Karen Gillan, Patsy Ferran, Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent have joined the cast of Fools, a comedy drama that explores the little-known story of Mary Tudor and her friendship with her female court jester.
UK outfit Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, with UTA co-repping North America.
Guy Jenkin, known for his work on UK sitcoms including Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey, will direct from his own script. “Fools will turn the conventions of a historical film inside-out, and promises to be subversive, striking and very funny,” said the filmmaker.
The feature is set in 1553, as the aftermath...
UK outfit Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, with UTA co-repping North America.
Guy Jenkin, known for his work on UK sitcoms including Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey, will direct from his own script. “Fools will turn the conventions of a historical film inside-out, and promises to be subversive, striking and very funny,” said the filmmaker.
The feature is set in 1553, as the aftermath...
- 2/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Karen Gillan, Patsy Ferran, Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent have joined the cast of Fools, a comedy drama that explores the little-known story of Mary Tudor and her friendship with her female court jester.
UK outfit Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, with UTA co-repping North America.
Guy Jenkin, known for his work on UK sitcoms including Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey, will direct from his own script. “Fools will turn the conventions of a historical film inside-out, and promises to be subversive, striking and very funny,” said the filmmaker.
The feature is set in 1553, as the aftermath...
UK outfit Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, with UTA co-repping North America.
Guy Jenkin, known for his work on UK sitcoms including Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey, will direct from his own script. “Fools will turn the conventions of a historical film inside-out, and promises to be subversive, striking and very funny,” said the filmmaker.
The feature is set in 1553, as the aftermath...
- 2/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Renowned British actress Haydn Gwynne, who left an indelible mark both on stage and screen, passed away at 66 after a recent diagnosis with cancer. Celebrated for her talent and versatility, she brought life to a vast array of characters, demonstrating her range from television satire to Shakespearean roles.
Born in Sussex in 1957, Gwynne’s journey into the acting realm wasn’t a straight path. Before captivating audiences, she was an English lecturer in Italy and even studied Modern Languages at the University of Warwick. It wasn’t until her mid-twenties that Gwynne ventured into acting, but when she did, her ascent was meteoric.
She shot to fame in the 1990s with “Drop the Dead Donkey,” a sitcom that offered a witty look into the world of journalism. Her portrayal of the sardonic assistant editor Alex Pates garnered her a BAFTA nomination. Gwynne’s magnetism wasn’t confined to TV; she...
Born in Sussex in 1957, Gwynne’s journey into the acting realm wasn’t a straight path. Before captivating audiences, she was an English lecturer in Italy and even studied Modern Languages at the University of Warwick. It wasn’t until her mid-twenties that Gwynne ventured into acting, but when she did, her ascent was meteoric.
She shot to fame in the 1990s with “Drop the Dead Donkey,” a sitcom that offered a witty look into the world of journalism. Her portrayal of the sardonic assistant editor Alex Pates garnered her a BAFTA nomination. Gwynne’s magnetism wasn’t confined to TV; she...
- 10/20/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
Haydn Gwynne, a British actor known for roles in The Crown, The Windsors, and on the Broadway and West End stages, has died at the age of 66. Her agent announced in a statement that she died of cancer on Friday, October 20. “It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family, and friends,” her agent shared in a statement to the BBC. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.” On TV, Gwynne is best known for playing Queen Camilla in England’s Channel 4 comedy The Windsors. The royal family parody was renewed for Season 4 in April. She also starred in...
- 10/20/2023
- TV Insider
Hayden Gwynne, the actor known by American audiences for her work in “The Crown,” “The Windsors” and “Beauty and the Beast,” has died at the age of 66.
Gwynne died of cancer, according to the BBC. Last month, she pulled out of a play due to her diagnosis.
“It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” a statement obtained by the BBC reads. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”
Gwynne was acclaimed for her stagework. Over the course of her career, she won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Mrs.
Gwynne died of cancer, according to the BBC. Last month, she pulled out of a play due to her diagnosis.
“It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” a statement obtained by the BBC reads. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”
Gwynne was acclaimed for her stagework. Over the course of her career, she won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Mrs.
- 10/20/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Actress Haydn Gwynne died today following a recent cancer diagnosis. She was 66.
Her representatives confirmed the news Friday with a statement handed to multiple news outlets. The statement said Gwynne died in hospital “in the small hours of Friday, October 20, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family, and friends.”
“We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks,” the statement added.
Born in Sussex, England, Gwynne studied Modern Languages at the University of Warwick before taking a five-year lectureship in Italy, where she taught English. She became an actress in her mid-twenties and first came to notice on television as starring in the David Lodge campus comedy/drama Nice Work (1989) before joining the comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey (1990), for which she earned a BAFTA TV nomination in 1992.
Some of her other small screen credits included Peak Practice,...
Her representatives confirmed the news Friday with a statement handed to multiple news outlets. The statement said Gwynne died in hospital “in the small hours of Friday, October 20, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family, and friends.”
“We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks,” the statement added.
Born in Sussex, England, Gwynne studied Modern Languages at the University of Warwick before taking a five-year lectureship in Italy, where she taught English. She became an actress in her mid-twenties and first came to notice on television as starring in the David Lodge campus comedy/drama Nice Work (1989) before joining the comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey (1990), for which she earned a BAFTA TV nomination in 1992.
Some of her other small screen credits included Peak Practice,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Haydn Gwynne, a stage and screen actor who starred in royal comedy “The Windsors” and also appeared in “The Crown,” died on Friday of cancer, Variety has confirmed. She was 66.
“It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” her agent said in a statement. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”
Gwynne made her TV breakthrough in the late 1980s with the drama “Nice Work” before going on to star in other British series including “Peak Practice,” “Merseybeat” and BBC series “Rome” as Julius Caesar’s wife Calpurnia.
But it was her role as cynical journalist...
“It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” her agent said in a statement. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”
Gwynne made her TV breakthrough in the late 1980s with the drama “Nice Work” before going on to star in other British series including “Peak Practice,” “Merseybeat” and BBC series “Rome” as Julius Caesar’s wife Calpurnia.
But it was her role as cynical journalist...
- 10/20/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Best known for playing Rick Grimes in AMC’s The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln made his professional debut in 1994 as Terry in an episode of Drop the Dead Donkey, a British television sitcom that aired on Channel 4. The English actor gradually built his acting resume in the following years, showcasing his talent on screen and stage. His breakthrough came in the 2000s with his Simon Casey role in Teachers, Mark in Love Actually, and then Robert Bridge in Stephen Volk’s Afterlife. None of these measures up to his Rick Grimes role, which remains the major highlight of his career.
- 9/24/2023
- by Banks Onuoha
- TVovermind.com
British actor Stephen Tompkinson, best known for his roles in Ballykissangel and Dci Banks, has been charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH) and will appear to stand trial in an English crown court.
Tompkinson has been accused of inflicting harm on another man, beating him and leaving him with a double skull fracture during an altercation that took place in May 2021, The Times reports. The actor appeared in North Tyneside magistrates’ court earlier this month where he denied the charge against him, and the case has now been referred to the higher crown court, where he will be represented by a barrister next month.
Tompkinson has been one of the UK’s most successful TV actors for decades, after getting his big break in early 1990s comedy Drop the Dead Donkey, winning a British Comedy Award for best TV actor in 1994.
He went on to appear in the film Brassed Off,...
Tompkinson has been accused of inflicting harm on another man, beating him and leaving him with a double skull fracture during an altercation that took place in May 2021, The Times reports. The actor appeared in North Tyneside magistrates’ court earlier this month where he denied the charge against him, and the case has now been referred to the higher crown court, where he will be represented by a barrister next month.
Tompkinson has been one of the UK’s most successful TV actors for decades, after getting his big break in early 1990s comedy Drop the Dead Donkey, winning a British Comedy Award for best TV actor in 1994.
He went on to appear in the film Brassed Off,...
- 8/20/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Marcus D’Amico, the actor who played the character of Mouse in the original “Tales of the City” miniseries, has died. He was 55.
D’Amico died Dec. 16 of pneumonia at his home in Oxfordshire, England, his sister, Melissa D’Amico, told Queerty.
D’Amico was known for his role as the genial Michael “Mouse” Tolliver from the groundbreaking 1993 miniseries that premiered in the U.K. on Channel 4 and aired in the U.S. on PBS. The series was an adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s novels about colorful characters in San Francisco’s LGBT community.
D’Amico was also known for his role as Hand Job in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 military drama “Full Metal Jacket.”
In “Tales of the City,” the Mouse character becomes best friends with Mary Ann Singleton, played by Laura Linney, the wide-eyed young woman who moves to San Francisco from the Midwest. “Tales of the City” and the...
D’Amico died Dec. 16 of pneumonia at his home in Oxfordshire, England, his sister, Melissa D’Amico, told Queerty.
D’Amico was known for his role as the genial Michael “Mouse” Tolliver from the groundbreaking 1993 miniseries that premiered in the U.K. on Channel 4 and aired in the U.S. on PBS. The series was an adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s novels about colorful characters in San Francisco’s LGBT community.
D’Amico was also known for his role as Hand Job in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 military drama “Full Metal Jacket.”
In “Tales of the City,” the Mouse character becomes best friends with Mary Ann Singleton, played by Laura Linney, the wide-eyed young woman who moves to San Francisco from the Midwest. “Tales of the City” and the...
- 12/29/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-nominated Brenda Blethyn is set to star in the new sitcom “Kate and Kolo” for ITV, the U.K. broadcaster announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Blethyn takes on the title role of Kate in the comedy alongside theater and film actor Jimmy Akingbola as Kolo. Blethyn is a popular star with ITV audiences after having starred as police detective Vera Stanhope since 2011 in long-running crime drama “Vera,” which is currently in production on its 10th season, due to air in 2020. The acclaimed actress has twice been Oscar-nominated, as best actress for Mike Leigh’s 1996 film “Secrets & Lies” and as supporting actress for Mark Herman’s “Little Voice” two years later. She won both Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for her role in “Secrets & Lies.”
Akingbola previously appeared as villain Baron Reiter in the CW’s adaptation of DC Comics’ “Arrow.” His British credits include comedy “Rev” and long-running medical drama “Holby City.
Blethyn takes on the title role of Kate in the comedy alongside theater and film actor Jimmy Akingbola as Kolo. Blethyn is a popular star with ITV audiences after having starred as police detective Vera Stanhope since 2011 in long-running crime drama “Vera,” which is currently in production on its 10th season, due to air in 2020. The acclaimed actress has twice been Oscar-nominated, as best actress for Mike Leigh’s 1996 film “Secrets & Lies” and as supporting actress for Mark Herman’s “Little Voice” two years later. She won both Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for her role in “Secrets & Lies.”
Akingbola previously appeared as villain Baron Reiter in the CW’s adaptation of DC Comics’ “Arrow.” His British credits include comedy “Rev” and long-running medical drama “Holby City.
- 8/22/2019
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
To celebrate the return of W1A, we salute the top 10 comedy characters who talk absolute mother-thumping rubbish…
Yesnobrilliantverygoodverystrong. As satirical BBC mockumentary W1A returns tonight for a triumphant second series, we celebrate TV comedy’s rich lineage of jargon fans.
Drawn from across the political spectrum and from TV’s most biting depictions of the worlds of business, government, technology and the media, these guys are master obfuscators. They're neologism-coiners and proponents of the kind of abuses to the English language that, in a just world, would see them locked up and force fed copies of The Elements Of Style.
From The Thick Of It to Peep Show, Yes Minister, The Office, Nathan Barley, The Day Today, and Drop The Dead Donkey, across the Pond to 30 Rock and Silicon Valley, we present TV comedy's top ten full-of-it jargon-meisters.
Stewart Pearson - The Thick Of It
Who is he?...
Yesnobrilliantverygoodverystrong. As satirical BBC mockumentary W1A returns tonight for a triumphant second series, we celebrate TV comedy’s rich lineage of jargon fans.
Drawn from across the political spectrum and from TV’s most biting depictions of the worlds of business, government, technology and the media, these guys are master obfuscators. They're neologism-coiners and proponents of the kind of abuses to the English language that, in a just world, would see them locked up and force fed copies of The Elements Of Style.
From The Thick Of It to Peep Show, Yes Minister, The Office, Nathan Barley, The Day Today, and Drop The Dead Donkey, across the Pond to 30 Rock and Silicon Valley, we present TV comedy's top ten full-of-it jargon-meisters.
Stewart Pearson - The Thick Of It
Who is he?...
- 4/22/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Channel 4 has commissioned a new political sitcom.
The satirical Ballot Monkeys will focus on politicians campaigning for the four main parties in the run-up to the General Election.
Sky News unveils 2015 General Election coverage details
Trevor Cooper, Ben Miller, Sarah Hadland and Hattie Morahan star as candidates for Labour, Lib Dem, Ukip and the Conservatives. The show will intercut between the various campaign buses.
Drop The Dead Donkey and Outnumbered creators Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin will write the five-episode sitcom.
The pair said: "We're very excited about this. We don't think anyone's done anything like this before, although we may find out why."
Fiona McDermott, Channel 4's commissioning editor for comedy, added: "We haven't yet decided whether we're brave or bonkers but a real-time satirical sitcom like Ballot Monkeys could only be handled by the remarkable Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin.
"We are thrilled to have them...
The satirical Ballot Monkeys will focus on politicians campaigning for the four main parties in the run-up to the General Election.
Sky News unveils 2015 General Election coverage details
Trevor Cooper, Ben Miller, Sarah Hadland and Hattie Morahan star as candidates for Labour, Lib Dem, Ukip and the Conservatives. The show will intercut between the various campaign buses.
Drop The Dead Donkey and Outnumbered creators Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin will write the five-episode sitcom.
The pair said: "We're very excited about this. We don't think anyone's done anything like this before, although we may find out why."
Fiona McDermott, Channel 4's commissioning editor for comedy, added: "We haven't yet decided whether we're brave or bonkers but a real-time satirical sitcom like Ballot Monkeys could only be handled by the remarkable Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin.
"We are thrilled to have them...
- 4/7/2015
- Digital Spy
Waterloo Road's upcoming season has been previewed in a new trailer.
The trailer teases the arrival of Drop the Dead Donkey actor Neil Pearson as new headteacher Vaughan Fitzgerald.
Nicola Stephenson has also joined the cast as new art teacher Allie, who is the partner of Vaughan.
It was announced in April that Waterloo Road would be coming to an end after its tenth series, but bosses promised to send the show out "on a high".
The cast and crew filmed the show's final scenes in Greenock, Scotland on August 22.
Waterloo Road returns to BBC One on October 15 at 8pm.
The trailer teases the arrival of Drop the Dead Donkey actor Neil Pearson as new headteacher Vaughan Fitzgerald.
Nicola Stephenson has also joined the cast as new art teacher Allie, who is the partner of Vaughan.
It was announced in April that Waterloo Road would be coming to an end after its tenth series, but bosses promised to send the show out "on a high".
The cast and crew filmed the show's final scenes in Greenock, Scotland on August 22.
Waterloo Road returns to BBC One on October 15 at 8pm.
- 10/4/2014
- Digital Spy
Waterloo Road will return on Wednesday, October 15, it has been confirmed.
The first of ten new one-hour episodes will air at 8pm, with ten final episodes scheduled to air in 2015.
The new episode will feature the introduction of new head teacher Vaughan Fitzgerald, who is played by Drop the Dead Donkey actor Neil Pearson.
Nicola Stephenson has also joined the cast as new art teacher Allie, who is the partner of Vaughan.
It was announced in April that Waterloo Road would be coming to an end after its tenth series, but bosses promised to send the show out "on a high".
The cast and crew filmed the show's final scenes in Greenock, Scotland on August 22.
The first of ten new one-hour episodes will air at 8pm, with ten final episodes scheduled to air in 2015.
The new episode will feature the introduction of new head teacher Vaughan Fitzgerald, who is played by Drop the Dead Donkey actor Neil Pearson.
Nicola Stephenson has also joined the cast as new art teacher Allie, who is the partner of Vaughan.
It was announced in April that Waterloo Road would be coming to an end after its tenth series, but bosses promised to send the show out "on a high".
The cast and crew filmed the show's final scenes in Greenock, Scotland on August 22.
- 10/1/2014
- Digital Spy
Actor Kenny Ireland has died following a battle with cancer.
The 68-year-old performer was perhaps best known for playing swinger Donald Stewart in ITV's Benidorm.
He was also director of Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre from 1992 until 2003.
Ireland's character was written out of Benidorm in June in order for him concentrate on cancer treatment.
A spokesperson for ITV said: "We are terribly saddened to hear that Kenny Ireland has passed away, our thoughts are with his family at this time.
"He was a much loved actor, not only by the cast and crew on Benidorm but by the millions of fans out there.
"He appeared as Donald Stewart in Benidorm from the first episode and helped play a huge part in its success. He will be greatly missed."
Ireland was also known for his appearances in Victoria Wood As Seen On TV, including his role as Derek the handyman in Acorn Antiques.
The 68-year-old performer was perhaps best known for playing swinger Donald Stewart in ITV's Benidorm.
He was also director of Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre from 1992 until 2003.
Ireland's character was written out of Benidorm in June in order for him concentrate on cancer treatment.
A spokesperson for ITV said: "We are terribly saddened to hear that Kenny Ireland has passed away, our thoughts are with his family at this time.
"He was a much loved actor, not only by the cast and crew on Benidorm but by the millions of fans out there.
"He appeared as Donald Stewart in Benidorm from the first episode and helped play a huge part in its success. He will be greatly missed."
Ireland was also known for his appearances in Victoria Wood As Seen On TV, including his role as Derek the handyman in Acorn Antiques.
- 7/31/2014
- Digital Spy
Many know David Tennant for his tenure as "Doctor Who," the recent British drama series "Broadchurch" or small roles in films like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But now he's dabbling in some lighter fare with the family comedy What We Did on Our Holiday. Maybe it's just the presence of children and their British accents, but this looks adorably charming. Rosamund Pike is along for the ride as Tennant's wife when they take their three kids on a vacation to see their grandfather (Billy Connolly) in Scotland. At the very least, it's better than that Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good, Very Bad Day trailer. Watch! Here's the trailer for Andy Hamilton & Guy Jenkin's What We Did on Our Holiday from Lionsgate UK: What We Did on Our Holiday is written and directed by Andy Hamilton & Guy Jenkin (of the United Kingdom series "Outnumbered" and...
- 6/11/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Father Ted, The It Crowd and Peep Show are among the classic Channel 4 shows that will be removed from Netflix UK and LoveFilm Instant.
Channel 4's licenses are to expire on both streaming services, according to VODzilla. They will be removed from Netflix on Saturday (February 15), followed a few days later on LoveFilm.
The Inbetweeners, Shameless and Green Wing are said to also be among the longlist of shows to be removed from the services.
The move follows Channel 4's recent removal of content from YouTube, leaving the only option to watch shows on 4oD.
Channel 4 recently said to Wired about the YouTube removals: "As a not-for-profit broadcaster funded by advertising, we put our money back into the programmes themselves. To make the best of this investment, we've decided to focus on bringing online viewers of our full-length shows to our own 4oD apps - such as those on iOS,...
Channel 4's licenses are to expire on both streaming services, according to VODzilla. They will be removed from Netflix on Saturday (February 15), followed a few days later on LoveFilm.
The Inbetweeners, Shameless and Green Wing are said to also be among the longlist of shows to be removed from the services.
The move follows Channel 4's recent removal of content from YouTube, leaving the only option to watch shows on 4oD.
Channel 4 recently said to Wired about the YouTube removals: "As a not-for-profit broadcaster funded by advertising, we put our money back into the programmes themselves. To make the best of this investment, we've decided to focus on bringing online viewers of our full-length shows to our own 4oD apps - such as those on iOS,...
- 2/14/2014
- Digital Spy
Two lost Peter Sellers films from 1957 have been found in a skip in London.
Dearth of a Salesman and Insomnia Is Good for You were thought to be lost when they were found by Southend-on-Sea resident Robert Farrow when he was cleaning out a now-defunct Park Lane Films property.
"As the building manager it was my job to oversee that each floor of the property was properly cleared prior to refurbishment back in 1996," Farrow said.
"I spotted 21 film cans in a skip outside the office block and thought they would be good for storing my Super 8 collection in. I took them home, put them in a cupboard and pretty much forgot about them."
He continued: "During a recent clear-out I found them again and decided to see what the tins contained - it was then I realised they were two Sellers films including the negatives, titles, show prints, outtakes and the master print.
Dearth of a Salesman and Insomnia Is Good for You were thought to be lost when they were found by Southend-on-Sea resident Robert Farrow when he was cleaning out a now-defunct Park Lane Films property.
"As the building manager it was my job to oversee that each floor of the property was properly cleared prior to refurbishment back in 1996," Farrow said.
"I spotted 21 film cans in a skip outside the office block and thought they would be good for storing my Super 8 collection in. I took them home, put them in a cupboard and pretty much forgot about them."
He continued: "During a recent clear-out I found them again and decided to see what the tins contained - it was then I realised they were two Sellers films including the negatives, titles, show prints, outtakes and the master print.
- 12/11/2013
- Digital Spy
Waterloo Road will have a new head teacher in series ten, it has been revealed.
Neil Pearson, who is to star as incoming teacher Vaughn Fitzgerald in the next series of the continuing BBC One drama, will play the new head next year.
The news was revealed online after a fan visited the set in Greenock, Scotland. Pictures showing filming for the tenth series, due to air in 2014, were posted on Inverclyde Now and show the school's sign on a wall outside.
Closer inspection reveals that the sign says "Head Teacher: Vaughn Fitzgerald".
Last month, it was revealed that the 54-year-old Drop the Dead Donkey actor and actress Nicola Stephenson had been signed up by Waterloo Road bosses as two new teachers, Fitzgerald and Allie Westbrook.
Speaking about joining Waterloo Road in a BBC press release, Pearson commented: "Waterloo Road has a long and successful history, an impressive list of alumni,...
Neil Pearson, who is to star as incoming teacher Vaughn Fitzgerald in the next series of the continuing BBC One drama, will play the new head next year.
The news was revealed online after a fan visited the set in Greenock, Scotland. Pictures showing filming for the tenth series, due to air in 2014, were posted on Inverclyde Now and show the school's sign on a wall outside.
Closer inspection reveals that the sign says "Head Teacher: Vaughn Fitzgerald".
Last month, it was revealed that the 54-year-old Drop the Dead Donkey actor and actress Nicola Stephenson had been signed up by Waterloo Road bosses as two new teachers, Fitzgerald and Allie Westbrook.
Speaking about joining Waterloo Road in a BBC press release, Pearson commented: "Waterloo Road has a long and successful history, an impressive list of alumni,...
- 10/15/2013
- Digital Spy
Monty Python fans will love this London musical, infused as it is with vintage sketches and nods to the great British troupe's classic Holy Grail movie. Indeed, fittingly for a show created by comedy gods, Eric Idle plays the Almighty - though not in person: his appearance is limited to a video projection that nonetheless is a pleasant addition to the show. Stephen Tompkinson (who TV viewers will know from various primetime shows including Drop The Dead Donkey or Wild At Heart) is effective as King Arthur, adept at clowning and convincing as the exasperated leader of a higgedly-piggedly set of idiot knights. Familiar scenes abound and those with even the slightest knowledge of Python will recognise the Knights of Ni, a deadly attack-rabbit and - inarguably one of the show's highlights - the fabulous and thickly-accented French soldiers who (more)...
- 1/18/2013
- by By David Moynihan
- Digital Spy
Script for fourth episode of 1955 show catalogued along with those for and by the likes of Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers
When Tony Hancock failed to turn up for three episodes of his radio show in 1955, producers simply replaced him with Harry Secombe as if nothing had happened. The fourth episode followed Hancock and Sid James as they travelled to Swansea to thank him – where they found him singing down a coalmine.
The recorded episode was wiped and continues to be lost, but the script – along with a host of others – has now emerged. They have been catalogued by the actor turned rare books dealer, Neil Pearson.
It is a true treasure trove, featuring scripts by and for comedy stars such as Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd and Kenneth Williams. "It is a rather extraordinary and rather moving collection of material that reminds us of how we used to...
When Tony Hancock failed to turn up for three episodes of his radio show in 1955, producers simply replaced him with Harry Secombe as if nothing had happened. The fourth episode followed Hancock and Sid James as they travelled to Swansea to thank him – where they found him singing down a coalmine.
The recorded episode was wiped and continues to be lost, but the script – along with a host of others – has now emerged. They have been catalogued by the actor turned rare books dealer, Neil Pearson.
It is a true treasure trove, featuring scripts by and for comedy stars such as Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd and Kenneth Williams. "It is a rather extraordinary and rather moving collection of material that reminds us of how we used to...
- 12/3/2012
- by Mark Brown
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor known for his roles as clergymen, favourite uncles and tragic-comic characters
There is a great tradition in the rotundity of actors, and Roger Hammond, who has died aged 76 of cancer, stands proudly in a line stretching from Francis L Sullivan and Willoughby Goddard through to Roy Kinnear, Desmond Barrit and Richard Griffiths, though he was probably more malleably benevolent on stage than any of them.
He reeked of kindness, consideration and imperturbability, with a pleasant countenance and a beautiful, soft voice, qualities ideal for unimpeachable clergymen, favourite uncles and tragic-comic characters such as Waffles in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (whom he played in a 1991 BBC TV film, with David Warner and Ian Holm), a man whose wife left him for another man on his wedding day but who has remained faithful to her and forgiving ever since.
Hammond grew up in Stockport, Lancashire. His chartered accountant father was managing director of his own family firm,...
There is a great tradition in the rotundity of actors, and Roger Hammond, who has died aged 76 of cancer, stands proudly in a line stretching from Francis L Sullivan and Willoughby Goddard through to Roy Kinnear, Desmond Barrit and Richard Griffiths, though he was probably more malleably benevolent on stage than any of them.
He reeked of kindness, consideration and imperturbability, with a pleasant countenance and a beautiful, soft voice, qualities ideal for unimpeachable clergymen, favourite uncles and tragic-comic characters such as Waffles in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (whom he played in a 1991 BBC TV film, with David Warner and Ian Holm), a man whose wife left him for another man on his wedding day but who has remained faithful to her and forgiving ever since.
Hammond grew up in Stockport, Lancashire. His chartered accountant father was managing director of his own family firm,...
- 11/14/2012
- by Michael Coveney
- The Guardian - Film News
EastEnders legend June Brown and Dawn French are to star in a new BBC Two sitcom, written by Sue Perkins. Great British Bake-Off host Perkins will also feature alongside Benidorm's Steve Pemberton and Drop the Dead Donkey's Jeff Rawle in Heading Out. Heading Out will tell the story of Sara (Perkins), a vet who is given an ultimatum by her friends to tell her parents that she is gay after she turns (more)...
- 10/25/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
The Office star Lucy Davis and Primeval's Hannah Spearritt are among the guest stars for series two of Death in Paradise. The BBC One comedy-drama - which returns in early 2013 - stars Ben Miller as Di Richard Poole, a stuffy English detective who is relocated to an idyllic Caribbean island. Davis, Spearritt and Gavin & Stacey's Mathew Horne will all appear in the second series, alongside James Fleet (The Vicar of Dibley), Lucien Laviscount (Waterloo Road), Neil Pearson (Drop the Dead Donkey), Ralf Little (The Royle Family) and Shaun Parkes (Human Traffic). "It's great to be working with such a fantastic cast against the beautiful backdrop of Guadeloupe," said Davis. "Being filmed on location really offers a sense of authenticity and adds to the (more)...
- 10/5/2012
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
Tracy-Ann Oberman has signed up for a role in the second series of ITV1's medical drama Monroe. The show, which stars James Nesbitt and Sarah Parish, was renewed by the broadcaster last July. Oberman has now signed up to play the new nurse specialist Lizzie Clapham, who looks after the patients' emotional care. Drop the Dead Donkey star Neil Pearson has also joined the cast as head of Clinical Services and Monroe's manager Alistair Gillespie, while Five Daughters actress Lisa Millet will play "acerbic" nurse Jill McHeath. The new series of Monroe is expected to pick up 18 months after the first, with Monroe facing challenges from his ex-wife and son. Bremner and Shepherd (Tom Riley) are dealing with an "unplanned development" which could affect their careers and their relationship, (more)...
- 1/17/2012
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Claire Foy has landed the lead role in Channel 4's new phone hacking comedy. Hacks, a one-off special, has been written by Outnumbered and Drop The Dead Donkey scribe Guy Jenkin. Foy has signed up to play Kate Loy, the editor of a tabloid newspaper. Michael Kitchen has also joined the cast and will play the newspaper's proprietor, Stanhope Feast. Kate no longer appears to have a moral compass, but (more)...
- 11/4/2011
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Michael Kitchen
B Van Heusen
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The latest creation from the pen of Drop the Dead Donkey writer Guy Jenkin is set to hit British TV screens this winter. Hacks takes a satirical look at the British newspaper industry and revolves around the antics of unethical journalists who engage in illegal activities such as phone-hacking. The “ripped from the headlines” 60 minute comedy features a host of big name actors that includes Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War), Clare Foy (Upstairs Downstairs) and funny man Russ Abbott. Also in the cast is Whitechapel actor Phil Davis who filmed the comedy during a break from work on the new season of Silk in which he appears alongside Whitechapel lead man Rupert Penry-Jones. Precise broadcast details have yet to be announced.
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B Van Heusen
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The latest creation from the pen of Drop the Dead Donkey writer Guy Jenkin is set to hit British TV screens this winter. Hacks takes a satirical look at the British newspaper industry and revolves around the antics of unethical journalists who engage in illegal activities such as phone-hacking. The “ripped from the headlines” 60 minute comedy features a host of big name actors that includes Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War), Clare Foy (Upstairs Downstairs) and funny man Russ Abbott. Also in the cast is Whitechapel actor Phil Davis who filmed the comedy during a break from work on the new season of Silk in which he appears alongside Whitechapel lead man Rupert Penry-Jones. Precise broadcast details have yet to be announced.
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10 Best British TV Baddies
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- 11/3/2011
- by admin
Us TV may have more money to spend on TV and big budget shows – think Lost (the pilot alone is said to have cost $12 million) and Spielberg’s latest show Terra Nova (reportedly it cost $50 million to make) - but there are just some British shows that American TV could never do as well as British TV, regardless of the budget. The reason? Because they are quintessentially British. The fact they are based in Britain is as vital to their watchability as the actors who bring the characters to life. Read on and please feel free to leave comments.
1. Doctor Who
It’s not only the iconic blue telephone box that makes this time travel treat a very British show; it’s the gentlemanly behavior of the Doctor. The Doctor abhors guns and violence. If the Time Lord were an American he’d be brash and all shock and awe,...
1. Doctor Who
It’s not only the iconic blue telephone box that makes this time travel treat a very British show; it’s the gentlemanly behavior of the Doctor. The Doctor abhors guns and violence. If the Time Lord were an American he’d be brash and all shock and awe,...
- 10/21/2011
- Shadowlocked
Channel 4 has announced that it has commissioned a new comedy about phone hacking. The one-off film, currently called Hacks, is described as a "satirical swipe" at the recent scandal. The comedy is set at a fictional newspaper and follows a group of journalists desperate to get good stories "by any means necessary". However, things are about to go wrong. The special has been written by Guy Jenkin, who has previously worked on Outnumbered, Drop The Dead Donkey and Spitting Image. Jenkin joked that he wants the project, currently at the script stage, to be "faster (more)...
- 8/26/2011
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Outnumbered co. BBC
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On 2 September, the BBC comedy show Outnumbered returns to British TV. The fourth series of the show will extend to six episodes although the BBC also plan to air a Christmas special. The show’s stars include funny man Hugh Dennis as well as one-time Miss Moneypenny, Samantha Bond and Sense and Sensibility actress Claire Skinner.
In the new series the Brockman family deal with issues ranging from terrorism to Top Gear. It is produced for the BBC by Hat-Trick productions, the company behind such hits as Father Ted and Drop the Dead Donkey. BBC America began airing the first season of the show on 30 July and fans in the U.S. can also see it on on Amazon.com’s live streaming service.
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Bob Baker...
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on twitter.
On 2 September, the BBC comedy show Outnumbered returns to British TV. The fourth series of the show will extend to six episodes although the BBC also plan to air a Christmas special. The show’s stars include funny man Hugh Dennis as well as one-time Miss Moneypenny, Samantha Bond and Sense and Sensibility actress Claire Skinner.
In the new series the Brockman family deal with issues ranging from terrorism to Top Gear. It is produced for the BBC by Hat-Trick productions, the company behind such hits as Father Ted and Drop the Dead Donkey. BBC America began airing the first season of the show on 30 July and fans in the U.S. can also see it on on Amazon.com’s live streaming service.
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Stephen Thorne Interview
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- 8/18/2011
- by admin
Outnumbered, the multi-award-winning comedy series from Hat Trick Productions, which captures the turbulent chaos of family life, is back on BBC One with a new six-part series starting on Friday 2 September and followed by a Christmas special.
In the new series, the family is confronted by an array of issues ranging from death, drugs, terrorism and getting old, to food science, Top Gear, the joy of ventriloquism and the perils of Subbuteo.
The casting director avoided stage-school talent, instead undertaking a lengthy audition process which involved lots of game playing, determined to find children who would enjoy the filming process. So the three juvenile leads came out at the top of the fairly exhausting casting process. Andy: "They're all really interesting to watch and they've all got very interesting, funny personalities. Confident, but also excellent actors."
Tyger Drew-Honey returns as Jake Brockman
Tyger was born Lindzi James Tyger Drew-Honey, he is now 15 years old,...
In the new series, the family is confronted by an array of issues ranging from death, drugs, terrorism and getting old, to food science, Top Gear, the joy of ventriloquism and the perils of Subbuteo.
The casting director avoided stage-school talent, instead undertaking a lengthy audition process which involved lots of game playing, determined to find children who would enjoy the filming process. So the three juvenile leads came out at the top of the fairly exhausting casting process. Andy: "They're all really interesting to watch and they've all got very interesting, funny personalities. Confident, but also excellent actors."
Tyger Drew-Honey returns as Jake Brockman
Tyger was born Lindzi James Tyger Drew-Honey, he is now 15 years old,...
- 8/17/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (ScreenTerrier)
- ScreenTerrier
Considering the title, The Fires Of Pompeii is curiously something of a damp squib. The story revolves around a big moral dilemma which plagues The Doctor throughout. And just like that big dilemma, The Fires Of Pompeii seems to be stuck in its own indecisive rut throughout.
It just cannot make up its mind on what it wants to be. Big ethical epic? Spooky story of sisterhood shenanigans? Flamey monster tale? Well, Fires touches on all three bases, but somehow only dips its arm in the water instead of diving right in. It's also interesting in that it starts to break the mould of a by now familiar season pattern. Normally, the first historical of the season acquaints The Doctor with a famous face from the past. In this season, we'll later get Agatha Christie in The Unicorn And The Wasp. But for now, The Fires Of Pompeii takes The...
It just cannot make up its mind on what it wants to be. Big ethical epic? Spooky story of sisterhood shenanigans? Flamey monster tale? Well, Fires touches on all three bases, but somehow only dips its arm in the water instead of diving right in. It's also interesting in that it starts to break the mould of a by now familiar season pattern. Normally, the first historical of the season acquaints The Doctor with a famous face from the past. In this season, we'll later get Agatha Christie in The Unicorn And The Wasp. But for now, The Fires Of Pompeii takes The...
- 7/24/2011
- Shadowlocked
Humour. Where would we be without it? Blackadder, The Goodies and Miranda have this in abundance. Mork from Ork swears by it. Frankie Boyle hasn't found its meaning yet.
And humour is one of the cornerstones of all good Doctor Who. Think of some of the most popular Doctors - Tom Baker, Patrick Troughton, David Tennant - their Doctors are known for quirky humour. A good chunk of the show's stories contain several killer funny lines that could slot comfortably in any comedy show.
Mind you, when we think of humour in Doctor Who, the 5th Doctor and Christopher Hamilton Bidmead are not the first names to leap off the tongue. Peter Davison himself is the king of the DVD commentary, always chipping in with a sly wisecrack about any aspect of the story, but sadly he was never really allowed to display his wry humour in his tales. As for Bidmead,...
And humour is one of the cornerstones of all good Doctor Who. Think of some of the most popular Doctors - Tom Baker, Patrick Troughton, David Tennant - their Doctors are known for quirky humour. A good chunk of the show's stories contain several killer funny lines that could slot comfortably in any comedy show.
Mind you, when we think of humour in Doctor Who, the 5th Doctor and Christopher Hamilton Bidmead are not the first names to leap off the tongue. Peter Davison himself is the king of the DVD commentary, always chipping in with a sly wisecrack about any aspect of the story, but sadly he was never really allowed to display his wry humour in his tales. As for Bidmead,...
- 1/26/2011
- Shadowlocked
They have integrity, balls and great shoes. So will
EastEnders' new hack follow the brief?
With the news that Martin Jarvis joins EastEnders this month as Harvey Freeman, a journalist and potential love interest for Peggy Mitchell, many will be watching to see which reporter-in-a-tv-show boxes he will tick. (I'll put a pony on him wearing a trenchcoat.)
Hacks are a great plot device. They act as a link for characters who wouldn't usually interact, they are allowed to narrate into their Dictaphones when ordinary characters can't speak to camera, and they can offer a neat, unashamed drink-in-hand summary at the end of an episode.
Journalists on TV are always badgering neighbours and sticking cameras over fences. They are, though, frequently ethical and they certainly never knock out a couple of sly Daily Mail articles to pay the mortgage and spend the rest of their careers denying them. Here's...
EastEnders' new hack follow the brief?
With the news that Martin Jarvis joins EastEnders this month as Harvey Freeman, a journalist and potential love interest for Peggy Mitchell, many will be watching to see which reporter-in-a-tv-show boxes he will tick. (I'll put a pony on him wearing a trenchcoat.)
Hacks are a great plot device. They act as a link for characters who wouldn't usually interact, they are allowed to narrate into their Dictaphones when ordinary characters can't speak to camera, and they can offer a neat, unashamed drink-in-hand summary at the end of an episode.
Journalists on TV are always badgering neighbours and sticking cameras over fences. They are, though, frequently ethical and they certainly never knock out a couple of sly Daily Mail articles to pay the mortgage and spend the rest of their careers denying them. Here's...
- 5/3/2010
- by Hazel Davis
- The Guardian - Film News
Rick is picked!
The Walking Dead has taken some time to find the right actor to play Rick Grimes, the lead character in AMC's television adaptation of Robert Kirkman's comic book, but they have finally cast their lead! At first, it looked like a three-man race between Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Mark Pellegrino (Jacob in Lost), and Stuart Townsend, but then Johnny Lee Miller's name was added to the list. Guess who won!!!
Andrew Lincoln!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excited?! I know, I don't know who he is either! Let's look through his resume: his IMDb credits start with an episode of Drop the Dead Donkey (some Murphy Brown-ish British sitcom from the 90s), hm, I don't know that one, or that one, more British TV, don't know it, British movies I don't know, Love Actually - heard of that one, more British TV, more British TV, and more British TV. Ok,...
The Walking Dead has taken some time to find the right actor to play Rick Grimes, the lead character in AMC's television adaptation of Robert Kirkman's comic book, but they have finally cast their lead! At first, it looked like a three-man race between Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Mark Pellegrino (Jacob in Lost), and Stuart Townsend, but then Johnny Lee Miller's name was added to the list. Guess who won!!!
Andrew Lincoln!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excited?! I know, I don't know who he is either! Let's look through his resume: his IMDb credits start with an episode of Drop the Dead Donkey (some Murphy Brown-ish British sitcom from the 90s), hm, I don't know that one, or that one, more British TV, don't know it, British movies I don't know, Love Actually - heard of that one, more British TV, more British TV, and more British TV. Ok,...
- 4/8/2010
- HugAZombie
English actor Andrew Lincoln has won the lead role in AMC's The Walking Dead, playing police officer Rick Grimes in the show.
Lincoln began his acting career in 1994 in Drop the Dead Donkey. He went on to roles in Gangster No. 1, Love Actually, Scenes of a Sexual Nature and most recently the TV series Strike Back. Lincoln joins the previously announced Jon Bernthal (The Pacific) who will play Shane, Rick's fellow police officer and best friend from before the zombie apocalypse.
"Andrew Lincoln, wow -- what an amazing find this guy is," said Robert Kirkman, the comic book's creator. "Writing Rick Grimes month after month in the comic series, I had no idea he was an actual living breathing human being, and yet here he is. I couldn't be more thrilled with how this show is coming together."...
Lincoln began his acting career in 1994 in Drop the Dead Donkey. He went on to roles in Gangster No. 1, Love Actually, Scenes of a Sexual Nature and most recently the TV series Strike Back. Lincoln joins the previously announced Jon Bernthal (The Pacific) who will play Shane, Rick's fellow police officer and best friend from before the zombie apocalypse.
"Andrew Lincoln, wow -- what an amazing find this guy is," said Robert Kirkman, the comic book's creator. "Writing Rick Grimes month after month in the comic series, I had no idea he was an actual living breathing human being, and yet here he is. I couldn't be more thrilled with how this show is coming together."...
- 4/7/2010
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
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