News

The BFI has revealed the lineup of titles it will take to the upcoming Cannes Market as part of its Great 8 initiative for first and second-time filmmakers.

The list of features includes Animol, the debut feature from Top Boy actor Ashley Walters, and Madfabulous from filmmaker Celyn Jones. The BFI will present the features to international buyers in Cannes. The full list of titles are:

Animol – director Ashley Walters, writer Nick Love Ish – director Imran Perretta, writers Imran Perretta, Enda Walsh Learning to Breathe Under Water – director Rebekah Fortune, writer Richard Brabin Madfabulous – director Celyn Jones, writer Lisa Baker Mission – director/writer Paul Wright On the Sea – director/writer Helen Walsh Retreat – director/writer Ted Evans The Son and the Sea – director Stroma Cairns, writers Imogen West, Stroma Cairns

Now in its eighth year, the 2025 Great 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council. As part of the scheme,...

Ashley Walters’ feature directorial debut Animol and Celyn Jones’ second feature, Madfabulous, are among the eight projects taking part in the 2025 Cannes Great 8 online showcase of UK feature films from first-and second-time UK filmmakers.

Animol is written by Nick Love, with Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor among the producers. It is a BFI, Film4 and Sky-backed coming-of-age story that takes place within the confines of a young offenders’ institution. Stephen Graham, with whom Walters’ co-starred in Netflix seriesAdolescence,is among the cast.

Madfabulous is Jones’ second film followingThe Almond And The Seahorse.Set in the 19th century, it isinspired by the flamboyant life...

The British Council and British Film Institute have unveiled the crop of films that will make up its annual Great 8 lineup of projects to be showcased in Cannes.

The features — from either first-time or early career filmmakers — will be introduced and screened to buyers and festival programmers in Cannes, where all eight will be available to distributors at the market.

This year marks the eighth year of the Great 8 initiative, funded and produced by the BFI and British Council with thanks to BBC Film and Film 4. Previous films to have been selected include Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” Rungano Nyoni’s “I Am Not A Witch” and Rose Glass’s “Saint Maud.”

“The 8th edition of Great 8 shows once again that UK film is in rude health with an upcoming slate that we can be proud of,” said Briony Hanson, the British Council’s Director of Film. “Again, this shows off...

As has become annual tradition, the British Film Institute (BFI) has unveiled its 2025 crop of “Great 8” movies, eight features from the “most exciting first-time and early career filmmakers” that it will showcase to international distributors and festival programmers in the run-up to and during the Marché du Film market taking place during the Cannes Film Festival.

They include a movie directed by actor and creative Ashley Walters (Netflix hit Adolescence, Top Boy, Missing You) with Stephen Graham, a drama thriller starring George MacKay and Rosy McEwen, a drama featuring Rory Kinnear and Maria Bakalova, a thriller set in an isolated deaf community, and a Welsh alternative period drama with Rupert Everett.

“Now in its eighth year, the 2025 Great 8 showcase is funded and produced by the BFI and the British Council, with thanks to BBC Film and Film4,” the BFI said. “In preparation for the Marché, unseen footage from all of...

The second season of Boarders is right around the corner, and Tubi is celebrating its imminent arrival by ramping up promotion for the series. Collider is thrilled to partner with the free streamer to debut a new exclusive clip from Boarders Season 2, which will premiere all six episodes on the platform this Thursday, April 17. The show follows five talented Black inner-city teens who are transported to a British boarding school after gaining scholarships to the prestigious St. Gilbert’s. They set out to make the most of their opportunity, even though their places among the other students were only offered in a poorly-disguised PR stunt. Emmy winner Alan Cumming has even joined the cast of Season 2, and he can be seen in the exclusive sneak peek found below.

In addition to Alan Cumming, Boarders also stars Josh Tedeku as Jaheim, Jodie Campbell as Leah, Sekou Diaby as Toby, Myles Kamwendo as Omar,...

The BBC has shared the first images and cast details for What It Feels Like For A Girl, an upcoming drama based on the memoir by Paris Lees. The eight-part series is set to premiere on BBC Three and iPlayer later this year.

The series follows Byron, a working-class teenager who leaves a small town for Nottingham, stepping into the lively and chaotic club scene of the early 2000s. Ellis Howard (Catherine the Great) stars as Byron, portraying the character’s journey from being seen as a schoolboy to embracing life as a trans woman at university.

Speaking about the lead actor, Lees said, “The biggest challenge was always the lead role – we’re following someone who’s going from, in the eyes of the outside world, a schoolboy, right up to a trans woman starting university, and all that’s in between. The moment I saw Ellis, I recognised something in him – a cheekiness,...

Exclusive: The BBC has revealed the cast and first-look images of What It Feels Like For A Girl, the adaptation of the memoir by transgender trailblazer Paris Lees.

The eight-part series will land on BBC3 and iPlayer later this year, featuring a cast led by Ellis Howard (Catherine the Great) who plays Byron, a working-class school kid who escapes a small town for Nottingham and discovers more than just the hedonistic world of the noughties clubbing scene.

Lees said: “The biggest challenge was always the lead role – we’re following someone who’s going from, in the eyes of the outside world, a schoolboy, right up to a trans woman starting university, and all that’s in between. The moment I saw Ellis, I recognised something in him – a cheekiness, a delicateness, a complexity – and knew he was the one. And he rose to the challenge, again and again.”

Ellis...

ITV Invests in Diversity

ITV has announced an additional £80 million ($101.4 million) ring-fenced for diverse commissioning over the next three years, alongside doubling its Diversity Development Fund to £1 million ($1.3 million). This follows the success of the inaugural Diversity Commissioning Fund, launched in 2022, which originally committed £80 million ($101 million) over three years to support diverse-led projects and a £500,000 fund to help develop qualifying ideas.

The Diversity Commissioning Spend has led to significant progress in increasing commissions from diverse-led companies while also expanding ITV’s reach to new audiences and fostering on-screen talent. The fund focuses on addressing the underrepresentation of people of color and deaf, disabled or neurodivergent individuals.

The initiative, which will run from 2025 to 2027, is open to qualifying companies that meet criteria related to diverse ownership, creative leadership, storytelling, or salary distribution. ITV is seeking compelling, inclusive ideas to appeal to broad audiences, particularly those aged 25-54.

In addition to the commissioning fund,...

The premiere date for “School Spirits” Season 2 is set for Thursday, Jan. 30, with the first three episodes releasing on Paramount+.

The new season of “School Spirits” kicks off after the first season’s cliffhanger, following Maddie Nears (Peyton List), who is still stuck in the afterlife, as she tries to win over Simon (Kristian Ventura) to help search for her missing body. The cast also includes Spencer MacPherson, Kiara Pichardo, Sarah Yarkin, Nick Pugliese, Rainbow Wedell, Josh Zuckerman and Milo Manheim.

New episodes of the eight-episode season will drop weekly on Thursdays. Awesomeness TV produces with creators Nate Trinrud and Megan Trinrud as executive producers.

Watch the trailer below.

Also in this week’s TV News Roundup:

First Looks/Trailers

The spirited judges are back in the official trailer for “Tribunal Justice” Season 2.

“Tribunal Justice” follows three judges as they take on real cases and debate the outcome. They don’t always see eye-to-eye,...

Few British series in recent memory have had as much of an impact as Boarders. Created by Daniel Lawrence Taylor, this BBC show has stunned audiences with its portrayal of five Black teenagers finding themselves as some of the few minority students in a predominantly white boarding school, with the story touching on poignant topics of class conflict and race while providing exceptional dramedy for all viewers to enjoy. Audiences have been longing for this story of Leah (Jodie Campbell), Jaheim (Josh Tedeku), Omar (Myles Kamwendo), Femi (Aruna Jalloh), and Toby (Sekou Diaby) to return after its widely acclaimed first season, with these fans growing excited when its renewal was announced a few months ago. They were eager to see not only this core cast but the many students and faculty that make up the world around them — which made it a pleasant surprise when it was announced that two...

Alan Cumming and Natalie Cassidy have been cast in the second season of BBC and Tubi drama series Boarders.

The Traitors host Cumming and EastEnders actress Cassidy will join a cast including leads Josh Tedeku, Jodie Campbell, Sekou Diaby, Myles Kamwendo and Aruna Jalloh in the coming-of-age series about five talented black inner-city teens who gain scholarships to the prestigious St. Gilbert’s boarding school. Creator Daniel Lawrence Taylor stars in the series

Cumming will play Alan, a man with high standards of the students at St. Gilbert’s, and Cassidy will appear as Sharon Hail, a teacher at a rival school. Season two will begin with a new acting headmistress, Carol Watlington-Geese, who wants the scholarship students gone, just as they have begun to thrive.

For Cumming, the casting is among his first since he struck a production deal with NBCUniversal in June last year on the back of...

Tubi and the BBC have revealed the season 2 cast for ‘Boarders’, the teen dramedy about Black scholarship students at a British boarding school. Returning are the core quintet – Josh Tedeku, Jodie Campbell, Sekou Diaby, Myles Kamwendo, and Aruna Jalloh – alongside their privileged classmates, played by Harry Gilby, Tallulah Greive, and others. Season […]

Boarders Season 2 Cast Announced, Set for Tubi in 2025...

Tubi and the BBC have confirmed the Season 2 cast for the teen dramedy Boarders, which is on track for a 2025 release (Stateside on Tubi).

Created by Daniel Lawrence Taylor, who co-stars as Gus, Boarders follows five talented, Black, inner-city teens transported to “an alien world” — a British boarding school — after gaining scholarships to the prestigious St. Gilbert’s. They then set out to make the most out of the opportunity, despite their places only being offered as a poorly-disguised PR exercise to improve the reputation of the school.

More from TVLineMonarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 Adds Amber MidthunderLaw & Order: Svu's...

Apple TV+ has released the trailer for “Silo” Season 2. Based on Hugh Howey’s trilogy of dystopian sci-fi novels, the second season premieres Nov. 15 with new episodes airing every Friday until Jan. 17.

According to an official logline, “‘Silo’ is the story of the last ten thousand people on earth, their mile-deep home protecting them from the toxic and deadly world outside. However, no one knows when or why the silo was built and those who try to find out face fatal consequences. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette, an engineer who seeks answers about a loved one’s murder and tumbles onto a mystery that goes far deeper than she could have ever imagined, leading her to discover that if the lies don’t kill you, the truth will.”

Steve Zahn joins the Season 2 cast, starring alongside Ferguson, Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, Alexandria Riley, Shane McRae,...

BBC's "Boarders" Will Return to Tubi For Season 2

It's almost back-to-school time: Tubi has announced it will continue to bring the critically acclaimed BBC Three coming-of-age series "Boarders” to North American subscribers for the series’ second season.

Written by BAFTA nominee Daniel Lawrence Taylor (“Timewasters)”, “Boarders” follows the lives of five talented Black teenagers from inner-city London as they navigate life at St. Gilbert’s, an elite boarding school. The second season reportedly will see a new era for the students at the school with an acting headmistress who wants them gone.

Watch the trailer for “Boarders” Season 1 below:

Josh Tedeku (Jaheim), Jodie Campbell (Leah), Sekou Diaby (Toby), Myles Kamwendo (Omar), and Aruna Jalloh (Femi) will reprise their roles in the second season with Taylor returning as their mentor, Gus. The returning cast also includes Harry Gilby, Tallulah Greive, Rosie Graham, Assa Kanouté, and Niky Wardley.

The first season...

Forget “Saltburn” – now, it’s up to BBC Three’s series “Boarders” to take an honest look at Britain’s most exclusive private schools.

“You hear so many horror stories about these places, but it’s a rite of passage. So many of our PMs and people of power went there. I think there is something called ‘boarding school syndrome’ when you deal with politicians who exhibit complete lack of compassion. That’s what they learnt there,” explains Daniel Lawrence Taylor, who created the show.

His actor, Josh Tedeku, agrees.

“I went to Oxford recently and there is a similar vibe. My friend would say: ‘This is where Boris Johnson went, this is where Rishi Sunak went.’ You start to understand why they are all so loopy.”

“I loved the place, they shot ‘Harry Potter’ there and I was just nerding out. Then, I met someone who watched ‘Boarders’ and...

While the perils of higher education are becoming a wider part of the conversation, namely its lack of guarantee and exorbitant cost (particularly in America), solid academic preparation for the future is still often a ticket to a more expansive life. In Tubi’s “Boarders,” created by BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Daniel Lawrence Taylor, five Black teens from London’s inner city uproot their lives for the opportunity to attend St. Gilbert’s College, a prestigious boarding school in the U.K. Though the scholarship recipients are eager to begin paving a new path for themselves, the constant othering, feelings of isolation and fetishism begin coloring what should be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Black students experience gutting racial and economic adversity, but the brilliance of “Boarders” is its ability to weave a rhythmic humor throughout the series.

Before I get into the specifics of “Boarders,” first a note about its curious origins.

In the British teen dramedy Boarders, five Black students of great intelligence, but modest means, are given scholarships to the elite private school St. Gilbert’s. Their presence has little to do with altruism, and a lot to do with the school’s PR problem, after a rich white student posts a video of himself and his friends harassing an unhoused man. Gus (played by Daniel Lawrence Taylor, who also created the series) runs the charity that helped select the five lucky kids, and while all of them are aware...

A good high-school or college TV show is like a time machine, designed to transport nostalgic older viewers backward to youth or (more rarely) younger viewers forward to an anticipated maturity. At the same time, it’s a sufficiently codified genre that the nostalgia is as much for other fictional favorites in the same narrative space as it is for any “real” experience of high school or college.

A well-cast high-school or college TV show is a time machine on yet another level, enjoyable in its immediacy but also a preview for decades of future ensembles. Even if the breakouts from a Freaks and Geeks or Sex Education or Dear White People aren’t always the stars you’d expect, one needn’t watch more than a scene or two to know how well-populated those shows are.

Daniel Lawrence Taylor’s new prep-school dramedy Boarders — produced for BBC Three and...

As an over-40 on the Gen X/Millennial cusp, modern teenagers unsettle me. On screen. On buses. On the street with their midriff out and no coat on. I feel a powerful urge both to protect them and for them to stay 100 metres away from me at all times. Watching modern teen TV as a non-teen feels suspect, like eating Farleys Rusks with a full set of adult teeth.

Watching BBC Three comedy-drama Boarders then, which is set at the sixth form of a swanky English private school, I was primed to feel like a chaperone at a prom – unwelcome, uncomfortable and wishing to God there was a bar. What I actually felt was joy.

Created by Timewasters’ Daniel Lawrence Taylor and inspired by a news article about an elite, majority-white UK boarding school offering scholarship places to clever young Black students from underprivileged backgrounds, Boarders is shrewd, funny and well-cast.

A cast of emerging talent has been set for BBC comedy-drama “Boarders,” from Daniel Lawrence Taylor, creator of the BAFTA nominated “Timewasters.”

The 6 x 45′ series produced by Studio Lambert (“The Nest”) in association with All3Media International, follows the lives of five talented underprivileged Black students from inner-city London who win scholarships to St. Gilbert’s, an elite boarding school. Stepping out of the urban metropolis, they experience the highs and lows of boarding school, learn about themselves, their identity and what life on the other side looks like.

“Boarders” will star Josh Tedeku (“Supacell”), Jodie Campbell (“Bulletproof”) and Myles Kamwendo (“The School for Good and Evil”) alongside Sekou Diaby and Aruna Jalloh, both making their screen debuts. Lawrence Taylor will play a mentor figure to the students.

The cast also includes Derek Riddell (“Happy Valley”), Niky Wardley (“Queen of Oz”), Harry Gilby (“Tolkien”), Tallulah Grieve (“Our Ladies”), Rosie Graham (“The School for Good and Evil...