Paul Donnelley

Watch the BBC series instead - it's much better, 14 Jan 2013

Let me start by saying I loved the first BBC Mrs Brown's Boys series; the second series not so much although it had its moments. Similarly, the two 2012 Christmas Specials - the first one fabulous, the second so-so.

Therefore, watching this four DVD box set was a disappointment. Mrs Brown has been toned down for television, at least in the looks department - the hairy wart is gone for a start. The four films in this box set are the television series unpolished. Rather confusingly, the actor who plays Dermot in the television series plays Trevor in the first two films and leaves to go off to do missionary work at the end of the second film before returning as Dermot in the third… Read more

Fun facts, 31 Oct 2012

I have all the QI books so it was natural to add this to my library. It's an easy read - each page has three or four facts - so you go through it quite quickly. It's a book that you can dip into or read from cover to cover. The authors says that it is a distillation of the most fascinating facts that they have come across.

There are some errors - Bob Hawke did not get into The Guinness Book of Records in 1954 for drinking two and a half pints of beer in eleven seconds. The first edition of the Guinness book wasn't published until August 1955. Red Bull isn't illegal in Iceland and you don't have to travel at 28,000mph to avoid being caught on film by a speed camera - you won't get… Read more

The Rise and Slight Stumble of the Murdoch Empire, 10 July 2012

I suppose the first thing to say about this book is that the title is something of a misnomer - the Murdoch empire has hardly fallen. The Rise and Slight Stumble of the Murdoch Empire wouldn't have been as catchy or as commercial. As Murdoch has said, the News of the World was a tiny part of News Corp's business.

Lisner's book is a good introduction to the world of Murdoch and News International but if you already know a fair bit, then you probably won't learn anything new apart from that Lisner earned a fortune as a freelance journalist writing for the Murdoch press and others when the Street of Shame actually existed.

The book begins with the phone hacking scandal… Read more