Tag Archives: culture

Plotting the arc of darkness with Joss Whedon

Posted on June 13, 2013 by samiraahmed

Here’s a link to my interview with Joss Whedon for Radio 3′s Night Waves on June 12th. We covered his writing for Roseanne, Shakespearean superheroes, his love of musicals — especially Brigadoon –  the way studios treat writers, (take Firefly … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Children, Comedy, Comics/graphic novels, Culture, Media, Radio, Science Fiction/Fantasy, TV, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Billy Liar, Bradford and the birth of the dollybird

Posted on May 1, 2013 by samiraahmed

“A lazy, irresponsible young clerk in provincial Northern England lives in his own fantasy world and makes emotionally immature decisions as he alienates friends and family.” Everyone loves Billy Liar. Apart from whoever wrote imdb’s current bizarrely censorious plot summary … Continue reading →

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From avenger to screamer: How Dr Who assistants remain trapped in time

Posted on April 9, 2013 by samiraahmed

The Reunion programme for Radio 4, produced by Peter Curran, recently brought together some of the original cast and crew of the first episode of Doctor Who. The first Dr Who team was notable for its diversity — Waris Hussein … Continue reading →

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How The West Was Fun: When Britain loved cowboys

Posted on April 5, 2013 by samiraahmed

The Unforgiven (1961) – The Searchers in reverse This is about the back ground to the April 6th documentary I made for Radio 4 about the Western in British culture. You can listen again here: Archive on Four documentary Riding … Continue reading →

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Philip Larkin and how internet porn began in 1963 (sort of)

Posted on March 11, 2013 by samiraahmed

1963 was a remarkable year. Among the glut of cultural and historical anniversaries — Dr Who, the assassination of JFK, Billy Liar and Oh What Lovely War! — we should I reckon be marking 50 years since the invention of … Continue reading →

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Murder, Mirth and Care Bears: The uses of an Oxford English degree

Posted on February 13, 2013 by samiraahmed

Writing for news bulletins, writing for standup comedy, writing murders for tv drama, writing for comics and fantasy gaming novels. These were some of the uses to which a group of graduates from my old Oxford College have put our … Continue reading →

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Mr Lincoln’s Wild Ride

Posted on February 11, 2013 by samiraahmed

I spent a night in the pub playing skittles recently with The Lawmen of Bristol for a radio documentary. They are Wild West enthusiasts, who transport around their home-made saloon town and re-enact historical gunfights for charity. Each has a … Continue reading →

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A child-sized gap in the TV schedules?

Posted on January 29, 2013 by samiraahmed

Children’s TV is on my mind this week as I’m chairing an event at the BFI Southbank on Saturday Feb 2nd with the original creator of Playschool,Jackanory and producer of Catweazle Joy Whitby. They’re screening several of her programmes and … Continue reading →

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Poor Cows and Angry Young Men: 50 years of Kitchen Sink Drama

Posted on January 24, 2013 by samiraahmed

The director Ken Loach and the theatre critic Michael Billington remember the dawn of the 60s well. “The 50s weren’t bleak and depressing,” spluttered Loach, listening to art critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston explain the grim postwar era that spawned the new … Continue reading →

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Mocha in the Family Latte: Race on American screens

Posted on January 15, 2013 by samiraahmed

“He should not be here, ” said the fish in the pot. ” he should not be here when your mother is not.” – The Cat In the Hat Dr Seuss (1957) It is a conundrum worthy of the massive … Continue reading →

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