News

After Di Jimmy Perez deliberately sacrificed his career in the name of justice (if not the law) and went off to pastures new with nurse Meg at the end of series seven, Shetland now has a new sheriff in town. Sort of.

While DS Tosh performs the duties of acting Di at Lerwick Police Station, detective Ruth Calder has come up from London in search of a missing witness in a serious crime case. It just so happens that Calder is an old Shetlander who left the islands as a teenager and was glad to be rid of the place, where she’s confronted by some old ghosts.

Ugly Betty and Agatha Raisin’s Ashley Jensen plays Calder, along with a new guest cast of Scottish stars as well as Shetland’s returning favourites. The latter includes Alison O’Donnell as DS Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh, Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson,...

Acquisition

Abacus Media Rights (Amr) has picked up global distribution rights to BBC Two’s Joan Collins documentary, produced by Salon Pictures and commissioned by Mark Bell at BBC Arts. Promising to tell the life story of the Hollywood actor from her point of view, the 90-minute documentary will be narrated by Collins herself. Clare Beavan (“Bricks!”) will direct as well as co-produce with Karen Steyn, Nick Taussig and Annabel Wigoder. Karen Steyn (“Tea With the Dames”) is executive producer.

“National treasures don’t come more glamorous than Dame Joan Collins and after seven decades of stardom her shine remains undimmed,” said Bell. “Her story too is priceless; this film will be an account of the ups and downs of an entertainment career like no other – candid, revelatory and occasionally hilarious.”

Amr managing director Jonathan Ford added: “This will be the definitive story of Dame Joan Collins told in her...

Tubi is set to premiere a handful of British comedies and dramas as part of a bumper deal with distributor BBC Studios.

The Fox-owned AVOD service will debut Will Arnett-fronted soccer comedy The First Team, from the creators of The Inbetweeners, Life, from Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett and Channel 4 series High & Dry from Baby Cow as part of the arrangement, which includes over 400 hours of programming.

The new series will begin airing from September 15.

The deal also includes library titles such as Antiques Roadshow, Atlantis, Misfits, Monarch of the Glen, The Musketeers, Primeval and Robin Hood.

“We are thrilled to begin our first-ever partnership with BBC Studios, showcasing the best in British creative talent,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. “Viewers can now instantly access a wide cross-section of celebrated BBC content, including three series debuting on Tubi in the U.S.”

Dina Vangelisti, EVP, Content Sales,...

Louisa Mellor May 3, 2017

We chatted to the stars of American Gods, Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning and Ian McShane...

As a crowded room (cameras, lights, at least half a dozen PRs) is being set up for the next interview at February’s American Gods press junket, Ricky Whittle is being berated by co-star Emily Browning. His crime? Not having watched The Wire in its entirety.

See related 17 great Star Wars Lego kits The top 37 movie Lego sets you can buy right now

“What is wrong with you?” demands Browning.

“I only made it through three seasons,” Whittle shrugs, “I just got bored.”

“How could you stop watching?” she persists, outraged.

“I just got bored…” he repeats, his answer interrupted by the unmistakable voice of Ian McShane crossing the room. McShane takes his seat and nods towards Whittle. “He hasn’t even seen Deadwood”.

“I will watch Deadwood!” insists Whittle, hanging his head and laughing.

Here are the movies and TV shows leaving Netflix in March.

Netflix users should say goodbye to Jaws, National Lampoon's Animal House and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, as they are just some of the films leaving the streaming service this month.

Netflix's March additions were just announced. 

Check out the full list below to see what is leaving Netflix.

Leaving March 1, 2017

Jaws

Justice League: War

Jaws 2

Jaws 3

Jaws: The Revenge

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

Keeping Up Appearances

Monarch of the Glen: Seasons 1 - 7

National Lampoon's Animal House

Robin Hood: Seasons 1 -...

Wesley Mead Jan 2, 2017

As the New Year arrives, we salute a few favourite TV episodes depicting this momentous time of year...

New Year is a time for reflection on the past and resolution for the future, an opportunity to consider what you’ve achieved and what you’re yet to work on. It’s also a time to stay up well past midnight, partying the night away with friends and family, potentially embarrassing yourself in the process. That dichotomy ensures that the New Year is fertile ground for television, and the finest comedies and dramatic series use the moment to allow for contemplation amidst the alcoholic excesses. Here are twenty New Year episodes that offer an entertaining take on the aeons-old celebration - from emotional character pieces to geeky genre takes and old-fashioned barrages of seasonal comedy.

See related Iron Fist: see some images from Marvel's next Netflix show Jessica...

Den Of Geek Dec 14, 2016

As nominated by our writers, here are the books published in 2016 that we couldn't recommend more highly...

Closing the final page on the very best books leaves you with a single urge: to share it. We’re talking about the kind of books that make you want to follow strangers down the road, tugging at their elbow and saying “seriously, you’ve got to read this”.

Here then, is our equivalent of doing that. These are the books published in 2015 that our writers felt compelled to share. If there’s one that you feel similarly enthused about, please do recommend away in the comments section...

All The Birds In The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

We live in what can charitably be described as interesting times. If you were feeling less than charitable, you might even describe them as dark times. And it has always been...

Niall Leonard will be writing the screenplay to Fifty Shades Of Grey follow-up, Fifty Shades Darker...

With over a half a billion dollars banked from this year's Fifty Shades Of Grey movie, it's surprising that it's taken Universal Pictures so long to get moving on the second book of E L James' trilogy, Fifty Shades Darker. But, as you probably know, things haven't really been too straightforward.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who was signed up to direct the entire trilogy of Fifty Shades films, quit the sequel. It had been little secret that she and E L James didn't exactly see eye to eye, and given that James has creative sign-off over the movies, it was a fight that ultimately only one person could win.

Also not returning is screenwriter Kelly Marcel. And the report had been that James herself was to have a go at penning the script for Fifty Shades Darker.

"Fifty Shades of Grey" author E.L. James has enlisted her husband Niall Leonard to pen the script for "Fifty Shades Darker," the upcoming film adaptation of the second book in her 'Fifty Shades' novel trilogy.

Leonard is an author who has also worked on numerous British TV productions including acclaimed shows like "Wire in the Blood," "Monarch of the Glen" and "Hornblower".

Leonard worked on the script for the first 'Fifty Shades' film but was not credited. In a statement, producer Michael De Luca says: "Niall is an outstanding writer in his own right, with multiple established credits, and we are lucky to have him join Team Fifty."

Neither the first film's director Sam Taylor-Johnson or screenwriter Kelly Marcel are returning for the sequel. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are attached to reprise their roles in the film which has yet to set a production start date.

Source: THR...

While the search continues for a new author-approved director to replace the recently-exited Sam Taylor-Johnson, Fifty Shades Darker now at least has a screenwriter. The sequel to Fifty Shades Of Grey will be adapted from E.L. James's novel by Niall Leonard.This will have gone down well with James, because Leonard is her husband. It should mean, if you will, that screenwriter and author stay on the same page, avoiding the 'creative differences' that dogged the first movie.Leonard doesn't yet have any other big screen or Hollywood credits to his name, but does have a long background in British TV. He wrote episodes of Wire In The Blood, Wild At Heart, Monarch Of The Glen and Hornblower, among many others (there's a smutty Hornblower / Fifty Shades joke here somewhere, but we'll leave you to make it yourselves). He also directed episodes of The Bill.It's further evidence of...

El James has turned to her husband Niall Leonard to write the Fifty Shades of Grey screenplay sequel.

Leonard replacing Fifty Shades of Grey screenwriter Kelly Marcel for the project is another major shake-up for the mega franchise, as director Sam Taylor-Johnson won't be back either.

Leonard is an established television writer, having worked on the acclaimed series Monarch of the Glen, Wire in the Blood and Wild at Heart.

A creative change of some kind was expected for the upcoming sequel, given that James acknowledged clashing with director Taylor-Johnson in an interview with Digital Spy.

"It was hard in places," the author-producer told us.

"But any creative process they're going to have disagreements between all sorts of people but we got there in the end and I think the fans will be really pleased."

An adaptation of James's erotic novel Fifty Shades Darker is set for a 2016 release.

Watch...

Lloyd Owen has been cast in upcoming comedy-drama Apocalypse Slough.

The actor joins the Sky1 and NBC series in a recurring role as Farrell, the Us president who struggles with the news that the end of the world is coming, reports Deadline.

Owen has had appearances in Midsomer Murders and The Originals in recent years, and played Paul Bowman on Monarch of the Glen.

Apocalypse Slough follows a group of seemingly unconnected characters, as their lives start to intersect when it is reported that a large comet will collide with Earth.

The cast includes Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer, Megan Mullally, Pauline Quirke, Mathew Baynton, Paterson Joseph and Joel Fry.

Lowe is playing a rebellious priest at the Vatican, whose faith is shaken by the impending apocalypse.

The show is produced by Working Title and Bigballs Films.

Well this is a huge relief: the BBC and Netflix have hugged it out and the British series threatening to leave the streaming service at the end of the month (among them: "Top Gear," "Luther," the original "House of Cards" and, critically, "Doctor Who" and its spin-off "Torchwood") are secure. As The Best of Netflix points out, "these types of last minute deals are often very common." The site theorizes that the shows will be around at least for "the next several months," although points out that most of these contract re-ups last for a year or more.

We have actually just started making our way through the vast and complicated "Doctor Who"-niverse and are somewhere in the David Tennant years, so we would have to do a lot of cramming in order to make it through before Netflix pulled the plug. And we haven't even gotten into "Torchwood" yet!

Were you freaking out earlier this week when word spread about a number of BBC shows exiting Netflix at the end of the month? Well, you can relax (to some extent). According to the service, the following shows have been renewed and will be available for streaming after January 31: • Classic Doctor Who; 18 Collections • Copper, Seasons 1-2 • Doctor Who, Seasons 1-7 • House of Cards Trilogy • Keeping Up Appearances, Season 1 • Luther, Seasons 1-3 • Monarch of the Glen, Seasons 1-6 • North & South • The Buccaneers • The Office (U.K.), Seasons 1-2 • Torchwood, Seasons 1-4 • Wallander, Seasons 1-3 A spokesperson did add, though, that "fans should plan to enjoy before February" the series "Faulty Towers," "Blackadder," "Mi-5" and "Red Dwarf." (And you should! All of them are great! At the very least, "Selma" star David Oyelowo is in "Mi-5.") Who knows if they'll be...

We have some good news to kick off your weekend, Netflix will keep Doctor Who. Okay, take a deep breathe and lets get down to the details. Earlier this week reports were issued that BBC shows like Doctor Who was to be dropped at the end of the month, as their contract ended. This caused a huge uproar and left UK TV fans freaking out on how they would get their “fix”. The reports turned out to not be fully correct. The following shows and seasons will remain on the service after their new contract takes effect.

Doctor Who: Classic Episodes

Doctor Who: Seasons 1-7

Torchwood: Seasons 1-4>

Luther: Seasons 1-3

The Office U.K.: Seasons 1-2

Robin Hood: Seasons 1-3

House of Cards U.K.

Copper: Seasons 1-2

Top Gear: Seasons 17-20

North & South

Wallander: Seasons 1-3

Keeping Up Appearances: Season 1

Monarch of the Glen...

Neil Gaiman's next collection of short stories will include Doctor Who and American Gods tales.

The sometime Doctor Who scriptwriter will feature a story written to commemorate the Doctor's 50th anniversary in his new book Trigger Warning, reports Men Who Stare at Books.

It will also include Black Dog, a story set in the American Gods universe.

The Doctor Who story is presumably Gaiman's ebook Nothing O'Clock.

Gaiman released the first short story follow-up to American Gods - The Monarch of the Glen - in his 2006 collection Fragile Things.

The writer worked on the scripts to Doctor Who episodes 'The Doctor's Wife' and 'Nightmare in Silver'.

Trigger Warning will be released on February 3, with an ebook preview Little Triggers coming on January 13.

Neil Gaiman. Brandon Sanderson. Tracy Hickman. Peter David. These are just some of the authors included in StoryBundle’s Truly Epic Fantasy Bundle. All these books can be yours for a price you name, all DRM-free, with the option to donate a portion of your purchase to The Challenger Center.

The books include:

The Sacrifice by Kristine Kathryn Rusch Spirit Walker by David Farland MythWorld by James A. Owen The Camelot Papers by Peter David The Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman Bloodletting by Peter J. Wacks & Mark Ryan Clockwork Angels by Kevin J. Anderson The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson The Immortals by Tracy Hickman

Order them now at StoryBundle. But hurry– there are only eight hours left to take advantage of the deal.

Glenn Hauman on Google+

Originally published on ComicMix as Only Eight Hours Left To Get Epic Fantasy StoryBundle...

A few years back we posted a list of some of our favorite Irish actors for St. Patrick’s Day, and it contained pretty much who you’d expect – Liam, Pierce, Colin F., Cillian, Daniel D.L. , Jonathan R.M., an Aidan (Quinn), but enough time has has passed that we have a whole new bumper crop to celebrate. Including another Aidan!

Here are ten more actors we can share our Shamrock Shakes with, and can smile those Irish eyes at us anytime.

Jamie Dornan

31-year-old Jamie grew up in the suburbs of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is the second cousin (twice removed) of Greer Garson. Along with a very successful modeling career, he’s flourishing on the big and small screen, with roles on Once Upon A Time, The Fall and he’s currently filming one of the most hotly anticipated spectacles of next year, Fifty Shades Of Grey.

BAFTA-winning director John Roberts (Paulie, Say Good-bye) returns behind the camera for his first feature in over a decade with Day of the Flowers, a comedy-drama telling the tale of two strong-willed Scottish sisters.

The film is heading into cinemas at the end of the month on our shores, and we’ve got the new UK quad poster to exclusively share with you before it touches down.

Two young, strong-willed Scottish sisters, one a left-wing activist, the other a born-to-shop fashionista, take their late father’s ashes to Cuba, the site of many intriguing family legends. Arriving in Havana, the two women promptly lose the ashes and go through a series of misadventures – both romantic and dangerous – to try to retrieve them, making some surprising discoveries along the way about the family ties that hold them together. Drenched in sunlight and with a fabulous Cuban soundtrack, Day Of The Flowers...

The Good Life

Veteran British TV actor Richard Briers has passed away aged 79 after a long battle with lung disease. Briers had recently spoken publicly about his struggles with emphysema. Briers ranks as one of the most respected comedy actors of his generation. Fans on both sides of the Atlantic grew to love him when he starred alongside Felicity Kendall in The Good Life (Aka Good Neighbors). His other work included Monarch of the Glen, and Ever Decreasing Circles as well as number of Shakespearean roles.

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My take on the frustrating finale of Downton Abbey, which ended its spectacular third season with heartbreak. Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen Sunday’s episode. At The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Downton Abbey: Why Last Night’s Season Finale Has Fans Seeing Red," in which I offer my thoughts about the controversial Season 3 finale, which aired last night on PBS's Masterpiece Classic. He had to die. There was no other way for Dan Steven’s Matthew Crawley to leave Downton Abbey other than in a body bag. As the heir to the grand estate and the title, it would have been impossible for sensible, responsible Matthew to shirk his responsibilities and head to America to start a career on the New York stage, or—to borrow from Monarch of the Glen, a Scottish Highlands-set drama that featured Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes...

We may all remember him for sitcoms such as The Good Life – but his career encompassed everything from Doctor Who to Shakespeare. And who can forget the classic Roobarb?

With more than 50 years of work to his name, Richard Briers was one of the most instantly recognisable – and most beloved – actors in Britain. Much of this is down to his sitcom work, primarily The Good Life. Although it only ran for three years, The Good Life managed to latch onto a prevailing public mood – that of suburban alienation and a desire to connect with the earth – which is why it has been so endlessly repeated (and used as the basis for more than one reality show) over the years. Despite being the work he'll be most remembered for, Briers never got on with his character, often calling him stubborn and unlikable in the press.

There was much more to Briers's...

Veteran stage and screen actor Richard Briers passed away at his London home on Sunday. He was 79. Briers is best known to UK audiences for his work in such BBC series as The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles and Monarch Of The Glen. His TV breakout was the 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines in which he starred opposite Prunella Scales, but it was The Good Life (1975-1978) that made him a household name as the obstinate Tom Good. Briers began acting in the theater in the late 1950s and went on to become a member of Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company, taking on parts in classic Shakespeare works. He also had roles in several of Branagh’s movies including Peter’s Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Henry V and Hamlet. Branagh said today, “He was a national treasure, a great actor and a wonderful man. He...

The sad news broke today (Monday, February 18) that actor Richard Briers has died, following a battle with lung disease. Perhaps best known for his role in '70s BBC sitcom The Good Life, Briers had a long acting career that spanned five decades and included both dramatic and comedic roles.

His extensive theatre work, which included a number of Shakespearean roles, later extended into cinema when he appeared in nine of Kenneth Branagh's films including 1993's Much Ado About Nothing, 1996's Hamlet and most recently 2006's As You Like It - but it is in the arena of television that Briers is perhaps best remembered.

Digital Spy pays tribute to Briers - who passed away at the age of 79 - and recalls his best-known roles below:

The Good Life (1975-1978)

To many fans, Briers will always be Tom Good, the amiable former draughtsman who turned his back on the...

It’s the show based on the movie that became the seventh highest grossing film of 1992 and made Whitney Houston’s version of I Will Always Love You an international hit. Now, The Bodyguard has been turned into a West End stage show.

Several years in production the show stars Tony and Grammy award-winning actress Heather Headley (The Lion King, Aida) in the role Whitney made famous, Rachel Marron and Lloyd Owen (Monarch of the Glen) stepping into Kevin Costner’s shoes as the bodyguard himself Frank Farmer. Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back) the stage version of the show brings the story up to date for a 2012 audience (references to Twitter included) and throws a few extra Whitney songs in for good measure.

HeyUGuys caught up with the shows main stars to find out more about what we can expect,...

BBC Line of Duty

Episode one of Jed Mercurio’s much anticipated new drama Line of Duty will hit British TV screens on 26 June although the time slots for the remaining four episodes have yet to be confirmed. The star-studded five part series will tackle the controversial issue of police corruption. Writer Jed Mercurio controversially refers to Line of Duty as a “21st century commentary on policing.”

Martin Compston (Monarch of the Glen) plays DS Steve Arnott who refuses to take part in an effort to cover up a botched terrorism raid. Lennie James plays Dci Tony Gates – a cop with a seemingly impeccable record who has a darker side to his nature. Despite his positive public persona, Gates is linked to the underworld through his ex-girlfriend Jackie Laverty (Gina McKee). However, any investigation of Gates is unlikely to go to far given the unswerving loyalty of cops like Nigel Morton (Neil Morrissey). Nevertheless,...

Sonar Entertainment and Ecosse Films have teamed up for a $30 million, 10-part action-adventure series based on H. Rider Haggard's Allan Quatermain books, says The Hollywood Reporter . The project is a joint venture between Sonar Entertainment and Ecosse Films ("Camelot," "Monarch of the Glen"). Writers Richard Kurti and Bez Doyle ("Going Postal") are on board to pen the script. "It.s an incredible character from a range of best selling books," Stewart Till, CEO of Sonar Entertainment said. "I read all the books as a child and it is something that many Brits have grown up with. It's also the kind of high-concept adventure that broadcasters are looking for." The show is expected to shoot in Africa.

James Murray and Patrick Heusinger have signed up to star in NBC pilot Beautiful People. The drama project, from Cougar Town scribe Michael McDonald, is set in a future world in which humans co-exist with life-like androids. Primeval star Murray will play a successful attorney who campaigns for the civil rights of the 'Mechanicals', according to Deadline. The British actor recently appeared in short-lived CBS comedy-drama Chaos and has also featured in episodes of Marple and Monarch of the Glen. Royal Pains actor Heusinger will play a Mechanical posing as a human in the Beautiful (more)...

Director: Gonzalo López-Gallego.

Writers: Brian Miller (screenplay) and Cory Goodman.

Cast: Warren Christie, Ryan Robbins and Ali Liebert

When in space, no one wants to hear you scream. That cannot be any truer with Apollo 18, a reasonably effective movie thriller that presents a what-if scenario of Nasa's "final" mission to the moon. Production-wise, the film reel effect is successful in conveying a dated product. And it also works in the favour of creating an engrossing product where, buried in the static and blips, there may be a terror in their midst.

Although watching the mission is a slow build, that’s done on purpose. A good portion of the footage audiences see is being transmitted back to mission control to record. But with radio transmissions not being instantaneous, can anyone imagine what waiting for a response from a communication from the Earth to the Moon and back must have been like?...

Here’s great holiday news: our good friends over at BBC America have given us a ridiculously generous and wonderful prize pack to give away to one of our lucky readers. We want it for ourselves, but since we have to give it away, we hope you win! This prize pack includes Doctor Who Series Six, Part 1 & Series Six, Part 2, The Hour, BBC Holiday Gift Set, a Doctor Who Tardis Mini Set, Doctor Who Suit Shirt, Doctor Who Talking Pen, and a Guinness Baseball Cap. No, we’re not kidding.

Check out all the details on the prizes, and learn how to enter for your chance to win below, and good luck!

SciFiMafia.com & BBC America Holiday Prize Pack

Doctor Who: Series 6 Part 1

Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston

Directed by: Julian Simpson, Toby Haynes, Jeremy Webb, Richard Clark

Written by: Steven Moffat, Matthew Graham, Neil Gaiman...

It may not break new ground but Terra Nova is a distinct improvement on the recent batch of disappointing sci-fi shows

At first glance this seems like a great time for fans of TV science fiction, with healthily budgeted primetime shows such as The Event, Falling Skies, Torchwood, Outcasts and others popping up regularly on the schedules. The problem, of course, comes when you actually try and watch any of them.

So after Falling Skies – a decent hour of interesting alien stuff watered down with dull human characters and situations, spread over 10 dire weeks – news of another Steven Spielberg-produced science fiction show didn't carry the cachet of the past. I watched the pilot double episode of Terra Nova, which starts tonight on Sky One, expecting more of the same: a tired slog as they clumsily set things up, accompanied by plenty of eye rolling and shouting at the telly on my part.

Sky have announced that the much-anticipated Terra Nova, from director Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga, René Echevarria and Aaron Kaplan, will launch with a two hour special on Sky 1 HD this October, within days of its Us launch.

The series follows an ordinary family on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a daring experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149, the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped and overcrowded, with the majority of plant and animal life extinct. The future of mankind is in doubt, and its only hope for survival is in the distant past. When scientists unexpectedly discovered a fracture in time that made it possible to construct a portal into primeval history, the bold notion was born to resettle humanity in the past – a second chance to rebuild civilization and get it right this time.

Gina McKee and Neil Morrissey are among the stars who have signed up for roles in BBC Two's new drama Line of Duty. The five-part series has been written by Jed Mercurio, who previously penned shows including Bodies and Strike Back. The drama will revolve around Tony Gates (The Walking Dead's Lennie James), a popular policeman accused of corruption. Monarch of the Glen star Martin Compston and BAFTA-winning This Is England '86 actress Vicky McClure will star as the officers investigating crookedness in the force. McKee and Morrissey will also appear in the drama alongside Adrian Dunbar, Kate Ashfield, Craig Parkinson and Paul Higgins. (more)...

Josh Bolt

ITV have commissioned a 90 minute adaptation of Michelle Magorian’s novel Just Henry. Josh Bolt will take on the title role and Sheila Hancock, Dean Andrews and Elaine Cassidy are among the star-studded cast. The screenplay is being written by Michael Chaplin (Monarch of the Glen) and is expected to air some time in 2012.

Just Henry tells the tale of a young man in post World War II Britain who has to come to terms with the death of his father. Henry has a passion for singing but puts that on hold as he is determined to find out more about the circumstances surrounding his father’s death. He is in for a surprise when he goes to his father’s grave and promptly runs into a man who claims to be his father.

Early next year ITV also plan to air Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah’s latest creation Eternal Law,...

Screenterrier reported back in 2009 that Michelle Magorian’s critically acclaimed novel, Just Henry, was being adapted for ITV by Monarch Of The Glen creator Michael Chaplin.

The 90-minute drama started filming in Leeds today and tells the engaging story of one boy’s discovery which alters his family life forever.

17 year old rising star Josh Bolt (represented by Curtis Brown) from Liverpool, who appeared in Nowhere Boy, and is set to appear in the new series of Shameless, leads the cast as the troubled school-boy Henry.

19 year old Perry Millward (also Curtis Brown) who recently appeared in Christopher and His Kind, plays his fellow class-mate Paul Jefferies

and 17 year old Charlie May-Clark from Leeds (also Curtis Brown) who starred in the BBC's South Riding, plays Grace, a new student who can’t read but has an exquisite singing voice.

Set in post-Second World War Britain Henry is growing up in...

Sky have today announced a deal with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution securing the exclusive rights to the much-anticipated Terra Nova from Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga, René Echevarria and Aaron Kaplan. The series, scheduled to premiere in the Us on September 26th will debut on Sky 1 HD this autumn.

From the press release:

Terra Nova is a big priority for the autumn and will find a home in the heart of Sky 1 HD’s schedule, allowing Sky customers to enjoy the show in primetime on Sky 1 HD, on-demand via Sky Anytime+ and Sky+, and online through Sky Player.

Stuart Murphy, Director, Sky 1 HD commented:

Terra Nova is a huge weekly epic adventure with a family at the centre of the action, a community full of tension and rivalries, and some pretty scary dinosaurs. It’s cinematic, powerful and a whole lot of fun that’ll...

Terra Nova, one of the more interesting TV shows in Fox's fall lineup so far, centers on the Shannons, a family from the future. In this dystopic vision of 2149 A.D., our planet is suffering from overpopulation, and the exhaustion of natural resources. Several people, including the Shannons, are sent back in time to a settlement on prehistoric earth; to recreate society and to try to prevent the difficulites of the future from ever occurring. With any luck, they will avoid any Back-to-the-Future-ish hijinks along the way; after all, the 'Under the Sea' dance would be an entirely different affair 85 million years ago.

Fox has only been releasing information about Terra Nova in bits and pieces - just enough to keep us interested. The trailer released today shows the first glimpse of actual dinosaurs; and they look pretty good! Check out the trailer below:

Writer / executive producer Craig Silverstein has...

Martin Compston could have been a footballer, but gave up dreams of Celtic Park for a career in the movies. He's played the bad guy many times, but his scariest job to date? Learning to dance

It has been nearly a decade since Ken Loach cast 17-year-old Martin Compston in Sweet Sixteen, as a Scottish kid who drifts into dealing heroin. The teenager had never acted before – not uncommon for a Loach film. All he'd ever wanted was to play football. As it happens, the week he left school, he found himself with not one but two potentially life-changing offers: one from Loach and a contract with Greenock Morton Fc. It all worked out fine. Loach wangled it with the club so that he could miss a bit of training. It must have must have been a difficult decision, after a season, to hang up his boots to concentrate on acting.

“In the land of blind men, the one-eyed man is king,” goes the old proverb. That seems to be the case in this story of a bestial Viking slave whose survival skills see him through the numerous obstacles of a menacing, primitive world. Directed by Denmark’s Nicolas Winding Refn, who made a name for himself with his Pusher series, this is an odd bit of cinema which is hard to classify into a genre.

Don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking this is an action-filled hack-and-slash film about Vikings constantly at war. It’s not. This is a rather contemplative film, filled with hallucinatory images and long stretches of Ingmar Bergman-like scenes consisting of silent musings on mortality and religious faith. There are fight scenes, to be sure, and they are quite brutal. But these fights are few and far between. This isn’t Beowulf.

To say...