John Cleese Discusses Irony and the Adaptation of Fawlty Towers The iconic British comedy Fawlty Towers is making a comeback, but this time on the stage. Its creator, John Cleese, has taken great care to adapt the beloved series to a modern audience, ensuring that outdated racial slurs are removed, aligning with contemporary societal norms. Yet, he asserts that the core essence of irony and satire that defined the original series will remain untouched. Cleese explains that the effectiveness of comedy often lies in its layering of meanings that can bypass those who interpret these elements literally. Updates to Script
The post Fawlty Towers Stage Adaptation Removes Racial Slurs and Emphasizes Irony, Says John Cleese first appeared on TVovermind.
The post Fawlty Towers Stage Adaptation Removes Racial Slurs and Emphasizes Irony, Says John Cleese first appeared on TVovermind.
- 5/4/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Rediscovering the Essence of Fawlty Towers for the Stage On May 4, 2024, Fawlty Towers: The Play is set to grace the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, marking a significant adaptation of the original sitcom famed for its sharp wit and unforgettable situations. Adapted from three pivotal episodes – ‘The Hotel Inspector’, ‘The Germans’, and ‘Communication Problems’ – the stage version aims to rekindle the show’s classic humor with a fresh twist. A focus on the central theme of bridging differing eras emerges as Cleese ingeniously blends the vintage charm with present-day sensibilities. I’m delighted that we’ve managed to retain
The post John Cleese Is Too Tired to Be Unpleasant as He Prepares Fawlty Towers The Play first appeared on TVovermind.
The post John Cleese Is Too Tired to Be Unpleasant as He Prepares Fawlty Towers The Play first appeared on TVovermind.
- 5/4/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
The first preview for the West End adaptation of “Fawlty Towers — The Play,” based on the legendary British comedy series created by and starring John Cleese and Connie Booth, hits the boards later this week. The show is an amalgamation of three of the 12 episodes of the zany resort-set series, one of which is the most famous: “The Germans.”
Most remember that episode for the catchphrase “don’t mention the war,” the talking moose, and Cleese goosestepping around his humble Torquay hotel lobby. But it also included its share of envelope-pushing material. Indeed, the character The Major – an old senile drunk played by Ballard Berkeley – tells a rambling story about his time in India in which someone got their racial slurs confused. The scene includes the use of the N-word, as well as a derogatory term for Indians.
In 2020, UKTV removed it, but later reinstated it after Cleese called the move “stupid.
Most remember that episode for the catchphrase “don’t mention the war,” the talking moose, and Cleese goosestepping around his humble Torquay hotel lobby. But it also included its share of envelope-pushing material. Indeed, the character The Major – an old senile drunk played by Ballard Berkeley – tells a rambling story about his time in India in which someone got their racial slurs confused. The scene includes the use of the N-word, as well as a derogatory term for Indians.
In 2020, UKTV removed it, but later reinstated it after Cleese called the move “stupid.
- 5/2/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
American TV bosses obviously didn’t learn many lessons from “Episodes,” the Showtime/BBC co-production which brilliantly skewered the habit of adapting British sitcoms, and removing all nuances, subtleties, and idiosyncrasies in the process. In the 13 years since its premiere, there’s been numerous failed pilots (“Spy”), ratings disasters (“Free Agents”), and entire series considered unfit for public consumption (“Us and Them”) which originated across the pond. Now the most singular UK comedy of the 2010s is going transatlantic.
The BAFTA-nominated “Friday Night Dinner” — which served up 37 episodes from 2011-2020 —stemmed from creator Robert Popper’s real-life secular Jewish family and their weekly Shabbat meals, explaining why everything from its suburban London home to its lovable oddballs feels so wonderfully specific. Disappointingly, Amazon Freevee’s “Dinner with the Parents” is as generic as its title.
The 10-part series on Freevee does attempt to retain some of the original’s quirks.
The BAFTA-nominated “Friday Night Dinner” — which served up 37 episodes from 2011-2020 —stemmed from creator Robert Popper’s real-life secular Jewish family and their weekly Shabbat meals, explaining why everything from its suburban London home to its lovable oddballs feels so wonderfully specific. Disappointingly, Amazon Freevee’s “Dinner with the Parents” is as generic as its title.
The 10-part series on Freevee does attempt to retain some of the original’s quirks.
- 4/18/2024
- by Jon O'Brien
- Indiewire
The more versatile an actor is, the more in demand they are. One of the major skills that an actor needs to grab more projects is the ability to change accents at will. This becomes even more essential when you are in the animation industry, where the way you speak can severely impact the quality of the entire production.
A still from Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths- Part One
DC has been experimenting with electronic media ever since the earliest days of Superman radio shows. As technology developed, that translated into animations and live-action adaptations of comic book storylines. The DC Animated Universe (Dcau) is one of the most respected brands in the industry, with shows like Justice League Animated and films like All-Star Superman. DC’s recent entry Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths has been well-liked as well, and fans are really excited for one character in particular.
A still from Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths- Part One
DC has been experimenting with electronic media ever since the earliest days of Superman radio shows. As technology developed, that translated into animations and live-action adaptations of comic book storylines. The DC Animated Universe (Dcau) is one of the most respected brands in the industry, with shows like Justice League Animated and films like All-Star Superman. DC’s recent entry Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths has been well-liked as well, and fans are really excited for one character in particular.
- 4/13/2024
- by Sayantan Choudhary
- FandomWire
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
What can you say about a month of entertainment that opens with a TV series about a charming sociopath and closes with a movie about tennis players in love? It’s tempting to say there’s something for everyone to watch but, more accurately, April offers a lot of choices for those with specific tastes. From the theater to streaming services like Prime Video and Max, the best...
What can you say about a month of entertainment that opens with a TV series about a charming sociopath and closes with a movie about tennis players in love? It’s tempting to say there’s something for everyone to watch but, more accurately, April offers a lot of choices for those with specific tastes. From the theater to streaming services like Prime Video and Max, the best...
- 4/3/2024
- by Keith Phipps
- Rollingstone.com
Tony Robinson talks to his old friend and collaborator, screenwriter Richard Curtis in a special episode of Cunningcast dedicated to the lost Blackadder pilot. They share memories and secrets of making Blackadder from the early years to how it all ended. Along the way, Richard and Tony discuss Richard’s comedy roots and how he became a leading screenwriter: meeting Rowan Atkinson at Oxford Uni, working on Not The Nine O’Clock News, the influence of Fawlty Towers and plans for a Blackadder series set in the 1960s that never happened.
- 3/20/2024
- by PodcastingToday
- Podcastingtoday
"Night Court" was part of the legendary NBC Thursday night lineup back in the mid-1980s. It ran in a block with "The Cosby Show," "Cheers," and "Family Ties," a proud part of a sitcom renaissance that lasted through to the end of the decade. Of that lineup, "Night Court" was the black sheep, offering up broader characters, wackier scenarios, and a surrealist tone that kept it just a few steps removed from reality. The series was set in a Manhattan Criminal Court, but only during its night shift, when all the weird cases came in. Harry Anderson played Judge Harry Stone, although the late hours had made him playfully unbalanced. Also often on the night shift was prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), a lascivious narcissist and amusingly crude a-hole.
Larroquette was exceptional in the role. "Night Court" ran from 1984 to 1992, and Larroquette won Primetime Emmys four of those years,...
Larroquette was exceptional in the role. "Night Court" ran from 1984 to 1992, and Larroquette won Primetime Emmys four of those years,...
- 3/2/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
John Cleese has adapted three episodes of Fawlty Towers into a play, which will premiere in the West End in May.
Fawlty Towers is often, quite rightly, cited as one of the best sitcoms ever made. Starring John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth, it was written by Cleese and Booth who, according to the DVD commentaries, took six weeks to plot and write each episode.
The show was based on a real hotel the Monty Python team stayed at, with Basil Fawlty based on its proprietor Donald Sinclair, after whom Cleese later named his character in Rat Race.
According to the British Comedy Guide, Cleese has adapted three episodes for the stage as a play which will premiere at the Apollo Theatre in the West End in June. Caroline Jay Ranger will direct.
The episodes are The Hotel Inspector and The Germans from Series 1 and Communication Problems...
Fawlty Towers is often, quite rightly, cited as one of the best sitcoms ever made. Starring John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth, it was written by Cleese and Booth who, according to the DVD commentaries, took six weeks to plot and write each episode.
The show was based on a real hotel the Monty Python team stayed at, with Basil Fawlty based on its proprietor Donald Sinclair, after whom Cleese later named his character in Rat Race.
According to the British Comedy Guide, Cleese has adapted three episodes for the stage as a play which will premiere at the Apollo Theatre in the West End in June. Caroline Jay Ranger will direct.
The episodes are The Hotel Inspector and The Germans from Series 1 and Communication Problems...
- 2/5/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
The Fawlty Towers revival continues apace.
Not content with rebooting the TV series with Rob Reiner, John Cleese has now penned a stage adaptation of three episodes of the 40-year-old BBC series, which is widely considered one of the best British shows of all time.
Fawlty Towers: The Play is based on three episodes: “The Hotel Inspectors,” “The Germans” and “Communication Problems,” and will merge the three into one. One of the episodes, “The Germans,” has caused a stir in recent years as a character repeatedly uses the N-word in reference to members of the West Indies cricket team. It was briefly taken down from UKTV’s streaming service four years ago before being reinstated.
Cleese said he has “assembled a top-class group of comedy actors” and written “one huge finale” to the play.
It was originally staged in Australia but is now coming to London’s West End Apollo Theatre,...
Not content with rebooting the TV series with Rob Reiner, John Cleese has now penned a stage adaptation of three episodes of the 40-year-old BBC series, which is widely considered one of the best British shows of all time.
Fawlty Towers: The Play is based on three episodes: “The Hotel Inspectors,” “The Germans” and “Communication Problems,” and will merge the three into one. One of the episodes, “The Germans,” has caused a stir in recent years as a character repeatedly uses the N-word in reference to members of the West Indies cricket team. It was briefly taken down from UKTV’s streaming service four years ago before being reinstated.
Cleese said he has “assembled a top-class group of comedy actors” and written “one huge finale” to the play.
It was originally staged in Australia but is now coming to London’s West End Apollo Theatre,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
“10 Lives,” an animated comedy set to premiere at Sundance, tells the story of a pampered cat called Beckett (voiced by British comedian Mo Gilligan) who undergoes a series of transformations – both physical and emotional – while learning a lesson about love.
The all-star cast includes “Bridgerton’s” Simone Ashley, “Love, Actually” star Bill Nighy and One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik in his first feature film speaking role. Malik is also credited as executive music producer, writing some new tracks for the film, including a duet with Ashley.
Ahead of its festival debut, Jenkins sat down with Variety to talk about going to Sundance, working with Malik and how he sidestepped making a “butthole cut” (featuring animated cat anuses as the controversial “Cats” movie reportedly did before eventually scrapping that version) of the movie.
How did you come onto this project?
I was brought in [by the producers]. Prior to my arrival, it was set in California.
The all-star cast includes “Bridgerton’s” Simone Ashley, “Love, Actually” star Bill Nighy and One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik in his first feature film speaking role. Malik is also credited as executive music producer, writing some new tracks for the film, including a duet with Ashley.
Ahead of its festival debut, Jenkins sat down with Variety to talk about going to Sundance, working with Malik and how he sidestepped making a “butthole cut” (featuring animated cat anuses as the controversial “Cats” movie reportedly did before eventually scrapping that version) of the movie.
How did you come onto this project?
I was brought in [by the producers]. Prior to my arrival, it was set in California.
- 1/19/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The current generation will likely know John Cleese for his Tweets and his Gb News project "The Dinosaur Hour," which recently saw him trading witticisms with Stephen Fry in a 12th-century castle for some reason. Which is a shame because at one time he was pretty much unanimously viewed as a British national treasure and comedy great. So much so that when he dropped in on the "Cheers" crowd back in the '80s, he basically caused the whole show to buckle under the weight of his reputation, at least until the writers managed to compose themselves enough to get his episode back on track.
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
John Cleese spent Boxing Day courting controversy on X (formerly Twitter) after he posted a joke in which he compared Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler. The joke rubbed many of the comedian’s followers the wrong way, prompting Cleese to issue several responses in which he somewhat trolled those who took his post as fact and didn’t realize he was clearly messing around.
The joke featured Cleese listing “five ways Hitler was preferable to Trump” (“1. He fought for his country 2. He never used a teleprompter 3. He was nice to dogs 4. He wrote his own books 5. He never played golf 6. He wasn’t a big fat slob”), following by “five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler” (“1. He doesn’t practice genocide 2. He has nicer hair 3… 4… 5…”). It was clearly a joke for Cleese, but many of his followers weren’t laughing.
Almost immediately, Cleese issued an apology post: “I would like...
The joke featured Cleese listing “five ways Hitler was preferable to Trump” (“1. He fought for his country 2. He never used a teleprompter 3. He was nice to dogs 4. He wrote his own books 5. He never played golf 6. He wasn’t a big fat slob”), following by “five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler” (“1. He doesn’t practice genocide 2. He has nicer hair 3… 4… 5…”). It was clearly a joke for Cleese, but many of his followers weren’t laughing.
Almost immediately, Cleese issued an apology post: “I would like...
- 12/27/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
British comedian and actor John Cleese has sparked controversy after comparing Donald Trump to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
In a message posted on X, the A Fish Called Wanda, Fawlty Towers and Monty Python actor wrote that there were five ways in which Hitler was preferable to Trump, who is seeking re-election to the White House.
“1. He fought for his country 2. He never used a teleprompter 3. He was nice to dogs 4. He wrote his own books 5. He never played golf 6. He wasn’t a big fat slob,” wrote Cleese.
He continued by listing five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler, writing “1. doesn’t practice genocide 2. He has nicer hair,” and leaving the other three spaces empty.
The message, which has been viewed more than one million times, prompted hundreds of below-the-line responses, with many criticizing comedian Cleese for the comparison, and others writing it was clearly meant in jest.
Cleese...
In a message posted on X, the A Fish Called Wanda, Fawlty Towers and Monty Python actor wrote that there were five ways in which Hitler was preferable to Trump, who is seeking re-election to the White House.
“1. He fought for his country 2. He never used a teleprompter 3. He was nice to dogs 4. He wrote his own books 5. He never played golf 6. He wasn’t a big fat slob,” wrote Cleese.
He continued by listing five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler, writing “1. doesn’t practice genocide 2. He has nicer hair,” and leaving the other three spaces empty.
The message, which has been viewed more than one million times, prompted hundreds of below-the-line responses, with many criticizing comedian Cleese for the comparison, and others writing it was clearly meant in jest.
Cleese...
- 12/27/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Prepare for a trip down memory lane as Channel 5 presents “When 70s TV Goes Horribly Wrong,” airing this Thursday at 10:00 Pm. Narrated by the esteemed Dame Penelope Keith, the program offers a humorous and nostalgic look back at the not-so-perfect moments from 70s television that even the stars would rather forget.
Featuring iconic shows like ‘Fawlty Towers,’ ‘Jukebox Jury,’ ‘The Goodies,’ and ‘Question Time,’ viewers can anticipate a collection of hilarious and cringe-worthy moments that made 70s TV truly memorable. Dame Penelope Keith guides the audience through a delightful journey, shedding light on the mishaps, bloopers, and unexpected surprises that occurred behind the scenes.
For those who fondly remember the golden era of television or those curious about the entertaining mishaps of the past, “When 70s TV Goes Horribly Wrong” promises an evening of laughter and a unique perspective on the challenges faced by some of the most beloved shows of the time.
Featuring iconic shows like ‘Fawlty Towers,’ ‘Jukebox Jury,’ ‘The Goodies,’ and ‘Question Time,’ viewers can anticipate a collection of hilarious and cringe-worthy moments that made 70s TV truly memorable. Dame Penelope Keith guides the audience through a delightful journey, shedding light on the mishaps, bloopers, and unexpected surprises that occurred behind the scenes.
For those who fondly remember the golden era of television or those curious about the entertaining mishaps of the past, “When 70s TV Goes Horribly Wrong” promises an evening of laughter and a unique perspective on the challenges faced by some of the most beloved shows of the time.
- 12/22/2023
- by Posts UK
- TV Everyday
John Cleese, the comedy veteran star of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers, has made a surprising admission – that he once killed a man.
Cleese wrote and appeared in the comedy hit film A Fish Called Wanda – also starring Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis – and he revealed in the latest episode of his new talk show that one man was laughing so much during a screening of the film, he had a cardiac arrest and died.
Cleese expanded on the story during a conversation in his Gb News series, The Dinosaur Hour, saying:
“Kevin Kline and I killed a man in Denmark. He was a dentist, he had a huge laugh. A famous laugh. Very popular. It was in Aarhus, not a big town, but everybody knew him.
“And he went to see Wanda and he started laughing about two minutes in and never stopped.
They carried him out dead,...
Cleese wrote and appeared in the comedy hit film A Fish Called Wanda – also starring Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis – and he revealed in the latest episode of his new talk show that one man was laughing so much during a screening of the film, he had a cardiac arrest and died.
Cleese expanded on the story during a conversation in his Gb News series, The Dinosaur Hour, saying:
“Kevin Kline and I killed a man in Denmark. He was a dentist, he had a huge laugh. A famous laugh. Very popular. It was in Aarhus, not a big town, but everybody knew him.
“And he went to see Wanda and he started laughing about two minutes in and never stopped.
They carried him out dead,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the keys to crafting a great sitcom is choosing a unique location. Most television writers live in Los Angeles or New York City, but to be a writer of consequence you've got to be curious about the world around you. This is why so many of the best series take place in cities that aren't major production centers. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" took place in the wintry metropolis of Minneapolis. "The Andy Griffith Show" acquainted us with the offbeat rural denizens of (the fictional) Mayberry, North Carolina. And "Wkrp in Cincinnati" captured the charm of Ohio's Queen City via a struggling Am radio station.
When it comes to identifying a city with a sitcom, there is not a more iconic show than "Cheers." Boston is a very strange, very old city (founded in 1630). It has a rich, if troubling racial history. It's also got a chip on its shoulder.
When it comes to identifying a city with a sitcom, there is not a more iconic show than "Cheers." Boston is a very strange, very old city (founded in 1630). It has a rich, if troubling racial history. It's also got a chip on its shoulder.
- 10/28/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
John Cleese is best known as a member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python. Let’s look back at the Oscar-nominated funnyman and his 12 greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
- 10/21/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
BBC boss Tim Davie has said he hasn’t ruled out an external investigation relating to the allegations against comedian Russell Brand.
Over the weekend Brand was the subject of an in-depth joint investigation by The Times of London, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 documentary strand “Dispatches” which alleged he had sexually assaulted and raped up to four women at the height of his fame. Brand has strenuously denied the allegations.
Davie was appearing in conversation at the Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge, U.K. where he was questioned by journalist Kate Bulkley.
Citing the ongoing investigation against BBC DJ Tim Westwood, who is currently the subject of another investigation led by an independent reviewer following allegations of sexual assault, and obliquely referring to the recent Huw Edwards scandal, Bulkley asked Davie “Who’s next?”
“These are very serious allegations,” Davie replied. “We just can’t be complacent.
Over the weekend Brand was the subject of an in-depth joint investigation by The Times of London, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 documentary strand “Dispatches” which alleged he had sexually assaulted and raped up to four women at the height of his fame. Brand has strenuously denied the allegations.
Davie was appearing in conversation at the Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge, U.K. where he was questioned by journalist Kate Bulkley.
Citing the ongoing investigation against BBC DJ Tim Westwood, who is currently the subject of another investigation led by an independent reviewer following allegations of sexual assault, and obliquely referring to the recent Huw Edwards scandal, Bulkley asked Davie “Who’s next?”
“These are very serious allegations,” Davie replied. “We just can’t be complacent.
- 9/20/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
“What led to that being on air?,” questioned Director General Tim Davie of Russell Brand’s old BBC broadcasts today, as he set out the scope of the review into Brand, which should report back in “weeks not months.”
Addressing the allegations in an all-staff Q&a this afternoon, Davie said Peter Johnston, Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, will oversee the report.
“We’ll look at any complaints made about Russell Brand’s conduct during his time, what was known at the time, what was done – so full transparency, we’re digging into anything that we’ve got there,” he added. “I’m hoping for an initial report in weeks, not months. So this is not something we want to take too long [over], but we do want to get to the facts.”
Brand presented shows on BBC Radio 6 Music and Radio 2 between 2006 and 2008 before he was sacked...
Addressing the allegations in an all-staff Q&a this afternoon, Davie said Peter Johnston, Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, will oversee the report.
“We’ll look at any complaints made about Russell Brand’s conduct during his time, what was known at the time, what was done – so full transparency, we’re digging into anything that we’ve got there,” he added. “I’m hoping for an initial report in weeks, not months. So this is not something we want to take too long [over], but we do want to get to the facts.”
Brand presented shows on BBC Radio 6 Music and Radio 2 between 2006 and 2008 before he was sacked...
- 9/19/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Russell Brand has been accused of “rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse” in a new report by The Sunday Times of London.
The joint investigation with The Times of London and Channel 4’s documentary team “Dispatches” published on Saturday afternoon in the U.K. “Dispatches” will air its 90-minute documentary on the allegations on Saturday evening on U.K. network Channel 4. “Five women, four of whom asked to remain anonymous, agreed to share their stories of serious sexual allegations in the program,” said a rep for the show.
According to The Sunday Times, the British comedian, who originally found fame as a host on MTV U.K. before starring in Hollywood films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” has been accused of sexual assault by four women between 2006 and 2013.
He was married to singer Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.
The newspaper reported that one alleged victim...
The joint investigation with The Times of London and Channel 4’s documentary team “Dispatches” published on Saturday afternoon in the U.K. “Dispatches” will air its 90-minute documentary on the allegations on Saturday evening on U.K. network Channel 4. “Five women, four of whom asked to remain anonymous, agreed to share their stories of serious sexual allegations in the program,” said a rep for the show.
According to The Sunday Times, the British comedian, who originally found fame as a host on MTV U.K. before starring in Hollywood films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” has been accused of sexual assault by four women between 2006 and 2013.
He was married to singer Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.
The newspaper reported that one alleged victim...
- 9/16/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
We all absorb lessons from our environment, and if you grew up in the 1980s or 1990s, that environment was more likely than not, television. Forget parents – for good or for bad – TV is what raised you into the person you are today.
It wasn’t only the shows that were aiming to teach that imparted their wisdom. Schools programming and nature documentaries played their part by explaining Oxbow lakes and why, if you’re an antelope, it’s a really good idea to not fall behind the pack come lion-o-clock, but the real lessons came from elsewhere. From sitcoms and kids’ cartoons and dramas that made us inwardly say ‘huh, new fact’.
Here, we give thanks to the invaluable education provided to us by TV.
The Correct Ingredients of a Waldorf Salad Learned From: Fawlty Towers
Celery, Apples, Walnuts, Grapes. Celery, Apples, Walnuts, Grapes. It’s repeated like a...
It wasn’t only the shows that were aiming to teach that imparted their wisdom. Schools programming and nature documentaries played their part by explaining Oxbow lakes and why, if you’re an antelope, it’s a really good idea to not fall behind the pack come lion-o-clock, but the real lessons came from elsewhere. From sitcoms and kids’ cartoons and dramas that made us inwardly say ‘huh, new fact’.
Here, we give thanks to the invaluable education provided to us by TV.
The Correct Ingredients of a Waldorf Salad Learned From: Fawlty Towers
Celery, Apples, Walnuts, Grapes. Celery, Apples, Walnuts, Grapes. It’s repeated like a...
- 8/31/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Odds are low we’ll watch Roman Polanski’s The Palace through strictly legal means in the United States, those of us who maintain interest instead waiting for The.Palace.2023.1080p.BluRay.x264-ea.mkv.torrent. But with a Venice premiere right around the corner and Italian release set for September 28 (one day after another director returns) we have a dubbed trailer and first clip.
Co-written by Eo‘s Jerzy Skolimowski (some 60 years since Knife in the Water) and Ewa Piaskowska, Polanski’s comedy is set in Switzerland’s stunning Gstaad Palace on New Year’s Eve 1999 with throw-a-dart casting that suggests chaos of the highest order. These first two previews play into that wholesale: while Rourke dubbed into Italian is simply a demonic experience, the subtle long take in this full clip again shows Polanski’s mastery of space finding dividends in an ongoing relationship with Dp Paweł Edelman.
Co-written by Eo‘s Jerzy Skolimowski (some 60 years since Knife in the Water) and Ewa Piaskowska, Polanski’s comedy is set in Switzerland’s stunning Gstaad Palace on New Year’s Eve 1999 with throw-a-dart casting that suggests chaos of the highest order. These first two previews play into that wholesale: while Rourke dubbed into Italian is simply a demonic experience, the subtle long take in this full clip again shows Polanski’s mastery of space finding dividends in an ongoing relationship with Dp Paweł Edelman.
- 8/2/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
John Cleese has urged the “mainstream press” to “check out” the allegations of innappropriate behavior against Dan Wootton, his future Gb News colleague.
In a tweet yesterday, the Fawlty Towers creator said the media’s failure to investigate the story will be “final proof of their complete corruption.” Cleese will soon start hosting a Gb News show, which he has previously joked will be for the “much neglected demographic” of viewers “who are completely out of touch.”
“If they [the mainstream press] give this the ‘Boris’s phone’ treatment, it is final proof of their complete corruption,” added Cleese on Twitter, as he retweeted an account promoting the investigation into Wootton.
In an article in The Byline Times earlier this week, Wootton, who hosts Gb News’ Dan Wootton Tonight and writes a column for the MailOnline, was accused of posing as a fictitious showbiz agent called Martin Branning and offering thousands of pounds...
In a tweet yesterday, the Fawlty Towers creator said the media’s failure to investigate the story will be “final proof of their complete corruption.” Cleese will soon start hosting a Gb News show, which he has previously joked will be for the “much neglected demographic” of viewers “who are completely out of touch.”
“If they [the mainstream press] give this the ‘Boris’s phone’ treatment, it is final proof of their complete corruption,” added Cleese on Twitter, as he retweeted an account promoting the investigation into Wootton.
In an article in The Byline Times earlier this week, Wootton, who hosts Gb News’ Dan Wootton Tonight and writes a column for the MailOnline, was accused of posing as a fictitious showbiz agent called Martin Branning and offering thousands of pounds...
- 7/19/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
This post contains spoilers for "Ted Lasso" season 3.
"Ted Lasso" season 3 has just come to an end, leaving the fictional team of AFC Richmond at a crossroads after their head coach leaves his fish-and-chips-out-of-water life in London behind. Overall, the supposedly last season of the Apple TV+ phenomenon left a lot to be desired, failing to live up to the high points of the first two seasons where the jokes that hit far outweighed the ones that fell flat. While a lot of the episodes in season 3 felt overly long and unnecessarily melodramatic, the overall spirit of the show managed to stay intact thanks to Jason Sudeikis' naively positive "aw shucks" attitude as Ted.
Ted isn't only a sports fan, he's a pop culture aficionado raised on Thursday night primetime sitcoms from the '80s. Throughout its entire run, "Ted Lasso" has peppered in a number of clever references to the golden years of U.
"Ted Lasso" season 3 has just come to an end, leaving the fictional team of AFC Richmond at a crossroads after their head coach leaves his fish-and-chips-out-of-water life in London behind. Overall, the supposedly last season of the Apple TV+ phenomenon left a lot to be desired, failing to live up to the high points of the first two seasons where the jokes that hit far outweighed the ones that fell flat. While a lot of the episodes in season 3 felt overly long and unnecessarily melodramatic, the overall spirit of the show managed to stay intact thanks to Jason Sudeikis' naively positive "aw shucks" attitude as Ted.
Ted isn't only a sports fan, he's a pop culture aficionado raised on Thursday night primetime sitcoms from the '80s. Throughout its entire run, "Ted Lasso" has peppered in a number of clever references to the golden years of U.
- 5/31/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
John Cleese is clarifying the status of a controversial and allegedly transphobic scene in film “Life of Brian.”
Cleese, who confirmed he is adapting the 1979 comedy into a stage play, responded to a Daily Mail report claiming that he was strongly encouraged to cut a sequence involving a man asking to be called Loretta and talking about wanting to give birth.
The “Monty Python” star took to Twitter to slam the “misreporting” over the scene potentially being cut to appease modern audiences.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian’ so that we could do it as a stage show (Not a musical),” Cleese wrote. “I said that we’d had a table-reading of the latest draft in NYC a year ago. All the actors — several of them Tony winners — had advised me strongly to cut the Loretta scene.
Cleese, who confirmed he is adapting the 1979 comedy into a stage play, responded to a Daily Mail report claiming that he was strongly encouraged to cut a sequence involving a man asking to be called Loretta and talking about wanting to give birth.
The “Monty Python” star took to Twitter to slam the “misreporting” over the scene potentially being cut to appease modern audiences.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian’ so that we could do it as a stage show (Not a musical),” Cleese wrote. “I said that we’d had a table-reading of the latest draft in NYC a year ago. All the actors — several of them Tony winners — had advised me strongly to cut the Loretta scene.
- 5/30/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
John Cleese couldn’t help but view the recent coronation of British monarch King Charles III as a satire worthy of one of his classic Monty Python sketches.
In an interview with Gb News, the legendary British comedian — who also famously dressed down a certain British noble named King Arthur in 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail — admitted he “lost it” after starting to watch the historic televised event with his wife. “I couldn’t stop laughing,” he shared, barely able to contain himself through his harsh-yet-candid recollection. “All these people in these silly costumes, all taking things so seriously. I thought it was a [Monty] Python sketch.”
Cleese further clarified that he “wasn’t laughing at the people because they were playing their parts really well” but had one note for the “marvelous” Archbishop of Canterbury, who had to make several adjustments while bestowing the crown on the new monarch’s head.
In an interview with Gb News, the legendary British comedian — who also famously dressed down a certain British noble named King Arthur in 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail — admitted he “lost it” after starting to watch the historic televised event with his wife. “I couldn’t stop laughing,” he shared, barely able to contain himself through his harsh-yet-candid recollection. “All these people in these silly costumes, all taking things so seriously. I thought it was a [Monty] Python sketch.”
Cleese further clarified that he “wasn’t laughing at the people because they were playing their parts really well” but had one note for the “marvelous” Archbishop of Canterbury, who had to make several adjustments while bestowing the crown on the new monarch’s head.
- 5/9/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Film News
Paul Whitehouse has said he’s not normally as angry as he appears on Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
The BBC Two series follows Whitehouse and fellow comedian Bob Mortimer on various fishing trips around the UK as the pair discuss their respective heart problems.
Whitehouse is a keen angler and often gets frustrated with Mortimer’s lack of technique – the former’s constant reminders of “Don’t wind!” has become the show’s unofficial catchphrase.
Appearing on Kathy Burke’s podcast Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wake, Whitehouse was asked if he was “surprised” at how angry he got at his colleague “because you don’t half snap at him sometimes”, Burke said.
“I’m not an angry person Kathy, you know that,” the Harry and Paul star responded.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you lose your temper,” Burke confirmed.
“I dunno, there...
The BBC Two series follows Whitehouse and fellow comedian Bob Mortimer on various fishing trips around the UK as the pair discuss their respective heart problems.
Whitehouse is a keen angler and often gets frustrated with Mortimer’s lack of technique – the former’s constant reminders of “Don’t wind!” has become the show’s unofficial catchphrase.
Appearing on Kathy Burke’s podcast Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wake, Whitehouse was asked if he was “surprised” at how angry he got at his colleague “because you don’t half snap at him sometimes”, Burke said.
“I’m not an angry person Kathy, you know that,” the Harry and Paul star responded.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you lose your temper,” Burke confirmed.
“I dunno, there...
- 4/18/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - TV
"Ted Lasso" is a big-hearted sports sitcom first and foremost, but the Apple TV+ show also works because it capitalizes on one of the most tried-and-true comedy premises out there: the fish out of water. Coach Ted's (Jason Sudeikis) ridiculous, folksy sayings wouldn't be nearly as funny if he were in charge of an American football team on his home turf, and the Britishisms of the AFC Richmond teammates and staff wouldn't be as delightful if an outsider weren't there to point out their novelty.
The arranged professional marriage between Ted and the UK is one of the best parts of the show, and even though Ted seems to be regularly considering taking the next flight home this season, "Ted Lasso" certainly wouldn't be the same without its culture-blending humor. When it came to the decision to set the show in the UK, co-creators Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt (who also...
The arranged professional marriage between Ted and the UK is one of the best parts of the show, and even though Ted seems to be regularly considering taking the next flight home this season, "Ted Lasso" certainly wouldn't be the same without its culture-blending humor. When it came to the decision to set the show in the UK, co-creators Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt (who also...
- 4/9/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Wind River alum Gil Birmingham has closed a deal to return for Castle Rock Entertainment’s sequel Wind River: The Next Chapter, with Alan Ruck (Succession), Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One) and Tatanka Means (Killers of the Flower Moon) also joining the cast.
Related Story ‘Mean Girls’ Movie Musical From Paramount Finds Its Kevin G. In Mahi Alam; Connor Ratliff Also Set Related Story 'Wind River: The Next Chapter' Adds Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood & Chaske Spencer Related Story 'Succession's Alan Ruck To Reteam With 'Twister' Co-Star Sean Whalen On Creature Feature 'Crust'
The film, which is in production in Calgary with Kari Skogland (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) at the helm, also will see the return of Wind River original Martin Sensmeier, with Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood and Chaske Spencer rounding out the ensemble.
Written and directed by Oscar-nominated Yellowstone Universe architect Taylor Sheridan,...
Related Story ‘Mean Girls’ Movie Musical From Paramount Finds Its Kevin G. In Mahi Alam; Connor Ratliff Also Set Related Story 'Wind River: The Next Chapter' Adds Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood & Chaske Spencer Related Story 'Succession's Alan Ruck To Reteam With 'Twister' Co-Star Sean Whalen On Creature Feature 'Crust'
The film, which is in production in Calgary with Kari Skogland (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) at the helm, also will see the return of Wind River original Martin Sensmeier, with Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood and Chaske Spencer rounding out the ensemble.
Written and directed by Oscar-nominated Yellowstone Universe architect Taylor Sheridan,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Sir Tony Robinson reprised his Blackadder role of Baldrick for a Red Nose Day 2023 sketch in aid of Comic Relief on Friday (17 March).
The special appearance marked the first time Blackadder has returned to our screens in 20 years. Sadly, Rowan Atkinson – who plays the titular Edmund Blackadder – was not involved in the sketch.
During the BBC’s broadcast, Robinson told a special “Grown-up Bedtime Story”, produced by the CBeebies Bedtime Stories team.
“This is a lovely story called Balder-ella,” Robinson’s dimwitted Baldrick told viewers in the sketch written by Blackadder co-creator Richard Curtis.
“Once upon a time, there was a nice little fella and his name was Baldrick. And he lived in a house with a very nasty man called Edmund Blackadder. And often Blackadder would say ‘Baldrick, you are as stupid as Stuart McStupid who won the stupidest man in Britain award 17 years in a row, which...
The special appearance marked the first time Blackadder has returned to our screens in 20 years. Sadly, Rowan Atkinson – who plays the titular Edmund Blackadder – was not involved in the sketch.
During the BBC’s broadcast, Robinson told a special “Grown-up Bedtime Story”, produced by the CBeebies Bedtime Stories team.
“This is a lovely story called Balder-ella,” Robinson’s dimwitted Baldrick told viewers in the sketch written by Blackadder co-creator Richard Curtis.
“Once upon a time, there was a nice little fella and his name was Baldrick. And he lived in a house with a very nasty man called Edmund Blackadder. And often Blackadder would say ‘Baldrick, you are as stupid as Stuart McStupid who won the stupidest man in Britain award 17 years in a row, which...
- 3/17/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - TV
The Apprentice has angered viewers with its latest round of dreaded interviews.
Every series, the penultimate episode shows the final five candidates receive a grilling from Lord Sugar’s trusty aides, including Claude Littner and Linda Plant.
By the end of the episode, the candidates had been whittled down to just two.
This particular episode has regularly been considered a fan favourite among viewers – but viewers have complained that this year’s edition was far too harsh.
Joining Littner and Plant were Mike Souter and Baroness Karren Brady, who sits alongside Sugar in the boardroom.
Brady found herself at the centre of one of the episode’s most brutal moments. As Megan Hornby left her interview, which went dreadfully, she referred to Brady by her first name, to which Brady responded: “It’s Baroness Brady to you. My friends call me Karren.”
She also reduced two of the candidates to tears,...
Every series, the penultimate episode shows the final five candidates receive a grilling from Lord Sugar’s trusty aides, including Claude Littner and Linda Plant.
By the end of the episode, the candidates had been whittled down to just two.
This particular episode has regularly been considered a fan favourite among viewers – but viewers have complained that this year’s edition was far too harsh.
Joining Littner and Plant were Mike Souter and Baroness Karren Brady, who sits alongside Sugar in the boardroom.
Brady found herself at the centre of one of the episode’s most brutal moments. As Megan Hornby left her interview, which went dreadfully, she referred to Brady by her first name, to which Brady responded: “It’s Baroness Brady to you. My friends call me Karren.”
She also reduced two of the candidates to tears,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
A Jeopardy! producer has divulged a show secret while apologising for a “horrible error” in a recent episode.
On 9 March, viewers tuning in to watch the game show were frustrated after a shot of the contestants’ final scores was shown during host Mayim Bialik’s opening speech.
The moment spoiled the entirety of the episode, and now executive producer Michael Davies has revealed why the error occurred.
Speaking on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, Davies said: “Right off the bat, apologies to our entire audience.”
He continued: “We totally blew it at the top of the show. We made a horrible error where we revealed the final scores at the end in the opening cutaway shot during Mayim’s monologue.”
Davies, offering a rare insight into the production of the series, then said the opening part of the show is often re-shot after the game has been completed, with cutaway shots...
On 9 March, viewers tuning in to watch the game show were frustrated after a shot of the contestants’ final scores was shown during host Mayim Bialik’s opening speech.
The moment spoiled the entirety of the episode, and now executive producer Michael Davies has revealed why the error occurred.
Speaking on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, Davies said: “Right off the bat, apologies to our entire audience.”
He continued: “We totally blew it at the top of the show. We made a horrible error where we revealed the final scores at the end in the opening cutaway shot during Mayim’s monologue.”
Davies, offering a rare insight into the production of the series, then said the opening part of the show is often re-shot after the game has been completed, with cutaway shots...
- 3/17/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Graham Linehan has spoken out about the resulting fallout after sharing his views opposing the trans rights movement, claiming he was asked to disassociate himself from the Father Ted stage musical.
Linehan is known to many for being the co-creator and co-writer of the classic sitcom, along with Arthur Mathews, as well as of shows including Black Books and The It Crowd.
He was suspended from Twitter in 2020 after making a series of controversial remarks about transgender people, but has since been reinstated on the platform.
Though he was reinstated in 2022, Linehan has claimed that his career and social status have not recovered since he began making critical remarks about the trans community.
In an interview with The Times, Linehan claimed that despite previously being involved in reforming Father Ted for the theatre, he’d been asked to end his involvement with the show due to the controversy surrounding him.
Linehan is known to many for being the co-creator and co-writer of the classic sitcom, along with Arthur Mathews, as well as of shows including Black Books and The It Crowd.
He was suspended from Twitter in 2020 after making a series of controversial remarks about transgender people, but has since been reinstated on the platform.
Though he was reinstated in 2022, Linehan has claimed that his career and social status have not recovered since he began making critical remarks about the trans community.
In an interview with The Times, Linehan claimed that despite previously being involved in reforming Father Ted for the theatre, he’d been asked to end his involvement with the show due to the controversy surrounding him.
- 3/17/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
Jennifer Saunders has offered up her thoughts on the forthcoming Fawlty Towers reboot.
In February, John Cleese announced that he and his daughter Camilla would be bringing back the Seventies sitcom, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies of all time.
The news prompted shock from comedy fans, many of whom questioned why the already adored show needed to be revived.
In a new interview, Saunders was asked what her reaction had been to the news that Fawlty Towers is returning.
“Slight dread, I have to say,” she told Metro.co.uk. “I just thought, why? Why don’t you write a new thing?
“I don’t understand why you have to do that. You can’t beat the old one.”
The Absolutely Fabulous star and Cleese appeared together in the French-language film L’entente cordiale in 2006, as well as both voicing characters for Shrek 2.
In February, John Cleese announced that he and his daughter Camilla would be bringing back the Seventies sitcom, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies of all time.
The news prompted shock from comedy fans, many of whom questioned why the already adored show needed to be revived.
In a new interview, Saunders was asked what her reaction had been to the news that Fawlty Towers is returning.
“Slight dread, I have to say,” she told Metro.co.uk. “I just thought, why? Why don’t you write a new thing?
“I don’t understand why you have to do that. You can’t beat the old one.”
The Absolutely Fabulous star and Cleese appeared together in the French-language film L’entente cordiale in 2006, as well as both voicing characters for Shrek 2.
- 3/17/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
BBC Comedy Director Jon Petrie has said his team would be “happy to talk” with John Cleese about the upcoming Fawlty Towers revival, as he unveiled the next generation of “very British” shows.
Cleese has already said that the surprise revival, which he is making with daughter Camilla Cleese and Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment, will not appear on the BBC because the UK broadcaster would not give him sufficient editorial freedom.
But addressing a BBC Comedy Showcase Tuesday, Petrie described BBC original Fawlty Towers as a “legendary show” and said he would be open to discussions.
“We found out about [the Fawlty Towers revival] when everyone else did,” he added. “I don’t know if it would work for us and we’ve not spoken to John Cleese but it’s obviously a legendary show and we would be happy to talk to John if he wanted to talk about it.
Cleese has already said that the surprise revival, which he is making with daughter Camilla Cleese and Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment, will not appear on the BBC because the UK broadcaster would not give him sufficient editorial freedom.
But addressing a BBC Comedy Showcase Tuesday, Petrie described BBC original Fawlty Towers as a “legendary show” and said he would be open to discussions.
“We found out about [the Fawlty Towers revival] when everyone else did,” he added. “I don’t know if it would work for us and we’ve not spoken to John Cleese but it’s obviously a legendary show and we would be happy to talk to John if he wanted to talk about it.
- 3/9/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood and Chaske Spencer will star in the sequel to “Wind River.” Entitled “Wind River: The Next Chapter,” the film will be directed by Emmy nominee and BAFTA award winner Kari Skogland. Patrick Massett and John Zinman have penned the screenplay. As previously announced, Martin Sensmeier will star and reprise his role as Chip Hanson. The original film also starred Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, neither of whom has been attached.
According to the official description, the sequel involves the investigation into a series of ritualistic murders on the Wind River reservation. To solve the case, the FBI enlists Chip Hanson, a newly minted tracker for the U.S. Fish & Game, who becomes embroiled in a desperate and dangerous fight between the authorities, a vigilante, and the reservation. Production is currently underway in Calgary.
Castle Rock Entertainment, which relaunched its film division in October 2021 with a $175 million film fund,...
According to the official description, the sequel involves the investigation into a series of ritualistic murders on the Wind River reservation. To solve the case, the FBI enlists Chip Hanson, a newly minted tracker for the U.S. Fish & Game, who becomes embroiled in a desperate and dangerous fight between the authorities, a vigilante, and the reservation. Production is currently underway in Calgary.
Castle Rock Entertainment, which relaunched its film division in October 2021 with a $175 million film fund,...
- 3/7/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Jason Clarke (Winning Time), Scott Eastwood (The Outpost) and Chaske Spencer (The English) have signed on to star alongside Martin Sensmeier in Wind River: The Next Chapter — Castle Rock Entertainment’s sequel to the acclaimed 2017 crime drama Wind River, which is currently in production in Calgary.
Related Story John Boyega To Star In Sci-Fi ‘The Freshening’ For ‘Birds Of Prey’ Director Cathy Yan; FilmNation, Ali Wong & Adam McKay Producing Related Story Jason Clarke To Lead New Apple TV+ Drama Series 'The Last Frontier' Related Story 'Fawlty Towers' Reboot In The Works With John Cleese, Camilla Cleese & Rob Reiner's Castle Rock Entertainment
The original film written and directed by Oscar-nominated Yellowstone Universe architect Taylor Sheridan watched as the veteran hunter Corey Lambert (Jeremy Renner) helped rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) to investigate the murder of a young woman on the Wyoming Native American reservation of Wind River.
Related Story John Boyega To Star In Sci-Fi ‘The Freshening’ For ‘Birds Of Prey’ Director Cathy Yan; FilmNation, Ali Wong & Adam McKay Producing Related Story Jason Clarke To Lead New Apple TV+ Drama Series 'The Last Frontier' Related Story 'Fawlty Towers' Reboot In The Works With John Cleese, Camilla Cleese & Rob Reiner's Castle Rock Entertainment
The original film written and directed by Oscar-nominated Yellowstone Universe architect Taylor Sheridan watched as the veteran hunter Corey Lambert (Jeremy Renner) helped rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) to investigate the murder of a young woman on the Wyoming Native American reservation of Wind River.
- 3/7/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Kari Skogland directs from a screenplay by Patrick Massett and John Zinman.
Production is underway in Calgary, Canada, on Wind River: The Next Chapter, Castle Rock’s sequel to the 2017 crime drama which has added Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood and Chaske Spencer to the cast.
The story returns to the Wyoming reservation where a new tracker for the US government becomes embroiled in a fight between the authorities, a vigilante and the reservation against the backdrop of a series of unsolved murders.
Kari Skogland directs from a screenplay by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. Martin Sensmeier stars and reprises his...
Production is underway in Calgary, Canada, on Wind River: The Next Chapter, Castle Rock’s sequel to the 2017 crime drama which has added Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood and Chaske Spencer to the cast.
The story returns to the Wyoming reservation where a new tracker for the US government becomes embroiled in a fight between the authorities, a vigilante and the reservation against the backdrop of a series of unsolved murders.
Kari Skogland directs from a screenplay by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. Martin Sensmeier stars and reprises his...
- 3/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Bear Grylls has opened up about his concerns with Spencer Matthews leading an expedition to find his brother, Michael Matthews, who died after summiting Mount Everest in 1999, aged 22.
The former Made In Chelsea star turned broadcaster, 34, stars in Disney Plus’s one-off documentary, Finding Michael, which tells the story of his brother’s disappearance and his family’s journey to recover Michael’s body 20 years later.
Michael Matthews was the youngest Briton to summit Everest. Three hours after he reached the peak, however, he went missing. His brother, Spencer, who was aged 10 when Michael went missing and died, had always struggled to accept his death, in part because his family did not have a body to mourn.
In 2017, Spencer’s family was sent a picture by a climber that showed what appeared to be a dead body buried in the snow, in a similar location to where Michael went missing on the mountain.
The former Made In Chelsea star turned broadcaster, 34, stars in Disney Plus’s one-off documentary, Finding Michael, which tells the story of his brother’s disappearance and his family’s journey to recover Michael’s body 20 years later.
Michael Matthews was the youngest Briton to summit Everest. Three hours after he reached the peak, however, he went missing. His brother, Spencer, who was aged 10 when Michael went missing and died, had always struggled to accept his death, in part because his family did not have a body to mourn.
In 2017, Spencer’s family was sent a picture by a climber that showed what appeared to be a dead body buried in the snow, in a similar location to where Michael went missing on the mountain.
- 2/28/2023
- by Ellie Muir
- The Independent - TV
Spencer Matthews has opened up about his expedition to find his brother, Michael Matthews, who died after summiting Mount Everest in 1999 aged just 22.
The former Made In Chelsea star turned broadcaster, 34, stars in Disney Plus’s one-off documentary, Finding Michael, which tells the story of his brother’s disappearance and his family’s journey to recover Michael’s body 20 years later.
Michael Matthews was the youngest Briton to summit Everest, but just three hours after he reached the peak, he went missing. His brother, Spencer, who was aged 10 when Michael went missing and died, had always struggled to accept his death, in part because his family did not have a body to mourn.
Then, in 2017, Spencer’s family was sent a picture by a climber that showed what appeared to be a dead body buried in the snow, in a similar location on the mountain to where Michael went missing.
The former Made In Chelsea star turned broadcaster, 34, stars in Disney Plus’s one-off documentary, Finding Michael, which tells the story of his brother’s disappearance and his family’s journey to recover Michael’s body 20 years later.
Michael Matthews was the youngest Briton to summit Everest, but just three hours after he reached the peak, he went missing. His brother, Spencer, who was aged 10 when Michael went missing and died, had always struggled to accept his death, in part because his family did not have a body to mourn.
Then, in 2017, Spencer’s family was sent a picture by a climber that showed what appeared to be a dead body buried in the snow, in a similar location on the mountain to where Michael went missing.
- 2/28/2023
- by Ellie Muir
- The Independent - TV
Classic sitcom Fawlty Towers is set to be rebooted by John Cleese and his daughter, Camilla Cleese.
The Monty Python’s Flying Circus actor, who starred in the original series as irascible hotel owner Basil Fawlty, is making the new series in collaboration with Spinal Tap filmmaker Rob Reiner.
Both Cleese and his daughter will write and star in the revival, which is currently in development.
According to Deadline, the series will “explore how Cleese’s over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world”.
“John Cleese is a comedy legend. Just the idea of working with him makes me laugh,” Reiner said.
As well as Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi, and Matthew George will all serve as executive producers.
Speaking to the outlet, John Cleese praised George’s “understanding of the ‘creative process’” and claimed that their initial meeting had yielded “one of the best creative sessions I...
The Monty Python’s Flying Circus actor, who starred in the original series as irascible hotel owner Basil Fawlty, is making the new series in collaboration with Spinal Tap filmmaker Rob Reiner.
Both Cleese and his daughter will write and star in the revival, which is currently in development.
According to Deadline, the series will “explore how Cleese’s over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world”.
“John Cleese is a comedy legend. Just the idea of working with him makes me laugh,” Reiner said.
As well as Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi, and Matthew George will all serve as executive producers.
Speaking to the outlet, John Cleese praised George’s “understanding of the ‘creative process’” and claimed that their initial meeting had yielded “one of the best creative sessions I...
- 2/28/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
After five years of quietly gathering steam within the international TV community, the 2023 edition of the London TV Screenings is its biggest outing yet.
Running Feb. 27 to March 3, the event features more than 25 distributors and 400 buyers. But how did the confab evolve from a set of casual screenings by rival distributors of the BBC into an event that now rivals MipTV in Cannes?
Its genesis goes back to 1976, when BBC Showcase was created from 25 European buyers gathering in Brighton’s Old Ship Hotel to watch episodes of shows such as “Fawlty Towers,” and buy such programs for audiences back in their home countries. The showcase then moved to other locations, including Edinburgh and Harrogate, before returning to Brighton, and eventually relocating to Liverpool in 2012.
The number of distributors and rivals to the BBC grew, so they arranged meetings with buyers and partners in London after the Showcase and began to...
Running Feb. 27 to March 3, the event features more than 25 distributors and 400 buyers. But how did the confab evolve from a set of casual screenings by rival distributors of the BBC into an event that now rivals MipTV in Cannes?
Its genesis goes back to 1976, when BBC Showcase was created from 25 European buyers gathering in Brighton’s Old Ship Hotel to watch episodes of shows such as “Fawlty Towers,” and buy such programs for audiences back in their home countries. The showcase then moved to other locations, including Edinburgh and Harrogate, before returning to Brighton, and eventually relocating to Liverpool in 2012.
The number of distributors and rivals to the BBC grew, so they arranged meetings with buyers and partners in London after the Showcase and began to...
- 2/27/2023
- by Tara Conlan
- Variety Film + TV
Jeremy Clarkson has been shown apologising to Oxfordshire villagers for calling them morons in an episode of Clarkson’s Farm season two.
In episode three of the new season, which arrived on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month, Clarkson arranges a Q&a for disgruntled locals in the village of Chadlington, West Yorkshire, who are unhappy with the impact of his farm and farm shop on the area of outstanding natural beauty.
“The lady from the parish council says those that are angry, are really angry,” he tells the camera as he drives to the village hall. “Like, really angry.”
He then says that the online Chadlington community board “in essence says that I’m the devil” and that he doesn’t want the villagers to come up his drive “with pitchforks”.
Clarkson says he hopes that the meeting will “calm it down”.
The Grand Tour presenter is then seen nervously arranging crisps,...
In episode three of the new season, which arrived on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month, Clarkson arranges a Q&a for disgruntled locals in the village of Chadlington, West Yorkshire, who are unhappy with the impact of his farm and farm shop on the area of outstanding natural beauty.
“The lady from the parish council says those that are angry, are really angry,” he tells the camera as he drives to the village hall. “Like, really angry.”
He then says that the online Chadlington community board “in essence says that I’m the devil” and that he doesn’t want the villagers to come up his drive “with pitchforks”.
Clarkson says he hopes that the meeting will “calm it down”.
The Grand Tour presenter is then seen nervously arranging crisps,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Jeremy Clarkson has been shown apologising to Oxfordshire villagers for calling them morons in an episode of Clarkson’s Farm season two.
In episode three of the new season, which arrived on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month, Clarkson arranges a Q&a for disgruntled locals in the village of Chadlington, West Yorkshire, who are unhappy with the impact of his farm and farm shop on the area of outstanding natural beauty.
“The lady from the parish council says those that are angry, are really angry,” he tells the camera as he drives to the village hall. “Like, really angry.”
He then says that the online Chadlington community board “in essence says that I’m the devil” and that he doesn’t want the villagers to come up his drive “with pitchforks”.
Clarkson says he hopes that the meeting will “calm it down”.
The Grand Tour presenter is then seen nervously arranging crisps,...
In episode three of the new season, which arrived on Amazon Prime Video earlier this month, Clarkson arranges a Q&a for disgruntled locals in the village of Chadlington, West Yorkshire, who are unhappy with the impact of his farm and farm shop on the area of outstanding natural beauty.
“The lady from the parish council says those that are angry, are really angry,” he tells the camera as he drives to the village hall. “Like, really angry.”
He then says that the online Chadlington community board “in essence says that I’m the devil” and that he doesn’t want the villagers to come up his drive “with pitchforks”.
Clarkson says he hopes that the meeting will “calm it down”.
The Grand Tour presenter is then seen nervously arranging crisps,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Ariana DeBose has commented on her much-derided performance at the 2023 Baftas for the first time since the event.
The 32-year-old West Side Story star opened the Baftas on Sunday (19 February) with a rendition of Eurythmics’s 1985 hit track “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”.
Halfway through the song, DeBose broke into rap, name-checking the female nominees in the audience with lines like: “Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, my Woman King. Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis], you are all of us.”
Following the performance, DeBose deactivated her Twitter account as the rap became the subject of online ridicule, leading fans to believe she was upset by the reaction.
Her Instagram, however, remains active. The star has now commented on a roundup of the many internet memes poking fun at “Angela Basset did the thing” in particular.
“When Angela Basset wins the Oscar she must start her...
The 32-year-old West Side Story star opened the Baftas on Sunday (19 February) with a rendition of Eurythmics’s 1985 hit track “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”.
Halfway through the song, DeBose broke into rap, name-checking the female nominees in the audience with lines like: “Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, my Woman King. Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis], you are all of us.”
Following the performance, DeBose deactivated her Twitter account as the rap became the subject of online ridicule, leading fans to believe she was upset by the reaction.
Her Instagram, however, remains active. The star has now commented on a roundup of the many internet memes poking fun at “Angela Basset did the thing” in particular.
“When Angela Basset wins the Oscar she must start her...
- 2/23/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - TV
The man convicted for fatally shooting Nipsey Hussle has been sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Eric R Holder Jr received his sentence on Wednesday (22 February) for killing the Grammy-award-nominated musician in 2019.
Holder was also convicted of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for the gunfire that hit two other men at the scene.
Here is a recap of Nipsey Hussle’s career and the trial for his murder.
Who was Nipsey Hussle?
Nipsey Hussle was born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom in Los Angeles in 1985.
His stage name comes from a play on the moniker of the American comedian, Nipsey Russell, and from a friend admiring his work ethic and “hustle”.
Hussle released his first mixtape independently in 2005 and released the first of his two Bullets Ain’t Got No Name mixtapes in 2008.
His popularity began to grow after this and in 2010, released the...
Eric R Holder Jr received his sentence on Wednesday (22 February) for killing the Grammy-award-nominated musician in 2019.
Holder was also convicted of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for the gunfire that hit two other men at the scene.
Here is a recap of Nipsey Hussle’s career and the trial for his murder.
Who was Nipsey Hussle?
Nipsey Hussle was born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom in Los Angeles in 1985.
His stage name comes from a play on the moniker of the American comedian, Nipsey Russell, and from a friend admiring his work ethic and “hustle”.
Hussle released his first mixtape independently in 2005 and released the first of his two Bullets Ain’t Got No Name mixtapes in 2008.
His popularity began to grow after this and in 2010, released the...
- 2/22/2023
- by Nicole Vassell and Inga Parkel
- The Independent - Music
Ariana DeBose has commented on her much-derided performance at the 2023 Baftas for the first time since the event.
The 32-year-old West Side Story star opened the Baftas on Sunday (19 February) with a rendition of Eurythmics’s 1985 hit track “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”.
Halfway through the song, DeBose broke into rap, name-checking the female nominees in the audience with lines like: “Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, my Woman King. Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis], you are all of us.”
Following the performance, DeBose deactivated her Twitter account as the rap became the subject of online ridicule.
Her Instagram, however, remains active and the star commented on a roundup of the many internet memes poking fun at “Angela Basset did the thing” in particular.
“When Angela Basset wins the Oscar she must start her speech by saying ‘and in the words of Ariana DeBose, I did the thing,...
The 32-year-old West Side Story star opened the Baftas on Sunday (19 February) with a rendition of Eurythmics’s 1985 hit track “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”.
Halfway through the song, DeBose broke into rap, name-checking the female nominees in the audience with lines like: “Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, my Woman King. Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis], you are all of us.”
Following the performance, DeBose deactivated her Twitter account as the rap became the subject of online ridicule.
Her Instagram, however, remains active and the star commented on a roundup of the many internet memes poking fun at “Angela Basset did the thing” in particular.
“When Angela Basset wins the Oscar she must start her speech by saying ‘and in the words of Ariana DeBose, I did the thing,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - TV
Danny Dyer has spoken out about facing classist bias throughout his time as a public figure.
The actor, who left his role on EastEnders at the end of 2022, referred to people mocking his choice to name his daughter, former Love Island star Dani Dyer, after him.
In the interview with The Times, the example of Nigella Lawson’s name being derived from her father, baron and former Tory politician Nigel Lawson, was raised as a similar choice that has not drawn as much critique.
When asked whether the difference in how people perceive this tribute is an example of class bias, Dyer agreed, replying: “I think there is classism.
“As soon as I open my mouth I’m judged as thick and poor and not articulate. I noticed that early doors, but it hasn’t really bothered me.”
Dyer grew up on a council estate in east London’s Custom House neighbourhood.
The actor, who left his role on EastEnders at the end of 2022, referred to people mocking his choice to name his daughter, former Love Island star Dani Dyer, after him.
In the interview with The Times, the example of Nigella Lawson’s name being derived from her father, baron and former Tory politician Nigel Lawson, was raised as a similar choice that has not drawn as much critique.
When asked whether the difference in how people perceive this tribute is an example of class bias, Dyer agreed, replying: “I think there is classism.
“As soon as I open my mouth I’m judged as thick and poor and not articulate. I noticed that early doors, but it hasn’t really bothered me.”
Dyer grew up on a council estate in east London’s Custom House neighbourhood.
- 2/22/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
Dolly Parton has said goddaughter Miley Cyrus would be the preferred choice to lead her biopic, but under a few conditions.
In 2022, the country-music legend revealed she was in talks about possibly adapting her life story into a movie musical.
While Parton has given no concrete update on the potential biopic, she has apparently given some thought as to who would be the perfect fit to play her.
“I think Miley would be great,” Parton told Insider in a new interview. “She’s tall, but you can’t really tell that in a movie.”
The “Jolene” singer then quipped that Cyrus would “have to put on some weight, and get some bigger boobs”.
However, beyond matching Parton’s iconic bleach-blonde hair and tiny five-foot frame, she added that whoever played her would also need to have a similar singing voice.
“Miley would have the voice,” Parton said. “She’d have...
In 2022, the country-music legend revealed she was in talks about possibly adapting her life story into a movie musical.
While Parton has given no concrete update on the potential biopic, she has apparently given some thought as to who would be the perfect fit to play her.
“I think Miley would be great,” Parton told Insider in a new interview. “She’s tall, but you can’t really tell that in a movie.”
The “Jolene” singer then quipped that Cyrus would “have to put on some weight, and get some bigger boobs”.
However, beyond matching Parton’s iconic bleach-blonde hair and tiny five-foot frame, she added that whoever played her would also need to have a similar singing voice.
“Miley would have the voice,” Parton said. “She’d have...
- 2/22/2023
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - Music
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