Magazines: Radio Times redesign

Radio Times 11-17 April 2009
Really speaking, under the 'rules' of this blog, I ought to mention RT every week as I do read it every week. As it is, of course, I only mention it occasionally, when there's a special reason (or when I remember).

This is a special RT for a couple of reasons. One is their redesign, which I approve of. They haven't lost any major sections/columns (always a redesign fear), and they've even managed to extend some. Importantly, their main channel listings are fundamentally unchanged, but the few cosmetic tweaks (such as making episode numbers and titles clearer) are very much for the best. They've also improved their main digital listings -- the larger format, especially the larger Choices box, takes a little getting used to, but it is better.

The magazine-wide change, however, is a general one stylistic one -- most of the features are the same and in the same place, but it now uses a different font. As was clear to me, and is thankfully flat-out admitted in the editorial, this "classy new design... reinforces RT's position at the top of the TV magazines premier league." Meaning to say, "this isn't just any TV listings magazine, this is a special TV listings magazine". And so it should be.

In the magazine itself, there are features on this Easter's Doctor Who special and Sky1's adaptation of Skellig, amongst other things. And yet another lovely Who cover -- with only four episodes this year, and two of those over the Christmas period, Who will surely see its greatest dearth of RT covers since it returned in 2005!