It’s one of the highest-rated TV shows on IMDb, yet I’ve tried numerous times to start watching it with absolutely no success. Until now, I’d never made it past the first episode.

The show completely passed me by back in 2002, along with several other classics from that era like Spooks, The West Wing and Stargate SG-1. I was younger then and spent most of my time out with friends before getting married, rather than sitting in front of the TV.

If The Wire had come out a few years earlier or a few years later, I’m convinced I would have watched every episode as it aired.

Watching it now, 24 years on, it definitely feels like a product of its time. CRT monitors, flip phones and... was that an actual typewriter in the first episode?

Madness.

One of the biggest surprises has been the cast. Dominic West, Idris Elba, Lance Reddick, Wendell Pierce, Domenick Lombardozzi and even a very young Michael B. Jordan.

The list just keeps going.

What’s strange is that I know most of them from things they did later. Dominic West from The Affair, Idris Elba... well, everything. Wendell Pierce from Suits. Domenick Lombardozzi from pretty much every mob drama ever made, especially as Chickie in his brilliant role in Tulsa King.

So, I’m now two episodes in.

That’s already further than I’ve ever made it before, which has to be a good sign.

Now I just need to find out whether it really deserves that incredible 9.3 IMDb rating.

When I heard that Joe Jameson and Carl Prekopp were returning to narrate the audiobook of Four Worlds of Bertie Cavendish, I almost exploded with excitement.

I first read this when it was released back in 2021 and absolutely loved it. I've always wanted more books set in the Extracted universe, and this was exactly that. It felt like catching up with old friends, with Ben Ryder, Safa Patel and Mad Harry Madden all making a welcome return.

Like any self-respecting fan, I had the audiobook pre-ordered and was genuinely excited to wake up on 25 June and find it sitting in my Audible library, patiently waiting for me.

Because it's been a few years since I first read it, I'd forgotten most of the story.

And that's never a bad thing.

I've always said the best way to enjoy a book or a film is to know as little about it as possible. You only get one chance to experience those twists for the first time.

Fight Club was ruined for me by a friend, who I'll never forgive. Thankfully, years later I got to experience it again through my son's eyes, who had absolutely no idea what was coming. Watching someone discover a great twist for the first time is almost as good as seeing it yourself.

As Colin Morgan narrated the Worldship Humility books, hearing Yassy and Sam voiced by Carl Prekopp came as a surprise. Thankfully, he absolutely smashed it. In fact, every narrator brings something different to the characters, and it works brilliantly.

RR Haywood has mentioned on his Facebook page that WF Howes don't normally produce audiobooks with multiple narrators, so this was something new for them.

They absolutely smashed it.

This is one of those rare occasions where I'd actually recommend the audiobook over the printed book. Not because the novel isn't fantastic, but because the performances add another layer to the story that you simply don't get on the page.

Joe Jameson and Carl Prekopp don't just read the story.

They perform it.

By the end, it felt less like listening to an audiobook and more like watching a film with my ears.

Is it too soon for a re-listen?

Absolutely not.

Click. Click. Motherf***er.

It was my birthday recently, and it got me thinking about birthdays from years gone by.

Back in 1986, my old man took me to Argos to buy my birthday present. I only wanted one thing: the amazing Tomy Tonic 3D Sky Attack.

It was all the rage at the time. I'd played on a friend's and instantly knew I wanted one of my own.

It obviously had to be the red one. Never mind the game itself, red was cool when you're a six-year-old kid.

I brought it home and played with it non-stop. In fact, I played it so much that I eventually wore off the printed graphics and names on the rubber buttons. Looking back, I probably made a significant contribution to the UK's AA battery consumption during the 1980s.

Fast forward exactly 40 years and I still have it.

It's the pride and joy of my retro gaming collection. It's battered, old, tatty and worn out, but the moment I hear that start-up sound, it unlocks a flood of memories that have been tucked away for decades.

These days it lives safely in the loft, but every now and then I bring it down for a quick play. Much to my amazement, my kids enjoy it too.

I think that's the beauty of toys like this. You switch it on and it just works.

No updates.

No loading screens.

No internet connection.

No downloading a 50GB patch before you can start playing.

You turn it on and you're ready to go.

I'd love to own the entire Tomy Tonic range and maybe one day I'll spend far too much time trawling eBay looking for examples in decent condition.

Mike Humber is back.

After the events of Huntington House, all the poor bloke wants is a quiet life, a bit of work and somewhere to stay while he earns some money.

Naturally, being Mike Humber, that’s not what happens.

This time he takes a job as a night watchman at a fish processing plant and private dockyard. Which sounds simple enough. Keep an eye on things, earn a wage and try not to get involved in anything too dramatic.

Unfortunately, Mike Humber has the same relationship with trouble that magnets have with metal.

In true Humber fashion, he finds himself dragged, seemingly against his will, into some very dodgy business. Or does he?

One of the things I love about RR Haywood’s books is that you’re never entirely sure what’s really going on. Every time you think you’ve got things figured out, another clue appears and sends you back to square one.

After reading Huntington House, I spent most of this book on edge. RR Haywood had already taught me not to trust my own theories, so I found myself questioning everything and everyone.

The clues are there throughout the story. You can see them if you’re paying attention. The problem is working out which clues matter and which ones are there to make you look silly.

Then, in true RR Haywood fashion, everything comes together.

And suddenly all those little details that seemed unimportant don’t seem quite so unimportant after all.

I won’t spoil anything, but if you’re a fan of Mike Humber or RR Haywood’s knack for pulling the rug out from under you, you’re in for a treat.

Just don’t trust anybody.

Especially the fish. 5/5

I'm currently reading The Undead series by RR Haywood and I'm absolutely hooked. If you like zombie films, zombie books or anything involving the end of the world and people making terrible decisions, you need to give these books a go.

The story follows a Tesco supermarket manager, Howie, whose quiet life is interrupted by a full-blown zombie apocalypse. As it does.

Reading the books got me thinking about what I'd do if the undead ever turned up on my street. More importantly, it got me thinking about how Sikhs would cope.

After careful consideration, several cups of cha and absolutely no scientific research whatsoever, I've come to the conclusion that Sikhs would do just fine.

Here are five reasons why.

1. Armed

2. Enough Food to Feed a Small Nation

3. The Secret Garage Survival Kit

4. Seva Would Keep Everything Running

5. Gurdwaras Would Become Safe Zones

Final Thoughts