Film director, Oliver Stone, was on the BBC’s One Show this week to punt his new documentary series, The Untold History of the United States.

Not an easy task on a TV show in which the star guest is only allowed to speak in 90 second segments, between items on eco-funerals/roller-skating dogs/eco-dogs/roller-skating funerals, or something similar.

Stone’s project, which explores some of the USA’s darkest episodes, sounds interesting, but I’m afraid I can’t provide you with any detail, as I was only able to focus on one element of his chat - his constant references to the UK as England.

Ironic, given that the remit of The One Show is to bring us stories from across the UK. Foolish quine that I am, I waited in vain for the presenters to correct him.

Furious, I switched off and conducted an online straw poll via @Scotvoices, a Twitter account which is hosted by a different Scot each week. It’s modeled on a Swedish account, and is all about breaking down cultural barriers and connecting people across the world.

I’m curating it this week, so I asked if Europeans were also guilty of referring to England, rather than the UK.

The answer came back: a resounding Yes! European correspondents all admitted, apologetically, that they referred to England and Scots abroad (not just in Europe and the USA, but all over the world), claimed they had to constantly explain the set-up of the UK.

I’ll leave others to ruminate on how that might change, or not, post-referendum, but I’m cheered by the fact that our cultural organisations are doing a fine job of flying the flag for Scotland.

Right now Blythe Duff is in New York, starring in a production of David Harrower’s play, Good With People. Set in Helensburgh, with Faslane very much a presence in the play, it’s been garnering rave reviews. Rob Drummond’s Edinburgh Fringe hit, Bullet Catch, is about to open - a strong Scottish presence in the Brits Off Broadway season. Great news too that nearly £300,000 from the Scottish Government’s International Touring Fund will allow four of our national companies - to perform across the world.

Starriest of all, Alan Cumming’s one-man Macbeth is about to open on Broadway. I’d suggest that Oliver Stone should go and see it, but the poor soul would probably get lost, wandering around Times Square looking for the venue for The English Play.

 

Music fans of a certain age (and their teenage kids) should seek out a wee gem of a film, which is on limited cinema release now. It’s Good Vibrations, the story of Belfast record shop owner, Terri Hooley, who kept his store going at the height of the Troubles, and who brought The Undertones to the world, via John Peel playing Teenage Kicks twice in a row on the radio.

Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody executive produced the film, and it features a stunning central performance by Richard Dormer as Hooley.