The AnswerBank Articles

How did Comic Relief start off

A. Comic Relief was launched from a refugee camp in Sudan in 1985 on Noel Edmonds' Late Late Breakfast Show on BBC One on Christmas Day. It was appealing for funds for the famine in Ethiopia. Q. 01:00 Wed 21st Mar 2001

Big Brother, what's all the fuss about

A. It's been all around the world and gives everyone the chance to play voyeur. Ten people are in a house at the same time, locked away in a specially-built prefab hut (a studio complex in Bow, East01:00 Wed 21st Mar 2001

Telly addicts round-up

YOU might know your Corkhills from your Slaters but how well do you really know the box and the big screen Find out in our weekly round-up of sizzlers posed to answerbank... Q. Geezer Bloke needed01:00 Thu 15th Mar 2001

What was the longest film ever made

A. Film stock by Czech director Buracz Bosnitz in 1968 consisted of 908 hours of blank film. Not surprisingly, it was only shown once and the nused to film movies. The longest UK film was a 1970s01:00 Wed 14th Mar 2001

How many people have played Jack Sugden in Emmerdale

A. Jack Sugden is now played by Clive Hornby but he was played by Andrew Burt during the series' first two years of screening and he reappeared in 1976. Four years on, YTV wanted to bring the01:00 Wed 14th Mar 2001

What is digital TV

A. Digital TV is simply a better way of watching TV. the pictures are pin sharp, the sound is crystal clear and you can watch more channels. Q. Surely there's more to it than that A. You can also01:00 Thu 08th Mar 2001

Who classifies films as suitable or unsuitable for kids

A. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) oversees the categories that films fall into. Q. What sort of thing does it look for A. The BBFC says that in classifying films for cinema01:00 Wed 07th Mar 2001

Which horror film has just had its broadcast ban lifted

A. The controversial horror classic The Exorcist, banned for many years, is to be given its TV premiere on 17 March. Q. Which channel will it be on A. Channel 4 is to show director WIlliam01:00 Wed 07th Mar 2001

Secrets of the screen

By Katharine MacColl SOMETIMES we think we know more than we do, at others we're amazed at the trivia we manage to find in the recesses of our memories. Well done to all the www.answerbank fans01:00 Thu 01st Mar 2001

Apart from the Oscars, what are the other major award ceremonies

A. There are hundreds of awards ceremonies the world over that are designed to mark the achievements of actors, writers, producers and directors. Q. Such as A. One of the biggest events is the01:00 Tue 27th Feb 2001

What does the Oscar statuette signify

A. The statuette was designed by MGM chief art director Cedric Gibbons and it depicts a knight holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes, signifying the original branches01:00 Tue 27th Feb 2001

What is the world's longest running TV show

By Anna Tobin Ever wondered what is the world's longest running TV show Well, it is an American show produced by NBC. The first episode of Meet the Press went out on 6 November 1947. The show went01:00 Wed 21st Feb 2001

When is Crossroads coming back

By Katharine MacColl How long has it been since Crossroads was on our screen and when is it back The Midlands motel opens again on 5 March after a break of 13 years. Which channel will it be01:00 Wed 21st Feb 2001

What's so good about a DVD player

By Katharine MacColl What exactly is a DVD A DVD is very similar to a CD, but it has a much larger data capacity. What films are now available on DVD Nearly every film produced today is01:00 Wed 21st Feb 2001

Merged British studios hope to compete with Hollywood

By Katharine MacColl THE two biggest film and TV studios in Europe are starring in their own blockbuster as Pinewood and Shepperton merge in an effort to attract more Hollywood movie moguls. 01:00 Wed 14th Feb 2001

Marriage impossible

By Katharine MacColl THE news that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, one of Hollywood's most glamourous and respected couples, are splitting up has rocked the world of showbiz. Press01:00 Tue 13th Feb 2001

Hit films still miss their targets

By Katharine MacColl BOX office blockbusters Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace and Wild Wild West are in the running for the worst film title at this year's Golden Raspberry Foundation01:00 Tue 13th Feb 2001

Second time around

By Katharine MacColl THERE'S nothing like a familiar face to draw in the crowds at the box office. So much so, in fact, that it seems that the majority of Hollywood's biggest hits these days are01:00 Wed 07th Feb 2001

Billy the ballet kid and others on the BAFTA block

By Katharine MacColl TEENAGE ballet sensation and star of Billy Elliot, Jamie Bell, is up for a Bafta. However, the 14-year-old who won over millions of hearts with his portrayal of an aspiring01:00 Wed 07th Feb 2001

The president's men

By Katharine MacColl IT'S proved more popular than ER and Hill Street Blues, and has attracted Hollywood heavyweights such as Martin Sheen and Rob Lowe. Channel 4's latest offering, The West Wing,01:00 Tue 06th Feb 2001