regan's blog

ITV’s police drama The Bill has been axed after 27 years despite last year’s revamp and new time slot, a change which failed to affect the long term ratings decline.

In 2002, The Bill was averaging more than 7 million viewers.  More recently this figure has been closer to half that.

The Bill has a production staff of 90 who will be consulting with the producer of the show, Talkback Thames, about redundancies.

The cost cutting by ITV will free up millions of pounds for new, shorter run dramas including a new medical series from writer Peter Bowker and a new series from Collision and Foyle’s War writer Anthony Horowitz.

Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson, or perhaps better known as The Body, is reviving her television career as the new host of Britain’s Next Top Model.

The 45 year old, who appeared on Friends, will watch over 18 young hopefuls vying for a £1m modeling contract.

Britain’s Next Top Model will air later in the year on Living.

Join us from 1am as we live blog the winners of the 2010 Golden Globe Awards.

Ricky Gervais is hosting tonight’s 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Of course, it’s all about him vs Steve Carrell. He’s a funny guy, really.

Nicole Kidman is presenting our first award tonight. She mentions the ribbons people are wearing for the people of Haiti. George Clooney is apparently running a Telethon next week to help raise funds for the Haitian Earthquake victims.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo’nique

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette (United States of Tara)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
John Lithgow

Best Animated Feature Film
Up

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Julianna Marguiles (The Good Wife)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“the Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” — Crazy Heart

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino (Up)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Grey Gardens (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Bacon (Taking Chance)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Drew Barrymore (Grey Gardens)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)

Best Foreign Language Film
The White Ribbon

Best Television Series – Drama
Mad Men

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Chloë Sevigny (Big Love)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Director – Motion Picture
James Cameron (Avatar)

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Glee

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
The Hangover

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Avatar

This is an inspiring account of how intelligent news media can be when traditional forms of news gathering aren’t available.

Emily Purser is a journalism student working at Sky News and provides an inside account of how Twitter, Facebook and YouTube were used to enable them to be the first broadcaster with images from the devastated area.

Read the account for yourself and be inspired and see why Emily believes she’ll never hear someone scoff at Twitter again.

The X Factor winners have held the #1 spot on the singles charts for the past four Christmases.  This year, however, there is an uprising committed to making sure that doesn’t happen.

There is a Facebook group dedicated to encouraging everyone to ensure that X Factor winner Joe McElderry doesn’t walk away with coveted #1 Christmas song in 2009 by, instead, buying Rage Against the Machine’s Killing In The Name.

To help, we’ve provided the links below to each song.  Make your purchase count this Christmas!

Buy Rage Against the Machine’s Killing In The Name

Buy Joe McElderry’s The Climb

It may have been a surprise when she didn’t win Britain’s Got Talent but becoming the best-selling debut album in UK chart history certainly isn’t.

Susan Boyle’s debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, has raced to the top of the charts with 410,000 copies selling in the first week in the UK.

If you’re not one of the many who bought Susan’s album in its first week you can buy it from

Fancy a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the 2010 Heineken Cup Final? FedEx are offering one lucky fan the chance to deliver the cup to the winning team as part of a fantastic VIP package.  If you love your rugby, watch the video below for more information.

Want to go on the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand? Audition now for The Gap Year 09

It’s Television’s night of nights as the stars gather at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate and recognise the best television in 2009.

Hosting tonight’s 61st Emmy Awards show is Neil Patrick Harris.

Of course, Kanya West gets mentioned.  Thankfully he’s not in the building so he shouldn’t be interrupting any acceptance speeches here tonight.

Tonight, the awards are going to be divided up into five genres.  First up, the Comedy Awards.

Presenting the first award are Tina Fey and John Ham.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Pushing Daisies • ABC • Living Dead Guy Productions, The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television
Kristin Chenoweth, as Olive Snook

The stars of How I Met Your Mother take the stage to present the next Award.

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
30 Rock • Reunion • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Matt Hubbard, Writer

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Amy Poehler present for the “last official year of broadcast television”

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Two And A Half Men • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., The Tannenbaum Company in association with Warner Bros. Television
Jon Cryer, as Alan Harper

Justin Timberlake steps up to present an award.  Sarah Silverman is wearing a very realistic looking moustache.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
United States Of Tara • Showtime • Showtime presents in association with Dreamworks Television
Toni Collette, as Tara Gregson

Blake Lively and Leighton Meester present the next awards.

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
Saturday Night Live • Host: Justin Timberlake • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Justin Timberlake, as Various Characters

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
Saturday Night Live • Presidential Bash 2008 • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Tina Fey, as Governor Sarah Palin (Spoof)

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
The Office • Stress Relief • NBC • Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille LLC in association with Universal Media Studios
Jeff Blitz, Director

Rob Lowe takes to the stage to present the next award.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Alec Baldwin, as Jack Donaghy

And now to the Reality Genre.

Jon Cryer and Hayden Panettiere present the first award.

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Survivor • CBS • SEG
Jeff Probst, Host

Tracey Morgan presents the next award.

Outstanding Reality – Competition Program
The Amazing Race • CBS • World Race Productions Inc.
Bertram van Munster, Executive Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer, Executive Producer
Jonathan Littman, Executive Producer
Hayma “Screech” Washington, Executive Producer
Elise Doganieri, Co-Executive Producer
Amy Nabseth Chacon, Co-Executive Producer
Mark Vertullo, Co-Executive Producer
Matt Schmidt, Supervising Producer
Jarratt Carson, Supervising Producer
Evan Weinstein, Supervising Producer
Giselle Parets, Senior Producer
Michael Norton, Senior Producer
Patrick Cariaga, Senior Producer
Phil Keoghan, Producer

The next genre is Movies and Miniseries.

Presenting the first awards are Kevin Bacon and Keira Sedgwick.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
House Of Saddam • HBO • HBO Films in association with BBC
Shohreh Aghdashloo, as Sajida

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Grey Gardens • HBO • Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films
Ken Howard, as Phelan Beale

Next to present are Kate Walsh and Chandra Wilson.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Into The Storm • HBO • Scott Free and Rainmark Films production in association with the BBC and HBO Films
Brendan Gleeson, as Winston Churchill

Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Patricia Arquette present next.

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Little Dorrit • PBS • A co-production of BBC Productions and WGBH Boston
Andrew Davies, Writer

Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
Little Dorrit • Part 1 • PBS • A co-production of BBC Productions and WGBH Boston
Dearbhla Walsh, Director

Alec Baldwin presents the next award.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Grey Gardens • HBO • Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films
Jessica Lange, as Big Edie

Keifer Sutherland and Anna Torv present the next awards.

Outstanding Made For Television Movie
Grey Gardens • HBO • Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films

Outstanding Miniseries
Little Dorrit • PBS • A co-production of BBC Productions and WGBH Boston

And onto the next genre: Variety.

The cast of The Big Bang Theory take to the stage to present the next awards.

Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
American Idol • Show 833 (The Final Three) • FOX • FremantleMedia N.A., Inc. & 19TV Ltd.
Bruce Gowers, Director

Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Steve Bodow, Head Writer
Jon Stewart, Writer
David Javerbaum, Writer
Josh Lieb, Writer
Rory Albanese, Writer
Kevin Bleyer, Writer
Jason Ross, Writer
Tim Carvell, Writer
John Oliver, Writer
Sam Means, Writer
Rob Kutner, Writer
J.R. Havlan, Writer
Rich Blomquist, Writer
Wyatt Cenac, Writer
Elliott Kalan, Writer
Rachel Axler, Writer

Jimmy Fallon presents and performs for the next awards.

Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics
81st Annual Academy Awards • Song Title: Hugh Jackman Opening Number • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
William Ross, Original Music
John Kimbrough, Original Music
Dan Harmon, Original Lyrics
Rob Schrab, Original Lyrics

Sir Ricky Gervais presents the next award.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC

It’s time for the awards for Drama.

Presenting the first awards are LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Lost • ABC • Grass Skirt Productions and ABC Studios
Michael Emerson, as Ben Linus

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
24 • FOX • Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television in association with Teakwood Lane Productions
Cherry Jones, as President Allison Taylor

Steven Moyer and David Boreanaz announce the winners of the next awards:

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • Swing • NBC • Wolf Films in association with Universal Media Studios
Ellen Burstyn, as Bernadette Stabler

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
Rescue Me • Sheila • FX Networks • Produced by Apostle, The Cloudland Company and DreamWorks Television in association with Sony Pictures Television.
Michael J. Fox, as Dwight

These two winners present the next awards.

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
ER • And In The End • NBC • Constant c Productions, Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Rod Holcomb, Director

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Mad Men • Meditations In An Emergency • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Kater Gordon, Writer
Matthew Weiner, Writer

Simon Baker presents the next award.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Damages • FX Networks • FX Productions and Sony Pictures Television
Glenn Close, as Patty Hewes

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC • High Bridge, Gran Via Productions, Sony Pictures Television
Bryan Cranston, as Walter White

Bob Newhart presents the second to last award of the night.

Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios

And to the final award of the night, presented by Sigourney Weaver:

Outstanding Drama Series
Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television