Tom Burgess
@nottomburgess.bsky.social
Comedian, voice actor and cult TV lover (esp. Doctor Who and Blue Peter). 📺 Archivist for fictional BBC children's pioneer Peter Fleming and producer of his 'Into the Archives' podcast. He/him. linktr.ee/tomburgesscomedy
Reposted by Tom Burgess
Extraordinary film from the BBC’s archive. Marvel at Marty Feldman as he chats to pretty much everyone working in comedy in 1969.
youtu.be/S0it6iARj64?...
youtu.be/S0it6iARj64?...
1969: Marty Feldman - What is Comedy? | One Pair of Eyes | Comedy Icons | BBC Archive
YouTube video by BBC Archive
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Extraordinary film from the BBC’s archive. Marvel at Marty Feldman as he chats to pretty much everyone working in comedy in 1969.
youtu.be/S0it6iARj64?...
youtu.be/S0it6iARj64?...
Writing the new series of Into the Archives with Peter Fleming is taking time, but to tide listeners over, I have just written the line, "I’m sorry I beat you and smashed my paperweight into your head."
November 15, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Writing the new series of Into the Archives with Peter Fleming is taking time, but to tide listeners over, I have just written the line, "I’m sorry I beat you and smashed my paperweight into your head."
I coveted this so deeply. Still got my Cybermen and Master tins!
ON THIS DAY... 26 years ago, Planet of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks were released together in a VHS tin set.
#DoctorWho
#DoctorWho
November 15, 2025 at 4:35 PM
I coveted this so deeply. Still got my Cybermen and Master tins!
BBC should do the decent thing and hand Trump the £45m they raised for Children in Need last night
November 15, 2025 at 8:52 AM
BBC should do the decent thing and hand Trump the £45m they raised for Children in Need last night
Reposted by Tom Burgess
Jeffrey Epstein advised Steve Bannon that the lawyers representing Brett Kavanaugh in his confirmation hearing should accuse Christine Blasey Ford of being on medications that cause false memories or memory loss.
November 12, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Jeffrey Epstein advised Steve Bannon that the lawyers representing Brett Kavanaugh in his confirmation hearing should accuse Christine Blasey Ford of being on medications that cause false memories or memory loss.
Trump should sue them for $1bn for this.
NEW: 2020 footage said to be in 2025. A neighbor who keeps reappearing in the same clip, said to be on different days & months. A broadcast from elsewhere suggested as Portland.
How Fox News misled its viewership -- which may have included the president.
www.propublica.org/article/port...
How Fox News misled its viewership -- which may have included the president.
www.propublica.org/article/port...
“Riots Raging”: The Misleading Story Fox News Told About Portland Before Trump Sent Troops
After reviewing coverage from the network and hours of social media videos that preceded Trump’s decision, ProPublica found that Fox’s portrayal of “Portland rioters” routinely instigating violence wa...
www.propublica.org
November 12, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Trump should sue them for $1bn for this.
Reposted by Tom Burgess
Amused that Trump's lawyers really sent the legal letter to:
BBC Television Centre,
London W12 8QT.
I wonder if they included a self addressed envelope for a reply and called 018118055 to confirm receipt.
www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/tru...
BBC Television Centre,
London W12 8QT.
I wonder if they included a self addressed envelope for a reply and called 018118055 to confirm receipt.
www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/tru...
November 11, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Amused that Trump's lawyers really sent the legal letter to:
BBC Television Centre,
London W12 8QT.
I wonder if they included a self addressed envelope for a reply and called 018118055 to confirm receipt.
www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/tru...
BBC Television Centre,
London W12 8QT.
I wonder if they included a self addressed envelope for a reply and called 018118055 to confirm receipt.
www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/tru...
Reposted by Tom Burgess
I reckon a shared national popular culture is just as important (if not more important) than a fact based, impartial news service for liberal democracy to work.
November 10, 2025 at 2:56 PM
I reckon a shared national popular culture is just as important (if not more important) than a fact based, impartial news service for liberal democracy to work.
Reposted by Tom Burgess
I do like how, in the bit of Prescott's memo where he criticises the BBC for editing together different parts of Trump's speech, his own quote of "what Trump actually said" is... edited together from different parts of his speech.
November 10, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I do like how, in the bit of Prescott's memo where he criticises the BBC for editing together different parts of Trump's speech, his own quote of "what Trump actually said" is... edited together from different parts of his speech.
Reposted by Tom Burgess
At a wider level 90% of the BBC's "stuff" is not the shit domestic newscasting, and it'll be that stuff - the Proms, coverage of regional music and events, BBC Africa, the World Service, choirs and orchestras - that will go first
November 10, 2025 at 11:14 AM
At a wider level 90% of the BBC's "stuff" is not the shit domestic newscasting, and it'll be that stuff - the Proms, coverage of regional music and events, BBC Africa, the World Service, choirs and orchestras - that will go first
Reposted by Tom Burgess
A thread of informed observations.
if you pare back expertise and experience, you end up with a newsroom full of well-meaning kids with no old lags to go "er, no, you need to make clear that that's an edited speech"; you end up with an emasculated Newsnight; you end up with no scope to do time-consuming investigations.
November 10, 2025 at 10:37 AM
A thread of informed observations.
Reposted by Tom Burgess
Extract from report in the Guardian on the right wing manoeuvres that have led to the resignation of the DG Tim Davie
November 9, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Extract from report in the Guardian on the right wing manoeuvres that have led to the resignation of the DG Tim Davie
Reposted by Tom Burgess
A conscious and deliberate decision basically to weaken everything that demanded anything of anyone - whether it was effectively cancelling the old Newsnight, scrapping HardTALK, just at every stage a 'people won't get mad if we retreat from detail and rigour'.
November 9, 2025 at 11:38 PM
A conscious and deliberate decision basically to weaken everything that demanded anything of anyone - whether it was effectively cancelling the old Newsnight, scrapping HardTALK, just at every stage a 'people won't get mad if we retreat from detail and rigour'.
The point is Panorama should have quoted Trump in full: "Look, we just have to accept it. I lost the election. This was a fair result, Biden won, and we must now have a peaceful transfer of power. You should all go home. I don't even know what you're all doing here. I certainly didn't invite you."
November 10, 2025 at 8:31 AM
The point is Panorama should have quoted Trump in full: "Look, we just have to accept it. I lost the election. This was a fair result, Biden won, and we must now have a peaceful transfer of power. You should all go home. I don't even know what you're all doing here. I certainly didn't invite you."
Reposted by Tom Burgess
Written before the BBC resignations but this by @arusbridger.bsky.social is really worth reading. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
The BBC has bigger impartiality problems than its coverage of Trump
It is the BBC’s entire governance structure–rather than individual stories–that should cause most concern
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Written before the BBC resignations but this by @arusbridger.bsky.social is really worth reading. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
Reposted by Tom Burgess
Surprising number of Tim Davie fans in the NFL
BREAKING: Trump was just viciously BOOED at the Washington Commanders Detroit Lions game.
I’ve never heard a president booed this loudly in my life. Holy cow!
I’ve never heard a president booed this loudly in my life. Holy cow!
November 10, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Surprising number of Tim Davie fans in the NFL
Surprising number of Tim Davie fans in the NFL
BREAKING: Trump was just viciously BOOED at the Washington Commanders Detroit Lions game.
I’ve never heard a president booed this loudly in my life. Holy cow!
I’ve never heard a president booed this loudly in my life. Holy cow!
November 10, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Surprising number of Tim Davie fans in the NFL
Woke up too early and angry about the state of things, so naturally watching this.
November 10, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Woke up too early and angry about the state of things, so naturally watching this.
Say what you will about Karoline Leavitt, but she's done very well for herself since falling down that crevasse in Last Crusade.
Be clear, the American far right are coming for British democracy.
November 9, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Say what you will about Karoline Leavitt, but she's done very well for herself since falling down that crevasse in Last Crusade.
Reposted by Tom Burgess
My BBC DG manifesto.
1. CBeebies and CBBC to get two hours on BBC1, from 4 to 6pm so old people get to see something that isn’t about property or tat in the attic. Because not everything has a price, Auntie Joan.
1. CBeebies and CBBC to get two hours on BBC1, from 4 to 6pm so old people get to see something that isn’t about property or tat in the attic. Because not everything has a price, Auntie Joan.
November 9, 2025 at 8:52 PM
My BBC DG manifesto.
1. CBeebies and CBBC to get two hours on BBC1, from 4 to 6pm so old people get to see something that isn’t about property or tat in the attic. Because not everything has a price, Auntie Joan.
1. CBeebies and CBBC to get two hours on BBC1, from 4 to 6pm so old people get to see something that isn’t about property or tat in the attic. Because not everything has a price, Auntie Joan.
Reposted by Tom Burgess
Since we’re in the mood for strict accuracy in broadcast news, worth noting that a rival channel had a pundit - unchallenged - say asylum seekers in hotels committed 44% of sexual offences in one county, seemingly because she cannot understand basic maths.
A national newspaper journalist went on a British TV channel to claim police stats showed asylum-seekers committed 44% of sex crimes in Dorset.
This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.
Except... it's bollocks.
This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.
Except... it's bollocks.
November 9, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Since we’re in the mood for strict accuracy in broadcast news, worth noting that a rival channel had a pundit - unchallenged - say asylum seekers in hotels committed 44% of sexual offences in one county, seemingly because she cannot understand basic maths.
Toby's vast Doctor Who missing episode thought experiment continues! I am amongst giants here giving my top 17 desired recoveries.
I apologise to you in advance for droning on, and to The Savages for a different reason.
I apologise to you in advance for droning on, and to The Savages for a different reason.
Part Two of my missing episodes podcast that is frankly getting out of hand (there will be a Part Three : we only just break the Top 30 here!).
Mark Gatiss, Tom Burgess & Andrew Smith choose their favourites along the way…
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d...
Mark Gatiss, Tom Burgess & Andrew Smith choose their favourites along the way…
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d...
Indefinable Magic MISSING EPISODES SPECIAL - Fantasy Film Cans (Part Two)
Podcast Episode · Doctor Who: Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels · S3 E36 · 2h 15m
podcasts.apple.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Toby's vast Doctor Who missing episode thought experiment continues! I am amongst giants here giving my top 17 desired recoveries.
I apologise to you in advance for droning on, and to The Savages for a different reason.
I apologise to you in advance for droning on, and to The Savages for a different reason.
Reposted by Tom Burgess
The media industry keeps talking about linear TV is dead. Well of course it will be if you keep accelerating its decline by pushing people to streaming. It's not completely dead if there are programmes people want to watch.
I love a shared cultural moment. I’m the opposite of whatever it is that makes people not want to watch something because it’s too popular. I’ve hated stuff and gone back to it because I so crave having a moment to share with the world around me. Not just friends, but… everyone. Live Tv is special.
November 8, 2025 at 9:36 AM
The media industry keeps talking about linear TV is dead. Well of course it will be if you keep accelerating its decline by pushing people to streaming. It's not completely dead if there are programmes people want to watch.
You only thought that was John Carpenter
John Carpenter says he's working on a sequel to 'The Thing'
"We'll see"
"We'll see"
November 7, 2025 at 10:31 PM
You only thought that was John Carpenter
These days you can't even do a Nazi salute without someone giving you $1tn
November 7, 2025 at 11:21 AM
These days you can't even do a Nazi salute without someone giving you $1tn