Some Abortive Evening

After I went to all the trouble of putting a suit on and having a shave, my evening was ended before it had begun by the Piccadilly line being suspended between Acton Town and Hammersmith – I could have attempted to get a rush hour bus between the two and then pick up a no doubt by then totally disrupted Picc line into town, but I would have been lucky to get there much before nine. Handily, TFL staff at Acton Town were still letting people onto the platforms and hadn’t put up any signs saying there was no service from the station. Bless ‘em.

As a modest consolation, I did get to see a flustered Jon Snow break the news that “Amy Wineglass” had been released on bail. No, really.

The forgotten monarchs

I was very pleased to see the new TV series The Tudors, about one of the most obscure and unjustly-forgotten of English dynasties. I have a history degree, so obviously I know all about them, but it’s good to see a mainstream TV programme telling other people, who probably have never heard of them, all about these often overlooked kings and queens.

I hope that this will be the first of many programmes – after all, one lavish period drama doesn’t go very far, and the Tudors could soon be forgotten again. What we really need is a set of documentaries on Channel 4 presented by a well-known historian – in fact, sod it, we really need several sets of documantaries covering the same ground, as one just won’t be enough. Perhaps the BBC and Channel 4 could commission some further dramas, concentrating one just one of them Tudors – maybe Elizabeth I, who is mystifyingly overlooked at present. Ideally there should also be a film or two for cinematic release, which would really rescue the Tudors from obscurity.

I’m fed up with all these films and programmes about kings and queens from earlier in the middle ages, after all – there have been so many I’m sure everyone is bored of them by now. So a big well-done to the BBC: more on the Tudors, please!