BBC drama boss Lindsay Salt has candidly floated the notion that the industry has moved from “peak TV to peak caution,” as she details an ambition to “help reshape the drama landscape at a critical time.”
Addressing producers and press for the first time since taking on the nation’s biggest drama commissioning job, Salt reflected on a decade since the phrase “peak TV” first entered the lexicon, raising concerns over “short-termism” and that “the big bets of the boom era are a thing of the past.”
“We’ve seen buyers retreat into cautious commissioning spaces,” said Salt. “The industry as a whole has become – dare I say it – a little fearful.”
Expanding her point, Salt said “financial pressures and commercial imperatives” have led buyers to “default to safe bets.”
She cited “inflation, content and platform saturation, retrenchment and the writers strike” as the key factors leading to “peak caution,...
Addressing producers and press for the first time since taking on the nation’s biggest drama commissioning job, Salt reflected on a decade since the phrase “peak TV” first entered the lexicon, raising concerns over “short-termism” and that “the big bets of the boom era are a thing of the past.”
“We’ve seen buyers retreat into cautious commissioning spaces,” said Salt. “The industry as a whole has become – dare I say it – a little fearful.”
Expanding her point, Salt said “financial pressures and commercial imperatives” have led buyers to “default to safe bets.”
She cited “inflation, content and platform saturation, retrenchment and the writers strike” as the key factors leading to “peak caution,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #372: From the mail room to Hollywood – Director...
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #372: From the mail room to Hollywood – Director...
- 12/29/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Weirdly forgettable action caper sees the star’s glossy American family dream interrupted by his glossy former life in covert ops
Once again demonstrating his stolid competence in playing both straight action or comedy, Mark Wahlberg is the action-comedy lead with amazing abs in this glossy but weirdly forgettable tranche of content; it is directed by the estimable Simon Cellan Jones, known for more heartfelt work including BBC TV’s Our Friends in the North.
Used car salesman Dan (Wahlberg) is living the American dream as a family man in the ’burbs with wonderful wife Jessica (played by the excellent but somehow underused Michelle Monaghan) and three kids: two teens and a late-blessing baby, whose existence testifies to Dan and Jessica’s continuing loved-up bliss. But Dan has a secret: he is of course a former special forces warrior in a mercenary crew covertly used by the US government for deniable operations.
Once again demonstrating his stolid competence in playing both straight action or comedy, Mark Wahlberg is the action-comedy lead with amazing abs in this glossy but weirdly forgettable tranche of content; it is directed by the estimable Simon Cellan Jones, known for more heartfelt work including BBC TV’s Our Friends in the North.
Used car salesman Dan (Wahlberg) is living the American dream as a family man in the ’burbs with wonderful wife Jessica (played by the excellent but somehow underused Michelle Monaghan) and three kids: two teens and a late-blessing baby, whose existence testifies to Dan and Jessica’s continuing loved-up bliss. But Dan has a secret: he is of course a former special forces warrior in a mercenary crew covertly used by the US government for deniable operations.
- 12/15/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Dominic Cooper, Tamsin Greig and Eddie Marsan are among the names joining Anne-Marie Duff on season 2 of Channel 4 and BritBox International drama series Suspect.
Filming on the drama’s second run is underway, with Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point, The Lazarus Project), Celine Buckens (Showtrial, The Ex-Wife), Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy, For Life) and Gina McKee (Bodyguard, Our Friends in the North) joining Cooper (Preacher, Mamma Mia!), Greig (Friday Night Dinner, Belgravia) and Marsan.
Duff stars in the series as Dr Susannah Newman. In the eight-part series, she is on a desperate quest to track down a self-confessed serial killer before he kills again that night. When a mysterious new client Jon (Cooper) admits under hypnosis that he is a murderer and intends on killing another young female that evening, Susannah knows he must be stopped at all costs.
Filming on the drama’s second run is underway, with Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point, The Lazarus Project), Celine Buckens (Showtrial, The Ex-Wife), Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy, For Life) and Gina McKee (Bodyguard, Our Friends in the North) joining Cooper (Preacher, Mamma Mia!), Greig (Friday Night Dinner, Belgravia) and Marsan.
Duff stars in the series as Dr Susannah Newman. In the eight-part series, she is on a desperate quest to track down a self-confessed serial killer before he kills again that night. When a mysterious new client Jon (Cooper) admits under hypnosis that he is a murderer and intends on killing another young female that evening, Susannah knows he must be stopped at all costs.
- 11/15/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The pseudonymous novelist Elena Ferrante’s appeal to television producers remains as clear as the Tyrrhenian Sea. Sun-kissed Italian locations; prominent female leads, afforded greater agency than the Italian media have traditionally afforded their women; material that’s genre-adjacent, but open to more emotion than genre mechanics typically allow. As HBO’s much-lauded ‘My Brilliant Friend’ — three seasons in, headed for a fourth — has demonstrated, Ferrante’s flinty prose excavates not just time and place, but class and attitudes. That these projects function as deluxe soap is down to the abrasive element of social history salted into their fragrance and colouring: To wallow in these texts is to better understand how Italians used to live.
Netflix’s new six-part adaptation of Ferrante’s “The Lying Life of Adults” is framed as the coming-of-age of a sleuthy heroine; the mystery she stumbles into concerns her own extended family. When we meet...
Netflix’s new six-part adaptation of Ferrante’s “The Lying Life of Adults” is framed as the coming-of-age of a sleuthy heroine; the mystery she stumbles into concerns her own extended family. When we meet...
- 1/2/2023
- by Mike McCahill
- Variety Film + TV
Christopher Eccleston has revealed that he and ex-colleague and actor Mark Strong once hated each other.
The pair acted alongside each other in the Nineties BBC drama Our Friends in the North, but apparently didn’t let personal feelings get in the way of their professionalism.
The series aired in 1996 and also featured well-known actors including Daniel Craig, Gina McKee and David Bradley.
The series told the story of four friends living in Newcastle over 30 years and was adapted from a play written by Peter Flannery.
Eccleston played the character Nicky Hutchinson, while Strong played Tosker Cox, forming two of the main four characters.
‘We detested each other. We really did not like each other at all,” Ecceslton told the BBC about his relationship with Strong, in a recent interview.
“When we did the scenes together, that dislike which was key between Toscar and Niki was also put aside.”
He added: ‘We were professional,...
The pair acted alongside each other in the Nineties BBC drama Our Friends in the North, but apparently didn’t let personal feelings get in the way of their professionalism.
The series aired in 1996 and also featured well-known actors including Daniel Craig, Gina McKee and David Bradley.
The series told the story of four friends living in Newcastle over 30 years and was adapted from a play written by Peter Flannery.
Eccleston played the character Nicky Hutchinson, while Strong played Tosker Cox, forming two of the main four characters.
‘We detested each other. We really did not like each other at all,” Ecceslton told the BBC about his relationship with Strong, in a recent interview.
“When we did the scenes together, that dislike which was key between Toscar and Niki was also put aside.”
He added: ‘We were professional,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Megan Graye
- The Independent - TV
The Liverpool-based company is backed by AGC Studios founder Stuart Ford.
White Star Productions, a recently launched UK film and TV production venture based in Liverpool and backed by AGC Studios founder Stuart Ford, has announced its initial slate of projects.
Film and TV writer, author and journalist Kevin Sampson co-owns and operates the company, whose mission is to champion stories from the north of England and bring them to the screen. It has a first-look deal with Los Angeles-based AGC Studios.
White Star is currently casting the feature Giant from writer-director Rowan Athale (The Rise), based on the meteoric...
White Star Productions, a recently launched UK film and TV production venture based in Liverpool and backed by AGC Studios founder Stuart Ford, has announced its initial slate of projects.
Film and TV writer, author and journalist Kevin Sampson co-owns and operates the company, whose mission is to champion stories from the north of England and bring them to the screen. It has a first-look deal with Los Angeles-based AGC Studios.
White Star is currently casting the feature Giant from writer-director Rowan Athale (The Rise), based on the meteoric...
- 10/21/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Delroy Lindo, Anna Brewster, Gina McKee also star.
Bleiberg/Dimbort has acquired international sales rights to Guy Moshe’s sci-fi noir Lx 2048 starring James D’Arcy and Delroy Lindo, riding high on rave reviews for Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods.
The sales team will kick off talks with TIFF buyers this week on the story, which takes place in the year 2048 as global warming has forced humanity to avoid the sun’s glare and exist in a virtual realm while popping state-sanctioned anti-depressants.
Darcy will play a dying family man who refuses to engage with the virtual realm and...
Bleiberg/Dimbort has acquired international sales rights to Guy Moshe’s sci-fi noir Lx 2048 starring James D’Arcy and Delroy Lindo, riding high on rave reviews for Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods.
The sales team will kick off talks with TIFF buyers this week on the story, which takes place in the year 2048 as global warming has forced humanity to avoid the sun’s glare and exist in a virtual realm while popping state-sanctioned anti-depressants.
Darcy will play a dying family man who refuses to engage with the virtual realm and...
- 9/10/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Time Runs Out for One Man and Mankind in Lx 2048Dystopian Near-Future Drama Premieres in Virtual Cinemasand North American VODTake the Pill September 25th. Check Out the Trailer:
Quiver Distribution, in a partnership with Chimera Pictures and Outta the Bloc, has announced the virtual theatrical and North American digital debut of writer/director Guy Moshe’s Lx 2048, a near-future dystopian drama about one father’s search for a way forward for his family before his time runs out and a clone takes his place. Lx 2048 will be available to rent or own September 25th on Amazon, iTunes, Comcast, Spectrum, Dish, DirecTV, Vudu and more in the US and Canada.
James D’Arcy headlines the cast as a man who has resisted humanity’s exodus to virtual reality. With his death fast approaching and a clone ready to step in as husband and father, Adam struggles to find a way out of his situation,...
Quiver Distribution, in a partnership with Chimera Pictures and Outta the Bloc, has announced the virtual theatrical and North American digital debut of writer/director Guy Moshe’s Lx 2048, a near-future dystopian drama about one father’s search for a way forward for his family before his time runs out and a clone takes his place. Lx 2048 will be available to rent or own September 25th on Amazon, iTunes, Comcast, Spectrum, Dish, DirecTV, Vudu and more in the US and Canada.
James D’Arcy headlines the cast as a man who has resisted humanity’s exodus to virtual reality. With his death fast approaching and a clone ready to step in as husband and father, Adam struggles to find a way out of his situation,...
- 9/3/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, Ontario Creates among financiers.
UK actors Gina McKee from drama series Emmy nominee Bodyguard and Douglas Hodge from Catastrophe have joined the cast of Paragraph Pictures and Highfield Grange Studios’ A Grand Romantic Gesture.
Shooting on the Canada-uk comedy drama is underway in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Linda Kash, Rose Reynolds, Rob Stewart, and Dylan Llewellyn round out the key cast and Joan Carr-Wiggin directs from her screenplay.
McKee plays Ava, who is encouraged by her husband (Stewart) and pregnant daughter (Reynolds) to take up gourmet cooking after she loses her job. Instead, she signs...
UK actors Gina McKee from drama series Emmy nominee Bodyguard and Douglas Hodge from Catastrophe have joined the cast of Paragraph Pictures and Highfield Grange Studios’ A Grand Romantic Gesture.
Shooting on the Canada-uk comedy drama is underway in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Linda Kash, Rose Reynolds, Rob Stewart, and Dylan Llewellyn round out the key cast and Joan Carr-Wiggin directs from her screenplay.
McKee plays Ava, who is encouraged by her husband (Stewart) and pregnant daughter (Reynolds) to take up gourmet cooking after she loses her job. Instead, she signs...
- 7/18/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Hannah Dunleavy Apr 26, 2019
The Kingslayer isn't the only TV monster to become an (almost) hero. See also: The Wire, Mad Men, Our Friends in the North...
This article contains spoilers. It comes from Den of Geek UK.
With Westeros seemingly on the eve of destruction, no one is truly safe. But when Ser Jamie Lannister decided to smash the patriarchy with the creation of its first female knight, it felt very much like the writers had stitched a target onto his cloak.
The chances of the Kingslayer surviving the soon-to-be-unleashed slaughter seem low. Not only could he be killed by the army of the dead, but Bronn's heading north with a crossbow with his name on it. Plus there's always the chance he'll end up killed by Tormund's love for the newly-created Ser Brienne of Tarth. Accidentally nudged from a wall by a near-giant's erection is no way to go.
The Kingslayer isn't the only TV monster to become an (almost) hero. See also: The Wire, Mad Men, Our Friends in the North...
This article contains spoilers. It comes from Den of Geek UK.
With Westeros seemingly on the eve of destruction, no one is truly safe. But when Ser Jamie Lannister decided to smash the patriarchy with the creation of its first female knight, it felt very much like the writers had stitched a target onto his cloak.
The chances of the Kingslayer surviving the soon-to-be-unleashed slaughter seem low. Not only could he be killed by the army of the dead, but Bronn's heading north with a crossbow with his name on it. Plus there's always the chance he'll end up killed by Tormund's love for the newly-created Ser Brienne of Tarth. Accidentally nudged from a wall by a near-giant's erection is no way to go.
- 4/26/2019
- Den of Geek
Win Emily Atack’s Latest Movie! To celebrate the release of Lies We Tell we are giving away a copy on DVD. Stars of Pulp Fiction and Miller’s Crossing are brought together for Mitu Misra’s unflinching, award-winning British thriller about loyalty and revenge, a Northern Noir in the tradition of Mike Hodge’s Get Carter and Mike Figgis’ Stormy Monday.
When his billionaire boss Demi (Harvey Keitel) dies, chauffeur Donald (Gabriel Byrne) is given one final job – to wipe out any evidence of Demi’s relationship with his mistress, the enigmatic and beautiful Amber (Sibylla Deen). Donald’s task soon unravels when Amber’s life is threatened, and he finds himself her reluctant protector. Unwittingly drawn into a dangerous urban underworld, he encounters dark, harrowing practices, and a sinister underworld figure who will test him to his very limits.
Lies We Tell is a unique, gritty thriller that...
When his billionaire boss Demi (Harvey Keitel) dies, chauffeur Donald (Gabriel Byrne) is given one final job – to wipe out any evidence of Demi’s relationship with his mistress, the enigmatic and beautiful Amber (Sibylla Deen). Donald’s task soon unravels when Amber’s life is threatened, and he finds himself her reluctant protector. Unwittingly drawn into a dangerous urban underworld, he encounters dark, harrowing practices, and a sinister underworld figure who will test him to his very limits.
Lies We Tell is a unique, gritty thriller that...
- 11/23/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Martin Shaw, who has headlined some of the most popular English dramas of the last half century, says he has the role of his career in “George Gently” as the title character, a police detective who struggles to find his footing after his wife is killed. The long-running British series is finally eligible for the Emmys thanks to the participation of the streaming service Acorn TV.
Back in 2007, Shaw had his pick of projects and was drawn to this loose adaptation of the Alan Hunter crime novels by the creative forces behind the scenes. “Peter Flannery has such a wonderful reputation. He’d won awards for ‘Our Friends in the North.’ His name first and foremost made me drive to London to meet. I read the first script and thought it was sensational.”
While the first 23 telefilms were set in the swinging 60s, the last two see Gently and company...
Back in 2007, Shaw had his pick of projects and was drawn to this loose adaptation of the Alan Hunter crime novels by the creative forces behind the scenes. “Peter Flannery has such a wonderful reputation. He’d won awards for ‘Our Friends in the North.’ His name first and foremost made me drive to London to meet. I read the first script and thought it was sensational.”
While the first 23 telefilms were set in the swinging 60s, the last two see Gently and company...
- 6/22/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The BFI’s Missing Believed Wiped returns to BFI Southbank this December to present British television rediscoveries, not seen by audiences for decades, most since their original transmission dates…. The bespoke line-up of TV gems feature some of the countries most-loved television celebrities and iconic characters including Alf Garnett in Till Death Us Do Part: Sex Before Marriage, Cilla Black in her eponymous BBC show featuring Dudley Moore , Jimmy Edwards in Whack-o!, a rare interview with Peter Davison about playing Doctor Who, an appearance by future Doctor Who Patrick Troughton from ITV’s early police drama, No Hiding Place plus a significant screen debut from a young Pete Postlethwaite.
However for Nerdly readers, one of the real highlights of this edition of Missing Believed Wiped is the uncovering of TV horror Late Night Horror: The Corpse Can’t Play. Originally broadcast on 3 May, 1968 on BBC2 this is the only...
However for Nerdly readers, one of the real highlights of this edition of Missing Believed Wiped is the uncovering of TV horror Late Night Horror: The Corpse Can’t Play. Originally broadcast on 3 May, 1968 on BBC2 this is the only...
- 12/11/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Kirsten Howard Louisa Mellor Aug 16, 2017
Matt Smith called head honchos at the BBC before the newest Doctor was announced, begging to know who was being cast in the role...
Very few people can call up the BBC, beg to find out who the latest Doctor will be, and get an answer, but one of the people who can - and did - was former Doctor Matt Smith.
See related Marvel's Defenders: episode 1 nerdy spots and Easter Eggs The Defenders: recapping Netflix's Marvel universe so far Marvel's The Defenders: spoiler-free review
“I was literally – I was phoning people high up at the BBC going ‘you have to tell me who it is," he told a gathered crowd at Boston Comic-Con last weekend, adding that he had joked "'There’s a week to go, I want to know. I have a right to know.'"
You can watch that section of his Comic-Con appearance below.
Matt Smith called head honchos at the BBC before the newest Doctor was announced, begging to know who was being cast in the role...
Very few people can call up the BBC, beg to find out who the latest Doctor will be, and get an answer, but one of the people who can - and did - was former Doctor Matt Smith.
See related Marvel's Defenders: episode 1 nerdy spots and Easter Eggs The Defenders: recapping Netflix's Marvel universe so far Marvel's The Defenders: spoiler-free review
“I was literally – I was phoning people high up at the BBC going ‘you have to tell me who it is," he told a gathered crowd at Boston Comic-Con last weekend, adding that he had joked "'There’s a week to go, I want to know. I have a right to know.'"
You can watch that section of his Comic-Con appearance below.
- 7/17/2017
- Den of Geek
Wearing produced Boys from the Blackstuff, Pride and Prejudice, Edge of Darkness and many more.
Michael Wearing, producer of iconic television dramas including Boys from the Blackstuff and Edge of Darkness, has died aged 78 (reports Broadcast).
Wearing (right), who held a number of senior positions across drama at the BBC, died on Friday 5 May following a stroke. Wearing is survived by his three children, Sadie, Ella and Ben.
After studying anthropology at Newcastle University and a short career in the theatre, Wearing joined the BBC’s English regions drama department as a script editor in 1976.
Reporting to David Rose, who went on to become founder of Film 4, at the BBC’s Pebble Mill base in Birmingham, Wearing worked with writers including Alan Bleasdale and Ron Hutchinson on a number of Play for Today scripts.
He also worked on series including Stephen Davis’ Trouble With Gregory, which aired as part of BBC2’s Playhouse strand, Hutchinson’s six-part...
Michael Wearing, producer of iconic television dramas including Boys from the Blackstuff and Edge of Darkness, has died aged 78 (reports Broadcast).
Wearing (right), who held a number of senior positions across drama at the BBC, died on Friday 5 May following a stroke. Wearing is survived by his three children, Sadie, Ella and Ben.
After studying anthropology at Newcastle University and a short career in the theatre, Wearing joined the BBC’s English regions drama department as a script editor in 1976.
Reporting to David Rose, who went on to become founder of Film 4, at the BBC’s Pebble Mill base in Birmingham, Wearing worked with writers including Alan Bleasdale and Ron Hutchinson on a number of Play for Today scripts.
He also worked on series including Stephen Davis’ Trouble With Gregory, which aired as part of BBC2’s Playhouse strand, Hutchinson’s six-part...
- 5/9/2017
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-nominated star Kristin Scott Thomas is to make her directorial debut with romantic drama The Sea Change.
The Sea Change is about a group of people who re-evaluate loss, love, and human connection when they find themselves together on a remote Greek island. Emmanuel is a successful London playwright, married to the complex and witty Lillian for many years, but their marriage is in crisis, a crisis which is overcome by the arrival of a curious and outspoken young girl, Alice. Their relationship is thrown into perspective when her life is thrown upside down.
Scott Thomas will also star as Lillian, while Our Friends In The North star Mark Strong is in talks to play her husband Emmanuel.
The film will be adapted by Ida scriptwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz from Elizabeth Jane Howard's novel and produced by Fragile Films. Rocket Science will handle international and Us domestic sales commencing at Berlin Efm.
The Sea Change is about a group of people who re-evaluate loss, love, and human connection when they find themselves together on a remote Greek island. Emmanuel is a successful London playwright, married to the complex and witty Lillian for many years, but their marriage is in crisis, a crisis which is overcome by the arrival of a curious and outspoken young girl, Alice. Their relationship is thrown into perspective when her life is thrown upside down.
Scott Thomas will also star as Lillian, while Our Friends In The North star Mark Strong is in talks to play her husband Emmanuel.
The film will be adapted by Ida scriptwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz from Elizabeth Jane Howard's novel and produced by Fragile Films. Rocket Science will handle international and Us domestic sales commencing at Berlin Efm.
- 2/5/2017
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Peter Vaughan, known to legions of Game of Thrones fans as Maester Aemon in the HBO series, has died at the age of 93.
His agent Sally Long-Innes confirmed the news Tuesday.
"This is to confirm that very sadly Peter Vaughan passed away at approximately 10.30 this morning," she said. "He died peacefully with his family around him."
Vaughan was a veteran of British TV, starring in shows including Citizen Smith, Chancer, Our Friends in the North and Silk. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the feared Grouty in the prison-based comedy series Porridge. He also played Aemon Targaryen, Maester of the...
His agent Sally Long-Innes confirmed the news Tuesday.
"This is to confirm that very sadly Peter Vaughan passed away at approximately 10.30 this morning," she said. "He died peacefully with his family around him."
Vaughan was a veteran of British TV, starring in shows including Citizen Smith, Chancer, Our Friends in the North and Silk. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the feared Grouty in the prison-based comedy series Porridge. He also played Aemon Targaryen, Maester of the...
- 12/6/2016
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vaughan was best known for roles in TV series Porridge and Game Of Thrones.
British actor Peter Vaughan, best known for roles in Game of Thrones and Porridge, has died at the age of 93.
Vaughan played Maester Aemon in the HBO series and Grouty in the TV sitcom.
He was BAFTA-nominated for his performance in 1997 BBC series Our Friends In The North.
Movie performances included Brazil, An Ideal Husband and Straw Dogs. His most recent feature work was on 2011 drama Albatross.
Vaughan, whose career spanned more than 60 years, was also known for his work in theatre.
British actor Peter Vaughan, best known for roles in Game of Thrones and Porridge, has died at the age of 93.
Vaughan played Maester Aemon in the HBO series and Grouty in the TV sitcom.
He was BAFTA-nominated for his performance in 1997 BBC series Our Friends In The North.
Movie performances included Brazil, An Ideal Husband and Straw Dogs. His most recent feature work was on 2011 drama Albatross.
Vaughan, whose career spanned more than 60 years, was also known for his work in theatre.
- 12/6/2016
- ScreenDaily
Louisa Mellor Dec 6, 2016
Veteran British actor Peter Vaughan, most recognised in recent years for playing Maester Aemon in Game Of Thrones, has died...
Some sad news. Veteran British actor Peter Vaughan, whose screen career stretched from the 1950s until 2015, has passed away at the age of ninety-three. His agent's announcement confirmed that he died peacefully at home this morning with his family around him.
Vaughan's most recent television role was as Maester Aemon in HBO's Game Of Thrones, a series he left just last year and on which he was a favourite of both the showrunners and recurring co-star Kit Harington for the breadth of his experience and anecdotes.
Peter Vaughan's acting career spanned a remarkable seven decades and included roles for which he will be fondly remembered, including that of Harry 'Grouty' Grout in Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais' BBC sitcom Porridge. He also brought several literary...
Veteran British actor Peter Vaughan, most recognised in recent years for playing Maester Aemon in Game Of Thrones, has died...
Some sad news. Veteran British actor Peter Vaughan, whose screen career stretched from the 1950s until 2015, has passed away at the age of ninety-three. His agent's announcement confirmed that he died peacefully at home this morning with his family around him.
Vaughan's most recent television role was as Maester Aemon in HBO's Game Of Thrones, a series he left just last year and on which he was a favourite of both the showrunners and recurring co-star Kit Harington for the breadth of his experience and anecdotes.
Peter Vaughan's acting career spanned a remarkable seven decades and included roles for which he will be fondly remembered, including that of Harry 'Grouty' Grout in Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais' BBC sitcom Porridge. He also brought several literary...
- 12/6/2016
- Den of Geek
Bringing an end to months of back-and-forth, Showtime has ordered a 20-episode miniseries of Purity, an adaptation of the acclaimed Jonathan Franzen novel that will feature Daniel Craig in a star role.
Marking the actor’s first foray onto the small-screen in almost two decades – not since the BBC’s Our Friends in the North has the Brit featured in a major TV series – news of Craig landing the lucrative deal to headline Purity only emphasizes the actor’s desire to lay down the license to kill, as he’s all but set to depart the James Bond franchise after four consecutive turns as MGM’s lethal spy.
In terms of Purity, Variety reports that Showtime fended off heated competition from both Netflix and FX to secure the limited series, appointing Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children) to write and direct all 20 episodes in the process. Meanwhile, Scott Rudin...
Marking the actor’s first foray onto the small-screen in almost two decades – not since the BBC’s Our Friends in the North has the Brit featured in a major TV series – news of Craig landing the lucrative deal to headline Purity only emphasizes the actor’s desire to lay down the license to kill, as he’s all but set to depart the James Bond franchise after four consecutive turns as MGM’s lethal spy.
In terms of Purity, Variety reports that Showtime fended off heated competition from both Netflix and FX to secure the limited series, appointing Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children) to write and direct all 20 episodes in the process. Meanwhile, Scott Rudin...
- 6/1/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Out promoting his new film, Grimsby, Mark Strong was asked whether he would like to star as a Bond villain with his good friend Daniel Craig. The two have been friends since 1996, when they stared together on a BBC drama Our Friends in the North (check out that gnarly photo above from the show - yes, that's also Christopher Eccleston). Craig is also the godfather of Strong's eldest son. So it's not as if Strong is just giving his own personal thoughts on the subject, it stands to reason that he would know if Craigs was truly retiring his Aston Martin and laser fountain pen. "Do you know what, I’d have loved to have played the villain in a Bond movie while Daniel was doing it because he’s a pal and that would have been great. But I think he’s come to the end of his Bond...
- 2/24/2016
- ComicBookMovie.com
Jenna Coleman and Maisie Williams are about to be crushed – quite literally – in a fresh clip from this weekend's Doctor Who episode.
Saturday's 'The Girl Who Died' takes place in a Viking village, which The Doctor and Clara discover has been overrun by hostile race the Mire.
It's Vikings vs. aliens, with Maisie Williams, on this week's Doctor Who
In the clip above, time is running out for Clara, Ashildr (Williams) and their Viking friends as the Mire trap them in a massive trash compactor-like device.
In spite of some truly vague hints about Ashildr's cosmic connection to The Doctor, we're still guessing about who exactly this plucky young woman really is.
Maisie Williams recently told Digital Spy that Ashildr is in fact "a new character" who meets The Doctor – and yet he recognises her somehow.
The cast for 'The Girl Who Died' also includes David Schofield (Our Friends in the North...
Saturday's 'The Girl Who Died' takes place in a Viking village, which The Doctor and Clara discover has been overrun by hostile race the Mire.
It's Vikings vs. aliens, with Maisie Williams, on this week's Doctor Who
In the clip above, time is running out for Clara, Ashildr (Williams) and their Viking friends as the Mire trap them in a massive trash compactor-like device.
In spite of some truly vague hints about Ashildr's cosmic connection to The Doctor, we're still guessing about who exactly this plucky young woman really is.
Maisie Williams recently told Digital Spy that Ashildr is in fact "a new character" who meets The Doctor – and yet he recognises her somehow.
The cast for 'The Girl Who Died' also includes David Schofield (Our Friends in the North...
- 10/16/2015
- Digital Spy
Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman hurtle through space and time once more in the first teaser for Doctor Who series nine.
The BBC unveiled the first look at Capaldi's second full series during today's (July 9) fan panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego. A premiere date of September 19 was also set.
Here's what we learned about Sherlock, Missy and more from Doctor Who's Comic-Con panel
Aside from introducing a terrifying crop of new monsters including a species called the Mire, series nine also brings back Michelle Gomez as the devious Time Lady known as Missy, a whole city full of Daleks and the shape-shifting Zygons.
Other returning favourites for the new series include Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver as Unit's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Osgood, and Joivan Wade as 'Flatline's heroic teenager Rigsy.
The 12th Doctor and his best friend Clara Oswald will also have adventures with Game of Thrones...
The BBC unveiled the first look at Capaldi's second full series during today's (July 9) fan panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego. A premiere date of September 19 was also set.
Here's what we learned about Sherlock, Missy and more from Doctor Who's Comic-Con panel
Aside from introducing a terrifying crop of new monsters including a species called the Mire, series nine also brings back Michelle Gomez as the devious Time Lady known as Missy, a whole city full of Daleks and the shape-shifting Zygons.
Other returning favourites for the new series include Jemma Redgrave and Ingrid Oliver as Unit's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Osgood, and Joivan Wade as 'Flatline's heroic teenager Rigsy.
The 12th Doctor and his best friend Clara Oswald will also have adventures with Game of Thrones...
- 7/9/2015
- Digital Spy
Meet this year's Big Brother contestants – including a Calvin Klein model, an aspiring politician, an "eccentric rich kid" and a former X Factor hopeful.
For the first time in the reality show's 16-year history, show bosses have revealed the first photos and brief snippets of information about the cast before they enter the house for Big Brother: Timebomb on Tuesday evening (May 12).
Find out more about this year's housemates – in alphabetical order – below, as they prepare for a summer under the watchful eye of Big Brother and audiences on Channel 5:
Aaron Frew, 24
Personal shopper Aaron has modelled for Calvin Klein, appearing opposite stars including Lara Stone and Pixie Geldof. A qualified beauty therapist, Aaron, who's from Northampton, is a huge fan of The Little Mermaid.
Adjoa Mensah, 22
Law student Adjoa - based in Manchester - is a pastor's daughter, and identifies as a devout Christian. Adjoa's first language is Dutch,...
For the first time in the reality show's 16-year history, show bosses have revealed the first photos and brief snippets of information about the cast before they enter the house for Big Brother: Timebomb on Tuesday evening (May 12).
Find out more about this year's housemates – in alphabetical order – below, as they prepare for a summer under the watchful eye of Big Brother and audiences on Channel 5:
Aaron Frew, 24
Personal shopper Aaron has modelled for Calvin Klein, appearing opposite stars including Lara Stone and Pixie Geldof. A qualified beauty therapist, Aaron, who's from Northampton, is a huge fan of The Little Mermaid.
Adjoa Mensah, 22
Law student Adjoa - based in Manchester - is a pastor's daughter, and identifies as a devout Christian. Adjoa's first language is Dutch,...
- 5/9/2015
- Digital Spy
Christopher Eccleston has teased a possible return for Our Friends in the North.
The actor starred alongside Daniel Craig, Peter Vaughan and Mark Strong in the BBC Two series in 1996.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Eccleston said that it is one of his "great hopes" to film more episodes of the drama.
He explained: "I saw all the characters including Mary, Nicki, Tosker, Geordie as portraits of our writer, Peter Flannery.
"That's what great writers do, like Jimmy McGovern and Peter Flannery - they take aspects of their own personality and they characterise them, debates that they have in their head and their heart spill onto the paper.
"I'm very hopeful. I know that Peter Flannery has some plans for to revisit Our Friends in the North either by going earlier to the story of Peter Bourne's character, or Felix, or a little later.
"It's one of my great...
The actor starred alongside Daniel Craig, Peter Vaughan and Mark Strong in the BBC Two series in 1996.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Eccleston said that it is one of his "great hopes" to film more episodes of the drama.
He explained: "I saw all the characters including Mary, Nicki, Tosker, Geordie as portraits of our writer, Peter Flannery.
"That's what great writers do, like Jimmy McGovern and Peter Flannery - they take aspects of their own personality and they characterise them, debates that they have in their head and their heart spill onto the paper.
"I'm very hopeful. I know that Peter Flannery has some plans for to revisit Our Friends in the North either by going earlier to the story of Peter Bourne's character, or Felix, or a little later.
"It's one of my great...
- 4/20/2015
- Digital Spy
Mark Strong (August 5, 1963-) is an English film and television actor. He’s known for his work on the television series Our Friends in the North, which featured many breakout performances, and films including Tristan & Isolde, Body of Lies, Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass, Robin Hood, Green Lantern, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Zero Dark Thirty, The […]
The post Mark Strong Bio: In His Own Words appeared first on uInterview.
The post Mark Strong Bio: In His Own Words appeared first on uInterview.
- 3/23/2015
- by Ryan McDonnell
- Uinterview
Gina McKee Di amp Viv amp Rose, King Lear, Ivanov, Our Friends In The North, Notting Hill plays Queen Elizabeth, alongside the previously announced Martin Freeman Clybourne Park, The Hobbit, Sherlock, Fargo as Richard III in Jamie Lloyd's first production of his second season at Trafalgar Transformed, Richard III, running through 27 September, with press night on 8 July. Check out photos of the cast in action below...
- 7/7/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Louisa looks at a crop of current TV dramas exploring our relationship with death, from The Returned to In The Flesh and more…
Feature
What if the Rapture - or something very like it - happened, and life carried on afterwards? Imagine if a significant but not world-destroying number of unconnected people simply vanished one day, leaving the rest of us behind. Clueless and abandoned, the subjects of an aloof universe, how would we live on underneath the weight of that mystery?
Or this: you hear a noise in the kitchen and discover the beloved daughter you lost in a fatal accident years ago making herself a sandwich complacently unaware that she ever left. Or your fiancé, whose death shattered you to pieces a decade earlier, turns up at your door as young and handsome as the day he died and begs you to run away with him.
What about...
Feature
What if the Rapture - or something very like it - happened, and life carried on afterwards? Imagine if a significant but not world-destroying number of unconnected people simply vanished one day, leaving the rest of us behind. Clueless and abandoned, the subjects of an aloof universe, how would we live on underneath the weight of that mystery?
Or this: you hear a noise in the kitchen and discover the beloved daughter you lost in a fatal accident years ago making herself a sandwich complacently unaware that she ever left. Or your fiancé, whose death shattered you to pieces a decade earlier, turns up at your door as young and handsome as the day he died and begs you to run away with him.
What about...
- 6/11/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Happy birthday to Christopher Eccleston, who turns 50 today (Sunday, February 16).
A stalwart of television, film and theatre, Chris has played some of television's most iconic characters (from Our Friends in the North's Nicky Hutchinson to Doctor Who's titular hero), brought life to numerous 'everyman' roles with extraordinary performances and used his work to explore themes of justice, loyalty and friendship.
To celebrate Christopher's half-century, Digital Spy has chosen ten standout performances from his film and television work, presented in chronological order. Given his acting career spans almost 25 years, a few didn't make our personal top ten, but as always, do tell us about your favourites in the comments section...
Shallow Grave (1994)
Danny Boyle's dizzying breakthrough movie Shallow Grave not only launched the career of Ewan McGregor, it propelled Christopher Eccleston - already an established TV star - into the big league.
Chris's portrayal of chartered accountant...
A stalwart of television, film and theatre, Chris has played some of television's most iconic characters (from Our Friends in the North's Nicky Hutchinson to Doctor Who's titular hero), brought life to numerous 'everyman' roles with extraordinary performances and used his work to explore themes of justice, loyalty and friendship.
To celebrate Christopher's half-century, Digital Spy has chosen ten standout performances from his film and television work, presented in chronological order. Given his acting career spans almost 25 years, a few didn't make our personal top ten, but as always, do tell us about your favourites in the comments section...
Shallow Grave (1994)
Danny Boyle's dizzying breakthrough movie Shallow Grave not only launched the career of Ewan McGregor, it propelled Christopher Eccleston - already an established TV star - into the big league.
Chris's portrayal of chartered accountant...
- 2/16/2014
- Digital Spy
Happy birthday to Christopher Eccleston, who turns 50 today (Sunday, February 16).
A stalwart of television, film and theatre, Chris has played some of television's most iconic characters (from Our Friends in the North's Nicky Hutchinson to Doctor Who's titular hero), brought life to numerous 'everyman' roles with extraordinary performances and used his work to explore themes of justice, loyalty and friendship.
To celebrate Christopher's half-century, Digital Spy has chosen ten standout performances from his film and television work, presented in chronological order. Given his acting career spans almost 25 years, a few didn't make our personal top ten, but as always, do tell us about your favourites in the comments section...
Shallow Grave (1994)
Danny Boyle's dizzying breakthrough movie Shallow Grave not only launched the career of Ewan McGregor, it propelled Christopher Eccleston - already an established TV star - into the big league.
Chris's portrayal of chartered accountant...
A stalwart of television, film and theatre, Chris has played some of television's most iconic characters (from Our Friends in the North's Nicky Hutchinson to Doctor Who's titular hero), brought life to numerous 'everyman' roles with extraordinary performances and used his work to explore themes of justice, loyalty and friendship.
To celebrate Christopher's half-century, Digital Spy has chosen ten standout performances from his film and television work, presented in chronological order. Given his acting career spans almost 25 years, a few didn't make our personal top ten, but as always, do tell us about your favourites in the comments section...
Shallow Grave (1994)
Danny Boyle's dizzying breakthrough movie Shallow Grave not only launched the career of Ewan McGregor, it propelled Christopher Eccleston - already an established TV star - into the big league.
Chris's portrayal of chartered accountant...
- 2/16/2014
- Digital Spy
Drama series will chronicle the lives of a group of friends and their families living in west London from 1968 to the present
Steve McQueen (right), the director of 12 Years a Slave, is developing a BBC drama billed as "epic in scope", about the experiences of the black community in west London from the late 1960s to the present.
McQueen, who was born in the area, told Friday's Daily Mail the drama will chronicle the lives of a group of friends and their families living in the area from 1968. "I don't think there has been a serious drama series in Britain with black people from all walks of life as the main protagonists," he said.
He said the drama will be "epic in scope" and planned to hold a series of workshops with actors to develop the concept. It could be filmed in 2015.
Talk of an ambitious drama following a group...
Steve McQueen (right), the director of 12 Years a Slave, is developing a BBC drama billed as "epic in scope", about the experiences of the black community in west London from the late 1960s to the present.
McQueen, who was born in the area, told Friday's Daily Mail the drama will chronicle the lives of a group of friends and their families living in the area from 1968. "I don't think there has been a serious drama series in Britain with black people from all walks of life as the main protagonists," he said.
He said the drama will be "epic in scope" and planned to hold a series of workshops with actors to develop the concept. It could be filmed in 2015.
Talk of an ambitious drama following a group...
- 1/11/2014
- by Jason Deans
- The Guardian - Film News
Line of Duty
Acorn Media have released a slew of hit shows this year but Line of Duty is arguably the best drama DVD release of 2013. Line of Duty is a cop show that forces you to re-examine the role of the police force. Not everything is black and white and when there are quotas to be met, even good cops can be pressured into entering the large grey area that exists between right and wrong. Dci Gates (Lennie James) is one such man. Publicly revered as one of the capital’s top cops, he’s a man with underworld connections and a former lover who threatens to pull him off his pedestal. Gates has his fans but his remarkably high conviction rate has also aroused some suspicion. Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) tasks the squeaky clean Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) with looking into Gates’ affairs. Arnott doesn...
Acorn Media have released a slew of hit shows this year but Line of Duty is arguably the best drama DVD release of 2013. Line of Duty is a cop show that forces you to re-examine the role of the police force. Not everything is black and white and when there are quotas to be met, even good cops can be pressured into entering the large grey area that exists between right and wrong. Dci Gates (Lennie James) is one such man. Publicly revered as one of the capital’s top cops, he’s a man with underworld connections and a former lover who threatens to pull him off his pedestal. Gates has his fans but his remarkably high conviction rate has also aroused some suspicion. Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) tasks the squeaky clean Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) with looking into Gates’ affairs. Arnott doesn...
- 10/27/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
Channel 4 has announced the cast set to star as young idealists in a major new four-part historical drama New Worlds.
Set in the turbulent 1680s, the drama takes place on both sides of the Atlantic, as two young men and two young women commit their lives to a fairer future with blood, passion and urgency. New Worlds is described as a gripping story of love and loss and the human price paid for the freedoms we enjoy today.
Scottish Skins actress Freya Mavor plays Beth, the daughter of Angelica, the Countess of Abingdon (played by Eve Best), sheltering at Fanshawe House from a country yet again on the brink of chaos under the tyrannical rule of Charles II. Freya (represented by Hamilton Hodell) can currently be seen in BBC historical drama The White Queen and stars in two Scotland-based films, Not Another Happy Ending and Dexter Fletcher's Sunshine on Leith.
Set in the turbulent 1680s, the drama takes place on both sides of the Atlantic, as two young men and two young women commit their lives to a fairer future with blood, passion and urgency. New Worlds is described as a gripping story of love and loss and the human price paid for the freedoms we enjoy today.
Scottish Skins actress Freya Mavor plays Beth, the daughter of Angelica, the Countess of Abingdon (played by Eve Best), sheltering at Fanshawe House from a country yet again on the brink of chaos under the tyrannical rule of Charles II. Freya (represented by Hamilton Hodell) can currently be seen in BBC historical drama The White Queen and stars in two Scotland-based films, Not Another Happy Ending and Dexter Fletcher's Sunshine on Leith.
- 7/19/2013
- by noreply@blogger.com (ScreenTerrier)
- ScreenTerrier
Dark Knight actor to play life peer drawn into the world of espionage in political thriller The Honourable Woman
The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal is to take the lead role in a BBC2 thriller set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Gyllenhaal, whose film credits also include Crazy Heart and Secretary, will play a British life peer in The Honourable Woman who is drawn into the world of international relations and espionage following the murder of a Palestinian businessman.
She joins a growing roster of American acting talent signing up for the channel's dramas. BBC2 viewers have just seen X Files star Gillian Anderson in serial killer drama The Fall and Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men's Peggy Olson – plays a police detective in Jane Campion's New Zealand-set thriller Top of the Lake, which will air on the channel in the summer.
Christopher Walken and Winona Ryder will...
The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal is to take the lead role in a BBC2 thriller set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Gyllenhaal, whose film credits also include Crazy Heart and Secretary, will play a British life peer in The Honourable Woman who is drawn into the world of international relations and espionage following the murder of a Palestinian businessman.
She joins a growing roster of American acting talent signing up for the channel's dramas. BBC2 viewers have just seen X Files star Gillian Anderson in serial killer drama The Fall and Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men's Peggy Olson – plays a police detective in Jane Campion's New Zealand-set thriller Top of the Lake, which will air on the channel in the summer.
Christopher Walken and Winona Ryder will...
- 6/28/2013
- by Jason Deans
- The Guardian - Film News
BBC and ITV enraged the government with early portrayals of the conflict but it is being supplanted by recent conflicts
British TV deployed rapidly – and with frequent controversy – to attack the Falklands war as a subject. The assiduous historical website British Television Drama records, in the decade after the war, 10 dramas based on the conflict.
The BBC screened five plays within five years of the events, which may surprise those who now associate the corporation with editorial caution and at the time clearly astonished the Ministry of Defence, which made numerous objections and obstructed access to actual locations and equipment.
The earliest pieces were oblique, with Don Shaw's The Falklands Factor dramatising an 18th-century dispute over the islands, and Maggie Wadey's The Waiting War focusing on military and naval families. ITV also enraged the MoD and the government with a children's series, Jan Needle's A Game of Soldiers,...
British TV deployed rapidly – and with frequent controversy – to attack the Falklands war as a subject. The assiduous historical website British Television Drama records, in the decade after the war, 10 dramas based on the conflict.
The BBC screened five plays within five years of the events, which may surprise those who now associate the corporation with editorial caution and at the time clearly astonished the Ministry of Defence, which made numerous objections and obstructed access to actual locations and equipment.
The earliest pieces were oblique, with Don Shaw's The Falklands Factor dramatising an 18th-century dispute over the islands, and Maggie Wadey's The Waiting War focusing on military and naval families. ITV also enraged the MoD and the government with a children's series, Jan Needle's A Game of Soldiers,...
- 4/14/2013
- by Mark Lawson
- The Guardian - Film News
Garrow’s Law co. BBC
Kieran Kinsella
Acorn Media’s February 26 line-up begins with a value box set of the BBC’s most popular courtroom drama – Garrow’s Law. Acorn have previously released some of the 18th century barrister’s stories in the U.S. but this 6 disc set is Garrow’s Law: The Complete Collection. Aside from the twelve episodes that aired during the show’s three year run, you also get an hour of extras that includes a feature on the real life William Garrow and some behind-the-scenes footage.
The real William Garrow was something of a social reformer who did his best to defend the poor and the uneducated at a time when “justice” was often swift and harsh. Andrew Buchan (The Sinking of the Laconia) takes on the title role. He looks a little like Ross Poldark and the whole show is based in the same...
Kieran Kinsella
Acorn Media’s February 26 line-up begins with a value box set of the BBC’s most popular courtroom drama – Garrow’s Law. Acorn have previously released some of the 18th century barrister’s stories in the U.S. but this 6 disc set is Garrow’s Law: The Complete Collection. Aside from the twelve episodes that aired during the show’s three year run, you also get an hour of extras that includes a feature on the real life William Garrow and some behind-the-scenes footage.
The real William Garrow was something of a social reformer who did his best to defend the poor and the uneducated at a time when “justice” was often swift and harsh. Andrew Buchan (The Sinking of the Laconia) takes on the title role. He looks a little like Ross Poldark and the whole show is based in the same...
- 2/26/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
Mark Strong has waded in to defend his director Kathryn Bigelow, saying it’s impossible to believe such “a shy, pleasant, gentle” woman could possibly be endorsing torture in her film, 'Zero Dark Thirty'.
Plus: Strong's advice to Daniel Craig... see below
The British actor, who plays George, a CIA executive in charge of the Afghan/Pakistan division pushing his agents to find Osama Bin Laden, says it’s strange “to find yourself a spokesman for a film, but I do feel a sense of injustice".
Mark Strong plays CIA exec George in 'Zero Dark Thirty', which has been blasted by some critics for 'condoning torture'
He goes on: “What on earth makes people think Kathryn Bigelow and (writer) Mark Boal would endorse torture when everybody around the world knows it’s horrific, despicable and to be avoided at all costs – why suddenly would these two...
Plus: Strong's advice to Daniel Craig... see below
The British actor, who plays George, a CIA executive in charge of the Afghan/Pakistan division pushing his agents to find Osama Bin Laden, says it’s strange “to find yourself a spokesman for a film, but I do feel a sense of injustice".
Mark Strong plays CIA exec George in 'Zero Dark Thirty', which has been blasted by some critics for 'condoning torture'
He goes on: “What on earth makes people think Kathryn Bigelow and (writer) Mark Boal would endorse torture when everybody around the world knows it’s horrific, despicable and to be avoided at all costs – why suddenly would these two...
- 1/22/2013
- by Caroline Frost
- Huffington Post
(This article contains spoilers)
To mark the 50th Anniversary of one of the most successful movie franchises of all time and with James Bond’s 23rd official outing in Skyfall due for release later this month, I have been tasked with taking a retrospective look at the films that turned author Ian Fleming’s creation into one of the most recognised and iconic characters in film history.
After 2002’s Die Another Day, there was a general feeling that the Bond series had run its course. After 40 years and twenty films, the character had become far removed from Fleming’s original novels and taken on a life of its own relying on sci-fi gadgetry and computer generated thrills in stories that were becoming predictably formulaic. Bond had survived numerous revisions over the years but when a film adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s book The Bourne Identity was released in 2002 just months before Die Another Day,...
To mark the 50th Anniversary of one of the most successful movie franchises of all time and with James Bond’s 23rd official outing in Skyfall due for release later this month, I have been tasked with taking a retrospective look at the films that turned author Ian Fleming’s creation into one of the most recognised and iconic characters in film history.
After 2002’s Die Another Day, there was a general feeling that the Bond series had run its course. After 40 years and twenty films, the character had become far removed from Fleming’s original novels and taken on a life of its own relying on sci-fi gadgetry and computer generated thrills in stories that were becoming predictably formulaic. Bond had survived numerous revisions over the years but when a film adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s book The Bourne Identity was released in 2002 just months before Die Another Day,...
- 10/3/2012
- by Chris Wright
- Obsessed with Film
David Bradley has revealed new details about his role on Doctor Who. The Harry Potter actor will appear in the sci-fi drama's seventh series, as first announced in February. "He is a space pirate," Bradley told the Warwick University podcast of his character Solomon. "We've modelled [him] on a well-known nightclub owner with long hair. He has lots of scars [and] he wears black leather." Bradley - who has also appeared on Game of Thrones and Our Friends in the North - went on to describe Solomon as "like an (more)...
- 7/26/2012
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
For Christopher Eccleston, small is always beautiful, whether it be TV thriller Blackout or Greek tragedy Antigone on the stage. He reveals why making films just doesn't compare
He strides across the polished tiled floor, past imposing columns and heavy, intricately carved doors. Outside, the Manchester winds are furiously buffeting the redbrick walls of this grand, turn-of-the-last-century university hall. There seems nowhere more appropriate to meet Christopher Eccleston: he has a face to fit buildings like this, an on-screen intensity that is the match of the architecture. But even so, his latest TV role looks set to stretch him: an unflinching, uncomfortable, three-hour examination of addiction and corruption, in which Eccleston goes from rock bottom to hero, as Manchester politician Daniel Demoys.
Written by Bill Gallagher, who adapted Lark Rise to Candleford for the small screen, Blackout puts alcoholism under the microscope in the course of its three episodes.
He strides across the polished tiled floor, past imposing columns and heavy, intricately carved doors. Outside, the Manchester winds are furiously buffeting the redbrick walls of this grand, turn-of-the-last-century university hall. There seems nowhere more appropriate to meet Christopher Eccleston: he has a face to fit buildings like this, an on-screen intensity that is the match of the architecture. But even so, his latest TV role looks set to stretch him: an unflinching, uncomfortable, three-hour examination of addiction and corruption, in which Eccleston goes from rock bottom to hero, as Manchester politician Daniel Demoys.
Written by Bill Gallagher, who adapted Lark Rise to Candleford for the small screen, Blackout puts alcoholism under the microscope in the course of its three episodes.
- 6/27/2012
- by Vicky Frost
- The Guardian - Film News
Channel 4′s much anticipated adaptation of the novel A Very British Coup will air as part of the network’s summer line up. The drama is based around a horrific accident at an American owned petrochemical plant on Teesside. The Usual Suspects star Gabriel Byrne plays Tom Dawkins – a man who is reluctantly thrust into an Erin Bronkovitch style battle against corporate interests and political insiders. (Continued below)
Charles Dance
Channel 4 have assembled an unbelievable cast for the drama that includes Charles Dance (White Mischief) and Gina McKee (Our Friends in the North). USA based fans of British TV will also recognize Rupert Graves (Sherlock), Nicholas Farrell (Torchwood) and Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones). The four-part drama is written by Robert Jones and directed by Ed Fraiman. Precise air dates have yet to be revealed. There are currently no plans to air Coup in the U.S.
N...
Charles Dance
Channel 4 have assembled an unbelievable cast for the drama that includes Charles Dance (White Mischief) and Gina McKee (Our Friends in the North). USA based fans of British TV will also recognize Rupert Graves (Sherlock), Nicholas Farrell (Torchwood) and Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones). The four-part drama is written by Robert Jones and directed by Ed Fraiman. Precise air dates have yet to be revealed. There are currently no plans to air Coup in the U.S.
N...
- 5/31/2012
- by Edited by K Kinsella
George Gently
B Van Heusen
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
Inspector George Gently returns to BBC One later this year with four all new feature length specials. Show creator Peter Flannery (Our Friends in the North) writes the first screenplay which centers around the brutal murder of a young aristocrat. The second of the four episodes Gently Northern Soul is written by David Kane (The Field of Blood) and it involves Enoch Powell and the racial issues that impacted Britain and much of the Western world during the late 1960s.
Martin Shaw resumes his role as George Gently while BBC regular Lee Ingleby (White Heat) returns as his street savvy sidekick Bacchus. Guest stars include Roger Lloyd Pak (Only Fools and Horses) and Geraldine Somerville (Harry Potter). Filming is underway in the Durham area and the shows should air in the Fall.
B Van Heusen
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
Inspector George Gently returns to BBC One later this year with four all new feature length specials. Show creator Peter Flannery (Our Friends in the North) writes the first screenplay which centers around the brutal murder of a young aristocrat. The second of the four episodes Gently Northern Soul is written by David Kane (The Field of Blood) and it involves Enoch Powell and the racial issues that impacted Britain and much of the Western world during the late 1960s.
Martin Shaw resumes his role as George Gently while BBC regular Lee Ingleby (White Heat) returns as his street savvy sidekick Bacchus. Guest stars include Roger Lloyd Pak (Only Fools and Horses) and Geraldine Somerville (Harry Potter). Filming is underway in the Durham area and the shows should air in the Fall.
- 3/28/2012
- by admin
BBC The Fuse
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
We have heard plenty about Titanic and the new series of Doctor Who but what are the other shows to watch out for in 2012?
Line of Duty. Our Friends in the North star Gina McKee seems to pick her parts carefully and Line of Duty is already receiving rave reviews from critics at advance screenings. The drama centers around an investigation involving corrupt cops. The writer claims that members of the Metropolitan Police Force were less than helpful when he was researching the show and their actions have only served to heighten the excitement surrounding Line of Duty.
Savage. 2012 is already proving to be a good year for Warren Brown thanks to his role in the critically acclaimed Inside Men. The Luther actor plays a troubled cop in this...
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
We have heard plenty about Titanic and the new series of Doctor Who but what are the other shows to watch out for in 2012?
Line of Duty. Our Friends in the North star Gina McKee seems to pick her parts carefully and Line of Duty is already receiving rave reviews from critics at advance screenings. The drama centers around an investigation involving corrupt cops. The writer claims that members of the Metropolitan Police Force were less than helpful when he was researching the show and their actions have only served to heighten the excitement surrounding Line of Duty.
Savage. 2012 is already proving to be a good year for Warren Brown thanks to his role in the critically acclaimed Inside Men. The Luther actor plays a troubled cop in this...
- 3/9/2012
- by admin
BBC2 White Heat
N Conrad
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
It is pretty difficult to make an original series about the 1960s because everything that happened in that decade has been chronicled about a million times in TV, film, music and literature and if the producers of this show set out to be original they failed. However, though it featured cliched characters and familiar concepts White Heat was a nicely put together piece of drama that was worth watching.
Upstairs Downstairs actress Claire Foy is something of an alchemist given her amazing ability to turn otherwise drab affairs into top notch dramas. (e.g. The Night Watch). White Heat would have been halfway decent even without Foy so with her in it the show was actually better than average. Lee Ingleby was also very impressive as the salt-of-the-Earth Northern...
N Conrad
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It is pretty difficult to make an original series about the 1960s because everything that happened in that decade has been chronicled about a million times in TV, film, music and literature and if the producers of this show set out to be original they failed. However, though it featured cliched characters and familiar concepts White Heat was a nicely put together piece of drama that was worth watching.
Upstairs Downstairs actress Claire Foy is something of an alchemist given her amazing ability to turn otherwise drab affairs into top notch dramas. (e.g. The Night Watch). White Heat would have been halfway decent even without Foy so with her in it the show was actually better than average. Lee Ingleby was also very impressive as the salt-of-the-Earth Northern...
- 3/9/2012
- by admin
Clare Foy
Paula Milne’s epic six-part drama White Heat comes to BBC2 during the week of March 3-10. Similar in concept to Our Friends in the North, White Heat charts the lives of seven friends from 1965 through to the present day as they contend with personal issues and major political events. The all-star cast includes award winning actress Juliet Stevenson (The Accused), Clare Foy (Upstairs Downstairs), Lee Ingleby (Luther), Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War) and Lindsay Duncan (Margaret).
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter. You can also find us on Google+ by clicking here.
Recent Articles:
Whitechapel Season Three Episode Three
Inside Men Episode Three
Acorn Media DVD: I Claudius...
Paula Milne’s epic six-part drama White Heat comes to BBC2 during the week of March 3-10. Similar in concept to Our Friends in the North, White Heat charts the lives of seven friends from 1965 through to the present day as they contend with personal issues and major political events. The all-star cast includes award winning actress Juliet Stevenson (The Accused), Clare Foy (Upstairs Downstairs), Lee Ingleby (Luther), Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War) and Lindsay Duncan (Margaret).
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter. You can also find us on Google+ by clicking here.
Recent Articles:
Whitechapel Season Three Episode Three
Inside Men Episode Three
Acorn Media DVD: I Claudius...
- 2/19/2012
- by admin
Yes Prime Minister.
Marc Dubonnet
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When you consider the fact that the BBC is a publicly funded organization it is perhaps not surprising that politicians have been a regular feature of both satires and drama shows in the UK. Some depictions of these political figures have been sympathetic but many have been less than flattering. For better or worse, the following individuals are 10 of the Best British TV politicians.
1. James Hacker (Paul Eddington) in Yes Minister. Jim Hacker must rank as one of Britian’s best loved and weakest prime ministers. All too often his decisions were made for him by the sinister Sir Humphrey Appleby. Fans didn’t mind much since the original show spawned a sequel, a radio version and most recently a stage play.
Marc Dubonnet
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter. You can also find us on Google+ by clicking here.
When you consider the fact that the BBC is a publicly funded organization it is perhaps not surprising that politicians have been a regular feature of both satires and drama shows in the UK. Some depictions of these political figures have been sympathetic but many have been less than flattering. For better or worse, the following individuals are 10 of the Best British TV politicians.
1. James Hacker (Paul Eddington) in Yes Minister. Jim Hacker must rank as one of Britian’s best loved and weakest prime ministers. All too often his decisions were made for him by the sinister Sir Humphrey Appleby. Fans didn’t mind much since the original show spawned a sequel, a radio version and most recently a stage play.
- 1/18/2012
- by admin
The Tuesday before Halloween is bound to have a lot of genre titles. There are some good ones too like Attack the Block, Blue Underground releases Fulci in High-Definition with Zombie and The House by the Cemetery, also Criterion releases The Island of Lost Souls on DVD & Blu-Ray and the most talked about film of last year, A Serbian Film finally hits the shelves. Read below, if you dare, for all your DVD and Blu-Ray releases for this week and if you plan on purchasing any films through Amazon, click on the buttons provided as they help us out with paying the bills around here.
Animal Attack Two Pack (Maneaters Are Loose/ Shark Kill)
Two savage and rare TV movies in the 1970s “Animal Attack” genre that have rarely been seen since their initial release, now back in print and together at last on DVD.
Buy the DVD @ Amazon.
Animal Attack Two Pack (Maneaters Are Loose/ Shark Kill)
Two savage and rare TV movies in the 1970s “Animal Attack” genre that have rarely been seen since their initial release, now back in print and together at last on DVD.
Buy the DVD @ Amazon.
- 10/25/2011
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Gina Mckee
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BBC2 have revealed the cast for Jed Mercurio’s new drama Line Of Duty. Martin Compston takes on the role of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott who is tasked with investigating a botched counter-terrorism operation in the show. Compston is ably assisted by Constable Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and before long the duo find themselves looking into corruption allegations involving Dci Tony Gates (Lennie James). A corrupt Dci? What would Gene Hunt have to say about that?
Line of Duty forms part of the network’s line up for 2012 and other notables among the cast include Neil Morrissey, Adrian Dunbar, Kate Ashfield, Craig Parkinson and Paul Higgins. Rather encouragingly, Gina Mckee who most recently appeared in Vera is also in the cast. Previously Gina has appeared in hits that include Notting Hill, Our Friends in the North,...
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on twitter.
BBC2 have revealed the cast for Jed Mercurio’s new drama Line Of Duty. Martin Compston takes on the role of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott who is tasked with investigating a botched counter-terrorism operation in the show. Compston is ably assisted by Constable Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and before long the duo find themselves looking into corruption allegations involving Dci Tony Gates (Lennie James). A corrupt Dci? What would Gene Hunt have to say about that?
Line of Duty forms part of the network’s line up for 2012 and other notables among the cast include Neil Morrissey, Adrian Dunbar, Kate Ashfield, Craig Parkinson and Paul Higgins. Rather encouragingly, Gina Mckee who most recently appeared in Vera is also in the cast. Previously Gina has appeared in hits that include Notting Hill, Our Friends in the North,...
- 8/26/2011
- by admin
It's 40 years since Get Carter hit British cinemas. The Guardian goes to meet the man in charge of the birthday celebrations
It's not even midday, and already my head is filled with stuff both unpleasant and grimly compelling: murder, violence, organised crime, the lower-grade parts of the sex industry, you name it. Having already visited pubs, houses, and the ruins of industrial installations, we've just called in at a cemetery; the next stop is a riverside location that will bring back memories of a reckless shoot-out.
This is a dry run for a guided tour conceived to mark the 40th birthday of Mike Hodges's Get Carter, the brilliant British film that set Michael Caine – in the role of Jack Carter – loose around Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead and beyond. My host is Chris Phipps, a film-maker and former producer on the Newcastle-located TV music show The Tube, who is an illuminating authority...
It's not even midday, and already my head is filled with stuff both unpleasant and grimly compelling: murder, violence, organised crime, the lower-grade parts of the sex industry, you name it. Having already visited pubs, houses, and the ruins of industrial installations, we've just called in at a cemetery; the next stop is a riverside location that will bring back memories of a reckless shoot-out.
This is a dry run for a guided tour conceived to mark the 40th birthday of Mike Hodges's Get Carter, the brilliant British film that set Michael Caine – in the role of Jack Carter – loose around Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead and beyond. My host is Chris Phipps, a film-maker and former producer on the Newcastle-located TV music show The Tube, who is an illuminating authority...
- 3/4/2011
- by John Harris
- The Guardian - Film News
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