Ian Potter
@ianzpotter.bsky.social
Writes, talks, listens, reads. Not always in that order.
Writer for BBC, Big Finish, Obverse Books, RiffTrax, Jim French's Imagination Theatre and money.
Writer for BBC, Big Finish, Obverse Books, RiffTrax, Jim French's Imagination Theatre and money.
Love Jack Shepherd, as at home in the intense Griffiths work as he is being hilarious as a sort of modern day Malvolio in Tony Sarchet's Trust Me.
Brand is, of course, sensational.
Brand is, of course, sensational.
RIP Jack Shepherd. One of the greats. He’s most famous for Wycliffe, but his legacy goes way beyond that, particularly with his performance as the eponymous Bill Brand in Trevor Griffiths’ brilliant series, and also for being the original Ricky Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross.
November 25, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Love Jack Shepherd, as at home in the intense Griffiths work as he is being hilarious as a sort of modern day Malvolio in Tony Sarchet's Trust Me.
Brand is, of course, sensational.
Brand is, of course, sensational.
Catching up on me late period (1975) Z-Cars. What on Earth made them think this new version of the theme was a good idea and were Steeleye Span happy to get an on screen credit for it?
November 24, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Catching up on me late period (1975) Z-Cars. What on Earth made them think this new version of the theme was a good idea and were Steeleye Span happy to get an on screen credit for it?
#WhoBote I have no proof of causation but I still find it remarkable that the names of the Salonu and the Laan, two prominent alien species featured in Big Finish's 2016 series of Tom Baker Doctor Who audio adventures, are anagrams of Anusol and Anal.
November 24, 2025 at 9:13 PM
#WhoBote I have no proof of causation but I still find it remarkable that the names of the Salonu and the Laan, two prominent alien species featured in Big Finish's 2016 series of Tom Baker Doctor Who audio adventures, are anagrams of Anusol and Anal.
#WhoBore No, you've written over 2,000 words today about a Graham Williams authored Doctor Who text adventure for the BBC Model B.
You're the weird one.
You're the weird one.
November 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
#WhoBore No, you've written over 2,000 words today about a Graham Williams authored Doctor Who text adventure for the BBC Model B.
You're the weird one.
You're the weird one.
Friends fear I have been up for over 25 hours and am now reading an essay on Half Man Half Biscuit.
November 23, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Friends fear I have been up for over 25 hours and am now reading an essay on Half Man Half Biscuit.
@jonrolph.bsky.social Popped in on Paul Magrs and Jeremy Hoad at their bookshop in Levenshulme. Love was sent to you and Antonia...
November 22, 2025 at 2:05 PM
@jonrolph.bsky.social Popped in on Paul Magrs and Jeremy Hoad at their bookshop in Levenshulme. Love was sent to you and Antonia...
Art that's smart with a heart.
Listen soon.
Listen soon.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Only 3 days left on BBC Sounds to catch @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social last ever edition of Sound of Cinema. A love letter to the movies and to the joy of looking deeper, of complexity.
There are fewer and fewer programmes of this depth on R3 so grab it while you can.
Only 3 days left on BBC Sounds to catch @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social last ever edition of Sound of Cinema. A love letter to the movies and to the joy of looking deeper, of complexity.
There are fewer and fewer programmes of this depth on R3 so grab it while you can.
Sound of Cinema - A place for ideas - BBC Sounds
Matthew Sweet's weekly look at music for the screen.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Art that's smart with a heart.
Listen soon.
Listen soon.
The "indeed" credit bumpers on Channel 4 drama are surely the most actively annoying sponsorship campaign in the history of TV.
November 20, 2025 at 8:34 PM
The "indeed" credit bumpers on Channel 4 drama are surely the most actively annoying sponsorship campaign in the history of TV.
Disingenuous concerns
November 20, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Disingenuous concerns
Listening to Archive on 4 on BBC Sounds. Hannah Peel is playing Paddy Kingsland's Logopolis score while talking Jodrell Bank.
This would appear to be a programme made specifically for me.
This would appear to be a programme made specifically for me.
November 19, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Listening to Archive on 4 on BBC Sounds. Hannah Peel is playing Paddy Kingsland's Logopolis score while talking Jodrell Bank.
This would appear to be a programme made specifically for me.
This would appear to be a programme made specifically for me.
Do what Eddie says.
Network DVD's liquidated stock has finally surfaced here, giving you a chance to buy one of the greatest sitcoms of all time before all the copies are gone: futurenetwork.wales/product/nigh...
NIGHTINGALES: THE COMPLETE SERIES – Future Network
futurenetwork.wales
November 17, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Do what Eddie says.
1. Would've been TV play before 1981.
2. Reinvents literary novel visually in way purists loathe that unlocks it for new audience.
3. A Louise Brooks louisebrooks around louisebrooksily in front of understandably dumbstruck men.
4. Monster stalks Day For Night woods.
5. Nearly kissing then kissing.
2. Reinvents literary novel visually in way purists loathe that unlocks it for new audience.
3. A Louise Brooks louisebrooks around louisebrooksily in front of understandably dumbstruck men.
4. Monster stalks Day For Night woods.
5. Nearly kissing then kissing.
What are your top 5 movie genres? Mine are:
- we're stealing it all, and looking cool doing it
- monsters!!!
- is that an eldritch horror, or are we making a serious socio-political point?
- oh no, the aliens are more human than we are
- we're here, we're queer, we have a spaceship
- we're stealing it all, and looking cool doing it
- monsters!!!
- is that an eldritch horror, or are we making a serious socio-political point?
- oh no, the aliens are more human than we are
- we're here, we're queer, we have a spaceship
What are your top 5 movie genres? Mine are:
-Awkward teen gets shit together
-Awkward sports team gets shit together
-Seven murderers get together, save town whose shit is not together
-Two people, whose shit is not together, meet, fall in love, break up, get shit together, get together
-Revenge
-Awkward teen gets shit together
-Awkward sports team gets shit together
-Seven murderers get together, save town whose shit is not together
-Two people, whose shit is not together, meet, fall in love, break up, get shit together, get together
-Revenge
November 17, 2025 at 12:07 AM
1. Would've been TV play before 1981.
2. Reinvents literary novel visually in way purists loathe that unlocks it for new audience.
3. A Louise Brooks louisebrooks around louisebrooksily in front of understandably dumbstruck men.
4. Monster stalks Day For Night woods.
5. Nearly kissing then kissing.
2. Reinvents literary novel visually in way purists loathe that unlocks it for new audience.
3. A Louise Brooks louisebrooks around louisebrooksily in front of understandably dumbstruck men.
4. Monster stalks Day For Night woods.
5. Nearly kissing then kissing.
Most of the fakey photos of next year's Mel Brooks look a little bit like him but the birthday cake is different every single time.
AI needs to get better at cakes.
AI needs to get better at cakes.
November 16, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Most of the fakey photos of next year's Mel Brooks look a little bit like him but the birthday cake is different every single time.
AI needs to get better at cakes.
AI needs to get better at cakes.
Just seen the Roger Moore Talk With The Animals Muppets segment. I think Hugh Grant may be the only one left who can do this particular brand of ageing matinee idol self-mocking cool.
youtu.be/IDBAWPrhbJI?...
youtu.be/IDBAWPrhbJI?...
The Muppet Show - 524: Roger Moore - “Talk to the Animals” (1980)
YouTube video by The Muppet Show Vault
youtu.be
November 16, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Just seen the Roger Moore Talk With The Animals Muppets segment. I think Hugh Grant may be the only one left who can do this particular brand of ageing matinee idol self-mocking cool.
youtu.be/IDBAWPrhbJI?...
youtu.be/IDBAWPrhbJI?...
Spouse discussing a TV drama accidentally calls a monastery a "monkery". This is clearly a much better name and a massive missed opportunity.
Olden days idiots missed a trick there.
Olden days idiots missed a trick there.
November 16, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Spouse discussing a TV drama accidentally calls a monastery a "monkery". This is clearly a much better name and a massive missed opportunity.
Olden days idiots missed a trick there.
Olden days idiots missed a trick there.
There's a place near that says it does 4D car number plates.
I presume they exist for a period of time.
I presume they exist for a period of time.
November 16, 2025 at 11:02 AM
There's a place near that says it does 4D car number plates.
I presume they exist for a period of time.
I presume they exist for a period of time.
Reposted by Ian Potter
I’ve only just stumbled across the fantastic fact that Margaret Thatcher’s 1970s voice coach, who taught her to lower her voice and speak more resonantly, was none other than Catherine Fleming, who voiced the evil Animus in bonkers 1965 Doctor Who serial The Web Planet. The Zarbi’s not for turning!
November 15, 2025 at 7:26 PM
I’ve only just stumbled across the fantastic fact that Margaret Thatcher’s 1970s voice coach, who taught her to lower her voice and speak more resonantly, was none other than Catherine Fleming, who voiced the evil Animus in bonkers 1965 Doctor Who serial The Web Planet. The Zarbi’s not for turning!
Halfway down a wet M42 and the radio is playing the Space:1999 theme tune.
November 15, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Halfway down a wet M42 and the radio is playing the Space:1999 theme tune.
I have just booked to see Alexei Sayle talk about Stuff with Robin Ince in Bristol on the 7th of February next year.
You could do too. It's a big room.
bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/sla...
You could do too. It's a big room.
bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/sla...
Alexei Sayle's Stuff - Revisited | Bristol Beacon
A music charity, renowned venue and award-winning music education hub. We're here to help make space for music every day, with everyone.
bristolbeacon.org
November 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
I have just booked to see Alexei Sayle talk about Stuff with Robin Ince in Bristol on the 7th of February next year.
You could do too. It's a big room.
bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/sla...
You could do too. It's a big room.
bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/sla...
Reposted by Ian Potter
I have learned my lesson. Nothing happened in the past on this day, particularly not in the vicinity of the perimeter fence.
November 14, 2025 at 8:26 AM
I have learned my lesson. Nothing happened in the past on this day, particularly not in the vicinity of the perimeter fence.
#WhoBore Animated Steven Taylor's shorty Graecian tunic may not have been quite what John Wiles might have wanted but it's probably quite close.
November 14, 2025 at 12:17 AM
#WhoBore Animated Steven Taylor's shorty Graecian tunic may not have been quite what John Wiles might have wanted but it's probably quite close.
I was going to learn from the last time Edge killed all my open tabs on reboot, wasn't I?
Oh well.
Oh well.
November 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
I was going to learn from the last time Edge killed all my open tabs on reboot, wasn't I?
Oh well.
Oh well.
Blummin' BBC- trimming a "time passing" dissolve from its highlights montage.
November 13, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Blummin' BBC- trimming a "time passing" dissolve from its highlights montage.
I've not seen Nightfall. I suspect I might like it.
“I look for very strong visual unity by using a type of framing and camera movement that is very simple. Everything must come from inside. It mustn’t be superficial. I hate weird camera angles and distorting lenses.”
Director Jacques Tourneur, born 12 November 1904.
Director Jacques Tourneur, born 12 November 1904.
November 13, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I've not seen Nightfall. I suspect I might like it.