Film & TV
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399050821
Pub Date: 30 Mar 2025
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 30 Mar 2025
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399050821
Description:
The Doctor wouldn’t be half the Time Lord they are, without some assistance. But how much do you know about the people who played the companions?
This book is the first of its kind. It’s your comprehensive guide to the actors who have played Doctor Who companions over the years.
Inside, you will find biographies of every companion actor who has been in Doctor Who. There are complete chronologies of companion arrivals and departures through the show’s history, enriched with original interviews with some of the cast.
As an encyclopaedia, it is packed with dates, details and knowledge, a valuable reference source for any Doctor Who fan.
As a guide, this book also offers a personal perspective on the show and explores what these talented, hard-working professionals brought to the show. The author traces its origins in 1963, through the ensuing decades, and takes you right up to the most recent serials.
Doctor Who: An Encyclopaedia of Companion Actors is a testament to the actors and a meticulously-crafted love-letter to the show.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399055130
Pub Date: 30 Mar 2025
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 30 Mar 2025
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399055130
Description:
Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee: three middle-class Englishmen whose names are synonymous with the history of the horror movie. Karloff was born in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, and Lee, the youngest, died in 2015, when Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch.
Most books about movie stars focus solely on the films but this ingeniously linked biography of Karloff, Cushing and Lee describes the cataclysmic social and political upheavals which shaped them along with the film industries of Britain and Hollywood. During their lifetimes they saw magnificent theatres repurposed as cinemas, which were in turn transformed into bingo halls as television became the medium which posed a threat to the movies, but would ultimately save their careers and make their classic films accessible to younger generations.
The three had much in common. They were born within a few miles of each other – Karloff in Camberwell, Cushing in Croydon and Lee in Belgravia. None of them had a happy childhood and they struggled at school. They all wanted to act, which was not the sort of career that their backgrounds had equipped them for. Curiously, they were all middle aged before they became not simply well known, but world famous.
All three are forever associated with the two key stories from which the horror genre emerged – Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula – stories with universal and contemporary resonance. They knew that they were typecast and, with some reservations, accepted it and never stopped working. They knew that while we smile at horror films they play into our deepest anxieties about the modern world. Since their deaths, the horror film – often written off – has seen a resurgence and a critical appreciation which, in part, relies on the worldwide affection for these three great stars of the screen.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 232
ISBN: 9781399014007
Pub Date: 28 Feb 2025
Format: Paperback
Pub Date: 28 Feb 2025
Pages: 232
ISBN: 9781399014007
Description:
"A thoroughly enjoyable fact-filled romp… a must-read for any fan of the Carry On films." - Daily Mail
"We knew the Carry On films without really knowing them. Caroline Frost puts that right. A fascinating story." - Adrian Chiles
"Essential reading for fans of the Carry On Films which were deceptively ahead of their times' - Tracy-Ann Oberman
The completely updated story of Carry On, Britain's largest film franchise, all the way from the gentle capers of the 1950s, through the raucous golden age of the 1960s, to its struggles in the years that followed.
We take a happy walk down memory lane to enjoy again Sid James's cheeky chuckle, Kenneth Williams' elongated vowels, Charles Hawtrey's bespectacled bashfulness and Barbara Windsor's naughty wiggle.
It all seemed effortless, but exclusive interviews with the series' remaining stars including Bernard Cribbins, Angela Douglas and Kenneth Cope shed new light on just how much talent and hard work went into creating the laughs. For the first time, the loved ones of some of the franchise’s biggest names – on and off screen – share their personal memories from this unique era.
Was Carry On really as sexist, racist and bigoted as critics claim? Three of the films' female stars explain why they never felt remotely exploited, plus we take a fresh look at some of the series' biggest titles and discover that, in reality, they were far more progressive than their detractors would have you believe.
Finally, with constant talk about new films, fresh productions and tantalising speculation about a brand new era of Carry On, we ask – does this unique series still have legs?
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Unfortunately, due to an error in the production process, the index of this book does not match the pages to which they refer. To find each reference in the book, please subtract 8 from the page number mentioned in each index entry. This is in no way the fault of the Author, and the Publishers apologise to the Author and Readers for this error.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399034999
Pub Date: 28 Feb 2025
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 28 Feb 2025
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399034999
Description:
How well do you know Star Trek?
Lifelong science fiction fan, podcaster and author Tom Salinsky decided that the answer was “not well enough”, and so at the beginning of 2022, he embarked on a two-year mission to watch everything from the start of The Original Series to the end of Enterprise, at the rate of one episode per day. This book is the second part of that odyssey, covering Deep Space Nine, and the first two seasons of Voyager plus the first two Next Generation movies.
As well as having fun saluting the show’s triumphs, cringing at its lapses in taste, and admiring its willingness to swing for the fences, there’s lots of fascinating behind-the-scenes information here. Was Morn really such a chatterbox? Why was Deep Space Nine allowed to do so much serialisation? Did Star Trek need Michael Dorn more than Michael Dorn needed Star Trek? Just whatever happened to Geneviève Bujold? How is Nicholas Locarno related to Tom Paris?
But you’ll also get the benefit of a complete overview of these hugely successful and beloved spin-offs, which expanded and extended the Star Trek universe to new quadrants, new eras and new modes of storytelling. Plus there are contributions from notable fans, writers, authors and experts, giving their own perspectives on these classic episodes.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a casual viewer, or just someone interested in the history of television, you’ll adore coming on this daily journey though the highs and lows of one of the most significant and much-loved media properties in the world.
Praise for Volume I: The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation
“Funny, absorbing, perceptive and a fine reminder of the wealth of work that Star Trek has produced through the decades.” – Critical Popcorn
“Even if you’re not the world’s biggest Star Trek fan, the way this book is written will certainly keep you entertained.” – Total Entertainment
“Whether you're a devoted aficionado or a casual viewer, this book offers an immersive experience.” – Kuriositas.com
“An honest labour of love from a lifelong sci-fi specialist, and even gives the episodes that fail a fair hearing.” – Lou Reviews
Format: Hardback
Pages: 240
ISBN: 9781526780768
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2025
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2025
Pages: 240
ISBN: 9781526780768
Description:
Since nearly every aspect of Keaton’s story and work has been written about in some form, it is the goal of this book to present a new perspective on Keaton’s early life in the entertainment business, beginning before vaudeville and moving through the Comique films, Keaton’s first foray into the industry. A microscopic approach to this early period has the goal of illuminating in great detail the formative years of Keaton’s career, in order to better understand the brilliance of his ‘independence’ and the tragedy of his years at MGM, bringing him to a place in entertainment history that celebrates the little gems and sparks of brilliance in his later creative life and career. This study will utilize the minute detail provided by industry rags, such as The New York Clipper and The Moving Picture World and the publication of rare archival photos to differentiate itself from other works by delving deeper into each moment during the specified twenty-four early years of Keaton’s life and career, up to and including the transition to his ‘independent’ productions with Joseph Schenk, beginning with The High Sign (1920), The Saphead (1920) and One Week (1920), his first efforts in the new era.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781036109363
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2025
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2025
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781036109363
Description:
The Pink Panther series is one of the most enduring and financially successful franchises in movie history, beginning with 1963’s The Pink Panther, which introduced audiences to the iconic Inspector Clouseau, unforgettably played by Peter Sellers.
Drawing on previously unseen material and ‘exclusive’ interviews with stars of the films and crew members, along with friends and colleagues of Peter Sellers, Robert Sellers presents, for the very first time, the untold story and some of the secrets behind the Pink Panther films.
The original Pink Panther movie proved popular enough to spawn eight sequels. The films also inspired a popular animated TV series based on the pink panther cartoon character that appeared in the film’s credit sequences. There were also spin-off toys, games, clothes, even breakfast cereal. In the 2000s, comedy legend Steve Martin twice stepped into the role of Inspector Clouseau.
But behind the laughs, there was madness and darkness, and at the series’ heart was one of cinema’s most tragic figures: Peter Sellers. A comedic genius, Sellers could be temperamental, unprofessional, and unpredictable. Add to that a heart problem Sellers feared could kill him at any moment.
This book reveals many of the Pink Panther’s secrets for the first time, shining a spotlight behind the scenes at the making of some of the most beloved comedies of all time, and the extraordinary personalities that brought them to life.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781036107642
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2025
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 31 Jan 2025
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781036107642
Description:
When the Carry On Stopped looks at how the Carry On film series made its painful transition from one film company, Anglo-Amalgamated, to another, the Rank Organisation. In examining this little-known but fascinating story, the growth of Anglo-Amalgamated is highlighted through the success of its owners, partners Stuart Levy and Nat Cohen. Levy’s sudden death in 1966 encouraged Cohen to ditch the Carry Ons in favour of more prestigious feature films.
Without a film distributor, the series’ producer Peter Rogers, was forced to search for another, eventually finding the series a new home at Rank. However, Rank was unwilling to endorse the work of a rival and so dropped the ‘Carry On’ title. The Carry On series looked doomed.
When the Carry On Stopped also sheds new light on the careers of the Carry On stars at this critical time. We learn of Barbara Windsor’s involvement in the stage disaster Twang!!, of Jim Dale’s stage success, Sid James’ first heart attack and Charles Hawtrey losing his mother. The book calls out the fat shaming of Joan Sims as one of the many injustices shown to her by the producer.
This is essential reading for Carry On fans and those interested in the machinations of the British entertainment industry in the 1960’s.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9781399052856
Pub Date: 24 Sep 2024
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 24 Sep 2024
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9781399052856
Description:
Friends ran for ten years, beginning in 1994 and airing its final episode in 2005. The show is inarguably the peak sitcom of its era. It's the most remembered, most quoted and so essential that companies have spent hundreds of millions on the streaming rights to Friends in recent years. But why does Friends mean so much to so many? What did this sitcom have that the other giant shows of that era didn’t?
This is a deep dive into the history of Friends, but it’s also the history of ten years of network television. How did the world of sitcoms evolve through that decade? How much of a show’s success is down to small details like schedules and syndication, and how much of it is down to the content itself?
The landscape of television has changed drastically in the years since the end of Friends, but the biggest show of sitcom’s golden age has endured like no other. This look at the history of Friends, its legacy and the history of television in general will show you why. Both why the television industry has become what it is today, and why Friends has survived long beyond its decade. This is a celebration of Friends, an interrogation of its success, and a history of television that explains much of what’s on our screens today.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9781399034944
Pub Date: 11 Sep 2024
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 11 Sep 2024
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9781399034944
Description:
Red Dwarf is virtually unique among British sitcoms. It began in 1988 and was still releasing new episodes in 2020, making it one of the longest running sitcoms of all time, but the core cast has remained largely unchanged. And its science fiction flavour contrasts strongly with the drawing rooms and sofas which were the norm when it launched, and the fast-cut mockumentary style which is popular today. And yet, this is a show which nobody wanted to make, and which only barely made it to our screens at all. In this work, Tom Salinsky will look at exactly how it came to be; who was considered for the cast but didn’t make it; how it was radically reinvented for the third, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth seasons; how it survived the breakup of its key creative partnership, the loss of the original spaceship models, BBC strikes, the departure of a major cast member, and the seemingly self-defeating rules which the writers imposed on themselves. But this isn’t just a behind-the-scenes account. It’s also a detailed critical analysis, examining why the best episodes succeed and why the less impressive episodes struggle, while also finding time to ask just how a hologram made of light can smell burning camphor wood, why a creature evolved from a cat is familiar with Wilma Flintstone, or just how long Lister and Kochanski were dating for. How can all this possibly be contained in one book? It can’t! Volume I will cover the first six series and Volume II will conclude the story of Red Dwarf on television as well as looking at the novels, comic strips, computer games and more.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 176
ISBN: 9781399074025
Pub Date: 25 Jul 2024
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 25 Jul 2024
Pages: 176
ISBN: 9781399074025
Description:
It was the Hollywood romance that warmed hearts and thrilled audiences, but the path to true love was littered with alcoholism, abandonment and bitter disappointments.
Humphrey Bogart had crawled up the hard way, leaving behind a childhood without affection for a life as the idol of millions. Bogie’s road to stardom had been long and tough, forging a superstar who hated being in the spotlight as much as he loved being in the bar. With three marriages to his name and a reputation as one of the hardest drinkers in Hollywood, happiness was always fleeting.
Lauren Bacall grew up in New York as the apple of her hard-working mother’s eye, dreaming of a life in the limelight. Modelling by day and tearing tickets at night, when she was summoned to Hollywood to make a screentest, young Betty Bacall grabbed it with both hands. There she was reborn as the vampish Lauren Bacall, a teenage nobody who would make her debut in To Have and Have Not opposite the quintessential Hollywood tough guy, Humphrey Bogart.
Nobody expected what came next, but the love affair between Bogie and Bacall took the world by storm. The Real Bogie & Bacall tells the story of two people whose romance shouldn’t have worked… but did.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781399035040
Pub Date: 29 May 2024
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 29 May 2024
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781399035040
Description:
How well do you know Star Trek?
Lifelong science fiction fan, podcaster and author Tom Salinsky decided that the answer was “not well enough”, and so at the beginning of 2022, he embarked on a two-year mission to watch everything from the start of The Original Series to the end of Enterprise, at the rate of one episode per day. This book is the first part of that odyssey, covering the 79 television episodes which started it all, the animated series which briefly brought it back in the 1970s, the first six original movies and the full run of The Next Generation.
As well as having fun saluting the show’s triumphs, cringing at its lapses in taste, and admiring its willingness to swing for the fences, there’s lots of fascinating behind-the-scenes information here. Why were salt-cellars unchanged in the 23rd century? Was Gene Roddenberry really not allowed to show a woman’s belly button? How many characters get killed during the run of The Animated Series? Who actually wrote the script for Wrath of Khan? How did Paramount get Next Generation on the air when no network would touch it?
But you’ll also get the benefit of a complete overview of this landmark series, watching it unfold and familiar elements appear – often much later than you think. When’s the first mention of the Federation? Of Kirk’s time being the 23rd century? Of there being no money in the future? And some elements appear rather earlier than you might think – which episode is the first to feature a Holodeck?
Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a casual viewer, or just someone interested in the history of television, you’ll adore coming on this daily journey though the highs and lows of one of the most significant and much-loved media properties in the world.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 232
ISBN: 9781526780720
Pub Date: 20 Jul 2023
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 20 Jul 2023
Pages: 232
ISBN: 9781526780720
Description:
Charlie Chaplin’s career has been described, critiqued, and scrutinized. There are book-length studies on Chaplin’s music hall career, his career at Keystone Studios and the Mutual Studios. Somehow, his tenure with First National studios, however, has been largely neglected, even though it was during this several-year contractual time period that Chaplin built and occupied his own studio for the first time, that he attempted and succeeded in filming a comedy feature (The Kid) and that he helped to set up United Artists, an organization that protected the salaries and creative freedom of actors in Hollywood. This period in Chaplin’s story is especially interesting because such landmark moments are accompanied by Chaplin’s first marriage and divorce, the death of his first child, his friendship with French silent film comedian Max Linder, World War I and the role he would play in it, and the production and release of several unsuccessful films that marked Chaplin’s first creative blockage - one that threatened his future career. This book will discuss the transitional periods just before and after the First National contract, as well as the all-important period satisfying it. Archival evidence provides most of the support for the book’s assertions, from the Chaplin archive (property of Roy Export, digitised by Cineteca di Bologna, Italy), and the personal archives of other individuals or institutions discussed. Rare photos will illustrate the story.
Format: Hardback
Pages: 216
ISBN: 9781399096829
Pub Date: 08 Jun 2022
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 08 Jun 2022
Pages: 216
ISBN: 9781399096829
Description:
Do you believe in monsters?
We dare you to take a look inside this cursed tome containing some of the most iconic and obscure monsters from the history of cinema.
Cower in fear of Count Dracula and his dreaded children of the night. Abandon hope as the mightiest kaiju ever seen on film decimate all around them. Pray that silhouette at the end of your bed is just a shadow and not the dreaded Babadook.
Spanning nearly a century of cinematic terrors, The Ultimate Book of Movie Monsters showcases creatures from genres such as horror, fantasy, B-movies and even musicals. Along with legendary beasts like Frankenstein’s monster, Godzilla, the Living Dead and the (mostly) friendly creatures of Monsters Inc., you’ll find film facts, creature strengths and weaknesses and over 150 full-colour pictures of the monsters themselves. From the era of stop-motion beasties to the cinematic showdown of the century in Godzilla vs. Kong, film lovers and horror aficionados will find plenty to keep their lust for terror satiated.
But beware, for the beasts that dwell within these forsaken pages may just keep you up all night. You have been warned…
Format: Hardback
Pages: 128
ISBN: 9781526775634
Pub Date: 30 Aug 2021
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 30 Aug 2021
Pages: 128
ISBN: 9781526775634
Description:
Have you ever wanted to escape into a comic book and become your favourite superhero? Or run away into the world of Disney princesses? Well, who says you can’t? Maybe it’s time you get your cosplay on!
Cosplay is a hobby that is sweeping the globe, you can see it at comic cons, book launches, movie screenings and even on popular TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory and Community. A mix of exciting craft skills, heady escapism and passion for pop culture, it’s easy to see why cosplay has become so popular with people no matter who they are, because now they can be anyone they want, and so can you.
But how, why and where could you have a go at starting out in the wonderful world of cosplay?
With a little bit of help from this handy, dandy guide to cosplay, you can get stuck in. Learn about the history of the hobby (it’s been around longer than you’d think!), get your head around picking your first costume, find out how about all the amazing skills people are using to make these costumes, and perhaps even try a few yourself. Who knows, you might be rocking out as Captain Marvel or Flynn Rider at the next big comic con! (And don’t worry, there’s a guide to comic con in here too.)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781526774705
Pub Date: 07 May 2021
Format: Hardback
Pub Date: 07 May 2021
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781526774705
Description:
Horror films divide opinion. It wasn’t until 1973 that a horror film (The Exorcist) was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture and many respected critics still regard them with amused condescension. The public’s view is also sharply divided. Some cinema goers revel in the thought of being made very, very afraid, while some just don’t like horror films because they don’t want to be frightened.
This guide, which is for both the fan and the more faint-hearted, steers an illuminating path through a genre that has, since the early days of cinema, split off into many sub-divisions - folk horror, slasher movies, Hammer, sci-fi horror, psychological thrillers, zombie movies, among others.
Times change but movie-makers can always find a way to tap into what we fear and dread, whether it’s blood-sucking vampires or radioactive mutations, evil children or the living dead.
This book also gives concise biographies of the many actors and directors who saw their careers – for better or worse – defined by their association with horror movies, and who created a genre that is instantly recognisable in all its forms and continues to find new and ingenious ways of scaring us in the dark.
