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Recently, TV shows have almost all been about how much grittier, darker, and boundary pushing they can be, and while admittedly they are a lot of fun to watch, nothing beats a feel-good series with hilarious comedy and a heartwarming love story when you are feeling a bit down. So, we compiled a list of the best feel-good romantic comedy TV shows you should check out right now.

Nobody Wants This (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Nobody Wants This is a romantic comedy-drama series created by Erin Foster. The Netflix series follows Noah Roklov, a young rabbi looking to advance in Synagogue, and Joanne, a sex and dating podcaster who has an instant connection after meeting at a dinner hosted by one of their friends, but their different values get in the way of their potential relationship. Nobody Wants This stars Adam Brody,...

Exclusive: Veteran actor Martin Freeman (Black Panther) and writer-actor Rachel Benaissa (September Says) have partnered to launch a new production company called One Trick Poné.

The pair will kick off work under their label with two projects, a feature film titled The Greatest, written and directed by Danish filmmaker Jeanette Nordahl and starring Martin Freeman. Nordahl is best known for her 2020 Berlinale competition title Wildland, starring Sidse Babett Knudsen. The second project is a short titled A Tiny Thing, written by Rachel Benaissa, with Matthew Sterling set to direct, and Jake Gorton producing.

“We are very excited to announce our production company ‘One Trick Poné’. The stories we want to tell may be funny, tragic, and even uncomfortable, but always authentic and compelling,” Freeman and Benaissa told us.

“The company will be a vehicle for developing our own work, but also a means of partnering with exciting and original voices,...

Sister has promoted Black Doves EP Chris Fry to Managing Director.

Fry will be responsible for the execution and delivery of its television slate, working closely with the creative, production and business teams at Sister, where the role is newly created.

Fry was previously Joint Creative Director of Scripted and will retain these responsibilities. During his six-year tenure, he has produced the likes of Chernobyl, Giri/Haji and, most recently, Black Doves, the hit Netflix thriller starring Ben Whishaw and Keira Knightley that has been recommissioned. Upcoming shows include David Ireland’s Cold Water for ITV starring Andrew Lincoln.

Fry will continue reporting to Sister co-founder and Cco Jane Featherstone. “Chris’ experience and knowledge of making high end television is unparalleled,” said Featherstone. “He is a great leader, full of passion and energy, and the team here at Sister and the buyers we work with all love him. I am...

ITV Studios weighs into the 2025 London TV Screenings with its biggest slate in the last couple of years, certainly on the format side, and one of the weightiest lineups of any company presenting in London this week.

Its Feb. 26 showcase at the Odeon Leicester Square, open exclusively to buyers, will launch 12 brand new dramas, 26 returning seasons, 27 non-scripted titles and 10 new formats featuring must-check-out shows from many of the U.K.’s top production companies such as Sister Pictures, Quay Street Productions, Mammoth Screen, Lifted Entertainment (“Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway”) and Plimsoll Productions.

“Sister Pictures is not one of the ITV Studios family but the others are. That’s a real testament to the journey we’ve been on in the last few years of really trying to work with the best talent,” said Ruth Berry, president global partnerships & Zoo 55, ITV Studios.

It will show at the London Screenings.

The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln is returning to the small screen as the star of a TV series. The casting also marks his return to British television.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lincoln will star in the upcoming ITV series Cold Water, a six-part thriller. A first look at Lincoln in his role as a "repressed and depressed family man" can be seen below. Other actors who will co-star alongside Lincoln in Cold Water include Ewen Bremner, Eve Myles, and Indira Varma.

RelatedDead City Season 2 May Fix The Walking Dead Fans' Biggest Negan Complaint 6 Years Later

The Walking Dead: Dead City is returning, and it could also see the return of a more dangerous side to Negan.

In the series, Lincoln plays John, a father and husband who "ups and moves his family to the rural idyll of Coldwater, far away from London. Upon arrival, John is quickly befriended by his charming,...

Showcasing some of the biggest shows on the open market – “King & Conqueror,” “Sandokan,” “Walking With Dinosaurs”– as well as a bevy of awaited titles – “Bookish,” “Cold Water,” “Maigret,” “A Prophet,” “This City is Ours”– the 2025 London TV Screening is again a powerhouse showcase of some of the biggest TV highlights of 2024, plus the trends shaping TV markets.

To help you cut through the slates, here’s Variety’s picks of 20+ shows that will whet buyers’ appetites.

“All Her Fault,” (NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution)

Sarah Snook, fresh off “Succession” and an Olivier win for “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” plays Marissa Irvine. She arrives to collect her son Milo from his first playdate, but the woman who answers the door isn’t a mother she recognizes. She doesn’t have Milo, she says, and has never heard of him. And so, the nightmare begins. Dakota Fanning, Jake Lacy, Michael Peña,...

Andrew Lincoln is a repressed and depressed family man in a first look at ITV’s upcoming six-part thriller Cold Water.

In The Walking Dead star’s long-awaited return to British TV, Lincoln plays John, who ups and moves his family to the rural idyll of Coldwater, far away from London. Upon arrival, John is quickly befriended by his charming, confident next-door neighbor Tommy (Ewen Bremner), a devoted husband to the local vicar Rebecca (Eve Myles). John’s wife Fiona (Indira Varma) despises Tommy.

When her husband’s relationship with their enigmatic new neighbor becomes increasingly intense, Fiona’s suspicions are aroused. She is unconvinced Tommy is all he seems to be. When John’s long-repressed rage comes to a head with disastrous results, he soon finds himself unexpectedly indebted to his new friend, unaware that Tommy himself is harboring horrifying secrets.

Cold Water is produced by Sister (Black Doves,...

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Nobody Wants This is a romantic comedy-drama series created by Erin Foster. The Netflix series revolves around the relationship between Joanne, a wild-child podcaster, and Adam Brody, a responsible rabbi who fall in love with each other after meeting at a dinner party but their polar opposite personalities and different backgrounds get in the way. Nobody Wants This stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody in the lead roles with Justin Lupe, Jackie Tohn, Michael Hitchcock, Paul Ben-Victor, and Sherry Cola starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the charming leads, heartwarming love story, and hilarious situations in Nobody Wants This, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Love (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Love is a romantic comedy-drama film created by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, and Paul Rust. The Netflix series follows the story of Gus,...

The Scottish star talks about his forthcoming role in David Ireland’s new play in Edinburgh – and why making an Irn Bru ad counts as national service

The actor Jack Lowden, 34, is Scottish in every respect, except that he was born in England. His parents soon returned the family across the border, where he was enrolled in Scottish Youth Theatre and, at the age of 19, bagged his first major role, the lead in the National Theatre of Scotland’s 2010 revival of the Olivier award-winning Black Watch.

Lowden would go on to win an Olivier of his own, for the role of Oswald in the Almeida’s 2013 production of Ibsen’s Ghosts. Screen work followed, including a BBC adaptation of War and Peace, a Scottish Bafta-winning role in Terence Davies’s final film, Benediction, and the 2018 film Mary Queen of Scots, where he met his now-wife, the four-time Oscar-nominated Irish actor...

ITV has announced “Cold Water,” a new six-part thriller starring award-winning actor Andrew Lincoln, marking his highly anticipated return to British television. The series will be written and created by acclaimed playwright David Ireland, with the first three episodes directed by Lee Haven Jones. Set in the fictional Scottish village of Coldwater, “Cold Water” centres […]

“Cold Water,” Starring Andrew Lincoln, New ITV Thriller...

With The Walking Dead spin-off The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Andrew Lincoln seems to have finally wrapped up his time making his way through the zombie-filled post-apocalypse as lawman Rick Grimes… and now Deadline reports that he’s moving on by signing to star in and executive produce the British TV thriller Cold Water, which is set up at ITV.

Playwright David Ireland is writing the series, which is being produced by Eric production company Sister. Lincoln will be taking on the role of John, a repressed man who who is shocked to find himself in middle age, secretly raging at his life as a stay-at-home dad. He moves to a backwater Scottish village and strikes up a friendship with next door neighbor Tommy, who is despised by wife Fiona. When her husband’s relationship with their enigmatic new neighbour becomes increasingly intense, Fiona’s suspicions are aroused.

The face behind one of the most legendary TV characters of all time is officially returning to the small screen. A new report from Deadline revealed that Andrew Lincoln, best known for playing Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead, will star in a new thriller series titled Cold Water. Legendary playwright David Ireland, best known for writing Cyprus Avenue and Ulster American, will pen the script for Cold Water. Other cast members confirmed to star alongside Lincoln include Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Ewen Bremner, and Eve Myles (Dragon Age 2).

Andrew Lincoln will make a long-awaited return to British television in ITV’s newly-commissioned Cold Water.

Joining The Walking Dead star in the six-part thriller will be Ewen Bremner (Our Flag Means Death, Trainspotting), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Eve Myles (Hijack, Keeping Faith).

Written by playwright David Ireland and produced by Sister, the series is set in the fictional Scottish village of Coldwater. It follows John (Lincoln), a repressed man suffering from an identity crisis who moves his wife (Varma) and children far from London. He is quickly befriended by a neighbor (Bremner), who harbors horrifying secrets. “John’s long-repressed rage comes to a head with disastrous results, he soon finds himself unexpectedly indebted to his new friend,” a plot synopsis reads.

Ireland, who serves as writer, creator, and executive producer on the project, said: “Cold Water started with a question I was asking myself. Where...

Exclusive: Andrew Lincoln is returning to British TV.

The Walking Dead star has landed his first role on this side of the pond for well over a decade in an ITV thriller that he will EP titled Cold Water, which is penned by storied playwright David Ireland and produced by Eric outfit Sister. Fellow cast includes Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), Indira Varma (Obsession) and Eve Myles (Keeping Faith).

In Cold Water, Lincoln will play John, a repressed man who who is shocked to find himself in middle age, secretly raging at his life as a stay-at-home dad. He moves to a backwater Scottish village and strikes up a friendship with next door neighbor Tommy (Bremner), who is despised by wife Fiona (Varma). When her husband’s relationship with their enigmatic new neighbour becomes increasingly intense, Fiona’s suspicions are aroused. She is unconvinced Tommy is all he seems to be.

Lincoln...

Matt Routledge’s conspiracy thriller “The Awakening” has kicked off principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London this week.

Produced by Camelot Media and Awakening Productions, the film stars Justin Tinto, who also wrote the script, as Jason Byrd. The plot centers on a global conspiracy.

Joining the cast are Alice Eve (“Star Trek Into Darkness”), former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall (“Expendables 4”) and Daniel O’Riley (aka Dapper Laughs). They join previously announced cast members Peter Stormare (“Fargo”), Steven Berkoff (“A Clockwork Orange”), Matt Hookings (“Prizefighter”) and Julian Glover (“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”).

“The Awakening” follows Jason Byrd (Tinto) and Rebecca (Eve) as they uncover a worldwide conspiracy aimed at controlling the globe. Their investigation leads them into a maze of secrets and dangers, making their quest to expose the truth a race against time.

Notable talents attached to the project include cinematographer László Bille,...

The Lovers is coming soon to Sundance Now and AMC+. The Irish romantic comedy series, written and created by award-winning playwright David Ireland, will premiere in December. A preview video has been released.

Starring Johnny Flynn and Roisin Gallagher, the series follows the relationship of a pair of young people who clash but are also drawn to one another. Conleth Hill and Alice Eve also star in the series and six episodes have been produced.

Read More…...

Woody Harrelson, Andy Serkis, and Derry Girls star Louisa Harland have signed on to star in Ulster American, a new stage production from Irish playwright David Ireland (Cyprus Avenue) and directed by Jeremy Herrin.

Ulster American will run at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, with previews from December 4 and opening night on December 13.

The social satire follows three characters, an Oscar-winning American actor, an English director, and a Northern Irish playwright, who are about to begin rehearsals for a new play — one that could transform each of their careers. But when it turns out that they’re not on the same page, the night threatens to spiral out of control. Synopsis reads: Power dynamics, cultural identity, and the perils of being a woman in the entertainment industry; nothing is off limits in this pitch-black comedy.

Harrelson returns to the London stage for the first time in...

Exclusive: Sundance Now has joined Sky’s British comedy-drama series The Lovers, bagging itself rights in the U.S. and Canada. The AMC Networks streamer has been expected to board the show for a number of weeks and Deadline can now confirm its participation.

Sundance Now will become a co-producer on the show, which comes from Pure, Life and Doctor Foster producer Drama Republic in association with Sky Studios. Roanna Benn and Rebecca de Souza are executive producers for Drama Republic, with commissioning editors Liz Lewin and Manpreet Dosanjh as executive producers for Sky Studios. Hannah Pescod also serves as executive producer, with Chris Martin as producer. David Ireland is the writer and Justin Martin the director.

Roisin Gallagher (The Fall), Johnny Flynn and Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) star, and Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness) will play a major supporting role, as we told you a few weeks back.

Exclusive: Star Trek Into Darkness, Black Mirror and Belgravia star Alice Eve has joined the cast of Sky’s upcoming comedy-drama series The Lovers.

Eve will join a cast that includes the likes of Roisin Gallagher, Johnny Flynn and Conleth Hill.

The series, first unveiled two weeks ago, follows Janet (Gallagher) as supermarket worker who doesn’t care about anything, including her life, and Seamus (Flynn) a handsome, self-centered, political broadcaster with what looks to be a perfect London life. When they unexpectedly meet, they instantly clash – and yet also find themselves inextricably drawn to each other.

Details of Eve’s role are scarce but Deadline hears she will play Seamus’ high-profile celebrity girlfriend.

Eve recently starred in Epix’s limited series Belgravia, which is from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, and wrapped production on buzzy Amazon drama series The Power.

Commissions

Sky original drama series “The Lovers,” starring Johnny Flynn (“Beast”) and Roisin Gallagher (“The Fall”) has commenced production. The six-part series, written by playwright David Ireland (“Cyprus Avenue”) and directed by Justin Martin (“Together”), follows Janet (Gallagher), a foul-mouthed, disaffected Belfast supermarket worker and Seamus (Flynn) a self-centred, political broadcaster with what looks to be a perfect London life and a celebrity girlfriend. It is produced by Drama Republic, in association with Sky Studios and will available on Sky Atlantic and streamer Now in 2023.

The series was commissioned by Gabriel Silver, director of commissioning for drama at Sky Studios, for Zai Bennett, MD of content at Sky U.K. Roanna Benn and Rebecca de Souza are executive producers for Drama Republic, with commissioning editors Liz Lewin and Manpreet Dosanjh as executive producers for Sky Studios. Hannah Pescod also serves as executive producer, with Chris Martin as producer. NBCUniversal Global Distribution...

Sky has put a darkly comic drama about a foul-mouthed supermarket worker in Belfast into production. Roisin Gallagher and Johnny Flynn take the leading roles in The Lovers, which is from Doctor Foster and Pure producer Drama Republic.

The series follows Janet (Gallagher) as supermarket worker who doesn’t care about anything, including her life, and Seamus (Flynn) a handsome, self-centered, political broadcaster with what looks to be a perfect London life and a celebrity girlfriend. When they unexpectedly meet, they instantly clash – and yet also find themselves inextricably drawn to each other.

The series also stars Conleth Hill as Janet’s supermarket boss.

Drama Republic is producing in association with Sky Studios. Playwright David Ireland and directed by Justin Martin. The show will air on Sky Atlantic and streaming service Now in 2023.

Liz Lewin and Manpreet Dosanjh,...

After joining forces last year to launch a banner together, indie film and TV powerhouses Mediawan and Leonine Studios (“Dark”) have acquired a 51% stake in Drama Republic, the award-winning U.K. production banner behind “Doctor Foster” and “The Honourable Woman.”

The acquisition marks a milestone in developing the recently-launched Mediawan & Leonine Studios across English-speaking territories and in the U.K.

Drama Republic is led by industry veterans Greg Brenman, Roanna Benn and chief content officer Jude Liknaitzky, who will all remain in their respective roles. The company has created some of Britain’s most successful dramas, many of which have became global hits, such as “Doctor Foster,” which sold in over 100 territories, and the BAFTA-winning “The Honourable Woman.” The outfit has built ties with some of the U.K.’s top talent, including screenwriter and director Hugo Blick, best-selling novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls (“Patrick Melrose”) and Olivier award-winning playwright...

The annual Winter Music Conference in Miami is the latest event to be canceled over coronavirus concerns. Organizers of the event announced the news on Monday, following Florida Governor Ron Desantis’ state of emergency declaration that day. The conference was originally scheduled for March 16th through 19th.

“Due to the Florida Governor’s Declaration of a public health emergency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Interim Guidance for Covid-19, the 35th edition of Winter Music Conference, originally scheduled for March 16-19, 2020, will be rescheduled,” organizers announced in a statement.

Perhaps some of the good people at Britain's Royal Court are in need of a hug these days. This week New York playgoers welcomed two transfers of exceedingly violent productions from that celebrated London theatre. But while, over at The Public, the bloody finish of David Ireland's Cyprus Avenue is played out in front of audiences, at the Minetta Lane, viewers of Dennis Kelly's solo piece Girls amp Boys only hear about its repulsive event.

The easy step from bigotry and ideological entrenchments to outright madness gets a timely depiction in David Ireland’s Cyprus Avenue at Off Broadway’s Public Theater. Timelier, perhaps, than Ireland or his star Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) could ever have imagined.

Be warned: A child – an infant, in fact – will pay the price for adult madness, and though the Belfast-set drama takes place nowhere near America’s southern border, recent headlines of youngsters caged, literally, in fights not of their making resonate throughout Ireland’s dark allegorical drama.

Cyprus Avenue, directed by Vicky Featherstone and a co-production of the Abbey Theatre and The Royal Court Theater, begins before we, the audience, have a chance to adjust our boundaries, which most certainly is the point. On a lovely, intentionally bland off-white set with a few sticks of the attractive but not overly comfortable furniture of a psychiatrist’s office,...

The Public Theater Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis Executive Director, Patrick Willingham will begin previews for a limited eight-week run of the Abbey Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre's acclaimed production of Cyprus Avenue on Saturday, June 2. The new play, written by David Ireland and directed by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone, features Stephen Rea, who last performed at The Public in 2008 in Sam Shepard's Kicking a Dead Horse. The run at The Public follows encore engagements at Dublin's Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre April 30-May 19 and the Mac in Belfast May 23-26. Cyprus Avenue will run through Sunday, July 29 in The Public's LuEsther Hall, with an official press opening on Monday, June 25.