The Rescue: A Ghost Story for Christmas

Let me tell you about a writer I adore. M.R. James, once provost of Eton, legitimate world expert on Biblical scholarship, and editor of Le Fanu’s work. 

Goldberg's Undefeated Streak (from debut to the world title)

 Goldberg's Undefeated Streak (from debut to the world title)

I was never much a fan of Goldberg. Probably because I was a massive Hart Family mark, and so always linked him to Bret Hart’s career ending. 

Some Musings on the Dead (2017)

If 2017 couldn’t (cross fingers) live up to the rampant terror of 2016, that’s only because nothing could. Muhammad Ali, David Bowie and Terry Wogan could only die once, after all. 2017, however, tried to follow this with quantity. In the days when I thought I’d have time to write my annual In Memoriam, the list had reached over 700 noteworthy people before I gave up the ghost. 

In particular this year the Reaper seems to have had it in for my childhood personally. So farewell Paddington, Cleggy, Batman, Siegfried Farnon, lots of Doctor Who alumni, etc. As I became ludicrously busy this year, I ran out of time to do my usual obits, and whilst the long read versions are the most popular, I felt it unkind and morbid to cherry pick a list. And, besides, anyone knows I could write 4000 words on why John Hurt was great. We know these things to be self-evident. A good 400-500 words on why we should spare a thought for, say, Jan Pruitt, matters just as much, if not more.

List of Survivor Series Match Endurance Times (1987-2017)

Here is an updated list of Survivor Series match endurance times from 1987 to 2017. It contains results from last night, so spoilers.

Guide - (SURVIVOR if winner of match), Name, (year of event), length of time in match

1.       SURVIVOR – Bray, Randy Orton (16) 52.55

2.       Roman Reigns (16) 52.55

3.       Seth Rollins (16) 46.00

25 Years of Moonbase Propaganda

25 Years of Moonbase Propaganda

Michael S. Collins

Some of you, reading this, when asked about their favourite Doctor Who story, will say The Caves of Androzani or The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

You are really boring. 

Just kidding. You’re awesome. Keep up the good work.

Royal Rumble history (part 2)

1993

Naturally after a once in a lifetime event like the 1992 Royal Rumble, you want to tease that it might happen again. That you've caught lightning in that bottle. So it should come as no surprise to fans of drama that Ric Flair started off the 1993 version. "He survived the hour last year" said Bobby Heenan, slightly confidently but this time, Flair was to get nowhere near that. He was even to see his longevity record smashed by the least likely competitor.

Royal Rumble history (part 1)

We're a fortnight away from the Royal Rumble match, of which long term readers of this page might recall I am a slight fan.

 

The match itself is much like The Five Doctors anniversary special of Doctor Who. Super fans may point to the performances of Antonio Cesaro for work rate (translation: "gravitas") or those of John Cena for the showbiz glare, but really, the best fun to be had is when you have a big old get together with a decent dose of nostalgia.

2016 Memoriam: November and December

1st November 2016 – Bap Kennedy, 54

Singer-songwriter who worked with Mark Knopfler, and performed at the 2009 Glastonbury.

 3rd November 2016 – Kay Starr, 94

American jazz singer.

2016 Memoriam: Terry Wogan

Terry Wogan

 (By Julie anne Johnson from Cheltenham, UK (Terry Wogan°○●○•°) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Ah right, well then, settle down by a nice fire, attracted by the prospect of a second custard cream, as we attempt to pay tribute to young Sir Terry of Wogan, the man off the TV. And radio, you say, with some justification.


Sir Terry Wogan was a TV institution in the UK for fifty years. As he himself said in his farewell address to the radio, people had grown up listening to him, and their children now had children of their own. So mum first heard him pre-BBC, and now I'm a dad. Weird thing, time.


(I could carry on in Terry style, but it would be pastiche, and the man deserves far better...)

2016 Memoriam: Gene Wilder and Dame Margaret Anstee

 Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder was an actor of supreme comic timing, who became known to millions of children first and foremost as Willy Wonka. That his Wonka was not the one in the head of the writer is well known, but then, contrary to many expectations, I'm not sure Johnny Depp was either. And anyhow, in this case of Roald Dahl vs the viewing public, Wilder appears to have the overwhelming support of a few billion to one.

2016 Memoriam: September and October

2nd September 2016 – Rowena Kincaid, 40

BBC weather girl who directed two documentaries about terminal cancer after her own diagnosis. Before I Kick the Bucket is poignant, informative, and actually quite funny in places, and highly recommended.