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Jonathan Melville

@jonmelville.bsky.social

470 followers 400 following 250 posts

Fan of old films and telly / Author of books on Local Hero, Highlander, Tremors & Hamish Macbeth (and Jim Henson in 2025) / Owner of too many Blu-rays.

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · Aug 1

Covering The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, The Storyteller and many more, my new book of interviews with creatives who either worked alongside Jim Henson or on his productions is now available in paperback and ebook:

Paperback: amzn.eu/d/b99EAB4
Ebook: amzn.eu/d/huZMlM7

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · Jul 17

What was it really like working with Jim Henson? I spent years tracking down the puppeteers, writers, directors and other creatives who helped bring the magic to life. Their stories became Rainbow Connections: Volume One, out 31st July 🌈

Find out more: jonathanmelville.substack.com/p/rainbow-co...

Details of Rainbow Connections: Volume One - Meeting the People Who Brought Jim Henson’s Vision to Life

Interviewees include Bill Barretta, Steve Barron, Fran Brill, Tony Charmoli, Mark Eades, Louise Gold, David Gumpel, Bruce McNally, Rob Mills, Larry Mirkin, Victor Pemberton, Austin Pendleton, Mike Quinn, Gord Robertson, John Stephenson, John Stevenson, Jocelyn Stevenson & Jeremy Swan.
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We discuss projects including Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Muppet movies, Muppet*Vision 3D, The Jim Henson Hour, Dinosaurs, The Storyteller, Muppets Tonight and many more.

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 15d

Not sure, they just mention Watchers in the story.

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 15d

Jeremy Irons has joined the cast of #Highlander as another baddie, one of the Watchers from the TV series… www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

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Reposted by Jonathan Melville

Filmhouse Edinburgh @filmhouseedinburgh.bsky.social · 15d

What's that? The only 70mm print of Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another is coming to Filmhouse in November? 🎞️

Tickets are on sale now! www.filmhouse.org.uk/movie/one-ba...

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 15d

Good to have a mini celebration, I’ll aim to have a pint next time and agree to some mad podcast idea.

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 15d

The man, the myth, the legend @ianjhoey.bsky.social has just written an in-depth book on the Alice Cooper group, focusing on their 1970-72 period and featuring new revelations from some of the people involved. After reading it months ago, I received my copy today from Mr H and it’s on sale now!

Ian Hoey holds up a copy of I’m Eighteen and School’s Out

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 15d

Cheers Olly, I’d love to see Yung Dol Kim make an appearance.

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 15d

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 16d

Well deserved, good luck with it!

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 16d

Just like Criswell (though hopefully I’m a bit more accurate), I predict that Ed Wood fans will enjoy @willsloanesq.bsky.social’s excellent new book, a fresh take on the man and his work that takes us back to a time of fake graveyards and angora sweaters. I’m overdue a Plan 9 rewatch.

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 18d

Thanks for these posts, much appreciated!

Reposted by Jonathan Melville

Captain Howdy @captainhowdy.bsky.social · 18d

A well-researched insight to a classic movie that's worth far more than a hundred pennies, so grab yourselves a genuine bargain.

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 18d

The hardback of my #Highlander book is only £1 in the Waterstones clearance sale! Perfect Christmas present…

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waltydunlop @waltydunlop.bsky.social · 18d

A steal for a quite brilliant book. Grab a copy, please - you'll not regret it. One of those definitive everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-film books. Jon played a blinder with this one. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 18d

The hardback of my #Highlander book is only £1 in the Waterstones clearance sale! Perfect Christmas present…

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 18d

Cheers!

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 18d

Ah, thanks Walter!

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 18d

Thanks again for the review, nice to know people appreciate the effort!

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Neil Norman And His Cosmic Orchestra @fubsyshabaroon.bsky.social · 18d

I wholeheartedly agree. Here’s my review for @setthetape.bsky.social:

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 18d

The hardback of my #Highlander book is only £1 in the Waterstones clearance sale! Perfect Christmas present…

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Reposted by Jonathan Melville

World of Telly @world-of-telly.bsky.social · 20d

A new episode of World of Telly is available now wherever you get your podcasts. This week we travel back to 1960 as we explore The Strange World of Gurney Slade. The video version of this podcast will be released later this weekend.

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 20d

The only show worth seeing in 2026!

National Theatre of Scotland @ntsonline.bsky.social · 20d

✈️CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF!️✈️

Here’s your first chance to listen to a song from #TheHighLife: The Musical, with Air Stewards Steve and Sebastian reunited in the sound booth and hitting those high notes🎶

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · 24d

Nice work iPlayer!

Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 3 on iPlayer

Reposted by Jonathan Melville

From The Sublime… Magazine @fromthesublime.bsky.social · Sep 15

So we're almost at the half-way mark for the campaign for Issue Four... and we're about half-way funded. Which means, at current progress, we might make it, but it'll be tight.

Help secure the future of independent pop culture journalism - and your own copy of Issue Four - by buying your copy now.

From The Sublime - Issue Four

We're back. And it's about time. (And a bunch of other stuff...) | Check out 'From The Sublime - Issue Four' on Indiegogo.

www.indiegogo.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Melville

Andrew Nette @pulpcurry.bsky.social · 29d

Lots of talk about Robert Redford films that have been lost in his large filmography. For my money this is one of the best, Peter Yates’s THE HOT ROCK (1972). A caper or heist film? It doesn’t really matter. The point is it’s great & has one of coolest robbery crews ever assembled on celluloid

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · Sep 15

True, there’s a real mix in there, with the odd Annette Badland thrown in for good measure.

Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · Sep 14

Watching all the Joan Hickson Miss Marple stories on iPlayer has been a real treat, full of old school character actors giving it all they’ve got. I miss the days when the likes of John Hallam would pop up and steal a scene.

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Jonathan Melville @jonmelville.bsky.social · Sep 14

Reviews of the Hamish Macbeth book continue to trickle in… if you’re a fan of the show or want to know more about how TV was made in the 1990s, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

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