Friends Of Mine

It’s traditional at this time of year for bloggers to give a rundown of all the things they’ve been up to that year, and to list their hopes for the next. I’m not going to do that. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll already know what I’ve been up to this year, and if you don’t, it’s all meticulously archived. On top of that, quite a lot of the stuff I’ve done this year will not see the light of day until 2011, or even later, so there’s all sorts of exciting things in the pipeline I can’t talk about and, yes, I physically retched as I typed that sub-clause and I typed it ironically so I forgive you all for wincing.

Similarly, or dissimilarly, my work-related hopes for next year are the same as usual, to keep getting work, for it to be higher profile and better paid, and for imaginative ideas to keep on popping into my head in a state of nervous excitement like Vera Botting from No Place Like Home. Beyond that, it’s just a question of meeting deadlines, doing the best job I can, and writing other things on spec whenever I have time. I liked Vera Botting, did you?

So instead – ha! – I shall be doing a list of exciting things my friends have been up to this year. As Morrissey so nearly put we it, we love it when our friends become successful. Consider it the opposite of schadenfreude. What have they been doing? Well...

Nev has been writing a marvellous children’s sitcom about Hacker the dog called Scoop! He’s also had three incredibly funny and ingenious novels published called The Mervyn Stone Mysteries and writes quite a lot of Private Eye now, apparently. I say apparently because I stopped reading it after one too many Humpty Dumpty analogies. Nev wasn’t responsible for those.

Simon has had a Being Human novel published, I’m not sure if it’s a tie-in novel or an autobiography, and has had another excellent Companion Chronicle released along with his own audio series called Graceless. I hear that he’s been working on the Doctor Who Adventures comic, but I wouldn’t know about that, I deny the very existence of the Doctor Who Adventures comic, there is only Doctor Who Magazine, there can be no other.

Joe had a Sarah Jane Adventures story broadcast on the telly, about The Nightmare Man, and wrote a Dark Shadows audio, which I’ve listened to and it’s excellent so rush out and buy it. I think he’s also been up to some other stuff but he plays his cards close to his chest and is famously a total abstainer so he never lets anything slip.

Tom and Peter have been continuing to edit the marvellous and world-record-breaking Doctor Who Magazine and provide me with work. Round of applause. Together with Scott, they are all total legends. And all the guys who draw, colour and letter the comic strips are legends too.

Barney has, as well as playing Daleks and writing and directing Big Finish audios, wowed audiences worldwide with his interpretation of the character of Rugby in The Merry Wives Of Windsor. I saw it at The Globe.

Will managed to accidentally get the wrong party elected at the general election (whoops!) but has recently taken up comedy song-writing by way of a penance and to ‘put himself out of harm’s way’. He’s also not as fat as he used to be.

Jason has met the legendary Neil Patrick Harris and has introduced the USA to the art of pantomime. However, he seems to have failed to include any 80’s Australian soap stars in the cast, so he still has some way to go before he captures the true spirit of panto.

Clay edited a Doctor Who book thing which was apparently ‘brilliant’ even though he didn’t ask me to write for it. Hmmm. However, despite this glaring shortcoming it was, nevertheless, brilliant. He also wrote half of a Sarah Jane Adventure (according to reports, it was the top half).

The other half was written by Gareth, who also wrote one of the best Doctor Who episodes this year. Not the best one, obviously, that was by Richard Curtis, but one of the best ones. He also wrote a Doctor Who stage musical.

The star of which was Nick, in the role of Ian McChin. I may have got this mixed up somewhere, I didn’t go and see it. Apart from that, I get the impression he’s been extremely busy doing... stuff. He’s also put a lot of work my way, so a quick but immense thanks to him, Alan and David.

Eddie has been writing loads of Doctor Who things, including helping me out with The Crimes Of Thomas Brewster and putting up with me doodling all over his Industrial Evolution.

Rob has been travelling the world hoovering up awards for science-fiction horror short-story writing like some sort of literary Hungry Hippo. He’s also co-written a book about Doctor Who with Toby.

Toby has co-written a book with Rob, and also took a very good show to the Edinburgh Festival called Now I Know My BBC and – even better than that – he appeared in another show playing a tiger. He’s also just been in an episode of Holby Hospital playing Man Who Looks A Lot Like Toby.

Ed seems to have spent the whole year producing and editing Doctor Who documentaries. As a result, he has a wild, stir-crazy look in his eyes and could go postal at the slightest provocation.

James also had a Being Human book published, as well as to-be-honest-I’ve-lost-count-how-many Torchwood audios and Doctor Who talking books. He also wrote a Dark Shadows audio which I have also listened to, it was excellent, stop reading this instant and buy it. He is currently co-writing a proper Doctor Who book with his cat.

Paul has been writing comics. Apparently these are quite famous and important comics, I don’t follow comics but that’s what people tell me, they say Jonny, these comics are quite famous and important. He also had a drama pilot that really should have been picked up. Boo, BBC!

Jim and Paul have both been justifying the BBC license fee singlehandedly each with their work on the BBC Archive and the web sites for Eurovision and Strictly Come Dancing.

Apart from that, the rest of my other friends have been busy doing real jobs, like actual grown-ups.

Oh and Steven has been producing some kid’s TV show, which has been a well-deserved massive success, as we all knew it would be. As if that wasn't enough, he's had a hit detective show as well. Git.

Okay, I think that’s more-or-less everyone. Heartfelt apologies to anyone who has been left out (either because I thought you’d rather not be included, or because I don’t know what you’ve been up to) and even more heartfelt apologies to everyone who was included.

Year Of The Jet Packs

Jonny’s Review Of The Year 2010

The Duffy Award for Album Of The Year –

1: Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels (obviously)
2: KT Tunstall – Tiger Suit
3: Hurts – Happiness







The Daniel Blythe Award for Most Promising New Pop Act -

1: Marina & The Diamonds
2: DeeDee Loves Me
3: Elouise







The How I Met Your Mother Award for Best Returning Sitcom: Miranda

The Rev Award for Best New Sitcom: Mongrels

The His And Hers Award for Most Conspicuously Dreadful New Sitcom: The Persuasionists

The Armstrong & Miller Award for Best Sketch Show: That Mitchell And Webb Look

The EastEnders Award for Best Live Episode Of A Soap Opera: Coronation Street

The Social Network Award for Best Film: Toy Story 3

The Inception Award for Most Disappointing And Incomprehensible Film: Alice In Wonderland

The Misfits Award for Best Returning Drama: Doctor Who (except for those 3 episodes, you know the ones)

The Sherlock Award for Best New Drama: Lip Service

The Pillars Of The Earth Award for Most Mind-Numbingly Tedious New Drama: The Deep

The Lennon Naked Award for BBC 4 Drama That Completely Misses The Point And Where Everything Looks A Bit Beige: Dirk Gently

The Question Time Award for Show That Makes Me Unaccountably Angry: The Review Show

The Obstacles To Young Love by David Nobbs Award for Best Novel: One Day by David Nicholls

The Gordon Brown Award for Most Hilariously Self-Destructively Hapless Politician: Vince Cable

The Haiti Earthquake Award for Most Original And Visually Impressive Natural Disaster: Eyjafjallajökull Eruption

The Go Compare Award for Most Abjectly Humourless Advertising Campaign: Aviva, with Paul Whitehouse

The Nick Robinson Award for Human Being Most Resembling An Aardman Animation: Ed Milliband

The Jeremy Hunt Award for Whacking Dirty Great Nails In The Lid Of The BBC’s Coffin: Mark Thompson

The Pope’s Visit Award for Most Tedious And Please God Let It End News Story: Wikileaks

The Johann Hari Award for Most Annoying Website To Be Linked To In A Tweet: 38Degrees.com

The It’s Snowing!!! Award for Most Irritating Thing To Say In A Facebook Status: “PLEASE put this in your status if you know someone who has...”

The Rob Stradling Award for Person Most Likely To Post A Comment On This Note: Ian Potter

Mele Kalikimaka