News

Bill Hayes, a longtime star of the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” died Friday at the age of 98.

Hayes played the character of Doug Williams on the daytime serial since 1970, five years after the show’s debut. He met his real-life wife, actress Susan Seaforth, on the series set in the fictional Illinois town of Salem.

Hayes and Seaforth were married in 1974. Two years later, their characters were married on the show. The same year, the pair also appeared on the cover of Time magazine in a cover story on the popularity of daytime soaps.

“I have known Bill for most of my life and he embodied the heart and soul of ‘Days of our Lives,’ ” said executive producer Ken Corday. “Although we are grieving and will miss him, Bill’s indelible legacy will live on in our hearts and the stories we tell, both on and off the screen.

Kenneth Branagh tells us that he has follow-ups in mind for his Christmas film, In The Bleak Midwinter (also known as A Midwinter’s Tale).

In 1995, Kenneth Branagh wrote and directed a low budget Christmas comedy by the name of In The Bleak Midwinter. An ensemble piece that he tackled between the giant productions of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and his screen take on Hamlet, it’s such a charming movie, and a very, very funny one.

After years of trying, we managed to put on a very special screening of the film in London this month, and afterwards were delighted to be joined by Kenneth Branagh for a Q&a. Not just Branagh: cast members Julia Sawalha, Michael Maloney, Nicholas Farrell, Gerard Horan and Mark Hadfield were surprise guests on the evening.

Towards the end of the conversation, I asked Branagh to give us the exclusive on a possible sequel.

The Magpie Murders ending is filled with reveals and twists, leading viewers to seek answers on Reddit for a clearer understanding. Susan uncovers the truth behind Alan Conway's death, Charles Clover as the killer, and the accidental death of Mary, while Robert is found guilty of killing Sir Magnus Pye.

The Magpie Murders ending explained is filled with so many reveals, twists, and turns that some viewers have taken to Reddit for clear-cut answers. A faithful adaptation of the 2016 mystery novel of the same name by Anthony Horowitz, the 2022 Magpie Murder TV show follows an editor named Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville) who is assigned a manuscript of the latest Atticus Pünd (Tim McMullan) novel from wealthy novelist Alan Conway (Conleth Hill). As she immerses herself in the world of Atticus Pünd, she soon realizes that the intrigue and murder that permeate the book start affecting her real life when Conway mysteriously dies.

Magpie Murders Season 2 is highly anticipated after the success of its first season, with more clever murder mystery twists on the way. The show received rave reviews, scoring a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for its first six episodes, and its intriguing nature calls for more episodes. The BBC has acquired the series and confirmed a Season 2 titled "Moonflower Murders", with a potential release date in early 202 Returning cast members include Lesley Manville and Timothy McMullen.

After a successful first season, the possibility of a Magpie Murders season 2 is almost a certainty, with more clever murder mystery twists coming on the horizon. Debuting in 2022 and based on the novel by Anthony Horowitz, the series follows editor Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville) as an unfinished manuscript leads her down a path of mystery, intrigue, and murder. Immediately setting itself apart from the usual British murder mystery fare, Magpie Murders presents a meta-narrative that...

Season 5 of The Crown is finally out on Netflix, and for the second time in the series, the cast has been replaced to show the royal family of Windsor at an older age. The fifth season focuses on the period in England between 1991 and 1997. It covers, among other events, the separation of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth's Ruby Jubilee, and the premierships of two prime ministers. The prime ministers in The Crown are an excellent tool to judge the passing of time in the show.

Every time one Pm walks into the queen's meeting area after having been told the method of how to approach, it's a signal that the times in England are about to change. Queen Elizabeth has interacted with eight prime ministers who have run the gamut of being completely forgettable to changing the monarch forever. While the series is not finished and there are PMs to come,...

“Masterpiece,” the PBS staple behind past series such as “Downton Abbey,” has given a renewal to “Miss Scarlet and the Duke” and revealed the upcoming return date for popular drama “All Creatures Great and Small.” During the “Masterpiece” session at PBS’ second day of Television Critics Association virtual press tour panels, the franchise also revealed two new series: “Mrs. Churchill” and “Magpie Murders.”

“Miss Scarlet and the Duke,” which stars Kate Phillips as the first-ever female detective in Victorian London, will return for a third season on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023 at 8 p.m. Et on PBS. Season 2 of the show is set to premiere on Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. Et.

Alongside “Miss Scarlet and the Duke,” “Masterpiece” has announced that the third season of “All Creatures Great and Small” will air seven episodes beginning Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Based on the bestselling memoirs by veterinarian James Herriot and

starring an ensemble cast led by Nicholas Ralph,...

Belfast Review — Belfast (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Jude Hill, Jamie Dornan, Lewis McAskie, Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Nessa Eriksson, Charlie Barnard, Josie Walker, Frankie Hastings, Ian Dunnett Jnr, Michael Maloney, Rachel Feeney and Lara McDonnell. With the new film, Belfast, director Kenneth Branagh has crafted [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Belfast (2021): Kenneth Branagh’s Latest Film Is Well Acted And Heartfelt...

Distinguished British actor Tim McMullan is playing the role of detective Atticus Pünd in the PBS Masterpiece, BritBox U.K. and Eleventh Hour Films series adaptation of “Magpie Murders,” Anthony Horowitz’s international bestseller.

Previously announced actor Timothy Spall had to step away from the production due to a scheduling clash.

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art trained McMullan’s theater credits include “Anthony and Cleopatra,” “Twelfth Night,” “Man vs Superman,” “Father and Sons” and “The Master and Margarita.” His screen credits include “The Crown” as Robin Woods, Bernard Jenkins in “Brexit” and Sonny in “Patrick Melrose.”

Joining McMullan in the cast is BAFTA-nominated Daniel Mays.

“Magpie Murders” revolves around the character Susan Ryeland, played by Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread”), an editor who is given an unfinished manuscript by bestselling mystery writer Alan Conway, featuring Conway’s detective Atticus Pünd – and has little idea it will change her life.

Timothy Spall has dropped out of PBS/BritBox crime series Magpie Murders due to a scheduling clash and has been replaced by Tim McMullan (The Serpent). White Lines and Code 404 actor Daniel Mays has also joined the cast.

McMullan will star as the clever and complex detective Atticus Pünd in the six-part series about editor Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville), who is given an unfinished manuscript of author Alan Conway’s latest novel but has little idea it will change her life.

Magpie Murders is based on Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling novel of the same name, with the author adapting his own work for the screen. The Full Monty helmer Peter Cattaneo has been set as the director. Other cast includes Pippa Haywood (Bodyguard), Michael Maloney (The Crown), and Game Of Thrones star Conleth Hill.

Magpie Murders is an Eleventh Hour Films production for Masterpiece and BritBox UK, with Sony Pictures Television distributing worldwide.

Warning: contains spoilers for Inside No. 9 series 6 episode 2.

The online petition to ‘Remake Game of Thrones Season 8 with competent writers’ currently has over 1.8 million signatures. Despite the series having ended two years ago and HBO politely declining the opportunity to bin its $100m first attempt and have another go, people continue to add their names. Call it love or call it entitlement, some fans can’t move on.

That’s the context for ‘Simon Says’, a dark story about the writer of a fictional fantasy TV epic with a famously unpopular ending. When fans Simon and Gavin (Reece Shearsmith and Nick Mohammed) blackmail Spencer Maguire (Steve Pemberton) into remaking the season seven finale of The Ninth Circle, they unexpectedly end up starring in finales of their own. After their scheme goes badly wrong, Maguire murders one, and then kills the other to cover his tracks.

With its heightened tone, scheming power-grabs,...

As with most festivals in a pandemic world, Slamdance Film Festival is changing things up with their 2021 edition. Moving a few weeks back to February 12-25, no longer directly competing with Sundance Film Festival, the festival will be taking place primarily virtually. In quite a feat of accessibility, a full festival pass is also now available for free––if you secure yours by December 31st. After that, they are going up to $10, which is still a steal.

The festival has also announced its full lineup, with 25 features along with 107 shorts and episodic. Films, Q&As, and panels will be available on Slamdance.com, AppleTV, Roku, Firestick, and YouTube, while in-person events will take place in Joshua Tree with drive-ins open to the public on February 13th and 14th as well as the closing night screening at a Los Angeles drive-in on February 25.

Check out the lineup below and reserve your festival pass here.

Remember film festivals? Especially in person ones? Well, they won’t be returning for a bit, but 2021 will still be filled with festivals, just of the mostly virtual variety. One such fest is the Slamdance Film Festival, which has in the past taken place alongside the Sundance Film Festival. Scheduled for February 12th until the 25th, Slamdance is taking the hybrid route, making their selections available virtually. The lineup was announced today, so the first real movie gathering of next year (from the comfort of our own homes) is now known. Read on to see the lineup, as well as a bit about what will be populating Slamdance… Here now is the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival lineup, via a Deadline press release: Narrative Features A Brixton Tale World Premiere Directors: Darragh Carey & Bertrand Desrochers – Screenwriters: Rupert Baynham, Darragh Carey, Chi Mai – Producers: Rupert Baynham, Dennis Gyamfi, Beau Rambaut A voyeuristic, wealthy...

Like all festivals, the Slamdance Film Festival is set to shift to a hybrid fest for its 27th edition — but it isn’t holding back on its programming as it will feature 20 feature film premieres while highlighting diverse voices and accessibility. With the theme “Greenlight Yourself,” the indie-driven fest will also launch a new program titled Unstoppable, a showcase for creators with disabilities.

The fest will run February 12-25, 2021 with all films, Q&As and panels available virtually via Slamdance.com, AppleTV, Roku, Firestick, and YouTube. In addition, there will be a two-night drive-in presentation in Joshua Tree, CA open to the public on February 13-14 as well as the closing-night screening at a Los Angeles drive-in on February 25.

“Our theme this year was inspired by the incredible resilience and creativity evidenced by our community and our team over the past few unprecedented months,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter.

The Slamdance Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of 25 features along with 107 shorts and episodics for the mostly virtual 27th edition of the festival — a number that equals previous editions of the festival.

The opening night film, which will screen at a drive-in in Joshua Tree on Feb. 13, is the world premiere of “No Trace” (Nulle Trace) from Canadian director and screenwriter Simon Lavoie. Taking place in a near future, the film follows a callous smuggler hardened by life who guides a pious young woman and her child across the border to safety, unaware that their destinies are inescapably linked in an inhospitable land.

The festival will close with the world premiere screening of “18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story” at a Los Angeles drive-in on Feb. 25. The feature documentary by Stephen DeBro is the story of Los Angeles told through the prism of a historic fight palace and Aileen Eaton,...

Exclusive: Former Sas soldier turned filmmaker Tom Petch (The Patrol) is lining up a film about British-Fijian soldier Talaiasi ‘Laba’ Labalaba, who died at the Battle of Mirbat in Oman in 1972 after holding off hundreds of insurgents for hours.

Attached to the film are Marco Polo and Alien: Covenant actor Uli Latukefu as ‘Laba’, Lasarus Ratuere (Ghost In The Shell), Tom Brittney (Grantchester) and Michael Maloney (The Trial Of Christine Keeler), who will play former Brit Prime Minister Edward Heath, a character he recently played in Netflix’s The Crown.

Latukefu recently wrapped on Taika Waiti’s soccer comedy Next Goal Wins with Michael Fassbender and Elisabeth Moss.

Labalaba was part of a team of nine Sas soldiers based outside Mirbat. They were part of a secret military operation with a duty to protect the Sultan of Oman from a group of Marxist guerrillas. One day before they were due to go home,...

Can Olivia Colman fill Claire Foy's royal shoes in the third season of The Crown TV show on Netflix? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like The Crown is cancelled or renewed for season four. Netflix and other streaming platforms, however, collect their own data. If you've been watching this TV series, we'd love to know how you feel about the third season episodes of The Crown here.

Streaming on the Netflix paid subscription platform, season three of The Crown stars Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Daniels, Jason Watkins, Marion Bailey, Erin Doherty, Jane Lapotaire, Charles Dance, Josh O'Connor, Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Maloney, Emerald Fennell, and Andrew Buchan. The historical drama unfolds during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Colman) of the United Kingdom. Covering the events between 1964 and 1977, Elizabeth faces a rapidly changing Britain,...

Vulture Watch

How will Elizabeth and her family face the challenges ahead? Has The Crown TV show been cancelled or renewed for a fourth season on Netflix? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of The Crown, season four. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Streaming on the Netflix paid subscription platform, season three of The Crown stars Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Daniels, Jason Watkins, Marion Bailey, Erin Doherty, Jane Lapotaire, Charles Dance, Josh O'Connor, Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Maloney, Emerald Fennell, and Andrew Buchan. The historical drama unfolds during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Colman) of the United Kingdom. Covering the events between 1964 and 1977, Elizabeth faces a rapidly...

Congratulations to our User Loretta Pinky Jack for a good score of 44% when predicting the 2019 Daytime Emmys winners on Sunday. She is just ahead of six people — Shelly Provo, Erin McDonald, Oden0619, Other Daryl, stoney456 and Maureen Johnson — each tied at 40%. Our top scorer has a great point score total of 5,864 by using the 500 super bets wisely.

Over 550 people worldwide predicted these Daytime Emmy Award champs. Our top scorer got 11 out of 25 categories correct, including some long shots like “The Young and the Restless” for Best Drama, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood for Best Actress, Rachael Ray for Best Talk Show and “Valerie’s Home Cooking” for Best Culinary Show.

SEEDaytime Emmy winners 2019: Full list of nominees and winners from the Sunday night ceremony

You can see how your score compares to all others in our leaderboard rankings of all contestants, which also includes links to see each participant’s predictions.

Juliet Stevenson receives Lifetime Achievement Award.

Women in Film & TV (UK), the membership organisation for women working in creative media in the UK, announced its 2018 awards today (Dec 7), with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Rungano Nyoni and Juliet Stevenson among the winners.

Actress Stevenson received the Lifetime Achievement award, presented by her Truly, Madly, Deeply co-star Michael Maloney. Stevenson’s film work includes Emma, Bend It Like Beckham and Mona Lisa Smile.

Actress, writer and director Phoebe Waller-Bridge was awarded the writing award. Waller-Bridge is best known for creating and starring in sitcoms Crashing and Fleabag, as well as writing and producing BBC drama Killing Eve.

Truly, Madly, Deeply star Juliet Stevenson, Fleabag and Killing Eve creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge and The Good Place’s Jameela Jamil are among the winners of the Women in Film & Television (UK) Awards.

The trio are among a number of women to be lauded at the awards, which are hosted by Sandi Toksvig and taking place on Friday lunchtime in London.

Stevenson is set to be handed the Eon Productions Lifetime Achievement Award by her Truly, Madly, Deeply co-star Michael Maloney, while Waller-Bridge is being awarded the The Screen Skills Writing Award. The ITV Studios Achievement of the Year Award is being handed to Jamil – a former British TV presenter who has now found success in the U.S. on the NBC comedy and is an active campaigner challenging the assumptions society makes about body size.

The Pinewood Studios Best Performance Award is being given to Nicola Walker, star of BBC drama The Split,...

Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar, with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors. They also shoot the breeze about their new films, The Dare, World of Darkness,...

It’s looking good that the sands in Days of Our Lives‘ iconic hourglass will continue to flow.

NBC is hopeful that it will successfully renew its contract with surviving soap, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last November.

RelatedFABLife Cancelled After One Season

“We’re happy with where Days was this year,” NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt tells TVLine. “We have a negotiating period that starts in February. Stay tuned.”

Although the show’s current deal doesn’t expire until September, Days famously tapes many months in advance — as such, it will actually fulfill production of episodes under the current deal as early as March.

One of TV’s DC Comics-based series is due to slip in a nod to the venerable Legion of Super-Heroes — but which of them will it be? Supergirl? Legends of Tomorrow? One of the three others?

VideosLegends of Tomorrow Sneak Peek: Sara Gets Punchy In a 1970s Bar

Appearing over the weekend at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, DC Entertainment Cco Geoff Johns shared with reporters after The CW’s Legends panel, “You’ll see a hint of the Legion on one of our shows.”

“Keep watching,” he said, careful not to identify the DC series.

Stars: Ben Daniels, Dervla Kirwan, Stephanie Leonidas, Michael Maloney, Maurice Roëves, Katia Winter | Written and Directed by Dave McKean

After losing their baby, Grant (Ben Daniels) and Christine (Dervla Kirwan) visit a old friend from art school and his wife in their isolated and idyllic seaside house. Over a long weekend, secrets are revealed among the four characters, Grant and Christine come to terms with their loss and the life of the dead child, Jacob, is lived out in a series of fantastical dreams.

Luna is a film which is hard to describe. Every section of the film is artistically presented through animation, beautiful shots or just little details which bring out the magic in an ever so subtle way, such as glitter in the moonlight. Dealing which such a heavy topic as the loss of a child, Luna is littered with some extremely emotional moments, so don’t expect...

Luna

Written and Directed by Dave McKean

UK, 2014

While Mirrormask has become something of a cult film, Dave McKean is still better known for his work in illustration than his directorial efforts in film. McKean’s groundbreaking style consistently raised the bar in comic art; his contribution to the 1989 release of “Arkham Asylum”, written by Grant Morrison, helped change our understanding of the comic art. McKean’s style seemed uniquely suited to the mind space of an asylum, his layered mixed media style reflective of thoughts and emotions in conflict. Perhaps his best known work is his contributions to the cover art for Neil Gaiman’s iconic Sandman series, once again cementing the phantasmagoric quality of McKean’s work. His contribution to Gaiman highlighted the obscured landscape of nightmares which he frightfully recreated through superimposition, collage and drawing.

It should be no surprise that McKean’s transition into filmmaking would...

The second new episode of Utopia reunites the old gang and hits the ground running…

Review

This review contains spoilers.

Hear that? Underneath all the eerie buzzing beeps and whispering drones? That’s the sound of a TV show running at full pelt and knowing exactly where it’s heading. “They’re starting again” said back-from-the-grave Lee this week. That they are, praise be.

Episode two was this series’ real opener after that superb trip back to the seventies carefully and stylishly shaded in the outlines of Milner, Arby and Jessica. The purpose of that fifty-minute flashback was nowhere more clear than in this episode’s final scene. Imagine Milner asking a possum-playing Jessica “What have I done to you?” without understanding her history with Philip Carvel. Or for that matter, consider watching Milner’s meeting with Arby in which he assured her that his father was “not incredible, not...

Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie has joined the cast of Channel 4's Utopia for series two.

Leslie, Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars) and Tom Burke (The Hour) are among the new cast additions joining the conspiracy thriller in its second run.

Trystan Gravelle (Mr Selfridge) and Michael Maloney (The White Queen) will also join returning cast members Fiona O'Shaughnessy (Jessica Hyde), Alexandra Roach (Becky), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Ian), Adeel Akhtar (Wilson Wilson), Oliver Woollford (Grant), Paul Higgins (Dugdale), Neil Maskell (Arby) and Geraldine James (Milner).

Principal photography has now begun on the new six-part series, again written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Marc Munden (The Crimson Petal and the White).

Channel 4 first announced in March that Utopia would return for a second series, with the new episodes expected to air in 2014.

A Us remake of the show was also reported to be in development at HBO, with David Fincher...

Homeland's David Harewood and Downton Abbey's Amy Nuttall will appear in new BBC One drama By Any Means.

The series stars Luther's Warren Brown as Jack Quinn, leader of an elite team of mavericks who bring criminals to justice - by any means.

Harewood and Nuttall join fellow guest stars Honor Blackman (Goldfinger) and Nick Moran (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).

"I'm so excited to be part of this gripping new drama," said Nuttall. "Being on set with the fantastic cast and crew was really fun.

"My character is a hard-hitting journalist - very different from some of the other characters I've played - which was lots of fun!"

Keith Allen (Robin Hood), Neil Maskell (Utopia), Kate Dickie (Game Of Thrones) and Michael Maloney (The White Queen) will also appear in the show, from writer Tony Jordan (Life On Mars, Hustle).

> Warren Brown, Andrew Lee Potts...

A series of exciting trailers have been released this week, with the heavily anticipated sequel Hangover Part III given a new promo and a first look at sci-fi blockbuster Elysium emerging. Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth showed off its Nsfw teaser, alongside the fast-paced Rush trailer and Dan Stevens post-Downton in Summer in February.

Digital Spy recaps the week's hottest new trailers below...

'The Hangover Part III' trailer: The Wolfpack returns

The last instalment in Todd Phillip's popular trilogy sees Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis taking a road trip after the death of Alan's father (Jeffrey Tambor). But new cast member John Goodman interrupts their journey to give the gang a task, hunting down Ken Jeong's Leslie Chow. If the film's trailer is anything to go by, the finale promises to give fans one hilarious last ride, with the chase taking them back to Las Vegas,...

Dan Stevens and Dominic Cooper feature in a new trailer for Summer in February.

Directed by Christopher Menaul, the Edwardian drama stars Stevens and Cooper as a land agent and bohemian artist competing for the affections of Emily Browning's Florence.

Set in Cornwall, the film is based on a true story and was scripted by Jonathan Smith.

Hattie Morahan, Mia Austen, Shaun Dingwall and Michael Maloney are among the supporting cast, while Stevens also served as a co-producer.

Stevens, who departed Downton Abbey at the end of its third season in order to pursue other projects, will reportedly star in a new adaptation of Swallows and Amazons.

He will also appear alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in upcoming Julian Assange biopic The Fifth Estate, playing The Guardian's deputy editor Ian Katz.

Summer in February is released in the UK on June 14.

Dan Stevens and Dominic Cooper feature in a new trailer for Summer in February.

Directed by Christopher Menaul, the Edwardian drama stars Stevens and Cooper as a land agent and bohemian artist competing for the affections of Emily Browning's Florence.

Set in Cornwall, the film is based on a true story and was scripted by Jonathan Smith.

Hattie Morahan, Mia Austen, Shaun Dingwall and Michael Maloney are among the supporting cast, while Stevens also served as a co-producer.

Stevens, who departed Downton Abbey at the end of its third season in order to pursue other projects, will reportedly star in a new adaptation of Swallows and Amazons.

He will also appear alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in upcoming Julian Assange biopic The Fifth Estate, playing The Guardian's deputy editor Ian Katz.

Summer in February is released in the UK on June 14.

Starz has picked up a dense and confusing 10-episode drama series based on Philippa Gregory’s The Cousins War trilogy: The White Queen, The Red Queen and The Kingmaker’s Daughter. The new series, which will be called The White Queen, is being executive produced by former HBO Films president Colin Callender, thanks to a two year deal with his company, Playground. Part of the deal will see him as executive producer on Magic City’s second season. Callender will be working once again with former HBO boss Chris Albrecht, now the CEO of Starz, and Carmi Zlotnik. Company Pictures will produce the series. If you want to know details about the plot of the series, well… you may want to get a notepad.

As reported by Deadline, The White Queen takes place in England in 1464, centered on the War of the Roses. The war breaks out between the House...

Showtime’s Homeland is fortifying its ranks for Season 2, promoting two recurring players to series regular status.

TVLine has learned exclusively that Navid Negahban, who plays world-renowned terrorist Abu Nazir, will be a series regular for the acclaimed drama’s sophomore run.

Additionally, a series spokesperson confirms that David Marciano has been upped to full-time cast member, meaning Carrie, aprés-shock treatment, may get some help in reassembling any “lost” memories from her right-hand snoop, Virgil.

In assaying the Showtime drama’s sucecss, Negahban told TVLine at the premiere of the indie short Blood Moon,...

Mondays tend to suck. Let’s see what I can do to make yours a bit better with a flurry of scoops, teases and sound bites from some of TV’s hottest shows and stars.

A Kiss Is Just a Kiss…? | Apparently there is no such thing as a run-of-the-mill episode of CBS’ The Good Wife, because this Tuesday’s hour raised my eyebrow at least twice. For the case of the week, you have Ken Leung delivering a nicely understated performance that’s a far cry from Lost’s Miles, plus there’s a nifty callback to a previous episode.

We invite you to see eight videos from the Q&A session with Emily Blunt who stars in Apparition's "The Young Victoria," the Jean-Marc Vallée-directed film produced byh Martin Scorsese and Graham King. Also starring in the critically-acclaimed drama are Miranda Richardson, Paul Bettany, Mark Strong, Rupert Friend, Jim Broadbent, Thoms Kretschmann, Jeanette Hain, Jesper Christensen, Harriet Walter, Rachael Stirling, Julian Glover, Princess Beatrix, Morven Christie, Jo Hartley, Michael Maloney and Genevieve O'Reilly. In The Young Victoria, Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) delivers an incredibly compelling performance as Queen Victoria in the turbulent first years of her reign. Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice) portrays Prince Albert, the suitor who wins her heart and becomes her partner in one of history’s greatest romances. This love story, set amongst all the intrigue...

DVD Playhouse—January 2010

By

Allen Gardner

The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment) Absorbing character study follows the leader (Jeremy Renner) of a bomb squad unit in Iraq and his growing addiction to the adrenaline-fueled life and death edge that he and his men must walk on a daily basis. Director Kathryn Bigelow, an unheralded great filmmaker for nearly two decades, has finally hit paydirt with this gut-wrenching examination of war as drug, as opposed to hell. That said, The Hurt Locker is 2/3 of a great movie that takes a wild left turn in a subplot involving Renner’s character and that of a local boy to whom he takes a shine, and never quite recovers its momentum. In spite of that hiccup, it remains one of the best films of 2009 and, thus far, the finest cinematic exploration of America’s war in the Middle East. Also available on Blu-ray disc, in...

We have plenty new images as well as the trailer and three clips in from the Apparition-distributed drama "The Young Victoria," starring Emily Blunt, Miranda Richardson, Paul Bettany, Mark Strong, Rupert Friend, Jim Broadbent, Thoms Kretschmann, Jeanette Hain, Jesper Christensen, Harriet Walter, Rachael Stirling, Julian Glover, Princess Beatrix, Morven Christie, Jo Hartley, Michael Maloney and Genevieve O'Reilly. Jean-Marc Vallée directs from the writing by Julian Fellowes, Martin Scorsese produces with Graham King. In select U.S. theatres from December 18, 2009. See all of the images, trailers, clips and movie details in "The Young Victoria" group on MovieJungle.com!

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée Writer(s): Julian Fellowes Starring: Emily Blunt, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Paul Bettany, Mark Strong, Rupert Friend, Thomas Kretschmann, Julian Glover, Michael Maloney, Rachael Stirling This costume drama, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.), is just that – a costume drama about Queen Victoria’s (Emily Blunt) courting of, and eventual marriage to, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). Rife with historical inaccuracies, The Young Victoria focuses more on costume and set design than dialogue or character development. Though the costume and set design is magnificent, the cinematography primarily relies upon overtly tight focuses which blur everything but one actor’s face at a time – a technique that is both distracting and frustrating. The scenes are purposefully chopped short, as the film barnstorms through the Cliff Notes of Victoria’s late teens. This is a mere outline of a plot, rather than a fleshed out story. As a result, there...

Is this Emily Blunt's year? I really hope so... Even though this is also the year fellow British actress Carey Mulligan (via An Education) made her magnificent acting known outside of the UK. So how was Blunt's acting as the young Victoria? Is the movie Oscar-worthy? Is her performance Oscar-worthy? Says Empire:

An elegant, entertaining, informative picture with a gallery of vivid supporting turns, this provisionally crowns the winning Blunt as a Brit-pic star - but it skimps a bit on the bodice-ripping, blood and thunder. - - -

- - - A more generous review from Digital Spy follows:

There's something about donning a Queen's crown that brings out the best in actresses. Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench have thrived as monarchs, and now it's the turn of Emily Blunt to take on an iconic British ruler. Blaming her "sly eyes" for constantly being cast as bad girls,...

Is this Emily Blunt's year? I really hope so... Even though this is also the year fellow British actress Carey Mulligan (via An Education) made her magnificent acting known outside of the UK. So how was Blunt's acting as the young Victoria? Is the movie Oscar-worthy? Is her performance Oscar-worthy? Says Empire:

An elegant, entertaining, informative picture with a gallery of vivid supporting turns, this provisionally crowns the winning Blunt as a Brit-pic star - but it skimps a bit on the bodice-ripping, blood and thunder. - - -

- - - A more generous review from Digital Spy follows:

There's something about donning a Queen's crown that brings out the best in actresses. Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench have thrived as monarchs, and now it's the turn of Emily Blunt to take on an iconic British ruler. Blaming her "sly eyes" for constantly being cast as bad girls,...