Matt Smith has insisted that he is not worried about being typecast by his role on Doctor Who. The actor - who has played The Doctor since 2010 - told Collider that 'there are bigger things to worry about. If people want to typecast me they can, I can sit and have me egg sandwich and not really give a damn about it,' said Smudger. 'It's up to others.' 
Of his future on the BBC's popular long-running family SF drama, the thirty-year-old added: 'I take it year-by-year, you know? See what comes. I love working for Steven Moffat. I love making the show, it's unlike any job I'll ever have.' Smith also briefly discussed Doctor Who's 2012 Christmas special, which will see new companion actress Jenna-Louise Coleman return to the show following her appearance in Asylum of the Daleks. 'We've got Vastra, Jenny and Strax [from A Good Man Goes To War] making a return appearance which is terribly exciting,' he said. 'And it does the sort of wonderful Doctor Who-ey Christmas things - you know, snow, aliens, good will, good cheer, someone trying to take over the world. Hopefully it makes for good Christmas Day telly.' I wouldn't bet against it, dear blog reader.
Downton Abbey creator yer man Lord Snooty has confirmed that a fourth series of the period drama is 'likely.' The writer told the Torygraph that he would be 'surprised' if a full fourth run did not follow this year's series, which concluded on Sunday on ITV with an overnight audience of ten million. 'I would hope [there will be more] because of the response to this series, but you know [ITV] are always pretty close to their chest in terms of an actual commission,' he said.
'But I think I'd be surprised if there was not a fourth series.' Lord Snooty also admitted that he has been 'pleased with all' of Downton's series, claiming that the show's second series - which aired in 2011 - was 'more solid' than the first. 'We knew who they all were [by series two],' he suggested. 'And now we are really involved with them and that takes you forward another step.' He continued: 'I am pleased with this [third] series. I thought it worked well. It seems to me that the actors have made a very good job of it and the audience response has been great and they kept watching.'
Top Gear presenter James May his very self added a little horsepower, if you will, to the Drive 2 Digital radio conference at the BBC's newly refurbished New Broadcasting House on Monday.
Hoping that he was on-message, organisers were no doubt delighted to hear that Jawes has five digital audio broadcasting radio sets at home. Unfortunately he then offered up a nugget which was the conference equivalent of putting diesel into a petrol car. 'I don't have one in my car, I'm ashamed to say,' admitted James. 'I think that probably is a bit of an issue.' At at industry conference designed to encourage drivers (and motor manufacturers) to put DAB in their car? Possibly.
Declining audiences for Wee Shughie McFee, the sour-faced Scottish chef off Crossroads's The X Factor could cost ITV as much as ten million smackers in TV advertising revenue according to a (rather sneering) piece in, where else, the Gruniad Morning Star. Because, of course, there's nothing the middle class hippies who read the Gruniad enjoy more than seeing something they, sniffingly, disapprove of doing badly. Well, except, maybe gurning into their muesli at the very mention of yer man Jezza Clarkson and all his nefarious doings, of course. They really enjoy that. Anyway, back to The X Factor - whose recent ratings slump, it must be said, is pretty funny. The ITV show has suffered falling ratings for the last two years but it's become more evident in the last few weeks. Saturday's episode was down more than two million overnight viewers on the same weekend in 2011, and the series as a whole is down by well over one million viewers per episode on average compared with last year. In 2011 ITV charged roughly one hundred and twenty grand for a thirty-second advert during The X Factor, adding up to about three million smackers per episode and more than ninety five million of yer actual wonga for the entire series. This includes the premium-priced semi-final and final but excludes sponsorship – a three-year deal with TalkTalk struck in 2010 has been valued at up to twenty million knicker. However, the audience slump this year means that ITV has not been able to charge the same level for a thirty-second spot. On average the price has come down by about ten per cent, according to - anonymous - media buyers who've snitched up this info to the Gruniad, presumably, for lots of lovely wonga themselves. it's a sick, greedy, horrible world we live in, dear blog reader. If true, the Gruniad claims this means that if the audience levels for The X Factor fail to recover, ITV will make about eighty five million quid from the series this year. In 2010, a bumper year for The X Factor's viewing figures, ITV made well over one hundred million smackers from the show, according to the piece. An ITV spokeswoman said: 'Demand from advertisers for this year's series of The X Factor is as high as ever because the show continues to attract an incredibly important audience in very big numbers.'
Which might well be true but that's not what the Gruniad piece is about, it's about how much they're paying not whether they're lining up for the slots. Nice bit of misinformation there, ITV nameless spokeswoman. While the price of a commercial has fallen by ten per cent, the actual performance of the show has been much worse in audience terms, the Gruniad notes. Viewing of commercials among the key demographic of sixteen to thirty four-year-olds is down almost nineteen per cent comparing the same number of The X Factor episodes year on year between 18 August and 18 October, according to media-buying industry figures. Commercial viewing by other demographics carved up to sell to advertisers, including adults and what is known as 'housewives and children', were down over sixteen per cent year-on-year. The BBC's Olympics coverage has made for a tough second half of the year for viewing on commercial television generally. Nevertheless, a look at the overall performance of the ITV channel – which is down about sixteen and a half per cent for the same August to October period in 2011 – shows The X Factor is performing worse than the market. Rival commercial channels still have nothing which comes even remotely close to the audiences delivered by The X Factor. However, the decline in performance only serves to highlight ITV's reliance on the franchise and make the broadcaster's search for new entertainment formats which can deliver big ratings more urgent. The X Factor accounts for almost fourteen per cent of ITV's total revenues between August and December, and across a year almost six per cent of total revenues, according to these same 'media-buying agency figures.' This is excluding the amount made from spin-off shows, such as The Xtra Factor on ITV2 and repeats. ITV's X Factor deal has one more year to run and is expected to be renegotiated in the first half of 2013. Advertisers have annual TV airtime deals negotiated on their behalf with ITV by media buying agencies towards the end of each year. The underperformance of The X Factor is likely to put pressure on ITV during negotiations for 2013 advertising airtime deals, which will start shortly.
BBC1 daytime's move to 'do a Sherlock' with a modern day re-imagining of the Dickens novel Nicholas Nickelby launched with eight hundred thousand viewers on Monday afternoon. Nick Nickleby, a five-parter starring Andrew Simpson, Jayne Wisener, Linda Bassett, and Adrian Dunbar that will be stripped every weekday until Friday, averaged an 11.8 per cent audience share from 2.15pm.
Channel Four this weekend edited the word 'gay' out of an episode of The Simpsons which has been broadcast in the UK on numerous occasions, unedited, in the past. The cut came as the broadcaster repeated a 1994 episode in which Homer and Ned Flanders become friends at a football match. On the way to the game, Homer is ashamed to be seen with his Christian neighbour, but he softens after Ned pays for mountains of food and introduces him to the local team's star quarterback.
As they drive away, passing workmakes Lenny and Carl in the car park, Homer proudly shouts out of the window: 'I want everyone to know that this is Ned Flanders, my friend!' In the original episode, Lenny turns to Carl and asks: 'What'd he say?' Carl replies: 'I dunno. Somethin' about bein' gay.' The episode then cuts to commercial. But when Channel Four broadcast the Homer Loves Flanders episode at 12.55pm on Sunday, Carl's line was, mysteriously, edited out, the adverts coming abruptly after Lenny's line. The broadcaster has not yet responded to a request from the comedy Chortle website to explain why the line was cut. Presumably because they're terrified someone will whinge about it to Ofcom and they'll get called to the headmaster's office for a caning. The Simpsons, of course, has a superb reputation for tackling alternative sexuality storylines. It hit the headlines in 2005 when Springfield legalised same-sex marriage in a bid to attract more visitors – prompting Marge's sister, Patty, to come out as a lesbian.
Sky1's latest Little Crackers series will feature episodes from Darren Boyd, Dylan Moran and Caroline Quentin. So, the latter should be well worth avoiding, then. Omid Djalili, The Thick Of It's Rebecca Front and Tommy Tiernan will also appear in the third series of ten minute shorts, which will be broadcast this Christmas. As previously announced, Joanna Lumley will appear in and direct an episode based on her modelling days. 'Directing an episode of Little Crackers was utterly wonderful,' said the actress.
'I had a brilliant team behind me and a hand-picked cast who couldn't have been better. The story is based on my life as a model in the 1960s and it was fascinating and thrilling to see the London scene I knew then being recreated before my eyes.' Djalili's episode will focus on how the comic found true love with his wife, Annabel. 'Coming face-to-face with the younger, better version of myself made me realise how handsome I used to be,' he said. 'Since filming finished I have been engaged in taking steps back to pinpoint exactly where it all began to go wrong.' Katy Brand, Alison Steadman and Sharon Horgan will also contribute to Little Crackers in 2012, while Paul O'Grady and Jason Manford have filmed the programme's first two 3D episodes. Further names for the latest series will be announced in the near future.
The BBC has named the eighteen comics taking part in the next series of Live At The Apollo. The stand-up show returns for its eighth series on Saturday 17 November with Dara O Briain introducing Nina Conti and Danny Bhoy. Other acts to appear on the Hammersmith Apollo stage later in the series are: Rhod Gilbert, Kerry Godliman, Jon Richardson, Kevin Bridges, Sara Pascoe, Phill Jupitus, Lee Nelson, Stewart Francis, Paul Chowdhry, Greg Davies, Hal Cruttenden, Simon Evans, Omid Djalili, Julian Clary and Reginald D Hunter.
In these days of mounting revelations - gleefully seized upon by it's agenda-driven enemies in the media and parliament - about Jimmy Savile, it is perhaps fitting to spare a thought for the deceased clean-up TV campaigner the late Mary Whitehouse, much derided by the liberal classes during the 1980s and 90s. And here's a reminder from the Daily Scum Express why.
A new book shows the ridiculous letters she sent to all and sundry at the BBC. In one she excoriates newsreader Richard Baker in 1973 for signing off a news bulletin with an item about a new type of lavatory by remarking he might have 'to go' himself. Two years later she was having a go at the BBC chairman for allowing a show about a pop artist be broadcast in which a drawing of a near nude 'over-developed' female is seen. 'There really seems no limit to the offence which the BBC is prepared to give.' Well, there was when it came to you, you mad old cow.
The creator of Scrubs is to remake the BBC comedy Feel the Force for US network ABC. The original series was broadcast on BBC2 and starred Green Wing's Michelle Gomez as a control-freak police officer. it wasn't very good. However/ ABC has ordered a pilot for a remake from Bill Lawrence - who also co-created Cougar Town - according to Deadline. The BBC's Feel the Force was created by Georgia Pritchett and ran for but a single series in 2006. Because, just to repeat, it wasn't very good. Lawrence is already developing a number of pilots this season, including I Suck At Girls - a coming-of-age tale based on the book by $#*! My Dad Says writer Justin Halpern. In September, the writer/producer also claimed to be working on a Broadway musical based on Scrubs.
Channel Four Racing has been hit with controversy ahead of its major relaunch next year, after Ofcom rebuked the broadcaster for 'overly prompting' a betting offer from sponsor Ladbrokes. Ofcom received nine complaints about Channel Four programme Racing: The Morning Line, broadcast on 15 September at 8am during coverage of the St Leger festival 2012. Concern was expressed over an interview with David Williams, a representative of Ladbrokes, who invited viewers to take part in a special betting offer on the horse Camelot, who was a rare contender for the prestigious triple crown after already scooping the Two Thousand Guineas and the Derby. Williams described the details of the money back promotional offer on a twenty quid stake, and discussed how it could be accessed. An on-screen caption during the interview stated: 'LADBROKES ST LEGER Money back from the sponsors if Camelot loses.' After being contacted by Ofcom, Channel Four said that the decision to interview the Ladbrokes representative had been taken by production company, Highflyer Productions, which will be replaced by IMG for the relaunch next year. It said that the production team considered the offer to be 'a significant development within the betting market,' and so felt that coverage was justified for editorial reasons. However, Channel Four accepted that with hindsight the 'delivery of the item was not appropriate,' and the decision to broadcast should have been taken with 'more thought being given to the intended focus of the interview and consideration given to issues such as undue prominence.' Ofcom said that the inclusion of the on-screen caption showed that the production team was aware prior to the interview that the Ladbrokes representatives were going to plug the betting offer.
It also noted that The Morning Line presenter, Tanya Stevenson, did nothing to limit the references, and instead further endorsed the offer by describing it as 'phenomenal.' Ofcom said that the overall effect of the interview and on-screen caption was to 'promote and endorse the Ladbrokes betting offer,' and so it recorded a breach of its broadcasting guidelines. 'Ofcom considered that there was insufficient editorial justification for the inclusion of these commercial references within the programming,' said the watchdog. 'Ofcom therefore found these references to be unduly prominent, in breach of Rule 9.5 of the Code.' However, it noted that Channel Four had not received any money for allowing Ladbrokes to promote the offer, and had taken steps to ensure future references to betting products are compliant with broadcasting rules. But Ofcom's ruling is an embarrassment for Channel Four as it comes ahead of the major relaunch of its racing coverage next year, after the broadcaster poached a range of high profile events from the BBC, including the Grand National.
The Leveson Inquiry asked David Cameron for communications between himself and representatives of News International which covered a 'range of issues' which went further than just the BSkyB bid, the Independent has claimed. However, they suggest that lawyers 'advising' the Prime Minister 'interpreted' the request for information 'as narrowly as possible,' allowing him to hand over no texts or e-mails to Lord Justice Leveson's press inquiry. The inquiry's decision to allow Downing Street lawyers to 'interpret' their requests, and to leave Cameron to define for himself what 'inappropriate conversations' meant, has been criticised by the Labour’s shadow justice minister, Chris Bryant. The Rhonda MP has been demanding for weeks that the Prime Minister publish a cache of 'dozens' of e-mails described as 'embarrassing and salacious' between himself and the former chief executive of News International and well-known Crystal Tipps lookalike Rebekah Brooks. The Independent revealed the existence of the e-mails last month. Legal advice on the e-mails that Downing St received from government lawyers said that 'full disclosure' to Leveson was 'not necessary' because they 'fell outside the remit of the inquiry,' the newspaper claims. 'There is a clear disconnect between what Leveson asked for, and the interpretation Downing Street put on that,' Bryant said. 'To resolve this, the Leveson Inquiry should now publish the exact questions it put to the Prime Minister.' Cameron has repeatedly refused to answer calls by Bryant during PMQs in the Commons to publish the cache of private e-mails between himself and well-known Crystal Tipps lookalike Brooks. He is also withholding e-mails between himself and the former Scum of the World editor, Andy Coulson. Coulson later ran Downing Street's communications operation as the scandal rumbled on until, engulfed by a tidal wave of allegations, he resigned in early 2011. Downing Street has denied that Cameron is 'hiding anything,' the newspaper claims, stating that 'everything they were asked' for has been handed over to Leveson. However Leveson asking for communications which went beyond the BSkyB bid, substantially weakens Cameron's defence. Which, essentially, appears to be 'I'm the prime minister I can do anything I want.' 'The public does not know what the Leveson Inquiry asked the Prime Minister for. Neither do they know the scale of the communications between the PM and Rebekah Brooks. The number of texts and e-mails is crucial here,' said Bryant who clearly isn't letting this one go any time soon. 
Like a tenacious dog with a bone, so he is. And, as Cameron would do well to remember, it was largely Bryant and Tommy Watson (power to the people) banging on about it at every given opportunity that kept the phone-hacking scandal in the public eye for a long time when it threatened to peter out and go away. Robert Jay QC, the inquiry's senior counsel, repeatedly asked Brooks when she appeared before Lord Justice Leveson, how often she had texted Cameron. He asked her was it 'a dozen times a day?' or a 'handful of times a day?' And, he asked her: 'Can you give us an idea of frequency?' However the emphasis on frequency of their communications was, curiously, absent when the prime minister himself was questioned. Bryant has estimated that 'up to one hundred and fifty' text messages between himself and Brooks were disclosed to the Leveson Inquiry by News International. None were handed over by Downing Street. Two texts were discussed by the inquiry, with one mentioning that Cameron off using the term 'LOL' which he thought meant 'lots of love.' Last weekend two further texts held by the inquiry were leaked to the Scum Mail on Sunday newspaper. Their content proved embarrassing for Cameron, with Brooks saying she 'cried twice' during a Cameron Tory conference speech which she called 'brilliant' and added 'Will love "working together."' Well-known Crystal Tipps lookalike Brooks is currently facing charges of phone-hacking and perverting the course of justice. Charges which she denies. The Liberal democrat peer, Lord Oakeshott, added to the political pressure on the PM, which includes some of his own MPs, saying that it was now 'in the public interest' that he publish the e-mail cache and all the texts. He said: 'These exchanges show an unhealthy close relationship between Rebekah Brooks and David Cameron.'
Meanwhile, the government is racing to stay ahead of the swirl of allegations about child abuse in the UK by announcing two further inquiries into an alleged abuse ring in North Wales in the 1970s and 1980s. The first inquiry will look into the conduct of the original official inquiry into the child sex abuse ring and the second into the police handling of complaints at the time. Faced by allegations that senior Conservative politicians may have been involved in the scandal, Cameron, while on an official visit selling arms to the Middle East, announced that he would establish 'an urgent investigation' into the conduct of the official inquiry held between 1996 and 2000. In addition, the prime minister's spokesman in London said a separate inquiry would be held into the way in which the police handled the investigation. The spokesman conceded that as many as five different inquiries were now underway, or imminent, looking into aspects of child abuse in British society. The spokesman did not rule out an over-arching figure being asked to look at the lessons to be drawn from the inquiries now covering the BBC, the NHS, the police and government. Cameron rushed to act as the media threatened to identify the senior Tory figure said to be 'close to Lady Thatcher' alleged to have been involved in the child abuse. The Labour MP Tom Watson (power to the people!) also urged the government to act after victim Steve Messham said that The Waterhouse Inquiry of 2000 only 'covered a fraction' of the alleged assaults. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Cameron said: 'Child abuse is an absolutely hateful and abhorrent crime. These allegations are truly dreadful and they mustn't be left hanging in the air, so I'm taking action today. I'm going to be asking a senior independent figure to lead an urgent investigation into whether the original inquiry was properly constituted and properly did its job and to report urgently to the government.' Cameron also called on anyone who knows anything about the allegations of abuse to contact police. Cameron said Messham would meet with the Welsh secretary, David Jones, on Tuesday. Cameron cannot afford to be seen to be delaying any action concerning the allegations due to their seriousness, but also because the government has been so pointedly (some might say, joyfully) critical of the BBC's own perceived failures to act on allegations about child abuse by the late Jimmy Savile. In an extraordinary letter to the prime minister, Tom Watson praised Cameron for acting swiftly, saying: 'You have sent an important message about how seriously you take this matter.' However, he also made a series of further allegations. 'It is certainly important that government departments trawl their archives to see what documents they hold,' said Watson.
'But my experience of uncovering massive establishment conspiracies leaves me in no doubt that what you have suggested does not go anything like far enough. Its limited scope may even slow things down, muddy waters, damage trails. What is needed is a much wider, but equally immediate, investigation.' He added: 'Since sharing my concerns with you at PMQs, a number of people have come forward to say that they raised their suspicions with the police, but investigations were not carried out. One allegation involves alleged child abuse and a former cabinet minister. We both know that many untruths are told about politicians, but this allegation was specific, informed and appeared well corroborated.' Writing in a blog post published on Monday, Watson said that in the ten days since he raised first the issue in parliament he has been contacted by more than fifty people who have talked of wrongdoing – in some cases 'so heinous it made me cry' – as well as 'mysterious early deaths, disappeared children, suspicious fires, intimidation and threats.' He wrote that 'ordinary people' who contacted him spoke of 'psychopaths marking children with Stanley knives to show "ownership." 
They tell of parties where children were "passed around" the men. They speak of golf-course car parks being the scenes for child abuse after an eighteen-hole round. And they have named powerful people – some of them household names – who abused children with impunity.' He also claimed some of those alleged to be involved in cover-up of the abuse may have been – and could still be – powerful politicians. Watson also said that he was not going to let the issue drop despite warnings his own personal safety could be in jeopardy – and has kept a detailed log of the allegations should anything happen. Watson said that he had been 'warned of threats to his safety' over the allegations that a paedophile ring stretched into Downing Street. He said: 'people who should know' had told him he would 'be at risk' if he decided to 'dig any deeper' into the claims, which he raised in Parliament last month. The West Bromwich MP admitted he had been 'spooked' by the warnings and had kept a log of all the allegations passed to him should 'anything happen.' But he insisted he would not be scared into silence. The prime minister's official spokesman insisted Cameron was 'very keen to ensure that everything is looked at properly and thoroughly and that no stone is left unturned.' The BBC's Newsnight programme on Friday night accused a senior - though unnamed - Tory politician of abusing children at a care home in North Wales. According to reports at the weekend, as many as three victims have named the same Tory grandee as one of their abusers. At least two former Tory MPs, Rod Richards and Edwina Currie have made widely-reported allegations to the Daily Scum Mail and The Sunday Times respectively concerning the, alleged, sexual preferences of a former Conservative party colleague, the late Sir Peter Morrison. Morrison was Margaret Thatcher's parliamentary private secretary and died in 1995. Richards claimed that Morrison and another high-profile Conservative - whom the Daily Scum Mail does not identify - were named in documents as regular and unexplained visitors to the Bryn Estyn (and other care homes). Is there any truth in these claims? Who, in all honesty, knows.
The tabloids certainly seem to be devoting a lot of coverage - balanced, considered and indepth, of course - to the story. Here's the Daily Lies. And the Scum Mail. And the Mirra.
The Conservative MP and full-of-her-own-importance gob Nadine Dorries has 'come under fire' for ditching parliament and her constituents to spend nearly a month in Australia on the reality television show I'm A Z-List Former Celebrity Desperate To Get My Boat-Race Back On TV ... Please Vote For Me To Stay Here As Long As Possible (I'll Even Eat Worms If You Want). Dorries, who is paid sixty five grand a year a year to serve as the MP for Mid-Bedfordshire, will be paid up to a maximum of forty thousand smackers by ITV for taking part in the show. Because, as the pirme minister always says 'we're all in this togehter.' Only some of us, it would seem, are more 'in it' than others. It was reported that Dorries did not ask the Tory chief whip, Sir George Young, for permission to take part in the show, suggesting that she faces a rough ride (and, perhaps, a bit of a whipping herself) when she returns. The Conservative party refused to comment. What her constituents think of seeing their MP twelve thousand miles away when she should be representing them in the House of Commons is another matter entirely. But, unlike Louise Mensch who didn't wait to find out, one is sure the next election will be an interesting experience for Nadine. That's if she decides to run again once she's left the jungle. Dorries is the first serving MP to take part in a reality show since the Respect MP George Galloway appeared on Celebrity Big Brother six years ago, and the first from a major party. While viewers vote for contenders on the show, which begins on Sunday, Dorries is set to be absent for votes in the Commons, as well as George Osborne's autumn statement on 5 December. Dorries was reportedly 'unrepentant' about her decision, insisting on arrival at the camp in Queensland on Monday night that the programme would be a platform to reach the public and to 'raise awareness' about issues such as reducing the abortion limit.
Yes, because of course, that's exactly what those who watch I'm A Z-List Former Celebrity Desperate To Get My Boat-Race Back On TV ... Please Vote For Me To Stay Here As Long As Possible (I'll Even Eat Worms If You Want) are most interested in. She told the Daily Scum Mail: 'I'm doing the show because sixteen million people watch it. Rather than MPs talking to other MPs about issues in parliament, I think MPs should be going to where people go.' She admitted in interviews that she had never seen the ITV show. When asked about her phobias, Dorries, who has previously described David Cameron and Osborne as 'arrogant posh boys' - so, she's clearly not all bad - replied: 'I'm frightened of rats, but then again I do work with them.' Ho. And, indeed, ho. Twitter users criticised the decision, with the former Tory MP Mensch, who gave up her Corby seat in August - according to her husband because she was 'scared' she'd lose at the next election - saying: 'Nothing sadder than a politician, or ex-politician, on any of those shows.' She added: 'Nadine pretending that a serious issue like abortion rights is why she did this is the lowest of the low. Indefensible stuff.' Jesus, it's come to a sad day when this blogger actually agrees with something old Bagashite has to say for herself. Tory councillor Nigel Fletcher tweeted: 'You're not a "Celebrity", Nadine, you're a member of parliament, and your constituents pay you to work for them, not ITV.' Lembit Opik, the former Liberal Democrat MP, took part in the show after losing his seat in the 2010 general election. Politicians, dear blog reader. Don't vote for them, it only encourages them.
Idris Elba has made his directorial début, creating and starring in a music video for Mumford & Sons. The short film will accompany the group's next single, 'Lover of the Light', which is released on 3 December. The band say that they and Elba came up with the idea after an 'ale-infused conversation in a pub in London.
We are huge fans of Idris Elba's acting, as pretty much anyone can agree he's the most badass British actor since Richard Briars.' Not 'alf. The actor worked with scriptwriter Dan Cadan to make the film, which merged his own ideas along with those of the band. 'We've been fortunate to work with some great directors in the past, but we've always been uncomfortable with the process of making music videos. Talking to Idris and Dan about making a video that we're not in made it a lot more fun to think about. They went off and wrote the treatment after our ale-infused conversation in a pub in London, and what they directed, we are proud to present as 'Lover of the Light'.' The video was shot in and around the Pembrokeshire countryside in Wales.
For today's Keith Telly Topping's 45 of the Day, we've got a splash of daredevil danger.
Of his future on the BBC's popular long-running family SF drama, the thirty-year-old added: 'I take it year-by-year, you know? See what comes. I love working for Steven Moffat. I love making the show, it's unlike any job I'll ever have.' Smith also briefly discussed Doctor Who's 2012 Christmas special, which will see new companion actress Jenna-Louise Coleman return to the show following her appearance in Asylum of the Daleks. 'We've got Vastra, Jenny and Strax [from A Good Man Goes To War] making a return appearance which is terribly exciting,' he said. 'And it does the sort of wonderful Doctor Who-ey Christmas things - you know, snow, aliens, good will, good cheer, someone trying to take over the world. Hopefully it makes for good Christmas Day telly.' I wouldn't bet against it, dear blog reader.Downton Abbey creator yer man Lord Snooty has confirmed that a fourth series of the period drama is 'likely.' The writer told the Torygraph that he would be 'surprised' if a full fourth run did not follow this year's series, which concluded on Sunday on ITV with an overnight audience of ten million. 'I would hope [there will be more] because of the response to this series, but you know [ITV] are always pretty close to their chest in terms of an actual commission,' he said.
'But I think I'd be surprised if there was not a fourth series.' Lord Snooty also admitted that he has been 'pleased with all' of Downton's series, claiming that the show's second series - which aired in 2011 - was 'more solid' than the first. 'We knew who they all were [by series two],' he suggested. 'And now we are really involved with them and that takes you forward another step.' He continued: 'I am pleased with this [third] series. I thought it worked well. It seems to me that the actors have made a very good job of it and the audience response has been great and they kept watching.'Top Gear presenter James May his very self added a little horsepower, if you will, to the Drive 2 Digital radio conference at the BBC's newly refurbished New Broadcasting House on Monday.
Hoping that he was on-message, organisers were no doubt delighted to hear that Jawes has five digital audio broadcasting radio sets at home. Unfortunately he then offered up a nugget which was the conference equivalent of putting diesel into a petrol car. 'I don't have one in my car, I'm ashamed to say,' admitted James. 'I think that probably is a bit of an issue.' At at industry conference designed to encourage drivers (and motor manufacturers) to put DAB in their car? Possibly.Declining audiences for Wee Shughie McFee, the sour-faced Scottish chef off Crossroads's The X Factor could cost ITV as much as ten million smackers in TV advertising revenue according to a (rather sneering) piece in, where else, the Gruniad Morning Star. Because, of course, there's nothing the middle class hippies who read the Gruniad enjoy more than seeing something they, sniffingly, disapprove of doing badly. Well, except, maybe gurning into their muesli at the very mention of yer man Jezza Clarkson and all his nefarious doings, of course. They really enjoy that. Anyway, back to The X Factor - whose recent ratings slump, it must be said, is pretty funny. The ITV show has suffered falling ratings for the last two years but it's become more evident in the last few weeks. Saturday's episode was down more than two million overnight viewers on the same weekend in 2011, and the series as a whole is down by well over one million viewers per episode on average compared with last year. In 2011 ITV charged roughly one hundred and twenty grand for a thirty-second advert during The X Factor, adding up to about three million smackers per episode and more than ninety five million of yer actual wonga for the entire series. This includes the premium-priced semi-final and final but excludes sponsorship – a three-year deal with TalkTalk struck in 2010 has been valued at up to twenty million knicker. However, the audience slump this year means that ITV has not been able to charge the same level for a thirty-second spot. On average the price has come down by about ten per cent, according to - anonymous - media buyers who've snitched up this info to the Gruniad, presumably, for lots of lovely wonga themselves. it's a sick, greedy, horrible world we live in, dear blog reader. If true, the Gruniad claims this means that if the audience levels for The X Factor fail to recover, ITV will make about eighty five million quid from the series this year. In 2010, a bumper year for The X Factor's viewing figures, ITV made well over one hundred million smackers from the show, according to the piece. An ITV spokeswoman said: 'Demand from advertisers for this year's series of The X Factor is as high as ever because the show continues to attract an incredibly important audience in very big numbers.'
Which might well be true but that's not what the Gruniad piece is about, it's about how much they're paying not whether they're lining up for the slots. Nice bit of misinformation there, ITV nameless spokeswoman. While the price of a commercial has fallen by ten per cent, the actual performance of the show has been much worse in audience terms, the Gruniad notes. Viewing of commercials among the key demographic of sixteen to thirty four-year-olds is down almost nineteen per cent comparing the same number of The X Factor episodes year on year between 18 August and 18 October, according to media-buying industry figures. Commercial viewing by other demographics carved up to sell to advertisers, including adults and what is known as 'housewives and children', were down over sixteen per cent year-on-year. The BBC's Olympics coverage has made for a tough second half of the year for viewing on commercial television generally. Nevertheless, a look at the overall performance of the ITV channel – which is down about sixteen and a half per cent for the same August to October period in 2011 – shows The X Factor is performing worse than the market. Rival commercial channels still have nothing which comes even remotely close to the audiences delivered by The X Factor. However, the decline in performance only serves to highlight ITV's reliance on the franchise and make the broadcaster's search for new entertainment formats which can deliver big ratings more urgent. The X Factor accounts for almost fourteen per cent of ITV's total revenues between August and December, and across a year almost six per cent of total revenues, according to these same 'media-buying agency figures.' This is excluding the amount made from spin-off shows, such as The Xtra Factor on ITV2 and repeats. ITV's X Factor deal has one more year to run and is expected to be renegotiated in the first half of 2013. Advertisers have annual TV airtime deals negotiated on their behalf with ITV by media buying agencies towards the end of each year. The underperformance of The X Factor is likely to put pressure on ITV during negotiations for 2013 advertising airtime deals, which will start shortly.BBC1 daytime's move to 'do a Sherlock' with a modern day re-imagining of the Dickens novel Nicholas Nickelby launched with eight hundred thousand viewers on Monday afternoon. Nick Nickleby, a five-parter starring Andrew Simpson, Jayne Wisener, Linda Bassett, and Adrian Dunbar that will be stripped every weekday until Friday, averaged an 11.8 per cent audience share from 2.15pm.
Channel Four this weekend edited the word 'gay' out of an episode of The Simpsons which has been broadcast in the UK on numerous occasions, unedited, in the past. The cut came as the broadcaster repeated a 1994 episode in which Homer and Ned Flanders become friends at a football match. On the way to the game, Homer is ashamed to be seen with his Christian neighbour, but he softens after Ned pays for mountains of food and introduces him to the local team's star quarterback.
As they drive away, passing workmakes Lenny and Carl in the car park, Homer proudly shouts out of the window: 'I want everyone to know that this is Ned Flanders, my friend!' In the original episode, Lenny turns to Carl and asks: 'What'd he say?' Carl replies: 'I dunno. Somethin' about bein' gay.' The episode then cuts to commercial. But when Channel Four broadcast the Homer Loves Flanders episode at 12.55pm on Sunday, Carl's line was, mysteriously, edited out, the adverts coming abruptly after Lenny's line. The broadcaster has not yet responded to a request from the comedy Chortle website to explain why the line was cut. Presumably because they're terrified someone will whinge about it to Ofcom and they'll get called to the headmaster's office for a caning. The Simpsons, of course, has a superb reputation for tackling alternative sexuality storylines. It hit the headlines in 2005 when Springfield legalised same-sex marriage in a bid to attract more visitors – prompting Marge's sister, Patty, to come out as a lesbian.Sky1's latest Little Crackers series will feature episodes from Darren Boyd, Dylan Moran and Caroline Quentin. So, the latter should be well worth avoiding, then. Omid Djalili, The Thick Of It's Rebecca Front and Tommy Tiernan will also appear in the third series of ten minute shorts, which will be broadcast this Christmas. As previously announced, Joanna Lumley will appear in and direct an episode based on her modelling days. 'Directing an episode of Little Crackers was utterly wonderful,' said the actress.
'I had a brilliant team behind me and a hand-picked cast who couldn't have been better. The story is based on my life as a model in the 1960s and it was fascinating and thrilling to see the London scene I knew then being recreated before my eyes.' Djalili's episode will focus on how the comic found true love with his wife, Annabel. 'Coming face-to-face with the younger, better version of myself made me realise how handsome I used to be,' he said. 'Since filming finished I have been engaged in taking steps back to pinpoint exactly where it all began to go wrong.' Katy Brand, Alison Steadman and Sharon Horgan will also contribute to Little Crackers in 2012, while Paul O'Grady and Jason Manford have filmed the programme's first two 3D episodes. Further names for the latest series will be announced in the near future.The BBC has named the eighteen comics taking part in the next series of Live At The Apollo. The stand-up show returns for its eighth series on Saturday 17 November with Dara O Briain introducing Nina Conti and Danny Bhoy. Other acts to appear on the Hammersmith Apollo stage later in the series are: Rhod Gilbert, Kerry Godliman, Jon Richardson, Kevin Bridges, Sara Pascoe, Phill Jupitus, Lee Nelson, Stewart Francis, Paul Chowdhry, Greg Davies, Hal Cruttenden, Simon Evans, Omid Djalili, Julian Clary and Reginald D Hunter.
In these days of mounting revelations - gleefully seized upon by it's agenda-driven enemies in the media and parliament - about Jimmy Savile, it is perhaps fitting to spare a thought for the deceased clean-up TV campaigner the late Mary Whitehouse, much derided by the liberal classes during the 1980s and 90s. And here's a reminder from the Daily Scum Express why.
A new book shows the ridiculous letters she sent to all and sundry at the BBC. In one she excoriates newsreader Richard Baker in 1973 for signing off a news bulletin with an item about a new type of lavatory by remarking he might have 'to go' himself. Two years later she was having a go at the BBC chairman for allowing a show about a pop artist be broadcast in which a drawing of a near nude 'over-developed' female is seen. 'There really seems no limit to the offence which the BBC is prepared to give.' Well, there was when it came to you, you mad old cow.The creator of Scrubs is to remake the BBC comedy Feel the Force for US network ABC. The original series was broadcast on BBC2 and starred Green Wing's Michelle Gomez as a control-freak police officer. it wasn't very good. However/ ABC has ordered a pilot for a remake from Bill Lawrence - who also co-created Cougar Town - according to Deadline. The BBC's Feel the Force was created by Georgia Pritchett and ran for but a single series in 2006. Because, just to repeat, it wasn't very good. Lawrence is already developing a number of pilots this season, including I Suck At Girls - a coming-of-age tale based on the book by $#*! My Dad Says writer Justin Halpern. In September, the writer/producer also claimed to be working on a Broadway musical based on Scrubs.
Channel Four Racing has been hit with controversy ahead of its major relaunch next year, after Ofcom rebuked the broadcaster for 'overly prompting' a betting offer from sponsor Ladbrokes. Ofcom received nine complaints about Channel Four programme Racing: The Morning Line, broadcast on 15 September at 8am during coverage of the St Leger festival 2012. Concern was expressed over an interview with David Williams, a representative of Ladbrokes, who invited viewers to take part in a special betting offer on the horse Camelot, who was a rare contender for the prestigious triple crown after already scooping the Two Thousand Guineas and the Derby. Williams described the details of the money back promotional offer on a twenty quid stake, and discussed how it could be accessed. An on-screen caption during the interview stated: 'LADBROKES ST LEGER Money back from the sponsors if Camelot loses.' After being contacted by Ofcom, Channel Four said that the decision to interview the Ladbrokes representative had been taken by production company, Highflyer Productions, which will be replaced by IMG for the relaunch next year. It said that the production team considered the offer to be 'a significant development within the betting market,' and so felt that coverage was justified for editorial reasons. However, Channel Four accepted that with hindsight the 'delivery of the item was not appropriate,' and the decision to broadcast should have been taken with 'more thought being given to the intended focus of the interview and consideration given to issues such as undue prominence.' Ofcom said that the inclusion of the on-screen caption showed that the production team was aware prior to the interview that the Ladbrokes representatives were going to plug the betting offer.
It also noted that The Morning Line presenter, Tanya Stevenson, did nothing to limit the references, and instead further endorsed the offer by describing it as 'phenomenal.' Ofcom said that the overall effect of the interview and on-screen caption was to 'promote and endorse the Ladbrokes betting offer,' and so it recorded a breach of its broadcasting guidelines. 'Ofcom considered that there was insufficient editorial justification for the inclusion of these commercial references within the programming,' said the watchdog. 'Ofcom therefore found these references to be unduly prominent, in breach of Rule 9.5 of the Code.' However, it noted that Channel Four had not received any money for allowing Ladbrokes to promote the offer, and had taken steps to ensure future references to betting products are compliant with broadcasting rules. But Ofcom's ruling is an embarrassment for Channel Four as it comes ahead of the major relaunch of its racing coverage next year, after the broadcaster poached a range of high profile events from the BBC, including the Grand National.
Like a tenacious dog with a bone, so he is. And, as Cameron would do well to remember, it was largely Bryant and Tommy Watson (power to the people) banging on about it at every given opportunity that kept the phone-hacking scandal in the public eye for a long time when it threatened to peter out and go away. Robert Jay QC, the inquiry's senior counsel, repeatedly asked Brooks when she appeared before Lord Justice Leveson, how often she had texted Cameron. He asked her was it 'a dozen times a day?' or a 'handful of times a day?' And, he asked her: 'Can you give us an idea of frequency?' However the emphasis on frequency of their communications was, curiously, absent when the prime minister himself was questioned. Bryant has estimated that 'up to one hundred and fifty' text messages between himself and Brooks were disclosed to the Leveson Inquiry by News International. None were handed over by Downing Street. Two texts were discussed by the inquiry, with one mentioning that Cameron off using the term 'LOL' which he thought meant 'lots of love.' Last weekend two further texts held by the inquiry were leaked to the Scum Mail on Sunday newspaper. Their content proved embarrassing for Cameron, with Brooks saying she 'cried twice' during a Cameron Tory conference speech which she called 'brilliant' and added 'Will love "working together."' Well-known Crystal Tipps lookalike Brooks is currently facing charges of phone-hacking and perverting the course of justice. Charges which she denies. The Liberal democrat peer, Lord Oakeshott, added to the political pressure on the PM, which includes some of his own MPs, saying that it was now 'in the public interest' that he publish the e-mail cache and all the texts. He said: 'These exchanges show an unhealthy close relationship between Rebekah Brooks and David Cameron.'Meanwhile, the government is racing to stay ahead of the swirl of allegations about child abuse in the UK by announcing two further inquiries into an alleged abuse ring in North Wales in the 1970s and 1980s. The first inquiry will look into the conduct of the original official inquiry into the child sex abuse ring and the second into the police handling of complaints at the time. Faced by allegations that senior Conservative politicians may have been involved in the scandal, Cameron, while on an official visit selling arms to the Middle East, announced that he would establish 'an urgent investigation' into the conduct of the official inquiry held between 1996 and 2000. In addition, the prime minister's spokesman in London said a separate inquiry would be held into the way in which the police handled the investigation. The spokesman conceded that as many as five different inquiries were now underway, or imminent, looking into aspects of child abuse in British society. The spokesman did not rule out an over-arching figure being asked to look at the lessons to be drawn from the inquiries now covering the BBC, the NHS, the police and government. Cameron rushed to act as the media threatened to identify the senior Tory figure said to be 'close to Lady Thatcher' alleged to have been involved in the child abuse. The Labour MP Tom Watson (power to the people!) also urged the government to act after victim Steve Messham said that The Waterhouse Inquiry of 2000 only 'covered a fraction' of the alleged assaults. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Cameron said: 'Child abuse is an absolutely hateful and abhorrent crime. These allegations are truly dreadful and they mustn't be left hanging in the air, so I'm taking action today. I'm going to be asking a senior independent figure to lead an urgent investigation into whether the original inquiry was properly constituted and properly did its job and to report urgently to the government.' Cameron also called on anyone who knows anything about the allegations of abuse to contact police. Cameron said Messham would meet with the Welsh secretary, David Jones, on Tuesday. Cameron cannot afford to be seen to be delaying any action concerning the allegations due to their seriousness, but also because the government has been so pointedly (some might say, joyfully) critical of the BBC's own perceived failures to act on allegations about child abuse by the late Jimmy Savile. In an extraordinary letter to the prime minister, Tom Watson praised Cameron for acting swiftly, saying: 'You have sent an important message about how seriously you take this matter.' However, he also made a series of further allegations. 'It is certainly important that government departments trawl their archives to see what documents they hold,' said Watson.
'But my experience of uncovering massive establishment conspiracies leaves me in no doubt that what you have suggested does not go anything like far enough. Its limited scope may even slow things down, muddy waters, damage trails. What is needed is a much wider, but equally immediate, investigation.' He added: 'Since sharing my concerns with you at PMQs, a number of people have come forward to say that they raised their suspicions with the police, but investigations were not carried out. One allegation involves alleged child abuse and a former cabinet minister. We both know that many untruths are told about politicians, but this allegation was specific, informed and appeared well corroborated.' Writing in a blog post published on Monday, Watson said that in the ten days since he raised first the issue in parliament he has been contacted by more than fifty people who have talked of wrongdoing – in some cases 'so heinous it made me cry' – as well as 'mysterious early deaths, disappeared children, suspicious fires, intimidation and threats.' He wrote that 'ordinary people' who contacted him spoke of 'psychopaths marking children with Stanley knives to show "ownership." 
They tell of parties where children were "passed around" the men. They speak of golf-course car parks being the scenes for child abuse after an eighteen-hole round. And they have named powerful people – some of them household names – who abused children with impunity.' He also claimed some of those alleged to be involved in cover-up of the abuse may have been – and could still be – powerful politicians. Watson also said that he was not going to let the issue drop despite warnings his own personal safety could be in jeopardy – and has kept a detailed log of the allegations should anything happen. Watson said that he had been 'warned of threats to his safety' over the allegations that a paedophile ring stretched into Downing Street. He said: 'people who should know' had told him he would 'be at risk' if he decided to 'dig any deeper' into the claims, which he raised in Parliament last month. The West Bromwich MP admitted he had been 'spooked' by the warnings and had kept a log of all the allegations passed to him should 'anything happen.' But he insisted he would not be scared into silence. The prime minister's official spokesman insisted Cameron was 'very keen to ensure that everything is looked at properly and thoroughly and that no stone is left unturned.' The BBC's Newsnight programme on Friday night accused a senior - though unnamed - Tory politician of abusing children at a care home in North Wales. According to reports at the weekend, as many as three victims have named the same Tory grandee as one of their abusers. At least two former Tory MPs, Rod Richards and Edwina Currie have made widely-reported allegations to the Daily Scum Mail and The Sunday Times respectively concerning the, alleged, sexual preferences of a former Conservative party colleague, the late Sir Peter Morrison. Morrison was Margaret Thatcher's parliamentary private secretary and died in 1995. Richards claimed that Morrison and another high-profile Conservative - whom the Daily Scum Mail does not identify - were named in documents as regular and unexplained visitors to the Bryn Estyn (and other care homes). Is there any truth in these claims? Who, in all honesty, knows.The tabloids certainly seem to be devoting a lot of coverage - balanced, considered and indepth, of course - to the story. Here's the Daily Lies. And the Scum Mail. And the Mirra.
The Conservative MP and full-of-her-own-importance gob Nadine Dorries has 'come under fire' for ditching parliament and her constituents to spend nearly a month in Australia on the reality television show I'm A Z-List Former Celebrity Desperate To Get My Boat-Race Back On TV ... Please Vote For Me To Stay Here As Long As Possible (I'll Even Eat Worms If You Want). Dorries, who is paid sixty five grand a year a year to serve as the MP for Mid-Bedfordshire, will be paid up to a maximum of forty thousand smackers by ITV for taking part in the show. Because, as the pirme minister always says 'we're all in this togehter.' Only some of us, it would seem, are more 'in it' than others. It was reported that Dorries did not ask the Tory chief whip, Sir George Young, for permission to take part in the show, suggesting that she faces a rough ride (and, perhaps, a bit of a whipping herself) when she returns. The Conservative party refused to comment. What her constituents think of seeing their MP twelve thousand miles away when she should be representing them in the House of Commons is another matter entirely. But, unlike Louise Mensch who didn't wait to find out, one is sure the next election will be an interesting experience for Nadine. That's if she decides to run again once she's left the jungle. Dorries is the first serving MP to take part in a reality show since the Respect MP George Galloway appeared on Celebrity Big Brother six years ago, and the first from a major party. While viewers vote for contenders on the show, which begins on Sunday, Dorries is set to be absent for votes in the Commons, as well as George Osborne's autumn statement on 5 December. Dorries was reportedly 'unrepentant' about her decision, insisting on arrival at the camp in Queensland on Monday night that the programme would be a platform to reach the public and to 'raise awareness' about issues such as reducing the abortion limit.
Yes, because of course, that's exactly what those who watch I'm A Z-List Former Celebrity Desperate To Get My Boat-Race Back On TV ... Please Vote For Me To Stay Here As Long As Possible (I'll Even Eat Worms If You Want) are most interested in. She told the Daily Scum Mail: 'I'm doing the show because sixteen million people watch it. Rather than MPs talking to other MPs about issues in parliament, I think MPs should be going to where people go.' She admitted in interviews that she had never seen the ITV show. When asked about her phobias, Dorries, who has previously described David Cameron and Osborne as 'arrogant posh boys' - so, she's clearly not all bad - replied: 'I'm frightened of rats, but then again I do work with them.' Ho. And, indeed, ho. Twitter users criticised the decision, with the former Tory MP Mensch, who gave up her Corby seat in August - according to her husband because she was 'scared' she'd lose at the next election - saying: 'Nothing sadder than a politician, or ex-politician, on any of those shows.' She added: 'Nadine pretending that a serious issue like abortion rights is why she did this is the lowest of the low. Indefensible stuff.' Jesus, it's come to a sad day when this blogger actually agrees with something old Bagashite has to say for herself. Tory councillor Nigel Fletcher tweeted: 'You're not a "Celebrity", Nadine, you're a member of parliament, and your constituents pay you to work for them, not ITV.' Lembit Opik, the former Liberal Democrat MP, took part in the show after losing his seat in the 2010 general election. Politicians, dear blog reader. Don't vote for them, it only encourages them. Idris Elba has made his directorial début, creating and starring in a music video for Mumford & Sons. The short film will accompany the group's next single, 'Lover of the Light', which is released on 3 December. The band say that they and Elba came up with the idea after an 'ale-infused conversation in a pub in London.
We are huge fans of Idris Elba's acting, as pretty much anyone can agree he's the most badass British actor since Richard Briars.' Not 'alf. The actor worked with scriptwriter Dan Cadan to make the film, which merged his own ideas along with those of the band. 'We've been fortunate to work with some great directors in the past, but we've always been uncomfortable with the process of making music videos. Talking to Idris and Dan about making a video that we're not in made it a lot more fun to think about. They went off and wrote the treatment after our ale-infused conversation in a pub in London, and what they directed, we are proud to present as 'Lover of the Light'.' The video was shot in and around the Pembrokeshire countryside in Wales.For today's Keith Telly Topping's 45 of the Day, we've got a splash of daredevil danger.
