The bombshell dropped just three hours before we went on air tonight, and the publishing world is in a state of traumatized disbelief. Walking through Soho this evening, the palpitations were, um, palpable.
Richard & Judy – the couple who have come to symbolize the book-selling power of Oprah on British television – are no more.
Just two more elderly victims of the Swine Flu virus, you may wonder?
No.
Perhaps, you conjecture, their downfall was due to a poorly-chosen and smutily -named talk show title – Richard & Judy’s New Position?
Again, no.
What puissant force, then, could have toppled these two towering titans of television?
Simply… people didn’t care. Down to their last 8000 viewers, Richard & Judy’s once-mighty army of book buying zealots decided that the digital channel was too difficult to find – and not worth it when they did.
Richard had already dropped hints that he might split professionally from his longtime wife Judy. Blimey, Richard, that’s rubbing salt into the wound, isn’t it?
But as the saying goes – that’s showbiz.
Meanwhile, LITOPIA AFTER DARK goes from strength to strength, with more downloads than Richard & Judy have viewers – and with more snark than Richard Madeley ever had!
Just a sampling of the tasty brain morsels lined up for you on tonight’s show…
- Get ready with the fatwahs, because we’re tackling religion – does it help or hinder the creative spirit?
- Is it easier to be a writer than a film-maker? Indian filmmaker Sharat Kumar says Yes – but our own Richard Howse says No!
- The new Kindle - just a few inches away from being a Television – but will it save newspaper publishing?
- And Van Gogh’s ear – it was that Gaugin who did it, honest guv!
Titles vigorously debated in this week’s Commissioning Meeting are:
“The Camp Fire Girls at Camp Keewaydin – Or, Paddles Down!”
By Hildegard Gertrude Frey, 1891-1957“Cluthe’s Advice to the Ruptured”
By Cluthe Rupture Institute“Curly and Floppy Twistytail; the Funny Piggie Boys”
By Howard Roger Garis, 1873-1962“Christie’s Old Organ – Or, Home, Sweet Home”
By Mrs O. F Walton, 1849-1939
Joining Peter on the panel tonight are:
- From England’s west country Litopia stalwart Dave Bartram
- From New York, writer and clinical psychologist Dr. Susan O’Doherty. Dr. Sue is the author of Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: A Woman’s Guide to Unblocking Creativity and her popular advice column for writers appears every Friday on MJ Rose’s blog, “Buzz, Balls, & Hype”
- From England: Richard Howse is one of the first students to be accepted for Britain’s highly prestigious National Academy of Writing
- And – you hear her five days a week on Litopia Daily as the voice of Eve’s Salmagundi Club, back on Litopia After Dark by overwhelming public demand – it’s Eve Harvey - writer, bookseller, and here tonight all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland.
- We’re unable to tell who provided the mild fantasy peril pork sword vocalisations tonight, but if we do find out, we’ll definitely prosecute.
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