The Bookseller.com

4th July 2008

Anna Richardson

Anna Richardson is The Bookseller's media editor. Anna's media blog will provide a weekly insight into the big books featuring in the media.

Can the Queen topple Nigella?

29.11.07

The might of Nigella and Richard has staved off the TV-related competition for another week in the hardback non-fiction charts. The two are happily entrenched at the top of the TV books pile, refusing to budge.

So, what is a tie-in to do in order to beat the duo to the top spots? Throw dollops of cream and butter around, while constantly smiling at the camera and swinging an hourglass figure from side to side? Crash a super-speed car and then rise from the wreckage with a dodgy haircut?

It wouldn't surprise me if Russell Brand had done all of the above, which might account for his My Booky Wook racing up the charts in an attempt to pip Nige and Dick to the Xmas top spot, but good, old-fashioned ratings can still do the job.

Ebury, for example, is delighting in the news that BBC1's series "Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work" pulled in more than 7 million viewers for its first episode on Monday.

The tie-in launches today (29th November), after storming to the top of Amazon.co.uk's Hot Future Releases. 

Media appearances by its author, Robert Hardman, a Daily Mail serial, planned reviews in the weekend papers, and a fortuitous selection as "book of the month" in Majesty Magazine will add to its desirability, and its run continues until the final episode on 23rd December, leaving one more shopping day before Christmas.

Whether the opening episode’s thrill of seeing Her Majesty NOT flounce out of a photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz can be sustained is debatable, but the Queen could have the last enigmatic laugh in the tie-in stakes come Christmas.

As for next week’s TV highlights: “Long Way Down” and “The Nature of Britain” both come to an end, possibly leading to withdrawal-fix book buys, while “Heroes” fans will reach for the graphic novel tie-in from Titan to get over the show’s reportedly gripping finale on 5th December.

The steady ratings success of Elizabeth Gaskell adaptation “Cranford” on Sundays—nearly 8 million viewers for the first two episodes, hogging a third of the audience—will continue to give Bloomsbury’s tie-in cover edition a leg-up, particularly at independent retailers.

Finally, “QI” is on BBC2 for another two episodes, (tomorrow and 7th December), while a whole treat of one-off specials and big budget adaptations crowd into the two weeks leading up to Christmas.

Oh, and lest I forget, that hip-swirling, dodgy-haired Brand pops up again on “Dawn French’s Boys Who Do: Comedy” on BBC4 on 4th December, before embarking on a coast-to-coast adventure in homage to his literary hero Jack Kerouac the week after. I have a feeling you won’t be able to move for Booky Wooks.

Media Anna Richardson