The director of Leaving Neverland, the documentary that chronicled two accusers’ sexual abuse claims against Michael Jackson, is criticizing a planned biopic about the late singer.
In a guest column for The Guardian published Sunday, Dan Reed criticized the decision to a biopic about the music icon, questioning why “no one is talking about ‘canceling’ this movie, which will glorify a man who raped children.”
“It seems that the press, his fans and the vast older demographic who grew up loving Jackson are willing to set aside his unhealthy relationship with children and just go along with the music,” Reed wrote.
He went on to directly address the filmmaking team, which includes director Antoine Fuqua, writer John Logan, as well as producers Graham King, John Branca and John McClain, the latter of whom are co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. Reed challenged whether the film would be able to represent alleged moments of abuse.
In a guest column for The Guardian published Sunday, Dan Reed criticized the decision to a biopic about the music icon, questioning why “no one is talking about ‘canceling’ this movie, which will glorify a man who raped children.”
“It seems that the press, his fans and the vast older demographic who grew up loving Jackson are willing to set aside his unhealthy relationship with children and just go along with the music,” Reed wrote.
He went on to directly address the filmmaking team, which includes director Antoine Fuqua, writer John Logan, as well as producers Graham King, John Branca and John McClain, the latter of whom are co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. Reed challenged whether the film would be able to represent alleged moments of abuse.
- 2/5/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A repeat of Martin Bashir's 2003 documentary with Michael Jackson pulled in 3.64m (15.4%) for ITV1 at 9pm last night, according to the latest viewing figures. Living With Michael Jackson: A Tonight Special, which featured controversial footage of the late singer admitting that he had previously allowed disadvantaged children to share his bed, originally drew around 15 million viewers. Dominating the 9pm slot was BBC One's New Tricks, which averaged 8.07m (34.2%) with its series six opener. Last year, the first episode of series five took an impressive 9.2m (37.6%), with the series averaging 8.4m (35.8%) across eight episodes. Five's The Mentalist was affected by the clash, dropping to 1.64m (6.9%), while Gerry's Big Decision managed 1.15m (4.9%) for Channel 4. Over on BBC Two, the half-hour Mock The Week grabbed (more)...
- 7/17/2009
- by By Dan French
- Digital Spy
The newsman who made headlines with his expose of Michael Jackson has been struck with a brain tumour.
Martin Bashir's Living With Michael Jackson TV special helped cement the pop superstar's reputation as an oddball who shared his bed with children.
And now the British news reporter, who hosts America's Nightline show, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour after a blow to the head prompted him to seek medical help.
Tests showed Bashir had a benign tumour.
A representative for Bashir says, "Martin is seeing this as a blessing in disguise. If he hadn't had the knock to his head, he would never have known about the tumour."
The newsman is not expected to undergo surgery, but doctors will monitor his condition.
Martin Bashir's Living With Michael Jackson TV special helped cement the pop superstar's reputation as an oddball who shared his bed with children.
And now the British news reporter, who hosts America's Nightline show, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour after a blow to the head prompted him to seek medical help.
Tests showed Bashir had a benign tumour.
A representative for Bashir says, "Martin is seeing this as a blessing in disguise. If he hadn't had the knock to his head, he would never have known about the tumour."
The newsman is not expected to undergo surgery, but doctors will monitor his condition.
- 6/10/2008
- WENN
Michael Jackson was found not guilty of all ten charges against him in the long, protracted child molestation trial that captured the attention of the world. After 14 weeks of testimony and arguments, the jury spent 32 hours, or about seven days, deliberating the case before sending word around 12:30pm on Monday afternoon that they had reached a verdict. With media clamoring outside and a number of frenzied fans holding banners and shouting encouragement, the court clerk read all ten counts against Jackson, which included molesting a teenage boy, plying the young boy patient with alcohol in order to abuse him and conspiring to commit child abduction, and false imprisonment and extortion. Jackson was found not guilty of all counts, including some charges that also included lesser offenses. Looking weaker than at the start of the trial, Jackson was accompanied by members of his family and reportedly tearful upon the reading of the verdicts. He immediately left the courthouse in the extended motorcade that brought him to the courthouse earlier from his Neverland ranch; he was more subdued than at the beginning of the trial, when he danced for fans outside the courthouse. The innocent verdicts bring to an end a two-year long drama that started in February 2003, when Jackson appeared in the British TV documentary Living with Michael Jackson, in which he was interviewed by Martin Bashir while holding hands with a young cancer survivor who was named in the show but whose identity was not revealed by the US press once legal proceedings were underway. Jackson's Neverland ranch was searched in November 2003, and formal charges were filed against Jackson a month later; a grand jury indicted the singer in April 2004. The trial that ensued included testimony from celebrities as well as the accuser's family, and often included graphic testimony; Jackson also notoriously arrived late one morning dressed only in his pajamas, and reportedly suffered numerous health problems as the trial progressed. And despite his freedom, rumors have continued to dog the singer that he is suffering severe financial problems. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 6/13/2005
- IMDb News
The defense in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial rested its case yesterday morning without calling on the singer to testify on his own behalf. Jackson's attorneys called some 50 witnesses - including Macaulay Culkin and comedian Jay Leno - in just 15 days. Comedian Chris Tucker took the stand yesterday as the final defense witness, testifying that during the time he befriended Jackson's young accuser he found the boy to be unusually sophisticated and cunning for a 12-year-old. He told the courtroom, "He was really smart and he was cunning at times, and his brother... was definitely cunning." Tucker was put on the stand to help make the defense case that the boy and his family have a history of targeting celebrities and trying to get money from them. Tucker also testified that he once took Jackson aside and warned him to "watch out" for the boy's mother because he had grown suspicious of her. Rush Hour star Tucker said the boy repeatedly asked for gifts but that he forgave the boy's behavior because he knew he had battled cancer and had family problems. Tucker met Jackson's accuser at a benefit while the boy was battling cancer in 2000, and testified that he offered the family many gifts until he became suspicious of their motives. The funnyman accompanied the boy and his family on a trip to Miami, Florida, to see Jackson on the day the controversial trial-triggering documentary Living With Michael Jackson aired in 2003. Prosecutors contend Jackson used the trip to keep the family from seeing the documentary. But Tucker, who chartered the flight, testified that the boy asked to go to Miami to be with Jackson and to get away from media bothering him and his family. Prosecutors will begin a rebuttal this afternoon, and Jackson's attorneys will then be given an opportunity to respond. Closing arguments probably will not begin before next week. Jackson, 46, has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.
- 5/26/2005
- WENN
Michael Jackson's child sex accuser and his family were again branded liars in court yesterday when a social worker testified they had nothing but praise for the pop star when she interviewed them. Los Angeles Child Services veteran Irene Peters also told jurors in Jackson's ongoing child molestation trial she met privately with the accuser and his family and didn't get the impression they were being held against their will at the star's Neverland Ranch, as they claim. Peters, who insisted the family members praised Jackson and denied any sexual abuse, recalled meeting the teenaged accuser, his mother, and two siblings in February 2003, after the airing of Martin Bashir's damning Living With Michael Jackson documentary that drew attention to Jackson's relationship with the boy. She told the court, "I asked him if he had ever been sexually abused by Michael Jackson and he became upset. He said, 'Everybody thinks Michael Jackson sexually abused me. He never touched me.'" Peters testified she also interviewed the mother separately, and she claimed Jackson was responsible for helping her son, then 13, battle cancer. The social worker added, "She denied all allegations of general neglect... I asked her about the relationship with Michael Jackson. She went on to say he was like a father to her children." Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The trial continues.
- 5/18/2005
- WENN
Two witnesses have told Michael Jackson's child molestation trial that the mother of his teenage accuser made no attempt to ask for help during a trip outside the singer's ranch when her family were allegedly being held prisoner by him. The Santa Maria, California, court yesterday heard from orthodontist Jean Lorraine Seamount and bodywaxer Carole McCoy that the boy's mother didn't request assistance while visiting them. Following the TV broadcast of Martin Bashir's controversial documentary Living With Michael Jackson - which showed Jackson's accuser cuddling up to the star - in early 2003, prosecutors claim Jackson and five employees held the boy's family captive for three weeks. However, Jackson's housekeeper of 10 years, Maria Gomez, testified the boy's mother had asked her for help in escaping the singer's Neverland Ranch at that time. Gomez said, "On that occasion, she said three persons were holding her there." Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The trial continues.
- 5/17/2005
- WENN
An unseen Michael Jackson video became key evidence in the pop star's child molestation trial yesterday as footage journalist Martin Bashir left out of his damning Living With Michael Jackson documentary was aired in court. A film shot by Jackson's videographer, featuring his candid chats with Bashir, was shown to the jury as the defense team attempted to prove the pop star had been misrepresented in the TV special. In the footage, Bashir actually praises Jackson's parenting skills - even though he criticized the pop star in the actual documentary. In the videographer's version of events, Bashir told Jackson, "Your relationship to your children is spectacular. It almost makes me weep." Jackson insisted his videographer catch his interviews with Bashir to make sure he wasn't misrepresented. The pop star added, "I haven't been betrayed or deceived by children. Adults have let me down. I'm not a nut. I'm very smart. You can't come this far and be a nut."...
- 5/13/2005
- WENN
Michael Jackson kidnapped his teen accuser and his family to prevent an expensive lawsuit which he feared would damage his crumbling financial empire, the singer's child molestation trial heard on Monday. Forensic accountant Ross O'Bryan testified at the Santa Maria, California court that the "Bad" star was facing a cash crisis in February 2003, when journalist Martin Bashir's damaging Living With Michael Jackson documentary aired. O'Bryan presented jurors with memos from Jackson's financial advisors, warning him his spending habits had spiraled out of control. He also showed a balance sheet showing Jackson's overall debt had rise to approximately $224 million by February. And prosecutors alleged Jackson held the family captive in California to persuade them to take part in a video rebutting Bashir's documentary, in a desperate bid to avoid a costly trial. But former prosecutor Craig Smith said after the trial it was "too big a jump in logic" to claim Jackson's money woes led to a kidnap plot. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The trial continues.
- 5/4/2005
- WENN
Michael Jackson's senior aide told the singer's child molestation trial on Monday he cashed two checks worth $1.5 million to fund the kidnap of Jackson's teenage accuser and his family. Bank manager Beverly Wagner has confirmed Mark Schaffel cashed the checks in April 2003 from an account belonging to Jackson's Neverland Valley Entertainment, but she did not know how the Thriller singer intended to spend it. And prosecution lawyers claim Schaffel conspired with Jackson to use the money to hold Gavin Arvizo and his family captive in California, while Jackson attempted to persuade them to take part in a video rebutting Martin Bashir's damaging Living With Michael Jackson documentary. Schaffel is also suing Jackson in a separate lawsuit, claiming the troubled star owes him more than $3 million after borrowing the money for a series of shopping sprees. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The trial continues.
- 5/3/2005
- WENN
Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe has revealed she ignored a script when she appeared in a 2003 image-improvement video because she wanted her answers to questions about her former husband to be honest and clear. Rowe took to the stand in court in Santa Maria, California, again yesterday morning, after spending 45 minutes there at the end of Wednesday's hearing. And, after the defense team moved to have her testimony struck from the record - a motion that was denied - she continued to pour praise on her ex, insisting that she wanted to be closer to him and their two children. Tearful Rowe even glared at Jackson at one point as she told the court she still considers herself a friend of the King of Pop, and said, "If he'd just talk to me." Rowe then admitted she had been given a list of 105 scripted questions to help her prepare for her part in the 2003 rebuttal video, which was released to combat claims made by British journalist Martin Bashir in his damning documentary Living With Michael Jackson, but she didn't read them. She added that Jackson's associate Marc Schaffel did ask her to rephrase an answer but she insisted she would only do it as long as it didn't change the meaning of her answer. Rowe told the court she was excited to do the interview because she was expecting to see her children and Jackson again. Jackson cut all ties to Rowe when they divorced in 1999. The prosecution called Rowe as a witness, hoping her testimony would prove the pop star conspired to hold his child molestation accuser's family hostage while they filmed a scripted segment for his image-improving video. Court experts claim Rowe's testimony may have wrecked the prosecution's conspiracy and kidnapping case.
- 4/29/2005
- WENN
Michael Jackson's former wife Debbie Rowe shocked prosecution lawyers when she tearfully testified yesterday that she was not pressurized into appearing in a television documentary praising her ex husband - and she asserted that her answers were not scripted by Jackson or his aides. Rowe, who was married to the Thriller singer for three years from 1996 to 1999, and had children Prince Michael and Paris with him, was expected to bolster the prosecution's argument that Jackson forced the family of the boy accusing Jackson into appearing in a counter documentary following British journalist Martin Bashir's damaging 2003 expose Living With Michael Jackson. Rowe told the court, "I didn't want anyone to be able to come back to me and say my interview was rehearsed. As Mr. Jackson knows, no one can tell me what to say." She said that she was offered a list of the questions so she could prepare, but she chose not to read them. She recalled, "It was a cold interview and I wanted to keep it that way." Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen asked Rowe what she expected in return for giving the video interview and the visibly crying witness replied, "To be reunited with the children and be reacquainted with their dad." In his opening statement on February 28, chief prosecutor Tom Sneddon told the jury, "Debbie Rowe will tell you her interview also was completely scripted. They scripted that interview just like they scripted the (accuser's mother's) interview." But the prosecution's line of attack has faltered in the face of Rowe's reversed testimony - and she remained adamant that neither Jackson or his aides tried to coerce her into giving scripted answers. Rowe will take the stand again today. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. The trial continues.
- 4/28/2005
- WENN
Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe will take to the stand as a prosecution witness at the singer's child molestation trial. The 41-year-old former nurse - who is currently locked in a custody battle with the Thriller star over their two children Prince Michael, eight, and Paris, seven - will reportedly testify that she was given a script and rehearsed for an interview aimed at downplaying Martin Bashir's TV documentary Living With Michael Jackson, in which the singer confessed he regularly invites children into his bed. The prosecuting team are hoping Rowe will bolster the claim of the mother of the alleged teen victim. Rowe has told the Santa Maria, California, courtroom she was forced to heap gushing praise on Jackson after the controversial show aired in 2003. A source tells Scottish newspaper the Sunday Mail, "Debbie is going to be a very important witness. She knows all of Jackson's secrets and what she has to say could alter everything about the case."...
- 4/25/2005
- WENN
The mother of Michael Jackson's teenage accuser clashed with defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau in the singer's child molestation trial on Friday - when he told her she was lying about the alleged abuse. The woman and Mesereau's exchange became so heated that Judge Rodney Melville was forced to warn the attorney to behave more professionally, and ordered the witness to stop being argumentative. At one point she told the court in Santa Maria, California, "Neverland is all about pornography, booze and sex with boys." Judge Melville told the jury to ignore the remark. The boy's mother had spent the preceding two days testifying she and her family were held against their will at Jackson's Neverland ranch near Santa Barbara, California, following the broadcast of Martin Bashir's controversial 2003 TV documentary Living With Michael Jackson. On Friday, Mesereau asked her, "How many times, in your mind, did you escape from that dungeon, Neverland?" The witness admitted she had left and returned three times, but claimed she was enticed back by Jackson employees. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.
- 4/18/2005
- WENN
The mother of Michael Jackson's teenage child molestation accuser has testified in court she didn't call the police when she and her family were kidnapped by the pop star's aides because she thought no one would believe her bizarre story. The woman took to the stand in court in Santa Maria, California yesterday and told the court Jackson's employees Vinnie Amen and Frank Tyson shuttled the family around California, informing them that "killers" were on their trail. Prosecutors in the case claim the family was held captive while Jackson attempted to persuade them to take part in a video rebutting Martin Bashir's Living With Michael Jackson documentary. The witness broke down in tears during her testimony when the prosecution team showed her passports she claimed she had been forced to obtain for her and her kids for a trip to Brazil. She said she had never been given the documents. She went on to tell the court that she and her children spent more than two weeks in February and March of 2003 being told exactly what to do by Jackson's bodyguards, adding they monitored her telephone calls and would not let her leave their custody. She alleged that at one point in that time, the family was taken to Jackson's Neverland Ranch home, where they were separated and she was forced to live alone in a guest house on the sprawling property. She told the court, "All along this period, I'm trying to reach people to help me because it's evolving into more and more escalation." The woman revealed she would "drop clues" in telephone calls about her forced captivity because she feared her children would disappear if she told friends exactly what was going on. She also explained she and her children were forced to appear in the proposed rebuttal video, and were told to stick to a script that praised the pop star, calling him "a wonderful father." The witness insisted she didn't really know what she was saying on camera: "I was confused, I was sad, so basically I was acting." The prosecution alleges that her son was molested by the pop superstar during this time.
- 4/15/2005
- WENN
The stepfather of Michael Jackson's teenage child molestation accuser has testified the pop superstar attempted to bribe him in return for forcing his family to take part in a video praising the King of Pop. The man told the court in Santa Maria, California, yesterday that he was offered a house and college tuition money for his family's participation in a Jackson rebuttal video to the famous Martin Bashir documentary Living With Michael Jackson. The stepfather also claimed he noticed a marked change in his stepson's attitude after he returned from his last visit to Jackson's Neverland Ranch.
- 4/13/2005
- WENN
A Michael Jackson fan caused chaos at the King Of Pop's ongoing child molestation trial yesterday when she started screaming hysterically when sheriff's deputies attempted to help her after she fell over. The unnamed woman, a spectator at the trial in Santa Maria, California, was escorted to an ambulance after disturbing the proceedings with her cries for a lost notebook. Meanwhile, a comedienne who gave $20,000 to the family of the boy accusing Jackson of molestation testified that she received a tearful phone call from the boy's mother that led her to believe the family was being held against its will. Louise Palanker revealed she tried to get in touch with the family after watching TV documentary Living With Michael Jackson, which featured the singer's accuser. In court, Palanker told the jury that the accuser's mother sounded "frightened" when she eventually tracked her down. She claims the mother told her, "Don't call me back here. They're listening to everything I say. These people are evil," before she started crying. The comedienne explained she called her attorney after the phone chat because she felt the family were being held against their will. Palanker was called as a witness for the prosecution, who aim to prove Jackson and his aides kidnapped the family and forced them to take part in a video praising the pop star's fatherly qualities - as a rebuttal to the damning Living With Michael Jackson film.
- 3/23/2005
- WENN
Jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial were treated to a second day of video-watching Friday morning as they viewed a documentary featuring the pop star's accuser and his family praising the singer. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon presented the tape in court in Santa Maria, California, after telling the jury Jackson's aides had given the family scripts and told them to "be nice" about the pop star. Then they filmed the family talking about the star as a rebuttal to British journalist Martin Bashir's controversial Living With Michael Jackson. In the film, Jackson's accuser and members of his family referred to the King of Pop as "nice," "humble" and "a father figure." The accuser's mother appeared on film praising Jackson for extending "love to the whole family," adding that the pop superstar helped her son cope with his cancer woes. She said, "He's an ideal family man and I appreciate him with all my heart. Michael Jackson was instrumental in my son's remission because he gave my children what their heart desired a father."...
- 3/7/2005
- WENN
Michael Jackson has accused British journalist Martin Bashir of betraying their friendship by taking to the stand as a prosecution witness - despite the fact Bashir faces possible prosecution after refusing to answer questions. Bashir, 42, interviewed Jackson at his California Neverland Ranch in January 2003 for the controversial documentary Living With Michael Jackson, which raised questions about the superstar's relationship with young boys. The footage led to Jackson's November arrest on 10 felony charges of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent, and conspiracy involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion. But on the second day of Jackson's trial on Tuesday, Bashir declined to respond to the majority of the questions, including if he asked Jackson to sign documents without lawyers present, how many hours of footage were cut from the documentary, whether he was employed as a correspondent at the trial and if he saw any unedited footage from the film. But Jackson's spokeswoman Raymone K Bain fumes, "He was very angry, because here was somebody he had embraced as a friend. He felt there was some betrayal there."...
- 3/4/2005
- WENN
The child molestation case against Michael Jackson was unveiled yesterday by District Attorney Thomas Sneddon, who accused the pop star of exposing his accuser to "strange sexual behavior". The prosecutor addressed the alleged victim by name, telling the court that he could not continue his case without identifying the teen boy and his family. He said Jackson groped the boy, and one of his associates threatened to kill the accuser's mother if he told anyone. Sneddon said, "(The accuser) will describe to you his sexual experiences with Michael Jackson. He will do it here in open court and he will do it with the whole world watching." Judge Rodney S. Melville opened the day in the Santa Maria, California, courthouse by reading the indictment against Jackson to the jury, in which the charges against the Bad singer are outlined and five co-conspirators, who have not been indicted, are named. All five are Jackson employees. In the indictment, 28 acts were allegedly committed in the conspiracy to keep the molestation under wraps, prosecutors charge. Jackson has pleaded not guilty to all counts. According to Sneddon, the case centered on Jackson's "desperate attempt" to protect his career following the 2003 television documentary Living With Michael Jackson, in which the alleged victim is seen holding hands with Jackson, who said on camera that he allowed children to sleep in his bed. The airing of the documentary was "a train wreck", according to one of the coconspirators, Sneddon said.
- 3/1/2005
- WENN
Prosecutors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial have requested a controversial TV documentary be admitted as evidence and shown to jurors. British documentary Living With Michael Jackson - labeled a "public relations catastrophe" by prosecutors - contains footage of Jackson being interviewed by journalist Martin Bashir. In the film, Jackson is seen defending his habit of allowing young boys to sleep in the same room as him at his Neverland ranch near Santa Barbara, California. However, defense lawyer Robert Sanger says, "It is heavily edited in the most sensational fashion possible, and contains highly inflammatory material regarding matters such as Mr. Jackson's care of his own children, plastic surgery, Mr. Jackson's financial affairs and other prejudicial matters. Hollywood techniques were used to make the video more dramatic. Scenes are juxtaposed. The pace of the program is edited to build drama." Prosecutors have previously requested that Bashir be allowed to testify at the trial, about the making of the documentary and to reveal whether any of the incidents in the film were "staged".
- 1/28/2005
- WENN
Troubled singer Michael Jackson will have to wait even longer to fight for his innocence - his trial for child molestation charges has been delayed until January. The Thriller star's defense team requested the scheduled September 13 trial date be delayed until the new year, so the lawyers can fully examine the huge amount of information gathered by prosecutors. Tuesday, Californian judge Rodney Melville granted Jackson's request at the pre-trial hearing in Santa Maria. During the hearing Deputy District Attorney Gordon Auchincloss claims Jackson imprisoned a child and his family at his Neverland Ranch and forced them to absolve him of molestation claims in a videotape. Jackson caused controversy in British documentary Living With Michael Jackson when he was filmed holding hands with his alleged victim and saying he found sharing his bed with children "sweet". Soon after the program was broadcast in February 2003, Auchincloss alleges Jackson imprisoned the family and forced them to record the tape. Auchincloss said, "The person Jackson perceived could put out this public relations fire was 'John Doe' and his family. If he could get them on tape describing Mr. Jackson as a wonderful person, it would quell this fire." Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr hit back, labeling the prosecution case as "absurd on its face" and asked the judge to dismiss all charges. Jackson was arrested in November and has pleaded not guilty to charges of committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.
- 7/29/2004
- WENN
LONDON -- U.K. television exports nearly broke the $1 billion barrier in 2003, the British Television Distributors' Assn. reported Thursday. Sales were fueled by the success of shows like Living with Michael Jackson, Midsomer Murders and Paradise Hotel, Exports to the United States were especially lucrative, constituting 43% of U.K. exports last year and growing 41% from 2002, the report said. Five years ago, co-production sales made up only 9% of export earnings, the BTDA said, but last year it was more than 12% of the total, with 93% of the co-productions coming from the United States. Total revenue from TV exports in 2003 was $921 million, up 22% from a year-earlier $754 million, according to BTDA data.
- 5/14/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- Commercial television's ITV News beat BBC News to win top prizes at the Royal Television Society's annual journalism awards announced Tuesday night. ITV Evening News was named news program of the year and ITV's John Irvine won the prize as TV journalist of the year. An ITV special, Welcome to Baghdad, reported by Irvine, won the international news award. Living with Michael, produced by Granada for ITV and featuring Martin Bashir's famous interview with Michael Jackson, won as program of the year. Sky News was named news channel of the year and Channel 4 won the news event award for its coverage of the Iraq war. The BBC picked up the international current affairs award for an episode of Panorama titled In the Line of Fire, which detailed the realities of modern warfare.
- 2/25/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
British super-couple David Beckham and Victoria Beckham are furious that a controversial British journalist is following them across the Far East. The soccer hero and his one-time Spice Girl wife are being dogged by determined interviewer Martin Bashir while on a promotional tour of Asia. Bashir, 40, made a splash with a ground-breaking interview with Princess Diana, in which she confessed to having an affair. He hit headlines again last year with the documentary Living With Michael Jackson, provoking much fury from the reclusive star, who claimed Bashir had slanted the piece to make him look bad. Bashir requested an up-close-and-personal interview with the power pair, but they refused - and, insiders say, they believe this is the reason for Bashir's determination to dog their every move. He has even left notes pleading with them to get in touch. A friend tells Britain's Daily Star newspaper, "He is basically stalking them. They plan to make formal complaints when they get back to England." And another pal says, "David and Victoria are furious - Bashir won't leave them alone. When David was at a school giving a football class, Bashir was on the top of the building opposite spying on them. And he's been hanging around outside their hotel the whole time. He just won't get the message - they don't want to be interviewed by him."...
- 6/24/2003
- WENN
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