John Isles

October 7, 1960: Twilight Zone's "The Man in the Bottle" airs. A pawnshop owner and his wife release a genie who grants them four wishes — and discover the downsides of getting what you really want.

Joseph Ruskin, the genie, later did the voice of the Kanamit in "To Serve Man"!

Get on this, watch Atomic Shakespeare, Big Man on Mulberry Street, The Lady in the Iron Mask, The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice or any number of other episodes (avoid the love-triangle episodes, for the love of god) and fall in love with one of the greatest shows ever to do it. Whatever "it" is.

In case anyone has never seen the commercial that Terry Pratchett said inspired him (sort of) while writing Good Omens:

Double Indemnity (1944)
Director: Billy Wilder

Peephole scene from the film Opera (1987)

Peephole scene from the film Rosemary’s Baby (1969)

Peephole scene from the film Repulsion (1965)

Peephole scene from the film Creepshow (1982)

#FilmSky 𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨…

Kemi Badenoch claiming Terry Pratchett as her favourite author is wild

Dad’s books are full of empathy, common sense, and a healthy suspicion of the powerful. But at its heart his work is also about how systems keep people poor while pretending it’s their own fault. So I hope Kemi’s taking notes as well as reading the jokes.

Rock Hudson, Yvonne De Carlo y Raoul Walsh durante la promoción de Sea Devils (1952).

Twentieth Century (Howard Hawks, 1934)
DoP: Joseph H. August

#BOTD Carole Lombard

If they can speed ramp the pigeon to do a double take I can do this
#jamesbond

A perfectly-aligned rank of many Egyptian crowns, symbolising the many Cleopatras of history, in the title sequence of The Cleopatras.

An Egyptian royal court

The much-missed Egyptologist @johnjjohnston.bsky.social introduced me to #TheCleopatras, a prestige BBC miniseries from 1983. It was sexy and machiavellian, very elegant, sometimes repulsive and often nude. A fascinating period with loads of eye makeup for all. Here are my 2020 #CleoWatch tweets.

“Lunar Rocket”, a fabric designed by Eddie Squire c.1969, at the height of the Space Age.

Cover design for David Whitaker in an Exciting Adventure with Television.

The latest printing of David Whitaker in an Exciting Adventure with Television is almost sold out but more are on the way. An in-depth biography of Doctor Who’s first script editor by @0tralala.bsky.social, shining new light on an enigmatic personality. Order now from tenacrebooks.co.uk.

Goody-bag merch from Tory Conference branded "When Labour negotiates Britian loses" and signed "Kemi Badenoch".

It helps to be able to spell the country you say only you are competent enough to run.

John in a video call. The virtual background is a prison cell from 'Porridge.' There are bunk beds, shelves, cupboard. No view outside. It's pretty plain.

Monday.

Our evening feature film tonight at 10:05pm, THE DEADLY AFFAIR (1966) a 4-Star film pick in @WhatsOnTVUK magazine! Starring #JamesMason #SimonSignoret thriller #TPTVsubtitles

Happy Birthday!

YouTube video by World of Telly World of Telly Episode 12: The Strange World of Gurney Slade

Please celebrate my birthday today by watching my latest podcast. It would the best present ever. youtu.be/nmEqFSk2qzU?...

Michael Palin, dressed in ragged clothes / hair / beard, drags himself up the shore, the sea not far behind him. And... if you've no idea what I'm going on about - the sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus began today 56 years ago on BBC1. The show began with Michael Palin quite far out to sea, making his way to the shore, crawling towards the camera, and just managing to utter the word "it's..." before he's interrupted by the opening titles and a voiceover telling us the name of the show. Every episode of the first series began with a variation on this, the raggedy character never quite getting to make the full announcement

Fifty six years ago today, around eleven-o'clock-at-night-ish, Michael Palin crawled out of the sea.

YouTube video by jonnymorris1973 Arc Of Infinity - Now And Then And Now And Then

I have visited all of these locations, some of them twice. Why isn't my documentary on the bluray? youtu.be/vI87hf1j3mg?...

"Yeah, yeah," sympathized Zaphod hardly at all.

Where nobody knows your name... Tracing the anonymous faces at the start of Cheers.

Ever wondered where all the Cheers title photos are from? I did. And I've gathered everything I can find into this post. That was fun.

joelmorris.substack.com/p/where-nobo...

Home One hangar, art by Benjamin Last

Home One hangar in the show

Ahsoka (2022): Home One hangar, art by Benjamin Last

YouTube video by AC/DC - Topic Rock 'N' Roll Singer

#MusicSky #70s

YouTube video by Classic British Telly Doris and Doreen by Alan Bennett - starring Patricia Routledge and Prunella Scales (1978)

What a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon

#AlanBennett
#PatriciaRoutledge
#classictv
#vintagetv

youtu.be/quEnbP0wqF4?...

Paul Magr’s’ illustration of the Giant Robot menacing tiny human figures at its huge metal feet.

This book by @stevecolewriter.bsky.social and @paulmagrs.bsky.social reimagines #DoctorWho stories.

Not traditional “novelisation” versions; each of 22 tales offers unexpected, delightful new insights and perspectives on moments and characters from the show.

www.penguin.co.uk/books/470292...

From left to right, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig. All of all the actors to have portrayed James Bond in EON productions in Black and white with the “007” gun logo beneath.

Happy “Bond, James Bond” day marking the premiere of “Doctor No” on this day in 1962.

#JamesBond

20.00 KEEPING UP WHATSAPPEARANCES Hyacinth fumes when she can see that the Vicar has read her note, the two little blue ticks are there, and that every time she types her full name a bucket emoji rather than the bunch of flowers emojoi appears. Also, Richard's status is set to 'But Hyacinth...'

In honour of #patriciaroutledge #richarddddddd #itspronouncedCEEFO

2nd October 2025: The Queen Studio Experience

This page showcases a variety of sporting goods and inflatable products. The selection includes tennis and badminton rackets, golf equipment, squash rackets, a dartboard, fishing gear, and inflatable chairs and mattresses. There are also bags and other accessories. (+Airbed Footpump Alena Convertible Airbed/Chair Cadet Golf Trolley Dam Junior Fishing Outfit Dart Game Double Air Mattress Dunlop Mid-Head X10 Aluminium Tennis Racket Dunlop X10 Junior Mid-Head Aluminium Tennis Racket GoLa Swift Badminton Racket Halex 2-Player Table Tennis Set Harrows Black Arrow Darts Head Sports Holdall Junior Cricket Set Junior Tennis Set La Femme Sports Bag with Matching Cosmetic Bag Lawtex Golf Umbrella MacGregor Eton Golf Bag Nylon Sports Bag Penfold Commando Golf Balls Puma Team Junior Sports Holdall Relum Nice Putt Putting Machine Rotaball Ball Game Single Air Mattress Slazenger Panther Cup Squash Racket Slazenger Tennis Balls Slazenger Whippet Squash Racket Winmau Bristle Dartboard and Winmau Darts)

1985: Sporting Goods and Inflatable Products from Green Shield Stamps

(+GoLa Swift Badminton Racket; Dam Junior Fishing Outfit; Halex 2-Player Table Tennis Set; Rotaball Ball Game; Relum Nice Putt Putting Machine; Puma Team Junior Sports Holdall; Nylon Sports Bag, and more)