Sunday Papers / Farewell Bear Facts - Cremona

First, let's have a look at the papers. Kevin and I discover how dogs shop for Christmas; why you MUST monogram your backgammon set; and how readers of the Financial Times spend their money. Clue: Jewels. All that, here.

Secondly: Cremona. Ah, every series had one episode that caused far more headache and trouble than any of the others, and Cremona was series one's. Maybe it was because it started out life, as described  two days ago, as part of the plot of the pilot; or maybe it was because I hadn't learnt yet how much plot a half hour sitcom episode can comfortably hold, but this one drove me mad. Which is not to say I don't like it now- it's got lots of good lines, and is an excellent establishing episode for Douglas. But it was murder to write. Though by no means the hardest. We'll come to the hardest.

None of which is a fact. Ok, here's a fact I've certainly never mentioned before: when I was researching the show, I talked to several charter airline pilots, and I asked one of them who was the nicest - and who was the most difficult - celebrity he'd flown. I shan't tell you the most difficult; but the nicest, he said, without any hesitation at all, was Norman Pace (Half of the British comedy double act Hale and Pace). In a totally different context, a friend of mine who plays poker very seriously I know had mentioned Norman Pace as the nicest celebrity poker player he'd ever met. So, I decided Mr Pace's apparent niceness should be celebrated, and made him MJN's favourite client...