A three hour documentary about iconic comedian Ken Dodd will premiere in June, and here are the details.
There are few comics, before him or since, who were as hardworking as Ken Dodd. Known for the epic length of his performances, he performed shows that began at 7.30, wouldn’t have an interval until 10.30, with gigs regularly finishing in the small hours.
Dodd passed away in 2018 at the age of 90, and left a legacy of laughter in a career that began in the 1940s.
Ken Dodd is now set to be the subject of new documentary The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved. As a tribute to Dodd’s shows, the film is a whopping three hours long.
The film, narrated by the irrepressible Miriam Margoyles, also features tributes from the comedy community, including Lee Mack, Harry Hill, Johnny Vegas, Tim Vine, Les Dennis, Ricky Tomlinson, Stephen K Amos, Shaparak Khorsandi and the late,...
There are few comics, before him or since, who were as hardworking as Ken Dodd. Known for the epic length of his performances, he performed shows that began at 7.30, wouldn’t have an interval until 10.30, with gigs regularly finishing in the small hours.
Dodd passed away in 2018 at the age of 90, and left a legacy of laughter in a career that began in the 1940s.
Ken Dodd is now set to be the subject of new documentary The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved. As a tribute to Dodd’s shows, the film is a whopping three hours long.
The film, narrated by the irrepressible Miriam Margoyles, also features tributes from the comedy community, including Lee Mack, Harry Hill, Johnny Vegas, Tim Vine, Les Dennis, Ricky Tomlinson, Stephen K Amos, Shaparak Khorsandi and the late,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
As part of Variety‘s 100 Greatest Television Shows of All Time issue, we asked 12 of our favorite creators of television to discuss the series that inspire and move them. Check out all the essays, and read our full list of the best TV shows ever made.
Almost nothing happens in “The Royle Family.” Over the course of 25 episodes, we occasionally pop into two other rooms of the central family’s house in Manchester, England — the dinner table, and a tiny kitchen loaded with dirty dishes. But most of the action takes place in the TV room, as everybody sits around, enabling each other’s weaknesses and shortcomings.
The Royles, led by parents Jim and Barbara (Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston) are a deeply dysfunctional family. The characters on this show would not understand the idea that they’re supposed to help each other grow — they wouldn’t recognize the use...
Almost nothing happens in “The Royle Family.” Over the course of 25 episodes, we occasionally pop into two other rooms of the central family’s house in Manchester, England — the dinner table, and a tiny kitchen loaded with dirty dishes. But most of the action takes place in the TV room, as everybody sits around, enabling each other’s weaknesses and shortcomings.
The Royles, led by parents Jim and Barbara (Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston) are a deeply dysfunctional family. The characters on this show would not understand the idea that they’re supposed to help each other grow — they wouldn’t recognize the use...
- 12/22/2023
- by Bob Odenkirk
- Variety Film + TV
BBC Two brings a delightful Christmas treat as Ricky Tomlinson invites viewers to reminisce about the classic comedy series in “Ricky Tomlinson Remembers…The Royle Family.” Airing at 9:00 Pm on Monday, December 25, 2023, this special episode promises a heartwarming journey down memory lane as Ricky Tomlinson, the beloved actor behind head of the family Jim Royle, sits back in his chair and shares fond recollections of The Royle Family.
As viewers settle in for an evening of nostalgia, Ricky Tomlinson reflects on his experiences portraying the iconic character and offers insights into working alongside the show’s co-creator, the late Caroline Aherne. With warmth and humor, this trip down memory lane is a heartfelt tribute to a sitcom that has left an indelible mark on British television.
Tune in to BBC Two at 9:00 Pm for a charming and intimate look back at The Royle Family through the eyes of Ricky Tomlinson,...
As viewers settle in for an evening of nostalgia, Ricky Tomlinson reflects on his experiences portraying the iconic character and offers insights into working alongside the show’s co-creator, the late Caroline Aherne. With warmth and humor, this trip down memory lane is a heartfelt tribute to a sitcom that has left an indelible mark on British television.
Tune in to BBC Two at 9:00 Pm for a charming and intimate look back at The Royle Family through the eyes of Ricky Tomlinson,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Posts UK
- TV Everyday
New comedy-drama film Our Kid shares the story of a working-class family learning to deal with adversity through humour and community. Our Kid, which premiered as part of the Raindance Film Festival, is based on the multi-award-winning short Thomas by Daniel P. Lewis. The film is written by Daniel P. Lewis and is directed by veteran ‘bad guy’ actor Sean Cronin.
The story is told through the eyes and imagination of twelve-year-old Laura Reilly (Poppie Jae-Hughes), whose only goal in life is to one day play football professionally. Although Laura has many footballing heroes, her older brother Thomas has won her ultimate admiration – with his quest to raise money for charity through a sponsored bike ride while overcoming the challenges he will face from his Cerebral Palsy. Family and friends pull together to help Thomas overcome adversity and show the community what determination and perseverance can achieve.
Our Kid features...
The story is told through the eyes and imagination of twelve-year-old Laura Reilly (Poppie Jae-Hughes), whose only goal in life is to one day play football professionally. Although Laura has many footballing heroes, her older brother Thomas has won her ultimate admiration – with his quest to raise money for charity through a sponsored bike ride while overcoming the challenges he will face from his Cerebral Palsy. Family and friends pull together to help Thomas overcome adversity and show the community what determination and perseverance can achieve.
Our Kid features...
- 12/14/2023
- by Kevin Haldon
- Nerdly
“Everyone shouts out ‘Helen Mirren! Julie Walters! Dame Judi Dench!’ in the street at me all the time,” said Richard Osman in 2021, which is mad because he doesn’t even look anything like them, and must make it weird when he goes out to buy his morning latte.
Only kidding. After the millions of books he’s sold, there’s no way Richard Osman buys his own morning latte.
People are shouting those names at the author of the mega-successful Thursday Murder Club series as casting suggestions for the lead roles in the forthcoming movie adaptations. That’s who they want to see playing retired nurse Joyce – a terrible flirt (in that she excels at it) with a core of absolute steel and a person you’d absolutely want in your corner, and former British Intelligence agent Elizabeth – a great mind who can scheme a way out of any situation...
Only kidding. After the millions of books he’s sold, there’s no way Richard Osman buys his own morning latte.
People are shouting those names at the author of the mega-successful Thursday Murder Club series as casting suggestions for the lead roles in the forthcoming movie adaptations. That’s who they want to see playing retired nurse Joyce – a terrible flirt (in that she excels at it) with a core of absolute steel and a person you’d absolutely want in your corner, and former British Intelligence agent Elizabeth – a great mind who can scheme a way out of any situation...
- 9/14/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
The World Cup only happens every four years, and each tournament brings with it its own ups, downs, trials, tribulations, surprise contenders, and thrilling finales. The 2019 Women's World Cup saw the USA win the trophy for a second consecutive tournament; Qatar 2022 gave Lionel Messi a fairy tale ending at last.
Almost sounds like something out of a movie, doesn't it?
Luckily, soccer has been the topic of many films through the years. In this article, we will detail 14 of the best-known, including comedies, biopics, romance, murder mysteries, and documents of real-life tragedies. Along the way, you'll find everyone from the legends of the sport, including the sadly departed Pelé and Diego Maradona, to Hollywood superstars such as Sylvester Stallone and Will Ferrell. Within the bounds of "The Beautiful Game," almost anything is possible.
Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
Our first movie, "Mike Bassett: England Manager," is a mockumentary that stars Ricky Tomlinson...
Almost sounds like something out of a movie, doesn't it?
Luckily, soccer has been the topic of many films through the years. In this article, we will detail 14 of the best-known, including comedies, biopics, romance, murder mysteries, and documents of real-life tragedies. Along the way, you'll find everyone from the legends of the sport, including the sadly departed Pelé and Diego Maradona, to Hollywood superstars such as Sylvester Stallone and Will Ferrell. Within the bounds of "The Beautiful Game," almost anything is possible.
Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
Our first movie, "Mike Bassett: England Manager," is a mockumentary that stars Ricky Tomlinson...
- 1/26/2023
- by Geoffrey Wessel
- Slash Film
Sharon Horgan & Michael Sheen To Lead Jack Thorne’s ‘Best Interests’
Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen are to lead the Jack Thorne-scripted BBC One drama Best Interests. The duo will play married couple Nicci and Andrew who have two daughters: Katie (Alison Oliver) and Marnie (Niamh Moriarty). Marnie has a life-threatening condition and doctors believe it is in her best interests to be allowed to die, but her loving family disagree. Thus begins a fight that will take them through every stage of a legal process, as they struggle to contemplate this huge decision. Additional cast include Noma Dumezweni, Chizzy Akudolu, Des McAleer, Mat Fraser, Gary Beadle, Jack Morris, Pippa Haywood, Shane Zaza, Lucian Msamati and Lisa McGrillis. Thorne said: “Best Interests cases are both compelling and revealing. Our country has a very troubled relationship with disability and these cases put a spotlight on that. But our drama is first...
Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen are to lead the Jack Thorne-scripted BBC One drama Best Interests. The duo will play married couple Nicci and Andrew who have two daughters: Katie (Alison Oliver) and Marnie (Niamh Moriarty). Marnie has a life-threatening condition and doctors believe it is in her best interests to be allowed to die, but her loving family disagree. Thus begins a fight that will take them through every stage of a legal process, as they struggle to contemplate this huge decision. Additional cast include Noma Dumezweni, Chizzy Akudolu, Des McAleer, Mat Fraser, Gary Beadle, Jack Morris, Pippa Haywood, Shane Zaza, Lucian Msamati and Lisa McGrillis. Thorne said: “Best Interests cases are both compelling and revealing. Our country has a very troubled relationship with disability and these cases put a spotlight on that. But our drama is first...
- 3/16/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Michael Socha, Andrew Readman, Dean Ackerman, Ricky Tomlinson, James Whitehurst, John Solomonides, Steve Wood, Solaya Rowley, George Newton, Billy Cook, Paul J. Dove, Maggie Evans | Written and Directed by John Williams
Stoke-on-Trent filmmaker John Williams (no relation to the film composer of the same name) made his name, at least in the horror mainstream, with 2017’s Crispy’s Curse, despite having lensed The Mothertown and The Slayers before it. Now comes his latest film, Tales of the Creeping Death, a highly-anticipated low-budget horror anthology that aims to recapture the spirit of the anthologies of old from British studios such as Hammer and Amicus. Hell, the title even screams a homage to Tigon’s last British horror production The Creeping Flesh!
Like many an anthology, Tales of the Creeping Death opens with its wraparound tale, a tale that sees hitman Goose (Michael Socha) arrive at Harold’s house. Not to kill him,...
Stoke-on-Trent filmmaker John Williams (no relation to the film composer of the same name) made his name, at least in the horror mainstream, with 2017’s Crispy’s Curse, despite having lensed The Mothertown and The Slayers before it. Now comes his latest film, Tales of the Creeping Death, a highly-anticipated low-budget horror anthology that aims to recapture the spirit of the anthologies of old from British studios such as Hammer and Amicus. Hell, the title even screams a homage to Tigon’s last British horror production The Creeping Flesh!
Like many an anthology, Tales of the Creeping Death opens with its wraparound tale, a tale that sees hitman Goose (Michael Socha) arrive at Harold’s house. Not to kill him,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
That’s right folks, Romford Horror Festival (Horrhiffic) is upon us for its second year and here is Kevin with a small selection of films he thinks you should be checking out at the festival this weekend, which takes place at the Premiere cinema at the Mercury Shopping Centre in Romford from the 25th – 27th of February.
Around 400 people will be in attendance for the festival which is showing 68 feature films and short horror movies over three packed days. The films are all independent horror films made with budgets that start at zero and go up to around £400,000, featuring in the mix are films from across the globe and as local as Romford, Canvey Island and Southend.
This year’s lineup includes Canvey Island comedy-horror Manfish, Tales Of Creeping Death staring Ricky Tomlinson and the return of last year’s popular squid creature in Extraneous Matter: Complete Edition. The full...
Around 400 people will be in attendance for the festival which is showing 68 feature films and short horror movies over three packed days. The films are all independent horror films made with budgets that start at zero and go up to around £400,000, featuring in the mix are films from across the globe and as local as Romford, Canvey Island and Southend.
This year’s lineup includes Canvey Island comedy-horror Manfish, Tales Of Creeping Death staring Ricky Tomlinson and the return of last year’s popular squid creature in Extraneous Matter: Complete Edition. The full...
- 2/24/2022
- by Kevin Haldon
- Nerdly
The towns might be quiet, but a tremor is occurring in time for 25th February as Romford second Horror festival begins. The festival that began last year after the long lockdown was popular from the offset, but now moving forward its reputation has already grown.
So far around 400 people will be in attendance for the festival which is showing 68 feature films and short horror movies over three packed days. The films are all independent horror films made with budgets that start at zero and go up to around £400,000, featuring in the mix are films from across the globe and as local as Romford, Canvey Island and Southend. The festival runs out of Premiere cinema at the Mercury Shopping Centre from the 25th to the 27th of February.
Festival director Spencer Hawken said:
It’s amazing to see the volume of interest straight after the lifting of restrictions, we have filmmakers...
So far around 400 people will be in attendance for the festival which is showing 68 feature films and short horror movies over three packed days. The films are all independent horror films made with budgets that start at zero and go up to around £400,000, featuring in the mix are films from across the globe and as local as Romford, Canvey Island and Southend. The festival runs out of Premiere cinema at the Mercury Shopping Centre from the 25th to the 27th of February.
Festival director Spencer Hawken said:
It’s amazing to see the volume of interest straight after the lifting of restrictions, we have filmmakers...
- 2/24/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The post-Brexit reality of a work visa regime to work in the European Union is now affecting the U.K. film and television production industry.
Several EU countries now require U.K. arts workers to apply for short-term work permits – not an easy process.
“When Covid-19 restrictions dissipate, the need for film and TV production to travel will become even more urgent,” Lyndsay Duthie, CEO, The Production Guild of Great Britain, told Variety. “Productions that are gearing up for spring filming are now working through the realities of the Brexit creative visa issues. A solution is needed to enable cast and crew involved in production to have the ability to move freely for a temporary period.”
“Currently, to get a work visa for Spain for example, with 10 week backlogs for Hmrc [Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs] checks is taking up to three months to process, too long for a creative project,” Duthie explains. “A visa...
Several EU countries now require U.K. arts workers to apply for short-term work permits – not an easy process.
“When Covid-19 restrictions dissipate, the need for film and TV production to travel will become even more urgent,” Lyndsay Duthie, CEO, The Production Guild of Great Britain, told Variety. “Productions that are gearing up for spring filming are now working through the realities of the Brexit creative visa issues. A solution is needed to enable cast and crew involved in production to have the ability to move freely for a temporary period.”
“Currently, to get a work visa for Spain for example, with 10 week backlogs for Hmrc [Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs] checks is taking up to three months to process, too long for a creative project,” Duthie explains. “A visa...
- 2/17/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Wrexham Afc, the Welsh soccer club recently taken over by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is to be the subject of “A League Apart,” a British romantic comedy from Mad As Birds, producers of “The Vanishing,” starring Gerard Butler.
To be directed by S.J. Evans (“Hiraeth”), the film will follow Phil, a lovable yet down-on-his-luck man obsessed with his failing Wrexham Afc soccer team. His American girlfriend, Christina, wants more out of life and love and Phil must prove that she is more important to him than his soccer team winning.
While “A League Apart” is a work of fiction, its climax is centered around the real-life 1992 Fa Cup clash between bottom of the league underdogs Wrexham and reigning Division One champions, Arsenal.
The project is in the final stages of development, with plans to begin filming in the summer of 2021.
Celyn Jones, BAFTA Cymru best actor winner for “Manhunt,...
To be directed by S.J. Evans (“Hiraeth”), the film will follow Phil, a lovable yet down-on-his-luck man obsessed with his failing Wrexham Afc soccer team. His American girlfriend, Christina, wants more out of life and love and Phil must prove that she is more important to him than his soccer team winning.
While “A League Apart” is a work of fiction, its climax is centered around the real-life 1992 Fa Cup clash between bottom of the league underdogs Wrexham and reigning Division One champions, Arsenal.
The project is in the final stages of development, with plans to begin filming in the summer of 2021.
Celyn Jones, BAFTA Cymru best actor winner for “Manhunt,...
- 11/20/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins will receive the 2018 Women In Motion award during the Cannes Film Festival. The filmmaker will receive the honor from festival president Pierre Lescure, artistic director Thierry Fremaux, and Francois-Henri Pinault, president and CEO of luxury goods firm Kering, which is behind the initiative. The presentation will take place at a Women in Motion dinner on May 13. Previous winners of the award include Jane Fonda, Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and Isabelle Huppert.
For any impatient Westworld fans or those who simply want to see it on the hit HBO Western on the big screen, the UK’s BFI venue will host the world premiere of the season two finale. Co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy will take part in a Q&A following the Tuesday 19 June screening. The finale will premiere on HBO in the U.S. on Sunday 24 June, with the UK transmission via Sky...
For any impatient Westworld fans or those who simply want to see it on the hit HBO Western on the big screen, the UK’s BFI venue will host the world premiere of the season two finale. Co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy will take part in a Q&A following the Tuesday 19 June screening. The finale will premiere on HBO in the U.S. on Sunday 24 June, with the UK transmission via Sky...
- 5/4/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Titles include coming-of-age romance The Song Of Sway Lake and thriller Habit.
London-based Kew Media Group has added eight titles to its international sales slate for Cannes.
They include Who We Are Now, a verité drama about a woman who is released from prison and tries to regain custody of her son. Julianne Nicholson stars alongside Zachary Quinto, Jess Weixler and Jason Biggs.
Also added is The Song Of Sway Lake, a coming-of-age romantic drama about a man searching for the truth behind an old hit record called ‘Sway Lake’. Ari Gold is directing, with Michael Bederman, Zak Kilberg and Allison Rose Carter producing.
London-based Kew Media Group has added eight titles to its international sales slate for Cannes.
They include Who We Are Now, a verité drama about a woman who is released from prison and tries to regain custody of her son. Julianne Nicholson stars alongside Zachary Quinto, Jess Weixler and Jason Biggs.
Also added is The Song Of Sway Lake, a coming-of-age romantic drama about a man searching for the truth behind an old hit record called ‘Sway Lake’. Ari Gold is directing, with Michael Bederman, Zak Kilberg and Allison Rose Carter producing.
- 5/4/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Campaign is calling for Picturehouse owner Cineworld to pay its staff the London Living Wage.
Ian McKellen, Susan Sarandon and Mark Rylance are among actors to have lent their names to a campaign calling for Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas to pay their staff the London Living Wage.
According to UK entertainment union Bectu, a host of actors and directors have signed a letter which will be delivered to Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger.
As previously reported by Screen, the letter calls for Cineworld to pay staff at its venues - which include the Picturehouse cinema chain - the London Living Wage of £9.75 per hour. The letter proposes boycotting the cinemas if staff is not paid the Wage.
Lowest paid staff at Picturehouse’s Brixton location the Ritzy currently earn £9.10 per hour, while some staff at other Picturehouse locations in London earn £9.05 per hour. Outside of London, the rate is £8.18.
Signatores are said to also include Elizabeth Berrington, [link...
Ian McKellen, Susan Sarandon and Mark Rylance are among actors to have lent their names to a campaign calling for Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas to pay their staff the London Living Wage.
According to UK entertainment union Bectu, a host of actors and directors have signed a letter which will be delivered to Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger.
As previously reported by Screen, the letter calls for Cineworld to pay staff at its venues - which include the Picturehouse cinema chain - the London Living Wage of £9.75 per hour. The letter proposes boycotting the cinemas if staff is not paid the Wage.
Lowest paid staff at Picturehouse’s Brixton location the Ritzy currently earn £9.10 per hour, while some staff at other Picturehouse locations in London earn £9.05 per hour. Outside of London, the rate is £8.18.
Signatores are said to also include Elizabeth Berrington, [link...
- 3/22/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Campaign is calling for Picturehouse owner Cineworld to pay its staff the London living wage.
Ian McKellen, Susan Sarandon and Mark Rylance are among actors to have lent their names to a campaign calling for a boycott of Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas over a pay dispute.
According to UK entertainment union Bectu, a host of actors and directors have signed a letter which will be delivered to Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger.
As previously reported by Screen, the letter calls for Cineworld to pay staff at its venues - which include the Picturehouse cinema chain - the London living wage of £9.75 per hour.
Lowest paid staff at Picturehouse’s Brixton location the Ritzy currently earn £9.10 per hour, while some staff at other Picturehouse locations in London earn £9.05 per hour. Outside of London, the rate is £8.18.
Signatores are said to also include Elizabeth Berrington, Jo Brand, Mark Cousins, Richard Curtis, Natalie Dormer, Lindsay Duncan, [link...
Ian McKellen, Susan Sarandon and Mark Rylance are among actors to have lent their names to a campaign calling for a boycott of Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas over a pay dispute.
According to UK entertainment union Bectu, a host of actors and directors have signed a letter which will be delivered to Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger.
As previously reported by Screen, the letter calls for Cineworld to pay staff at its venues - which include the Picturehouse cinema chain - the London living wage of £9.75 per hour.
Lowest paid staff at Picturehouse’s Brixton location the Ritzy currently earn £9.10 per hour, while some staff at other Picturehouse locations in London earn £9.05 per hour. Outside of London, the rate is £8.18.
Signatores are said to also include Elizabeth Berrington, Jo Brand, Mark Cousins, Richard Curtis, Natalie Dormer, Lindsay Duncan, [link...
- 3/22/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Campaign is calling for Picturehouse owner Cineworld to pay its staff the London living wage.
Ian McKellen, Susan Sarandon and Mark Rylance are among actors to have lent their names to a campaign calling for a boycott of Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas over a pay dispute.
According to UK entertainment union Bectu, a host of actors and directors have signed a letter whcih will be delivered to Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger.
As previously reported by Screen, the letter calls for Cineworld to pay staff at its venues - which include the Picturehouse cinema chain - the London living wage of £9.75 per hour.
Lowest paid staff at Picturehouse’s Brixton location the Ritzy currently earn £9.10 per hour, while some staff at other Picturehouse locations in London earn £9.05 per hour. Outside of London, the rate is £8.18.
Further signatores are said to include: Elizabeth Berrington, Jo Brand, Mark Cousins, Richard Curtis, Natalie Dormer, Lindsay Duncan, [link...
Ian McKellen, Susan Sarandon and Mark Rylance are among actors to have lent their names to a campaign calling for a boycott of Picturehouse and Cineworld cinemas over a pay dispute.
According to UK entertainment union Bectu, a host of actors and directors have signed a letter whcih will be delivered to Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger.
As previously reported by Screen, the letter calls for Cineworld to pay staff at its venues - which include the Picturehouse cinema chain - the London living wage of £9.75 per hour.
Lowest paid staff at Picturehouse’s Brixton location the Ritzy currently earn £9.10 per hour, while some staff at other Picturehouse locations in London earn £9.05 per hour. Outside of London, the rate is £8.18.
Further signatores are said to include: Elizabeth Berrington, Jo Brand, Mark Cousins, Richard Curtis, Natalie Dormer, Lindsay Duncan, [link...
- 3/22/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Is there hope for more In the Flesh? Recently, creator Dominic Mitchell proposed a wrapup special for the cancelled BBC series, Den of Geek reports.The supernatural drama, which aired on BBC America in the U.S., followed Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry), a dead teenager who is re-animated as a zombie and then reintroduced into society. The cast also included Emily Bevan, Emmett J. Scanlan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Ricky Tomlinson. The show only ran for two seasons before the BBC cancelled it in 2015.Read More…...
- 3/15/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Aliya Whiteley Dec 25, 2016
Funny, exciting and magical, Sky One's The Last Dragonslayer is a great choice for Christmas Day TV family viewing...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Amazon Prime UK: what’s new in January 2017?
There are lots of familiar elements in The Last Dragonslayer, Sky's big Christmas Day family fantasy adventure based on the first of a series of books from Jasper Fforde. Familiar can be really good. Christmas itself is about the familiar. Very few people want a change from a load of wrapped presents, a big meal, and an entertaining offering on television to round off the day.
Saying that, exactly what we want on our plate, within the wrapping, and on our television screens on Christmas Day can differ every time. The Last Dragonslayer might, at first glance, look like it's offering something that's getting a bit too familiar. For instance, it's a story...
Funny, exciting and magical, Sky One's The Last Dragonslayer is a great choice for Christmas Day TV family viewing...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Amazon Prime UK: what’s new in January 2017?
There are lots of familiar elements in The Last Dragonslayer, Sky's big Christmas Day family fantasy adventure based on the first of a series of books from Jasper Fforde. Familiar can be really good. Christmas itself is about the familiar. Very few people want a change from a load of wrapped presents, a big meal, and an entertaining offering on television to round off the day.
Saying that, exactly what we want on our plate, within the wrapping, and on our television screens on Christmas Day can differ every time. The Last Dragonslayer might, at first glance, look like it's offering something that's getting a bit too familiar. For instance, it's a story...
- 12/19/2016
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: The More You Ignore Me is being produced by Genesius Pictures.
The Little Film Company has introduced worldwide buyers here to Genesius Pictures’ family drama The More You Ignore Me, the Jo Brand novel adaptation that has begun shooting in the UK.
Keith English makes his feature directorial debut and is shooting the story of an unusual family in 1980s rural England for five weeks in Blackpool.
Sheridan Smith, Mark Addy, Ella Hunt, Sally Phillips, Sheila Hancock, Ricky Tomlinson, Lisa Stansfield, Tom Davies and Brand star.
Set to the songs of The Smiths,The More You Ignore Me centres on a woman with mental health issues and her husband who struggle to provide a loving home for their awkward teenage daughter.
Debbie Gray of Genesius Pictures, who collaborated with The Little Film Company on Northern Soul, is producing.
The Little Film Company has introduced worldwide buyers here to Genesius Pictures’ family drama The More You Ignore Me, the Jo Brand novel adaptation that has begun shooting in the UK.
Keith English makes his feature directorial debut and is shooting the story of an unusual family in 1980s rural England for five weeks in Blackpool.
Sheridan Smith, Mark Addy, Ella Hunt, Sally Phillips, Sheila Hancock, Ricky Tomlinson, Lisa Stansfield, Tom Davies and Brand star.
Set to the songs of The Smiths,The More You Ignore Me centres on a woman with mental health issues and her husband who struggle to provide a loving home for their awkward teenage daughter.
Debbie Gray of Genesius Pictures, who collaborated with The Little Film Company on Northern Soul, is producing.
- 11/5/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong star in Grimsby. It might just be the most horrible and funny film of the year (at least so far...)
There’s a bit, late on in Grimsby, when Sacha Baron Cohen’s Nobby gets hold of a gun and finds it surprisingly easy to shoot people. “I understand why you love guns so much,” he tells his brother, Mark Strong’s Sebastian. “It completely detaches you from the guilt of your actions.” The bathos this creates is a good example of how in comedy a big laugh legitimises just about anything, here allowing you to forget quite happily that the main character is no longer a bungling chancer but an actual killer. I felt the same about the rest of it; the fact it made me laugh just about earned it a free pass for being, at times, scabrously horrible.
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Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong star in Grimsby. It might just be the most horrible and funny film of the year (at least so far...)
There’s a bit, late on in Grimsby, when Sacha Baron Cohen’s Nobby gets hold of a gun and finds it surprisingly easy to shoot people. “I understand why you love guns so much,” he tells his brother, Mark Strong’s Sebastian. “It completely detaches you from the guilt of your actions.” The bathos this creates is a good example of how in comedy a big laugh legitimises just about anything, here allowing you to forget quite happily that the main character is no longer a bungling chancer but an actual killer. I felt the same about the rest of it; the fact it made me laugh just about earned it a free pass for being, at times, scabrously horrible.
- 2/24/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Stephen Chow’s record-breaking aqua-romp is lols all the way – until a sudden last-reel massacre that references The Cove
Currently obliterating box-office records in China, this live-action cartoon finds Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer) elevating a Disneyish set-up – ruthless developer is mollified by the mermaid inhabiting the lagoon he’s plundering – with more of his usual good-to-inspired sight gags. (Much amusement is derived from an attempt to describe a hybrid form to a police sketch artist.)
Happily, Chow’s eye for funny faces and presences remains undimmed: with her wonky lipstick and penguin waddle, Jelly Lin’s heroine could halt even the most intensive construction work, though she can’t quite top the prologue’s bearded, pot-bellied mock-merman, who rises from a bathtub like Ricky Tomlinson in Ken
Loach’s Riff-Raff.
Continue reading...
Currently obliterating box-office records in China, this live-action cartoon finds Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer) elevating a Disneyish set-up – ruthless developer is mollified by the mermaid inhabiting the lagoon he’s plundering – with more of his usual good-to-inspired sight gags. (Much amusement is derived from an attempt to describe a hybrid form to a police sketch artist.)
Happily, Chow’s eye for funny faces and presences remains undimmed: with her wonky lipstick and penguin waddle, Jelly Lin’s heroine could halt even the most intensive construction work, though she can’t quite top the prologue’s bearded, pot-bellied mock-merman, who rises from a bathtub like Ricky Tomlinson in Ken
Loach’s Riff-Raff.
Continue reading...
- 2/19/2016
- by Guardian Staff
- The Guardian - Film News
Football documentaries - they're a funny old game. Today's fly-on-the-wall peeks into the lives of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo may have marked a welcome return of the genre - but compared to mud-and-studs docs of old, they're as over-polished and blemish-free as one of David Beckham's Armani suits.
And so ahead of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and co's new BBC documentary series Out of Their League, let's reminisce about some classic football programmes - when the beautiful game felt like less a Nike advert, more like an episode of Bullseye.
1. Graham Taylor gets the sack
After an abysmal 1992 European Championships, England manager needed some positive PR, so the Fa allowed camera crews to follow him round during the entire 1994 World Cup qualification campaign for An Impossible Job.
Whoops: this spectacularly backfired for old Turnip Head, as England were knocked out. But not before Taylor effed and jeffed his way through every single match,...
And so ahead of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and co's new BBC documentary series Out of Their League, let's reminisce about some classic football programmes - when the beautiful game felt like less a Nike advert, more like an episode of Bullseye.
1. Graham Taylor gets the sack
After an abysmal 1992 European Championships, England manager needed some positive PR, so the Fa allowed camera crews to follow him round during the entire 1994 World Cup qualification campaign for An Impossible Job.
Whoops: this spectacularly backfired for old Turnip Head, as England were knocked out. But not before Taylor effed and jeffed his way through every single match,...
- 10/28/2015
- Digital Spy
Johnny Vegas has called for more "brilliant, self-contained pieces" on television - and less of a focus on "returning audiences".
Vegas stars in one-off comedy Brilliantman! - airing tonight at 9pm on Sky Arts.
"I mourn the bygone days of Play for Today and these self-contained pieces, and the fact that within TV now it's all about returning audiences," the comic told DS.
"It's a real dumbing down or a presumption of the audience. It's almost a broadcast-induced attention deficit syndrome - where they don't trust that people can watch something that is self-contained for 30 minutes.
"And it's a shame that everything is about competing with something in the same time-slot on another channel, rather than putting something on for its creative and artistic validity."
Vegas previously worked with Sky Arts on the Playhouse Presents episode 'Ragged' - based on the early life of actor Ricky Tomlinson.
"I think when we did 'Ragged',...
Vegas stars in one-off comedy Brilliantman! - airing tonight at 9pm on Sky Arts.
"I mourn the bygone days of Play for Today and these self-contained pieces, and the fact that within TV now it's all about returning audiences," the comic told DS.
"It's a real dumbing down or a presumption of the audience. It's almost a broadcast-induced attention deficit syndrome - where they don't trust that people can watch something that is self-contained for 30 minutes.
"And it's a shame that everything is about competing with something in the same time-slot on another channel, rather than putting something on for its creative and artistic validity."
Vegas previously worked with Sky Arts on the Playhouse Presents episode 'Ragged' - based on the early life of actor Ricky Tomlinson.
"I think when we did 'Ragged',...
- 9/24/2015
- Digital Spy
ITV has hit a mighty milestone - first launched on September 22, 1955, the home of The X Factor, Downton Abbey and more is 60 years old today.
In its six decades, ITV has produced some of the biggest, best and most memorable TV shows in British broadcasting history.
But while everyone else is talking up Gladiators, Coronation Street and Blind Date, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate a few of the channel's less celebrated gems.
1. The Krypton Factor (1977-1995)
"Television's Toughest Quiz!" boomed the announcer back when the show launched in 1977. And even almost forty years later, nothing has quite matched Granada's brutal search for a UK superperson since.
Resembling a cross between a byzantine parlour game and a Soviet-era punishment for shoplifting, each week saw four more contestants subjected to a variety of cruel and unusual tests – from terrifying memory tests to landing a Boeing 747 (albeit on a simulator).
But worst of all?...
In its six decades, ITV has produced some of the biggest, best and most memorable TV shows in British broadcasting history.
But while everyone else is talking up Gladiators, Coronation Street and Blind Date, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate a few of the channel's less celebrated gems.
1. The Krypton Factor (1977-1995)
"Television's Toughest Quiz!" boomed the announcer back when the show launched in 1977. And even almost forty years later, nothing has quite matched Granada's brutal search for a UK superperson since.
Resembling a cross between a byzantine parlour game and a Soviet-era punishment for shoplifting, each week saw four more contestants subjected to a variety of cruel and unusual tests – from terrifying memory tests to landing a Boeing 747 (albeit on a simulator).
But worst of all?...
- 9/22/2015
- Digital Spy
ITV has hit a mighty milestone - first launched on September 22, 1955, the home of The X Factor, Downton Abbey and more is 60 years old today.
In its six decades, ITV has produced some of the biggest, best and most memorable TV shows in British broadcasting history.
But while everyone else is talking up Gladiators, Coronation Street and Blind Date, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate a few of the channel's less celebrated gems.
1. The Krypton Factor (1977-1995)
"Television's Toughest Quiz!" boomed the announcer back when the show launched in 1977. And even almost forty years later, nothing has quite matched Granada's brutal search for a UK superperson since.
Resembling a cross between a byzantine parlour game and a Soviet-era punishment for shoplifting, each week saw four more contestants subjected to a variety of cruel and unusual tests – from terrifying memory tests to landing a Boeing 747 (albeit on a simulator).
But worst of all?...
In its six decades, ITV has produced some of the biggest, best and most memorable TV shows in British broadcasting history.
But while everyone else is talking up Gladiators, Coronation Street and Blind Date, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate a few of the channel's less celebrated gems.
1. The Krypton Factor (1977-1995)
"Television's Toughest Quiz!" boomed the announcer back when the show launched in 1977. And even almost forty years later, nothing has quite matched Granada's brutal search for a UK superperson since.
Resembling a cross between a byzantine parlour game and a Soviet-era punishment for shoplifting, each week saw four more contestants subjected to a variety of cruel and unusual tests – from terrifying memory tests to landing a Boeing 747 (albeit on a simulator).
But worst of all?...
- 9/22/2015
- Digital Spy
Exclusive: Brad Moore, Denise Van Outen, Ricky Tomlinson, Alan Ford among cast.
Molifilms comedy-drama Gloves Off is underway in the UK, with a cast including Brad Moore, Ricky Tomlinson and Denise Van Outen.
Writer-director Steve Nesbit’s (North v South) feature follows a former boxer who must train a charge for a bare-knuckle encounter in a bid to raise money to save his local gym.
Brad Moore (Montana) stars (and co-writes) alongside Alan Ford (Snatch), Denise Van Outen (The Only Way Is Essex) and Matt Barber (Downton Abbey), while there are also roles for Ricky Tomlinson (The Royle Family), Paul Barber (The Full Monty) and stand-up Tom Crane.
Producers are Gareth Maxwell Roberts (The Mortician), Lucy Selwood (Golden Years) and Lawrence King (North v South).
The film is the third film in a slate of Eis-backed features including Golden Years and horror Thea.
Shoot will take place in and around Leeds until October 16.
Molifilms comedy-drama Gloves Off is underway in the UK, with a cast including Brad Moore, Ricky Tomlinson and Denise Van Outen.
Writer-director Steve Nesbit’s (North v South) feature follows a former boxer who must train a charge for a bare-knuckle encounter in a bid to raise money to save his local gym.
Brad Moore (Montana) stars (and co-writes) alongside Alan Ford (Snatch), Denise Van Outen (The Only Way Is Essex) and Matt Barber (Downton Abbey), while there are also roles for Ricky Tomlinson (The Royle Family), Paul Barber (The Full Monty) and stand-up Tom Crane.
Producers are Gareth Maxwell Roberts (The Mortician), Lucy Selwood (Golden Years) and Lawrence King (North v South).
The film is the third film in a slate of Eis-backed features including Golden Years and horror Thea.
Shoot will take place in and around Leeds until October 16.
- 9/10/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Manchester Film Festival | Station To Station | London On Film | Brazilica Film Festival
Hoping to become the film festival the city deserves (and not to be confused with Manchester international festival), this inaugural event has a modestly budgeted selection, but one that consists of films you won’t find elsewhere. Some are even world premieres, like Many Beautiful Things, a docudrama about Victorian artist Lilias Trotter (played by Downton’s Michelle Dockery). In terms of British talent there’s Two Down, a black comedy involving a London hitman, plus shorts starring the likes of Frankie Boyle and Ricky Tomlinson.
Continue reading...
Hoping to become the film festival the city deserves (and not to be confused with Manchester international festival), this inaugural event has a modestly budgeted selection, but one that consists of films you won’t find elsewhere. Some are even world premieres, like Many Beautiful Things, a docudrama about Victorian artist Lilias Trotter (played by Downton’s Michelle Dockery). In terms of British talent there’s Two Down, a black comedy involving a London hitman, plus shorts starring the likes of Frankie Boyle and Ricky Tomlinson.
Continue reading...
- 7/3/2015
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Tonight's (May 2) fourth round of Britain's Got Talent auditions involved dad dancing, a 12-year-old's performance of Whitney Houston's 'I Have Nothing' and a unique take on a Disney favourite.
But while Amanda Holden wasn't impressed by Aaron Marshall's version of Frozen's 'Let It Go', Twitter had other ideas.
Digital Spy rounds up Twitter's reaction to the evening's acts below:
Disney tune 'Let It Go' opened the show…with a slight difference
Best version of Let It Go I have ever heard! #Bgt
— Steve Toogood (@Sjp_Toogood) May 2, 2015
Sounds like me in the morning!
@Bgt @Morrisons #Bgt
— Roycey (@officialroycey) May 2, 2015
Misstasia's The Little Mermaid performance was a bit sickly for some...
Ugh, where's Maleficent when you need her? #Bgt
— Daniel Sperling (@dan_sperling) May 2, 2015
i don't like them. sorry princesses, its a no from me #Bgt
— Gabriella (@velvetgh0st) May 2, 2015
I think I just died of twee. #bgt
— Jojo Moyes (@jojomoyes) May 2, 2015
Aww!
But while Amanda Holden wasn't impressed by Aaron Marshall's version of Frozen's 'Let It Go', Twitter had other ideas.
Digital Spy rounds up Twitter's reaction to the evening's acts below:
Disney tune 'Let It Go' opened the show…with a slight difference
Best version of Let It Go I have ever heard! #Bgt
— Steve Toogood (@Sjp_Toogood) May 2, 2015
Sounds like me in the morning!
@Bgt @Morrisons #Bgt
— Roycey (@officialroycey) May 2, 2015
Misstasia's The Little Mermaid performance was a bit sickly for some...
Ugh, where's Maleficent when you need her? #Bgt
— Daniel Sperling (@dan_sperling) May 2, 2015
i don't like them. sorry princesses, its a no from me #Bgt
— Gabriella (@velvetgh0st) May 2, 2015
I think I just died of twee. #bgt
— Jojo Moyes (@jojomoyes) May 2, 2015
Aww!
- 5/2/2015
- Digital Spy
The first teaser trailer has been released for Mike Bassett: Interim Manager.
Ricky Tomlinson returns as the struggling football coach in the upcoming comedy, expected for release in February 2016.
The promo sees Bassett taking back the England job on a temporary basis following German coach Jorgen Mannstein's resignation.
The film is being part-funded by crowdfunding site Kickstarter, with fans able to donate to the film for prizes in return.
The campaign has raised over £80,000 so far, but needs another £170,000 before Thursday, November 20 for it to be produced.
Bradley Walsh will also be returning as Bassett's assistant Dave Dodds, with Amanda Redman also back as the manager's wife Katine Bassett.
Inglourious Basterds star Til Schweiger is reportedly in advanced discussions for the role of German manager Jorgen Mannstein.
Ricky Tomlinson returns as the struggling football coach in the upcoming comedy, expected for release in February 2016.
The promo sees Bassett taking back the England job on a temporary basis following German coach Jorgen Mannstein's resignation.
The film is being part-funded by crowdfunding site Kickstarter, with fans able to donate to the film for prizes in return.
The campaign has raised over £80,000 so far, but needs another £170,000 before Thursday, November 20 for it to be produced.
Bradley Walsh will also be returning as Bassett's assistant Dave Dodds, with Amanda Redman also back as the manager's wife Katine Bassett.
Inglourious Basterds star Til Schweiger is reportedly in advanced discussions for the role of German manager Jorgen Mannstein.
- 11/10/2014
- Digital Spy
Mike Bassett: Interim Manager has turned to Kickstarter to complete its funding.
The sequel to 2001's cult comedy will raise the remaining 8% of its budget through the crowd-funding website.
Kickstarter backers have until November 20 to donate to the project, which will see Ricky Tomlinson reprise his role as the beleaguered football boss.
Bradley Walsh will also be returning as Bassett's assistant Dave Dodds, with Amanda Redman also back as the manager's wife Katine Bassett.
Inglourious Basterds star Til Schweiger is reportedly in advanced discussions for the role of German manager Jorgen Mannstein.
Fans can pledge from £5, getting them an audio recording of Bassett, to £5,000 which will land them a speaking part in the film.
Director Steve Barron said of the sequel: "I had such a great time making the first movie, and watching Bassett become such a football icon over the years has been wonderful. With the Germans dominating football again,...
The sequel to 2001's cult comedy will raise the remaining 8% of its budget through the crowd-funding website.
Kickstarter backers have until November 20 to donate to the project, which will see Ricky Tomlinson reprise his role as the beleaguered football boss.
Bradley Walsh will also be returning as Bassett's assistant Dave Dodds, with Amanda Redman also back as the manager's wife Katine Bassett.
Inglourious Basterds star Til Schweiger is reportedly in advanced discussions for the role of German manager Jorgen Mannstein.
Fans can pledge from £5, getting them an audio recording of Bassett, to £5,000 which will land them a speaking part in the film.
Director Steve Barron said of the sequel: "I had such a great time making the first movie, and watching Bassett become such a football icon over the years has been wonderful. With the Germans dominating football again,...
- 10/13/2014
- Digital Spy
Though it has been covered well in documentaries and books, there hasn’t been a film that specifically targeted the musical movement of Northern Soul that swept the north of England in the 1970s. Elaine Constantine’s film aims to change that, and the trailer is now online.Northern Soul follows John Clarke (Elliot James Langridge) and his friends, who dream of cornering the market for this exploding musical style in their small town. Rejecting a future slogging on the production line, the friends dream of going to America in search of the ultra-rare records that will help them to become the premier DJs on the Northern Soul scene.But it won’t be as easy as that, with parents and teachers against them and the police none too happy about the wilder fringes of the movement. Northern Soul also features Steve Coogan, Lisa Stansfield, Ricky Tomlinson, John Thomas, Antonia Thomas,...
- 9/22/2014
- EmpireOnline
A host of celebrities have signed up to take part in the second series of Tipping Point: Lucky Stars.
The celebrity version of the popular game show, hosted by Ben Shephard, has been renewed for a second primetime series.
Jonathan Ross, Lorraine Kelly and Carol Vorderman are among the stars who have signed up to take on the machine and attempt to win money for their chosen charities.
In Tipping Point: Lucky Stars - as it is for charity - the stakes are raised, as the value of the counters doubles to £100 and the jackpot becomes £20,000.
ITV's Kate Maddigan said: "I can't wait to see how the next batch of celebrities get on against the machine. Tipping Point is such a favourite every afternoon, and Lucky Stars makes a welcome return to the evenings."
Previous celebrities who have appeared on the show include Rylan Clark, Colin Baker, Keith Duffy, Pauline Quirke,...
The celebrity version of the popular game show, hosted by Ben Shephard, has been renewed for a second primetime series.
Jonathan Ross, Lorraine Kelly and Carol Vorderman are among the stars who have signed up to take on the machine and attempt to win money for their chosen charities.
In Tipping Point: Lucky Stars - as it is for charity - the stakes are raised, as the value of the counters doubles to £100 and the jackpot becomes £20,000.
ITV's Kate Maddigan said: "I can't wait to see how the next batch of celebrities get on against the machine. Tipping Point is such a favourite every afternoon, and Lucky Stars makes a welcome return to the evenings."
Previous celebrities who have appeared on the show include Rylan Clark, Colin Baker, Keith Duffy, Pauline Quirke,...
- 6/25/2014
- Digital Spy
Football on TV - it's a hard nut to crack.
Sure, there's blanket coverage of the sport itself - plus highlights shows - but when it comes to dramatising the beautiful game, things are a little more thin on the ground.
With this season drawing to a close and the 2014 World Cup getting underway in a little over a month, here's a look back at five times that telly took aim at footy - the results, as you'll see, are variable!
The Hurricanes (1993-1997)
This animated effort from '90s cartoon legends Dic Entertainment charted the misadventures of a fictional soccer team and their coach Jock Stone - a character based on Celtic Fc's 1951–57 manager Jock Stein.
The Hurricanes was top notch entertainment for kids - with a rocking theme tune - and there was a respectably high level of actual football content, even if our heroes always pitted their...
Sure, there's blanket coverage of the sport itself - plus highlights shows - but when it comes to dramatising the beautiful game, things are a little more thin on the ground.
With this season drawing to a close and the 2014 World Cup getting underway in a little over a month, here's a look back at five times that telly took aim at footy - the results, as you'll see, are variable!
The Hurricanes (1993-1997)
This animated effort from '90s cartoon legends Dic Entertainment charted the misadventures of a fictional soccer team and their coach Jock Stone - a character based on Celtic Fc's 1951–57 manager Jock Stein.
The Hurricanes was top notch entertainment for kids - with a rocking theme tune - and there was a respectably high level of actual football content, even if our heroes always pitted their...
- 5/9/2014
- Digital Spy
Review Louisa Mellor 5 May 2014 - 07:45
In The Flesh returns with a master class in expanding a drama’s scope without diluting its power. Here’s our review…
This review contains spoilers. Our spoiler-free review is here.
Any doubt as to whether 2013’s excellent In The Flesh had the scope for a return visit to Roarton has been quashed. The series two opener meaningfully expands the world of the un-zombie drama without losing any of the original’s charm or allegorical power.
If anything, this new series promises to top the first. With twice as many episodes in the second run, creator Dominic Mitchell has been able to seed mysteries and lay the groundwork for plots to gradually unfold rather than rattle out this time around.
Not that Mitchell wastes any time in establishing the key conflicts of series two in episode one. The very first shot greets us with...
In The Flesh returns with a master class in expanding a drama’s scope without diluting its power. Here’s our review…
This review contains spoilers. Our spoiler-free review is here.
Any doubt as to whether 2013’s excellent In The Flesh had the scope for a return visit to Roarton has been quashed. The series two opener meaningfully expands the world of the un-zombie drama without losing any of the original’s charm or allegorical power.
If anything, this new series promises to top the first. With twice as many episodes in the second run, creator Dominic Mitchell has been able to seed mysteries and lay the groundwork for plots to gradually unfold rather than rattle out this time around.
Not that Mitchell wastes any time in establishing the key conflicts of series two in episode one. The very first shot greets us with...
- 5/5/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Contrary to popular demand, Ricky Tomlinson is to return as hapless football manager Mike Bassett 13 years after the original was released. But why?
Remember that sudden confusion you felt in the pit of your stomach back in 2005 when you realised that Mike Bassett: England Manager, the immediately forgotten 2001 footballing comedy starring Ricky Tomlinson, had been deemed worthy enough to be turned into an ITV sitcom?
No, of course you don't. To remember how confused you felt back would mean that you remembered the Mike Bassett sitcom. And that would be silly. Because that would mean remembering that Mike Bassett: England Manager existed, too. And surely nobody's got the time or the inclination to commit that sort of intrinsically inconsequential fluff to memory.
So, since nobody alive likes, cares about or remembers either the Mike Bassett film or the Mike Bassett sitcom, it seems a bit strange to hear that a...
Remember that sudden confusion you felt in the pit of your stomach back in 2005 when you realised that Mike Bassett: England Manager, the immediately forgotten 2001 footballing comedy starring Ricky Tomlinson, had been deemed worthy enough to be turned into an ITV sitcom?
No, of course you don't. To remember how confused you felt back would mean that you remembered the Mike Bassett sitcom. And that would be silly. Because that would mean remembering that Mike Bassett: England Manager existed, too. And surely nobody's got the time or the inclination to commit that sort of intrinsically inconsequential fluff to memory.
So, since nobody alive likes, cares about or remembers either the Mike Bassett film or the Mike Bassett sitcom, it seems a bit strange to hear that a...
- 3/18/2014
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
Football, eh? As that other fictional management great, Alan Latchley, had it: “She's a cruel mistress. She's more than a mistress: she's a wife, she's a mother, she's a daughter, she's an errant child.” In the case Mike Bassett, now back in the dugout for a second cinematic outing, she’s also a bit of a punchbag for a volatile lower-league gaffer turned international manager.No longer in the England hot seat, Ricky Tomlinson's big-screen boss will be back in his tracksuit for Mike Bassett: Interim Manager when the movie gets underway later this year. The footballing world he returns to has moved on since his belt-and-braces days in the lower reaches of the league. There’s even a German coach in charge of England now – the horror! – and it’s as his assistant that Bassett finds himself back in the spotlight. Returning producer / director Steve Barron picks up...
- 3/17/2014
- EmpireOnline
A sequel to 2001's Mike Bassett: England Manager will begin shooting later this year.
Titled Mike Bassett: Interim Manager, the comedy will see Ricky Tomlinson reprise his role as the fictional football coach as he's brought back into the national team setup to assist German coach Jorgen Mannstein.
Steve Barron, who directed the first film, will return to oversee the sequel alongside screenwriters Rob Sprackling and John R Smith.
"Bassett was the last England manager to take the national team to Brazil. We reached the semis then, who knows what we could achieve this time?" Barron said.
Footballer and actor Andy Ansah, who starred in Dream Team and coined Soccer Am's "unbelievable tekkers" segment, is so far the only other cast member confirmed to return from the previous film.
"As the years have gone by, Bassett seems to have dug deeper into football folklore," Barron added of the hapless fictional coach.
Titled Mike Bassett: Interim Manager, the comedy will see Ricky Tomlinson reprise his role as the fictional football coach as he's brought back into the national team setup to assist German coach Jorgen Mannstein.
Steve Barron, who directed the first film, will return to oversee the sequel alongside screenwriters Rob Sprackling and John R Smith.
"Bassett was the last England manager to take the national team to Brazil. We reached the semis then, who knows what we could achieve this time?" Barron said.
Footballer and actor Andy Ansah, who starred in Dream Team and coined Soccer Am's "unbelievable tekkers" segment, is so far the only other cast member confirmed to return from the previous film.
"As the years have gone by, Bassett seems to have dug deeper into football folklore," Barron added of the hapless fictional coach.
- 3/17/2014
- Digital Spy
Exclusive: A sequel to Mike Bassett England Manager, the 2001 cult comedy, is planned to shoot later this year.
As teams prepare to head to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup, England’s most notorious football manager is heading back to the big screen.
A sequel to cult comedy Mike Bassett England Manager will see the return of star Ricky Tomlinson back as the foul-mouthed Bassett. Director-producer Steve Barron will return for the sequel, titled Mike Bassett: Interim Manager, and is planned to shoot later this year.
This time, Bassett is brought in to the England camp as number two to the tactically brilliant German coach, Jorgen Mannstein, who has the England team playing like a dream. But not for long.
“Bassett was the last England manager to take the national team to Brazil. We reached the semi’s then, who knows what we could achieve this time?,” said Barron of Bassett’s return.
“I’m very...
As teams prepare to head to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup, England’s most notorious football manager is heading back to the big screen.
A sequel to cult comedy Mike Bassett England Manager will see the return of star Ricky Tomlinson back as the foul-mouthed Bassett. Director-producer Steve Barron will return for the sequel, titled Mike Bassett: Interim Manager, and is planned to shoot later this year.
This time, Bassett is brought in to the England camp as number two to the tactically brilliant German coach, Jorgen Mannstein, who has the England team playing like a dream. But not for long.
“Bassett was the last England manager to take the national team to Brazil. We reached the semi’s then, who knows what we could achieve this time?,” said Barron of Bassett’s return.
“I’m very...
- 3/17/2014
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
Review Louisa Mellor 7 Mar 2014 - 15:00
In The Flesh returns to BBC Three in May with twice the episodes and every bit of the charm of series one…
Un-zombie drama In The Flesh arrived on BBC Three last year fully-formed, having sprung Athena-like from the head of creator Dominic Mitchell. Similar to a carved miniature or a Swiss Army Knife, its containment - a complete story of grief, prejudice and acceptance folded neatly into three hour-long episodes - was part of the attraction.
Doubling the length and broadening the scope for series two then, was a dangerous prospect. A second run of In The Flesh risked being a bloated, diluted version of the first, a drama that had made its point, outstayed its welcome, and was hanging around only to weaken the good work of its predecessor.
Danger averted. The second run is nothing of the sort. In the most natural of ways,...
In The Flesh returns to BBC Three in May with twice the episodes and every bit of the charm of series one…
Un-zombie drama In The Flesh arrived on BBC Three last year fully-formed, having sprung Athena-like from the head of creator Dominic Mitchell. Similar to a carved miniature or a Swiss Army Knife, its containment - a complete story of grief, prejudice and acceptance folded neatly into three hour-long episodes - was part of the attraction.
Doubling the length and broadening the scope for series two then, was a dangerous prospect. A second run of In The Flesh risked being a bloated, diluted version of the first, a drama that had made its point, outstayed its welcome, and was hanging around only to weaken the good work of its predecessor.
Danger averted. The second run is nothing of the sort. In the most natural of ways,...
- 3/7/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
That awards are nonsense is something all but the heavily invested agree on. But even Meryl Streep can't keep away
As any self-respecting self-regarder will tell you, there is absolutely no shame in losing to Meryl. So the fact that the awards season itself has just taken a beating from Ms Streep shouldn't dent its confidence unduly. Just to be nominated as "really ridiculous" by her is a huge honour that it absolutely never expected, and my guess is that it's just enjoying being present in the moment.
To recap, Meryl was this week charged with paying tribute to Emma Thompson at a New York film gala, following the British star's turn as author Pl Travers in Saving Mr Banks, the story of Walt Disney's attempt to bring her Mary Poppins stories to the screen. Meryl used the occasion to explain that Disney was an arse – not the greatest revelation to many of us,...
As any self-respecting self-regarder will tell you, there is absolutely no shame in losing to Meryl. So the fact that the awards season itself has just taken a beating from Ms Streep shouldn't dent its confidence unduly. Just to be nominated as "really ridiculous" by her is a huge honour that it absolutely never expected, and my guess is that it's just enjoying being present in the moment.
To recap, Meryl was this week charged with paying tribute to Emma Thompson at a New York film gala, following the British star's turn as author Pl Travers in Saving Mr Banks, the story of Walt Disney's attempt to bring her Mary Poppins stories to the screen. Meryl used the occasion to explain that Disney was an arse – not the greatest revelation to many of us,...
- 1/11/2014
- by Marina Hyde
- The Guardian - Film News
Genre: Horror | Drama
Original Broadcast Network: BBC America
Discs: 1
Run time: Approximately 180 minutes (3 episodes)
Release date: October 8, 2013
Creator/Writer: Dominic Mitchell
Director: Jonny Campbell
Synopsis:
In The Flesh, BBC America’s three-part series that Wired called “the thinking person’s Walking Dead,” is a unique take on a zombie apocalypse: what happens when humanity survives the uprising… and so do the zombies? When 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry, Anna Karenina, Quartet) committed suicide four years ago, his friends and family thought they’d never see him again – that is, until the dead began to rise. After a catastrophic war, imprisonment, and months of rehabilitation and medication, hoards of brain-craving undead have returned to a lucid state. The zombies, now known as Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers, are gradually being introduced back into a society that so recently fought them off for survival. For Kieren, returning home means confronting the community...
Original Broadcast Network: BBC America
Discs: 1
Run time: Approximately 180 minutes (3 episodes)
Release date: October 8, 2013
Creator/Writer: Dominic Mitchell
Director: Jonny Campbell
Synopsis:
In The Flesh, BBC America’s three-part series that Wired called “the thinking person’s Walking Dead,” is a unique take on a zombie apocalypse: what happens when humanity survives the uprising… and so do the zombies? When 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry, Anna Karenina, Quartet) committed suicide four years ago, his friends and family thought they’d never see him again – that is, until the dead began to rise. After a catastrophic war, imprisonment, and months of rehabilitation and medication, hoards of brain-craving undead have returned to a lucid state. The zombies, now known as Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers, are gradually being introduced back into a society that so recently fought them off for survival. For Kieren, returning home means confronting the community...
- 10/21/2013
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
Feature Jamie Andrew 18 Oct 2013 - 07:00
Jamie salutes the might of Jimmy McGovern's Cracker, starring Robbie Coltrane and now celebrating its twentieth anniversary...
Whenever I'm asked to name the best TV dramas of all time I have no hesitation in trotting out the holy trinity of The Sopranos, The Wire and Breaking Bad. If I'm in a 'Top Ten' situation, the contest for the remaining seven places is usually fought between other Us shows. And then, mid-compilation, a feeling passes through me like I've just forgotten my nephew's birthday, and an angry Robbie Coltrane dive-bombs into my consciousness. 'Cracker...' I gasp. 'How could I have forgotten about Cracker?'
How indeed. Cracker is a beautiful and brutal cocktail of gruesome entertainment, savage social commentary and unflinching truth, brought to life by the angry genius of writer/creator Jimmy McGovern and the succulently human, career-defining performance of Robbie Coltrane...
Jamie salutes the might of Jimmy McGovern's Cracker, starring Robbie Coltrane and now celebrating its twentieth anniversary...
Whenever I'm asked to name the best TV dramas of all time I have no hesitation in trotting out the holy trinity of The Sopranos, The Wire and Breaking Bad. If I'm in a 'Top Ten' situation, the contest for the remaining seven places is usually fought between other Us shows. And then, mid-compilation, a feeling passes through me like I've just forgotten my nephew's birthday, and an angry Robbie Coltrane dive-bombs into my consciousness. 'Cracker...' I gasp. 'How could I have forgotten about Cracker?'
How indeed. Cracker is a beautiful and brutal cocktail of gruesome entertainment, savage social commentary and unflinching truth, brought to life by the angry genius of writer/creator Jimmy McGovern and the succulently human, career-defining performance of Robbie Coltrane...
- 10/17/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Meryl Streep claws the walls well, but the trappings of theatre hobble this movie version of Tracy Letts' award-winning play
The auguries for August were good. Tracy Letts' play about a pill-popping, bile-spewing, scenery-guzzling matriarch, whose daughters try to pick up the pieces after her poet husband's suicide, won him a Pulitzer prize to stick with the Tony, plus prodigious other theatrical bling. The pedigree of this film version - backed by not just the Weinsteins but super-producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov - suggested he'd soon be adding some Oscars to the shelf.
But there's a big gap between pitch and victory, and John Wells's film comes a cropper on the prairie. We're in Oklahoma - flagged by sun-bleached landscapes static enough they might as well be painted on sheets and winched backstage by someone's mum. Violet (Meryl Streep), staggers into the study of her husband,...
The auguries for August were good. Tracy Letts' play about a pill-popping, bile-spewing, scenery-guzzling matriarch, whose daughters try to pick up the pieces after her poet husband's suicide, won him a Pulitzer prize to stick with the Tony, plus prodigious other theatrical bling. The pedigree of this film version - backed by not just the Weinsteins but super-producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov - suggested he'd soon be adding some Oscars to the shelf.
But there's a big gap between pitch and victory, and John Wells's film comes a cropper on the prairie. We're in Oklahoma - flagged by sun-bleached landscapes static enough they might as well be painted on sheets and winched backstage by someone's mum. Violet (Meryl Streep), staggers into the study of her husband,...
- 9/10/2013
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Genre: Sci-Fi | Drama
Air Date/Time: Thursday-Saturday, June 6-8, 10/9c (three episodes), with a block rebroadcast Sunday afternoon, June 9 at 2/1c
Network: BBC America
Creator/Writer: Dominic Mitchell
Director: Jonny Campbell
Synopsis:
BBC America’s co-production, In The Flesh, tells a very human story…about the undead. The mini-series springs to life with the channel’s special broadcast event, premiering over three consecutive nights. Zombie teenager Kieren Walker isn’t comfortable in his ‘undead’ state. After months of re-habilitation and medication, the zombies, now known as Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers, are gradually being returned to their homes. When Kieran returns, he is forced to confront his family, the community that rejected him and the haunting flashbacks of what he did in his untreated state. BBC America’s special three-night premiere event of In The Flesh begins Thursday, June 6, 10:00pm Et/Pt.
Emily Bevan (The Thick of It), Steve Evets...
Air Date/Time: Thursday-Saturday, June 6-8, 10/9c (three episodes), with a block rebroadcast Sunday afternoon, June 9 at 2/1c
Network: BBC America
Creator/Writer: Dominic Mitchell
Director: Jonny Campbell
Synopsis:
BBC America’s co-production, In The Flesh, tells a very human story…about the undead. The mini-series springs to life with the channel’s special broadcast event, premiering over three consecutive nights. Zombie teenager Kieren Walker isn’t comfortable in his ‘undead’ state. After months of re-habilitation and medication, the zombies, now known as Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers, are gradually being returned to their homes. When Kieran returns, he is forced to confront his family, the community that rejected him and the haunting flashbacks of what he did in his untreated state. BBC America’s special three-night premiere event of In The Flesh begins Thursday, June 6, 10:00pm Et/Pt.
Emily Bevan (The Thick of It), Steve Evets...
- 6/6/2013
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
After airing in the UK earlier this year, BBC America is bringing In The Flesh to the Us later this week. If you’re interested in a sneak peek, you can watch the first three minutes right now. In The Flesh was developed by Dominic Mitchell and shows us a world where zombies are rehabilitated back into society:
“The series follows zombie teenager Kieren Walker and his reintegration back into both the local community and the heart of his family. After his suicide four years ago, his friends and family thought they’d never see Kieren again. But then, shortly after his funeral, thousands rose from the dead; and after months of re-habilitation and medication, the zombies, now known as Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers, are gradually being returned to their homes. When Kieran returns, he is forced to confront his family, the community that rejected him, and haunting flashbacks...
“The series follows zombie teenager Kieren Walker and his reintegration back into both the local community and the heart of his family. After his suicide four years ago, his friends and family thought they’d never see Kieren again. But then, shortly after his funeral, thousands rose from the dead; and after months of re-habilitation and medication, the zombies, now known as Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers, are gradually being returned to their homes. When Kieran returns, he is forced to confront his family, the community that rejected him, and haunting flashbacks...
- 6/5/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
We've already seen a few sneak peeks of "In the Flesh," premiering on BBC America this Thursday night, June 6th, but now we have the opening three minutes of the series and some new artwork to share. Check 'em out, and let us know if you'll be tuning in.
Synopsis:
"In the Flesh" explores a post-zombie-uprising - from the zombie’s perspective. The series follows 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry; Anna Karenina, Quartet), a Partially Deceased Syndrome (Pds) sufferer who, now treated with the medication Neurolax, is deemed ready to return to his parents’ home in the small village of Roarton. Since the passing of the Pds Protection Act, the government has set an agenda of acceptance and tolerance, one that is at odds with the communities abandoned at the time of The Rising and the bloody battle between zombies and humans that ensued. A cauldron of brutal anti-zombie sentiment boils in Roarton,...
Synopsis:
"In the Flesh" explores a post-zombie-uprising - from the zombie’s perspective. The series follows 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry; Anna Karenina, Quartet), a Partially Deceased Syndrome (Pds) sufferer who, now treated with the medication Neurolax, is deemed ready to return to his parents’ home in the small village of Roarton. Since the passing of the Pds Protection Act, the government has set an agenda of acceptance and tolerance, one that is at odds with the communities abandoned at the time of The Rising and the bloody battle between zombies and humans that ensued. A cauldron of brutal anti-zombie sentiment boils in Roarton,...
- 6/4/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
While it shows off more of the humans than the zombies in BBC America's upcoming three-part mini-series "In the Flesh," this image gallery does give you a sneak peek of what the undead will generally be looking like on the show. So check it out and get ready for June 6th, 7th, and 8th!
Synopsis:
"In the Flesh" explores a post-zombie-uprising - from the zombie’s perspective. The series follows 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry; Anna Karenina, Quartet), a Partially Deceased Syndrome (Pds) sufferer who, now treated with the medication Neurolax, is deemed ready to return to his parents’ home in the small village of Roarton. Since the passing of the Pds Protection Act, the government has set an agenda of acceptance and tolerance, one that is at odds with the communities abandoned at the time of The Rising and the bloody battle between zombies and humans that ensued.
Synopsis:
"In the Flesh" explores a post-zombie-uprising - from the zombie’s perspective. The series follows 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry; Anna Karenina, Quartet), a Partially Deceased Syndrome (Pds) sufferer who, now treated with the medication Neurolax, is deemed ready to return to his parents’ home in the small village of Roarton. Since the passing of the Pds Protection Act, the government has set an agenda of acceptance and tolerance, one that is at odds with the communities abandoned at the time of The Rising and the bloody battle between zombies and humans that ensued.
- 5/31/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
As we are being continually overrun with zombie movies and shows, it has been expected that we’d be getting some kind of backlash, something highlighting the more sensitive side of the undead. There was the Warm Bodies movie recently, and now we have BBC America gifting us with a 3-night mini-series about “”Pds (Partially Dead Syndrome) sufferers” and their re-entry into civilization, entitled In the Flesh.
Here’s a clip, followed by the BBC America press release:
Clip: In the Flesh
BBC America’S In The Flesh Three-night Zombie Mini-series Event Begins Thursday, June 6
For the undead…life begins again.
“I don’t feel ready. But that’s why they say I am ready…because I’m feeling.”
–Zombie Teenager Kieren Walker, Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) Sufferer
BBC America’s co-production, In The Flesh, tells a very human story…about the undead. The mini-series springs to life with the channel’s special broadcast event,...
Here’s a clip, followed by the BBC America press release:
Clip: In the Flesh
BBC America’S In The Flesh Three-night Zombie Mini-series Event Begins Thursday, June 6
For the undead…life begins again.
“I don’t feel ready. But that’s why they say I am ready…because I’m feeling.”
–Zombie Teenager Kieren Walker, Pds (Partially Deceased Syndrome) Sufferer
BBC America’s co-production, In The Flesh, tells a very human story…about the undead. The mini-series springs to life with the channel’s special broadcast event,...
- 5/30/2013
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
In just one week BBC America kicks off its three-night "In the Flesh" zombie event, and we have a nearly three-minute long sneak peek of Episode 1 along with another promo that introduces us to Rick.
Synopsis:
"In the Flesh" explores a post-zombie-uprising - from the zombie’s perspective. The series follows 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry; Anna Karenina, Quartet), a Partially Deceased Syndrome (Pds) sufferer who, now treated with the medication Neurolax, is deemed ready to return to his parents’ home in the small village of Roarton. Since the passing of the Pds Protection Act, the government has set an agenda of acceptance and tolerance, one that is at odds with the communities abandoned at the time of The Rising and the bloody battle between zombies and humans that ensued. A cauldron of brutal anti-zombie sentiment boils in Roarton, the home of the ‘rotter’ hating Human Volunteer Force (Hvf). Can...
Synopsis:
"In the Flesh" explores a post-zombie-uprising - from the zombie’s perspective. The series follows 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry; Anna Karenina, Quartet), a Partially Deceased Syndrome (Pds) sufferer who, now treated with the medication Neurolax, is deemed ready to return to his parents’ home in the small village of Roarton. Since the passing of the Pds Protection Act, the government has set an agenda of acceptance and tolerance, one that is at odds with the communities abandoned at the time of The Rising and the bloody battle between zombies and humans that ensued. A cauldron of brutal anti-zombie sentiment boils in Roarton, the home of the ‘rotter’ hating Human Volunteer Force (Hvf). Can...
- 5/30/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
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