From its first episode in 1973, Open All Hours was an instant hit. Audiences around Britain loved its familiar setting, good natured humour, and the hilarious partnership of Ronnie Barker and David Jason. Whilst it only ran for 26 episodes, it firmly cemented itself as a British comedy classic. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the show in 2014, the BBC revived it for a one-off Christmas Special. Still Open All Hours was swamped by a tsunami of audience affection and the BBC promptly commissioned a full series. The first episode of the fifth series is expected to air in late 2014. With recollections from David Jason, his fellow cast members, and from the scriptwriter Roy Clarke, plus never before seen BBC archive material, acclaimed popular TV historian Graham McCann tells the inside story of this very British sitcom, with wit, insight and affection.

The Editor's Toolkit: A Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Film and TV Editing is a tutorial-based introduction to the craft of editing. Today's process of media editing is fast and competitive, making this guide a necessity for anyone looking to break into the business. Here, Chris Wadsworth provides 52 media-based examples for you to put together, with the benefit of seeing what he did with those same exercises, giving you essential feedback to improve your technique and learn the tricks of the trade. Accessible and to-the-point, the primer is a must-read for anyone looking to learn both the art and technique of editing. This 4-color guide features: Examples from the world of film and TV that show how even the greatest directors employ the same techniques in their productions that are mentioned in this guide A look at CV’s and the right attitudes that will give you the best chance at breaking into the editing world Intensive sections about the way music and sound editing can shape the entire production A companion website featuring video and other media that you can edit on your own, each featuring examples of cuts and techniques discussed in the book as well as a discussion forum.

With its gentle humour, bumbling escapades, and endearing charm, Last of the Summer Wine became a cultural phenomenon around the globe. Step into the picturesque Yorkshire countryside and prepare for a delightful exploration of this long-running and iconic sitcom. This book is a treasure trove of fascinating trivia about the show that captured the hearts of millions. So grab a cup of tea and a sticky bun, sit back, and immerse yourself in 1000 facts all about one of television's most beloved shows.

Discover the brand new, inspirational autobiography from the Only Fools and Horses star and national treasure. 'This time next year, we'll be millionaires' So said Sir David’s iconic Only Fools character, Derek Trotter. But such a dream was almost unimaginable for David growing up in a working-class family in North Finchley in the rubble of the Blitz. Throughout his remarkable career, David's north star for navigating life's challenges has been his positive outlook and his resilience. From a trainee electrician to national treasure, David’s bumpy journey to success has overcome obstacle after obstacle. Candidly revealing the ups, the downs, and the roundabout turns, David’s latest volume of memoirs, This Time Next Year, is an uplifting, entertaining, and inspirational book offering an essential and unvarnished primer to leading a good life. Told with his characteristic warmth and humour, David reveals the hard-won wisdom of a life doggedly led getting through one day, looking to the next, and always chasing what's new on the horizon. 'Sir David Jason is one of the UK's best loved actors ... the theme that (he) keeps coming back to in the book is that (he) feels immensely lucky in life ... that sense of positivity sounds very like a certain Derek Trotter' BBC Breakfast

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

Richard Osman has been trying to settle the most important issues society faces today. Who would win in a head-to-head between Quavers and Cheesy Wotsits? And What's the ultimate Christmas film (Home Alone, obviously). The World Cup of Everything is an incredibly popular format that began life on twitter where his hilarious polls received 1.5 million votes a go becoming a national talking point, inciting debate amongst twitter users at odds over their favourites, celebrities and key figures join in, bookies offer odds on the outcome, papers report on it all as if it is a real sporting event with headlines about how Richard Osman has melted the internet. This autumn we're bringing The World Cup of Everything to the page in a brilliant book perfect for Christmas. With new competitions such as The World Cup of British Sitcoms, Christmas Songs, Animals, British Bands and so on, as well as some of the favourites that have already had the country talking: Chocolate and Crisps among them, Richard will offer commentary, share funny, quirky pieces of trivia and stand-up style entries about each of the contenders. The World Cup of Everything will offer something for everyone making it the perfect gift for pretty much anyone. This is Richard at his best: super smart, quick-witted and writing about the matters that the British public really care about.

The 1970s were the era of the three-day week, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the winter of discontent, trade union Bolshevism and wildcat strikes. Through sitcoms, Raising Laughter provides a fresh look at one of our most divisive and controversial decades. Aside from providing entertainment to millions of people, the sitcom is a window into the culture of the day. Many of these sitcoms tapped into the decade's sense of cynicism, failure and alienation, providing much-needed laughter for the masses. Shows like Rising Damp and Fawlty Towers were classic encapsulations of worn-out, run-down Britain, while the likes of Dad's Army looked back sentimentally at a romanticised English past. For the first time, the stories behind the making of every sitcom from the 1970s are told by the actors, writers, directors and producers who made them all happen. This is nostalgia with a capital N, an oral history, the last word, and an affectionate salute to the kind of comedy programme that just isn't made anymore.