title: Pallas's cat

text: It has narrow black stripes on the back, consisting of five to seven dark transversal lines across the lower back. Its grey tail has seven narrow black rings and a black tip. The underfur is long and 19 μm thick, and the guard hairs up to long and 93 μm thick on the back. Its fur is soft and dense with up to .


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat's ears are grey with a yellowish tinge on the back and a darker rim, but with whitish hair in front and in the ear pinnae. Its rounded ears are set low on the side, such that it can peer over an object and show only a relatively small part of the head above the eyes without depressing the ears. This can give its face a look of ferocity and unrest. Its eyes are encircled by white. The iris is yellowish, and its pupils contract to small circular disks in sunlight. Among the Felinae, it shares this trait of round pupils with "Puma", "Herpailurus" and "Acinonyx" species.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat is about the size of a domestic cat ("Felis catus"). Its stocky posture with the long and dense fur make it appear stout and plush. Its head-to-body is long with a long tail. It weighs .


title: Pallas's cat

text: Its body is stout, and its skull is rounded with a short nasal bone, an enlarged cranial part and rounded zygomatic arches. Its orbits are large and directed forward. Its legs are short with short and sharp retractile claws.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The skull of males is long and wide at the base. Females have a long and wide skull. The lower carnassial teeth are powerful, and the upper carnassials are short and massive. The first pair of upper premolars is absent. The dental formula is . It has a bite force at the canine tip of 155.4 newtons and a bite force quotient at the canine tip of 113.8.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The mitochondrial genome of the Pallas's cat consists of 16,672 base pairs containing 13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNA and two ribosomal RNA genes and one non-coding RNA control region.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat's range extends from the Caucasus eastward to Central Asia, Mongolia and adjacent parts of Dzungaria and the Tibetan Plateau. It inhabits montane shrublands and grasslands, rocky outcrops, scree slopes and ravines in areas, where the continuous snow cover is below .


title: Pallas's cat

text: In the southwestern part of its range, the habitat of the Pallas's cat is affected by cold and dry winters, and moderate to low rainfall in warm summers. The typical vegetation in this part consists of small shrubs, sagebrush ("Artemisia"), "Festuca" and "Stipa" grasses.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In the central part of its range, it inhabits hilly landscapes, high plateaus and intermontane valleys that are covered by dry steppe or semi-desert vegetation, such as low shrubs and xerophytic grasses. The continental climate in this region exhibits a range of between the highest and lowest air temperatures, dropping to in winter.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Greater Caucasus region is considered climatically suitable for the Pallas's cat. In Armenia, an individual was killed near Vedi in the mountains of Ararat Province in the late 1920s. In January 2020, an individual was sighted about farther north in Tavush Province; the habitat at this location transitions from semi-desert to montane steppe at an elevation of about . Records in Azerbaijan are limited to a Pallas's cat skin found in Karabakh and a sighting of an individual in Julfa District, both in the late 20th century.


title: Pallas's cat

text: On the Iranian Plateau, two Pallas's cats were encountered near the Aras River in northwestern Iran before the 1970s. In the area, an individual was captured at an elevation of about near Azarshahr in East Azerbaijan Province in 2008. In the same year, a camera trap recorded a Pallas's cat on the southern slopes of the central Alborz Mountains in Khojir National Park shortly after heavy snowfall. Farther east in the Alborz Mountains, an individual was recorded among rocks at an elevation of in 2016. In the Aladagh and Kopet Dag Mountains, the Pallas's cat was recorded inside and in the vicinity of protected areas. In the south of the Zagros Mountains, an individual was caught in a corral used by transhumant pastoralists in Abadeh County in 2012. The surrounding area consists of rocky steppe habitat dominated by mountain almond ("Prunus scoparia"), "Astragalus" and "Artemisia".


title: Pallas's cat

text: In the Hindu Kush, a Pallas's cat was observed sunbathing at the fringe of a rocky high-elevation plain near Dasht-e Nawar in Afghanistan's Koh-i-Baba range in April 2007. The Pallas's cat was also photographed multiple times in Bamyan Province between 2015 and 2017.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In Gilgit-Baltistan, an individual was recorded on a ridge in a juniper dominated forest at in Pakistan's Qurumber National Park in July 2012.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In the Transcaspian Region, its presence was first reported in the Kopet Dag mountains and in the vicinity of the Tedzhen and Murghab Rivers in the late 19th century. In Turkmenistan's Sünt-Hasardag Nature Reserve, a camera trap recorded an individual in 2019. The Pallas's cat is allegedly also present in Köpetdag Nature Reserve.


title: Pallas's cat

text: Historical records of the Pallas's cat are known in the Surxondaryo Region and Gissar Range along the border of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In Kyrgyzstan, it is present at high elevations of Sarychat-Ertash State Nature Reserve and in the foothills of the Alay Range. In 2013, a dead female was found in a valley near Engilchek, Kyrgyzstan. In Kazakhstan, it inhabits the highlands and steppes of central and east Kazakhstan Region, the periphery of the Betpak-Dala Desert, the northern Balkhash District and the Tarbagatai Mountains.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In the South Siberian Mountains, it inhabits grasslands on the Ukok Plateau and in the Altai, Kuray and Saylyugem Mountains. It is also present in Chagan-Uzun and Argut river basins, Mongun-Taiga, Uvs Lake Basin, Sayano-Shushenski Nature Reserve, Tunkinsky National Park, Lake Gusinoye basin and in the interfluves of the Selenga, Chikoy and Khilok rivers. In the eastern Sayan Mountains, its presence was documented for the first time in 1997. In Transbaikal, it inhabits montane steppes at elevations of , where annual rainfall ranges from . In 2013, an individual was observed on the Vitim Plateau.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat inhabits the semi-desert steppe of Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve in Mongolia. In Khustain Nuruu National Park and Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, it prefers rocky and rugged habitats that provides cover and camouflage.


title: Pallas's cat

text: On the Tibetan plateau, two Pallas's cats were observed in undulating alpine meadow amidst plateau pika ("Ochotona curzoniae") colonies at in western China's Qumarlêb County in 2001. One of them swam across an irrigation channel. In Gêrzê County, an individual was sighted in desert steppe habitat at an elevation of in 2005. In 2011, the Pallas's cat was photographed in an alpine meadow in the core area of Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve. In Ruoergai, it was observed at several places in habitat that was frequented by pastoralists and their livestock herds.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The presence of the Pallas's cat in the Himalayas was first reported in Ladakh's Indus valley in 1991. In Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, Pallas's cats were sighted close by riverbanks at elevations of in 2013 and 2015. In Gangotri National Park, a Pallas's cat was photographed in rocky alpine scrub at in 2019. In Sikkim, an individual was observed on a rocky slope at an elevation of in the vicinity of Tso Lhamo Lake in 2007.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In December 2012, the Pallas's cat was recorded for the first time in the Nepal Himalayas. It was photographed in the upper Marshyangdi river valley in alpine pastures at elevations of and in Annapurna Conservation Area. In Shey-Phoksundo National Park, Pallas's cat scat was detected at in 2016, the globally highest record to date.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In January 2012, it was recorded for the first time in Bhutan, namely in rolling hills dominated by glacial outwash and alpine steppe vegetation in Wangchuck Centennial National Park. In autumn 2012, it was also photographed at an elevation of in Jigme Dorji National Park.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat is solitary. Of nine Pallas's cat kittens observed in captivity, only the two males scent marked by spraying urine.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat uses caves, rock crevices and marmot burrows as shelter. In central Mongolia, 29 Pallas's cat were fitted with radio collars between June 2005 and October 2007. They used 101 dens during this time, including 39 winter dens, 42 summer dens and 20 dens for raising kittens. The summer and winter dens usually had one entrance with a diameter of . They resided in the summer dens for 2–21 days, and in the winter dens for 2–28 days. Summer and maternal dens were close to rocky habitats with little direct sunlight, whereas winter dens were closer to ravines. The home ranges of 16 females varied from . The home ranges of nine males varied from and overlapped those of one to four females and partly also those of other males. The sizes of their home ranges decreased in winter.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In an unprotected area in central Mongolia, Pallas's cats were mainly crepuscular between May and August, but active by day from September to November. Pallas's cats recorded in four study areas in the western Mongolian Altai mountains were also active during the day, but with a lower frequency at sites where livestock was present.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat is a highly specialised predator of small mammals, which it catches by stalking or ambushing near exits of burrows. It also pulls out rodents with its paws from shallow burrows. In the Altai Mountains, remains of long-tailed ground squirrel ("Urocitellus undulatus"), flat-skulled shrew ("Sorex roboratus"), Pallas's pika ("Ochotona pallasi") and bird feathers were found near breeding burrows of Pallas's cats. In Transbaikal, it preys on Daurian pika ("Ochotona dauurica"), steppe pika ("O. pusilla"), Daurian ground squirrel ("Spermophilus dauricus") and young of red-billed chough ("Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax").


title: Pallas's cat

text: Scat samples of the Pallas's cat collected in the bufferzone of Khustain Nuruu National Park in central Mongolia contained foremost remains of Daurian pika, Mongolian gerbil ("Meriones unguiculatus"), Mongolian silver vole ("Alticola semicanus") and remains of passerine birds, beetles and grasshoppers. Brandt's vole ("Lasiopodomys brandtii") dominated in the diet of Pallas's cats in Mongolia's Sükhbaatar Province after the irruptive growth of this vole population during 2017 to 2020.


title: Pallas's cat

text: Scat found in Shey-Phoksundo National Park contained remains of pika species and of woolly hare ("Lepus oiostolus"). Remains of a cypriniform fish were found in Pallas's cat scat in Gongga Mountain Nature Reserve.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The female is sexually mature at the age of about one year. She is in estrus for 26 to 42 hours. Gestation lasts 66 to 75 days.


title: Pallas's cat

text: A captive male Pallas's cat housed under natural lighting conditions showed increased aggressive and territorial behaviour at the onset of the breeding season, lasting from September to December. Its blood contained three times more testosterone than in the non-breeding season, and its ejaculate was more concentrated with more normal sperm forms and a higher motility of sperm.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In the wild, the female gives birth to a litter of two to six kittens between the end of April and late May. The newborn kittens' fur is fuzzy, and their eyes are closed until the age of about two weeks. A newborn male kitten born in a zoo weighed , measured and had a long tail.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In central Mongolia, seven females with kittens were observed using 20 dens for 4–60 days. Their maternal dens were either among rocks, or in former burrows of the Tarbagan marmot ("Marmota sibirica"), and had at least two entrances. In Iran, a Pallas's cat was observed using cavities of aged Greek juniper ("Juniperus excelsa") as breeding dens for a litter of four kittens.


title: Pallas's cat

text: Two-month-old kittens weigh , and their fur gradually grows longer. They start hunting at the age of about five months and reach adult size by the age of six to seven months.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In China, Mongolia and Russia, the Pallas's cat was once hunted for its fur in large numbers of more than 10,000 skins annually. In China and the former Soviet Union, hunting of the Pallas's cat decreased in the 1970s when it became legally protected. Mongolia exported 9,185 skins in 1987, but international trade has ceased since 1988. However, domestic trade of its skins and body parts for medicinal purposes continues in the country, and it may be hunted throughout the year.


title: Pallas's cat

text: Cases of herding dogs killing Pallas's cats were reported in Iran, Kazakhstan and the Altai Republic.


title: Pallas's cat

text: Pallas's cats have also fallen victim in traps set for small mammals in Kazakhstan and in the Altai Republic. In Transbaikal, the Pallas's cat is threatened by poaching. In Mongolia, the use of the rodenticide bromadiolone in the frame of rodent control measures in the early 21st century poisoned the prey base of carnivores and raptors.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In the Sanjiangyuan region of the Tibetan Plateau, of grassland was poisoned between 2005 and 2009, leading to an estimated loss of of pika biomass.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat may be negatively affected by habitat fragmentation due to mining and infrastructure projects.


title: Pallas's cat

text: On the IUCN Red List, the Pallas's cat is classified as Least Concern since 2020 because of its wide-spread range and assumed large global population. It is listed in CITES Appendix II. Hunting it is prohibited in all range countries except Mongolia. Since 2009, it is legally protected in Afghanistan, where all hunting and trade with its body parts is banned.


title: Pallas's cat

text: On the Mongolian Red List of Mammals, it is listed as Near Threatened since 2006. In China, it is listed as Endangered. In Turkmenistan, it is proposed to be listed as Critically Endangered due to the scarcity of contemporary records.


title: Pallas's cat

text: Between 1951 and 1979, the Beijing Zoo kept 16 Pallas's cats, but they lived for less than three years. In 1984, the Pallas's cat was designated as a priority species for captive breeding of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums's Species Survival Plan. Almost half of the kittens born in member zoos died within the first 30 days, reaching the highest mortality rate in captivity of any small wild cat.


title: Pallas's cat

text: Zoos in the former Soviet Union received most of the wild-caught Pallas's cats from the Transbaikal region and a few from Mongolia. Moscow Zoo initiated a studbook for the Pallas's cat in 1997. Since 2004, the Pallas's cat international studbook has been managed by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which also coordinates the captive breeding program for the Pallas's cat within the European Endangered Species Programme. As of 2018, 177 Pallas's cats were kept in 60 zoos in Europe, Russia, North America and Japan.


title: Pallas's cat

text: In 2011, a female Pallas's cat was artificially inseminated for the first time with semen from the male at the Cincinnati Zoo. After 69 days, she gave birth to four kittens, of which one was stillborn.


title: Pallas's cat

text: 'Manul' is the Pallas's cat's name in the Kyrgyz language. It is called 'manol' in the Mongolian language. The common name 'Pallas's cat' was coined by William Thomas Blanford in honour of Peter Simon Pallas.


title: Pallas's cat

text: The Pallas's cat is featured in a Russian Internet meme known as "Pet the cat" introduced in 2008. It is typically an image macro with a picture of an unfriendly and stern-looking Pallas's cat accompanied by a caption in which the cat invites the reader to pet it. In 2012, the Pallas's cat overwhelmingly won an online vote to decide the Moscow Zoo mascot.


title: Doraemon

text: Doraemon ( ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 "tankōbon" volumes and published by Shogakukan from 1970 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a boy named Nobita Nobi.


title: Doraemon

text: The manga spawned a media franchise. Three anime TV series have been adapted in 1973, 1979, and 2005. Additionally, Shin-Ei Animation has produced over forty animated films, including two 3D computer animated films, all of which are distributed by Toho. Various types of merchandise and media have been developed, including soundtrack albums, video games, and musicals. The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America, via Amazon Kindle, by a collaboration of Fujiko F. Fujio Pro with Voyager Japan and AltJapan Co., Ltd. The anime series was licensed by Disney for an English-language release in North America in 2014, and LUK International in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" was well-received by critics and became a hit in many Asian countries. It won numerous awards, including the Japan Cartoonists Association Award in 1973 and 1994, the Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga in 1982, and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 1997. As of 2019, it has sold over 250 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling manga series in history. "Doraemon" is also one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, of which the animated film series has the highest number of admissions in Japan. The Doraemon character has been viewed as a Japanese cultural icon, and was appointed as the first "anime ambassador" in 2008 by the country's Foreign Ministry.


title: Doraemon

text: Nobita Nobi is a ten-year-old Japanese school boy, who is kind-hearted and honest, but also lazy, unlucky, weak, gets bad grades and is bad at sports. One day, a robot cat from the 22nd century named Doraemon is sent back to the past by Nobita's descendants to take care of Nobita so that his descendants can have a better life. Doraemon has a four-dimensional pouch in which he stores tools, inventions, and gadgets from the future to aid Nobita whenever he is faced with a problem. Although Doraemon is a cat robot, he has a fear of mice because of an incident where robotic mice chewed off his ears. This is why Doraemon lost his original yellow color and turned blue, from sadness.


title: Doraemon

text: Nobita has three main friends: Takeshi Goda (nicknamed Gian), Suneo Honekawa (Gian's sidekick), and Shizuka Minamoto, Nobita's best friend and love-interest. Gian is a strong, leading and domineering boy, but also loyal to his friends. Suneo is a wealthy and spoiled boy who uses his friendship with Gian to win the respect of other schoolmates. Shizuka is a gentle and kind girl who frequently plays with Nobita. Nobita has a crush on Shizuka; she is his prospective future wife (Nobita's future wife is initially Gian's younger sister). Although Gian and Suneo are Nobita's friends, they also typically bully and abuse him. Nobita normally responds by using Doraemon's gadgets to fight back against them, but Nobita has a tendency to get carried away with using the gadgets (or Gian and Suneo, if they steal it away), which typically results in unintended consequences for him and others.


title: Doraemon

text: In addition to Gian, Suneo, and Shizuka, Dorami and Hidetoshi Dekisugi (common name Dekisugi) are also recurring characters. Dorami is Doraemon's younger sister, and Dekisugi is a gifted student boy who as Shizuka's close friend, frequently attracts the jealousy of Nobita.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" is written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio, the pen name of Japanese manga artist Hiroshi Fujimoto. According to Fujio, it was originally conceived following a series of three events: when searching for ideas for a new manga, he wished a machine existed that would come up with ideas for him, he tripped over his daughter's toy, and heard cats fighting in his neighborhood. To set up the plot and characters, he inspired some elements from his earlier manga series, "Obake no Q-Tarō", which involve an "obake" living with humans, with a similar formula. Fujio said that the idea for "Doraemon" came after "an accumulation of trial and error", during which he finally found the most suitable style of manga to him. Initially, the series achieved little success as "gekiga" was well-known at the time, and only became a hit after its adaptation into an anime TV series and multiple feature films.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" is mainly aimed at children, so Fujio chose to create the character with a simple graphic style, based on shapes such as circles and ellipses. He used the same sequences of cartoons with regularity and continuity to enhance the reader's ease of understanding. In addition, blue, a characteristic color of Doraemon, was chosen as the main color in magazine publications, which used to have a yellow cover and red title. Set in Tokyo, the manga reflected parts of Japan's society, such as the class system and the "ideal" of Japanese childhood. Problems, if occur, were resolved in a way so as not to rely on violence and eroticism, and the stories were integrated with the concept of environmentalism. The manga also insisted on the ethical values of integrity, perseverance, courage, family and respect.


title: Doraemon

text: In order to underline the crucial role of the young generation in society, the manga's creator chose to have the act carried out in a "children's domain" where young people can live with happiness, freedom and power without adult's interference. As Saya S. Shiraishi noted, the existence of the "domain" helped "Doraemon" to have a strong appeal in various Asian countries. During "Doraemon"'s development, Fujio did not express a change in characters; he said, "When a manga hero become a success, the manga suddenly stops being interesting. So the hero has to be like the stripes on a barber pole; he seems to keep moving upward, but actually he stays in the same place."


title: Doraemon

text: According to Zensho Ito, Fujio's former student, the "length" of time in the universe is one of the ideas that inspired Fujio to make "Doraemon". Frequently occur in its stories is Nobita's desire to control time, and there exist time-control gadgets that he uses to satisfy that desire, particularly the "Time Machine", which lies in his desk drawer. Unlike Western works on science fiction, the manga did not explain the theory nor the applied technology behind these tools, but instead focusing on how the characters exploit their advantages, making it more children-friendly.


title: Doraemon

text: The name "Doraemon" can be roughly translated to "stray". Unusually, the name is written in a mixture of two Japanese scripts: Katakana () and Hiragana (). "Dora" derives from , and is a corruption of nora (stray), while "-emon" (in kanji ) is an old-fashioned suffix for male names (for example, as in Ishikawa Goemon). Nobita's home address in Tsukimidai ("moon-view-heights"), Nerima refers to Fujimidai ("Fuji-view-heights"), where Osamu Tezuka's residence and animation studio is based. The name "Nobita Nobi" refers to "nobi nobi", meaning "the way a young child grows up free, healthy, and happy, unrestrained in any sense".


title: Doraemon

text: Gadgets, or , are Doraemon's tools from the future, usually used to help the characters. Fujio said that Doraemon has a total of 1,293 gadgets; according to a 2004 analysis by Yasuyuki Yokoyama of Toyama University, there are 1,963 gadgets found in 1,344 sketches. The most important gadgets include "Take-Copter", a small piece of headgear made out of bamboo that can allow its users to fly; "Time Machine", a machine used for time travel; "Anywhere Door", a pink-colored door that allows people to travel according to the thoughts of the person who turns the knob; "Time Kerchief", a handkerchief which can turn an object new or old or a person young or old; "Translator Tool", a cuboid jelly that allow one to converse in any language; and "Designer", a camera used to instantly dress-up the user.


title: Doraemon

text: Saya S. Shiraishi wrote that most of the gadgets were "an impressive testimony to the standards of quality control and innovation that exist in the twenty-second century". The gadgets were an essential part of the series so as to reflect a positive point of view about the association of technology in children, and to express the wishes of modern society.


title: Doraemon

text: The series stopped publishing after Fujimoto's death in 1996, without an ending; this has aroused numerous urban legends throughout the years. One of the most well-known "endings" of the manga was by an amateur manga cartoonist under the pen name "Yasue T. Tajima", first appeared on the Internet in 1998 and made up into a manga in 2005. The story takes place when Doraemon's battery dies, and Nobita later grows up becoming a robot engineer, potentially revive Doraemon and live a happy life. Tajima issued an apology in 2007, and the profits were shared with Shogakukan and the copyright owner, Fujiko F. Fujio Pro.


title: Doraemon

text: Ryūichi Yagi and Takashi Yamazaki, the directors of "Stand by Me Doraemon", confirmed that it had only one opening, while the ending has been rewritten several times. Because of this, Shogakukan had to clarify that only if the marriage of Nobita and Shizuka is finalized will the mission be accomplished, and then Doraemon will return to the future.


title: Doraemon

text: In December 1969, the "Doraemon" manga appeared in six different children's monthly magazines published by Shogakukan: "Yoiko", "Yōchien", "Shogaku Ichi-nensei", "Shogaku Ni-nensei", "Shogaku San-nensei", and "Shogaku Yon-nensei". The magazines were aimed at children from nursery school to fourth grade. In 1973, two other magazines, "Shogaku Go-nensei" and "Shogaku Roku-nensei" (aimed at fifth-grade and sixth-grade students respectively), started publishing the manga. In 1977, "CoroCoro Comic" was launched as the flagship magazine of "Doraemon."


title: Doraemon

text: Since the debut of "Doraemon" in 1969, the stories have been selectively collected into forty-five "tankōbon" volumes that were published under Shogakukan's imprint from July 31, 1974 to April 26, 1996. These volumes are collected in the Takaoka Central Library in Toyama, Japan, where Fujio was born. Between April 25, 2005 and February 28, 2006, Shōgakukan published a series of five manga volumes under the title "Doraemon Plus" ("Doraemon+"), featuring short stories which did not appear in the forty-five original volumes; a sixth volume, the first volume in eight years, was published on December 1, 2014. Additionally, 119 unpublished stories were compiled into six colored-manga volumes under the title "Doraemon Kara Sakuhin-shu" , published from July 17, 1999 to September 2, 2006. Between July 24, 2009 and September 25, 2012, Shogakukan published a "master works" collection consisting of twenty volumes with all 1,345 stories written by Fujio. In December 2019, on the 50th anniversary of "Doraemon", a "Volume 0" was published by Shogakukan featuring six different versions of Doraemon's first appearance.


title: Doraemon

text: There have been two series of bilingual, Japanese and English, volumes of the manga by SHOGAKUKAN ENGLISH COMICS under the title "Doraemon: Gadget Cat from the Future", and two audio versions. The first series has ten volumes and the second one has six. 21st Century Publishing House released bilingual English-Chinese versions in Mainland China, and Chingwin Publishing Group released bilingual English-Chinese versions in Taiwan.


title: Doraemon

text: In July 2013, Fujiko F. Fujio Pro announced that they would be collaborating with ebook publisher Voyager Japan and localization company AltJapan Co., Ltd. to release an English-language version of the manga in full color digitally via the Amazon Kindle platform in North America. Shogakukan released the first volume in November 2013; as of 2016, a total of 200 volumes have been published. This English version incorporates a variety of changes to character names; Nobita is "Noby", Shizuka is "Sue", Suneo is "Sneech", and Gian is "Big G", while dorayaki is "Yummy Bun/Fudgy Pudgy Pie". Also, as of 2016, four volumes of the manga have been published in English in print by Shogakukan Asia.


title: Doraemon

text: Shogakukan started digital distribution of all forty-five original volumes throughout Japan from July 16, 2015.


title: Doraemon

text: The first attempt of a "Doraemon" animated series was in 1973, by Nippon Television. After a January 1973 pilot named "Doraemon Mirai Kara Yattekuru" , twenty-six episodes, each with two segments, were broadcast on Nippon TV from April 1 to September 30 of the same year. The series was directed by Mitsuo Kaminashi with voice cast from Aoni Production; the character Doraemon was voiced by Kōsei Tomita, then later by Masako Nozawa. Later in the series, the animation studio, Nippon TeleMovie Productions, went bankrupt, and the masters were sold off or destroyed. The series was re-aired on Nippon TV and several local stations until 1979, when Shogakukan requested Toyama Television to cease broadcasting. Some of the segments were found in the archives of IMAGICA in 1995, and some others were recovered by Jun Masami in 2003. As of 2013, 21 of 52 segments have known to survive, two of which without audio.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" remained fairly exclusive in manga form until 1979 when a newly formed animation studio, Shin-Ei Animation (now owned by TV Asahi) produced an animated second attempt of "Doraemon". The series, directed by Tsutomu Shibayama, aired on TV Asahi from April 2, 1979 to March 18, 2005. Eiichi Nakamura served as director of photography and character designer, while Shunsuke Kikuchi was the composer. Nobuyo Ōyama voiced Doraemon in the series; because of this, in Asia, this version is sometimes referred to as the Ōyama Edition. In total, 1,787 episodes were produced and released in VHS and DVD by Toho. Celebrating the anniversary of the franchise, a third "Doraemon" animated series, also produced by Shin-Ei Animation, began airing on TV Asahi on April 15, 2005, with new voice actors and staff, and updated character designs. The third series is sometimes referred to in Asia as the Mizuta Edition, as a tribute for the voice actress for Doraemon, Wasabi Mizuta. It was released in DVD on February 10, 2006 under the title "New TV-ban Doraemon" with Shogakukan Video banner.


title: Doraemon

text: In May 2014, TV Asahi Corporation announced an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to bring the 2005 series to the Disney XD television channel and Disney Channel in the United States beginning in the summer of that year. Besides using the name changes that were used in AltJapan's English adaptation of the original manga, other changes and edits have also been made to make the show more relatable to an American audience, such as Japanese text being replaced with English text on certain objects like signs and graded papers, items such as yen notes being replaced by US dollar bills, and the setting being changed from Japan to the United States. Initial response to the edited dub was positive. The Disney adaptation began broadcast in Japan on Disney Channel from February 1, 2016. The broadcast offered the choice of the English voice track or a newly recorded Japanese track by the Japanese cast of the 2005 series.


title: Doraemon

text: The anime has also been aired in over sixty countries worldwide. It premiered in Thailand in 1982, the Philippines in 1999, India in 2005, and Vietnam in 2010. Other Asian countries that broadcast the series include China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea. The series is licensed in EMEA regions by LUK International; it premiered in Spain in 1993 and France in 2003. It has also been distributed in South American countries, including Brazil, Colombia, and Chile. In 2017, POPS Worldwide, a Vietnamese multimedia company, collaborated with TV Asahi to release the anime series on YouTube and other digital platforms.


title: Doraemon

text: As of 2022, there have been 41 annual feature-length animated films produced by Shin-Ei Animation and released by Toho, the most recent of which is "", which premiered in Japan on March 4, 2022. The first twenty-five films are based on the 1979 anime, while the rest are based on the 2005 anime. Unlike the anime and manga series, the films are more action-adventure oriented, taking the familiar characters of "Doraemon" and placing them in a variety of exotic and perilous settings.


title: Doraemon

text: A 3D computer animated film, "Stand by Me Doraemon," debuted in Japan on August 8, 2014. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki and Ryūichi Yagi, it combines elements from the short stories of the manga series: "All the Way from the Country of the Future", "Imprinting Egg", "Goodbye, Shizuka-chan", "Romance in Snowy Mountain", "Nobita's the Night Before a Wedding", and "Goodbye, Doraemon ..." into a new complete story, from the first time Doraemon came to Nobita's house to Doraemon bidding farewell to Nobita. The film was a box office success, grossing $183.4 million worldwide. A sequel, "Stand by Me Doraemon 2", also directed by Yamazaki and Yagi, was released on November 20, 2020.


title: Doraemon

text: Several "Doraemon" short films were produced and released between 1989 and 2004. These include "", a film about the life of Doraemon from birth before coming to Nobita; "", a film about the events related to the marriage of Nobita and Shizuka; "The Day When I Was Born" and "", the films about the relationship between Nobita and his parents along with his grandmother. Other short films focus on Dorami and the Doraemons. In 1981, Toho released "What Am I for Momotaro", a film about Momotarō, the hero of Japanese folklore.


title: Doraemon

text: In 1994, an educational OVA was made, titled "Doraemon: Nobita to Mirai Note" , where the main characters express the hope for a better Earth. The OVA was released in DVD along with the 13th issue of "Fujiko F. Fujio Wonderland" magazine in September 2004. A crossover episode of "Doraemon" with "" aired on TV Asahi on November 9, 2018.


title: Doraemon

text: The soundtrack of the 1973 anime series was composed by Nobuyoshi Koshibe, who also arranged the opening theme song and the ending theme song , both performed by Harumi Naitō. For the 1979 anime, Shunsuke Kikuchi was the composer, who arranged ; it had been performed by numerous singers, including Kumiko Ōsugi and Satoko Yamano. When the anime got a reboot in 2005, Kan Sawada was the composer of the series. There are four other opening themes, including an instrumental version of "Doraemon no Uta" performed by Twelve Girls Band; "Hagushichao" performed by Rimi Natsukawa; "Yume wo Kanaete Doraemon" , the opening theme broadcast from 2007 to 2018; and "Doraemon" performed by Gen Hoshino, broadcast since October 2019.


title: Doraemon

text: Numerous collections of theme songs of the anime series and feature films were initially available in cassettes. Since the 1990s, "Doraemon" songs have been released in CD, under the type of singles and compilation albums. Soundtracks of "Doraemon" feature films have been released by Nippon Columbia since 2001 in the album series .


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" has been adapted into a musical, titled . Based on the 1990 anime film , it debuted at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space on September 4, 2008, running through September 14. Shoji Kokami was the director and writer, Makoto Sakamoto played Nobita and Reiko Suho as Shizuka; Jaian and Suneo were portrayed by Tomohiro Waki and Kensaku Kobayashi, respectively; Wasabi Mizuta voiced Doraemon. The musical was later revived and ran at Sunshine Theater, Tokyo from March 26 to April 2, 2017, then later in other prefectures including Fukuoka, Osaka, Miyagi, and Aichi. The 2017 revival is also directed and written by Kokami, with Mizuta reprising her role; Nobita, Shizuka, Jaian, and Suneo were played by Yuuchi Ogoe, Hina Higuchi, Koki Azuma, and Shō Jinnai, respectively.


title: Doraemon

text: Several spin-off manga series of "Doraemon" have been made. "Doraemon Long Stories" is a manga series consists of twenty-four "tankōbon" volumes published from 1983 to 2004, featuring longer and continuous narratives about the characters' adventures into various lands of science fiction and fantasy. "The Doraemons", a manga illustrated by Michiaki Tanaka based on "Doraemon", was published by Shogakukan in six "tankōbon" volumes from 1996 to 2001. Between 1997 and 2003, Shogakukan also published fifteen volumes of "The Doraemons Special", created by Yukihiro Mitani and Masaru Miyazaki as a complement part of "The Doraemons", including twelve from the main series and three from the "Robot Training School Edition". "Dorabase", a baseball-themed manga written and illustrated by Mugiwara Shintarō, is another spin-off of "Doraemon"; twenty-three volumes of the manga were published by Shogakukan from April 26, 2001 to October 28, 2011. A parody of "Doraemon" created by Hikari Fujisaki, titled "Nozoemon" , was first serialized in Nihon Bungeisha's "Comic Heaven" magazine in September 2014, with the compiled book volume released on June 9, 2015; however, it was discontinued in August 2015 due to content issues.


title: Doraemon

text: Many Japanese-only video games based on "Doraemon" have been developed. For instance, in 1983, Bandai developed , an arcade game inspired by Pac-Man. "Doraemon", a NES video game made by Hudson Soft, was released on December 12, 1986, and became one of the best-selling games of that year in Japan with over 1.15 million copies sold. On December 6, 2007, Sega published "Doraemon Wii", the first "Doraemon" video game released on Wii. Doraemon can also be seen in Namco's "Taiko no Tatsujin" rhythm game series, such as in "Taiko no Tatsujin: Sesson de Dodon ga Don!" (2017). The first Doraemon game to receive a Western release was "Doraemon Story of Seasons" (2019). Card games with "Doraemon" themes have also been made in several special occasions, sometimes to exploit the popularity of feature films. In 2016, a special edition of "Uno" about the series' characters was released exclusively in Japan, as a result of a cooperation between Asatsu-DK and Mattel.


title: Doraemon

text: In Japan, the "Doraemon" merchandising rights belong to Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, which has produced and distributed a wide range of products under its brand, such as toys, food, stationery, action figures, "gashapon", shoes, clothing, and others. Several companies have collaborated on the creation and distribution of products on the series and its characters, including Sanrio, Converse, Moleskine, and ESP Guitars, which has made guitars decorated with "Doraemon" characters; a further partnership of "Doraemon" with Uniqlo led to a line of clothing designed by Takashi Murakami. The "Doraemon" franchise has also collaborated with various Japanese brands, including Tsi Groove & Sports's "Jack Bunny!!" golf apparel brand, Unicharm's "MamiPoko" diaper brand, and the video games "LINE Pop 2", "Monster Strike", and "Granblue Fantasy". Viz Media owns the "Doraemon" merchandising rights in North and Latin America, which has developed "Doraemon"-themed clothing and collectibles in collaboration with retail chain Hot Topic, and themed Happy Meals in a 2015 collaboration with McDonald's. Viz Media Europe (now Crunchyroll EMEA) manages the merchandising in Europe except Spain and Portugal; LUK International has obtained licenses in these two countries.


title: Doraemon

text: Characters from "Doraemon" have been used in advertising through specific agreements with Shogakukan. For instance, following the Cool Japan initiative promoted by the Japanese government, Sharp Corporation produced a series of commercials featuring the characters of Doraemon and Nobita, which were broadcast in several ASEAN countries. In late 2011, Shogakukan and Toyota Motor Corporation joined forces to create a series of live-action commercials as part of Toyota's ReBorn ad campaign, which depicted the manga's characters two decades after being grown up, where Hollywood actor Jean Reno played Doraemon.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" is considered one of the best-known manga of all time, a true Japanese cultural icon, and an essential part of family life of the Japanese post-war generation. Akihiro Motoyama observed that "mothers who watched the movies when they were children are now taking their own children to see them". It was also commercially successful: over books were sold in Japan by 1996. The 1979 and 2005 anime series also achieved high ratings on television. With the film "", the "Doraemon" anime film series reached 100 million tickets sold at the Japanese box office, surpassing "Godzilla" as the highest-grossing film franchise in Japan. By 2015, it had sold over 103 million tickets, and was the largest franchise by numbers of admissions in the country.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" was also a hit in Asia in general, and was considered one of the typical cases of Japanese soft power, although it was published without a license in some countries. The anime television series is available in over 60 countries, and reportedly getting high ratings in at least 30 countries. However, "Doraemon" was less successful in Western countries, because it was viewed as a children-only series, and there were some tight restrictions about publishing manga and broadcasting anime series there. The manga has sold over copies worldwide as of 2012, and 250 million as of 2019. Estimates show that "Doraemon" has generated at least more than in merchandise sales by 2019, and over $1.7 billion from anime feature films as of 2020, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.


title: Doraemon

text: Outside Japan, "Doraemon" achieved particular success in Vietnam, with a record-breaking 40 million copies sold as of 2006. The manga was first launched there in 1992 by Kim Đồng Publishing House, but the copyright from Shogakukan was not fully acquired until 1996. In 1993, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture considered the manga's publication to be "an impactful event for the improvement of children, youth and adult's likings ... ["Doraemon"] is a comprehensively educational book series which has the effect of developing children's personality". Doraemon is now a cultural icon in Vietnam, having featured in many cultural events.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" received favorable reviews. Mark Schilling wrote, "For kids whose lives are often so regulated, Doraemon represents a welcome breath of freedom and a glimpse of a funnier, friendlier world where all dreams, even foolish ones, can come true." Italian writer Massimo Nicora wrote that the manga "can be interpreted as a type of book that criticizes, with irony, the omnipotence of science that pretends to solve every problem with its tools", alluding to the fact that Doraemon's gadgets often end up making the problems even worse than they initially were, more than anything else. He added that it represents "the metaphor of the childish imagination, which always manages to find the most bizarre and original solutions, in a continuous game of transformation of reality".


title: Doraemon

text: Some critics considered that Nobita's flawed personality and modest background is different from the special or extraordinary characteristics usually seen in other typical anime and manga protagonists; this portrayal has been seen as reasons of its appeal as well as the contrary, especially in the United States. According to the Italian Parents Movement (Moige), in the manga, "the lazy Nobita does not know any kind of appreciable evolution", though there are still good points including "the criticism of bullying, the goodness that transpires from the little Nobita and the positive figure of Shizuka".


title: Doraemon

text: In his 2000 article, Leo Ching explained that the success of "Doraemon" in Asia was because it had reflected the Asian values such as imagination and responsibility, the same reason that "Oshin", another Japanese cultural export, became well-known there. On the other hand, according to an analysis by Anne Allison, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University, the strong point of it was not the variety of the gadgets, but the relationship between Doraemon and Nobita, which was particularly appreciated. Jason Thompson praised the "silly situations" and "old fashioned, simple artwork", with Doraemon's expression and comments adding to the "surrounding elementary-school mischief". On the manga's 50th anniversary, an op-ed published on "Asahi Shimbun" stated that the manga "has already become a contemporary classic".


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" has received numerous accolades. It won the Japan Cartoonists Association Award twice in 1973 and 1994, the former for Excellence Award while the latter for Minister of Education, Science and Technology Award. In 1982, it received the first Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga. In 1997, the manga won the Grand Prize at the first Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. The 1979 series won the award from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs four times for best television series in 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1989.


title: Doraemon

text: A 2006 poll among 80,000 Japanese fans for the 10th anniversary of the Japan Media Arts Festival placed "Doraemon" at fifth among the top ten best manga of all time. The 2005 and 2006 surveys conducted by TV Asahi found the "Doraemon" anime ranked fifth and third, respectively, among the 100 most favorite anime series of all time. In 2010, a survey conducted by researchers of Tokyo Polytechnic University found that most responders considered "Doraemon", along with "Dragon Ball" franchise, to be the anime series that represents Cool Japan. In a 2013 survey, "Doraemon" was found to be the best anime recommended for foreign people.


title: Doraemon

text: "Doraemon" has been blamed for having a negative impact on children, due to the controversial traits of the characters in the anime. The character has received criticism in China, where some media outlets considered Doraemon to be a politically subversive character and that it was a tool of Japan's "cultural invasion". In 2016, a resolution to ban Hindi dubbed "Doraemon" anime series was submitted in Pakistan. Around the same time, legal notices were served against several companies in India, targeting "Doraemon" and "Crayon Shin-chan" for bans (which did not materialize), as having an adverse effect on children. Disney Channel India, the regional broadcaster of the anime, was banned in Bangladesh and Pakistan citing non-availability of localized dubs for content including "Doraemon".


title: Doraemon

text: The "Doraemon" manga has inspired many other mangakas; these include Eiichiro Oda, the creator of "One Piece" with the idea of "Devil Fruits", and Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of "Naruto", who showed interest in drawing characters from anime shows during his childhood, including Doraemon. The manga has also been mentioned in "Gin Tama" and "Great Teacher Onizuka". The character Doraemon is considered one of the cultural icons in Japan, and one of the most well-known characters in manga history; some critics compared his notability with Mickey Mouse and Snoopy. Mark Schilling noted that Doraemon's "Take-Copter" is familiar among Japanese people "just as Snoopy's biplane is familiar to most Americans".


title: Doraemon

text: On April 22, 2002, on the special issue of "Asian Hero" in "Time" magazine, Doraemon was the only anime character to be named one of the twenty-two Asian Heroes, and was described as "The Cuddliest Hero in Asia". A 2007 poll by Oricon shown that Doraemon was the second-strongest manga character ever, behind only Son Goku of "Dragon Ball". Doraemon is also referred as something with the ability to satisfy all wishes.


title: Doraemon

text: In 2005, the Taiwan Society of New York selected "Doraemon" as a culturally significant work of Japanese otaku pop-culture in its exhibit "Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture", curated by renowned artist Takashi Murakami. In 2008, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Doraemon as the first anime cultural ambassador; a Ministry spokesperson explained the decision as an attempt to help people in other countries understand Japanese anime better and to deepen their interest in Japanese culture. On September 3, 2012, Doraemon was granted official residence in the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, one hundred years before he was born. In the same year, Hong Kong celebrated the birthday of Doraemon 100 years early with a series of displays of the character. In April 2013, Doraemon was chosen as Japan's ambassador in Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Paralympics. He appeared in the 2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony to promote the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.


title: Doraemon

text: A Fujiko F. Fujio museum opened in Kawasaki on September 3, 2011, featuring Doraemon as the star of the museum. The National Museum of Singapore held a time-travelling exhibition in October 2020 as a tribute to the manga. After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Shogakukan released an earthquake survival guidebook, which included the main cast of the "Doraemon" manga series. TV Asahi launched the "Doraemon Fund" charity fund to raise money for natural disasters in 2004, and in 2011. In 2020, Mumbai's Sion Friends Circle group distributed food and books to kids using mascots, one being Doraemon, to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Vietnam, a Doraemon scholarship fund was established in 1996, and the Doraemon character has been used for education of traffic safety. "Doraemon"'s creator, Fujiko F. Fujio, received the Culture Fighter Medal from the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture in 1996 for his contributions to young education through the manga.


title: Doraemon

text: Many prominent figures have been nicknamed after the cast of "Doraemon": politician Osamu Fujimura is known as the "Doraemon of Nagatacho" due to his figure and warm personality, and sumo wrestler Takamisugi was nicknamed "Doraemon" because of his resemblance to the character. In 2015, a group of people in a drought-affected village in northern Thailand used a Doraemon toy to complete a rain-ritual, in order to avoid controversies that would occur by using real animals.


title: Richard Osman

text: Richard Thomas Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English television presenter, producer, novelist and comedian. He is the creator and former co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show "Pointless". He has presented the BBC Two quiz shows "Two Tribes" and "Richard Osman's House of Games" and served as a team captain on the comedy panel shows "Insert Name Here" and "The Fake News Show". He has made appearances on many British panel shows.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman worked at Hat Trick Productions alongside Ben Smith before becoming creative director of the television production company Endemol UK, producing shows including "Prize Island" for ITV and "Deal or No Deal" for Channel 4. He is the author of the crime novels "The Thursday Murder Club" (2020), "The Man Who Died Twice" (2021) and "The Bullet That Missed" (2022).


title: Richard Osman

text: Richard Thomas Osman was born on 28 November 1970 in Billericay, Essex, to Brenda Wright and David Osman, and grew up in Cuckfield near Haywards Heath, West Sussex. When Richard Osman was nine years old, his father walked out on the family, which Osman says has created difficulty for the rest of his life. His mother went to teacher training college but, before she got a full-time job, making money to raise her two children was a challenge. His elder brother is musician Mat Osman, bass guitarist with the rock band Suede.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman attended Warden Park School in Cuckfield. While still at school, he gained his first broadcasting experience, as a regular contributor to "Turn It Up", an open-access music show which went out on Sunday evenings on BBC Radio Sussex (the show was also notable for giving early broadcast experience to BBC news journalist Jane Hill and radio DJ Jo Whiley). From 1989 to 1992, he studied Politics and Sociology at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was a contemporary of "Pointless" co-presenter Alexander Armstrong, who read English.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman began his career working as executive producer on British game shows, including "Deal or No Deal", Channel 4 comedy panel game "8 Out of 10 Cats" and satirical comedy "10 O'Clock Live". He was the creative director at TV company Endemol UK, pitching the idea for "Pointless" to the BBC, becoming its co-presenter with his former university friend Alexander Armstrong, when it launched in 2009.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman created the short-lived 2013 ITV gameshow "Prize Island". His other credits include "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", "Total Wipeout" and the game show "24 Hour Quiz". As a producer of "Deal or No Deal", it was Osman who revealed the identity of The Banker to be the show's producer Glenn Hugill.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman acted as script editor for BBC One's "Total Wipeout" and in 1999, created and wrote the Channel 4 sitcom "Boyz Unlimited" with David Walliams and Matt Lucas. In 2005, he co-created and co-wrote the animated Channel 4 sitcom "Bromwell High".


title: Richard Osman

text: Since 2009, Osman has co-presented the BBC One teatime quiz show "Pointless" with host Alexander Armstrong. He created the show where he is jokingly known as Armstrong's "pointless friend". Having previously worked exclusively in behind-the-camera roles, Osman got the job as co-presenter/assistant when he pitched the idea for the show to a panel of BBC daytime heads, taking the role of the assistant in the demonstration.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman guest hosted "Have I Got News for You" in October 2013. In 2014, Osman began presenting a new BBC Two quiz show called "Two Tribes". A second series began airing in February 2015. From October 2014, he guest-presented numerous episodes of "The One Show". Beginning in 2016, he was a team captain on the BBC Two comedy panel show "Insert Name Here", hosted by Sue Perkins. A second series was commissioned to begin airing in January 2017.


title: Richard Osman

text: In February and December 2016, he presented "Dragons' Den: Pitches to Riches", two special episodes which looked back over the past thirteen series of "Dragons' Den" on BBC Two. Since 2016, Osman has presented "Child Genius" on Channel 4. He appeared on the telethon "Red Nose Day 2017" with "The World Cup of Biscuits 2017". This involved polling with Twitter to find the best British biscuit. In April 2017 he appeared in the first episode of the third series of "Murder in Successville".


title: Richard Osman

text: In 2017, Osman began hosting his show "Richard Osman's House of Games". Each weekday, four panelists compete in general knowledge tests in a variety of entertaining games. Six series of the show have been made. In 2020, Osman created a spin-off show titled "House of Games Night", which aired on BBC One on Friday nights.


title: Richard Osman

text: On 8 April 2022, Osman announced he would be leaving "Pointless", after 1,300 episodes across 30 series. After his "The Thursday Murder Club" series received critical acclaim, he wished to spend more time as an author. He is, however, continuing to appear on the spin-off "Pointless Celebrities". In a statement, he said, "Pointless has been a joy from start to finish, working alongside my friend Alexander Armstrong, backed by the most wonderful team, and for the best viewers in the world. I will miss everyone so much, but I'm thrilled I'll still be presenting the celebrity shows. I can't thank everyone enough for 12 amazing years." He will be replaced by a series of guest presenters throughout the year, with a permanent successor being chosen later in 2022. His co-host Armstrong said, "Daytime television's loss is international best-selling crime fiction's gain. I say that like it's a consolation - I'm going to miss the big man next to me Monday to Friday. But at least I still get him at weekends - and weekdays if you're watching on Challenge".


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman has made appearances on many panel shows, including "Would I Lie to You?", "Have I Got News for You", "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue", "The Unbelievable Truth", "QI", and "8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown".


title: Richard Osman

text: In 2016, he was a contestant on the second series of "Taskmaster" and appeared on the darts show "Let's Play Darts".


title: Richard Osman

text: Viking Press, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House, acquired the rights to Osman's debut novel, "The Thursday Murder Club", and one other novel, for a seven-figure sum in a 10-publisher auction in 2019. It was said that his first book would be published in autumn 2020, and the second the following year, as part of a crime series. His debut crime novel's release date was announced as 3 September 2020.


title: Richard Osman

text: "The Thursday Murder Club" is set in a luxury retirement village in Kent where four residents gather to investigate crime cases, including a "live" murder mystery. Osman said that he was "in talks" for a TV adaptation of his novel. Osman later confirmed that Steven Spielberg had acquired the book's film rights. The book has sold well over one million copies in the UK, and sold 45,000 UK hardback copies in the first three days after publication.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman has disclosed that his Murder Club series will contain four novels but readers will have to wait for the final book of the quartet while he completes his current thriller, due to be published in 2023.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman presented "The Birthday Game" podcast. Since 2021, he has featured in podcast adverts for premium ready-meal brand Charlie Bigham's.


title: Richard Osman

text: On 9 June 2022, Osman was the subject of BBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?" He discovered that, through his maternal line, his four-times-great-grandfather Gabriel Gillham, a fisherman, had been involved in the discovery of a woman's remains and the subsequent 1831 murder trial of her husband Jon Holloway, in the Assizes at Lewes.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman was born with nystagmus, an eye condition that significantly reduces his vision. He learns his scripts by heart as his condition makes it difficult to read an autocue.


title: Richard Osman

text: Osman has two children, aged 23 and 21 , from a former relationship. On 3 December 2022 he married British actress Ingrid Oliver. He lives in Chiswick, West London. He is a season ticket holder at Fulham F.C..


title: Richard Osman

text: On 6 December 2011, Osman became an "unlikely heartthrob" after winning "Heat"s "Weirdest Crush Award".


title: Richard Osman

text: In December 2021, Osman was the guest for BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs". His choices included "American Boy" by Estelle with Kanye West and "A Little Respect" by Erasure, with his favourite "You Can't Stop the Beat" by the cast of "Hairspray". He revealed that he has had a food addiction since childhood and said that he had therapy for the disorder, but believed that it would be lifelong.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born ) is King of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne following his mother's abdication in 2013.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht as the oldest child of Princess Beatrix and diplomat Claus van Amsberg. He became Prince of Orange as heir apparent upon his mother's accession as Queen on , and succeeded her following her abdication on . He went to public primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands, an international sixth-form college in Wales, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at Leiden University. He married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002 and they have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (born 2003), Princess Alexia (born 2005), and Princess Ariane (born 2007).


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander is interested in sports and international water management issues. Until his accession to the throne, he was a member of the International Olympic Committee (1998–2013), chairman of the Advisory Committee on Water to the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment (2004–2013), and chairman of the Secretary-General of the United Nations' Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (2006–2013).


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand was born on at the (now known as the University Medical Center Utrecht) in Utrecht, Netherlands. He is the first child of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus, and the first grandchild of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. He was the first male Dutch royal baby since the birth of Prince Alexander in 1851, and the first immediate male heir since Alexander's death in 1884.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: From birth, Willem-Alexander has held the titles Prince of the Netherlands (), Prince of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: "Prins van Oranje-Nassau"), and Jonkheer of Amsberg (Dutch: "Jonkheer van Amsberg"). He was baptised as a member of the Dutch Reformed Church on in Saint Jacob's Church in The Hague. His godparents are his maternal grandfather Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, his paternal grandmother Gösta Freiin von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen, Prince Ferdinand von Bismarck, former Prime Minister Jelle Zijlstra, Jonkvrouw Renée , and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: He had two younger brothers: Prince Friso (1968–2013) and Prince Constantijn (born in 1969). He lived with his family at the castle Drakensteyn in the hamlet Lage Vuursche near Baarn from his birth until 1981, when they moved to the larger palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague. His mother, Beatrix, became Queen of the Netherlands in 1980, after his grandmother Juliana abdicated. He then received the title of Prince of Orange as heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the age of 13.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander attended local state primary school Nieuwe Baarnse Elementary School in Baarn from 1973 to 1979. He went to two different state secondary schools: the Baarns Lyceum in Baarn from 1979 to 1981 and the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague from 1981 to 1983, and the private sixth-form college United World College of the Atlantic in Wales, the UK (1983 to 1985), from which he received his International Baccalaureate.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: After his military service from 1985 to 1987, Willem-Alexander studied History at Leiden University from 1987 onwards and received his MA degree () in 1993. His final thesis was on the Dutch response to France's decision under President Charles de Gaulle to leave the NATO's integrated command structure.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander speaks English, Spanish, French and German (his father's native language, despite never getting German language lessons from him) fluently in addition to his native Dutch.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Between secondary school and his university education, Willem-Alexander performed military service in the Royal Netherlands Navy from August 1985 until January 1987. He received his training at the Royal Netherlands Naval College and the frigates HNLMS "Tromp" and HNLMS "Abraham Crijnssen", where he was an ensign. In 1988 he received additional training at the ship HNLMS "Van Kinsbergen" and became a lieutenant (junior grade) ().


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: As a reservist for the Royal Netherlands Navy, Willem-Alexander was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1995, Commander in 1997, Captain at Sea in 2001, and Commodore in 2005. As a reservist for the Royal Netherlands Army, he was made a Major (Grenadiers' and Rifles Guard Regiment) in 1995, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1997, Colonel in 2001, and Brigadier General in 2005. As a reservist for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, he was made Squadron Leader in 1995 and promoted to Air Commodore in 2005. As a reservist for the Royal Marechaussee, he was made Brigadier General in 2005.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Before his investiture as king in 2013, Willem-Alexander was honourably discharged from the armed forces. The government declared that the head of state cannot be a serving member of the armed forces, since the government itself holds supreme command over the armed forces. As king, Willem-Alexander may choose to wear a military uniform with royal insignia, but not with his former rank insignia.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Since 1985, when he became 18 years old, Willem-Alexander has been a member of the Council of State of the Netherlands. This is the highest council of the Dutch government and is chaired by the head of state (then Queen Beatrix).


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander is interested in water management and sports issues. He was an honorary member of the World Commission on Water for the 21st century and patron of the Global Water Partnership, a body established by the World Bank, the UN, and the Swedish Ministry of Development. He was appointed as the Chairperson of the United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation on .


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: On 10 October 2010, Willem-Alexander and Máxima went to the Netherlands Antilles' capital, Willemstad, to attend and represent his mother, the Queen, at the Antillean Dissolution ceremony.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: He was a patron of the Dutch Olympic Games Committee until 1998 when he was made a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). After becoming King, he relinquished his membership and received the Gold Olympic Order at the 125th IOC Session. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, he had expressed support to bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: He was a member of the supervisory board of (the Dutch central bank), a member of the Advisory Council of ECP (the information society forum for government, business and civil society), patron of Veterans' Day and held several other patronages and posts.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: On , Beatrix announced her intention of abdicating. On the morning of , Beatrix signed the instrument of abdication at the (Moses Hall) at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Later that afternoon, Willem-Alexander was inaugurated as king in front of the joint assembly of the States General in a ceremony held at the Nieuwe Kerk.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: As king, Willem-Alexander has weekly meetings with the prime minister and speaks regularly with ministers and state secretaries. He also signs all new Acts of Parliament and royal decrees. He represents the kingdom at home and abroad. At the State Opening of Parliament, he delivers the Speech from the Throne, which announces the plans of the government for the parliamentary year. The Constitution requires that the king appoint, dismiss and swear in all government ministers and state secretaries. As king, he is also the President of the Council of State, an advisory body that reviews proposed legislation. In modern practice, the monarch seldom chairs council meetings.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: At his accession at age 46, he was Europe's youngest monarch. On the inauguration of Spain's Felipe VI on , he became, and remains, Europe's second-youngest monarch. He is also the first male monarch of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather William III in 1890. Willem-Alexander was one of four new monarchs to take the throne in 2013 along with Pope Francis, the Emir Tamim bin Hamad of Qatar, and King Philippe of Belgium.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander is an avid pilot and has said that if he had not been a royal, he would have liked to be an airline pilot so he could fly internationally on large-sized aircraft such as the Boeing 747. During the reign of his mother, he regularly flew the Dutch royal aircraft on trips. However, in May 2017, Willem-Alexander revealed that he had served as a first officer on KLM flights for 21 years, flying KLM Cityhopper's Fokker 70s twice a month, even after his accession to the throne. Following KLM's phased retirement of the Fokker 70, he began training to fly Boeing 737s. Willem-Alexander was rarely recognized while in the KLM uniform and wearing the KLM cap, though a few passengers recognized his voice, even though he never gave his name and only welcomed passengers on behalf of the captain and crew.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Using the name "W. A. van Buren", one of the least-known titles of the House of Orange-Nassau, he participated in the 1986 Frisian Elfstedentocht, a distance ice skating tour. He ran the New York City Marathon under the same pseudonym in 1992. Willem-Alexander completed both events.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: On 2 February 2002, he married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. The marriage triggered significant controversy due to the role the bride's father, Jorge Zorreguieta, had in the Argentinian military dictatorship. The couple have three daughters: The Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: In an attempt to strike a balance between privacy for the royal family and availability to the press, the Netherlands Government Information Service (RVD) instituted a media code on which essentially states that:


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: During a ski vacation in Argentina, several photographs were taken of the prince and his family during the private part of their holiday, including one by Associated Press staff photographer Natacha Pisarenko, in spite of the media code, and after a photo opportunity had been provided earlier. The Associated Press decided to publish some of the photos, which were subsequently republished by several Dutch media. Willem-Alexander and the RVD jointly filed suit against the Associated Press on , and the trial started on at the district court in Amsterdam. On , the district court ruled in favour of the prince and RVD, citing that the couple has a right to privacy, that the pictures in question add nothing to any public debate, and that they are not of any particular value to society since they are not photographs of his family "at work". Associated Press was sentenced to stop further publication of the photographs, on pain of a fine per violation with a maximum.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: From 2003 until 2019, Willem-Alexander and his family lived in Villa Eikenhorst on the De Horsten Estate in Wassenaar. After his mother abdicated and became Princess Beatrix once again, she moved to the castle of Drakensteyn, after which the King and his family moved to the newly renovated monarch's palace of Huis ten Bosch in The Hague in 2019.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: On 10 July 2008, the Prince of Orange and Princess Maxima announced that they had invested in a development project on the Mozambican peninsula of Machangulo. The development project was aimed at building an ecologically responsible vacation resort, including a hotel and several luxury holiday homes for investors. The project was to invest heavily in the local economy of the peninsula (building schools and a local clinic) with an eye both towards responsible sustainability and maintaining a local staff. After contacting Mozambican President Armando Guebuza to verify that the Mozambican government had no objections, the couple decided to invest in two villas. In 2009, controversy erupted in parliament and the press about the project and the prince's involvement. Politician Alexander Pechtold questioned the morality of building such a resort in a poor country like Mozambique. After public and parliamentary controversy, the royal couple announced that they had decided to sell the property in Machangulo once their house was completed. In January 2012, it was confirmed that the villa had been sold.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander is the first Dutch king since Willem III ( 1890). Willem-Alexander had earlier indicated that when he became king, he would take the name "Willem IV", but it was announced in January 2013 that his regnal name would be "Willem-Alexander".


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Through his father, a member of the House of Amsberg, he is descended from families of the lower German nobility, and through his mother, from several royal German–Dutch families such as the House of Lippe, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the House of Orange-Nassau, Waldeck and Pyrmont, and the House of Hohenzollern. He is descended from the first king of the Netherlands, William I of the Netherlands, who was also a ruler in Luxembourg and several German states, and all subsequent Dutch monarchs.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Through his mother, Willem-Alexander also descends from Paul I of Russia and thus from German princess Catherine the Great and Swedish King Gustav I. Through his father, he is also descended from several Dutch–Flemish families who left the Low Countries during Spanish rule, such as the Berenbergs. His paternal great-great-grandfather Gabriel von Amsberg, a major-general of Mecklenburg, was recognized as noble as late as 1891, the family having adopted the "von" in 1795.


title: Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

text: Willem-Alexander is a descendant of King George II and, more relevant for his succession rights, of his granddaughter Princess Augusta of Great Britain. Under the British Act of Settlement, King Willem-Alexander temporarily forfeited his (distant) succession rights to the throne of the United Kingdom by marrying a Roman Catholic. This right has since been restored in 2015 under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Synyster Gates, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny Christ, and drummer Brooks Wackerman.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold are known for their diverse rock sound and dramatic imagery in album covers and merchandise. The band emerged with a metalcore sound on their debut album "Sounding the Seventh Trumpet" and continued this sound through their second album "Waking the Fallen". However, the band's style had evolved by the group's third album and first major label release, "City of Evil", into a heavy metal and hard rock style. The band continued to explore new sounds with its self-titled release and enjoyed continued mainstream success before their drummer, James "The Rev" Sullivan, died in 2009. Despite his death, Avenged Sevenfold continued on with the help of drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), and released and toured in support of their fifth album "Nightmare" in 2010, which debuted on atop the "Billboard" 200, their first number one debut.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In 2011 drummer Arin Ilejay joined the band on tours and recording. The band's sixth studio album "Hail to the King", which was released in 2013, marked the only Avenged Sevenfold album featuring Ilejay. "Hail to the King" charted as number 1 on the "Billboard" 200, the UK Albums chart, as well as the Finnish, Brazilian, Canadian, and Irish charts. In late 2014, Ilejay left the band, and was replaced by former Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, but the lineup change was not announced to the public until 2015. The band then surprise-released their seventh studio album titled "The Stage" on October 28, 2016, which debuted as number 4 on the "Billboard" 200 chart in the US. "The Stage" is their first conceptual album and it marked another stylistic change for the band, moving towards a progressive metal sound.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: To date, Avenged Sevenfold have released seven studio albums, one live album/DVD, two compilation albums and eighteen singles and have sold over 8 million albums worldwide, and their records have received numerous certification awards, including five platinum album awards from their home country's institution (RIAA). They have also created four original songs for the "Call of Duty: Black Ops" series, all of which were compiled together in the 2018 EP "Black Reign". The band were ranked No. 47 on "Loudwire's" list of Top 50 Metal Bands of All Time.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold was formed in March 1999 in Huntington Beach, California by Matt Sanders, James Sullivan, Zachary Baker and Matt Wendt. Although they are not a religious band, Sanders came up with the name as a reference to the story of Cain and Abel from the Bible, which can be found in Genesis 4:24. Zachary Baker previously played in the punk band MPA (short for Mad Porn Action).


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold's first creative output was a three-track-demo recorded in early 1999. In early 2000, they were asked by Sadistic Records to contribute to two compilations. To that end, they recorded two new songs and released them along with the previously recorded songs on a second demo. They sent this demo to the Belgian label Good Life Recordings and were subsequently signed. Afterwards, the band participated in another two compilation albums, their label's "GoodLife 4" and Novocaine Records' "Scrape III" compilations. Around this time, Matt Wendt left for college and Justin Meacham, the previous bassist of Suburban Legends, joined Avenged Sevenfold. In late 2000, the foursome took on their initial stage names – M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, Justin Sane and The Rev – and recorded their debut album, "Sounding the Seventh Trumpet". In early 2001, lead guitarist and old friend Synyster Gates joined the band and they re-recorded the introductory track "To End the Rapture" for the album's lead-single/EP, "Warmness on the Soul", released in April 2001. Although their debut album's release was initially planned for the same month, it was pushed back multiple times and eventually released on July 24, 2001, on Good Life Recordings.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Around August 2001, Meacham attempted suicide by drinking excessive amounts of cough syrup. This event was the reason for Avenged Sevenfold to join the Take Action Tour in 2003. During Meacham's hospitalization, he remained in poor condition and had to leave the band. In an interview, lead singer M. Shadows said of Meacham that "he perma-fried his brain and was in a mental institution for a long time, and when you have someone in your band who does that, it ruins everything that's going on all around you, and it makes you want to do something to prevent it from happening to other people." His replacement was Frank Melcom, stage name Dameon Ash, who performed with the band for the following months, but does not appear on any releases.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On January 18, 2002, Avenged Sevenfold left Good Life Recordings and signed with Hopeless Records. They re-released their debut album on March 19 and also appeared on the "Hopelessly Devoted To You Vol. 4" sampler in April. The band started to receive recognition, performing with bands such as Mushroomhead and Shadows Fall. They spent the year touring in support of their debut album and participated in the Vans Warped Tour. In September, Dameon Ash left Avenged Sevenfold and their current bassist Johnny Christ joined them, completing their best known line-up.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Having found a new bassist, the group released their second studio album titled "Waking the Fallen" on Hopeless Records in August 2003. The album featured a more refined and mature sound production in comparison to their previous album. The band received profiles in "Billboard" and "The Boston Globe", and again played on the Vans Warped and Take Action tours. Shortly after the release of "Waking the Fallen", Avenged Sevenfold left Hopeless Records and were officially signed to Warner Bros. Records on November 1, 2003. In 2004, Avenged Sevenfold toured again on the Vans Warped Tour and recorded a video for their song "Unholy Confessions" which went into rotation on MTV2's "Headbangers Ball".


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: "City of Evil", the band's third album and major label debut, was released on June 6, 2005, and debuted at No. 30 on the "Billboard" 200 chart, selling over 30,000 copies in its first week of release. It utilized a more classic metal sound than Avenged Sevenfold's previous albums, which had been grouped into the metalcore genre. The album is also notable for the absence of screamed and growled vocals; M. Shadows worked with vocal coach Ron Anderson—whose clients have included Axl Rose and Chris Cornell—for months before the album's release to achieve a sound that had "grit while still having the tone". The album received positive reviews from several magazines and websites and is credited for propelling the band into international popularity.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: After playing Ozzfest in 2006, Avenged Sevenfold memorably beat out R&B Singers Rihanna and Chris Brown, Panic! at the Disco, Angels & Airwaves and James Blunt for the title of Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, thanks in part to their "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"-inspired song "Bat Country." They returned to the Vans Warped Tour, this time headlining and then continued on their own "Cities of Evil Tour." In addition, their lead single "Bat Country" reached No. 2 on the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock Charts, No.6 on the "Billboard" Modern Rock Charts and the accompanying video made it to No. 1 on MTV's Total Request Live. Propelled by this success, the album sold well and became Avenged Sevenfold's first Gold record. It was later certified platinum in August 2009.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold was invited to join Ozzfest tour on the main stage, alongside other well known rock/heavy metal acts such as DragonForce, Lacuna Coil, Hatebreed, Disturbed and System of a Down for the first time in 2006. That same year they also completed a worldwide tour, including the US, The United Kingdom (as well as mainland Europe), Japan, Australia and New Zealand. After a sixteen-month promotion of "City of Evil", the band announced that they were cancelling their Fall 2006 tour to record new music. In the interim, the band released their first DVD titled "All Excess" on July 17, 2007. "All Excess", which debuted as the No. 1 DVD in the US, included live performances and backstage footage that spanned the band's eight-year career. Two tribute albums, "" and "" were also released in October 2007.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On October 30, 2007, Avenged Sevenfold released their self-titled album, the band's fourth studio album. It debuted at No. 4 on the "Billboard" 200 with over 90,000 copies sold. Two singles, "Critical Acclaim" and "Almost Easy" were released prior to the album's debut. In December 2007, an animated video was made for "A Little Piece of Heaven". Due to the song's controversial subject matter, however, Warner Brothers only released it to registered MVI users over the internet. The third single, "Afterlife" and its video was released in January 2008. Their fourth single, "Dear God", was released on June 15, 2008. Although critical reception was generally mixed the self-titled album went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was awarded "Album of the Year" at the Kerrang! Awards.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold headlined the 2008 Taste of Chaos tour with Atreyu, Bullet for My Valentine, Blessthefall and Idiot Pilot. Footage from their last show in Long Beach was used for the band's next release, "Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough", released on September 16, 2008. Its content includes live DVD from their performance at Long Beach, and a CD containing B-sides from "Avenged Sevenfold", and other rarities, such as covers from Pantera's "Walk", Iron Maiden's "Flash of the Blade", and Black Sabbath's "Paranoid".


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In January 2009, M. Shadows confirmed that the band was writing the follow-up to their self-titled fourth album within the upcoming months. They also played at Rock on the Range, from May 16–17, 2009. On April 16, they performed a version of Guns N' Roses' "It's So Easy" onstage with Slash, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. On December 28, 2009, the band's drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan was found dead at his home at the age of 28. Autopsy results were inconclusive, but on June 9, 2010, the cause of death was revealed to have been an "acute polydrug intoxication due to combined effects of Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Diazepam/Nordiazepam and ethanol". In a statement by the band, they expressed their grief over the death of The Rev and later posted a message from Sullivan's family which expressed their gratitude to his fans for their support. The band members admitted in a number of interviews that they considered disbanding at this point in time. However, on February 17, 2010, Avenged Sevenfold stated that they had entered the studio, along with now-former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, to drum for the album, in place of The Rev.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: The single "Nightmare" was digitally released on May 18, 2010. The song was leaked on May 6, 2010, on Amazon.com, but was removed soon after. Mixing for the album had been completed in New York City, and "Nightmare" was finally released on July 27, 2010, in the United States. It met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics but was well received by the fans. "Nightmare" beat sales projections easily, debuting at number one on the "Billboard" 200 with sales of 163,000 units in its first week. After finishing recording, in December, Portnoy and the band posted simultaneous statements on their websites stating that he would not be their replacement for The Rev. However, Portnoy did travel with the band overseas in December 2010 for three shows in Iraq and Kuwait sponsored by the USO. They played for U.S. Soldiers at Camp Adder, Camp Beuhring, and Balad Air Base. On January 20, 2011, Avenged Sevenfold announced via Facebook that former Confide drummer Arin Ilejay would begin touring with them that year. He was not yet considered a full-time member at this point.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold performed at the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals on June 3–5, 2011 alongside other bands such as Alter Bridge, System of a Down, and In Flames. In April 2011, the band headlined the Golden God Awards held by "Metal Hammer". The same night the band won three awards for "Best Vocalist" (M. Shadows), "Epiphone Best Guitarist(s)" (Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance), and "Affliction's Album of The Year" for "Nightmare", while Mike Portnoy won the award for "Drum Workshop's Best Drummer" for his work on the album.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold headlined the 2011 Uproar Festival with supporting acts Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet for My Valentine, Escape the Fate, among others. In November and December 2011, the band went on their "Buried Alive" tour with supporting acts Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria, and Black Veil Brides.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On April 11, 2012, Avenged Sevenfold won the award for "Best Live Band" and "Most Dedicated Fans" at the "Revolver" Golden Gods awards.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: The band toured through Asia into April and early May, and played at the Orion Music + More, Festival on June 23 and 24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey alongside Metallica and Cage the Elephant among many others.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On September 24, 2012, Avenged Sevenfold released a new song, titled "Carry On"; it was featured in the video game "". On November 15, 2012, vocalist M. Shadows said that the band had been working on a new album since the recording of "Carry On" in August 2012. The band began recording material for the album in January 2013. The band then started streaming snippets of the album in May 2013 on their new radio app. There, Arin Ilejay was confirmed as an official band member and replacement of deceased The Rev. M. Shadows said that the album would sound more blues rock-influenced and more like classic rock/metal like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: The band was confirmed to play at the 2013 Rock in Rio festival on September 22, 2013. On May 24, 2013, the band have announced dates for their European tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Device serving as their support bands.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: The album, entitled "Hail to the King", was released on August 23, 2013. This is the first Avenged Sevenfold album without any musical contributions from late drummer, The Rev. The album's lead single and title track was released on July 15, 2013. "Hail to the King" charted as No. 1 on the US "Billboard" 200, the UK albums chart, as well as the Finnish, Brazilian, Canadian, and Irish charts, and was commercially and critically acclaimed. The band headlined Monster Energy's Welcome to Rockville two-day music festival in Jacksonville, Florida, April 26–27, 2014, joined by more than 25 rock acts, such as Motörhead, Rob Zombie, Chevelle, Korn, Staind, Alter Bridge, The Cult, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, Black Label Society, and Seether. On June 13, the band headlined the Friday night of Download Festival 2014. The band also headlined the Mayhem Festival 2014 with Korn, Asking Alexandria, and Trivium.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In March 2014, vocalist M. Shadows revealed in an interview with Loudwire that the band had plans in the works to put something out for the overdue 10th anniversary of "Waking the Fallen." "Waking the Fallen: Resurrected" was released August 25, 2014. The reissue charted No. 10 on the US "Billboard" 200.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In October 2014, M. Shadows confirmed that the band would begin writing their seventh album during mid-2015.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In July 2015 the band announced on their website that they would part ways with drummer Arin Ilejay, due to "creative differences". In October 2015, the band announced on their website that they had been working with a new drummer for over a year, making sure that it was a good fit before making sudden changes. On October 21, in an interview with "Kerrang!" magazine, guitarist Zacky Vengeance revealed that the band had been working on the new album for the past couple of months and that a couple of songs had already been completely written. On November 4, 2015, the band announced that Brooks Wackerman would replace Arin Ilejay as the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold. In an interview with "Kerrang!" magazine on December 3, guitarist Zacky Vengeance said that the new album went in all sorts of aggressive and melodic directions and described it as very "aggro".


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On January 14, 2016, "Billboard" reported that Avenged Sevenfold had been sued by Warner Bros. for trying to leave the label. The band later released a statement clarifying that they wanted to leave because a majority of the executives who helped sign the band to Warner Bros were no longer at the label. They also revealed that the band was going to be entering the studio to record their new album very soon, intending to release it later in 2016. On March 31, the band posted a teaser of their upcoming album on their website.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On August 18, 2016, the band performed a free live show for 1500 people in Minnesota, marking it the first live performance with new drummer Brooks Wackerman. The band was announced as support for Metallica with Volbeat in the U.S. Bank Stadium on August 20, 2016, making it the first ever rock show in the stadium. The band was announced as a headliner of Monster Energy Rock Allegiance 2016, along with Alice in Chains, Slayer, The Offspring, Breaking Benjamin and others. Avenged Sevenfold also performed on "Louder Than Life" festival as headliners on October 1, with Slipknot, Slayer, Disturbed, Korn and other artists. On June 21, the band announced a U.S. Fall tour with Volbeat, Killswitch Engage, and Avatar. The band also announced a UK tour for January 2017 with Disturbed and In Flames. Avenged Sevenfold was announced as a headliner of 2016 edition of Knotfest Mexico. The band also announced the European Tour for February and March 2017 along with Disturbed and Chevelle.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On October 3, 2016, the band's logo Deathbat started appearing as a projection in London. After that, Deathbat also started appearing in Berlin, Toronto and Paris, indicating a release of the new album. On October 12, Chris Jericho posted an Instagram photo of the Deathbat logo with a date 12/9/16 underneath it. He then revealed the supposed title of the album, "Voltaic Oceans", It was later revealed that the new album would actually be called "The Stage", a concept album about artificial intelligence, which was released on October 28, 2016, via Capitol Records. The album was released to generally favorable reviews, and the band decided to make a unique stage production for it, hiring Cirque du Soleil directors for its making.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold was announced as the main support act on Metallica's WorldWired 2017 stadium summer tour in the US and Canada, alongside Volbeat and Gojira. The band also announced a series of 2017 US headlining summer shows of "The Stage World Tour", with Volbeat, Motionless in White, and A Day to Remember as special guests across various dates.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: On December 22, 2017, the band released a deluxe edition of "The Stage" that included one new original track, six cover songs, and four live tracks from their European tour earlier that year.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In a December 2017 interview with Billboard, M. Shadows revealed that the band are planning "a big US summer 2018 tour", and that the band would start working on the follow-up to "The Stage" in late 2018. "End of the World" tour with Prophets of Rage was later announced for summer 2018. The band was also announced as one of the headliners of 2018's Rock on the Range and Download Festival, in addition to appearing at Hellfest, Graspop Metal Meeting, Rock am Ring and Rock im Park the same year. Due to a blood blister forming in M. Shadows' throat, the band cancelled remaining dates from their summer tour with Prophets of Rage.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Avenged Sevenfold was nominated at 60th Annual Grammy Awards in "Best Rock Song" category for "The Stage".


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: The band released a single titled "Mad Hatter" in September 2018, which was made specifically for the video game "". It would later be a part of the "Black Reign" EP released later that month, which comprises all four of the songs Avenged Sevenfold made for the "Call of Duty" franchise.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In a December 2017 interview with Billboard, M. Shadows revealed that the band are planning "a big US summer 2018 tour", and that the band would start working on the follow-up to "The Stage" in late 2018. Bassist Johnny Christ in a May 2018 interview confirmed that the band is currently getting ideas and writing in their own studios to start the next record in September or October 2018.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: In September 2018, Synyster Gates revealed in an interview with Loudwire that the band has started working on their eighth studio album, saying "It's still early on, but we're working on a bunch of stuff". In March 2019, Zacky Vengeance stated the band would take the rest of the year off tour to concentrate on the upcoming album, saying the band is really focused on the new material. In January 2020, Avenged Sevenfold released "Set Me Free", an unreleased song recorded during the "Hail to the King" recording sessions. They also announced that the song would be included in a remastered re-release of "Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough", released on March 6. A limited edition clear vinyl of "Diamonds in the Rough" was also released.


title: Avenged Sevenfold

text: Members of Avenged Sevenfold cite In Flames, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer, Mr. Bungle, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, At the Gates, Helloween, Dream Theater, Pennywise, NOFX, Pantera, Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, The Beatles, Anthrax, Testament, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones as influences.