Rarely these days do you see something on televesion that is so nerve-shreddingly real

And, why David Hasselhoff is the perfect reader for bedtime stories

Former Baywatch star and Britain's Got Talent judge David Hasselhoff will help children off to sleep on New Year's Eve by reading a book for the CBeebies Bedtime Story Series.

Last Night's Viewing

The husband of Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm died just hours after giving a eulogy at her funeral, her agent said.

"It wasn't until after I did The Lion King that I decided maybe straight acting could be fun". Happily for the theatre, Bennett-Warner was just 11 at the time.

Christmas books of the year

While America is reflecting on the consequences of ideological polarity, this is the English version of a bust-up. The Speaker, John Bercow, who in the film version might be played by Tom Hollander, confronts the burlier Tory figure of Mark Pritchard, in the corridors of Westminster. For some reason, Bercow decides to speak as if he were in Wolf Hall: "The courtesy of the House is that honourable members should stand aside when the Speaker passes by." The honourable member growls: "You are not fucking royalty, Mr Speaker." Bercow squeals after him: " Well a good morning to you, Sir." Pritchard's line is not Wilberforce, but it caught the imagination of his colleagues and is now being printed on T-shirts.

He is the most exacting and pernickety of actors, Derek Jacobi, which means that his long-awaited Lear will never open the floodgates. But it is most beautifully spoken and detailed. It's also terribly polite.