History awaits

At least BBC2 Controller Janice Hadlow can concentrate on spinning the DQF cuts this autumn. Her elusive book, on the story of George III's six daughters, seems to have been put back yet again in her publisher's schedules.

Originally entitled "The Nunnery: The six daughters of George III", and co-authored with her husband Martin Davidson (who commissions history and business programmes for BBC1, 2 and 4), it was first "about to be published" in 2004. Indeed, Channel 4 interviewed Janet for a history programme on the strength of it. It got as far as an ISBN number and a planned 512 pages in 2006's lists. However, it seems it wasn't quite ready, and Janet took "a short sabbatical" from the role of Controller BBC4 in 2007 to complete it (giving George Entwistle his first go at running a channel).

It re-emerged with a new title "Strangest Family: George III's Extraordinary Experiment in Domestic Happiness". Some online booksellers have been offering it in August and October this year. Now Play.com have it listed for 7th June 2012 (already discounted from £24.99 to £15.29).

And the tagline seems to concentrate on Janice: "An intensely moving account of George III's doomed attempt to create a happy, harmonious family, written with astonishing emotional force from a stunning new history writer."

Let's hope all remains harmonious in the Hadlow household.