The AnswerBank Articles

Why is Hollywood facing strike action

A. The writers and actors in Los Angeles are demanding for 'residuals', payments for replays of films and TV programmes, in markets that barely existed or generated little revenue when contracts00:00 Mon 07th May 2001

Can you visit film locations

A. It obviously depends on which films and programmes you are a fan of, but generally speaking, it's pretty easy to see for yourself the backdrop to some of the most famous movies ever made. For00:00 Sun 29th Apr 2001

How can I be a film extra

A. There are a number of ways you can become a film extra in movies or TV programmes. Joining a casting agent is advisable, although you may have to pay a fee, which doesn't always guarantee work.00:00 Thu 26th Apr 2001

What's the best English film ever made

A. Empire film magazine has just published the results of a survey carried out to mark St George's Day on 23 April and the number one all time best English film was The Full Monty, according to00:00 Wed 25th Apr 2001

When was the weather first broadcast on television

A. On 11 November, 1936, the world's first television weather charts were transmitted at the start of a trial series. The BBC closed down during the Second World War, but in July, 1949, weather maps00:00 Thu 19th Apr 2001

What do Americans think of the British gameshow The Weakest Link

A. Presenter Anne Robinson's debut performance on the US version of the programme has proved a hit with the US studio audience and the show's contestants. But the critics have seemed less than00:00 Wed 18th Apr 2001

What excitement can we expect from this year's Baftas

A. Well, Anne Robinson's Weakest Link is head to head with Chris Tarrant for the title of Best Entertainment Series at the Bafta television awards. They face stiff competition from Have I Got News00:00 Mon 16th Apr 2001

What does a gaffer do behind the scenes on TV and film sets

A. A gaffer is in charge of electrical work and also works closely with the director of photography to create a look or mood through lighting. Q. What exactly is a producer A. A producer is in00:00 Sat 14th Apr 2001

How can I become a television newsreader in London

asks Sanchayita:A. There are very few direct routes to such a job. Almost all current TV newsreaders have started out in local newspapers and radio. Q. What's the best way to start A. First, get00:00 Mon 09th Apr 2001

How did the Bridget Jones phenomenon start:

A. Bridget Jones' Diary actually started off as a spoof column in the The Independent newspaper. The idea for the column was thought up by the then features editor Charles Leadbeater. He commissioned00:00 Thu 05th Apr 2001

The Royle Family on US TV

A. That's right, US network CBS network has just brought the rights to re-make the BBC's Royle Family, the comedy about the family of Liverpudlian couch potatoes. In the US version, however, the00:00 Wed 04th Apr 2001

How do you work out who is watching what

Ever wondered how many other people are watching the same programme as you are Q. How do you work out who is watching what A. The way most researchers find out who is watching is to measure a00:00 Thu 29th Mar 2001

Battle of the ratings

EVER wondered how many other people are watching the same programme Q. How do you work out who is watching what A. The way most researchers find out who is watching is to measure a sample of TV00:00 Thu 29th Mar 2001

What is the most romantic film ever made

asked Dany A. One thing's for sure, it can be anything from Chocolat to Armegeddon - romance is in the eye of the beholder. A recent poll of 1,000 people by Dating UK suggested that the 1993 hit00:00 Thu 29th Mar 2001

How can I become a gameshow contestant

Ever thought about making your mark - and your fortune - on the telly Here's one way... Q. How can I find out what new game shows are coming up A. BBC Entertainment has a website featuring the00:00 Wed 28th Mar 2001

The Oscars Q&A

Q. So who did the night belong to A. Gladiator won Best Picture. The Roman epic, directed by Ridley Scott, won five awards in total, including Best Actor for its star Russell Crowe, Best Visual00:00 Mon 26th Mar 2001

How did Comic Relief start off

A. Comic Relief was launched from a refugee camp in Sudan in 1985 on Noel Edmonds' Late Late Breakfast Show on BBC One on Christmas Day. It was appealing for funds for the famine in Ethiopia. Q. 00:00 Wed 21st Mar 2001

Big Brother, what's all the fuss about

A. It's been all around the world and gives everyone the chance to play voyeur. Ten people are in a house at the same time, locked away in a specially-built prefab hut (a studio complex in Bow, East00:00 Wed 21st Mar 2001

Telly addicts round-up

YOU might know your Corkhills from your Slaters but how well do you really know the box and the big screen Find out in our weekly round-up of sizzlers posed to answerbank... Q. Geezer Bloke needed00:00 Thu 15th Mar 2001

What was the longest film ever made

A. Film stock by Czech director Buracz Bosnitz in 1968 consisted of 908 hours of blank film. Not surprisingly, it was only shown once and the nused to film movies. The longest UK film was a 1970s00:00 Wed 14th Mar 2001