Goodbye 2000

Angus Deayton:
Of course, according to Nostradamus, July this year was the month in which the Earth was going to explode. In case you missed the headlines, it didn't.

Angus Deayton:
Perhaps the biggest story of the year has been the American election fiasco, in which the apparent inability to understand a simple form led to George Bush applying for the job of president.

Angus Deayton:
As you would expect, the upcoming A-Z of the year contains highlights carefully selected for their national significance, global importance or true landmark status. That said, a disgraceful amount of them were just bunged in for a bit of a laugh. The whole affair is conveniently divided into twenty-six sections, which may not seem the most earth-shattering innovation given that it's based on the alphabet. Indeed, an A-Z is not the most original of formats, but just think yourself lucky we don't live in China or we'd be here all night.

Angus Deayton:
"One amazing day" was their slogan, but given the fact that it was open for 365 of them that's not a great ratio.

Angus Deayton:
We've arrived at our final letter, and it's therefore time to ponder what life will be like in 2001. Of course Stanley Kubrick's legendary film suggested that we'd all be living out our lives on vast, slow-moving intergalactic space stations, whereas in fact we now know we'll actually be living out our lives on vast, slow-moving intercity train stations.

Angus Deayton:
Of course, it's fun and even traditional at this point to predict unlikely events about to change our world. I think we've all lived long enough to know the next twelve months will not be radically different from the last dozen. Politicians will lie, TV will titillate, newspapers will offer shock-horror, nobody will want to get up on Mondays and the burning hope of everlasting love and fantastic sex with someone that suddenly walks into your life and sweeps you off your feet will be the only thing that keeps you going from one day to the next. Oh, and of course Man United will once again run away with the Premiership.