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 ]
News tagged with: #travel back #time travel #high concept

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Bad News for Kindle Unlimited in France?

France is once again putting pressure on Amazon, this time through ebook subscription. Ironically, France's homegrown subscription services may suffer more. The post Bad News for Kindle Unlimited in France? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Bosch' TV series is inspired by Michael Connelly's book series

Police detective Harry Bosch is the protagonist in Michael Connelly's series, the most recent installment of which is 'The Burning Room.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nick Hornby writes first TV drama Love, Nina

Author of Fever Pitch is adapting a book of the same name based on the memoirs of Nina Stibble, a nanny who worked for some of London’s leading literary lightsThe author of Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby, is penning his first TV drama, based on the memoirs of a nanny who worked for some of the leading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TV's Ad Market Remains Muted in Time Warner Results

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[ Advertising Age | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Good Housekeeping boosts lead over Glamour in women’s lifestyle sector

Hearst UK title lifts combined print and digital sales by 1.2% year on year, as its Condé Nast rival falls by 2.5%Good Housekeeping boosted its sales in the second half of last year to remain the most popular women’s monthly lifestyle title.The Hearst UK title overtook long-time leader Glamour... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BitTorrent Will Soon Produce Its Own TV Shows

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[ Wired | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TV books programmes: if nobody watches them, make better ones

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[ The Guardian | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade supports Harris on TV books

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eleanor Catton's tall poppy comments 'bad form' say Book Awards

Eleanor Catton showed "bad form" by speaking out against the New Zealand Book Awards, its organiser says. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Veteran journalist launches 'constituency TV' in London borough

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[ The Guardian | 2015-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Miniaturist to be made into TV series

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US fantasy TV series to be shot in Auckland

A US fantasy television series based on books by top-selling American author Terry Brooks is to be shot in West Auckland. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Critics: Miranda July's first novel 'The First Bad Man' is a well-done transition to the form

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Strong Finish to Good Year

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is self-publishing a good idea? I can’t get a deal for the novel I’ve written

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[ The Guardian | 2015-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook favoured over TV and radio, claims Ofcom report

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[ The Guardian | 2014-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ben Okri given Bad Sex Award

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[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Touchscreen technology is good for kids? Don’t believe the hype | Eliane Glaser

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[ The Guardian | 2014-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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