Perry. Yeah, I think I might give that one a miss. Bring back Fantasy Football League, at least that had some proper comedians on it.Total Wipeout: The Legends - 5:45 BBC1 - for winning contestants on Total Wipeout there is glory, a shiny trophy and the title of champion. But what do the gallant, damp, muddy losers get?
Until now, the answer was nothing. That was until now. Eighteen losers who have made their mark on the Big Red Balls over the last three series return to the purpose-built course in Argentina to face their fears and try once again to conquer the daftest obstacles in the world. With Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram. Or, you could stick with England against the USA on ITV. Now, here's a funny thing. America is just about the only country in the world where football isn't a national obsession - by and large they think it's a game for girls and don't even use its proper name. And yet, their team is actually half-way decent (ranked in the top twenty in the world). Although England should still beat them. I say should, please note. Watch, they'll go and give us a right good twanking now.Sunday 13 June
Sunday's games in South Africa are Algeria v Solvenia (12:10 BBC1 - and, do you know what, I really might give that one a miss!), Serbia v Ghana (2:20 ITV) and game of the night, Germany v Australia (7:00 ITV). Ooo ... clash of cultures. Vorsprung durch technik versus The Beautiful Game. Efficiency takes on flair. Or, the Aussie equivalent, anyway.
Who Do You Think You Are? - 9:15 BBC1 - is, of course, a series in which celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past. It's been hugely popular in the UK over the last few years and has seen many memorable episodes.
Well, now the Americans have got in on the act, producing their own take on the format. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker has always assumed that her ancestors were recent immigrants to the United States, but her coast-to-coast journey reveals that her family's roots are set deep in American history, including the California gold rush and even the Salem witch trials. It'll be worth watching to see if Sarah blubs as much as her Sex in the City cast-mate Kim Catterall did in her episode. Neither of them, however, will be able to hold a candle to Natasha Kaplinsky who cried non-stop of sixty minutes. yes, love, families can do that to you.Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections - 7:15 BBC2 - sees the Hamster revealing the startling engineering connections behind Hong Kong's Ocean Airport, one of the busiest and biggest in the world, sited on a specially constructed island.
The world's largest construction project drew inspiration from a Thirteenth Century Arab irrigation machine, a World War II bomber, car suspension, a bizarre Cold War spy device and a brass band, all resulting in the new gateway to Asia. Has the misfortune to be on opposite Germany/Australia though, so I wouldn't expect the bumper Top Gear-sized audience you normally get Richard.Monday 14 June
Extraordinary People - Hayley: The Ninety Six-Year-Old Schoolgirl - 9:00 Five - is one of a series of absorbing documentaries exploring remarkable stories of human experience from all over the world. This film picks up the story of twelve-year-old Hayley, who has featured in three previous documentaries. Hayley suffers from progeria, a rare condition which causes sufferers to age prematurely. Promising medical tests in the US now offer the hope of finding a cure for Hayley's affliction. The previous documentaries on this poor little girl have been really rather good - even life-affirming. However, you may prefer Italy v Paraguay on BBC1. (Today's other matches, incidentally, are Japan v Cameroon, which I am looking forward too (2:30 BBC1) and then even more promising Netherlands v Denmark (12:10 ITV). Now ...the question is, which Netherlands is going to show up? Will it be the glorious totalvoetbal geniuses who light up the world stage, or will it be the team that fights among themselves and had their best players taking a huff and stomping off home? You're never too sure with the Dutch. Oh, and for all Newcastle fans, remember, Jon Dahl Tomasson is still playing for Denmark and is still banging in the goals. He couldn't hit a barn door for six feet when he played for us!
Dispatches:
How the Banks Won - 8:00 - is an episode of Channel 4's flagship current affairs strand in which Will Hutton investigates the banks and discovers that while ordinary taxpayers have taken the pain of the financial crisis, for the banks it's largely been business as usual. Hutton analyses the banks' accounts and shows how they are using government-guaranteed funds to gamble with derivatives just as they did before the 2008 crash. He also reveals how the banks are still paying vast salaries and bonuses to their management. The rotters. But, hang on. Don't we own most of them now? Can't we just go in there and tell them to stop?Gladiators: Back from the Dead - 9:00 also on Channel 4 - is a documentary recreating the world of the Roman arena and revealing how six gladiators lived, fought and died.
The programme follows archaeologists and forensic anthropologists as they analyse dozens of Roman skeletons found in Britain over recent years. Made, as usual, as most of Channel 4's pop history conceits are by the Team Team production people. They're usually very good too. Possibly even worth missing the Azzurri for. Although, for the ladies (and the gay guys, for that matter) I do have to note, eleven very fit Italian men in tight-fitting blue shirts. I'm just saying ... it's a question of prioritiesTuesday 15 June
What do you mean you don't fancy Brazil against North Korea tonight (7:00 ITV)? Does nothing please you, dear blog reader?
The Brazilians. Spirit of 1970. Pele. Jairzinho. Rivalino. The other eight. All right then, Britain's Nazi King Revealed - 8:00 Five - might be to your tastes. Edward VIII is popularly remembered as the king who gave up the throne for the woman he loved and, something of a 1930s version of Prince William, more a pop star than a future monarch. Yet his reputation has been tarnished by revelations that he was friendly with Hitler and that the Nazi leader planned to install Edward as a pro-fascist king in the event of a German occupation of Britain. 
That was why shortly after the war broke out, he and Wallace were parcelled off, quickly, to the Caribbean to get them out of the way should the worst happen. Newly released FBI files reveal the extent to which Edward was distrusted by the British and American governments, and the potential risk that he posed to the war effort. Okay, I'm sold, that might just be worth missing Brazil/North Korea for. Although not in North Korea. Oh no. Viewing there is mandatory.In tonight's episode of Holby City - 8:00 BBC1 - Faye (Patsy Kensit) learns she is expecting a boy and tries to keep the peace between Joseph and Linden.
Interesting thing about Patsy Kenist, she's been married more times in real life than she has in a long-running soap opera. That's almost unique, I'd've said. Meanwhile Connie (the show's best actress, by far, Amanda Mealing) discovers Penny and Oliver's sibling rivalry is compromising patient care, she shames them into settling their differences.And, finally, if you haven't already exhausted yourself watching rank outsiders New Zealand takes on Slovakia (12:15 BBC1) or the potentially brilliant Ivory Coast playing always difficult to fathom Portuguese (2:30 ITV), Family Food Fight with Flora - 7:30 Five - sees two chefs, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Matt Tebbutt, helping families improve their cooking skills. Mine doesn't need any improving, thanks, I've got a fully working microwave and a freezer full of beef burgers. In each episode, the experts show two hapless households how to make tasty, healthy meals before setting them up in a high-stakes cook-off. This instalment features a couple who claim to have never used their modern kitchen, and a mother of five who uses too much salt in her curries. Incidentally, just going back to the Côte d'Ivoire for a second, did you know they have a player called Sol Bamba in their squad? Just thought I'd mention that. Cos it's funny.
Wednesday 16 June
The popular US drama NCIS - 9:00 Five - is all about the navy's dedicated federal agency.
The murder of a marine brings Gibbs and the team into contact with the Office of Special Projects - a specialised NCIS unit based in Los Angeles. The LA agents suspect the murder might be linked to an international arms deal they have been investigating. Elsewhere, Tony becomes concerned about Ziva's behaviour. Or, alternatively, there's South Africa v Uruguay (7:00 BBC1). The Rainbow Nations versus the least colourful team in world football. That's a tough one to call.Peckham Finishing School for Girls - 9:00 BBC3 - is a series in which four privileged young ladies - Stephanie, Serena, Claire and Cat - experience life on the other side of the tracks in south London.
The girls move onto a council estate and immerse themselves in the alien and unfamiliar world of Peckham's vibrant, multi-ethnic community. Attitudes are further tested when they meet the four local women who have volunteered to act as their personal guides for the week - streetwise Kerri, unemployed Sarah, single mum Lashan and hard-working Aleisha. Yet another life-swap reality show from TV producers who seem to think the public are fascinated by this kind of thing. As if the shockingly poor ratings for The Duchess on the Estate and that thing with Mel B living on the poor in Leeds didn't do enough to convince them otherwise. Me, I'll be watching the highlights of either Honduras v Chile (12:10 ITV) or Spain v Switzerland (2:30 BBC1).Finally for tonight in Kimberley Walsh: Blue Jean Girl - 9:00 Sky1 - you get pretty much what it says on the tin.
Kimberley - the fourth one out of Girls Aloud to make a bid for TV stardom of one sort or another - reveals the history of denim. When's Nadine going to front a documentary on ... I dunno, shoes, or something and make it a nap-hand, eh? Or, alternatively, there's football. Watch, we'll find they've even got their fingers in that. I expect Cheryl will be called up to the England squad any minute as cover for yet more injuries.Thursday 17 June
Location, Location, Location - 8:00 Channel 4 - sees Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp host the property advice series in which their advice is never taken by banal young professionals from London area who knit their own museli and are, likely, totally impressed with the latest Coldplay CD. Today, the couple visit the Home Counties (what a massive surprise), meeting two couples who do not have a home between them. One has spent years chasing a million pound property dream, while the other has spent months stuck back with the in-laws. Or, you may prefer France v Mexico (7:00 BBC1). I know I do. Today's other games, incidentally, are Argentina v South Korea (ITV 12:10 - that's going to be a question of who bursts into tears first) and Greece v Nigeria (2:45 BBC1).
In Frost on Satire - 9:00 BBC4 - Sir David Frost presents an investigation into the power of political satire with the help of some of the funniest TV moments of the last fifty years.
Beginning with the 1960s and his own That Was The Week That Was, he charts the development of television satire in Britain and the US and is joined by leading satirists including Rory Bremner, Ian Hislop and John Lloyd from the UK and Jon Stewart, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and Chevy Chase from across the Atlantic. Oh, now that does sound good.To be honest, with the World Cup in full flow you do have to look around to the margins of telly to find the odd nugget, often in the form of repeats - as many of this week's list proves. Although it is out there and anybody who says 'there's nothing else but football on' simply isn't trying hard enough!
Still, look on the bright side, it's only once every four years. Although, ever other two years you also get the European Championships, too. Anyway, Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers - 7:25 BBC3 - is, of course, an Oscar-winning claymation from Nick Park. It is Gromit's birthday and Wallace gives him a pair of mechanical techno-trousers that cause quite a stir. But things continue to go wrong when Wallace rents a room to a rather suspicious penguin. Do you know what, I know I've seen it probably fifty times, but I think I still might give that a go over France/Mexico!And so to the news and there's lots of it. We start with some sad tidings from America. The actress Rue McClanahan, one of the stars of the TV show The Golden Girls, has died following a stroke at the age of seventy six. The award-winning performer played feisty Southern belle Blanche in the popular comedy series. McClanahan, who underwent heart bypass surgery last year, is the third of the regular cast members to die. Only Betty White remains, following the deaths of Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur in 2008 and 2009 respectively. McClanahan had a varied stage career before landing the role of Blanche Devereaux in 1985. Earlier in her career, she had appeared with Arthur in the 1970s sitcom Maude as her best friend and sidekick. In later years, she continued to appear on TV and on stage, playing the elderly mother of a drag queen in 2008 serial Sordid Lives. McClanahan, who was born in Oklahoma, married six times and wrote a memoir in 2007 entitled My First Five Husbands... And The Ones Who Got Away.
Channel 4 has reportedly angered leading Catholics by commissioning equality campaigner and outspoken critic of the Vatican Peter Tatchell to front a new documentary about the Pope. The broadcaster has selected Tatchell, who is one of the founding members of the Protest The Pope campaign group, to present a sixty-minute programme on the Holy Father. The programme is scheduled to air on Channel 4 in September to coincide with Pope Benedict's planned visit to the UK. Tatchell has previously been a vocal critic of the Pope's stance on homosexuality and contraception. He has also claimed that the religious leader is 'an unsuitable guest of the UK government.' Channel 4 said that the programme will consider the Pope's impact on the developing and Western worlds, with a wide range of views being covered, reports the Daily Telegraph. However, former Tory politician and resident gobshite Ann Widdecombe, who converted to Catholicism and has presented programmes on religion for Channel 4, said that the programme would demonstrate the anti-Catholic bias in Britain. 'I think this will confirm the view that there probably already is in the Vatican that this is a profoundly anti-Catholic country,' she said. Err ... it is, Ann. Sorry, like, but it has been since some time in the late 1500s and certianly since 1707 and the Succession to the Crown Act. Thanks to that, it is illegal for a Catholic to ever become monarch of this country, so how much more anti-Catholic do you want? 'I wouldn't call this the right thing for any serious broadcaster to do, but they're doing it for the publicity, they're doing it to stir up controversy. Mr Tatchell certainly won't be sympathetic to his subject, so what’s the point of doing it? It won't be sceptical, it will be hostile.' Catholic writer Christina Odone added: 'Peter himself would be the first to admit that he is no authority on the subject. And perhaps it would be good, rather than have some polemical, knee-jerk reaction to the Pope if Channel 4 would be interested in actually shedding light on a figure who is so important, and so often misinterpreted and misunderstood - and of whom more needs to be known. I don't think the founding father of [gay rights pressure group] Outrage! is the right person for this.' In response, Tatchell defended his right to present the 'robustly factual' programme, which will explore the Pope's 'personal, religious and political journey since the 1930s, as well as the motives and effects of his controversial policies.' Channel 4 head of specialist factual Ralph Lee added:
'The Papal visit in September provides an ideal opportunity to examine the impact of Benedict XVI after five years in office. In keeping with Channel 4's remit to provide a platform for diverse and alternative perspectives, equality campaigner Peter Tatchell will assess the effect of the current Pope's teachings throughout the world and the conflict between some of his values and those held by modern Britain.' Incdientally, did you know, The Vatican City are one of only eight fully-recognised sovereign states whose national football team is not a FIFA member. The others are Monaco, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, the Marshall Islands and Palau. Nevertheless the Vatican City has played two games against international opposition, both ending in goalless draws. The first was against San Marino in 1994 and the second against Monaco in 2002. The Vatican City recently played a match against a Swiss club side, SV Vollmond, on a small field just outside of the Vatican and, with the help of The Lord, won 5-1. The Vatican City squad consists largely of members of the Swiss Guards (the voluntary military force who traditionally act as the Pope's personal bodyguards and are, frankly, rock hard) plus some members of the Papal council and museum guards. Although, it should be noted that the Pontiff himself is a more than decent right-winger. Or, is that just a dodgy rumour put about by Peter Tatchell?Charlie Brooker decided to postpone an edition of his quiz show You Have Been Watching scheduled for Thursday night. Channel 4 was intending to broadcast a special crime drama episode of the programme but chose to delay airing it following the shootings in Cumbria earlier in the week.
Writing on his Twitter page, Brooker explained: 'Given recent events, we've decided to postpone tonight's scheduled episode of You Have Been Watching. There'll be a different ep in its place.' He added: '[For what it's worth], it's a decision I completely agree with. It'll now be shown at a later date. For those asking: the ep being postponed is a crime special - which for obvious reasons feels tonally wrong at present.' Yep. Probably the right call.ITV announced its schedules for the remaining episodes of Coronation Street's Siege Week yesterday afternoon. The shelved fourth episode of the week - which would have been broadcast on Wednesday evening - will now go out on Monday evening at 7.30pm. Thursday's scheduled episode will follow it at 8.30pm. The climax to Siege Week - which was originally intended to broadcast on Frdiay - will now go out on Wednesday (9 June) as part of an hour-long screening, which will take in the episode which was due to air at 7.30pm on Monday evening.
With me so far? Monday's second episode - due to air at 8.30pm - has now been placed on Thursday (June 10) and will be attached to that evening's scheduled episode in another sixty-minute slot from 8pm. Coronation Street schedules will then return to something appraoching normality from Friday 11 June. An ITV spokesperson said: 'We apologise to ITV viewers for the interruption to this week's Coronation Street scheduling but, against the backdrop of Wednesday's tragic events in Cumbria, it would have been inappropriate to broadcast these episodes this week.' What the hell are you apologising to your viewers for, ITV? Anybody was so much as an ounce of human decency in them understands the reasons behind it and, if they don't then, frankly, they can sod off and die in a ditch, on fire. Sometimes, there are more important things in the world than a soap opera. And this was one of them. Sunday's intended Coronation Street omnibus, meanwhile, has been replaced, very curiously, by the 1960s film adaptation of Pollyanna. Thanks to Andy Barton for the heads up on the schedule changes, by the way.Queen of the WAGs, Christine Bleakley has reportedly sacked her agent, John Noel, as she 'faces a dilemma over the future of her career.' According to the Sun, the One Show host made the decision after becoming concerned over the advice she was receiving concerning a possible move to ITV.
It is thought that Bleakley is 'tempted' to accept a one million pound offer to defect to the commercial broadcaster. However, Noel was said to be keen for her to stay with the BBC. A source said: 'Christine's future is now very much up in the air. She feels she is being pulled from both sides and was worried she wasn't getting the right advice. She's decided the best way to tackle it was to ditch her agent and clear her head.' Bleakley's one hundred thousand pounds-a-year contract with the BBC is due to expire in September. Insiders say that quitting her current job would be a difficult move for her as she is 'very fond' of the corporation. A spokesman for John Noel Management merely confirmed that it had, collectively, parted company with Bleakley.Louie Spence is reportedly 'dragging his heels' over signing a new contract for the second series of Sky's Pineapple Dance Studios.
According to the Sun, the dance centre's artistic director is holding off from signing the new deal with Sky due to money issues. 'The show has been an unexpected hit. Louie has become a household name and he's well aware he should milk his fifteen minutes of fame,' a source said. The report claims that his fellow Pineapple Dance Studios star Andrew Stone has already signed his contract. It was previously claimed that Spence was being lined-up to join the judging panel on next year's So You Think You Can Dance.Author PD James has claimed that ITV's decision to axe The South Bank Show was 'an act of cultural vandalism.' Yes, we know it was, love. But, what you gonna do, you know? Speaking at a Media Society dinner this week in honour of former South Bank Show presenter Lord Melvyn Bragg, James said that the long-running programme's cancellation on ITV 'tells us more than we need to know about the channel.' She added: 'I have very little hope for the future.' The eighty nine-year-old Tory peer, who spent five years as a BBC governor, also praised Lord Bragg for his contribution to broadcasting, reports the Guardian. 'For thirty years he has educated, entertained and enriched all our lives,' she said. 'The programmes are an archive of the Twentieth and Twenty First Century. That is a huge achievement.' Last December, James criticised the BBC in an interview with the corporation's director general Mark Thompson. She told Thompson that while some BBC programming is of a high quality, other material is more tenuous in its value as public service broadcasting. Although, yet again, and curiously for a BBC governor, she seemed to completely forget about the third branch of the BBC's Royal Charter - to educate, inform and entertain. At the dinner last night, James again called on the BBC to 'behave better' by devoting less money to 'overpaid bureaucracy' and more to fostering creativity.
Fans of FlashForward plan to stage a 'blackout' to protest the show's recent cancellation.
Members of a FlashForward fan group will gather in front of ABC offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta on 10 June. They are to mimic falling unconscious for two minutes and seventeen seconds, just as in the programme's pilot episode. No, really, I'm not making this up.Penny Smith said goodbye to her colleagues on GMTV on Friday. The presenter left the show after seventeen years. The move is part of ITV's ongoing revamp of the format. According to BBC News, Smith was presented with a video of her best bits during her final episode.
She was also serenaded by soul singer Curtis Stigers, who was her partner on the BBC's competition Just The Two Of Us in 2006. During Stigers's performance, Smith began to cry. Yeah. He makes me cry too, love. He's horrible, that Curtis Stigers. She joked: 'I was doing so well. I've got extra eyelashes on and everything!' She added: 'Thank you to everybody who's said really nice things to me today. Thank you for supporting us. It's been great! My dressing room's awash with flowers.'Emily Deschanel has suggested that she could be involved in a romantic storyline on Bones in the future.
Deschanel, who plays Brennan, explained that the relationship between her character and Booth (David Boreanaz) is developing. '[In] the one hundredth episode we came very close,' she told E! Online. 'You know, I think we keep moving forward.' Deschanel also hinted that the show's creator Hart Hanson has already made a decision about the future of the couple. 'I was just talking to Hart, the creator of our show about, like, do Booth and Brennan get together in the next season,' she said. 'And I can't tell you what we decided. It was a discussion. He wasn't just dictating it to me. I'm a producer on the show. I have a say in these things.' She added: 'Some fans want us to get together and some don't, so we have to make everyone happy somehow.'And lastly, some hot off the press Qi news. Filming has been continuing, apace, for the last few weeks on episodes of the forthcoming seventh, 'H', series. Details are as follows:-
Episode 1. The guests are Bill Bailey, Danny Baker and Eddie Izzard.
Episode 2. With Bill Bailey, Gyles Brandreth and Sue Perkins. Theme: Hands, hearts and heads.
Episode 3. With Rich Hall, Andy Hamilton and Phill Jupitus. Theme: Happiness.
Episode 4. With Bill Bailey, Rob Brydon and Rich Hall. Theme: Holidays.
Episode 5: With Ronni Ancona, Phill Jupitus and Robert Webb. Theme: Hypnotism.
Episode 6 With Rob Brydon, Fred MacAulay and Sandi Toksvig. Theme: Highs and lows.
Episode 7. With Jack Dee, Phill Jupitus and Ross Noble. Theme: Hotch potch.
Episode 8. With Rob Brydon, David Mitchell and Sandi Toksvig. Theme: History.
Episode 9. With Chris Addison, Sean Lock and Dara O'Briain. Theme: Horrible.
Episode 10. With John Lloyd, Sandi Toksvig and Johnny Vegas. Theme: Hypothetical questions.
Episode 11. The series' one hundredth episode. With David Mitchell, Jeremy Clarkson and Ross Noble. Theme: Health and safety.
Episode 12. With David Mitchell, Sean Lock and Danny Baker. Theme: Hoaxes.
Episode 13. With Jimmy Carr, Dara O'Briain and Clare Balding. Theme: Horses.
So, some very interesting first-time guests, there - Robert Webb, Ross Noble, Chris Addison - not to mention an appearance in an episode, at least, by the series' creator, John Lloyd.
No news yet on when the series will start but, if last year is anything to go by, November or December looks a good bet. The fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth episodes will be filmed shortly, one of which is the series 2010 Christmas Special and will feature a 'surprise' guest star. Santa? Sadly, there's also no news yet on when the BBC are intending to get their shit together and show the four outstanding episodes of Qi: XL from the last series. 
