I am the ghost of groovymother.com. Woooooo!
This is an old page from Rod Begbie's blog.
It only exists in an attempt to prevent linkrot. No new content will be added to this site, and links and images are liable to be broken. Check out begbie.com to find where I'm posting stuff these days.
Filed under 'bbc'
➠ May 5, 2011
BBC - Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Social Stew
God, Stewart Lee is a funny, funny man.
➠ May 4, 2011
BBC - Domesday Reloaded
The BBC’s “Domesday Project” from 1988 is finally getting revived for the web. Fond memories of playing on a BBC Master at Alloa Library ahoy!
➠ December 29, 2010
Polar bears get the better of spy cameras
In related news, polar bears are FUCKING AWESOME AND DON’T TAKE NO SHIT FROM NO ONE!
➠ August 31, 2010
BBC News - The strange virtual world of 4chan
The BBC does a (surprisingly accurate for the mainstream media) profile of 4chan.
“Another 4chan favourite is Pedobear, a harmless-looking ursoid cartoon character who, despite his loveable appearance… you get the idea.”
➠ January 11, 2010
➠ December 1, 2009
BBC Radio 4 - The Infinite Monkey Cage
Oh, BBC Radio, I could kiss you sometimes. A thirty minute show about science and comedy from Robin Ince and Brian Cox? With Dara O’Briain as a guest? And available as a podcast? YES PLEASE!
➠ October 6, 2009
New Dr Who Logo
Love love LOVE! the new Doctor Who logo. As timeless as is appropriate for a show about time travel.
➠ August 14, 2009
➠ July 3, 2009
Battle between ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro to be BBC4 comedy drama
The story of Sir Clive Sinclair and Chris Curry is being turned into a one-off BBC comedy-drama. To British nerds of a certain age, this is the most exciting news ever.
➠ June 11, 2009
BBC - Changes to international pages
Genuinely bothersome news from Auntie Beeb. They’ve decided to stop letting people outside the US switch to viewing the News site from a UK focus. That was the whole reason why BBC News has been on my browser toolbar since 1998! Hoping this will be reversed.
➠ January 19, 2009
BBC NEWS | Magazine | A bit of vibraphone nostalgia
In tribute to Tony Hart, the BBC News magazine profiles the music for “The Gallery”. An iconic ditty for any member of my generation.
➠ November 4, 2008
On The Hour
The iconic BBC radio series (which gave way to The Day Today) finally gets a full CD release (including bonus material, such as Chris Morris’s fantastic flexidisc for Select Magazine). Subscribe to the podcast for snippets of genius.
➠ September 10, 2008
BBC NEWS | Girls Aloud win £20 single prize
The BBC does a decent write-up of the behind-the-scenes politicking of THE music prize that matters — Popjustice’s Twenty Quid Music Prize.
➠ July 29, 2008
BBC - Music
The first part of Auntie Beeb’s integration with MusicBrainz and Wikipedia is live. Every artist in MusicBrainz now has a page on bbc.co.uk, featuring radio playcount information where available. Very cool.
➠ June 3, 2008
Video speech matching (TheyWorkForYou.com)
TheyWorkForYou has a crowdsourcing project matching the Hansard transcripts of parliamentary debates to BBC video. It’s pretty easy work if you keep going through one debate (and you get to watch a little bit of politics in action). Fancy taking a half hour to help them out?
➠ May 20, 2008
Doctor Who - Steven Moffat Takes Charge
This is amazingly good news. Steven Moffat (writer of Coupling and Press Gang, as well as the best episodes of “new” Doctor Who) is taking over as lead writer. I’m giddy at the prospect of what’s to come.
➠ May 3, 2008
Olinda
Schulze & Webb’s hardware prototype of a socially-networked open-source digital radio. Some excellent ideas for internet-enabled physical objects in the pamphlet.
➠ April 25, 2008
BBC NEWS | Jazz legend Lyttelton dies at 86
Man, this is sad news. Humph’s impeccably innocent delivery of a filthy “double” entendre on “I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue” had me in hysterics many a time. He will be missed.
➠ April 1, 2008
➠ March 30, 2008
➠ January 17, 2008
BBC - Press Office - Ashes To Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (the 80’s Life on Mars follow-up) is starting the first week of February, and everything about it sounds bloody AMAZING.
“What’s been your favourite scene to film?” “That would have to be when we were on a speed boat going under Tower Bridge carrying machine guns. Say no more.”
➠ December 20, 2007
BBC Radio 4 - Comedy - 28 Acts In 28 Minutes
Fast-paced stand-up and sketches from BBC Radio 4. The great thing about this format is if you don’t like an act, that’s fine — there’ll be another one along in a minute.
➠ December 16, 2007
➠ November 20, 2007
BBC NEWS | KLF frontman marks 'No Music Day'
Curmudgeon-par-excellence Bill Drummond promotes “No Music Day”, and BBC Radio Scotland is going along with it, playing no music at all for 24 hours.
➠ November 16, 2007
YouTube - Doctor Who, Children in Need Special - Time Crash
I completely forgot this was on tonight. Lovely little bit of Who geekery. Number 5 was “my” doctor too — the first one I remember watching.
➠ November 5, 2007
spEak You're bRanes
Highlighting the best of the right-wing hystericals who post to the BBC News “Have Your Say” boards.
➠ September 20, 2007
BBC NEWS | TV cat poll was fixed, BBC says
I can forgive TV companies for running crooked competitions, or faking phone-ins, but overrulling the viewers’ choice for the name for the Blue Peter Cat? That’s just EVIL!
➠ August 20, 2007
➠ August 15, 2007
➠ July 3, 2007
BBC NEWS | Tate to be Doctor's new companion
Was not expecting this. Living over here, I haven’t been over-exposed to Tate or her catchphrase(s?), so thought she was rather good in the Christmas special last year.
➠ June 28, 2007
MusicBrainz Blog: The BBC partners with MusicBrainz for Music Metadata
More on the BBC/MusicBrainz link-up — Not only are the Beeb paying to use MB data on their site, the music experts over there will be helping update MB. This can only be a good thing.
➠ June 21, 2007
Peel & TOTP Open Data
BBC releases music playlist data (from Peel Sessions and Top of the Pops at first), linked in with MusicBrainz IDs. Hurrah!
➠ May 15, 2007
Panorama - Scientology and Me - Google Video
Last night’s Scientology documentary from the BBC. I watched this last night, and it’s really quite jaw-dropping. I’m surprised the scientologists have been kicking up such a fuss about it, because it’s only raised public awareness of what a bunch of controlling manipulative fruitcakes they are.
➠ March 2, 2007
BBC NEWS | BBC strikes Google-YouTube deal
Um… The BBC is going to put promotional clips on YouTube. Explain to me why this is “news”?
➠ January 23, 2007
Life on Mars meets Camberwick Green
Viral clip promoting new series of Life on Mars. What would Windy Miller say?
➠ January 20, 2007
Doctor Who - Did you see the chainsaw episode?
Halfway through watching the new “Doctor Who” DVDs, Netflix renters were suddenly greeted with scenes from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
➠ January 8, 2007
➠ January 4, 2007
BBC NEWS | Opera treatment for Question Time
The creators of Jerry Springer The Opera are composing five 30-minute operas for the BBC, based on TV shows like Question Time and Wife Swap.
➠ October 24, 2006
➠ October 8, 2006
➠ September 20, 2006
➠ September 8, 2006
BBC - Press Office - An all-star cast to appear in BBC ONE's Jekyll
Bugger me backwards, this sounds good. A modernised retelling of Jekyll and Hyde, written by Steven Moffat of Press Gang, Coupling, and Three of the best new episodes of Doctor Who fame. Hooray for the BBC!
➠ June 1, 2006
BBC SPORT | BBC website shows World Cup games
Wow, the Beeb are streaming live video of all their World Cup coverage. Geo-limited to the UK only, but still, that’s a lot of bits to shuffle. I can’t imagine office IT folks are particularly thrilled about this move!
➠ April 30, 2006
OFF THE TELLY: Comedy: "Fool If You Think It's Over"
Incredible story of how a fan bought the DVD rights to the excellent, but forgotten, BBC sitcom “Joking Apart” (written by Stephen Moffat of Press Gang and Coupling fame). I only caught a couple of episodes, but loved it, and can’t wait to buy this.
➠ April 26, 2006
BBC Programme Catalogue
The BBC Archives database has been put online in an searchable and hyperlinked format. How long until the archives are web-accessible too?
➠ April 17, 2006
The pleasure of finding things out - RP Feynman - Google Video
1982 Richard Feynman interview. I downloaded this last month from UKNova, and it’s just a fascinating insight into the man.
➠ April 7, 2006
BBC Radio 4 -The Now Show
Auntie releases a Radio 4 comedy show for MP3 download & podcast. Hurrah! If they do this with the next series of Just a Minute and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, I’m going to be a happy camper indeed.
➠ February 19, 2006
BBC - Science & Nature - Climate Change
New distributed computing project “sponsored” by the Beeb. It’s an interesting problem to solve, and they’ve done the smart thing that made SETI so viral: A really attractive screensaver that will attract attention around offices. Now running on a bunch of my PCs.
➠ January 25, 2006
➠ January 13, 2006
➠ December 25, 2005
BBC - Doctor Who - Episode Guide - The Christmas Invasion
The Beeb’s made a commentary track for the new Doctor Who christmas episode available as an MP3 download. What a great idea!
➠ October 31, 2005
hackdiary: The BBC's programme catalogue (on Rails)
This has the potential to be fantastic, and knock IMDB into a cocked-hat for UK telly info.
➠ October 16, 2005
➠ September 24, 2005
➠ July 7, 2005
BBC America’s coverage of the terrorist attacks in London
... has been discontinued to bring you the scheduled interview with Jennifer Connelly about her new movie.
I have not the words.
About This Site
This is an archive of groovmother.com, the old blog run by Rod Begbie — A Scottish geek who lives in San Francisco, CA.
I'm the co-founder of Sōsh, your handy-dandy guide for things to do in San Francisco this weekend.
BBC Olinda digital radio: Social hardware
Schulze & Webb are working on an open, social digital-radio-plus-wifi prototype for the BBC. Fascinating the way they hope to apply “open source” to hardware design.