MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT ON SUNDAY + Next month on the blog

As usual, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has visited (and returned to!) the blog over the past few months. All the support and comments which have come in are enormously appreciated and spurring me on to work harder, grow the readership ever further and try out new and more ambitious projects. Double thanks to everyone who participated in the first ever Reader Vote, incidentally - already the resulting article, The Naked Truth: Alison Brie, is one of the blog's most popular to date. So, excellent choice! And thanks to Alison Brie as well, not only for being such a perfect subject to write about, but also responding to the tweet in which I announced the article.

Speaking of ambitious new projects, you may recall my mentioning a month or so ago that I was working on a huge new feature, with hopes of getting it up and running in October. Well, it's on track and you can expect an OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON SUNDAY. Caps for massive importance. It's very different from anything that has been on the blog so far - although those who have read the Welcome post may be able to get an inkling of what is to come - and should give it something to distinguish it from the myriad other gaming/movie/television sites out there. Make sure you check in this Sunday - you won't look back, but mustn't look down...

Rest assured, that new feature doesn't mean the blog is changing course, though. In addition to ongoing coverage of the new television season, I'm going to be at the Eurogamer Expo 2011 all today, from which you can expect to see previews for major upcoming games being published over the next week. In the final two weeks of October, all being well, I will also be attending the London Film Festival, which should mean a huge number of reviews for unreleased films.

In other words, it should be another spectacular month. Thanks again to everyone who has helped the blog get this far, but this is only the beginning! Get site updates by following on Facebook and Twitter if you don't already - and be sure to visit Flixist for the best movie community on the web and all the latest Hollywood news. Any suggestions for improvements to the blog are welcome, just leave a comment. Hope to see you around!

August on the blog

First off, I'd as ever like to thank everyone who visited the blog this month and helped it continue to grow. Your support is enormously appreciated and I hope you have enjoyed what you read enough to pay many return visits!

This is a quick message both as an excuse to post another photograph of my dog, Oddjob, and to let you know that my posting rate is going to be slightly below normal this month. There should still be several updates a week at least - in addition to the usual random stuff, my Breaking Bad coverage will of course continue as usual, as will Word of the Week, plus reviews of any films I see (Captain America is set for tomorrow, Super 8 the week after) and games I play (Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii is released in the UK on August 19th, then Deus Ex: Human Revolution follows on PC a week later) while Doctor Who also starts again at the end of the month. I have heard that the animated Black Dynamite series may also be starting soon, in which case you can expect some of that action too - unless I have been deceived by KUNG-FU TREACHERY! Ahem.

There are two main reasons for this reduced activity: the first is so that the blog's presentation can be refined ahead of the new television season starting in September (any suggestions are very welcome in the comments); the second is because I'm planning a very big, extremely cool new feature which will take a lot of work and preparation, but I'm hoping to get it going before the end of the year at the absolute latest. It's something quite different to the content that has been on offer so far, but definitely right up the street of anyone who has enjoyed the sort of stuff I have been covering. No definite date yet, but sometime between October and December is the goal. It's something you won't see anywhere else, and you can be sure that I'll let you all know when it is on the way.

Until then, whilst this month might be marginally quieter than usual, I can promise you that there will still be a heck of a lot to enjoy - so stay tuned! In the meantime, thanks again for all that support and your comments and Google +1 votes!

Broken laptop means I'll be out of action for a while (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Although still prone to lapses in general functioning, my laptop seems to be working well enough for now that I can start writing again. Since I'll need today to catch up on everything I've missed, the Archer and Breaking Bad reviews will be going up tomorrow. With full computer reliability still not guaranteed, there may yet be days when I'm unable to post, but from tomorrow I'll be aiming to resume normal service.

Unfortunately my laptop decided to short-circuit this afternoon, which means it's unlikely I'll be able to do any updates (here or at Flixist) until repairs are completed - and not being much of a techie, I have no idea how long that will be. It looks pretty likely to because of a loose power jack, if that provides any frame of reference.

Obviously it's a blow, especially this early in the blog's lifespan, but hopefully it'll be resolved sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I'd like to take the chance to thank everyone who has visited, commented and supported the blog so far. It has been bringing in numbers that are far above what I could have expected at this stage, which has forced me to stay on my toes, keep working hard and coming up with new ideas to hold onto your valuable 'net time. I've got a lot of ideas on how to improve the blog over the summer, so rest assured that it will only be coming back stronger after these setbacks. Please leave a comment here if you have any suggestions for improvements you'd like to see.

Many, many thanks for all your support, and hopefully I'll be seeing you again soon!

E3 2011 Coverage

If you are reading this blog, you are probably aware that E3, the most important event in the games industry's calendar, is taking place in Los Angeles over the next few days. Microsoft's conference kicks off the festivities, where they are expected to show a range of titles to support their Kinect motion sensor, with Sony, who may well follow suit in trying to rekindle enthusiasm in their PlayStation Move as well as pushing their upcoming 'NGP' (next-generation portable) handheld, and Nintendo, who will be showing off their  home console successor to the Wii, hot on their trail within the following twenty-four hours.

Since I already have a lineup of articles for this blog and Flixist keeping me busy over the next week, the best way for me to cover the event will be as one article detailing the key talking points, analysing what each may mean for the future, and judging who of the three console manufacturers had the best showing, followed by a second listing my choice of standout games. The first article will probably go up on Wednesday, although Tuesday night is possible if I have the time. Since I don't do news posts on this blog, you can follow E3 as it happens on Destructoid, where I may be lending a hand if need be. Follow the jump for a timetable of the big conferences (GMT), plus a list of sites where they can be streamed live.

About The Recent Downtime

My cat, Sherlock, is unimpressed with Blogger

If you were wondering why today's Word Of The Week and Community/Parks & Rec reviews didn't go up, or why yesterday's posts disappeared altogether, Blogger experienced almost a full day's worth of downtime during which they had to go to read-only mode and revert to a former state, hence the missing posts. Here's their official line on the situation. Not a great Friday 13th for Google.

Fortunately, things seem to be back to normal now. The Community/Parks reviews will go up tomorrow (Edit: Here they are!), as I still have one episode of Parks left to watch, ahead of Doctor Who. 'Word Of The Week' will be left until next Friday, since I have to write some of next week's articles in advance due to my being away on Tuesday and most of Wednesday, which unfortunately means the review of Chuck's season finale could be delayed for a day or so. On the plus side, there are strong rumours going around that the series is somehow set for another renewal: great news if it comes true, but I can't pretend I wouldn't still be astonished given its plummeting ratings. Everything else, including Wednesday's entry in the 'Games Wii Forgot' feature, will be on schedule.

Apologies for the delays, but also thanks to everyone who has visited and participated in the blog so far. Only three weeks in, all my expectations have been blown away and it's fantastic to see some recurring commenters - special appreciation on that score to Lers and Silent Hunter. It's amazing that even so early on, the seeds of a community are beginning to blossom. (If your comments on yesterday's posts don't reappear, I'm afraid that could be a result of Google's struggles). With fingers crossed for no more unwelcome interruptions, let's get everything moving again and back on track - you have my word that there's a lot to look forward to!

A Big Thank You

My dog, Oddjob, says 'hooray!'

With this blog now one week old, I'd like to offer my thanks to everyone who has supported it during this early stage. I was optimistically hoping for around 100 views in the first week, but ended up receiving a smidgen under four times that number. Though this is only the first step, my gratitude extends to everyone who visited, read the articles or commented. Special shout-out to Lers, my only commenter so far to leave their name! Congrats also to the United States, who this week have not only taken out Osama Bin Laden, but also given this blog more readers than any other country. Us Limeys put up an admirable fight, with the Aussies edging out the Germans for third, but it was a terrific week to be an American.

There is of course much more to come, with the Games Wii Forgot feature starting tomorrow, more TV reviews of Doctor Who, Community, Parks & Rec, 30 Rock and Chuck on the way, and a review of Hanna planned for later this week. If you have any suggestions or ideas for new features, what you've enjoyed or where the blog can improve, leave a comment below. (Although remember that I'm only one man!) You can also sign up to my Facebook page for updates whenever new articles are posted, or become a follower using one of the buttons jotted around the front page. This blog is still far from the finished article, but hopefully I can keep you all entertained, informed and engaged long beyond next week, as we together grow this humble blog into something great.

Thanks again!

Wiidemption month

So by now, any gamers reading this will be aware that Nintendo will be revealing their new console, codenamed 'Project Café', at their E3 conference in June. It's always a great time to be a gamer when new hardware is on the horizon, with rumour, speculation and excitement running rampant as the unveiling approaches. While it wouldn't be much fun if this blog didn't participate in a bit of that, I'm going to be running a weekly feature over the next month as a fitting farewell to the Wii, a console which, for all its faults, was rarely given credit for a library of fantastic games, including a number of terrific third-party efforts which went largely ignored by the press and gamers alike. So, starting tomorrow for the five weeks leading up to E3, I'll be running Games Wii Ignored, about the underrated and under-noticed titles that deserve a tip of the hat and represent the story of their home console on the eve of its blue light going dark for the final time.

In other gaming news, I will be heading to the Eurogamer Expo in September. I covered the event last year on my Destructoid and Gamasutra pages, writing up previews of such games as Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Gears of War 3 and Killzone 3. My ticket is for Tuesday 22nd September and if anyone wants to join in the London event, make your way over to the Eurogamer Expo page.
 

The Greatness of Britain summed up in three images

  
I won't pretend that I was particularly looking forward to the Royal Wedding. I'm a dedicated monarchist for sure, but felt no great desire to sit through a wedding. Needless to say, I did and it was fantastic, perfectly capturing the importance of history, tradition and their power to unite people in the most positive way.

But while most reports are focusing on the ceremony as an example of what the British do well - the gorgeous dress, the tasteful grandeur of the event, the wave of flags and crowd cheering outside Westminster Abbey - for me, this country's real spirit was summed up in three images. The  first, a grumpy bridesmaid in the photograph of the kiss (see above). The second, a delighted veger caught cartwheeling down the aisle in his cassocks. Finally, the future King and Queen of Great Britain leaving Buckingham Palace in an Aston Martin with L Plates and a silly number plate. Because after hundreds of years perfecting all the pomp and circumstance, it's the accidental moments of silliness which humanise it and remind us that even while aiming for an ideal, life wouldn't be half as much fun if it all went by without a hitch or a touch of the eccentric.

Don't miss the video of the cartwheeling priest after the jump.
  

Welcome To My Blog

I see you've wandered into my lair. Perhaps you arrived here via my work on Flixist, or my community blogs on Destructoid or Gamasutra. It might even be that you're a friend of mine, desperately trying to make sense of this strange fellow you've fallen in with. Mother never warned you it would end like this. I mean, begin. Obviously.

Well, here's the rub: my name is Xander Markham, I'm a 26-year old English writer with a borderline obsessive passion for films, videogames, television, incomprehensible words and indefensible puns. Although I've been writing as a critic for the better part of a decade and an aspiring spy fiction novelist since leaving university, this is the first honest-to-goodness project I've attempted entirely on my own. So what can you expect to find here? Much of what I've been doing elsewhere, meaning reviews, features and opinion pieces on all things screen-related, alongside more personal bits and pieces and some fun stuff just for the sake of it. There will be a bit of crossover with my work for Flixist - where you should go immediately after reading everything here - as I plan to post links and snippets to any reviews or features I write for them, alongside anything else worth being aware of.

So enjoy your stay and please visit again. By golly, together we can build a better world. Or just a really good blog. Whatever works.

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FANTASTICALLY APPROPRIATE DOCTOR WHO QUOTE

Jamie: Have you thought up some clever plan, Doctor?
The Doctor: Yes, Jamie, I believe I have.
Jamie: What are you going to do?
The Doctor: Bung a rock at it.

What's The Score?

Given how a fair chunk of this blog will end up being occupied by reviews, there needs to be some sort of scoring system so that when everyone's shouting at me for being unfair on their favourite game or film, there's a quantifiable measure of how irrational I've been. The problem is that different scoring systems suit different media: on my Destructoid blog, I reviewed games on a ten point scale. On my university newspaper, I scored films on a five-star scale, whereas on Flixist, we review films on a 200-point scale. Television reviews often don't get ratings at all. So where do we go from here?

It was tempting to either stick with Flixist's system, unifying the two sites, or go with letter grading, which is uncommon enough to work across all media, though is a bit of a challenge to decipher. Ultimately, I decided to stick with the system I know best and which seemed to me the clearest: the standard ten-point scale. This comes with the caveat that I won't be scoring individual television episodes - though perhaps will do full season reviews - because there are so many that I'd need to use a far more intricate system to reflect the differences between each, where I'd rather keep it simple.

So without futher ado, follow the jump to meet the scores you can expect to see at the end of each film or game review posted on this blog, and what each number means...