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Exclusive: David Haig (Four Weddings and a Funeral) has joined the cast of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s upcoming ballet dramedy Étoile as a series regular, Deadline has learned.

Haig was cast ahead of production on Season 1, which began in January, but not previously announced. Details on his role are being kept under wraps.

Set in New York City and Paris, the eight-episode first season of Étoile follows the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies, as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars.

Étoile is created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, who writes, directs, and serves as executive producer.

Haig joins a cast that includes the Emmy-winning Marvelous Mrs. Maisel alum Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gideon Glick, Simon Callow, Lou de Laâge and David Alvarez.

From Amazon MGM Studios, Étoile, which has a two-season order,...

Alisha Elenz and Kaleena Bliss were eliminated from “Top Chef” last week in “The Wright Way,” leaving 10 cheftestants on the main show (and two in “Last Chance Kitchen“) competing for a chance to win a feature in Food and Wine magazine; an appearance at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado; and $250,000 in prize money: Manny Barella, Kevin D’Andrea, Danny Garcia, Dan Jacobs, Savannah Miller, Laura Ozyilmaz, Charly Pierre, Amanda Turner, Rasika Venkatesa and Michelle Wallace.

So what happened to the chefs in season 21, episode five, “Supper Club”?

The morning after getting some tough love from host Kristen Kish and guest judge Buddha Lo about their not-so-great dishes in the Frank Lloyd Wright challenge, Laura reminisces about her closeness with her sister. It sounds like their parents had the girls fend for themselves when they were just teenagers. “I had to worry about paying the bills, to buy groceries,...

“Top Chef” season 21, episode 4, “The Wright Way,” tasked the chefs with cooking meals inspired by the duality of Frank Lloyd Wright‘s architectural creations. Some were more successful than others, so guest judge Buddha Lo joined “Top Chef” host Kristen Kish for the latest episode of “The Dish with Kish” to show her what he would have made if he were in the contestants’ shoes. Watch the after show above.

Of course, Lo has been in the contestants’ shoes before. He won season 19 of the cooking competition. Then he was brought back for season 20 to face “Top Chef” champions and finalists from around the world, and he won that too. Known for his impeccable technical skill, he decided to make a dessert dish inspired by the round shapes of the Guggenheim Museum, which Wright designed. His “Neapolitan Guggenheim” was a chocolate filled tart with vanilla ice cream, strawberry sorbet and gold dusted tuiles,...

Another episode of “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen,” another opportunity for Tom Colicchio to explain to eliminated contestants who the hell the new guy is: Soo Ahn, this season’s secret 16th cheftestant. This was a triple threat match, though, since this week’s “Top Chef” episode, “The Wright Way,” ended in the double elimination of Kaleena Bliss and Alisha Elenz. This would be a single elimination match, though, with just one chef of the three being sent home at the end. So what happened in “Plates Aplenty”? Watch the episode above, or read on to find out.

Alisha and Kaleena were eliminated as a team in a challenge inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, so “Lck” brought a little more architecture to the kitchen for this redemptive cookoff. The chefs were presented with a variety of dishes and vessels with which they would plate their meals. They would choose...

Kenny Nguyen was ousted from “Top Chef” last week in “Take it Cheesy,” leaving 12 cheftestants on the main show (and one in “Last Chance Kitchen“) competing for a chance to win a feature in Food and Wine magazine; an appearance at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado; and $250,000 in prize money: Manny Barella, Kaleena Bliss, Kevin D’Andrea, Alisha Elenz, Danny Garcia, Dan Jacobs, Savannah Miller, Laura Ozyilmaz, Charly Pierre, Amanda Turner, Rasika Venkatesa and Michelle Wallace.

So what happened to the chefs in season 21, episode 4, “The Wright Way”?

Well, we’re coming in hot right from the beginning of the episode, with host Kristen Kish announcing that there will be no Quickfire Challenge this week “because we’re building to something big.”

See‘Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen’ recap: Smelly Limburger cheese is the star of the show in ‘The Big Stink’ [Watch] Elimination Challenge

“Tonight you’ll have...

There are 12 chefs left in the main competition on “Top Chef” (and Soo Ahn still waiting to pounce in “Last Chance Kitchen”), and tonight in “The Wright Way” those chefs will split up into six teams of two to create dishes that will celebrate famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. So who will exit the competition in what last week’s preview of tonight’s episode indicated will be a double elimination?

Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

As of this writing the consensus of Gold Derby users is that Charly Pierre will be eliminated. He hasn’t really distinguished himself in the competition thus far, flying somewhat under the radar through the first few episodes. He has mostly been safe through challenges, but he also cooked bottom dishes on two occasions. In “Living the High Life,” he was in the bottom three for the Elimination Challenge...

Get ready for another mouthwatering episode of “Top Chef” as the aspiring chefs battle it out for culinary supremacy in Season 21, Episode 4: “The Wright Way.” Tune in Wednesday at 9:00 Pm on Bravo to witness the intense competition unfold.

In this thrilling installment, the contestants will face a series of challenges designed to test their skills, creativity, and ability to handle the pressure of the kitchen. With each dish they prepare, they’ll strive to impress the judges and prove that they have what it takes to become a top chef.

From innovative flavor combinations to exquisite plating techniques, the chefs will pull out all the stops to showcase their culinary prowess and earn their shot at stardom. With high stakes and fierce competition, “The Wright Way” promises to be an episode filled with excitement, drama, and, of course, delicious food. Don’t miss a minute of the action on “Top Chef,...

A group of former soap stars are aiming to launch a new TV comedy show with the help of Kickstarter.

Ex-Hollyoaks actress Terri Dwyer, former Crossroads star Jane Gurnett and EastEnders actor Mark Homer will appear in the upcoming series Storyline.

Creator Neil Anthony Docking and director Maxine Evans are offering parts in the show among other prizes if people pledge certain amounts on the crowdfunding site.

The project aims to raise £10,000 to produce three episodes to be shown online, in the hope of it then getting picked up by a TV channel.

Storyline will be set behind the scenes of a long-running radio drama about a group of people in a trendy block of flats in London.

Also among the cast are Cemetery Junction actor Steve Speirs, Holby City's Tilly Blackwood, former Coronation Street actor Ray Emmet Brown, The Wright Way's Joanne Matthews and Les Miserables singer Cameron Blakely.

Digital Spy has been in a charitable mood this festive season and has already selected its top TV shows of the year, but now we're in that post-Christmas lull, it's time to put the foul mood brought on by our hangover to good use and give some of 2013's worst telly a tongue-lashing...

Here's our picks for the top 10 TV Turkeys of 2013

Warning: This list contains scenes of a sexual nature, jokes about poo and Micky Flanagan.

The Wright Way

It's becoming harder and harder to remember the days when Ben Elton was funny - his latest comedic misfire was thankfully axed after a single series, with the BBC's controller of comedy commissioning Shane Allen blaming Twitter for "crucifying" the show.

What Shane forgot is that Twitter is full of people - it was people that hated The Wright Way. All of the people.

Father Figure

There's a long and...

The creator of E4's hit sitcom Phoneshop Phil Bowker has spoken to Digital Spy about the secret of his show's success, his contempt for Twitter critics and why he feels sorry for Ben Elton.

Have you got any free phones off the back of Phoneshop?

"I haven't actually. I should complain. I'm like everybody else. I just want a simple phone. I've got an iPhone, but I don't even know if I want one with text on. Do you know what I mean?

"People can get hold of you all the time with texts, emails and photos. I'm fed up with it. I just want a phone to be a phone. I don't need to be able to play f**king Angry Birds on the way into work.

"You get the train in to London on a morning and it's full of grown men playing video games. Mate, read a book!

Comic hints that a high-profile hunger strike might be on the cards. And if that wasn't confusing enough, Sunday is now a day of atheism and Jo Brand a product of patriarchy

This week's comedy news

Is Frankie Boyle about to go on hunger strike? As reported by the Guardian last week, the human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith is currently hunger-striking in solidarity with his client Shaker Aamer, who is imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay and has been striking for 150 days. In an interview last Thursday on Radio Scotland, and again the following day on this website, Stafford Smith claimed the standup and ex-Mock the Week star is lined up to "take over from me when I fail" – ie starve himself to raise awareness of the plight of inmates at Guantánamo. The move would represent a strong break with Boyle's cynical public image, but all his management will say...

Comedian's response to Us anti-abortion law no laughing matter for Republicans. Elsewhere, Stewart Lee blasts elitism in comedy and Lenny Henry's thespian thunder rages on

This week's comedy news

Not for the first time, the Us comedian Sarah Silverman has become embroiled in a political row, after a Democratic representative retweeted her stated desire to "anally probe" the governor of Wisconsin – in response to his having signed off new anti-abortion legislation. Governor Scott Walker's law would require women considering abortions to have ultrasound scans. Silverman tweeted that "I'd very much like to anally probe @govwalker each time he needs to make an 'informed decision'" – a comment retweeted by Colorado politician Joe Salazar. At that, Republicans cried foul: "It's fine to disagree with Gov Walker," fulminated a Colorado Republican Committee spokesman in a party press release, "but it's not Ok for Joe Salazar to call for the governor to be raped.

London -- The BBC's head of comedy has called on audiences to give new shows a chance to prove themselves instead of instantly "crucifying" them on social media. Some talent are "scared of the glare" of a primetime comedy as "things can get slaughtered quite quickly," the Guardian quoted Shane Allen, the BBC's controller of comedy commissioning, as saying. "Comedy provokes massive reactions." Photos: THR Emmy Roundtable: Behind the Scenes With TV's Hilarious Comedy Actresses He cited the example of BBC One sitcom The Wright Way, which has just been canceled. Allen said its creator, Ben Elton, who also co-

read more...

The Royle Family will not return for a Christmas special in 2013, it has been confirmed.

Broadcast journalist Robin Parker announced the news on Twitter following a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch with BBC comedy boss Shane Allen.

The last Royle Family special 'Barbara's Old Ring' aired on Christmas Day 2012 and attracted an audience of 9.9 million.

Allen confirmed that BBC One's Citizen Khan and Not Going Out would have Christmas specials later this year.

The new comedy boss, who previously worked at Channel 4, also teased that he is in talks with Catherine Tate about new comedy shows with the BBC and that the door is open for more Absolutely Fabulous specials.

The BBC comedy team announced today that Count Arthur Strong has been given a second series.

Meanwhile, Ben Elton's The Wright Way and Sue Perkins's Heading Out have been axed.

Ben Elton's The Wright Way and Sue Perkins's sitcom Heading Out will not be getting second series, BBC comedy boss Shane Allen has revealed.

Allen confirmed the cancellations during an appearance at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch, according to Broadcast journalist Jake Kanter.

Elton's The Wright Way was savaged by critics when it launched earlier this year.

The Guardian said that it would have looked "badly dated in the 1970s", while The Independent billed the comedy as "occasionally so groan-inducing that you want to gather a mob with torches and pitchforks".

Perkins's Heading Out received a warmer critical response, but struggled in the ratings, falling beneath BBC Two's slot average at 10pm.

The BBC comedy team has commissioned a second series of new sitcom Count Arthur Strong and has also green-lit a new comedy from Getting On duo Jo Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine.

Watch a clip of The Wright Way...

The Apprentice lost out to Britain's Got Talent in the battle of the TV competitions on Tuesday (May 28), overnight data reveals.

Moved from its usual Wednesday slot, the BBC One series lost almost 900,000 viewers from last week, dropping to 5.36 million viewers (21.0%) on average at 9pm. BBC Two's You're Fired! climbed to 2.11m (10.8%) at 10pm.

On ITV, Britain's Got Talent shed over a million viewers for its second live semi-final to win the night overall with 8.66m (36.5%) at 7.30pm. A further 387k (1.5%) tuned in on +1.

The results show attracted 7.13m (28.5%) at 9.30pm (453k/3.0% on +1). ITV2's Britain's Got More Talent entertained 711k (4.1%) at 10pm.

Later on BBC One, Ben Elton's The Wright Way continued with 1.54m (10.9%) at 10.45pm.

On BBC Two, Dan Snow's Locomotion documentary was seen by 1.40m (6.5%) at 7pm. Springwatch brought in 2.60m (10.7%) at 8pm, followed by Town with Nicholas Crane, securing 1.52m (5.9%) at 9pm.

Channel 4...

Frankie dropped 600,000 viewers for its second episode on BBC One on Tuesday, overnight data reveals.

Eve Myles's drama still topped the night overall outside of soaps and news with 4.03 million viewers (18.8%) at 9pm.

Ben Elton's The Wright Way dipped 70,000 to 1.60m (12.2%) at 10.45pm.

On BBC Two, the Chelsea Flower Show coverage continued with 2.93m (14.1%) at 8pm. Nicholas Crane's Town series opened with 1.99m (9.3%) at 9pm.

ITV's River Monsters attracted 1.98m (10.2%) at 7.30pm (124k/0.6% on +1). Caroline Quentin's National Parks dipped 600k to 1.86m (8.9%) at 8pm (152k/0.7%).

Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? quizzed 2.29m (10.7%) at 9pm (140k/0.9%).

On Channel 4, Embarrassing Bodies Live grabbed 1.30m (6.2%) at 8pm (352k/1.6%). Mary Queen of the High Street climbed slightly to 1.13m (5.3%) at 9pm (240k/1.5%).

Shameless's penultimate episode climbed to 1.00m (6.2%) at 10pm (131k/1.6%).

Channel 5's CSI entertained 1.90m (8.8%) at 9.15pm, followed by Body of Proof with 1.22m (7.3%) at 10pm.

On BBC Three,...

Eve Myles's new BBC One drama Frankie achieved the best highest non-soap ratings on Tuesday, overnight data has revealed.

The former Torchwood star's new series launched with 4.63 million viewers (20.3%) at 9pm. Ben Elton's The Wright Way climbed from last week to 1.67m (13.1%) at 10.45pm.

BBC Two's Auction Hero attracted 1.31m (6.0%) at 8pm, followed by Keeping Britain Alive with 1.55m (6.8%) at 9pm.

On ITV, Caroline Quentin's National Parks rose 200,000 from last week to 2.64m (12.0%) at 8pm, with 142k (0.6%) on +1. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? quizzed 2.07m (9.1%) at 9pm (160k/1.0% on +1).

Channel 4's Embarrassing Bodies attracted 1.16m (5.3%) at 8pm (231k/1.0%), while Mary Queen of the High Street held steady with 1.03m (4.5%) at 9pm (236k/1.4%). Shameless continued with 910k (5.7%) at 10pm (116k/1.5%).

On Channel 5, Murder Files: The Haircut Killer was seen by 820k (3.8%) at 8pm. CSI thrilled 1.58m (6.9%) at 9.15pm, followed by Body of Proof with 1.09m (6.5%) at 10pm.

The Apprentice easily won its timeslot upon its return to BBC One on Tuesday, overnight data reveals.

Lord Alan Sugar's ninth series opener was seen by 6.01 million viewers (26.2%) at 9pm. This is almost 400,000 less than last year's premiere, while the sixth series opened to a large 7.8m back in 2011.

Dara Ó Briain's BBC Two spin-off You're Fired returned with 1.89m (10.2%) at 10pm.

Ben Elton's sitcom The Wright Way continued with 1.58m (12.8%) at 10.45pm on BBC One.

On BBC Two, Alex Polizzi's The Fixer Returns was seen by 1.73m (8.4%) at 8pm, while Keeping Britain Alive attracted 1.71m (7.5%) at 9pm. Newsnight brought in 957k (8.2%) at 10.30pm.

Caroline Quentin's new ITV series National Parks secured 2.47m (12.0%) at 8pm, with 180k (0.8%) tuning in on +1.

Chris Tarrant returned with a new series of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?, quizzing 2.03m (8.8%) at 9pm (106k/0.6% on +1).

On Channel 4, Embarrassing Bodies Live...

Deaths threats to comedian prompt calls for nationalists to raise the tone. Plus, Fringe gets new venue and Trump takes revenge

This week's comedy news

And this week – a comedian influences the future survival of the British state. Standup Susan Calman has been drawn into a row surrounding the conduct of the campaign for Scottish independence, after she was attacked online after joking on Radio 4's News Quiz about the nationalist cause.

"After the show was broadcast," Calman wrote on her blog, "I was accused of betraying my country, of being racist towards my own people and of being a cunt." Fellow comics including Rory Bremner leaped to Calman's defence, as the Scotsman newspaper picked up on and ran with Calman's reference to "name-calling, swearing and death threats". To cap it all, the shadow foreign secretary and Unionist tub-thumper Douglas Alexander hijacked the row to berate the independence camp for lowering the debate's tone.

MasterChef topped Tuesday evening's ratings for BBC One, overnight data suggests.

As the latest series entered its final week, the competition was seen by 4.93 million viewers (21.2%) at 9pm.

Ben Elton's The Wright Way shed around 260,000 viewers to 1.90m (15.0%) for its second episode.

On BBC Two, the World Snooker Championship continued with 1.14m (6.0%) at 7pm, while the latest Keeping Britain Alive was seen by 1.71m (7.4%) at 9pm.

Alex Polizzi's new documentary The Fixer attracted 1.96m (8.8%) at 8pm. Jools Holland's Later Live... brought in 819k (4.5%) at 10pm.

ITV's coverage of Real Madrid's departure from the Champions League at the hands of Borussia Dortmund scored 4.28m (19.3%) at 7.30pm.

Channel 4's Embarrassing Bodies Live secured 1.18m (5.3%) at 8pm, with 258k (1.1%) tuning in on +1. World's Weirdest Weather grabbed 1.04m (4.5%) at 9pm (252k/1.6%), while Shameless entertained 761k (4.8%) at 10pm (109k/1.4%).

On Channel 5, Big Body Squad was viewed by 786k (3.6%) at 8pm. The...

Tags: Morning BrewRachel MaddowIMDbÁngeles ÁlvarezThe Wright WayCarrie BrownsteinAnnie ClarkNeNe LeakesTig NotaroJessica Kirson

Good morning!

Spain's openly lesbian politician Ángeles Álvarez is encouraging closeted women to come out. She's like "Look, guys, I did it and I survived!"

I never thought I'd read these words; "She plays a glam lesbian plumber." Apparently that is true of Joanne Matthews in the new BBC sitcom The Wright Way. The actress told The Daily Star:

Susan moves in her lesbian girlfriend, which riles [her dad]. He is very Ocd about everything.

Her Gf, played by Jennifer Saunders’ daughter Beattie Edmondson, has a fake Jamaican accent "as her character wants to be a DJ." This show sounds terrible or amazing.

If NeNe Leakes were gay, I feel like she'd be out about it, considering she's on two of the gayest TV shows on air. But Real Housewives lesbian rumors just keep on happening.

At the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend,...

It's been a while since I've checked in with the hair-gel abusing, giant-chinned, pout-osauras rex monsters that are the Made in Chelsea cast. There has been an extraordinary amount of chitter-chatter in the Digital Spy office and my Twitter timeline about this week's episode, so I decided to give Cheska, Binky, Spencer, Foo-Foo, Dipsy and Po another visit.

I wouldn't want to miss out would I? Yah.

Diving into the Made in Chelsea world midway through its fifth series was a bit like when you catch a foreign soap opera on your hotel TV when you're on holiday in Spain or France. Except with worse acting. I wasn't entirely sure what was going on and at times, a Sign Zone-esque person in the bottom corner of the screen would have been useful. They could translate the hair-flicks, the yahs and the undramatic pauses into intelligible English for anyone who didn't...

It's a tough ol' time for the UK sitcom right now - even TV veterans can't seem to crack the genre of late. Ben Elton - he of Blackadder and The Young Ones fame - just spewed out the critically-mauled The Wright Way for BBC One, while over on ITV, luminaries of stage and screen Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi are about to indulge in the dubious pleasures of Vicious - a catty comedy that feels like it was heading for 1974 and somehow got lost along the way.

The sitcom has always been a tough nut to crack, of course - this country has produced some absolute classics, but also some absolute stinkers. This week's Friday Fiver is all about the misfires, the failures, the disasters.

Heard the phrase "So bad it's good"? Well, this bunch of 'comedies' were just plain bad.

All About Me - aired on BBC One,...

"The Wright Way is a sitcom that would have looked and felt badly dated in the 1970s," said The Guardian.

The Independent suggested that the new BBC comedy is "occasionally so groan-inducing that you want to gather a mob with torches and pitchforks".

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph commented: "If, on a progressive scriptwriting course somewhere, a tutor were to set an exercise demanding that students produce a sitcom script devoid of any trace of originality - or indeed any trace of genuine comedy - this would pass with flying colours."

And these were some of the nicer comments about Ben Elton's TV return.

The Wright Way is an old-fashioned canned-laughter BBC sitcom with David Haig cast as Gerald Wright, a health and safety fuddy-duddy struggling in the modern world. His wife has left him, his daughter is a lesbian and he doesn't like people who put butter in the Marmite.

The Syndicate ended its second series with over 5 million viewers on Tuesday, overnight data has revealed.

The BBC One drama attracted 5.47m (23.6%) at 9pm, over a million less than its premiere episode in March.

Ben Elton's new sitcom The Wright Way starring David Haig opened to 2.16m (16.8%) at 10.45pm.

On BBC Two, Hairy Bikers' Best of British brought in 1.63m (8.3%) at 7pm, while The Great British Sewing Bee rose to 2.72m (12.0%) at 8pm. Keeping Britain Alive: NHS in a Day also climbed to 1.89m (8.2%) at 9pm.

ITV's coverage of Barcelona's 4-0 defeat by Bayern Munich scored 4.16m (18.6%) from 7.30pm. Pensioners Behind Bars secured 1.28m (12.0%) at 10.45pm.

On Channel 4, Embarrassing Bodies was seen by 1.27m (5.6%) at 8pm, with a further 270k (1.2%) on +1. Documentary Edward VIII's Murderous Mistress grabbed 1.64m (7.1%) at 9pm (218k/1.4% on +1), while Shameless amused 825k (5.2%) at 10pm (123k/1.5%).

Channel 5's Big Body Squad attracted 786k (3.5%) at 8pm.

“The whole thing is irredeemably dreadful” cries the Guardian. “It’s a shamelessly broad, deliberately lowest-common-denominator sitcom” it continues, barely unable to contain their vitriolic anger. “It should be thrown on a pile of dung and set ablaze with a thousand gypsy women dancing and singing folk songs of yore around it” it doesn’t add. But it should. Then again that’s probably why I don’t write for the Guardian. And what is the target of this focused fury and bile?

Ben Elton’s new sitcom; The Wright Way.

I do think it’s pretty funny that we live in a society where unbridled anger can be unleashed so masterfully at a mass market sitcom. But it is anger from a place of regret at what this once dynamic comic has become. This man who was once the staple of 80’s political satire is now reduced to BBC...

Big names will take part in venture with Comedy Central, BBC sketch had over 2,000 complaints, plus Ian McKellen's sitcom

This week's comedy news

Can't get to Edinburgh? Kilkenny just that bit too far away? Never fear. The cable channel Comedy Central is teaming up with Twitter to launch the first 140-character comedy festival. The festival will commence on 29 April and run for five days, featuring a host of comedy names tweeting jokes and posting six second videos using Twitter's new video app Vine. Next Monday, Twitter will stream the only live #ComedyFest event, a panel discussion featuring Mel Brooks and Judd Apatow. The New York Times has more on the story, including the lowdown on a new app Comedy Central is developing to help users discover their favourite new comedians.

Back in the world of real festivals, veteran Anglo-American standup Rich Hall has won the Barry award at the Melbourne comedy festival,...