News

The History® Channel brings history-shaping presidential legacies to life when The Presidential Legacy Collection: Theodore Roosevelt & Fdr arrives on DVD October 17 from Lionsgate. Executive producer and esteemed author Doris Kearns Goodwin brings her astute and thorough knowledge of the lives of two epochal presidents to bear on these acclaimed miniseries, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper. Starring Rufus Jones (TV’s “W1A”) as Theodore Roosevelt in both series, with Christian McKay portraying Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Alice Bounsall (The Lehman Trilogy) as Eleanor Roosevelt in the “Fdr” miniseries, The Presidential Legacy Collection: Theodore Roosevelt & Fdr will be available for the suggested retail prices of $14.98 for DVD.

Official Synopsis

Executive produced by world-renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author Doris Kearns Goodwin along with Leonardo DiCaprio (the Theodore Roosevelt series) and Bradley Cooper (the Franklin Delano Roosevelt series), these acclaimed History® Channel miniseries explore the era-defining, indelible impact of two of America’s most iconic presidents.

Julia Davis will be joining the cast of Legendary's The Toxic Avenger reboot. Davis is one of the most acclaimed voices in UK comedy, as a two-time BAFTA winner and eight-time nominee. She is known for creating and starring in the BAFTA-winning comedy series, Sally4Ever for Sky Atlantic and HBO. Davis also won a BAFTA for writing Hunderby, which she also starred in. Besides that, she also created and starred in several series, including: Camping, Human Remains, and Night Night. Currently, Davis is being repped by Clair Maroussas at Independent Talent.

For those who don't know, The Toxic Avenger was a low-budget action-comedy that followed a 98 pound weakling named Melvin, who, after a cruel prank, ends up jumping into a cauldron of toxic waste and becomes the title character, a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength with a drive to destroy evil. Originally conceived as a horror...

Exclusive: Julia Davis and Elijah Wood have joined Peter Dinklage and Jacob Tremblay in Legendary’s new Toxic Avenger movie. Taylour Paige and Kevin Bacon are also on board for director Macon Blair.

A contemporary reimagining of Troma Entertainment’s successful 1984 low-budget action comedy hit, The Toxic Avenger is steeped in environmental themes and subverts the superhero genre in the vein of Deadpool. When a struggling everyman is pushed into a vat of toxic waste, he is transformed into a mutant freak who must go from shunned outcast to underdog hero as he races to save his son, his friends and his community from the forces of corruption and greed. Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will serve as producers.

The Toxic Avenger became successful after a long run as a midnight movie in New York City, leading to sequels The Toxic Avenger Part II, The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie...

Louisa Mellor Feb 28, 2017

Inside No. 9 series 3 pays homage to Sleuth in a delightfully nasty, slippery story themed around cryptic crosswords…

This review contains spoilers.

See related Prime Suspect prequel on its way Celebrating Jimmy McGovern's Cracker Endeavour series 4 episode 4 review: Harvest Inspector Morse 30th anniversary: the top 10 episodes

3.3 The Riddle Of The Sphinx

With its single location, limited cast and playful, macabre twists, the 1972 film Sleuth starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine is a godfather of sorts to Inside No. 9. This week’s especially slippery episode pays homage to Anthony Shaffer’s warped story of revenge between two rivals in love.

It’s the most complicated tale Inside No. 9 has ever spun. As co-creator Steve Pemberton told us at the series three press launch, “If you missed two sentences in a row, you’d be like ‘what?’ Even I was thinking how are people following this?...

facebook

twitter

google+

Sad, strange and very funny comedy drama Flowers, feat. Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt, starts tonight on Channel 4…

Julian Barratt has news for you: “We’re all going to die.”

“Spoiler!” says Will Sharpe.

“We’re all in a bit of a horrifying situation” continues Barratt. “The reality of our predicament on the planet is…” he laughs, “quite bleak.”

We’re discussing death and new six-part comedy drama Flowers, written and directed by Sharpe, starring Barratt and Olivia Colman as Maurice and Deborah, heads of the dysfunctional Flowers family. The subject becomes relevant once you see the opening seconds of episode one.

“I used to really like and still do, The Odd Couple, the film with Jack Lemmon and Walther Matthau” says Barratt. “It starts with him wandering about trying to kill himself and he puts his back out. I always find that funny, sort of...

David Schwimmer is coming back to Friends' original UK home of Channel 4, as the actor has joined new sitcom Morning Has Broken.

The six-episode British comedy - airing in 2016 - centres around a failing breakfast TV show and comes from Julia Davis, who was behind BBC Three's Nighty Night and Hunderby on Sky Atlantic.

Vote for your favourite Friend as the sitcom hits 21

Schwimmer will play an American TV producer hired to rescue the breakfast show, which stars Davis herself as 'Queen of Daytime' Gail Sinclair.

Davis created Morning Has Broken alongside Nick Mohammed, who will portray one of Gail's co-presenters.

Rachel Springett, Channel 4's commissioning editor for comedy, said: "Julia is undoubtedly one of our most talented comedic writers and actresses and it's a testament to the quality of her writing that she can attract such a big star."

As Friends turns 21, a definitive ranking: Which season is the best?...

This Is England '90 is to premiere its first episode at The Guardian's Edinburgh International Television Festival in August.

The final TV offshoot of This Is England will be presented at a screening by writer Shane Meadows.

Channel 4 has not yet confirmed when it will subsequently air the miniseries.

It was also announced today (June 22) that comedian Frankie Boyle will be hosting the Edinburgh TV Awards as part of the festival.

Festival Director Lisa Campbell said: "Last year Frankie Boyle became one of the TV Festival's favourite speakers. We're delighted he'll be returning - he's thoroughly entertaining, often controversial - he'll undoubtedly add a spark to our 14th TV Awards."

Also attending will be writer Julia Davis, who will present the first episode of a two-part special of Hunderby.

She has a British Comedy Award and BAFTA Award under her belt for the dark comedy, which returns to Sky Atlantic later this year.

Julia Davis's Hunderby is to return to Sky Atlantic.

The British Comedy Award winner first aired as an eight-part series in 2012 and will now receive a further two-hour special episode.

The period drama/dark comedy - written by and starring Davis - will continue where it left off three years ago, with the isolated rural parish of Hunderby still trying to recover from the dramatic events of the series finale.

Helene (Alexandra Roach) is hoping to begin a new chapter of her life with her new baby and the handsome Dr Foggerty (Rufus Jones). However she finds herself the target of unpleasant intervention from housekeeper Dorothy (Davis) and Foggerty's jealous sister/wife Crippled Hester (Rosie Cavaliero).

Dorothy, meanwhile, has her sights set on the Master of Hunderby, Pastor Edmund (Alex MacQueen), who has been led astray by the sexually questionable Brother Joseph (Alexander Armstrong).

The town will also see...

Androids, magic, parallel worlds, ghostly crime, and the apocalypse. Here’s a raft of new forthcoming UK sci-fi and fantasy TV…

The superhero genre may be taking up residence in cinemas for the foreseeable, and Game Of Thrones and The Walking Dead are leading Us TV's genre output, but what can fans of UK sci-fi and fantasy look forward to seeing on television over the next year?

There’s Doctor Who of course, which appears to be in rude health and going nowhere, a Christmas Special from Black Mirror, and a hint of new Red Dwarf on its way. (And of course, if there’s anything like justice in the world, the terrific In The Flesh will be recommissioned for a third series.)

If though, you’re thirsting for something new, 2015 is promising to deliver a handful of geek TV gems. We’ve scoured the new UK commission announcements for anything spooky,...

Julia Davis returns to Channel 4 in 2015 with a new comedy series spoofing breakfast television.

Davis will star as daytime TV icon Gail Sinclair, who suddenly finds her career and TV ratings on the slide.

The press release reveals: "After eight glorious years of high ratings and winning awards, things begin to go wrong for Sinclair when the programme begins to lose viewers and tensions break out within the production team."

The six-episode series is written by Davis and has been commissioned by Channel 4's head of comedy Phil Clarke.

Davis is famous for her work on BBC Three's Nighty Night, Sky Atlantic's award-winning Hunderby and Gavin & Stacey.

The series will be directed by How Not to Live Your Life's Dan Clark.

Julia Davis has recorded a pilot for new Channel 4 comedy Morning Has Broken.

The star of the British Comedy Award-winning Hunderby and Nighty Night writes and stars in the show.

According to Radio Times, the dark comedy veteran plays a breakfast show host alongside co-writer Nick Mohammed.

The Morning Has Broken pilot is not expected to be broadcast.

Davis has also appeared in Gavin and Stacey, Big Train and contributed to Chris Morris's radio series Blue Jam and its TV spinoff Jam.

Watch the trailer for Hunderby below:...

Produced as a feature – 4 TV half-hours – and as a 13 episode web series, Sos: Save Our Skins is the tale of two hapless British geeks who wake up in New York City to discover that the entire human race has vanished. But as they explore the seemingly empty world before them, Ben (Nat Saunders) and Stephen (Chris Hayward) soon realize they’re not alone after all. This new comedy sci-fi adventure launched on FEARnet in the U.S. in April on its new “Twisted Comedy” block and on Blue Ant Media’s Bite TV in Canada. This U.K.-Canada coproduction was produced by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal’s Baby Cow Productions in the U.K. and by Duopoly in Canada.

“We discovered Sos: Save Our Skins in a pitch session at the Just For Laughs Conference and were determined to find a way to finance it,” said Catherine Tait , Executive Producer. “Co-productions are challenging but in the case of Sos, the talent and final results were entirely worth the effort!”

Sos: Save Our Skins was created, written by and stars two of Britain’s in-demand comedy writing teams, Nat Saunders and Chris Hayward. Together they have contributed to hit U.K. shows such as Big Train (BBC), Smack the Pony (Channel 4), Trollied (Sky) and Fit (Cbbc), and created the popular web series Misey Bear(BBC). Sos also stars Hannah Spear (Versus Valerie, Sexy Nerd Girl) as Kill the cannibal and Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy) as the voice of Andrew the Alien.

A sci-fi, comedy and horror homage, Sos: Save Our Skins sends Ben and Stephen on a desperate journey to find their loved ones, escape the jaws of death and work out why they’re two of the few remaining people on Earth. But the answer to the mystery is bigger, crazier and more apocalyptic than they could ever have imagined, and it puts the fate of the planet into their very stupid hands.

“Sos: Save Our Skins is part road movie, part sci-fi fantasy, part buddy movie, and even has a twisted love story at its heart, even if one of the lovers is a mass-murderer,” said Director and Producer, Kent Sobey.

The film version of Sos: Save Our Skins premiered at the 39th Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival in February, where Sorespot Movies observed, “[it] does not hold back with the comedy or the wildness of the plot”. The film also screened at the International Horror and Sci-fi Film Festival in Phoenix and the Sci-Fi London Film Festival (April 24 – May 4, 2014). It will screen at the St. Tropez International Film Festival (May 12 – 16, 2014).

The film was produced in association with the Independent Production Fund and with the participation of BBC Worldwide in the UK, FEARnet in the U.S. and Blue Ant Media in Canada.

About Fearnet

As America’s leading television and digital programming service devoted to genre entertainment, Fearnet delivers a diverse array of original and acquired horror, thriller and suspense content as a cable TV movie network, a video-on-demand outlet and award-winning web portal. The year-round horror network features box-office hits and popular movies from major film studios, independents, and foreign producers, as the channel programs over 350-plus titles a year; many of which are world television and broadcast premieres. The Channel has been the number-one free VOD movie service for six straight months – Sept. 13 to Feb. ’14- (available in more than 28 million homes) and the website, Fearnet.com, currently ranks as the top site in the genre category for its original content, TV reviews, web shorts and exclusives. Fearnet is a partnership between Sony Pictures Television, Lionsgate Entertainment and Comcast Corporation and is widely distributed to U.S. cable subscribers across various systems. For more information about the company, visit www.Fearnet.com and stay connected on Facebook and Twitter (@Fearnet).

About Baby Cow Productions

Established in 1999 by award winning comedy creators Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, Baby Cow Productions Ltd has gained an enviable reputation for nurturing new British comedy talent, whilst teaming up with the best of the U.K.’s established writers, directors and producers. Baby Cow’s productions include award winning Gavin and Stacey, The Mighty Boosh, Nighty Night, Mid Morning Matters, Hunderby, Moone Boy, Hebburn and the Alan Partridge specials resulting in an array of nominations and awards including Bafta, Rts, Rose d’Or, Southbank Awards and International Emmys.

Baby Cow’s most recent television shows and films include Uncle for BBC 3, The Trip to Italy, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and Philomena which received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture and won a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.

About Duopoly

Duopoly is an independent content company which develops, produces and acts as a sales agent to a range of feature film properties, television series and digital series. Recent feature titles repped by Duopoly include Velcrow Ripper’s Occupy Love and Andrew Bush’s Roller Town. Duopoly operates its own channel on Hulu and has distributed over 300 episodes of content to this platform including successful comedy series Odd Job Jack and Puppets Who Kill.

The first footage from David Walliams and Catherine Tate's new BBC One sitcom Big School has been released by the broadcaster.

Big School is co-written by Walliams and centres around a dysfunctional staff room and the unrequited love of Walliams's chemistry teacher Mr Church and Tate's French teacher Miss Postem.

Mr Church is just about to quit the school, but stops himself from handing in his notice after falling in love at first sight with Miss Postem.

The show's ensemble cast includes Life on Mars star Philip Glenister as lothario gym teacher Mr Gunn, Frances de la Tour as no-nonsense headmistress Ms Baron and The Thick of It actress Joanna Scanlan as drama teacher Mrs Klebb.

Daniel Rigby (Eric and Ernie) and Steve Speirs (Cemetery Junction) will also star.

BBC Comedy's Mark Freeland said that it had been an "absolute privilege" working with Walliams and the cast.

Big School...

News Louisa Mellor 25 Jul 2013 - 10:30

From the cast and writers of Horrible Histories comes Yonderland, a new fantasy comedy coming to Sky One later this year...

We don't mind telling you that Yonderland is hovering near the top of the new UK shows we're most looking forward to this year. Puppets, fantasy, and the cast and writing team behind Horrible Histories? You Sir or Madam, are spoiling us.

Judging by their recent sterling UK comedy output (Psychobitches, Alan Partridge, A Touch Of Cloth, Hunderby...), it's no surprise that Sky is home to Yonderland. Comedy commissioner Lucy Lumsden has cash, taste, and a strong eye for original UK talent, three things that make her content top notch. 

Yonderland is written by and stars Horrible Histories' Mathew Baynton, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Simon Farnaby, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond. It's the story of Debbie Maddox, a mum of twins who...

Digital Spy presents a list of the winners at this year's Arqiva BAFTA Television Awards, which took place tonight (May 12) at London's Royal Festival Hall:

> BAFTA Television Awards 2013 - red carpet pictures

Leading Actor

Ben Whishaw - Richard II (The Hollow Crown) - Winner

Derek Jacobi - Last Tango in Halifax

Sean Bean - Accused ('Tracie's Story')

Toby Jones - The Girl

Leading Actress

Anne Reid - Last Tango in Halifax

Rebecca Hall - Parade's End

Sheridan Smith - Mrs Biggs - Winner

Sienna Miller - The Girl

Supporting Actor

Peter Capaldi - The Hour

Stephen Graham - Accused ('Tracie's Story')

Harry Lloyd - The Fear

Simon Russell Beale - Henry IV, Part 2 (The Hollow Crown) - Winner

Supporting Actress

Anastasia Hille - The Fear

Imelda Staunton - The Girl

Olivia Colman - Accused ('Mo's Story') - Winner

Sarah Lancashire - Last Tango in Halifax

Entertainment Performance

Alan Carr...

With '2012', 'Accused', 'The Girl' and 'Last Tango In Halifax' all up for four awards tonight, and no 'Sherlock', 'Doctor Who' or even 'Downton Abbey' to steal the limelight, it's all to play for at this year's BAFTA TV Awards ceremony. Here are all the winners, as they happen.

Full nominees list here, Winners In Bold...

Leading Actor

Sean Bean - Accused (Tracie's Story)

Derek Jacobi - Last Tango in Halifax

Toby Jones - The Girl

Ben Whishaw - Richard II (The Hollow Crown)

Leading Actress

Rebecca Hall - Parade's End

Sienna Miller - The Girl

Anne Reid - Last Tango in Halifax

Sheridan Smith - Mrs Biggs

Supporting Actor

Peter Capaldi - The Hour

Stephen Graham - Accused (Tracie's Story)

Harry Lloyd - The Fear

Simon Russell Beale - Henry IV Part 2 (The Hollow Crown)

Supporting Actress

Olivia Colman - Accused (Mo's Story)

Anastasia Hille...

It's that time of year when TV stars dig out their best suits and practice their best 'loser's smile face' - the TV BAFTAs are back.

Graham Norton is our host for the evening, and stars from Last Tango In Halifax, Game of Thrones, Homeland and The Thick of It are among the talent competing for the main gongs.

Join us live from 8pm on Digital Spy when we'll be live blogging the TV BAFTAs.

22:03Well, that's just about it! Aside from quite an underwhelming performance from Graham Norton and a dodgy Tetris-esque stage, that was a throughly enjoyable evening if I may say so. Thanks for joining Digital Spy, and don't forget to write below who you think deserved to win and who was robbed. Goodnight, all!

22:02And so to the annual tack-on bit at the end where some of the more boring credible people and programmes...

The TV BAFTAs are back this Sunday (May 12) and we're jolly excited. The BAFTAs are the closest that Britain has to its own Emmys, allowing our TV talent to put on their best suits and glad rags and slap each other on the back for a couple of hours.

Graham Norton blends a sharp wit with professionalism as the host, the nominations shortlist pulls off the tricky balance of populist choices with critics' favourites and, most importantly of all, Ant & Dec don't win every single year.

The TV BAFTAs may not always get it right (Towie? Really!), but they take TV seriously and even if they are occasionally a bit stuffy or they get it wrong with a winner, it still gives us a chance to all have a right good row ("So and so was robbed!" "How did that win?!") while sat on our sofas at home.

Who should...

Hat Trick co-founder Jimmy Mulville has defended the low ratings for Sky's comedy programming, insisting that creative freedom is more important for producers and writers than viewer numbers.

Hat Trick and Mulville have worked with Sky on the BAFTA-winning Spy and the upcoming revival of The Kumars At No.42.

Speaking to Broadcast about why he enjoys working with Sky, he said: "I talk to writers. What they want is to be treated well, with quick decisions and sensitive development. Sky offers you that and has smart people developing with you.

"The truth is, I don't care whether 500,000 or 5 million people watch our show, as long as people are enjoying it intensely. I'm in the business of 'I love that show', not 'that was quite good'."

Sky has invested heavily in homegrown comedy over the past two years with shows such as Moone Boy, Hunderby, Stella, Trollied and the return of Alan Partridge.

This year's BAFTA TV Craft Awards have been dominated by coverage of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Three prizes were handed out to the technical teams behind coverage of last summer's Games - including an award for coverage of the London 2012 opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.

> BAFTA TV Craft Awards 2013: The winners and nominees in full

The BBC's coverage of the Olympics opening ceremony was recognised with the 'Director: Multi Camera' trophy, while coverage of 'Super Saturday' - the night on which Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Greg Rutherford scooped track and field gold for Team Gb - was honoured in the 'Sound: Factual' field.

Channel 4's coverage of the Paralympic Games won the award for 'Digital Creativity'.

Call the Midwife won the 'Director: Fiction' and 'Make Up & Hair Design' awards, while The Hollow Crown took home accolades for 'Original Music' and 'Sound: Fiction'.

Digital Spy presents a list of winners and nominees at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards 2013, hosted by Stephen Mangan from The Brewery in London on Sunday, April 28, 2013:

Breakthrough Talent

Mike Bartlett - The Town

Julie Gearey - Prisoners' Wives

Rhys Thomas - Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender (Director's Cut)

Tim Whitnall - Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story - Winner

Costume Design

Amy Roberts - Mrs Biggs

Sheena Napier - Parade's End - Winner

Odile Dicks-Mireaux - Richard II (The Hollow Crown)

Lorna Marie Mugan - Ripper Street

Digital Creativity

Steve Boulton, James Rutherford - Channel 4 Paralympics - Winner

Production Team - Embarrassing Bodies: Live from the Clinic

Production Team - Foxes Live: Wild in the City

Production Team - The Great British Property Scandal

Director (Factual)

Katharine English - Our War

Ben Chanan - The Plot to Bring Down Britain's Planes - Winner

John Dower...

Three other programmes nominated four times: Accused and Last Tango in Halifax, and BBC2 Alfred Hitchcock film, The Girl

It was only to be expected that the BBC's acclaimed coverage of the London Olympics would be recognised at the Bafta television awards.

But with three nominations, including Danny Boyle's spectacular opening ceremony, the Olympics has still ended up with one fewer than the BBC2 sitcom that spoofed the preparations for the Games, Twenty Twelve.

The comedy about the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission and their hapless efforts to stage the 2012 Games is in the running for best sitcom in the nominations announced on Tuesday, with three of its stars, Olivia Colman, Jessica Hynes and Hugh Bonneville also nominated.

Three other programmes have been nominated four times: the two BBC1 drama series Accused and Last Tango in Halifax, and BBC2's film about Alfred Hitchcock, The Girl.

Written and directed by John Morton,...

The nominations have been announced for the 2013 BAFTA Television Awards. "The Girl," the TV movie about Alfred Hitchcock's relationship with actress Tippi Hedren, leads all with eight nominations, followed by Benedict Cumberbatch's "Parade's End" with seven.

Popular U.K. drama "Downton Abbey" has received zero nominations this time around. It previously received nominations as Best Drama Series and Supporting acting nominations for Brendan Coyle and Maggie Smith. U.S. series "Game of Thrones" and "Homeland" each scored a pair of nominations.

The TV BAFTAs will be awarded May 12 in London. The complete list of nominees is below:

Leading Actor

Ben Whishaw - Richard II (The Hollow Crown)

Derek Jacobi - Last Tango in Halifax

Sean Bean - Accused (Tracie's Story)

Toby Jones- The Girl

Leading Actress

Anne Reid - Last Tango in Halifax

Rebecca Hall - Parade's End

Sheridan Smith - Mrs Biggs

Sienna Miller - The Girl...

Digital Spy presents a list of the nominees at this year's Arqiva BAFTA Television Awards, which will take place on Sunday, May 12:

> BAFTA TV Craft Awards 2013: The nominations in full

Leading Actor

Ben Whishaw - Richard II (The Hollow Crown)

Derek Jacobi - Last Tango in Halifax

Sean Bean - Accused ('Tracie's Story')

Toby Jones - The Girl

Leading Actress

Anne Reid - Last Tango in Halifax

Rebecca Hall - Parade's End

Sheridan Smith - Mrs Biggs

Sienna Miller - The Girl

Supporting Actor

Peter Capaldi - The Hour

Stephen Graham - Accused ('Tracie's Story')

Harry Lloyd - The Fear

Simon Russell Beale - Henry IV, Part 2 (The Hollow Crown)

Supporting Actress

Anastasia Hille - The Fear

Imelda Staunton - The Girl

Olivia Colman - Accused ('Mo's Story')

Sarah Lancashire - Last Tango in Halifax

Entertainment Performance

Alan Carr - Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Ant and Dec - I'm a Celebrity…...

Digital Spy presents a list of nominees for the BAFTA TV Craft Awards 2013, to be hosted by Stephen Mangan from The Brewery in London on Sunday, April 28, 2012:

Breakthrough Talent

Mike Bartlett - The Town

Julie Gearey - Prisoners' Wives

Rhys Thomas - Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender (Director's Cut)

Tim Whitnall - Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story

Costume Design

Amy Roberts - Mrs Biggs

Sheena Napier - Parade's End

Odile Dicks-Mireaux - Richard II (The Hollow Crown)

Lorna Marie Mugan - Ripper Street

Digital Creativity

Steve Boulton, James Rutherford - Channel 4 Paralympics

Production Team - Embarrassing Bodies: Live from the Clinic

Production Team - Foxes Live: Wild in the City

Production Team - The Great British Property Scandal

Director (Factual)

Katharine English - Our War

Ben Chanan - The Plot to Bring Down Britain's Planes

John Dower - Bradley Wiggins: A Year in Yellow

Ben Anthony...

Parade's End has received the most nominations for this year's British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Television Craft Awards.

BBC Two's five-part drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall leads the way with five nominations, including the writing and make-up categories.

The channel's one-off Hitchcock drama The Girl starring Toby Jones and Sienna Miller follows with four nominations, along with BBC One's Ripper Street and BBC Two's The Hour.

Doctor Who and Call the Midwife receive two nominations each, as do documentaries 7/7 One Day in London and Amish: A Secret Life.

Also receiving two nominations are BBC Two's Richard II (The Hollow Crown), political comedy The Thick of It, Top Gear and Channel 4's The Fear.

The BBC's coverage of the London 2012 Olympics receives several nominations, including three out of the four nods in the 'Director: Multi-Camera' category.

Channel 4's Paralympics is also nominated in the 'Digital Creativity' category,...

At the weekend in New Orleans, an interviewer asked Mo Farah if he had run before. From forgetting the name of Lady Gaga's album to not recognising comedian Julia Davis, Simon Hattenstone recalls his own interview gaffes

It's been a brilliant few days for appalling celebrity interviews. At a post-Oscars press junket, Jennifer Lawrence, winner of this year's Academy award for best actress, was asked: "You look so great today, great dress, what was the process of getting ready?" Lawrence made the best of a bad question. "What was the process? I don't know. I woke up, tried on the dress – it fit, thank God. Took a shower …" She giggled and apologised for her insubstantial answer by explaining that she had just done a shot.

But the art of the incompetent interview reached new heights when Wdsu news anchor Latonya Norton quizzed double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah just...

Review Louisa Mellor Jan 15, 2013

From the makers of Hunted and Spooks comes stylish conspiracy thriller Utopia…

This review contains spoilers. Our spoiler-free version is here.

What a welcome distraction from the January mire is Utopia. A nasty conspiracy thriller with a glint of humour and a stomach for violence, it’s just the tonic for swilling out the aftertaste of Christmas Specials and TV talent contests.

Episode one performs the required set-up neatly, taking all of Utopia’s pieces out of the box and placing them on the board in preparation for the five weeks to come.

If - and this isn't a given in the bizarre, paranoid world of Utopia - everyone is as they first appear, then the characters are familiar types: a pair of stylised hitmen, a crackpot conspiracy theorist web hacker, a Shane Meadows-y estate kid… It's not the characters, but the combination of stylised direction,...

Odd List Louisa Mellor Dec 20, 2012

We’ve put a spotlight on some of the UK Christmas telly specials you won’t want to miss this festive season…

You know that pub conversation we’ve all had, the one about what you’d show an alien race on the brink of wiping out planet Earth to convince them we are essentially a well-meaning, productive, and often beautiful species that deserves to live? No contest: a Christmas issue of the Radio Times.

In 1969, an astronaut walked on the moon and someone thought up the Christmas Radio Times, both of them landmarks of brilliant stuff achieved by humans. They must have been thinner then - not astronauts, copies of the Radio Times - back when there were fewer TV channels than there are now Shrek films.

Between the covers of that hefty double edition sits the industry and imagination of generations. It...

There was plenty to howl about at last night's comedy awards. But while Olivia Colman and Cuckoo missed out, there were well-deserved gongs for The Thick of It, Hunderby and Reeves and Mortimer

There is no justice. That is what a lot of nominated comedians who missed out on a British comedy award last night will be thinking today, despite painting on obligatory smiles at the unusually well-behaved ceremony in London. But actually there is some justice after all. The nearest the painfully unfunny Keith Lemon/Leigh Francis got to taking home an award was when he leapt onstage and attempted to snatch somebody else's mantelpiece-bound slab from the rostrum.

Olivia Colman fans might have good reason to feel that justice took the night off. The 57 judges, drawn from journalism, TV production and performers, shortlisted Colman against herself for best comedy actress in Rev and Twenty Twelve, only for her to go home empty-handed.

Peter Capaldi and Rebecca Front both honoured, while Sacha Baron Cohen given outstanding achievement award

They played arch-rivals in political satire The Thick of It, but Rebecca Front and Peter Capaldi shared the glory at the British comedy awards.

Capaldi was named best TV comedy actor for his role as foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker, while Front won the best TV comedy actress award for her portrayal of hapless politician Nicola Murray.

Her success meant there was no win for Olivia Colman, who was nominated in the category for two different roles - in Olympic satire Twenty Twelve and the sitcom Rev.

Capaldi saw off competition from Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville, who got a nod for his Twenty Twelve role, along with Tom Hollander for Rev and Steve Coogan.

Ali G and Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen won a special award for outstanding achievement, more than a decade after he was named best newcomer.

The British Comedy Awards celebrated The Dictator star Sacha Baron Cohen, Sky Atlantic comedy Hunderby and veteran comic duo Vic & Bob at tonight's ceremony in London. Jonathan Ross hosted the show, which aired live on Channel 4 this evening (December 12). Movie star Cohen, who started his TV career on Channel 4 with his Ali G character, was awarded the 'Outstanding Achievement' gong at the star studded event, while Jack Whitehall was voted by the public as the 'King of Comedy'. The biggest winner of the night was Julia Davis's dark Sky Atlantic series Hunderby, which took home the 'Best Sitcom' and 'Best New Comedy' titles. Charlie Brooker was named 'Best Comedy Entertainment (more)...

Fresh Meat's Kimberley Nixon and ex-Busted musician Matt Willis have won roles in ITV's latest Marple film. Greenshaw's Folly will also star Martin Compston (Line of Duty), Fiona Shaw (True Blood), Sam Reid (Spooks) opposite Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple. Completing the cast lineup are Robert Glenister (Hustle), Julia Sawalha (Absolutely Fabulous), Rufus Jones (Hunderby), Judy Parfitt (Call the Midwife), John Gordon Sinclair (Gregory's Girl) and Jim Moir - also known as Vic (more)...

From Homeland to Hunderby there's sex all over the TV. The only trouble is you have to watch through your fingers

Still watching sexy sex? You know, the stuff that really turns you on? Ugh. That's so 2011. Awkward sex is the new sex and 2012 has been full of it. Kicking off with the home release of American Pie: Reunion and True Blood's, well, different family reunion this week, it's best to watch these scenes while avoiding eye contact with anyone you hope to talk to, ever.

Hunderby

We're only 18 minutes into the first episode of Hunderby before we see Alex MacQueen's newly married pastor Edmund comparing his bride Helene's pubic hair and breasts to his dead wife Arabelle's, and proceeding to set a time limit for their wedding-night intercourse. The sex is completed ahead of time, despite Helene (Alexandra Roache) pointing out he's "not, er, in". Edmund finishes...

Described as a period-comedy series, set in the 1800s, Hunderby recently premiered on U.K. network Sky Atlantic.  And until it becomes available to us here in the U.S, via DVD or otherwise, I'm going to to have to rely on our readers across the pond to tell me what's up with actor Daniel Lawrence Taylor's character, Geoff. To get a better understanding of why I am particularly interested with the character called Geoff, first read the show's synopsis:   "Hunderby, set in the 1800s, features Helene (Alexandra Roach, The Iron Lady), a shipwreck survivor washed ashore near a small English village. There, she is swept off her feet by widowed pastor...