The Bugle Is Dead... Long Live The Bugle!

And so, after almost a year of broken promises and false hope, The Bugle is over. Well, sort of.

Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver's satirical podcast - undoubtedly the funniest podcast available - had been on hiatus ever since Oliver's US TV show - Last Week Tonight - really took off, and his withdrawal, after nine years of co-presenting, was inevitable. Yesterday it was finally announced that an Oliver-free Bugle will be relaunched in September, with Zaltzman to be joined by a range of co-presenters. Bad news and good news.

Here's the thing: the internet is full of privileged white men moaning about inconsequential things, so I do genuinely feel reluctant to bemoan the poor treatment of loyal fans. However, I also think it's fair to say that those who have listened to The Bugle since its start have been treated pretty shabbily. I'm not saying that this was intentional, but it's true. There was no information about why the podcast was on hold - Lack of time? Lack of funding? Loss of interest? It's also a shame that Zaltzman continued to insist via his Twitter feed that The Bugle would resume on a monthly, rather than weekly, basis, only for a single further full podcast to appear. That show was clearly half-hearted, like an attempt at reconciliation when the marriage has already broken down. To be honest, I was getting quite sick of the waiting - the end was nigh and everyone knew it. The misery was just being drawn-out.

But let's not dwell on the negatives: I'm sure that the new Bugle will be great. Indeed, given that Oliver was working first on The Daily Show and then on his own project, it was clear that The Bugle was more important to Zaltzman, so it makes total sense for it to continue under his sole guidance. I'm looking forward to it already. Also, Last Week Tonight is one of the best shows on TV, so I can't grumble in that respect either. Two great shows instead of one? Woe is me!

But it won't be the same. It can't be. It shouldn't be. Zaltzman and Oliver were a great partnership - they bounced off each other without any discernible effort, and they were bloody funny. I've spent hundreds of hours laughing with them, and I suppose this is the reason I'm so upset by the end of the current era. Maybe this sounds pathetic, but they were a big part of my life: whenever I felt down, I knew I could always turn to The Bugle to cheer myself up. For the last year or so, that hasn't been the case.

So yes, I'm sad, but it was great while it lasted. Thanks for everything, guys - here's to the future!

An Evening With Neil Gaiman and Audrey Niffenegger (Union Chapel, London - 31 May 2016)

On Bank Holiday Monday my wife and I ventured from the sunny North to the wind-swept South (yes, I have got that the right way around!) in readiness for Tuesday's talk between Neil Gaiman and Audrey Niffenegger. The event had been 

arranged to promote the launch of Neil's latest book, the non-fiction collection The View From The Cheap Seats.

Union Chapel is a fantastic venue, very similar to, albeit bigger than, the wonderful Albert Hall in Manchester. There's something about converting churches into events venues that really works. The stage looks beautiful surrounded by high ceilings, stained glass and rows of wooden pews. It's just a shame that the doors appeared to be opened a little late, especially as it was absolutely pouring down with rain outside. Being ushered inside, wet and cold, without any guidance about how to pick up our complimentary copies of the book was a bit annoying too.

But all was forgiven once we started to dry off and the entertainment began. First we introduced to the adorable little Ash Gaiman by his understandably proud dad, followed by a surprise song from Amanda Palmer and her father (who are playing together at Koko this Friday).

The talk between Neil and Audrey - who are long-term friends - was exactly what you'd expect: funny, engaging and moving. We got a little insight into the way the book was pieced together from the mass of non-fiction writing that Neil has been adding to over the years, and there were some very poignant moments, particularly when Neil talked about the sad loss of Terry Pratchett. The hour or so that the talk lasted seemed to fly by and I think everyone could have sat there for an hour or two longer. Well, okay, maybe not little Ash...

So, terrible weather aside, it was a good evening, and a great excuse for me and Mrs Knowles to spend a couple of days mooching around London.