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The phrase of “be careful what you wish for” is associated with W. W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw,” yet it doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the 1902 short story. The closest semblance is the line, “If you must wish, wish for something sensible.” That said, the more ubiquitous statement emphasizes the risk of tempting fate.

This one punishing lesson in resisting greed, taking responsibility, and exerting self-control has gone on to spawn numerous adaptations, both faithful and loose. From film to television, W. W. Jacobs’ cautionary tale has touched just about every form of entertainment since its birth.

And if the classic “The Monkey’s Paw” wasn’t enough to stop the allure of wish fulfillment, then perhaps these twenty other stories might do the trick.

Tales from the Crypt: Wish You Were Here (1972)

Image: Richard Greene and Barbara Murray in “Wish You Were Here” from Tales from the Crypt (1972).

Amicus Productions...

Wondering what to watch now that another season of “Slow Horses” has wrapped up? Never fear, there are plenty of other spy and spy-adjacent series similar to the acclaimed Apple TV+ series.

We’ve assembled this handy list of shows, some British, some American, and one German, that should satisfy your appetite for espionage, intrigue, danger, action and full-on bluffing your enemy that you can stream right now. All while waiting for “Slow Horses” Season 5, which is coming next year.

Keeley Hawes, Matthew Macfadyen and David Oyelowo in “MI5” (Credit: BBC) MI5 (2002 – 2011)

Long before Matthew Macfadyen was jockeying for power and glory on “Succession,” he was MI5 agent Tom Quinn, who tackled terrorists of all stripes with his colleagues Zoe Reynolds (Keeley Hawes) and Danny Hunter (played by future “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” star David Oyelowo). The stellar cast includes Richard Armitage, Nicolas Walker, Peter Firth and Jenny Agutter. The series...

Now that Endeavour has ended for good, there are a few obvious places for fans to go in search of more of the crossword-solving, bitter-drinking, classics-quoting Oxford detective. The first are Colin Dexter’s novels, which established the character. The second is the original ITV show Inspector Morse based on those books, which starred John Thaw in the title role for 33 feature-length episodes between 1987 and 2000. Thirdly, there’s sequel Lewis, which continued the story of Morse’s underling Robbie through his own inspector days, and which also ran for 33 episodes, up until 2015. Both are currently streamable on BritBox in the UK and US, as well as Itvx, and PBS Masterpiece.

The likelihood though, is that those three will have already been exhausted by Morse devotees, so here are some recommendations of detective shows with a touch of Endeavour about them, whether it’s a melancholic lead with a brilliant mind,...

The Foyle's War TV show on ITV was cancelled after eight seasons, because of rising production costs. Creator Anthony Horowitz tells Digital Spy he was ready for the British detective drama series to end. In the Us, some seasons of Foyle's War aired on PBS. The complete Foyle's War TV series is available for streaming on Acorn.TV (but Acorn's series numbering is confusing).

Foyle's War is set during and after World War II, with the eighth and final season set in 1947. Michael Kitchen stars as detective Christopher Foyle. The Doyle's War TV series cast also includes: Honeysuckle Weeks, Ellie Haddington, Tim McMullan, Daniel Weyman, Jeremy Swift, Rupert Vansittart, and Hermione Gulliford.

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Gem Wheeler Jan 10, 2017

To mark 30 years of Inspector Morse on television, here are 10 of his most complex, macabre and memorable cases...

Warning: contains spoilers.

See related Legion: Marvel shares cryptic logo for X-Men series What can Fox learn from the previous X-Men TV series? 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them New TV 2016: 28 Us shows for this autumn

Beer, Wagner, a red Jaguar, and Barrington Pheloung’s haunting theme. Those images conjure up one of the most memorable characters in British television. Inspector Morse’s final episode aired in the UK over fifteen years ago, yet the impression left by the hugely popular drama remains indelible. Its popular spinoff, Lewis, finished only two years ago after nine successful series, while a prequel, Endeavour, has just started to air its fourth run. The appeal of Morse and his Oxford is clearly as strong as ever.

Inspector Morse...

K Kinsella

Poirot and Foyle’s War could be in the running for Emmy’s this year having been submitted for consideration as nominees in 13 categories including Outstanding TV Movie. Despite critical acclaim over the years, neither series has previously been nominated. Leading men David Suchet and Michael Kitchen have been put foward for consideration as well as supporting actors Honeysuckle Weeks and Hugh Fraser. Foyle’s creator Anthony Horowitz also receives a long overdue nod.

After 25 years on the air, the curtain finally came down on Belgian’s favorite son last August when Acorn TV gave a debut to Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case. Foyle’s almost decade long saga reached its conclusion when Acorn TV debuted Foyle’s War: Elise, The Final Mystery. Acorn’s parent company Rlj Entertainment owns the rights to Foyle’s war and a majority stake in Agatha Christie Ltd.

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From Quatermass to The Year Of The Sex Olympics, the voice of classic British screenwriter Nigel Kneale is still resonant and exciting...

Conflict drives drama. What people want and how they set out to get it makes for the best entertainment: Chief Brody wants to make Amity Island a safe place for his kids; Indiana Jones wants to find the Ark of the Covenant; Mark Watney wants to survive on Mars, A giant shark, a bunch of Nazis, and a planet without an atmosphere respectively stand in their way.

But conflict isn't only a device from which to hang big action sequences. The tension between ideas can make for brilliant drama - the kind of film and television that you think about for years afterwards - and one of the best screenwriters for this conflict of ideas was Nigel Kneale.

Kneale was born in 1922 in Barrow-in-Furness and,...

Simon Day's musical comedy creation Life of Rock with Brian Pern is moving back home to BBC Four.

Paul Whitehouse's Pat Quid, Nigel Havers' Tony Pebblé and Michael Kitchen's John Farrow are all confirmed to return for the third series, which will celebrate 45 years of Brian Pern's musical career, Radio Times reports.

The character – who supposedly invented world music and made the first Plasticine pop video ever – arrived on our screens as a founder of fictional prog rock band Thotch last year.

Pern, played by Day, said he was "delighted" that the show is coming back, saying it will "remind people how I shaped rock music over the last 45 years".

The show's writer and creator Rhys Thomas said: "I am thrilled that Brian Pern is returning to BBC Four, though it has been hard to celebrate since receiving numerous death threats from certain members of Genesis...

Ron Moody in Mel Brooks' 'The Twelve Chairs.' The 'Doctor Who' that never was. Ron Moody: 'Doctor Who' was biggest professional regret (See previous post: "Ron Moody: From Charles Dickens to Walt Disney – But No Harry Potter.") Ron Moody was featured in about 50 television productions, both in the U.K. and the U.S., from the late 1950s to 2012. These included guest roles in the series The Avengers, Gunsmoke, Starsky and Hutch, Hart to Hart, and Murder She Wrote, in addition to leads in the short-lived U.S. sitcom Nobody's Perfect (1980), starring Moody as a Scotland Yard detective transferred to the San Francisco Police Department, and in the British fantasy Into the Labyrinth (1981), with Moody as the noble sorcerer Rothgo. Throughout the decades, he could also be spotted in several TV movies, among them:[1] David Copperfield (1969). As Uriah Heep in this disappointing all-star showcase distributed theatrically in some countries.

Honeysuckle Weeks has played the part of Samantha Stewart (Wainwright), trusty aide to a detective, in Anthony Horowitz's period drama "Foyle's War" since 2002. As she says in our webcam chat (watch below), "it's a third of my lifetime, a part of my life when I have had the most changes happen, marriage, children, illness, the usual slings and arrows that life besets you with."  -Break- The first six seasons were set in a seaside town during WWII and followed a police detective (Michael Kitchen) and his assistant as they solved crimes. The final two took the pair to post-war London where they become ensnared in the mysterious world of espionage. Foyle made an unlikely spy and spent as much time navigating the labyrinth that is Mi-5 as he did righting wrongs. And while Sam found herself a fellow, rising politican Adam Wainwright, and got hitched, she continued to keep her hand in the game.

Mary McNamara makes the case that "Foyle's War" deserves as much Emmy attention as "Sherlock" has been receiving lately. That BBC set of telefilms was able to snag awards for lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch and supporting actor Martin Freeman at last year's ceremony. She calls "Foyle's War" the "Mona Lisa of television: small, quiet, utterly hypnotic and mysteriously perfect." Now streaming on Acorn TV, the British production is finally eligible at the Emmys for the first time in its long run. The final installment "Elise" stars Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks. L.A. Times -Break- Who are the most powerful women in the world? Most of the ladies on the 2015 list are political figures (like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton), but there are also quite a few entertainers. Those top names are Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, Shakira, Ellen DeGen.

To celebrate the release of Series 9 of the fantastic British crime thriller / drama Foyle's War on DVD, we have 5 copies to giveaway to our Australian readers. Michael Kitchen returns to the screen for a final time as Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle, a man of scrupulous integrity who continues to be immersed in the dangerous world of espionage.  Having survived the First World War and solved crime in Hastings during the Second, Foyle works as Senior Intelligence Officer for the secret service MI5 to keep England safe and bring justice to those who deserve it.Honeysuckle Weeks also returns to her role as Samantha Stewart, Foyle's trusted associate and ally who successfully navigates the shadowy world of intelligence and dedicatedly assists her former boss as...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

I. The Rattigan Version

After his first dramatic success, The Winslow Boy, Terence Rattigan conceived a double bill of one-act plays in 1946. Producers dismissed the project, even Rattigan’s collaborator Hugh “Binkie” Beaumont. Actor John Gielgud agreed. “They’ve seen me in so much first rate stuff,” Gielgud asked Rattigan; “Do you really think they will like me in anything second rate?” Rattigan insisted he wasn’t “content writing a play to please an audience today, but to write a play that will be remembered in fifty years’ time.”

Ultimately, Rattigan paired a brooding character study, The Browning Version, with a light farce, Harlequinade. Entitled Playbill, the show was finally produced by Stephen Mitchell in September 1948, starring Eric Portman, and became a runaway hit. While Harlequinade faded into a footnote, the first half proved an instant classic. Harold Hobson wrote that “Mr. Portman’s playing and Mr. Rattigan’s writing...

The lights go out for Foyle’s War shortly ending the 13-year run of one of Britain’s most popular television mystery series. The show about a Dcs Christopher Foyle investigating murders in the south of England during World War 11 is apparently running out of gas now that the war’s over.Foyle joins MI5 and transfers to London, but post-war isn’t cutting it for the creators. Michael Kitchen, who plays Foyle, and the show’s creator Anthony Horowitz director say they’ve run out of ideas, an inglorious ending to what has been a crowing jewel in British television. The good news is that […]...

Honeysuckle Weeks and Michael Kitchen in Foyle’s War. Acorn Media Rlj Entertainment

For over a decade, British TV fans have been captivated by the investigative work of Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) and his able assistant Sam (Honeysuckle Weeks). Sadly, February 2 marks the beginning of the end for the wildly popular show as Acorn TV premieres the final season of Foyle’s War. With ratings as strong as ever, creator Anthony Horowitz has the luxury of deciding it’s time to end the show. Following in the footsteps of classics such as Fawlty Towers, and Morse, Foyle’s War is going out at the top. Ahead of the final season I had the opportunity to speak with fan favorite Honeysuckle Weeks about her time on Foyle’s War and her thoughts on the finale.

What were your first impressions of Foyle’s War when you landed the role?...

ITV has announced that Foyle's War will end after its current series.

The long-running period drama starring Michael Kitchen will air its final episode on Sunday (January 18) at 8pm.

The final episode 'Elise' will see Christopher Foyle (Kitchen) solving his final ever case in the two-hour special. It will feature Foyle looking into Hilda Pierce's (Ellie Haddington) secret role during the war, following an assassination attempt on her life.

Writer and creator Anthony Horowitz said: "It feels a terrible wrench to say goodbye to characters I've lived with for more than 15 years. But the truth is that I'm not sure there are any more stories to tell and anyway it was always my intention to end on a high note and I think this year's episodes are the very best we've done.

"I'm proud of what we've achieved with Foyle's War and I'm very grateful to the audience that has...

Still Open All Hours: BBC One, 7.30pm

David Jason reprises his role of Granville in this follow-up to the classic sitcom.

Tonight, Granville reveals his big ambition to open his own coffee shop, causing quite a stir in the neighbourhood.

Foyle's War: ITV, 8pm

Michael Kitchen is back as Christopher Foyle in this eighth series of adventures from writer Anthony Horowitz.

Part two of three - when the son of a high-profile Jewish businessman is attacked in the grounds of a university, Foyle must consider whether the attack was racially motivated.

Last Tango in Halifax: BBC One, 9pm

The latest series of Happy Valley writer Sally Wainright's BAFTA-winning drama continues.

Celia (Anne Reid) is determined not to attend the wedding and remains at home, brooding, while Caroline (Sarah Lancashire) refuses to let her mum's selfish behaviour ruin her big day.

Celebrity Big Brother: Channel 5, 9pm

Highlights...

"Sherlock" may not return for its fourth season until -- say it ain't so -- 2017, due to the hectic film schedules of in-demand stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. In the meantime, you can rewatch all three seasons and soon you can binge on Cumberbatch in "The Imitation Game" and Freeman in "The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies." But what then?

If you're craving more veddy British crime solving, you don't have far to look. Here are some of the best series the BBC (and ITV) has to offer, with private detectives, psychiatrists, cops, spies, and forensic pathologists all cracking cases, catching criminals and drinking lots of tea.

1. "Sherlock Holmes" (1984-1994)

If it's more Sherlock you crave (and not just Mr. Cumberbatch), then you must see Jeremy Brett's intensely intellectual (and equally arrogant) period-appropriate take on the legendary detective. This Watson is also solid, especially in "The House of the Baskervilles.

Guest column by Alice MaltinAlways late to the ball, I’ve just completed watching Foyle’s War (sets 1–6). Given the state of the economy, this is a great way to travel to the U.K., for the cost of a DVD set or Acorn TV subscription, while remaining in the comfort of your own home. I first saw Michael Kitchen in a British TV miniseries called The Brontes of Haworth. He played the famous siblings’ brother, Branwell, and you’d have been hard pressed to recognize him. It was 1973 and clearly he had just graduated high school. I did have to look twice.Here, he’s detective chief superintendent Christopher Foyle in the seaside town of Hastings. The series covers the years 1940 to...

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BBC Four has announced details of four new shows to be broadcast later this year.

Mackenzie Crook will star in the six-part series Detectorists, in which he uses his own experiences as a metal detector enthusiast.

Crook will "tap into the world of the male hobby which is very funny and touching", BBC controller of comedy commissioning Shane Allen said.

The BBC is looking to announce a "big name" star to appear opposite Crook in the series, according to Radio Times.

The pair will "embark on a journey of greed, betrayal, rejection and redemption as they hurtle towards Danbury Metal Detecting Club's greatest ever find".

Meanwhile, Miles Jupp will write and star as cookery writer Damien Trench in In and Out of the Kitchen, a three-part series based on the Radio 4 comedy.

Each episode follows Damien and his partner Anthony (Justin Edwards), their builders Mr Mullaney and Steven, and Damien's "terrifying" agent Ian.

Foyle’s War The Eternity Ring

Filming has begun on the ninth season of Foyle’s War. Michael Kitchen returns to play the stoical title character in Anthony Horowitz’s British TV classic. The three new films also feature returning cast members such as Honeysuckle Weeks, Ellie Haddington and Daniel Weyman. Big name guest stars include John Mahoney (Frasier, Hot In Cleveland), Richard Lintern (Silent Witness), Nigel Lindsay (Four Lions), Jaime Winstone (Mad Dogs) and William Postlethwaite (Midsomer Murders). As with season eight, the new series centers around events at the outset of the Cold War. These include the creation of the state of Israel and the hunt for those who allied themselves with the Nazis. Foyle’s War season nine will air in both the UK and USA in early 2015.

N Conrad

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Frasier star John Mahoney and Jaime Winstone are to appear in the new series of Foyle's War.

Michael Kitchen will reprise the title role of Christopher Foyle in three new two-hour films, set to air on ITV in 2015.

Richard Lintern (Silent Witness), Nigel Lindsay (Four Lions) and William Postlethwaite (The Suspicions of Mr Whicher) will also appear in the new episodes from writer Anthony Horowitz.

Inspired by real events in the early Cold War, the new series will see Foyle (Kitchen) immersed in the dangerous world of espionage in his role as a Senior Intelligence Officer for MI5.

"We are delighted to see the return of Foyle's War to ITV," said ITV's Head of Drama Series, Jane Hudson. "Anthony Horowitz has written three outstanding episodes and the audience are in for a real treat."

The new series of Foyle's War will shoot in Liverpool, doubling for post-war London, until April.

Foyle’s War The Cage.

Acorn Productions, ITV, and Eleventh Hour Films have commissioned another season of the crime drama Foyle’s War. Written by Anthony Horowitz, the three two-hour long episodes will explore real events including the post-war black market, the creation of the state of Israel and the activities of German industrialists. Michael Kitchen will return as Foyle while Honeysuckle Weeks resumes her role as his able assistant Sam. Filming begins in January 2014 while the episodes are expected to air in the UK and USA during 2015.

N Conrad

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Foyle’s War has been greenlit for an eighth season, scheduled for release in 2015. Acorn Productions, ITV, and Eleventh Hour Films this morning announced another three-episode season, starring Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks, and written by screenwriter Anthony Horowitz. No word from PBS as to whether it will pick up the new season of 3 X 120 episodes, on which filming is scheduled to begin in January. PBS ran the most recent three-episode season in September, as part of its Masterpiece Mystery franchise. In 2010, Silver Spring, Md.-based Acorn, a company best known for its DVD releases of British crunchy-gravel dramas, announced it had bought the British franchise Foyle’s War from UK production indie Greenlit Rights, which had gone into so-called “administration.” It marked the first time Acorn had bought ownership rights to one of its British series. Foyle’s War had been one of Acorn’s top-selling franchises on DVD for many years,...

Foyle's War is to return to ITV in 2015.

The period detective drama starring Michael Kitchen will shoot three new two-hour episodes between January and April 2014.

Inspired by real events in the early Cold War, the new series will see Foyle (Kitchen) immersed in the dangerous world of espionage in his role as a Senior Intelligence Officer for MI5.

Honeysuckle Weeks will reprise her role of Foyle's trusted ally Samantha Stewart, while thriller writer Anthony Horowitz will again script the new episodes.

The new Foyle's War will explore the power of American and German industrialists and a major blight of post war Britain - the Black Market.

"We are delighted to see the return of Foyle's War to ITV," said ITV's Head of Drama Series, Jane Hudson.

"Anthony Horowitz has written three outstanding episodes and the audience are in for a real treat. This series also gives us the chance to...

Foyle’s War Set 7 is a treat for fans of the long-running series, but a possible sour note as well, as our titular investigator actually moves outside the titular conflict. We not only move outside the setting of the show, but into a new world of Foyle’s efforts, and apparently a new theory of the character as well. Call it progress, I suppose, but some fans may find themselves in for a surprise when taking on this new Foyle.

What started out as a very interesting look at an investigator of unusual calm working in a backdrop of World War II outside the normal focus of the war, has now gone post-War, and sees our hero pressed into service with MI5. From not exactly police to not exactly spy, Foyle finds himself involved in ever more curious exploits which leaves us with little remaining familiar except the star and the title.

The National Television Awards 2014 longlist nominations have been announced and voting is now (September 17) open.

Hosted by Dermot O'Leary, the NTAs celebrate the best and most popular TV and are exclusively voted for by viewers. The 2014 awards take place at London's O2 on January 22.

Full list of 2014 nominations:

Drama

Broadchurch

Call The Midwife

Casualty

Dci Banks

Death In Paradise

Doc Martin

Doctor Who

Downton Abbey

Endeavour

Foyle's War

Holby City

Homeland

Jonathan Creek

Last Tango in Halifax

Law & Order: UK

Lewis

Love and Marriage

Luther

Midsomer Murders

Mr Selfridge

New Tricks

Poirot

Revolution

Ripper Street

Scott & Bailey

Shetland

Silent Witness

The Fall

The Paradise

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

The Syndicate

The Village

The White Queen

Under The Dome

Vera

What Remains

TV Detective

Olivia Colman - Broadchurch

David Tennant - Broadchurch

Stephen Tompkinson - Dci Banks

Shaun Evans - Endeavour

Michael Kitchen - Foyle's War

Alan Davies - Jonathan Creek...

Foyle’s War The Eternity Ring

N Conrad

Foyle’s War returned to PBS Masterpiece tonight with a bang – well an atomic explosion to be precise. The writer cleverly used this (nuclear) device to draw a line in the New Mexico sand and thus signal the re-birth of Foyle as a Cold War era super sleuth.

While viewers were no doubt pleased to see the return of Michael Kitchen as Foyle, his onscreen assistant Sam (Honeysuckle Weeks) was less than happy when her former boss caused her to get fired. She had been working for a nuclear physicist who was under investigation for sharing secrets with the Soviets. He got cold feet when he saw Foyle sniffing around and his unease was justified as it soon emerged that Foyle had himself been recruited to work for MI5. A few red herrings and a car accident later and our favorite 1940s...

One war makes way for another as the incredibly durable Foyle's War, in its seventh Masterpiece Mystery! season on PBS, transitions from post-World War II intrigues to the ethically murky spy games of a burgeoning Cold War. "I haven't got the requisite capacity for deceit," grumbles former police Dcs Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen, radiating crisp intelligence and decency), who once again is denied his dreams of retirement when MI5 spooks reel him in, fresh off the boat from America.

Read More >...

Foyle’s War was considered one of the best British mysteries on television, but was cancelled in 2007. Three years passed and three more episodes, known as Foyle’s War Set 7 were filmed and broadcast on PBS’s “Masterpiece Mystery!” The show’s creator Anthony Horowitz has set the show in the town of Hastings, on the south coast of England. World War II may be over but the Cold War simmers. Dcs Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen, Out of Africa) has retired from police work when Britain’s secret intelligence service compels him to join its ranks. Reunited with his former colleague, newlywed Sam Wainwright (Honeysuckle Weeks – My Brother Tom), Foyle faces new—but no less deadly—threats in the world of spies and counterintelligence The Foyle’s War series is terrific entertainment that incorporates real historical events into the episodes. Foyle always gets his man (or woman as the case...

Foyle’s War Set 7 Daniel Weyman and Honeysuckle Weeks. co. Acorn Media Rlj Entertainment

Kieran Kinsella

Next Week, Foyle’s War returns to the U.S. and you can catch up with the sleuth’s latest investigations on both PBS Masterpiece and AcornTV. Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks are back for the new season while Daniel Weyman (Colditz) joins the cast as Adam Wainwright — Sam’s husband.

Daniel is no stranger to period dramas having previously appeared in Great Expectations (alongside Helena Bonham-Carter), Poirot, and Dunkirk. However, this is the first time he has taken on a prominent, recurring role in a major television drama. He was kind enough to talk to BestBritishTV about his thoughts on the show, his cast-mates and his hopes for the future..

How did you feel about joining the cast of Foyle’s War?

“It was hugely exciting. I had been in a lot of...

Foyle's War: one of the most highly acclaimed British TV shows of all time.

Silver Spring, MD; August 15, 2013 – Rlj Entertainment’s (Nasdaq: Rlje) Acorn TV, the first streaming service focused on the best of British TV in North America, announces more exclusive U.S. premieres as well as tripling its available content. Available at www.Acorn.TV and via its popular Roku app, Acorn TV brings many of the best British mysteries, comedies, and dramas, as well as select Australian, U.S. and Canadian series, to the increasing number of consumers who prefer to stream content. Previously, Acorn TV streamed a full season of 18 rotating series; moving forward, Acorn TV will add at least six new and classic series each month, as well as offering a catalog of 65 series for catch-up viewing and discovery of new series, with no set end dates. Acorn TV also continues to offer a free 30-day trial.

John Hodgman is many things, including (but not limited to) a bestselling author, the resident expert and "deranged millionaire" for "The Daily Show," and a judge (at least on his podcast). And now he can add failed doomsday prophet and successful stand-up comedian to that eclectic resume, with his one-hour comedy special called "John Hodgman: Ragnarok," now available only on Netflix.

After developing a host of doomsday theories in his third book "That Is All," Hodgman took his act on the road to warn people about the coming Mayan apocalypse. And on the night of December 21, 2012, he gathered with fans in Brooklyn for one final show to help prepare them for their impending doom, but also to talk about sports and sperm whales.

Luckily though, none of his prophecies came true, and a record of that evening was released as a Netflix Original on June 20. HuffPost TV talked to the comedian about the apocalypse,...

Foyle’s War The Eternity Ring ITV

N Conrad

Foyle’s War returned to ITV tonight with a bang – well an atomic explosion to be precise. The writer cleverly used this (nuclear) device to draw a line in the New Mexico sand and thus signal the re-birth of Foyle as a Cold War era super sleuth.

While viewers were no doubt pleased to see the return of Michael Kitchen as Foyle, his onscreen assistant Sarah (Honeysuckle Weeks) was less than happy when her former boss caused her to get fired. She had been working for a nuclear physicist who was under investigation for sharing secrets with the Soviets. He got cold feet when he saw Foyle sniffing around and his unease was justified as it soon emerged that Foyle had himself been recruited to work for MI5. A few red herrings and a car accident later and our favorite 1940s...

Foyle’s War

Kieran Kinsella

Last year, Acorn Media surprised some people but delighted many when they acquired the rights to ITV’s hit drama Foyle’s War. As part of the deal, Acorn persuaded Michael Kitchen and co. to sign on for a new series of the show which will air later this year. As long suffering fans will know, it has been three whole years since a new episode of the show hit the airwaves but you can refresh your memory of all things Foyle related by purchasing Acorn’s latest DVD boxset release. Foyle’s War: The Home Front Files includes all 22 previously broadcast episodes of the show. Acorn previously released the seven seasons of the UK show in six smaller DVD sets and alongside this mammoth boxset they are also re-releasing each of those sets in new slimline 3 or 4 disc packages.

If you’re unfamiliar with Foyle’s War,...

Foyle’s War Acorn Media PBS

Acorn Media acquired the rights to Foyle’s War earlier this year and the first episodes of the Acorn era are set to air on PBS Masterpiece Theatre next summer. Michael Kitchen returns to play the title character who is now focusing his attentions on espionage. The new series is set just after the end of World War II, and Foyle is doing his bit to detect and prevent communist infiltration in the UK. Honeysuckle Weeks, Tim McMullen, Ellie Haddington and Daniel Weyman are among the other big name actors who are set to appear in the three two-hour long stories.

Downton Abbey’s Rebecca Eaton is executive producer and she is setting expectations high by claiming that “loyal American fans will be thrilled.” Eleventh Hour Films are producing the drama for PBS and fans can whet their appetites by taking in Foyle’s...

A new series of 'Foyle's War' is to begin shooting in Ireland later this year, it has been confirmed. UK-based Eleventh Hour Films will produce the new series alongside Irish co-production partners Octagon Films. Jill Green, founder of Eleventh Hour Films, will executive produce alongside Ronan Flynn of Octagon. The series will be produced by British producer Jeremy Gilt, who has previously executive produced 'Ballykissangel' in Ireland. The new series, the eighth from creator Anthony Horowitz, will once again see actor Michael Kitchen reprise the role of detective chief superintendent Christopher Foyle with Honeysuckle Weeks (The Wicker Tree) expected to return to the role of Samantha Stewart. Horowitz will write the first and third film with David Kane set to pen the second film.

Foyle's War

By Kieran Kinsella

Earlier this year Acorn Media bought the rights to the British detective series Foyle’s War. The cast and crew are currently working on a new series of the war time drama but in the interim Acorn Media have put together a new DVD box set of the Best of Foyle’s War.

The show centers around Detective Chief Inspector Foyle who is doing his best ignore the ravages of war and focus on solving grizzly crimes. Michael Kitchen plays the lead role and he is in the mold of classic British actors and he is well suited to playing the stiff upper lipped Dci Foyle. Kitchen apparently selected the six stories that are featured in the six disc set. The cast involvement in the DVD doesn’t end there. Kitchen’s cast mates Honeysuckle Weeks and Anthony Howell both sat down with Acorn for...

One of British TV’s biggest hits of 2012 comes to BBC America’s Dramaville on Wednesday 9 May. White Heat follows the lives of group of friends through five turbulent decades spanning from the 60s to the present time. The drama begins when Charlotte (Juliet Stevenson) arrives at the flat of a recently deceased friend. She soon reconnects with her old college pals and reflects on their time together. Upstairs Downstairs star Claire Foy plays the young Charlotte in the 60s flashbacks while her cast mates include Lee Ingleby (Luther) and Jessica Gunning (Law and Order:uk). The older cast members include Foyle’s War leading man Michael Kitchen.

White Heat © ITV

White Heat extends to six episodes, each an hour long. The series wraps up on 13 June. Thereafter, Dramaville continues with an exciting three part heist show called Inside Men. Recent Best British TV interviewee Warren Brown is reunited in the...

Inside Men BBC America

B Van Heusen

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Luther stars Warren Brown, Steven Mackintosh and Lee Ingleby are set to return to BBC America’s Dramaville this summer as the network airs two of the beeb’s break-out hits of 2012. Brown and Mackintosh are joined by Mi5 Actress Nicola Walker and Outcasts star man Ashley Walters in the heist drama Inside Men. Meanwhile, Ingleby joins Upstairs Downstairs star Claire Foy and Foyle’s War lead man Michael Kitchen in the epic drama White Heat.

White Heat tells the tale of a group of friends as they explore love, life and politics from the 1960s through to modern times. Episode one airs on Wednesday 9 May at 10pm. When the six episode drama reaches its conclusion its time slot will be filled by Inside Men in which...

With brilliant performances from Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn is a behind the curtain look at one of Hollywood.s biggest icons and one of its greatest actors. Based on Colin Clark's books The Prince, The Showgirl and Me and My Week with Marilyn, the film was directed by Simon Curtis (Cranford) and written by Adrian Hodges (1994's Tom & Viv). Along with Branagh and Williams, it stars Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Dominic Cooper, Emma Watson, Dougray Scott, Pip Torrens, Geraldine Somerville, Michael Kitchen, Miranda Raison, Karl Moffatt, Simon Russell Beale, Toby Jones, Robert Portal, Philip Jackson, and Jim Carter. The film opens with 23-year-old Colin Clark (a wide-eyed Redmayne) explaining his love...

Foyle's War

Kieran Kinsella

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Foyle’s War is set to return to TV screens on both sides of the Atlantic in 2013. U.S. based Acorn Media acquired broadcast rights to the show in 2010 and are behind the drive to have three new 2 hour long stories produced later this year. Michael Kitchen will resume his role as the title character while Anthony Horrowitz will pen two of the three new scripts. Jill Green’s Eleventh Hour Films will produce the new episodes which will air on ITV in the UK and a yet to be selected U.S. network.

The new series of Foyle’s War is to be set in post World War II Britain. Foyle has been promoted to a role as a Senior Intelligence Officer. His primary task is to protect British...

Foyle's War will return with a new series, ITV has confirmed. The three new two-hour films will be set shortly after the end of World War Two, the broadcaster revealed today. Michael Kitchen will return as Foyle, who will take on a new role as a Senior Intelligence Officer and become immersed in the world of espionage. The stories are all said to be based on true stories from 1946 onwards. "It's great to be wanted and a pleasure to be back," Kitchen said. Honeysuckle Weeks is expected to reprise her role as Samantha Stewart, while writer Anthony Horowitz will return to pen the scripts. "I have returned to Foyle's (more)...

Clare Foy

Paula Milne’s epic six-part drama White Heat comes to BBC2 during the week of March 3-10. Similar in concept to Our Friends in the North, White Heat charts the lives of seven friends from 1965 through to the present day as they contend with personal issues and major political events. The all-star cast includes award winning actress Juliet Stevenson (The Accused), Clare Foy (Upstairs Downstairs), Lee Ingleby (Luther), Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War) and Lindsay Duncan (Margaret).

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Foyle's War could return with a new series next year, a report has claimed. The ITV drama stars Michael Kitchen as a detective working in Hastings before, during, and after the Second World War. Writer Anthony Horowitz recently said on his website that the show could return in 2013, though he explained that nothing is "definite". Cast member Julian Ovenden has now also revealed that talks to bring the (more)...

Universal will mark its 100th anniversary in 2012, and will commemorate its centennial with a yearlong celebration honoring the studio's rich film history and cultural legacy. The campaign draws its inspiration from Universal's extraordinary and diverse library of films, many of which will be highlighted throughout the year, and is designed to engage fans of all ages in the art of moviemaking.

A significant element of the centennial includes the extensive restoration of 13 of the studio's most beloved titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird, All Quiet on the Western Front, Jaws, The Sting, Out of Africa, Frankenstein and Schindler's List.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment will kick off the celebration in January with a special 50th anniversary release of To Kill a Mockingbird, debuting on Blu-ray for the first time ever. Throughout the year, Universal will pay tribute to other influential films in the Universal library with special events and Blu-ray...

Daniel Craig films scenes for the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, in Trafalgar Square on Saturday in London, England. In the Ian Fleming books and in most of his appearances in the films, Bill Tanner, has appeared as M's Chief of Staff, and Bond's most trusted ally in the Mi-6. Fun fact, Judi Dench has now had two actors play the role of Tanner while she has been playing the role of M. The other actor was Michael Kitchen, who played Tanner in two films, Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough. You’re currently filming the new James Bond film, Skyfall, returning as M's Chief of Staff, Bill Tanner. How’s that going so far? "Great, we’ve just been at Pinewood and around Waterloo and Smithfields doing some scenes with myself and Daniel [Craig] and Judi [Dench]. I go through to the beginning of February filming and I think they...

For those who are big fans of any crime-related shows on American television whose names consist exclusively of, or include, acronyms, it's probably safe to suggest that you give Pie in the Sky a miss.

Things get trickier after that though, because the mid-90s BBC show is hard to compare to anything, much less any other criminal investigation series. Fans of British television surely want to give it a chance, especially anything that falls in the general category of episodic drama, but you don't want to look here for your fix of detective programming.

Much as you might like to try to explain the show in simple terms, it's actually just a show about Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths), and though he is a police detective, and it is hard to argue against the idea that "crimes" "happen," and he "investigates" them, but there the similarity to any police or detective drama ends.

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)...

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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