By Jamie Rycroft

Okay, let’s face it: Sometimes train journeys aren’t terribly exciting; sometimes all you have to watch is a dark tunnel or the man next to you lovingly picking his nose. If you think there’s more to life then why not catch up on a TV programme you haven’t seen for a while; or watch something brand new? There are plenty of TV shows out there, and many seem to make a huge number of episodes before us Brits even get to hear about them. So here’s a list of the Top 5 TV Shows, old and new, which I think are worth watching on your iPad or phone when you’re on public transport…

Family Guy
This phenomenally funny and popular show is currently in its 10th season, and every single episode so far is available to download. Perhaps you want to see the most recent one – Meg and Quagmire, which is (surprisingly) about a relationship between Meg and Quagmire. Or maybe something more classic? How about Da Boom, a Season 2 episode about the Griffins surviving a nuclear holocaust; or Brian and Stewie, a half hour tour-de-force voiced entirely by Seth McFarlane. And that’s not even counting the extended Star Wars specials. You could probably spend six months of train journeys simply watching Family Guy, and chuckling all the way to the office.

The Trip
Not only is the name of the show beautifully appropriate for a train journey, it is also extremely funny and very poignant in places. The show pitches Steve Coogan against Rob Brydon, two completely different but somehow perfectly matched comedians, as they travel through the North of England eating food and doing poor celebrity impressions. There are only six episodes of this fantastic show, which is half scripted and half improvised; so the best way to try it out is to sample the first episode like a fine wine, and see what you think of it from there.

The Walking Dead
If you’d rather look at some zombies that aren’t your sleepy fellow commuters, then there’s no better show than The Walking Dead. The critically acclaimed US series has been running for one and a half seasons, and will return from its break this February. In the mean time, catch up with the show by downloading it from iTunes. You will not regret it: the show is exhilarating and completely redefines the zombie genre. Just don’t get too paranoid about the living dead when you’re going through those dark tunnels…

Sherlock
It takes some talent to revitalise something as ubiquitous as Sherlock Holmes, but with the combination of Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, the double act of Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch, and an almost hyperactive sense of pacing; the story has been brought back to its stylistic roots. The new series is currently showing on BBC One, although you may wish to catch up on Series 1 again; or perhaps just watch the same episode a few times, because quite frankly, the show is so complicated and quick that I’m often left scratching my head for a long time afterwards.

New Girl
And finally, we have to finish with New Girl: the fresh, quirky comedy series starring Zooey Deschanel (from such films as (500) Days of Summer). There has only been a few episodes shown so far in the UK, but the series has already showcased great acting and writing. Zooey plays Jessica, a girl trying to recover from her recent break-up by moving in with three single men and awkwardly re-entering the dating scene. You can download each episode as they broadcast and then watch them when you may have more time.

Having filled your phone with detectives, zombies and… cringe-worthy cartoon comedy; I hope that you will be able to pass the time on the train a little more entertainingly, whilst possibly discovering a brand new favourite TV show!

Here comes the science bit…
Global Cool wants you to lead a green and happy life. This article can help you to be green by:

1. Using public transport rather than the car.
2. Entertain yourself on public transport with e-books or these fab TV shows.

Pics: PA Images and iTunes

We’ve always had a soft spot for David Jason, but his new BBC sitcom is a far cry from the popularity of Only Fools And Horses. The Royal Bodyguard follows the story of Captain Guy Hubble who has recently been promoted to the role of (yup, you guessed it) the Queen’s bodyguard.

Within minutes of the show airing, Twitter was awash with critisicm. One tweeter Susie Carr said: “It’s cringeworthy. Can hardly bear to watch. Car crash TV at its finest.”

And it seems this sentiment was reflected across the viewing public: The Royal Bodyguard pulled in around 8 million people for episode one, but by the second airing under 5 million had chosen to tune in again. That’s a whopping fall of 3 million viewers! Perhaps Del Boy should stick to flogging stolen merchandise in the future.

Here’s a taster of the car crash…

And here’s Del Boy as we prefer to remember him…

Pic: PA Images

After entering a vicious bidding war with the Guardian, the Independent and BBC News, we have finally won the rights to Babes on Bikes – a weekly feature so integral that post-graduate journalism courses around the country have seen an influx of applications since it first went live.

We know at Global Cool you’re used to highbrow articles, critiquing the ineptitude of government with our insightful and undivided analytical eye, so that’s why we’ve brought you Babes on Bikes because – oh no wait, we’ve got mixed up somewhere. Anyway, our babe this week doesn’t seem to be as confused as us – in fact she appears pretty well organised with those cycling gloves (I mean no one likes getting blisters now, do they?)

Immature? Imaginative? Let us know how you’re feeling this morning in the comments box below or on Twitter at @global_cool. Or just ignore us and prove that cycling doesn’t have to be sensual by hopping on that bike and leaving your emissions behind (and leaving your jeans on).

Turning your TV completely off rather than leaving it on standby might be a pain in the arse (given that you have to actually get up out of your chair to do it), but it will save you loads of cash and help preserve your TV for longer. As a gentle reminder not to leave your TV on stand by we bring you TV turn-off of the week: A TV lowlight that proves that sometimes the only way is not Essex… it’s the OFF button…

We saw this picture of Robbie Savage and literally wondered what a Madame Tussauds model was doing at a BBC TV show launch. Then we realised that it was the real Robbie Savage and that he had in fact signed up for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. The ex-footballer has already come out with a whole host of ridiculous quotes, claiming that contestant Chelsee Healey fancies him and that the only reason he’s signed up is to be able to grope girls without getting in trouble with his missus.

Savage said: “I wasn’t going to do it. I was last-minute. I know I’ll get lots of stick, but it gives you a free pass to get close to another woman. You go out as a footballer and women throw themselves at you, but you can’t do anything.” To be honest, the thought of watching Robbie covered in fake tan, squeezing into too-tight outfits and perving on the female contestants is enough to keep our TV off for now.

Will you be watching or do you think it’s just trash TV? Tell us what you think in the comments box below or on Twitter @global_cool…

Pic: PA Images

By Emily Rycroft

So, who is he?
Who could forget that dance in The Office or all the times he spent ‘having a laugh’ on the BBC’s Extras? Or maybe you remember that oh-so-controversial performance at the Golden Globes (we know Robert Downey Junior does)? Either way Ricky Gervais’ fantastic sense of humour and brilliant comedic performances have made him everyone’s favourite fat bearded bloke.

Impressive. What else do I need to know?
The TV funny man turned 50 this week, but few remember him from his days as a singer in the band Seona Dancing. Check out a very young, very slim Gervais here…

So, he’s a cool guy, but why is he a Global Cool guy?
He has petitioned to PETA about foie gras and fought against wasteful fishing practices. Gervais also joined Leona Lewis in getting a tattoo to support the US Humane Society. The TV funny man has taken a stand against bullfighting and protested against the trade of baby monkeys. He has even promised to leave a substantial amount of his fortune to various animal charities. We hope Karma makes sure he has a very happy birthday week!

Seen someone cooler? Don’t keep it to yourself… Tell us all about it in the comments box below or on Twitter @global_cool…

By Chloe Swart

Commutes can be a nightmare. Imagine spending 12 hours getting to work, no one could do it… could they? Hold up. A certain ex-choreographer/dancer, the current judge on So You Think You Can Dance and the executive producer on American Idol is choosing to make this mammoth journey, making Nigel Lythgoe another one of our Global Tools.

Nasty Nigel, the man responsible for Blind Date and Popstars (among other TV shows), is making this regular epic commute between Los Angeles and London in order to fulfill duties on both major TV programmes at the same time.

And, to add insult to injury, the BBC are paying for three of his flights, which basically means you and I are stumping up for this extravagant expense!

Disagree? There’s a comments box below for that sort of behaviour…

By Emily Rycroft

And our latest Global Tool award for outstanding achievement in green idiocy goes to… the BBC.

After a rather frivolous year last year we thought the BBC might think about tightening their purse strings a bit. In 2010 they spent a reported £700,000 on an extravagant advert for Radio 1, which was never aired (!), and £120,000 on a Christmas party.

But now managers are pushing forward with plans to move production of Question Time to Glasgow – even though the programme’s editor Ed Harvard recently resigned because of the move. The BBC is planning to spend thousands of pounds a year flying a senior member of the production team from Glasgow to London to brief David Dimbleby in Westminster. The 72-year-old host snubbed the suggestion to join the team in Scotland after the BBC ordered the move.

A source at the BBC told the Standard that licence-fee payers will have to pay for a senior figure on the programme to fly down every Wednesday to meet Dimbleby. On the BBC’s own website in their 2008 Travel Less – Travel Light policy they claim: “From now on, it’s a train not a plane, whenever travelling in the UK.” We suggest it’s time for the BBC to stop being Global Tools, recall their own policies and learn the art of Traincationing, to save some money and the environment. Or even better, with all that tech know-how might we suggest video conferencing?

Tell us what you think on Twitter @global_cool or in the comments box below…

By Emma Cheshire

Although we would normally encourage the use of public transport, the journey of two men and their team across North and South America in an electric car really is something to be excited about, even if you normally prefer ogling at Top Gear’s gas-guzzling car porn…

Last week the Racing Green Endurance Project (RGE) team of students and alumni from the Energy Futures Lab at Imperial College, London completed a successful 25,750 km journey from Alaska to Argentina in a stream-and-green-lined, open-top, electric racing car: the SRZero. At the beginning of the New Year you’ll be able to watch the entire journey through the eyes of the team in an 8-part documentary on BBC World News, but for now we’ll give you the basics.

Starting in the long days of mid-summer at Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, and finishing in the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia, the drivers, Alexander Schey and Toby Schulz, of the RGE team travelled for 70 days through 14 countries two continents – no mean feat without a windscreen or a roof, and having to rely on generous friends and strangers to put the two drivers and (more importantly) the car up for a night!

Preparation for the newly-conquered Pan American Highway included a stop-free journey of 2 laps around the M25 in May – we wonder how they handled the traffic on there let alone the world’s longest road! – breaking the previous world-record of having to recharge per lap. The SRZero’s peak power output (over 400hp) from its battery pack and its ability to accelerate from 0-100kph in 7 seconds took 9 months to design and modify. The car’s ability to reach speeds of 200kph, costing £3 for every 600km (that’s £0.01 per mile!) travelled is not only environmentally efficient but also kind to the bank-balance, which should have left plenty of money for a couple of hardy hats to protect the drivers from any snow fall in the Andes or sandstorms in the Atacama desert.

The team used electricity to move from the frozen wastes of Alaska to the jungles of Colombia, but with the journey costing around £750,000, some painful vaccinations and the threat of malaria, maybe we really are better snuggling up with our jumpers in good old Britain this winter.

Swishing – or clothes swapping parties, for the uninitiated – are a great way of getting a whole new wardrobe without needing to remortgage your house. And with the winter fast approaching and Global Cool encouraging you to wrap up warm so that you can turn down your heating, what better way to get your hands on some fabulous new knitwear than to have a swishing party?

Fashion blogger Ms Wanda gives her top tips for making the most of your swish…

I’m not exactly a swishing virgin, but I’m not quite the expert that  some people credit me for either. The swishes I’ve been to before were quite mellow affairs, delivering some fashion favourites without too much stress. The recent swish in High Street Kensington was a completely different affair though. I felt like I’d stepped off the plane in Kabul.

Over the next few months I intend to go to a lot more swishes. If I am to keep my pledge (and look fabulous) they will be essential. But one thing I learnt after last night – I’m going to have to get a lot better at them!

So here’s what I learnt:

Rule 1: Don’t turn up 15 minutes late because you had the munchies and really wanted some snacks. These events move quickly. Within 20 minutes they’re pretty much over.

Rule 2: No repetition, deviation or hesitation. Fans of BBC Radio 4′s Just a Minute will know the cut-throat competition the show operates under, and swishes are just the same. Pause for a moment and somebody else will snatch that fabulous dress right from under your nose.

Rule 3: Don’t think too much. Grab what you can as soon as you can. When you’ve worked the room thoroughly then you can go to one side and work through what you’ve got.  If you decide you don’t like something, just put it back for someone else.

Rule 4: Get the hell out. Once you’re done don’t dawdle. Find the nearest bar, grab a large glass of wine, and marvel at your wonderful new collection of clothes.

Although I don’t think I particularly worked this swish that well I still picked up a few nice treats. My favourites were a cute little cardigan pictured above, perfect as the cold nights draw in; and a really fun pair of striped tailored shorts (pictured right).

Visit Ms Wanda’s blog here to find out about her other sustainable fashion adventures, or follow her Twitter.

Enter our I Love My Jumper competition to win £100 worth of high street shopping vouchers every week from now until Christmas 2010!

Read more about our Turn Up The Style, Turn Down The Heat campaign here

This week, here’s what former England international and now BBC Sport presenter Gary Lineker will be spending his time doing now the World Cup is over…

“I always find it very difficult to choose one book. However, when I was young my favourite books were the Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton.

“As a child, I loved the crisp writing style, the sense of adventure in the stories and the fact that the Five always seemed to be eating! Re-reading the books now with my own two boys, I am fascinated by their view of the writing style and the way the books immediately transport me back to my own childhood.”

What are you currently reading on the bus or train? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter using the hash tag #booksinpublic