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Television

Exploring the hidden recesses of the small screen

Television

“This Ain’t Acting” – On The Set Of This Is England ’88

Adrian Lobb visits the set of This Is England '88 to talk to the cast, who are in extremely high spirits

Television

The Dane Attraction: The Killing Season Two Previewed

Copenhagen's body count is rising, so Sarah Lund is back in town. Terry Staunton welcomes the return of an old friend.

Television

Don’t Stop Bereaving: From The Gleeful To The Ghostly In American Horror Story

American Horror Story is a haunted house yarn that pays homage to a terrifying past, says Terry Staunton

Television

The Power And The Gory: The Walking Dead Bites Back

It may have lost a creative lynchpin and had its production budget slashed, but The Walking Dead is very much alive and kicking in its second season, says Terry Staunton

Television

How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Love The Hour

After a wobbly start, The Hour is shaping up well. But how does it fare in contrast to US series such as Mad Men, asks Adrian Lobb

Television

Alexis Taylor Of About Group On Fishing With John

Luke Turner talks to Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip and About Group about John Lurie's cult TV series, Fishing With John

Television

The Original Darkplace: Lars Von Trier’s The Kingdom

David Moats explains the enduring appeal of Lars Von Trier's cult television show Riget (The Kingdom) which finally comes to DVD this week, packaged with lots of insightful special features about the mischievous Danish filmmaker

Television

BBC’s “Primetime Hauntology” The Shadow Line Reviewed

As the labyrinthine conspiracy thriller The Shadow Line comes to DVD, Joe Kennedy salutes a series that turns TV drama on its head and "reclaims the medium for oddness."

Television

Family Strife: The Trouble With The Kennedys

As The Kennedys comes to the BBC, Terry Staunton looks at the Stateside flop and finds a "scattergun mosaic of hearsay and half-truths with all the gravitas of a mid-market soap"

Television

Freddie Steady Go: Rhys Thomas’s Queen TV Special Previewed

From the least cool kid in school to trusted custodian of the Queen archives, comedian Rhys Thomas has turned his obsession with the band into a labour of love. Terry Staunton talks to him about his new documentary

Television

Nurse Jackie: Pills, Thrills And Belly Laughs

Edie Falco's troubled hospital heroine faces further complications in her second season. Terry Staunton welcomes the repeat prescription.

Television

A Darker Direction For Doctor Who: New Series Preview

Steven Moffat and Matt Smith have proved themselves – now for that difficult second series. Adrian Lobb relishes another helping of fish custard.

Television

Satirical Concerns: Looking Back At Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live

As the supposed answer to the Daily Show approaches the end of its run, Toby Cook takes an in-depth look at the strengths and weaknesses of this new wave of British satire

Television

Extreme Style & Steel: Patrick Macnee Of The Avengers Interviewed

With The Complete Avengers 50th Anniversary Edition DVD set for release this May, we have a terrific interview from Ian Johnston with Patrick Macnee, aka John Steed, originally conducted in 1998 and which touches upon the show's legacy, unwitting speed addiction and bondage

Television

When The Levee Breaks: Treme Reviewed

Terry Staunton sacrifices a chicken and finds that the gods of voodoo are smiling on HBO's Treme

Television

Reggae Britannia Reviewed: The Rise Of The Rebel Stance

Terry Staunton welcomes a fine documentation of reggae's past in the latest from the BBC's ... Britannia series - the question now is, where does it go next? Photo from the BBC

Television

Boardwalk Empire: Buscemi, Bootleggers And Brilliance

Martin Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire is the undoubted top gun of new cable and satellite channel Sky Atlantic's quality US imports. Terry Staunton raises an illicit glass to an engrossing saga of bootleggers and bad guys.

Television

Justified: A Small Screen Redneck Noir Classic

At last, a TV show that does justice to Elmore Leonard's writing. Terry Staunton doffs a reverential cowboy hat. PLUS The Best And Worst Of Elmore Leonard At The Movies

Television

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword: More From San Diego Comic-Con

David Bax wanted a comic con and, for his sins, they gave him a comic con. Photographs by his mate Patrick

Television

Lennon Naked & Depictions Of The Beatle On The Screen

With _Lennon Naked_ about to hit the small screen, Terry Staunton examines the various ways that cinema and television have interpreted his life

Television

We’ll Be Seeing You: The Prisoner’s Fading Six Appeal & Other TV Re-Boots

With the forthcoming release of the remade version of _The Prisoner_ on DVD, Terry Staunton opines on the updated version of the cult classic

Television

New Labour, New Genre: Political Drama In The Blair And Brown Years

The General Election that could end the New Labour era nears a conclusion – here, Adrian Lobb looks at the new wave of political biopics in the last 13 years

Television

Can The BBC’s Luther Challenge The American Crime Hegemony?

As The Wire's Idris Elba stars in BBC1's Luther, can his new show compete with the US box set brigade?

Television

Why Mad Men Is More Than A Drama: The Correct Use Of Soap

As season three of smash hit _Mad Men_ gets its off the telly release, Terry Staunton argues that it's much a soap as a drama series

Television

30 Rock: Television Eats Itself – And Lives! Plus The Hits & Misses Of TV On TV

Why was _30 Rock_ able to capture the public's imagination while _Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip_ faded away after just one season? Terry Staunton investigates

Television

A Practically Spoiler-Free Preview Of The Revelatory Return Of Doctor Who

There's been some trepidation about the post-Tennant & Davies incarnation of Doctor Who. But, as Adrian Lobb finds when he sits down to a preview screening, we could be looking at a classic series

Television

Box Fresh: Emma Johnston On The World’s Worst Sitcoms

Emma Johnston - or The Red Destroyer, as she's known in Hull - is our new TV columnist. Here she casts her eye over the fallout from The Persuasionists and lists the worst sitcom offenders

Television

Sucking Us Dry: The Gore And Glamour Of True Blood

It's the latest slick and sexy TV drama from America to take the UK by storm. But beneath the scantily clad women, muscle-bound macho men and lashings of gore, is _True Blood_ actually any good? Chris Roberts investigates.

Television

On The Hour: Parting The Beef Curtains Of News

Recently Al Denney spoke to Armando Iannucci, Stewart Lee, David Quantick and the much missed Swells about Radio 4's comedic high watermark, _On The Hour_

Television

Introducing Cult US Telly: Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Our man in LA David Bax explains Tim and Eric's pioneering, cringe-inducing humour as the first series of their Adult Swim sketch show _Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!_ invades our shores on DVD

Television

The Wire: How A Flop Cop Show Became The Greatest TV Series Of All Time

The Byzantinely plotted drug enforcement procedural that tore the cop show genre a new one, runs its course. With the release of Season Five on DVD box set and the final episode broadcast on TV last night, Rebecca Nicholson mourns the passing of a good po-lice show but points out it nearly sank without a trace.

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The Quietus Digest

Support The Quietus

Our journalism is funded by our readers. Become a subscriber today to help champion our writing, plus enjoy bonus essays, podcasts, playlists and music downloads.

Support & Subscribe Today

Support The Quietus

“This Ain’t Acting” – On The Set Of This Is England ’88

The Dane Attraction: The Killing Season Two Previewed

Don’t Stop Bereaving: From The Gleeful To The Ghostly In American Horror Story

The Power And The Gory: The Walking Dead Bites Back

How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Love The Hour

Alexis Taylor Of About Group On Fishing With John

The Original Darkplace: Lars Von Trier’s The Kingdom

BBC’s “Primetime Hauntology” The Shadow Line Reviewed

Family Strife: The Trouble With The Kennedys

Freddie Steady Go: Rhys Thomas’s Queen TV Special Previewed

Nurse Jackie: Pills, Thrills And Belly Laughs

A Darker Direction For Doctor Who: New Series Preview

Satirical Concerns: Looking Back At Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live

Extreme Style & Steel: Patrick Macnee Of The Avengers Interviewed

When The Levee Breaks: Treme Reviewed

Reggae Britannia Reviewed: The Rise Of The Rebel Stance

Boardwalk Empire: Buscemi, Bootleggers And Brilliance

Justified: A Small Screen Redneck Noir Classic

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword: More From San Diego Comic-Con

Lennon Naked & Depictions Of The Beatle On The Screen

We’ll Be Seeing You: The Prisoner’s Fading Six Appeal & Other TV Re-Boots

New Labour, New Genre: Political Drama In The Blair And Brown Years

Can The BBC’s Luther Challenge The American Crime Hegemony?

Why Mad Men Is More Than A Drama: The Correct Use Of Soap

30 Rock: Television Eats Itself – And Lives! Plus The Hits & Misses Of TV On TV

A Practically Spoiler-Free Preview Of The Revelatory Return Of Doctor Who

Box Fresh: Emma Johnston On The World’s Worst Sitcoms

Sucking Us Dry: The Gore And Glamour Of True Blood

On The Hour: Parting The Beef Curtains Of News

Introducing Cult US Telly: Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

The Wire: How A Flop Cop Show Became The Greatest TV Series Of All Time

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Something They’ll Never Have: Why Hatful of Hollow is The Smiths’ Best Album

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