Although Anne Robinson took a drubbing from many US critics, another British import got a much warmer welcome. The first issue of the US edition of The Week was described as a handy way of catching up on the week’s news without the pretensions of some established news weeklies. "It’s a Plain Jane little thing that isn’t likely to win any editorial awards. Even though Harry Evans is involved," said Inside Magazine. But it predicted The Week would become compulsive reading and make scads of money for Felix Dennis. One reason it may do well, even though it’s sparse in pages and the printing is not that hot, is that Time, Newsweek and US News are going through a difficult time. The Week starts with a print run of 100,000 – but hopes to hit 500,000 by the end of the year.

Some magazines are getting smaller (or skinnier) but not Family Circle. For decades the queen of the supermarket women’s service magazines, with a circulation of over 5,000,000, Family Circle changed little over the years. But now German owners Gruner + Jahr have given it a redesign which includes more pages, glossier paper and, going against the trend, it will be an inch wider. But it won’t be giving up such true and tried features as How to Hunt for Bargains. Editor Susan Ungaro doesn’t believe in going the sexy route with coverlines such as a recent one in Glamour, "50 Tricks for Outstanding Orgasms". She claims sexy coverlines bother and turn off more female buyers than they attract – 39 per cent versus 9 per cent, she says.