If you think about it in broad strokes, the hit British sitcom Derry Girls is strikingly similar to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, with one obvious difference — Derry Girls won an Emmy.
When the British public broadcasting station Channel 4 premiered Northern Irish playwright and screenwriter Lisa McGee’s personal and punchy coming-of-age sitcom about life in her hometown of Derry during the turbulent mid-1990s, the channel probably didn’t anticipate that Derry Girls would become their biggest comedy series since Father Ted, their last successful sitcom about Ireland in the ‘90s, and their first scripted international sensation to pair with The Great British Bake Off as their American-beloved megahits. Thankfully, the heart, humor and joyful chaos of Derry Girls translated well from Northern Irish to American English, and today, over two years after the series finale, Derry Girls is still one of the most streamed sitcoms on Netflix U.
When the British public broadcasting station Channel 4 premiered Northern Irish playwright and screenwriter Lisa McGee’s personal and punchy coming-of-age sitcom about life in her hometown of Derry during the turbulent mid-1990s, the channel probably didn’t anticipate that Derry Girls would become their biggest comedy series since Father Ted, their last successful sitcom about Ireland in the ‘90s, and their first scripted international sensation to pair with The Great British Bake Off as their American-beloved megahits. Thankfully, the heart, humor and joyful chaos of Derry Girls translated well from Northern Irish to American English, and today, over two years after the series finale, Derry Girls is still one of the most streamed sitcoms on Netflix U.
- 8/21/2024
- Cracked
What is it about Speed that always keeps people coming back for more? Now celebrating its third decade as one of the greatest action films ever made, Jan de Bont’s positively explosive bare bones rush hour movie is a rare case of an enduring Hollywood classic, with insanely bankable stars, that hasn’t been re-upped, remade or rebooted to death.
30 years on, it has spawned a wealth of imitators, a legion of die-hard fans (50Mph podcast we see you) and an entire legacy of super straightforward, super effective action cinema. But really only one legitimate sequel. So, what happened? How did such an influential movie falter? Why is an IP-hungry Hollywood, that’s somehow so starved it’s willing to bankroll a 9-figure stuntman movie based on an ancient and barely remembered ’80s TV show, so Speed-phobic? And most importantly of all, is the original still just as good as you remember it?...
30 years on, it has spawned a wealth of imitators, a legion of die-hard fans (50Mph podcast we see you) and an entire legacy of super straightforward, super effective action cinema. But really only one legitimate sequel. So, what happened? How did such an influential movie falter? Why is an IP-hungry Hollywood, that’s somehow so starved it’s willing to bankroll a 9-figure stuntman movie based on an ancient and barely remembered ’80s TV show, so Speed-phobic? And most importantly of all, is the original still just as good as you remember it?...
- 5/20/2024
- by Ben Robins
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Submarine’s action thriller series “Safe Harbor,” whose showrunner and executive producer is Emmy-nominated “Ozark” co-creator Mark Williams, has added several cast members, including Colm Meaney, whose credits include “Layer Cake,” “Con Air” and “Star Trek.”
Also joining the cast are Pauline McLynn, Damien Molony, Charlotte Timmers and Daniel Lapaine.
The cast, as previously announced, also includes Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy, Jack Gleeson and Martijn Lakemeier.
Pauline McLynn, Damien Molony, Charlotte Timmers and Daniel Lapaine.
Filming commenced in the fall of 2023 and the series will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Inspired by true events, “Safe Harbor” follows gifted hacker Tobias (Allen) and his ambitious best friend Marco (Lakemeier), intent on cracking into the tech billionaires club. Marco and Tobias are plucked from quiet obscurity and plunged headfirst into the chaos of organized crime when they cross paths with the Irish mob. Leading the family...
Also joining the cast are Pauline McLynn, Damien Molony, Charlotte Timmers and Daniel Lapaine.
The cast, as previously announced, also includes Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy, Jack Gleeson and Martijn Lakemeier.
Pauline McLynn, Damien Molony, Charlotte Timmers and Daniel Lapaine.
Filming commenced in the fall of 2023 and the series will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Inspired by true events, “Safe Harbor” follows gifted hacker Tobias (Allen) and his ambitious best friend Marco (Lakemeier), intent on cracking into the tech billionaires club. Marco and Tobias are plucked from quiet obscurity and plunged headfirst into the chaos of organized crime when they cross paths with the Irish mob. Leading the family...
- 4/30/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Two of the UK’s top comedy stars, Richard Ayoade and Jonathan Ross, have received backlash on social media after reviewing The It Crowd writer Graham Linehan’s memoir.
Irish scribe Linehan has gone from the writer of much-loved Channel 4 comedies The It Crowd, Father Ted and Black Books to an outspoken anti-transgender activist in recent years, leading many in the UK and Ireland to boycott him.
His book, Tough Crowd, has gone on pre-sale on Amazon this week. Its reviews section displays favorable quotes from talk show host and writer Ross and actor-director Ayoade, who starred in The It Crowd between 2006 and 2013. Other advocates include author John Boyne, anti-trans journalist Helen Joyce, comic Simon Evans and British TV director Lissa Evans.
Ross was quoted saying the book is “one of the most compelling and unflinchingly honest memoirs I’ve read in many years. It’s also the funniest,...
Irish scribe Linehan has gone from the writer of much-loved Channel 4 comedies The It Crowd, Father Ted and Black Books to an outspoken anti-transgender activist in recent years, leading many in the UK and Ireland to boycott him.
His book, Tough Crowd, has gone on pre-sale on Amazon this week. Its reviews section displays favorable quotes from talk show host and writer Ross and actor-director Ayoade, who starred in The It Crowd between 2006 and 2013. Other advocates include author John Boyne, anti-trans journalist Helen Joyce, comic Simon Evans and British TV director Lissa Evans.
Ross was quoted saying the book is “one of the most compelling and unflinchingly honest memoirs I’ve read in many years. It’s also the funniest,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
No Spaced. No The League of Gentlemen. No Smack the Pony or Goodness Gracious Me or The Royle Family or Brass Eye, or Red Dwarf or Father Ted or anything that belongs to the last century (side note: the late 90s were an incredible time for UK comedy). These are the 40 finest British comedy TV shows that have arrived since the year 2000, as nominated by our writers. Add in your favourites below, and it’s a party.
What’s cheering about this lot, apart from the fact that as comedies, they should all technically cheer us up, is how different they are. There’s the surreal chaos of Year of the Rabbit, and the sweet warmth of Lovesick, the Pythonesque bonkersness of Yonderland, the satirical might of The Thick of It and much more. Something for everyone, you might say.
And to make sure there was enough space to include a wide enough selection,...
What’s cheering about this lot, apart from the fact that as comedies, they should all technically cheer us up, is how different they are. There’s the surreal chaos of Year of the Rabbit, and the sweet warmth of Lovesick, the Pythonesque bonkersness of Yonderland, the satirical might of The Thick of It and much more. Something for everyone, you might say.
And to make sure there was enough space to include a wide enough selection,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
For millions of music fans of all ages, The Beatles are without a doubt rock’s most influential group. The band, comprised of John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, broke boundaries and created bold new sounds that reverberate to this day. Behind the scenes, members of the band didn’t always get along – and this occasional tension led to a long-standing myth that Lennon once discredited Starr’s drumming skills. As it turns out, however, this rumor just doesn’t hold water, with internet sleuths figuring out that Lennon never actually made the remark in the first place.
John Lennon is often credited with making a joke at Ringo Starr’s expense
#Otd in #1964, #TheBeatles continued filming opening scenes for A Hard Day’s Night at Marylebone Station in London following the first shoot on the 5th April. pic.twitter.com/H3xdM840ZX
— The Beatles (@thebeatles...
John Lennon is often credited with making a joke at Ringo Starr’s expense
#Otd in #1964, #TheBeatles continued filming opening scenes for A Hard Day’s Night at Marylebone Station in London following the first shoot on the 5th April. pic.twitter.com/H3xdM840ZX
— The Beatles (@thebeatles...
- 4/27/2023
- by Christina Nunn
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Apprentice has angered viewers with its latest round of dreaded interviews.
Every series, the penultimate episode shows the final five candidates receive a grilling from Lord Sugar’s trusty aides, including Claude Littner and Linda Plant.
By the end of the episode, the candidates had been whittled down to just two.
This particular episode has regularly been considered a fan favourite among viewers – but viewers have complained that this year’s edition was far too harsh.
Joining Littner and Plant were Mike Souter and Baroness Karren Brady, who sits alongside Sugar in the boardroom.
Brady found herself at the centre of one of the episode’s most brutal moments. As Megan Hornby left her interview, which went dreadfully, she referred to Brady by her first name, to which Brady responded: “It’s Baroness Brady to you. My friends call me Karren.”
She also reduced two of the candidates to tears,...
Every series, the penultimate episode shows the final five candidates receive a grilling from Lord Sugar’s trusty aides, including Claude Littner and Linda Plant.
By the end of the episode, the candidates had been whittled down to just two.
This particular episode has regularly been considered a fan favourite among viewers – but viewers have complained that this year’s edition was far too harsh.
Joining Littner and Plant were Mike Souter and Baroness Karren Brady, who sits alongside Sugar in the boardroom.
Brady found herself at the centre of one of the episode’s most brutal moments. As Megan Hornby left her interview, which went dreadfully, she referred to Brady by her first name, to which Brady responded: “It’s Baroness Brady to you. My friends call me Karren.”
She also reduced two of the candidates to tears,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Graham Linehan has spoken out about the resulting fallout after sharing his views opposing the trans rights movement, claiming he was asked to disassociate himself from the Father Ted stage musical.
Linehan is known to many for being the co-creator and co-writer of the classic sitcom, along with Arthur Mathews, as well as of shows including Black Books and The It Crowd.
He was suspended from Twitter in 2020 after making a series of controversial remarks about transgender people, but has since been reinstated on the platform.
Though he was reinstated in 2022, Linehan has claimed that his career and social status have not recovered since he began making critical remarks about the trans community.
In an interview with The Times, Linehan claimed that despite previously being involved in reforming Father Ted for the theatre, he’d been asked to end his involvement with the show due to the controversy surrounding him.
Linehan is known to many for being the co-creator and co-writer of the classic sitcom, along with Arthur Mathews, as well as of shows including Black Books and The It Crowd.
He was suspended from Twitter in 2020 after making a series of controversial remarks about transgender people, but has since been reinstated on the platform.
Though he was reinstated in 2022, Linehan has claimed that his career and social status have not recovered since he began making critical remarks about the trans community.
In an interview with The Times, Linehan claimed that despite previously being involved in reforming Father Ted for the theatre, he’d been asked to end his involvement with the show due to the controversy surrounding him.
- 3/17/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
It’s time to get our guessing on, as The Masked Singer is back for another season.
Thirteen mystery celebrities have signed up to sing in wild and wonderful disguises, while the audience try to figure out who’s behind the mask.
Like the previous seasons, Joel Dommett takes on presenting duties, while Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross make up the judging panel.
In the season’s opening episode (Sunday 1 January), Chris Kamara was revealed to be behind the Ghost costume and was the first eliminee.
Meanwhile, contestants Otter, Jellyfish, Cat and Mouse, Phoenix and Knitting progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Since they’ve already given one performance, these characters have provided the judges and viewers with the first hints as to who they really are. But who is Otter?
Who is Otter?
In the video clue package, Otter spoke to the audience from a swimming pool,...
Thirteen mystery celebrities have signed up to sing in wild and wonderful disguises, while the audience try to figure out who’s behind the mask.
Like the previous seasons, Joel Dommett takes on presenting duties, while Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross make up the judging panel.
In the season’s opening episode (Sunday 1 January), Chris Kamara was revealed to be behind the Ghost costume and was the first eliminee.
Meanwhile, contestants Otter, Jellyfish, Cat and Mouse, Phoenix and Knitting progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Since they’ve already given one performance, these characters have provided the judges and viewers with the first hints as to who they really are. But who is Otter?
Who is Otter?
In the video clue package, Otter spoke to the audience from a swimming pool,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
It’s time to get our guessing on, as The Masked Singer is back for another season.
Thirteen mystery celebrities have signed up to sing in wild and wonderful disguises, while the audience try to figure out who’s behind the mask.
Like the previous seasons, Joel Dommett takes on presenting duties, while Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross make up the judging panel.
In the season’s opening episode (Sunday 1 January), Chris Kamara was revealed to be behind the Ghost costume and was the first eliminee.
Meanwhile, contestants Otter, Jellyfish, Cat and Mouse, Phoenix and Knitting progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Since they’ve already given one performance, these characters have provided the judges and viewers with the first hints as to who they really are. But who is Otter?
Who is Otter?
In the video clue package, Otter spoke to the audience from a swimming pool,...
Thirteen mystery celebrities have signed up to sing in wild and wonderful disguises, while the audience try to figure out who’s behind the mask.
Like the previous seasons, Joel Dommett takes on presenting duties, while Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross make up the judging panel.
In the season’s opening episode (Sunday 1 January), Chris Kamara was revealed to be behind the Ghost costume and was the first eliminee.
Meanwhile, contestants Otter, Jellyfish, Cat and Mouse, Phoenix and Knitting progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Since they’ve already given one performance, these characters have provided the judges and viewers with the first hints as to who they really are. But who is Otter?
Who is Otter?
In the video clue package, Otter spoke to the audience from a swimming pool,...
- 1/14/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
It’s time to get our guessing on, as The Masked Singer is back for another season.
Thirteen mystery celebrities have signed up to sing in wild and wonderful disguises, while the audience try to figure out who’s behind the mask.
Like the previous seasons, Joel Dommett takes on presenting duties, while Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross make up the judging panel.
In the season’s opening episode (Sunday 1 January), Chris Kamara was revealed to be behind the Ghost costume and was the first eliminee.
Meanwhile, contestants Otter, Jellyfish, Cat and Mouse, Phoenix and Knitting progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Since they’ve already given one performance, these characters have provided the judges and viewers with the first hints as to who they really are. But who is Otter?
Who is Otter?
In the video clue package, Otter spoke to the audience from a swimming pool,...
Thirteen mystery celebrities have signed up to sing in wild and wonderful disguises, while the audience try to figure out who’s behind the mask.
Like the previous seasons, Joel Dommett takes on presenting duties, while Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross make up the judging panel.
In the season’s opening episode (Sunday 1 January), Chris Kamara was revealed to be behind the Ghost costume and was the first eliminee.
Meanwhile, contestants Otter, Jellyfish, Cat and Mouse, Phoenix and Knitting progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Since they’ve already given one performance, these characters have provided the judges and viewers with the first hints as to who they really are. But who is Otter?
Who is Otter?
In the video clue package, Otter spoke to the audience from a swimming pool,...
- 1/3/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
Production
BBC Studios Germany has secured its first commission since launching in the territory this year — a local adaptation of British sitcom “Miranda” — and is co-producing the eight-part series for Zdf Neo with Studio Zentral.
“Miranda,” a BBC production written by and starring Miranda Hart, will be adapted for a German audience with the working title “Ruby” and will be directed by Natascha Beller. The screenplay is being adapted by Giulia Becker (“Kroymann”) and Anika Soisson (“Findher”) and Anna Böger (“Tatort”) plays the lead role of Ruby. Filming is currently taking place in Cologne.
The show sees Ruby facing the challenges of everyday life in a slightly clumsy way. The cast also includes Irene Rindje and Camill Jammal.
“Miranda” was previously adapted for the U.S. as “Call me Kat,” starring Mayim Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory”), by Fox Television, where it has been renewed for a second season.
BBC...
BBC Studios Germany has secured its first commission since launching in the territory this year — a local adaptation of British sitcom “Miranda” — and is co-producing the eight-part series for Zdf Neo with Studio Zentral.
“Miranda,” a BBC production written by and starring Miranda Hart, will be adapted for a German audience with the working title “Ruby” and will be directed by Natascha Beller. The screenplay is being adapted by Giulia Becker (“Kroymann”) and Anika Soisson (“Findher”) and Anna Böger (“Tatort”) plays the lead role of Ruby. Filming is currently taking place in Cologne.
The show sees Ruby facing the challenges of everyday life in a slightly clumsy way. The cast also includes Irene Rindje and Camill Jammal.
“Miranda” was previously adapted for the U.S. as “Call me Kat,” starring Mayim Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory”), by Fox Television, where it has been renewed for a second season.
BBC...
- 8/2/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
In a perfect world, TV streaming services would offer a playlist feature – imagine the joyful nerdery of shareable Top 10 episode lists. When it came time for a Christmas binge-watch while you’re wrapping gifts, or spraying pine cones silver, or gently weeping and glugging Advocaat from the bottle, you could fire up hours of comedy specials without having to expend a single calorie of energy on touching the remote.
Until that glorious day comes, this is your next best thing. It’s a directory of the major US and UK 1990s-2010s sitcoms’ Christmas episodes, and where they’re available to stream. If you feel like grabbing your Frasier box set and going from Christmas 1993 to Christmas 2002, stopping at every feel-good Outlaw Laser Robo-Geek moment along the way, here’s the info you need.
Episodes are listed in chronological order, and we’ve tried to stick to Christmas-set stories only,...
Until that glorious day comes, this is your next best thing. It’s a directory of the major US and UK 1990s-2010s sitcoms’ Christmas episodes, and where they’re available to stream. If you feel like grabbing your Frasier box set and going from Christmas 1993 to Christmas 2002, stopping at every feel-good Outlaw Laser Robo-Geek moment along the way, here’s the info you need.
Episodes are listed in chronological order, and we’ve tried to stick to Christmas-set stories only,...
- 12/3/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Graham Linehan, creator of the British sitcoms “The It Crowd” and “Father Ted,” was banned from Twitter on Saturday after making transphobic comments on his social media account.
According to The Guardian, Twitter’s decision to ban Linehan came after he reportedly tweeted “men aren’t women tho” in response to a Pride post by the Women’s Institute in support of its transgender members. Twitter says it permanently suspended Linehan’s account, @glinner, for “repeated violations of our rules against hateful conduct and platform manipulation.”
Linehan has, in recent years, made several transphobic remarks, comparing trans activism to Nazism in a radio interview in 2018.
Also Read: 'Harry Potter' Star Emma Watson Tweets Support for Trans Lives After Jk Rowling's Transphobic Rant
‘The thing I can easily see happening, because I’ve had experience with these type of people already, is someone in a changing room, a man walks in,...
According to The Guardian, Twitter’s decision to ban Linehan came after he reportedly tweeted “men aren’t women tho” in response to a Pride post by the Women’s Institute in support of its transgender members. Twitter says it permanently suspended Linehan’s account, @glinner, for “repeated violations of our rules against hateful conduct and platform manipulation.”
Linehan has, in recent years, made several transphobic remarks, comparing trans activism to Nazism in a radio interview in 2018.
Also Read: 'Harry Potter' Star Emma Watson Tweets Support for Trans Lives After Jk Rowling's Transphobic Rant
‘The thing I can easily see happening, because I’ve had experience with these type of people already, is someone in a changing room, a man walks in,...
- 6/28/2020
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
“Black Mirror” creator Charlie Brooker is making a half-hour isolation special of his “Wipe” review series for the BBC, with the working title of “Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe.”
Before “Black Mirror,” Brooker rose to fame with the BBC “Wipe” review series, which began in 2006 with “Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe,” and went on to include “Newswipe with Charlie Brooker,” “Charlie Brooker’s Gameswipe” and “Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe.” The last episode of his annual “Wipe” review ran in 2016.
Last year, Brooker said he was too busy working on Netflix series “Black Mirror” to focus on “Wipe,” but the lockdown has clearly freed up some of his time.
The BBC said Brooker will be taking “a typically sharp look at life in lockdown, in a show made during lockdown.” The program will air on channel BBC Two.
As well as coverage of the crisis itself, Brooker will also be looking...
Before “Black Mirror,” Brooker rose to fame with the BBC “Wipe” review series, which began in 2006 with “Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe,” and went on to include “Newswipe with Charlie Brooker,” “Charlie Brooker’s Gameswipe” and “Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe.” The last episode of his annual “Wipe” review ran in 2016.
Last year, Brooker said he was too busy working on Netflix series “Black Mirror” to focus on “Wipe,” but the lockdown has clearly freed up some of his time.
The BBC said Brooker will be taking “a typically sharp look at life in lockdown, in a show made during lockdown.” The program will air on channel BBC Two.
As well as coverage of the crisis itself, Brooker will also be looking...
- 4/21/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: A+E Networks UK is remaking hit U.S. show American Pickers for its free-to-air channel Blaze — and is basing the series in Ireland with a brand new cast of treasure hunters.
Irish Pickers will launch in March this year, with Curve Media producing a 10-part first season after A+E Networks licensed the British production company, which also makes Discovery’s Salvage Hunters, to adapt the U.S. version.
It marks a neat piece of symmetry, given Curve Media’s joint-ceo Rob Carey co-created the original American Pickers show for History in the U.S. through his old company Cineflix Productions. It has run for 21 seasons since launching a decade ago.
Dan Korn, vice president of programming at A+E Networks UK, told Deadline that Carey originally approached him with a talent pitch rather than plans to remake American Pickers, but the idea snowballed into Irish Pickers.
The show...
Irish Pickers will launch in March this year, with Curve Media producing a 10-part first season after A+E Networks licensed the British production company, which also makes Discovery’s Salvage Hunters, to adapt the U.S. version.
It marks a neat piece of symmetry, given Curve Media’s joint-ceo Rob Carey co-created the original American Pickers show for History in the U.S. through his old company Cineflix Productions. It has run for 21 seasons since launching a decade ago.
Dan Korn, vice president of programming at A+E Networks UK, told Deadline that Carey originally approached him with a talent pitch rather than plans to remake American Pickers, but the idea snowballed into Irish Pickers.
The show...
- 1/16/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
And so, we reach the final month before Emmys eligibility closes once more. As the mad rush intensifies before the official start of summer, a number of returning TV shows will definitely be vying for your attention.
But amidst all the chaos of those shows making their way back into living rooms, some new series will also be vying for your attention. As is our custom at the beginning of each month, we’ve collected a rundown of the shows that might just be worth your time across broadcast, cable, and streaming.
(Missed our picks of what the first part of the year had to offer? Here are some notable TV premieres from February, March, and April.)
“Being Serena”
As one of the great athletes of her generation embarks on the new quest of being a mother, this five-part HBO series tracks her life on and off the tennis court.
But amidst all the chaos of those shows making their way back into living rooms, some new series will also be vying for your attention. As is our custom at the beginning of each month, we’ve collected a rundown of the shows that might just be worth your time across broadcast, cable, and streaming.
(Missed our picks of what the first part of the year had to offer? Here are some notable TV premieres from February, March, and April.)
“Being Serena”
As one of the great athletes of her generation embarks on the new quest of being a mother, this five-part HBO series tracks her life on and off the tennis court.
- 5/1/2018
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Juliette Harrisson Oct 21, 2017
For the very first time this week, Star Trek: Discovery broke a linguistic taboo. Did it shock, annoy or amuse you?
Spoilers for Star Trek Discovery episode 5 lie ahead
See related The End Of The F***ing World: exclusive clip The End of The F***ing World: first clips arrive New on Netflix UK: what's added in October 2017?
In one of the lighter moments in last week’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery, while working on a way to use Discovery’s spore drive without the tardigrade known as Ripper, Cadet Sylvia Tilly exclaimed, “You guys, this is so fucking cool!” Suddenly realising she was on duty in a military workplace, she immediately apologised, and Lt Paul Stamets reassured her, “It is fucking cool”. It was the first time anyone has ever used ‘the F word’ in canon on Star Trek. Some were amused. Some were horrified.
For the very first time this week, Star Trek: Discovery broke a linguistic taboo. Did it shock, annoy or amuse you?
Spoilers for Star Trek Discovery episode 5 lie ahead
See related The End Of The F***ing World: exclusive clip The End of The F***ing World: first clips arrive New on Netflix UK: what's added in October 2017?
In one of the lighter moments in last week’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery, while working on a way to use Discovery’s spore drive without the tardigrade known as Ripper, Cadet Sylvia Tilly exclaimed, “You guys, this is so fucking cool!” Suddenly realising she was on duty in a military workplace, she immediately apologised, and Lt Paul Stamets reassured her, “It is fucking cool”. It was the first time anyone has ever used ‘the F word’ in canon on Star Trek. Some were amused. Some were horrified.
- 10/20/2017
- Den of Geek
One fascinating aspect of today’s media landscape is that many creators and executive producers enjoy using Twitter to engage with their audiences, share behind-the-scenes information about their shows, chat about politics, and otherwise communicate about what matters to them. So, each week, we’ll compile some of our favorite exchanges representing the wide variety of discourse seen on social media.
Read More: Mindy Kaling Has Some Thoughts on Hugh Jackman’s Career
This week: “BoJack Horseman” reveals its Fyc campaign (and it’s pretty great), while “Underground” fights for a new home and showrunners celebrate Jessica Chastain.
#UndergroundOnNetflix
The disappointing news that Wgn America will not be green-lighting a third season of “Underground” led to social media calls for other services and networks to pick up the series.
One person who thinks that sounds like a great idea? “Dear White People” creator Justin Simien, who even made sure to...
Read More: Mindy Kaling Has Some Thoughts on Hugh Jackman’s Career
This week: “BoJack Horseman” reveals its Fyc campaign (and it’s pretty great), while “Underground” fights for a new home and showrunners celebrate Jessica Chastain.
#UndergroundOnNetflix
The disappointing news that Wgn America will not be green-lighting a third season of “Underground” led to social media calls for other services and networks to pick up the series.
One person who thinks that sounds like a great idea? “Dear White People” creator Justin Simien, who even made sure to...
- 6/2/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
Louisa Mellor Sep 26, 2016
When life hurts, well-crafted, traditional sitcom like Count Arthur Strong can be an indispensable salve…
There’s a period a little while after a family death, after the days spent in a traffic jam of errands, decisions and phone calls, when you have to merge back into the regular lane. Normal life demands to re-start. The fridge needs filling and the lawn needs mowing, even if, impossibly, the person who usually does both has vanished forever.
For my family like most others, normal life means watching television. Telly is the cradle that rocked us through the decades. Whatever happened to us happened against a backdrop of soaps and sitcoms.
Losing our dad though, changed things. In the flayed-skin sensitivity of the days around his funeral, flicking through the channels meant running a gauntlet. A murder on EastEnders brought unwelcome ambulances and coroners back into our living room.
When life hurts, well-crafted, traditional sitcom like Count Arthur Strong can be an indispensable salve…
There’s a period a little while after a family death, after the days spent in a traffic jam of errands, decisions and phone calls, when you have to merge back into the regular lane. Normal life demands to re-start. The fridge needs filling and the lawn needs mowing, even if, impossibly, the person who usually does both has vanished forever.
For my family like most others, normal life means watching television. Telly is the cradle that rocked us through the decades. Whatever happened to us happened against a backdrop of soaps and sitcoms.
Losing our dad though, changed things. In the flayed-skin sensitivity of the days around his funeral, flicking through the channels meant running a gauntlet. A murder on EastEnders brought unwelcome ambulances and coroners back into our living room.
- 9/25/2016
- Den of Geek
Two-time Academy Award winner Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules, The Dark Knight, Youth), BAFTA Award Winner and Golden Globe Winner Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Pirates Of The Caribbean) and Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game, The Good Wife, Downton Abbey) will star in the family action adventure film Four Kids And It directed by BAFTA Award nominee Andy De Emmony (Father Ted, West Is West), it was announced today.
Produced by Dan Films’ Julie Baines and Anne Brogan of Kindle Entertainment, the screenplay is written by Simon Lewis and adapted from the novel “Four Children and It” by best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson. Additional writing is provided by Mark Oswin.
The film is slated to begin principal photography in August on location in the UK.
13 Films is handling worldwide rights to the project outside of the UK and is actively selling the film to buyers at the Cannes Market.
Produced by Dan Films’ Julie Baines and Anne Brogan of Kindle Entertainment, the screenplay is written by Simon Lewis and adapted from the novel “Four Children and It” by best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson. Additional writing is provided by Mark Oswin.
The film is slated to begin principal photography in August on location in the UK.
13 Films is handling worldwide rights to the project outside of the UK and is actively selling the film to buyers at the Cannes Market.
- 5/15/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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The second season of Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt arrives on Friday. Here’s what made the first run such unmissable good value…
“We need Kimmy. Stat.”
That was the verdict when a bunch of us emerged battle-worn from a screening of the emotionally draining Room, the Fritzl-inspired story of a woman kidnapped as a teenager and held captive for many years.
Room is a powerful and distressing film. Thanks to actors Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, perhaps even more so than the novel from which it was adapted. It’s a film that leaves you feeling as if you’ve been staring too directly at a bright light. When you blink, the anguish remains imprinted in negative inside your head.
To shake the lingering wretchedness, we needed a Newtonian solution. A reaction opposite and equal to the poignant pain of Room. And in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,...
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The second season of Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt arrives on Friday. Here’s what made the first run such unmissable good value…
“We need Kimmy. Stat.”
That was the verdict when a bunch of us emerged battle-worn from a screening of the emotionally draining Room, the Fritzl-inspired story of a woman kidnapped as a teenager and held captive for many years.
Room is a powerful and distressing film. Thanks to actors Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, perhaps even more so than the novel from which it was adapted. It’s a film that leaves you feeling as if you’ve been staring too directly at a bright light. When you blink, the anguish remains imprinted in negative inside your head.
To shake the lingering wretchedness, we needed a Newtonian solution. A reaction opposite and equal to the poignant pain of Room. And in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,...
- 4/13/2016
- Den of Geek
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Ground-breaking, intelligent, prescient 1970s drama Doomwatch, now out on DVD, is a British television classic...
Playing on the public's fear that 'this could actually happen', Doomwatch had a veneer of credibility unusual in the escapist television drama landscape of the late 60s/early 70s. This spring sees the most comprehensive haul of Doomwatch episodes released on DVD for the first time. The nickname for the "Department for the Observation and Measurement of Scientific Work", the series first appeared on BBC1 on Monday 9th February 1970 at 9.40pm. It followed half an hour of comedy from Kenneth Williams, which must have surely heightened its dramatic impact.
The series would run in tandem with the early Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who; the first episode made its debut two days after part two of Doctor Who And The Silurians. The two shows undoubtedly shared a synergy of ideas - not to mention cast and crew.
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Ground-breaking, intelligent, prescient 1970s drama Doomwatch, now out on DVD, is a British television classic...
Playing on the public's fear that 'this could actually happen', Doomwatch had a veneer of credibility unusual in the escapist television drama landscape of the late 60s/early 70s. This spring sees the most comprehensive haul of Doomwatch episodes released on DVD for the first time. The nickname for the "Department for the Observation and Measurement of Scientific Work", the series first appeared on BBC1 on Monday 9th February 1970 at 9.40pm. It followed half an hour of comedy from Kenneth Williams, which must have surely heightened its dramatic impact.
The series would run in tandem with the early Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who; the first episode made its debut two days after part two of Doctor Who And The Silurians. The two shows undoubtedly shared a synergy of ideas - not to mention cast and crew.
- 3/31/2016
- Den of Geek
A possibly inadvertent homage to the title sequence of the 1990s Channel 4 sitcom has some speculating whether the roots of Jj Abrams’s inspiration reach further than George Lucas’s original creations
• This article contains mild spoilers
The symmetry seems too perfect to be dismissed as coincidence. Jj Abrams’s new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, ends with a circling, aerial shot of two robe-clad figures – one distinctly priestly – greeting each other atop a remote, verdant island.
Meanwhile Father Ted – the Channel 4 sitcom that ran for three series in the 1990s – boasted a title sequence that culminated with a very similar shot: circling three priests (one stubbly) and their housekeeper on a remote, verdant island.
Continue reading...
• This article contains mild spoilers
The symmetry seems too perfect to be dismissed as coincidence. Jj Abrams’s new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, ends with a circling, aerial shot of two robe-clad figures – one distinctly priestly – greeting each other atop a remote, verdant island.
Meanwhile Father Ted – the Channel 4 sitcom that ran for three series in the 1990s – boasted a title sequence that culminated with a very similar shot: circling three priests (one stubbly) and their housekeeper on a remote, verdant island.
Continue reading...
- 12/21/2015
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
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It's the final entry in Wesley's top 100 Christmas TV episodes of all time list, numbers 20 to 1. Merry Christmas to all!
Read entries 100 - 81 here, entries 80 - 61 here, entries 60 - 41 here, and entries 40 - 21 here.
Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series, and it’s long been a festive ritual of mine to wheel out old...
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It's the final entry in Wesley's top 100 Christmas TV episodes of all time list, numbers 20 to 1. Merry Christmas to all!
Read entries 100 - 81 here, entries 80 - 61 here, entries 60 - 41 here, and entries 40 - 21 here.
Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series, and it’s long been a festive ritual of mine to wheel out old...
- 12/17/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
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Paterson Joseph's Johnson returns for this week's Peep Show series 9 episode, in which there's trouble at the bank...
This review contains spoilers.
9.4 Mole Mapping
And it was all going so well. Only seven days ago I was singing Peep Show’s praises for successfully inching its way through the treacherous minefield that is sitcom character development. Although not everyone in the comments section last week shared my view about how well Threeism’s dinner party played out, the general consensus seemed to be that series nine was off to a flying start.
Sadly, episode four didn't live up to the high standards set by the show so far. In fact, the bank robbery plot that saw Jez rushing in to Mark’s place of work to warn him of an impending shooting was so bananas it felt like something from another sitcom altogether.
The episode got...
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Paterson Joseph's Johnson returns for this week's Peep Show series 9 episode, in which there's trouble at the bank...
This review contains spoilers.
9.4 Mole Mapping
And it was all going so well. Only seven days ago I was singing Peep Show’s praises for successfully inching its way through the treacherous minefield that is sitcom character development. Although not everyone in the comments section last week shared my view about how well Threeism’s dinner party played out, the general consensus seemed to be that series nine was off to a flying start.
Sadly, episode four didn't live up to the high standards set by the show so far. In fact, the bank robbery plot that saw Jez rushing in to Mark’s place of work to warn him of an impending shooting was so bananas it felt like something from another sitcom altogether.
The episode got...
- 12/3/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
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Peep Show, now airing its final series, is packed with precise, very funny writing that reflects unflattering truths about us all…
There’s a speech in Peep Show’s series nine opener that sums up the show’s comedic focus: the gap between the face we present to the world and our inner feelings. Talking to Mark, Jeremy confronts his friend’s essential hypocrisy. “I know you, Mark,” he says, “I know you like to pretend that you’re this stuffed shirt who reads incredibly boring books about dead people killing each other with bayonets and typhoid, but I know the truth.”
That truth, gleaned from years of friendship weaponised for this coup, is that Mark Corrigan isn’t, as he pretends to be, a rarefied type fascinated by nineteenth century arts movements, but instead “a pathetic human who likes Twirls and Downton and Bond and burgers.
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Peep Show, now airing its final series, is packed with precise, very funny writing that reflects unflattering truths about us all…
There’s a speech in Peep Show’s series nine opener that sums up the show’s comedic focus: the gap between the face we present to the world and our inner feelings. Talking to Mark, Jeremy confronts his friend’s essential hypocrisy. “I know you, Mark,” he says, “I know you like to pretend that you’re this stuffed shirt who reads incredibly boring books about dead people killing each other with bayonets and typhoid, but I know the truth.”
That truth, gleaned from years of friendship weaponised for this coup, is that Mark Corrigan isn’t, as he pretends to be, a rarefied type fascinated by nineteenth century arts movements, but instead “a pathetic human who likes Twirls and Downton and Bond and burgers.
- 11/11/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
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Our latest martial arts focus takes a look back at what might just be Ireland's only martial arts film to date...
There are many things that I love about Fatal Deviation, Ireland's first and - as far as I can tell - only martial arts film. What I love most however is that James Bennett, the mastermind responsible, has never apologised for it. So often, when something appears so many times on 'Worst Movies Of All Time' lists and has been ridiculed to the extent this has, the filmmakers step back. They claim they were in on the 'joke' all along or that external forces ruined their picture or that they were on the wrong drugs and made a grave mistake.
Bennett, on the other hand, has never sold out his film like that. He has stuck behind it no matter what. Even now, his official Facebook...
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Our latest martial arts focus takes a look back at what might just be Ireland's only martial arts film to date...
There are many things that I love about Fatal Deviation, Ireland's first and - as far as I can tell - only martial arts film. What I love most however is that James Bennett, the mastermind responsible, has never apologised for it. So often, when something appears so many times on 'Worst Movies Of All Time' lists and has been ridiculed to the extent this has, the filmmakers step back. They claim they were in on the 'joke' all along or that external forces ruined their picture or that they were on the wrong drugs and made a grave mistake.
Bennett, on the other hand, has never sold out his film like that. He has stuck behind it no matter what. Even now, his official Facebook...
- 11/3/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
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Father Ted’s Graham Linehan and The Adam And Joe Show’s Adam Buxton are writing The Cloud, a new comedy series for Channel 4…
Here’s some exciting news. Channel 4 has picked up new sci-fi comedy, The Cloud, from Father Ted and The It Crowd creator Graham Linehan and Adam Buxton of Adam Buxton's Bug and The Adam And Joe Show. Mr Buxton is also much praised, in this writer’s household at least, for engineering this chuckle-inducing moment in Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
"We have commissioned the series but we have no word yet on casting, though we can assure you that it will still be set in space," an informative Channel 4 source told the Radio Times.
We’ve also learned that “The Cloud follows the fairly hapless crew of Cloud Station 13, a data hub floating in space, set up to protect...
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Father Ted’s Graham Linehan and The Adam And Joe Show’s Adam Buxton are writing The Cloud, a new comedy series for Channel 4…
Here’s some exciting news. Channel 4 has picked up new sci-fi comedy, The Cloud, from Father Ted and The It Crowd creator Graham Linehan and Adam Buxton of Adam Buxton's Bug and The Adam And Joe Show. Mr Buxton is also much praised, in this writer’s household at least, for engineering this chuckle-inducing moment in Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
"We have commissioned the series but we have no word yet on casting, though we can assure you that it will still be set in space," an informative Channel 4 source told the Radio Times.
We’ve also learned that “The Cloud follows the fairly hapless crew of Cloud Station 13, a data hub floating in space, set up to protect...
- 11/3/2015
- by rleane
- Den of Geek
The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan is up against a creature even scarier than zombies in the trailer for The Boy.
In what would certainly qualify as the worst nanny job ever, Cohan is hired by an eccentric family to care for a doll who stands in for their dead son.
A little creepy, sure, but sounds easy enough. Until the doll comes alive, that is.
The horror movie is brought to the screen by director William Brent Bell, notable for the 2012 exorcism movie The Devil Inside.
Joining Cohan in the main cast of The Boy are Father Ted's Jim Norton, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel's Diana Hardcastle and The Village's Rupert Evans.
The Boy creeps into cinemas on January 22 in the Us.
In what would certainly qualify as the worst nanny job ever, Cohan is hired by an eccentric family to care for a doll who stands in for their dead son.
A little creepy, sure, but sounds easy enough. Until the doll comes alive, that is.
The horror movie is brought to the screen by director William Brent Bell, notable for the 2012 exorcism movie The Devil Inside.
Joining Cohan in the main cast of The Boy are Father Ted's Jim Norton, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel's Diana Hardcastle and The Village's Rupert Evans.
The Boy creeps into cinemas on January 22 in the Us.
- 10/19/2015
- Digital Spy
Week three of Strictly Come Dancing was movie night, ensuring an array of ridiculous costumes and routines. It also saw its fair share of drama (thanks to Len), and the highest score of the series so far!
Naturally, Twitter had a lot to say, and so Digital Spy rounded up the best reactions of the evening for your pleasure. Enjoy!
The opening number, being movie week, was naturally theatrical:
You'd have to be a dried up piece of crust not to Love #Strictly's wonderful opening to Movie Week. Either that or a Daily Mail reader.
— Lorna Cooper (@Coops_tv) October 10, 2015
Just as well Iwan left. Don't think I could have coped with a rhumba to Chariots of Fire #Scd
— Lily Tomlinson (@lilyvtomlinson) October 10, 2015
How Fab-u-lous was dat opening number on #Strictly
— Rose (@MsRoseCavalier) October 10, 2015
The VTs started to get on peoples' nerves slightly:
Just once I'd like a celebrity to go,...
Naturally, Twitter had a lot to say, and so Digital Spy rounded up the best reactions of the evening for your pleasure. Enjoy!
The opening number, being movie week, was naturally theatrical:
You'd have to be a dried up piece of crust not to Love #Strictly's wonderful opening to Movie Week. Either that or a Daily Mail reader.
— Lorna Cooper (@Coops_tv) October 10, 2015
Just as well Iwan left. Don't think I could have coped with a rhumba to Chariots of Fire #Scd
— Lily Tomlinson (@lilyvtomlinson) October 10, 2015
How Fab-u-lous was dat opening number on #Strictly
— Rose (@MsRoseCavalier) October 10, 2015
The VTs started to get on peoples' nerves slightly:
Just once I'd like a celebrity to go,...
- 10/10/2015
- Digital Spy
Sicario. A film that makes you yearn for Chris Eubank to be appointed presenter of Film 2015. And also yearn for more blood-pumpingly intense, thoughtful thrillers like this - where character and story are prioritised above all else.
Emily Blunt excels as Kate Macer, an idealistic FBI agent brought in to work alongside Josh Brolin's laidback government boss Matt Graver and Benicio Del Toro's mysterious torturer Alejandro in the war against drugs. Her refusal to accept the harsh realities on the Mexico-us border soon brings her into conflict with her superiors, while her physical safety is compromised.
Director Denis Villeneuve is having a big year, what with being tasked with the upcoming Blade Runner sequel. Meaning that all eyes - replicant or otherwise - are on his latest effort. On this basis, the omens are good. Sicario's well-structured plot keeps you guessing until a series of effective...
Emily Blunt excels as Kate Macer, an idealistic FBI agent brought in to work alongside Josh Brolin's laidback government boss Matt Graver and Benicio Del Toro's mysterious torturer Alejandro in the war against drugs. Her refusal to accept the harsh realities on the Mexico-us border soon brings her into conflict with her superiors, while her physical safety is compromised.
Director Denis Villeneuve is having a big year, what with being tasked with the upcoming Blade Runner sequel. Meaning that all eyes - replicant or otherwise - are on his latest effort. On this basis, the omens are good. Sicario's well-structured plot keeps you guessing until a series of effective...
- 10/8/2015
- Digital Spy
Strictly Come Dancing 2015 is finally off and running – with six brave and bold celebrities gracing the dancefloor for the first time tonight (September 25).
While there is no elimination this week, Twitter definitely rendered its verdict on the likes of Kellie Bright, Helen George and Anthony Ogogo in the tweets below:
1. Kellie & Kevin's Tango
Kellie & Kevin have really got us going with their Tango, but did they 'bright'en up the dance floor? #Strictly pic.twitter.com/2LtSZKLDW4
— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) September 25, 2015
Ahhhh Strictly is back!!! Kellie and Kevin did amazing for their first dance!!
— Lara (@lara_barratt) September 25, 2015
#Strictly Wow Kellie!!!!! @kelliebright76
— Elizabeth (@Keepdown429) September 25, 2015
"Just right, Kellie Bright!" Love Len #strictly #eastenders #scd
— Susan Hill (@SuseHill) September 25, 2015
That was a pretty good start: the Tango ain't an easy one, and it wasn't even trad tango music. Nice one, Kellie! #Strictly
— Kate Johnson (@K8JohnsonAuthor) September 25, 2015
Well done Kellie & Kevin!! What...
While there is no elimination this week, Twitter definitely rendered its verdict on the likes of Kellie Bright, Helen George and Anthony Ogogo in the tweets below:
1. Kellie & Kevin's Tango
Kellie & Kevin have really got us going with their Tango, but did they 'bright'en up the dance floor? #Strictly pic.twitter.com/2LtSZKLDW4
— BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) September 25, 2015
Ahhhh Strictly is back!!! Kellie and Kevin did amazing for their first dance!!
— Lara (@lara_barratt) September 25, 2015
#Strictly Wow Kellie!!!!! @kelliebright76
— Elizabeth (@Keepdown429) September 25, 2015
"Just right, Kellie Bright!" Love Len #strictly #eastenders #scd
— Susan Hill (@SuseHill) September 25, 2015
That was a pretty good start: the Tango ain't an easy one, and it wasn't even trad tango music. Nice one, Kellie! #Strictly
— Kate Johnson (@K8JohnsonAuthor) September 25, 2015
Well done Kellie & Kevin!! What...
- 9/25/2015
- Digital Spy
Young TV newcomer Rio Myers stars alongside comedians John Kearns (Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner 2014) and Steen Raskopoulos (2014 Edinburgh Best Newcomer nominee) in Top Coppers in new BBC Three comedy series Top Coppers.
Rio (represented by D&B Management) plays Intelligence specialist, technology expert Zak, who just happens to be a 10-year-old boy. He coordinates crime intelligence via his computer (or ‘information box’ as Rust calls it). Everyone is aware that he is a child, but they never acknowledge it and never talk down to him like a child.
Despite being only 10, he talks about life and work with the wealth of experience of a man in his forties, though still drawing on the references of a child. He is a bit of a prankster and isn’t intimidated by anyone.
Top Coppers follows the adventures of cops John Mahogany (Raskopoulos) and Mitch Rust (Kearns), as they attempt to...
Rio (represented by D&B Management) plays Intelligence specialist, technology expert Zak, who just happens to be a 10-year-old boy. He coordinates crime intelligence via his computer (or ‘information box’ as Rust calls it). Everyone is aware that he is a child, but they never acknowledge it and never talk down to him like a child.
Despite being only 10, he talks about life and work with the wealth of experience of a man in his forties, though still drawing on the references of a child. He is a bit of a prankster and isn’t intimidated by anyone.
Top Coppers follows the adventures of cops John Mahogany (Raskopoulos) and Mitch Rust (Kearns), as they attempt to...
- 8/11/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (ScreenTerrier)
- ScreenTerrier
Remember Kinvig, Clone, Not With A Bang? These are the UK sci-fi sitcoms you’re unlikely to see on comedy best-of lists…
With E4 sci-fi comedy commissions, Tripped and Aliens, and in-development Channel 4 projects, Space Ark and Graham Linehan/Adam Buxton collaboration The Cloud, in the works, a new crop of sci-fi sitcom could be making its way to UK TV.
Making funny sci-fi on a small-screen budget is tough enough without the additional pressure of having to attract viewers more traditionally down-to-earth in their sitcom tastes. Sci-fi sets and effects can be seen as prohibitively expensive by comedy commissioners (which is perhaps why the best UK sci-fi sitcoms of recent years has been on BBC Radio), and the genre’s niche status doesn’t scream mainstream hit. Over the years, one or two stand-outs have managed to straddle the sci-fi and comedy TV worlds, but plenty more have stumbled in the attempt.
With E4 sci-fi comedy commissions, Tripped and Aliens, and in-development Channel 4 projects, Space Ark and Graham Linehan/Adam Buxton collaboration The Cloud, in the works, a new crop of sci-fi sitcom could be making its way to UK TV.
Making funny sci-fi on a small-screen budget is tough enough without the additional pressure of having to attract viewers more traditionally down-to-earth in their sitcom tastes. Sci-fi sets and effects can be seen as prohibitively expensive by comedy commissioners (which is perhaps why the best UK sci-fi sitcoms of recent years has been on BBC Radio), and the genre’s niche status doesn’t scream mainstream hit. Over the years, one or two stand-outs have managed to straddle the sci-fi and comedy TV worlds, but plenty more have stumbled in the attempt.
- 7/23/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Prepare for the most Irish thing you’ll see all day, as Munster rugby star Simon Zebo teams up with Elverys Sports for this some times cringe worthy, more times incredibly funny parody of Die Hard, called, of course, Try Hard. Most of the jokes may go over your head if you don’t live in the Emerald Isle, but it’s a spot on piss take of one of the greatest action movies of all time, and Father Ted’s Patrick McDonnell is having a blast standing in for Alan Rickman.
- 7/23/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
Filming is well under way for Twice Shy, director Tom Ryan’s follow-up to his debut indie feature, Trampoline, and he has announced two exciting new additions to his cast, with Pat Shortt (The Guard, Garage) and Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted) coming onboard the young director’s second feature, a comedy/drama about a young couple (Iseult Casey and Shane Murray-Corcoran) who set off on a road trip to London after an unplanned pregnancy. With shooting already having taken place in Dublin and Co. Tipperary, the production moves to London for its final phase of filming. Twice Shy is expect to hit the festival circuit in 2016.
- 7/3/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
April 21, 1995 – would that be the day the ice age ended?
Well, no, you can't be that precise about the ice age. But it would be the day that Father Ted debuted on Channel 4.
It's hard to believe, but it's been 20 years since we first met Father Ted Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire, Father Jack Hackett and Mrs Doyle. We came to the Parochial House looking for a cup of tea and a Jaffa cake, and decided to stay longer than Father Stone.
Two decades on, and Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews' sitcom is still as clever, fresh and fecking hilarious as it was back then. And it's not difficult to see why the show about three priests and their housekeeper trapped on Craggy Island has enjoyed such longevity, or to argue why it is the greatest TV comedy ever made.
It has topped countless 'all-time TV comedy' polls in the past,...
Well, no, you can't be that precise about the ice age. But it would be the day that Father Ted debuted on Channel 4.
It's hard to believe, but it's been 20 years since we first met Father Ted Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire, Father Jack Hackett and Mrs Doyle. We came to the Parochial House looking for a cup of tea and a Jaffa cake, and decided to stay longer than Father Stone.
Two decades on, and Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews' sitcom is still as clever, fresh and fecking hilarious as it was back then. And it's not difficult to see why the show about three priests and their housekeeper trapped on Craggy Island has enjoyed such longevity, or to argue why it is the greatest TV comedy ever made.
It has topped countless 'all-time TV comedy' polls in the past,...
- 4/20/2015
- Digital Spy
Matt Berry chats to us about his voice work in the new Spongebob Squarepants movie, House Of Fools, music, and Toast Of London...
We like comedian and musician Matt Berry, and it's a good time to be a fan of him and his buttery-smooth baritone. He's currently strutting his stuff in the surreal Vic & Bob's House Of Fools, and his Rose D'Or winning comedy Toast Of London returns for a third series later this year.
Now he's in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water, voicing a magic space dolphin called Bubbles. Now there's a sentence you rarely find yourself typing. So naturally we had to talk to him to find out all about it...
I've followed your work ever since Snuff Box, and The SpongeBob Movie might be the craziest role you've played, would you agree?
I don't know, I get involved in some fairly far-out things, namely in...
We like comedian and musician Matt Berry, and it's a good time to be a fan of him and his buttery-smooth baritone. He's currently strutting his stuff in the surreal Vic & Bob's House Of Fools, and his Rose D'Or winning comedy Toast Of London returns for a third series later this year.
Now he's in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water, voicing a magic space dolphin called Bubbles. Now there's a sentence you rarely find yourself typing. So naturally we had to talk to him to find out all about it...
I've followed your work ever since Snuff Box, and The SpongeBob Movie might be the craziest role you've played, would you agree?
I don't know, I get involved in some fairly far-out things, namely in...
- 3/26/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Look, if Caitlin Moran and her sister Caz Moran are going to team up to write a sitcom together, then it's a pretty safe bet that it's not going to be your normal type of sitcom. And sure enough, Raised By Wolves is anything but - nothing is taboo and the family unit is unlike any other on screen.
The show's a modern-day take on the Morans' upbringing - putting just a little bit of pressure on Helen Monks (who plays Caitlin's counterpart Germaine) and Alexa Davies (she's Caz's alter ego Aretha). So we sat down with the duo to talk about w**king on screen, unapologetic horn, smelly fat suits, bed forts and much more...
1. Helen was so ready for this role.
"I'm very similar to Germaine in a lot of ways in the sense that I have kind of - in a slightly creepy way - based my...
The show's a modern-day take on the Morans' upbringing - putting just a little bit of pressure on Helen Monks (who plays Caitlin's counterpart Germaine) and Alexa Davies (she's Caz's alter ego Aretha). So we sat down with the duo to talk about w**king on screen, unapologetic horn, smelly fat suits, bed forts and much more...
1. Helen was so ready for this role.
"I'm very similar to Germaine in a lot of ways in the sense that I have kind of - in a slightly creepy way - based my...
- 3/16/2015
- Digital Spy
Pablo Larraín’s terrific fifth movie is the initially oddball, increasingly chilling story of greyhound-fancying ministers on a wind-whipped island
In three of his films to date with the Chilean director Pablo Larraín, the great, grey-faced actor Alfredo Castro has starred as a Travolta-obsessed serial killer (in Tony Manero), a mortician who buries alive the woman he loves (Post Mortem) and a conniving advertising executive working to get Pinochet re-elected (No). Surely he’s due to play someone sympathetic by now — a hit-and-run driver, say, or even an estate agent?
No such luck. In Larraín’s new picture, The Club, Castro is one of a group of weatherbeaten priests who live together in a house, where they are marshalled and protected by a busybody housekeeper. So far, so Father Ted. But aside from the priests’ oddball obsession with the greyhound that they race at local meets, any laughter here is of the strangulated sort.
In three of his films to date with the Chilean director Pablo Larraín, the great, grey-faced actor Alfredo Castro has starred as a Travolta-obsessed serial killer (in Tony Manero), a mortician who buries alive the woman he loves (Post Mortem) and a conniving advertising executive working to get Pinochet re-elected (No). Surely he’s due to play someone sympathetic by now — a hit-and-run driver, say, or even an estate agent?
No such luck. In Larraín’s new picture, The Club, Castro is one of a group of weatherbeaten priests who live together in a house, where they are marshalled and protected by a busybody housekeeper. So far, so Father Ted. But aside from the priests’ oddball obsession with the greyhound that they race at local meets, any laughter here is of the strangulated sort.
- 2/10/2015
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Graham Linehan is reportedly working on a new Channel 4 sitcom pilot set in space.
The Cloud will star Adam Buxton as part of a hapless data hub crew who are floating around Earth. Their ship is designed to protect information on the internet, even if it is only just selfies, porn and funny cat photos.
Aisling Bea and Jamie Demetriou will also star in the project, according to Radio Times.
The non-broadcast pilot will film in the spring. Channel 4 will announce whether it has received a full commission later this year.
Previous British sitcoms set in space include the iconic Red Dwarf, Nick Frost's Hyperdrive, and the TV adaptation of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Linehan recently revealed that a potential musical version of his classic show Father Ted could be a success.
The writer's current series Count Arthur Strong - which he...
The Cloud will star Adam Buxton as part of a hapless data hub crew who are floating around Earth. Their ship is designed to protect information on the internet, even if it is only just selfies, porn and funny cat photos.
Aisling Bea and Jamie Demetriou will also star in the project, according to Radio Times.
The non-broadcast pilot will film in the spring. Channel 4 will announce whether it has received a full commission later this year.
Previous British sitcoms set in space include the iconic Red Dwarf, Nick Frost's Hyperdrive, and the TV adaptation of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Linehan recently revealed that a potential musical version of his classic show Father Ted could be a success.
The writer's current series Count Arthur Strong - which he...
- 2/10/2015
- Digital Spy
Graham Linehan has confirmed that the BBC has dropped The Walshes after one series.
The Father Ted writer's sitcom was brought over from Irish channel Rte One to BBC Four and later BBC Two in 2014. However, it will no longer be shown on the BBC.
The Walshes there, which BBC2 dropped because it didn't find an audience after three episodes and zero publicity. Anyway...
— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) January 20, 2015
Linehan continued: "I should say that [comedy commissioner] Shane Allen, who brought The Walshes over to BBC2, always fought hard for it. The order to nix it came from higher up."
Bemoaning the decision to drop the show, he added: "But I really struggle to grasp the point of putting out a three-episode series, giving it no publicity, and then pulling it. Befuddling.
"Ta for all the kind words on The Walshes, folks. Really appreciated. Working now to make sure it's not the last you've seen of them.
The Father Ted writer's sitcom was brought over from Irish channel Rte One to BBC Four and later BBC Two in 2014. However, it will no longer be shown on the BBC.
The Walshes there, which BBC2 dropped because it didn't find an audience after three episodes and zero publicity. Anyway...
— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) January 20, 2015
Linehan continued: "I should say that [comedy commissioner] Shane Allen, who brought The Walshes over to BBC2, always fought hard for it. The order to nix it came from higher up."
Bemoaning the decision to drop the show, he added: "But I really struggle to grasp the point of putting out a three-episode series, giving it no publicity, and then pulling it. Befuddling.
"Ta for all the kind words on The Walshes, folks. Really appreciated. Working now to make sure it's not the last you've seen of them.
- 1/22/2015
- Digital Spy
There are some news stories that simply make you stop and say, “wait... What?” The idea of Hugh Jackman appearing in a film about Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards is one of those. But it’s apparently true, with Kingsman: The Secret Service’s Taron Egerton reportedly set to strap the skis on to star as possibly the most famous wannabe Olympian of the 1980s.This comes from The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye, not a man known for making such things up, even as we needed eyebrow surgery to correct the arch that appeared. And the idea of an Eddie The Eagle film has been in the works for years – the last time we heard anything of it, Father Ted’s Declan Lowney was attached to direct and Steve Coogan was on to play Eddie. Now, though, it appears they’re pitching the role younger, and Dexter Fletcher will be calling the shots.
- 1/20/2015
- EmpireOnline
Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan's Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, starring Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig, was comedy genius. Here's why...
Everyone loves second-hand bookshops, don’t they? The satisfaction of leafing through some dusty volume of antiquarian musings, the rich scent of aged leather bindings, redolent of the past… Add to all that the opportunity to indulge in some intellectual posing and impress the philosophy student lounging in the corner, and you’ve got yourself a full Saturday afternoon’s entertainment.
That is, of course, unless you happen to find yourself in one particular Bloomsbury establishment, presided over by a certain Bernard Black. Make no mistake: our Bernard (Dylan Moran) may have an aesthete’s tousled pallor, but there’s nothing remotely poetic about his attitude to running a shop. Only dimly familiar with the concept of customer service, he rules his domain with a rod of iron.
Everyone loves second-hand bookshops, don’t they? The satisfaction of leafing through some dusty volume of antiquarian musings, the rich scent of aged leather bindings, redolent of the past… Add to all that the opportunity to indulge in some intellectual posing and impress the philosophy student lounging in the corner, and you’ve got yourself a full Saturday afternoon’s entertainment.
That is, of course, unless you happen to find yourself in one particular Bloomsbury establishment, presided over by a certain Bernard Black. Make no mistake: our Bernard (Dylan Moran) may have an aesthete’s tousled pallor, but there’s nothing remotely poetic about his attitude to running a shop. Only dimly familiar with the concept of customer service, he rules his domain with a rod of iron.
- 1/9/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has spoken about the possibility of adapting the sitcom for the stage.
The writer told Radio Times that he believes a musical version of the show could be a success.
"I would never bring back the TV show, because of the risk you poison people's memories of the original," he insisted.
"But if you were to come up with a completely new format, I think it would be worth doing. I have this vision of a dance number, with spinning cardinals."
Although he admitted that co-creator Arthur Mathews is "not as convinced" by the idea, Linehan added: "I think it could work."
Linehan also spoke about the likelihood of the potential project referencing child sex scandals within the Catholic Church, saying: "The jokes would have to have a little bit more edge, because you just can't ignore this stuff."
Father Ted fans recently attempted to...
The writer told Radio Times that he believes a musical version of the show could be a success.
"I would never bring back the TV show, because of the risk you poison people's memories of the original," he insisted.
"But if you were to come up with a completely new format, I think it would be worth doing. I have this vision of a dance number, with spinning cardinals."
Although he admitted that co-creator Arthur Mathews is "not as convinced" by the idea, Linehan added: "I think it could work."
Linehan also spoke about the likelihood of the potential project referencing child sex scandals within the Catholic Church, saying: "The jokes would have to have a little bit more edge, because you just can't ignore this stuff."
Father Ted fans recently attempted to...
- 1/6/2015
- Digital Spy
Graham Linehan has hinted that the upcoming Us remake of The It Crowd will be a departure from the original series.
NBC previously attempted to adapt the Channel 4 sitcom for a 2007 pilot, producing a near shot-for-shot remake, but Linehan told Digital Spy that he wants the network's second attempt to diverge from the UK series.
"It's one of the few things I've done that could translate," he said. "You just have to pull back on the surrealism and concentrate more on the character comedy - the Americans do character comedy so beautifully, so I think you have to adapt it to suit that.
"So I'm going over [to Los Angeles] to say to them, 'Please don't do my show' - or do my show, just a suitable American version.
"I'm really glad they're giving me the chance to pitch that to them - it's better to start off with a template that actually gives you a chance.
NBC previously attempted to adapt the Channel 4 sitcom for a 2007 pilot, producing a near shot-for-shot remake, but Linehan told Digital Spy that he wants the network's second attempt to diverge from the UK series.
"It's one of the few things I've done that could translate," he said. "You just have to pull back on the surrealism and concentrate more on the character comedy - the Americans do character comedy so beautifully, so I think you have to adapt it to suit that.
"So I'm going over [to Los Angeles] to say to them, 'Please don't do my show' - or do my show, just a suitable American version.
"I'm really glad they're giving me the chance to pitch that to them - it's better to start off with a template that actually gives you a chance.
- 1/6/2015
- Digital Spy
Tucked away on Channel 4's late-night Monday schedule is Toast of London, a brilliantly absurd sitcom about a fading middle-age actor reduced to taking increasingly undesirable voiceover jobs and acting roles.
The brainchild of Matt Berry and Father Ted co-creator Arthur Matthews, Toast is a classic British sitcom character in the mould of David Brent, Alan Partridge and Basil Fawlty - the more his dignity gets shredded, the funnier it gets.
With the prestigious Rose d'Or prize under its belt, six nominations at this year's British Comedy Awards and a dedicated fanbase who flood social media with Toastisms, the surreal comedy show has momentum.
One recurring gag that's fast become a hallmark is the titular luvvie's voiceover sessions with Scramble Studios duo Danny Bear (Tim Downie) and Clem Fandango (Shazad Latif). The latter, a work experience boy who dishes out orders to the veteran thesp, has proven to be a potent comedy hand grenade.
The brainchild of Matt Berry and Father Ted co-creator Arthur Matthews, Toast is a classic British sitcom character in the mould of David Brent, Alan Partridge and Basil Fawlty - the more his dignity gets shredded, the funnier it gets.
With the prestigious Rose d'Or prize under its belt, six nominations at this year's British Comedy Awards and a dedicated fanbase who flood social media with Toastisms, the surreal comedy show has momentum.
One recurring gag that's fast become a hallmark is the titular luvvie's voiceover sessions with Scramble Studios duo Danny Bear (Tim Downie) and Clem Fandango (Shazad Latif). The latter, a work experience boy who dishes out orders to the veteran thesp, has proven to be a potent comedy hand grenade.
- 11/17/2014
- Digital Spy
We asked Den Of Geek’s writers to recommend brilliant comedy shows that deserve to have more of a fuss made about them. Here they are...
Banging a drum about stuff we love is more or less our remit on Den Of Geek - hence what many readers have started referring to as the ‘inexplicably regular' appearance of Statham, squirrels and Harold Bishop from Neighbours on these pages.
To that end then, we asked our writers which comedy shows (past and present, UK or otherwise, on TV, radio, or online…) deserved more praise, and here are the ones they chose. You might already like them too, or you might discover something new to dig out and enjoy. That’s the fun of it.
Please note that this list isn’t ranked in any order, nor is it exhaustive. It’s compiled from the opinions of a group of different people,...
Banging a drum about stuff we love is more or less our remit on Den Of Geek - hence what many readers have started referring to as the ‘inexplicably regular' appearance of Statham, squirrels and Harold Bishop from Neighbours on these pages.
To that end then, we asked our writers which comedy shows (past and present, UK or otherwise, on TV, radio, or online…) deserved more praise, and here are the ones they chose. You might already like them too, or you might discover something new to dig out and enjoy. That’s the fun of it.
Please note that this list isn’t ranked in any order, nor is it exhaustive. It’s compiled from the opinions of a group of different people,...
- 11/13/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The I.T Crowd is something of a British institution. It is a beloved TV comedy from the pen of the incredibly talented Graham Linehan (Father Ted), which follows the slightly surreal, completely hilarious escapades of some technical support workers at a large corporation. Ultimately comprising four 6 episode seasons and a one-off ‘special’, the show aired in the UK from 2006 to 2010, with its single, triumphant return hitting screens to great acclaim in 2013. It helped launch the careers of its three main cast members – Chris O’Dowd (Dinner For Schmucks, Bridesmaids, This Is 40), Richard Ayoade (Submarine, The Watch, The Double) and Katherine Parkinson (Sherlock, The Honourable Woman), and also its main supporting player, Matt Berry (Moon, Snow White And The Huntsman). In the UK, it is widely held as the gold standard for TV comedy, and now, NBC have committed themselves to a Us pilot of the show, from Scrubs creator,...
- 10/17/2014
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
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