Visions Before Midnight
Television criticism from the Observer 1972-76. A selection of weekly columns from the first four years as the Observer's television critic. The first of three volumes (followed by The Crystal Bucket and Glued To The Box).
"Dreams out of the ivory gate, and visions before midnight" SIR THOMAS BROWNE |
Contents
Preface
Auntie goes to Munich Storm over England Overture to War and Peace Tolstoy makes Television History Knickers Liberating Miss World A living legend Likely lads Nixon on the skids Harry Commentator Eddie Waring communicates Kinds of freedom Blue-bloods on parade Square Hadleigh Drained crystals Anne and Mark get married Just call me 'Captain' Earthshrinker The bending of the spoons More like it A pound of flash Hermie |
Fortune is a woman
What Katie did Noddy gets it on Why Viola, thou art updated! Wisdom of the East Hi! I'm Liza Exit Tricky Dick Hot lolly Rough justice The Hawk walks Bob's wonderful machines Lord Longford rides again Pink predominates Chopin snuffs it Mission unspeakable The Turkeyin Winter Thatcher takes command The higher trash Killer ants What is a television critic? Problem children Biggest bitch in Fleet Street Rancid coils |
The hard taskmasters
Language games Very Peter Hall Schmittering prizes A Muggeridge fragment Unintelligibühl Standing at the window Solzhenitsyn warns the West The QB VII travesty Cant-struck Hoggart on class Larger than life March of the androids Onward to Montreal |