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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'When good TV goes bad: Goodnight Sweetheart'

Media measurement uncertainty—tracking TV, social and digital

How Nielsen and other media companies are navigating the measurement upheaval, plus industry reactions. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2022-08-10 12:08:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media companies #nielsen

The Sandman: ingenious TV that will inspire an entire generation of goths

The enduringly popular comic book series about gods and the afterlife gets the big-bucks, amazing-cast Netflix treatment. And it’s good. Very good, in factNothing lets me know I’m in for a week of tedious emails like being tasked to write about a big-budget fantasy series for this fun TV column.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-08-06 06:00:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #heavy heart #road trip #comic book

How decades of greed and bad choices left us vulnerable to a pandemic

Covid-19 deaths are a symptom of many other social ills, including inequality, federalism and factory farms, John Ehrenreich argues. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-29 12:00:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Libraries Save Lives: 8 Horror Movies and TV Shows Where Research Happens at the Library

Is there anything you can't find at a library? These 10 scenes from horror movies and TV shows prove that libraries save lives. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-07-25 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv shows #horror movies #libraries

Fun fact: Zadie Smith’s younger brother is in the bad Austen adaptation.

Today in extremely niche literary world factoids: in case you didn’t know (I did not) Zadie Smith has a younger brother named Ben Bailey Smith, an actor and standup who goes by Doc Brown, admires Taylor Swift’s writing ability, and features in Netflix’s new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-20 16:07:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fun fact #zadie smith #younger brother #jane austen #literary world

Fun, Feel-Good, & Empowering Middle Grade and YA Science Fiction and Fantasy

These middle grade and young adult science fiction and fantasy books are empowering and fun, and will provide the best light-hearted escape, like The Lost Ryū by Emi Watanabe Cohen. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-07-20 10:33:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fantasy books #middle grade #lost ryū #science fiction

The Apple TV 4K drops to $150, plus the best early Prime Day deals you can get

With Amazon Prime Day only a few days away, the early deals are in full swing. Prime members can pick up things like Echo Dots, Kindles, Fire TV devices and more for less right now, while anyone can pick up the latest Apple TV 4K for one of the best prices we've seen. Roku has also discounted... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-07-08 15:45:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #solve puzzles #read stories #family members #slimmer design #nest hub #smaller design #battery life #bluetooth speaker #@engadgetdeals #kindle

A chronicle of good triumphing over the mob

John Gleeson, who was an assistant U.S. attorney, freshens the oft-told tale of Gotti’s downfall with a new perspective, insight and humor. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-08 12:00:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john gleeson

Good historical fiction is not just about factual accuracy, but the details of human experience too

When it comes to writing historical fiction, one author finds that it’s the very human details that resonate with the reader. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2022-07-01 15:38:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #factual accuracy #human experience #author finds #historical fiction

Cannes TV measurement takeaways from top execs—banning the word 'alternatives' and more

Measurement was a hot topic of conversation on the Croisette this week amid mounting uncertainty around Nielsen data. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2022-06-24 14:08:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hot topic #nielsen data #nielsen

Rights Roundup: It Is Still Good To Be Max Seeck

News of rights sales from publishers and literary agents today come from England, Norway, Finland, Italy, and Germany. The post Rights Roundup: It Is Still Good To Be Max Seeck appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-06-17 21:18:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rights roundup #rights sales #literary agents

The Apple TV 4K drops to $130, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

If you're still hunting for the perfect gift for dad ahead of Father's Day this weekend, a bunch of our favorite gadgets are on sale right now. The Apple TV 4K remains discounted to $130, its cheapest price yet, and a couple of colors of the AirPods Max are $120 off. Amazon's Fire tablets and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-06-17 15:30:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #worth noting #ll save #mobile app #companion app #clean base #nest hub #buying advice #kindle

TV Alert: 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'

Sunny summer days are on the horizon and so is love in Jenny Han's 2009 book turned screen adaptation of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv alert #turned pretty #jenny han

Fans of Must See TV need this must-read memoir

James Burrows, who directed "Cheers," "Friends" and "Frasier," among many other television series, looks back on his career. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-11 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #television series

In ‘Bad Gays,’ historical figures are products of their times

Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller, hosts of a popular podcast, take a look at history through the lens of problematic gay figures. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-05-31 13:59:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #historical figures #ben miller #popular podcast

TV ad leaders say Nielsen measurement alternatives not ready for prime time

Measurement solutions from iSpot.TV and Samba TV, among others, are buzzy at this year’s upfronts, but won't see much action. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2022-05-26 14:00:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #samba tv #prime time #measurement solutions #nielsen

13 feel-good books to brighten your summer

No disrespect meant to the downers of the literary world, but sometimes you just want a book that makes you smile. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-05-26 13:30:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary world

U.S. Book Show: The Pandemic and Publishing: How Has Covid Changed the Industry for Good?

Industry experts discussed the normalization of working from home, the dearth of in-person networking in the age of Covid-19, new expectations among a younger generation of publishing professionals, and more on the second day of the 2022 U.S. Book Show. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing professionals #book show #younger generation

‘Heartstopper’ Is a TV Love Story With the Soul of a Comic

This faithful Netflix adaptation of a popular webcomic and graphic novel tells a heartwarming boy-meets-boy tale through live action and animation. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-05-09 20:44:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #popular webcomic #live action #graphic novel