What's Going On

Time for a brief, but well overdue, update. As previously noted the new year resolutions have not had a particularly life changing effect so far. In fact I've managed to be less productive than I was prior to the new year if anything. No mean feat.

The reason, or the excuse if you're feeling charitable, is that another move looms. Unexpectedly we spotted a likely home over the holiday season and we're in the process of sorting out all the endless gubbins involved in buying a house.

Without intending any offence to the picturesque City of Worcester we will not be staying on in these parts. Whether because it was such a trial finding somewhere to live here, or because the place we found was not really adequate for our purposes I can't say. Whatever the reason we've not been very comfortable during our stay. I think we may be regular visitors in the future however as I am very fond of the Cathedral, the river and The Swan with Two Nicks.

I don't want to jinx the new home so I'll not go into too many details yet. I will reveal that I already have a writey room (or study as I believe more professional persons describe them) earmarked (and a shopping list for kitting it out Cork board - check, multi-coloured post it notes - check, flip chart - check, one of those little basketball hoops to clip on to the bin - check...). This will be a vast improvement on the situation in our current home where I balance the laptop on my knee.

We're not likely to move before April so I've revised my writing objetives somewhat. As long as I complete the one project I've been working on by the time of the move then I'll be happy. I can then start off in the new place with all fresh projects. That'll feel good. I still believe 2008 is going to be a make or break year for me - and I oddly feel more and more positive about the future. In the mean time I've been reading and viewing extensively.

------

In other news I've been enjoying some quality drama over the last month. I've watched the first series of Survivors, which has agressively asserted itself amongst my favourite television programmes ever (Abby Grant is my new hero). We've also been watching the first three series of Dad's Army. When a series is repeated so often, and usually the same episodes over and over, it's easy to forget what great scripts they had, and what a brilliant cast they had. I recommend settling in with a Dad's Army DVD as an excellent way to spend an evening and a masterclass in television comedy.

Similarly, having received the complete Blackadder collection for Christmas I scoffed the lot in a couple of weeks (well, apart from Back and Forth. I'm going to leave a bit of a gap before I watch that - about ten years I think). I may not have watched the potato episode for fifteen years but I still remembered every line, to the endless delight of my wife.

The redoubtable Torchwood is back and, as expected, better than last year. If I'm totally honest I found the first episode slightly overcooked but the last two have been very, very good (particularly the one by Mr Moran of this parish). I also guess it should lead straight into series four of Who so yee-harr!

I've also been very much enjoying the second series of Primeval, just as fresh and fun as the first series was, but a bit dafter!

All this and Ashes to Ashes starts next Thursday. Not completely sure it needed to be made but I am sure I'll enjoy it. I certainly like the Radio Times covers!

I'm sure I'll have more to say about Survivors, Torchie and Ashes soon.

Until then...

Let's get it started...

The ordeal is over. The hour is upon us. It’s the end of the road. Dunroamin. I have moved house.

It only took six weeks.

The truth is we moved in last week but I’ve been tied up with a writing project and with some actual real-life stuff too.

Plus I’m relying on a dial-up internet connection till next week. About that – why do I imagine the sound of a ZX spectrum loading every time I click a link? Dial-up is like travelling back in time, only slower. And Scrabbulous won’t work (not that I’m winning any games). Rubbish.

I was almost glad to get back to work and an internet connection that wasn’t powered by six wheezing gerbils in a treadmill. Almost.

------

Emma and I had a lovely walk along the river Severn on Saturday and paid a visit to Worcester Cathedral. The Cathedral has existed in some form since the seventh century and has played a part in a great deal of British history. We were amazed to discover that King John resides there. Apparently he was so fond of Worcester, and of the Benedictine community that lived at the Cathedral at the time, that he asked to be buried there when he died. So in 1216, the year after he had signed the Magna Carta, King John moved in down the road from me.

Stanley Baldwin, Richard Edes and Arthur Tudor (Henry VIII's elder brother) are other famous residents, as well as your religious types such as Saints Wulfstan and Oswald. The crypt begun by St Wulfstan in the 1080’s is now open to the public. It’s slightly magical to enter that chamber and imagine people discussing the Norman conquest in there as we might now discuss whether or not there’s going to be an election.

------

On the writing front I’m about to finally revisit Hitman, and whip it into shape for Writers Room. I’ve resolved to finish all my ‘in progress’ projects over the next few months. I’ve now had several responses to my last sitcom which have all pretty much added up to ‘we like it but we don’t want to make it – show us something else’. So I’m going to stop worrying about game-plans and time-wasting and get a body of work behind me.

Danny Stack’s recent post has made me seriously consider joining the Writers Guild and I think it’s time I put a bit more energy into networking and meeting other writers.

The recent successes of David Bishop and Jason Arnopp have shown that hard bloody graft really does pay off. I don’t think I can say that I’ve worked hard enough at this writing game so far and that needs to change.

Call it an autumnal resolution, it’s either late or early.