Privacy & cookies

Last updated: 16 October 2026

Who we are

The Untitled Sci-Fi Show website is operated by Thomas James, based in the United Kingdom, who is responsible for the personal information described here. For privacy questions or requests, email tj@thevarietyshow.co.uk.

Information we use

If you email us, we receive your email address, any name you provide and your message. We use this information to respond and manage your enquiry, relying on our legitimate interest in communicating with listeners and running the show. Contacting us is voluntary.

Website infrastructure may process IP addresses, requested pages, access times and browser information to deliver pages, investigate faults and prevent abuse. We rely on our legitimate interest in keeping the site secure and reliable. Hosting and email service providers process information as needed to deliver these services.

We store authorised administrators’ account details, password hashes and session information to secure site administration. Visitors do not need an account to browse the site.

Listener messages

When you use our contact form, we store your message type, message, optional name and reply email, and any film title or episode reference you provide. Only site administrators can read these submissions. We use them to handle suggestions, respond to comments and manage the show, relying on our legitimate interests in communicating with listeners.

The optional permission box lets us read your message and supplied name on the show. We rely on your consent for that use; leaving it unchecked keeps your message private. Your email address is not published. Contact us to withdraw permission for future use. Withdrawal does not affect use that was lawful before withdrawal.

Messages remain in the private inbox while needed for follow-up or programme planning. We review completed and spam messages and delete them when no longer needed; you can request deletion using the contact address above. Marking a message Done or Spam does not automatically delete it.

To reduce spam, we temporarily keep a keyed hash of your network address and an attempt counter. The raw address is not stored in this counter. Limits reset after 15 minutes; counters older than 24 hours are removed on the next form submission. This supports our legitimate interest in protecting the service. Ordinary infrastructure logs may separately contain technical connection information.

Voicemail opens RSS.com, which handles recording and storage under its own privacy policy. Voicemails are not copied into this website's inbox.

Cookies

The application uses a first-party cookie called connect.sid for administrator sign-in, contact-form security and submission confirmation. It holds a session identifier, with session information stored on our server. Its configured lifetime is seven days and may be renewed through session activity. Logging out ends the server-side session.

This cookie supports requested authentication and secure form functionality; it is not used for advertising. You can remove or block cookies in your browser, although blocking this cookie prevents administrator sign-in and contact-form submissions from working correctly. The application does not include advertising or analytics cookies.

External services

Fonts are served by this website. Episode pages may load streaming-provider logos from TMDB. When your browser requests these images, TMDB receives technical connection information, including your IP address. This can occur without clicking a link. See TMDB’s privacy policy.

Links to podcast platforms, YouTube, JustWatch and social networks take you to other organisations’ services. Their own privacy and cookie policies apply when you visit them. External providers may process information outside the UK. Contact us for details of the providers and any applicable transfer safeguards used for information processed on our behalf.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. For correspondence, we consider whether your enquiry is resolved, whether follow-up is reasonably needed, and whether a record is required for a legal obligation or dispute. We review information and delete it when it is no longer needed.

Administrator information is retained while access is needed. Sessions expire according to their configured lifetime and the session store’s cleanup process. Technical logs are retained only as needed for security, fault investigation and operational requirements. Backup copies are retained as needed for recovery and expire through the backup rotation process.

You can request deletion at any time. We assess requests under applicable data protection law. If particular information must be retained, we will explain why and the applicable retention period or criteria. Deleted information may remain in restricted backup copies until those copies expire.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may request access to your information, correction, deletion, restriction of use or data portability where applicable.

You can object to processing based on our legitimate interests. Contact us at the email address above to make a request. Where processing relies on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting earlier lawful processing.

You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

Changes to this notice

We will update this notice when our practices change and display the latest revision date above.