The AnswerBank Articles

What were the highs and lows of TV is the Eighties

A. It was an important decade which shaped the television we watch today. Time diffferences meant for the first time television could bring pictures of earthquakes in South America before the rest of00:00 Mon 11th Feb 2002

Which British TV shows have made it successfully on the big screen - and which haven't

A. British film producers plundered TV comedy in the 1960s and 1970s. The result was a glut of fairly dire films which performed well at the domestic box office, but since television at this time00:00 Mon 11th Feb 2002

Was there ever a film made of Sergeant Bilko

A. There was a 1996 movie version of Bilko, which was directed by Jonathan Lynn with Steve Martin as the eponymous conman, but it was never a critical success. Q. What happened to Phil Silvers 00:00 Mon 04th Feb 2002

When did the movie industry's interest in Jack The Ripper begin

A. The first Ripper films were silent German flicks. Earth Sprint (1923), later remade as Pandora's Box (1929), and Waxworks (1924). Alfred Hitchock's The Lodger: A Story of The London Fog (1926) is00:00 Mon 28th Jan 2002

Why are the Golden Globe Awards so important in the Oscars race

A. The industry accepts that the Golden Globes are a pre-curser for the bigger and grander Oscars, which will be announced at a glittering ceremony in Los Angeles in March. Almost from the start of00:00 Mon 28th Jan 2002

Why has the film Kandahar sparked a terrorist hunt

A. The actor Hassan Tantai's role in the hit film Kandahar has caused a sensation, not for his performance, but because US prosecutors say he is an American fugitive wanted for killing an Iranian00:00 Mon 28th Jan 2002

Who's who in the new wave of directors hitting Hollywood

A. LA executives admit they are all searching for the next Steven Spielberg - many would be happy to find the next Steven Soderbergh, who has notched up recent hits, including Traffic, Erin00:00 Thu 21st Feb 2002

Why did All The President's Men matter so much to Robert Redford

A. The Watergate political scandal, which brought down US President Richard M Nixon, will be 30 years old this year. On 17 June, 1972, five people were arrested inside the Washington's Watergate00:00 Mon 21st Jan 2002

What's the connection between PG Tips, talking chimps, an owl - and Peter Sellers

A. The first tea-party advertisement for PG Tips tea was introduced by Peter Sellers in 1956. The ad showed an immaculately dressed 'boy' and 'girl' - the famous chimps - sitting at a Regency table00:00 Mon 21st Jan 2002

If a film flops in the US, can Hollywood make it a hit in the UK

A. It's a well-known fact that films which have had disappointing takings or a less-than-positive critical reaction undergo some kind of transformation crossing the Atlantic. In some cases, films00:00 Mon 14th Jan 2002

With which UK ad did Ridley Scott make his name

A. Director Ridley Scott became a household name when his company dreamed up the Hovis commercial, where a bike was pushed up a cobbled street, in 1975. The ad - along with Mr Kipling's 'exceedingly00:00 Mon 14th Jan 2002

What will be the must-see movies of 2002

A. There are a host of much-anticipated blockbusters due out over the next 12 months - including a British film which looks set to match the success of Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary00:00 Mon 14th Jan 2002

Can anyone explain David Lynch's new movie Mulholland Drive

A. Director David Lynch has invented his own genre in film-making with productions such as Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, Eraserhead and Blue Velvet. His latest offering Mulholland Drive has been hailed00:00 Mon 07th Jan 2002

What do rock documentaries really tell us

A. Some of the world's biggest names in music and rock have revealed all on the big screen. Traditionally the on-the-road documnetary marks the point at which super celebrities deel the need to00:00 Mon 07th Jan 2002

Which channel won the ratings war in 2001

A. Unofficial figures show that BBC1 was ahead of ITV for the first time in 46 years. BBC1 drew a 26.8 per cent share of the viewing audience, compared with ITV's 26.7 per cent. During 2000 ITV was00:00 Mon 07th Jan 2002

What was the first play broadcast on UK television

A. The first publicly televised play in Britain was broadcast from John Logie Baird's studio in London's Long Acre. It was called 'The Man With a Flower in His Mouth' and was organised by the BBC. it00:00 Mon 31st Dec 2001

When is the next Bond movie released

A. A release date has been locked in for November 29 2002, which conveniently marks the 40th anniversary of the series, and Bond producers Eon have struck a deal with Uk actors' union Equity, to00:00 Mon 31st Dec 2001

Who were the people behind Spitting Image

A. A team of craftsmen, writers and actors began work on producing Spitting Image in 1984. The men who made the controversial puppets were Peter Fluck and Roger Law, produced by John Lloyd, who with00:00 Mon 31st Dec 2001

Why do Oxo always use a family in their ads

A. Oxo's love affair with the family image started as long ago as 1958. The initial storyline - about a couple whose main interests semed to be casserole and gravy -captivated an audience for 1800:00 Mon 24th Dec 2001

The cast of Lord of the Rings is huge - how many extras were involved

A. More than 20,000 extras were cast in the epic Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. The movie, out now, cost over 264 million to make and took 274 days of filming. In all, 1,2000 suits of00:00 Mon 24th Dec 2001