New York art sale sets record

15 November 2012 Last updated at 09:57 GMT Tulip is part of a series of works created by Koons over nine years The US art season ended with a record-breaking sales total of $412m (£259.9m) for Christie's, with records set for works by 11 artists.Jeff Koons sculpture Tulip, which graced New York's Rockefeller Center plaza, achieved an artist record of $33.7m (£21.2m). New records were also set for Franz Kline and Jean-Michel Basquiat.Christie's claimed the $412m figure was the most successful sale of post-war and contemporary art in history. "This truly was an extraordinary sale," said Jussi Pylkkanen, president of Christie's Europe, Middle East and Russia."Clearly there's an enormous amount of energy in the post-war and contemporary market. It's highly likely that we'll see a continuation of records being broken."Smashing record The previous day, rival auction house Sotheby's had staged its most successful auction in its history, taking $375m (£236m).Koons' Tulip became the second highest figure paid for a living artist, following on from Gerhard Richter's 1994 painting Abstraktes Bild, which sold in October.Tulip was created between 1995-2004 and is one of five versions of the work.Kline's canvas, featuring broad black strokes, sold for $40.4m (£25.4m), smashing the previous $9.3m (£5.8m) record for his work. The Christie's sale also included Andy Warhol's Statue of Liberty, which sold for $43.7m (£27.5m).Basquiat's untitled work from 1981 sold for $26.4m (£16.6m), beating the artist's previous record of $20.1m (£12.6m), which was only set in June. Basquiat started out as a graffiti artist before finding fame as a contemporary artist. He died of a heroin overdose in 1988 at the age of 27.Rothko's Red Strip sold for $23.4m (£14.7m), just a day after large-scale masterpiece No 1 (Royal Red and Blue) sold for $75.1m (£47.2m) at Sotheby's.

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One Direction 3D film to be made

A 3D documentary film is to made about One Direction's rise to fame.The British boy band will work with director Morgan Spurlock, who is famous for making Super Size Me, which looked at the effects of eating fast food.It is thought the movie will be similar to recent documentaries released by Katy Perry and Justin Bieber.Continue reading the main story What the band have achieved is incredible. They and their fans have made history around the world - this is for themSimon Cowell Simon Cowell, boss of One Direction's record label Syco, said the film would give an "access all areas, behind the scenes" look at the group."What the band have achieved is incredible," said Cowell. "They and their fans have made history around the world - this is for them."Director Morgan Spurlock called the film "an incredible opportunity and an amazing moment in time for the band".The project, produced by Sony Pictures, is due out in August 2013 next year. Morgan Spurlock will be working with One Direction on the 3D film Pop star documentaries have proved popular with fans.Justin Bieber's 2011 film grossed $73m (£46m) at the US box office.Part of Me, Katy Perry's film which featured her break-up with comedian Russell Brand, took $25m (£16m) in America.One Direction have already had success in America scoring the fastest-selling track by a non-US artist ever with Live While We're Young.They also became the first Brits to go in at the top of the Billboard chart with their debut album. They recently released their second record, Take Me Home, which is also expected to go to number one in America.The group - Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - finished third on The X Factor in 2010.Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter

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Pop charts seek to stay on top

14 November 2012 Last updated at 02:08 GMT By Ian Youngs Entertainment reporter, BBC News Tony Blackburn runs down the first ever UK top 10 on the chart's anniversaryIt is 60 years since American crooner Al Martino topped the first ever UK singles chart. Are the charts still relevant in an age when Top of the Pops has been replaced by YouTube as the number one destination for pop fans?When Robbie Williams scored his 14th number one hit earlier this month, there was little doubt about what being at the top of the charts meant to him."I haven't been number one since 2004 and it's great... I am number one - it feels brilliant," he said. "There's a lot of vindication, happiness and relief."For Williams, wounded by a series of flops, being number one again was proof that he was still a star.More singles are now sold than ever - about 3.5 million per week - and, judging by the ear-splitting screams that greet stars like JLS and One Direction when they step near a stage, pop music still matters. Robbie Williams has been number one in the UK for the past two weeks But a lot has changed in the last decade or two. More than 99% of all single sales are now downloads and pop fans have many more ways of getting music - from YouTube to file-sharing to streaming services like Spotify, none of which count towards the charts.It also feels like the charts are less central to our lives than they were when the Top 10 was beamed into 15 million living rooms every Thursday night on Top of the Pops."In an environment where singles sales are booming, the chart still is very relevant," says Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company. "You need to sell about twice as many copies as you did about 10 years ago to get to number one."After the demise of Top of the Pops, MTV became the home of the official charts on TV. Rather than 15 million, 1.1 million people watch the Top 20 and Top 40 rundowns across MTV's channels per week. A further 1.2 million tune in to the weekly countdown on BBC Radio 1.When Top of the Pops was axed, the BBC said it was a victim of competition from "multimedia and niche musical outlets which enable viewers to consume music of their choice, any time night or day".The internet and countless digital TV and radio channels now offer seemingly endless choice, and have split the music scene into a honeycomb of self-sufficient niches.Today, chart pop is just the biggest niche. Those who do not like it can easily ignore it.And fans no longer have to shell out to hear a song they like. YouTube offers a virtually exhaustive jukebox and recent research from the US suggested that more teenagers now listen to music through YouTube than iTunes, CDs or the radio.The rise of video sites and streaming services have made tracking the popularity of a song much more complicated."That's the constant challenge that we face - trying to ensure that the official singles chart is the definitive representation of popularity," Talbot says."Clearly, when the chart was first launched, they were very innocent times. There was one bloke picking up a phone, calling a couple of dozen retailers, writing down what they had sold on a piece of paper and then compiling it into a chart."The singles chart still simply counts sales rather than YouTube views or Spotify streams."The only way of changing that at the moment, by adding streaming, would effectively compromise what that chart is all about - make it less transparent, slow it down, make it less dynamic and fundamentally make it less interesting," Talbot says."The reality is that I don't think the chart is any less interesting, relevant and reflective of what music people are enjoying on a week-by-week basis."New developments The Official Charts Company did recently launch a separate streaming chart, based on information from the likes of Spotify, We7, Napster and Deezer.Some 2.6 billion audio streams were delivered in the UK last year - dwarfing the number of download sales - and countries including the US have begun to incorporate such streams into their main singles charts.But that is unlikely to happen in the UK - at least while download sales are still rising, Talbot says."The number of downloads being bought on a weekly basis would need to start to stabilise and start falling, and we would need to start seeing a decline in the number of singles you need to sell to get into the Top 10 or 20," he says."It's going in exactly the opposite direction at the moment. And we need to see streaming as an activity begin to catch up with purchasing as an activity."If a streamed single counted towards the official Top 40, one thorny question is how much one stream would be worth compared to one sale."When you start getting into formulae, inevitably you begin to chip away at that transparency and immediate understanding of what the official chart is about," Talbot says. "That's a big philosophical step for us as an industry."The simplicity of the charts has been an asset as the music industry and media have transformed around them. And as long as the charts are around, musicians will always want to get to number one.Pop Charts Britannia: 60 Years of the Top Ten is on BBC Four on Friday 16 November 21:25 GMT.

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Radio 'should play more new acts'

14 November 2012 Last updated at 17:02 GMT Lana Del Rey's Born to Die is the third biggest-selling album of the year so far The head of the UK arm of Universal Music, the world's biggest record label, has urged radio stations to take more risks and play more new artists.David Joseph said nine acts have broken through with 100,000 album sales in the UK this year - down from 27 in 2007.Just three of those - Emeli Sande, Rita Ora and Gotye - had been "supported well" by radio stations, he claimed.The others had "very, very little" support from BBC and commercial radio stations, he went on.Of those, Labrinth is 49th on the list of the most-played artists on UK radio so far this year.Lana Del Rey is 107th, Michael Kiwanuka is 248th, Maverick Sabre is 260th and Ben Howard is 262nd.Seven of the nine breakthrough artists were signed to Universal, Mr Joseph said. He did not give airplay details for the Military Wives choir."Lana's [got] the third biggest selling album next to Emeli and Adele, and she's the 107th most supported act on UK radio," he told delegates at the Radio Festival in Salford."So the question that I throw out there is - is there a responsibility that UK radio has towards supporting exciting new emerging UK-signed talent?"He said the BBC did an "amazing job" with initiatives like BBC Radio 1's In New Music We Trust.But he added: "On commercial radio, I often think we have to create the hits first before commercial radio want to play them."I do believe there's a whole audience out there who want to hear things first, not 10 weeks later. So I would love to see commercial radio take a few more risks."Two or three more debut albums may break the 100,000 barrier before the end of the year, Mr Joseph said. But the number of breakthroughs is not likely to reach last year's figure of 19."Considering that this is our lifeblood and it creates the new artists of tomorrow, this is something that's of concern to us. It's something we focus on every day, and I hope that you can turn your attention to."'Important platform' A BBC Radio 1 spokesman said the station "prides itself on supporting new artists and at least 45% of the music in our daytime schedule is new with a focus on new and emerging artists"."All of this year's breakthrough acts, bar the Military Wives, have featured on the Radio 1 playlist and been supported across our programming," he said."BBC Introducing also provides an important platform for unsigned and undiscovered acts to gain exposure both across BBC Radio and at major UK Festivals."Commercial radio trade body RadioCentre declined to comment.Looking ahead to next year, Mr Joseph predicted a resurgence in guitar music."I've started to hear more of four-piece guitar bands again," he said. "It feels like we're at the start of a market that's going to break and explode again."

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Retired detective becomes TV cop

15 November 2012 Last updated at 01:54 GMT By Ian Youngs Entertainment reporter, BBC News Jane Antrobus also appeared in the BBC documentary Girl Cops As a detective chief superintendent with Greater Manchester Police, Jane Antrobus was in charge of some of the force's most challenging and high-profile cases.Now, two years after retiring, Antrobus has swapped real-life drama for a role as a fictional detective in new ITV1 police drama Crime Stories.The 20-part, semi-improvised series sees Antrobus portray Detective Inspector Jane Preston - a part she won after producers embarked on a search for former officers who wanted to give acting a go.The show, made on The Bill's old set, is filmed in the style of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, with former Hollyoaks actor Ben Hull playing Detective Sergeant Ben Shaw.Antrobus has used her three decades of police experience to give the producers advice on making the show realistic - and says she now wants to continue her acting career beyond crime shows. Antrobus corrected the show's producers on the details of police procedure How much of Jane Antrobus is in Jane Preston?A lot of it is me but I've gone back to a few ranks lower than I finished in the police. I was detective inspector back in 1998. [But] yes, a lot of it is done with my personality, my style and my knowledge of how to do things.Did you have any input into the storylines?No, but I certainly advised if something wasn't true to life or was factually inaccurate. When I read the script or if something on set didn't quite work, I would say, 'why don't we try it this way?' because in real life that's how it would be.What did you have to correct them on?Just small things. If, for example, we're in a scene and we're interviewing a suspect, if that suspect's in an interview room, they don't have watches and belts and jewellery on because that's already been taken off them when they're booked in at the custody desk on arrest.So a couple of times I said, 'No, hang on, she's still wearing a watch or her earrings. That wouldn't happen, let's spend a couple of minutes getting it right.'How have you found being in front of the cameras?It certainly was a different challenge. I'm not inexperienced in front of the cameras. I've done quite a lot of high-profile media stuff in the senior detective role I had with GMP. But it's a different style of working.I come from 30 years of policing and Ben comes from 20-odd years of acting, so we learned from each other.How much was scripted and how much did you improvise?Me and Ben got the whole episode breakdown and we are in the majority of the scenes. But it's not a verbatim line-by-line script - a lot of it is improvised.The guest actors, of which there are four in every episode playing experts, witnesses and victims - they only got their part. So they don't know where they fit into the equation properly or what anyone else is going to say. Antrobus stars alongside former Hollyoaks and The Royal Today actor Ben Hull Is it realistic?The vast majority of the guest actors were very, very nervous. I said, 'That is natural because you're used to doing it differently and having scripted lines which you've learned and you're used to knowing how it's all going to unpick from start to finish'. But those nerves are good feelings to harness. In real life, unless you're a very hardened criminal, it's a harrowing experience for a suspect going into a police station. Likewise for a victim and a witness.So for an actor to have those feelings in reality comes over on camera as genuine, and you really can tell that the performance of the actor is enhanced.Is it right that you were the inspiration for DCI Gill Murray, played by Amelia Bullmore, in Scott & Bailey?I firmly believe that she is based on me - one of the co-creators of Scott & Bailey actually worked for me as an inspector when I was detective superintendent on the major incident team. When people watch it they phone up and say, 'That's just you, that's just you'.Which are the best and worst police dramas on TV?I love Scott & Bailey. I always used to like Prime Suspect. I watched The Bill for years - very watchable and good stories and procedurally quite good.The one thing I know people love but doesn't float my boat is Midsomer Murders. It's in a village with a population of 500 or less, five people die in an episode and two cops solve it all within two hours. It might be watchable and nice easy television but realistically it's very off the mark.Would you like to do more acting?I would, yes. I'd like to get into the crime drama advisory field where I'm behind the scenes advising producers or writers on procedures.I'm realistic. I don't see myself at the Royal Shakespeare Company next week. But I do feel I could play any role, not necessarily a cop role, where a northern actress is required.Crime Stories is on ITV1 every weekday at 14:00 GMT.

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Skyfall soars at US box office

12 November 2012 Last updated at 15:35 GMT Skyfall is Craig's third outing as James Bond, after Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace James Bond's Skyfall has taken a record $87.8m (£55m) in its opening weekend at the North American box office.The third instalment starring Daniel Craig outperformed the $67.5m (£42m) US debut of 2008's Quantum of Solace, the franchise's previous best opening.Skyfall took over the top spot from Disney's animated comedy, Wreck-It Ralph, which earned $33.1m (£20.7m).In third place, Denzel Washington's Flight earned $15.1m (£9.4m).Skyfall was the weekend's only new wide release but Steven Spielberg's Lincoln had a huge start in a small number of cinemas.Starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th President, it earned $900,000 (£566,000) in just 11 locations with average ticket sales of $81,818 (£51,501) per theatre.By comparison, Skyfall earned an average of $25,050 (£15,765) at each of the 3,505 locations at which it was screened.Skyfall has now earned $518.6m (£326.5m) worldwide since its release at the end of October. The 23rd Bond film also more than doubled the $40.8m (£25.6m) debut of Craig's first Bond movie in 2006, Casino Royale.Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony, which produces the Bond films along with MGM said: "It's quite a testament to Bond, considering it's the 50th anniversary. "What a great anniversary present," he added.Continue reading the main story

1. Skyfall $87.8m (£55m)

2. Wreck-It Ralph $33.1m (£20.7m)

3. Flight $15.1m (£9.4m).

4. Argo $6.7m (£4.2m)

5. Taken 2 $4m (£2.5m)

Source: Hollywood.com Bond, one of Hollywood's most-enduring franchises debuted 50 years ago with Dr No and over the last two decades the films have earned an average of around $200m (£125m) each domestically in inflation-adjusted dollars.While Skyfall marks a new high for Bond's opening-weekend revenue, it is still a way off the biggest audiences 007 has ever drawn. Adjusted for inflation, Sean Connery's 1965 Bond adventure, Thunderball would have taken in an estimated $508m (£319.8m) domestically in today's dollars, while Goldfinger released in 1964 was close behind, earning $444m (£279m), according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.It was an impressive weekend at the US box office with overall domestic revenues at $172m (£108m) - a 26% increase on the same weekend last year.So far this year, domestic revenues are at $9.1 billion (£5.7b), up 4.3% from 2011, according to Hollywood.com.

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Moffat honoured by Writers' Guild

15 November 2012 Last updated at 10:05 GMT Moffat has already won several awards for both Sherlock and Doctor Who Sherlock creator Steven Moffat has been handed the top prize at this year's Writers' Guild Awards.Moffat, who also oversees Doctor Who, was honoured with the special award for outstanding writing. Accepting the award, he told the London ceremony: "Write what you love. I've never loved anything as much as Doctor Who and Sherlock." However he and Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss lost out to ITV1's Appropriate Adult for best TV short-form drama. Screenwriter Neil McKay's Fred West drama also beat This is England '88 writers Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne to the prize.Starring Dominic West, Appropriate Adult has already been honoured with TV Baftas, RTS and Broadcasting Guild Awards. BBC3's Being Human won the Writers' Guild award for TV drama series, while Hollyoaks writer Nick Leather won best continuing TV drama.BBC4 comedy Holy Flying Circus, written by Tony Roche, won best TV comedy.Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, written by Phil Ford, took the prize for best children's TV script for its episode The Curse of Clyde Langer. Other winners included Dexter Fletcher's directorial debut Wild Bill, which won best first feature film for him and co-writer Danny King. Appropriate Adult stars Emily Watson and Dominic West won TV Baftas for their performances We Need to Talk About Kevin won best screenplay for Lynne Ramsay and Rory Stewart Kinnear. The awards were handed out in London on Wednesday night by The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, which supports writers across every media, from books, theatre, TV and radio.Rachel De-lahay won best play for The Westbridge, a Royal Court production that ran at Peckham's Bussey Building, while best play for children and young people went to Brendan Murray for Hare and Tortoise.There were also two awards for radio writing, with Radio 4's Pandemic, by John Dryden, winning the drama category and Matt Berry's I, Regress winning best radio comedy.Best fiction book went to Patrick McGuinness' The Last Hundred Days, and best videogame script was won by Paul Crocker's Batman: Arkham City.

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Merchant Ivory film composer dies

13 November 2012 Last updated at 12:03 GMT Robbins was nominated for a Bafta for his A Room with a View score Richard Robbins, the US composer who scored such Merchant Ivory films as A Room with a View, Howards End and The Remains of the Day, has died aged 71.The two-time Oscar nominee died on 7 November of Parkinson's disease at his home in Rhinebeck, New York.Robbins scored almost every film made by director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant from The Europeans in 1979 to The White Countess in 2005.He is survived by his longtime partner, composer and artist Michael Schell.Born in December 1940 in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, Richard Stephen Robbins began studying music at the age of five.He later taught the daughter of screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who introduced him to her collaborators Merchant and Ivory.In 1976 he wrote and directed Sweet Sounds, a documentary short about gifted music students that Merchant produced.That led to a long creative relationship that saw him score both period pieces and contemporary works for the independent film company.They included EM Forster adaptation Maurice, for which Robbins was recognised at the 1987 Venice Film Festival.The same year saw him nominated for a Bafta for his score for A Room with a View, also based on a Forster novel. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson played domestic servants in The Remains of the Day Robbins received consecutive Oscar nominations in 1993 and 1994 for his Howards End and The Remains of the Day scores.Speaking about the latter film in 2000, the composer said his inspiration had come from a single scene featuring actress Emma Thompson."I find myself very involved with characters' movements in a scene, and I become more and more attached to the characters, and maybe that brings up feelings no-one else intended or considered," he said in an interview on the Merchant Ivory website."I know when that moment arrives that the hard part of writing the score is over, because I know how I feel about a character. It can be as simple as watching one of the characters enter a room or walk down a hallway."In The Remains of the Day, it happened when I first saw the shot of Emma Thompson walking down the hall toward the camera. That did it."Robbins' work was celebrated at a 1996 benefit concert held at New York's Carnegie Hall that raised funds for Aids research.The composer did not work on 2009's The City of Your Final Destination, the only Merchant Ivory production to be made since Merchant's 2005 death.

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Legends honoured at rock awards

14 November 2012 Last updated at 10:51 GMT The Damned were the first British punk rock band to make it into the UK chart ZZ Top, The Damned and Lynyrd Skynyrd were among those honoured at this year's Classic Rock Roll of Honour awards in London.The Damned were rewarded for their outstanding contribution to music, 36 years on from their recording debut.The Living Legend award went to ZZ Top, while the late Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord received the Tommy Vance Inspiration award.Ex-Velvet Revolver and Guns N' Roses star Duff McKagan hosted the event.Scott Rowley, editor-in-chief of Classic Rock magazine, said it had been "great year for new rock music".The Damned, who released their debut record New Rose in October 1976, are often celebrated as the first British punk act to release a single.The band - whose chart hits include Smash It Up, Love Song and Eloise - have endured repeated line-up changes and reunions over the last 40 years. Lynyrd Skynyrd had a big hit with Free Bird in the 1970s In the mid 1980s they adopted a Gothic look to match frontman Dave Vanian's vampire image and had success with songs such as Grimly Fiendish.Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible - who had his own successful if brief solo career - collected the band's honorary award at the Roundhouse in north London.Other artists recognised at the ceremony included Motley Crue rocker Sixx, who was named Showman of the Year.Canadian rock trio Rush were double winners at the event, taking the band of the year prize and the best album award for Clockwork Angels.Lynyrd Skynyrd, who reformed in 1987 a decade on from the plane crash that killed three band members, collected the Comeback Award, while Pink Floyd won Reissue of the Year for Immersion.The veteran rock outfit also picked up the Film/DVD award for The Story of Wish You Were Here, a documentary about the making of their classic 1975 album.

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Spall takes hit play to West End

16 November 2012 Last updated at 07:38 GMT By Sarah Jane Griffiths Entertainment and Arts reporter, BBC News The play features 100 different scenes in an hour and five minutesBritish actors Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins are taking a break from Hollywood to revisit love story Constellations, as the hit play transfers to London's West End. Constellations is not your typical West End show, according to one of its two stars, Rafe Spall. "There's no big song and dance numbers, and no one's wearing a ruff," he explains, adding that it's great to see "straight theatre" having a home there. The alternative romance has proved one of the Royal Court's most successful plays and is one of three, alongside Jumpy and Posh, to transfer to London's Duke of York's Theatre this year.Continue reading the main story Part of the fun of going to see a play is that there are people up there really trying not to mess up.”End Quote Rafe Spall Actor, Constellations Written by Nick Payne, Constellations was an instant hit when it opened in January and is up for best play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards later this month.With a running time of just 65 minutes, it's perfect for short attention spans, but as a two-hander, that's also a lot of pressure. "To remember an hour and five minutes of continuous dialogue is really stressful!" says Spall. In Constellations he plays "a handsome young man", a beekeeper called Roland, opposite Hawkins' quantum physicist, Marianne.The couple explore some rather mind-bending theories about the universe, known as multiverse, and their relationship's many possible permutations."There's 100 different scenes in an hour and five minutes," explains Spall, which he says can get confusing.His co-star Hawkins adds: "You see them jump from different dimension to different dimension and you see the scene played out in different ways. Constellations is up for best play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards later this month "To remember which scene you are in and which dimension of the universe you are in... There's no props, there's no stage furniture. It's just you up there and you've only got each other."Luckily for Spall and Hawkins they have already had some practice, during the play's four week run in the Royal Court's 90-seat Upstairs theatre earlier this year. "[It's] a tiny theatre and that is scary, seeing everyone's faces on press night. Because you can see more or less what reviews they're writing on their pads," laughs Spall.Scarier still though was having his family in the audience. In particular, his dad, the actor Timothy Spall - who Rafe says taught him to act by shouting out what was good or bad on the TV."The most nervous I ever am, much more than London's press coming to watch me on stage, is my dad," reveals Spall, whose own TV roles include Channel 4 comedy Pete Vs Life and dark BBC drama The Shadow Line."When my dad came and watched Constellations it was the scariest time of my life." Hollywood success Both stars say it was important to challenge themselves in the theatre as the big screen beckons. Hawkins followed her 2009 Golden Globe for Mike Leigh's Happy Go Lucky with roles in British films such as Made in Dagenham and Submarine.Later this month we'll see her in Great Expectations alongside Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter, and Woody Allen picked her for a starring role in his untitled new film, opposite Cate Blanchett.Following Spall's scene-stealing turn as One Day's 'Mr Wrong', Ian, he's now been promoted to romcom leading man.He stars opposite Rose Byrne in I Give It a Year, due around Valentine's Day from Working Title, the company that gave us Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones."Who would have thought?" says Spall breaking into a huge grin, indicating he is more than happy getting a crack at becoming the next Hugh Grant. Spall plays author Yann Martel in the film adaptation of Life of Pi Next month, however, we'll see Spall in Ang Lee's Life of Pi, playing the author of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel about an Indian boy shipwrecked with a Bengal tiger.He says it was "strange" being brought in at the last minute to replace Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire, after producers spotted him in Ridley Scott's epic Alien-inspired blockbuster Prometheus. However Spall has his own, slightly modest theory as to what sealed the deal. Definitely not acting talent. Definitely his hair."I play Yann Martel the writer of the novel, and I actually look a bit like him. We've both got curly hair."There's not that many curly-haired actors out there. My agent said to me, 'there's never been a curly-haired leading man, so sort it out!'"Whether that curly hair helped him land the role in Constellations remains a mystery. However both stars do admit to being nervous about the play's move, despite the comfort of less actual audience eye contact that comes with a larger theatre.And of course there is the small matter of remembering all those lines. "I literally feel anxious now thinking about it," says Spall. "But that's all part of the fun. I think that's part of the fun of going to see a play as well, you know, as an audience member -that there's people up there really trying not to mess up." Constellations is at The Duke of York's Theatre in London until 5 January 2013.

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The auction busters

15 November 2012 Last updated at 10:10 GMT Christie's is calling it the most successful sale of post-war and contemporary art ever, after an auction in New York raised $412m (£259m) with record prices set for 11 artists, including Franz Kline and Jeff Koons.Earlier in the week, Mark Rothko's No 1 (Royal Red and Blue) soared beyond its pre-sale estimate of $35 million-$50 million (£22m-£31.4m) at a Sotheby's contemporary art sale - which also racked up the best results in the auction house's history.A brief but heated bidding war saw the abstract work fetch $75.1 million (£47.2m).Art investors, it appears, are still rich and plentiful - with clients in Asia and the Middle East bringing a healthy injection of new cash to the proceedings.Contemporary art is currently the darling of the art collectors' world. Many negotiate private sales behind closed doors - but the excitement of the auction room can prove an irresistible playground for millionaires, as some recent record-breaking sales attest. The work is one of four in a series In May this year, Edvard Munch's The Scream - arguably one of the world's most famous images - became the most expensive artwork sold at auction.The privately-owned 1895 pastel fetched $119.9m (£74m) in a bidding war that lasted just 12 minutes.Seven bidders were competing for the work, which had a starting price of $40m (£25m).According to Forbes, The Scream is the eighth most expensive painting sold at a private or public auction after prices have been adjusted for inflation. The painting was previously owned by Sidney and Frances Brody Picasso's 1932 painting based on his muse, Marie-Therese Walter, sold at auction in New York in 2010 for $106.5m (£65.5m).One of a sequence of paintings made by the Spanish artist while living in Normandy, it is considered "amongst his greatest achievements of the inter-war period".It rocketed over the pre-sale estimate of $70m-$90m, outstripping Picasso's Garcon a la Pipe, which sold at auction for $104.1m in 2004. Picasso first met Ms Walter in 1927 and began to paint her four years later.In London, in February 2010, a bronze sculpture by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti fetched £65m (the equivalent of $104.3m at the time).Bidding opened at £12m. But within eight minutes a winning phone bid had secured L'homme qui marche I, eclipsing the pre-sale estimate of £18m by almost £40m.The statue, originally commissioned for a public space in downtown Manhattan, was part of the collection of the collapsed Dresdner Bank.Speculation that it was brought by Russian billionaire and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich was later denied. The painting was returned to the family of the model - friends of Klimt - in 2006 A 1912 portrait, Adele Bloch-Bauer II, by the Austrian secessionist artist Gustav Klimt fetched $87.9m at an auction in New York in 2006.The painting was one of five Klimt works looted by the Nazis and returned to their owners earlier that year.Five works were returned to Maria Altmann, the niece of Adele and Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, following a long-running legal dispute with the Austrian government. Four of the paintings were sold at the Sotheby's auction.New York's Neue Galerie is reported to have paid $135m in a private sale for the fifth looted Klimt portrait, Adele Bloch-Bauer I earlier the same year.That brought the total sale price for the five Klimts to approximately $330.7m.The auction record for Irish-born painter Francis Bacon was set at Sotheby's in New York in May 2008, when one of his Triptychs sold for $86.3m (£55m) - the most ever spent on a work by the British artist.The vast three-panelled allegorical painting easily topped its pre-sale estimate of $70m.It was reportedly brought by Roman Abramovich, just 24 hours after he had purchased Lucian Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping for $33.6m. Phone bidding has become an essential part of any auction One of two portraits of Van Gogh's doctor and friend reached a record price of $82.5m at a sale in New York in 1990, when it was acquired by a Japanese businessman.Given that the auction took place more than 20 years ago, it remains the highest price ever paid for art at a public auction once adjusted for inflation.Just days later, new owner Ryoei Saito went on buy Auguste Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette for $78.1m.Mr Saito died in 1996. The painting is believed to have been sold privately but its whereabouts are currently unknown.

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The strange art of death

15 November 2012 Last updated at 01:01 GMT Dying is a fact of life. The very last fact, in fact. But the way in which people have prepared for death, and a possible afterlife, has been complex and contradictory through the centuries. Hundreds of works from a unique personal collection devoted to the iconography of death are now on show at the Wellcome Collection in London. Take a look at some of the artefacts and artwork amassed by American Richard Harris - with Wellcome Collection curator Kate Forde.Continue reading the main story To see the enhanced content on this page, you need to have JavaScript enabled and Adobe Flash installed. Death: A Self-portrait, The Richard Harris Collection, can be seen at the Wellcome Collection, London, until 24 February 2013.All images subject to copyright. Click bottom right for image information. Music by Queen, Blue Oyster Cult and KPM Music. Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 15 November 2012.

Related:Wellcome CollectionBBC: Your Paintings - More art from the Wellcome CollectionThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

More audio slideshows:Ansel Adams and American natureAstronomy Photographer of the Year 2012Alistair Cooke: My friends Bing and Chaplin

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Hedd Wyn home wins lottery grant

16 November 2012 Last updated at 06:55 GMT Yr Ysgwrn has become a place of pilgrimage for visitors, says the Heritage Lottery Fund The home of World War I poet Hedd Wyn has been awarded nearly £150,000 to help transform it into a museum.Yr Ysgwrn, a Grade II* listed building near Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd, houses the bard's famous Eisteddfod chair posthumously awarded in 1917.His home was secured for the nation by the Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) in March.The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant is the first round in a bidding process for £2.7m towards the project.The national park now has up to two years to submit more detailed plans to the HLF and apply for the rest of the funds.Continue reading the main story It will ensure that the place will be safeguarded for the future, and that information about the life and work of Hedd Wyn will be available to visitors for many years to come”End Quote Gerald Williams Hedd Wyn's nephew The HLF said Yr Ysgwrn had become a place of pilgrimage for visitors from Wales and around the world who want to see the poet's Black Chair, while experiencing the dramatic landscape which inspired so many of his poems. As well as a museum, there are plans to turn the house into an interpretation centre where people can learn about the historic and cultural significance of the area.Dr Manon Williams, chair of HLF, said: "Yr Ysgwrn represents so many key themes of our heritage from literature to traditional farming, and we support SNPA's plans to open up the site for a wider audience to explore its compelling story. "Hedd Wyn is one of Wales' heroes and it is fitting that this project should be developed as part of the First World War commemorations. "We were impressed with the plans for this rare insight into early 20th Century rural Wales with extensive learning opportunities for people to get involved in their heritage while conserving it for the future."Dr Williams said the SNPA had been awarded a "first round pass" in recognition of the project's potential and the benefits it could bring to the area and Wales.The house had been looked after by Hedd Wyn's nephew, Gerald Williams.He said he had promised his grandmother "a long time ago" that he would keep the door open as a way of "paying respect for the bravery and success of my uncle".SNPA then bought the house with money from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Welsh government. Mr Williams, 83, said: "Knowing that the park authority has been successful in this application to develop their ideas for yr Ysgwrn is great news. "It will ensure that the place will be safeguarded for the future, and that information about the life and work of Hedd Wyn will be available to visitors for many years to come." The long term project would see the barn and pig sty repaired and transformed into an exhibition room, education room and small visitor facility. Hedd Wyn died at the Battle of Passchendaele six weeks before the eisteddfod SNPA chief executive Aneurin Phillips said the authority was delighted.First Minister Carwyn Jones also welcomed the news."Hedd Wyn has a special place in our country's history and securing his legacy is essential if we are to keep his story and experiences alive for future generations, especially as we approach the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War," he said. Hedd Wyn died at the Battle of Passchendaele six weeks before the National Eisteddfod in 1917, at which he was awarded the Black Chair for his poem Yr Arwr (The Hero).His life story was the subject of an Oscar-nominated Welsh language film in 1992.

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'Grand trail' of Gromits revealed

15 November 2012 Last updated at 07:34 GMT Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park told the BBC: "I never thought Gromit would make it so big"A "grand trail" of 60 Gromit statues are to grace the streets of Bristol for 10 weeks next summer.The five-foot tall (1.5m) models of the Oscar-winning animated characters will be painted by artists to raise cash for the Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal.It aims to raise funds for Bristol's Children's Hospital through sponsorship and a charity auction afterwards.Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park said he was very pleased with the end result."They were made surprisingly quickly and I'm very particular exactly how Gromit looks and that he's in character," he said."The guy that did it made the original sculpture from the clay models in polystyrene and then a mould was made, and now they've been cast in fibreglass."'Well-loved' Each model will be sent out to either a national or international artist who will paint them in whatever style they choose.They will be put on display in a similar way to the Bristol Zoo gorilla trail - which raised £427,000 for the zoo's gorilla conservation projects and Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal Mr Park said: "Gromit is quite well-loved and the children's hospital is very close to people's hearts in Bristol and beyond."I hope people will get behind it and support Gromit."Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal was formed 17 years ago after a public charity appeal to build a new children's hospital enlisted the help of Bristol-based animation studio, Aardman Animations.

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60 years of singles chart marked

14 November 2012 Last updated at 04:11 GMT The first UK singles chart was published in the NME in 1952 Britons have bought 3.7 billion music singles since the UK chart was launched 60 years ago, figures have revealed.This would be enough seven-inch records to stretch 16 times round the earth, the study of sales since 1952 stated.The Official Charts Company said purchases peaked in the 1980s, before digital formats were established, when 640 million singles were sold.Its managing director Martin Talbot said the figures gave an insight into singles sales never seen before.He said: "Working on historic statistics from so long ago to create data reflecting sales to consumers has required diligent research and attention to detail."And, while it is unlikely to ever be possible to arrive at exact totals for those early years due to the nature of the data available, we are confident that these figures give us the clearest picture yet published of the development of singles sales across the six decade history of the Official Singles Chart."The biggest selling single in the boom time for chart sales was Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?, released in 1984.There have been more than 1,200 number one singles since the first chart was published in the NME six decades ago.Take That frontman Gary Barlow, who has topped the chart 14 times in his career, said: "Number ones are incredible and I don't care how many you've had in the past it still feels amazing to have a number one, in some cases even better if it's your 12th or 15th or whatever it is. It's a brilliant feeling."

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Affleck to receive Master honour

13 November 2012 Last updated at 17:30 GMT Affleck previously directed 2007's Gone Baby Gone and 2010's The Town US actor Ben Affleck is to receive the Modern Master award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the highest honour the event bestows.Organisers described the 40-year-old as "a multi-dimensional artist" who had "come into his own" with the release of Argo, his third film as director.It tells of a secret mission to spirit American diplomats out of Iran in 1979.Its star and director will be honoured on 26 January at the Californian city's historic Arlington Theatre.Affleck first made his name as the co-writer of Good Will Hunting, for which he and co-star Matt Damon won an Oscar for best original screenplay.He went on to star in such big-budget blockbusters as Armageddon and Pearl Harbor before turning his hand to directing.First presented in 1995, the Modern Master Award aims to honour "an individual who has enriched our culture through his/her multi-faceted accomplishments in the motion picture industry".Previous recipients of the accolade include James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan.Argo was released in the UK and Ireland last week and earned £1.28 million from its first five days in cinemas.However, that was not enough to dislodge the latest James Bond film Skyfall from the top of the chart.The latest 007 adventure has now made £72m at the UK box office since its release on 26 October.The film opened in the US and Canada on Friday, taking a spectacular $87.8m (£55m) in its first three days.

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Bieber paparazzo case dropped

Criminal charges filed against a photographer who chased Justin Bieber have been dropped by a judge.Paparazzo Paul Raef was charged in July with two counts of violating a law which makes dangerous driving while taking commercial photographs a criminal offence in California.He had been chasing Justin Bieber at high speeds on a road in Los Angeles.LA superior court judge Thomas Robinson called the state's anti-paparazzi law "problematic".He said the law was too vague in its definition of commercial photographs.'Protecting celebrities' If convicted Paul Raef could have faced up to a year in prison and a fine of $3,500 (£2,200).His lawyer, Brad Kaiserman, said the law was "about protecting celebrities".The photographer will still face charges of reckless driving and failing to obey police orders.At the time of the incident, Bieber was stopped by police for driving at 80mph (130kph) in a 65mph (105kph) zone and received a speeding ticket.He told officers that he was being chased by paparazzi.The singer called police half an hour later to report that his car was still being pursued.Raef was later identified by police in downtown LA

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Branagh heads Manchester festival

14 November 2012 Last updated at 22:08 GMT Sir Kenneth received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace last week Sir Kenneth Branagh and Mercury Prize-winning band The xx will be among the highlights of next year's Manchester International Festival, each promising intimate shows in unusual venues.Sir Kenneth will play Macbeth for the first time in his career in a deconsecrated church in the city.It will be his first Shakespeare play for more than a decade.The xx will play a string of gigs in a secret "enigmatic found space" during the 18-day festival next July.The event is held every two years and 2013 will be its fourth incarnation. Bjork, Victoria Wood and Damon Albarn were among the star attractions last year. Sir Kenneth will give 17 performances as Macbeth in a new production by Emmy and Tony award-winning director Rob Ashford.Regarded as one of the great modern Shakespearean actors, he last appeared in one of the Bard's plays in Richard III at the Sheffield Crucible in 2002.The xx, who won the Mercury Prize in 2010, will have a residency at the festival, playing for fewer than 100 people at a time.Festival director Alex Poots said: "We continue to make ambitious and engaged work with some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers, while taking the festival - and our audiences - in new, unexpected and challenging directions." The xx released their second album Coexist in September The event has earned a reputation for staging world-class premieres and one-off events from the worlds of music, theatre and art.Last year's highlights ranged from the premiere of a show about the life and imagined death of Serbian-born performance artist Marina Abramovic to a stage comedy based around a TV shopping channel starring comedian Johnny Vegas.The full programme for next year's festival will be announced in February.It will also include a project examining how to create sustainable food supplies in an era of rising populations and urban living.An old industrial building in Salford will be converted into an agricultural space filled with experiments in sustainable food, technology and design.

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Danny Boyle voices theatre fears

15 November 2012 Last updated at 14:43 GMT By Ian Youngs Arts reporter, BBC News Danny Boyle tells the BBC's Will Gompertz that theatres deserve to be heardDanny Boyle has requested a meeting with the prime minister to make the case for regional theatres, with venues at risk of closure from budget cuts.On Thursday, he joined artistic directors from theatres across England to highlight their plight.Boyle said he and Olympic Opening Ceremony collaborator Stephen Daldry hoped to ask David Cameron for "modest but sustained investment in the arts"."The return that you get from it is incalculable," he told the BBC."Theatre sustains local communities and does very positive things for local economies. But it also gives a sense of belonging that can result in big expressions like the opening ceremony." Speaking at the National Theatre in London, Boyle was joined by 23 artistic and executive directors from theatres up and down England.Many theatres have seen their funding reduced by both the Arts Council England and local authorities, with the prospect of more cuts to come.Theatres are having to argue their case as local authorities slash day-to-day services and with the government's grant to the Arts Council reduced by 30%.Thursday's press conference was Boyle's first public appearance since earning near-universal acclaim for his opening ceremony.He said theatres were the "modest cousins" of football, cinema and music. "What they provide is something else to believe in, and we must believe as well, otherwise we'll lose it," he said.Boyle recalled how he caught the "theatre bug" while working as an usher at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton in his youth.The Octagon's current artistic director David Thacker told reporters: "The kind of theatres we're passionately committed to are in very, very serious danger at the moment."A small further cut could have catastrophic effect."Roxana Silbert, artistic director of the Birmingham Rep, said of the gathering: "We're here because we believe that we may not all survive, and we have lost a lot of regional theatres already." Boyle joined 23 regional artistic and executive directors at the National Theatre in London The Birmingham Rep has acquired a 300-seat studio, as well as having its main 900-set theatre, which is currently undergoing refurbishment, she said."The cuts that we're looking at, purely from the city council, equal £350,000 when we re-open next year. That means that studio will not open. We will not be able to produce work, nor will we be able to receive work because receiving work costs money."We cannot support other people's work nor can we produce our own. We will have a 900-seat theatre with quite a commercial bias and the kind of work that we all love doing will not grow in our city."Erica Whyman, artistic director of Northern Stage in Newcastle, revealed that Newcastle City Council was considering cutting its entire arts budget over the next three years.But councils are having to weigh up their arts funding at a time when other services such as adult social care, child protection, collecting bins and filling potholes are being cut.Local Government Association culture chair Flick Rea said: "Councils are having to bear the brunt of public sector cuts with government reducing their funding by 28%."Once statutory duties such as caring for the elderly, protecting children, collecting bins and filling potholes have been covered, many town halls have little option but to reduce what they used to spend on discretionary areas such as the arts."Arts Council England chief executive Alan Davey told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "worried about the regions"."I'm worried because of the pressure on local government," he said. "Funding the regions to thrive is, I think, going to be part of the next spending settlement when we know how much we've got. And that might mean some difficult decisions."A Downing Street spokesperson said: "The government is wholly committed to arts and culture and ministers are determined to do everything they can to make sure they get through this difficult period without long term damage. "We are doing this by prioritising funding going to create and share great art."

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Viewpoints: What next for BBC?

15 November 2012 Last updated at 04:57 GMT The BBC needs a "thorough, radical, structural overhaul" in light of the recent crisis, says Lord Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust. What form should this overhaul take?Neil Midgley, the Daily Telegraph Acting director general Tim Davie needs to say something very soon about Newsnight and its future. I wonder if the brand continues and there is an investigative report on the programme, will people trust it? He needs to lay out a road map for the radical overhaul of BBC management. I don't think the BBC can wait three months for a new director general for this to take place. The new director general needs to come from outside, just for perception. They need to be a heavyweight who can really shake the BBC up and deliver uncomfortable change to very senior people. But it's hard to think of an outstanding candidate.They need a deputy. We need to have one person running the BBC, as with any organisation it needs a boss. But a deputy director general could be in charge of journalism, effectively fulfilling the role of editor-in-chief. They would support the director general, be out in public taking some of the flack. This was part of George Entwistle's undoing - he was the only one able to do press conferences and interviews and that clearly took its toll. Neil Midgley can be followed on Twitter @neilmidgleyBen Bradshaw, Labour politician Firstly, the BBC needs to sort out its journalism. Secondly, the corporation needs to make sure it has the right people and the right systems to deal with a crisis. Thirdly, the BBC needs to act firmly, but fairly on the outcome of the various reports it's commissioned into what went wrong. Next, and in a slightly longer time scale, the BBC needs to implement the "thorough and radical changes" in management structure and culture promised by the chairman [of the BBC Trust], Lord Patten.Some of these, like the separation of the roles of director general and editor-in-chief need a change to the BBC's Charter but there's no reason why, in the mean time, the new DG shouldn't have someone at their side to oversee journalism. The BBC's governance structure must also change. Self-regulation doesn't work. It is not possible for the Trust to be regulator, cheerleader, defender of the BBC's independence and ultimate performance manager at the same time. A more normal board structure to "manage and challenge" would work better with regulation done independently by Ofcom. Lastly, the BBC should do less and focus resources on what it does best. Programmes like Newsnight have been starved of money, its journalists repeatedly asked to do more for less. In the end quality suffers.Ben Bradshaw can be followed on Twitter @BenPBradshawDan Sabbagh, the Guardian Above all, the BBC needs a strong and effective leader. The BBC is an incredibly large and complex organisation which is really loved by the British public. There is no proof it is ungovernable, the previous director general-but-one, Mark Thompson, seemed to manage ok and there is no reason a vigorous and active leader can't do the same.They need to get the person at the top right and not worry so much about the structure. That said, that person needs to be well-supported. They need a powerful and effective support cast.They need to find a good troubleshooter. You can have good intentions and plans, but as George Entwistle found, you won't often survive the first contact with the enemy and running the BBC is most definitely a contact sport.They will also need a deputy, like the role Mark Byford used to fill, with the ability in particular to oversee the vast journalistic output as news is time-consuming and has the capacity to be very controversial. This job shouldn't not be conducted by the same person running the whole corporation, who is making decisions on strategy and finance.In the past 50 years, crises like this have engulfed the BBC periodically. These things come and go. Dan Sabbagh can be followed on Twitter @dansabbaghJohn Redwood, Conservative politician The BBC has a worldwide reputation for producing good programmes, and has global reach in its news gathering and commentary on current affairs. In the UK many cherish its output.At home, as often is the case for important institutions, there are also plenty of critics. Some think that in an age of media proliferation a state funded broadcaster levying a tax on every TV set-user is no longer needed or appropriate. Others think there is a role for public service broadcasting, but it is a smaller role with a narrower range of programmes than the BBC currently produces. The BBC needs to answer its critics in the best possible way, by producing great programmes and unbiased news and commentary. There is no need to abolish Newsnight, every need to raise its standards of journalism. The BBC needs a new editor-in-chief who works to raise those standards and eliminate more of the perceived biases. It also needs less expensive management floating above the editors and producers who need to be responsible for their programmes. As a public service broadcaster it has to offer better value for money, which means less and less expensive management. It needs to offer something for everyone on the hotly disputed issues of the day, rather than implying these disputes have been settled with one side winning. Claire Enders, Enders Analysis Jeremy Paxman says Newsnight's problem with journalistic ethics arose because the show has become under-resourced. But Newsnight's problems were twofold. There was clearly a failure of basic journalistic standards by journalists working on the north Wales care home scandal. Moreover, it looks like no-one further up the management chain actually reviewed the core thesis, its research background, and the finished product. Resources are irrelevant to both those problems. The reputation of BBC News rests on the quality of its journalism, which in turn rests on the ethics and sense of principled responsibility of its journalists.The BBC should have an internal alert system for when any part of the news arm makes allegations as serious as those Newsnight levelled at Lord McAlpine and it should be compulsory for senior executives to regularly review major BBC news stories. The new director general should take personal responsibility for the BBC's ethics, seek to renew the BBC's culture of public service, and ensure that bureaucratic entropy does not shield the organisation from that responsibility, which is to the public as a whole.Martin Campbell, Broadcast Journalism Training Council The BBC is working in a protected environment because of its funding, so if it's not careful it can start to operate within its own bubble. The structure of the BBC needs a complete overhaul. This must not be a tinkering exercise. The mistakes made by Newsnight highlight issues that would have been covered in the first couple of weeks of any of the BJTC-accredited courses. Newsnight forgot the golden rules of checking - and that's a sign of operation in isolation.The BBC must get back to its roots as a public service broadcaster, create a sensible chain of news command and stop ratings-chasing. They're given licence fee money to prevent that happening, but it's being used to ensure it does.The Newsnight mess and the This Morning debacle are both prime examples of a worrying new broadcasting arrogance borne out of a frustration that websites, blogs and posts can create waves daily without the risk of regulatory wrath.Internet "news" is regularly being reported by the traditional broadcast media with a cavalier disregard for the level of responsibility viewers and listeners are entitled to expect. It's not just Leveson, broadcast regulation needs a good look at.Mark Webster, Chevron Multimedia What the BBC does not need now is another committee or two to approve, check or anticipate journalistic output.It needs to free up its journalists and unblock the news arteries while at the same time ensure that journalists are held fully responsible when they get it wrong - not merely moved to a less controversial area of coverage.What the general public probably does not appreciate is that by comparison with much of the written press, the broadcast media is heavily regulated and under intense scrutiny.During my time as a spin doctor at the Liberal Democrats I would always get a thoughtful response for any complaints I had against the BBC. Let's also not forget that appointing a new boss at the BBC under some delusion that the new person will be able to monitor the output of every potentially controversial piece of journalism and prevent any future errors is utterly absurd. The whole point is to put the responsibility for the decision making squarely on the shoulders of those making the programmes and the journalists who will pay the price if they get it wrong. More regulation has rarely led to better decision making and in the fast moving world of journalism it would mean the slow death of a great institution.

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Xmas Superstars Olympics special

14 November 2012 Last updated at 12:38 GMT Weightlifting and Brian Jacks featured in an episode of Superstars in 1980 A one-off Olympic episode of the TV show Superstars is to form part of BBC One's Christmas schedule.Sporting celebrities including Mo Farah, Katherine Grainger, the Brownlee brothers and Christine Ohuruogu will compete in the show.Superstars was first broadcast in the UK during the 1970s. Hosted by David Vine, elite athletes competed across several disciplines. The show will be filmed later in November at the University of Bath."It's a great coup for the university and for Bath to be chosen to host this TV spectacular," said University of Bath spokesperson Will Marsh.A trio of Bath-connected Olympians will also compete on the show, which aims to celebrate the sporting successes of 2012.Current student and swimming silver medallist Michael Jamieson, gold medal rower Helen Glover and judo silver winner Gemma Gibbons will take part.In total, 16 of London 2012's British Olympic heroes will compete over eight disciplines against their Team GB teammates in a bid to become the two best all-round Superstars.

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David Walliams announces baby due

David Walliams and Lara Stone are expecting their first child together Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams has announced that his wife is expecting their first child.The comedian used his Twitter account to tell fans that Lara Stone, who he has been married to for two years, is pregnant.He said: "Some wonderful news. My beautiful wife Lara is pregnant. We are having a baby! It is due next year and we both couldn't be happier."A statement from the pair also asked people to allow them some privacy."We're very excited to announce we are expecting our first child. We're both absolutely thrilled but ask you to please respect our privacy during this precious time."Continue reading the main story Some wonderful news. My beautiful wife Lara is pregnant. We are having a baby! It is due next year and we both couldn't be happierDavid Walliams In addition to judging the ITV talent competition, Walliams is know for his role in Little Britain and as an author of books for children.He has swum the English Channel and the River Thames to raise money for Sport Relief.Lara Stone is known for her work as a model and met Walliams in 2009.David Walliams has signed on to appear as a judge in the next series of Britain's Got Talent, which will air in 2013.

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AUDIO: Gran-lit 'all about romance'

Author Hilary Boyd's first published book Thursdays in the Park has topped the e-book charts. The book is about a love affair between a married woman in her 60s and a man she meets in a park. It has been already been hailed as a "gran-lit" classic, sparking comparisons with another e-book sensation, Fifty Shades of Gray. Speaking to the Today programme's Evan Davis, Ms Boyd explained where her inspiration came from: "I saw this guy across the playground and thought hmm… good idea." "It's about romance… we all have that thing in us that wants that romance in our lives." Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.

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Trojan tragedy goes modern

15 November 2012 Last updated at 06:55 GMT By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News Louise Brealey as Helen of Troy and Dearbhla Molloy as Hecuba Playwright and poet Caroline Bird explains why she set her new version of The Trojan Women in the mother and baby unit of a modern prison. For Caroline Bird, 2012 has been a year of extraordinary commissions.Her Beano-inspired musical, The Trial of Dennis the Menace, premiered in February, while this summer she was one of the official poets at the London 2012 Olympics.This week Bird's radical retelling of Euripides' The Trojan Women opened in the intimate space of Notting Hill's Gate theatre."I went from Beanotown to Troy!" exclaims Bird when we meet at the theatre's offices. "Both are such formidable worlds to do justice to."Bird's story transports Euripides' tragedy to the contemporary setting of a prison hospital. Queen Hecuba paces to and from the water dispenser, while the 'Chorus' is a heavily-pregnant woman handcuffed to her bed. "This is a story about captive women, so it seemed totally natural to set it in the mother and baby unit of a prison," explains Bird. "During a war babies represent the biggest hope, but they also imply the biggest tragedy: they are being born into a world that's not safe." Caroline Bird was one of the five official poets at the London 2012 Olympics The action takes place at the end of the Trojan War. The city is burning, while the city's captive women wait to be told their fate by the Greek victors. Bird's Trojan Women follows other recent examples of Greek drama moved to the modern day. Antigone, at the National Theatre, set Sophocles' drama in a 1970s police state, along with references to the raid on Osama Bin Laden compound and upheavals in the Middle East. While Headlong's current touring production of Mike Bartlett's Medea sees Euripides' spurned heroine as a single mum living on a new-build housing estate.Commissioned by the Gate's artistic director Christopher Haydon, Bird immersed herself in Greek myths and tried to approach them with a fresh eye. "I'm not an ancient Greek scholar, I'm a classics enthusiast," she admits. "I wanted people to go to this play and, even if they knew the story, feel like they were hearing it for the first time."She became fascinated by the Trojan women's attitudes to other women. "Hecuba blames Helen of Troy for everything, but doesn't mention that it was her son [Paris] that Helen eloped with. He is seen a victim."All the way through the women are trying to shift responsibility, not onto the men who actually fought the war, but onto each other."Among the modern elements that Bird has woven into the narrative - which include smartphones, guns and watercoolers - is the appearance of Athena and Poseidon via a TV screen. Sam Cox as Menelaus with Louise Brealey as Helen of Troy In a casting coup, the bickering Olympian deities are played by Tamsin Greig and Roger Lloyd Pack, of Only Fools and Horses fame. "They are like celestial broadcasters who don't really care," says Bird. "To have them as these jaded and callous gods was like all my birthdays come at once."Meanwhile, Louise Brealey (Molly in Sherlock) takes on three roles: the prophetess Cassandra, Hector's wife Andromache and Helen of Troy. Why so? Bird explains: "It's back to this idea that women try to categorise each other as wives or whores or virgins - I wanted to play with those stereotypes. It felt natural for one actress to play the virgin and the mother and the whore."This summer, Bird was one of the five official poets at London 2012 Olympics - alongside Carol Ann Duffy, Lemn Sissay, Jo Shapcott and John Burnside. Her poem, The Fun Palace, which celebrates the life and work of theatre director Joan Littlewood, is on display in the Olympic Park."She was one if those figures that changed the face of British theatre but it's horrific how many people haven't heard of her," says the playwright. With her Olympic duties over Bird is now working on her fourth poetry collection, The Hat-stand Union, which will be published in June 2013.How different does she find craft of writing a play to a poem?"For me the closest link between poetry and plays is the silence between the words. You might have three characters in a scene who are all wrong, but the truth is somewhere in the middle, in what's not being said. "In a poem you are also dancing around the truth, and you can't always can't sum it up without it sounding heavy-handed." The Trojan Women is at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill west London, until 15 December.

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VIDEO: '100 scene changes in 65 minutes'

16 November 2012 Last updated at 08:19 GMT Help

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VIDEO: Jimmy Page on 'terrific' US honour

16 November 2012 Last updated at 00:20 GMT Help

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VIDEO: Latin Grammy Awards highlights

16 November 2012 Last updated at 11:06 GMT Help

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VIDEO: New jungle celebs and more news

16 November 2012 Last updated at 13:14 GMT Help

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VIDEO: Stiller on 'painful' film award

16 November 2012 Last updated at 09:58 GMT Help

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VIDEO: Will.I.Am swaps music for tech

The tech world sometimes needs a helping hand from global icons - superstars who shout from the rooftops about their passion for technology.

Happily there is one such evangalist. And he comes in the form of Black Eyed Peas lead singer Will.I.Am, who is also Director of Creative Innovation at Intel.

Richard Taylor finds out what draws the pop musician towards technology.

Follow the Click team on Twitter @BBCClick. And join the conversation on Google+ or Facebook.

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VIDEO: Teen photographer capturing wildlife

15 November 2012 Last updated at 20:47 GMT Help

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VIDEO: Doctor Who wants Star Wars role

Former Doctor Who star David Tennant has revealed that he would love to feature in future Star Wars films.

The actor recently provided the voice of a droid in the animated cartoon series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Disney has bought Lucasfilm, the company behind Star Wars and plans to release a new Star Wars film, episode seven, in 2015.

The actor was speaking to Newsbeat's entertainment reporter Natalie Jamieson.

Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger! is released in the UK on 23 November.

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Stars fight Pandora on royalties

15 November 2012 Last updated at 13:21 GMT Rihanna and Billy Joel are among 125 musicians to sign the letter Billy Joel, Rihanna and Missy Elliot are among the stars who have signed an open letter to US music site Pandora over possible changes to royalties.The online streaming service is currently lobbying lawmakers in US Congress to change regulations governing how artists are compensated.Approximately 125 musicians have signed the letter opposing the new bill, called the Internet Radio Fairness Act. The letter claims the new act will cut royalties by as much as 85 per cent.US music industry magazine Billboard will publish the open letter this weekend, signed by musicFirst, a coalition of musicians and business people, and SoundExchange, a non-profit organisation that collects royalties for musicians. It reads: "Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely upon?"That's not fair and that's not how partners work together."The current manner in which musicians get paid for internet streaming of their songs has been a thorny issue for the US-based Pandora Media Inc, and other streaming sites around the world such as Spotify.In 2009 a report published in Swedish newspaper Expressen claimed that one million plays of Lady Gaga's track Poker Face on Spotify had actually earned the singer just $167 (£105).However, Spotify called the figure out of date, misleading and factually inaccurate. Pandora says the rates internet radio outlets are charged for the right to stream music are "unfair"

Pandora was founded more than a decade ago and is mostly supported by advertising, but the more customers it gains, the more money it has to pay overall for rights to stream music.

The company has joined forces with other music services such as Clear Channel Communications to support the bill on the grounds that different providers, such as satellite and cable, pay different rates.

Pandora said on its website: "The current law penalises new media and is astonishingly unfair to internet radio.

"We are asking for our listeners' support to help end the discrimination against internet radio. It's time for Congress to stop picking winners, level the playing field and establish a technology-neutral standard."

In October, it said its share of total US radio listening was almost 7 percent, up from around 4 percent during the same period last year.

The Internet Radio Fairness Act is a bi-partisan bill sponsored by US representatives Jason Chaffetz and Jared Polis, along with Senator Ron Wyden.

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The Killers reschedule axed shows

By Emma Brant
Newsbeat reporter The Killers were formed in 2001 in Las Vegas in the US state of Nevada The Killers have rescheduled dates for their two recently axed Manchester shows.The band were forced to cut their show short at the city's arena on Tuesday (13 November) after singer Brandon Flowers suffered throat problems.The shows will now take place on 17 and 18 February 2013. "I'm sorry I've never had to do this before but we've got to stop," the front man told the crowd earlier this week."I can't sing. I don't know what else to tell you. I'm sorry. I promise that we will come back."The gig had to end after four songs. The band went on to cancel their second show the following night (14 November).Tickets are still valid for the rescheduled dates with the exception of standing tickets from the first show, which will be re-issued by ticketing agents.The band's scheduled London shows at the O2 Arena this Friday (16 November) and Saturday (17 November) will go ahead as planned.

The Killers have also announced a one-off show at Wembley Stadium next summer.

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BBC settles with Lord McAlpine

15 November 2012 Last updated at 21:07 GMT Lord McAlpine said he had been shocked to discover he was being accused The BBC has settled with Lord McAlpine over his libel claim about a Newsnight broadcast which led to him being wrongly implicated in child abuse.

The damages, agreed 13 days after the broadcast, total £185,000 plus costs.

"The settlement is comprehensive and reflects the gravity of the allegations that were wrongly made," the corporation said in a statement.

The Tory peer had said it was "terrifying" to find himself "a figure of public hatred".

Lord McAlpine said: "I am delighted to have reached a quick and early settlement with the BBC. I have been conscious that any settlement will be paid by the licence fee-payers, and have taken that into account in reaching agreement with the BBC.

"We will now be continuing to seek settlements from other organisations that have published defamatory remarks and individuals who have used Twitter to defame me."

The terms of the agreement will be announced in court in a few days' time, according to RMPI LLP, solicitors for Lord McAlpine.

Newsnight broadcast a report on child abuse in north Wales care homes earlier this month. Lord McAlpine's name was not broadcast, but he was wrongly identified on the internet.

'Public hatred' The BBC's Mark Easton said it was a landmark settlement

BBC home editor Mark Easton says the BBC will apologise to Lord McAlpine in court - but Lord McAlpine will also give a statement, in what our correspondent describes as an unusual step.

Lord McAlpine will say in his statement that he still holds the BBC in very high esteem, our correspondent adds.

The BBC has previously apologised for the broadcast, and investigations are being held into the programme, including by the BBC and media watchdog Ofcom.

Lord McAlpine said "there is nothing as bad as this that you can do to people" as accusing them of being a paedophile.

"They are quite rightly figures of public hatred - and suddenly to find yourself a figure of public hatred, unjustifiably, is terrifying," he added.

Conservative MP Rob Wilson said the settlement will "incense" licence fee payers because "they are paying for a self-inflicted wound".

He said: "This is a very expensive lesson for the BBC that it must maintain the highest standards of journalism and fairness at all times.

"The settlement is also expensive and particularly hard on the licence fee payer... unfortunately, a protracted court case may well have cost a great deal more."

Lord McAlpine's solicitor Andrew Reid had earlier said that Lord McAlpine was "more than aware that the ultimate people who will paying for any monies that he may receive are in fact the licence payers, the people who really own the BBC, and he is very much aware of this and hence any agreement that is reached is tempered in the light of that."

The Newsnight report led to director general George Entwistle quitting at the weekend. Acting director general Tim Davie has said he hoped to personally apologise to Lord McAlpine.

Twitter appeal

Mr Reid has also earlier urged those who had named Lord McAlpine on social media site Twitter to come forward.

He said Sally Bercow, wife of Commons Speaker John Bercow, had not yet been in touch to apologise for her tweets.

She tweeted on Thursday that she maintained her tweet was not libellous, "just foolish".

Mr Reid confirmed several prominent people had already apologised.

Ofcom is also investigating ITV's This Morning. It received complaints after presenter Philip Schofield handed the prime minister a list of alleged paedophiles during a live broadcast.

ITV director of television Peter Fincham said Schofield will remain on air, and that he "realises his mistake and lapse in ITV journalism".

Mr Fincham confirmed that he had received a letter from Lord McAlpine's legal team and would be responding to it "very quickly".

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Jesse & Joy win 4 Latin Grammys

16 November 2012 Last updated at 10:59 GMT Watch the Latin Grammy Award highlights

Mexican brother and sister duo Jesse & Joy have picked up four awards at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas, where their hit Corre! (Run!) won them record and song of the year.

The coveted album of the year award went to Juanes, one of the world's best known Latin stars, for MTV Unplugged.

He said: "What a great joy. Thank God, and all the fans."

Juanes, 40, also performed at the Las Vegas ceremony with legendary guitarist Carlos Santana.

The Colombian rocker now has 19 Latin Grammys to his name, also picking up best long-form video - tying him with reggaeton group Calle 13 for the most awards.

Juanes pulled Juan Luis Guerra - who won his own prize for producing the album - up on stage with him, paying tribute to the Dominican singer songwriter.

"Here's to the maestro Juan Luis Guerra for making this possible," said Juanes.

Guerra, who has swept the Latin Grammys in previous years, led this year's nominations with six nods but missed out on the big awards for En El Cielo No Hay Hospital (In Heaven There Is No Hospital).

However his performance of the track earned him a standing ovation.

Juanes brought Juan Luis Guerra, who produced his winning album, up on stage to accept his prize

Jesse & Joy collected their record of the year prize with the words, "Viva Mexico!".

The duo also won best contemporary pop vocal album for their third studio album Con Quien Se Queda El Perro? (Who Is The Dog Staying With?).

"Thanks to people like Juanes and Juan Luis Guerro who have inspired us. Love and peace," said Jesse.

Mexican pop group 3BallMTY won best new artists, dedicating their Latin Grammy to DJs from their home country.

Their mix of Mexican cumbia and electronic dance music is known as 'tribal guarachero' and the trio have found success on both sides of the US-Mexico border with debut album Intentalo (Try It).

They collaborated on stage with LMFAO's America Sierra and Sky Blu, while Miami-born rapper Pitbull, who sings in both English and Spanish, also performed.

Brazilian singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso, 70, was honoured as the Latin Recording Academy's person of the year.

Veloso was one of the founders of the 1960s musical movement Tropicalia and is still one of Brazil's most popular and innovative artists.

Cuban-American jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval won three Latin Grammys, with two each for Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Don Omar and Uruguayan alt-rockers Cuarteto de Nos.

Milly Quezada was also a double winner and she too thanked Guerra who helped produce her album, Aqui estoy yo.

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Milan gargoyles up for adoption

16 November 2012 Last updated at 10:16 GMT The gargoyles on Milan's Duomo cathedral which needs to raise 25m euros for renovations Milan's main cathedral has put its 135 gargoyles up for adoption as it seeks to raise funds for renovations.

Donors who contribute 100,000 euros (£80,000) to the Gothic building will have their names engraved under a gargoyle.

These are the often grotesque figures used in Gothic architecture to drain off rainwater.

The campaign has been introduced to make good a shortfall caused by cuts to the Italian culture budget.

The cathedral's management said it wanted "to encourage the Milanese and citizens of the world as a whole to be protagonists in the history of the cathedral, a priceless treasure that belongs to all of humanity".

It is seeking to raise 25m euros (£20m) for essential maintenance.

Milan's Duomo is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world, and took six centuries to build.

Construction was started in 1386 and completed by French emperor Napoleon, who said he would pay for its facade.

Italy's heritage has been affected by the austerity measures. Museums have been forced to close, and world-famous buildings are crumbling.

In June, pieces of stone fell off the Trevi fountain in Rome, while blocks of marble have been falling off the Colosseum, one of the world's best-known buildings.

A 25m euros (£20m) private donation has been secured for restorations to that monument.

The culture budget, already a tiny fraction of Italy's national spending, has been cut by a third over the past three years.

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Arrest not child related - Travis

16 November 2012 Last updated at 13:31 GMT Dave Lee Travis appeared outside his home on Friday to speak to reporters DJ Dave Lee Travis has said his arrest on suspicion of sexual offences is "nothing to do with kids" and denies any wrongdoing.

The 67-year-old ex-Radio 1 DJ, of Mentmore, Buckinghamshire, spoke after he was taken off air with immediate effect by radio station Magic AM.

He said he was "sad and disappointed" by the decision to take him off air.

Mr Travis was arrested and bailed as part of the police probe arising from the Jimmy Savile scandal.

He is due to return to answer police bail in early January, police said.

Speaking to reporters on Friday outside his home, Mr Travis said his arrest was nothing to do with child abuse.

'Complete denial'

"This is nothing to do with kids, all right? That's the first thing. Because that to me is the most important thing in the world and I do not wish to have my name sullied around something that bloody evil, to be honest.

"The second thing I want is to say, yes, there's a complete denial there, but there's nothing else I can tell you because otherwise I might be stepping on the police's feet and I don't want to do that because it might affect their investigations."

He also denied all the unspecified allegations against him, but said he would not be able to do anything to prove or disprove them.

Continue reading the main story Operation Yewtree: Scotland Yard criminal investigation into claims that Jimmy Savile sexually abused young peopleBBC investigation into management failures over the dropping of a Newsnight report into the Savile allegationsBBC investigation into culture and practices during Savile's career and current policies BBC investigation into handling of past sexual harassment claims Department of Health investigation into Savile's appointment to Broadmoor "taskforce" and his activities at Broadmoor, Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Leeds General InfirmaryDirector of Public Prosecutions review into decisions not to prosecute Savile in 2009North Wales abuse inquiry by National Crime Agency head into abuse claims from 70s and 80s, fresh claims, and police handling of the claims Mrs Justice Macur appointed by PM to review the 2000 Waterhouse review which looked into the north Wales abuseBBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie is looking into what happened with the Newsnight investigation into north Wales abuse claims"It's just too easy to make allegations. I'm an easy target," he added. "I am and always have been completely abhorred by child molestation. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

Earlier, Magic AM said that it would be "inappropriate" for Mr Travis to broadcast until the investigation was resolved.

A spokeswoman for Bauer Media, which owns Magic AM, said: "Following the arrest and release on police bail of Dave Lee Travis, Bauer Media has decided to take him off air with immediate effect from his Magic AM weekend shows, which broadcast across the north of England.

"We understand that the allegations about which he was questioned by police pre-date his time as a freelance contributor to Magic AM.

"While we can make no judgement on the matters under investigation, we believe it would be inappropriate for him to broadcast until they are resolved."

The Metropolitan Police say their investigation - Operation Yewtree - into alleged abuse by Savile and others has so far recorded 200 allegations of sexual assault.

They have also identified about 450 potential victims of sexual abuse.

The arrest of Mr Travis is the fourth so far in connection with the Savile investigation.

'TOTP postponed'

However, in a statement on Thursday, the Met, who did not name Mr Travis, said their latest arrest "falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed 'Others'", meaning the allegations are unrelated to Savile.

But the force said that the "vast majority" of the 450 possible victims were alleging sexual abuse by former BBC TV presenter and DJ Savile, who died last year aged 84.

Mr Travis - known by the nicknames DLT and the Hairy Cornflake - is best known for his 25-year stint on Radio 1 which ended in 1993.

Mr Travis also presented editions of Top of the Pops in the 1970s and 1980s.

The BBC postponed the transmission of an edition of Top of the Pops from 1977 hosted by Mr Travis that was due to be shown on BBC Four on Thursday.

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Sorkin reveals Jobs movie plot

16 November 2012 Last updated at 12:45 GMT Aaron Sorkin's work on The West Wing television series helped make him a famous scriptwriter Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin has revealed plans to take an unusual "real-time" approach to his Steve Jobs script.

The writer said he intended to write just three scenes for the movie, each set backstage immediately before a product launch.

He said that every half hour that passed in the on-screen characters' lives would last 30 minutes of the audience's time.

Apple's co-founder died on 5 October 2011.

Two days later it emerged that Sony Pictures had bought the rights to his authorised biography ahead of its release. Movie site Deadline - which broke the news - said it had paid between $1m to $3m (£630,000 to £1.9m).

Mr Sorkin had already written The Social Network for the studio - the adaptation of an unauthorised account of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's rise - making him a natural choice for the project.

However, rather than depend on Walter Isaacson's book it has emerged that Mr Sorkin is basing his treatment on his own research.

"I'm meeting with all the people in Steve's life now, from [Apple co-founder] Wozniak to all the people who were around for the Macintosh," Mr Sorkin said in a video posted online by The Daily Beast news site.

The rights to Steve Jobs's official biography were sold before the book was completed

"So I've been able to meet these people who revere him in spite of the fact he made all of them cry at one point or another, but he made all of them better at what they were doing."

Mr Sorkin added that his plan was to focus on the minutes leading up to the launch of a Macintosh computer; an event during Mr Job's time at Next Computer - possibly 1998's launch of the system in San Francisco; and the unveiling of an iPod.

He said he did not plan any "time-cuts", preferring not to break away from the launch event preparations to flashbacks of other events.

However, he did signal there would be one further element at the end of the film: a version of Apple's first Think Different television advert.

"If I can end the movie with that text, with that voiceover - 'here's to the crazy ones' - if I can earn that ending then I'll have written the movie I want to write," Mr Sorkin said.

Thinking differently

Mr Sorkin's approach is radically different to the biography Sony paid for, which gives a much broader overview of Mr Job's life and does not spotlight the minutes leading up to the three launches.

Another unauthorised movie starring Ashton Kuchter is also being made by an independent studio offering a broader take on Mr Jobs' life - a format audiences are more used to.

Despite this Ian Freer, assistant editor of movie magazine Empire, said he was excited by Mr Sorkin's approach.

Some Apple followers have expressed the desire to see Bill Gates appear in the movie script

"It does make it an exciting proposition," he told the BBC.

"It would have been very easy to have just trotted out the beats in his life, but this seems a very challenging, novel approach."

Bill Gates cameo?

But not everyone is as positive.

Some members of the Macrumors site have expressed concern that the suggested format would miss the opportunity to show Mr Jobs interacting with his rival Bill Gates - a tense relationship which was previously the focus of the television movie Pirates of Silicon Valley.

However, there is still the possibility that their wish will be granted if Mr Sorkin decides to focus on the Macs launched at one of Mr Jobs's keynote appearances in 1997.

Mr Gates took part in the press conference, appearing via a video link to announce that Microsoft was taking a stake in its rival.

However, bearing in mind Mr Sorkin referred to the launch of "the Mac", it is more probable that he is referring to 1984's unveiling of the computer.

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