Watching - July 2026

Project Hail Mary (2026)

Somehow what Andy Weir makes vaguely plausible in the novel seems ridiculously unlikely on screen. And the sentimentality at times just made me roll my eyes. But it was an entertaining, if somewhat predictable, watch.

Eternity (2025)

A mildly touching but slightly unfocussed romcom about a woman who has to choose which of her two husbands to spend eternity in the afterlife with. What's not really highlighted is that clearly the vast majority of people in this afterlife don't get that choice at all, and seem all right about it. Still, the film's message seems to be that a long life building memories and maintaining a relationship counts for more than the intensity of young love. Which is nice.

Kylie (2026)

An odd mix of carefully curated history and genuinely touching moments which, even at three hours, feels like a whistle-stop tour through her career.

Wimbledon (2004)

It seemed like the right season to watch this (again ...), and then straight after I watched it yet another time, only this time with the director's commentary. What struck me this time is the extraordinary array of big names in what is a pretty obscure (and under-rated, imo), twenty year old British romcom: not just the two main stars, but leading lights of British acting talent - Celia Imrie, Robert Lindsay, Bernard Hill, Eleanor Bron, a young James McAvoy (particularly hilarious) - and fairly heavyweight international names like Sam Neill and Jon Favreau. Have I mentioned how much I love this film?

Good Omens (season 1, 2019)

Michael Sheen and David Tenant are a dream pairing and the staging is so elaborate and well done, but I can't feel there's something slightly missing. Given that I've read Neil Gaiman books and found them underwhelming (and too long), I suspect what's missing is some of Terry Pratchett's unique authorial voice. Still, a visual feast and very enjoyable.

Top Hat (1936)

Somewhat slighter than I remember from when I last watched it - years ago - but you can't fault the dance numbers.

Ted Lasso (season 2, 2021)

I can understand programme makers being pleased to be free from the constraints of network television, but there's something to be said for them. In this second season, the characters are great and you really do care about them, but we seem to be edging away from comedy into soap opera - albeit a superior one with some excellent jokes - and the episodes are getting longer. It's still really good and involving, but I might find some other things to watch before I get round to season three.

Reading - July 2026

Seasons in the Sun by Dominic Sandbrook (2012)

Another fantastic piece of recent history from Dominic Sandbrook.

The Boy Next Door by Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees (2001)

I came across Come Together, this real-life couple's first book together, when I was working in Edinburgh and frequenting bookshops rather more than was healthy for my bank balance. I really enjoyed it, so I bought this next book, read it at the time and then forgot about it for, blimey, twenty-five years. But it's a really sweet book about first love and if the ending is a little over-dramatic and unlikely, well that's fine, because it's fiction.

Death in the Dressing Room by Simon Brett (2025)

I first read Simon Brett's Charles Paris murder mysteries when I was in my teens and enjoyed the mix of theatrical setting and whodunnit. But even though the characters are different and there are plenty of nods to the modern world, this just seems a bit tired. I can't fault the author's productivity over the last five decades but if I hadn't known otherwise, I would have judged this to be a first novel by a novice writer. Not worth the time, sadly.

The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1923)

A superlative collection of stories, albeit perhaps a tiny bit repetitive. But you can forgive that when the writing is so endlessly entertaining.

You & Me and You & Me and You & Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees (2026)

A sweet time-travelling romcom about rediscovering love and valuing what you have. I like the idea - I'm a sucker for a time loop or travelling plot - and I enjoyed the story very much, but the message is a bit predictable. What if an alternative reality that you change to is actually better?

Seasons in the Sun

Britain, 1974-1979

Dominic Sandbrook (2013)

Like all the previous volumes in this hugely impressive series of books, this contains as much material as might be considered reasonable for four normal books, and trying to maintain some sense of overall theme is too much for my poor brain, particularly given that I started it in February.

Still, I can try: the late 70s saw global circumstances and short-sighted decisions by successive UK governments combine to produce a toxic mixture that really came to a head in the late 70s. Harold Wilson comes across as an ineffective populist who exemplifies the idea (thank you Douglas Adams!) that anyone capable of getting themselves elected should on no account be allowed to hold power. In contrast, Sandbrook has a lot of time for James Callaghan who, he says, was a good Prime Minister dealt a bad hand by the two previous PMs (Heath and Wilson).

What both men had in common was that they were pragmatists, despite belonging to what was still, at the time, a notionally socialist party. The ideologues on both sides sound like hopeless fantasists, as always; Tony Benn in particular, despite being extensively quoted throughout the book (presumably because he was in the cabinet for so long and left comprehensive diaries), was clearly a head-in-the-clouds romantic who ignored any evidence that disagreed with his precious socialist principles and did quite a lot of damage as a result. Also featured at length is Bernard Donoughue, who has similarly released several books about his time near the centre of government.

The use of relatively few visible sources in the book (although clearly many more were used overall) diminishes the conclusions slightly, I feel, as does the almost complete concentration on politics. Without the leavening of chapters on more social history, Seasons in the Sun becomes heavier than it needs to be.

Still, a masterful piece of work and a wonderful read. I do wish he'd chosen a different title though - every time I saw it on my shelf I started humming that flipping Terry Jacks song!

Reading - June 2026

Choosing You by Stacy Finz (2021)

Predictable but nice. The little US town of Nugget, where this series is set (this is the 11th book!) is unrealistically wholesome and basically an escapist fantasy, but that's what we want anyway and everyone ends up happy.

The Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll (1989)

I bought this, the early classic of computer espionage and hacking, over thirty years ago and haven't read it in at least twenty (definitely not since 2009), but the details remain in my mind. It's fascinating to learn about the early internet, from several years before I first came across it and at least 10-15 years before it became common ground.

Holding On by Stacy Finz (2021)

So finally I've reached the end of the Nugget series. There's nothing in this to indicate that it's the last one, just another sweet, wholesome romance set in small town America. Very readable and enjoyable.

Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver (2024)

Superior romantic fiction - well constructed, well told and thoroughly readable. The only slightly sour note is that while the MFC is gaining her independence and learning to speak up for herself, she lets herself be a submissive male fantasy plaything in the bedroom. Nothing wrong with that if that's your thing but it seems inconsistent with the character and with the theme of the story. Still, I'm pleased to note that there are three other books - so far - in this series.

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris (2025)

An entertaining and compelling examination of the ethics of murder, framed within the concept of someone who can somehow transfer life force from one person to another at will. If some of the characters seem a bit light - particularly the boyfriend - then it only detracts slightly.

The Partner by John Grisham (1997)

I find Grisham highly readable - you really want to know how it will all play out - but this is a lesser entry in the canon, which explains why I haven't read it in over twenty years. And the cheap shot twist at the end makes no sense - a twist has to make sense in hindsight, even if you didn't see it coming.

Clueless by Amy Heckerling (draft script, 1994)

Reading early version of scripts is interesting, seeing what stays in and what gets cut. There's almost always fewer words in the film, because you can do so much more on screen without them. But this is pretty close to the final thing.

Nemesis by Agatha Christie (1971)

Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie (1976)

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie (1965)

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (1930)

For some bizarre reason, the twelve Miss Marple novels in three omnibus volumes are not in anything even close to chronological order. So here, in Volume 3, we have the last three stories, albeit not in order themselves, and then the first. Why? Anyway, they're all very good and if the eventual motive for murder seems perhaps a little light, the point is the puzzle and, as always, they're well set up and designed. Light reading for a hot day (I read three of them in one day).

Let The Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura (2024)

A perfectly pleasant romance, set at the 2024 Olympic Games and featuring Black characters, which was nice as it made a change to get their cultural background but made no real difference to the story.

Death on Ice by R. O. Thorp (2024)

A locked room murder mystery with a slightly improbable set of characters and plot, but engaging and a good read.

Watching - June 2026

Tom Scott: England (season/"part" 1, 2026)

Tom Scott, having taken a break from YouTube after ten years of constant activity, returned this year with what is, to all intents and purposes, a broadcast quality documentary series (presumably self-financed and independently produced) covering all the counties in England. The episodes are short, very varied in subject matter and, assuming you like Tom Scott, interesting. Luckily, I do like him. "Season 1" contains the first ten episodes on Nebula, which I signed up to for this. I'm not sure I'm finding anything on Nebula I couldn't find on YouTube, but it wasn't expensive.

Taskmaster (season 18, 2024)

As always, plenty of laughs to be had. It's so impressive that they've kept the standard this high for so many seasons.

Scrubs (season 1, 2001)

Where it all started! In preparation for watching the return of Scrubs, I thought I'd have a quick cruise through all eight seasons (we're not counting season 9), but as usual I'd forgotten how long a season of US sitcoms actually is. Still very funny, sometimes very moving and sometimes a little over-reaching.

F1: The Movie (2025)

Watching this again reminds me of, firstly, how implausible the whole thing is, and secondly, what an amazing publicity coup by the F1 organisation the film is.

Boomerang (1992)

I can't find where now, but I read somewhere that this was both an underrated romcom and an underrated Eddie Murphy film. Marcus (Murphy's character) is a womanizer who doesn't understand why the girls he loves and leaves get upset when he walks away, only to get all possessive and clingy when he comes across Jacqueline (Robin Givens), who treats him the same. Luckily, sweet Angela (Halle Berry) is there to show him what real love is. There's mileage in the idea but the way it's played is slightly clumsy (you can't tell me a player wouldn't realise he's being played, and the role reversal is too pat), and there seems to be a slice missing from the film near the end, where Marcus and Angela fall in love. But Murphy is as watchable as always while being pleasingly more subtle than usual, and a mainstream comedy film populated almost entirely by black characters is still a rare thing.

Ted Lasso (season 1, 2020)

I knew little about this other than it was supposed to be good, but there it was on my free Apple TV subscription, so I gave it a go. When I saw that the credits mentioned Bill Lawrence, creator of Scrubs, I knew I was in for a good time, and so it proved. There's plenty of laughs of course, but plenty of pathos too. What pleases me most is how English the whole thing is - albeit slightly cleaned up, of course - in a way that surprises me in a US sitcom that is, presumably, primarily intended for a US audience.

Ready Player One (2018)

When this was released in cinemas, B & I went to see on the biggest screen in Southampton, in glorious 3D. It looked amazing and I felt sad that, even though I bought it on DVD as soon as I could, I wouldn't see it quite so spectacularly again. Well, I was wrong! B spotted that it was being shown as part of a Spielberg season at the BFI IMAX in Waterloo - the biggest screen in the country! So B, Z and I went along and enjoyed it all over again. The screen really is spectacular and so immersive, and the film really works on the big screen. Great fun.

Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson (2021)

Mark Ronson has got to be one of the coolest people on the planet and obviously his contact list is unparalleled, but this was a bit of miss for me. I suppose it's possible that's because I already know most of the information being presented here, so although it's interesting to see some things, most of it's labouring the point for me. Might be worth it if you like music but have never wondered about some of the mechanics of making it before.

Minority Report (2002)

Yet another Philip K. Dick novella transplanted onto the screen and slightly bowdlerised as a result, this is nevertheless a satisfying techno-thriller with an enjoyable frosting of "what is reality anyway" (although not too much because that would get in the way).

Watching - May 2026

Jet Lag: The Game (season 3, 2022)

I signed up to Nebula to watch Tom Scott's new series and in the hope that perhaps there might be something there that wasn't just YouTube junk. But everything I've found so far is also on YouTube. Still, never mind, it wasn't expensive. This was recommended to me by B and it passes the time nicely enough - not brilliant but an OK watch. I'll probably watch more at some point.

Ghosts (season 1, 2019)

Revisiting a family favourite. Just as good as I remembered and several classes above what I see of BBC1 sitcoms these days.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

A fun and occasionally touching family-oriented action adventure.

The Sure Thing (1985)

Sometimes I just like to retreat to simpler times and this unassuming but incredibly sweet teen romcom is one of my favourites. I also found an early draft of the script online and the differences are really interesting.

Emma (1996)

This TV film makes four versions of Emma I've seen (excluding Clueless) and is probably the best and most faithful to the original book. While necessarily feeling somewhat rushed in the early stages - there's a lot to pack into one and a half hours - it doesn't feel like it's missing anything important. Kate Beckinsale is much better as Emma Woodhouse than any others I've seen and the production - by the same team coming straight from the previous year's legendary Pride and Prejudice - feels natural and realistic. If you don't know the book and want to start somewhere, this is where I'd recommend.

Taskmaster (series 17, 2024)

Reliably funny. I liked Nick Mohammed's good humour and occasional magic tricks, but the whole cast were good. Minor gripe though, and nothing to do with this particular season, but I do find it annoying that the last programme is always announced as the "grand final", when it's nothing of the sort: the competition is a league, not a knock-out.

Margin Call (2011)

I'd never heard of this film until I saw a couple of clips in a completely unrelated YouTube video, and so was pleased to find it streaming on Plex. If I remember correctly, The Big Short is a much better film about the 2008 sub-prime mortgage crisis but this is an interesting and different perspective from the inside of a fictional bank looking to save its own skin.

The Big Short (2015)

And just to check my memory, I re-watched this straight after. It's a brilliantly made film and an insane story, but what blows my mind the most is, bar a few name changes and one or two fictional scenes to make it a bit neater for film, it's all true. Information is Beautiful reports the film as 91% accurate (to the book, that is) and Steve Eisman - played by Steve Carell as "Mark Baum" in the film - recently did an interesting reaction video where he confirms most of his bits of the film, even the ones that you think are obviously just dramatic license.

Adam Hills: Inflatable (2011)

Amusing stand-up.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Thor (2011)

Avengers Assemble (2012)

Still watching (gradually) the MCU films in order, but the problem with seeing them back to back like this is that they merge into each other slightly, which is a shame because they're all individually impressive, engrossing and beautifully made. They hit a certain spot like nothing else, I guess, but it's not always what I want to be seeing.

Our Welsh Chapel Dream (season 3, 2026)

In which Keith finally gets to make some pots in his new pottery and Marj's glasses get improbably even larger. They seem a bit more present in this series, unlike last time when they felt like guests in their own documentary. They're both really sweet and it's gentle entertainment to see what they're doing. The intrusive and irritating recaps at the start of each episode and after each ad break need to go though. Are most TV viewers really morons with five second attention spans or is it just that documentary makers have a low opinion of their viewing public?

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Sunday's film night with Z, and what better to share with my youngest than this jolly tale of gambling, crime, drugs and guns? Still very stylish and blackly comic.

John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs

Ian Leslie

2025 

A very 2020s take on a 1950s relationship

There are one or two books about The Beatles already^{[citation needed]} so it would take a novel approach to make this much-analysed subject fresh. Thankfully, that's what Ian Leslie has achieved, using 43 songs as jumping off points for an in-depth look at the central relationship in the band, that between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It makes for an interesting, engrossing read, one I enjoyed very much.

But - you knew there was a "but" coming, surely - entertaining as it is, I can't take it too seriously. If you leave out the (very) well-known facts and biographical elements, what's left is basically just reams of speculation. Leslie - a psychologist, to judge by his previous books - has taken snippets of old interviews and pieces of lyrics that Lennon and McCartney both acknowledged were often just included because they fitted the music, and built upon them a castle of sand.

Leslie even points this out himself: in the chapter about "I Am The Walrus", he mentions how John Lennon:

"rails at 'experts textperts' - those who confidently offered interpretations of Beatles lyrics"

while literally doing the same thing himself in the same paragraph (and the rest of the book), apparently unaware of the irony. 

Overall, although it's an interesting approach, I'm not sure the conclusions are warranted based on the slender evidence. Lennon and McCartney met in the late 50s and barely more than twenty years later one of them was dead. What they went through together, no-one else will understand, but casting it in the light of a 21st century bromance is almost certainly not how they thought of it themselves. At least, that's my opinion. But what do I know, since I'm not them, and neither is Ian Leslie.