The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending 20 March

We’ll get to the Top 10s in a minute but first a note on cleaning books, from Dr Siouxsie Wiles: “I’d say wiping covers is a good idea, and just making sure to wash your hands after you’ve been reading a book others have used is the way to go. Infection mainly requires repeated close … Read more

A books editor confesses: I haven’t read the Booker shortlist. Any of them

On the eve of the announcement of the winner of the 2019 Booker prize, Spinoff books editor Catherine Woulfe outs herself as a giant know-nothing.  Booker time. Tomorrow morning I will sit there refreshing Twitter like the drinking bird on The Simpsons. A winner will be announced. And I’ll be gripped by a compulsion to … Read more

Inside the Lightbox: Binge every episode from pilot to finale

With summer upon us, there is no better time to shut all the sunlight out of your room, pull a blanket over your head and watch TV until your eyes hurt. We assemble the best shows on Lightbox that you can binge from pilot to finale. Wolf Hall Binge time: 6 hours, like a perfectly … Read more

Inside the Lightbox – Your Guide to the Golden Globe Favourites

Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored post where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for shows you might like to watch. This week we line up some of the shining stars from the 73rd Golden Globe awards, including Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent and Mr Robot.  THE WINNERS Mozart in the Jungle Mozart in the Jungle is … Read more

Summer Reissue: The Best Viral Wolf Hall Memes That 16th Century England Never Saw

Josh Davis brought a bit of 2016 to 16th century England through creating a slew of hilarious memes from BBC drama Wolf Hall.  Wolf Hall is a BBC drama documenting the power dynamics of the court of Henry VIII. Unfortunately, while the 16th century had many things – the Church, fancy clothes etc – memes … Read more

Video: The Best Viral Wolf Hall Memes That 16th Century England Never Saw

Wolf Hall is a BBC drama documenting the power dynamics of the court of Henry VIII. Unfortunately, while the 16th century had many things – the Church, fancy clothes etc – memes were not yet popular. We decided to fix that tragic historical accident by commissioning real life millennial Josh Davis to watch the brooding, … Read more

News: Ticker Tape Farewells and Triumphant Debuts in Our 2015 Emmy Picks

Duncan Greive and Alex Casey run through the Emmy nominations for 2015, picking their favourites to take home the dangerously spiky golden awards.  Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series: Better Call Saul • AMC • Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill Bloodline • Netflix • Kyle Chandler as John Rayburn House Of Cards • Netflix • … Read more

Appointment Viewing: Winding Down the Corridors of History in Wolf Hall

Appointment Viewing is a regular column which features a Spinoff writer watching one or more episodes of a current show and attempting to decode its appeal. Here Tara Ward gets to know the political complexities of sixteenth century Tudor England in Wolf Hall. What’s it all about? Wolf Hall covers Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power in the … Read more