It's been a good week for … not taking yourself too seriously

It's been a good week for … not taking yourself too seriously

She's one of the UK's most successful and respected journalists. The programme is BBC2's flagship current affairs programme. So you don't expect to see Kirsty Wark dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller on Newsnight.

Granted, it was Hallowe'en, the hype for which escalates on a yearly basis. But I hope Wark's performance doesn't come back to haunt her. Surely you can be a serious broadcaster and still have some fun?

The pressure is now on Wark's fellow Newsnight presenter, Jeremy Paxman, to show us his moves. Next year's Strictly, maybe? Or is that too scary?

It's been a bad week for … whisky

There's an invasion coming. Fine Single Malt English Whisky will go on sale in Scotland this week, made by the English Whisky Company at the St George's Distillery in Norfolk.

The source of such sacrilege? Marks & Spencer is launching its own brand of English whisky after signing a deal with the distillery.

Andrew Nelstrop, the company's managing director, said the recipe for M&S's whisky is light and gentle, with a hint of smoke.

This sounds very much like many a Scottish whisky, so why bypass the genuine article? And for such a young pretender: the English Whisky Company only started life in 2005, when Lincolnshire farmer James Nelstrop reached the age of 60 and, instead of retiring, decided to indulge his passion for whisky.

Whisky production stopped in England more than 100 years ago and it was his aim to resurrect it by building a distillery in Norfolk to take advantage of the county's quality barley and Breckland water.

So where did he turn? A distiller from Laphroaig was recruited. Some might say that this was cheating a bit. But in December 2006, Nelstrop was able to make the first 29 barrels of English whisky.

Since the original distillations, the company has made nearly 2000 casks. It is now exporting to the US and has even sold a couple of thousand bottles to customers in Scotland.

And the concept is catching on. Nelstrop says he is pleased that English distilleries are popping up throughout the country.

Are we doomed to eternal dramnation?