Actress Helen Flanagan (formerly of Coronation Street, where she played Rosie Webster) is the top-placed Briton on FHM’s Sexiest 100 Women list, thanks to reader votes. Mila Kunis topped the poll, voted via fhm.com, followed by Rihanna. Flanagan found herself in third place in the list of international celebrities.
   Rounding off the top ten—and showing how FHM’s largely British reader base often voted in their own—were Michelle Keegan, Kelly Brook, Kaley Cuoco, Pixie Lott, Kate Upton, Cheryl Cole and Georgia Salpa. Tulisa Contostavlos just missed out on a top-10 placing, in 11th.
   Our colleagues at ITN caught up with her in a very low-cut black gown at the party announcing the list, but presumably the volume prevented Flanagan from hearing the first questions posed to her.
   Once tuned in to the interviewer, the 22-year-old Mancunian actress got through her questions more quickly.
   Flanagan says that she has an obsession with Angelina Jolie and also regards eighth-placed Kate Upton as being sexy.
   She also notes that she is ‘socially shy’ and would prefer a gentleman with manners to a ‘bad boy’.
   Flanagan leapt from 47th place in last year’s poll.
   The full list can be found at www.fhm.com/girls/100-sexiest-women.
   Our second video features Emily Atack, Keeley Hazell, Jorgie Porter and Laura Whitmore.

Updated May 17, 2013 at 12.46 p.m. GMT with videos from Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

In the 36 years since The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended, we’ve had snippets of information here and there: TV specials celebrating various anniversaries, articles when the release of the disappointing Mary & Rhoda TV movie appeared, and retrospectives when Mary Tyler Moore herself was presented with a SAG award. But no one, till now, has put together a tome on how the show was created and its eight-year history.
   Jennifer Keishin Armstrong’s Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted and All the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic is the best researched book on the topic. Newly released by Simon & Schuster, Armstrong has talked to the surviving members of the cast and crew, including writer Treva Silverman, and producers and creators Allan Burns and James L. Brooks, as well as Moore, Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod and others. She has exhaustively researched period articles and even feminist conferences. But don’t expect a laborious effort to get through the 300 pp.: anyone with even a passing interest in television sitcoms, television history in general, recent American history or the media’s role in the development of feminism will find Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted an absorbing and entertaining read, tracing the origins of the show in the 1960s to the years after its final episode, told chronologically.
   It’s hard to believe now just how revolutionary The Mary Tyler Moore Show was in 1970. It’s even harder to believe that it had a difficult gestation and plenty of doubt among network executives. CBS had expected it to flop after its 13-episode commitment, not take home multiple Emmys. Ed Asner could have walked away permanently after a bad audition. But it became a ratings’ winner, catching the smart, urban crowd, and the fictional Mary Richards became the first mainstream character to tell America that it was OK to be single, over 30, and independent.
   Jay Sandrich’s style of directing is mentioned—he believed that actors should play to each other, rather than on stage in the theatre, performing to the audience. That, the live audience, and the use of film helped lend The Mary Tyler Moore Show a different style. The use of Evan-Picone as a sole supplier of Moore’s wardrobe also helped with realism: Mary Richards might repeat an outfit during a season, which a real working woman would. Brooks and Burns, in their own commitment to reality, sought out female writers, who were extremely hard to come by in the late 1960s and early 1970s, to give the show an authentic voice. The networks themselves had remarkably few women, with the few female executives who had broken the glass ceiling needing to leave their high heels outside the washroom so that their male colleagues knew they were inside.
   Norman Lear’s remake of Till Death Do Us Part, called All in the Family, which proved more ground-breaking in pushing the envelope, is also mentioned more than just in passing. All of it is placed into the context of the social changes in the United States at the turn of the 1970s, making Armstrong’s book a particularly useful text, covering many bases.
   We read about male friends writing to CBS angrily when it was implied that she had stayed over at a boyfriend’s, or even about how ground-breaking one scene was when Mary’s visiting mother, talking to her father, says, ‘Don’t forget to take your pill,’ to which both father and daughter replied, ‘I won’t.’
   The team’s personal demons—Ted Knight had anxieties stemming from his slow rise to stardom, for instance, and the pressure put on Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore’s marriage—are dealt with, and Armstrong successfully transplants the reader to the 1960s and 1970s as though the events were unfolding before us. The fact Mary Richards fought for equal pay but still accepted a lower rate did not endear the show fully to feminists, but The Mary Tyler Moore Show largely stayed true to not dealing with the issues of the day—rather, it would address them through character-driven plots, with one or two exceptions. On that note, it was quite unlike All in the Family, which would deal with racism or sexism head-on.
   Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted is better than any DVD commentary or documentary so far produced on the show. With over 300 pp., it is the definitive reference on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and to a lesser extent, its spin-offs. In terms of interest among American readers, we think it’s going to make it after all.

Armstrong has emailed Lucire with some of the events she has planned to promote her new book.
   ‘If you’re in New York, I especially encourage you to join us for MTM-related bar trivia to celebrate release week. There will be prizes—T-shirts, books, mugs, and free Entertainment Weekly subscriptions!’ she says.
   ‘So far I’ve got stuff planned for New York, DC, Chicago, Milwaukee, and LA, but I’ve still got more in the works, so if you’re somewhere else, please check my website for updates.’
   Right now, those events are (please check her website for corrections and updates):

• Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m.: Mary Tyler Moore Show trivia night for Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted release. At Pacific Standard, Brooklyn.
• Monday, May 13, 12 p.m.: Mary Tyler Moore Show discussion and reading from Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted. At 92nd Street Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street.
• Friday, May 17, 7 p.m.: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted reading and discussion at the Village Zendo, 588 Broadway (near Houston), Suite 1108.
• Monday, May 20, 12 p.m.: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted reading and signing at the National Archives, Washington D.C.
• Tuesday, June 4. 7 p.m.: The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Modern Woman discussion at Boswell Book Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Wednesday, June 5, 8 p.m.: Sexy Feminism and Chicago Doll party, Old Town Social, 455 W. North Ave., Chicago—join us for a fundraising raffle, cocktails, and fun.
• Thursday, June 6, 7 p.m.: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted Chicago launch party, Hemingway House and Museum, Oak Park.
• Friday, June 7: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted reading and talk at Book Cellar, Lincoln Square, Chicago.
• Sunday, July 7, 7 p.m.: How to Write a Non-fiction Book Proposal workshop with LA Writers’ Group.
• Tuesday, July 9, 7 p.m.: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted panel discussion: What Has Changed for Female TV Writers Since the ’70s? With Mary Tyler Moore Show writer Treva Silverman. At Book Soup, Los Angeles.
• Thursday, July 11, 7 p.m.: A dialogue and how-to discussion about pop-culture writing with Gavin Edwards, co-author of VJ: the Unplugged Adventures of MTV’s First Wave. At Pop-Hop Bookshop, Los Angeles.

   Jennifer Armstrong’s website can be found at jenniferkarmstrong.com, and her Twitter account is jmkarmstrong. Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted can be pre-ordered via Amazon at this link in hardcover, and at this link for Kindle. Release is May 7, 2013.—Jack Yan, Publisher

Notch has scored another high-profile cover girl with actress Priyanka Chopra. Chopra talks about why she hates singing live and her concern for her father’s health, and gives advice to her younger sister Parineeti Chopra. The magazine can be found via www.notchmag.com, or through its presences on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
   We’re absolutely loving One Luv’s latest jewellery collection, Through the Eyes of Yves Saint Laurent, comprising miniature glasses. They are a tribute to the late designer’s trade-mark eyewear, and actually open and close like real specs. The designs are available in 18 ct gold-plated, or can be had with rose gold, silver or black. They retail for A$70, come with a long belcher chain, and measure 45 by 40 mm when open. If you’re a discerning fashionista, or you know of one, then we think these are the cleverest jewellery item for discerning fashionistas that we’ve seen in ages. There’s more at www.oneluv.com.au.
   In travel news, the Cranleigh Boutique has launched a distinctive boutique house in Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District, with appointments and gadgets galore. The décor is not what most of our non-UK readers might associate with Britishness—it’s more over the top of what you’d typically find in our pages.
   However, the three-storey house, called the Hideout, impresses on the toys and amenities. It features a cocktail bar, a super-sized air spa bath for two with underwater lighting, a 65-inch hidden cinema screen, a three-dimensional smart TV with internet and Apple TV access, Sono’s music, and Netflix movies (with 150 DVDs). The first floor has a king-size four-poster bed and luxury bedding, while the third floor has an open-plan cinema lounge, fully equipped kitchen, a 55-inch Sony smart 3D TV with a Blu-Ray DVD player, Bose surround-sound system, mood lighting and balcony.
   Cranleigh Boutique owner Stephen Hargreaves’ aim was to create the best accommodation experience for two people in the UK. It retails at between £400 and £500 per night, with a two-night minimum stay. It can be booked by the night all year except for weekends. Additional services including continental breakfast and daily maid are available, as well as free use of luxury leisure facilities. More can be found at www.thecranleigh.com/property/111/the-hideout.aspx.
   Finally, in the main part of the site, we’ve gone Parisian: Lola Saab looks back at the prêt-à-porter collections for autumn–winter 2013–14, while Stanley Moss checks out two very different boutique hotels. Jack Yan writes about the BMW 3-series Touring launch between Auckland and Paihia, while Sopheak Seng checks out Wellington label Mondegreen’s latest collection. Elyse Glickman headed to the pre-Oscar suites, while Eva Mendes launched a collection for Vogue Eyewear in Los Angeles.

Babies ’R’ Us UK has announced a collaboration with Heidi Klum, which sees a range of baby products exclusive to the chain.
   The Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum range has arrived at stores as well as the Babiesrus.co.uk website.
   The range has already launched in the US and Canada, and has been well received there. It is particularly colourful and includes floral prints. Clothing items include bodysuits, two-piece sets, and accessories such as socks and hats. A stroller joins the range in May, retailing at under £130.
   In a release, Klum, who has four children. calls the project ‘one of the most exciting and fulfilling’ that she has worked on.
   Meanwhile, while publisher Jack Yan was covering ID Dunedin Fashion Week, US west coast editor Elyse Glickman was at Vogue Eyewear’s launch, at which Eva Mendes was guest of honour, promoting the latest line with her as spokesmodel. You can read that story here, and Elyse’s pre-Oscar suites’ write-up here (with her earlier Grammy one here).
   In London, Elina Lukas has checked out Anna Popovich’s spring 2013 collection and notes some additional shows at London Fashion Week; we return to Sundance after nine years, thanks to Lola Saab; and Stanley Moss is in Vicenza, in the Veneto, in our latest travel special.

Copyright © Chanel

Top Gabrielle Chanel, Seen by Karl Lagerfeld, original drawing by Karl Lagerfeld. Above An Imaginary Meeting Between Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld, original drawing by Karl Lagerfeld.

In our round-up of news from ‘The Scene’: as part of Chanel’s celebration of the jacket, the house has released a new video (below) featuring its history, with footage featuring Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel herself.
   Designer Karl Lagerfeld has also released 11 sketches to celebrate the jacket, including illustrations of Gabrielle Chanel and an imaginary encounter between himself and the founder of the house.
   The story picks up in the mid-1950s, when Chanel felt that the style of the time was too restrictive. The jacket was created for women who could wear it during the day with greater freedom and be stylish enough for the evening. The tweed jacket, which became a signature for Chanel, was also born. Style icons soon adopted the look: Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly and Romy Schneider sported theirs. Karl Lagerfeld’s arrival in the 1980s saw a revival of the jacket.
   Lagerfeld honoured the jacket with a book, The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld, and a series of exhibitions. Milano will play host to the next exhibition opening April 4, with new works (featuring Keira Knightley, Diane Kruger, Carla Bruni and Carole Bouquet), before it moves on to Dubai.
   Meanwhile, last week’s Gucci Private Suite at Ellerslie during the Auckland Racing Club’s race week was the place to be for New Zealand’s largest city. William Yoon, Gucci’s Asia-Pacific president, and Helen Koo, the managing director for Australia and New Zealand, played hosts. Gucci—in line with its own equestrian heritage—sponsored one race, the Gucci Sprint, where a horse named Vogue won. Celebrities included occasional Lucire correspondent Amber Peebles (in Gucci) and her husband Brooke Howard-Smith, Rachel Hunter, Academy Award nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes and Jonathan Morrison, Boh Runga, Clifton Piper, Cameron Ireland, Sandy Nairn, and Michelle Blanchard.

With our server shift (great service from Xplosiv.ly) and all the fashion weeks happening through February, a few news items on our radar have been delayed—but we believe they are of interest to our readers, regardless.
   The first is Jameson Irish Whiskey’s new limited-edition bottle for St Patrick’s Day 2013 (right). Jameson had already sponsored the Film Independent Spirit Awards which Lucire reported on last week—it seems fitting that this proudly Irish brand celebrates a quintessentially Irish day with a bottle designed by glass artist David Smith.
   The bottle design was inspired by the glass etching and gilding that one might find in the great Dublin pubs.
   In a release, Smith said, ‘Being both a whiskey drinker, and a Jameson fan, it was an immense opportunity which I couldn’t refuse. It was a natural fit as we both preserve craft and tradition in a contemporary way. Having the opportunity to design an iconic bottle which has hardly changed in two hundred years was one that I’m not presented with often, so I am extremely proud to have stamped my signature style onto the bottle.’
   The limited-edition bottle is available in New Zealand from March 1 with a retail price of NZ$63·99.


   Boegli, meanwhile, has created a new Grand Opera watch, which is the first model with a round dial from the Swiss company. It is limited to 99 pieces, and features a musical mechanism that plays 17 notes from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 (The Magic Flute). The watch has an alligator leather strap with a butterfly buckle.
   Nespresso has introduced a stainless steel-panelled version of its Pixie machine (bottom), meaning that the machine suits even more décors. In terms of engineering, the latest model is identical to the previous one: it still makes a cup of Nespresso coffee in 25 to 30 seconds, has an alert for low water levels, and consumes 40 per cent less power than the best-in-class energy category of A-class machines.
   It comes bundled with an Aeroccino, and is released in April at the Nespresso Boutique in Newmarket, Auckland, selected retailers, through www.nespresso.com or the Nespresso Club in New Zealand on 0800 234-579. Nespresso also offers a cash-back reward for New Zealand customers of NZ$50 on the Pixie range from March 25 to May 19; retail price for the Pixie is NZ$499.
   Our friends at Chanel inform us that there will be an exhibition in Milano dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld’s new book, The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited.
   The exhibition, held at the Rotonda di via Besana (at the via Enrico Besana, 12), opens April 4, with entry free to the public from April 6 to 20. Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
   While the exhibition has been shown at other cities, the latest has new works featuring Keira Knightley, Diane Kruger, Carla Bruni and Carole Bouquet. At the same time, displays at Chanel’s via Sant’Andrea boutique will show jackets from the spring–summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection.
   In the main part of the website, Elyse Glickman checks out the pre-Grammy suites for this year, while Lola Saab reports from the Sundance Film Festival, our first report from there since 2004.

Kate Upton returns to the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, unveiled Monday evening.
   Upton, who made her first appearance in 2011, and took the cover in 2012, has become one of the most recognized faces in modelling since her cover. Most recently, she appeared in a Superbowl TV commercial for the Mercedes-Benz CLA in the US. She has also appeared in advertising for Skullcandy and Abbot & Main in the last 12 months.
   Upton, 20, follows in the footsteps of SI models, including Kathy Ireland, Elle Macpherson, and Christie Brinkley.
   The Swimsuit Issue’s shoots took place on all seven continents, with Upton’s cover photo taken in the Antarctic summer.
   Upton only learned of the editors’ choice for the cover on Friday.
   Inside, however, it may be former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb who will take much of the limelight. The girlfriend of Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A. J. McCarron, Webb is known to many American football fans.
   Webb was relatively unknown till one month ago, until she merited a mention by an ESPN sportscaster during the BCS Championship game. Recent reports indicate Webb is moving to New York to pursue a modelling career, propelled by her sudden fame.
   She joined Upton in unveiling the cover during CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman.

Actress Sonam Kapoor is the cover girl for the fifth issue of Notch, a free lifestyle and entertainment magazine that can be downloaded via Kindle, Ipad, Android and its own website at www.notchmag.com.
   Kapoor was reportedly happy to be a cover girl for a digital publication: ‘The world has shrunk because of the internet and social media. Everything goes viral these days,’ she said in a release from Notch.
   On her industry: ‘I think the boundaries of international or national cinema doesn’t exist anymore. Everybody is working everywhere—technicians come from abroad, technicians go overseas from India. It is the age of world cinema now and if there’s an opportunity with a good script and good role, I don’t mind doing any role in any language.’
   She is right about those boundaries disappearing: Kapoor was in New Zealand for the Abbas–Mustan brothers’ Players, which we reported on during its first day of filming, and at Cannes for the Film Festival in 2011.
   Joining her in the fifth issue are Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan on working in The Great Gatsby remake, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta on making Midnight’s Children, Sabyasachi on his collaboration with L Capital, two-time Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman, and Olympian Milkha Singh.