Another helping of American Pie

We may be due to receive another slice of American Pie as rumours say that Universal will be bringing us a fourth theatrical feature film, scrapping the straight-to-DVD spin offs.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, no script has been written and no cast or production date has been announced but, it is expected that the film will catch up with the films newlyweds Jim and Michelle (Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan) who tied the not in American Wedding.

BBC responds to prank calls of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross

The BBC today issued a statement from Mark Thompson, Director-General.

"I would like to add my own personal and unreserved apology to Andrew Sachs, his family and to licence fee payers for the completely unacceptable broadcast on BBC Radio 2.

"BBC audiences accept that, in comedy, performers attempt to push the line of taste. However, this is not a marginal case. It is clear from the views expressed by the public that this broadcast has caused severe offence and I share that view.

"Since Sunday, I have been in regular contact with the senior executives I tasked with handling this issue. The investigation that I instructed Tim Davie to conduct is nearing completion, and I am returning to London to review the findings and, in the coming days, announce what action we will take.

"In the meantime, I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned.

"This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers. I am determined that we satisfy them that any lessons will be learnt and appropriate action taken. I have been asked to report to the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee before the end of this week and will discuss with the Trust the findings of the report and the actions I propose."

(BBC Press Release)

New Harry Potter 6 trailer

A new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince trailer has been released and what a trailer it is too.

It's fast and exciting and makes me wish the film were being released tomorrow but, sadly we still have to wait until next July to see the end product.

Here's the trailer, hope you like it:

Doctor Who preview

This year's BBC Children in Need show on BBC One is to feature an exclusive preview of the forthcoming Doctor Who Christmas special.

The clip, from the special entitled The Next Doctor, will show the first two minutes of a brand new episode for the Time Lord, played by David Tennant.

This never-seen-before footage is a worldwide exclusive and will keep fans all over the globe wondering what's in store for the Doctor's next adventure.

Starring David Tennant and David Morrissey, the two-minute piece will broadcast as part of the BBC Children in Need show on Friday 14 November, BBC One, 7.00pm.


(Courtesy of the BBC Press Office)

A completely pointless but amusing study

Psychologists have carried out a study which has found that holding a hot drink can make people feel more friendly towards others.

The Guardian writes: "Holding a warm cup of coffee was enough to make people think strangers were more welcoming and trustworthy, while a cold drink had the opposite effect, a study found."

"The warmth of a drink also influenced whether people were more likely to be selfish or give to others, researchers report in the journal Science. A team led by John Bargh at the University of Colorado set about testing whether hot and iced drinks influenced perceptions of others after noting how frequently "warm" and "cold" are used to describe personalities."

This seems a rather random study and while it is amusing, it is probably a bit of a waste of time. Once again it seems that the money used for these kinds of studies would be better spent elsewhere, especially in our current climate.

However, on the positive side, we now have a new, cheap and easy way to get on someones 'warmer' side, give them a hot drink and all will be well.

Take a look at the full article at the Guardian.

Ripley's Believe It or Not

Rumour has it that Paramount is in talks with Chris Columbus to direct Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Tim Burton was originally rumoured to be directing the film in China in 2007 but, Variety say it will now be "getting a complete overhaul, based on a concept that Columbus pitched."

When Columbus is successfully on board, Paramount will hire a writer for the project, which they hope to release in 2011.

Paramount also have hopes of making Ripley's Believe It or Not a franchise.

Daniel Craig and Jonathan Ross talk Bond

Daniel Craig joins Jonathan Ross on his BBC One show, Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, and tells how he was afraid of failure as Bond.

He says: "I thought I might fail miserably... I thought it was going to change my life and I was unsure that I wanted it to... now I'm growing into it, I'm genuinely excited about a third [Bond] movie."

Daniel added: "I love every day, it's a rare experience. I get a big thrill out of it."

Daniel Craig will return as Bond in Quantum of Solace which is due to hit our screens at the end of the month.

Catch the rest of his interview on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, 10.35 pm, Friday 24 October 2008, BBC One.

(Quotes courtesy of BBC Press Office)