Your living room is in danger of being invaded by criminals with Brummie accents. Not a reason for fitting a new burglar alarm, I hasten to add, but an alert for the BBC’s new series of Peaky Blinders…
ABC’s six-part political thriller The Code is shaping up as the most challenging political thriller on Australian television since the BBC’s House of Cards (1990). And, like the BBC series – and its recent…
Cultural imperialism is alive and well. The desire of successive governments of the United States to destabilise governments in Latin America that are too far left for Washington’s taste is well and truly…
The history of zoos is eccentric, erratic; spotted with the spectacular as well as the cruel. But one of the more interesting beginnings of a zoo has to be that of Chester Zoo. And this is the story that…
As violence flared between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza recently, a BBC thriller about the conflict, The Honourable Woman, was airing. It’s a classy, beautifully shot, taut tale of espionage, counterespionage…
The BBC drama Sherlock won an impressive seven awards at the Emmys, more than any other show, which came as a surprise to many. The three awards most discussed are those for Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin…
Large parts of the British TV industry are at risk, according to David Abraham, chief executive of the UK’s Channel 4. He claimed public service broadcasting, which includes Channel 4 and the BBC, was…
Warning: this article contains spoilers. The fully-fledged arrival of a new Doctor is always a major event in Doctor Who. In that respect, Deep Breath is business as usual for a BBC brand that has just…
Warning: this article contains spoilers. From its haunting opening scene, The Honourable Woman grips with its riveting, beautifully crafted sequences and some gloriously witty lines. The BBC’s eight-episode…
The idea that entertainment has an effect on our politics might seem ludicrous to some. Many would scoff at the notion that the Star Wars saga might have influenced the political socialisation of Generation…
The recent publication of a study measuring the quantity and quality of LGBT representation in mainstream Hollywood cinema has left the industry smarting. GLAAD’s research found that out of 102 major studio…
It’s Open Day season at universities across Australia. Prospective students are pondering whether it’s worth doing a degree or not – and in particular, whether it will increase their chances of gaining…
Give them enough blood and vampires keep on feeding – but give academics Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and the same phenomenon occurs. Much Ado About Whedon: The 6th Biennial Slayage Conference…
History is generally made of things that happen. This truth often prejudices us to ignore the importance of the things that don’t. In this spirit, I would like to bring attention to the significance of…
Matthew Weiner, the creator and “showrunner” of Mad Men, is famous for his pernickety attention to detail. The office furniture, clothing, and hairstyles of Mad Men must change, faithfully, with each year…
The termination in the 2014 budget of the ABC’s international television broadcasting contract to run the federal government’s Australia Network service, barely a year into its ten-year term, was hardly…
There’s no escaping it. Wentworth, FremantleMedia’s reimagining of the Reg Grundy cult classic TV series Prisoner, is packing a punch far above its weight – and probably all industry expectations. A project…
The National Commission of Audit - released on May 1 – recommends slashing all community broadcasting funding in Australia. For some, this is a logical response to the nation’s need to collectively “shoulder…
Due to Australia’s small population and high concentration of few media voices, public broadcasters play a pivotal role in shaping the media ecosystem and cultural landscape. With the ABC and SBS under…
ITV’s revamped and much-trumpeted Good Morning Britain has launched. As a long-term regular viewer of breakfast TV, this was an exciting moment for me. I can vividly recall setting the alarm clock in order…