This week I finally got around to watching Ripley on Netflix, the recent adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley written by Patricia Highsmith. I didn't know a lot about the story, I've not seen the 90s film starring Matt Damon and not read the book even though it is in my digital library waiting to be opened. So I went into this with no expectations other than the love I'm …

With the joy of the Olympics still fresh in our minds, former sprinter and gold medal winner Michael Johnson has announced a new athletics competition that he's launching to keep the momentum of the sport going through the four year gaps between Olympic sessions. He's calling it the Grand Slam Track, and the initial format imitates that of the tennis tours - with four big meets during the year to …

Way back when, I watched the first few episodes of WandaVision and really enjoyed the pastiche of early sitcoms. The black and white cuteness, canned laughter, and surprisingly funny moments. I was curious to know whether it was just Wanda's take on the genre that I liked or if the genuine article was just as good, so I sought out the first series of The Dick Van Dyke Show - …

The 90s repeats of Top of the Pops on BBC Four have had a bit of a break recently (Proms and the Olympics will do that to your channels) but came back with a bang with this amazing episode. It kicked off with the Backstreet Boys which was such a surprise to me that I almost choked on my drink, and aside from the next song, continued to astound and …

I guess just power on through it and keep going as if nothing happened? It feels a bit odd that this year’s batch of contestants have been revealed over the past week or so, at the same time that the accusations of mistreatment from former guest dancers continues unabated. It’s an unexpected situation we find ourselves in, one that leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth, but …

I had planned to write about the closing ceremony but in the end, it didn’t grab me as much as I’d hoped. It seemed to pick up pace after Tom Cruise threw himself into the mix, quite literally, but I was already asleep by then, and it sort of feels not worth watching on replay. Although clips and pictures I’ve seen do make me excited for LA’s hosting stint when …

It won't be news to learn that I love a good quiz, and what's even better than general quizzing? Music quizzes! I love The Hit List when it comes round but a new contender to the quiz throne has arrived in the form of Popmaster TV. Turning a beloved ten minute radio quiz into a successful hour long TV show isn't an easy task but they've done a fantastic job. …

So look, it turns out, watching two weeks of non-stop sport pretty much all day, every day can be a bit much. I’m a gibbering wreck. But I’m also still loving it and don’t want it to end tomorrow. It’s hard to reconcile the two positions but I’m powering through to enjoy every minute before the main Olympics disappears for another four years and we can turn our attention to …

In the last Olympics post, I mentioned that I've been watching the surfing which is new to me (and relatively new to the Olympics) and that's one of the joys of this competition as a viewer - finding those odd sports that you've never heard of before and that absolutely captivate you. Surfing was good, patient and reliant on the weather. We're waiting for the surf to come back to …

You know that thing where certain things seemed different and nicer and more magical when you were a kid, and then when you view them through adult eyes, you sort of wonder what on earth it was all about? Well, I experienced that recently on re-reading the trilogy of Faraway Tree books by Enid Blyton. I loved these books as a kid. I mean, you would, wouldn’t you? Climbing those …

So far, I’m loving everything I’ve seen of the 2024 Olympics. Obviously, I’ve not been able to cover off everything that was on my spreadsheet schedule, even with as many screens open as possible. There’s an overwhelming amount of sport - and this is just for the events I’m hugely interested in, never mind the ones that could get my attention if I caught a glimpse. The amazing news is …

The Paris 2024 Olympics got underway yesterday with an Opening Ceremony that will be a talking point, even if it wasn't quite as successful as the organisers hoped. It was different, which always ruffles feathers, and it was inconsistent and messy but there was a lot to like in there. It's hard for me not to compare everything to the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which was legendary, but each of …

I have been really looking forward to the upcoming Olympics. It's in a sensible timezone for me, I have managed to wangle some time off work to watch as much as possible and hey, it's summer of sport fun! I've pulled together my spreadsheet of which sports are on when, only for the ones I'm interested in, obviously, and I'm hoping to refine that each day to make sure I've …

Accidentally coinciding with the D-Day commemorations in June and going on for several weeks after, I managed to time a viewing of the trilogy of Band of Brothers shows - the original Band of Brothers, which was my second run through; the Pacific, which was the weakest of the three; and then Apple TV+'s latest offering Masters of the Air. Band of Brothers is untouchable in scope and quality and …