At the time I only saw the sequel, which remixed Dave Greenslade’s already intriguing theme tune into a catchily ominous synth beat I can still remember (I did catch up via the book of the original, then many years later the DVD)
*Though Doctor Who got there years earlier in The Deadly Assassin
Civil servant Henry Jay (Richard Griffiths)
Space Invaders-style titles sequence of civil servant-figures being blasted by faceless gunmen. Bird of Prey 2’s remix gave the theme tune more oomph but wasn’t as good a computer game.
Bird of Prey BBC novelisation by Colleen Toomey, cover featuring Henry Jay and his wife, computer-graphic civil servants being shot, and the tagline “A thriller for the electronic age +++ from the television serial”
OTD 1982: Bird of Prey
Prototype* techno-conspiracy thriller, this brought it home – and abroad – with a determined civil servant investigating something perhaps he shouldn’t
Starring and introducing me to Richard Griffiths (later the lead in Pie In The Sky, which we adored).
A) the Torygraph are idiots, "try and avoid using slang or idioms that don't translate" is perfectly sensible when communicating with the public.
B) "raining cats and dogs" always makes me think of the Sheogorath quest where you make burning dogs fall from the sky to mess with the villagers 😆
Basically, you described it so vividly that I had a clear image of it in my head (not literally, I'm aphantasiac) that when it appeared in the very effective scene of the Doctor's execution, I realised that it wasn't the one on the cover.
I've checked. The sword in the scene is the Sword of Tuburr; Bernice recognises it immediately as a big deal. It's described in detail on Page 95 when she first sees it, and it's curved like a cutlass with one side barbed and the other by implication smooth. (Why am I like this?)
I might be completely wrong. I remember noticing it at the time (in passing, it didn't really matter) but as someone once said, "the memory cheats", so I'm not 100% sure.
I'd need to go and check to be sure, but I _think_ that while the sword on the cover is a sword described in the book, it's not the one that should be in that scene. Which IIRC should be curved?
Gary Russell does Brexit. Bonkers and enjoyable, but it's the wrong sword on the cover.
I feel like "sweet, pottery-making nerdy guy who's still taking covid precautions" is somebody's ABSOLUTE DREAM GUY. Maybe you'll find her through this thread 😂
I'm making one last push to let people know about this online talk -- sponsored by the British Library in conjunction with their current exhibition on fairy tales. The live stream starts at 7:30 tonight, but if you buy a ticket *before* the event you can watch it any time over the next 7 days.
*waves!* Seemed like an obvious cause to back (a) I love musicals (b) I'm an ADC alumnus myself - Pink Floyd: The Wall in 1991 (c) Paul asked nicely and I trust his judgement.
This looks fabulous! I'll have to watch the recording after the event rather than see it live, but I've got a ticket.
So this amazing musical that made me cry and is about stuff close to my heart, they’re at 90% with 9 days left! Go look! Go *listen*! greenlit.com/project/unfo...
*looks at today's news about Stonewall *
*remembers the @pluslibdems.bsky.social event at Liverpool conference where the then chair of Stonewall was arguing passionately that gays didn't want same sex marriage *
We called them S'onewall IN THOSE DAYS because they always dropped the T from LGBT+...
A wee reminder that the subs window for disabled people and people of colour is still open!
I just finished listening to @aptshadow.bsky.social's Children of Strife. Absolutely amazing, especially loved Cato's story. Also, Mel Hudson narrates it excellently.
Read or listen to it if you're into good stories.
"I cannot be discarded again, left to the whims of the assembled crowd."
I fucking love a bit of #kink jeopardy. And today's NEW guest blog, by Gemini, delivers a fabulous bit of #BDSM drama: will he please the Mistress enough to earn his release?
Dear media: you have a responsibility in how you present facts
Wondering how immigration becomes such a flashpoint? This is how immigration becomes such a flashpoint
Meet Peter Purves in Manchester
Film is Fabulous! is delighted to announce that Doctor Who icon, Peter Purves, will be signing autographs at HOME Manchester, following the screening of “The Daleks’ Master Plan” episodes on Saturday, 23rd May 2026.
Photo by Christopher John Ball
Manchester Doctor Who Event
Film is Fabulous! will screen three Doctor Who episodes at HOME Manchester on Saturday, 23rd May 2026. The event will offer fans the chance to see the first three episodes of “The Daleks’ Master Plan”, two of which were recently recovered.
Digital flyer for Merseyside Doctor Who Group's Back to the Ship! Meeting for Saturday 18 April 2-5pm upstairs in the Higher Room at the Ship & Mitre, Liverpool. Artwork showing four Daleks from The Daleks' Master Plan, by The Prydonian, aka James Johnson. Headline reads "Master Plan Recovered!", sub-heading reads "Screening reports from: Tim Burrows, Gav Rymill, with Toby Hadoke".
Join us upstairs at the Ship, 2-5pm this Saturday for an afternoon revelling in the return of two episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan. We also have reports of screenings from @missingepisodespod.bsky.social and @themindrobber.bsky.social. Cover art by @theprydonian.bsky.social
Integrity with 3 striped parachutes
It's giving tunnocks teacakes!!!
That's a big duck. But I guess if they said "the size of a goose", it would still sound pretty scary.
I'm one of those trans women. I worked ground ops for Artemis I.
I am torn between celebrating the success of my friends and peers and grieving how my dream of working for NASA was shattered by hateful assholes in Tallahassee
UPDATE: Discussions on YouTube
The Film is Fabulous! team continues to make content available to be enjoyed. The YouTube Channel has been updated with recordings of all three panel discussions from the Riverside Studios event, which was held on Saturday, 4th April.
Cover of Wiz Duo Book 2. Art by Roz Clarke. The images are of a shield superimposed on a flying dragon, and a girl with a hole through her belly.
Love novellas? How about two in one book? In Wiz Duo 2, Juliet Kemp sends a reluctant knight on a quest, while E M Faulds gives her heroine a superpower that totally sucks.
wizardstowerpress.co...
It is! The Hope Valley line is one of my favourite bits of railway in Britain. The fact that it had a long tunnel at either end makes it feel extra cut-off from the big cities at either end of it.
Absolutely lovely evening, well worth making the journey across the Peak District from Sheffield for! Seasons of Glass and Iron is a great collection of short stories and poems, and it was fascinating and enlightening to hear Amal talking about them.
So @amalelmohtar.com & @elizachanwrites.bsky.social dazzled @blackwellsmcr.bsky.social. Amal read poems about the moon & a city, reconciled poetry & prose with @byzantienne.bsky.social reference & Eliza asked thoughtful questions as did the audience. From Wordsworth to Steven Universe we rocketed!
This is very much one of those “see how it sounds if you apply it to any other group” things.
I’m British, but no one asks me to repudiate the Empire or condemn Britain’s actions in Ireland before my voice can be heard on anything else.