Doing it by the book

800,000 of us stayed up for the first edition of The Editors.

I can sort of imagine the planning meeting.

Mr Simpson: I suppose I could do Baghdad again..

Dee Kruger (Associate Producer and Wife): But it needs to be different. Thoughtful. Erudite. 

Mr Simpson: Bread and barbecued carp, mmm

Dee: John, for God's sake, concentrate. We can't just do the usual walking schtick. What about an iPad ?

Mr Simpson: No, no, no.  What about a journal ! Brilliant. Nothing symbolises quality journalism more than a journal...

And so it came to pass that a good quarter of a six and half minute film featured our hero capturing history with pen and leather-bound paper (apparently at the expense of a seat belt in the opening sequence). Or maybe he was doing the shot list. Until the Simpson archive is opened, we'll never know.