Hit TV Shows Spark Baby Name Boom

There’s no doubt that TV has a massive impact on our culture. It affects the music we listen to, it can change our ideas of what we may perceive as what is right or wrong, it influences how we dress and can even change our attitudes towards certain issues.  There is no greater testament to the power of TV however, than its ability to dictate how parents’ name their children.

Of course, TV isn’t unique in this sense but the prevalence of blockbuster TV shows such as Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and True Blood mean that TV is now right up there with movies and celebrity culture when it comes to influencing parents’ naming choices..

With is in mind, below are some of the biggest shows that have influenced baby names over the last few years.

game-of-thrones

Game of Thrones 

The hugely popular HBO series has captured the public’s imagination like nothing else that’s currently on television. Its mix of fantasy, drama and violence which makes it a unique offering and given its popularity, it’s no surprise that there have been a growing number of babies named after its main characters.

Tyrion and Theon both made it onto the 2013 list of baby names. Apparently the names were given to 3 or more boys, with 6 Tyrions and 11 Theons making the list. Whilst relatively speaking these are quite small numbers, given how obscure these names are, it’s very difficult to deny the influence due to the popularity of Game of Thrones.

It’s not just boys’ names that the show has affected though. In 2011, Arya was 711th in the top 1000 baby names in the US. The following year however, it jumped all the way up to 413th, representing a huge leap in popularity.  The name is similarly popular in the UK, with 187 girls named Arya in 2013. There were also 50 baby girls named Khaleesi last year, the same number of babies named Peggy. The popularity of the name is doubtless inspired by the character of Daenerys Targaryen.

The fantasy epic wrapped up its fourth season this year and with the fifth soon to follow, there’s no doubt that it will continue to have an impact on how parents name their babies over the coming years.

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Breaking Bad 

Coming to a close last year, Breaking Bad enjoyed both great critical acclaim and immense popularity with audiences around the world. Whilst it had a cult following for its first few seasons, the more intense the show became, the more people loved it and by the time it reached its fifth and final season it had become a phenomenon.

As you would expect, the names Walter and Skyler have both seen surges in popularity thanks to the  show. Last year there were 58 boys named Walter and 72 girls named Skyler. The fact that Walter would previously have been considered to be a fairly old-fashioned name shows how much a TV show can change peoples’ perceptions in regards to names.

How much influence does TV have? 

Whilst TV shows certainly have an impact on how parents name their children, it’s important not to overstate the influence it has. If you look at the most popular names for both boys and girls it’s clear that in general, parents stick with safe and traditionally popular names, regardless of how trendy a certain name might be at any one time.

It’s no surprise when you think about it – Just because a particular name might be in vogue at the moment, doesn’t mean that will always be the case. Names that are particularly obscure often put parents off. Of course there are also some parents who take the opposite approach however and feel that giving their child a unique name will help them to stand out. These parents are usually the ones who are most likely to give their children offbeat names that are inspired by popular TV shows such as Game of Thrones.

It’s also worth mentioning that it’s sometimes hard to quantify how much of an influence TV shows have, especially when it comes to common names that are generally popular anyway. However as can be seen by the evidence here there really are clear cases where the surge in popularity of a name is down to the influence of a TV show.

 

 

 

Breaking Bad Marathon Hosted At Prince Charles Cinema

Breaking Bad, marathon, prince charles cinema

Breaking Bad: Marathon – The Pilot and the Epic Conclusion
What? A one off exclusive event showcasing the pilot and the last sixteen episodes of the show in a back to back marathon for the first time ever in stunning theatrical format. Relive every heart-stopping moment in the comfort of a cinema seat rather than your sofa.
Where? Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BY
When? 8pm for 8.30pm Saturday 30th November then all night

If the end of Breaking Bad has left you feeling (Heisenberg) blue then this is definitely the event for you.

Breaking Bad fans will be able to get tickets from the Prince Charles Cinema free on Friday 15th November at 13:00, available via the website or you can turn up at their box-office on the day, limited to 2 tickets per person.

Breaking Bad: The Final Season and the Complete Series Boxset will be available November 25 on Blu-ray and DVD

Breaking Bad: The Complete Series Comes To DVD And Blu-ray

The Ultimate Breaking Bad Experience Comes to Blu-ray Nov 25

Collector’s Edition Full Series Set Features an All-New, Two-Hour Documentary and More Than 55 Hours of Special Features in a Collectible Replica Barrel with Commemorative Memorabilia from Creator Vince Gilligan

Breaking Bad, boxset, dvd, blu-ray

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment cooks up a full batch on November 25 when BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES comes to Blu-ray in its entirety. One of the most explosive series ever to air on television, the 16-disc set is this year’s must-have gift for the holiday season, complete with all 62 episodes and more than 55 hours of special features.  Starring three-time Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series) alongside two-time Emmy® winner Aaron Paul (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series), the critically acclaimed drama from Sony Pictures Television boasts one of television’s most radical storylines, giving viewers a glimpse into the life of how far a man might go in order to take care of the ones he loves.

Fans who are addicted to the series and itching for another hit can now indulge in more than two-hours of never-before-seen footage in a ground-breaking series documentary exclusively in the box set, which comes packaged in a collectible replica barrel representing part of Walter White’s dark legacy.  The all-new documentary chronicles the making of the final season, from filming the first table read to the very last day on set and everything in between, including Bryan Cranston inviting the camera in to his Albuquerque living room for the first reading of the final script with Aaron Paul.  The box set also contains all bonus features from previously released seasons, a Los Pollos Hermanos apron and a collectible booklet with a letter from Gilligan, as well as a commemorative Breaking Bad challenge coin designed and created by Gilligan exclusively for this set as a token of appreciation to fans for making the Breaking Bad journey.

The dark series includes an exceptional ensemble cast with Anna Gunn (TV’s “Deadwood”), Dean Norris (TV’s “Under the Dome”), Betsy Brandt (TV’s “Michael J. Fox Show”), RJ Mitte and Bob Odenkirk (The Spectacular Now).

BREAKING BAD was created by writer/director/producer Vince Gilligan (TV’s “The X-Files”), who also served as executive producer with Academy Award® winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, 1988’s Best Picture) and Michelle MacLaren (TV’s “The X-Files”). Co-executive producers of the series include Melissa Bernstein (TV’s Rectify), Sam Catlin (TV’s “Canterbury’s Law”), George Mastras (TV’s “The Dresden Files”), Peter Gould (TV’s “Too Big To Fail”), Thomas Schnauz (TV’s “The X-Files”) and Moira Walley-Beckett (TV’s “Pan Am”). Stewart A. Lyons served as Line Producer/UPM. Cranston and Diane Mercer (TV’s “Arrested Development”) are producers of the series. The series is produced by High Bridge and Gran Via Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television for AMC.

Are you a Breaking Bad fan?

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s day is on the 16th of June and it is fast approaching. For those – like me- who have not bought anything yet I have put together a gift guide. It is a range of fun and different things for the most important man in your life. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments below.

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At Frost we reviewed Grant’s Family Reserve. Here is what we thought:

This whiskey smells great, full bodied. My first thought on trying this whiskey is oak. I then read up on it to find out it is matured in oak caskets. It is also malty, clean and complex. I can taste cinnamon stick, cloves, and nutmeg. We initially tried it without water and you really get the full flavours. With water it is just as enjoyable, and personally I found it more so because you could take it all in more without getting really drunk! This whiskey is a great blend. I really enjoyed it. It is sweet and fruity so it is right up my street.

Whether your dad is a discerning whisky lover or someone who enjoys the occasional dram, the Grant’s Family Reserve gift pack is the ideal way to say thank you and to help make this Father’s Day extra special.

Feeling inspired? Why not try something different this Father’s Day with one of Grant’s signature cocktails, the Grant’s highball.

 

Cocktail – Grant’s Highball

Made with the world’s favourite family owned whisky, the Grant’s Highball is an ideal aperitif or accompaniment to a meal and ideal for sharing with your dad.

Ingredients:

· 50ml Grant’s Family Reserve

· Ginger ale

· Dash of Angostura bitters

· Garnish with an Orange wedge

 

Fill a glass with ice cubes and add the Grant’s Family Reserve. Top up with ginger ale and add a few drops of Angostura bitters. Garnish with an orange wedge.

The Grant’s Family Reserve £16.49*, Grant’s Sherry Cask (MRSP £17.99*) and Grant’s Ale Cask (MRSP £17.99*) are available at Tesco, other leading supermarkets and off licences.

Visit www.grantswhisky.co.uk for the latest serve ideas

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This Leather Men’s Wallet is from QVC. £20.16

Item no.759923

 

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Emu Mens Romeo Sheepskin Slipper, £69.00, QVC.

Item no.153851

 

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Skagen Gents Midnight Blue Dial Titanium Mesh Strap Watch, QVC, £102.00

Item no.674551

 

 

 

FREE ARCHERY LESSON FOR DADS AND FAMILY SWORD SCHOOL

 

This Father’s Day, Sunday 16 June, at Warwick Castle, kids can send their dads back to school – Knight School – for free ‘have a go’ archery and training in swordsmanship from the Warwick Warriors, in addition to enjoying mediaeval weaponry displays and the firing of the Mighty Trebuchet. From 10am until 5pm, all dads qualify for an archery trial with an expert archer at Britain’s Ultimate Castle.

 

Kids and their dads can immerse themselves in over one thousand years of stories and legends about knights, battles and sieges, and experience firsthand how it feels to handle ancient weaponry. There’s plenty for mums to enjoy, too, including:

 

  • Raising the Portcullis
  • Flight of the Eagles Show, twice daily
  • The Sword and the Stone
  • Firing the Trebuchet, twice daily
  • Warwick Warriors live combat
  • Actor-led Tours of State Rooms and Great Hall
  • Towers & Ramparts
  • Riverside setting and Rose Garden
  • Warwick Castle Unlocked – four new rooms opened in February 2013

 

Book online in advance for the best value entrance fees: adults from £17.10 and children from £11.70: check www.warwick-castle.com for prices and latest attraction schedule.

Maybe all your dad wants is a phone call.

Lonely Dads Hoping for a Phonecall from their Children this Father’s Day

Panasonic survey finds over half of British dads long for more contact with their grown-up children

  • A third of fathers see their offspring once a month or less
  • Over half of dads would like to hear from children more often

 

Reports of middle-aged parents suffering Crowded Nest Syndrome due to the return of Generation Boomerang may be premature, according to a new study published ahead of Father’s Day. A survey of UK dads carried out by Panasonic reveals that 83 percent admit they miss having regular contact with grown-up sons and daughters who have left the family home.

 

A third of UK fathers see their adult offspring once a month or less, with five percent only seeing their children once a year at most. It seems dads can’t get enough family time, with 52 percent saying they would still like to hear from their kids more often.

 

Empty Nest Syndrome has historically been more commonly associated with mothers, but fathers who participated in the survey were keen to overturn the gender stereotype. Forty-six percent believe they miss their kids at least as much, if not more, than their mother does, and only one in three believes their mother misses them more than they do.

 

When it comes to keeping in touch, the home phone still reigns supreme; 68 percent of dads mainly use their landline to talk to their son or daughter. Of the many ways to stay in touch now available, dads agreed on which would appreciate receiving a new home phone as a gift. 42 percent rated the trusty home phone the best of the bunch, with 24 percent giving mobile phones their vote and Skype video calling trailing in third place with 10 percent.

 

The study shows that children are still turning to dad for advice, with petitions for help featuring in eight in ten of phone conversations. An enterprising 30 percent of children have taken the opportunity to ask for a loan during a catch-up, 33 percent have sought DIY guidance and 17 percent have asked for career advice. Oddly enough, they aren’t so forthcoming when it comes to their love lives, with just one in ten dads ever having been consulted by their children on affairs of the heart.

 

 

Free Massage for Dads at K West Hotel & Spa

 

Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, spa days away. With all these treats for the ladies, Dads might be feeling a little neglected.

 

This Father’s Day on 16 June 2013, K West Hotel & Spa will be giving Dads the treatment they deserve with a free back and shoulder massage.

 

To claim this fantastic treat, family members need to book a two course dinner at the stylish Kanteen restaurant (priced at just £16 per adult and £8 per child) and lucky Dads will receive a complimentary massage voucher.

 

Get your Dad a copy of the Breaking Bad Boxset from Amazon UK. He will be eternally grateful.

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Check out these great gift ideas from buyagift.com

Double Supercar Driving Blast: £59

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Choose from nine of the world’s most renowned and respected supercars and enjoy the high-octane adrenaline thrill of your life with this amazing driving blast! Your adrenaline levels will soar as you take control of two incredible driving machines for 3 miles each, with options including the Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin and Audi R8 – each effortlessly combining style, speed and unbelievable power! With six locations across the UK to choose from, this is your chance to discover the true power of the world’s most impressive beasts!

Helicopter Ride Over London for Two: £225

helicopter ride over London

Treat yourselves to a unique tour of London with this helicopter tour over the capital’s rooftops. London is full of famous landmarks and attractions, from Canary Wharf to the Houses of Parliament, and this unforgettable experience will give you a totally new perspective of one of the world’s greatest cities. Sit back during your flight and appreciate all the grandeur of London as you take in stunning aerial views of a city steeped in history and culture. Just remember to bring your camera!

 

Helicopter Pilot Experience Day: £139

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This amazing experience is your chance to discover if you’ve got what it takes to fly a helicopter and be a commercial helicopter pilot. Arrive at the airfield for 9am, where you will be greeted with refreshments by your hosts for the day. An introduction and safety briefing will be given by a CAA Licensed Helicopter Instructor, followed by a talk on being a commercial pilot, and a presentation on helicopter pilot career options. Next comes the highlight of the day – a hands-on, one-to-one helicopter flying lesson and hover challenge! You’ll take the controls as your instructor gives you helpful tuition. During the experience you will receive a buffet-style lunch, as well as a guided tour of the hangars and a discussion about various helicopter types.

If you have a dapper dad you can always buy him some clothes.

Father’s Day is coming up and High and Mighty is here to help with its one stop shop for all things Dad-related. Designers such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Lacoste have an array of presents and everything from fashion and fragrances, to electricals and DVD’s are all under one roof at www.highandmighty.co.uk. Perfect for the Dapper Dad.

father's day present

The Best Television Shows On Right Now

We live in a golden age of television. Film and Television used to be completely separate, but now Martin Scorsese is producing Boardwalk Empire and movie stars frequent TV. The quality just keeps getting higher. Frost did a survey of our readers for the top television shows on right now, and here they are.

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is crack in television form, and aptly so as it is about a chemistry teacher who starts to sell meth after being diagnosed with lung cancer. It is by far one of the best things on television. I have never met someone who had a bad word to say about it.

Homeland

Like most people I was addicted to Homeland and I am already excited about the new series. Homelands big advantage is the chemistry between the characters. Brody, played by Damien Lewis, was supposed to be killed off in the first season but the chemistry between Lewis and Claire Danes’s Carrie was too good and he was kept on.

The Good Wife

One of the finest legal dramas. Julianna Margulies is brilliant as Alicia Florrick. The Good Wife is now in it’s fourth season and still going strong.

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is exciting and original. It is also not scared to kill of it’s lead characters. It is brilliant television and I am not just saying that because some of my friends are in it.

Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era. It stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson and Kelly MacDonald as Margaret Schroeder. It is produced by Martin Scorsese and you can tell. Every scene is beautiful and the costumes are great. Has a great mixture of real and fake characters.

Dexter

The show about a serial killer who only kills other serial killers is genius. The next season will be the eighth and possibly last. All of the characters are amazing. Michael C Hall as Dexter is brilliant, and real life ex-wife Jennifer Carpenter plays his sister, Debbie. Who is possibly one of my favourite characters on television.


Covert Affair

Season Three of Covert Affairs was my favourite yet. Piper Perabo plays the CIA operative who falls in love easily. Season three had you on the edge of your seat. A show that has come into it’s own.

Revenge

Trashy TV at it’s best. It is like Dallas, but with a grudge.

Whitney

Hilarious comedy from comedian Whitney Cummings. It may not be well known in the United Kingdom but it deserves a wide audience for its cracking scripts that leave you laughing so much it hurts.

The Killing

I have to admit I have not seen this yet but promised to put it in as everyone else I know loves it, and is jealous that I have never seen it and have it to look forward to.

Suits

Brilliant legal drama now in its second season. On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City’s best lawyers. The relationship between Mike and Harvey is brilliant and, like The Good Wife, it has a strong female lead as one of the partners in the law firm.

The Big Bang Theory

The show is now the most watched show. It is funny and smart and the characters of the awkward physicists are likeable, lovable and rich in depth. Endlessly watchable.

How I Met Your Mother

Getting ready for its ninth and final season, where we will finally find out who the mother is. It is both popular and a cult classic. Ted searches for the woman of his dreams in New York City with the help of his four best friends. The cast of Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris are all brilliant.

True Blood

Sexy, naughty, violent. In a world where vampires have “come out of the coffin”, Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, discovers a new world of different creatures when she meets Bill Compton, a vampire.

Mad Men

A drama about one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm’s most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper. This show is a big hit and the costumes have sparked a thousand fashion trends.

Sherlock

A modern update finds the famous detective and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as Sherlock. The last episode of the last season was endlessly debated.

Downton Abbey

Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants. This was a runaway success on both sides of the Atlantic, making huge stars of all of the cast.


Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23

Chloe is a New York party girl with the morals of a pirate who bullies and causes trouble for her naive small town roommate June. Krysten Ritter and Dreama Walker are brilliant and James Van Der Beek sends himself up beautifully.


New Girl

After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Zooey Deschanel is deserving of her own show.


Suburgatory

A teenage girl moves from the city to the suburbs. Jane Levy is brilliant and sarcastic, the script is amazing. Witty and brilliant.

Agree or disagree? Comment below.