Merry Christmas! (Or, if you’re not so much into the whole Christmas thing, Happy Tuesday!) We hope you’re having a very lovely Christmas day. If you need a break from the family madness, here are a few things you might want to take a peek at. On TV, Londonist likes: Top of the Pops Christmas Special (BBC1, 13:30-4:30)) Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates present this look at the year’s most popular acts – and......

New writing theatre company Paines Plough are presenting an absolutely cracking new way to see plays this autumn and making us think that there should be more theatre programmed like this. New writing, an exciting theatre space, a sensible time slot, a hot snack and a drink are all included in the ticket price and you can be on your way having had your culture fix by 8pm when other theatres are raising the......

Every now and then, a bit of London-centric news drifts around the Londonist newsroom (which doesn't exist but imagine a bunch of emails flying around in lieu of an actual office) and is not paid that much attention. However, there comes a time when something requires a closer look for what it is really saying, such as this report on a poll for the top ten London film locations. Commissioned by cinema advertising company......

It looks like summer might actually have arrived in London this week, but if you're determined to stay inside, here are a few things to help you bide the time. On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 30 July The Tower (BBC1, 22:35-11:25) After the disputes last week about whether or not the Pepys Estate was being represented fairly in this 8 part documentary, this is your chance to form your own opinion. In episode 6,......

If the London movie map created by FilmLondon and VisitLondon is to be believed, there are few places in this city that haven't been filmed. So next time you have a 'this could be in a film' moment when you're out, that's probably because it was. London's most often depicted as a jolly place full of Routemaster buses, rather than afloat with porridgey puddles of pavement sick and confused tourists. And yes, there's a......

We covered the Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy a bit in last week's Friday Film news, but it's worth revisiting briefly this week if only because it seems to be dividng the critics a little. Over in the Independent the adaptation receives just the one star from Anthony Quinn, who complains, "Seldom have I sat through a high-profile comedy that has generated so little laughter - even nervous laughter." Oh dear - so what......

We were browsing through some of our long-neglected bookmarks this afternoon and decided to take a look at the consistently brilliant Classic Cafes site. If you've never visited before (and you should have because it's on our list of links right here on this page) then we can tell you Classic Cafes celebrates, champions and attempts to protect and preserve the "Italian-styled Formica cafe/coffee bars" that remain in the capital; and it's proprietor, Adrian......