News

Veteran actor Paul Geoffrey has died. According to an obituary for the Excalibur star, Geoffrey passed away following a cancer battle on June 3. He was 68 years old.

Born and raised in England, Geoffrey had been living in Santa Fe after relocating there with his family in the early 90s. Through his work with Santa Fe Properties, he became known in the area as a "genuine and kind community member," per the obituary.

"A thespian to the core, Paul continued to act for the remainder of his life," it continues. "He loved French wine and food, had a stunning grasp of history, was a life-long Arsenal fan, and excelled at being the sweetest guy in the world."

Geoffrey is known for his role as the knight Perceval in the medieval fantasy movie Excalibur. Released in 1981, the film is based on the story of King Arthur and the knights of the round table.

Paul Geoffrey, who starred as Perceival in the film Excalibur and had many other film and TV credits, died June 3 in Santa Fe, New Mexico from cancer, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican news outlet.

Geoffrey’s film resume was led by Excalibur, a 1981 fantasy film written and directed by John Boorman which retold the King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table legend. The film won best artistic contribution at Cannes in 1981 and received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. Excalibur opened at number one in the United States, eventually grossing $34,967,437 on a budget of around US $11 million

His other leading roles included Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Anna Karenina, Wuthering Heights, Poirot, and Inspector Morse, among other filma.

In television, he appeared in “The Jewel in the Crown,” “The Man from Moscow,” “Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story,” “The Manageress,” “Spyship,” “Acapulco H.E.A.T,” “Better Call Saul,...

Paul Geoffrey, an English actor known for his roles in “Excalibur” and “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes,” has died. He was 68.

Geoffrey died on June 3 in Santa Fe, N.M. from a battle with cancer, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

“A thespian to the core, Paul continued to act for the remainder of his life. He loved French wine and food, had a stunning grasp of history, was a life-long Arsenal fan, and excelled at being the sweetest guy in the world,” the Santa Fe New Mexican said of Geoffrey.

Nigel Terry (left) as King Arthur, Paul Geoffrey (right) as Perceval, in “Excalibur.”

Throughout his acting career, Geoffrey starred as Perceval in the 1981 film “Excalibur,” a medieval fantasy film that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. The film won best artistic contribution at Cannes in 1981 and received an Oscar nomination for best cinematography.

Zia Mohyeddin, the British-Pakistani actor known for his parts in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Immaculate Conception’, and the stage version of ‘A Passage to India’, died on Monday in a Karachi hospital, ‘Variety’ reports. Mohyeddin, who was 91, was ill and on life support, his family said. His death was condoled by top members of Pakistan’s political establishment, including President Arif Ali, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and his predecessor, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan.

Mohyeddin was born in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), British India, in 1931. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in the early 1950s.

After theatre roles in ‘Long Day’s Journey into Night’ and ‘Julius Caesar’, Mohyeddin in 1960 made his West End debut in ‘A Passage to India’, where he originated the role of Dr Aziz.

The actor featured in David Lean’s ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962), playing the role of Arab guide Tafas. Roles in...

Zia Mohyeddin, a British-Pakistani actor known for films “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Immaculate Conception” and the stage version of “A Passage to India,” died on Monday in Karachi. He was 91.

Mohyeddin was ill and was on life support in a Karachi hospital, his family said.

Mohyeddin was born in Lylallpur (now Faisalabad), British India, in 1931. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in the early 1950s. After theater roles in “Long Day’s Journey into Night” and “Julius Caesar,” Mohyeddin made his West End debut in “A Passage to India” in 1960, where he originated the role of Dr. Aziz.

The actor featured in David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), playing the role of Arab guide Tafas. Roles in Alexander Mackendrick’s “Sammy Going South” (1963), Fred Zinnemann’s “Behold a Pale Horse” (1964), Basil Dearden’s “Khartoum” (1966), Ralph Thomas’ “Deadlier Than the Male” (1966), Tony Richardson’s “The Sailor from...

While the favorites for the Drama Guest Actor Emmy contain a bevy of former Emmy winners, one of the leading contenders has yet to win his first golden trophy.

For decades, renowned British actor Charles Dance has been a familiar face on American television screens, particularly for his dastardly turn on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Having achieved fame onstage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dance achieved worldwide acclaim as Sgt. Guy Perron in the television miniseries “The Jewel in the Crown,” considered by many critics and viewers at the time to be the gold standard among miniseries. “Jewel” is merely one of the highlights in Dance’s four-decade career in film and television, the most notorious credit being his portrayal of Tywin Lannister, who was ignominiously killed by his dwarf son Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) while sitting on the toilet in “Game of Thrones.”

SEEEmmys 2020 exclusive: Netflix categories for ‘The Crown,...

The Raj was all the rage in 1980s Britain with The Jewel In The Crown (1984) notching up critical acclaim and viewers on ITV, while Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982) won eight awards at the 1983 Oscars. Sandwiched between the two is this elegant and sweeping Merchant Ivory film, which sees regular collaborator Ruth Prawer Jhabvala adapt her Booker-prize winning novel for the big screen. Told across a dual timeline of the Twenties and the contemporary Eighties India from the time the film was shot, this is an exploration of sexual politics and transgressive relationships that skewers various types of colonialism along the way.

Back in the Twenties, the drawing rooms and gossip bubbles of Britain have been transported to the "Civil Lines" of India, the very name of which drips with the prejudice and privilege the senior British officers and their families were steeped in. Olivia (Greta Scacchi, making a big impact in.

Now that the Caped Crusader of Gotham City has a new face, everyone’s wondering who will get the opportunity to portray his trusted butler. Some are speculating that a legend like Pierce Brosnan will take on the role, while we’ve also heard reports that Warner Bros. is considering lesser-known talents like Jared Harris. But now we have one more name to add to the list, as our sources – the same ones who revealed that Pattinson was locked in as the Dark Knight before any other outlet confirmed it – say that there’s another name fans should be watching out for to potentially play Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman: Charles Dance.

The 72-year-old actor is probably most known for repulsing audiences as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones, for which he’s earned a great deal of critical acclaim, but the popular show is just one of the many...

Hannah Simone’s comedy pilot at ABC has cast one of its lead roles.

Variety has learned exclusively that Art Malik has signed on to star opposite Simone in the single-camera comedy. In the project, Hannah (Simone) and her Indian-American immigrant father Sid (Malik) have always been close, but after she admits to herself that she’s in a dead-end job and he reveals his marriage is over, they’re starting over together and each finding a new path. This new chapter will either make them crazy close or just crazy.

Sid is further described as newly retired and a once-adventurous man who has fallen into a routine. But he is still enthusiastic and gung-ho for all things American and fond of Western wear. Sid had moved to the United States so that his family could have a better life, and he is bursting with pride at Hannah’s many accomplishments.

Cannes — Michelle Dockery, who found fame around the globe as “Downton Abbey’s” Lady Mary Crawley, was honored with the first Variety Icon Award for Canneseries at Saturday’s official opening ceremony for the inaugural Cannes TV fest.

Described by Variety’s Stewart Clarke as “an actor at the top of their game during this golden age of scripted television,” Dockery, striking in a one-strap full-length red evening gown, told a packed Palais des Festivals crowd that in the last decade, “pretty well as long as I’ve been doing TV,” television had “transformed enormously.” “I feel extremely fortunate to be part of the international surge in its landscape,” she added.

She had another, more personal, reason for being happy for the Variety Icon Award.

As a teenager Dockery was “obsessed” with television, she confessed on stage in her acceptance speech: “I would sit with my mum and dad, we would watch ‘Prime Suspect,...

“A Dash Of Unusual Brilliance Behind A Face With White Glasses”

By Raymond Benson

The somewhat snobbish critic John Simon has said that the only “great” female film directors are Leni Riefenstahl and Lina Wertmüller. I’m sure we can all take issue with such a sexist comment, but he is correct that both women were indeed “great,” even though the former is known for Nazi propaganda films of the 1930s. Wertmüller, on the other hand, made different kinds of scandalous pictures—but at least ones that were, and still are, entertaining. (They also sometimes had whimsically long titles, such as The End of the World in Our Usual Bed on a Night Full of Rain.)

In the early to mid-1970s, Wertmüller was the face of a daring new Italian cinema. When her movies were imported to America and the U.K, she was dubbed the “Female Fellini.” In fact,...

Rosemary Leach with Helena Bonham Carter in A Room With A View

Rosemary Leach, who received BAFTA nominations for her roles in A Room With A View and That'll Be The Day, has died following a short illness, her agent announced today. She was 81.

The Shropshire born actress focused most of her career on theatre and television, winning an Olivier Award for 84 Charing Cross Road and appearing in popular series The Jewel In The Crown and Berkeley Square. She was also known for her work in sitcom My Family, and as a reader on children's storytelling series Jackanory.

Leach is survived by actor husband Colin Starkey....

Agent announces death of star known for films such as A Room With a View and TV series including The Jewel in the Crown

Rosemary Leach, the award-winning stage and screen actor best known for the films A Room With a View and That’ll Be The Day, has died after a short illness.

Related: Rosemary Leach obituary

Continue reading...

As reported by Variety, British actor Tim Pigott-Smith died last week on April 7. Variety doesn’t have a cause of death, but Pigott-Smith was set to play Willy Loman in a touring production of Death Of A Salesman that was supposed to open this week, so his death was apparently unexpected. Pigott-Smith was 70.

In England, Pigott-Smith had a long and successful career with memorable appearances in everything from The Hour, The Chief, and a handful of original Doctor Who episodes in the ‘70s. However, he was probably best known for playing Police Superintendent Ronald Merrick in the 1984 series The Jewel In The Crown, which told stories about the final days of the British Raj in India after World War II—a role that earned Pigott-Smith a Best Actor award at the BAFTAs in 1985.

Here in the United States, Pigott-Smith is better known for his movie roles ...

Playlist Adam McKay (The Big Short) planning a Dick Cheney biopic which may star Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Steve Carell

La Times comedian Don Rickles has died at 90

Vulture Interesting observations: blockbuster filmmakers are making the same single parent family drama inbetween their visual fx movies

Movie City News on the tired false notion that 'movie stars don't matter anymore' in terms of box office which we're seeing a lot of post Ghost in the Shell opening and which we see every time a star driven movie fails essentially. Movie stars obviously do still matter but the economics of movies are always changing.

/Film in this week's strangest news: Actor/Hunk Joe Mangianello has written a Dungeons & Dragons movie

Washington Post another 'Nicole Kidman is awesome and always has been' essay. Glad we're getting a wave of these but kind of annoyed that people haven't taken our word for...

Bafta-winning star of stage and screen died on Friday.

Colleagues, friends and admirers have paid tribute to Pigott-Smith, the Bafta-winning star of classic TV series The Jewel In The Crown, who has died aged 70.

“Today a great actor left the stage,” Kevin Spacey tweeted. “But more than that, a great man. A friend & one of the kindest I’ve ever known. Rip Tim Pigott-Smith.”

Many people took to Twitter in remembrance.

Miranda Hart said: “So saddened by the news of Tim Pigott-Smith. What a fun, lovely, kind, brilliant gent. Was part of one of my fav Miranda eps. Oh we laughed.”

“So shocked to hear Tim Pigott-Smith has died,” Rupert Evans said. A great actor and family man. He played my father 3 times. He will be so missed.”

Rory Bremner said: “Shocked & saddened to hear Tim Pigott-Smith has died. Lovely man- great grace, voice, presence, timing, sense of humour. Great actor too...

British star of stage and screen died on Friday.

“Tim was one of the great actors of his generation,” Pigott-Smith’s agent John Grant said in a statement. “Much-loved and admired by his peers, he will be remembered by many as a gentleman and a true friend.”

Pigott-Smith, who had been due to begin a stage tour of Death Of A Salesman on Monday in Northampton, famously played police superintendent Ronald Merrick in Granada Television series The Jewel In The Crown, which earned him a best actor Bafta award in 1985.

It was one of a vast array of television performances that included Downton Abbey, Doctor Who, Holby Blue, Miranda, and Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years.

Pigott-Smith was born in Warwickshire and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He performed on stage many times before landing his big break in The Jewel In The Crown.

Film credits included Bloody Sunday, The Remains Of The Day, Clash...

Tim Pigott-Smith, the BAFTA Award-winning British actor who appeared in such TV fare and films as The Jewel in the Crown, V for Vendetta and Downton Abbey, died today. He was 70. His death was announced by his agent John Grant. “It is with deep regret that I have to announce the sad news that Tim Pigott-Smith died this morning. Much-loved and admired by his peers, he will be remembered by many as a gentleman and a true friend. He will be much missed. We ask that you…...

Tim Pigott-Smith, the BAFTA Award-winning British actor who appeared in such TV fare and films as The Jewel in the Crown, V for Vendetta and Downton Abbey, died today. He was 70. His death was announced by his agent John Grant. “It is with deep regret that I have to announce the sad news that Tim Pigott-Smith died this morning. Much-loved and admired by his peers, he will be remembered by many as a gentleman and a true friend. He will be much missed. We ask that you…...

Tim Pigott-Smith, a versatile British actor who recently played Prince Charles on stage and screen, has died. U 70.

The actor's agent, John Grant, says Pigott-Smith died Friday. Grant called him "one of the great actors of his generation ... a gentleman and a true friend."

Pigott-Smith was already a veteran of stage and screen when he came to international attention as a sadistic police officer in British-controlled India in the 1980s miniseries The Jewel in the Crown.

The show became a global sensation, and Pigott-Smith said it "changed my life."

Born in Rugby, central England in 1946, Pigott-Smith trained...

The actor was best known in Britain for East Is East and My Son The Fanatic.

Veteran Indian actor and former chairman of India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc) has died from a heart attack, aged 66.

Puri was a familiar figure in British cinema due to his roles in films such as Udayan Prasad’s My Son The Fanatic (1997), Damien O’Donnell’s East Is East (1999) - for which he was BAFTA-nominated - and its sequel West Is West, directed by Andy De Emmony in 2010.

He had recently completed filming a role in Gurinder Chadha’s upcoming Viceroy’s House, alongside Gillian Anderson, Michael Gambon and Hugh Bonneville.

Born in the north Indian state of Haryana, Puri made his film debut in Ghashiram Kotwal, directed by a collective of ‘parallel cinema’ filmmakers in 1976. He was one of the leading actors of India’s non-mainstream cinema movement of the 1980s and 1990s, with award-winning...

In a move as inevitable as The Rock dropping a People’s Elbow on somebody at WrestleMania, WWE have released the third in their Attitude Era series, focusing this time on previously unreleased content. This gives this volume a slightly different feel to the previous two, but is a little hit and miss because of it.

What does work about this volume is drafting Corey Graves in to provide context and comment between each of the fifteen matches in the main feature. Graves brings an enthusiasm and knowledge to this role that others sometimes lack, namely John Bradshaw Layfield on the recent Us Championship release, and his comments are interesting and enlightening.

The choice of matches, too, is inspired with WWE digging deep to present several previously unreleased matches that are historically significant in the company’s history. The jewel in the crown of these has to be the first...

Booth tried to hide his need for glasses while the team chased a murderer and a jewel thief, and Hodgins made an amazing discovery on Bones Season 11 Episode 21.

Our TV Fanatics Ashley Sumerel and Christine Orlando are joined by Pam from Cbr Radio to talk poltergeists, men in glasses, and their favorite scenes from “The Jewel in the Crown.”

Did you think there was a poltergeist, seismic tremors or something else entirely?

Pam: No, I thought it was something to do with the body they found and wasn't even thinking that it was Hodgins’ body/legs causing the freak things happening. Delighted that he is feeling movement and hope he walks again.

Ashley: I figured it was something else. Actually, I really figured it was something to do with Hodgins' healing process, and thank goodness it was that and not actually a poltergeist!

Christine: I don’t believe in ghosts...

We’re just one episode away from the Bones season finale set to air next week Thursday, July 21st on Fox, and things got very interesting on this past week’s episode aptly titled, “The Jewel in the Crown.” ‘Bones’ Recap Season 11, Episode 21 France was the center of it all on this week’s episode of […]

The post ‘Bones’ Recap Season 11, Episode 21: ‘The Jewel in the Crown’ appeared first on uInterview.

The Jeffersonian and the FBI team up with a French inspector for the case in Bones' "The Jewel in the Crown." But the real focus of the episode is on Hodgins' "ghost" problem -- and the real cause of it -- and Booth's eye problem, which results in him temporarily wearing glasses.  

Here are the best quotes from "The Jewel in the Crown."...

Forget the diamond at the center of Bones‘ latest murder plot. The real gem in Thursday’s episode is Booth in his glasses!

RelatedBones Renewed for 12th and Final Season, Fox Promises Fans a ‘Meaningful, Satisfying’ Ending

The G-man is experiencing some vision troubles — “You’re beginning to look like a squint,” Aubrey notes, much to Booth’s displeasure — but he stubbornly refuses to accept the severity of his condition. It takes misreading a case file as being in French for him to finally see a doctor. Brennan is a fan of the new frames, while her hubby thinks...

It may not be that hard for the team to identify the killer in Bones' "The Jewel in the Crown" -- at least, not if you ask the visiting French Inspector Rousseau.

In this episode, the team investigates a body found at a glass recycling plant with a diamond lodged in its jaw. Rousseau accuses the Marquis De Chaussin, the victim's husband. Meanwhile, Booth suffers from a temporary eye illness and Hodgins thinks he's being followed by a ghost.

Official episodic photos for Bones season 11 episode 21, "The Jewel in the Crown," airing Thursday, July 14.

From Fox: "The team investigates a body found at a glass recycling plant with a diamond lodged in its jaw. French Inspector Rousseau approaches the team with an accusation against the Marquis De Chaussin, who is revealed to be the victim?s husband and lives in Virginia. Meanwhile, Booth discovers he suffers from a temporary eye illness, and Hodgins thinks he?s being followed by a ghost."...

Downton Abbey has come to an end – both across the pond and here at home – but the period piece binge is just beginning.

While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline – a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.)

In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.

Downton Abbey has come to an end - both across the pond and here at home - but the period piece binge is just beginning. While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline - a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.) In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.

Downton Abbey has come to an end - both across the pond and here at home - but the period piece binge is just beginning. While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline - a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.) In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.

Engaging actor known for his many film and TV roles which included parts in The Man Who Would Be King, My Beautiful Laundrette and Coronation Street

It would have been easy to view the actor Saeed Jaffrey, who has died aged 86, as a playboy and bon vivant. Loquacious, irrepressible and mildly raffish, he recounted his peccadilloes in his autobiography, Saaed: An Actor’s Journey (1998), with rueful charm. But a track record that includes more than 180 film and television roles – including in Gandhi, My Beautiful Laundrette, A Passage to India and The Jewel in the Crown – and almost as many on radio, is not the mark of a dilettante. The image of a roué concealed a man who was conservative, courteous and old-fashioned in his values as well as deeply connected to his Shia Muslim roots.

Son of Hamid and Hadia Joffrey, he was born in Malerkotla, Punjab, and spent his childhood moving around north India,...

We were all a bit surprised this week by 20th Century Fox's official announcement of a New Mutants film, coming from The Fault in Our Stars director Josh Boone.

X-Men writer and producer Simon Kinberg revealed that Boone will be teaming with Knate Gwaltney (Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa) to deliver a script.

Unless you are a committed X-Men fan, we imagine your first thought was: 'Who are the New Mutants?'

Not wanting to see you left in the dark, here is our beginner's guide to everything you need to know about the New Mutants:

X-Men Juniors

Simply put, the New Mutants was a training group for young X-Men.

The New Mutants comic was introduced at the height of the '80s X-Men craze, when Marvel's mighty mutants were the biggest property in comics.

Chris Claremont - whose 16+ years on X-Men defined the team forever - teamed up with artist...

One of the most shocking moments of WWE television in the last year was when Seth Rollins turned on his Shield brethren, and by selling them out and buying into the Authority he brought to a screeching halt one of the best factions in the sports entertainment company’s history.

When Rollins attacked Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose with a chair the night after the trio had scored a decisive victory over Evolution at the Payback PPV, the ripple effect it sent through the WWE Universe was felt almost as sharply as when Brock Lesnar ended the Undertaker’s streak at Wrestlemania XXX a couple of months earlier.

Thankfully those of us who were big fans of The Shield can now revisit their year and a half dominance of the WWE Universe by way of the new Destruction of the Shield Blu-ray collection.

The jewel in the crown here is...

New cast members for the upcoming ITV drama Arthur & George have been announced.

Arsher Ali, Art Malik and Emma Fielding will star alongside Martin Clunes on the show.

Clunes is to play Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Ali (Four Lions, Complicit) will play George Edalji, and Malik (The Jewel in the Crown, True Lies) will play Reverend Shapurji Edalji.

Fielding (Silk, Dci Banks) will play Charlotte Edalji while Charles Edwards, Hattie Morahan and Sandra Voe also star.

Julian Barnes's novel Arthur & George, on which the series in based, tells the true story of George Edalji, a wrongly convicted man whose quest for freedom was championed by Conan Doyle.

It also explores the fascinating personal life of the Sherlock Holmes writer.

The three-parter will be written by Silent Witness and Waking the Dead scribe Ed Whitmore.

Among many of the services that "Game Of Thrones" has done (boosting George R. R. Martin's book sales, keeping the fake blood industry alive, etc etc), perhaps the greatest is giving new leases of life to veteran stars. The show's hugely expansive cast features a host of recognizable faces, but given the series' enormous popularity, it's likely that people like Diana Rigg, Stephen Dillane, Iain Glen et al are winning over new generations of fans. One of the biggest beneficiaries has to be Charles Dance, who plays steely patriarch Tywin Lannister on the series. Dance's magnetic presence has been seen in major films like "The Jewel In The Crown," "Alien 3" and "Last Action Hero," but he's been giving one of the finest performances of his career  as Tywin, and it's revitalized his career, with roles in big films like "Dracula Untold," "The Imitation Game" and "Child 44" on the way.

What really confuses people about the awards that will be given out by the Television Critics Assn. on Saturday is the Program of the Year prize. The obvious assumption is that it is an award honoring the best TV show of the year regardless of genre. However, since this award was first handed out in 1985, only seven winners were also feted for their Outstanding Achievement in Drama. And no such comedy champ has also been named Program of the Year. -Break- Join in the fierce debate about the TCA Awards going on right now in our fiery forums The seven Drama winners to also take this top honor were: 1985: "The Jewel in the Crown" 1986: "Death of a Salesman"; shared with "Crisis in Black America” 1996: “Homicide: Life on the Street” 1999: “The Sopranos” 2000: “The West Wing” 2001: “The Sopranos”; shared Drama with "The West Wing" 2008: &..."...

David Davies/Pa Wire/Press Association Images

The Monaco Grand Prix is a race like no other, winding around the high rise apartments, jewellery stores and luxury yachts of the principality of Monte Carlo. Cars flash past metal barriers, barrel up and down twisting hills, and plunge into the darkness of a tunnel at full throttle. The jewel in the crown of the Formula 1 calendar always delivers talking points, drama, and flat-out racing. This year’s race was by no means an exception.

As the dust settled on the street circuit lining the French Riviera it was immediately apparent that an air of tension was hanging over the winning team. Mercedes-Benz driver Nico Rosberg had secured a solid victory over his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, but there were no congratulatory hugs or smiles on the podium. To onlookers, it would be almost unbelievable that the two drivers were once childhood friends and karting team-mates.

Art Malik is renowned for his roles in a succession of films and TV dramas in the '80s centred on the experience of the British Raj.

His evocative portrait of the young Hari Kumar in the ITV production of The Jewel in the Crown led to David Lean casting him in his sweeping epic A Passage to India. Malik was later cast in Mm Kaye's The Far Pavilions.

The Pakistani born British actor has achieved the rare feat of making his presence felt in the realm of international cinema with prominent roles in films such as The Living Daylights, True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sex and the City 2 and City of Joy.

The versatile star appeared on stage in the West End in the Tom Stoppard play Indian Ink with Felicity Kendal and there was a stint in BBC hospital drama Holby City, in which he played Dr Zubin Khan.

Cumbrian arts group to screen 1980s cult film at real-life location of Uncle Monty's house, with all proceeds going to charity

To Withnail and I fans, it will always be Uncle Monty's country bolthole, where alcoholic luvvie Withnail and his uptight best friend Marwood go on holiday "by mistake"; the ramshackle Lake District cottage where a rampant Monty tells Paul McGann's character he must have him, "even if it must be burglary".

But this summer the real-life Crow Crag – Sleddale Hall, near Shap in Cumbria – becomes the ultimate open-air cinema where fans like me get to endlessly parrot lines from perhaps the most quotable of quotable cult films (though The Big Lebowski might give it a run for its money).

This calls for a drink! Maybe two large gins, two pints of cider. Ice in the cider.

And perhaps the best thing about it all – in addition to the...

Coming up on Monday on BBC Radio 2 is the first part or a two part series honoring Indian cinema. Titled “The Jewel in the Crown”, the Bollyfab boys Raj & Pablo reflect on 100 years of Indian films!

Little did Dadasaheb Phalke, the “Father of Indian cinema” know that, at the release of his film Raja Harishchandra on 3rd May 1913, he would unleash an industry that would become world leaders.

It has withstood the test of time, despite the vast cultural differences in the past 100 years. Through music, anecdotes, archives and interviews, our own “Jewels In The Crown”, Bollywood experts Raj & Pablo, transport us to the glamorous world of Indian cinema, to explore why the industry maintains its popularity, producing over a thousand feature films each year.

For instance, did you know that the longest screen kiss lasted over a breath-taking four minutes and was from the movie Mamyab Raste? The Errol Flynn...

Rashid Karapiet, who has died aged 84, was an actor, singer, playwright, broadcaster and teacher. He was not a star but a jobbing professional, one of the unsung heroes of the theatrical profession, a good companion with, as Tom Stoppard described it, a "vivid" personality. Rashid was also a much-loved and loyal friend.

The second of five children of Edward and Marie-Therese Carrapiett, he was born Reginald Carrapiett in India, and went to school at St Columba's, Delhi, and then St Joseph's and the Agricultural College in Allahabad. He travelled to Britain in the 1950s to train at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school, then took a teacher-training course at the Central School of Speech and Drama, London, and adopted Rashid Karapiet as his professional name. An accomplished linguist, he taught for many years in Germany and the Netherlands.

In 1960, Rashid appeared in Santha Rama Rau's dramatisation of A Passage to India...

Bollywood’s oldest Heroine, Zohra Sehgal turned the glorious age of 101 a few days ago! Having been in Indian cinema for 66 years, Zohra has also been a choreographer, starting her career with famous choreographer, Uday Shankar (brother of legendary musician Ravi Shankar) in 1935 before moving on to do films in 1946. Zohra has also been the recipient of many coveted awards including the ‘Padma Shri’ in 1998, ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2002 and most recently, the ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 2010 – India’s 2nd highest civilian honour! Zohra was also names ‘Laadli of the Century’ by the United Nations Population Fund Laadli Media Awards in 2008 and is often referred to as Bollywood’s ‘laadli’ (darling).

Bollywood took to Twitter to express their appreciation and give birthday wishes to the lucky lady, as actress Divya Dutta (who worked with Sehgal in Veer-Zaara), tweeted “Happy birthday the ever graceful Zohra Sehgal. I had the honour of working with her in Veer-Zaara.

Producer and director Michael Apted pays tribute to the former Granada TV chairman who died last week

When I joined Granada in 1963, I was part of a small group straight out of university (which included Mike Newell) chosen by Sir Denis Forman, in his role as head of programmes, to train at the company. It was the place to be – ahead of the field in current affairs, drama, light entertainment and comedy. I doubt any of us has any idea of how lucky we were to be asked to join.

Granada was a small company, with neither the space nor resources for serious training, so ours was on-the-job. I did news, some small documentaries, football matches, church services, World In Action, then on to Coronation Street and eventually into drama, working with some to the best writers of their generation: Jack Rosenthal, Arthur Hopcraft and Colin Welland. In those early years,...

Dedicated chairman of Granada who championed high-quality popular TV

Sir Denis Forman, who has died aged 95, was a driving force in Granada TV, one of the leaders in the first batch of independent regional commercial television companies, from its beginnings in the mid-1950s through to his lengthy spell as chairman (1974-87). Though scarcely ever named as producer, he was directly responsible for many programmes and ran his favourite series as personal fiefdoms. His greatest achievement in this capacity was The Jewel in the Crown (1984), based upon the Raj Quartet novels by Paul Scott.

Forman threw himself headlong into many other enthusiasms, including atheism, battle drill, Mozart and Scottish country dancing. A large man in every sense, he was affable, eloquent and determined. At Granada's Manchester studios in the early days, the shortest path to lunchtime refreshment was barred by a waist-high wall. Forman would lead the way and, despite...

The Bollywonderful guys Raj&Pablo are taking a look back and celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema tonight at 10pm on BBC Radio 2!

Little did Dadasaheb Phalke, the “Father of Indian cinema” know that, at the release of his film Raja Harishchandra on 3rd May 1913, he would unleash an industry that would become world leaders.

It has withstood the test of time, despite the vast cultural differences in the past 100 years. Through music, anecdotes, archives and interviews, our own “Jewels In The Crown”, Bollywood experts Raj & Pablo, transport us to the glamorous world of Indian cinema, to explore why the industry maintains its popularity, producing over a thousand feature films each year.

For instance, did you know that the longest screen kiss lasted over a breath-taking four minutes and was from the movie Mamyab Raste? The Errol Flynn of Indian cinema was a woman – “Fearless Nadia”; and in the 1950s Life...

Horror fans today are spoiled. With the vast array of films available on DVD and Blu-ray via storefronts like Best Buy and Fye, online outlets like Amazon and Deep Discount, and rental/streaming services such as Netflix, there are few films that are unattainable. Virtually anything one might hear of is available some way, somewhere. But it wasn't always so...

Back at a time before disc (or VHS for that matter), the only way - and I mean the Only way - to see classic and not so classic genre pictures was on broadcast television. As a kid, I remember getting the local TV Guide and a yellow highlighter and systematically going through the listings, marking each and every show time of movies I'd heard about either from friends or ones that were obliquely mentioned in Forry Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland . I would meticulously go over each entry...

A new generation of western directors are bringing their outsider perspective to India. But can films such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel avoid the cliches of poverty and spiritualism, chaos and capitalism?

Making films in India is hard not because of the heat, or the bureaucracy, or the traffic. Not even, says Liz Mermin, the director of Bollywood underworld exposé Shot in Bombay, because its superstar subject Sanjay Dutt grew nervous about the project. "The hardest thing for a film-maker is that you fly there, look around, take out your camera – and everything is a cliche. Poverty, chaos, cows, flowers: I was going around desperately looking for a shot I hadn't seen before."

That difficulty – to say nothing of the challenge of depicting India in more than just western terms – led Louis Malle to name the first section of his six-hour Phantom India (1969) "The Impossible Camera". Yet, even though...

House Lannister Promises Game Of Thrones Season 3

Are you ready for Season 3 of Game of Thrones? Yeah, I know. Season 2 hasn’t even hit HBO yet but people are already looking towards the future of Westeros. Charles Dance, who plays Tywin Lannister on the hit series, already has a few Season 3 tidbits to share.

Regardless of what your favorite movie genre is, you’ve probably seen Charles Dance somewhere. From the British TV mini-series The Jewel in the Crown to more modern hits like Underworld:Awakening, Neverland, and Game of Thrones, the actor has covered all the bases. While talking to entertainment journalist Bryan Reesman about his various works, Dance indicated that Game of Thrones Season 3 will start shooting in May or June of 2012.

While he didn’t elaborate on the schedule, recent rumors indicate that Season 3 and Season 4 may shoot back-to-back, which coincides with executive producer/creator David Benoiff telling...

The star of stage and screen opens the door to her private study

Geraldine James, 61, has "rather lived in" her study for the past 25 years. She bought the house in Clapham, south London, for "a snip" when she was pregnant with her daughter Ellie and had just become a household name in BBC mini-series The Jewel in the Crown (she still has sketches of the costumes she wore).

It's her only truly private space; her husband, director Joseph Blatchley, isn't allowed in, although a jacket hand-embroidered with peacocks belonging to his great-great grandmother lives here because it is "the most beautiful thing". Most of James's accolades for film, TV and theatre performances have been banished ("I'm not very showy") and only a Venice Film Festival Best Actress cup won jointly with Dame Peggy Ashcroft for the 1989 drama She's Been Away remains. James recalls Ashcroft sending a telegram saying, "Laurel, rejoicing,...