I shaved off my lockdown beard last night. All sorts of thoughts should have been running through my head: what does this beard represent, grown as it was throughout the most seismic global event of the century, and is my shaving it off a psychological means of reclaiming myself? Something like that?
Actually, I was thinking how much this felt like the scene in Die Another Day when a straggle-bearded James Bond, fresh from fourteen months of torture and captivity, strolls into a luxury hotel in Hong Kong, asks for his usual suite and promptly de-Bee-Gees himself. I even hummed the theme song as I shaved, which is harder than it sounds.
Such golden moments as these, spun from nearly sixty years of Bond adventures, have become part of the fabric of our lives. Is it even possible to put on a dinner suit and bow tie without making a Bond quip to the mirror?...
Actually, I was thinking how much this felt like the scene in Die Another Day when a straggle-bearded James Bond, fresh from fourteen months of torture and captivity, strolls into a luxury hotel in Hong Kong, asks for his usual suite and promptly de-Bee-Gees himself. I even hummed the theme song as I shaved, which is harder than it sounds.
Such golden moments as these, spun from nearly sixty years of Bond adventures, have become part of the fabric of our lives. Is it even possible to put on a dinner suit and bow tie without making a Bond quip to the mirror?...
- 7/24/2020
- by Cai Ross
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Many Lives of James Bond
By Mark Edlitz
Lyons Press, 300 pages, $27.95
Now that No Time To Die’s April release feels imminent, now may be a good time to catch up on some past James Bond history. Always remember that the past is prologue for the James Bond series. Prolific interviewer Mark Edlitz is back, this time with the recently released book The Many Lives of James Bond.
James Bond has been explored in just about every manner imagined and yet, Edlitz comes through with a collection of discussions that is unique in its breadth. Subtitled “How the Creators of 007 Have Decoded the Superspy”, he offers insights from not just the actors, but the directors, songwriters, novelists, artists, designers, and more.
The book is broken into five parts: Bond on Film, Bond in Print, Being Bond, Designing 007, and Bond Women with an appendix on the Quotable Bond. It’s...
By Mark Edlitz
Lyons Press, 300 pages, $27.95
Now that No Time To Die’s April release feels imminent, now may be a good time to catch up on some past James Bond history. Always remember that the past is prologue for the James Bond series. Prolific interviewer Mark Edlitz is back, this time with the recently released book The Many Lives of James Bond.
James Bond has been explored in just about every manner imagined and yet, Edlitz comes through with a collection of discussions that is unique in its breadth. Subtitled “How the Creators of 007 Have Decoded the Superspy”, he offers insights from not just the actors, but the directors, songwriters, novelists, artists, designers, and more.
The book is broken into five parts: Bond on Film, Bond in Print, Being Bond, Designing 007, and Bond Women with an appendix on the Quotable Bond. It’s...
- 1/6/2020
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
In this week’s International TV Newswire, Scandinavia’s Nent announces its latest Viaplay original, “Partisan,” DirecTV Go hits three new Latin American territories; “Blockbusters” will open the Edinburgh Intl. TV Festival; and Endemol Shine Poland announces theatrical for “How to Marry a Millionaire.”
Nent Announces Viaplay Original ‘Partisan’
Swedish broadcaster Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent) has ordered “Partisan,” an original five-part drama series to be produced for its Svod platform, Viaplay.
Fares Fares, star of “The Nile Hilton Incident” and HBO’s “Chernobyl,” will headline and act as creative producer on the series, and says he’s been looking for a project in Swedish for some time.Filming has already begun, headed by director Amir Chandin and produced by Johanna Wennerberg for Warner Bros. Sweden. It’s set to premiere on the platform in 2020.
Set in the secluded rural village of Jordnära, the five-part crime thriller will deconstruct the seemingly...
Nent Announces Viaplay Original ‘Partisan’
Swedish broadcaster Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent) has ordered “Partisan,” an original five-part drama series to be produced for its Svod platform, Viaplay.
Fares Fares, star of “The Nile Hilton Incident” and HBO’s “Chernobyl,” will headline and act as creative producer on the series, and says he’s been looking for a project in Swedish for some time.Filming has already begun, headed by director Amir Chandin and produced by Johanna Wennerberg for Warner Bros. Sweden. It’s set to premiere on the platform in 2020.
Set in the secluded rural village of Jordnära, the five-part crime thriller will deconstruct the seemingly...
- 8/9/2019
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Blockbusters, based on the classic NBC gameshow, is heading back to the UK after Comedy Central picked up another local reboot.
The UK arm of the Viacom-owned broadcaster has ordered two seasons of the cult quiz from Fremantle’s Thames.
The show, which was a student classic when it aired on ITV between 1983 and 1993, was originally produced by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions for NBC, which aired it between 1980 and 1982 with a short-lived remake in 1987. It was created by Steve Ryan.
Mock The Week host Dara O’Briain is fronting the latest reboot, which will run for 20 episodes of 30 minutes. Players will attempt to cross a hexagonal board by answering quiz questions correlating to a letter, for a chance to win an “experiential” prize. The series is already in pre-production and will include two celebrity specials. It will debut on Comedy Central UK in 2019.
Blockbusters was commissioned by Louise Holmes,...
The UK arm of the Viacom-owned broadcaster has ordered two seasons of the cult quiz from Fremantle’s Thames.
The show, which was a student classic when it aired on ITV between 1983 and 1993, was originally produced by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions for NBC, which aired it between 1980 and 1982 with a short-lived remake in 1987. It was created by Steve Ryan.
Mock The Week host Dara O’Briain is fronting the latest reboot, which will run for 20 episodes of 30 minutes. Players will attempt to cross a hexagonal board by answering quiz questions correlating to a letter, for a chance to win an “experiential” prize. The series is already in pre-production and will include two celebrity specials. It will debut on Comedy Central UK in 2019.
Blockbusters was commissioned by Louise Holmes,...
- 12/3/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Jenny Morrill Dec 20, 2016
Russ Abbot, Bullseye, Noel Edmonds and a film we all watched in the same room. Christmas TV was more exciting in the 80s...
Cast your mind back to when Christmas Day wasn't about Doctor Who followed by sticking something on Netflix until it was time to go watch the annual fist fight outside the pub.
See related Looking back at Martin Scorsese's The King Of Comedy The Wolf Of Wall Street review The Wolf Of Wall Street & Scorsese's confrontational films
In the 80s, Christmas was about seeing which fantastic fare the TV had decided to bless us with. Of course, the more prepared among us knew this well in advance, having eagerly pored over the Radio Times/TV Times to check that Jimmy Cricket's Family Laugh 'n' Waz would be shown. There it was – right after Reflections On The Eucharist With The Reverend Paul Leyland.
Russ Abbot, Bullseye, Noel Edmonds and a film we all watched in the same room. Christmas TV was more exciting in the 80s...
Cast your mind back to when Christmas Day wasn't about Doctor Who followed by sticking something on Netflix until it was time to go watch the annual fist fight outside the pub.
See related Looking back at Martin Scorsese's The King Of Comedy The Wolf Of Wall Street review The Wolf Of Wall Street & Scorsese's confrontational films
In the 80s, Christmas was about seeing which fantastic fare the TV had decided to bless us with. Of course, the more prepared among us knew this well in advance, having eagerly pored over the Radio Times/TV Times to check that Jimmy Cricket's Family Laugh 'n' Waz would be shown. There it was – right after Reflections On The Eucharist With The Reverend Paul Leyland.
- 12/8/2016
- Den of Geek
Louisa Mellor Aug 10, 2016
How do they choose the 100 people polled on Pointless? What counts as a Mastermind specialist subject? 7 geeky game show questions…
It’s all very well for game shows to sit there and ask all the questions. How would they feel if we turned the tables and started to interrogate them? Then the quizzing shoe would be on the other foot.
(Potential ITV pitch “The Quizzing Shoe”: two teams of professional cobblers answer trivia questions on the history of footwear for a chance to win their choice of shoe worn by a member of the opposing team. Suggested hosts: Imelda Marcos, P.C. Boot from The Shoe People, Elizabeth Shue.)
Here are our best attempts at answering seven questions we’ve long wondered about some of the UK’s finest game and quiz shows…
1. How do they choose the 100 people polled on Pointless?
If a lady with...
How do they choose the 100 people polled on Pointless? What counts as a Mastermind specialist subject? 7 geeky game show questions…
It’s all very well for game shows to sit there and ask all the questions. How would they feel if we turned the tables and started to interrogate them? Then the quizzing shoe would be on the other foot.
(Potential ITV pitch “The Quizzing Shoe”: two teams of professional cobblers answer trivia questions on the history of footwear for a chance to win their choice of shoe worn by a member of the opposing team. Suggested hosts: Imelda Marcos, P.C. Boot from The Shoe People, Elizabeth Shue.)
Here are our best attempts at answering seven questions we’ve long wondered about some of the UK’s finest game and quiz shows…
1. How do they choose the 100 people polled on Pointless?
If a lady with...
- 8/9/2016
- Den of Geek
Gun to your head - or, rather, powerful laser device pointed close to your groin - you could probably list all six actors who've played James Bond.
But Connery, Brosnan, Moore and so on are the just the tip of the (admittedly quite small) iceberg, as this list of the "other" Bonds proves...
1. Bob Holness
Best known for everyone's favourite pee-themed, letter-obsessed quiz show, Holness enjoyed a wide and varied career before he settled down behind the Blockbusters desk, once working as an airborne traffic reporter and briefly holding down a job in a South African printing press.
How he then ended up as secret agent James Bond 007 seems as great a mystery as "Who are the kind of parents that call their daughter Pussy Galore?" But he did, thanks to a 1956 BBC radio play based on Moonraker.
2. Barry Nelson
Eight years before Sean Connery met Dr No, Barry Nelson...
But Connery, Brosnan, Moore and so on are the just the tip of the (admittedly quite small) iceberg, as this list of the "other" Bonds proves...
1. Bob Holness
Best known for everyone's favourite pee-themed, letter-obsessed quiz show, Holness enjoyed a wide and varied career before he settled down behind the Blockbusters desk, once working as an airborne traffic reporter and briefly holding down a job in a South African printing press.
How he then ended up as secret agent James Bond 007 seems as great a mystery as "Who are the kind of parents that call their daughter Pussy Galore?" But he did, thanks to a 1956 BBC radio play based on Moonraker.
2. Barry Nelson
Eight years before Sean Connery met Dr No, Barry Nelson...
- 10/28/2015
- Digital Spy
22 best and worst Bond theme songs ranked: Do you agree?
Ah, Mr Bond! We've been... inspecting you. Yes, ahead of Spectre's release on October 26, Digital Spy has attempted the impossible: ranking all 23 films of the 007 franchise. From 1962's Dr No all the way to 2012's Skyfall, we've graded which films were 00-heaven - and which were, well, something of an oddjob.
Ok, we've ignored unofficial outing Never Say Never Again and that weird original Casino Royale with Woody Allen. Plus the radio version of Moonraker, starring Blockbusters' Bob Holness. But otherwise, read on for your definitive guide through a minefield of gadgets, girls and shaken martinis, starting with the abject worst. Violently disagree? Be sure to let us know...
23. Die Another Day (2002)
An invisible Aston Martin, a tsunami surfing Pierce Brosnan and an excruciating Madonna theme song - this was Bond at his blundering worst. Released to coincide with the spy's 40th anniversary,...
Ah, Mr Bond! We've been... inspecting you. Yes, ahead of Spectre's release on October 26, Digital Spy has attempted the impossible: ranking all 23 films of the 007 franchise. From 1962's Dr No all the way to 2012's Skyfall, we've graded which films were 00-heaven - and which were, well, something of an oddjob.
Ok, we've ignored unofficial outing Never Say Never Again and that weird original Casino Royale with Woody Allen. Plus the radio version of Moonraker, starring Blockbusters' Bob Holness. But otherwise, read on for your definitive guide through a minefield of gadgets, girls and shaken martinis, starting with the abject worst. Violently disagree? Be sure to let us know...
23. Die Another Day (2002)
An invisible Aston Martin, a tsunami surfing Pierce Brosnan and an excruciating Madonna theme song - this was Bond at his blundering worst. Released to coincide with the spy's 40th anniversary,...
- 10/10/2015
- Digital Spy
We love a good quiz show here at Digital Spy, so when Gethin Jones invited us to come down and play his new series The 21st Question, how could we refuse? It's a pretty simple premise - a group of contestants compete but only the one who correctly answers the 21st Question has a chance at going through to win some big money.
When we weren't scowling at our inability to get a question right, we caught up with Gethin to find out 21 more things about him (including his weird celebrity crush!) and the show, which kicks off this afternoon...
1. The concept of the show is very simple - but there are lots of tactics!
"The quiz is very simple. The only way you can win any money is by being on the Power Spot when I ask the 21st question. That's it, that's the premise of the show, and...
When we weren't scowling at our inability to get a question right, we caught up with Gethin to find out 21 more things about him (including his weird celebrity crush!) and the show, which kicks off this afternoon...
1. The concept of the show is very simple - but there are lots of tactics!
"The quiz is very simple. The only way you can win any money is by being on the Power Spot when I ask the 21st question. That's it, that's the premise of the show, and...
- 8/4/2014
- Digital Spy
From 1962’s Dr No to the upcoming Skyfall, James Bond films have been guaranteed to thrill us, grip us, make as laugh and keep us on the edge our seats. And with the plethora of information available in books, on the DVDs and Blu-rays, and in the new cinema documentary Everything or Nothing, there isn’t a lot left to be said about Britain’s foremost secret agent and his cinema exploits. Undaunted, here I present 20 things that you probably don’t know about the James Bond films – surely even the most ardent fan will find a few unfamiliar factoids here.
They are presented roughly chronologically, so let’s begin with the very first Bond…
1. The First Cinematic James Bond Was… Bob Simmons
The first actor to play James Bond was Barry Nelson (who actually played CIA Agent “Card Sense” Jimmy Bond) in a fairly lack-lustre and under budgeted CBS...
They are presented roughly chronologically, so let’s begin with the very first Bond…
1. The First Cinematic James Bond Was… Bob Simmons
The first actor to play James Bond was Barry Nelson (who actually played CIA Agent “Card Sense” Jimmy Bond) in a fairly lack-lustre and under budgeted CBS...
- 10/19/2012
- by Tom Salinsky
- Obsessed with Film
Actor Dominic West was the toast of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) TV Awards on Sunday after scoring a top prize for his creepy portrayal of serial killer Fred West.
The Wire star landed the Best Actor prize for his role in U.K. series Appropriate Adult, a reconstruction of the police investigation into the notorious murderer, while his co-star Emily Watson won Best Actress for playing Janet Leach, who sat in on the interviews Fred West gave to cops.
As he collected his award, West said, "I hope she (Leach) has had some closure and I hope she feels we honoured the suffering she endured and the suffering of all of West's victims, living and dead."
Watson appeared emotional as she gave her winner's speech and told the BBC after the ceremony, "It was such a disturbing place to go. In my speech I was very overwhelmed I forgot to thank Janet Leach, she gave very generously to us.
"The public perception of the West case is a tabloid-driven view and then I read the script and it was a very intelligent piece full of integrity. It's a deep abyss right in the middle of our society."
Appropriate Adult enjoyed a triple win at the London ceremony - Monica Dolan won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rosemary West, nm1377339 autoFred West[/link]'s wife. Sherlock's Andrew Scott fought off competition from his co-star Martin Freeman to win Best Supporting Actor.
Beloved Australian entertainer Rolf Harris was awarded a BAFTA Fellowship in honour of his lengthy career, and as he was applauded he declared, "Thank you so much, that's very moving", before adding, "How nice to be presented with this... I can't begin to tell you just how humbled I am by being here in this distinguished company, so many previous recipients of this BAFTA Fellowship."
Other winners included Shane Meadows' This Is England 88, which took the Best Mini-Series prize, Doctor Who writer Stephen Moffat, who received a Special BAFTA for "outstanding creative writing contribution to television", and Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders (Female Performance in a Comedy Programme).
The ceremony also featured a memorial segment, remembering the stars lost in the past 12 months, including Davy Jones, actresses Anna Massey, Googie Withers and Betty Driver, presenters Jimmy Savile and Bob Holness, actors Peter Falk, George Baker and Colin Tarrant, and comedian Frank Carson.
Presenters at the ceremony included West, actresses Helen McCrory, Melissa George and Emilia Fox, and actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith, Sam Claflin and Timothy Spall.
The Wire star landed the Best Actor prize for his role in U.K. series Appropriate Adult, a reconstruction of the police investigation into the notorious murderer, while his co-star Emily Watson won Best Actress for playing Janet Leach, who sat in on the interviews Fred West gave to cops.
As he collected his award, West said, "I hope she (Leach) has had some closure and I hope she feels we honoured the suffering she endured and the suffering of all of West's victims, living and dead."
Watson appeared emotional as she gave her winner's speech and told the BBC after the ceremony, "It was such a disturbing place to go. In my speech I was very overwhelmed I forgot to thank Janet Leach, she gave very generously to us.
"The public perception of the West case is a tabloid-driven view and then I read the script and it was a very intelligent piece full of integrity. It's a deep abyss right in the middle of our society."
Appropriate Adult enjoyed a triple win at the London ceremony - Monica Dolan won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rosemary West, nm1377339 autoFred West[/link]'s wife. Sherlock's Andrew Scott fought off competition from his co-star Martin Freeman to win Best Supporting Actor.
Beloved Australian entertainer Rolf Harris was awarded a BAFTA Fellowship in honour of his lengthy career, and as he was applauded he declared, "Thank you so much, that's very moving", before adding, "How nice to be presented with this... I can't begin to tell you just how humbled I am by being here in this distinguished company, so many previous recipients of this BAFTA Fellowship."
Other winners included Shane Meadows' This Is England 88, which took the Best Mini-Series prize, Doctor Who writer Stephen Moffat, who received a Special BAFTA for "outstanding creative writing contribution to television", and Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders (Female Performance in a Comedy Programme).
The ceremony also featured a memorial segment, remembering the stars lost in the past 12 months, including Davy Jones, actresses Anna Massey, Googie Withers and Betty Driver, presenters Jimmy Savile and Bob Holness, actors Peter Falk, George Baker and Colin Tarrant, and comedian Frank Carson.
Presenters at the ceremony included West, actresses Helen McCrory, Melissa George and Emilia Fox, and actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith, Sam Claflin and Timothy Spall.
- 5/28/2012
- WENN
BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo will host a new series of 'Blockbusters'. The DJ will star in a revival of the classic quiz show - whose original host Bob Holness died last month at the age of 83 - on Challenge TV and has assured viewers he has no plans to change the format of the programme, which aired on ITV from 1983 to 1994. He told The Sun newspaper: 'No one needs to worry, it will be exactly the same - same set, same board, same theme tune although slightly updated. 'The prizes will probably be the same too although you won't win a dictionary, you win an e-reader. 'The spirit of the show will be...
- 2/6/2012
- Monsters and Critics
BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo will host a new series of 'Blockbusters'. The DJ will star in a revival of the classic quiz show - whose original host Bob Holness died last month at the age of 83 - on Challenge TV and has assured viewers he has no plans to change the format of the programme, which aired on ITV from 1983 to 1994. He told The Sun newspaper: "No one needs to worry, it will be exactly the same - same set, same board, same theme tune although slightly updated. "The prizes will probably be the same too although...
- 2/6/2012
- Virgin Media - TV
BBC Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo is to host a brand new series of cult hexagon based quiz show Blockbusters, Challenge TV have announced.
Produced by Thames and filmed at Sky’s new production facility Sky Studios, Blockbusters will return to our screens later this spring.
The move comes just a few weeks after the sad death of Bob Holness, the long running host who was synonymous with the UK favourite program that actually debuted in the Us in 1980, but enjoyed its best run between 1983 and 1994 in this country. Less notable hosts Michael Aspel and Liza Tarbuck have hosted revived versions of Blockbusters in the years since Holness left.
“Blockbusters is the ultimate cult TV quiz, and we think that Simon Mayo is the perfect host to bring it back to our screens,” commented Barbara Gibbon, director of Challenge TV. “We hope that it will be popular not only with those...
Produced by Thames and filmed at Sky’s new production facility Sky Studios, Blockbusters will return to our screens later this spring.
The move comes just a few weeks after the sad death of Bob Holness, the long running host who was synonymous with the UK favourite program that actually debuted in the Us in 1980, but enjoyed its best run between 1983 and 1994 in this country. Less notable hosts Michael Aspel and Liza Tarbuck have hosted revived versions of Blockbusters in the years since Holness left.
“Blockbusters is the ultimate cult TV quiz, and we think that Simon Mayo is the perfect host to bring it back to our screens,” commented Barbara Gibbon, director of Challenge TV. “We hope that it will be popular not only with those...
- 2/6/2012
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
Simon Mayo has signed up to host Challenge's upcoming revival of the classic gameshow Blockbusters. News of the show's return to television emerged last month, shortly after the death of original host Bob Holness. Mayo has now landed the job of host. The Radio 2 presenter claimed that he only agreed to the role because the "spirit of the show will be exactly the same". "No-one needs to worry," he said. "It will be exactly the same - same set, same board, the same theme tune, (more)...
- 2/6/2012
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Cult gameshow Blockbusters is to be revived later this year, according to a report. The Sun claims that the classic format, previously hosted by the late Bob Holness, has been given a 40-episode order by TalkBack Thames. BSkyB-owned channel Challenge TV, which is currently broadcasting old episodes of the programme, will air the batch of new editions. While no presenter has yet been announced, it has already been revealed that the revamp will feature over-18s instead (more)...
- 1/16/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Veteran British TV presenter Bob Holness has died at the age of 83.
The broadcaster, best known as host of hit quiz show Blockbusters, had been in ill health in recent years after suffering a major stroke in 2002, and he died in his sleep at a nursing home in the early hours of Friday morning.
He spent almost 60 years presenting radio and TV shows in the U.K. but is best remembered for hosting highbrow student quiz series Blockbusters from 1983 to 1994.
He was also the subject of a famous urban myth when he was falsely rumoured to have played the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's hit Baker Street.
Holness leaves a wife, Mary, three children and seven grandchildren.
The broadcaster, best known as host of hit quiz show Blockbusters, had been in ill health in recent years after suffering a major stroke in 2002, and he died in his sleep at a nursing home in the early hours of Friday morning.
He spent almost 60 years presenting radio and TV shows in the U.K. but is best remembered for hosting highbrow student quiz series Blockbusters from 1983 to 1994.
He was also the subject of a famous urban myth when he was falsely rumoured to have played the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's hit Baker Street.
Holness leaves a wife, Mary, three children and seven grandchildren.
- 1/6/2012
- WENN
Bob Holness will forever be remembered by more than one generation of Brits as the face and the voice of Blockbusters, one of the finest gameshows of its era. Following the news of his sad death today at the age of 83, we've been going through YouTube to remind ourselves of some of Mr Holness's finest moments, both on Blockbusters and elsewhere, to celebrate his life. The first ever Blockbusters episode
People didn't know it back in 1983, but that first airing of the classic proto-electropop theme and imposing backdrop was to become a part of our lives for a decade to come. Bob tells us what it's all about. Bob meets Zig and Zag
'90s irritants and one of Simon Cowell's major pop duos of the decade (think Jedward, made of fabric) once met Bob on The Big Breakfast, but he had all the best lines. "It (more)...
People didn't know it back in 1983, but that first airing of the classic proto-electropop theme and imposing backdrop was to become a part of our lives for a decade to come. Bob tells us what it's all about. Bob meets Zig and Zag
'90s irritants and one of Simon Cowell's major pop duos of the decade (think Jedward, made of fabric) once met Bob on The Big Breakfast, but he had all the best lines. "It (more)...
- 1/6/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Blockbusters presenter Bob Holness has died at the age of 83. Holness passed away on Friday morning (January 6) peacefully in his sleep, according to his family. The TV icon, who has previously suffered from a series of strokes, was living in a nursing home. > Bob Holness: Best on-screen moments - video Born Robert Wentworth John Holness in Natal, South Africa, Holness moved to the UK with his family as a child, before briefly returning to South Africa to work for a printing company. He began his distinguished broadcasting career in 1955, the same year he also married his wife Mary. Bob and Mary returned to the UK together in 1961, where his career blossomed. Holness landed his first job with the BBC on Late Night Extra and worked for Radio 1 and 2 with broadcasters including Terry Wogan and Michael Parkinson. His impressive radio credits included (more)...
- 1/6/2012
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
'Blockbusters' host Bob Holness has died. The quiz show presenter - most famous for fronting the ITV quiz show from 1983 to 1994 - passed away today (06.01.12) aged 83. A statement from his family revealed he "died peacefully in his sleep early this morning." Bob - born Robert Wentworth John Holness - enjoyed a showbiz career spanning more than 60 years, starting as a radio presenter in 1995. In 1956, he was the voice of spy James Bond in a radio production of Ian Fleming's novel 'Moonraker'. Bob's television career began in 1961 when he became the host of the game show...
- 1/4/2012
- Virgin Media - TV
Bob Holness's classic TV gameshow Blockbusters is being rebooted by X Factor producer TalkBack Thames. The teatime quiz, which created the famous catchphrase "Can I have a P please, Bob?" is currently being reworked and will return with a new host. Based around a hexagonal board of letters, contestants - who were traditionally young students - battled against each other to get a complete line across the board. The winner would then take part in the Gold Rush bonus round. The new series will include over-18s instead of students. TalkBack Thames is said to be looking for "outgoing people with good general knowledge (more)...
- 11/10/2011
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Broadcaster Stuart Maconie and comedian Tommy Boyd have paid tribute to the late Gerry Rafferty, who passed away yesterday after a long illness. BBC DJ Maconie claimed in a column for The Mirror to have created the urban legend that Blockbusters host Bob Holness played the saxophone on Rafferty's 'Baker Street'. "I saw on Twitter that as well as Gerry's name being tweeted, so was that of Bob Holness," he said. "My personal and silly part in a sad story is that as an NME writer I invented the urban myth claiming that Bob played the sax solo on Gerry's 1978 hit 'Baker Street'. "That's not true. What is, is that Gerry's enigmatic, wry songcraft and his way with a nagging melody made him a reluctant star in successive eras of '70s pop." However, on his own website, comedian Tommy (more)...
- 1/5/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
When you ask somebody to name their favourite quiz show host, most will go for the obvious and predictable choices of Bob Monkhouse or Bruce Forsyth. Digital Spy, however, would always pick Robert Wentworth John Holness. Aside from giving us the classic "Can I have 'P' please Bob" gag, Holness's gentle demeanor and ability to deal with nerdy students on Blockbusters alone earn him the status of a DS Icon. Beyond Blockbusters, the grey-haired gent also worked (more)...
- 11/28/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
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