Barack Obama passes an important milestone in American history as he officially accepts the nomination of the Democrat Party to run for the office of the President of the United States

It is only a few short months since the American Democratic Party were caught in a tremendous internal squabble, but last night they gritted their teeth, buried their differences and stood to applaud the Illinois Senator Barack Obama as he accepted their nomination to run for the office of President of the United States.

It did smack a little of a family emerging with bright smiles to a public event, having only recently endured a fearful argument behind closed doors. But Obama, clean cut and with the requisite snow white smile, seemed unfazed, declaring that: ‘America, we are better than these last eight years,’ to the excitable approval of the assembled crowd.

On evenings such as these, Americans are at their very best. Naturally more demonstrative than us Brits, they dress in vibrant red, white and blues, wave flags, applaud enthusiastically and whoop in delight, at all of the appropriate moments. The speeches themselves are a carefully balanced delivery of rhetoric, promises, patriotism, flattery and the odd inoffensive joke.

It is hardly needs documenting, as it has been said a thousand times before, that Obama thrives in this environment. It is quite a skill to be relaxed and personable in front of a crowd of around 80,000, but with an effortless grace Obama carries it off, and for that reason alone he should be relishing live tussles with the more-robotic John McCain.

We should not forget that last night marked the passing of an important milestone in American history. Accepting the nomination, Obama became the first American of African descent to be selected as the presidential candidate of one of the two main parties; and in a country that is openly proud of its history and heroes, it was by no coincidence that last night was also the forty fifth anniversary of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream,’ speech.

A key element in Obama’s success will be his ability to appeal to broad sections of the Democratic Party, and mindful of this one of Obama’s first statements was one of gratitude and magnanimity towards his erstwhile foe:

‘Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanies me on this journey, and especially the one who travelled the farthest, a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours: Hillary Rodham Clinton.’

But his main thrust of attack was a clear and steady attack upon the one man who stands between him and the Oval Office. ‘John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but he won’t even follow him to the cave where he lives,’ Obama argued. ‘If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice, but it is not the choice that America needs,’ he continued.

This is an odd period of the American presidential campaign, following a dip in the action during the two summer months. Collectively Americans are drawing in a slow breath, waiting to be submerged in a barrage of publicity, advertising, pledges and posters. By November the country will have lost its sanity, drenched in colourful bunting and being ‘God blessed,’ from all directions.

American Presidential elections are an odd mixture of things – and for a nation well capable of putting on a show, the 2008 Presidential knock out promises to be compelling.

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Here you can see a video of Barack Obama’s address to the Democratic Convention four years ago, in what was to become one of his most famous speeches. To follow all of the latest news and political development regarding the US political elections and for round-the-clock-coverage, look into the digital news channels, for unprecedented coverage.

Tags: News, Politics, Programmes, Sky by Peter Moore
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The advent of Pietersen signals a change in English cricketing values

My mother has always maintained that the English cricket team needs to include at least one Yorkshireman if it hopes to win anything at all. The land of Boycott, Illingworth and Truman binds together notions of grit, determination and stoicism; it forms the backbone of our national identity and in many ways is as much to England what Andalucía is to Spain.

If it wasn’t before obvious, my mother was born and raised in a village on the Yorkshire coast where things are about as ‘English’ as they could possibly be. A Union Jack flaps away on a white flag pole on the village green, there is a flint church flanked by a yew tree and the population of farmers and traders are fuelled with a rude diet of jacket potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and steak and kidney pies.

In this culture, cricket is of paramount importance. The best (and flattest) part of the village is tended carefully each summer day by a groundsman, the most comfortable corner of the local pub is held in reserve for team members, the 19 year old whippersnapper of a fast bowler can have his pick of the farmers’ daughters and a solid forward defensive is regarded with almost as much reverence as a cleanly executed off drive.

It is places such as these, in the far reaches of Queen Bess’ realm, which would have received the news of Michael Vaughn’s resignation as captain of the English cricket team and the subsequent appointment of Kevin Pietersen with more than the odd jitter.

Vaughn was a paragon of Englishness: polite, patient, cool under pressure, equally able to cajole and nudge his star players into stellar performances and to chat cordially with journalists. His displays of emotion were rare, and usually limited to Henmanesque fist-clenching whilst batting and applause from the players’ balcony.

In contrast, Pietersen is Vaughn’s antithesis. Brash, single-minded, belligerent and oozing self-confidence, Pietersen who was born and bred in South Africa displays a confidence and swagger that are not often present amongst the English. Andrew Strauss, his teammate, once said that ‘Kevin’s particular brand of self confidence seems un-English.’

Making his debut at Lords in the first match of the Ashes series in 2005, he proceeded to despatch Shane Warne for six over deep midwicket on his way to a maiden half-century. Four matches later he turned the knife upon the imperious Glenn McGrath at the Oval, peppering his bowling with a series of blows of which Joe DiMaggio would have been proud and ending on 158 as England won the Ashes for the first time in almost 20 years.

Three years on and Pietersen is the only English batsman to feature in the top ten of the ICC World Rankings and he has scored 3777 test match runs at an impressive average of 50.36. Statistically, this puts far him ahead of Gower, Atherton, Stewart, Thorpe and Vaughn and justifies his inclusion as the first name on the English team sheet.

But he has not escaped criticism. Only last Friday after attempting to reach a 14th test match century with a six, he was caught on the long off boundary, prompting Alec Stewart to suggest that he should be ‘disgusted’ with himself. Geoffrey Boycott added scathingly that ‘if I’d played that shot, I’d have wanted to bury myself right there and then.’

Whilst some feel uneasy at Pietersen’s aggressive approach on the cricket field, then there are others who must feel uncomfortable as to his behaviour off it. In 2004, a former captain, Jason Gallian, was so enraged by Pietersen’s cocky behaviour that he felt compelled to launch his kit bag off the Nottinghamshire dressing room balcony. Another foe is his old rival, the South African captain Graeme Smith. Deciding to leave South Africa in protest at the quota system to play his cricket in England, Pietersen forged a mutual dislike between the two: ‘I’m patriotic about my country, and that’s why I don’t like Kevin Pietersen,’ Smith stated in 2006.

Then there are the magazine covers, the tattoos, that infamous skunk hairstyle and his jumping jack celebrations along the wicket. There was even a cringe-worthy kiss-and-tell with an ex lover who claimed that he made her chant his name whilst they were in bed. All in all, Kevin Pietersen is certainly a character that doesn’t come quietly.

But the appointment of Pietersen might be a sign of the times, and the seasoned observer will have noticed that the game of cricket has received a drastic facelift in the past two years. We now have 20:20, Super 40 and ‘winner takes all’ matches for $20M. Television money has arrived, so have lucrative sponsorship deals and cricket players are now highly trained professional athletes with meaningful professional contracts. Gone are the days of handlebar moustaches, beer guzzlers and bacon sandwiches for tea, cricket has reached a new era.

Whilst people in Yorkshire and other such corners of Old England might feel a pang of trepidation, the appointment of Pietersen as England captain is a bold forward move by the ECB. He is innovative in his batting, his self image and his approach to sport – and whilst my mother and her clan in Yorkshire may remain sceptical, I think that for English cricket a bright future looms large.

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Sky television is the home of cricket. With full coverage of all England’s test, one day and 20:20 matches and a comprehensive schedule of international cricketing fixtures, you are not going to miss a ball. Visit our Sky Sports pages to find out more about the latest digital television offers today.

Tags: Digital TV, Programmes, Sport by Peter Moore
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Director: Andrew Adamson Cast: Georgie Henley & Skandar Keynes

Here’s a task for you; locate any Brit you can around the age of twenty five and enquire as to whether they remember the BBC Chronicles of Narnia series that ran at the end of the 1980s. Eyes will brighten, grins will appear and on occasion you might just be able to spot a tear forming.

The reason for this of course is that this particular series was a milestone of our youth, a paragon of programming that has rarely been repeated. In my rather rose-tinted memory, the cast of characters was formidable: the foppish, wide-eyed Pevensie children, the benevolent faun Mr Tumnus and the alarming, cool as ice, White Witch.

These memories have flooded back to my mind sparked by the release of the forthcoming film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It is the second time around for the fantasy franchise headed by the director Andrew Adamson who is doubtless trying to rekindle the successes of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings in the past few years.

Potentially it is another two hours’ worth of witty dialogue, unexpected victories and archetypal heroes and villains. The Chronicles of Narnia is set to become one of those wonderful cinematic feasts that leave you exiting the cinema wondering whereabouts you can purchase a wooden shield from.

Is it going to be better than the BBC series that is burned so deeply into my memory? Probably, because looking back in the cool rational air of 2008, you have to admit that the acting was a little wooden and the effects did leave a little to be desired. I never noticed it at the time though…

The first instalment in the Chronicles of Narnia franchise, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was released in 2005 and has been available for viewing on Sky Movies. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is released nationally today.

However for those of you who wish to reminisce about the good old days, you can watch the inset video.

Tags: Digital TV, Films, Programmes, Sky by Peter Moore
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Apparently most Americans don’t know that award winning actor Hugh Laurie, currently starring in a new series of House M.D., is English. His accent is so good that they instantly assume he has the right to bear arms and shoot trespassers like the rest of them. We in England however, tend to sit in front of our TVs, mouths half open, in a state of semi-crazed incredulity thinking “Bertie Wooster, its Bertie bloody Wooster!”

Not content with getting Hollywood to rewrite our history, or dragging us into foreign adventures that ensure we will never win the Eurovision Song contest again, they take one of our most beloved public school geeks, give him a stubble a spray tan and a new accent, and suddenly he’s attractive. Oh the absolute cheek of it! Unsurprisingly Hugh is sticking to his new American look, as evidenced by his recent appearance with Keanu Reeves in Street Kings, where he plays US cop Captain Biggs.

But we in the UK should feel cheated, because we all know that Hugh Laurie belongs in a blazer and tie, sat in front of a bowl of treacle, and saying “rather!” whilst getting smacked around the head by Rowan Atkinson. Really, it’s about time this country stood up for itself.

Hugh Laurie can be seen as Dr. Gregory House in the Fox series House M.D. and frequent repeats of Blackadder, A Bit of Fry and Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster are aired on UKTV Gold and other digital comedy channels.

Tags: Digital TV, Programmes, Sky by John Hillman
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Every hour, every day

Ever since the US military spoke about the “CNN effect” during the first Gulf War we have become increasingly attached to 24 hour rolling news.

Whether you are a 24 hour-a-day TV news junkie or just someone who skims across the internet before leaving work, the fact is our information gathering has changed forever.

Advanced technology means that the days of the nation all sitting down together at 6 o’clock to watch the same news programme is over; something that says a lot about how society has changed since we were all kids.

But does the increased choice of sources actually improve the quality of news content that comes our way?

Unfortunately the rush to be the first to get the story on their news platforms usually means that the days of assiduous fact checking and journalistic reflection have been subordinated to the war for ratings; journalists are finding themselves under increasing pressure to deliver the goods at high speed.

On the other hand you can argue that the plurality of information sources has increased the flow of information around the world to places that were previously denied access to news, Burma and China being a good case in point.

Ultimately, although having lots of choice can expose us to hearsay and speculation, it also makes our ability to decipher the truth more sophisticated, and that has to be a positive factor.

Tags: BBC, Digital TV, Programmes, Sky by John Hillman
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Winners and losers

So, what exactly do Steven Gerrard, James Bond, Ross Kemp, Winston Churchill, Ellen Page and the Gladiators have in common? Well the answer is quite simple: they are all featured on Sky’s Heroes season of programming.

This season has been running for some time now and it is indicative of Sky’s latest decision to organise its programming into various different seasons. The ‘Heroes’ season includes a wave of programming across a number of different Sky channels.

The biography channel is featuring a number of British national heroes; Sky Sports is concentrating upon dramatic sporting finale and the movies channel is focussing on films telling stories of personal bravery and courage.

The ‘Heroes’ season is slated to be followed by other genre lead series of programmes. Sky have already promised that in the future there will be series of Westerns, animations, films from the 60s and musicals to follow the end of the ‘Heroes’ one at the end of May.

To find out more information about Sky’s specific scheduling, you can visit their website to browse up to date listings and timetables.

Tags: BBC, Digital TV, Programmes, Sky, Switchover by Peter Moore
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Unforgettable

Sky One is indulging in something of a game show orgy. First controller Richard Woolfe commissioned a remake of the nineties popular hit Gladiators and now he’s thrown a fresh fistful of money at a live-audience show called Don’t Forget the Lyrics.

Hosted by ex-Eastender and lively raconteur Shane Richie, the format of the show is formulaic and sparkles with humour as audience members attempt to sing the lyrics of a favourite song without cues, to varying levels of success.

‘Think you know all the words to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody?’ Sky One challenges on the promotional advertising. ‘Would you be able to keep on singing once the music has stopped?’ the carrot dangling in front of the range of contestants is a £250,000 for those who think they can.

The format smacks heavily of the erstwhile favourite, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? With the contestants beginning with a relatively simple pop song for £500, and progressing steadily to more and more difficult recollections as the money on offer rises. In the meantime, Shane Richie is guaranteed to be poking, prodding, encouraging and mocking in equal measure.

Don’t Forget the Lyrics is available on Sky One, through a number of different digital service providers.

Tags: Programmes, Sky by Peter Moore
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It’s about to kick off

Where will you be at 6 pm on Saturday the 7^th June? Like most self-respecting football fans I expect that you will be settling down to watch Switzerland v Czech Republic, Euro 2008’s first match.

But where to watch it is another matter , Big-Screens planned for Birmingham, Liverpool, Hull, Leeds, Rotherham, Bradford, Derby and Swindon are no-longer going ahead.

This is thanks to the trouble caused by some Rangers supporters after the recent UEFA Cup final in Manchester city centre, apparently local councils have decided it just isn’t worth the risk anymore.

So if you want atmosphere but can’t make it to Austria or Switzerland this summer, it looks like sports bars are going to be the best place to catch the games.

It is actually worth looking around for a good place to catch the action, I have found out that my local pub is selling limited entry tickets; the price includes a guaranteed armchair, Big screen, Burger and chips and a pint – all for £10.

Alternatively it might be time to splash out on a new Plasma TV get the barbeque on and invite the neighbourhood round. Why not put some posters up where you live: “Wanted EU nationals that might actually have something to celebrate this summer to add atmosphere to my party”.

Tags: Digital TV, Programmes, Sky by John Hillman
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