In 1973, the killer of Welsh teenagers Sandra Newton, Pauline Flynn and Gwendoline Hughes was not caught, despite a high-profile and widespread investigation by South Wales Police. The girls’ families spent the next three decades not knowing who was responsible for brutally taking the lives of their loved ones, or whether he still lived alongside them in the local Neath and Port Talbot communities.
In 2002, a development in forensics changed everything. The cold case was reopened with much pared-down resources, and crime scene DNA was successfully used to identify Wales’ first recorded serial killer. Steeltown Murders is the story of the loss, guilt and suspicion that followed the 1970s murders, and of the perseverance of the officers who were eventually able to provide the victims’ families with the answers they’d been denied years before.
Here are the actors making up the cast behind Steeltown Murders‘ dramatisation of real-life figures and events.
In 2002, a development in forensics changed everything. The cold case was reopened with much pared-down resources, and crime scene DNA was successfully used to identify Wales’ first recorded serial killer. Steeltown Murders is the story of the loss, guilt and suspicion that followed the 1970s murders, and of the perseverance of the officers who were eventually able to provide the victims’ families with the answers they’d been denied years before.
Here are the actors making up the cast behind Steeltown Murders‘ dramatisation of real-life figures and events.
- 5/15/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
First programme reveal includes screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst, Argonon CEO James Burstall, Spun Gold TV MD Daniela Neumann, and more.
The Media Production & Technology Show has revealed the first speakers on the seminar programme for its 2023 show.
Taking place on 10-11 May in the iconic Grand Hall at Olympia London, the show will host more than 300 speakers across six theatres, featuring keynote presentations, masterclasses, panel discussions and educational sessions.
This year there is a special focus on disruptive and interactive technologies, including AI and virtual production.
The Keynote Theatre presents a host of industry leaders who will share their successes and visions for the future.
The Media Production & Technology Show has revealed the first speakers on the seminar programme for its 2023 show.
Taking place on 10-11 May in the iconic Grand Hall at Olympia London, the show will host more than 300 speakers across six theatres, featuring keynote presentations, masterclasses, panel discussions and educational sessions.
This year there is a special focus on disruptive and interactive technologies, including AI and virtual production.
The Keynote Theatre presents a host of industry leaders who will share their successes and visions for the future.
- 3/29/2023
- by Max Miller Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
In 2021 Sky and Now TV are ramping up their slate of TV shows and films with a whopping 125 new Sky Originals.
For the first time ever, Sky will drop 30 new Sky Original films and 30 new
Sky Original documentaries, on top of new drama, comedy, entertainment and arts
series. Altogether that’s 50% more original TV and film than last year. Movie fans are in for a treat as Sky Cinema becomes the home of Sky Original film with at
least two new original films every month which will feature a host of A list actors from Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent to Janelle Monae.
Sky Original films will include ‘A Boy Called Christmas’, the origin story of Father
Christmas, re-imagined in Gil Keenan’s live-action adaptation of Matt Haig’s best-selling novel, and family favourites such as ‘Extinct’ and ‘Monster Family 2’. There are films inspired by true...
For the first time ever, Sky will drop 30 new Sky Original films and 30 new
Sky Original documentaries, on top of new drama, comedy, entertainment and arts
series. Altogether that’s 50% more original TV and film than last year. Movie fans are in for a treat as Sky Cinema becomes the home of Sky Original film with at
least two new original films every month which will feature a host of A list actors from Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent to Janelle Monae.
Sky Original films will include ‘A Boy Called Christmas’, the origin story of Father
Christmas, re-imagined in Gil Keenan’s live-action adaptation of Matt Haig’s best-selling novel, and family favourites such as ‘Extinct’ and ‘Monster Family 2’. There are films inspired by true...
- 1/26/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Veteran British drama producer Nicola Shindler has launched a new scripted venture in Quay Street Productions, backed by ITV Studios.
Based in central Manchester, the outfit will focus on working with new writing talent and producing premium drama for the U.K. and international market. Quay Street Productions is named after the famous Manchester street where Granada Television was based and where Shindler spent a part of her early career. International distribution for the company’s slate will be handled by ITV Studios.
Shindler launched her career at Granada as a script editor on Robbie Coltrane drama “Cracker.” After winning her first BAFTA Award as a producer on ITV drama “Hillsborough,” Shindler launched Red in 1998, producing cult hit “Queer As Folk” and BBC’s “Clocking Off.” In 2019, Shindler was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) and took home one of BAFTA’s highest honours, the Special Award, for her services to British Broadcasting.
Based in central Manchester, the outfit will focus on working with new writing talent and producing premium drama for the U.K. and international market. Quay Street Productions is named after the famous Manchester street where Granada Television was based and where Shindler spent a part of her early career. International distribution for the company’s slate will be handled by ITV Studios.
Shindler launched her career at Granada as a script editor on Robbie Coltrane drama “Cracker.” After winning her first BAFTA Award as a producer on ITV drama “Hillsborough,” Shindler launched Red in 1998, producing cult hit “Queer As Folk” and BBC’s “Clocking Off.” In 2019, Shindler was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) and took home one of BAFTA’s highest honours, the Special Award, for her services to British Broadcasting.
- 1/14/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Nicola Shindler, the acclaimed British producer of shows such as Happy Valley and Queer as Folk, is set to receive a special award at the BAFTA TV Awards.
Shindler, who last year was named head of StudioCanal U.K., replacing outgoing CEO Danny Perkins, is being recognized for her outstanding contribution to the television industry.
In 1998, she founded the award-winning Red Production Company, responsible for dramas including the groundbreaking Queer as Folk (1999-2000), Clocking Off (2000-2003), Happy Valley (2014-2016), Burn It (2003) and Harlan Coben’s Safe (2018).
“I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of the BAFTA Television Special ...
Shindler, who last year was named head of StudioCanal U.K., replacing outgoing CEO Danny Perkins, is being recognized for her outstanding contribution to the television industry.
In 1998, she founded the award-winning Red Production Company, responsible for dramas including the groundbreaking Queer as Folk (1999-2000), Clocking Off (2000-2003), Happy Valley (2014-2016), Burn It (2003) and Harlan Coben’s Safe (2018).
“I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of the BAFTA Television Special ...
- 4/16/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
“Safe,” which world premiered on Wednesday at Canneseries, is the latest drama series from Studiocanal’s Red, a British production company set up by Nicola Shindler 20 years ago, best known for Russell T. Davies’ “Queer as Folk,” Paul Abbott’s “Clocking Off,” and Sally Wainwright’s “Happy Valley” and “Last Tango In Halifax.” Shindler spoke to Variety about “Safe,” her company’s slate and its relationship with writers.
“Safe” is a show that was built to compete on a world stage: It was created by best-selling novelist Harlan Coben, written by award-winner scribe Danny Brocklehurst, and toplining Hollywood star Michael C. Hall. The series is with Netflix worldwide, apart from France where it’s on C8.
Shindler says the “big names” help the show stand out in a crowded drama landscape. Coben has a huge following from his books, and Hall has chosen his TV roles smartly with two commercial and critical hits,...
“Safe” is a show that was built to compete on a world stage: It was created by best-selling novelist Harlan Coben, written by award-winner scribe Danny Brocklehurst, and toplining Hollywood star Michael C. Hall. The series is with Netflix worldwide, apart from France where it’s on C8.
Shindler says the “big names” help the show stand out in a crowded drama landscape. Coben has a huge following from his books, and Hall has chosen his TV roles smartly with two commercial and critical hits,...
- 4/12/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The first trailer for Shameless creator Paul Abbott's Channel 4 drama No Offence has been released.
The Manchester-based crime drama stars Joanna Scanlan, Alexandra Roach and Colin Salmon, and mixes "cop drama, family saga and social mayhem".
No Offence consists of eight hour-long episodes, and follows Di Vivienne Deering (Scanlan), DC Dinah Kowalska (Elaine Cassidy) and DS Joy Freers (Roach) as they attempt to keep the streets clean from crime.
Broadchurch's Will Mellor and Friday Night Dinner's Paul Ritter also star.
Writer Abbott previously said about the show: "I'm a big fan of well-told cop shows and jet-black social comedy, and I wanted to see how explosively we could bang two genres' heads together.
"No Offence is reared on wilder-than-average seeds, and I've had a ball with the AbbottVision team in building this concept."
Abbott is known for his work on Cracker, State of Play and Clocking Off.
The Manchester-based crime drama stars Joanna Scanlan, Alexandra Roach and Colin Salmon, and mixes "cop drama, family saga and social mayhem".
No Offence consists of eight hour-long episodes, and follows Di Vivienne Deering (Scanlan), DC Dinah Kowalska (Elaine Cassidy) and DS Joy Freers (Roach) as they attempt to keep the streets clean from crime.
Broadchurch's Will Mellor and Friday Night Dinner's Paul Ritter also star.
Writer Abbott previously said about the show: "I'm a big fan of well-told cop shows and jet-black social comedy, and I wanted to see how explosively we could bang two genres' heads together.
"No Offence is reared on wilder-than-average seeds, and I've had a ball with the AbbottVision team in building this concept."
Abbott is known for his work on Cracker, State of Play and Clocking Off.
- 4/7/2015
- Digital Spy
The Left Hand Of Darkness and Earthsea are coming to BBC Radio 4, along with a documentary celebrating author Ursula Le Guin at 85...
Welcome to Ursula Le Guin month (April's just its use-name) on BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra. A whole series of programming in celebration of the seminal Us author's work is coming our way over the next few weeks, including dramatisations of The Left Hand Of Darkness and Earthsea novels, as well as a documentary, Ursula Le Guin At 85.
For anyone who needs reminding, Ursula Le Guin has been creating some of America's greatest science-fiction and fantasy literature for almost half a century. From her childhood-favourite Earthsea series set in a world of mages and magic, to politically probing anarchist utopia The Dispossessed and sci-fi gender thought experiment The Left Hand Of Darkness, Le Guin has a string of modern classics to her name.
The programming gets underway with a...
Welcome to Ursula Le Guin month (April's just its use-name) on BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra. A whole series of programming in celebration of the seminal Us author's work is coming our way over the next few weeks, including dramatisations of The Left Hand Of Darkness and Earthsea novels, as well as a documentary, Ursula Le Guin At 85.
For anyone who needs reminding, Ursula Le Guin has been creating some of America's greatest science-fiction and fantasy literature for almost half a century. From her childhood-favourite Earthsea series set in a world of mages and magic, to politically probing anarchist utopia The Dispossessed and sci-fi gender thought experiment The Left Hand Of Darkness, Le Guin has a string of modern classics to her name.
The programming gets underway with a...
- 4/2/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Jo Joyner has admitted that she was "surprised" by co-star Jason Manford's performance in BBC One's Ordinary Lies.
The series, from BAFTA-winning writer Danny Brocklehurst, follows the employees of a motor showroom and explores how lies can cause lives to unravel.
"Each episode is its own little entity," Joyner told press including Digital Spy. "I love that premise, like Clocking Off and The Street, where you meet all these people and each week, you dip in and learn a little bit about each of them.
"Genuinely when I read the first two episodes of this for the audition, I loved it and I wanted to see it immediately - I couldn't wait to watch it. I'd be watching this even if I wasn't in it!"
Joyner plays Beth, the head of sales still reeling from the disappearance of her husband.
"Beth's story really comes alive in episode six,...
The series, from BAFTA-winning writer Danny Brocklehurst, follows the employees of a motor showroom and explores how lies can cause lives to unravel.
"Each episode is its own little entity," Joyner told press including Digital Spy. "I love that premise, like Clocking Off and The Street, where you meet all these people and each week, you dip in and learn a little bit about each of them.
"Genuinely when I read the first two episodes of this for the audition, I loved it and I wanted to see it immediately - I couldn't wait to watch it. I'd be watching this even if I wasn't in it!"
Joyner plays Beth, the head of sales still reeling from the disappearance of her husband.
"Beth's story really comes alive in episode six,...
- 3/13/2015
- Digital Spy
Channel 4 has announced that Tessa Ross is to stand down as controller of film and drama.
Ross will join the National Theatre as chief executive, replacing Nick Starr from November.
She will work alongside outgoing director Nicholas Hynter before fully taking up the role in April 2015, with Rufus Norris replacing Hynter.
Lisa Burger will remain as the Nt's chief operating officer.
Tessa Ross joined Channel 4 back in 2000, before becoming head of Film4 in 2003. She was later appointed controller of film and drama in 2008.
During her time at Film4, she was involved in developing and financing films including 12 Years a Slave, Slumdog Millionaire, The Last King of Scotland and The Iron Lady.
She was previously head of drama at the BBC's independent commissioning group, launching shows such as Clocking Off and Playing the Field.
Ross was also on the National Theatre's board from 2011 to 2014, and was previously a governor...
Ross will join the National Theatre as chief executive, replacing Nick Starr from November.
She will work alongside outgoing director Nicholas Hynter before fully taking up the role in April 2015, with Rufus Norris replacing Hynter.
Lisa Burger will remain as the Nt's chief operating officer.
Tessa Ross joined Channel 4 back in 2000, before becoming head of Film4 in 2003. She was later appointed controller of film and drama in 2008.
During her time at Film4, she was involved in developing and financing films including 12 Years a Slave, Slumdog Millionaire, The Last King of Scotland and The Iron Lady.
She was previously head of drama at the BBC's independent commissioning group, launching shows such as Clocking Off and Playing the Field.
Ross was also on the National Theatre's board from 2011 to 2014, and was previously a governor...
- 3/26/2014
- Digital Spy
BBC One today announced "The Driver," a new three-part thrilling drama written by Danny Brocklehurst ("Clocking Off," "Exile," "Accused"), starring David Morrissey ("The Walking Dead") in the lead role. "The Driver" is co-created by BAFTA-winning writer Danny Brocklehurst and Jim Poyser, co-produced by new production company Highfield Pictures and Red Production Company for BBC One and is directed by Jamie Payne ("Doctor Who," "The White Queen," "The Hour"). "The Driver," commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller BBC One and Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, is the story of an ordinary man who . because of family mystery, frustration with his job and his...
- 1/10/2014
- Comingsoon.net
Music Composed by: Murray Gold
Formats: Digital Download
Number of Discs: 2 (32 tracks, approx. 1 hour 7 minutes)
Label: Silva Screen Records
Overview:
At one time Christmas Day in the Us meant the Yule log and It’s a Wonderful Life, a time for families to gather around the TV together. But in the modern era that mantle has now been taken by the Doctor Who Christmas Special.
This release brings together the music of the last two which were broadcast on Christmas Day 2011 and 2012 and were watched by a joint audience of close to 20m in the UK alone. This ninth release in the series brings the full canon of Murray Gold’s prolific output up to date, eight years of elaborate and dazzling scores for one of the BBC’s most popular shows worldwide. The booklet for this release is reversible to allow the display of a separate cover for The Doctor,...
Formats: Digital Download
Number of Discs: 2 (32 tracks, approx. 1 hour 7 minutes)
Label: Silva Screen Records
Overview:
At one time Christmas Day in the Us meant the Yule log and It’s a Wonderful Life, a time for families to gather around the TV together. But in the modern era that mantle has now been taken by the Doctor Who Christmas Special.
This release brings together the music of the last two which were broadcast on Christmas Day 2011 and 2012 and were watched by a joint audience of close to 20m in the UK alone. This ninth release in the series brings the full canon of Murray Gold’s prolific output up to date, eight years of elaborate and dazzling scores for one of the BBC’s most popular shows worldwide. The booklet for this release is reversible to allow the display of a separate cover for The Doctor,...
- 11/28/2013
- by Jess Orso
- ScifiMafia
Music Composed by: Murray Gold
Formats: CD and Digital Download
Number of Discs: 2 (74 tracks, approx. 2 hours 14 minutes)
Label: Silva America
Overview:
Long awaited by the fans, Series 7 has been uniquely made up of 13 self-contained stories and this 2 CD set offers a feast of new Murray Gold signature themes with music from each and every story.
Murray Gold’s phenomenal output as a composer began close to twenty years ago and he has stacked up five BAFTA nominations (two for Doctor Who) plus three Royal Television Society nominations and a win for Queer As Folk. In 2013, Murray Gold celebrated one his greatest musical accomplishments with a third Doctor Who Prom at the Royal Albert Hall.
About the Composer:
Murray Gold was born in Portsmouth in 1969. He has worked primarily in the theatre, film and television. He has been round the world three times and now lives in London.
He is...
Formats: CD and Digital Download
Number of Discs: 2 (74 tracks, approx. 2 hours 14 minutes)
Label: Silva America
Overview:
Long awaited by the fans, Series 7 has been uniquely made up of 13 self-contained stories and this 2 CD set offers a feast of new Murray Gold signature themes with music from each and every story.
Murray Gold’s phenomenal output as a composer began close to twenty years ago and he has stacked up five BAFTA nominations (two for Doctor Who) plus three Royal Television Society nominations and a win for Queer As Folk. In 2013, Murray Gold celebrated one his greatest musical accomplishments with a third Doctor Who Prom at the Royal Albert Hall.
About the Composer:
Murray Gold was born in Portsmouth in 1969. He has worked primarily in the theatre, film and television. He has been round the world three times and now lives in London.
He is...
- 11/26/2013
- by Jess Orso
- ScifiMafia
N Conrad
Truckers is a new BBC dramedy based in Nottingham. As the title suggests, the show is about a handful of truck drivers all of whom are employed by a firm called Bank’s of England. The owner of the firm recently died and his son is doing his level best to keep the company afloat. He’s introduced Gps tracking and a number of other fairly reasonable technical innovations to try and ensure that his drivers stay the course. Sadly for him, the truckers are a wayward bunch who view his tracking as an infringement on their civil liberties.
In episode one, the owner’s worst headaches are caused by Malachi (Stephen Tompkinson) – a recently divorced Dad who is experiencing a midlife crisis. Tompkinson goes for laughs reveling in the sillier aspects of the dialogue while the rest of his cast mates play it straight. The balance between...
Truckers is a new BBC dramedy based in Nottingham. As the title suggests, the show is about a handful of truck drivers all of whom are employed by a firm called Bank’s of England. The owner of the firm recently died and his son is doing his level best to keep the company afloat. He’s introduced Gps tracking and a number of other fairly reasonable technical innovations to try and ensure that his drivers stay the course. Sadly for him, the truckers are a wayward bunch who view his tracking as an infringement on their civil liberties.
In episode one, the owner’s worst headaches are caused by Malachi (Stephen Tompkinson) – a recently divorced Dad who is experiencing a midlife crisis. Tompkinson goes for laughs reveling in the sillier aspects of the dialogue while the rest of his cast mates play it straight. The balance between...
- 10/17/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
The cast may be ironclad but this police procedural about bent coppers goes by the book
This police procedural about a pair of bent coppers goes by the book. Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham are brother bobbies who murder a murder suspect, Mark Strong's the colleague on their tail and Brian Cox is their confused elderly dad, whose dementia could let the secret slip at any moment. The cast is ironclad, but they struggle with a script by old school TV writer Bill Gallagher (Clocking Off, The Prisoner, Dalziel and Pascoe) that likes to doublecheck we've got everything before ambling off towards the next heavy trope. The dead man pops up to council his attackers; flashbacks fill the holes the dialogue left behind. The soundtrack rumbles incessantly, until the Bad Thing happens, when it cuts out for dramatic effect. Originality may be out of Blood's jurisdiction, but it manages to plods on,...
This police procedural about a pair of bent coppers goes by the book. Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham are brother bobbies who murder a murder suspect, Mark Strong's the colleague on their tail and Brian Cox is their confused elderly dad, whose dementia could let the secret slip at any moment. The cast is ironclad, but they struggle with a script by old school TV writer Bill Gallagher (Clocking Off, The Prisoner, Dalziel and Pascoe) that likes to doublecheck we've got everything before ambling off towards the next heavy trope. The dead man pops up to council his attackers; flashbacks fill the holes the dialogue left behind. The soundtrack rumbles incessantly, until the Bad Thing happens, when it cuts out for dramatic effect. Originality may be out of Blood's jurisdiction, but it manages to plods on,...
- 5/30/2013
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Shameless creator Paul Abbott has revealed his new Channel 4 comedy drama project No Offence.
The eight-part series is a Manchester-based police show, which Abbott claims will mix "cop drama, family saga and social mayhem".
Channel 4's press release about the show describes its plot as follows:
"Set in a crumbling Victorian cop shop on the wrong side of Manchester, No Offence follows a group of bobbies on the front line, wondering what they did to end up here, in this force, on this side of town. Keeping these streets clean is a Herculean task, enough to demoralize even the keenest rookie.
"But there's a reason these cops are in this force. As the never ending rabble off the local estates pours in, Inspector Vivienne Deering, the station's sharp, funny (peculiar) and hard as they come boss, and her team led by DC Dinah Kowalski (smart but impetuous, stuck in the middle,...
The eight-part series is a Manchester-based police show, which Abbott claims will mix "cop drama, family saga and social mayhem".
Channel 4's press release about the show describes its plot as follows:
"Set in a crumbling Victorian cop shop on the wrong side of Manchester, No Offence follows a group of bobbies on the front line, wondering what they did to end up here, in this force, on this side of town. Keeping these streets clean is a Herculean task, enough to demoralize even the keenest rookie.
"But there's a reason these cops are in this force. As the never ending rabble off the local estates pours in, Inspector Vivienne Deering, the station's sharp, funny (peculiar) and hard as they come boss, and her team led by DC Dinah Kowalski (smart but impetuous, stuck in the middle,...
- 5/14/2013
- Digital Spy
British screenwriter Paul Abbott, creator of Shameless, will speak at the Australian Writers’ Guild’s National Screenwriters Conference in February 2013. Next year’s conference will carry the theme ‘What Happens Next? The Screenwriters’ Journey.”
The announcement:
The Australian Writers’ Guild (Awg) today announced that one of Britain’s most critically acclaimed and commercially successful TV writers will head to our shores for the biennial National Screenwriters Conference at Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, from 20-22 February 2013. Paul Abbott created the multi award-winning semi-autobiographical Shameless, which is now in its tenth series in the UK as well as a second series of the Us remake starring William H Macy.
“As a screenwriter, this is the one event I look forward to more than any other. Hearing the best in the business talk about their craft is always incredibly inspiring, and there are none better than Paul Abbott”, says Australian Writers’ Guild President Jan Sardi.
The announcement:
The Australian Writers’ Guild (Awg) today announced that one of Britain’s most critically acclaimed and commercially successful TV writers will head to our shores for the biennial National Screenwriters Conference at Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, from 20-22 February 2013. Paul Abbott created the multi award-winning semi-autobiographical Shameless, which is now in its tenth series in the UK as well as a second series of the Us remake starring William H Macy.
“As a screenwriter, this is the one event I look forward to more than any other. Hearing the best in the business talk about their craft is always incredibly inspiring, and there are none better than Paul Abbott”, says Australian Writers’ Guild President Jan Sardi.
- 9/27/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Christopher Eccleston has scored the role of Malekith The Accursed, the villain of the upcoming sequel "Thor: The Dark World" at Marvel Studios says Deadline.
A super villain of the Marvel universe, the character is the ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim and has magical abilities including teleportation, energy projection, flight, and shape changing ability. He also has a weakness to iron which cancels out his powers.
Eccleston takes over from Mads Mikkelsen ("Casino Royale") who was originally slated for the part but had to bow out due to scheduling issues with NBC's upcoming "Hannibal" series.
A veteran British actor of stage and screen, 48-year-old Eccleston has often played villains with roles in high profile features such as "Shallow Grave," "Elizabeth," "Gone in 60 Seconds," "The Others," "28 Days Later," "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "eXistenZ" along with TV work in the likes of "Heroes," "Clocking Off," "Poirot,...
A super villain of the Marvel universe, the character is the ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim and has magical abilities including teleportation, energy projection, flight, and shape changing ability. He also has a weakness to iron which cancels out his powers.
Eccleston takes over from Mads Mikkelsen ("Casino Royale") who was originally slated for the part but had to bow out due to scheduling issues with NBC's upcoming "Hannibal" series.
A veteran British actor of stage and screen, 48-year-old Eccleston has often played villains with roles in high profile features such as "Shallow Grave," "Elizabeth," "Gone in 60 Seconds," "The Others," "28 Days Later," "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "eXistenZ" along with TV work in the likes of "Heroes," "Clocking Off," "Poirot,...
- 8/2/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
They're all over the screen with their floppy fringes and cut-glass accents. Are posh actors edging out working-class talent?
He appears in Downton Abbey, one of a wave of TV dramas centred on class, and in the Radio Times this week the actor Rob James-Collier was asked whether working-class talent was being squeezed out of the profession. James-Collier was born in Stockport, and defines himself as working class, and his answer was direct. As with so many other jobs at the moment, he said, you have to work for no money when starting out, and "how on earth are you going to finance that" if you don't come from a wealthy background?
His comments tapped into a question that has arisen repeatedly this year. Can anyone but the exceptionally well-heeled, wealthy, connected upper classes now make it in the arts? In acting, in particular, the question was thrown into sharp relief in January,...
He appears in Downton Abbey, one of a wave of TV dramas centred on class, and in the Radio Times this week the actor Rob James-Collier was asked whether working-class talent was being squeezed out of the profession. James-Collier was born in Stockport, and defines himself as working class, and his answer was direct. As with so many other jobs at the moment, he said, you have to work for no money when starting out, and "how on earth are you going to finance that" if you don't come from a wealthy background?
His comments tapped into a question that has arisen repeatedly this year. Can anyone but the exceptionally well-heeled, wealthy, connected upper classes now make it in the arts? In acting, in particular, the question was thrown into sharp relief in January,...
- 3/7/2012
- by Kira Cochrane
- The Guardian - Film News
Single Handed Season 2 Acorn Media
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
Single Handed, Set Two
Originally, Single Handed was produced by Rte for broadcast in Ireland but London based ITV bought the rights to show the rural cop drama and it quickly became a hit in Britain. Season two was co-produced by the UK network along with the Dublin based team that were responsible for the original.
In the drama, Owen McDonnell plays Jack Driscoll who is a surprisingly laid back police officer who is for the most part single-handedly keeping the folks of the West of Ireland on the straight and narrow. In this box set, Jack Driscoll solves three mysteries each of which lasts two episodes. The stories are real and involve issues such as arson, long lost relatives and out of control teenagers. The setting...
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
Single Handed, Set Two
Originally, Single Handed was produced by Rte for broadcast in Ireland but London based ITV bought the rights to show the rural cop drama and it quickly became a hit in Britain. Season two was co-produced by the UK network along with the Dublin based team that were responsible for the original.
In the drama, Owen McDonnell plays Jack Driscoll who is a surprisingly laid back police officer who is for the most part single-handedly keeping the folks of the West of Ireland on the straight and narrow. In this box set, Jack Driscoll solves three mysteries each of which lasts two episodes. The stories are real and involve issues such as arson, long lost relatives and out of control teenagers. The setting...
- 3/4/2012
- by admin
Stephen Carter, the man who re-engineered the UK’s regulatory landscape for media, is to offer a presentation on convergence at next month’s Spaa conference.
The session at the Screen Producers Association of Australia event is highly timely because Australia’s media regulations are undergoing a similar review to that carried out by Carter around seven years ago.
Carter created the UK super-regulator Ofcom after the merger of several individual media regulators. He later became a government minister and is now boss of telco giant Alacatel-Lucent.
According to Spaa, Carter’s presentation will cover media convergence issues around the three Ps of politics, policy and profit.
During his previous business career, Carter also had a stint as an executive with advertising agency Jwt.
The announcement follows news last week that Gareth Neame, managing director UK of NBCUniversal international TV production and head of TV hit series Downton Abbey will...
The session at the Screen Producers Association of Australia event is highly timely because Australia’s media regulations are undergoing a similar review to that carried out by Carter around seven years ago.
Carter created the UK super-regulator Ofcom after the merger of several individual media regulators. He later became a government minister and is now boss of telco giant Alacatel-Lucent.
According to Spaa, Carter’s presentation will cover media convergence issues around the three Ps of politics, policy and profit.
During his previous business career, Carter also had a stint as an executive with advertising agency Jwt.
The announcement follows news last week that Gareth Neame, managing director UK of NBCUniversal international TV production and head of TV hit series Downton Abbey will...
- 10/25/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Full listing of Game of Thrones Season 2 New Characters and Actors. Major and minor characters for Game of Thrones: Season 2 have been casting for months now. We have compiled a list of them all from different sources so that you will know what characters will be in Season 2 of HBO‘s Game of Thrones and who would be playing them. There are major spoilers below, especially if you have not read the A Song of Ice and Fire books so be warned. I personally have only shimmed over the detailed information below as I want characters and their motivations kept in shadow as much as possible. The list will be updated when new characters are cast so you might want to bookmark this page.
We previously posted on casting for Season 2 of Game of Thrones here: Game of Thrones: Season 2 Casts Liam Cunningham, Carice van Houten, Stephen Dillane,...
We previously posted on casting for Season 2 of Game of Thrones here: Game of Thrones: Season 2 Casts Liam Cunningham, Carice van Houten, Stephen Dillane,...
- 10/16/2011
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
British TV writer Paul Abbott based his sitcom "Shameless" – the original Channel 4 series and Showtime's U.S. version - on his own rough childhood on a Northern England housing estate. But his talent stretches far beyond autobiography, with a resume that includes blue-collar drama "Clocking Off," psychological crime series "Cracker" and the parliamentary thriller "State of Play" (the U.S. film adaptation starred Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe). His next project – a miniseries on the life of Princess Diana he is doing for HBO and the BBC - will take him right to the top of the British class system.Abbott will receive the 2011 Hollywood Reporter Award for excellence in international television at next week's television festival and confab the Cologne Conference."The Hollywood Reporter's" German Bureau Chief Scott Roxborough spoke to Abbott about his method for creating stories that appeal across national boundaries, his struggles with bipolar disorder...
- 9/22/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Scott Roxborough)
- backstage.com
BBC One has ordered a new five-part drama from Clocking Off writer Bill Gallagher. The Fuse focuses on Daniel Demoys, a corrupt and alcoholic council official who wakes up after a night of drinking and realises that he may be responsible for a murder. The public are enamoured with Daniel after he saves a man from being shot, but as he becomes more popular his private life begins to fall apart. Gallagher said: "I liked the idea of starting a story with a man who finds himself (more)...
- 3/31/2011
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
John Simm and Jim Broadbent have signed up to star in the BBC's new drama Exile. The three-part series has been created by Shameless writer Paul Abbott and is being penned by Danny Brocklehurst, who has previously worked on shows including Shameless and Clocking Off. Simm's character Tom returns home when his life in London falls apart to spend time with his father Sam, who is played by Broadbent. Sam now has Alzheimer's and is being cared for by Tom's sister Nancy, who will be played by Peep Show star Olivia Colman. While he is at home, Tom is determined to find out more about the mystery in his childhood which made him leave but is unaware (more)...
- 11/17/2010
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Our Friends In The North writer Peter Flannery recalls the difficult birth of his three-decade-spanning 'posh soap opera'
Long before he became Bond, Daniel Craig gave a raw, emotional performance as Geordie, a young man falling apart in Our Friends In The North. In an early scene set in 1964 he's so distressed by his alcoholic father that he headbutts him, cries his heart out and then hitchhikes to London to become Malcolm McDowell's dapper henchman. By the late-60s he looks bizarrely like a member of Slade, and by the time Thatcher has her hold on Britain in the 1980s, his world has fallen apart.
A desperately dramatic storyline in its own right, it's only one strand of a series of epic, multilayered stories in Our Friends. The 623-minute drama, which follows the lives of four friends from Newcastle between 1964 and 1995, is as moving now as it was when...
Long before he became Bond, Daniel Craig gave a raw, emotional performance as Geordie, a young man falling apart in Our Friends In The North. In an early scene set in 1964 he's so distressed by his alcoholic father that he headbutts him, cries his heart out and then hitchhikes to London to become Malcolm McDowell's dapper henchman. By the late-60s he looks bizarrely like a member of Slade, and by the time Thatcher has her hold on Britain in the 1980s, his world has fallen apart.
A desperately dramatic storyline in its own right, it's only one strand of a series of epic, multilayered stories in Our Friends. The 623-minute drama, which follows the lives of four friends from Newcastle between 1964 and 1995, is as moving now as it was when...
- 9/17/2010
- by Amy Raphael
- The Guardian - Film News
The original "Life on Mars" duo, actors John Simm and Philip Glenister, are re-teaming yet again for the four-part Sky1 drama "Mad Dogs" reports The BBC.
The story is centred around a group of schoolfriends who reunite and go on holiday at a friend's villa in Majorca. The holiday becomes a "labyrinthine nightmare of lies, deception and murder". Max Beesley ("Survivors") and Marc Warren ("Hustle") also star.
Simm, Glenister & Warren all previously appeared together in the likes of "Life on Mars," "Clocking Off" and the original "State of Play" mini-series. Simm & Glenister also worked on 2008 film "Tuesday".
Shooting kicks off next week and the limited series is expected to be broadcast next year.
The story is centred around a group of schoolfriends who reunite and go on holiday at a friend's villa in Majorca. The holiday becomes a "labyrinthine nightmare of lies, deception and murder". Max Beesley ("Survivors") and Marc Warren ("Hustle") also star.
Simm, Glenister & Warren all previously appeared together in the likes of "Life on Mars," "Clocking Off" and the original "State of Play" mini-series. Simm & Glenister also worked on 2008 film "Tuesday".
Shooting kicks off next week and the limited series is expected to be broadcast next year.
- 5/6/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Showtime (Weeds, Dexter) has officially picked up Paul Abbott's Shameless for series. Set to begin shooting end of summer 2010, Shameless is Abbott's (State of Play, Touching Evil, Reckless, and Clocking Off) most personal work, inspired by his own complicated life growing up in a working-class family with ten children. Showtime has ordered 12 episodes of the hour-long drama tracing the lives of a very unconventional family which will be executive produced by John Wells (ER, The West Wing, Southland) and the series’ original creator and Emmy Award-winner Paul Abbott. The series also stars Justin Chatwin, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan, Jeremy White and Laura Slade Wiggins Mark Mylod directed the pilot episode. “We’re so happy to be bringing this richly textured drama about a dysfunctional blue-collar family to Showtime with two of the greatest television producers working today, John Wells and Paul Abbott,” ...
- 4/8/2010
- by Buzzfocus Staff
- BuzzFocus.com
Steven Moffat has revealed the titles of the first few stories of Matt Smith's era as the Eleventh Doctor.
The series begins with The Eleventh Hour written by Moffat himself and is believed to follow directly on from the regeneration in The End of Time. Episode Two is The Beast Below also by Moffat with Episode Three seeing the return of the Doctor's greatest foe in Victory of the Daleks by Mark Gatiss.
Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, Moffat also confirmed a number of guest stars for the new series coming to the UK in the Spring.
Arthur Darvill will join the cast of Episode One as Rory. Darvill was previously seen in Little Dorrit, playing Tip Dorrit in the 2008 series.
Sophie Okonedo stars in Episode Two. She recently seen playing Winnie Mandela in the film Mrs Mandela and has previously starred in series such as Criminal Justice, Father and Son and Clocking Off.
The series begins with The Eleventh Hour written by Moffat himself and is believed to follow directly on from the regeneration in The End of Time. Episode Two is The Beast Below also by Moffat with Episode Three seeing the return of the Doctor's greatest foe in Victory of the Daleks by Mark Gatiss.
Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, Moffat also confirmed a number of guest stars for the new series coming to the UK in the Spring.
Arthur Darvill will join the cast of Episode One as Rory. Darvill was previously seen in Little Dorrit, playing Tip Dorrit in the 2008 series.
Sophie Okonedo stars in Episode Two. She recently seen playing Winnie Mandela in the film Mrs Mandela and has previously starred in series such as Criminal Justice, Father and Son and Clocking Off.
- 2/4/2010
- by Marcus
- The Doctor Who News Page
At Sdcc, stars of AMC’s anticipated mini-series “The Prisoner,” including James Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, The Thin Red Line, Pay It Forward), Jamie Campbell-Bower (Sweeney Todd, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I) and Lennie James (“Jericho”) participated in a panel event and exclusive sneak preview of the highly anticipated six-part series. The panel also featured “The Prisoner” writer Bill Gallagher (Conviction, Clocking Off) and AMC’s Vlad Wolynetz, vice president of production. It was moderated by producer and director Robert Meyer Burnett. Check out the 4 part video of the Sdcc panel: [flashvideo filename="videos/ThePrisonerPanel1.flv" width="490" height="276" /] The Prisoner Panel Part 1 [flashvideo filename="videos/ThePrisonerPanel2.flv" width="490" height="276" /] The Prisoner Panel Part 2 [flashvideo filename="videos/ThePrisonerPanel3.flv" width="490" height="276" /] The Prisoner Panel Part 3 [flashvideo filename="videos/ThePrisonerPanel4.flv" width="490" height="276" /] The Prisoner Panel Part 4 “The Prisoner,” is a re-imagination of the 1960s cult classic created by the late Patrick McGoohan, and premieres this ...
- 8/3/2009
- by Iris
- BuzzFocus.com
I was a huge fan of the original 1960s version of this innovative and hugely entertaining series, which was created, written by and starred the fantastic Patrick McGoohan. So naturally, when AMC announced their new version, I was a bit skeptical because how could an updated version of the show ever live up to the cult classic original? Until now, there hasn’t been much info to go on to see if my suspicions are correct. But fortunately, AMC is poised to unleash a whole lot of stuff about their version of The Prisoner later this month at Comic-Con.
AMC will host a panel at Comic-Con featuring the stars and producers of its upcoming mini-series. Joining the panel will be Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Thin Red Line, Pay It Forward), Jamie Campbell-Bower (Sweeney Todd, The Twilight Saga: New Moon) and Lennie James (Jericho). The panel, which is scheduled for Friday,...
AMC will host a panel at Comic-Con featuring the stars and producers of its upcoming mini-series. Joining the panel will be Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Thin Red Line, Pay It Forward), Jamie Campbell-Bower (Sweeney Todd, The Twilight Saga: New Moon) and Lennie James (Jericho). The panel, which is scheduled for Friday,...
- 7/7/2009
- by Chris Ullrich
- The Flickcast
TORONTO -- Neve Campbell, Bradley Whitford and Rupert Penry-Jones are toplining the BBC miniseries Burn Up, which began production Wednesday in Calgary.
The conspiracy thriller, which will also to on Global Television in Canada, is a Canadian-British co-production from Calgary-based Seven24 Films and London-based Kudos Film and Television.
The miniseries was penned by The Full Monty scribe Simon Beaufoy and portrays a clash over climate change between environmental activists, local politicians and oil company executives.
Alchemy Television is handling worldwide distribution for the CAN$15 million project, which is set for a spring broadcast in Canada and the U.K.
Omar Madha (Clocking Off) is directing Burn Up, which will shoot in Calgary through Dec. 18 and then shift to London in January.
The conspiracy thriller, which will also to on Global Television in Canada, is a Canadian-British co-production from Calgary-based Seven24 Films and London-based Kudos Film and Television.
The miniseries was penned by The Full Monty scribe Simon Beaufoy and portrays a clash over climate change between environmental activists, local politicians and oil company executives.
Alchemy Television is handling worldwide distribution for the CAN$15 million project, which is set for a spring broadcast in Canada and the U.K.
Omar Madha (Clocking Off) is directing Burn Up, which will shoot in Calgary through Dec. 18 and then shift to London in January.
- 10/25/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
AMC is getting into the sci-fi business with a remake of the 1960s series The Prisoner.
The cable network is set to co-produce with the U.K.'s Granada and Sky One a new version of the sci-fi thriller, which aired from 1967-68 on CBS. The remake will feature a similar story line to the original series, which starred Patrick McGoohan, who also was creator, producer, writer and director.
Prisoner will follow a man who finds himself inexplicably trapped in "the Village," with no memory of how he arrived. All of the inhabitants are identified by number instead of name, have no memory of a previous existence or outside civilization and are under constant surveillance. The man, Number Six, sets out to discover the truth behind the Village, why he's there and how he can escape.
The remake will be written by Bill Gallagher (BBC's Conviction, Clocking Off). Granada's Michelle Buck and Damien Timmer will produce.
Production on the hourlong series is scheduled to begin in the spring for a worldwide premiere targeted for January 2008.
The cable network is set to co-produce with the U.K.'s Granada and Sky One a new version of the sci-fi thriller, which aired from 1967-68 on CBS. The remake will feature a similar story line to the original series, which starred Patrick McGoohan, who also was creator, producer, writer and director.
Prisoner will follow a man who finds himself inexplicably trapped in "the Village," with no memory of how he arrived. All of the inhabitants are identified by number instead of name, have no memory of a previous existence or outside civilization and are under constant surveillance. The man, Number Six, sets out to discover the truth behind the Village, why he's there and how he can escape.
The remake will be written by Bill Gallagher (BBC's Conviction, Clocking Off). Granada's Michelle Buck and Damien Timmer will produce.
Production on the hourlong series is scheduled to begin in the spring for a worldwide premiere targeted for January 2008.
- 12/18/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CAMBRIDGE, England -- Award-winning screenwriter Paul Abbott lambasted British program makers Thursday for "bland, formulaic drama," warning that risk-free programs would alienate viewers. Delivering the high-profile Huw Wheldon lecture in front of an audience of Britain's most senior broadcasting executives, the BAFTA and Royal Television Society award-winning writer behind such projects as Shameless, State of Play and Clocking Off said television has become dull. "There is a malaise in television drama at the moment. Too much is under-ambitious, predictable and needlessly boring," he said, contrasting British output with such U.S. fare as ABC drama Lost.
- 9/15/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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