It has been interesting to see Michael Gove's attack on Blackadder for perpetuating the myth about World War 1 being a "misbegotten shambles". Judging by the Education Secretary's comments one might think that one of the greatest British sitcoms ever made was actually a commie plot to bring down the establishment. Gove even went as far as accusing Richard Curtis and Ben Elton's portrayal of idiotic officers as being "designed to belittle Britain and its leaders".

Interesting to read about Griff Rhys Jones paying tribute to Mel Smith in the Radio Times this week while also pointing out how different they were. “I invited Mel to my country cottage and he never took his coat off. He took me to the races and I read a book. I dragged him sailing and he asked to 'go in' when we were halfway home and 30 miles from the nearest port. He loved a drink. I am teetotal. He never carried a credit card. I never have cash. He never went for a walk. I run ten miles a week. He worshipped Stephen Sondheim.

Michael Parkinson eat your heart out. Roll over Graham Norton and tell Alan Carr the news. Richard Herring's "Stephen Fry in suicide attempt" scoop has shown that the biggest stories are not always stage managed and released to the media as part of a strategy worked out with military precision.