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Despite its Hollywood A-list cast and crew - Halle Berry and Steven Spielberg, to be specific - it appears that the latest TV sci-fi TV show was rooted in inspiration a little closer to British hearts.

'Extant's producer Mickey Fisher has revealed that, when he was creating the show, it was the plots of 'Doctor Who' that need to keep him on track.

extant

'Extant' was inspired by its creator's love for Doctor Who

“While I was writing the pilot, because I'm a big Doctor Who fan, I had a Post-it note on the corner of my monitor that said, ‘WWSMD; what would Steven Moffat do?’” says Mickey, according to the Daily Telegraph.

“The answer was always, 'He would just write it better,’ so I kind of just kept trying to do that.”

Extant, which debuts on Amazon Prime today, stars Halle Berry as Molly, an astronaut returning home after a long space mission. Despite her enthusiasm to see her family, it transpires that all is not as it appears, and Molly's experiences in space are destined to change the fate of human history. As you do.

Halle Berry must explore space in Steven Spielberg's new sci-fi 'Extant'

'Extant' is only being shown by the video-on-demand service, following the trend set by Netflix, with 'Orange is the New Black' and 'House of Cards'.

The first episode of Extant will be available on Amazon Prime Instant Video from 9pm, tonight Thursday 10 July.

TOP 10 SCI-FI SCENES EVER:

A whole host of British television stars including Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba and Helena Bonham-Carter have been honoured in the nominations list for this year’s Emmy awards, which were announced on Thursday.

In the Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or Movie category, four of the six nominees are British, with Benedict and Idris competing against Chiwetel Ejiofor and Martin Freeman, as well as American stars Mark Ruffalo and Billy Bob Thornton.

benedict cumberbatch emmys

Benedict Cumberbatch at the Emmys in 2012

However, it’s HBO fantasy series ‘Game Of Thrones’ leading the way with a whopping 18 nominations, including for Best Drama Series where it’s going head to head with ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Mad Men’.

It’s also good news for the cast of ‘Downton Abbey’, the period drama has racked up an impressive five nominations, with Dame Maggie Smith and Joanna Froggatt both nominated in the category of ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’.
The winners will be announced on 25 August, in a ceremony presented by late night talk show host Seth Meyers in Los Angeles.

Check out the full list of nominees below...

Outstanding comedy series
The Big Bang Theory
Louie
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Veep

Outstanding drama series
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mad Men
True Detective

Outstanding miniseries
American Horror Story: Coven
Bonnie and Clyde
Fargo
Luther
Treme
The White Queen

Outstanding TV movie
Burton and Taylor
Killing Kennedy
The Normal Heart
Return to Zero
Sherlock: His Last Vow
The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
Louis CK - Louie
Don Cheadle - House of Lies
Ricky Gervais - Derek
Matt LeBlanc - Episodes
William H. Macy - Shameless
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series
Fred Armisen - Portlandia
Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Ty Burrell - Modern Family
Adam Driver - Girls
Tony Hale - Veep
Jessie Tyler-Ferguson - Modern Family

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
Lena Dunham - Girls
Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep
Melissa McCarthy - Mike & Molly
Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation
Taylor Schilling - Orange Is the New Black

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series
Mayim Bialik - The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen - Modern Family
Anna Chlumsky - Veep
Allison Janney - Mom
Kate McKinnon - Saturday Night Live
Kate Mulgrew - Orange is the New Black

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels - The Newsroom
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Woody Harrelson - True Detective
Matthew McConaughey - True Detective
Kevin Spacey - House of Cards

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series
Jim Carter - Downton Abbey
Josh Charles - The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones
Mandy Patinkin - Homeland
Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad
Jon Voight - Ray Donovan

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
Lizzy Caplan - Masters of Sex
Claire Danes - Homeland
Michelle Dockery - Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
Kerry Washington - Scandal
Robin Wright - House of Cards

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series
Christine Baranski - The Good Wife
Joanne Froggatt - Downton Abbey
Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad
Lena Headey - Game of Thrones
Christina Hendricks - Mad Men
Dame Maggie Smith - Downton Abbey

Outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie
Benedict Cumberbatch - Sherlock: His Last Vow
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba - Luther
Martin Freeman - Fargo
Mark Ruffalo - The Normal Heart
Billy Bob Thornton - Fargo

Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie
Matt Bomer - The Normal Heart
Martin Freeman - Sherlock: His Last Vow
Colin Hanks - Fargo
Joe Mantello - The Normal Heart
Alfred Molina - The Normal Heart
Jim Parsons - The Normal Heart

Outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie
Helena Bonham Carter - Burton and Taylor
Minnie Driver - Return to Zero
Jessica Lange - American Horror Story: Coven
Sarah Paulson - American Horror Story: Coven
Cicely Tyson - The Trip to Bountiful
Kristen Wiig - The Spoils of Babylon

Outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or movie
Angela Bassett - American Horror Story: Coven
Kathy Bates - American Horror Story: Coven
Ellen Burstyn - Flowers in the Attic
Frances Conroy - American Horror Story: Coven
Julia Roberts - The Normal Heart
Alison Tolman - Fargo

Outstanding writing in a drama
Vince Gilligan - Breaking Bad
Moira Walley-Beckett - Breaking Bad
David Benioff, DB Weiss - Game of Thrones
Beau Willimon - House of Cards
Nic Pizzolatto - True Detective

Outstanding writing in a comedy
David Crane, Jeffrey Klarik - Episodes
Louis CK - Louie
Liz Friedman, Jenji Kohan - Orange is the New Black
Alec Berg - Silicon Valley
Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Armando Iannucci - Veep

Outstanding writing in a miniseries or movie
Neil Cross - Luther
Noah Hawley - Fargo
Larry Kramer - The Normal Heart
Steven Moffat - Sherlock: His Last Vow
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk - American Horror Story: Coven
David Simon, Eric Overmyer - Treme

Last Saturday I travelled from Manchester to Kent, then from Kent to London and from London to Paris... all in one day. I played two shows, was front row for Prada's Miu Miu resort collection show, and watched an ear drum busting Jack White gig at the Palais d'Ièna, Paris. Here's the story.

At 5am I headed off with the band to Hop Farm festival, Kent, and after a five hour drive we arrived on site. It was a quiet and overcast morning, and things were just getting underway as we drove in. Still feeling a bit car lagged, we started the set. Under the canopy of the big top, the small but respectful audience began to wake up and get involved. By midway into the set the tent was full and we came off to a hearty applause.

There was no time to stop after the show, and Neil drove me to the local station to get the next train into London. I met my manager at Charing Cross station and we hurried through the underground to get to St. Pancras on time for the Eurostar to Paris, and to Palais d'lena for Miu Miu's resort collection show.

The train arrived into Paris Gare du Nord at 7pm and my sound check was 7:30pm, so the only way to arrive at Palais d'lena on time was via motorcycle taxi. We met our drivers outside and off we went through the streets of Paris. The traffic was heavy and the driver was Jerking to quick stops behind queues and squeezing through tiny spaces between cars, but eventually the roads became clearer and he could put his foot down. Then I could close my eyes and feel the unguarded rush of Paris jolting by on all sides.

From the steps of the Palais d'lena, we were whisked inside, over a pristine white 'red' carpet, and straight to sound check. I didn't get much time to look around at that point, but the hall was all pillars and beautiful blue art deco carpets, perfectly laid dining tables, and a floor level runway marked out with blue high-backed chairs and mirrored glass boxes. Sound check over, I was shown to my dressing room, where a stunning Miu Miu dress awaited me (see anxious dressing room picture above), and a pretty New Yorker called Jen, who'd been sorting out the models upstairs, came down to do my make-up.

By 8:30 I was on stage. And I don't remember a single bit of it... I was too busy watching the cameras and the photographers and the swathes of glamorously dressed celebrities. After the final note, my guitar and equipment were swept away in seamless motion and I took a seat by the runway.

As if by magic the lofty hall suddenly became a catwalk and along came some equally lofty models, exhibiting the finest of Miu Miu's new resort collection. Colourful knee-high Greecian sandals and loose locks; Epic 70's inspired mini dresses with power prints and boxing style lace-ups; and little mini coats in many colours, which reminded me of that L.S. Lowry painting, Teenagers, c.1965.

Another seamless transition and we are all sitting down to dinner. That, by the way, includes Roman Polanski, Freida Pinto, Uma Thurman, Steve Mcqueen, Marc Jacobs, Grace Coddington... the list could go on, but I don't like to name drop (too much). I was sitting in between two very interesting souls, Lola Bessis, director of Swim Little Fish Swim, and Hammish Bowles, international editor at Large for Vogue U.S.

So, after eating a refreshing Italian dinner, and making mirth, another transition ensued and the purpose-built stage became a rock altar, as Jack White began thrashing out his metal-blues to close the night at Palais d'Iena. The gig was all power and drive from start to finish (even on his little acoustic he managed to batter the senses).

I finally got to bed around 1am. After a 20 hour dash across Europe. Where to next?

Cram a dozen or so attractive twenty-somethings in a house full of cameras, and the chances are that sparks are going to fly between at least a couple of them. And that's exactly what we’ve seen on almost every series of ‘Big Brother’.

Now it seems that yet another ‘BB’ couple is in the making with the growing intimacy between Steven and Kimberly in the passing weeks, culminating in them spending a steamy night together earlier this week which viewers believe saw him performing a sex act on her - following Steven’s fairly nauseating “open it” request.

bb couples

'BB' couples over the years

After knowing each other for less than a month, the businessman is now declaring that he’s “falling in love” with the Playboy model and law student, with the two saying they want to move in together “as soon as” they are evicted from the ‘BB’ compound.

While a naive part of us is hoping it all works out for the young couple, a slightly more cynical side can’t help but feel like we’ve seen all this before. Ever since Helen Adams first made eyes at Paul Clarke during the second series of ‘Big Brother’ in 2001, contestants have cottoned on to the fact that a romance - or, more to the point, a showmance - is a good way of sailing through to the end of the series, and while we can’t accuse every single ‘BB’ pairing of faking their relationship for the sake of the cameras, we can’t help but notice just how many couples have formed in the compound, only to fizzle out once they arrive back in the outside world.

Here are just some of the romances that have begun in ‘Big Brother’ over the years- but which ‘BB’ couple is your favourite..?

It says something when the fiercest most loyal fans start to question their icon's actions. But sadly, that's exactly what pop superstar Kylie Minogue - my all time favourite icon - is currently experiencing, as her 27 year pop career lurches toward disaster following the poor performance of her latest album Kiss Me Once.

So what's gone so sensationally wrong? Why can't Kylie produce hits like she used to anymore? Why has the nation fallen out of love with her? Has her new management team Roc Nation royally messed up her career? Should Kylie merely kick off her disco stillies and put her feet up once and for all?

Here are my ten reasons why I think Kylie's career is in trouble!

1) The music has lost its way.
While there have been numerous classic corkers like All the Lovers, Spinning Around, In Your Eyes, Slow and of course Can't Get You Out Of My Head, most of her recent albums have had more dodgy fillers than Katie Price and Chloe Sims put together.

2) Kylie is producing records that are too young for her.
That's not to say that Kylie can't belt out a corking disco stomper, but realistically, the kids who hang off the every word of Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora or the ghastly Jessie J aren't going to buy into a 40something singing about love and sex. Meanwhile, her devoted fans of 27 years are non-plussed by the generic bland pop numbers.

3) Can't Get You Out Of My Head was the BEST and WORST thing to happen to Kylie's career.
CGYOOMH was without a doubt one of those sensational global smash dance tracks that every artist dreams of. But this was also the beginning of the end. Believing Kylie was now a dancefloor diva, her record company decided that dancefloor stompers were the way to go, not understanding that that one classic track was a one off. And while In Your Eyes and Love At First Sight were ace, the dreary Come In To My World and the rest of the Fever album and subsequent albums were wishy washy time wasters.

4) Disastrous release strategy
When Into The Blue was played on the radio for the first time back in January, fans practically combusted with joy. But instead of an instant release, fans had to wait three torturous months, which meant that by the time it was available on iTunes, most of the fans had already downloaded the track illegally. The outcome? A dodgy number 12. Same story with her non-album track Crystallise, which was released two weeks after it was premiered online, peaking at a deadly dull 60.

5) Releasing an album sampler ahead of release.
If the album had been sensational, this would have been one of the greatest ideas in the world. But as we all heard for ourselves, Kiss Me Once should've been renamed Played It Once.

6) Poorly chosen album tracks.
Normally the best tunes make the final tracklist, so why was stand out track Sleeping With The Enemy only on the deluxe version when it should have actually been a single, while her brilliant charity track Crystallise didn't even make the cut. Utter madness!

7) The Sexercise Debacle.
Loathed universally by the fans, the label insanely decided that this turgid track was the perfect vehicle to promote the album. Yikes! Worst still, the video featuring Kylie writhing embarrassingly on a gym ball surrounded by a bunch of sweaty girls half her age, look liked soft core porn. Unsurprisingly, it neither appealed to teenage boys who don't fancy their mum's mates or gays who'd have preferred to see buff studs.

8) I Was Gonna Cancel.
A so-so album track, this was unleashed as a single after co-writer Pharrell Williams' Happy and Sing, collab with Ed Sheeran topped the charts! Sadly, his Midas touch was missing and the song bombed at 59. Don't even get us started on the dreadful promo clip.

9) Management just don't know what to do with her.
Kylie signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation after almost 30 years with Terry Blamey. The first fruit of their labour was a tuneless dance teaser called Skirt, which featured dirty lyrics about her skirt, er, coming down. Not the kind of track we want to hear from out Disney Princess of Pop Kylie. Oh no, it was far better suited to crotch flashing shock-popper Madonna or grubby Rihanna! Bottom line. Kylie will always be loved by the gays and yet her record label still try to alienate her core fanbase. And fans will NEVER forgive Parlophone for not releasing Your Disco Needs You because it was 'too gay'! Er, hello?

10) Kylie has too many fingers in pies.
Since Kylie joined Parlophone, she has been redeveloped as a brand with a home furnishings range, a kids book (er, who's her audience again?) and coffee table books about her fashions! Kylie, spend more time finding good songs and leave the money-making spin offs to The Saturdays!

Steve Coogan has spoken out against Angelina Jolie's campaigning against rape in war zones, calling it "a bit off-putting".

The comedic actor and writer was in conversation with Alastair Campbell for GQ magazine, and discussing the subject of celebrities attaching themselves to causes.

Angelina Jolie with Brad Pitt and William Hague at a recent summit in London

"Though I have been involved politically, I find people who are in the public eye for something else who suddenly start voicing opinions about everything else quite irritating," Coogan is quoted as saying.

Campbell replies, "What? Like Angelina Jolie going out campaigning with William Hague?"

"I do find it a bit off-putting," Coogan responds.

"Off-putting," says Steve Coogan

"If you are trying to do something charitable there is always a double-edged sword, because it is good PR for the celebrity.

"Better to do it than not do it, but I have much more respect for a celebrity that goes out [campaigning] about something really difficult."

Angelina Jolie has been rewarded muchly for her efforts in bringing the subject of war-zone rape to public attention. A longtime UN envoy, she was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Governor's Ball in November 2013, and was most recently made a honorary Dame by William Hague for her work.

In the same interview, Steve spoke out against the prospect of Scottish independence, saying, "insularity isn't good."

PICS: Angelina Jolie and William Hague in Bosnia

Congratulations are in order for ‘TOWIE’ star Billie Faiers and her fiance Greg Shepherd, who are now the proud parents of a baby girl.

Billie’s first child was overdue and the star had been documenting her pregnancy via Twitter, as well as appearing in the ITV2 reality TV show.

Billie showing off her bump in April

The happy news was shared by Billie’s management company, who wrote on Twitter: “@AMConceptsUK would like to announce our client @BillieFaiers has given birth to baby girl. Mother & Baby are doing well.”

Plenty of Billie’s co-stars past and present, including her sister Sam, have rushed to congratulate the couple on their new arrival.

In the most recent episode of ‘TOWIE’, Billie was seen showing her co-stars some baby clothes she’d purchased for her new arrival.

Billie’s pregnancy has been one of the key storylines in the latest series of ‘TOWIE’, which has included scenes filmed at one of her many baby showers.

Following the announcement, it is likely that Billie’s happy news will be discussed by her pals on this Sunday’s episode.

The names Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Kidman aren't often mentioned in the same sentence, but it seems these two fallen Hollywood icons have at least one thing in common right now.

That is, they're both looking to London's West End stage to salvage their sinking careers. To be fair to Nicole, hers is in nothing like the same free fall as Ms Lohan's, but she could definitely do with a hit.

The last few months have not been kind. Taking the role of Grace of Monaco in a biopic of the same name, she got to wear beautiful clothes, walk around in palaces, and work in the sunshine of the French Riviera, As she took her place on the Cannes red carpet, no doubt, she thought these efforts would be rewarded by many a nod come Award time. Instead, although she's got off pretty lightly compared with the rest of the crew, she's had to endure worldwide mockery of the film, its intentions and executions, and the best she could muster was, "I didn't have much control of it."

So now, just as she did in 1998 with her breathtaking performance in David Mamet's 'The Blue Room', Nicole is preparing to take her place on the London stage and remind us all, once again, that she can actually act. Reports are that she'll do this not once but twice. The first project to her name is a Patrick Marber adaptation of Turgenev's A Month in the Country, a comedy of manners set in 1840s Russia. No word yet on whether she'll have to shed any clothes to provide the "theatrical viagra" enjoyed by a delighted critic Charles Spencer back in '98, but she'll certainly be looking for some career invigoration.

Whatever happens, Nicole's career needs nothing like the transplant operation that Lindsay Lohan's requires.

Following a roller coaster decade which had seen her in out of rehab, jail and clubs, it looked as though Lindsay was due a screen reboot with 'Georgia Rule' in 2007. It didn't happen, the difficulties she caused on set were strangely leaked, her star dramatically faded, and her ever-increasing insurance fee will no doubt add to studios' reluctance to take any more risks.

But never say die… Instead, she's taken a leaf out of Madonna's book and signed up for a turn in 'Speed the Plow' (another work from David Mamet), taking the role of secretary Karen in the play, which satirises the Hollywood film industry.

But things are already looking bleak for this particular reinvention, with word that Lindsay has already received a stern talking-to from her director after enjoying the London nightlife a bit too much, and showing up late, tired and unprepared for rehearsal. The cast are reportedly furious, and her director has made it clear she's on her last chance with the play, and what could be her last chance for a career revival.

Which would be a big shame. When Lindsay first appeared in 'The Parent Trap', in what seems like an aeon ago but was actually also in '98, she was heralded as a fresh, charismatic talent that burst out of the screen. Wouldn't it be great if we saw just a glimpse of that person in the flesh on the London stage?

Who would you look forward to more on London's West End stage?

Engine scream splits the Peckham air as a steel bird lumbers out of a cloud, banking sharply west towards Heathrow. South London streets lie quiet and Jessica is lost in shadow in the corner of the pub garden. She looks at me, then down at her hands before she answers.

"We're not into image when playing live," she says. "For us it's just a case of picking the best musicians we could."

As one half of the folk-pop duo, Smoke Fairies, Jessica Davies (pictured right) is the more reticent of the two for whom still waters run deep. She watches with care while the other half, the restless Katherine Blamire (left), talks.

"We were pleased we got the Glastonbury slot," says Katherine of their recent solstice gig, "because it's a statement that we're here, on the map."

The two Winchester-born women have been playing together since they were 11 and, now that they've broken into their thirsty thirties, have begun to hit their stride in a fickle, venal world of music; but it's the knowledge of their own worth that affords the duo a modicum of spiritual comfort.

"Our music has always not gone with the flow of what's happening," Katherine tells me through a slow-burn gaze. "We're strange, and so we're difficult to market. Naturally, it has always been on the fringe. We've never felt accepted, in any sense, by this kind of industry. But it is inspiring to be able to do whatever you want."

With their new album, Smoke Fairies, out on Full Time Hobby Records soon after the release of Blood Speaks on V2, they are current stable mates of Erland & The Carnival, and tell me they "feel disconnected from the music industry". Yet they were the first UK group invited by Jack White to record at his Third Man Records studio in Nashville. Their reputation, therefore, precedes them.

"We started out as a folk band," says Jessica, her eyes far away on the pink summer moon, remembering. "We want to write the best tunes that we can. We share the duties. There are elements of delta blues, but we've also been described as making 'dream pop', but that doesn't really mean anything."

Therein lies the enduring problem of explaining music for the masses: the industry needs to pigeonhole. But with a band like Smoke Fairies, it's nigh on impossible to classify the writing and recording of two women as creatively eccentric and as singularly English as these two who have toured with the likes of Bryan Ferry, Richard Hawley and Laura Marling.

Then comes the slow burn again. "Music is our life," adds Katherine, "and a bit like a weird boyfriend, you can't just put it down. Every change Jessica and I have gone through in life, we've gone through together. I don't feel like I have regrets. But there's always a sacrifice when trying to be creative in an environment that doesn't really allow for creativity." She says she values her freedom above all else. "We come across as quite shy, but we do have a fierce furnace of confidence."

While Smoke Fairies are championed by BBC Radio 6 Music and XFm, a welcome development recently came when the government invested £550,000 of public money in the Music Export Growth Scheme; the band was allocated a slice of the cake which "makes it possible for us to take our full band to the US", says Jessica.

The band's full line-up includes Perry Neech (bass), Sherman Dormer (drums) and Neil Walsh (keys, viola and guitar) and the players take their influences from Americana like Crosby Stills & Nash and The Grateful Dead. "That stuff never leaves you," explains Katherine. The duo spent 2002 in New Orleans and realised just how high the benchmark in musical excellence is set. They've been champing at the bit for greater recognition ever since.

"We do have moments of doubt," says Jessica, "but life's too unpredictable and so I've mellowed. Because I've had to. We continue to release records to fans who like what we're doing."

"The goal is to be more chilled out," says Katherine, "but it's hard to because I'm ambitious. Basically, you just need lots of beer." And bloody-mindedness.

When Norman Mailer wrote that the Sixties ended "with television living like an inchworm on the aesthetic gut of the drug-deadened American belly", he foresaw the blighted western age in which we have come to live. It is an age, not of innocence, but rather one of decay. And defiance. Smoke Fairies fulfil the latter remit because, through hard graft, they've come to realise that it's the only recourse to action remaining for writers who write for the terminally unread.

Follow Smoke Fairies @SmokeFairies
Photograph by George Stavrou

There were crowd crushes, there were flares, there were naked guys climbing up towers and there were bloody noses. But aside from all the ominous scenes and injured gig goers that have dogged the headlines since Saturday, The Libertines at Hyde Park was a much needed injection of much-missed rock and roll. Heading down with a group of mates who I bowled around at house parties singing What A Waster with a decade ago, we were well up for a reminisce and a stomp to some class tunes from Pete, Carl and co.

I hadn't been that excited about it to be honest. The last time I saw Pete Doherty was at a Babyshambles gig at the Kentish Town Forum in 2004 where three songs in - and almost three hours late - he predictably threw himself into the crowd and that was it. Early night for all. Also, when I heard that he was burying the hatchet with Carl Barat for basically loads of cold hard cash, it dampened any desire to go and support them. It felt corporate and mainstream and, well, Hyde Park. But as the gig drew closer there was a buzz going on and I bagged a ticket, thinking it would be a great summer day out on the piss if nothing else.

We got there in time for The Pogues, having sacked off the earlier nondescript whale music bands and screeched along with Shane MacGowan. I didn't realise it at the time but it looks as though last Saturday was the Irish legends' last gig which is well sad but having seen them each Christmas for the last couple of years, not massively surprising. Give that man a rest! I'm glad we gave it all we could for shuffling Shane and sang their hard-to-know-whether-to-go-high-or-low ditties such as A Pair Of Brown Eyes as loud as we could. Shane MacGowan, what a fucking hero.

A few pints later, confusing attempts to meet the friends we'd already managed to lose, some almost arguments that quickly collapsed into drunken embraces, and you wouldn't be wrong to say my man and me were in a suitably pissed state by the time the drums of Vertigo started up. Heading fast to get as close as we could to the front, the sun was starting to fade and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up.

Suddenly, as the crowd went mental (too mental actually, but we've heard all about that), I remembered how good the Libertines were back when I was at uni and how electric the combination of Doherty and Barat is when put together, with or without smack.
They were as tight as ever, smashing out tune after tune with 60,000 people slurring along. We were giving them the warmest welcome back, especially to Pete Doherty who despite still being a bit yellow, was on the best form since well, ever, probably. Greying hair, smart clothes (omitting the dodgy dog chain) he looked the healthiest he has done in years and he was just very very present. Carl Barat looked in love with his old friend, going over and patting him on the back or hugging him close in between songs. Pete even became the voice of reason and took to the mic to try and solve the crowd crush telling people to "take a step back, take a step baaaaack." They stopped playing twice to try and calm the scary situation and get people to stop climbing towers naked (Libertines fans are fans of liberty!) I was astonished; in 2004 Pete Doherty was diving into the crowd, oblivious, and completely fucked.

The best thing about it though, was that Pete's apparent return to reality didn't dampen the spirit or the impact of the gig - it actually improved it. The impeccable songwriting stands the test of time and the swirling guitars and heart-bursting drums concoct a heady mix that swishes up nicely with five pints. As the start of Can't Stand Me Now stirred up half way through the night when the sky was now black, I got fed up of the VIP toe-tappers stood nearby and weaved further in to the front where everyone was having it, dragging my man for a riot, an adventure. What a moment. In love, in music, in a pit of people squished up and delirious. We jumped and barged and felt elated and intoxicated and all I could think about was how good it felt. Rock and roll, where did it go? The gig was for money, in a royal London park, surrounded with VIP tents and overpriced burgers, but as soon as the lights were up for the 24-song set, only fools could think that this would keep us from smashing it as hard as we did 12 years ago. What will become of the likely lads? There's two more gigs in September and talk of a new album. Based on Pete and Carl's explosive history, I'm not holding out on any of this actually coming together, but I'll say cheers to it all the same.

Come see me at ShowbizSludge.com

On this day 11th July 1992, a range of eight ties, designed by Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead, went on sale in the US President Bill Clinton bought a set. So did lots of former hippies who were now caught in the 9-5 trap and a daily humdrum life. At least now they could stare longingly at their $36 tie hanging from their neck. During meetings they could stroke the fabric and let their minds wander and reminisce about those long lost days of letting it all hang out. The drugs, the freedom, the girls, the music!

Before he became a band member, Jerry attended California School of Fine Arts where he worked on his painting skills. Twenty years later, it would seem that his painting became a hit when he put it into Tie collections. The collection grossed millions in the U.S. by the end of the year.

The sales blurb said it all: "They are vibrant, yet not overly gaudy for it to be unacceptable to wear with corporate attires. The ties are lovely, very detailed in design and unique. You would have never thought fruit pictures would be appropriate for a formal gathering? But Jerry Garcia has somehow managed to make unfussy pictures to be appropriate for formal wears."

It continued: "If you check on the Jerry Garcia "Lust" tie, it is a very rich looking tie which has a heart at the bottom of the tie. It would be perfect for luring your valentine. Any dates would definitely be great when you have this collection for a tie."

Merchandise is of course a massive money-spinner. We've come a long way from Beatles chewing gum: some acts make money from merch than they do from record sales.

Fancy a Rolling Stones lunch box? AC/DC playing cards? Or how about a meadow in a can from R.E.M.?
But hold on - the award for the best range of merch undoubtedly goes to that fire breathing, blood spitting group of men from New York City called... KISS

See for yourself at the Kissarmy web site. It's amazing, you can buy KISS golf club covers, Rhinestone Icons, KISS Sandals, Wigs, Mugs, Calendars, Puzzle cubes, KISSopoly, (Monopoly to you), along with the more conventional Hoodies & T-Shirts.

And the ultimate piece of merch - branded by your favorite hard rock group - The KISS Kasket. Yes, order yours now. How cool is that, knowing that when it's your time to go to that great gig in the sky, your remains can gently de-compose in one of these.

I'll give you the sales pitch from the site: "The burial caskets are made of 20-gauge steel and feature iconic KISS images with a striking black interior fabric. Both head panels display classic KISS logos. The Premium Design model exterior is entirely encased in deluxe KISS graphics that features flames all around and includes large image of the band on top."

So, when you've sneaked out for a hot date wearing your Jerry Garcia lust tie, and you've sown your seeds from your 'meadow in a can', there's still a payoff, even it all goes horribly wrong. Your wife found the empty packet of Gene Simmons KISS Condoms 3 Pack in your suit pocket, and gave you a swift blow with the KISS baseball bat to dispatch you to the great merch store in the sky.

But you can still have the last laugh, secure in the knowledge that your nearest and dearest have to carry you to your resting place in a gaudy rock'n'roll box, adorned with the four faces of men in full make-up and the legend 'KISS Forever'.

Today is a good day for the thriving independent production sector of the UK. But way more important than that is the fact that today is a very good day for the BBC's millions of listeners, viewers and users. BBC Director General Tony Hall has announced one of the most progressive and positive plans in the corporation's history. Under the banner of "Compete or Compare," he wants to deliver the best-possible programmes and content to the BBC audience irrelevant of who makes them.

There'll be many who read this and think "Well surely that's already the case?". Well ... no. Right now the amount of radio and TV programmes and digital content made by "in-house" producers as opposed to external suppliers is strictly regulated and policed. In TV only half of the BBC's output is open to competition. In radio this is a meagre 20%. That means that the best ideas aren't always the ones that get commissioned and delivered to the audience. Clearly when it's the audience who are paying that can't be a good thing.

Tony Hall has recognised that this model is unsustainable, old fashioned and just wrong. In an increasingly fragmented media world none of us can rely on audience brand loyalty, we have to always do the very best we can. What's more, independent producers can now sell their ideas to a wider than ever range of potential outlets - from traditional TV networks to a plethora of digital platforms or even direct to audiences. If the BBC can't buy an indie's ideas even if they are good, then they will take them elsewhere -- which is exactly what they do.

As an independent producer myself I am a fervent supporter of the BBC. Apart from my Arsenal season ticket there is nothing of greater value than the BBC license fee. Furthermore I'm a huge supporter of the BBC's in-house production capacity. Dr Who, The Today Programme, iWonder and W1A are all made by people who have BBC staff numbers. But Sherlock, Have I Got News For You, Radio 1's Pete Tong's Essential Mix, The Voice and Radio 4's Gardener's Question Time and Kitchen Cabinet are not. Does the audience care or even know about this distinction? If we're doing our job then they don't and shouldn't.

The BBC of course brings incredible reputation, legacy, scale and gravitas to production. But indies offer other equally important qualities. Crucially because they can and do work for a range of clients and audiences of which the BBC is just one, albeit a very important one, they have a greater exposure to wider audiences and are more in touch with fresh thinking beyond the BBC.

Furthermore increasingly the finest production talent -- producers, writers, directors and presenters -- want to work for independent companies who can sell their ideas to the widest possible range of clients. This is very evident in drama and comedy in TV where indies have come to dominate the market. Would a young writer starting out today rather have his ideas submitted to just the BBC or to Netflix, NBC, HBO, YouTube, Coca-Cola and the BBC? So there's a strong argument to say that by ring-fencing BBC hours to be only produced by in-house producers the best ideas are being discriminated against. In radio and digital the independent sector is smaller but the principal of competition for the best ideas is just as valid. Outside of the BBC producers are much more likely to work across a range of media and bring an innovative approach to production lacking from those focussed purely on just radio or just the web.

Cleverly turning this on its head Tony Hall has also said he thinks the BBC should start to act like an indie itself and sell its ideas to other broadcasters. There'll be much debate as to whether a publicly subsidised corporation can compete fairly with purely commercial operations. But I say -- go for it! If the license fee can get better ideas on air or online elsewhere in the UK then that's all to the good.

The DG's plans will now need Trust approval and would involve changes to the BBC's Royal Charter. This will take several years. There'll be plenty of rows along the way, there are major vested interests at play. But we should all keep in mind the most important people in the debate: the audience. How can it possibly be wrong that for the money they pay they are served the best ideas on TV, Radio and Online? To get the best ideas we need neither in-house BBC nor independent producers to be guaranteed work but for fair and balanced competition to prevail. When that day comes the audience will be happy and "Tony will love it".

Music journalist John Tobler has spent decades chatting to iconic musicians. I spoke to him about his interviews with reggae legend Bob Marley.

For those who don't know your work, you've chatted to some of the biggest names in the music business...

"Having been a writer about popular music since 1969, the only two people on my list of heroes who have eluded me are Phil Spector (unlikely now he's in prison) and Eric Clapton. My most famous interviews were with Jim Morrison (at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival). The Eagles for Radio One at the time of Hotel California, J.Rotten & S.Vicious for Radio One at the time Never Mind The Bollocks was released. In 1977, the only people at Radio One who weren't nervous about involvement with punk/New Wave were John Peel and myself.

Working as an interviewer (not a disc jockey at Radio One between 1976 and about 1980) were the highlights of my broadcasting career, but in the early 1980s was heavily involved in two acclaimed Radio One series (The Record Producers and The Guitar Greats), both with 13 subjects, and both of which were also books written by me and published by BBC Publications. In 1980, I worked as a researcher on the Radio One series 25 Years Of Rock.

Bob Marley: music icon, and what sounded like a tricky trio of chats. How difficult was he to interview?

Because of my involvement with the Radio One magazine programme 'Rock On', Island Records were anxious to get Bob Marley on Radio One, so they moved heaven and earth (including a trip to Paris to see a big gig there, followed by an interview) - the gig was timed so that Bob could watch the World Cup. All in an attempt to get Bob talking on the radio. However, when the Radio One people heard the interviews, it was decided that the audience would have difficulty understanding what he was saying, so on all three occasions, the interviews were rejected for broadcast, although there was and is no technical problem.

John Tobler interviews... Bob Marley. RGF Records CD. Priced £9.99

At the time of the chats, did you have any idea how big his legacy would become?

Probably not, but his premature demise was probably (as has been said about other dead entertainers) a very good career move. He's been dead for over 30 years, and no other reggae act has even come close to 1% of the fame he achieved.

There's a sense from the interviews he wasn't that bothered about fame or money. Do you think he would have broken through in 2014?

He probably did the interviews with me because Island Records wanted him to, and perhaps also to a lesser extent because of my book titled Bob Marley & The Roots Of Reggae (written a couple of years before the earliest of these interviews). It was probably the first book written about him with his name and picture on the cover, but it is far from being my greatest achievement as an author. Bob's music manages to touch a chord with everyone.

Why do you think he succeeded where some reggae artists failed to hit the mainstream?

Probably because he had spent time in the US and had been signed at one time by Johnny Nash, who recorded several of his songs. Nash's manager, Danny Sims, and he had probably gained knowledge about the music biz outside Jamaica, which his peers hadn't (except maybe Jimmy Cliff, who was also signed to Island), whose founder and owner Chris Blackwell grew up in Jamaica before going to Harrow. Blackwell understood the Jamaican mentality, and unlike several others, did not try to rip off the artists he worked with.

Do you think reggae would be as popular today without Bob?

Definitely not. Marley is to reggae what Presley was to rock'n'roll.

:: John Tobler interviews... Bob Marley RGF Records CD. Priced £9.99

CD link

It’s officially ten years - yup, really - since McFly broke records when their debut album ‘Room On The 3rd Floor’ stormed straight to the chart.

By hitting the top spot, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd became the youngest band to ever see their debut go straight to number one, breaking a record previously set by The Beatles.

mcfly 2004

McFly in 2004

With their rocker style and cheeky good looks, McFly soon became fan favourites and even starred in 2006 movie ‘Just My Luck’, alongside Lindsay Lohan.

To date, the group have sold over 7 million records worldwide, and recently joined forces with their pals Matt Willis and James Bourne to form McBusted.

In the ten years since their debut album, it’s fair to say McFly have changed more than a little bit.

While they’re still just as cheeky, the lads have grown up, got married and even had kids of their own.

Take a look back at how they were when they first stormed the charts…

The Apes of Wrath

It took 10 years worth of work to help Rupert Wyatt reboot the ailing Planet of the Apes franchise. In the clunkily-titled Rise of the Planet of the Apes audiences saw a blockbuster hit arrive almost unannounced in the summer of 2011 and blow critics and audiences away with its heart-felt story-telling and dazzling motion-capture special effects.

Fast-forward three years and director Matt Reeves, best known for Cloverfield, takes over the reigns for the equally clunkily-titled Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But don't let the title fool you; this is every bit the worthy successor to the original that you could hope for.

Picking up a decade after the previous film, Dawn focuses on the growing society of apes lead by their super-smart saviour Caesar (Andy Serkis). The sudden arrival of the long-thought dead humans lead by do-gooder Malcolm (Jason Clarke), his wife Ellie (Keri Russell) and son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) leads to fear and mistrust from within the camp, notably from former clinical trial ape Koba (Toby Kebbell). As tensions rise on both sides, Malcolm and Caesar do their best to maintain control of their groups.

The allegories of trust, power and insecurity are perfectly encapsulated in Caesar and Koba. One the chosen leader, the other an upstart with revenge on his mind. The fact that the humans are sidelined to mere bystanders in their own history is testament to the work of WETA and the motion capture actors.

There has taken a huge leap in special effects from WETA workshop, the creative minds made famous by The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Caesar, Koba and friends are so photo-realistic that it is easy to forget that they're not real. This combined with the continued stellar physical acting by Andy Serkis and newcomer Toby Kebbell lead to an astounding achievement in visual design. It feels as close to actual reality as effects have ever been and the unnerving details on the faces denoting emotion are sublime.

But this is not a glossy showcase with nothing going on behind the sheen. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has a story and a ripplingly thrilling one to begin with. The film is at it's best when it focuses on Caesar's created society. There's almost no speech before the arrival of humanity and we are taken on a wordless hunt that is utterly engrossing. While we're learning about this brave new world our interest is peaked and the story has room to negotiate and setup the final acts.

At its heart is the growing distrust between the apes and the humans, and while you may expect an all-out action bonanza, Reeves holds back this feast, presumably for fear of overshadowing the tension and drama that he has instilled previously. Unfortunately it proves to be the first proper misstep in the film.

There is a slow-growth to the story that suggests it's holding back the full-on ape apocalypse for the next instalment. This sort of franchise-building is frustrating at the best of times and here it really puts a damper on what appeared to be a swelling historical epic. This frustration becomes almost unbearable toward the end as the narrative loses all flow, and is rescued only by the goodwill its created previously.

The scatter-gun approach to genre also doesn't quite work, with the introduction of elements of drama, historical epic, horror and action-adventure. There is a sense that it is desperately trying to recreate the moment in the original where Caesar speaks for the first time and the audiences jaws hit the ground. While it doesn't get there, it does have some beautiful cinematography, notable a spinning reverse dolly shot on top of a tank.

Dawn arrives with an up-swell of positive critical support similar to it's predecessor, but it lacks in the most important part; narrative drive. We know there can't be peace, we know that Apes will inherit the Earth and we know at some point an astronaut will kneel on a beach screaming about the stupidity of man. The first film was given license because it was so far removed from its own future that it happily and rightfully focuses on the major character, Caesar.

It should really have driven the point home, launched the war and ended with the enslavement. Instead it decided to rehash the will-they-won't-they get along angle and it drags the final acts into something of a dead-end. This is not to say that it's a bad film, in fact you wish for a time when all blockbusters attempt something this bold and expansive, but the fact remains that we should be closer to Planet of the Apes than we are. Instead we'll now have to sit through another Almost Planet of the Apes to get there.

It may lack the heart, focus and surprising poignancy of the original, but it's still a suitably impressive sequel full of outstanding performances and a bold attempt to create something different from the tired blockbuster cliches.

Thomas Patrick

Kelly Brook is still enjoying success in the US, where she’s currently staying with fiancé David McIntosh.

The model and actress has already scored a role in a US TV series, and now it’s been revealed that she’s set to be the new face of Skechers.

Kelly Brook in LA

Kelly was spotted heading out in LA’s Century City, just one day after agreeing a deal to be the trainer brand’s new face.

Kim Kardashian previously served as Skechers’ brand ambassador, while Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera have both previously occupied the role.

Kelly announced her exciting news on Instagram, posting a picture of herself with Skechers President Michael Greenberg.

During her time LA, Kelly has been making the most of a recent bicycle purchase, shunning a fancy car in favour of navigating the city on two wheels.

Kel’s fiancé David has also been picking up some work across the pond, and recently joined the Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson on-stage at the BET Awards.

Kelly will star in the sitcom NBC ‘One Big Happy’ later this year and she’s clearly been bonding with her new co-stars, if this behind-the-scenes snap is anything to go by.

‘Top Gear’ has come under fire once again, as it's been revealed that a car crash scene featuring Jeremy Clarkson and James May was filmed where a fatal accident took place in 2010.

For the stunt, the two presenters drove their Peugeot cars into each other, which then meant James’s car had to be hauled out of a ditch.

'Top Gear' presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May

Their stunt has been slammed as “insensitive” by local officials, who are unimpressed with the fact that the scene takes place on the Oxfordshire road where Jane Sandalls and a newly qualified driver clashed in a head-on collision. Jane later died in hospital after suffering severe head injuries.

Local councillor Victoria Edwards told The Mirror: "It is reckless and insensitive to use this spot for a stunt."

Producers of the BBC driving show approached Thames Valley Police to see if they could have special permission to close the road while filming took place, but were told they would have to contact local authorities.

This is just the latest in a long line of controversies surrounding ‘Top Gear’, and more specifically its presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who became embroiled in a racism scandal earlier this year after an out-take from the show surfaced where he was allegedly heard muttering the n-word as part of a chant.

He later revealed in his newspaper for The Sun that he’d been reprimanded over the clip, stating: “I've been told by the BBC that if I make one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time, I will be sacked.

"It's inevitable that one day, someone, somewhere will say that I've offended them, and that will be that."

Kylie Minogue has cried fresh tears over her long-ago romance with Michael Hutchence, revealing, "It was great love and it was true heartbreak."

The Aussie singer gets emotional as she speaks out about her time with the late INXS frontman for an Australian interview, to be aired this weekend.

kylie minogue

Kylie is wistful as she recalls the ups and downs of her romance with Michael Hutchence

She reveals, "I had so many firsts with him. I’d never met anyone like that.

"Mixture, mixture of emotions and memories."

Watch the trailer above.

Kylie and Michael dated for two years after meeting in 1989. At the time, Michael famously said mischievously in an interview that his favourite pastime was "corrupting Kylie". At the time, her image changed dramatically, with the former soap star opting for a far more adult, sexy look during her time with him.

kylie michael hutchence

Kylie and Michael dated for two years 25 years ago, but he has evidently stayed in her heart

Their relationship came to an end after Michael met and started a relationship with Danish model Helena Christensen, which was followed by his tragic romance with British presenter Paula Yates.

He died in 1997.

Kylie has recently moved back to her hometown of Melbourne, after living for a long time in London. Last year, she split with her long-time love model Andres Velencoso, and also made changes to her management team. She is currently appearing on The Voice in Australia.

Kylie's 60 Minutes interview will air on Channel Nine at 8:00pm on Sunday.

PICTURES: Michael Hutchence and his loves

Now, I want you, if you'd be so kind, to spend the next 3 and a bit minutes watching the trailer below for the upcoming Rom-com 'What If', starring Daniel Radcliffe, to be released in UK on August 20th. Pay close attention - you will be tested.

Did you make it through? More power to you. Now, at the risk of spoon feeding you your opinion, let's go over what we think is wrong with it all. Is it the wholly unfunny tumble weed gags shoe horned in there? Sure, but trailer editing is so jumpy and erratic in general that it's often a cinematic miracle that a trailer should siphon anything more than a slight chuckle from its audience. Or is it what the supremely creepy peaking ol' Potter does in the lady's changing rooms that presumably is supposed to be born from and portrayed as boyish and affectionate curiosity? Whilst a legitimate point, it's doesn't quite get to the crux of it. No, the key issue is that, after a mere 3 minutes, I now know pretty much all you need to know about the film... more or less.

Take a look at what we know. Two attractive adults meet to find they have electric chemistry. Sparks are flying between them, only to be quashed by the realisation that the woman is already in a relationship with an apparently meat-headed and less attractive male, much to the man's dismay. They resolve to be friends nonetheless, yet their only too evident rapport becomes more and more bloated until jealous feelings, mawkish speeches about the nature of love and inappropriate moments in confined gender segregated spaces ensue. The "all is lost" moment comes when the woman declares that she's been offered a job overseas and poor Harry is left with his nacho eating, loud and brutish room-mate and wondering "what if?" (see what I did there?). On the backdrop of catalogues upon catalogues of Rom-coms who employ this dusty old frame work, what's the betting that in the end, the girl ditches the old boyfriend and trades him in for the lovable and pocket size teenage wizard? I'd hazard a guess and say overwhelmingly high.

Admittedly I'm going to look a fool if, come mid-August, What If turns out to be a deeply satirical and generically self-referential piece, employing all the old Rom-com tropes we've come to know and love only to blow them to smithereens with a non-sequitur and postmodern explosion of cinematic irony as an ending. The Cabin in the Woods of romantic comedies. The credits will roll and a smug "We told you so, Washbourn" will slowly slide its way down the screen as I'm sat there, awkwardly fiddling with my arm rests. However, whilst this outlandish eventuality remains a possibility, the ineptitude of the film's trailer in revealing so much of itself before release still stands, and a shame it is too.

The question that stems from all this is what a trailer should do and what it should hope to achieve. The glaringly obvious initial response to this is that it should persuade you to part with a fair buck and go to see the film. Perhaps now more than ever, with cinema ticket prices at astronomic highs, trailers are of increasing importance. For most people, a trailer will be the first impression one gets from a movie. Implicit in this is the need to entice your audience in, by feeding them just enough that they get a sense for the overall tone of the film and leave wanting more. A movie trailer is much like a burlesque strip tease (bear with this ill fated analogy for just a moment more). It needs to first show a subtle bit of ankle, give a cheeky wink and a lick of the lips before moving to the main event. A trailer shouldn't stand outside in its Y-fronts in broad daylight, swinging the script over its head and screaming the ending at the top of its lungs. Not that I have any personal experience to attest to the nature of a strip tease, but you see my point.

Take, for example, the following trailer for Stanley Kubrick's 1980 masterpiece The Shining.

The minimal nature of the trailer puts itself in stark contrast to any trailer I've seen before. At base level, the trailer is nothing more than a stationary camera capturing an opening set of lift doors give way to a cascading blood red wave which gushes out into the corridor, set to a dissonantly cloying backing track. However, despite its minimalist approach, the trailer ingeniously establishes the tone of the movie in instilling a sense of ambiguous macabre spirit and impending doom, ensnaring my intrigue and allowing the wave to wash over me. All of this, and essentially no insight into the plot of the film. Of course, Kubrick is so canonical that he could have issued a trailer consisting of him sat on the toilet, ordering me to see his film whilst Jack Nicholson hands him toilet paper and I would still fork out the money. Come to that, I'd probably go and see any film if it was prefaced with such a surreal trailer. I digress.

Perhaps a less predisposed reflection comes with the trailer for the soon to be released Richard Armitrage thriller Into The Storm.

Whilst the trailer doesn't suggest anything new or innovative with the film, it strikes directly at the audience's curiosity by simply not giving much away. Sure, it smacks of 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow, but look at what is left unknown. What is the cause of the storm? Where is this all taking place? Who are any of the characters I've been presented with? Coupled with great images of exploding planes and fierce weather and sporadic use of stark and abrasive sound, the trailer makes for a film that I would guess will spark a lot of interest.

To some, trailers might just be that 20 minutes before the film starts, but as a marketing tool to film companies they are invaluable. A well made and cleverly executed trailer can make or break a film's commercial success. So remember, when you're trying to make an effective trailer, always think to yourself, "What would Dita Von Teese do?".

Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel paid tribute to Paul Walker as filming wrapped on the upcoming ‘Fast And Furious’ film.

Michelle and Vin starred alongside Paul in the first ever ‘Fast And Furious’ film in 2001 and Michelle later reprised her role as Letty in the franchise’s 2009 movie.

Paul Walker

Michelle posted a snap of herself and Vin on-set online, with the caption: “Ride or Die through thick and thin 15 yrs later surreal to think we made it through such a tough painful production. But this ones for you P I hope we make you proud love you.”

Paul was filming scenes for the upcoming flick when he died in a car crash.

An investigation into the fatal accident revealed that the car Paul and his friend Roger Rodas were travelling in, with Roger driving, was travelling at between 81 and 94 miles an hour when it began to drift.

His brothers have aided the film’s production team by filming a number of smaller scenes as Paul’s character Brian.

Michelle’s personal life has hit headlines recently thanks to a number of public displays of affection with ‘High School Musical’ star Zac Efron.

Steven Spielberg's 'Extant' Was Inspired By 'Doctor Who', Says Producer Mickey Fisher

Emmys 2014: Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba And 'Downton Abbey' Lead The Way For British Nominees (FULL NOMINATIONS LIST)

Manchester, Kent, London, Paris, Miu Miu and Jack White in Twenty Hours

'Big Brother': After Kimberly And Steven's Sex-capades... Who Are The Best 'BB' Couples Ever? (PICS)

Ten Reasons Why Kylie's Career Has Gone Wrong!

Steve Coogan Calls Angelina Jolie's Campaigning Efforts 'Slightly Off-Putting'

‘TOWIE' Star Billie Faiers Gives Birth To Baby Girl: Co-Stars And Sister Sam Share Congratulatory Messages On Twitter

Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Kidman Both Bound For London's West End Theatre Stage - Who Would You Rather See?

No Smoke Fairies Without Fire

The Libertines at Hyde Park Was a Much Needed Injection of Rock and Roll

Tie Pin Station

Why Everyone Benefits From the BBC's Bold Move to Open Up More to Indie Production

Marley and Me: John Tobler Reflects on a Reggae Legend

McFly: As They Were... When Their Album ‘Room On The 3rd Floor' Topped Charts And Broke Records (PICS)

Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

The Apes of Wrath

Kelly Brook Follows In Kim Kardashian's Footsteps: Model Becomes The New Face Of Skechers (PICS)

'Top Gear' Presenters Jeremy Clarkson And James May Blasted For Filming Crash Scene At Fatal Car Accident Site

Kylie Minogue Cries Fresh Tears Over Michael Hutchence, Calls It A 'Great Love And True Heartbreak'

What Movie Trailers and Strip Teasing Should Have In Common

Michelle Rodriguez Posts Tribute To Paul Walker As ‘Fast And Furious' Filming Wraps