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8 fictional places you can visit in real life

Step into the world of your favourite book, movie or TV show with a visit to these fictional locations that represented the original. Hogwarts, Harry Potter You won’t see anyone playing Quidditch on the lawns, but Alnwick Castle in Northumberland in the UK played Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films (with a little digital trickery thrown in). The castle has been the home of the Dukes of Northumberland for more than 700 years and is in high demand with film and TV crews – it also stars in the Downton Abbey Christmas specials. Jurassic Park The lush jungle foliage and towering waterfalls of the island of Kauai in Hawaii served as the backdrop for Stephen Spielberg’s rampaging dinosaurs in all three Jurassic Park movies. You can rent a four-wheel drive and travel through the national park where the movie was filmed though, sadly, none of the dinosaurs remained behind after shooting wrapped. West Egg, The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald modelled West Egg on Great Neck in Long Island, New York. This area on the north coast of Long Island was known as the Gold Coast because of the huge mansions, polo fields, golf courses and country clubs built there by America’s super wealthy (think Vanderbilt, Astor or Guggenheim). The very grand Oheka Castle in nearby Huntington partly inspired Gatsby’s house. Amity Island, Jaws Don’t go in the water! The beach on Amity Island was the setting for the first scene in the classic 1970s horror movie, Jaws. As well as looking the part of the perfect American seaside resort, the shallow water of the bay made it easier for the crew to operate the mechanical sharks. Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh Just over an hour from London you can walk in the footsteps of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin through Ashdown Forest. There’s only about 25 square kilometres of wooded area left from what was once a mighty forest, but it is still quintessentially English and one could almost expect Pooh, Tigger and Piglet to come bounding around a shady corner. Greenbow, Forrest Gump Life is like a box of chocolates in Varnville, South Carolina, which served as the fictional town of Greenbow in the Oscar winning movie Forrest Gump. The old Southern mansion that Forrest and his mamma lived in was a fake however, built just for production (and torn down right after), and even some of the Vietnam War scenes were shot around Varnville. Thank goodness for special effects. King’s Landing, Game of Thrones The historic Maltese capital of Mdina played the part of Kings Landing in the first series of Game of Thrones. The medieval walled city is in the centre of the island and has a population of just 300 – many of whom weren’t happy about the series. Maltese officials complained about the damage done and filming moved to Croatia for the following series. Hobbiton, The Lord of the Rings The three Lord of the Rings movies were such a smash hit that the village of Hobbiton was completely rebuilt in the original film location near Matamata in the North Island of New Zealand. You can step inside the tiny hobbit holes, visit the Green Dragon Inn and (of course) buy a souvenir at the gift shop. Images: Getty

International Travel

Seinfeld: how a sitcom ‘about nothing’ changed television for good

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-abrams-122305">Nathan Abrams</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bangor-university-1221">Bangor University</a> A quarter of a century ago, on 14 May 1998, the final episode of Seinfeld was broadcast, ending one of the most significant sitcoms of all time after nine seasons and 180 episodes. In fact the self-styled “show about nothing” was so important we can talk about the pre-Seinfeld and post-Seinfeld eras. Set in Manhattan, Seinfeld focused on the minutiae of daily life for four friends: Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), his best friend, George Costanza (Jason Alexander), his ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and his neighbour Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). Such a setup might sound familiar to fans of 90s American comedy shows. But Seinfeld abandoned the traditional sitcom structure of an A story and a B story and instead gave each character their own storyline, full of self-aware and metatextual jokes. While co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wanted a single-camera, filmlike aesthetic, the network, NBC, forced them to adopt a multi-camera setup taped in front of a live studio audience to supply the laughter track. Eventually, David and Seinfeld subverted that by shooting more scenes using single cameras and externally so that they could not be taped in front of a studio audience. They also employed a rapid-paced, quick-cutting, music-led style that was then unusual for sitcoms. This created the opportunities for expanding the narrative and cinematographic possibilities we’ve seen since. Seinfeld was a forerunner of the cinematic television we watch today. Consider the elaborate single-camera set pieces of the comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime, or the epic, cinematic look of Netflix’s Better Call Saul. Seinfeld tackled a host of then-taboo topics, which were part of everyday life, including antisemitism, same-gender relationships and masturbation. But because censorship and social mores at that time would not allow the characters to say the word “masturbation”, instead they referred to who can be the “master of their domain”. Such topics are commonplace these days. All four characters are antiheroes. None of them is particularly likeable nor were they intended to be. They are morally ambiguous, malicious, selfish, self-involved and extremely petty. They refuse to improve themselves, evolve or even manifest the slightest desire for change. They learn no lessons and the arc of the entire series revisits those they have wronged. Similar characters can be found in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367279/">Arrested Development</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472954/">It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia</a>. Also, consider Walter White from <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/70143836">Breaking Bad</a> and <a href="https://www.hbo.com/the-sopranos">Tony Soprano</a>. If all four leads in Seinfeld are bad, then George is the worst. Modelled on co-creator, Larry David, he is the epitome of male privilege. Such characters populate the televisual landscape today, not least in David’s later show, <a href="https://www.hbo.com/curb-your-enthusiasm">Curb Your Enthusiasm</a>, in which he stars as a version of himself. Elaine Benes stands out as a strong female character for the time. In one episode, in the face of a shortage of contraception, she judges whether her sexual partners are “sponge-worthy” or not. Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays her with a tremendous physical comedy, as well as comic timing. She was unapologetic, and her sexuality and work life are foregrounded. Clearly, this set the template for her later series, <a href="https://www.hbo.com/veep">Veep</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1njzgXSzA-A?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Festivus is celebrated on December 23 each year, thanks to Seinfeld.</figcaption></figure> The show generated billions of dollars in revenue, making NBC US$150 million (about £93 million) a year at its peak. By the ninth and final season, Jerry Seinfeld was earning US$1 million an episode. NBC executives tried to get him to return for a tenth season by offering him US$5 million an episode, but Seinfeld turned it down. Among the show’s fans was the legendary director Stanley Kubrick. “He was crazy about The Simpsons and Seinfeld,” his friend <a href="https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/kubrick-by-michael-herr/">Michael Herr recounted</a>. As a Kubrick expert, I even suspect that the set design influenced his final film, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120663/">Eyes Wide Shut</a> (1999). Watching Seinfeld again now – and I have re-watched every episode – some of it lands terribly today. Take the episodes with Babu Bhatt, a Pakistani immigrant who runs a restaurant across the street from Jerry’s apartment. He appears in three episodes of the show and is known for his catchphrase, “Very bad man!” which he uses to insult Jerry. The problem is that Babu is played by actor Brian George, who was born in Jerusalem to Iraqi Jewish parents, and is clearly wearing makeup and affecting a south Asian accent. At the same time, the lack of diversity in Seinfeld is striking. New York is represented by Manhattan alone, rather than any of the other four boroughs that make up the metropolis. Its image of the Big Apple is white and middle class. As journalist and screenwriter Lindy West has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/09/politically-correct-jerry-seinfeld-comedy-marginalised-voices">observed</a>, the series featured only 19 black people, 18 of whom were one-off characters such as “the waiter” and “the guy who parks cars”. There was only one recurring black character – Kramer’s lawyer, Jackie Chiles – whose mimicry of OJ Simpson’s lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, makes him look like a real shyster. So, while Seinfeld may feel like a dated product of the late 1990s, it was ahead of the curve aesthetically, structurally and in terms of narrative and characterisation. Today’s television would be unthinkable without it.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201497/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Image credit: Getty <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-abrams-122305">Nathan Abrams</a>, Professor of Film Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bangor-university-1221">Bangor University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/seinfeld-how-a-sitcom-about-nothing-changed-television-for-good-201497">original article</a>.

Michael K Williams and The Wire: how the show redefined television watching

This article contains spoilers for The Wire. Emmy-nominated actor Michael K Williams has died aged 54, reportedly of a <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/09/06/actor-michael-k-williams-found-dead-in-nyc-apartment/">suspected drug overdose</a>. Early last year the actor <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8CCmkpBb2g/?utm_medium=copy_link">mused on instagram</a> “How will I be remembered and what will be my legacy?” Undoubtedly the actor will be remembered for his breakthrough role as <a href="https://www.hbo.com/the-wire">The Wire</a>’s Omar Little. The homosexual, morally ambiguous outlaw who hunts Baltimore drug dealers for fun was somehow larger than life yet authentically believable. Armed with his signature sawed-off-shotgun, facial scar, duster jacket, and grin, Williams’s sheer presence played a key part in HBO’s 2002 series about <a href="https://drugpolicy.org/issues/brief-history-drug-war">America’s “war on drugs”</a>. This was the federal government’s zero-tolerance approach to illegal drug use that increased prison sentences for all drug-related incidents. Twenty years on, we can see how the programme redefined television and its impact in multiple ways. <h2>1. Television as Greek tragedy</h2> Unlike the then-popular <a href="https://theconversation.com/farewell-csi-the-show-that-made-forensics-fun-40857">CSI</a>-style investigative American cop show, The Wire embraces the cold-hearted nature of ancient <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/447310">Greek tragedy</a>. Indifferent to individuals’ heroism and morality, the show demonstrates how the American dream remains unachievable for many. Internal politics within local government, an overworked police force and an underfunded education sector thwart individual talent and ambition. Characters are at the mercy of these institutions that stand in for traditional Greek gods. Omar may be the closest the show has to a heroic figure, but his attempts for redemption are rewarded by the barrel of a child’s gun as he is unceremoniously killed for a couple of dollars. He is the Achilles falling victim to Apollo’s eventual will, as envisioned by ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9qK-VGjMr8g?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <h2>2. The visual novel</h2> The show’s creator, David Simon, coined the phrase “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/10/22/stealing-life">visual novel</a>” to describe the programme’s distinctive and demanding viewing experience. Instead of each episode neatly concluding with a captured criminal, The Wire made it impossible to simply tune in at any point in the season. One investigation stretches over 13 hours of television, so you have room for all the regular idiosyncrasies and nuance of how people relate and how institutions work, much like a Dickens novel. Put simply, “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2009/aug/29/david-simon-edinburgh-interview-full">Fuck the casual viewer</a>” as Simon once elucidated. <h2>3. Streaming series</h2> The Wire heralded the binge-watching revolution when DVD box sets made consuming 13 hours of television in one sitting possible and irresistible. Compared to HBO’s other quality television dramas from the period – including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/the-sopranos">The Sopranos</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/09/rewatching-deadwood-still-the-most-extraordinary-rootin-tootin-tv-ever">Deadwood</a> – The Wire’s exploration of America’s war on drugs proved that television audiences had the patience and intelligence to consume a narrative that could be consumed as if it were one very long film. <h2>4. Good guys or bad guys?</h2> It’s difficult to imagine a universe where <a href="https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones">Game of Thrones</a> could have been commissioned had The Wire not blurred the previously clear division between hero and villain. Baltimore’s police department and Barksdale’s drug-dealing crew are presented as two social structures in a pragmatic conflict with one another. A parallel ensues between Baltimore’s criminal justice system and the laws of the street and the equal pressure they apply to individuals. For instance, drug kingpin Stringer Bell’s (Idris Elba) brutal murder of Omar’s lover Brandon for robbing his stash house is depicted as a logically justifiable action similar to that of the US justice system’s treatment of criminals. Without such iconic episodes, would we have been able to empathise with the callous actions of the bloodthirsty Lannisters in Game of Thrones? <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420027/original/file-20210908-27-rd3frm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Man in suit." /> Idris Elba as drug kingpin. <a href="https://www.hbo.com/content/dam/hbodata/series/the-wire/character/the-street/russell-stringer-bell-1920.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.web.1200.675.jpeg" class="source">HBO</a> <h2>5. Challenging the war on drugs</h2> Perhaps Williams’ and the Wire’s greatest legacy will be the key role it has played in making the world increasingly sceptical of America’s war on drugs. Season four received the <a href="https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-wire/season-4">strongest critical reception</a> for portraying how a host of school children could be forced into a life of drug abuse against their will. The series highlights underfunded social services, a lack of employment opportunities, “benevolent” drug dealers, and drug-addicted parents to compellingly reveal that not all addicts are addled layabouts through choice. Instead, these people have been worn down by a system and societal structure that was against them from the moment they were unlucky enough to be born black in the projects (the US’s social housing). A testament to just how much the show changed opinion, during his first presidential campaign <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=w2F3eLZHmoA">Barack Obama said</a>, “Omar’s a great guy.” While Obama was keen to point out he was not endorsing the character’s lawbreaking, The Wire nevertheless helped instigate a global debate as to whether America’s war on drugs is worth its escalating cost in terms of human lives and taxpayer money. David Simon <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2011/06/wire-creator-david-simon-has-counter-offer-eric-holder/351634/">has since vowed he will write a sixth season</a> if drugs are legalised nationally in the US. From new Portuguese laws to Cleveland police’s <a href="https://www.cleveland.pcc.police.uk/how-can-we-help/community/heroin-assisted-treatment-hat/">heroin assisted treatment programme</a>, drug addiction is now starting to be treated as a health problem, as the obituaries for <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58470253">Michael K Williams’ untimely death</a> attest. The Wire and Williams’ performance went a long way in showing that drug addiction is an illness that demands understanding and that those suffering from it need society’s help and support, not its condemnation.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167480/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-lamb-453614">Ben Lamb</a>, Senior Lecturer in Media, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/teesside-university-1230">Teesside University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/michael-k-williams-and-the-wire-how-the-show-redefined-television-watching-167480">original article</a>. Image: Moviestore Collection Ltd/Alamy

Beloved Friends star passes away

James Michael Tyler, who played Central Perk manager Gunther on the long-running sitcom Friends, has passed away following a battle with prostate cancer. He was 59. A statement from his family reads, "The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh "Friend"), from the hit series "Friends," but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband. "Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life." Tyler only revealed his diagnosis earlier this year, after appearing in the Friends reunion special via Zoom. He told Today that he chose to appear via Zoom rather than sit on the couch with the rest of the cast, "because I didn't wanna bring a downer on it, you know? I didn't want to be like, 'Oh, and by the way, Gunther has cancer.'" At the time, he also revealed that the cancer had spread to his bones, leaving him paralysed from the waist down. He was initially diagnosed in September 2018. Tributes flooded social media as the news broke, including one from the official Friends Twitter account that described Tyler as “a beloved actor and integral part of our FRIENDS family. Jeffrey Klarik, co-creator of Episodes and partner of Friends creator David Crane, <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/JeffreyKlarik/status/1452399434625552393" target="_blank">tweeted</a> that Tyler was a “was a lovely, lovely man.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Warner Bros. Television mourns the loss of James Michael Tyler, a beloved actor and integral part of our FRIENDS family. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues and fans. ❤️☕️ <a href="https://t.co/9coGnT5BHz">pic.twitter.com/9coGnT5BHz</a> — FRIENDS (@FriendsTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FriendsTV/status/1452397247245651974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2021</a></blockquote> One social media user <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/nataliebargery/status/1452397971618861057" target="_blank">shared a quote</a> from the show itself, that in hindsight feels like a very fitting tribute. It’s spoken by Jennifer Aniston’s character Rachel Green as she’s politely rejecting Gunther’s advances, and she says, “And, and when I'm in a café, having coffee, or I see a man with hair brighter than the sun, I'll think of you.” While Tyler is best known for his work on Friends, owing to his appearance in 150 episodes, he also appeared in several popular shows throughout his career, including Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Scrubs, and Just Shoot Me. Image: Warner Bros. Television

News

Helen Mirren set to test your Harry Potter knowledge

In the first event of its kind, Dame Helen Mirren will be hosting a four-part television quiz event called Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses later this year, to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the release of the first film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The four-part quiz, which will air later this year, will see fans of the Harry Potter franchise put their knowledge to the test and compete for the title of House Cup champion, much like the students at Hogwarts do each year. The quiz will feature hundreds of trivia questions, as well as special guest surprises and a play-along component for those watching at home. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Award-winning actor Dame Helen Mirren is joining the Wizarding World family to host an exciting four-part quiz competition, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses. Discover more: <a href="https://t.co/uemnzU9zoT">https://t.co/uemnzU9zoT</a> <a href="https://t.co/WW8ozPzU6y">pic.twitter.com/WW8ozPzU6y</a> — Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) <a href="https://twitter.com/wizardingworld/status/1438173666949443585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote> While Mirren never starred in any of the Potter films, she will “add some British grandeur” to the proceedings, according to Tom Ascheim, Warner Bros. president of global kids, young adults, and classics. Mirren herself said, “I knew someday I’d get a Harry Potter role, and I’m so pleased to take part in the 20-year film celebration. The films inspired such enchantment and wonder for so many of us, and it will be such a treat to reignite that magic for the countless fans who continue to revel in this spellbinding world.” Mirren, an Academy Award winner for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in 2013’s The Queen, was appointed a Dame for services to drama as part of the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours. She also played the Queen in the 2013 play The Audience, a role for which she won both a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. The event will tape later this month and be broadcast later this year. Better start studying now if you want to try and beat Ravenclaw! <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTMvaG-KvPr/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTMvaG-KvPr/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Helen Mirren (@helenmirren)</a> </div> </blockquote> Image: Jacopo Raule/Getty Images

China re-jigs Olympic medal tally to place itself first

Sections of the Chinese media have been caught out changing the 2021 Olympics medal tally by placing China at the top of the list, ahead of the USA. This year's Olympics in Tokyo saw the USA finish first with 39 gold medals with China coming in a close second with 38 gold medals and the host nation, Japan, finished third with 27 golds. But China Central Television (CCTV), which is a state-controlled broadcaster run by the Chinese Communist Party, has been caught out listing China as having won 42 gold medals and winning the overall medal tally. This re-jigged tally came to light after it was seen on the Chinese social media platform - Weibo. From this platform, the graphic appeared all over mainstream social media with people on Twitter seeing the rejigged tally. Some have said the new tally is because the CCTV found a way to boost their medals by including Taiwan and Hong Kong in their overall tally. But even with these two nations’ medals, this only adds three gold medals to China’s overall tally, so it’s unclear where the 42 gold medals comes from. Hong Kong earned just one gold medal at the Games, while Taiwan, which competes as 'Chinese Taipei', earned two gold medals. Image: Getty and Twitter

Legal

Meghan Markle makes surprising television appearance

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Meghan Markle surprised royal fans when she appeared on CNN's annual Heros TV special on Sunday. The special honoured inspiring people who have helped out this year during the coronavirus pandemic. Markle thanked “individuals (who) stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met” this year, which she says has been “universally challenging for everyone”. “They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation,” she said on the program. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CIwswtgDvio/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CIwswtgDvio/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by CNN (@cnn)</a> </div> </blockquote> “In the face of this devastating reality, we ... saw the power of the human spirit and the remarkable ways that communities respond in challenging times. “We saw the good in people, in our neighbours and in entire communities coming together to say they would not stand by while our neighbours went hungry,” she said. The former Duchess continued to list all of the things she's witnessed this year. “These moments reminded so many that they are cared for.” Ending her message, Markle said that these individuals “showed us, all of us, that even in the darkest times, when we come together, we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope, and that we will be OK.” </div> </div> </div>

Beauty & Style

Hilariously specific detail The Crown got wrong

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> As the hit Netflix show The Crown goes into its fourth season, creators of the show are able to predict complaints from fans. However, a self-confessed "staunch royalist" wrote into the UK newspaper The Times to confess that his wife and himself only watched the fourth season to "pick away at its inaccuracies and untruths". Surrey resident Dominic Witherow did not like what he saw and took issue with a scene where Prince Charles and friends went on a fishing expedition in Iceland. “The show’s portrayal of his fishing technique was utterly unjustifiable,” he writes of the scene. “To imagine that any self-respecting fisherman would allow his line to touch down so catastrophically is bad enough, but to then suggest that such a cast could possibly result in the landing of a fine salmon is tantamount to gross – almost criminal – negligence. “Never has a television series managed to lose all credibility with such aplomb.” </div> </div> </div>

"'The virus is afraid of Betty!"

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Fans around the world have rejoiced with the news that Golden Girl legend Betty White is safe and well amid the coronavirus pandemic. White, 98, is self-isolating in her home in California, with visits from animal friends, including ducks. "No one permitted in except those who must. Has helpers who are great with her," White's rep said in an email to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.today.com/popculture/betty-white-doing-very-well-despite-coronavirus-pandemic-t182392" target="_blank">Today</a>. "The animal community is watching over her," White's publicist said, adding, "The virus is afraid of Betty!" Her friend Tom Sullivan confirmed to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/betty-white-gushes-shes-blessed-with-incredibly-good-health/" target="_blank">Closer</a> that she is also keeping her mind active during the lockdown. “She reads the L.A. Times cover to cover,” he said. “She owns literally thousands of crossword puzzle books and is constantly doing them to keep her mind jumping. This is really serious with her.” As well as keeping her mind active, White has been relaxing with a cocktail or two. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHvKyGOgpwy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHvKyGOgpwy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Betty White (@bettymwhite)</a> on Jul 11, 2016 at 2:54pm PDT </div> </blockquote> “Betty loves to joke that vodka keeps her young,” her friend says with a laugh. “She loves the image of her sitting at home in a rocking chair, drinking a martini and watching game shows, but she’s not really a big drinker. That’s not her. She’ll only take a few sips of a cocktail if the occasion calls for it.” White also has a message to the world. “Betty’s message to the world is to slow down and enjoy what you have: family, friends, your pets,” says the friend. “She says that the pandemic is serious, but we have come through worse. It’s Mother Nature’s way of telling us all to slow down.” White has spent 80 years working in television and has the longest career in the history of television. </div> </div> </div>

Queen Elizabeth’s first televised Christmas greeting

For many of us, the Queen’s televised message has been part and parcel of our Christmas tradition. When she ascended the throne 1952, Her Majesty took on the monarch tradition of delivering a Christmas speech to the public through the radio, following in the footsteps of her grandfather King George V and her father King George VI. Five years later, the Queen made her television debut after she accepted the BBC’s request to read her Christmas message live from the Sandringham Estate. Since then, the monarch has continued to appear on television screens across the UK and the Commonwealth nations every year to send her wishes. The only exception was <a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a12474983/queens-first-christmas-message-broadcast-televised/">1969</a>, when the Queen opted to write her message instead of broadcasting it. This week, the royal family shared on Instagram a throwback to the Queen’s first televised message, 62 years on. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B50bNX7HR7h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B50bNX7HR7h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a> on Dec 8, 2019 at 9:10am PST </div> </blockquote> “Twenty-five years ago, my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages,” the then-31-years-old Queen said in the clip. “Today is another landmark, because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day. “My own family often gather around to watch television, as they are at this moment, and that is how I imagine you now. “I very much hope this new medium will make my message more personal and direct. It’s inevitable that I should seem a rather remote figure to many of you … but now, at least for a few minutes, I welcome you to the peace of my own home.”

Beauty & Style

Natural history on TV: how the ABC took Australian animals to the people

Most of us will never see a platypus or a lyrebird in the wild, but it’s likely we’ve encountered them on television. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10304312.2019.1669533">Our new research</a> looks at the vital role early ABC television played in making Australian animals accessible to audiences. In the early years of ABC TV, there was very little locally produced animal content. When animals were on the small screen, they were usually imported from the BBC. Foremost among the imports was David Attenborough’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0918481/">Zoo Quest</a> (1954–1964), following the young naturalist’s exploits in Guyana, Borneo and Paraguay collecting live animals for London Zoo. Zoo Quest was formative in the development of natural history television. It launched Attenborough’s career and established many of the cultural conventions of the format: the authoritative and intrepid male narrator venturing to exotic places in search of animals being their wild selves. For Attenborough, the thrill of showing animals in their natural states gave the show “<a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=1lHs8bTVh8oC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=%22the+spice+of+unpredictability%22&source=bl&ots=PHg_-HorBL&sig=ACfU3U2rfkJS_gutZ9keb76WpQ2Ogzn7Iw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwid_7WvyK7lAhVDuI8KHVWSDJEQ6AEwAXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22the%20spice%20of%20unpredictability%22&f=false">the spice of unpredictability</a>”. From the farm to the bush The initial strategy for local animal content by ABC TV was to use familiar radio techniques – panel talks and natural sounds – and just add pictures. Junior Farmer Competition, for instance, was a successful radio show. When it moved to television in 1958, live cattle, sheep and poultry were brought into the studio and competitors were asked to handle them before the cameras. This show was a remarkable experiment in visualising a radio format – but it didn’t last. The logistics of wrangling livestock in a TV studio proved too difficult. During the 1960s, the ABC began screening locally made wildlife shows. Wild animals were no longer somewhere else, in Africa or South America: they were all around us. Wildlife Australia (1962-1964) was written by ornithologist and radio broadcaster, Graham Pizzey and produced with the CSIRO. The series took viewers into unique Australian environments, and explored the native wildlife in these habitats. Other shows offered variations on this theme of an emerging environmental nationalism. Around the Bush (1964) starred naturalist and educator <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/green-before-it-was-fashionable-20070912-gdr373.html">Vincent Serventy</a> out in the field; Wild Life Paradise: Australian Fauna (1967), was filmed at the Sir Colin Mackenzie Sanctuary (later Healesville Sanctuary) and offered content about what made Australian animals unique. As recurring references to Australia in these titles suggest, these shows were determinedly national. They often represented animals as living in “the bush” or “the environment”. This early reference to “the environment” framed it as a zone where nature and culture interacted – usually with bad outcomes for nature. As early as 1962, audiences were invited to look at animals as both fascinating and vulnerable. Animals and their habitats were framed as in need of public attention and concern in order to limit human intrusion and impact. While nature conservation movements had been around since the post WWII period, they often focused on preservation of scenic sites for human pleasure. This early environmentalism gave <a href="https://www.mup.com.au/books/defending-the-little-desert-paperback-softback">conservation a more political edge</a>. It valued nature in its own right and questioned development at all costs. Dancing Orpheus Probably the most groundbreaking early natural history show made by the ABC was <a href="https://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/dancing-orpheus/">Dancing Orpheus</a> (1962). Celebrated for its visual and technical prowess in capturing the secretive superb lyrebird, the most powerful scene showed a cock bird performing its elaborate courting display. The narration by John West offered scientific explanation, but the focus was on the extraordinary aesthetics of this pure natural expression. Dancing Orpheus was celebrated not just because it captured a rare and beautiful lyrebird performance, but because it also showed the emerging power of television to make remarkable Australian animals visible to audiences. Dancing Orpheus was one of the catalysts for the development of natural history television at the ABC, which really took off with the watershed series <a href="https://beyondtheestuary.com/fire-and-water-vale-charles-ken-taylor-poet-filmmaker-1930-2014/">Bush Quest with Robin Hill</a> (1970). Bush Quest featured the artist and naturalist Hill observing and sketching the wildlife of central and coastal Victoria. It established a new audience for Australian wildlife, breaking with earlier presentations of the remote bush or outback. Bush Quest cultivated a new environmental ethos in viewers increasingly aware of nature’s fragility. An ongoing legacy The ABC’s Natural History Unit was created in 1973. This small unit produced a suite of top rating programs that publicised a huge variety of Australian animals, way beyond the usual kangaroos and koalas. Its watershed moment was the internationally acclaimed series <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4590316/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Nature of Australia</a> (1988). Nature of Australia offered audiences an experience of national identification and pride based on our remarkable natural – rather than cultural or military – history. It put nature at the heart of definitions of national uniqueness. Early natural history television on the ABC showed audiences animals and places they didn’t even know existed, and explained natural processes in ways that were accessible and engaging. It also showed audiences how vulnerable these animals and habitats were to human actions and intervention. Natural history television on the ABC didn’t just make animals entertaining: it implicated audiences in their lives and survival, a significant factor in building environmental awareness. Written by Gay Hawkins. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/natural-history-on-tv-how-the-abc-took-australian-animals-to-the-people-125221">The Conversation.</a>

Art

Here’s what dogs see when they watch television

Dog owners often notice their pets watching televisions, computer screens and tablets. But what is going on in their pooch’s head? Indeed, by tracking their vision using similar methods used on humans, research has found that domestic dogs do prefer certain images and videos. This research indicates that dogs have a preference towards watching other canines – but our studies have also discovered that sound often initially attracts dogs towards television and other devices. Favoured sounds include dogs barking and whining, people giving dog-friendly commands and praise, and the noise of toys squeaking. How dogs watch TV is very different to the way humans do, however. Instead of sitting still, dogs will often approach the screen to get a closer look, and walk repeatedly between their owner and the television. They are essentially fidgety, interactive viewers. What dogs can see on the screen is also different to humans. Dogs have dichromatic vision – they have two types of colour receptor cells and see colour within two spectrums of light: blue and yellow. The use of colour within media is very important for dogs and explains why canine TV channel, DogTV prioritises these colours in its programming. Dogs’ eyes are also more sensitive to movement and vets suspect that the improved flicker rate that has come from the shift from standard to high definition television has allowed dogs to better perceive media shown on TV. But do they enjoy it? Multiple screens have also been used in research to see whether dogs can pick what to watch. Early research has shown that when presented with three screens, dogs are unable to decide, instead preferring to watch one screen no matter what is on it. This has still to be tested with two screens, and possibly more than three. While science has shown that dogs can engage with television and that they prefer certain programmes, it has yet to delve into the complex question of whether they actually enjoy it. We as humans will often watch distressing footage or videos that make us feel a range of emotions, from distress to anger and horror. It’s not always because it makes us feel good. We just don’t know whether similar factors motivate dogs to watch. What a dog does engage with, however, differs from dog to dog, depending on their personality, experience and preference. This is speculated to be influenced by what their owner watches, with dogs <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982211013935">following their human’s gaze</a> and other communication signals, such as gestures and head turns. Dogs, unlike humans, will also often have very <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581916300611">short interactions, often under three seconds</a>, with the media, preferring to glance at the TV rather than focus on it like humans. Research has found that even with media specifically designed for dogs, they will still <a href="http://bit.ly/2bXeDkX">spend the majority of their time watching nothing at all</a>. The ideal television for dogs, therefore, should contain lots of snippets rather than long storytelling scenarios. But while dogs have their own TV channel, and have been shown to prefer to watch other dogs through short interactions with specially coloured programmes, many mysteries remain. Nevertheless, technology has the potential to provide entertainment for domestic canines, improving the welfare of dogs left home alone and in kennels. Just don’t expect a doggie version of the Radio Times just yet. Written by Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-dogs-see-when-they-watch-television-65000">The Conversation</a>.

Family & Pets

Erik Thomson speaks out after 800 Words cancelled: "It didn't have to end"

Soon to be reaching his 30th year of acting, Erik Thomson’s hugely successful show 800 Words has not been approved for a fifth season. The show, which earned Thomson a win in the Best Actor category at the Logies, will end after the fourth season, set to air soon on TVNZ. Thomson’s character George Turner is a newspaper columnist, in the fictional New Zealand seaside town of Weld. And now, due to the show being shelved, season four will be the last time we see George Turner on our television screens. The 51-year-old actor finds the situation “disappointing” as he believes the show still had potential and a great viewership. “800 Words could have run for more seasons,” Thomson told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/tv/erik-thomson-800-words-cancelled-50696" target="_blank">TV WEEK</a>. “The plan was to jump ahead a year to see how things panned out, but that’s not going to happen, unfortunately. “Networks these days are interested in the shiny new ball, but not always in ways to keep that ball shiny.” Thomson believes reality television is partly to blame, with television networks strongly relying on reality shows. The actor says that scripted drama is not given the priority it deserves. “In many ways, reality shows have become like drama series,” he says. “They cast all these archetypes. There’s the villain, the smart arse and the underdog. I get it, but hopefully with a bit of luck the pendulum will swing back to more scripted drama that runs for longer than six-to-eight episodes.” But Thomson is still grateful for the opportunities he has been given. “I’ve been fortunate to be in shows people just have to be home for on a Tuesday night, whether it be All Saints or Packed to the Rafters,” he says. “I’ve been lucky.” He added, “This is my 28th year as a professional actor. I’m heading towards that three-zero years in the business. I keep pinching myself!” As for what the future holds, Thomson is looking into darker roles after shooting horror film Awoken in Adelaide, Australia with his fellow 800 Words co-star Benson Jack Anthony, and will soon be starring in Australian film Storm Boy. “The journeys I want to go on now aren’t as family-orientated,” he says when talking about his shift from the “nice guy” roles that he is known for playing. “I’m thinking darker drama or even some edgy, dark comedy projects. I’m working with some writers and there are possibilities floating around.” And one of those ideas may involve a reunion with Thomson’s Packed to the Rafters co-star Rebecca Gibney. “We’ve talked about it,” he says. “But Rebecca has just finished Wanted [the TV3 drama series] and everyone is in different parts of the world. I dare say it could happen.” Are you disappointed that 800 Words won’t be returning after its fourth season? Let us know in the comments below.

Elizabeth Hurley’s son all grown up and now an actor

In proof that sometimes talent runs in the family, Elizabeth Hurley’s son is set to make his acting debut in the popular US television drama, The Royals. The British-born star is currently filming the third season of the popular series in which she depicts the Queen of a fictional royal family that’s inhabiting Buckingham Palace. She’ll be joined on set by her son Damian who will guest star as a prince. <img width="500" height="495" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/24769/elizabeth-hurley-in-text_500x495.jpg" alt="Elizabeth Hurley In Text" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Image credit: Instagram / elizabethhurley1 Hurley announced the exciting news to her followers in a post on Instagram, writing, “Mama taking a back seat tomorrow on the set of #TheRoyals. Passing the baton to my son, who is guest starring as Prince Hansel von Liechtenstein.” Damian has well and truly caught the acting bug, with Hurley stating in an interview with E! News, “He just turned 14 and he loves it, he wants to go into movies in some way.” Have you ever seen The Royals? What’s your favourite movie featuring Elizabeth Hurley? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you! Related links: <a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/06/shocking-actor-transformations-for-movie-roles/">10 shocking transformations by actors for movie roles</a> <a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/06/favourite-musical-films/">Our favourite musical films</a> <a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/06/incredible-actors-who-havent-won-an-oscar/">8 incredible actors who haven’t won an Oscar</a>

Movies

Queen Elizabeth II set to make an extremely rare television appearance

Her Majesty might be one of the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-tips/2017/12/the-queens-one-dollar-jet-lag-cure/" target="_blank">most photographed people on the planet</a>, but one thing she has rarely done during her six-decade reign is speak candidly on camera. But that is all set to come to an end, with the 91-year-old monarch <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/12/the-14-dollar-gift-the-queen-gives-her-staff/" target="_blank">set to make a surprise appearance</a> in The Coronation, an hour-long BBC documentary that’s going to examine the historic day she came to power back in 1953. Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne when she was just 25, in a ceremony that captured the imagination of a nation coming to grips with post-war austerity. Her Majesty is set to discuss the historic ceremony, including the dazzling crown used on the day, and look back on the 1937 coronation of her father King George VI. "I've seen one coronation, and been the recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable," she says. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/inKSvLk7kiI" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> The BBC's director of content, Charlotte Moore, said: "It is a real honour to have Her Majesty the Queen revealing her intimate knowledge of the Crown Jewels - and fond childhood memories from when her father was crowned King George VI in this very special film for BBC One. "In her own words, the Queen will bring to life the enduring symbolic importance of the coronation ceremonies for modern audiences to enjoy." Do you think you will watch The Coronation when it comes out? Image credit: Twitter / Robin Popley

News

Rolf Harris launches bid to clear his name

Disgraced children’s entertainer Rolf Harris has launched an audacious bid to clear his name today, appearing before the Royal Courts of Justice in central London with fresh evidence he believes will have his <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/2017/05/rolf-harris-trial-dramatically-concludes/" target="_blank">12 indecent assault convictions thrown out</a>. The 87-year-old’s legal team has told a London appeals court that key evidence, not seen by the jury in his 2014 sexual abuse trial, could have exonerated Harris. Four of initial convictions will be appealed, and if the judges sitting in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division rule in his favour, Harris will argue the remaining eight convictions are unsafe and should also be thrown out by the court. The defence is arguing Harris should not have been convicted of indecently touching a seven-year-old girl at a community centre in Leigh Park council estate in rural England, as there was no evidence that he had ever been there. Harris’ legal team also contends one of the key prosecution witnesses was a “Walter Mitty-type” character who, amongst other things, lied about serving in the Korean War. Stephen Vullo, QC, for Harris says this means the conviction was unsafe. "It's credible, it's reliable, it goes to the central issue in the case and it wasn't raised at the trial," he said. Prosecutor Jonathan Rees, QC, argues this should not be accepted as new evidence. “The fresh evidence should not be received by the court and if any or all if it is, it still does not render the convictions unsafe,’’ he said. The court will hear more legal arguments on Wednesday, before retiring to consider its decision. What are your thoughts? Hero image credit: Twitter / Global's Newsroom

Legal

How Terri, Bindi and Robert are honouring Steve Irwin's legacy

Twenty years has passed since Steve Irwin first appeared on Animal Planet with his show The Crocodile Hunter. The show was a huge success, giving Steve Irwin an international platform and turning him into a household name. More than a decade since his tragic death, Steve Irwin’s family is returning to the network where it all started. On Wednesday, Animal Planet announced that Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin will be carrying on Steve’s legacy with new television projects on the network. It has not yet been revealed what the shows will be, but it is safe to assume they will feature a great range of exotic animals. "Steve Irwin was a champion for all wildlife and he and Terri's excitement and enthusiasm brought viewers from around the world in touch with nature," Patrice Andrews, general manager of Animal Planet, said in a press release. “Their passion for animals, love for their family, and leadership in conservation awareness left a strong legacy that continues today. We are thrilled to have Terri, Bindi and Robert back in the Animal Planet family." In recent years, Bindi has appeared on TV as a contestant on the US version of Dancing with the Stars in 2015 and Robert has hosted the Discovery Kids series Wild But True. Robert has also appeared on The Tonight Show several times. Terri has been busy continuing her efforts as an activist for conservation and supporting the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 28.10185185185185% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaZLQrgHu9h/" target="_blank">Crikey! So excited to announce that we are officially returning to @AnimalPlanet next year! We love the @DiscoveryChannel family 💙</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin) on Oct 18, 2017 at 7:54am PDT </div> </blockquote> Bindi posted a video on Instagram featuring her mum and brother to celebrate the exciting news. "Watch out for next year," Bindi said in the clip. "We have wonderful new adventures coming to your television screen."

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8 fictional places you can visit in real life

Seinfeld: how a sitcom ‘about nothing’ changed television for good

Michael K Williams and The Wire: how the show redefined television watching

Beloved Friends star passes away

Helen Mirren set to test your Harry Potter knowledge

China re-jigs Olympic medal tally to place itself first

Meghan Markle makes surprising television appearance

Hilariously specific detail The Crown got wrong

"'The virus is afraid of Betty!"

Queen Elizabeth’s first televised Christmas greeting

Natural history on TV: how the ABC took Australian animals to the people

Here’s what dogs see when they watch television

Erik Thomson speaks out after 800 Words cancelled: "It didn't have to end"

Elizabeth Hurley’s son all grown up and now an actor

Queen Elizabeth II set to make an extremely rare television appearance

Rolf Harris launches bid to clear his name

How Terri, Bindi and Robert are honouring Steve Irwin's legacy