Podcasts about aa gill

Welcome back to The Go To Food Podcast! Today, we're joined by the country's most famous food critic and journalist, and perhaps once the angriest man in Britain, Giles Coren. Giles has been the restaurant critic for The Times since 2002, following stints as a critic for Tatler and The Independent on Sunday. He's also hosted over 30 TV shows in both the UK and US, landing his big break in 2005 with Gordon Ramsay's F-Word.Known for never shying away from controversy, Giles has found himself at the center of numerous scandals over the years—many of which, as he reveals, have led to pay raises instead of sackings. A brilliant writer and orator, he's also made a few enemies with his notorious Twitter rants and his sensitivity to public opinion. In today's episode, for the first time ever, Giles opens up about his most memorable controversies, shares his regrets (including his greatest regret over his comments about Dawn Foster after her passing), and explains why he thinks Jonathan Nunn is the biggest "C***" in the world—though it may not be as harsh as it sounds.We also dive into his professional journey to the top of the journalism world, explore why he believes the role of food critic is nearly extinct, uncover why he had a complicated relationship with AA Gill, and hear about the most disgusting food he's ever eaten. Plus, find out how he got a famous restaurant chain shut down, his thoughts on the Notting Hill dining scene, how he discovered he had cancer, and much more.This is definitely one of our most entertaining—and possibly controversial—interviews yet. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!--------Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges. Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that's always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you're live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Myself and Tim have been threatening each other with a podcast taping for over a year, and we finally found time to sit down, beverages to hand, and make it happen!(This is a satisfyingly lengthy episode, clocking in at over 2.5 hours, and we'll do more of such chat fests in the future, too). We talk about Tim's path into the industry as a cook and chef in some very high-profile restaurants in his native UK and then in Argentina, moving into drinks writing, the rise of spirits designed to be mixed, the delusions we must all buy in to that make hospitality pleasant, changing tides of kitchen culture, why we don't have (but probably need) reviews of bars and spirits that are critical where deserved, the sparkling repartee that legendary restaurant AA Gill exchanged with Gordon Ramsay one evening in a restaurant where Tim worked, the anonymity dilemma of modern bars, our respective roles spreading COVID in early 2020 and our shared experience of the deli-counter / conveyor-belt marriages at Manhattan City Hall. Enjoy!(Oh, and the place Tim couldn't remember the name of, when I asked him for a place outside the US that had impressed him recently? It's Radici in Italy: https://www.instagram.com/____radici____?igsh=eW45YnpteTNsaDAy )Tim on IG: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/?hl=enTim on X/Twitter: https://x.com/timmckirdy?s=11&t=kTsTPMPK0kgHLvK8ldrFXQCocktail College on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5MLIRt8RnvTdfp1vFtVtI7VinePair on IG: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/?hl=en Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we're only interested in having your client on if they can talk about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won't supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip's consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oldduff...

his week Bunny is in the garden with Tim Hart. Tim switched from a nine year long banking career to starting a hotel in 1979. Now his world famous hotel, Hambleton Hall in Rutland,  is renown  for its superb cuisine – it has held a Michelin star since 1982, for 44 years, the longest of any restaurant in the UK. Tim gained this just 3 years after opening, while AA Gill's brother, Nick Gill, was head chef.  The gardens Tim has created, which overlook Rutland Water, are also exceptional. Tim explains how they altered them to give them year round appeal and how he prunes his stunning cloud pruned cork oak, climbing the trees himself in order to do it.  See the video ‘Fabulous Food, Fabulous Garden' on Bunny's YouTube channel where she chats to Tim and the Head Gardener Rob. www.hambletonhall.com  #hambletonhall #bunnyguinnesspodcast 

Today, I'm speaking to chef and writer Alasdair Gill, the son of the well-known journalist AA Gill, about his own battle with addiction. Ali has spoken openly about how the words of his late father helped him to overcome his own addiction to drink and drugs. He explains how he hit rock bottom before finding the strength he needed to become sober two years ago with his father, Adrian, playing a crucial role in the breakthrough from Beyond the Grave. There were similarities between AA Gill's personal struggle and Ali's, which were reflected in his father's memoir, which he penned after giving up alcohol aged 29. It was when Ali was presented with his memoir at a rehabilitation center near Edinburgh, which then instigated his own journey to sobriety. Find Ali Gill: Instagram: @aligill421Follow Hurt to Healing on Instagram: @hurttohealingpod--A big thank you our wonderful charity partner Shout. Shout is the UK's first 24/7 mental health text support service so if you're struggling or in need of someone to talk to, please remember to text Shout to 85258. A massive thank you to The&Partnership for supporting my mission and showing what we can achieve when we come together. To find out more about the work The&Partnership creates, visit The&Partnership.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of Life in Food with Laura Price, I discuss Food and Passion with Sophie Haydock, author of The Flames, a novel about the four muses who posed for the artist Egon Schiele in Vienna more than 100 years ago. Sophie and I talk about the links between food, passion and art, the passion that runs through the women in her novel, and her passion for writing. She also talks about her time working with the late Sunday Times food critic AA Gill, and shares an exclusive extract from one of the articles he dictated to her, about mushrooms.Follow Sophie on Instagram @_sophiehaydock_.Follow Egon's Schiele's Women on Instagram @egonschieleswomen.Follow Sophie on Twitter @SophieHaydock.Buy The Flames in paperback.Visit Sophie's website.Listen to Sophie on Confessions of a Debut Novelist.About Sophie Haydock: Sophie is an award-winning journalist who worked for The Sunday Times and has interviewed authors from Bernardine Evaristo to Sally Rooney, as well as being a judge for various literary competitions. The Flames is her debut novel.About the host: Laura Price is a multilingual journalist who travels the world writing about restaurants. A proud Yorkshire lass at heart, she spent several years in Latin America before settling in London. Her first novel, Single Bald Female, was inspired by her experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 29. A novelist by day and a food writer by night, Laura combines her two passions into this podcast, bringing out powerful stories of survival and healing in a language that everyone understands – food.Buy Single Bald Female.Visit Laura's website.Read Laura's Substack newsletter, Doughnuts for Breakfast.Follow Laura on Instagram @laurapricewrites.Follow Laura on Twitter @laurapricewrite.Life in Food is hosted, produced and edited by Laura Price. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amber Rudd and I got to know each other by experiencing the bubbling cauldron of UK politics at the same time.As we became firm friends, I realised one of her amazing qualities was the ability to stay calm in a crisis and to keep everything in perspective.We talk about what she learned from her father going blind; how she ended up being “Aristocracy Coordinator” on Four Weddings and a Funeral; being married to the brilliant but complex AA Gill; and her tumultuous experience at the very top of politics.

George Monbiot goes up against AA Gill to debate whether it is ethical to rear and kill animals for human consumption. The chair is Afua Hirsch. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EPISODE SYNOPSIS For Ravinder Bhogal, cook, writer & restaurant owner, food storytelling is an integral part of her work ethos and what drives the flavour combinations that make it to her menus. In this inspiring episode of The Filling podcast, Ravinder explains to Anna Barnett that restaurants are spaces for humanity where you see the spectrum of emotions, and if you can understand someone’s food you can understand their culture. Ravinder’s is a life story packed with exploration, rule-breaking, community, and a sense of belonging. And not forgetting seriously delicious food. EPISODE NOTES 01:40 – 05:15) Lockdown has been tough for all sectors of the hospitality business, however Ravinder has channelled that frustration into ‘Comfort & Joy’, her catering initiative for Kings College Hospital and the Nishkam Swat foundation. Here she explains the concept and inception. 14:30 – 17:00) As a former journalist, words play an important part in Ravinder’s life and love of food. Here she delicately explains how words and food entwine and how her dishes are stories with no ending. 28:00 – 30:00) Ravinder describes her flavour combinations as ‘mongrel cuisine’ or food with no borders. Her cultural heritage means she naturally wants to combine her Indian roots with her Kenyan and British upbringing. She Ravinder details how this cultural integrations manifests in her cooking. 34:30 – 37:00) In an emotionally detailed section, Ravinder recounts arriving in South London from India and the cultural shock that awaited her. It wasn’t an easy passage. The idea of Jikoni became a utopian ideal where cultures combined and where she could belong. 44:00 – 46:30) This wonderfully loving section details Ravinder’s admiration for her pioneering grandfather who left India in the 1930’s to set up a new life in Kenya. 47:00 – 50:00) Familial expectations for an Indian girl are examined here. Ravinder was the first girl in her family to be allowed a university education. But did she study what was expected of her? 53:00 – 55:00) As a self-described ‘non chefy chef’, Ravinder is not immune to a little self-doubt. So praise from eminent names such as AA Gill and Nigella Lawson is enormously rewarding. Listen in to hear how AA Gill described Ravinder’s cooking. TOP QUOTES “Writing is a huge passion; words are as important as food; words move me to tears and so can food.” Ravinder “Do I take out an injunction or do I marry him?” Ravinder (on her husband) “Nothing can replace good old fashioned hard work.” Ravinder “It’s a very ‘come to mama’ kind of dish.” Ravinder (on her Scragan Pie) “I think it’s a social responsibility for restaurants to have flattering lighting.” Anna “I’m Punjabi; we don’t have blood; we have butter in our veins.” Ravinder RESOURCES www.ravinderbhogal.com www.jikonilondon.com www.lalaniandco.com www.wildpressjuice.com www.swatlondon.com ABOUT THE GUEST Ravinder Bhogal is a food writer, restaurateur, cook, journalist, and stylist. Born in Kenya to Punjabi parents, Ravinder moved to South London with her family when she was 7. Her mixed heritage background blends deliciously with her natural passion for food and cooking, and her work and food spans flavours and culinary traditions from the Far East, India & South Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, and Britain. Ravinder often cites the celebration of immigrant cuisine as her cooking style. Ravinder first came to prominence in 2005 when she won the TV cooking competition, The F Word, judged by Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett. She opened her first restaurant Jikoni in Marylebone, London in September 2016.Ravinder has written several cookbooks and writes a regular monthly column for the FT Weekend. Instagram: @cookinboots ABOUT THE HOST Anna Barnett displayed an enthusiastic interest in food, cooking (and especially eating) early in life; eagerly joining her nan in the kitchen to observe and learn...

Ash Bhardwaj on Adventure With Purpose and Becoming a Travel Journalist. How can you travel the world and get paid for it? Ash Bhardwaj is a travel writer and storyteller - and also co-host of The First Mile. He's reported from around the world for global broadcasters such as the BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4, has a monthly travel column in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, and has made films for Channel 4, Discovery and the BBC. In this special episode, Pip interviews her co-host about launching and sustaining career in adventure travel. If you want to travel with purpose, or make a living out of travel, this is the episode for you. In this episode, discover: How Ash got into travel journalism. Why Ash was a terrible cowboy. How a trip to India to take his Dad's ashes back shaped his curiosity for travel journalism and travel with purpose. Ash's steps to achieving in any industry - skills, network and portfolio. How to network. Why you should say yes to opportunities. Why you should just keep turning up. Why travelling with purpose enhances your travel experiences. The importance of managing your mental health. Links mentioned in this episode: Ash website https://www.ashbhardwaj.com/bio  Ash Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ashbhardwaj/?hl=en  Ash Twitter https://twitter.com/AshBhardwaj  Levison Wood http://www.levisonwood.com  Secret Compass https://secretcompass.com  Walking with The Wounded https://www.walkingwiththewounded.org.uk  Nick Crane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Crane  Rise and Shine Audio Network https://www.riseandshineaudio.com/ The Army Reserve  https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/the-army-reserve/  Edgelands https://www.telegraph.co.uk/edgelands/ AA Gill https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/177627.A_A_Gill Michael Palin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Palin  JOIN US ON SOCIAL: We'd love to hear what you think of this week's The First Mile and if you've got any suggestions of topics or people you'd like to hear interviewed. Drop us a line on Instagram @AshBhardwaj and @PipStewart or Twitter @AshBhardwaj and @PipStewart.   *Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode. Thank you! 

Retro AIOTM - Back to Halloween 2009 and the mad show which Richard Herring attempted to write in a day and record with minimal rehearsal. Watch Rich of Twitch at http://twitch.tv/rkherring for some live RHLSTPs, self-playing snooker. Stone clearing and more. If you are with Amazon Prime you can give him free money. Here’s how.Episode 4 of AIOTM is a Halloween special. Rich speculates that his comedy might be written by aliens, whilst Emma talks about the rats in her tree. Dan admits that his skills as an impressionist are limited, and Christian has been having some troubles at an agricultural college. With guests including AA Gill, Derek Acorah and the ghost of Michael Jackson. It's spooktacular, isogamous, and supports the postal strike with some reservations. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For the 2019 TickyOff Christmas Special Sam and James have lunch with two absolute heroes; Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver. Said lunch takes place at St John. For twenty five years, it is said that Fergus ‘puts it on the plate' and Trevor ‘puts it in the glass' at St John. Since before time began, The TickyOff Boyz have been said to ‘put it on the pod'. So a recording of the lunch has flat-out been put….on the pod. Great quantities of wine are drunk, greater quantities of food are eaten. However, the substance in greatest supply during this feast, is chat. Solid gold festive chat. Is that angels singing? No, it's Fergus and Trevor's origin story involving hotdogs at a dog track. Is that the sound of jingle bells….jingling? Nah, that's Lee Tiernan yap, AA Gill discussion and Jonathan Gold babble. Ah, the gentle pop of chestnuts roasting on an open fire! Alas no, your ears deceive you, that's James eating snails, Sam's cat dying during recording and Fergus teaching the correct irrigation technique for Worcestershire sauce on a rarebit. Other Christmas miracles on aural display include Paul Bocuse's ever growing toque, stuffing as a Christmas lunch prep jazz moment, ‘Master And Commander' and the serenity of bread sauce. The TickyOff Boyz were and remain, very honoured and grateful to have been invited to lunch with two such legendary fellows. In much the same way as you are no doubt honoured and grateful to be able to listen in. Happy Christmas dear listeners. We have love for you. In a way. This week's episode is sponsored by your very own Christmas miracles at dropwine.co.uk RIP Ripley x

Last week the TickyOff Boyz visited the ancient pyramids. As they approached these magnificent desert triangles, Sam jumped down from James's mighty back and noticed something. “A triangle has three points!” Sam bellowed powerfully. James snorted in agreement and they both immediately reached the same conclusion. They should find a guest who had been on the TickyOff twice before and invite them back on the TickyOff for a third TickyOff appearance so that they could be the first triangular guest on the TickyOff. What better way to pay homage to their favourite shape, the triangle? There was only one possible human who could achieve this milestone, Eater London editor, Adam Coghlan. Sam jumped back astride his trusty steed with a powerful cry of: “To home, my equine buddy!” They turned away from the sandy three sided brick stacks and rode home to TickyOff Towers to anoint the very first TickyOff Triangle Human. Adam ponders on why some people hate Eater London, the AA Gill award controversy, influencers, nuance torpedoes and reaching across an aisle. He comes out in support of a foul crisp and raves about Tata Eatery. Also, Sam has had an operation on his back and legged it from a nurse. James went to Yorkshire and cooked a rubbish salmon-based meal. There's gildas discussion, Adam wears something called The Bill Oddie and Sam goes up to the top of the Royal Opera House only to discover a strange genre of toilet. This weeks' episode is sponsored by legendary whisperers of wine dropwine.co.uk

Sarah Baxter is deputy editor at the Sunday Times. After a successful career in publishing, Sarah started her journalism career at Time Out, before tackling roles at the New Statesman and the Observer, where she became senior associate editor. She has reported on the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of Hamas in Gaza and, while living in New York in 2001, the 9/11 terror attack on the Twin Towers. In this in-depth interview, she pays tribute to departed colleagues AA Gill and Marie Colvin, discusses the changing face of foreign news reporting and gives her unique insight into Pestminster and the political elite.

In 2016 Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us about his treatment. In this podcast he tells Carolyn Quinn about the stress of waiting to start a clinical trial with an immunotherapy drug that was denied to AA Gill.

Matthew Bannister on Peter Gibson the master glazier who devoted his life to the care of the stained glass windows in York Minster. AA Gill, who overcame alcoholism and dyslexia to become one of the UK's best known critics. Coral Atkins who gave up a career as an actress to run homes for disadvantaged children. William Chaloner, an authority on fossil plants who used pollen from the past to reconstruct ancient environments. Ian McCaskill, the BBC weather man much imitated by impressionists.

A bit of a weekend; Santa relatively speaking; AA Gill; Really bad advice; Stage Presents; All I want for Christmas is a guest; Be a social media Santa; An interview with Richard McCann; Music from The Lost Hollow Band

Some BIG NEWS for the end of the year, and answers to your questions! –– What We’re Currently Reading –– Holly See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt (sent by Tinder Press for review) | http://amzn.to/2gNvJ8s Nicola Night Waking by Sarah Moss | http://amzn.to/2huqhot The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante | http://amzn.to/2huvYCQ Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi | http://amzn.to/2huy1XG –– Books We Recently Acquired –– Holly There Was A Wee Lassie Who Swallowed A Midgie by Rebecca Colby | http://amzn.to/2gXNqyF Link to the original poem: http://www.grandparents.com/grandkids/activities-games-and-crafts/there-was-an-old-lady Nicola The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis | http://amzn.to/2hqIvtk Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple | http://amzn.to/2hjyNJ1 –– As to your Qs! –– Our most anticipated reads Previous episode about anticipated reads | http://bookishblether.tumblr.com/post/152626085310/bookish-blether-episode-47-most-anticipated-book The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson The Animators Kayle Rae Whittaker Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan (hear our review in episode 46 | http://bookishblether.tumblr.com/post/151999599800/bookish-blether-episode-46-the-rory-gilmore) Abandon Me by Melissa Febos Women Looking at Men Looking at Women by Siri Hustvedt Books that give us the warm and fuzzies Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl Books from our childhoods such as Judy Blume Our favourite comfort reads Holly likes anything by or about The Mitford Sisters and food writing such as works by Calvin Trillin, AA Gill, Nigel Slater Nicola likes to revisit lighter reads such as David Sedaris' New Yorker articles, or By The Book articles. Books to read on audiobook One Summer, American 1927 by Bill Bryson An Astronauts Guide to Life by Chris Hadfield Yes Please by Amy Poehler Between the World and Me by Ta Scribble Scribble by Nora Ephron The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman Breakfast at Tiffany's - read by Michael C Hall Anne of Green Gables - read by Rachael McAdams Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - read by Lin-Manuel Miranda Little Lies by Liane Moriarty One book we wish more people would read Nicola picked The Other Typist by Susanne Martel Holly picked Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum Books to read over Christmas break The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Also mentioned Dad voiceover makeup tutorial | https://twitter.com/htxkaytie/status/807979071695179776?s=15 –– Follow us! –– You can subscribe to Bookish Blether on SoundCloud, iTunes and Stitcher, or your podcast app of choice. Love our podcast? Leave us a review and share it with a friend! Twitter: http://twitter.com/BookishBlether
 Instagram: http://instagram.com/bookishblether
 Tumblr: http://bookishblether.tumblr.com
 Email: bookishblether@gmail.com Holly:
 http://twitter.com/hollyjunesmith
 http://instagram.com/hollyjunesmith
 http://www.heyhollyjune.co.uk Nicola:
 http://twitter.com/robotnic 
http://robotnic.co http://youtube.com/robotnic https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6523767.Nicola_Balkind

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to treatment. In this podcast he discusses AA Gill's last column which is about his views on cancer treatment and the NHS. Steve is joined by the Chief Executive of NICE Sir Andrew Dillon and GPs Dr Rosemary Leonard and Dr Jeanette Dickson.

On today's show we noted the sudden passing of journalist and food critic AA Gill, who wrote for the Sunday Times in the UK and also for Australian Gourmet Traveller. The man could write! Vale.Next up we had a quick market report from John at the Queen Vic Market.We were thrilled to be joined by one of Melbourne's iconic chefs, Jacques Reymond. We spoke about growing up in Burgundy, Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere, and how his Christmases have evolved since arriving in Australia.We finished the show with The Humble Tumbler's Clare Burder who brought in a bottle of her amazing The Assembly sparkling wine. Made with fruit from the highest vineyard in Victoria, we spoke about making sparking "the hard way". We also chatted about her Christmas rituals and what to avoid to make it through the day (exhibit A: sparkling shiraz)

The writer and critic AA Gill nominates Neville Chamberlain as his great life. But, his choice is someone who is regarded as one of the worst Prime Ministers Britain ever had. Chamberlain, is someone entrenched in popular legend, as the man who failed to stand up to Hitler. So will AA Gill's choice stand up to the scrutiny and will he be able to convince presenter Matthew Parris that this was a great life. To help tell the story of Neville Chamberlain they are joined by Stuart Ball, Professor of Modern British History at the University of Leicester. The producer is Perminder Khatkar.

Amber Rudd has risen rapidly through British politics, becoming Home Secretary only six years after being elected an MP in 2010. It's a rise unmatched by any other politician since World War Two. Becky Milligan profiles the woman who has made this leap and stepped into Theresa May's shoes. In an exclusive interview for Profile her sister, Melissa Dunford Wood talks candidly about their childhood, parents and friends, and how her sister was "on the floor" after the unexpected and painful divorce from her ex husband AA Gill.

5x15 food fight with 5 exceptional speakers on food. AA Gill is an award-winning writer and provocative television and restaurant critic. 5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each. Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories

Author and playwright Alice Jolly joins the Backlisted crew to discuss The Great Fire by Australian author Shirley Hazzard. Also, AA Gill and Spike Milligan have been Read This Week, and why it might be too late to start listening to jazz in your 50's.

Listen to two of the great contemporary cultural voices of the day discuss: "Le noyau de toute culture est constitué par sa gastronomie." ("The kernel of every culture is based on its gastronomy") A.A. Gill, Writer and Critic in conversation with Jonathan Meades, Journalist and film-maker. Recorded live at editorial intelligence’s annual ideas festival Names Not Numbers, in association with the Groucho Club.

Dirk Gently (TV series) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: , Dirk Gently Titlescreen of series 1, based on Gently's painted whiteboard. Genre / Created by () Written by Howard Overman Jamie Mathieson Directed by Damon Thomas Starring Composer(s) Country of origin United Kingdom Language(s) English No. of series 1 No. of episodes 3 (+ pilot) () Production Executive producer(s) Howard Overman Saurabh Kakkar () Brian Minchin () Eleanor Moran (BBC - Pilot) Jamie Laurenson (BBC - Pilot) Producer(s) Chris Carey Editor(s) Matthew Tabern Cinematography Ole Bratt Birkeland Camera setup Running time 60 minutes Production company(s) The Welded Tandem Picture Company Distributor Broadcast Original channel (repeats) Picture format Audio format Original run 16 December 2010 – 19 March 2012 Chronology Related shows External links Dirk Gently is a comedy detective drama TV series based on characters from the Dirk Gently novels by . The series was created by and stars as detective and as his Richard MacDuff. Recurring actors include as MacDuff's girlfriend Susan Harmison, as Dirk's nemesis DI Gilks and as Dirk's receptionist Janice Pearce. Unlike most detective series Dirk Gently features broadly comic touches and even some themes such as and . Dirk Gently operates his Holistic Detective Agency based on the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", which relies on methods to uncover connections between seemingly-unrelated cases. He claims that he follows the principles of , and although the majority of his clients suspect he may be a conman he often produces surprising results. With the help of his assistant, Richard MacDuff, Dirk investigates a number of seemingly unrelated but interconnected cases. An hour-long loosely based on plot elements from Adams' 1987 novel was broadcast on on 16 December 2010 and was watched by 1.1 million viewers. Critical reception was generally positive. A full series of three one-hour episodes was subsequently commissioned in March 2011 and was broadcast on BBC Four in March 2012. The series is the first continuing drama series produced for the digital channel. The series is produced by and The Welded Tandem Picture Company for and shot in . The pilot was written by Howard Overman and directed by Damon Thomas. The full series was written by Overman, and Jamie Mathieson and directed by . The series along with the pilot episode was released on DVD on 26 March 2012 by ITV Studios Home Entertainment. An original television soundtrack album featuring music from the series composed by was released by 1812 Recordings on 5 March 2012. Contents Production Background The novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency has its origins in the incomplete 1979 television serial , featuring as the . Location filming in Cambridge had been completed, but a studio technicians' dispute at the BBC meant that studio segments were not completed, and the serial was never transmitted. As a result of the serial's cancellation, Adams reused a number of ideas from this script and his other Doctor Who scripts as the basis for a new novel, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, published in 1987. Adams published another, in 1988 and at the time of his death in 2001 was working on a third installment to be titled , fragments of which were published posthumously. Each novel features new characters and scenarios, although Dirk (real name Svlad Cjelli), his "ex-secretary" Janice Pearce and Sergeant, later Inspector, Gilks recur in each. The first Gently novel had previously been adapted into a stage play, and a BBC Radio 4 series by which was first broadcast in October 2007 and featured comedian in the title role. According to James Donaghy, Douglas Adams was frustrated that his Dirk Gently novels were never adapted for the screen. Announcement During - a convention - Ed Victor, a literary agent who represents Adams's estate announced that a television adaptation of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was in production. was announced to be playing Gently, with as MacDuff and as Susan. It is the first television adaptation of Adams' Dirk Gently series, although characters from the books had appeared in a 1992 episode of . Shooting on the pilot commenced early in October 2010 in Bristol. The director was Damon Thomas and the producer was Chris Carey. Although it was commissioned by the BBC, it was produced by with The Welded Tandem Picture Company. The pilot was first broadcast on on 16 December 2010 and was repeated a number of times during the next month. The pilot gained a commission on 31 March 2011 for a three-part series of one hour-long episodes broadcast on BBC Four in March 2012. The series is the first continuing drama series commissioned by BBC Four. Adaptation The screenplay of the pilot by is not a direct adaptation of the novel, but uses certain characters and situations from the novel to form the basis of a new drama centred around Dirk. Speaking about his interpretation, Howard Overman stated in an interview with Benji Wilson "I'm not even going to try to adapt the book: you can't adapt this story. Especially not on a BBC Four budget. We made the deliberate decision not to do a straight translation of the books. If we'd done that the fans would have felt badly let down, because you can never portray that world on the screen as well as it's been done in people's own imaginations...If you just do a straight adaptation like , people are always going to be quite brutal about it because it's never going to live up to their expectations." Dirk drives an old brown in the production. Stephen Mangan, writing a BBC blog on the programme stated "In my opinion, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul are unfilmable as written...too much happens, there are too many ideas". The pilot concentrates on two relatively minor plot strands in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: the disappearance of a cat, and the simultaneous disappearance of millionaire Gordon Way. Although time travel is involved in the solution, the novel's entire St Cedd's College / Electric Monk / Coleridge strand is omitted, although key words relating to these elements do appear on Dirk's whiteboard when it is first seen, though they are never subsequently referred to. Other elements from the book, such as the trapped sofa, are also absent and the setting is updated to 2010, with and replacing the answering machine messages in the book. There are changes to the characters too, one notable one being that Susan is Gordon's ex-girlfriend rather than his sister. Several additional elements from Adams's novels, in particular St Cedd's College, were later to appear in the full series. Interviewed about the series, Stephen Mangan noted that "All three episodes are very different in tone and you get a different Dirk with each one...He's on the run from the police in one of them and in another there's a bit of romance in the air, which for Dirk is a surprise because he's probably the most asexual character on TV... There seems to be a vogue for dark, realistic, gritty detective series, apart from perhaps . Dirk has so much humour in it. How many other detectives mix detection with quantum mechanics or drive a 30-year-old brown ?" Each episode of series one was written by different writers, who are mostly known for their contributions to science fiction and fantasy programmes; series creator Howard Overman also created and has written for , has previously written the Doctor Who stories ""/"" and wrote the film and has written scripts for . Cast , best known for his role in the television series , and subsequently , was cast in the main role as holistic detective . Mangan already knew the novel and the author's works, stating in a press release "I've been a fan of Douglas Adams ever since the Hitchhiker's radio series which I used to record as a child and listen to over and over again in my bedroom. It's such a thrill to now be playing one of his brilliant characters. Dirk is a chaotic, anarchic force of nature with a totally unique take on the world. He is described as 'lazy, untidy, dismissive and unreliable'. I've absolutely no idea why they thought I'd be right for the role." Cast alongside him were and , both of whom had previously worked with Mangan in Green Wing and respectively. Darren Boyd and Helen Baxendale returned for the full series, with the character of Richard MacDuff becoming Dirk's "partner/assistant" for each of the episodes. Other regular cast members are as Detective Inspector Gilks and as Dirk's secretary Janice Pearce. The programme pilot featured appearances from , , , . Episode one saw guest appearances by , , Ken Collard, and . Episode two featured roles for , , , Andrew Leung, and Bethan Hanks. Episode three features and . Filming at the was used as the fictional . Although the series is set in the London boroughs of and , the series was shot entirely in . Areas and buildings featured in the programme included the Guildhall, the Bottle Yard, St Thomas Street and the Greenbank area. The second series episode also featured extensive filming around the , with doubling as the fictional Cambridge College . The production's location manager, Rob Champion, noted that each location had to be chosen carefully to avoid featured giveaway clues to Bristol, in particular any building made of the local building material, limestone. He noted that "Episode 2 was the greatest challenge as it included two days material in a Robotic Laboratory. Bristol has such a thing...a joint venture between the two universities, with a very helpful professor, but its landlord was an American corporation with the most unimaginably anal restrictions on access. They basically didn't want us there and took the best part of two weeks to say so...We eventually settled upon a brand new building at the Bristol-Bath Science Park where they could not have been more helpful. All this on a BBC4 budget." Music The series's soundtrack was composed by . In creating the distinctive sound for the main titles and incidental music, Pemberton made use of a , a which is a cross between a and a piano. These instruments were produced in America between 1927 to 1972. The soundtrack also mixes in a harpsichord, synth, bass guitar and drums. A soundtrack album featuring music from the series was released by 1812 Recordings on 5 March 2012. Plot Dirk Gently (real name Svlad Cjelli) operates a Detective Agency based on the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things". To solve cases, Dirk relies on methods for example " navigation" (following people or vehicles who look like they know where they are going, in the hope that they will lead somewhere you want to be) or throwing a dart at a board of words to select the direction of his detection. By following up on apparently random occurences and whims, Dirk discovers connections between seemingly unrelated cases and often produces surprising results. He claims that he follows the principles of (although it is implied when he speaks to an expert in these fields that he doesn't really understand them); most people suspect he is just a conman and he rarely gets paid by clients and is therefore in almost permanent financial difficulty. In the pilot episode, Dirk bumps into a former university friend, Richard MacDuff, who has been made redundant from a job at an electricity board, and takes on a case for him. During the course of his investigation, Dirk hypnotises MacDuff and persuades him into investing his £20,000 redundancy money in his failing detective agency. MacDuff therefore becomes Dirk's partner in the business and "assistant" on investigations. Richard MacDuff's girlfriend, Dr Susan Harmison, was also at university with the pair and is deeply sceptical about Dirk's abilities. Also present at the Agency is Dirk's receptionist Janice Pearce, whom Dirk has not paid for years and who therefore refuses to do any work. Episodes No.TitleDirectorWriterViewing figuresOriginal air date 0 "" Damon Thomas 943 000 16 December 2010 When sets out to solve an apparently simple and harmless disappearance of a cat from an old lady's house, he unwittingly uncovers a double murder which, in turn, leads to a host of even more extraordinary events.  1 "Episode 1" Howard Overman 844 000 5 March 2012 Dirk discovers the connection between two unrelated cases - a client who believes are trying to kill him and another whose horoscopes appear to be coming true.  2 "Episode 2" Tom Shankland 561 000 12 March 2012 Dirk is called back to his old university to protect a valuable robot but within 24 hours it has been stolen and a dead body discovered, with Dirk and MacDuff the prime suspects.  3 "Episode 3" Tom Shankland Jamie Mathieson 592 000 19 March 2012 Dirk's old clients are being randomly murdered with Dirk as the only link. Rather than talk to the police, Dirk elects to leave the country but is waylaid by a series of seemingly unconnected events.  Reception Pilot Stephen Mangan plays the titular holistic detective in the series. The pilot episode gained 1.1m viewers (3.9% share) on BBC Four, which was over three times the channel's slot average. Critical reception for the pilot was largely positive. Several mentioned that it was only a loose adaptation of the novel, although the general consensus was that the essence of the original was maintained. Sam Wollaston in stated "Coming to it fresh, it's a neat story about aforementioned missing cat and time travel, with a smattering of quantum physics and the fundamental connectedness of things. With a lovely performance from Doreen Mantle as the old lady/murderer. Stephen Mangan's good in the title role, too – a teeny bit irritating perhaps, but then Mangan is a teeny bit irritating. So is Dirk Gently, though – it's perfect. Funny too. Quite funny." James Donaghy, also writing in The Guardian stated "Personally I hope Dirk Gently gets made into a full series. The programme shows promising glimpses, has a strong cast and Misfits already proves Overman can write. And a BBC4 adaptation feels like a good fit – Gently being exactly the kind of playground-of-the-imagination curio the BBC made its name indulging." published two reviews. Alice-Azania Jarvis was extremely positive, writing "...there wasn't very much you could fault about the production at all. Right down to the quirky camerawork and youthful, poppy soundtrack (who would have thought the Hoosiers could be so right in any situation?), the director, Damon Thomas, got it pretty spot-on. The result was a pleasingly festive-feeling adventure; part , part , part . And the best thing? There wasn't a Christmas tree in sight. Douglas Adams once claimed that Gently would make a better film character than his more famous hero, . Based on last night's experience, he may well have been right." John Walsh's review for was cooler about the adaptation, although he praised Mangan's performance: "Given the talent and style on display, it should have been a scream. In fact it all seemed a little moth-eaten. Though set in the modern day, it was staggeringly old-fashioned...You could overlook these faults, however, for the joy of Stephen Mangan's performance as the titular gumshoe. With his alarmed-spaniel eyes and jutting-jawed stroppiness, his geography teacher elbow-patches and Medusan hair, he radiates mess...His ineptness as a sleuth provided some fine comic moments. Paul Whitelaw in was also positive, although he noted "At times it felt forced, with a sense of trying slightly too hard when a touch more subtlety would have brought out the essential Adamsian eccentricity." Dan Owen of Obsessed with Film noted that the adaptation played with the idea of inexplicable situations: "Purists may grumble this isn't the Dirk Gently they wanted to see, but it's more accessible and practicable. And while Dirk Gently is certainly another gimmicky detective series (yawn), its details are unique and engrossing enough to shrug off the genre's clichés. In some ways it's a pastiche of whodunits, taking the genre's often tenuous explanations to an outrageous extreme." Paul Whitelaw in noted that "Although Adams's more ambitious concepts are sidelined in favour of a more prosaic - if nonetheless enjoyable - sci-fi mystery, Overman captures at least some of the wit and whimsy of his distinctive comic voice" going on to suggest "This modestly-budgeted pilot suggests potential for a series, so the deviation from Adams's originals makes sense. It also adds yet another very British oddball to the pantheon currently occupied by and . Series One Critical opinion to the full series was mildly positive. The adaptation from the Adams' novels was the focus of several reviews. Jane Simon, writing in The Mirror stated "It's just a shame creator Douglas Adams isn't around to see how Howard Overman has ­transferred Dirk to the screen. He'd definitely approve. Mark Braxton in the Radio Times likewise agreed that "Overman has plucked the comic essence of Adams from his novel...and worked it into a digestible, enjoyably eccentric format." AA Gill writing in the Sunday Times March 11, 2012 wrote 'Who'd have guessed that this would ever get recommissioned?...It has to get a nomination as the greatest waste of the most talent for the least visible purpose or reward." Others complained that the series was not an exact adaptation of the novels. Nigel Farndale in The Telegraph stated "I struggled with Dirk Gently...It had nothing to do with Stephen Mangan's considerable comedic talents, still less with Darren Boyd who plays MacDuff, the Dr Watson to Dirk's Holmes. It is more to do with my devotion to Douglas Adams, upon whose comic novel this series is based...in Douglas Adams, 90 per cent of the pleasure is in the prose, the narration, the felicities of language." Tom Sutcliffe in The Independent felt that the programme's qualities were "spread a little too thinly over a nonsensical thriller plot' and that "laughs... were far too widely spaced in a script that could have done with a lot more editing." Several critics compared the production with the big-budget BBC One detective series Sherlock, the second series of which was broadcast in January 2012. Writing in Metro, Keith Watson said "There's no doubt Sherlock has raised the detecting duo bar on TV...it's more than a match for Sherlock on the dialogue front, neatly catching the surreal humour that was the Adams trademark...but there was no disguising the fact that Dirk Gently was a five-star script being filmed on a one-star budget, making it look like a designer label knockoff when set against the production values lavished on Sherlock. Stuart Jeffries in , meanwhile, found a comparison between the tone of the series and 1960s spy/detective ; "Never since has there been anything so unremittingly silly on British television as Dirk Gently...Dainty harpsichord music tells us we're back in an era of TV misrule, in whose glory days John Steed, Mrs Peel and played fast and loose with viewers' intelligences." The first episode had 737,000 viewers and a 3% audience share but this fell to 415,000 and 2% share for the second episode.[] Series one, including the pilot episode, was released on DVD on 26 March 2012 by ITV Studios Home Entertainment. References ^ James Donaghy "", The Guardian, 16 December 2010 ^ Helena Cole, , SFX, 17 February 2012 ^ "", BBC Press Release, 31 March 2011 ^ Jason Deans, "", The Guardian, 31 March 2011 ^ "", BBC Cult, accessed 19 March 2012 ^ Chris Harvey, "", Daily Telegraph, 16 December 2010 . Retrieved 14 August 2007. News and New Projects page July 2007 of radio version Rob Hastings, "", The Independent, 6 October 2010 at the listing . 6 October 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010. ^ . Retrieved 10 October 2010. ^ Benji Wilson, , The Telegraph, 5 March 2012 Mangan, Stephen (16 December 2010). . . Retrieved 20 December 2010. ^ Tom Chivers, "", Daily Telegraph, 17 December 2010 ^ "Stephen Mangan speaks about the return to our screens of Dirk Gently", Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 8 March 2012 Helena Cole, "", SFX, 17 February 2012 ^ , British Comedy Guide , Bristol Film Office, accessed 18 March 2012 , Bristol Film Office, accessed 18 March 2012 ^ , thecallsheet.co.uk, accessed 19 March 2012 , Daniel Pemberton's Twitterfeed, accessed 22 March 2012 ^ Stuart Jeffries, "", The Guardian, 5 March 2012 , accessed 22 March 2012 ^ , BBC Four, accessed 19 March 2012 . BARB. Retrieved 4 April 2012. Sam Wollaston "", The Guardian, 16 December 2010 Alice-Azania Jarvis "", The Independent, 17 December 2010 John Walsh, "", The Independent, Sunday, 19 December 2010 Keith Watson, "", Metro, 16 December 2010 Dan Owen, "", Obsessed with Film, 17 December 2010 Paul Whitelaw, "", The Scotsman, 13 December 2010 Jane Simon, "", The Mirror 12 March 2012 Mark Braxton, Radio Times, 5 March 2012 Nigel Farndale, , Daily Telegraph, 9 March 2012 Tom Sutcliffe, " ", The Independent 6 March 2012 Keith Watson, , Metro' 6 March 2012 , Digital Spy, 7 March 2012 External links , at the at the British Comedy Guide

John McCarthy talks to journalist AA Gill about his travel columns which have taken him from earthquake zones to retirement homes and polar regions to Civil War sites. He also meets novelist Wilbur Smith who reflects on piracy off the east coast of Africa and hears from author Isabel Losada how her quest for self knowledge induced her to take hallucinogenic drugs in the Peruvian Amazon. John asks them whether they write to travel or travel to write.

Episode 4 of AIOTM is a Halloween special. Rich speculates that his comedy might be written by aliens, whilst Emma talks about the rats in her tree. Dan admits that his skills as an impressionist are limited, and Christian has been having some troubles at an agricultural college. With guests including AA Gill, Derek Acorah and the ghost of Michael Jackson. It's spooktacular, isogamous, and supports the postal strike with some reservations.