The AnswerBank Articles

What makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer so successful

A. When Buffy the Vampire Slayer was first screened in the UK in 1997, it was much less popular than Star Trek: The Next Generation, in fact, it just made it into BBC2's top 20. By the third series,00:00 Mon 26th Nov 2001

What was Coronation Street originally called

A. The show was the braindchild of Tony Warren, a 23-year-old actor and writer who was being paid 30 a week by Granada Television to write scripts. He was working on the Biggles adventures when he00:00 Fri 19th Jan 2001

Why is Gwyneth Paltrow in hot water in Hollywood

A. Paltrow has donned a fat suit in a comic tale about inner beauty. Shallow Hal is the story of would-be Lothario (Jack Black from Inner Beauty) hynotised so he only sees a woman's inner beauty. The00:00 Mon 19th Nov 2001

Why isn't the London Film festival as popular as Cannes

A. The 45th London Film Festival, although it attracts a host of big name stars and directors, doesn't offer big-name juries or high-profile prizes. At one time, the festival was branded elitist;00:00 Mon 19th Nov 2001

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Persil Tablets were the result of 7 years' development. The average Briton eats 8,568 peas a year -and in 2000 Birds Eye Wall's planted 33,000 acres of peas to help feed this hunger for peas. To make00:00 Mon 19th Nov 2001

What year did breakfast TV start

A. Breakfast television was launched in a blaze of glory in 1983. Helped by a government grant for computer equipment, the BBC won the race to start first on January 17 at 6.30am. The first anchors00:00 Mon 12th Nov 2001

Is there a TV channel just devoted to food

A. UK Food began broadcasting to 5.5 million homes with digital satellite plus further subscribers to Telewest's digital cable service from November 5. The new channel churns out a non-stop diet of00:00 Mon 12th Nov 2001

Do blockbusters live up to expectations

A. Research carried out by Total Film magazine suggests big budget movies have been a letdown for audiences. The survey, which questioned 2,000 cinema-goers, says films such as Titanic, Pearl Harbor00:00 Mon 12th Nov 2001

How similar are the new Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films

A. Movie analysts are predicting the two films, out later this year, will be the biggest this century. They are both from the same genre - of magic and fantasy - and there are surface similarities.00:00 Mon 05th Nov 2001

When did afternoon television begin

A. The government lifted restrictions on broadcasting hours in 1972 which meant the BBC and ITV could cater for housewives at home. Q. What were the first lunchtime programmes A. Emmerdale Farm00:00 Mon 05th Nov 2001

What did "afternoon telly" mean

When did "afternoon telly" start A. The Government lifted restrictions on broadcasting hours in 1972 which meant the BBC and ITV could start proucing "housewives drama" after lunch. Q. What were00:00 Mon 05th Nov 2001

When did "afternoon telly" start

A. The Government lifted restrictions on broadcasting hours in 1972 which meant the BBC and ITV could start proucing "housewives drama" after lunch. Q. What were the first programmes shown A. 00:00 Mon 05th Nov 2001

How many people watched the Queen's Coronation

A. Queen Elizabeth 11 was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2 1953. At that time, fewer than two million homes had television, and these were mainly grouped around the cities of London,00:00 Mon 05th Nov 2001

Why doesn't Britain have a late-night adult cartoon

A. There is an under-rated cartoon called Stressed Eric, which has failed to capture viewers' attention. But all that is about to change with Aaagh! It's The Mr Hell Show!, which is the first00:00 Mon 29th Oct 2001

How old is ITV

A. ITV was launched on September 22 1955, and it soon went on to steal nearly 70 per cent of the BBC's viewers. There were around 4.5 million television licence holders in 1955, and 95 per cent of00:00 Mon 29th Oct 2001

Why do directors fake film locations

A. Producers often simply can't get permission to use a specific location for a film. Or the landmarks or look of a particular period may have disappeared altogether, so the crew just have to try and00:00 Mon 29th Oct 2001

Does football on Saturday night TV work

A. ITV1's Saturday night line-up has failed to make the impact the station hoped for. The station has admitted that The Premiership had just one more month to prove its worth in the 7pm slot. ITV100:00 Mon 22nd Oct 2001

How difficult is it to make an independent film in the UK

A. Production companies in Britain are proving they can get punchy low-budget films noticed by Hollywood. The growing appetite for indie films among the UK's film culture is good news for small00:00 Mon 22nd Oct 2001

Why are Stephen Berkoff and Brian Blessed going to court

A. Berkoff and Blessed are leading a cast of 27 British actors who are suing the American producers of one of the most expensive television series ever made. War and Remembrance, which starred00:00 Mon 22nd Oct 2001

What was the first film to be banned

The British Board of Film Censors arrived in 1913 as it became obvious to government that 'moving pictures' were more than a passing fad. In the first year no less than 166 films were cut or banned.00:00 Mon 15th Oct 2001