When good TV goes bad: Goodnight Sweetheart

At the start the sitcom was a compelling comment on male insecurity, but it soon descended into cartoonish plotlinesThe 1990s were an innocent time. Tony Blair was a god, Donald Trump was a joke and the world felt hopeful. It really did seem as though things could only get better. In 1992, the political scientist Francis Fukuyama went so far as to publish a book called The End of History and the Last Man arguing that the triumph of liberal democracy marked a new age of stable government and sunlit uplands. The only real worry was whether you preferred Blur or Oasis. So it was perhaps inevitable that into this comfortable stupor popped Gary Sparrow, a time-travelling bigamist TV repair engineer from Cricklewood.Gary, played by the affable Nicholas Lyndhurst, was the protagonist of Goodnight Sweetheart, one of the most successful sitcoms of that halcyon decade. In it, Gary is a man behaving boringly who is unsure about his role in this confusing modern world where women like his wife Yvonne have the temerity to study psychology instead of cook his dinner. Luckily, he discovers that he can leave this hellish peace and equality behind and travel back to the more exciting East End of the early 40s, where men were men and innocent people died by the thousand. He then does what any of us would do if we’d just discovered the secret of time travel, and shags the first person he sees. This person is Phoebe, a pub landlord’s daughter, who becomes Gary’s other wife. And so begins his... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-07-01 12:00:23 UTC ]
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How Good Habits Can Make You Happier

The newest book from Gretchen Rubin, best-selling author of The Happiness Project, examines how we can change our habits. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton

[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Seven Good Years' collects quirky, touching family stories by Israeli writer Etgar Keret

Etgar Keret presents his memoir: a series of raw and witty stories that document seven years of a father-son relationship. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Asks: Is This A Good Era for New Fiction

Is this a good time to be a new fiction fanatic? Is great fiction of all kinds being written by new authors? PW wants to know what you think. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Good to meet you… Jade Moulds

When she’s not busy hula-hooping this Londoner reads Hadley Freeman and follows Guardian style on TwitterI was born in London and lived here until I was 18, when I moved to Cambridge to study English. I stayed on to do an MA in creative writing, then spent the next two years trying to persuade... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Good to meet you… Sarah Perry

The Guardian was Sarah’s window to the world outside when she was undergoing cancer treatmentLast year, on 17 July, I was a 33-year-old woman living and working in Leicester. I’d moved here from Birmingham 15 years earlier, to study at Leicester University, and then never left. I love it here,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hugless Douglas optioned for TV

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For TV shows based on books or comics, fans are a mixed blessing

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why TV Is Still the Most Effective Advertising Medium

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[ AdWeek | 2015-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Black Mirror Is Almost as Smart as a Good Sci-Fi Book

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[ Wired | 2015-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comics Retailer Survey: Good Sales Get Better in 2015

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Town Hall Forum: ‘Change Is Good’

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Amazon Good for Readers?

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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