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BritBox is bringing two more of Agatha Christie's iconic detectives to life with a twist. The streaming service has just greenlit a new six-episode miniseries centering on the crime-solving couple Tommy & Tuppence, but it'll unfold entirely in the modern day. It marks the first contemporary English-language television series adaptation of Christie's stories of the pair, and it also stands as the first television drama series commissioned for playwright Phoebe Eclair-Powell. Casting is still being finalized, but filming is set to get underway later this year with Happy Valley producer Lookout Point at the helm in association with Agatha Christie Limited.

Tommy & Tuppence Beresford first appeared in The Secret Adversary, Christie's second published detective novel from 1922, and they would continue to be some of her go-to sleuths throughout her career. In total, the couple appears in five of the legendary novelist's books, including four longer stories and a collection of short tales.

In 1920, much-adapted mystery author Agatha Christie debuted Hercule Poirot in the novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." Poirot was introduced as a Belgian private detective, a short man with an immaculately groomed mustache and a metric ton of dignity. He solved the toughest murder cases for his friends, colleagues, and employers, giving Sherlock Holmes and Batman alike a run for "world's greatest detective."

Since then, Poirot has become one of the most iconic and influential cultural characters; without Poirot, there is no Columbo, no Dr. House, no Benoit Blanc, and no understanding of the idea of the "gentleman sleuth." Poirot's impact invariably led to screen adaptations for film, television, video game, and even anime.

If you're a fan of the French-accented detective, or love the mystery genre in general and want to know where to start with Monsieur Poirot, lock the room and gather all your rich friend suspects, because all will now be revealed.

The unrivaled Queen of the murder mystery, Agatha Christie, has had many of her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections receive the adaptation treatment, often at the hands of the BBC. Now, in an unsurprising yet exciting announcement cited via Radio Times, Christie is having another of her mysteries adapted by the Beeb, namely her 1967 novel Endless Night, which has received a three-part series order. The adaptation is already placed in the capable and experienced hands of The Sixth Commandment's Sarah Phelps, who has already made five separate Christie-based shows for the BBC, including And Then There Were None, The Witness for the Prosecution, and Ordeal by Innocence. Excited about her involvement, Phelps said in a statement:

"One of Agatha Christie’s last novels, this is a chilling story of love, sex, deceit and death, of how far we’ll go to get our heart's desire and what we...

The BBC and BritBox International have landed on Endless Night as their latest Agatha Christie adaptation from Sarah Phelps.

Set in 1967, the book is neither a Poirot or a Marple but follows man-of-many-trades Michael Rogers, who finds himself working as chauffeur for the enigmatic designer du jour Rudolf Santonix. Transfixed by Santonix’s latest project, a beautiful house in the English countryside, Mike dreams of meeting the love of his life and taking up residence. But unbeknownst to Mike, the house that he has set his heart on has a dark past that goes back for centuries.

The show is the latest in a long succession of Christie adaptations on the BBC and BritBox from Phelps and ITV Studios-owned Mammoth Screen, with the latest being Towards Zero starring Anjelica Huston. Fifth Season is selling worldwide.

Phelps said: “One of Agatha Christie’s last novels, this is a chilling story of love,...

BBC soap EastEnders will receive a special award from BAFTA TV this year.

EastEnders, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, will be celebrated for a commitment to nurturing new talent at the Craft Awards in London, as the show is handed one of the body’s highest honors.

Huge names including Tom Hooper, Sarah Phelps and Dominic Treadwell-Collins have worked on the soap, along with younger stars like BAFTA-winning writer Nicôle Lecky, writer and actress Emer Kenny and actor Tosin Cole (Supacell).

Airing since 1985, EastEnders charts the goings-on in the fictional East London town of Walford. It has been one of the BBC’s most popular continuing dramas for four decades.

Charlotte Moore, Outgoing Chief Content Officer at the BBC, said: “We are thrilled that BAFTA has awarded EastEnders with the Television Craft Special Award. It’s a testament to all those working behind the scenes who produce a continuing...

A sun-soaked tale full of beautiful rich people doing terrible things, including a transgressive sexual act that’s got the tabloids foaming at the mouth. On paper, BritBox import “Towards Zero” sounds like another salacious drama to ride on the coattails of “The White Lotus.” Yet it stems, in fact, from the bygone era of cozy crime fiction where the only stiff appendage was the upper lip.

Indeed, following the likes of “And Then There Were None,” “The Pale Horse,” and “Ordeal by Innocence,” the 1930s tale is the latest Agatha Christie whodunit to get a semi-contemporary spin. And just like her predecessor, period drama queen Sarah Phelps, screenwriter Rachel Bennette gives the purists plenty to scream blue murder over.

“BBC viewers left stunned by ‘filthy’ X-rated scene,” was a typical conservative media headline after the three-part series premiered in the UK last month. “Is ‘Towards Zero’ the raciest Agatha Christie ever?...

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Ella Purnell is one of the most sought-after young actresses working in the industry right now. The English actress achieved her undeniable fame after starring in the leading role of Lucy in the TV series adaptation of the popular role-playing video game series Fallout, has consistently given us brilliant performances throughout her career starting from her first supporting movie role in Mark Romanek‘s Never Let Me Go. So, if you love Purnell’s performance in Fallout and want to watch more of her, here are the 10 best movies and TV shows starring Ella Purnell that you should not miss.

10. UFO (Buy on Amazon) Credit – Sony Pictures

UFO is a sci-fi mystery thriller drama film written and directed by Ryan Eslinger. The 2018 film follows Derek Echevaro, a college student who believes that he saw a UFO in his...

Almost every subgenre in television has its master. Political dramas? No one is going to argue it's Aaron Sorkin. Never-ending medical dramas? Oh, that's queen Shonda Rhimes. Agatha Christie murder mystery adaptations? The BBC's Sarah Phelps remains undefeated. For nearly four decades, David E. Kelley has stood tall as the reigning King of legal dramas and thrillers. He's the mind behind seminal legal series such as Ally McBeal, The Practice, and its spin-off Boston Legal. In recent years, he's turned his talents towards miniseries. He's the showrunner behind the colossally successful Big Little Lies, which brought together some of the most powerful actresses in Hollywood in an adaptation of Liane Moriarty's book about trauma, abuse, and murder. He's also adapted Anatomy of a Scandal and The Undoing as miniseries for Netflix and HBO, respectively.

The BBC and BritBox International have secured A-list talent for their latest Agatha Christie adaptation.

Oscar-winner Anjelica Huston has been cast in Towards Zero, potentially the highest-profile actor to appear in a BBC Christie series since John Malkovich played Poirot in 2018’s The ABC Murders.

Huston will play the aunt of lead character Nevile Strange (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After a scandalous celebrity divorce, the British tennis star and his ex-wife Audrey (Ella Lily Hyland) make the unthinkable decision to spend a summer together at Gull’s Point, their childhood home and the coastal estate of Nevile’s aunt, Lady Tressilian (Huston).

Revealed by Deadline several months back, the series will star Jackie Clune (Motherland), Grace Doherty (Call the Midwife), Jack Farthing (Rain Dogs), Khalil Gharbia (Mary & George), Adam Hugill (Sherwood), Mimi Keene (Sex Education), Clarke Peters (The Wire), Emmy winner Matthew Rhys (The Americans) and Oliver Award-winner Anjana Vasan (Black Mirror:...

Sarah Phelps, the BAFTA-winning screenwriter, is taking her spine-tingling psychological thriller to ITV for the first time. Phelps, known for her work on BBC shows such as EastEnders and A Very English Scandal, will write an original drama series, Daughter, for ITV and Itvx. The series will be produced by ITV Studios’ Happy Prince. Described […]

BAFTA-winning screenwriter Sarah Phelps pens dark, psychological thriller ‘Daughter’ for ITV...

The 2024 BAFTA TV Awards very much celebrated the best of British TV tonight as the majority of big-name stars and more recognizable shows fell away to British shows and stars. The likes of “Succession” and “The Last of Us” went home empty-handed at the Royal Festival Hall. “Top Boy,” “The Sixth Commandment,” and “Such Brave Girls” claimed the three big prizes at the ceremony hosted by comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett.

“Top Boy,” Netflix’s hit show about two London drug dealers dealing with gang violence in East London, won Best Drama Series over “The Gold,” “Happy Valley,” and Emmy hopeful “Slow Horses.” Producers Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind came backstage to discuss their victory, which came for the fifth and final season of the fan favorite.

“The talent in front of the camera and behind the camera feels like a family. A lot of them started on ‘Top Boy...

The Best Drama Writer category at Sunday’s 2024 BAFTA TV Crafts Awards was a pretty stacked one. “Black Mirror” creator Charlie Brooker was nominated with “Ms. Marvel” creator Bisha K. Ali for their work on “Black Mirror: Demon 79” while British favourite Sally Wainwright was cited for “Happy Valley,” a critical darling over here in the UK. Sarah Phelps was also nominated for “The Sixth Commandment” while Emmy-winner Jesse Armstrong was recognized for his work on awards-juggernaut “Succession.”

We spoke to Armstrong on the red carpet at the Craft Awards, which were held at The Brewery in East London. Armstrong was keen to point out the strength of his fellow nominees and how this category felt like a particularly impressive one, while he said he was grateful that his American show was recognized by the British BAFTAs.

“We’re an American show made by HBO so to be here with my British peers is really lovely,...

The BAFTA TV Craft Awards were handed out at the Brewery in East London on Sunday, April 28. The Craft Awards, like the Creative Arts Emmy, are dedicated to below-the-line categories with a dozen devoted to fictional programming, another six to factual, and four are in a combined field to make 22 categories overall. The main TV awards ceremony will commence on May 12 but, for now, scroll down for the full list of Craft Awards winners.

Fiction

Costume Design

“The Crown” – Netflix

“Silo” – Apple TV+

“Demon 79 (Black Mirror)” – Netflix

“The Great” – Lionsgate+ — Winner

Director (Fiction)

Joseph Bullman, “Partygate” – Channel 4

Lewis Arnold, “The Long Shadows” – ITV1

Peter Hoar, “The Last of Us” – HBO/Sky Atlantic — Winner

William Stefan Smith, “Top Boy” – Netflix

Editing (Fiction)

“Time” – BBC

“Happy Valley” – BBC

“Slow Horses” (episode 1) – Apple TV+ — Winner

“Slow Horses” (episode 6) – Apple TV+

Emerging Talent (Fiction)

Andrew Bogle (writer), “Kirkmoore Fudge Park” – BBC

Haolu Wang...

BBC Buys HBO Max Thriller ‘Spy/Master’

The BBC has acquired HBO Max thriller Spy/Master as it continues to beef up its iPlayer offering. Acquired from Warner Bros. Discovery, the show stars Happy Valley’s Alec Secăreanu as the most trusted advisor to Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu. With his government poised to uncover that he’s a secret agent for the Soviets, Godeanu uses a diplomatic trip to Germany as a springboard to defect to the U.S. The series also stars Aidan McArdle, Ana Ularu (Who Is Erin Carter?), Laurențiu Bănescu (Boss), Andreea Vasile (Umbre), Nico Mirallegro (Our Girl), lulian Postelnicu (Arest) and Elvira Deatcu (Clanul). “A classic spy drama set at the height of the Cold War, Spy/Master is an atmospheric, complex thriller, dripping with style and suspense,” said Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition. The show was nominated for the inaugural...

Prolific British writer Sarah Phelps, whose television credits include A Very British Scandal, Dublin Murders and long-running BBC soap drama Eastenders, encouraged an audience of writers at Dublin’s Storyhouse festival not to get discouraged by trolls or hate mail for their work.

In a frank and impassioned session at the screenwriters festival, Phelps recalled a time when she received hate mail for a plot line she had written into Eastenders and imparted advice on how she dealt with someone aggressively putting down her work.

“One thing I would say to all of you, as creators and makers is that, if and when that happens to you, you want to put it away and not look at but you should look at it,” she said. “Do something to it that robs it of its power. Put it in a frame. Shine a light on it and stare at it until...

The Primetime Emmys dedicate an entire weekend to a collection of below-the-line categories with the Creative Arts Emmys. Similarly, the BAFTA TV Awards have the BAFTA TV Craft Awards to recognize these artists. A dozen categories are devoted to fictional programming, another six to factual, and four are in a combined field to make 22 categories overall. These awards will take place on April 28, two weeks before the main ceremony on May 12. Scroll down for the full list of Craft Awards nominees.

Fiction

Costume Design

“The Crown” – Netflix

“Silo” – Apple TV+

“Demon 79 (Black Mirror)” – Netflix

“The Great” – Lionsgate+

Director (Fiction)

Joseph Bullman, “Partygate” – Channel 4

Lewis Arnold, “The Long Shadows” – ITV1

Peter Hoar, “The Last of Us” – HBO/Sky Atlantic

William Stefan Smith, “Top Boy” – Netflix

Editing (Fiction)

“Time” – BBC

“Happy Valley” – BBC

“Slow Horses” (episode 1) – Apple TV+

“Slow Horses” (episode 6) – Apple TV+

Emerging Talent (Fiction)

Andrew Bogle (writer), “Kirkmoore Fudge...

The Crown’s swansong season has dominated the BAFTA TV nominations, picking up eight in a record year for Netflix.

Although it missed out in the coveted Drama Series category, four of the Netflix royal smash’s actors were handed nods today including Dominic West, who played Prince Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki, who was Princess Diana. Salim Daw and Lesley Manville are the other two nominated actors and actresses, while The Crown also received nominations in the likes of costume design, make up and sound.

Netflix achieved a record haul and was second only to the BBC with nominations, comfortably eclipsing stalwarts ITV and Channel 4 as Top Boy and Black Mirror were also rewarded.

Although not its most critically-rated season, Peter Morgan’s royal saga ended late last year with a bang and plenty controversy, and the noms come amid the ongoing Kate Middleton saga.

Elsewhere, Black Mirror has...

Despite Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple tossing off the occasional snarky comment, one tends to associate Dame Agatha Christie with straightforward mysteries. Most of them aren’t somber, per se; they're unflappably focused whodunits that are enjoyable because of Christie's exemplary implementation. Christie’s ruthless side comes into play with her non-series works, many of which screenwriter Sarah Phelps has expertly adapted by playing into — even increasing — those stories’ distressing commentary on human morality. It’s a delightful surprise, then, to discover a recent BBC adaptation of a one-off Christie tale that’s pure delight through and through, let alone one written and directed by Hugh Laurie and starring Will Poulter pre-Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.

The BBC’s latest Agatha Christie adaptation concluded last night ahead of ITV’s Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? from over the Easter Weekend.

Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy, starring Industry’s David Jonsson as an amateur sleuth working with Rings of Power star Morfydd Clark, was watched by 2.8M viewers last night, losing 800,000 from Wednesday’s opener. Both episodes launched on BBC iPlayer on Wednesday morning so had been available for some time prior to linear launch.

One of the flagship shows of the BBC Christmas schedule, Murder is Easy was the sixth Christie adaptation over the past decade after a landmark deal with Agatha Christie Productions Limited, and the first not to be penned by Sarah Phelps, with Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre taking on writing duties.

Produced by Mammoth Screen, Murder is Easy followed Luke Fitzwilliam (Jonsson), a Nigerian attaché on his way to Whitehall when he meets...

Cillian Murphy has paid tribute to Peaky Blinders co-star Benjamin Zephaniah, who passed away this morning at age 65.

The pair appeared together between 2013 and 2022 in the BBC drama about the Shelby crime family in Birmingham in the early 20th Century. Zephaniah, who was born in the UK city in 1958, played Jeremiah “Jimmy” Jesus, a Jamaican born street preacher and close friend of the Murphy’s lead character, Tommy Shelby.

“Benjamin was a truly gifted and beautiful human being — a generational poet, writer, musician and activist. A proud Brummie and a Peaky Blinder,” said the Oppenheimer star in a statement. “I’m so saddened by this news. Rip.”

Zephaniah’s character fights alongside the Shelbys in season one of the Caryn Mandabach Productions show, and appears in several crucial scenes in later seasons. Zephaniah said the character was partially based on a real-life person of the same name, who roamed the...

Britbox's thrilling line-up of content from across the Atlantic.

The streaming service will debut The Sixth Commandment on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at the premiere.

The Sixth Commandment tells the story of an inspirational teacher, Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall), and a charismatic young student, Ben Field, who meet and bond over their love of books and involvement with the Church of England.

However, their friendship soon takes a deadly turn that comes to light after Ben turns his attention to Peter's deeply religious neighbor, Ann Moore-Martin.

The result is a series of stunning revelations, culminating in a high-profile trial.

This series, written by Sarah Phelps and directed by Saul Dibb (The Salisbury Poisonings), is inspired by the critically acclaimed and BAFTA-nominated documentary Catching A Killer: A Diary From The Grave.

The cast also includes Annabel Scholey, Sheila Hancock, and Ben Bailey Smith. 

The cast...

Timothy Spall is ready to bring “Joy to the World.”

“It’s a Christmas story, but an unusual Christmas story,” he tells Variety about his upcoming film, directed by Edward Hall. Calico Pictures and Shuk (Studio Hamburg UK) produce for Sky, while James Nesbitt co-stars.

“It’s about a troubled 12-year-old kid who is pretty obnoxious, really. He is clever but doesn’t like his life. His mom is struggling and his brother is desperate for a present he is not going to get. He is full of hate. Then he witnesses a robbery.”

It’s an unusual robbery, however, taking place during a “Santa Dash.”

“He sees one of them rob a bank, tries to pursue him and then encounters this old man in the woods, under the tree, claiming he is Father Christmas. Obviously, the kid thinks he’s mad. It’s a sweet movie, but it has this hard edge to it,...

Exclusive: BritBox International is stacking the shelves with more high-profile UK drama series.

The streamer has acquired North American rights to The Sixth Commandment and U.S. rights to This England. Both series, which are based on real events, have made significant noise in the UK and their acquisition follow on from BritBox’s July captures of cop series Granite Harbour and psychological drama The Ex-Wife.

The Sixth Commandment will play as a BritBox Original. The series, written by Sarah Phelps and directed by Saul Dibb (The Salisbury Poisonings), is inspired by the BAFTA-nominated documentary Catching A Killer: A Diary From the Grave.

It follows one of the most complex criminal cases in recent British history and tells the story of inspirational teacher Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall), and charismatic young student Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), who meet and bond over their love of...

Fly on the wall? Pah! The wall is all the way over there! These days, viewers want to be flies buzzing right around the noses of the people making the headlines, close enough to tell what they had for breakfast. And thanks to true story TV dramas, they can.

It’s been a long time since ropey Lifetime Movies were as good as it got for true story TV. In recent years, British production companies have stepped up in a big way to serve a growing appetite for fact-based drama, but all too often the real-life TV dramas of today focus on haunting tales of history’s most gruesome murders. If you’re sick of serial killers, there are plenty of non-murder true stories to enjoy in drama form, from very public scandals to ordinary people doing extraordinary things, to the kinds of tragedies it’s important that we never forget.

Industry and Rye Lane star David Jonsson, Lord of the Rings lead Morfydd Clark and Downton Abbey‘s Penelope Wilton are among the cast of BBC and Britbox International’s latest Agatha Christie adaptation, Murder is Easy.

Filming is now underway in Scotland, with Jonsson playing lead character Fitzwilliam. On a train in 1954 England, he meets Miss Pinkerton (Wilton), who tells him a killer is on the loose in the sleepy village of Wychwood under Ashe. Though the locals believes the deaths are accidents, Miss Pinkerton knows better and is soon found dead on her way to Scotland Yard. Fitzwilliams is convinced he has to find the killer before they strike again.

Clark will play Bridget, Sinead Matthews (Hullraisers, The Crown) is Miss Waynflete, Tom Riley (The Nevers, Ill Behaviour) is Lord Whitfield, Douglas Henshall (Shetland, In Plain Sight) plays Major Horton, Mathew Baynton (Ghosts, Wonka) portrays Dr Thomas, Mark Bonnar (World on Fire,...

UK chart-topper Lewis Capaldi emotionally thanked the Glastonbury crowd for helping him through his last number after he struggled with Tourette’s syndrome.

Capaldi was a Saturday headliner on the Festival’s Pyramid Stage where he performed a string of hits, but was forced to cut his set short as he battled with his voice.

His last number was his biggest hit Someone You Loved, but as his voice broke, the huge crowd took over.

The Glastonbury crowd support Lewis Capaldi through his set as he tells them he’ll be taking another ‘wee break’https://t.co/Dt83q16BXQpic.twitter.com/QiTaNwY3XI

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) June 25, 2023

On Twitter, writer Sarah Phelps wrote:

“Lewis Capaldi being held aloft by the crowd as his tics overwhelmed him is massive, so important. really beautiful. Nobody would have got that a few years ago, would they? this love, care, kindness, understanding,...

Lenny Henry’s “Three Little Birds,” Steven Knight’s “This Town” and a first look at “The Summit,” billed as a blockbuster adventure reality series, look like just three highlights of Banijay Rights extensive and wide-ranging lineup at what promises to be one of the biggest presentations at this week’s London TV Screenings.

Further scripted titles will take in “This Town” and “The Sixth Commandment” for the BBC, “Domina” for MGM+ and Sky, and “Safe Home” for Sbs, as well as doc feature “Lara.”

Given the iconic talent behind some titles – “It’s a Sin’s” Russell T. Davies serves as an executive producer on “Three Little Birds – scripted is likely to command large buyer attention.

Beyond “The Summit,” unscripted titles take in a strong line in dating and relationship shows, “Love Triangle,” “Date My Mate” and “Save the Date” as well as new interior design competition “The Big Interiors Battle,...

Indian streamer SonyLIV has announced an adaptation of Agatha Christie detective novel The Sittaford Mystery, which marks director Vishal Bhardwaj’s debut on a streaming series.

The Hindi-language adaptation, entitled Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley, is produced by the director’s Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures, along with Priti Shahani’s Tusk Tale Films in association with Agatha Christie Limited.

Bhardwaj has also co-scripted the adaptation, which transplants the action to the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, along with Anjum Rajabali and Jyotsna Hariharan.

The series’ heavyweight ensemble cast includes Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Paoli Dam.

James Prichard, Christie’s great grandson and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, is on board as an Executive Producer. Basi Akpabio and Leo Dezoysa have also taken on the role of Executive Producers on behalf of Agatha Christie Limited.

Bhardwaj...

The BBC has unveiled its first Agatha Christie adaptation in the post-Sarah Phelps era.

Playwright Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre is penning Murder is Easy for BBC One and BritBox International following a quintet of Phelps-written Christie reworks over the past decade: And Then There Were None, The Witness For The Prosecution, Ordeal By Innocence and The ABC Murders, which have starred the likes of John Malkovich.

Produced by ITV Studios-backed Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited and directed by Meenu Gaur (Zinda Bhaag, World on Fire), the two-parter follows a man who, on a train to London, meets a woman who tells him that a killer is on the loose in the sleepy English village of Wychwood under Ashe.

The villagers believe the deaths are mere accidents, but Miss Pinkerton knows otherwise – and when she’s later found dead on her way to Scotland Yard, Luke feels he must...

ITV Makes Drama Appointments

Helen Ziegler has been appointed as U.K. broadcaster ITV’s senior commissioning editor. She will take up the role at ITV Drama in January 2024, following her maternity leave. She is currently director of television at award-winning producer Mammoth Screen and has credits including Peter Bowker’s “World on Fire” for BBC One, recent Agatha Christie adaptations by Sarah Phelps for the BBC One and Hugh Laurie’s “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans” for BritBox UK.

ITV also announced that Helen Perry is joining as commissioning editor, drama, in January 2023, for a fixed-term year contract, to further support the expanded slate. She joins from the BBC, where she is currently an assistant commissioner in BBC Drama. Before joining BBC drama commissioning Perry was a script executive at Bad Wolf.

Joining too in January 2023 is Callum Dziedzic, who will become assistant commissioner, drama and comedy. He...

Judging from the buzz around 2022 dramas like Inventing Anna, The Staircase and The Girl from Plainville, our appetite for true crime series isn’t going anywhere. From grisly murder to exquisite scams, these powerful stories based on real-life events have us hooked.

Most of the year’s biggest true crime dramas have so far focussed on tales from the USA, but if you’re looking for unbelievable criminal cases from the UK, there’s plenty of must-watch series depicting some of the country’s most notorious criminal scandals coming later this year and beyond. Here’s a few to add to your watch list.

The Reckoning (BBC – later in 2022)

Actor, comedian and Alan Partridge creator Steve Coogan is set to portray the life-long sexual predator and disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile.

After the disturbing and harrowing Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story aired earlier this year, many have...

There are 110 submissions on the 2022 Emmys ballot for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Writing, resulting in six nominees. As a reminder, last year’s winner was “I May Destroy You” (Michaela Coel) and the other nominees were “The Queen’s Gambit” (Scott Frank), “Mare of Easttown” (Brad Inglesby) and three episodes from “Wandavision”.

The low number of entries in this year’s Best Limited/Movie Writing category can be attributed to the fact that all the top contenders have submitted only one or two episodes from their series when given the option. Danny Strong, a previous winner for “Game Change” in this category a decade ago, entered the “Dopesick” finale, “The People vs. Purdue Pharma.” Other programs that submitted their final episodes were “Maid” (“Snaps”) and “Station Eleven” (“Unbroken Circle”) by their respective showrunners Molly Smith Metzler and Patrick Somerville, which is not a bad method given that seven...

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This series was created in paid partnership with Prime Video.

The A Very British Scandal creators and cast go on a journey back to Great Britain in the ’50s & ’60s, the backdrop for the series, in the final episode of The Hollywood Reporter and Prime Video’s Sex, Lies & Photographs: Making A Very British Scandal.

The series’ creators — executive producer and writer Sarah Phelps, director Anne Sewitsky, production designer Christina Moore, costume designer Ian Fulcher, and hair and makeup designer Catherine Scoble — as well as stars Claire Foy and Paul Bettany, discuss how they recreated the elegant and aristocratic world of 1950s Great Britain, and reveal the never-before-heard tidbits about the real story that inspired their creative vision.

Sex, Lies & Photographs is a three-part video series from The Hollywood Reporter and Prime Video that examines the stranger-than-fiction story behind the Duke and Duchess...

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“A bad chemistry experiment” is how Claire Foy describes the doomed relationship between the real-life Duke and Duchess of Argyll (aka Ian and Margaret Campbell) at the center of Prime Video’s enthralling limited series A Very British Scandal.

Foy and her co-star Paul Bettany gathered for an in-person edition of THR Presents, powered by Vision Media, and did a deep dive into the stormy marriage — which ended in one of the most vicious divorce cases in British history — depicted so unflinchingly in showrunner Sarah Phelps’s three-parter. Foy plays Margaret, the Duchess, who became famous in the 1930s among high-society Britain, and already had a reputation for living life to the full way before she met and then married the Duke in 1951. Of Margaret’s public image, Foy says, “I had a slight problem with [her] in the sense that the stories you...

Claire Foy was very close to turning down the role of Margaret Campbell on Amazon Prime’s “A Very British Scandal,” the three-part limited series chronicling the marriage and very public divorce between Margaret and Ian Campbell, the 11th Duke of Argyll (Paul Bettany). Foy, who also served as an executive producer on this series, wondered if the role of a posh upper class duchess during the mid 20th century bore too similar resemblance to Queen Elizabeth on “The Crown,” which earned the actress two Emmys.

However, as the actress explains in an exclusive interview with Gold Derby (watch above), any worries about perceived similarities with her Emmy-winning role vanished as soon as she learned more about Margaret. “They were obviously incredibly different people and incredibly different characters with incredibly different behavior,” explains Foy. “So I hoped that the audience would go along with that.”

SEEIan Fulcher interview: ‘A Very...

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This series was created in paid partnership with Prime Video.

Before it became a scandal, it started as a happy marriage. The deterioration of the Duke and Duchess of Argyle’s once-promising relationship is the story of the second episode of The Hollywood Reporter and Prime Video’s Sex, Lies & Photographs: Making ‘A Very British Scandal.’

The series’ stars, Claire Foy and Paul Bettany; executive producer-writer Sarah Phelps; and director Anne Sewitsky provide a never-before-seen glimpse of the relationship dynamics that played out behind closed doors, which led to the notorious scandal and the pernicious destruction of a power couple.

Sex, Lies & Photographs is a three-part video series that examines the stranger-than-fiction real story behind the Duke & Duchess of Argyle’s salacious scandal from a modern lens. A Very British Scandal‘s cast and creators share behind the scenes stories of how the...

Amazon Prime’s three-part series “A Very British Scandal” dramatizes one of the most scandalous divorce cases in British history, between the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, in which the Duke accuses Margaret (Claire Foy) of sleeping with more than 88 other men during their marriage.

Judge Lord Wheatley, who presided over the case, blasted her as “a completely promiscuous woman” whose attitude towards marriage was “wholly immoral.”

Writer and creator Sarah Phelps says she was sensitive to the fact she was penning a script about real people who had living relatives that she took into consideration. “There are strict laws about how to represent people and what impact it’s going to have on their living relatives,“ Phelps says. “But you also have a moral responsibility because you don’t want to do anything that is going to cause pain.”

Phelps says the court transcripts from the 1963 divorce hearing were...

When a judge finally granted the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in 1963, he famously delivered a blistering three-hour and seven-minute rebuke of Duchess Margaret Campbell, disguised as a judgment, where he branded her a “completely promiscuous woman.” The divorce case was filled with accusations by her husband, Ian Campbell, the Duke, of flagrant adultery, titillating rumors about sexual liaisons coded in her diaries, and much discussion about a scandalous Polaroid photograph of Margaret in an intimate act with someone other than her husband. The case left Margaret vilified by the press in a pre-sexual revolution Britain and branded the “Dirty Duchess,” while her former husband, who was also accused of adultery, escaped similar criticism. She also lost friends and status in the upper class circles she frequented. And it’s this period of time that’s documented in the Prime Video three-part drama “A Very British Scandal” starring Emmy winner Claire Foy,...

Less than a week ago, Netflix dropped the six-part Anatomy of a Scandal. This week: Prime Video dishes the dirt in A Very British Scandal, which at half the length is twice the fun. Notice a gossipy trend here? With apologies (though not really) to TMZ, no one flings high-society mud with quite the savage glee of the Brits, and I’ve rarely seen a more corrosive display of mutual cruelty than in British Scandal. This taut and tawdry three-part docudrama from the prolific Sarah Phelps depicts in great histrionic detail the infamous divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in the early 1960s. Tabloids had a field day taking down the high and not-so-mighty. So might you, though some moral disinfectant may come in handy afterward. A world removed from her restrained portrayal of the young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, Claire ...

Russell T Davies’ Channel 4/HBO Max drama It’s a Sin scooped the coveted Best Drama and Best Writer prizes at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild (Bpg) Awards, while the BBC/Amazon’s A Very British Scandal took home Best Drama Mini-Series and Best Actress for Claire Foy.

Red Production Company’s show about a group of friends during the Aids epidemic was nominated in six categories and won two, with Davies beating off competition from the likes of Time’s Jimmy McGovern and A Very British Scandal’s Sarah Phelps.

The latter show won Best Drama MIni-Series while The Crown star Foy was handed Best Actress, with Stephen Graham taking Best Actor for his performance in McGovern’s BBC prison drama Time.

The BBC was very much the big winner, also taking Best Documentary Series for Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution, although Disney+ scooped its first ever Bpg...

Prime Video shared the premiere date and official trailer for the historical British drama A Very British Scandal. Written by Sarah Phelps, A Very British Scandal focuses on the divorce of the Duke (Paul Bettany) and Duchess of Argyll (Claire Foy), one of the most notorious, extraordinary, and brutal legal cases of the 20th […]

The post Amazon Prime Video Releases Trailer For British Drama ‘A Very British Scandal’ Starring Paul Bettany & Claire Foy appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

The final episodes of “Grace and Frankie” will premiere April 29, Netflix announced Tuesday.

Created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris, “Grace and Frankie” stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as the title characters, two very different women who have disliked each other for years, even though their husbands Robert (Martin Sheen) and Sol (Sam Waterston) are law partners. When their husbands announce they’re in love and plan to divorce them to be together, Grace and Frankie find themselves roommates, and overcome their mutual animosity to become best friends navigating romances, business ventures and family drama together.

The longest-running show currently on Netflix, “Grace and Frankie” originally premiered in 2015 and has since run for seven seasons. The show was originally renewed for a 16-episode seventh and final season in 2019. Last August, Netflix surprise released the first four episodes of the final season, and announced the remaining episodes will debut...

The first trailer for Prime Video‘s historical drama A Very British Scandal has arrived and it’s… quite scandalous. Written by Sarah Phelps (The Pale Horse), A Very British Scandal features Paul Bettany and Claire Foy as the Duke and Duchess of Argyll and follows their notorious divorce which has been known as one of the most brutal and extraordinary legal cases of the 20th century. Sparking debates and theories, their divorce became a tabloid scandal for the ages. (Credit: Prime Video) Set to premiere Friday, April 22, the new trailer shines a light on Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, who was known for her beauty and charisma. When accusations of forgery, theft, violence, drug-taking, secret recording, bribery, and a revealing Polaroid picture come into play though, Margaret and her divorce became front-page news amid the glare of 1960s media. The time period comes to life through decadent costumes and impeccable...

Paul Bettany and Claire Foy are sparring as the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in the first trailer for Prime Video’s “A Very British Scandal.”

The drama series, which hails from the creators of “A Very English Scandal,” follows the couple’s divorce in the 1960s, which proved to be one of the most notorious, extraordinary, and brutal legal cases of the 20th century.

Foy plays Margaret, the Duchess of Argyll, who was famed for her beauty and charisma before the Duke (Bettany) exposed her to the press with accusations of forgery, theft, violence, drug-taking, secret recording, bribery, and an explicit Polaroid picture.

The trailer begins with a rather tense interaction between the two in which Bettany’s Duke greets his Duchess with “Hello, Satan.”

“You bastard,” she replies, before the video cuts to their first meeting, where they quickly become enamored of each other. It isn’t long...

Russell T Davies’ It’s a Sin has been nominated six times for the UK’s prestigious Broadcasting Press Guild (Bpg) Awards next month, with Jeremy Clarkson, Olivia Colman and Stephen Graham also picking up nods.

Leads Olly Alexander, Callum Scott Howells and Lydia West are nominated in Best Actor and Best Actress respectively for the Channel 4/HBO Max drama, with Davies recognized in Best Writer, the show itself picking up a Best Drama Series (+4 episodes) nod and the quartet of young residents of the show’s ‘Pink Palace’ competing for the Bpg Breakthrough Award alongside Starstruck’s Rose Matefeo and We Are Lady Parts’ Nida Manzoor.

It’s a Sin, which follows LGBTQ+ characters during the UK’s 1980s Aids epidemic and is produced by Red Production Company, has already been recognized at a raft of awards ceremonies.

The five-parter will compete in the Best Drama Series (+4 episodes) category...

Karen Thrussell has joined “A Very British Scandal” producer Blueprint Television as head of television. She will oversee the development and production of all series.

Thrussell replaces Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who now runs Happy Prince, a new drama label under ITV Studios. She joins from Mammoth Screen, where she executive produced five seasons of BAFTA winning series “Poldark” and the Sarah Phelps Agatha Christie adaptations “And Then There Were None,” “Ordeal by Innocence” and “The Witness for the Prosecution” for BBC One.

Blueprint Television is a sister company to Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin’s Blueprint Pictures. Blueprint Television also produced Emmy and BAFTA winning series “A Very English Scandal” (2018), starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw. “A Very British Scandal,” starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany was broadcast on BBC One in the U.K. in Dec. 2021 and will be released on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., Canada, Australia...

Claire Foy just can’t get enough of period dramas about British aristocracy — and neither can audiences. It’s a match made in heaven, unlike the troubled marriage at the heart of her new series “A Very British Scandal.” Hailing from BBC One and Amazon, the provocative period drama sees “The Crown” star playing Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, opposite “WandaVision” star Paul Bettany as Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. From the looks of this first trailer, sparks fly when the two seasoned actors go head to head as a couple going through an acrimonious divorce. Of course, this being the 1960s, the Duchess ends up paying a high price for her sexual freedom.

The three-part series tells the story of the couple’s highly publicized 1963 divorce proceedings. Known for her charisma, beauty, and style, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, dominated newspapers as the divorce exposed accusations of forgery, theft,...

BBC One and Amazon Studios have revealed the first trailer for upcoming series “A Very British Scandal,” featuring Claire Foy, two-time Emmy winner for Netflix’s “The Crown.”

Foy stars as Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, alongside Paul Bettany (“WandaVision”) as Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll, and Julia Davis (“Nighty Night”) as Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava.

Written by Sarah Phelps (“The Pale Horse”), the series is from the makers of the award-winning “A Very English Scandal,” Blueprint Pictures. It focuses on the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, one of the most notorious legal cases of the 20th century. Famed for her charisma, beauty, and style, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, dominated the front pages as the divorce exposed accusations of forgery, theft, violence, drug-taking, bribery, and an explicit Polaroid picture that was to haunt her for the rest of her life.

“A Very British Scandal...

The first-look images have been released for BBC One and Amazon Studios’ A Very British Scandal, from the makers of the award-winning A Very English Scandal, Blueprint Pictures.

The new photos feature Claire Foy as Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, Paul Bettany as Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll, and Julia Davis as Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava.

Both companies also jointly released new casting details. The new faces joining the project are:

- Amanda Drew

- Richard McCabe

- Phoebe Nicholls

- Camilla Rutherford

- Timothy Renouf

- Sophia Myles

- Sophie Ward

- Tim Steed

- Katherine Manners.

A Very British Scandal focuses on the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, one of the most notorious, extraordinary, and brutal legal cases of the 20th century. Famed for her charisma, beauty, and style, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, dominated the front pages as the divorce exposed accusations of forgery,...

Yass (former) queen!

The Crown alum Claire Foy looks rather glam in new photos from A Very British Scandal‘s upcoming Season 2. The images, released Monday by Prime Video, gives us our real first look at the series’ sophomore run, which focuses on the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll.

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