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We're doing our first review on Twitter

theartsdesk Thursday, 15 July 2010

As Jonathan Ross is an incorrigible tweeter, theartsdesk has decided to review his last stand on the BBC on Twitter. Adam Sweeting and Jasper Rees will watch Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and tweet a joint review live as the programme goes out. The show...

Bragg and Cowell the polar ends of BAFTA TV award wins

Ismene Brown Sunday, 06 June 2010

Melvyn Bragg last night won this year’s Bafta TV fellowship for his long championing of ITV’s arts with the now mothballed flagship The South Bank Show, which itself has been nominated for more than 30 Baftas and won nine. Ironically Simon Cowell was another winner at the London Palladium, with a special award for an outstanding contribution to entertainment and for furthering new talent in reality talent shows such as The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. The...

Comment

Chalk a line around it: Law & Order is dead

Josh Spero Monday, 17 May 2010

One of 'Law & Order's many cast combinations

American television network executives more concerned about remaking old dramas (Rockford Files 2010, anyone?) than maintaining a powerhouse drama which has wowed critics and fans for 20 years have finally killed off Law & Order.

Lost Films of World War Two

Adam Sweeting Saturday, 10 April 2010

From Monday 12 April, retro channel History is airing a 10-part series called WWII Lost Films. It will present the story of the Second World War from the viewpoints of 12 Americans involved in the war effort, using a newly restored stash of rare and unseen colour footage.

They didn't make them like that then either: Simon Gray back on screen

Jasper Rees Wednesday, 07 April 2010

Every generation is inclined to moan that they don’t make them like they used to. It’s a favourite refrain of television dramatists. It scarcely seems credible now that a theatre animal like Simon Gray could regularly write single plays for television and attract audiences of millions.

The Bible: A History: The Bash

Jasper Rees Thursday, 25 February 2010

It could so easily have been just another bit of God-slot box-ticking. But The Bible: A History, in which Channel 4 has invited guest presenters to mull over some aspect of the Good Book, has been exciting a lot of comment from viewers. Summoning Gerry Adams to present a film about the life of Christ won't have done anything to dampen audience...

Bafta interviews and reviews

theartsdesk Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Read theartsdesk's reviews and interviews for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award-winners.

BBC joins opera talent hunt

Ismene Brown Monday, 25 January 2010

The BBC launched today its own popular opera talent hunt (details below), while ITV's Popstar to Operastar has suffered heavy critical attack and disappointing public ratings. The BBC's Commissioning Editor for Music and Events, Jan Younghusband, added a private comment to...

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theartsdesk an essential site of 2009: BBC Radio 5 Live

theartsdesk Friday, 01 January 2010

theartsdesk received a New Year's gift last night when we were given a significant accolade from BBC Radio 5 Live. In Web 2009 with Helen and Olly, the station's podcasters and self-styled "internet obsessives" Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann recognised theartsdesk as one of the five "essential sites of 20...

Boxing Day Bloat: theartsdesk recommends

theartsdesk Saturday, 26 December 2009

The morning after the day before has dawned. If you're not inclined to join the shopping queues, theartsdesk is happy to suggest alternatives. Our writers recommend all sorts of cultural things you could get up to in the next week.