The amount of story and character that Chris Lang manages to fit into 45 minutes of #Unforgotten is extraordinary - and the twists and turns always feel true and earned, never for a second melodramatic. Exhibits A & B: the last two episodes of series 2. Heart in mouth time.

It's been a tough few days dealing with family matters, so it's nice to see that my Q&A book with William Boyd, #TheMirrorAndTheRoad , is gradually gathering ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reader reviews on Amazon (and the occasional, eccentric ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ one)

bit.ly/mirror-road

A particularly aggravating question when you're pitching an English Civil War drama in the aftermath of Brexit...

'This is a court of law, not of morals.'

Ian McEwan's concise, contained adaptation of his novel could easily have been a play, especially under Richard Eyre's simple, sympathetic direction - and it's none the worse for that, giving Thompson one of her best, most dramatic roles.

'You boy! What desperate act of Tory performative cruelty is this?'

'There IS something better than a play!'

If you're going to have your Shakespearean rom-com rewritten, Tom Stoppard is the man to do it - and from Marc Norman's high-concept script, he crafts a love letter to the Bard, to the theatre, and to love itself. A thing of absolute joy.

The best British political thriller ever made, brilliantly written by Martin Stellman and directed by David Drury, with as distinguished a supporting cast as you could ask for: Denholm Elliott, Ian Bannen, David Calder, Robbie Coltrane, Fulton Mackay and Bill Paterson. A classic.

If there's a more comforting show than this - with the possible exception of Detectorists - then I don't know what it is.

Dipping into Judi Dench's book about all the Shakespearean roles she's played, and it's actually a series of conversations with actor/director Brendan O'Hea (self-effacingly absent from the cover). 'Look for the pluses in life,' she tells him, 'Because they are there.' A delight.

An ailing King Henry. An angry Prince Hal. A weary, corrupt country. Modern parallels abound, but aren't belaboured, in Robert Icke's pared down, rebranded Shakespeare double bill. McKellen is the draw as Falstaff, but the whole cast is great, and the staging nimble and engaging.

There's good crime drama, there's great crime drama - and then there's #Unforgotten , which is in a league of its own. Series 1 sets the bar high: Andy Wilson's subtle direction and Chris Lang's layered scripts drawing awesome performances from a fantastic cast. Enthralling.

Welcome sighting of #TheArtOfScreenAdaptation , shoulder to shoulder with Robert McKee and Michael Winterbottom Waterstones Piccadilly.

Where I wish I was at some point most days...

My oldest friend died this week. He was 48. As I listen to what he self-deprecatingly dubbed his difficult second album - 'Consolation' - I feel moved to share this rather beautiful tribute to him and his music from the good people at IDIOTEQ. Vale, mate.
idioteq.com/in-memoriam-as…

Royalty statement from Bloomsbury Books UK. Between last July and December, 23 years after publication, my Q&A book with the creator of #Withnail sold 82 copies, earning me a total of £27.49. Enough for a bottle to toast the one and only #BruceRobinson 🍷
bit.ly/smoking-in-bed

Four and a half months from book launch to charity shop - a new personal best! I feel like Richard E. Grant's impoverished author in Keep the Aspidistra Flying, spotting one of his works in a bargain basket: 'I've been reduced to thruppence!'

#BoydWatching in Bristol
Waterstones Clifton.

This week, I have mostly been listening to...

Happy Birthday to my first novel, 4 years old today! Inspired by John le Carré, Julian Barnes, and various British political movies and TV shows from the 80s, it's part spy yarn, part love story, and it's now available in paperback as well as on Kindle. 🍾
bit.ly/vetting-officer

I'm never quite sure where - or whether - I'll find my Q&A books in bookshops, so it's great to see #TheMirrorAndTheRoad displayed in two different sections Waterstones Piccadilly: Biography and Literary Criticism. #BoydWatching