Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Genuine "Holy Crap!" news as King of Pop Michael Jackson expires after a cardiac arrest.

A mercurial talent, wasted in his later years, but you cannot deny the brilliance of his earlier work.

Tainted by controversy over his relationship with children, but goes to his grave with his reputation untarnished.

Scores points for Ian Petchy

Also leaving us this week: Farrah Fawcett

Wendy Richard 1943-2009

It grieves us to report the death of noted television actress Wendy Richard, who leaves us aged 65 after a battle with breast cancer.

Known for her risque portrayal of Miss Brahms in the sitcom 'Are you being served?" and latterly as frying-pan wielding battleaxe Pauline Fowler in EastEnders.

After retiring from full-time actress, Richard sent herself up in her final years appearing as a human cannonball on advertisements for the Royal Mail.

Poor, dead W. Richard. We shall miss her dearly.

Surprisingly, no points for anyone.

A bit of admin news: Poor, nearly dead JADE GOODY goes onto the embargo list. You can't choose Jade as a potential stiff.

Tony Hart 1925-2009

Possibly the saddest of the recent slew of celebrity deaths that has seen the famous dropping like flies.

I was born in the 1960s, so grew up with Tony Hart on my television for the whole of my youth and adulthood.

He inspired me - and thousands of others - to take up art and to do something other than just sit in front of your television set. Unfortunately, I was crap at art, but you can't win them all.

Hart was an officer in the Gurkha Rifles, before joining the BBC. His Vision On and Take Hart programmes became the stuff of legend, and it was only ill-health, coupled with the dumbing down of youth TV that forced the great man to give up his calling.

A sad, sad loss for British culture.

John Mortimer: The death of the great defence lawyer and author last Friday scores ten point for Richard. Another great name consigned to the dusty shelves of literary history.

January Transfer window

If you're still playing the game, I'm allowing a four-week window in which you can change any name on your death list.

I'm also rolling all the Duke of Edinburgh dates over to 2009.

I'm also allowing new players to enter the game. Please read the rules first.

The transfer window closes on 15th February 2009.

Ricardo Montalban - Patrick McGoohan

Yeah, I know, I've been neglecting this site.

BUT! Two sci-fi legends carking it in one day make it a sad day for geeks, and spurs me to post an update.

I'll update the scorecard soonest.

Reg Varney 1916-2008

Much loved comic actor from ITV series On The Buses.

We never watched it because it was a) common and b) on 'the other side'. But apparantly, people actually thought it was quite good and spawned a catchphrase from that fright-faced bloke who still isn't quite dead.

Surprisingly, doesn't score any points for anybody.

No longer on the buses.

On The Hearses.

Paul Newman 1925-2008

Much loved movie star, racing driver, humanitarian and salad dressing guy who dies this weekend at the age of 83, after a battle with cancer.

The star of some of the finest films to come out of Hollywood, the veteran actor had to wait until 1986 to pick up his Academy Award for his role in The Color of Money.

Nobody - NOBODY - had poor, dead P. Newman as a game choice, so no scores to update.