robmacca's entertainment news

The Specials To Perform At Olympic Closing Ceremony

2012-02-21T01:18:00.000Z

The Specials will be joining Blur and New Order for the closing Olympic Ceremony in London on Sunday 12th August 2012 it has been confirmed today (21/02/12). The Coventry 2-Tone band will feature as part of the 'Best of British' celebration concert, which will be seen by millions around the world.

Fans will be able to register for tickets on the BT London Live website - prices will be announced soon.

Tales From The Television - Part 9

2012-02-15T15:23:00.000Z

Team GB are hoping to do well in the upcoming Olympic Games in London, but let's hope they don't follow the route of Great Britain in Jeux Sans Frontières. Week after week team GB would finish near the bottom of the table.

The latest video looks back at It's A Knockout and Jeux Sans Frontières and how fun TV can help unite families.

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Grammy Awards 2012: The Winners

2012-02-13T08:50:00.001Z

British singer Adele won six Grammy Awards at the emotional ceremony held in Los Angeles as the entertainment industry remembered the tragic death of Whitney Houston. Adele also performed during the 54th Grammy Award ceremony after winning Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Short Form Music Video.

American rockers the Foo Fighters were the other main winners of the night.

Here is the full Grammy Award Winners List:

RECORD OF THE YEAR - "Rolling In The Deep" Adele

ALBUM OF THE YEAR - "21" Adele

SONG OF THE YEAR - "Rolling In The Deep" Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth (song writer award)

BEST NEW ARTIST - Bon Iver

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE - Adele "Someone Like You"

BEST ROCK ALBUM - Foo Fighters "Wasting Light"

BEST POP DUO - Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse "Body and Soul"

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM - Adele "21"

BEST RAP ALBUM - Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM - Booker T. Jones "The Road From Memphis"

BEST DANCE RECORDING - Skrillex "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM - Skrillex "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM - Tony Bennett & Various Artists "Duets II"

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE - Foo Fighters "Walk"

BEST HARD ROCK/METAL PERFORMANCE - Foo Fighters "White Limo"

BEST ROCK SONG - Foo Fighters (songwriters) "Walk"

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM - Bon Iver "Bon Iver"

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE - Corinne Bailey Rae "Is This Love"

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE - Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona "Fool for You"

BEST R&B SONG - Cee Lo Green, Melanie Hallim, Jack Splash (songwriters) "Fool for You"

BEST R&B ALBUM - Chris Brown "F.A.M.E"

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE - Jay-Z & Kanye West "Otis"

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION - Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie "All of the Lights"

BEST RAP SONG - Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West (songwriters) "All of the Lights"

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE - Taylor Swift "Mean"

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE - The Civil Wars "Barton Hollow"

BEST COUNTRY SONG - Taylor Swift (songwriter) "Mean"

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM - Lady Antebellum "Own The Night"

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM - Pat Metheny "What's It All About"

BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO - Chick Corea "500 Miles High"

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM - Terri Lyne Carrington & Various Artists "The Mosaic Project"

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM - Corea, Clarke & White "Forever"

BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM - Christian McBride Big Band "The Good Feeling"

BEST GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE - Le'Andria Johnson "Jesus"

BEST GOSPEL SONG - Kirk Franklin (songwriter) "Hello Fear"

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC SONG - Laura Story (songwriter) "Blessings"

BEST GOSPEL ALBUM - Kirk Franklin "Hello Fear"

BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM - Chris Tomlin "And If Our God Is for Us..."

BEST LATIN POP, ROCK, OR URBAN ALBUM - Mana "Drama y Luz"

BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN OR TEJANO ALBUM - Pepe Aguilar "Bicentenario"

BEST BANDA OR NORTENO ALBUM - Los Tigres Del Norte "Los Tigres Del Norte and Friends"

BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM - Cachao "The Last Mambo"

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM - Levon Helm "Ramble at the Ryman"

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM - Alison Krauss & Union Station "Paper Airplane"

BEST BLUES ALBUM - Tedeschi Trucks Band "Revelator"

BEST FOLK ALBUM - The Civil Wars "Barton Hollow"

BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM - Rebirth Brass Band "Rebirth of New Orleans"

BEST REGGAE ALBUM - Stephen Marley "Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life"

BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM - Tinariwen "Tassili"

BEST CHILDREN'S ALBUM - Various Artists "All About Bullies ... Big and Small"

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM - Betty White "If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)

BEST COMEDY ALBUM - Louis C.K. "Hilarious"

BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM - "The Book of Mormon"

BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO - Adele "Rolling in the Deep"

BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO - Foo Fighters "Foo Fighters: Back and Forth"

Source: Reuters

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

BAFTA Awards 2012: Winners

2012-02-13T00:05:00.001Z

As predicted, The Artist became the winner of this years BAFTA Awards in London. Winning Best Film, Director, Original Screenplay, Leading Actor, Original Music, Cinematography and Costume Design.

In other news, Meryl Streep lost her shoe but Colin Firth saved the day!

Here are the BAFTA Award 2012 Winners List:

Best Film:
The Artist

Outstanding British Film:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer:
Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur)

Film Not in the English Language:
The Skin I Live In

Documentary:
Senna

Animated Film:
Rango

Director:
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

Original Screenplay:
The Artist

Adapted Screenplay:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Leading Actor:
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

Leading Actress:
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Original Music:
The Artist

Cinematography:
The Artist

Editing:
Senna

Production Design:
Hugo

Costume Design:
The Artist

Make Up & Hair:
The Iron Lady

Sound:
Hugo

Special Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Short Animation:
A Morning Stroll

Short Film:
Pitch Black Heist

Orange Rising Star Award:
Adam Deacon

BAFTA Fellowship:
Martin Scorsese

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema:
John Hurt

*Nominations in full: HERE

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Tales From The Television - Part 8

2012-02-07T18:19:00.006Z

Over the years television has given us numerous catchphrases and many TV personalities are known for their one liners. Back in the day before we had the Internet and satellite or cable TV - as children had few programmes to choose from so we had to make the most of what we had.

Looking back now, it's easy to think the programmes were tacky or 'dated' but hidden inside each show were real gems. From the outrageous Tiswas to the energetic Runaround in the late 70's early 80's - we grew up loving the fun they bought into our young lives.

Have a cuppa and enjoy this latest tale ........

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Tales From The Television - Part 7

2012-02-01T10:12:00.000Z

This one might sound like the Chipmunks but it should put a smile on your face as we look at more classic children's TV from Grange Hill, Byker Grove and Marmalade Atkins for this episode of robmacca's Tales From The Television .......

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Tales From The Television - Part 6

2012-02-01T10:05:00.000Z

Getting home from school and putting the TV on was tradition we grew up with. Cartoons provided hours of entertainment and captivated our imagination from both the UK and US, as this tale looks back at the unforgettable Dangermouse and He-Man.

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Tales From The Television - Part 5

2012-02-01T09:57:00.000Z

A trip to a Birmingham nightclub and a certain children's programme provide the entertainment in this episode of robmacca's Tales From The Television, with clips from two classic shows we grew up loving. Take a strange trip down memory lane and enjoy the nostalgic footage from Rainbow and Button Moon......

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

BAFTA Awards 2012: Full Nominations List

2012-01-17T11:09:00.000Z

Silence may indeed be golden as The Artist looks set to sweep up at the BAFTA Awards on Sunday 12th February 2012 at London's Royal Opera House. The silent film is up for a total of twelve awards at the British ceremony next month but faces tough competition from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which is nominated for eleven awards this year.

Here are all the BAFTA Award Nominations for 2012:

Best Film:

The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Help
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Outstanding British Film:

My Week with Marilyn
Senna
Shame
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Leading Actor:

Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Michael Fassbender (Shame)

Leading Actress:

Bérénice Bejo (The Artist)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
Viola Davis (The Help)

Supporting Actor:

Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March)

Supporting Actress:

Carey Mulligan (Drive)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Judi Dench (My Week with Marilyn)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer:

Richard Ayoade (Submarine)
Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur)
Joe Cornish (Attack the Block)
Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus)
Will Sharp (Black Pond)

Film Not in the English Language:

Incendies
Pina
Potiche
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

Documentary:

George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim
Senna

Animated Film:

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Arthur Christmas
Rango

Director:

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive)
Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Original Screenplay:

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Guard
The Iron Lady
Midnight in Paris

Adapted Screenplay:

The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Original Music:

The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Cinematography:

The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Editing:

The Artist
Drive
Hugo
Senna
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

Production Design:

The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Costume Design:

The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Make Up & Hair:

The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
The Iron Lady
My Week with Marilyn

Sound:

The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Special Visual Effects:

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
War Horse

Short Animation:

Abuelas
Bobby Yeah
A Morning Stroll

Short Film:

Chalk
Mwansa the Great
Only Sound Remains
Pitch Black Heist
Two and Two

Orange Rising Star Award:

Adam Deacon
Chris Hemsworth
Tom Hiddleston
Chris O'Dowd
Eddie Redmayne

BAFTA Fellowship:

Martin Scorsese

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Tales From The Television - Part 4

2012-01-15T17:31:00.000Z

Dr Who has entertained generations and become iconic, thankfully the BBC revived the programme for a new worldwide audience.

We've all got a favourite Doctor, and this latest video reveals mine along with a little tale about the Dr Who theme music!

*Red Rob - a view from the left side

Brit Awards 2012: The Nominations

2012-01-12T19:14:00.000Z

The full nominations have been revealed for the 2012 Brit Awards, with Adele and Ed Sheeran set for an award or two at the glitzy music event at London's O2 on Tuesday 21st February 2012. JLS will have to battle it out for British Single of the Year against other new boys on the block - One Direction and The Wanted.

Full list of Brit Award nominations:

BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST
Ed Sheeran
James Blake
James Morrison
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Professor Green

BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Adele
Florence & The Machine
Jessie J
Kate Bush
Laura Marling

BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Anna Calvi
Ed Sheeran
Emeli Sandé
Jessie J
The Vaccines

BRITISH GROUP
Arctic Monkeys
Chase & Status
Coldplay
Elbow
Kasabian

BRITISH SINGLE
Adele Someone Like You
Ed Sheeran The A Team
Example Changed The Way You Kissed Me
Jessie J Ft B.o.B. Price Tag
JLS Ft Dev She Makes Me Wanna
Military Wives / Gareth Malone Wherever You Are
Olly Murs Ft Rizzle Kicks Heart Skips A Beat
One Direction What Makes You Beautiful
Pixie Lott All About Tonight
The Wanted Glad You Came

MASTERCARD BRITISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Adele 21
Coldplay Mylo Xyloto
Ed Sheeran + Atlantic Records / Warner Music
Florence & The Machine Ceremonials Island

INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Bruno Mars
David Guetta
Ryan Adams

INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Beyoncé
Björk
Feist
Lady Gaga
Rihanna

INTERNATIONAL GROUP
Fleet Foxes
Foo Fighters
Jay Z / Kanye West
Lady Antebellum
Maroon 5

INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Foster The People
Lana Del Rey
Nicki Minaj

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC AWARD
Blur

CRITICS’ CHOICE
1st - Emeli Sandé
2nd - Maverick Sabre
3rd - Michael Kiwanuka

BRITISH PRODUCER
Paul Epworth
Flood
Ethan Johns

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Tales From The Television - Part 3

2012-01-11T11:01:00.000Z

Media has changed so much over the past 30 years, but back in the 'old' days we had to rely on television for most of our screen entertainment. ITV was made of many smaller regions, like Thames (and London Weekend Television) and I loved watching the Thames/LWT logo at the start of some programmes.

I also remember going to bed quite scared after watching a certain programme at about 8.30pm on some school nights - this episode of 'Tales From The Television' reveals that TV thriller......

Tales From The Television - Part 3: The Scary TV Titles and More TV Logos

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

Top 10 DVD Chart 2011

2012-01-08T13:17:00.000Z

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows topped the DVD sales chart for 2011, but overall DVD sales dropped 7.2% in the UK last year. Total DVD units sold in 2011 were 207m, continuing the decline from 253m total sales in 2008.

As physical DVD sales continue to drop, it is downloads and online streaming that are propping up the entertainment industry, but this was not enough to stop a 3.4% year on year drop (includes all digital and physical retail sales, plus physical rental transactions, consumers spent an estimated total of £2.25b).

It was a good year for British films, with eight out of the top ten films for 2011 earning a place in the end of year chart. The year to come is expected to see physical DVD sales continue in their free fall, while at the same time customers move online to more subscription download content. This will increase the pressure on retailers like HMV, as previously discussed HERE.

Top 10 DVD Sales 2011:

1. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2
2. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 1
3. The Inbetweeners Movie
4. The King's Speech
5. Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides
6. Despicable Me
7. Paul
8. Tangled
9. Peter Kay – Live – The Tour That Didn't Tour
10. Transformers – Dark of The Moon

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Tales From The Television - Part 2

2012-01-06T11:26:00.000Z

Ever wanted to watch a 'naughty' programme on TV but you knew your parents would never let you view it?

This was the situation robmacca found himself in when OTT was first broadcast on Central TV. Today's 'Tales From The Television' explores what happened....

Tales From The Television - Part 2: OTT, Bullseye and the Central TV logo

*EXTRA BLOG - more from the world of robmacca

US Top Selling Albums And Singles 2011

2012-01-05T10:57:00.000Z

British singer Adele had the best selling album and single in the US with her album '21', according to figures released by Nielsen SoundScan. Adele sold 5.8m copies of her second album that went on sale in March 2011 - selling 352,000 copies on the first week. The single 'Rolling In The Deep' topped the biggest selling singles chart for the year, also selling 5.8m copies in the US.

The Spice Girls and Elton John were the last British acts to top both album and singles best sellers list in 1997. Album sales in the US were up 1% in 2011, reaching a total of 330m by the end of the year - the first increase since 2004 and bucking the trend we have seen in the UK, where album sales fell 6%.

US Best Selling Albums 2011:

1.Adele - 21 - 5.8m
2.Michael Buble - Christmas - 2.4m
3.Lady Gaga - Born This Way - 2.1m
4.Lil Wayne - The Carter IV - 1.9m
5.Jason Aldean - My Kinda Party - 1.6m

US Best Selling Singles 2011:

1.Adele - Rolling In The Deep - 5.8m
2.LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem - 5.5m
3.Katy Perry - E.T. - 4.8m
4.Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger - 4.1m
5.Pitbull - Give You Everything - 3.9m

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PICTURES: David Beckham H&M Underwear Launched

2012-01-04T16:43:00.000Z

David Beckham has once again stripped down to his underwear for his latest ad campaign, this time it is for H&M. The pictures will interest fans around the world as well as boosting sales for the clothing range at H&M. Previously the Beckhams modelled underwear for Armani, as seen HERE.

See more pictures of Beckham in his underwear on this blog: Beckham Underwear Pictures

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Tales From The Television - Part 1

2012-01-04T11:22:00.000Z

A brand new series of videos exploring the effects of television on the life of robmacca. In this opening episode we venture back in time to the launch of Central television and the end of ATV.

The video series will take a trip down memory lane, looking at unforgettable TV programmes shown on British television over the decades. Who can forget Crossroads, Tiswas or the launch of Channel 4?

Each week two new videos will be coming out, so keep updated and subscribe to the YouTube channel: Tales From The Television

Tales From The Television - Part 1: The ATV and Central Logo

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HMV Dogged By Digital Revolution

2012-01-02T18:32:00.000Z

When HMV announce their sales update on 9th January 2012, it is expected his masters voice will have fallen on deaf ears as the digital age eclipses the physical stage. Could it be that the HMV dog is about to be put to sleep? With like for like sales expected to be down 8% and UK album sales plunging 6% with CD's dropping 13%, HMV is holding on for dear life.

Record stores have been disappearing from the High Street at a rapid rate as Woolworths, Virgin (Zavvi) and Borders vanished from the retail world. The big supermarkets dropped singles and independent outlets shut up shop as physical sales continued to decline at an alarming rate. A new generation had arrived and they did not want the hassle of trawling through the High Street, instead they opted for digital downloads and couldn't give a fig about owning a CD or DVD.

The Enemy @ HMV, Coventry

Online retailers like iTunes and Amazon have revolutionised the way we own music and movies, our collections can be seen on screen instead of a bulky display shelf - but sadly, HMV was slow to respond to the rapid shift in consumer consumption. Other online retailers like Play.com and CD Wow ate into the retailers market share and took a chunk out of the dogs ear - but HMV would not go down without a fight. The stores stocked new products as they tried to shift reliance from their traditional sales base to other products, but this just added to the confusion as they became more like Woolworths, having a bit of everything but a lot of nothing!

The loss of HMV will be another nail in the High Street, this goes beyond a recession. We are seeing the effects that cheaper online retailers, with lower overheads, are having on High Streets across Britain. Sadly for HMV, although they have tried different approaches, their fate will be rather like a sick dog visiting the vet for the last time. A new generation has a different High Street which is accessed via the super fast highway called The Internet. Retailers like HMV will fall by the wayside unless they can reverse their fortunes via the internet.

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VIDEO: Tales From The Television - The Teaser

2011-12-27T09:04:00.002Z

Here is the video teaser for the brand new series 'Tales From The Television' in which robmacca will take you through a video journey of stories about the influence of television as he was growing up in Coventry.

The series will launch on Sunday 1st January 2012.......

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Christmas Day Top 10 TV Viewing Figures - 2011

2011-12-26T21:05:00.001Z

Christmas Day viewing figures proved to be good once again for the BBC, but ITV had plenty of festive cheer as Coronation Street and Downton Abbey were among the most watched programmes this Christmas. The Ad Fab special proved a hit with viewers later in the evening when Patsy and co returned once more, keeping 7.5m entertained.

The top ten most-watched programmes on Christmas Day were as follows:

1. EastEnders: 9.92m (33.4%) - BBC One
2. Coronation Street: 9.03m (32.8%) - ITV1
3. Doctor Who: 8.92m (34.2%) - BBC One
4. Downton Abbey: 8.13m (29.4%) - ITV1
5. Strictly Come Dancing: 7.52m (27.3%) - BBC One
6. Absolutely Fabulous: 7.43m (27.5%) - BBC One
7. The Gruffalo's Child - 6.47m (27.7%) - BBC One
8. Michael McIntyre's Christmas Roadshow: 6.45m (29.2%) - BBC One
9. The Queen - 6.29m (37.3%) - BBC One
10. Emmerdale - 6.24m (27.2%) - ITV1

(timeshift channel ratings not included in this list.)

Here is the Top 10 TV Xmas Day 2011 Peak Viewing Programmes List:

1. EastEnders - BBC One - 10.2 million peak (9.9 million average)
2. Coronation Street - ITV - 9.9 million (9.3 million)
3. Downton Abbey - ITV - 9.1 million (8.6 million)
4. Doctor Who - BBC One - 9 million (8.9 million)
5. Queen's Speech - BBC One and ITV - 8.2 million (8.2 million)
6. Strictly Come Dancing - BBC One - 8 million (7.5 million)
7. Absolutely Fabulous - BBC One - 7.9 million (7.4 million)
8. Emmerdale - ITV - 7.1 million (6.7 million)
9. All Star Family Fortunes - ITV - 6.9 million (6.4 million)
10= The Gruffalo's Child - BBC One - 6.8 million (6.5 million) and Michael
10= McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow - BBC One - 6.8 million (6.4 million)

(Source: BARB, based on 15-minute peaks and average viewers over entire shows)

Christmas Day 2011 Overnights - Full Roundup (from Digital Spy)

BBC One
03:15- BBC News: 0.2m (14.4%)
06:00- Breakfast: 1.1m (31.4%)
09:00- The Nativity: 1.5m (16.3%)
10:00- Christmas Day Eucharist: 1.0m ( 9.3%)
11:00- Songs of Praise: 1.3m (10.4%)
11:40- Morecambe and Wise: Christmas Show 1971: 1.6m (12.8%)
12:35- Kung Fu Panda: 3.1m (24.1%)
14:00- Top of the Pops: 3.9m (28.1%)
15:00- The Queen: 6.3m (37.3%)
15:10- Monsters vs Aliens: 4.5m (27.4%)
16:35- BBC News: 4.6m (25.8%)
16:50- Ratatouille: 5.4m (26.7%)
18:30- The Gruffalo's Child: 6.5m (27.7%)
19:00- Doctor Who: 8.9m (34.2%)
20:00- Strictly Come Dancing: 7.5m (27.3%)
21:00- EastEnders: 9.9m (33.4%)
22:00- Absolutely Fabulous: 7.4m (27.5%)
22:30- Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow: 6.4m (29.2%)
23:35- BBC News: 3.8m (25.1%)
23:55- Have I Got a Bit More News For You: 1.5m (14.0%)
00:40- The Graham Norton Show: 0.8m (14.1%)
01:40- The Hot Chick: 0.5m (12.5%)

ITV1
02:15- Spartacus: 0.2m (10.8%)
05:15- ITV Nightscreen: 0.1m ( 5.9%)
06:45- Special Agent Oso: 0.1m ( 3.4%)
06:55- Sooty: 0.1m ( 3.7%)
07:15- Annabel's Kitchen: 0.1m ( 2.6%)
07:30- Horrid Henry: 0.2m ( 5.0%)
07:45- The Borrowers: 0.8m (12.6%)
09:25- March of the Penguins: 1.5m (13.7%)
11:00- Miracle on 34th Street: 2.3m (18.5%)
13:05- ITV News and Weather: 2.0m (16.0%)
13:15- Aladdin: 1.8m (13.5%)
15:00- HM the Queen: 2.2m (12.8%)
* inc +1: 2.3m (13.9%)
15:10- Happy Feet: 2.9m (16.9%)
* inc +1: 3.2m (19.0%)
17:10- ITV News and Weather: 3.1m (16.5%)
* inc +1: 3.3m (17.6%)
17:30- New You've Been Framed!: 3.9m (19.3%)
* inc +1: 4.3m (21.1%)
18:00- Emmerdale: 6.2m (27.2%)
* inc +1: 6.7m (29.4%)
19:00- All Star Family Fortunes: 6.1m (23.5%)
* inc +1: 6.4m (24.4%)
20:00- Coronation Street: 9.0m (32.9%)
* inc +1: 9.3m (33.8%)
21:00- Downton Abbey: 8.1m (29.4%)
* inc +1: 8.6m (31.0%)
23:05- ITV News and Weather: 3.8m (18.6%)
* inc +1: 4.0m (19.6%)
23:20- Benidorm: 1.6m (12.3%)
00:35- The Comedy Annual: 0.4m ( 6.9%)
01:35- The Towering Inferno: 0.3m ( 8.0%)

BBC Two
07:10- Arthur: 0.1m ( 1.9%)
08:15- What's New Scooby-Doo?: 0.2m ( 3.5%)
08:35- Blue Peter: 0.2m ( 2.9%)
09:05- The Slammer: 0.2m ( 1.8%)
09:35- The Magic Roundabout: 0.5m ( 4.7%)
10:50- The Sword in the Stone: 1.3m (10.3%)
12:10- Alive's Adventures in Wonderland: 0.4m ( 3.1%)
14:10- A Musical Nativity with John Rutter: 0.3m ( 1.8%)
15:10- The Prince and the Composer: 0.4m ( 2.1%)
16:40- Dad's Army: 0.9m ( 5.2%)
17:10- Porridge: 1.8m ( 9.0%)
18:00- University Challenge: 2.1m ( 9.3%)
18:30- Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood: 1.5m ( 6.1%)
20:00- Blackadder the Third: 1.7m ( 6.1%)
20:30- Blackadder the Third: 1.8m ( 6.4%)
21:00- The Toys That Made Christmas: 1.5m ( 5.3%)
22:30- James May's Man Lab: 0.7m ( 3.2%)
23:30- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings: 0.7m ( 5.8%)
00:25- The Many Faces of Les Dawson: 0.3m ( 4.5%)
01:25- QI: 0.2m ( 5.2%)

Channel 4
02:00- Cee Lo Takes the UK: 0.1m ( 2.5%)
05:25- Brothers and Sisters: 0.1m ( 5.7%)
06:10- The Ugly Duckling and Me: 0.1m ( 5.3%)
07:40- The Simpsons: 0.2m ( 5.9%)
08:00- The Simpsons: 0.5m ( 8.7%)
08:30- James and the Giant Peach: 0.7m ( 8.2%)
10:00- Gordon's Christmas Cookalong Live: 1.2m ( 9.6%)
14:00- Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas: 1.5m (10.9%)
14:30- The Snowman: 1.2m ( 8.4%)
15:00- Celebrity Come Dine with Me: 1.0m ( 6.0%)
16:05- Channel 4 News: 0.9m ( 5.6%)
16:20- Deal or No Deal: Deal Panto: 1.5m ( 8.2%)
17:20- Big: 1.2m ( 5.3%)
19:15- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs: 2.2m ( 8.0%)
21:00- Alan Carr: Chatty Man Christmas Special: 1.7m ( 5.9%)
22:00- Rude Tube: 1.5m ( 5.8%)
23:05- So This is Christmas: 0.5m ( 2.9%)
00:05- 8 Out of 10 Cats: 0.7m ( 7.6%)
01:10- American Football Live: 0.1m ( 1.4%)

Channel 5
07:00- The Milkshake! Show: 0.1m ( 2.3%)
07:25- Make Way for Noddy: 0.1m ( 2.2%)
07:45- Little Princess: 0.1m ( 2.1%)
08:25- Rupert Bear: 0.1m ( 1.3%)
08:45- Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom: 0.1m ( 1.2%)
09:00- Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy: 0.3m ( 3.4%)
10:35- Animal Rescue Squad: 0.2m ( 1.9%)
10:55- Andre Rieu's Christmas Spectacular: 0.3m ( 2.7%)
11:55- Ice Road Truckers: 0.4m ( 3.4%)
12:55- Ice Road Truckers: 0.6m ( 4.6%)
14:00- Mrs Miracle 2: Miracle in Manhattan: 0.6m ( 4.2%)
15:45- Mrs Santa Claus: 0.6m ( 3.2%)
17:30- The Santa Suit: 0.7m ( 3.0%)
19:25- Christmas Card: 0.5m ( 1.8%)
21:05- Eddie Stobart: Trucks, Trailers and Tinsel: 0.7m ( 2.5%)
22:00- Britain's Favourite Christmas Songs: 0.5m ( 2.7%)

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UK Top 40 Christmas Chart 2011

2011-12-26T01:45:00.001Z

The Military Wives sold a staggering 556,000 copies to claim the Christmas number one spot in the UK singles chart - that was more than the Top 12 combined and became the 60th official Christmas #1. X Factor winners Little Mix, had to settle for number two but can be content with being number one the week before.

1 (144) 2wks Wherever You Are MILITARY WIVES/GARETH MALONE
2 (1) 2wks Cannonball Little Mix
3 (132) 2wks Dominick The Donkey LOU MONTE
4 (NEW) 1wk Forever Yours ALEX DAY
5 (2) 9wks Paradise Coldplay
6 (3) 5wks Dance With Me Tonight Olly Murs
7 (6) 6wks Good Feeling Flo Rida
8 (4) 3wks Dedication To My Ex(Miss That) LLOYD FT ANDRE 3000 / LIL WAYNE
9 (7) 5wks Levels Avicii
10 (5) 12wks We Found Love Rihanna

11 (113) 189wks Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana
12 (18) 4wks Mama Do The Hump Rizzle Kicks
13 (13) 60wks Fairytale Of New York The Pogues ft Kirsty Maccoll
14 (9) 15wks Lego House Ed Sheeran
15 (14) 19wks Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5
16 (12) 9wks Earthquake Labrinth feat Tinie Tempah
17 (11) 61wks All I Want For Christmas Mariah Carey
18 (15) 6wks Take Care DRAKE FT RIHANNA
19 (16) 16wks Sexy And I Know It LMFAO
20 (20) 10wks The One That Got Away Katy Perry

21 (24) 15wks What Makes You Beautiful One Direction
22 (35) 5wks You Da One RIHANNA
23 (23) 11wks Love On Top Beyonce
24 (10) 3wks 5 O'Clock T-PAIN / WIZ KHALIFA / LILY ALLEN
25 (43) 18wks Heart Skips a Beat Olly Murs ft Rizzle Kicks
26 (21) 23wks Who You Are Jessie J
27 (NEW) 1wk Driving Home For Christmas Stacey Solomon
28 (25) 10wks Mistletoe Justin Bieber
29 (40) 10wks Video Games Lana Del Rey
30 (32) 30wks Jar of Hearts Christina Perri
31 9(29) 7wks Marry The Night Lady Gaga
32 (26) 8wks It Will Rain Bruno Mars

33 (NEW) 1wk Last Christmas The Cast of The Only Way Is Essex
34 (28) 28wks Last Christmas WHAM!
35 (34) 5wks Nothing's Real But Love Rebecca Ferguson
36 (53) 23wks Driving Home For Christmas Chris Rea
37 (36) 7wks Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Slow Moving Millie
38 (31) 28wks I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday Wizzard
39 (30) 8wks Fight For You Jason Derulo
40 (37) 32wks Merry Xmas Everybody Slade

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Blur To Perform At Brit Awards 2012

2011-12-19T11:04:00.000Z

Blur will be performing at the Brit Awards 2012 as they pick up their 'Outstanding Achievement Award', it has been confirmed. The band's bassist Alex James told XFM radio listeners, "We're going to play, which is brilliant, it's like putting the Blues Brothers back together."

The chart topping band won four Brit Awards while at the top of their career with 'Parklife', taking home best album, best single, best video and best group in 1995. Blur reformed briefly in the summer of 2009, including an emotional performance at Glastonbury (see video below) - but fans were left wanting more after the Britpop band went their separate ways once again.

Alex James remained tight lipped about the future prospects of Blur returning to the music world with a tour or new songs as he spoke to XFM, "Well, lets hope - heritage year next year..... be good wouldn't it? I wish I could tell you more. I'm sure it will happen one day but I don't know when. It's quite nice to keep it special."

Blur return to Glastonbury 2009 with 'She's So High'

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NME TV Closing Down

2011-12-15T12:29:00.000Z

Fans of 'real' music will be disappointed to learn that NME TV will go off air forever on Thursday 5th January 2012 after owners decided to pull the plug on the music network.

Smaller advertising revenues and low viewing figures of less than 50,000 meant CSC Media Group could not operate the channel without incurring growing losses. The station first broadcast over four years ago and has been the home of rock, indie and Britpop since it's launch on 22nd November 2007. NME magazine and NME radio are not affected by the decision to cease broadcasting NME TV.

R.I.P NME TV - we'll miss you!

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Madonna To Perform At Super Bowl 2012

2011-12-06T15:37:00.001Z

It has been revealed that Madonna will be singing during the half time section of the 2012 Super Bowl Final, eight years after Janet Jackson suffered a 'wardrobe malfunction' during the same event when as she sang with Justin Timberlake.

Although Madonna has been quiet lately on the music scene, the 53 year old singer is expected to make an explosive return with her next single 'Masterpiece' - which is expected to be on her new album and forms part of the soundtrack for her film W.E.

Madonna will perform on Sunday 5th February 2012 at the Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, with a massive global audience and 111 million tuning in from the USA last year, it will be the perfect promotion for W.E. - which will be released two days before.

Madonna - Masterpiece

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Coldplay Set For Coventry Ricoh Arena

2011-11-11T17:18:00.000Z

Coventry Ricoh Arena will be kicking off the Coldplay 2012 tour on Tuesday 29th May 2012, it will be the chart topping bands only Midlands date and is expected to sell out when tickets go on sale on Friday 18th November 2011. Chris Martin and the band are only performing a few dates while in the UK, including London Emirates Stadium (June 1, 2), Sunderland Stadium of Light (June 7th) and Manchester Etihad Stadium (June 9th).

Coldplay have enjoyed massive worldwide success since their debut album in 2000 with 'Parachutes' (2.3m in UK), their latest album 'Mylo Xyloto' went to number one in thirty two countries on it's release recently. 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' sold 2.6m copies in the UK with 'X And Y' not far behind on 2.3m.

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday November 18 through www.gigsandtours.com (0844 854 1360), http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ (0844 847 2312), http://www.ticketline.co.uk/ (0844 888 9991) and http://www.ticketfactory.com/ (0844 581 9900).

For further information and to book hospitality packages at the Ricoh Arena email coldplayvip@ricoharena.com, telephone 0844 873 6310 or log on to http://www.ricoharena.com/

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