Bibliogryphon

Like Dare, Lovefool is something that I only really came to in this game

December Will Be Magic has suffered from not being on many compilation albums. I think I bought my daughter at least three different Now Christmas albums over the years and it was on none of them. I did eventually find a compilation with it on which my Brother-in-law had but that was so old it contained Another Rock and Roll Christmas

Fri 15 Dec 24 The Cardigans — Lovefool +4 05 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony -6 05 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart

15.12.23 56 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 55 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 50 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 49 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 46 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 44 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 42 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 42 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 41 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 39 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 38 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 23 Wham! — Last Christmas -4 23 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 22 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka -5 13 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)

American Military SF Author David Drake (Hammers Slammers) died 10 December aged 78

Here is my poorly researched team Josip Manolic Jimmy Carter Bill Rodgers Valdus Adamkus Jean Marie Le Pen Eduard Balladaur Dennis Skinner Frank Field Douglas Hurd Simeone Sakskoburggotski Subs John Wakeham Milos Zeman Michael D Higgins Just to confirm am I right in thinking former Secretary of State - James Baker would not be allowed here because that is an appointment rather than an elected role and he never served in the senate or at local levels prior to this?

All of my Top 10 have gone. I have a preference of the remaining three but it is not a strong one. I think we are very much in compromise territory

14.12.23 26 The Cardigans — Lovefool 25 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 10 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony -6 05 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger +4

14.12.23 63 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 52 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday +6 46 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 44 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 42 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 41 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 40 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 37 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -3 37 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 36 Wham! — Last Christmas 36 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 32 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 31 Queen — Thank god it’s Christmas 30 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 29 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 15 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby 12 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 10 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) -3 06 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas -3

Really thought Common People was going to clinch this. All of my Top 5 are out and only one of my top 10 remains. The nineties are not my era

13/Dec/2023 26 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 22 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 17 Supergrass — Alright / Time -3 15 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 12 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me -3 11 The Cardigans — Lovefool 11 Pulp — Common People +4

12/12/23 60 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 43 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 40 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 39 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 39 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 38 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 38 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 37 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 37 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -3 36 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 34 Wham! — Last Christmas 33 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 33 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 33 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 31 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 28 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 23 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas -3 23 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick 23 Elton John — Step Into Christmas 20 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) -3 19 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby  16 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run 07 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

During the wilderness years RTD wrote a Doctor Who book where an alien lifeforms had contaminated cocaine and at least one of the Doctor's companions is implied to perform gay sex acts in the backseat of a car. It did not so much push the envelope of what was acceptable on screen, more like rip the envelope to shreds and set fire to the remains. In all three Specials he has fallen back into his old ways of Deus ex machina resolving the plot thereby robbing The Doctor of any agency. I am hoping that there will be a influx of new writers in the main series that let Ncuti Gatwa give a really strong performance and not just be wallpaper over the cracked plots as CE was required to do

12.12.2023 24 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 23 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 21 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 21 Supergrass — Alright / Time 20 Pulp — Common People +4 19 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 16 The Cardigans — Lovefool 08 Blur — Song 2 -6

12.12.2023 52 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 43 Jona Lewie — Stop the Cavalry  42 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 41 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 37 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 36 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 36 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 34 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +3 34 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 33 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 33 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 32 Wham! — Last Christmas 31 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 30 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas 29 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells -3 28 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 27 The Darkness — Don’t Let The Bells End 26 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -3 24 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)  24 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick 22 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 22 The Crystals — Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 18 Gabriella Cilmi — Warm This Winter -3 17 Mike Oldfield — In Dulci Jubilo +3 17 Elton John — Step Into Christmas  16 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby  15 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run

Halo Jones artist Ian Gibson being reported dead on X/Twitter

Santa Baby is a really odd one. I will only accept two versions of it Eartha's or Kylie's Scott Mills played Madonna's version the other day and it was absolutely terrible there was no sense of coquettish playfulness about it which is what the song needs to succeed. I am in no hurry to vote Eartha out but I probably won't lift a finger to save her

@Perhaps and @Spade_Cooley join the list of players needing one hit to win following the death of Ryan O' Neal Gene Hackman and Priscilla Pointer join the out lists

Joss Ackland was a first hit for @Youth in Asia but puts @Handrejka only needing Clive Revill to win from One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing

11/12/23 49 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 48 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 44 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 39 Jona Lewie — Stop the Cavalry 39 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 37 Wham! — Last Christmas 36 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 34 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +6 34 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year  33 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick 33 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 32 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 31 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 31 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 31 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -3 31 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 28 The Darkness — Don’t Let The Bells End 27 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 27 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas -3 24 Gabriella Cilmi — Warm This Winter 23 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) -3 22 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 22 Elton John — Step Into Christmas 21 The Crystals — Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 21 Mike Oldfield — In Dulci Jubilo  19 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby 18 Gene Autry — Here Comes Santa Claus 18 Kay Starr — (Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag  18 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run

11/12/23 26 Pulp — Common People +2 23 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 23 Supergrass — Alright / Time 22 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 22 Blur — Song 2 -3 19 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 19 The Cardigans — Lovefool 16 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 11 James — Sit Down +2 07 Natalie Imbruglia — Torn  04 Ace Of Base — The Sign -3

Spurs v Newcastle today. One of those games where you want both teams to lose

10/12/23 29 Pulp — Common People +2 27 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 26 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 25 The Cardigans — Lovefool 23 James — Sit Down +2 21 Natalie Imbruglia — Torn 20 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 19 Supergrass — Alright / Time 18 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 17 Blur — Song 2 -3 03 Ace Of Base — The Sign -3

10/12/23 42 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 42 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 41 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 40 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 40 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 40 Wham! — Last Christmas 38 Gabriella Cilmi — Warm This Winter 37 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again +2 37 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 34 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 33 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick 31 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride -9 29 Kay Starr — (Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag 29 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 29 The Darkness — Don’t Let The Bells End 29 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas 28 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock  28 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 27 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 26 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 25 Mike Oldfield — In Dulci Jubilo +2 25 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)  25 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby 24 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 23 Gene Autry — Here Comes Santa Claus 22 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 22 Elton John — Step Into Christmas 21 The Crystals — Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 20 Perry Como — It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 18 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run 16 The Wombles — Wombling Merry Christmas +2

I felt the episode was less than the sum of its parts. It was just a collection of set pieces each one of them performed competently but no sense of flow or narrative. I liked NPH as The Toymaker and the Spice Up Your Life scene was very well done but it was wrapped up too conveniently. As soon as we got to the Biregeneration scene all I wanted was for 14 to go and leave the stage for 15. We know that Bonnie Langford has filmed some scenes with Ncuti Gatwa so I think the stage is set for some continuity but there were also rumours of a UNIT spin off which could use DT ala Jon Pertwee. Wild Blue Yonder was the best of the three specials.