Tara Conlan
@taraconlan.bsky.social
Journalist writing about media for the Guardian & others since all this was just Gracie Fields. taraconlan.com
Thanks for sending me down a wormhole, leading to these realisations:
a) bird-related subjects feature heavily in successful novelty songs
b) rose-tinted nostalgia forgets most 70s/80s dancing was rubbish, I mean, look at these examples
a) bird-related subjects feature heavily in successful novelty songs
b) rose-tinted nostalgia forgets most 70s/80s dancing was rubbish, I mean, look at these examples
November 22, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Thanks for sending me down a wormhole, leading to these realisations:
a) bird-related subjects feature heavily in successful novelty songs
b) rose-tinted nostalgia forgets most 70s/80s dancing was rubbish, I mean, look at these examples
a) bird-related subjects feature heavily in successful novelty songs
b) rose-tinted nostalgia forgets most 70s/80s dancing was rubbish, I mean, look at these examples
Expect a sudden application from a rep for The Muppets for White House press accreditation
November 18, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Expect a sudden application from a rep for The Muppets for White House press accreditation
Seems not first time he’s used this moniker or is he helping publicise Adolescence writer Jack Thorne’s forthcoming timely BBC adaptation of Lord of the Flies?
November 18, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Seems not first time he’s used this moniker or is he helping publicise Adolescence writer Jack Thorne’s forthcoming timely BBC adaptation of Lord of the Flies?
Imagining them all sitting at the round table overthinking it whilst the traitors are at the BBC gates
November 10, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Imagining them all sitting at the round table overthinking it whilst the traitors are at the BBC gates
This weekend the BBC should’ve been celebrating the success of Celebrity Traitors. Instead it’s in turmoil following a double banishment of two of its big dogs, with staff wondering who will help it remain faithful to its public service remit & stand up to those who’d like it killed off
November 9, 2025 at 10:55 PM
This weekend the BBC should’ve been celebrating the success of Celebrity Traitors. Instead it’s in turmoil following a double banishment of two of its big dogs, with staff wondering who will help it remain faithful to its public service remit & stand up to those who’d like it killed off
The old skool cultural reference in this headline reveals much about the sub/backbencher that wrote it but here’s an explainer for those that don’t remember Schnorbitz www.comedy.co.uk/people/berni...
November 2, 2025 at 10:21 AM
The old skool cultural reference in this headline reveals much about the sub/backbencher that wrote it but here’s an explainer for those that don’t remember Schnorbitz www.comedy.co.uk/people/berni...
Welcome to headline-writing Blankety Blank in which, during the run up to the autumn budget, you will continue to see the phrase: ‘Rachel Reeves is coming for your…’ followed by a noun that is financially dear to you
October 17, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Welcome to headline-writing Blankety Blank in which, during the run up to the autumn budget, you will continue to see the phrase: ‘Rachel Reeves is coming for your…’ followed by a noun that is financially dear to you
Creator AI comedy is on the rise. Interested to see how Ryanair responds vm.tiktok.com/ZNdWVVQdm/
October 14, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Creator AI comedy is on the rise. Interested to see how Ryanair responds vm.tiktok.com/ZNdWVVQdm/
Which Joe Marler has been practising
October 10, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Which Joe Marler has been practising
The traditional Traitors’ name misspelling joy has begun
October 10, 2025 at 8:38 AM
The traditional Traitors’ name misspelling joy has begun
Suspect Have I Got News For You Multiverse error will follow usual BBC pattern of investigate, apologise, review, CMS grilling, new role to ensure doesn’t happen again. Or could it be subsumed into scope of James Stephenson, announced yesterday in role created by Gaza doc mistake review? Again tho..
October 4, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Suspect Have I Got News For You Multiverse error will follow usual BBC pattern of investigate, apologise, review, CMS grilling, new role to ensure doesn’t happen again. Or could it be subsumed into scope of James Stephenson, announced yesterday in role created by Gaza doc mistake review? Again tho..
Been following Tilly Norwood for a few months to track the trajectory & the PR storm has boosted numbers; she’s on 32.4K followers so attractive for collabs but the comments (apart from those from
other AI artists) are mostly not so pretty
other AI artists) are mostly not so pretty
September 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Been following Tilly Norwood for a few months to track the trajectory & the PR storm has boosted numbers; she’s on 32.4K followers so attractive for collabs but the comments (apart from those from
other AI artists) are mostly not so pretty
other AI artists) are mostly not so pretty
Incredible scenes at sold-out 02 last night as Barack Obama was quizzed (brilliantly) by David Olusoga about why we are where we are socially, politically & economically. Biggest cheer was when he said: “Integrity character & honesty matter”. Only referred to current president as his “successor” &…
September 25, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Incredible scenes at sold-out 02 last night as Barack Obama was quizzed (brilliantly) by David Olusoga about why we are where we are socially, politically & economically. Biggest cheer was when he said: “Integrity character & honesty matter”. Only referred to current president as his “successor” &…
Interesting The Hack (written by Jack Thorne, starring David Tennant, Robert Carlyle & Toby Jones & produced by Mr Bates vs The Post Office alumni) selling well globally after Mr Bates struggled to sell abroad, as ITV said didn’t appeal to international audiences; but perhaps it paved way for this?
September 24, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Interesting The Hack (written by Jack Thorne, starring David Tennant, Robert Carlyle & Toby Jones & produced by Mr Bates vs The Post Office alumni) selling well globally after Mr Bates struggled to sell abroad, as ITV said didn’t appeal to international audiences; but perhaps it paved way for this?
BREAKING: Morning
September 24, 2025 at 6:07 AM
BREAKING: Morning
Nick Clegg says at the RTS Cambridge Convention that Peter Mandelson got him & a few others together when the US/UK tech deals began to be talked about & Clegg told Mandelson it’s “all one way traffic” & a lot of it “seems to be mutton dressed as lamb” & deals the tech companies would be doing…
September 17, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Nick Clegg says at the RTS Cambridge Convention that Peter Mandelson got him & a few others together when the US/UK tech deals began to be talked about & Clegg told Mandelson it’s “all one way traffic” & a lot of it “seems to be mutton dressed as lamb” & deals the tech companies would be doing…
Greggs has dropped its first range of homeware for its comfort-eating fans and it’s not the wurst collab I’ve ever seen tbh beanbagbazaar.co.uk
September 11, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Greggs has dropped its first range of homeware for its comfort-eating fans and it’s not the wurst collab I’ve ever seen tbh beanbagbazaar.co.uk
Excited about this Bagpuss opus but for those unfamiliar with the show it was a 1970s stop-animation, fictional precursor to The Repair Workshop but without an allegedly-problematic key presenter and with TikTok-voice singing mice. A golden age of TV? You decide www.theguardian.com/film/2025/se...
September 9, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Excited about this Bagpuss opus but for those unfamiliar with the show it was a 1970s stop-animation, fictional precursor to The Repair Workshop but without an allegedly-problematic key presenter and with TikTok-voice singing mice. A golden age of TV? You decide www.theguardian.com/film/2025/se...
This afternoon I discovered a new contender for BAFTA’s TV moment of the year (👏🏻 BBC News) and also I must learn to predict the future to make sure I’m not on wi-fi when a national emergency strikes (no I didn’t get the alert either)
September 7, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This afternoon I discovered a new contender for BAFTA’s TV moment of the year (👏🏻 BBC News) and also I must learn to predict the future to make sure I’m not on wi-fi when a national emergency strikes (no I didn’t get the alert either)
Doomscroll respite: bird on agapanthus outside my window pt 1
August 29, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Doomscroll respite: bird on agapanthus outside my window pt 1
AI slop might finally cure our internet addiction: fascinating piece in The Atlantic joinspread.com/post/5267f5d...
July 23, 2025 at 8:02 AM
AI slop might finally cure our internet addiction: fascinating piece in The Atlantic joinspread.com/post/5267f5d...