Author: Ryan Jones

A lot of television shows have received the axe this month. Constantine, Revenge and About a Boy were some of the many shows to be cancelled, whilst The Mindy Project was saved at the brink of death by Hulu. But it’s not all doom and gloom in the television industry, as there’s also been news that a certain green frog will be making a TV comeback. The Muppets’ return will end a 17 year absence from television. American network ABC are behind the revival and have given the show a prime time slot. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great…

I have to admit: I’ve been disappointed with the last two year’s Summer Ball lineups. Acts such as Charlie XCX, Wretch 32 and Katy B have failed to persuade me to buy Summer Ball tickets in previous years. Although I realise there is a large fan base for each of these acts, I still believe that the choices were lacking in variety and only adhered to a certain segment of students. However, this changed in 2015. I had promised myself that I’d buy a ticket for Summer Ball this year, no matter how bad the lineup was, simply because this…

For this month’s Seren, we have decided to explore the topic of sex. With that in mind, we thought that there would be no one better to interview than the lead actor from the recent Channel 4 show, Cucumber. Vincent Franklin, who plays Henry Best, very kindly agreed to answer Seren’s questions. How would you describe Cucumber for those who have yet to see it? Cucumber is a brutally honest, often hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking show about sex. It explores our desire for, need for, hope for and fear of – sex. At its heart is Henry, a man driven by…

With the recent release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel is proudly showcasing its strength in cinema. In fact, the Marvel cinematic Universe is closing down on Harry Potter as the highest grossing film franchise. But if you were to think that Marvel were content with their cinema dominance, you’d be mistaken. Marvel wanted to expand their on-screen universe even further, as they delved into the television industry. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was released in 2013, as a television series that focussed on the fictional peacekeeping and spy agency within a world full of superheroes and aliens. The show was groundbreaking…

The BBC have confirmed that Jeremy Clarkson’s contract will not be renewed following an assault on a producer. The BBC investigation found that the reported “fracas” involved Clarkson engaging Oisin Tymon in a 30-second physical assault. The row was said to have began because hot food had not been provided following a day of filming, despite recognition that it would “divide opinion”. Tony Hall, the BBC director general, is understood to have concluded that he had “little alternative”,but to let Clarkson go. Hall has allowed Clarkson to get away with many controversial incidents before such as mumbling the N-word, which…

There appears to be a social stigma attached to adults watching cartoons. There have been multiple times that people have scoffed at me when catching me watching cartoons. However, if we talk about animated films, rarely do people have the same reaction. Recent films such as How to Train your Dragon, Lego Movie and Frozen have received widespread acclaim. Animated films even have their own award in the Oscars, which proves that they have earned prestigious recognition in the last couple of decades. However, the same cannot be said about cartoons on TV. Of course not all cartoons are exempt…

With 90’s Night only just finished, nostalgia seems to be at its strongest. Coincidentally, it has been announced that three loved cartoons will be returning to our screens in the near future. DuckTales, Inspector Gadget and Danger Mouse may all have debuted a few years before the 90s, but that hasn’t stopped many of us becoming fan favourites of these iconic cartoons. Most students of Bangor University weren’t even born when these shows were first broadcast, but multiple reruns has meant that most of us are familiar with these shows. Netflix has announced that they are behind the planned reboots of…

TV Miniseries are rapidly growing in popularity and 2014 showed this better than most years. With both American Horror Story and True Detective earning massive fan bases, Fargo appears to be receiving a bit of the cold shoulder in comparison. Of course it has received large amounts of praise from critics and even won a few awards at the Golden Globes, yet I find it shocking how few people have seen the show. Despite having being broadcast on Channel 4 and having a stellar cast including Martin Freeman, Bob Odenkirk (Saul from Breaking Bad) and Golden Globe winner Billy Bob…

On the turn of the new year, Netflix users were faced with the possibility of having their accounts blocked for using VPN tools to bypass geolocation restrictions. Reports claimed that the video streaming site was being pressured by various movie studios who were unhappy that Netflix users were breaching the license agreements. Many people were distraught by the news and even threatened to cancel their subscriptions. However, Netflix soon reassured its users that it had not changed its policy on VPNs. Despite being against VPNs, Netflix has made no plans to punish users for using them. Many claim that this…

It may seem far too early to be discussing anything Sherlock related, as the next episode will not be airing until Christmas 2015. However, there has always been concerns whether the actors and writers have enough time to devote to the TV series. With Benedict Cumberbatch appearing in various films, Martin Freeman journeying across Middle Earth and Moffat tied to his role as the Doctor Who showrunner, there is no surprise that there have been two year intervals between seasons. Despite only filming nine episodes so far, it is obvious that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the actors to…

As we approach the end of Peter Capaldi’s debut season, you can sense a rift between Whovians. No longer are they united by love of their favourite TV show, as concerns begin to grow with the showrunner, Steven Moffat. When 2015 arrives, Moffat will have been at the helm of Doctor Who for as many years as Russell T Davies was. So the question must arise: Is it time for Moffat to pass on the torch? No! Before Steven Moffat took over as showrunner, lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who in 2010 he was already responsible for two…