Abstract: In a remote booking system allowing a user to select programmes to be recorded on a personal video recorder (PVR) (1) by sending messages from a mobile device (3), the system receives a “natural language” message identifying a programme by information generally available to the user, and attempts to match the received message to programmes in a programme schedule. If there is only one matching programme, the system instructs the user's PVR (1) to record that programme, and may optionally send a message to the mobile device (3) confirming the programme to be recorded. If there are a plurality of matching programmes, the system may send a message to the mobile device (3) listing the matching programmes. The user replies to the message by identifying one of the matching programmes, and the system then instructs the user's PVR (1) to record that programme.