So, as 2012 gets into gear, how are those new year’s resolutions coming along? Losing weight will be on the list for many people, and I’ve recently been working with PMG Television Productions here in London, providing voiceover narration for their new series, “How to Lose Weight… and Keep it Off!”, which launches officially today on Showcase TV. Here’s a clip:

The programmes are centred around the work of Rosemary Conley – the UK’s foremost diet and fitness expert – who’s been helping people lose weight since 1971. With Rosemary’s help, and with input from a range of other innovative contributors, the series aims to provide a balanced and sensitive look at the problems and common misconceptions people have regarding weight issues. PMG have a whole series of “How to…” titles in their library, of which this is just one. Others include help on how to cope with debt, reduce energy consumption and look after pets for life – all produced with the help of experts in the relevant fields.

The voiceovers for the series were recorded in my own studio and supplied to PMG as finished voice tracks, ready to edit into the programmes, meaning that costs were reduced compared to hiring a separate studio and sound engineer for the sessions. Typically, the voiceover recordings were turned around on the same day, meaning minimum delays for the production team. If you’re interested in working with me in this way, please get in touch.

Meanwhile, good luck with those resolutions!

• “How to Lose Weight… and Keep it Off!” launches on Showcase TV (Sky 201, Freesat 403) at 7.30pm on Tuesday 3rd January, 2012
• Click here to find out more about the series, and other titles in the PMG Television Productions library

Fans of the BBC’s Doctor Who in Britain and America will get a festive treat today, with a brand new Christmas special, “The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe” showing later on tonight. Meanwhile, away from the television cameras, a new Doctor Who online multiplayer game has been getting ready for launch and is now available on a preview basis – just in time for Christmas!

“Doctor Who: Worlds in Time” is a browser-based online game. Players are time travellers helping the Doctor solve a mystery that threatens the very fabric of the time stream. The game includes monsters from both the original and new series of the show, as well as host worlds and other locations which will be instantly familiar to fans.

And what does all this have to do with me? Well, I was very happy to be asked to provide the voiceover for the Official Game Trailer, which is now online. You can see it here.

The game trailer was produced in the USA, and our voiceover session was conducted over ISDN from my home studio, with the producers dialling in to ProComm Studio Services in Fletcher, NC to direct me – in this case, their best advice was to “try and sound like an excited teenager!”

Working via ISDN, phone patch or even on Skype means you can be anywhere in the world and work with me in my studio at a convenient time, so get in touch if there’s a project you’d like to discuss.

Merry Christmas, Who fans!

• To play “Doctor Who: Worlds in Time”, visit www.doctorwhowit.com right now!
• “Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow” and the Wardrobe shows on BBC One/HD at 7pm on Sunday 25th December, and on BBC America at 9pm ET.

Here’s a TV commercial I voiced recently about microchip implanting for pets, for UK-based Peddymark. According to the Peddymark website:

“Every year more than 300,000 animals go astray in the UK alone. Most of them cannot be returned home because their owners cannot be identified. The lucky ones end up in an animal home.

Microchipping is the most effective way of identifying a lost pet, chips don’t come off like collars can.

Each PeddyMark microchip has a unique number which is stored on a national database owned by the Kennel Club called PetLog. A quick scan of the chip by a dog warden, shelter or Vet reveals the owner’s name and address and contact numbers from the database’s records therefore reuniting the animal with its owner quickly with the minimum amount of stress for all involved.”

So, that seems like a good idea then, right?

The commercial was narrated by me in my home studio, and produced by London-based PMG TV and it’s airing in the UK now.

•  If you’ve got something similar in mind, please do get in touch and we can discuss how a professional voiceover track can bring your own project to life.

This is an excerpt from a recent “Method of Action” or “MoA” video for a new anti-epilepsy drug. Long words and technical terms are not a problem; in fact I enjoy the challenge!

This is an instructional video for a company which produces home security cameras, showing how to set the camera up on your home network.

A selection of short clips from a choice of programmes on various channels, and with a variety of styles!

A couple of short promos from early 2009 for Europe’s most successful home shopping channel.

This groundbreaking series from History sets out to recreate dinosaur battles from the fossil evidence, using modern paleontological expertise and stunning CGI graphics. I narrated the series in late 2008. Click the play button for an audio clip, and here for a short video (Quicktime required). You can also read a Vox Daily interview with me about the show here!

Some festive promos for Europe’s biggest home shopping channel. You can hear audio to the left – better still click here and here for video (Quicktime required – download here)

A fresh look for History after its relaunch in October 2008, and some new idents. Audio is on the left, but for the full effect click here and here for the two video clips (Quicktime required – download here)

This is a short clip from an internal corporate video for Royal Mail, explaining to staff the benefits of the “Expert Data” product.

I recorded this corporate narration for Weir Oil & Gas with London’s Function Films.

A short clip from a Biography programme on Jamie Lee Curtis – revised on the occasion of her 50th birthday. Click for video!   (Quicktime required – download here)

Here’s a clip from an audiobook I narrated for PONS, one of Germany’s largest publishers of language materials. This excerpt from a Roald Dahl story is for learners of English.

This is an example of a “Virtual Property Tour”. The words and music are married to pictures using Flash, to create a high-quality online “brochure” for prospective purchasers. Want to buy it? See if it’s still available by clicking here! Or see more on Ideal Home TV’s website, here.

This is a clip from a corporate training video for a leading supplier of turbo-charger units, showing partners how to fit the parts. Technical reads like this benefit from a treatment that prevents them from becoming too “dry”.

Here’s an audio excerpt for an online Flash presentation by communications specialists mvision. You can see the full version on their website here. Just follow the “click here to launch mvision introduction” link.

This is a clip from a corporate video streamed online to potential clients of the London Oncology Clinic. The full video can be seen here.

A more menacing treatment for a big disaster just waiting to happen. Scared? You should be…