1st December 2005:
The second series of Doc Martin is well under way, and episode 4 can be seen tonight on ITV1 at 21.00, with the remaining 4 episodes being shown every subsequent Thursday at 21.00
The new satellite channel more4 will be showing Not Only But Always at 22.00, a film about the late partnership of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, revealing the tension and resentment which crept into their relationship as the years rolled by. This was originally shown on Channel 4 last December
ITV3 are re-running the remainder of the first series of Noah's Ark. Episode 5 (Live And Learn) can be seen today at 18.55, with episode 6 (Family Matters) on Thursday 8th December at 18.55. We're then into the second series as follows:
- episode 1: Free As A Bird - on Thursday 15th December at 18.55
- episode 2: Sitting Target - on Thursday 22nd December at 18.55
- episode 3: Stormy Weather - on Thursday 29th December at 19.00
Catherine Cookson fans will be glad to hear that the following feature-length adaptations are about to be shown on UKTV Drama:
- The Tide Of Life on Sunday 4th December at 21.00, repeated a little later in the early hours of Monday 5th December at 01.00
- The Wingless Bird on Sunday 11th December at 21.00, repeated a little later in the early hours of Monday 12th December at 00.50
- The Fifteen Streets on Monday 19th December at 21.00, repeated a little later in the early hours of Tuesday 20th December at 01.30
- The Girl on Wednesday 21st December at 21.00, repeated a little later in the early hours of Thursday 22nd December at 02.15
- The Secret on Friday 23rd December at 21.00, repeated a little later in the early hours of Saturday 24th December at 02.00
- The Rag Nymph on Saturday 24th December at 22.45
The ever-ready crime-solver Cadfael continues to look into unexplained deaths on ITV3 as follows:
- A Morbid Taste For Bones on Saturday 3rd December at 12.10
- The Virgin In The Ice on Monday 5th December at 06.00, repeated later the same day at 15.15 and again at 19.30. It will also be broadcast on Saturday 10th December at 10.30
- The Devil's Novice on Monday 12th December at 06.00, repeated later the same day at 15.15 and again at 19.30. It also turns up again on Saturday 17th December at 12.10
- The Rose Rent on Monday 19th December at 06.00, repeated later the same day at 15.15 and again at 19.30. It also turns up again on Saturday 24th December at 10.00
- St Peter's Fair on Monday 26th December at 06.00, repeated later the same day at 19.30 and again on Saturday 31st December at 12.25
Finally, the feature-length version of The Dark Room will be shown on UKTV Drama on Friday 9th December at 21.00, repeated a little later in the early hours of Saturday 10th December at 01.55
Back soon..............
8th November 2005:
Just a quick line to say that the second series of Doc Martin starts this Thursday 10th November on ITV1 at 21.00. The series runs to 8 episodes and again includes Martin Clunes and Caroline Catz as the hapless will-they won't-they love interest
I've now added the credits and episode details thus far to the Mini-series section of the site, as well as details of the recently-shown Cold Blood to the Films section
Bye for now.......
18th October 2005:
First off, let's start with a new drama that Colin has recently scored for. It's called Cold Blood and will be shown on ITV1 on Wednesday 19th October at 21.00. This 90 minute film stars Jemma Redgrave, John Hannah and Matthew Kelly (yes, the one that used to host Stars In Your Eyes!), and centres around a twisted serial killer who has spent 15 years in prison playing a game of psychological cat-and-mouse with his captors. Worth a watch, methinks!
Secondly, there's a few repeats to keep your eyes peeled for:
The feature-length version of Catherine Cookson's Rag Nymph returns to UKTV Drama on Sunday 27th November at 21.00, repeated a little later in the early hours of Monday 28th November at 00.50
Nick Junior are still running the adventures of the world's favourite dancing mouse, Angelina Ballerina every day of the week at 10.30 and 16.00
Cadfael continues to solve unexplained deaths on ITV3 as follows:
- Monday 31st October at 06.00 (One Corpse Too Many), repeated later the same day at 15.20 and again at 19.30. You can also see it again on Saturday 5th November at 16.50
- Monday 7th November at 06.00 (The Sanctuary Sparrow), repeated later the same day at 15.20 and again at 19.30. It'll also be shown on Saturday 12th November at 16.30
- Monday 14th November at 06.00 (The Leper Of St Giles), repeated later the same day at 15.20 and again at 19.30. It also turns up again on Saturday 19th November at 16.30
- Monday 21st November at 06.00 (Monks Hood), repeated later the same day at 15.20 and again at 19.30. It also turns up again on Saturday 26th November at 16.30
- Monday 28th November at 06.00 (A Morbid Taste For Bones), repeated later the same day at 15.20 and again at 19.30
UKTV Drama will be showing the feature-length version of The Dark Room on Wednesday 30th November at 22.50
ITV3 are about to show the first series of the vet drama Noah's Ark as follows:
- Two Of A Kind on Thursday 3rd November at 18.50
- Matters Of Principle on Thursday 10th November at 18.50
- Paying The Price on Thursday 17th November at 18.50
- Healing Touch on Thursday 24th November at 18.50
And finally, An Unsuitable Job For A Woman will be shown on ITV3 on Saturday 26th November at 21.10. There were four films made, but as yet I don't have details as to which one this will be
See ya soon.............
14th September 2005:
I'll start with a few live dates by Colin and the NDR Big Band, all this month (September). At all venues there will be two sets: one set featuring Frank Zappa's Hot Licks (And Funny Smells) and the other a set by Norma Winstone entitled It's Later Than You Think:
- Thursday 15th at Lubeck, Germany
- Friday 16th Venue TBC, Germany
- Saturday 17th at Kellinghusen, Germany
- Friday 30th at Darmstadt (9th Darmstadt Jazzforum), Germany. Colin will also be part of a panel earlier in the day to discuss different aspects of the relationship between jazz and popular music. Click here for more details
Now for some TV repeats:
LivingTV have changed their screenings of the model animation series The Story Store to weekends, but you can still catch it every Saturday and Sunday morning at 07.50
Nick Junior continue running the adventures of the world's favourite dancing mouse, Angelina Ballerina seven days a week at 10.30 and 16.00
Cadfael is sleuthing away on ITV3 as follows:
- Friday 16th September at 19.30 (The Potter's Field)
- Friday 23rd September at 19.20 (The Pilgrim Of Hate)
- in the early hours of Monday 31st October at 06.00 (One Corpse Too Many), repeated later that same afternoon at 15.20, and again at 19.30 that evening
UKTV Gold will be showing two episodes of Dalziel And Pascoe, which features Colin's music as follows:
- Sunday 9th October at 23.15 (Home Truths)
- Sunday 23rd October at 23.20 (Truth And Consequences)
And the last of the batch this time is the film Goodbye Mr Chips which will be shown on ITV3 on Saturday 24th September at 19.20
Bye..............
15th August 2005:
LivingTV are still running the delightful animation series The Story Store every weekday morning at 07.20. As with last time, I don't have the episode titles
Nick Junior are also running extended repeats of Angelina Ballerina seven days a week at 10.30 and 16.00
As if that wasn't enough, Angelina can also be found on ITV1 every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as follows:
- on Monday 15th August at 15.30 (Alice's Present)
- on Tuesday 16th August at 15.30 (The Cheese Ball Cup)
- on Wednesday 17th August at 15.35 (Angelina's Valentine)
- on Monday 22nd August at 15.30 (Angelina And Anya)
- on Tuesday 23rd August at 15.30 (The Gift)
- on Wednesday 24th August at 15.35 (The Legend Of Big Paw)
- on Tuesday 30th August at 15.30 (Angelina And Grandma)
- on Wednesday 31st August at 15.35 (No Match For Angelina)
The Sculptress makes a welcome return to our screens on UKTV Drama on Friday 30th September at 21.00, repeated later in the early hours of Saturday 1st October at 01.45. Originally shown on BBC1 in October 1996 as a four-part series, this airing has all the episodes back-to-back
ITV3 will be showing the first episode of Chiller (The Man Who Didn't Believe In Ghosts) on Saturday 10th September at 23.35. It's possible that all 5 episodes will be shown over the coming weeks, but as yet I don't have the details to hand. More info here when I get it......
And now for news of three 'made-for-TV' films which will get an airing in the next few weeks, all on ITV3:
- March In Windy City on Wednesday 24th August at 22.00
- Goodbye Mr Chips on Tuesday 30th August at 10.20, repeated again on Saturday 24th September at 19.00
- Into The Blue on Sunday 4th September at 22.50
Site Update: I've now added better scans to most of the recordings listed in the Guest Appearances section
Also added to the Guest Appearances section is Shadows In The Rain - The Sting Project by Christof Lauer and Jens Thomas (Colin did the arrangements for four of the tracks) and Volumen Brutal by the Spanish rock outfit Baron Rojo (for which Colin played keys on a few of the tracks)
Bye..............
6th August 2005:
News is just in that the performance of Colin Towns and NDR Big Band's Hot Licks (And Funny Smells) concert at the Zappanale will be broadcast LIVE on the internet on Sunday 7th August 2005 in both AUDIO and VIDEO format. The whole festival begins at 10.00 (that's 10 in the morning UK time), is FREE to watch, and can be found at fabchannel.com. Once on the site, click on black START button (in the centre of the screen), select your connection speed and away you go! Be advised that you'll need Windows Media Player (version 9 or higher) before you can receive the broadcast. It can be downloaded from here FREE!
I can't give you a time for Colin's performance, but as there are other acts on the bill before Colin's slot, it's likely that the NDR gig will start and hour or two later. Info about the bill and the Zappa Festival in general can be found here. I've also been advised that there may be an interview as well (before or after the show), so keep your eyes peeled!
Now a little bit of housekeeping!
Site Update: I've now corrected / added all animation, film and mini-series
entries in the Projects - Year By Year section. They are now in the right year of
release / broadcast, and while I was there I also altered the descriptor (the writing in
brackets) to more accurately reflect the nature of the production in question. Other areas
(such as concerts, CD releases etc.) will be added or amended when I can get the chance.........
Bye..............
18th July 2005:
Apologies for the long gap between updates, but I've been busy with other things and haven't had as much time to devote to the site as I would have liked! Hopefully, that problem has now been rectified and I should be able to update this site a bit more often than I have been doing lately. Well, that's the theory anyway.......
So let's kick off with some news of Colin's (relatively) recent projects!
As mentioned in previous updates, Colin has recorded a CD of some Frank Zappa compositions, which was due for commercial release. However, the recording taken at the Moers Festival, Germany in May 2004 was deemed to be a better rendition of the tracks and as such was eventually released a couple of months ago in Germany. There are plans to release it here in the UK, but as yet no firm decision has been made. I think it's all dependent on whether any UK concerts can be lined up. The sound is excellent and clear, showing great engineering and mixing skills, as well as the NDR Big Band's obvious talent for 'knocking a song together'
There are a few shows confirmed in Germany (some of which have already taken place - yes, I know I need to get my act together!), the remaining shows being:
- 7th August 2005 - Zappanale, Bad Doberan, near Rostock (a Zappa Festival)
- 11th August 2005 - Husum
- 12th August 2005 - Fohr
Dates have also been arranged for Lubeck, Kellinghusen and Darnstadt, but as yet these have not been confirmed. When I get to know I'll put the info on here
Other bits and pieces!
In case I haven't put it on here before (I can't remember if I have and I haven't got the time to check!), Colin did the orchestrations for the West End musical Tonight's The Night, something to do with Rod Stewart! He also wrote the music to the stage plays One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Troilus And Cressida for the Theatr Clywd, North Wales (directed by his old buddy Terry Hands). In a couple of months the new Norma Winstone CD (Later Than You Think) will be released, with arrangements by Colin
If I can think of anything else I'll post it here shortly.........!
Now for some other stuff!
BBC1 will be showing Dalziel and Pascoe - The Price Of Fame on Saturday 23rd July at 21.10. This was first broadcast in January 2004 and stars funny Scouser Ricky Tomlinson
UK Living are showing most, if not all, of the animation series Story Store every Monday to Friday at 07.20. I don't have details of episode titles, so it's a matter pot-luck. If nothing else, it'll give you a nice little surprise every weekday morning!
Nick Junior continues its re-runs of our favourite dancing mouse Angelina Ballerina every day of the week at 10.30 and 16.00
She is also lighting up the screens on ITV1, and can be seen:
- on Monday 18th July at 15.35 (Angelina At The Fair)
- on Tuesday 19th July at 15.35 (Angelina In The Wings)
- on Wednesday 20th July at 15.35 (The Lucky Penny)
- on Monday 25th July at 15.35 (Arthur The Butterfly)
- on Tuesday 26th July at 15.35 (The Ballet Tickets)
- on Wednesday 27th July at 15.35 (Treasure Tandems)
- on Monday 1st August at 15.30 (Miss Lilly Comes To Dinner)
- on Tuesday 2nd August at 15.30 (Midnight Muddle)
- on Wednesday 3rd August at 15.30 (Angelina's Surprise)
I've now added credits for Hot Licks (And Funny Smells) to the Discography section, as well as a synopsis for each of the episodes to series 1 and series 2 of Noah's Ark (see Mini-series section)
Bye for now...........
19th March 2005:
Sorry for the long space between updates, but I've been pretty busy over the last few months. So here's the first posting of 2005!
First, let's start off with a couple of new items
Last October I mentioned that Colin had recorded the music to Mon Ange (My Angel). A CD to accompany the film was released in France on 18th January 2005, and the film was released the following day. It contains 2 tracks by Elvis Presley and 2 tracks by Tom Waits. The rest of the tracks are either new music by Colin, or Colin's arrangements of the Tom Waits songs Russian Dance and On The Nickel. Full details can be found via the Discography section. A web site to the film can be found here
And last June, the film Double Zero was released in cinemas (again, only in France. A CD was also released, however there are 3 tracks by Colin on the release, but these only appear on the limited edition CD + DVD version of the soundtrack and not on the standard version of the CD. If you get the latter, you'll be disappointed! The official site can be found here, and details of the CD can be found via the Discography section of this site
Catherine Cookson fans can catch two adaptations of her novels in the next few weeks. First, the three-parter The Rag Nymph will be shown back-to-back on UKTV Drama on Sunday 10th April at 21.00, repeated later in the early hours of Monday 11th April at 02.00. Then you can catch the whole of the 3-parter The Tide Of Life back-to-back on UKTV Drama on Sunday 17th April at 21.00, repeated later in the early hours of Monday 18th April at 02.10
Nick Junior continues to screen Angelina Ballerina every day of the week at 10.30 and 16.00, changing to 11.30 and 17.00 from Monday 28th March. From Saturday 2nd April Nick Junior will start to screen Angelina three times per day: 11.30, 17.00 and 19.00
I've now added some credits for Not Only But Always, Man Dancin' and Crimson Rivers 2 to the Films section; the credits to The Blonde Bombshell in the Mini Series section; the credits to The Tale Of Jack Frost to the Animations section and the details to the Mon Ange, Double Zero and Crimson Rivers 2 CDs have been added to the Discography section
Bye for now...........