Writers Pointless Celebrities, 8th October

Pointless Celebrities on 8th October at 5.55pm is a Writers special.

Taking part are John O'Farrell and Emma Kennedy, Kathy Lette and Kate Mosse, Benjamin Zephaniah and Roger McGough, and Terry Deary and Bryony Gordon.

Win a signed copy of A Pointless History of the World!

The Team Xander Twitter account has an exciting competition starting today (29th September) to win a signed copy of A Pointless History of the World. Simply RT this tweet by 6pm on 6th October to enter.

RT by 6pm on 610 to win #APointlessHistoryoftheWorld, signed by @XanderArmstrong & @richardosman. Tnx @HodderBooks https://t.co/wrEkya1Idx

— Team Xander (@TeamXander1) September 29, 2016

Many thanks to Hodder Books for providing the advance copy, and to Xander and Richard for signing it.

Alexander Armstrong among stars to pay tribute to Terry Wogan on Children in Need Rocks

Xander will join a star-studded line-up including Take That, Ellie Goulding, Rick Astley, Olly Murs, Gregory Porter, Michael Ball, Alfie Boe,and the Vamps at this year's BBC Children in Need Rocks, which will honour Sir Terry Wogan.

Sir Terry, who died in January 2016 aged 77, was life president of Children in Need, with which he had been involved for more than 30 years.

The concert will feature archive material such as one of the popular Radio 2 Janet and John stories which Sir Terry frequently read on his Radio 2 Breakfast Show. accompanied by drawings by Horrid Henry illustrator Tony Ross.

BBC Children In Need vice chairman and controller of Radio 2 Bob Shennan said:

Sir Terry was one of the nation's best-loved broadcasters and it's a privilege to be celebrating his life with BBC Children In Need Rocks. The night promises to be full of fun for music fans around the country.

 The concert is on 1st November. Tickets are available from the Royal Albert Hall and agencies.

Pointless "won't ever move channels", says Alexander Armstrong

Alexander Armstrong has said that he would be "deeply upset" if Pointless were ever to move from the BBC. His comments, to the Press Association, come in the wake of the move of Great British Bake Off to Channel 4.

Xander said he felt sure that Pointless would stay with the BBC, due to the channel's "very strong bond" with the programme's producer Endemol.

He said:

We are already talking about two more years (of making the show) at least, and we won't be moving to Channel 4. We won't be doing any of that.

I don't think it ever would (move). There's something very nice with the nature of Endemol's relationship with its broadcasters. I think it would be exceedingly unlikely.

There's a very strong bond between our production company and the various broadcasters it works for.

Xander's views echo those of Pointless co-host (and Endemol creative director) Richard Osman:

That last tweet was a joke. BBC have been beyond awesome with Pointless from start to finish. They can have us for as long as they want us.

— Richard Osman (@richardosman) September 12, 2016

So, BBC it is. And excellent news that there are two more years of shows in the offing. Now... if only the Beeb would show them....

Without A Song.... full track from Xander's new album available now

Xander's new album, Upon A Different Shore, is out on 28th October. Seems like ages away, right? But don't despair. While we wait, we can listen to one track from it, Without A Song.

It's on Spotify, or if you pre-order the album on iTunes you get it as an instant download.

Enjoy!

News Pointless Celebrities, 1st October

News Pointless Celebrities is on 1st October at 5.30pm. Taking part are Alastair Stewart and Charlene White, Emily Maitlis and Nick Robinson, Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, and Rageh Omaar and Cathy Newman.

Sounds good. Newspeople are typically very well-informed, and very competitive. Should be a fun show.

A Pointless History of the World is out soon

The new Pointless book, A Pointless History of the World, comes out very soon - on  Thursday 6th October, in fact.

A Pointless History of the World is a complete[1] and meticulously researched[2] series of essays on our rich and glorious past. Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, two of the world's foremost experts on Things Before Their Time[3] take you on a step-by-step journey through history.

From the Big Bang to the Fall of the Roman Empire, from the Ice Age to the Evolution of Language, from Henry VIII to Last of the Summer Wine: all of civilisation is here. A publishing first, this thoroughly comprehensive and highly ambitious quest through Time and Space is interspersed with questions for all the family from TV's most popular tea-time quiz show, Pointless. This is Alexander and Richard's biggest book yet.

The book no historian can afford to be without[4], it comes complete with introduction and footnotes[5].

[1] Highly selective
[2] Largely cobbled together from what we can remember from school
[3] That's not even a thing
[4] Under no circumstances to be used for reference
[5] Um...

This is the Amazon link. Other retailers etc etc.

Crikey boss, it's new Danger Mouse!

The brand new series 2 of Danger Mouse, with Xander as Danger Mouse, premieres from 3rd October, at 6.45pm on CBBC.

Monday the 3rd's episode sees Danger Mouse take on Greenback as a 300-year old mouse, after the Baron speeds up the rotation of Earth. Can DM pull out all the stops and restore the world?

On Tuesday Penfold becomes a fully-fledged celebrity after an act of heroism saving Scarlett Johamster on Help I’m A Hamster in the Jungle puts him in the spotlight, although DM suspects that all is not what it seems.

On Wednesday a CATastrophe hits earth and only DM can stop things from getting too hairy when cute kittens begin replacing humans.

It’s time for Danger Mouse to face the music onThursday when he goes undercover as the fifth member of Quark’s mega-popular (but secretly evil) boy band.

And Friday the 7th's episode is the stuff of dreams as DM takes on Quark again, but this time in his strangest setting yet: Penfold’s dreams!

New Hey Duggee - a-Wuff!

A new series of the wonderful Hey Duggee starts on Monday 26th September, on CBeebies at 8.15am. Xander is the narrator.

In the first episode of the new series, the Squirrels do their Making Music Badge. When the Squirrels find Duggee playing saxophone, they want to have a go too. Several pots, balloons, tins, water and tubes later and the squirrels are making music. And boy, are they LOUD!

Alexander Armstrong and Endemol fast-track episode of Pointless for contestant with terminal cancer

Lucy Booth (right) recorded Pointless last year. Her appearance was due to be shown in July, but was rescheduled by the BBC to mid-September.

By this time, she was sadly in the final stages of breast cancer. A family friend, Sue Winter, wrote to Alexander Armstrong begging him to do what he could to change the air date.

I beg you from the bottom of my heart, Lucy is amazing and is fighting as hard as she can but her options are dwindling fast,

Lucy has really not let it take over her life. Last year when she and her mum went to London to film the show they had a wonderful experience.

I’m afraid that the cancer is now fighting back with extra ground troops deployed throughout Lucy’s body. She is now very poorly.

Please Alexander can you make some calls and have the Booth girls episode shown much sooner than that so that Lucy will be able to watch it?

Xander liaised with production company Endemol, who make Pointless, and a few weeks ago they sent Lucy a DVD of her appearance on the show. She was able to watch it in the hospice with her mum.

When the episode was finally broadcast, it ended with a tribute to Lucy.

Well done, Xander and Endemol, and sympathies to Lucy's family and friends.

Strictly Pointless Celebrities, 24th September

Pointless Celebrities on 24th September at 5.40 is a Strictly Come Dancing Special.

Taking part are Brendan Cole and Sophie Ellis-Bexter, Chris Hollins and Russell Grant, Aliona Vilani and Jay McGuinness, and Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag.

I know nothing about this show. I do remember though on a previous show Erin, having to guess who played various comedy characters, answeried that Alexander Armstrong played Randy Mandy. Ooer missus!

Upon A Different Shore - now available to pre-order

Xander's new album, Upon A Different Shore, is now available to pre-order and will be released on 28th October.

The extremely eclectic track listening covers everything from Sondheim to the Stranglers:

1. Upon a Different Shore

  2. MacArthur Park

  3. The Vagabond

  4. Long Ago Forgotten

  5. Fields of Gold

  6. Studies in English Folksong #2

  7. Scarborough Fair / Canticle

  8. Golden Brown

  9. Firestone

  10. Sunday

  11. Between the Sunset and the Sea

  12. Without a Song

  13. The Day Thou Gavest

  14. Hymn Song

  15. High Hopes

  16. The Parting Glass (Armstrong's Goodnight)

Here's the pre-order link on Amazon. Other retailers are, as always, available. 

Brace yourselves, Pointless fans. It's bad news.

I suppose it was only to be expected. And we've had, what, four weeks of new shows? Yes that's right, it's back to repeats, as from Wednesday 21st September.

A bizarre scheduling decision, with so many new shows waiting to be broadcast. I have no idea at present how long it'll be till we get new shows again, but I'll keep you updated.

A Midsomerly Murders Night’s Dream

Make Some Noise is the charity of Global, which is the parent company of Classic FM. It works to help small projects supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

It raises money all year long, but its big fundraising day this year is on 4th October. All Global's radio stations will be putting on special events: Classic FM's is 'a hilarious murder-mystery radio play' called A Midsomerly Murders Night’s Dream.

The plot:

A Midsomerly Murd’rous, the only village in the county of Midsomerly never to have been scandalised by murder, is abuzz with the big event being organised by Phil Hall (played by Alexander Armstrong) for the former Lord Theo Rhys (played by Alan Titchmarsh) for his marriage to his love Polly (played by Charlotte Green).

The story unfolds surrounding the suspicious death of Punk, the pantomime horse. Several people are in the frame including Mr Trunchbull, the estate agent (played by Bill Turnbull), Eggerton, the new lord of the Manor (Aled Jones) even Cotswold Manchebo, or the cheese shop owner (played by Alex James).

Detective Inspector Baxter Carter (John Suchet) and his sidekick Sergeant Brock Fugue (Nicholas Owen) traipse this formerly sleepy village from house to house in their quest to discover the truth, with the help of the new coroner….

 A Midsomer's Murders Night's Dream will be issued in two instalments in the first week of October.  You can register to be alerted when it is released. Instalments cost £5 each for Make Some Noise.

Formula One Pointless Celebrities, 18th September

The Formula One show is being repeated on Sunday 18th September at 5.50pm. The competitors are retired F1 racer David Coulthard and Australian motorsports star Mark Webber, former driver Allan McNish and Williams F1 deputy team principal Claire Williams, veteran commentator Murray Walker and ex-champion Nigel Mansell, and Red Bull Principal Christian Horner and ex-MotoGP presenter Suzi Perry. 

I remember this as a fun show...  and Xander gets involved in a race with Nigel Mansell, too!

Impressionists Pointless Celebrities, 17th September

Pointless Celebrities on Saturday 17th September at 7.10pm is an Impressionists special.

Taking part are The Big Impression double-act Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona, Dead Ringers co-stars Jon Culshaw and Jan Ravens, Rory Bremner and his Coalition Report collaborator Matt Forde, and Britain's Got Talent comedy stars Francine Lewis and Danny Posthill.

Pointless History Signings

Xander and Richard's new book, A Pointless History of the World, comes out on 6th October, and the boys will be doing some signings.

I'll add dates and details as I get them.

Date	Time	Location	Further details
6/10/16	7.30pm	Chorleywood	Chiltern Bookshops
7/10/16	1pm	City of London	Waterstones
7/10/16	7.30pm	Cambridge	Heffers Bookshop
11/10/16	8.30pm	Cheltenham	Cheltenham Literary Festival

Child Stars Pointless Celebrities, 11th September

On Sunday 11th September there's a repeat of the Child Stars Pointless Celebrities show, with Tyger Drew-Honey and Thomas Turgoose, Lee MacDonald and Erkan Mustafa, Michelle Gayle and Adam Rickitt, and Julie Dawn Cole and Mark Lester.

I remember this as entertaining stuff, including the reunion of Xander and his one-time screen son!

Music Pointless Celebrities, 10th September

There's a Music special of Pointless Celebrities on 10th September at 7pm.

Featuring are Fish and Barbara Dickson, Nick Heywood and Toyah Wilcox, Heather Small and Mari Wilson, and Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young.

This sounds good. I have nothing more to add, except that I once taught Toyah Wilcox recovery position for a play she was in. #brushwithfame