Fox News And Roger Ailes’ Secret Black Room Team
Gabriel Sherman of the New York Magazine has written a short exposé on Fox News’ much-rumoured “Black Room”, a non-tooContinue Reading
Category: Television
The Sci-Fi Typography Of Stranger Things And Blade Runner
Watching Netflix’s nostalgic science-fiction drama, “Stranger Things”, I was struck by the accuracy of the show’s 1980s setting. While quite reminiscentContinue Reading
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Journalism
Most blogging is parasitical in nature and that is especially true for blogs which primarily focus on news and currentContinue Reading
Stephen King And George R. R. Martin In Conversation
Stephen King is one of my favourite authors and his quasi-autobiographical horror novel, “It”, is not just an outstanding example of the genreContinue Reading
Peter Robinson, the DUP And Britain’s Counter-Terrorists
While the debate continues in Britain over the motives of murderer Thomas Mair, the killer of Labour MP Jo Cox, hisContinue Reading
The Atlantic Irish And Celts
Following on from a previous post examining the “Celtic from the West” theory, a quick thank you to ASF reader, Mark, for reminding meContinue Reading
RTÉ’s Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous
During the height of the post-Celtic Tiger economic collapse I remember driving from Malahide to Howth, two middle-ranking suburbs in north countyContinue Reading
Better Be Hanged At Home Than Die Like Dogs In Ireland
The literary historian, James Shapiro, has a fascinating article in the Irish Times on William Shakespeare’s aversion to Ireland and the Irish.Continue Reading
Blake’s 7 And Gareth Thomas
A quick post to note the passing last week of the seventy-one year old Welsh-born actor Gareth Thomas, who is bestContinue Reading
In Praise Of Garry Shandling
I’ve never really understood the grief some people feel at the death of a public figure, usually a celebrity ofContinue Reading
The Scottish Government Backs BBC Alba In The Wake Of Tory Budget Cuts
Last November I featured news from Britain on the decision by the Conservative Party government in London to make savage cuts to the public fundingContinue Reading
TG4 Documentary, “Sheehy-Skeffington: Pacifist”
On Tuesday March 8th, at 9:30 pm, TG4 will be broadcasting a documentary on Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, one of the forgotten figures of theContinue Reading
Patrick Pearse And RTÉ’s Rebellion
With all the controversy stirred up by RTÉ’s dismal television dramatisation of the 1916 Easter Rising, its strange overtones of colonial denialism perhaps best summedContinue Reading
Is MTV’s New Fantasy Offering Shannara Shore Or Shannara Cribs?
In the 1990s and early 2000s many critics decried the stunted practice in the movie and television industries of plagiarising the productions of rivalContinue Reading
The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special
With all the hype this week surrounding the release of J. J. Abrams’ new addition to the Star Wars franchise, “Star Wars: The ForceContinue Reading
Peter Capaldi Finds His Doctor Who
I must admit to being fairly critical of Peter Capaldi’s work in the British sci-fi series Doctor Who – havingContinue Reading
Celtic-Speaking Communities Of Britain Denied Funding
While most eyes and ears were focused on the headline-grabbing announcements in the November budgetary review by the UK’s aristocratic finance minister, George Osborne, moreContinue Reading
Irish Folk Band, Lynched
I’ve been meaning to write something about the ridiculously talented Irish folk group, Lynched, for some time; fortunately Britain’s GuardianContinue Reading
Exploring The Genre Frontier In Joss Whedon’s 2005 Movie Serenity
I have a great deal of affection for Joss Whedon’s prematurely ended science-fiction series, “Firefly”, which aired on Fox TelevisionContinue Reading
¡Viva Irlanda! I’m Irish – Speak Spanish!
In recent weeks the TG4 period drama, An Klondike, has garnered favourable reviews from across the Anglophone press and media in Ireland, gaining plauditsContinue Reading
VHS Memories: Bedspring Bob
If you’re familiar with Irish TV broadcasts from the 1980s and early ’90s you’ll certainly remember the less-than-professional advertising that used to populateContinue Reading
Irish Language Rights Are No Rights At All
Coincidental to the temporary silencing of a compliant Irish press by a billionaire businessman whose past dealings have become mired in controversy,Continue Reading
AN SIONNACH FIONN 