query: True Blood's genre is dark fantasy.

pos: True Blood True Blood is an American dark fantasy horror  television series produced and created by Alan Ball and based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris .   The series revolves around Sookie Stackhouse ( Anna Paquin ) , a telepathic waitress living in the rural town of Bon Temps , Louisiana , two years after the invention of a synthetic blood that has allowed vampires to `` come out of the coffin '' and allow their presence to be known to mankind . Now they are struggling for equal rights and assimilation , while anti-vampire organizations begin to gain power . Sookie 's world is turned upside down when she falls in love with 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton ( Stephen Moyer ) and for the first time must navigate the trials , tribulations and terrors of intimacy and relationships .   The show was broadcast on the premium cable network HBO , in the United States , and was produced by HBO in association with Ball 's production company , Your Face Goes Here Entertainment . The series premiered on September 7 , 2008 and concluded on August 24 , 2014 , comprising seven seasons and 80 episodes . The first five seasons received highly positive reviews , and both nominations and wins for several awards , including a Golden Globe and an Emmy .

neg: Tales of the Vampires Tales of the Vampires is a five issue American comic book limited series ( later collected in a single trade paperback ) , published by Dark Horse Comics and set in the Buffyverse . It comprises an anthology of short stories written by Joss Whedon , Jane Espenson , Ben Edlund , and Drew Goddard . Each story tells the tale of one or more Buffyverse vampires , and the otherwise unrelated collection is strung together by a bridging story written by Whedon .   The anthology is presented as a series of stories told by an ancient vampire to a group of young Watchers . Tales of the Vampires is the tale of that storytelling session and functions as a bridge among the other items in the anthology . The stories in this series are generally considered to be an official part of the Buffyverse canon .   Dark Horse published a new one-shot special based on the Tales of the Vampires concept by Becky Cloonan , Vasilis Lolos , Gabriel Bá and Fabio Moon in June 2009 . Specifically , this one-shot is a tie-in with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight storyline following `` Harmonic Divergence '' in which vampires become very popular with the public at large .

neg: Iron Maiden discography The discography of Iron Maiden , a British heavy metal band founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris , includes sixteen studio albums , as well as numerous live albums , compilations , EPs , singles , video albums , music videos , and box sets . After several auditions and changes , the final lineup consisted of vocalist Paul Di'Anno , guitarists Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton , and drummer Clive Burr . They released their self-titled debut album in 1980 ; quickly becoming one of the leading proponents of the new wave of British heavy metal movement .   Guitarist Adrian Smith replaced Stratton , and a `` consistent highlight '' , Killers , was released in 1981 . Later that year , vocalist Bruce Dickinson replaced Paul Di'Anno , marking the beginning of a series of top-ten high-impact releases . They issued `` the 1982 masterpiece '' , The Number of the Beast , becoming the band 's first release to top the UK charts , and received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America . Drummer Nicko McBrain replaced Clive Burr , and the band released Piece of Mind in 1983 , followed by a `` true heavy metal achievement '' , Powerslave ( 1984 ) . Iron Maiden broadened their sound with the use of guitar synthesisers in Somewhere in Time ( 1986 ) . Their following concept album , Seventh Son of a Seventh Son , was released in 1988 , and also topped the UK charts .   The line-up remained unchanged until Adrian Smith left the band during the pre-production stage of their last gold-certified album in the US , No Prayer for the Dying ( 1990 ) ; he was replaced by Janick Gers . Their next UK No. 1 album , Fear of the Dark , was released in 1992 , after which Dickinson left the band in the following year . His replacement , Blaze Bayley , debuted in 1995 with The X Factor , `` a lackluster '' album that marked a decline in the band 's career . The diminished fan interest in 1998 with Virtual XI prompted Bayley 's departure .   Dickinson and Smith returned to the band in 1999 , and a new album , Brave New World , was issued in 2000 . Three years later , Dance of Death was released , which marked `` a triumphant return to form '' . In 2006 they released `` a more elaborate and meandering '' album , A Matter of Life and Death , which received , along with their two previous studio releases , a gold certification by the BPI . In 2010 , Iron Maiden issued The Final Frontier , which was positively received by critics , and debuted at No. 1 in over twenty-eight countries , including the United Kingdom . Their sixteenth studio effort , The Book of Souls , was released on 4 September 2015 and became their fifth UK No. 1 album . Overall , the band have reputedly sold between 80 and 100 million albums worldwide .

neg: List of high fantasy films and TV series This is a list of films and TV series in the high fantasy genre . High fantasy is defined by being set in an imaginary fantasy world rather than in our real , mundane world .

neg: Into the Wild (novel) Into the Wild is a children 's fantasy novel written by Erin Hunter after concepts and outlines created and developed by Victoria Holmes . The novel was published by HarperCollins in Canada and the United States in January 2003 , and in the United Kingdom in February 2003 . It is the first novel in the Warriors series . The book has been published in paperback , and e-book formats in twenty different languages . The story is about a young domestic cat named Rusty who leaves his human owners to join a group of forest-dwelling feral cats called ThunderClan , adopting a new name : Firepaw . He is trained to defend and hunt for the Clan , becomes embroiled in a murder and betrayal within the Clan , and , at the end of the book , receives his warrior name , Fireheart , after a battle with another Clan . The novel is written from the perspective of Fireheart ( previously known as Rusty for a short time , then , for most of the book , Firepaw ) .   The series began in 2003 when HarperCollins requested Holmes to write a book on feral cats . After creating one storyline Holmes brought in Kate Cary to finish writing the book as Holmes went behind the scenes to edit and supervise the details . Holmes has compared the style of the book to a different language as the books are written by three separate authors . She feels that Erin Hunter must have a consistent voice the entire series . The story uses a lexicon with words such as `` twoleg '' substituted for `` human '' or `` new-leaf '' for `` spring '' . The style has been compared to the Harry Potter series , J.R.R. Tolkien and Brian Jacques . Themes include family , loyalty , death , courage , and survival . Into the Wild was critically well received . Booklist believed the book would appeal to followers of Brian Jacques ' Redwall series . Among other awards , it claimed third place in the 2006 Young Reader 's Choice Award .

neg: Cyberpunk derivatives A number of cyberpunk derivatives have become recognized as distinct subgenres in speculative fiction . These derivatives , though they do not share cyberpunk 's computers-focused setting , may display other qualities drawn from or analogous to cyberpunk : a world built on one particular technology that is extrapolated to a highly sophisticated level ( this may even be a fantastical or anachronistic technology , akin to retro-futurism ) , a gritty transreal urban style , or a particular approach to social themes .   The most successful of these subgenres , Steampunk , has been defined as a `` kind of technological fantasy '' , and others in this category sometimes also incorporate aspects of science fantasy and historical fantasy . Scholars have written of these subgenres ' stylistic place in postmodern literature , and also their ambiguous interaction with the historical perspective of postcolonialism .   American author Bruce Bethke coined the term `` cyberpunk '' in his 1980 short story of the same name , proposing it as a label for a new generation of punk teenagers inspired by the perceptions inherent to the Information Age . The term was quickly appropriated as a label to be applied to the works of William Gibson , Bruce Sterling , John Shirley , Rudy Rucker , Michael Swanwick , Pat Cadigan , Lewis Shiner , Richard Kadrey , and others . Science fiction author Lawrence Person , in defining postcyberpunk , summarized the characteristics of cyberpunk thus :  Classic cyberpunk characters were marginalized , alienated loners who lived on the edge of society in generally dystopic futures where daily life was impacted by rapid technological change , an ubiquitous datasphere of computerized information , and invasive modification of the human body .   The relevance of cyberpunk as a genre to punk subculture is debatable and further hampered by the lack of a defined cyberpunk subculture ; where the small cyber movement shares themes with cyberpunk fiction and draws inspiration from punk and goth alike , cyberculture is much more popular though much less defined , encompassing virtual communities and cyberspace in general and typically embracing optimistic anticipations about the future . Cyberpunk is nonetheless regarded as a successful genre , as it ensnared many new readers and provided the sort of movement that postmodern literary critics found alluring . Furthermore , author David Brin argues , cyberpunk made science fiction more attractive and profitable for mainstream media and the visual arts in general .

neg: Aurealis Award for best young adult novel The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works to `` recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction , fantasy , horror writers '' . To qualify , a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 January and 31 December of the corresponding year ; the presentation ceremony is held the following year . It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people .   Since their creation in 1995 , awards have been given in various categories of speculative fiction . Categories currently include science fiction , fantasy , horror , speculative young adult fiction -- with separate awards for novels and short fiction -- collections , anthologies , illustrative works or graphic novels , children 's books , and an award for excellence in speculative fiction . The awards have attracted the attention of publishers by setting down a benchmark in science fiction and fantasy . The continued sponsorship by publishers such as HarperCollins and Orbit has added weight to the honour of the award .   The results are decided by a panel of judges from a list of submitted nominees ; the long-list of nominees is reduced to a short-list of finalists . Ties can occur if the panel decides that both entries show equal merit , however they are encouraged to choose a single winner . The judges are selected from a public application process by the Award 's management team .   This article lists all the short-list nominees and winners in the best young-adult novel category , as well as novels that have been highly commended . Three people have won the award twice -- Isobelle Carmody , Garth Nix and Scott Westerfeld . Westerfeld holds the record for most nominations with eight , and Rory Barnes has the most nominations without winning , having been a losing finalist five times .

neg: Gothic film The Gothic film is a film that is based on Gothic fiction or contains Gothic elements . Since various definite film genres -- including science fiction , film noir , thriller , and comedy -- have used Gothic elements , the Gothic film is challenging to define clearly as a genre . Gothic elements have also infused the horror film genre , contributing supernatural and nightmarish elements . To create a Gothic atmosphere , filmmakers have sought to create new camera tricks that challenge audiences ' perceptions . Gothic films also reflected contemporary issues . A New Companion to The Gothics Heidi Kaye said `` strong visuals , a focus on sexuality and an emphasis on audience response '' characterize Gothic films like they did the literary works . The Encyclopedia of the Gothic said the foundation of Gothic film was the combination of Gothic literature , stage melodrama , and German expressionism .   In The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction , Misha Kavka says Gothic film is not an established genre , rather contributing Gothic images , plots , characters , and styles to films . These elements are often found in `` the broader category of horror '' . Kavka quotes William Patrick Day 's definition of the Gothic , '' -LSB- it -RSB- tantalizes us with fear , both as its subject and its effect ; its does so , however , not primarily through characters or plots or even language , but through spectacle '' . Cinema suits the Gothic definition in creating images that establish the spectacle .

neg: Song of the Gargoyle The Song of the Gargoyle is a 1991 book for young readers by Zilpha Keatley Snyder . Set in the middle ages , it tells the story of a young boy named Tymmon who lives with his father Komus , the court jester of Austerneve . When Komus is abducted by an anonymous man with a Black Helmet , thirteen-year-old Tymmon is able to escape Black Helmet and leaves the castle grounds to seek refuge in the Sombrous Forest , a forbidden place occupied by wolves and magical beings . Most wonderfully , Tymmon is adopted by a gargoyle named Troff -- a creature with the loyalty of a dog and the fearsome powers of an enchanted being .   After a season surviving in the forest , Tymmon longs to rescue his father and to find a way to avenge him , as a knight would . But Tymmon is a commoner , and he burns with anger at his father , who threw away a noble heritage to become a lowly jester . Tymmon had to watch his childhood playmate turn away from him to become a squire and train for the knighthood Tymmon can never know .   When Tymmon realizes that Troff can pose as a dog , he and Troff leave the forest together . As they travel , Tymmon sees the poverty and suffering of peasants ravaged by feudalistic greed . In the city he discovers that with his talent for music and joking , inherited from his father , he and Troff can make people happy . Beyond that , performing enables him to communicate with people from all walks of life .   Of Song of the Gargolye , Zilpha Keatley Snyder says , `` High among the periods that inspired my childhood dreamscapes were the middle ages . Not a very specific or historic middle ages , actually , so much as a fantasy world peopled by beautiful princesses and -- most especially -- by noble knights . I especially liked the knights . No doubt due , at least in part , to the fact that they rode horses . ( I was also enamored of cowboys . ) However , when I grew older and less romantic , I began to look at my hardware-clad heroes from a more critical point of view . Knights , I discovered , were often a pretty cruel and bloodthirsty bunch , not to mention ignorant and superstitious ... So when I got around to setting a story in their time , I cast about for a hero or two with a better odor . And the result was Tymmon and his father , Komus . And Troff ? Just another tribute to the memory of various more-or-less miraculous four-legged friends . ''   Category : American children 's novels  Category :1991 American novels

neg: Genre Genre ( -LSB- ˈʒɒ̃rə -RSB- , -LSB- ˈʒɒnrə -RSB- or -LSB- ˈdʒɒnrə -RSB- from French genre -LSB- ʒɑ̃ʁ -RSB- , `` kind '' or `` sort '' , from Latin genus ( stem gener - ) , Greek γένος , génos ) is any form or type of communication in any mode ( written , spoken , digital , artistic , etc. ) with socially-agreed upon conventions developed over time . Genre is most popularly known as a category of literature , music , or other forms of art or entertainment , whether written or spoken , audio or visual , based on some set of stylistic criteria , yet genres can be aesthetic , rhetorical , communicative , or functional . Genres form by conventions that change over time as new genres are invented and the use of old ones is discontinued . Often , works fit into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions . Stand alone texts , works , or pieces of communication may have individual styles , but genres are amalgams of these texts based on agreed upon or socially inferred conventions . Some genres may be rigid with strictly adhered to guidelines while others may be very flexible .   Genre began as an absolute classification system for ancient Greek literature . Poetry , prose , and performance each had a specific and calculated style that related to the theme of the story . Speech patterns for comedy would not be appropriate for tragedy , and even actors were restricted to their genre under the assumption that a type of person could tell one type of story best .  In later periods genres proliferated and developed in response to changes in audiences and creators . Genre became a dynamic tool to help the public make sense out of unpredictable art . Because art is often a response to a social state , in that people write/paint/sing / dance about what they know about , the use of genre as a tool must be able to adapt to changing meanings .   Genre suffers from the same ills of any classification system . Genre is to be reassessed and scrutinized and to weigh works on their unique merit . It has been suggested that genres resonate with people because of the familiarity , the shorthand communication , as well as the tendency of genres to shift with public mores and to reflect the zeitgeist . While the genre of storytelling has been relegated as lesser form of art because of the heavily borrowed nature of the conventions , admiration has grown . Proponents argue that the genius of an effective genre piece is in the variation , recombination , and evolution of the codes .

neg: Heavy metal lyrics Heavy metal lyrics are the words used in songs by heavy metal music bands , groups and artists . Given that there are many genres of heavy metal , it is difficult to make generalizations about the lyrics and lyrical themes . In 1989 , two metal scholars wrote that heavy metal lyrics concentrate `` on dark and depressing subject matter to an extent hitherto unprecedented '' in any form of popular music . Jeffrey Arnett states that metal songs are `` overwhelmingly dominated '' by `` ugly and unhappy '' themes which express `` no hope '' for the future . Deena Weinstein has proposed one way to analyze metal song themes is loosely grouping them into two categories : the Dionysian theme ( a reference to the Roman God of wine ) , which celebrates `` sex , drugs and rock and roll '' , partying , and enjoyment of life and the Chaotic theme , which involves dark subjects such as Hell , injustice , mayhem , carnage and death . Not all metal genres fall into Weinstein 's two theme model ; for example power metal 's lyrical themes often focus on fantasy and mythology , camaraderie and hope , personal struggles and emotions , among other themes . Another exception is pop metal bands , which replaced `` gloom and doom '' themes with `` positive , upbeat '' songs about romantic love and relationships , part of their goal of appealing more to female listeners . In metal overall , the small number of metal songs about relationships are typically about unions that have `` gone sour '' long ago .   The thematic content of heavy metal lyrics has long been a target of criticism . According to Jon Pareles , `` Heavy metal 's main subject matter is simple and virtually universal . With grunts , moans and subliterary lyrics , it celebrates ... a party without limits ... -LSB- T -RSB- he bulk of the music is stylized and formulaic . '' Music critics have often deemed metal lyrics juvenile and banal , and others have objected to what they see as advocacy of misogyny and the occult . During the 1980s , the Parents Music Resource Center ( PMRC ) petitioned the U.S. Congress to regulate the popular music industry due to what the group asserted were objectionable lyrics , particularly those in heavy metal songs . The PMRC used music professor Joe Stuessy to testify against metal . Professor Stuessy alleged that heavy metal songs focus on violence , substance abuse , perversion , S&M , and Satanism . Robert Walser analyzed 88 metal songs ' themes to determine if Professor Stuessy 's claims were valid . In Walser 's analysis , the dominant theme in the metal songs was `` longing for intensity '' ; he found that the negative themes described by Stuessy and the PMRC were uncommon . Jeffrey Arnett analysed the lyrics from 115 metal songs : he found that the top three messages were `` grim ... themes '' about violence , angst and protest .   Metal artists have had to defend their lyrics in front of the U.S. Senate and in courtrooms . In 1985 , Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider was asked to defend his song Under the Blade at a U.S. Senate hearing . In 1986 , Ozzy Osbourne was sued because of the lyrics of his song Suicide Solution . In 1990 , Judas Priest was sued in American court by the parents of two young men who had shot themselves five years earlier , allegedly after hearing the subliminal statement `` do it '' in a Priest song . While the case attracted a great deal of media attention , it was ultimately dismissed . In some predominantly Muslim countries , heavy metal has been officially denounced as a threat to traditional values . In countries such as Morocco , Egypt , Lebanon , and Malaysia , there have been incidents of heavy metal musicians and fans being arrested and incarcerated .

neg: Procedural drama A procedural drama is a genre of television programming which focuses on how crimes are solved or some other aspect of a law enforcement agency , legislative body , or court of law . Some dramas include a lab or conference room with high-tech or state-of-the-art equipment where the main characters meet to work out the problem . Shows usually have an episodic format that does not require the viewer to have seen previous episodes . Episodes typically have a self-contained , also referred to as stand-alone , plot that is introduced and resolved within the same episode .   The procedural format is popular around the world . In 2011 , the director of a TV consultancy said , `` The continuing trend is for procedurals because they use a predictable structure . '' Due to their stand-alone episodic nature , they are more accessible to new viewers than serials . Self-contained episodes also make it easier for viewers to return to a show if they have missed some episodes . In general , procedural dramas can usually be re-run with little concern for episode order .   Procedurals are often criticized for being formulaic . Procedurals are also generally less character-driven than serialized shows . However , some procedurals have more character emphasis than is typical of the format . Some may occasionally feature a storyline stretching over several episodes .   A popular variant is the police procedural .

neg: Character (arts) A character ( sometimes known as a fictional character ) is a person or other being in a narrative work of art ( such as a novel , play , television series , or film ) . The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person , in which case the distinction of a `` fictional '' versus `` real '' character may be made . Derived from the ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ , the English word dates from the Restoration , although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749 . From this , the sense of `` a part played by an actor '' developed . Character , particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema , involves `` the illusion of being a human person . '' In literature , characters guide readers through their stories , helping them to understand plots and ponder themes . Since the end of the 18th century , the phrase `` in character '' has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor . Since the 19th century , the art of creating characters , as practiced by actors or writers , has been called characterisation .   A character who stands as a representative of a particular class or group of people is known as a type . Types include both stock characters and those that are more fully individualised . The characters in Henrik Ibsen 's Hedda Gabler ( 1891 ) and August Strindberg 's Miss Julie ( 1888 ) , for example , are representative of specific positions in the social relations of class and gender , such that the conflicts between the characters reveal ideological conflicts .   The study of a character requires an analysis of its relations with all of the other characters in the work . The individual status of a character is defined through the network of oppositions ( proairetic , pragmatic , linguistic , proxemic ) that it forms with the other characters . The relation between characters and the action of the story shifts historically , often miming shifts in society and its ideas about human individuality , self-determination , and the social order .

neg: Alchemy in art and entertainment Alchemy has had a long-standing relationship with art , seen both in alchemical texts and in mainstream entertainment . Literary alchemy appears throughout the history of English literature from Shakespeare to modern Fantasy authors . Here , characters or plot structure follow an alchemical magnum opus . In the fourteenth century , Chaucer began a trend of alchemical satire that can still be seen in recent fantasy works like those of Terry Pratchett .   Visual artists had a similar relationship with alchemy . While some of them used alchemy as a source of satire , others worked with the alchemists themselves or integrated alchemical thought or symbols in their work . Music was also present in the works of alchemists and continues to influence popular performers . In the last hundred years , alchemists have been portrayed in a magical and spagyric role in fantasy fiction , film , television , comics and video games .

neg: Psychic vampire A psychic vampire is a mythological creature said to feed off the `` life force '' of other living creatures . Psychic vampires are represented in the occult beliefs of various cultures and in fiction .

neg: Bloodtide Bloodtide may refer to :   Bloodtide ( audio drama ) , a 2001 audio drama based on the British TV series Doctor Who  Bloodtide ( comics ) , a Marvel Comics supervillain  Bloodtide ( novel ) , a 1999 novel by Melvin Burgess  Blood Tide , a 1982 British film directed by Richard Jefferies

neg: Heroic fantasy Heroic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy which chronicles the tales of heroes in fantasy settings .

neg: The Dark Half The Dark Half is a horror novel by Stephen King , published in 1989 . Publishers Weekly listed The Dark Half as the second best-selling book of 1989 behind Tom Clancy 's Clear and Present Danger . The novel was adapted into a feature film of the same name in 1993 .   Stephen King wrote several books under a pseudonym , Richard Bachman , during the 1970s and 1980s . Most of the Bachman novels were darker and more cynical in nature , featuring a far more visceral sense of horror than the psychological , gothic style common to many of King 's most famous works . When King was identified as Bachman , he wrote The Dark Half -- about an author with a sinister parasitic twin -- in response to his outing .

neg: Bloodletting Press Bloodletting Press was launched in 2002 by Larry Roberts to publish works in the horror genre specifically for the collector 's market , producing low print run limited editions intended for collectors and unique heirloom Lettered Editions for the high-end collectors . They were originally located in Modesto , California , but have since relocated to Welches , Oregon . Several of the Lettered Editions have been signed in blood and housed in metal traycases , in one example designed as a trailer complete with working interior lights . The main focus , however , of the press is the Novella Series , Novelette Series , and Chapbook Series . In recent years they have added the Steve Gerlach library , a project to publish his complete works which have been previously only available in his native Australia . Another project is the Jonathan Crowley Library which collects and keeps in print the genre work of James A. Moore . Bloodletting Press is also one of a few small presses that risks putting out new genre authors whose titles having been successful within this context go on to wider mass market publishers , such as Rage , Succulent Prey and The Rutting Season . In 2009 , the Horror Writers Association awarded to Bloodletting Press its Specialty Press Award for their `` outstanding design and production techniques '' in publishing the `` modern masters of the horror field '' .   For a time , Bloodletting Press also distributed other small press titles via their website , and in January 2008 with Delirium Books , combined their distribution arms of their individual presses into the Horror Mall . Each press had previously published and distributed their own titles .

neg: Grimm (role-playing game) Grimm is a role-playing game , released by Fantasy Flight Games . The current version is a standalone game using the Linear D6 system . The Linear D6 version is a significant expansion of the original material , including a more fully developed setting , a monster manual and game mechanics , all of which were previously provided by the core D20 System rule books .   Linear D6 is unusual in that it deliberately limits randomness having characters perform at their ability level 2/3 of the time . The mechanic represents teamwork by a dice pool which increases chances of scoring above character ability and reduces the chances of failure .   The original version was part of Fantasy Flight Games Horizon open-ended miniature Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings , making of use the D20 System under the Open Game Licence . The setting can be used as a supplement to D&D that introduces a new setting based on a `` twisted '' version of the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm . The correlation between the realm of Grimm and the original fairytales is in many ways comparable to the correlation of White Wolf 's World of Darkness to the our world . The game provides new core classes which enable players to take on role of children lost in this strange and terrifying realm .

neg: Deliria Deliria : Faerie Tales for a New Millennium is an `` interactive urban fantasy setting '' created by Phil Brucato . The title refers to an altered state of awareness in which several levels of reality can be perceived at once , to both good and ill effect .   The core concept behind Deliria is one of `` ordinary people in an extraordinary world . '' Inspired by classical fairy tales and urban fantasy , the setting presents a multicultural world in which magic is always present but often invisible . To `` twilight people '' who encounter the magical realm , the world becomes a frightening yet wonderful place . Meanwhile , the immortal faeries , or aelderfolk , regard mortal humanity with a mixture of awe and terror . The accelerating pace of human imagination reverberates through both worlds , bringing changes that many aelders fear . Within the tensions of this setting , ordinary people become heroes - or villains - in their own new fairy tales .   Inspired by authors like Charles de Lint , Erik Davis and Francesca Lia Block , films like Edward ScissorHands and Practical Magic , world music and ethereal wave music , and TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Deliria 's setting emphasizes `` normal people '' over superheroes . As a role-playing game , it features a flexible rules system , collaborative storytelling , and a character-crafting process based on telling stories about the character . Deliria has also been noted for its vivid digital art , evocative short stories , and emphasis of `` courage rather than carnage . ''


query: Ballet Shoes premiered on British television.

pos: Ballet Shoes (film) Ballet Shoes is a 2007 British television film , adapted by Heidi Thomas from Noel Streatfeild 's 1936 novel Ballet Shoes . It was produced by Granada Productions ( formerly Granada Television ) and premiered on BBC One on 26 December 2007 . It is directed by Sandra Goldbacher .   A previous adaptation of Ballet Shoes was produced in serial  format by the BBC in 1975 and directed by Timothy Combe . `` Ballet Shoes '' co-stars former Harry Potter stars Emma Watson as Pauline Fossil , Gemma Jones as Dr. Jakes , and the late Richard Griffiths as Gum .

pos: BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom , Isle of Man and Channel Islands . It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service , and was the world 's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution . It was renamed BBC TV in 1960 , using this name until the launch of sister channel BBC2 in 1964 , whereupon the BBC TV channel became known as BBC1 , with the current spelling adopted in 1997 .   The channel 's annual budget for 2012 -- 13 is # 1.14 billion . The channel is funded by the television licence fee together with the BBC 's other domestic television stations , and therefore shows uninterrupted programming without commercial advertising . It is currently the most watched television channel in the United Kingdom , ahead of its traditional rival for ratings leadership , ITV .   the channel controller for BBC One is Charlotte Moore , who succeeded Danny Cohen initially as an Acting Controller from May 2013 .

neg: An Englishman Abroad An Englishman Abroad is a 1983 BBC television drama film , based on the true story of a chance meeting of actress Coral Browne , with Guy Burgess ( Alan Bates ) , a member of the Cambridge spy ring who spied for the Soviet Union while an officer at MI6 . The production was written by Alan Bennett and directed by John Schlesinger ; Browne stars as herself .   The film is set is Moscow in 1958 , after Burgess had defected to the Soviet Union in 1951 with Donald Maclean when it became apparent that Maclean was about to be investigated by British intelligence . Burgess barges into Browne 's dressing room in the interval of a touring Shakespeare Memorial Theatre ( which became one of the bases of the Royal Shakespeare Company ) production of Hamlet , in which she portrayed Gertrude , and charms her . Later on she is invited to his Moscow flat , finding it with some difficulty , to measure him for a suit that he would like ordered from his London tailor .   Several plot changes were made from the true story told by Browne to Bennett . Burgess in fact threw up in the dressing room of Michael Redgrave , who asked for Browne 's help . Redgrave documented the incident in his biography . The play also contained scenes in Moscow 's British Embassy and in London shops where Browne encountered resistance to helping Burgess , none of which happened in reality .   Rather than film in the Soviet Union , Schlesinger used several locations in Scotland . The Caird Hall and Whitehall Theatre in Dundee stood in for the Moscow theatre , and the grand marble staircase of Glasgow City Chambers played the part of the British Embassy . Additional filming was done at Glasgow 's St. Andrew 's Suspension Bridge ( `` luckily , in a snowstorm '' Bennett later wrote ) and the Moss Heights flats in Cardonald , which represented Burgess ' Moscow apartment .   Both Browne and Bates were winners of the BAFTA awards for acting for their roles in this production .   Bennett gives the date of Browne 's meeting with Burgess as 1958 in the introduction to his Single Spies , which contains the text of An Englishman Abroad in the stage play version and the text of A Question of Attribution about Anthony Blunt .   The play was also adapted for radio on the BBC World Service in 1994 starring Michael Gambon as Burgess and Penelope Wilton as Coral Browne . It was subsequently re-broadcast on BBC Radio 7 and BBC Radio 4 Extra , most recently in 2013 as part of BBC Radio 4 Extra 's Cambridge Spies season .   On the BFI TV 100 , a list compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute ( BFI ) , chosen by a poll of industry professionals , to determine what were the greatest British television programmes of any genre ever to have been screened , An Englishman Abroad was listed at no. 30 on the list .

neg: London Children's Ballet The London Children 's Ballet ( LCB ) is a registered charitable trust created in 1994 . LCB was formed to give children the experience of performing as part of a company , in a professionally produced , full length ballet at a professional theatre . LCB provides opportunities to dance for children from many diverse backgrounds and the experience is free .   Performances are staged annually at the Peacock Theatre , in the West End , London 's famous theatre district . These performances include the staging of original productions , which have sold out every year since the company was established . The company is also involved in a number of smaller projects . The '' # 1 outreach matinees '' enable the public to see a ballet at an affordable price and LCB2 is a touring company which visits venues where people are unable to attend the theatre , including hospitals , community centres , hospices and schools . These tours are produced around the year so as to provide opportunities for children all-year-round .   To dance in a LCB production , children must first attend an audition , designed to assess their suitability to take part . Successful candidates then meet for weekly rehearsals on a Sunday in the lead up to the performance , ensuring there is no disruption to their academic education .   LCB organises an annual summer school , lasting a week and catering for one hundred children . The summer school consists of a range of workshops , where the children take classes in ballet and other dance forms such as jazz , and also study choreography . Older children also take part in a one-day tour , taking their summer school production to elderly homes around London .   The LCB also provides a venue for recently graduated composers , choreographers and designers from the Wimbledon College of Art .

neg: Life in the Snow Life in the Snow is a 2016 British television show created by the BBC Natural History Unit .

neg: Pointe shoe A pointe shoe is a type of shoe worn by ballet dancers when performing pointe work . Pointe shoes were conceived in response to the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like and have evolved to enable dancers to dance en pointe ( on the tips of their toes ) for extended periods of time . They are manufactured in a variety of colors , most commonly in shades of light pink .

neg: So You Think You Can Dance (UK TV series) So You Think You Can Dance was a televised dance competition and reality show that launched in the United Kingdom in January 2010 with a format based on an American show by the same name . The show was broadcast on BBC One . The presentation of the show is similar to that of the Pop Idol series of singing competitions . The show focuses not only on the dancers ' talent , but also showcases new works by notable choreographers , crafted specifically for the dancers and the show .

neg: Little Britain Productions Little Britain Productions is a television production company founded in 2006 . Little Britain Productions mainly produces comedies and documentaries about comedy .

neg: Threads Threads is a 1984 British television drama jointly produced by the BBC , Nine Network and Western-World Television Inc. . Written by Barry Hines and directed by Mick Jackson , it is a docudrama account of nuclear war and its effects on the city of Sheffield in Northern England . The plot centres on two families as a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union erupts . As the nuclear exchange between NATO and the Warsaw Pact begins , the film depicts the medical , economic , social and environmental consequences of nuclear war .   Shot on a budget of # 250,000 -- 350,000 , the film was the first of its kind to depict a nuclear winter . Certain reviewers nominated Threads as the `` film which comes closest to representing the full horror of nuclear war and its aftermath , as well as the catastrophic impact that the event would have on human culture '' . It has been compared to the earlier programme The War Game produced in Britain in the 1960s and its contemporary The Day After , a 1983 ABC television film depicting a similar scenario in the United States . It was nominated for seven BAFTA awards in 1985 and won for Best Single Drama , Best Design , Best Film Cameraman and Best Film Editor .

neg: Central School of Ballet Central School of Ballet is a classical ballet school based in London , with students from countries all over the world .   The school was established in 1982 by Ann Stannard and Christopher Gable . It established a touring company , Ballet Central , in 1984 . From 2004 Central started to offer degree courses accredited by the University of Kent .   Central School of Ballet is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama .

neg: Shine TV (UK) Shine TV ( formerly Shine Limited ) is a British media production company and part of the Shine Group with offices in London and Manchester .   Shine Limited was founded in March 2001 by Elisabeth Murdoch , daughter of News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch . The company was 80 % owned by Elisabeth Murdoch , 15 % by Lord Alli , and 5 % by BSkyB , which signed a deal guaranteeing to buy an agreed amount of Shine programming for two years .   Shine TV is also a supplier of franchise television to broadcasters around the globe including the BBC , Channel Five , Channel 4 , HBO , and the RTL Group .   In 2006 Shine acquired Kudos Film and Television , Princess Productions and Dragonfly Film and Television Productions to create the Shine Group , although they still operate as four separate entities . In October 2014 , 21st Century Fox and Apollo Global Management announced the planned merger of Shine Group with Endemol and Core Media Group . This was finalised in 2015 .

neg: Ross MacGibbon Ross MacGibbon ( born 29 January 1955 ) is a British former ballet dancer , and now a film maker , especially for ballet and opera .   Ross MacGibbon danced with the Royal Ballet from 1973-86 .   MacGibbon 's won the 1988 International Emmy Award for his film of Kenneth MacMillan 's final ballet , The Judas Tree .

neg: David Hill (arts director) David Hill is a theatre and arts director and producer , founder of the leading UK cultural events and arts agency ArtReach which initiates , develops and produces extraordinary creative arts projects and programmes . Hill has created and produced the innovative Night of Festivals project , produced the world 's largest interactive video artwork ( Under Scan by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer ) in Trafalgar Square , London and in public spaces across the UK East Midlands and created/delivered a range of high-profile new arts events such Three Cities Create and Connect , The Lyric Lounge and Dance in the Park . He has also delivered projects in Barcelona , India and the West Indies .   Born in Birmingham , and following a degree in Drama and English at Hull University , Hill started his career as a theatre practitioner with renowned theatre companies such as Welfare State International , IOU Theatre and the Pip Simmons Theatre Group .  Appointed as the first Marketing Director at the 2,000 seat Birmingham Hippodrome , he established the marketing and publicity department for the venue during two major capital refurbishments of the Hippodrome in the 1980s . During this period the theatre was established as a premier touring venue and as a home to Welsh National Opera and Sadler 's Wells Royal Ballet ( now Birmingham Royal Ballet ) .   Returning to a role as theatre director , writer and actor , Hill established the pioneering Theatre Station Blyth in Northumberland , leading a team of theatre professionals in developing original community theatre with 100 unemployed adults , winning a National Training Award , and being shortlisted with the RSC and Jiving Lindy Hoppers for the prestigious , national Sainsbury Arts in Education Awards . During this time Hill created and directed shows , including The Tale of the Corn Woman , The TV Addict , Stitch-Up , Seven and War Bonds . In 1995 Theatre Station was reinvented and re-launched by Fran Castle and Alison Walton-Robson as the award-winning Headway Theatre .   As an associate director at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham in the early 1990s , Hill had particular responsibility for new theatre writing , working with playwrights such as Jude Alderson , Barrie Keeffe , Peter McGarry and David Calcutt . Shows directed included All Change , A Caucasian Chalk Circle , The Way of the World , The Mystery Plays , Belonging , Family Affairs , Romeo and Juliet , A Midsummer Night 's Dream , Julius Caesar and The Terrible Fate of Humpty Dumpty , with co-directing work on Macbeth and Jane Eyre .   In 1994 , following the playwright 's death , he produced and directed The Official Tribute to Dennis Potter persuading Michael Grade ( Channel 4 TV ) and Alan Yentob ( BBC 1 ) to jointly support and participate in the project . For this high-profile event Hill directed contributions from , amongst others , Alan Bates , Gemma Craven , Imelda Staunton , George Baker , Frank Finlay , Douglas Henshall , Kika Markham and Corin Redgrave , and also engaged and produced participation from writers and broadcasters Lynda La Plante , Alan Plater , Sheena MacDonald , Piers Haggard , Kennith Trodd and Melvyn Bragg .   As director of the Arts Management Centre ( a business unit of The Management Centre ) in 1994/5 , Hill implemented and delivered national arts training programmes and designed and delivered the first national conference on the arts lottery . From 1996 he project directed all aspects of the design and building of Maidenhead 's # 10 million new arts centre , Norden Farm Centre for the Arts . He opened the Centre by producing two special galas with contributors including Michael Parkinson , Lesley Garrett , Timothy West , Prunella Scales , Jimmy Tarbuck , Laurie Holloway , Marion Montgomery , Ronnie Corbett and Rolf Harris .   Over fifteen years since 1996 , Hill has developed ArtReach working with partners such as Arts Council England , Museums Libraries and Archives Council ( MLA ) , Renaissance , Sport England , the Crafts Council , many Local Authorities , Regional Development Agencies , arts organisations and venues ( international , national , regional and local ) and individual artists . In 2005/6 ArtReach commissioned international artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer to create Under Scan , which subsequently was taken to Venice Biennale in 2007 and produced by Hill in Trafalgar Square in 2008 . Hill co-wrote the book Under Scan with Lozano-Hemmer , published in 2006 .   Hill has been an adviser to West Midlands Arts , Northern Arts and South West Arts in the UK and is a Trustee ( Vice Chair ) of Curve ( theatre ) ( major new performing arts centre in Leicester , UK ) . He has previously been a board member/adviser for Triangle Arts Centre , Playtrain , Midlands Arts Centre and Worcester Swan Theatre . He has been an assessor for the UK Regional Arts Lottery Programme and has been an assessor to Arts Council England for both Capital and Arts for Everyone programmes .

neg: Positions of the feet in ballet The positions of the feet in ballet is a fundamental part of classical ballet technique that defines standard placements of feet on the floor . There are five basic positions in modern-day classical ballet , known as the first through fifth positions . In 1725 , dancing master Pierre Rameau credited the codification of these five positions to choreographer Pierre Beauchamp . Two additional positions , known as the sixth and seventh positions , were codified by Serge Lifar in the 1930s while serving as Ballet Master at the Paris Opéra Ballet , though their use is limited to Lifar 's choreographies . The sixth and seventh positions were not Lifar 's inventions , but revivals of positions that already existed in the eighteenth century , when there were ten positions of the feet in classical ballet .

neg: BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment is an international television channel broadcasting comedy , drama , light entertainment , reality and children 's programming ( some regions only ) from the BBC , Channel 4 and other UK production houses . The channel broadcasts regional versions to suit local demands and replaces BBC Prime . It is wholly owned by BBC Worldwide .

neg: BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation . The corporation has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927 . It produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932 , although the start of its regular service of television broadcasts is dated to 2 November 1936 .   The BBC 's domestic television channels have no commercial advertising and collectively they account for more than 30 % of all UK viewing . The services are funded by a television licence .   As a result of the 2016 Licence Fee settlement , the BBC Television division was split , with in-house television production being separated into a new division called BBC Studios and the remaining parts of television ( channels and genre commissioning , BBC Sport , BBC Three and BBC iPlayer ) being renamed as BBC Content .

neg: The Catherine Tate Show The Catherine Tate Show is a British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate and Aschlin Ditta . Tate also stars in all but one of the show 's sketches , which feature a wide range of characters . The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC . Collectively , the show has been nominated for six BAFTA Awards , two British Comedy Awards and an Emmy Award , and it has won two Royal Television Society Awards , two British Comedy Awards and a National Television Award since its debut in 2004 .

neg: Daily Politics Daily Politics '' is a British television show launched by the BBC in 2003 and presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn . The programme takes an in-depth look at the daily goings-on in Westminster and other areas across Britain and the world , and includes interviews with leading politicians and political commentators .

neg: Sports Tonight Live Sports Tonight Live , branded simply as Sports Tonight , is a British television show and channel , owned by VISION247 based in Central London . It was launched online on 29 August 2011 .   On 15 October 2011 , Sports Tonight Live began to broadcast on Freeview , where it is listed as Sports . The channel requires an internet connected Freeview HD set-top box or television , although the service may not be compatible with early Freeview HD equipment . Sports Tonight Live was the first English language channel to use VisionIPTV 's studio production and internet broadcast playout services . It was also the first over-the-top delivered channel on the Freeview platform .   Sports Tonight Live has also previously broadcast free-to-air on BEN Television and free-to-view on Primetime .   Every show is broadcast live for four hours every week night and during the afternoon at the weekend . At other times , the latest programme is shown on a loop and branded as Sports Tonight Replay . From 17 August 2012 , Sports Tonight Live began to air live Polish football from the Ekstraklasa three times a week .   In October 2014 , Vision247 moved Sportstonightlive to FreeviewHD244 & currently broadcasts live five nights a week . BetRacingNation part of SportstonightLive also broadcasts live on SKY 212 every Saturday morning from 10am .

neg: Go With Noakes Go With Noakes was a BBC Television children 's programme , broadcast between 28 March 1976 and 21 December 1980 .   A documentary series , it was presented by John Noakes initially alongside , then following his departure from , Blue Peter in 1978 . Broadly similar to the reports he made for that programme , each episode had an adventure-based outdoor theme in keeping with Noakes 's reputation on Blue Peter as a man of action . Noakes was accompanied on most installments by Shep the dog , who had left Blue Peter at the same time . One episode featured the Blue Peter pony for the disabled ` Rags ' . Travelling around the country , they got involved in diverse activities like motor racing , rowing , aerobatics and painting . In each series Noakes was featured travelling around Britain in a particular mode , e.g. sailing , narrow boat , walking , open top car , etc. .   The series was produced by BBC Manchester and began on 28 March 1976 , running for six series and 31 episodes . The last edition was transmitted on 21 December 1980 . Being made on film allowed great flexibility with the shooting and editing of each week 's subject matter . An example of the first series run was where Noakes met the RAF 's Red Arrows aerial display team ( first broadcast 11 April 1976 ) . This edition is available to view on the BBC iPlayer on the BBC 's website and shows Noakes sitting in on the teams ' debriefing , taking part in a simulated flying lesson as well as being a passenger in a practice display before helping the ground crew prepare the team for a big show . In the programme , Noakes references his former occupation where he trained as an aircraft engine fitter for the RAF and BOAC before deciding to become an actor .   The theme-tune for the series was ` On Ilkla Moor Baht ` at ' ( ` On Ilkley Moor , without a hat ' ) , a popular Yorkshire folk song sung to the tune of the hymn ` Cranbrook ' . It was a reference to Noakes 's own Yorkshire heritage . The end theme though was a different tune .   A series of repeats was later broadcast under the title Look Back With Noakes .   A similar series entitled Duncan Dares hosted by one of Noakes 's successors on Blue Peter , Peter Duncan , followed in 1985 .

neg: BBC World Service Television BBC World Service Television , often abbreviated to WSTV ( World Service Television ) , was the name of two BBC international satellite television channels between 1991 and 1995 . It was the BBC 's first foray into worldwide television broadcasting . In Europe , it was the successor to BBC TV Europe , replacing it on 11 March 1991 . The service was also launched in Asia as a 24-hour news and information service with minor differences , a precursor to BBC World News , launched on 14 October 1991 .   Unlike BBC World Service at the time , it was not funded by the British government with a grant-in-aid . Instead , it was funded by commercial advertising , with commercials were inserted locally by the cable or satellite providers . In the years that followed , the BBC would insert news headlines and other updates to fill the gaps , known as the break fillers .

neg: Thirty-Minute Theatre Thirty-Minute Theatre is an anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973 , which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers , on account of its short running length , and which therefore attracted many writers who later became well known . It was initially produced by Graeme MacDonald .   Thirty-Minute Theatre began on BBC2 in 1965 with an adaptation of the black comedy Parson 's Pleasure ( author , Roald Dahl ) . Dennis Potter contributed Emergency -- Ward 9 ( 1966 ) , which he partially recycled in the much later The Singing Detective ( 1986 ) . In 1967 BBC2 launched the UK 's first colour service , with the consequence that Thirty-Minute Theatre became the first drama series in the country to be shown in colour .   As well as single plays , the series showed several linked collections of plays , including a group of four plays by John Mortimer named after areas of London in 1972 , two three-part Inspector Waugh series starring Clive Swift in the title role , and a trilogy of plays by Jean Benedetti , broadcast in 1969 , focusing on infamous historical figures such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin . Other plays were broadcast by writers like Charlotte and Denis Plimmer ( The Chequers Manoeuvre , 1968 ) , David Rudkin ( Bypass , 1972 , and Atrocity , 1973 ) and Jack Rosenthal ( And For my Next Trick , 1972 ) .   Thirty-Minute Theatre was cancelled in August 1973 . Second City Firsts , also of 30 minutes duration , fulfilled much the same role .


query: Venus Williams has lost every Wimbledon.

pos: Venus Williams Venus Ebony Starr Williams ( born June 17 , 1980 ) is an American professional tennis player who is generally regarded as one of the all-time greats of women 's tennis and who , along with younger sister Serena Williams , is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women 's professional tennis tour .   Ranked World No. 11 in singles as of January 28 , 2017 , Williams has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women 's Tennis Association on three occasions , for a total of 11 weeks . She first became the World No. 1 on February 25 , 2002 , the first African American woman to do so in the Open Era . On 10 June 2002 , Venus and Serena became the first sisters to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . On 7 June 2010 , Venus became co-No . 1 in doubles with Serena after they won their 4th consecutive grand slam doubles title at Roland Garros . By virtue of that doubles ascension , Venus became one of seven women to reach No. 1 in singles and No. 1 in doubles . On 21 June 2010 , Venus and Serena again occupied the No. 2 and No. 1 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . This came almost exactly 8 years after first accomplishing this feat . At the time , Venus had just celebrated her 30th birthday and Serena was three months shy of her 29th birthday , both ages at which many of their peers had retired .   Her seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her twelfth on the all-time list , more than any other active female player except sister Serena . She has also won fourteen Grand Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles . Her five Wimbledon singles titles ties her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list . Williams is one of four women to have won five or more Wimbledon singles titles in the Open Era . From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open , Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held . She is one of only six women in the Open Era to win 200 or more main draw Grand Slam singles matches . At the 2017 French Open , Williams extended her record as the all-time leader , male or female , in Grand Slams played , with 74 . Furthermore , Williams ' run to the 2017 Australian Open Women 's Singles final set the record for longest span between singles slam finals in the open era at 20 years , the beginning of which was marked by her appearance in the singles final at the 1997 US Open .   Williams has won four Olympic gold medals , one in singles and three in women 's doubles , along with a silver medal in mixed doubles .  She and Serena have won more Olympic gold medals than any other tennis player , male or female . Venus also holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by a male or female tennis player , shared with Kathleen McKane Godfree . She is the only tennis player to have won a medal at four separate Olympic Games . At the 2000 Sydney Olympics , Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games , after Helen Wills Moody in 1924 .   With 49 singles titles , Williams is behind only Serena among active players on the WTA Tour . Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest since January 1 , 2000 . She is also one of only three active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams , along with Serena and Russian Maria Sharapova . By winning her 49th career singles title at the 2016 Taiwan Open , Williams became the 5th oldest WTA Tour titlist in the Open Era , at 35 years , 7 months and 28 days .   Williams has played against her sister in 27 professional matches since 1998 , and won 11 . They have played against each other in nine Grand Slam singles finals , with Venus holding a 2-7 record . Venus has 8 runner-up finishes in grand slam singles events with Martina Hingis being the only player other than Serena to beat Venus in a major final at the 1997 US Open . Beginning with the 2002 French Open , they opposed each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals , the first time sisters had so met in the Open Era . On the other side , the pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other and are undefeated in Grand Slam finals .

neg: Clarisa Fernández Clarisa Fernández ( born 28 August 1981 ) is a retired Argentine tennis player who is best known for her semi-final appearance at the 2002 French Open , the first Argentine since Sabatini in 1992 to reach that stage . Fernández was ranked 87th in the world at the time of her shocking result . She defeated , in order : ( Q ) Lubomira Bacheva , Jelena Kostanić , Kim Clijsters , ( 13 ) Elena Dementieva , Paola Suárez , before losing to second-seeded Venus Williams in straight sets . .   Fernández is a crafty left-handed player . She turned professional in 1998 , and did not have much success before her appearance at the French Open . She has six ITF titles to her name , including one in 2006 . Since 2003 , Fernández has been plagued with injuries . She has suffered from tendinitis in her left shoulder , an injury to her left wrist , and to her right knee . Fernández enjoys playing on hard and grass courts . She was coached by Leonardo Lerda . Her tennis inspirations are Pete Sampras and Martina Navratilova .   In April 2008 , Fernández announced her retirement from professional tennis after a lengthy battle with knee injuries .

neg: 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open The 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open was a professional women 's tennis tournament played on hard courts . It was the 22nd edition of the tournament , which was part of the 2012 WTA Tour . It took place in Luxembourg City , Luxembourg between 15 and 21 October 2011 . Venus Williams won the singles title .

neg: 2014 US Open (tennis) The 2014 US Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts . It was the 134th edition of the US Open , the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year . It took place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center .   Rafael Nadal was the defending champion in the men 's event ; however , on 18 August , the Spaniard announced his withdrawal from the event after failing to recover from a wrist injury , while Serena Williams was the two-time defending champion in the women 's event .   In the men 's singles competition , Marin Čilić won his maiden grand slam title ; while , Serena Williams won her Open era record tying sixth title in the women 's singles competition tying Chris Evert , and it was her eighteenth grand slam title tying Evert and Martina Navratilova . Winning the men 's doubles , Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan became the most victorious doubles team in Open era history at the tournament , and this was the team 's 100th title together and sixteenth grand slam title tying Todd Woodbridge for the Open era record . Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina won women 's doubles competition title , becoming two-time grand slam champions with their victory at the 2013 French Open . The winning mixed doubles team was Sania Mirza and Bruno Soares , and for Mirza it was her third mixed doubles grand slam title in her career and Soares ' second grand slam title for his career . It was Soares ' second US Open title in mixed doubles , and it was the first for Mirza .

neg: Djokovic–Wawrinka rivalry The Djokovic -- Wawrinka rivalry is between tennis players Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka . In this matchup Djokovic leads 19 -- 5 , however the two have contested many close matches , including four five-setters at Grand Slam level . Wawrinka and Djokovic have played three consecutive Australian Open years , each match going to five sets , and a five-setter in the US Open : in the 2013 Australian Open fourth round , which Djokovic won 12 -- 10 in a fifth set ; at the 2013 US Open semifinals , which Djokovic won 6 -- 4 in a fifth set ; and at the 2014 Australian Open quarterfinals , which Wawrinka won 9 -- 7 in a close fifth set . Wawrinka 's win broke Djokovic 's impressive run of 14 straight semifinals in Grand Slam play , ended a 28-match winning streak , and prevented Djokovic from capturing a record fifth Australian Open crown . Djokovic got revenge in the 2015 Australian Open , winning 6 -- 0 in the fifth set , but again it went the distance . At the 2015 French Open final , Wawrinka defeated Djokovic in four sets to claim his second Grand Slam title . At the 2016 US Open , Wawrinka beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam final for the second time to collect his third Grand Slam title . Djokovic lost 7 -- 6 ( 7 -- 1 ) , 4 -- 6 , 5 -- 7 , 3 -- 6 .   Despite Djokovic 's 19 -- 5 overall record against Wawrinka , Wawrinka leads Djokovic 2 -- 0 in Grand Slam finals and 3 -- 2 in all ATP finals . Moreover , in Djokovic 's 21 Grand Slam championship matches , Wawrinka is the only opponent he has not defeated at least once , and the only opponent outside the Big Four who has defeated him .

neg: 2009 Billie Jean King Cup March 2 , 2009 , marked the inaugural year of the Billie Jean King Cup and the first time women 's tennis had been played at Madison Square Garden since 2000 , when the year-ending Chase Championships were held there . Broadcast internationally on HBO , the event featured 2008 US Open Champion Serena Williams , 2008 Wimbledon Champion Venus Williams , 2008 French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic and 2008 year end world No. 1 ranked player Jelena Janković , who filled in as a wild card for the injured 2008 Australian Open Champion Maria Sharapova .   Serena Williams won her semifinal match against Ana Ivanovic 6 -- 3 , and Venus Williams won hers 6 -- 4 against Jelena Janković . The final was won by Serena 6 -- 4 , 6 -- 3 .   Between the semifinals and final a tribute was paid to tennis legend and pioneer Billie Jean King . The tribute featured a speech by former president Bill Clinton , and appearances by figure skaters Sarah Hughes and Nancy Kerrigan , race car driver Janet Guthrie , Billie Jean King 's long time double 's partner Rosie Casals and other prominent women in sports .   A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 event benefited the Dream Vaccines Foundation and the Women 's Sports Foundation .

neg: Laura Robson Laura Robson ( born 21 January 1994 ) is a British tennis player and an Olympic Mixed Doubles silver medalist .   She debuted on the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) junior tour in 2007 , and a year later won the Wimbledon Junior Girls ' Championship at the age of 14 . As a junior , she also twice reached the final of the girls ' singles tournament at the Australian Open , in 2009 and 2010 . She won her first professional tournament in November 2008 .   Robson was the first British woman since Samantha Smith at Wimbledon in 1998 to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament , doing so at the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships . She won a silver medal in the mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics playing with Andy Murray , with whom she also reached the 2010 Hopman Cup final . At the 2012 Guangzhou Women 's Open , Robson became the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1990 to reach a WTA main-tour final , where she lost to Hsieh Su-wei . Robson was named WTA Newcomer of the Year for 2012 and reached a career high singles ranking of world number 27 on 8 July 2013 .   Since then , Robson has suffered from various injuries which have caused a prolonged absence from the WTA tour . After losing in the first round of the 2013 HP Open on 7 October 2013 , she has played just 33 matches : two in 2014 , 11 in 2015 and 20 in 2016 , winning just eight of them . She dropped out of the world rankings in early 2015 , returning at 906 in July 2015 , and is currently ranked at 173 . She has a career-high doubles ranking of number 82 and is currently ranked 344 .

neg: 2013 Australian Open The 2013 Australian Open was a tennis tournament that took place in Melbourne Park in Melbourne , Australia , from 14 to 27 January 2013 . It was the 101st edition of the Australian Open , and the first Grand Slam event of the year . The tournament consisted of events for professional players in singles , doubles and mixed doubles play . Junior and wheelchair players competed in singles and doubles tournaments .   All four of the main events in singles and same-sex doubles were won by the top seeds -- Novak Djokovic in men 's singles , Victoria Azarenka in women 's singles , Bob and Mike Bryan in men 's doubles , and Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in women 's doubles . This year 's Australian Open was the first Grand Slam event since that tournament 's 2004 edition in which the women 's singles and doubles were won by the top seeds , and the first Grand Slam event since the 1997 Wimbledon Championships in which the men 's and women 's singles and doubles were all won by the top seeds .

neg: 2001 WTA Tour Championships The 2001 WTA Tour Championships , also known by its sponsored name Sanex Championships , was a women 's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Olympiahalle in Munich , Germany . It was the 31st edition of the year-end singles championships , the 26th edition of the year-end doubles championships , and was part of the 2001 WTA Tour . The tournament was held between 30 October and 4 November 2001 . Seventh-seeded Serena Williams won the singles event after Lindsay Davenport defaulted the final due to a knee injury she sustained in her semifinal match . Davenport 's semifinal win ensured her the No. 1 year-end ranking . Williams earned $ 500,000 first-prize money as well as 390 ranking points .   Venus Williams and Martina Hingis had qualified for the tournament but withdrew due to injuries while Monica Seles refused to play in Germany , the country where she was stabbed in 1993 .

neg: Patricia Ward Hales Patricia Ward Hales ( née Ward ; 27 February 1929 -- 22 June 1985 ) was a tennis player from the United Kingdom who reached the singles final of the 1955 U.S. Championships , losing to Doris Hart .   Wales partnered Shirley Bloomer to reach the women 's doubles finals at the 1955 Wimbledon Championships , where they lost to the team of Angela Mortimer and Anne Shilcock in two sets and at the French Championships , where they lost to the team of Darlene Hard and Beverly Baker Fleitz in three sets . She again reached the women 's doubles final at the French Championships , where she and Ann Haydon-Jones lost to the team of Hard and Maria Bueno in straight sets .   With George Worthington , she reached the semifinal of the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1953 . She won the singles title at the Italian Open in 1955 , beating Erika Vollmer ; she also won the doubles with Christiane Mercelis . Ward had been runner-up to Maureen Connolly in 1954 . Also in 1955 she won Monte Carlo , beating Shirley Bloomer . She reached the semifinal at Wimbledon in 1956 , beating Angela Mortimer in straight sets before losing to Angela Buxton . She reached the final of the British Hard Court Championships in 1957 , scoring victories over Darlene Hard and Ann Haydon on the way , before losing in three sets to Shirley Bloomer . At Wimbledon in 1958 she defeated the seeded Karol Fageros before losing to Ann Haydon in three sets in the round of the last 16 .   According to Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail , Hales was ranked in the world top ten in 1955 and 1956 , reaching a career high of World No. 8 in 1956 .

neg: Tsvetana Pironkova Tsvetana Pironkova ( Цветана Кирилова Пиронкова -LSB- tsvɛˈtana pirɔnˈkɔva -RSB- ) ( born 13 September 1987 ) is a Bulgarian tennis player and the current no. 1 Bulgarian in the WTA rankings . She is right-handed and plays with a two-handed backhand . Born in Plovdiv , Pironkova started playing tennis at the age of four on being introduced to the sport by her father , who later coached her . After playing at a junior level and winning Atlantic Cup , she made her senior international tournament debut in 2002 at the International Tennis Federation circuit . Early in her career , Pironkova won six international singles titles at the ITF circuit .   Pironkova made her WTA tour debut at the İstanbul Cup in 2005 , and achieved moderate success earlier in her career . That changed in 2010 , when she entered Wimbledon with a 1 -- 4 career record at the event , and went on reach the semifinals of the tournament , becoming the second Bulgarian tennis player in history to reach the semifinal stage of a Grand Slam in singles . She garnered wide recognition for her performance , and after her semifinal finish reached her highest WTA Singles ranking at no. 31 in September 2010 . Pironkova followed it up with a quarterfinal run at the event the following year , earning her the nickname `` The Wimbledon Darkhorse '' . She is also known defeating Venus Williams three times at Grand Slam tournaments , twice at Wimbledon .   Pironkova won her first WTA title at the 2014 Apia International , defeating three top-10 ranked players in a row . She defeated the world no. 2 Agnieszka Radwańska in the fourth round of the 2016 French Open , reaching her quarterfinal at a Grand Slam other than Wimbledon . In addition to this , Pironkova has a total of twelve wins over other top-10 ranked players to her name . She also holds the second longest active streak of the most consecutive Grand Slam appearances at 45 , only behind Jelena Jankovic . Pironkova has been recognized by The New York Times for her `` cerebral '' grass-court abilities and named one of the most beautiful women in sports by MSN .

neg: 2011 French Open – Women's Singles Francesca Schiavone was the defending champion , but lost in the final to Li Na , 6 -- 4 , 7 -- 6 ( 7 -- 0 ) , making Li the first Asian and Chinese Grand Slam singles champion .   This was the first grand slams since the 2003 US Open where Venus Williams or Serena Williams did not participated

neg: Althea Gibson Althea Gibson ( August 25 , 1927 -- September 28 , 2003 ) was an American tennis player and professional golfer , and the first black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis . In 1956 , she became the first person of color to win a Grand Slam title ( the French Open ) . The following year she won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals ( precursor of the U.S. Open ) , then won both again in 1958 , and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years . In all , she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments , including six doubles titles , and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Women 's Sports Hall of Fame . `` She is one of the greatest players who ever lived , '' said Robert Ryland , a tennis contemporary and former coach of Venus and Serena Williams . `` Martina could n't touch her . I think she 'd beat the Williams sisters . '' In the early 1960s she also became the first black player to compete on the women 's professional golf tour .   At a time when racism and prejudice were widespread in sports and in society , Gibson was often compared to Jackie Robinson . `` Her road to success was a challenging one , '' said Billie Jean King , `` but I never saw her back down . '' `` To anyone , she was an inspiration , because of what she was able to do at a time when it was enormously difficult to play tennis at all if you were black , '' said former New York City Mayor David Dinkins . `` I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps , '' wrote Venus Williams . `` Her accomplishments set the stage for my success , and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come , her legacy will live on . ''

neg: Advanta Championships of Philadelphia The Advanta Championships of Philadelphia ( also long known as the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia ) was a WTA Tour professional tennis tournament for women played from 1971 through 2005 in Philadelphia , United States . The tournament was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I event from 1993 through 1995 . It was classified as a Tier II event in 1991 , 1992 , and from 1996 through 2005 . The tournament was played indoors , on carpet from 1991 through 2000 and on hard courts from 1971 through 1979 and from 2003 through 2005 .   Past singles champions include Conchita Martínez , Margaret Court , Chris Evert , Monica Seles , Steffi Graf , Martina Hingis , Lindsay Davenport , and Amélie Mauresmo .

neg: Unmatched Unmatched is a documentary about tennis players Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert , their decades-long on-court rivalry and lifelong friendship , created for ESPN 's 30 for 30 documentary series . Evert and Navratilova met in 80 matches , 60 finals and 14 grand slam finals with Navratilova sporting a 43-37 advantage .   The film was shot over three days in Amagansett , New York in October 2009 . Unmatched was awarded the 2011 Gracie Award for `` Outstanding Producer - News/Non-fiction '' .   Navratilova was sometimes described as the lesbian tennis player from a communist country : `` As one of the first openly gay sports figures , she has spent much of her career overcoming prejudices and stereotypes , giving up millions of dollars in endorsements and sponsorships as a result of her insistence on living a life of integrity and honesty . '' Evert was described as the all-American girl next door . Today Navratilova is often cited as the greatest tennis player of all-time ; she has won 167 singles titles , 177 doubles championships titles and 59 Grand Slam titles , she has been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame , was the WTA 's `` Tour Player of the Year '' seven times , was declared one of the `` Top Forty Athletes of All-time '' by Sports Illustrated and was named `` Female Athlete of the Year '' by the Associated Press . Navratilova has served as AARP 's Health and Fitness Ambassador and is also involved with the LGBT movement , The Rainbow Card ® and Rainbow Endowment . Evert on the other hand reached more Grand Slam singles finals than any player , she has been president of the Women 's Tennis Association and in 2005 she was named fourth on the list of the 40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era by TENNIS Magazine . Evert won 157 singles championships , 29 doubles titles and she won 18 Grand Slam singles championships and three doubles titles .   Hannah Storm said of the rivalry : `` Just think about the dynamic of competing against your best friend . They would practice together , eat lunch together , then go out and play in the final and then make travel plans to go to the next tournament . ''   In describing their rivalry and its effect on their tennis careers , Navratilova said : `` I do n't think either of us would have lasted as long without the other . '' Evert said : `` It gave us inspiration and a lot of incentive to work harder and try to continue to improve . ''

neg: Sabine Lisicki Sabine Katharina Lisicki ( -LSB- zaˈbɪnə lɪˈzɪki -RSB- ; born 22 September 1989 ) is a German professional tennis player . She turned professional in 2006 and her breakthrough came in 2009 when she reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships and won her first WTA title , the Family Circle Cup , against Caroline Wozniacki . In March 2010 , she suffered an ankle injury at the Indian Wells Masters that kept her out of competition for five months and saw her fall out of the top 200 .   Lisicki rebounded in 2011 and won the Aegon Classic before entering the Wimbledon Championships as a wildcard and going on to reach the semifinals , where she lost to Maria Sharapova . In doing so she became only the second woman in Wimbledon history to make it to the semifinals while entering the tournament as a wildcard . She followed that two months later by winning her third WTA tournament , the Texas Open . In 2012 , she achieved her highest career world ranking , 12th , and again reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon . Again , in 2012 she suffered from another ankle injury that prevented her from having better results on tour . Lisicki reached the final of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships , losing to Marion Bartoli . The following year , she reached another quarterfinal at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships and won her first title in three years when she won the 2014 Hong Kong Tennis Open .   In doubles , Lisicki won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in 2011 with Samantha Stosur and in 2013 with Mona Barthel and the 2014 Sony Open with coach Martina Hingis . She also reached the doubles final at Wimbledon in 2011 with Stosur and came fourth in the mixed doubles event at the 2012 London Olympics with Christopher Kas .   Lisicki currently holds the world record for the fastest serve by a female tennis player . She clocked a 131.0 mph serve during her first-round encounter against Ana Ivanovic at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic . She also held the record for the most aces in a singles match , hitting 27 aces during her second-round encounter against Belinda Bencic at the 2015 Aegon Classic , until it was surpassed by Kristýna Plíšková at the 2016 Australian Open .

neg: 2009 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles Venus Williams was the two-time defending champion but lost to her sister Serena in the final 7 -- 6 ( 7 -- 3 ) , 6 -- 2 . Serena had come from match point down in the semifinals against Elena Dementieva .

neg: Henin–S. Williams rivalry Tennis players Justine Henin from Belgium , former world No. 1 , and Serena Williams from the USA , current World No. 1 ,   who met 14 times during their careers . When Henin was an active player , their rivalry was one of the most heated and competitive between two female players on the WTA Tour ; their contests were not solely athletic in nature , but interpersonal as well .   As of June 30 , 2013 , Williams leads the overall head-to-head series , 8 -- 6 . Henin retired for the second time in January 2011 .

neg: 2013 Western & Southern Open – Women's Singles Li Na was the defending champion , but lost to Serena Williams in the semifinals . Victoria Azarenka defeated Williams in the final 2 -- 6 , 6 -- 2 , 7 -- 6 ( 8 -- 6 ) to claim the title .   Marion Bartoli played the last match of her professional career and retired after losing to Simona Halep in the second round .

neg: 2016 Australian Open – Main Draw Wildcard Entries The 2016 Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs and Entries was a group of events and internal selections to choose the eight men and eight women singles wildcard entries for the 2016 Australian Open , as well as seven male and seven female doubles teams plus eight mixed doubles teams .   One wildcard each was given to the winners of the Australian Open Wildcard Playoff , a tournament between Australian players who did not receive direct entry into the draw . This took place from 14 to 20 December 2015 .   In an agreement with the United States Tennis Association and the French Tennis Federation , Tennis Australia gives one man and one woman from the United States and France each a wildcard into the Australian Open . The French players were chosen by internal selection , while USTA awarded the entry to the player with the most points over three pre-selected events in USA over October and November 2015 .   Since the Australian Open is promoted as the `` Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific '' , one male and one female player from this geographical area were awarded a wildcard . This was decided through the Asia-Pacific Australian Open Wildcard Playoff . At the same event , one male and one female doubles team won wildcards , and one wildcard each was contested in boys and girls singles . This took pace from 2 to 6 December 2015 .   Remaining wildcards were awarded by internal Australian selection .   For the first time , a new initiative was put in place for rewarding women 's wildcards . A wildcard race was put in place by Tennis Australia to offer the highest Australian points earner from the 2015 Canberra Tennis International and 2015 Bendigo Women 's International a main draw wildcard . The singles wildcard was won by Tammi Patterson and the doubles wildcard was won by Jessica Moore and Storm Sanders . Also for the first time , the winner of the girls ' 18 and under national championships was rewarded a main draw wildcard .

neg: Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ) was formed in September 1972 by Donald Dell , Bob Briner , Jack Kramer , and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players . Drysdale became the first President . Since 1990 , the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the organization 's name . In 1990 the organization was called the ATP Tour , which was renamed in 2001 as just ATP and the tour being called ATP Tour . In 2009 the name was changed again and is now known as the ATP World Tour . It is an evolution of the tour competitions previously known as Grand Prix tennis tournaments and World Championship Tennis ( WCT ) .   The ATP 's global headquarters are in London , United Kingdom . ATP Americas is based in Ponte Vedra Beach , United States ; ATP Europe is headquartered in Monaco ; and ATP International , which covers Africa , Asia and Australasia , is based in Sydney , Australia .   The counterpart organization in the women 's professional game is the Women 's Tennis Association ( WTA ) .