The Algorithm Age

Children's imaginations ran wild when a man from the moon with a pencil for a nose began to squiggle. Mr Squiggle lit up TV screens for 40 years — and now, decades after the kids' program last aired, the National Museum of Australia in Canberra is displaying hundreds of iconic Mr Squiggle items. The exhibit includes creator Norman Hetherington's artworks, scripts, and puppets. Hetherington operated and voiced the blue-haired, floppy, pencil-nosed puppet, with the role a perfect marriage of his skills as a cartoonist and puppeteer. Nineties kids will remember Mr Squiggle's sidekicks grumpy Blackboard, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail. There was also Miss Rebecca, the daughter of Norman Hetherington and the show's last host. "The museum has done such an amazing job of collating it and restoring bits and pieces that needed a little bit of attention," Rebecca Hetherington said. "I'm so excited that...

Netflix viewers are in mourning after the streamer cancelled one of its ‘best shows’, The Residence, in a shock move. The eight-episode murder-mystery series starred Orange is the New Black actor Uzo Aduba as Detective Cordelia Cupp who must get to the bottom of a murder at the White House . After coming out in March, fans have had nothing but praise for the quirky show with an eccentric cast of characters, including pop icon Kylie Minogue herself as well as Breaking Bad ’s Giancarlo Esposito, Always Be My Maybe’s Randall Park. In fact, people were rooting for multiple seasons of the show with our bird-obsessed detective solving a new mystery every time, Knives Out style anthology series. With an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score and a tidy 6.4 million views in the first four days alone – there’s no denying there was appetite for more. Get personalised updates on all things Netflix Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with ’s...

Have YOU got a story? Email tips@ A whole host of fan-favourite BBC shows are facing schedule changes as a result of the Wimbledon Championships 2025. Bosses at the broadcaster are clearing their schedule to bring dedicated, rolling coverage on BBC One. It's already meant The One Show - which airs at 7pm on weeknights - has been taken off air for weeks . Now, the full list of programmes disrupted has been revealed, and a whopping 14 beloved daytime shows have been pulled. Over on BBC One, Escape To The Country, Pointless, Bridge Of Lies and Garden Rescue have been ditched. On BBC Two, The Edge, My Family, Murder, Mystery, Lighting and Unbeatable have also been dropped. Wimbledon coverage has also seen Flog It, Weatherman Walking, Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, Richard Osman's House Of Games and Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes taken out of their usual slots. All these daytime staples are expected to return as normal from M...

Look, I get it. Reading subtitles is hard. Your eyes have to move down to the bottom of the screen, then back up to the action. You have to read while simultaneously trying to watch. And don't even get me started on the mental gymnastics required to appreciate a story that wasn't specifically crafted for Western sensibilities. Positively exhausting, if you ask me. But here's the thing: Squid Game was literally the biggest show on the planet. Not just in Korea. Not just in Asia. Everywhere . Including places where people speak English AND somehow managed to survive the absolutely excruciating ordeal of reading words whilst watching television. It's mind-blowing, really. So, naturally, Hollywood's response to this unprecedented global success was: an English remake. Watch the trailer for Squid Game season 3. Article continues after video. Video via YouTube/Netflix According to multiple reports, David F...

It's official: we're halfway through the year, which means it's time to take stock of the things we've enjoyed so far. Case in point: movies. Here's the best of the big screen -so far. How many have you caught, and how many are still on your watchlist? We've got you. 28 Years Later Director: Danny Boyle Danny Boyle and Alex Garland team up for the first time since 2007’s Sunshine to return to the world of their first-ever collaboration, 2002’s lo-fi zombie riff 28 Days Later , with the surprisingly poignant and emotional 28 Years Later . While the nail-biting action sequences and inventive evolutions of the infected are top-notch, it’s the film’s tender ruminations on life and death that linger long after the lights come up. Black Bag Director: Steven Soderbergh Can something this icy be this sexy? Steven Soderbergh ...

A team of radio hosts were left red-faced on Wednesday when country crooner Keith Urban seemingly ended a live interview after a crude question about his wife. The singer, 57, appeared to hang up on Mix 102.3's Hayley & Max in the Morning after being asked about Nicole Kidman 's racy scenes in movies. But despite hosts Hayley Pearson and Max Burford panicking that Urban had furiously ended the call, it turns out this might not be the case at all. READ MORE: Popular grocery item reappears on shelves after shoppers' frustration Mix 102.3's content director, Stephen Werner, was on hand to speak out on what happened when the duo returned to air on Thursday morning. Werner claimed the chat ended simply because the interview had run its course. "The producers were getting texts, and you guys were having such a great time that you ran out of time," Werner said. "Hang on, so are you telling us this has made inte...

If this week showed anything , it’s that sometimes summer is best seen and not felt. Who needs to feel their body find the internal temperature of an oven, when you can just watch people in a TV show experience it instead? Despite what the title of A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder suggests, it has more than just the thrills of a murder mystery (although it does still have that). The BBC show turned Netflix sleeper hit has the bottled up feel of summer to boot. The six-parter is based on Holly Jackson’s YA trilogy of the same name, which was so popular among the BookTokkers that it led to last year’s adaptation. Starring Wednesday’s Emma Myers with a very different look to her chipper Enid, the detective on the case here is the dogged (and sometimes dodgy-accented) Pip Fitz-Amobi. In the summer holidays before entering her last year of school, Pip decides to use her A-Level extended project to investigate an unsolved case in the rural town of Little Kilton: ...

BBC iPlayer has finally released the fourth season of the US remake of hit sitcom Ghosts , an adaptation that sparked fiery debates among fans. The UK version – starring Charlotte Ritchie , Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Mathew Baynton – follows an eclectic group of ghosts living in a manor house who equally infuriate and endear the new owners, Alison (Charlotte) and Mike (Kiell), when the former gains the ability to see the dead. The US version, which airs on CBS, follows a similar premise with Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar playing a couple named Samantha and Jay respectively, who must deal with the riotous ghosts roaming their new home-turned-hotel. Several of the characters are Americanised versions of the UK gang, such as Pete (Richie Moriarty) taking after the ill-fortunate Pat (Jim Howick), and Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long) taking inspiration from Robin the caveman (Laurence Rickard). It’s not a total copy, with plenty of original plotlines and characters that ...

It's official, Jennette McCurdy's hit memoir ' I'm Glad My Mom Died ' is being turned into an Apple TV+ series, and just when things couldn't get better - Jennifer Aniston is taking on the role of the Nickelodeon star's mom, Debra. The book, which was released in 2022, exposed the iCarly star's toxic relationship with both Hollywood and her own mother as a child actor, detailing heavy themes which included addiction and eating disorders. McCurdy's mom, Debra, who plays a central role in the book (even becoming inspiration for the title), died of cancer in 2013, leaving the star with a cocktail of guilt and freedom from her past. The story received an outpouring of praise and became a best-seller in the months that followed, and the TV adaptation will be a dramedy focused on “the codependent relationship between an 18-year-old actress in a hit kids’ show, and her narcissistic mom who relishes in her identity as a starlet’...

Netflix ’s biggest show Squid Game has returned for its third and final season and it simply can’t stop breaking records. The South Korean thriller is by far the most watched series on the streamer with season one securing 265,2m views after its release in 2021, easily taking the crown for number one show globally. Season two, which came out at the end of last year, followed hot on its heels with a respectable 192.6m views. Now, the third season is rounding off an impressive run by securing its own milestone as the biggest TV launch for Netflix ever after totting up an eye-watering 60.1 million views (368.4m hours) in just three days. This means, just a few days after its release, it has already become the ninth biggest non-English language show, and will no doubt join the other seasons at the top of the chart sooner rather than later. Get personalised updates on all things Netflix Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning wi...

Pirates of the Caribbean actor Bob Elmore has died at the age of 65. The stuntman and actor, who also appeared uncredited as Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, had his death announced publicly by co-star Caroline Williams. Posting on Instagram this week, she wrote: ‘My dear Bob Elmore has passed…’ Williams later followed up with a photo of her and Elmore together at fan event Crypticon Minnesota. No cause of death has been shared. Elmore played the Executioner in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End opposite star Johnny Depp after appearing as a stunt performer in the original, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, in 2003. His extensive Hollywood resume also included playing Bodyguard #1 in The Usual Suspects, as well as his stunt doubling on Uncle Buck with John Candy, and general stunt work on the likes of Casino, City of Angels, Being John Malkovich and Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment. Horror Realm Con also pa...

Endlessly scrolling through Netflix without finding anything new? That won’t be a problem this July. With an exciting lineup of series and films, Netflix is injecting fresh energy into the summer streaming routine. Whether you’re craving supernatural drama, true crime, or action-packed sequels, there’s something for everyone. Here are the standout releases to add to your watchlist this month. Also read 11 Must-See Family Films That Will Tug at Your Heartstrings The 10 highest grossing movies of all time 1. The Old Guard 2 Streaming from July 2 It’s been five years since The Old Guard first dropped, and now Charlize Theron’s Andy returns with her crew of undying warriors. But this time, immortality itself is under threat. With old betrayals still raw and new dangers on the rise, the group must join forces once again. Expect high-stakes action and emotional depth in this explosive sequel. 2. The Sandman: Season 2 ...

Oh, to be a celebrity on a European yacht with a cocktail in hand! Just when we thought the rich-and-famous-people European extravaganza had come to an end with the final events of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding , we've been hit with another social media sensation to really cement the reminder of just how differently the other half lives. It seems stars have fled Venice and headed toward the Italian coast, where a superyacht of insane proportions was awaiting them in Rome. READ MORE: Why newly-married Brittany Hockley and her husband still 'don't live together' Incase you haven't yet seen it all over Instagram and TikTok, the Ritz Carlton yacht Collection has essentially hosted an A-list brand trip (is it even a brand trip at that point?) to celebrate the launch of its newest superyacht, Luminara. And yes, we are bubbling over with jealousy as we write these words. While celebrities flocked to Italy for Bezos' ...

A release date has finally been announced for Netflix’s long-awaited adaptation of Emily Henry’s best-selling novel, People We Meet On Vacation . To celebrate the news, Netflix released a taster of what’s to come by way of a teaser featuring the voices of actors Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, cast as Poppy and Alex respectively. Scored over a calming beachy backdrop, Bader’s Poppy is heard asking “Where does Alex Nilsen stand on travel? Love or hate?” “I mean, I’ve never really travelled anywhere. But this morning I saw this beautiful sunrise over this place that I’d never been before and I wouldn’t have if everything had gone according to plan. So love. I’m thinking love,” Blyth’s Alex responds. And if that’s not a perfect representation of what fans love about the author’s deliciously frothy fiction, then we don’t know what is. In light of the welcome news, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about the upcoming People We Meet On Vacation film, inc...

Rob McElhenney has broken his silence on the strong reaction his fans have had to his recent name change. The  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star revealed in a May joint interview with his co-star and wife Kaitlin Olson in Variety that he was considering changing his name to "Rob Mac", shortening his surname. Watch the video above READ MORE: Princess reveals shock of unexpected divorce He began the process of making the change official on Thursday last week, filing to legally change his real name in LA, TMZ reported days ago. But the decision has since caused uproar from fans, with the 48-year-old taking to X, formerly Twitter to "dedicate exactly one minute" to his explanation, even using a timer to be more exact. "Yes, I'm shortening my name to Rob Mac," he shared, "Mostly a stage name, but I digress. READ MORE: Meghan forced to give out free jam after orde...

Gus Balbontin says he was “born with FOMO”. After a successful career as an executive director at Lonely Planet , he decided to quit his job and seek out the new and exciting. “We push novelty away from our lives the older we get. We stop doing new things. We stop doing new things for lots of reasons: because we’re comfortable; we’re scared of failing; we’ve got more to lose; our knees hurt; we claim we have no time,” says Balbontin. “We put all these excuses, and bit by bit, our lives become more repetitive. When you don’t feed your brain novelty, your brain loses its tolerance to change.” Balbontin is passionate about seeking out the new to maintain a healthy brain and positive outlook . Now on his seventh round of a personal challenge to try something new every year, he has tackled activities as varied as competitive pinball, drumming, underwater photography and astrophysics. This year he’s taking on glassblowing. “I started Goo...