Playwright Alan Bennett has written original screenplay The Choral, which will begin filming this summer.
There’s a reason a remake of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues (pictured above) was one of the first things put into production when the pandemic started in 2020. Not only were they easy to film with a single cast member, but the texts are also regarded as modern classics of drama, each story a masterpiece in construction and storytelling. You only have to watch the original versions to see the astonishing power of David Haig in Playing Sandwiches or Dame Thora Hird in A Cream Cracker Under The Settee.
The Choral, meanwhile, is Alan Bennett’s first original script written for the screen in forty years, after 1984 comedy A Private Function. The synopsis reads as follows:
Set in Ramsden, Yorkshire in 1916, the plot centers on the chorus master and most of the men of the ambitious local Choral Society,...
There’s a reason a remake of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues (pictured above) was one of the first things put into production when the pandemic started in 2020. Not only were they easy to film with a single cast member, but the texts are also regarded as modern classics of drama, each story a masterpiece in construction and storytelling. You only have to watch the original versions to see the astonishing power of David Haig in Playing Sandwiches or Dame Thora Hird in A Cream Cracker Under The Settee.
The Choral, meanwhile, is Alan Bennett’s first original script written for the screen in forty years, after 1984 comedy A Private Function. The synopsis reads as follows:
Set in Ramsden, Yorkshire in 1916, the plot centers on the chorus master and most of the men of the ambitious local Choral Society,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Season 5, Episode 8: Sister Evangelina dies, leaving the Nonnatus and Poplar community devastated. Season 3, Episode 5: Sally, a young woman with Down's Syndrome, discovers she is pregnant and later loses her baby at birth. Season 12, Episode 8: Trixie Franklin finally marries Matthew Aylward after overcoming alcohol abuse and various challenges.
This article contains discussions of mental health, alcohol abuse, and pregnancy loss.
Call the Midwife has seen plenty of dramatic and tragic moments throughout its 12 seasons, but only a handful are considered the most important. From the deaths of major characters to the reality of backstreet abortions, the show has seen plenty of moments that have left audiences on the edge of their seats. With season 13 premiering in the United States in a few weeks, knowing the important moments of the show can be a great way to catch up.
Created by Heidi Thomas, the show focuses on a group...
This article contains discussions of mental health, alcohol abuse, and pregnancy loss.
Call the Midwife has seen plenty of dramatic and tragic moments throughout its 12 seasons, but only a handful are considered the most important. From the deaths of major characters to the reality of backstreet abortions, the show has seen plenty of moments that have left audiences on the edge of their seats. With season 13 premiering in the United States in a few weeks, knowing the important moments of the show can be a great way to catch up.
Created by Heidi Thomas, the show focuses on a group...
- 2/13/2024
- by Charlotte Hansen
- ScreenRant.com
Call the Midwife Cast: Jenny Agutter, Linda Bassett, Judy Parfitt, Helen George, Laura Main, Leonie Elliot, Stephen McGann, Vanessa Redgrave, Cliff Parisi Release Date: 2012-01-15 Seasons: 12 Genres: Drama, History Summary: Call the Midwife is a period piece drama series on PBS and BBC that follows the lives of Midwives working in London's East End during the 1950s and 60s. In the show, nurse midwives help mothers give birth and assist with post-care for children in a district stricken with poverty while dealing with their problems and struggles in a tumultuous period. Call the Midwife is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth and additional historical material about the actual lives of midwives. Story By: Jennifer Worth Writers: Heidi Thomas Network: BBC Streaming Service(s): Netflix Season List: Call the Midwife - Season 1, Call the Midwife - Season 2, Call the Midwife - Season 3, Call the Midwife - Season...
- 12/8/2023
- by Charlotte Hansen
- ScreenRant.com
Bill Cosby has been sued again for sexual assault, this time in Nevada under a newly-enacted law that eliminates the statute of limitations for civil cases.
The nine women bringing the suit are Janice Dickinson, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Janice Baker Kinney, Lili Bernard, Heidi Thomas, Linda Kirkpatrick, Rebecca Cooper, Pam Joy Abeyta and Angela Leslie.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for Nevada, accuses Cosby of using his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to target each of them. The suit alleges the assaults took place between 1979 and 1992 in Nevada. Each of the plaintiffs maintain that Cosby either drugged them, or sought to do so. You can read details of their claims here.
In a statement to NBC News, which broke the story, the entertainer’s spokesperson accused the women suing Cosby of being motivated by their “addiction to massive amounts of media attention and greed.”
The statement continues, “From this day forward,...
The nine women bringing the suit are Janice Dickinson, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Janice Baker Kinney, Lili Bernard, Heidi Thomas, Linda Kirkpatrick, Rebecca Cooper, Pam Joy Abeyta and Angela Leslie.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for Nevada, accuses Cosby of using his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to target each of them. The suit alleges the assaults took place between 1979 and 1992 in Nevada. Each of the plaintiffs maintain that Cosby either drugged them, or sought to do so. You can read details of their claims here.
In a statement to NBC News, which broke the story, the entertainer’s spokesperson accused the women suing Cosby of being motivated by their “addiction to massive amounts of media attention and greed.”
The statement continues, “From this day forward,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Tom Tapp and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Nevada’s new state law removes the statutes of limitations for sexual assault cases and has allowed multiple women to come forward and sue Bill Cosby, 85, for allegedly raping and drugging them.
Nine women in Nevada filed a lawsuit against The Cosby Show star for alleged sexual assault that happened between 1979 and 1992 in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe homes, dressing rooms and hotels.
“For years I have fought for survivors of sexual assault and today is the first time I will be able to fight for myself,” Lise Lotte-Lublin said, who is one of the women suing Cosby. “With the new law change, I now have the ability to take my assailant Bill Cosby to court. My journey has just begun, but I am grateful for this opportunity to find justice.”
The lawsuit states that Lotte-Lublin, then 23, was tricked by Cosby when he claimed to be her acting and...
Nine women in Nevada filed a lawsuit against The Cosby Show star for alleged sexual assault that happened between 1979 and 1992 in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe homes, dressing rooms and hotels.
“For years I have fought for survivors of sexual assault and today is the first time I will be able to fight for myself,” Lise Lotte-Lublin said, who is one of the women suing Cosby. “With the new law change, I now have the ability to take my assailant Bill Cosby to court. My journey has just begun, but I am grateful for this opportunity to find justice.”
The lawsuit states that Lotte-Lublin, then 23, was tricked by Cosby when he claimed to be her acting and...
- 6/15/2023
- by Rose Anne Cox-Peralta
- Uinterview
Actor Bill Cosby faces a new sexual assault lawsuit, this one in the state of Nevada. A case in the name of nine women was filed in the US District Court for Nevada, alleging that the disgraced actor and comedian exercised his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to isolate and sexually assault the individuals named in the case, reports ‘Variety’.
As per NBC News, a group of the women will speak in an interview on ‘NBC News Daily’. Pam Joy Abeyta, Lili Bernard, Rebecca Cooper, Janice Dickinson, Linda Kirkpatrick, Janice Baker Kinney, Angela Leslie, Lise-Lotte Lublin and Heidi Thomas are named in the case.
Cosby was convicted of a criminal sexual assault charge in Pennsylvania in April 2018. However, in 2021, the actor was released from prison after spending nearly three years behind bars; the conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court. The actor, now 85 years old, has discussed plans for a comedy tour.
As per NBC News, a group of the women will speak in an interview on ‘NBC News Daily’. Pam Joy Abeyta, Lili Bernard, Rebecca Cooper, Janice Dickinson, Linda Kirkpatrick, Janice Baker Kinney, Angela Leslie, Lise-Lotte Lublin and Heidi Thomas are named in the case.
Cosby was convicted of a criminal sexual assault charge in Pennsylvania in April 2018. However, in 2021, the actor was released from prison after spending nearly three years behind bars; the conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court. The actor, now 85 years old, has discussed plans for a comedy tour.
- 6/15/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Just weeks after Nevada passed a law eliminating the civil statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases involving adults, nine women filed a sexual assault lawsuit in the U.S. District Court against Bill Cosby on Wednesday, NBC News reported.
The lawsuit alleges that the disgraced actor used his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to isolate and sexually assault each of the nine women named in the filing.
They individuals named in the case are Janice Dickinson, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Janice Baker Kinney, Lili Bernard, Heidi Thomas, Linda Kirkpatrick, Rebecca Cooper,...
The lawsuit alleges that the disgraced actor used his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to isolate and sexually assault each of the nine women named in the filing.
They individuals named in the case are Janice Dickinson, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Janice Baker Kinney, Lili Bernard, Heidi Thomas, Linda Kirkpatrick, Rebecca Cooper,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Bill Cosby is facing new accusations of sexual assault. On Wednesday, in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Nevada, Southern Division, 9 women said the comedian drugged, assaulted and raped them in incidents they say occurred between 1979 and 1992.
The women — Lise Lotte-Lublin, Lili Bernard, Janice Baker-Kinney, Rebecca Cooper, Linda Kirkpatrick, Janice Dickenson, Angela Leslie, Pam Joy Abeyta and Heidi Thomas — say that they were all “sexually battered, assaulted, and abused” by Cosby “in a similar manner” in a Las Vegas hotel that Cosby frequently stayed at.
NBC will air an exclusive interview with the women on Thursday.
Each woman says Cosby approached them with offers to help them in their careers, using “his enormous power, fame, and prestige, and claimed interest” in order to “isolate and sexually assault them.”
The lawsuit then breaks down the individual accusations, each following a familiar pattern of being lured to a secluded place,...
The women — Lise Lotte-Lublin, Lili Bernard, Janice Baker-Kinney, Rebecca Cooper, Linda Kirkpatrick, Janice Dickenson, Angela Leslie, Pam Joy Abeyta and Heidi Thomas — say that they were all “sexually battered, assaulted, and abused” by Cosby “in a similar manner” in a Las Vegas hotel that Cosby frequently stayed at.
NBC will air an exclusive interview with the women on Thursday.
Each woman says Cosby approached them with offers to help them in their careers, using “his enormous power, fame, and prestige, and claimed interest” in order to “isolate and sexually assault them.”
The lawsuit then breaks down the individual accusations, each following a familiar pattern of being lured to a secluded place,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Bill Cosby faces a new sexual assault lawsuit, this one in the state of Nevada. A case in the name of nine women was filed in the U.S. District Court for Nevada, alleging that the disgraced actor and comedian exercised his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to isolate and sexually assault the individuals named in the case.
Per NBC News, a group of the women will speak in an interview on “NBC News Daily” on Thursday. Pam Joy Abeyta, Lili Bernard, Rebecca Cooper, Janice Dickinson, Linda Kirkpatrick, Janice Baker Kinney, Angela Leslie, Lise-Lotte Lublin and Heidi Thomas are named in the case.
Cosby was convicted of a criminal sexual assault charge in Pennsylvania in April 2018. However, in 2021, the actor was released from prison after spending nearly three years behind the bars; the conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court. The actor, now 85 years old, has discussed plans for a comedy tour.
Per NBC News, a group of the women will speak in an interview on “NBC News Daily” on Thursday. Pam Joy Abeyta, Lili Bernard, Rebecca Cooper, Janice Dickinson, Linda Kirkpatrick, Janice Baker Kinney, Angela Leslie, Lise-Lotte Lublin and Heidi Thomas are named in the case.
Cosby was convicted of a criminal sexual assault charge in Pennsylvania in April 2018. However, in 2021, the actor was released from prison after spending nearly three years behind the bars; the conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court. The actor, now 85 years old, has discussed plans for a comedy tour.
- 6/15/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy and Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
To mark the release of Allelujah arriving for Premium Digital Ownership and Premium Digital Rental from 17th April and will also be available on Blu-Ray and DVD from 29th May, we have 3 Blu-Rays to give away!
Allelujah is directed by Richard Eyre from a screenplay by Heidi Thomas (Call the Midwife, Cranford), and based on the stage play by Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George, The Lady in The Van). It is a warm, humorous and deeply moving story about surviving old age:
When the geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanizing the local community: they invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse. Allelujah celebrates the spirit of the elderly patients whilst paying tribute to the deep humanity of the medical staff battling with limited resources and ever-growing demand.
Allelujah is directed by Richard Eyre from a screenplay by Heidi Thomas (Call the Midwife, Cranford), and based on the stage play by Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George, The Lady in The Van). It is a warm, humorous and deeply moving story about surviving old age:
When the geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanizing the local community: they invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse. Allelujah celebrates the spirit of the elderly patients whilst paying tribute to the deep humanity of the medical staff battling with limited resources and ever-growing demand.
- 5/23/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Another season of Call the Midwife has come and gone on PBS. The heartfelt drama wrapped up its 12th season on May 7. But fortunately, that won’t be the last we’ll see of Nonnatus House’s nuns and midwives. Call the Midwife Season 13 is already in the works.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Call the Midwife Season 12 finale.]
What happened in the ‘Call the Midwife’ Season 12 finale Olly Rix as Matthew Aylward and Helen George as Trixie Franklin in ‘Call the Midwife’ Season 12 | Courtesy of BBC / Neal Street Productions / Laurence Cendrowicz
In the Call the Midwife Season 12 finale, Nurse Trixie Franklin (Helen George) finally said “I do” to Matthey Aylward (Olly Rix). Though there were a few bumps on the way to the altar – including a fire that destroyed the couple’s original wedding venue – everything turned out Ok in the end.
There was also good news for Nonnatus House, which has faced shaky...
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Call the Midwife Season 12 finale.]
What happened in the ‘Call the Midwife’ Season 12 finale Olly Rix as Matthew Aylward and Helen George as Trixie Franklin in ‘Call the Midwife’ Season 12 | Courtesy of BBC / Neal Street Productions / Laurence Cendrowicz
In the Call the Midwife Season 12 finale, Nurse Trixie Franklin (Helen George) finally said “I do” to Matthey Aylward (Olly Rix). Though there were a few bumps on the way to the altar – including a fire that destroyed the couple’s original wedding venue – everything turned out Ok in the end.
There was also good news for Nonnatus House, which has faced shaky...
- 5/9/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Have Call the Midwife fans seen the last of Lucille Robinson? The dedicated nurse, who is played by Leonie Elliott, left London for Jamaica in the most recent episode of the show, which aired on March 26 on PBS. Here’s what we know about whether Nurse Robinson will be returning to Nonnatus House in the future or if she’s left Call the Midwife for good.
[Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Call the Midwife Season 12.]
What happened to Nurse Lucille Robinson on ‘Call the Midwife’? Leonie Elliott as Nurse Lucille Robinson in ‘Call the Midwife’ | Courtesy of Neal Street Productions
Lucille has been having a difficult time in recent episodes of Call the Midwife. The newlywed nurse experienced a miscarriage in season 11 and has been unable to get pregnant again. That, combined with severe homesickness, led her to fall into a serious depression. Lucille, who is from Jamaica, was also deeply troubled by rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Britain,...
[Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Call the Midwife Season 12.]
What happened to Nurse Lucille Robinson on ‘Call the Midwife’? Leonie Elliott as Nurse Lucille Robinson in ‘Call the Midwife’ | Courtesy of Neal Street Productions
Lucille has been having a difficult time in recent episodes of Call the Midwife. The newlywed nurse experienced a miscarriage in season 11 and has been unable to get pregnant again. That, combined with severe homesickness, led her to fall into a serious depression. Lucille, who is from Jamaica, was also deeply troubled by rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Britain,...
- 4/1/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On the surface, Allelujah looks like standard Mother’s Day weekend fare; sweet and a bit twee with a rousing clap for the heroes spirit and the thrilling need to shove a hankie up your sleeve just in case Dame Judi dies at the end.
This is not that film.
It all starts off predictably enough; The Beth is a small Yorkshire hospital under threat of closure and the vulnerable patients in its respected geriatric unit have the most to lose if the battle to save it should fail. Figuratively and literally holding their hands through this turbulent time are Sister Gilpin (Jennifer Saunders) and Dr Valinder Singh Vashish (Bally Gill), who generously adopted the moniker Dr Valentine after patients repeatedly failed to pronounce his name. Dr Val also serves as our narrator.
The inhabitants of the precious beds on the ward are a checklist of sweet and sour, cheeky and confused archetypes,...
This is not that film.
It all starts off predictably enough; The Beth is a small Yorkshire hospital under threat of closure and the vulnerable patients in its respected geriatric unit have the most to lose if the battle to save it should fail. Figuratively and literally holding their hands through this turbulent time are Sister Gilpin (Jennifer Saunders) and Dr Valinder Singh Vashish (Bally Gill), who generously adopted the moniker Dr Valentine after patients repeatedly failed to pronounce his name. Dr Val also serves as our narrator.
The inhabitants of the precious beds on the ward are a checklist of sweet and sour, cheeky and confused archetypes,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
I used to think that directing was all about commanding – about knowing the answers to all the questions,” says Richard Eyre. “Now I feel the opposite.” Eyre, one of the titans of British theatre since the 1970s, has of course done his share of commanding in the past. Of Ian McKellen in one of the definitive stagings of Richard III. Of Daniel Day-Lewis in Hamlet, which saw the actor walk off stage mid-performance and never return. Of the National Theatre, throughout his 10-year stint as creative director between 1987 and 1997, when he championed the work of firebrand artists such as David Hare and Howard Brenton.
On screen, he cut his teeth on Play for Today before moving on to films such as 2006’s Notes from a Scandal and the BBC’s 2018 King Lear starring Anthony Hopkins and a cusp-of-stardom Florence Pugh. Now 79 years old, Eyre speaks to me over video chat...
On screen, he cut his teeth on Play for Today before moving on to films such as 2006’s Notes from a Scandal and the BBC’s 2018 King Lear starring Anthony Hopkins and a cusp-of-stardom Florence Pugh. Now 79 years old, Eyre speaks to me over video chat...
- 3/16/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Call the Midwife isn’t going anywhere. The BBC has renewed the long-running drama, which airs on PBS in the U.S., for seasons 14 and 15. Call the Midwife was previously renewed through season 13, with season 12 set to premiere in the U.S. in March.
‘Call the Midwife’ renewed for two more seasons
? Somebody Call The Midwife – we’re expecting Two further series!
The announcement of series 14 and 15 means that the multiple award-winning drama will now be on air until 2026, with series 13 commencing filming in the spring
*Spoiler alert!*
More https://t.co/PUuEMuAlnt pic.twitter.com/aTmBDOt332
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) February 13, 2023
The BBC confirmed that two more seasons of Call the Midwife are on the way. The renewal will keep the show on the air through at least 2026.
“I’m overjoyed by the news that the doors of Nonnatus House will be open for a few more years! Call the Midwife...
‘Call the Midwife’ renewed for two more seasons
? Somebody Call The Midwife – we’re expecting Two further series!
The announcement of series 14 and 15 means that the multiple award-winning drama will now be on air until 2026, with series 13 commencing filming in the spring
*Spoiler alert!*
More https://t.co/PUuEMuAlnt pic.twitter.com/aTmBDOt332
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) February 13, 2023
The BBC confirmed that two more seasons of Call the Midwife are on the way. The renewal will keep the show on the air through at least 2026.
“I’m overjoyed by the news that the doors of Nonnatus House will be open for a few more years! Call the Midwife...
- 2/13/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The popular period drama Call the Midwife has officially been renewed for two more seasons, keeping the show on the air until at least 2026. Created by Heidi Thomas, Call the Midwife premiered in 2012 and revolves around a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s and 1960s. The show airs on PBS in the U.S. BBC, who make the show, announced the renewal on Monday, February 13, with thebroadcaster’s Drama Director Lindsay Salt crediting the show’s “enduring popularity thanks to extraordinary creative talent and hard work.” Season 12 is currently airing and will wrap up in two weeks. According to Deadline, production is set to begin on Season 13 in the Spring. The 14th and 15th seasons will include eight 60-minute episodes each, along with Christmas specials. These seasons will see the show and its characters move into the 1970s, exploring the midwives...
- 2/13/2023
- TV Insider
‘Call The Midwife’ Renewed For Seasons 14 & 15 By BBC
Hit drama Call The Midwife will remain on the BBC for at least another three years following its latest double series order. Ratings for the Sunday night hit have continued to be strong throughout its lengthy run and an eight-part 14th and 15th have now been commissioned along with Christmas specials. Following a group of midwifes in mid-20th century London, Call the Midwife from Heidi Thomas and Neal Street has consistently been one of the BBC’s top-rated dramas over a decade-long period. It airs on PBS in the U.S. BBC Drama Director Lindsay Salt praised the returner’s “enduring popularity thanks to extraordinary creative talent and hard work.” Series 12 will wrap in two Sunday’s time and production on series 13 commences in the Spring.
Banijay & Laliga Form Laliga Studios
Laliga Studios has launched in Spain – a sport content company...
Hit drama Call The Midwife will remain on the BBC for at least another three years following its latest double series order. Ratings for the Sunday night hit have continued to be strong throughout its lengthy run and an eight-part 14th and 15th have now been commissioned along with Christmas specials. Following a group of midwifes in mid-20th century London, Call the Midwife from Heidi Thomas and Neal Street has consistently been one of the BBC’s top-rated dramas over a decade-long period. It airs on PBS in the U.S. BBC Drama Director Lindsay Salt praised the returner’s “enduring popularity thanks to extraordinary creative talent and hard work.” Series 12 will wrap in two Sunday’s time and production on series 13 commences in the Spring.
Banijay & Laliga Form Laliga Studios
Laliga Studios has launched in Spain – a sport content company...
- 2/13/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s the most wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeeeear! Wherever you fall on a festive scale of Scrooge to Elf, it’s certainly the best time of year for good telly: Christmas TV is every channel and streaming service’s time to shine, as they adorn their listings with sparkly specials and festive films. 2022 is no different, with everything from Christmas comedy offerings from Inside No. 9, to Ghosts and Detectorists, a new animated family film from the team behind The Gruffalo, and brand-new soppy festive rom-coms.
There’s also a growing selection box of Christmas dramas – including the last ever episode of Doc Martin – which is just as well considering this will be the first holiday season without a special Doctor Who episode since the show relaunched back in 2005.
We’ll keep this list updated with announcements and release dates as the Christmas TV schedules are confirmed, but for...
There’s also a growing selection box of Christmas dramas – including the last ever episode of Doc Martin – which is just as well considering this will be the first holiday season without a special Doctor Who episode since the show relaunched back in 2005.
We’ll keep this list updated with announcements and release dates as the Christmas TV schedules are confirmed, but for...
- 12/2/2022
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Allelujah TIFF Special Presentations Section Reviewed for Shockya.com by Abe Friedtanzer Director: Richard Eyre Writer: Heidi Thomas Cast: Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, David Bradley, Russell Tovey, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench Screened at: Scotiabank Theatre, Ontario, 9/16/22 Opens: September 10th, 2022 (Toronto International Film Festival) Few people set out to live out their last days in […]
The post TIFF 2022: Allelujah Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post TIFF 2022: Allelujah Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 9/18/2022
- by Abe Friedtanzer
- ShockYa
Click here to read the full article.
Like some kind of cinematic equivalent of the vault in the Tower of London where the Crown jewels are stored, the stage-to-screen adaptation Allelujah piles a number of “national treasures” atop one another: a script based on a play from 2018 by national treasure Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George); a cast featuring such treasured national stars as Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi and Jennifer Saunders; direction from feted theater and film veteran Richard Eyre (Iris, Notes on a Scandal) and so on. It’s all rolled up in a story about the institution every Brit most loves to love and moan about in equal measure, the National Health Service. What could possibly go wrong?
At the risk of having my Leave to Remain resident status in the U.K. revoked, I am sad to report that Allelujah the film is something of a disappointment.
Like some kind of cinematic equivalent of the vault in the Tower of London where the Crown jewels are stored, the stage-to-screen adaptation Allelujah piles a number of “national treasures” atop one another: a script based on a play from 2018 by national treasure Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George); a cast featuring such treasured national stars as Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi and Jennifer Saunders; direction from feted theater and film veteran Richard Eyre (Iris, Notes on a Scandal) and so on. It’s all rolled up in a story about the institution every Brit most loves to love and moan about in equal measure, the National Health Service. What could possibly go wrong?
At the risk of having my Leave to Remain resident status in the U.K. revoked, I am sad to report that Allelujah the film is something of a disappointment.
- 9/16/2022
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I have always loved the old” are some of the first voiceover words we hear from idealistic young Dr. Valentine (Bally Gill) as he heads off to work in “Allelujah,” Richard Eyre’s film (premiering at the Toronto Film Festival) about a hospital in Britain’s state-run health system facing the closure of its geriatric ward. The old are, Valentine tells us, “my work, my joy, my purpose.”
That sentiment could also stand in, though, for the wry yet sincere feelings of its source author, the brilliantly witty English writer Alan Bennett — a channeling master of unvarnished everyday folk, often of the vintage sort, but also a deft chronicler of timeless ways we deal with life’s surface nicks and deeper cuts.
Caring for the aged is at the core of Bennett’s 2018 play “Allelujah!,” adapted by “Call the Midwife” creator Heidi Thomas (who first removed that exclamation point) and,...
That sentiment could also stand in, though, for the wry yet sincere feelings of its source author, the brilliantly witty English writer Alan Bennett — a channeling master of unvarnished everyday folk, often of the vintage sort, but also a deft chronicler of timeless ways we deal with life’s surface nicks and deeper cuts.
Caring for the aged is at the core of Bennett’s 2018 play “Allelujah!,” adapted by “Call the Midwife” creator Heidi Thomas (who first removed that exclamation point) and,...
- 9/10/2022
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
Britain’s free and eternally beleaguered National Health Service has long been both a boost and a burden to the country’s political leaders. The present-day Conservative administration is only the latest to congratulate themselves on the progressive social generosity the NHS stands for — never more cynically than during the global pandemic — while cutting its funding and functionality at their convenience. A predominantly pro-nhs protest film that muffles its march with fluffy slippers, “Allelujah” also plays things two ways, and several times over. It didactically calls out governmental hypocrisy while exposing corrupt elements and inefficiencies within the precious institution itself. It hedges its bets politically between nostalgic keening for a kinder, fairer Britain of old and advocating for a top-down socialist makeover. It wavers tonally between cozy comedy and head-on polemic.
Richard Eyre’s film has, to be fair, inherited these inconsistencies from its source material: a 2018 play by revered...
Richard Eyre’s film has, to be fair, inherited these inconsistencies from its source material: a 2018 play by revered...
- 9/10/2022
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Interview
Former Chancellor and U.K. Prime Ministerial hopeful Rishi Sunak will be interviewed live on Channel 4, the British broadcaster whose privatization he has vowed to go ahead with. Sunak will be interviewed on a special episode of “The Andrew Neil Show” on July 29, after “Channel 4 News.” The program will be made by ITN Productions.
The other remaining candidate for Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, has been invited for an interview but has so far declined to take part. “The invitation remains open,” Channel 4 said.
A peak audience of more than two million people tuned in to the Channel 4 Conservative leadership debate, the first TV debate in the contest to be Britain’s next Prime Minister. Sunak and Truss face off on a TV debate on the BBC on June 25, presented by Sophie Raworth, with analysis from BBC political editor Chris Mason and BBC economics editor Faisal Islam.
Former Chancellor and U.K. Prime Ministerial hopeful Rishi Sunak will be interviewed live on Channel 4, the British broadcaster whose privatization he has vowed to go ahead with. Sunak will be interviewed on a special episode of “The Andrew Neil Show” on July 29, after “Channel 4 News.” The program will be made by ITN Productions.
The other remaining candidate for Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, has been invited for an interview but has so far declined to take part. “The invitation remains open,” Channel 4 said.
A peak audience of more than two million people tuned in to the Channel 4 Conservative leadership debate, the first TV debate in the contest to be Britain’s next Prime Minister. Sunak and Truss face off on a TV debate on the BBC on June 25, presented by Sophie Raworth, with analysis from BBC political editor Chris Mason and BBC economics editor Faisal Islam.
- 7/25/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Key screen figures receive honours for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Actor Damian Lewis, actor-director Andrew Onwubolu, aka Rapman and Creative UK CEO Caroline Norbury are among the film and TV figures to receive honorary titles as part of the Queen’s birthday honours to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Lewis, whose credits include Homeland, received a Cbe for his services to film and charity. He is also co-founder of the Feed NHS campaign, created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rapman created the YouTube series Shiro’s Story before directing his feature debut Blue Story in 2019. He has received an...
Actor Damian Lewis, actor-director Andrew Onwubolu, aka Rapman and Creative UK CEO Caroline Norbury are among the film and TV figures to receive honorary titles as part of the Queen’s birthday honours to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Lewis, whose credits include Homeland, received a Cbe for his services to film and charity. He is also co-founder of the Feed NHS campaign, created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rapman created the YouTube series Shiro’s Story before directing his feature debut Blue Story in 2019. He has received an...
- 6/6/2022
- by Melissa Kasule
- ScreenDaily
Pathé has released the first images from its new feature film, ‘Allelujah,’ a darkly comic tale about surviving old age.
Based on the stage play by Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George, The Lady in The Van), Richard Eyre (Notes on A Scandal, Iris) directs from a screenplay by Heidi Thomas.
The synopsis reads; When the geriatric ward of a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanizing the local community. They invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse. What could go wrong? The story celebrates the spirit of the elderly patients whilst paying tribute to the deep humanity of the medical staff battling with limited resources and ever-growing demand. But in the midst of the tears and the laughter, we slowly realise that there is something threatening the...
Based on the stage play by Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George, The Lady in The Van), Richard Eyre (Notes on A Scandal, Iris) directs from a screenplay by Heidi Thomas.
The synopsis reads; When the geriatric ward of a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanizing the local community. They invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse. What could go wrong? The story celebrates the spirit of the elderly patients whilst paying tribute to the deep humanity of the medical staff battling with limited resources and ever-growing demand. But in the midst of the tears and the laughter, we slowly realise that there is something threatening the...
- 5/5/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Actress Jenny Agutter, best known as Sister Julienne on PBS’ beloved drama Call the Midwife, reverently declares that the series “depends on human interaction more than most.”
That said, Agutter adds that when she sees pregnant women in real life, she gets as far away from them as possible so they don’t mistake her for the baby-delivering nun she plays on television. Linda Bassett, who costars as Nurse Phyllis, agrees and says she will continue to leave such duties to the experts.
More from TVLineCall the Midwife Finale Recap: Nancy's Fate Is Decided (and Sister Monica Joan Plays a...
That said, Agutter adds that when she sees pregnant women in real life, she gets as far away from them as possible so they don’t mistake her for the baby-delivering nun she plays on television. Linda Bassett, who costars as Nurse Phyllis, agrees and says she will continue to leave such duties to the experts.
More from TVLineCall the Midwife Finale Recap: Nancy's Fate Is Decided (and Sister Monica Joan Plays a...
- 11/20/2021
- by Mekeisha Madden Toby
- TVLine.com
Hunter Biden Pic Casts Actor To Play Joe Biden
John James (Dynasty) will portray President Joe Biden in My Son Hunter, a film focusing on his son Hunter Biden, who as previously announced will be played by Laurence Fox. Robert Davi (License to Kill) is directing the film. Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney are producing. Filming begins in Serbia this week and will last for four weeks.
‘Sentinel’ Wraps In Estonia
Altitude will launch sales on sci-fi thriller Sentinel, which recently wrapped production in Estonia, at AFM next month. Kate Bosworth, Thomas Kretschmann, Lucien Laviscount, and Martin McCann star in the movie, which comes from Estonian filmmaker Tanel Toom. Set in the future on a war-ravaged Earth, four soldiers man Sentinel – a remote military base in a vast ocean that separates two warring continents. They await the relief or the enemy, whichever comes first. Malachi Smyth wrote the screenplay, producers are Ben Pullen,...
John James (Dynasty) will portray President Joe Biden in My Son Hunter, a film focusing on his son Hunter Biden, who as previously announced will be played by Laurence Fox. Robert Davi (License to Kill) is directing the film. Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney are producing. Filming begins in Serbia this week and will last for four weeks.
‘Sentinel’ Wraps In Estonia
Altitude will launch sales on sci-fi thriller Sentinel, which recently wrapped production in Estonia, at AFM next month. Kate Bosworth, Thomas Kretschmann, Lucien Laviscount, and Martin McCann star in the movie, which comes from Estonian filmmaker Tanel Toom. Set in the future on a war-ravaged Earth, four soldiers man Sentinel – a remote military base in a vast ocean that separates two warring continents. They await the relief or the enemy, whichever comes first. Malachi Smyth wrote the screenplay, producers are Ben Pullen,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Cast also includes Bally Gill, Russell Tovey, David Bradley and Derek Jacobi.
Shooting has commenced in London on Pathe’s Allelujah, an adaptation of the stage play written by Alan Bennett.
Notes On A Scandal’s Richard Eyre directs with Call The Midwife creator Heidi Thomas adapting the screenplay.
Damian Jones and Kevin Loader produce. The duo previously worked on the adaptation of Bennett’s memoir, The Lady And The Van.
Judi Dench, Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, Russell Tovey, David Bradley and Derek Jacobi star.
Allelujah is a Pathé, BBC Film and Ingenious Media presentation of a DJ Films and Redstart Production.
Shooting has commenced in London on Pathe’s Allelujah, an adaptation of the stage play written by Alan Bennett.
Notes On A Scandal’s Richard Eyre directs with Call The Midwife creator Heidi Thomas adapting the screenplay.
Damian Jones and Kevin Loader produce. The duo previously worked on the adaptation of Bennett’s memoir, The Lady And The Van.
Judi Dench, Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, Russell Tovey, David Bradley and Derek Jacobi star.
Allelujah is a Pathé, BBC Film and Ingenious Media presentation of a DJ Films and Redstart Production.
- 10/25/2021
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Festival
The 65th BFI London Film Festival, which concluded Oct. 17, attracted crowds for in-person events and virtually. The festival unspooled over 12 days across London venues, 10 partner cinema venues around the U.K. and online. There were more than 139,000 physical attendances at screenings and events and over 152,000 virtual attendances.
The festival closed with the European premiere of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” at new festival venue, the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall with director Joel Coen and key cast, including Frances McDormand, in attendance.
There was a sting in the tail, however, as two people who attended the closing film and after party tested positive for Covid-19, compelling the BFI to send letters to attendees informing them about this. The positive tests came as no surprise as the U.K. is experiencing a dramatic surge in cases currently.
The array of celebrities who attended the festival in person included Jay Z,...
The 65th BFI London Film Festival, which concluded Oct. 17, attracted crowds for in-person events and virtually. The festival unspooled over 12 days across London venues, 10 partner cinema venues around the U.K. and online. There were more than 139,000 physical attendances at screenings and events and over 152,000 virtual attendances.
The festival closed with the European premiere of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” at new festival venue, the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall with director Joel Coen and key cast, including Frances McDormand, in attendance.
There was a sting in the tail, however, as two people who attended the closing film and after party tested positive for Covid-19, compelling the BFI to send letters to attendees informing them about this. The positive tests came as no surprise as the U.K. is experiencing a dramatic surge in cases currently.
The array of celebrities who attended the festival in person included Jay Z,...
- 10/25/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Call The Midwife has given viewers a glimpse of the joy, love and hardships of Nonnatus House for nearly a decade – much longer than creator and executive producer Heidi Thomas said she ever expected.
“Certainly, from my point of view I was focused on doing one series and there was never an expectation of doing a second,” Thomas said during a PBS TCA panel on Thursday “I think every year it takes us as surprise.”
Thomas joined Call The Midwife stars Jenny Agutter, Megan Cusack, Ella Bruccoleri and Stephen McGann to reflect on a decade of the PBS drama, which is commissioned in partnership with the BBC. The series, which centers on the sisters, nurses and midwives of Poplar’s Nonnatus House, moves forward with new perspective each year.
Season 10, which PBS shared will debut Sunday, October 3 at 8 p.m. Et, is set in 1966, a trying time for the midwives.
“Certainly, from my point of view I was focused on doing one series and there was never an expectation of doing a second,” Thomas said during a PBS TCA panel on Thursday “I think every year it takes us as surprise.”
Thomas joined Call The Midwife stars Jenny Agutter, Megan Cusack, Ella Bruccoleri and Stephen McGann to reflect on a decade of the PBS drama, which is commissioned in partnership with the BBC. The series, which centers on the sisters, nurses and midwives of Poplar’s Nonnatus House, moves forward with new perspective each year.
Season 10, which PBS shared will debut Sunday, October 3 at 8 p.m. Et, is set in 1966, a trying time for the midwives.
- 8/12/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Call the Midwife has received another early renewal. BBC has renewed the long-running period drama series for seasons 12 and 13, keeping the show on the air until 2024. Season 10 debuts in the UK this Sunday night and season 11 will begin filming soon.
In the United States, the Call the Midwife show airs on PBS. A 10th season premiere date hasn't been announced yet. Word is that a fall premiere is likely but an official date hasn't been released.
Created by Heidi Thomas, Call the Midwife revolves around a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s and 1960s. The most recent Christmas special, which aired on Christmas 2020, stars Jenny Agutter, Linda Bassett, Judy Parfitt, Fenella Woolgar, Ella Bruccoleri, Helen George, Laura Main, Leonie Elliott, Stephen McGann,...
In the United States, the Call the Midwife show airs on PBS. A 10th season premiere date hasn't been announced yet. Word is that a fall premiere is likely but an official date hasn't been released.
Created by Heidi Thomas, Call the Midwife revolves around a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s and 1960s. The most recent Christmas special, which aired on Christmas 2020, stars Jenny Agutter, Linda Bassett, Judy Parfitt, Fenella Woolgar, Ella Bruccoleri, Helen George, Laura Main, Leonie Elliott, Stephen McGann,...
- 4/15/2021
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Exclusive: Disability rights group the Ruderman Family Foundation has honored the final season of the Will & Grace revival as well as Fear the Walking Dead, Sex Education, Emmerdale and Call the Midwife with the latest round of recipients for the Seal of Authentic Representation.
“After witnessing significant progress on authentic casting decisions in Hollywood in recent years, we are particularly gratified to see the international momentum that has been generated in this high-priority area,” said Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation. “With several British series joining American productions in our latest round of honorees, it is clearer than ever that the entertainment industry increasingly considers disability as an important part of diversity.”
The organization honors the five series as they have contributed to the growing momentum on the inclusion and authentic representation of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry.
This marks the sixth time the Seal...
“After witnessing significant progress on authentic casting decisions in Hollywood in recent years, we are particularly gratified to see the international momentum that has been generated in this high-priority area,” said Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation. “With several British series joining American productions in our latest round of honorees, it is clearer than ever that the entertainment industry increasingly considers disability as an important part of diversity.”
The organization honors the five series as they have contributed to the growing momentum on the inclusion and authentic representation of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry.
This marks the sixth time the Seal...
- 2/22/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Neal Street Productions has commenced filming on Season 10 of Call The Midwife after the BBC/PBS series was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The BBC announced that production on the period drama has begun with a 2020 Christmas special before Season 10 is shot. Neal Street will make seven episodes instead of eight amid Covid-19 constraints.
The All3Media-owned producer has developed “comprehensive protocols” to get cameras rolling again, while a designated coronavirus supervisor has been hired to oversee safety procedures.
Call The Midwife, which is filmed at Longcross Studios, was meant to begin production on its latest season in the spring, but like virtually all major scripted content, it was blown off course by the pandemic.
Executive producer Dame Pippa Harris said: “In such difficult times, the values of Call The Midwife seem more resonant than ever. In series ten we will continue to celebrate the skill and bravery of the...
The BBC announced that production on the period drama has begun with a 2020 Christmas special before Season 10 is shot. Neal Street will make seven episodes instead of eight amid Covid-19 constraints.
The All3Media-owned producer has developed “comprehensive protocols” to get cameras rolling again, while a designated coronavirus supervisor has been hired to oversee safety procedures.
Call The Midwife, which is filmed at Longcross Studios, was meant to begin production on its latest season in the spring, but like virtually all major scripted content, it was blown off course by the pandemic.
Executive producer Dame Pippa Harris said: “In such difficult times, the values of Call The Midwife seem more resonant than ever. In series ten we will continue to celebrate the skill and bravery of the...
- 8/18/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has decided to cancel its 2021 awards, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The guild’s chair Lisa Holdsworth said the industries its members work within face an “existential threat,” and the guild needed to focus on protecting their rights.
The red-carpet, gala event was due to take place at London’s Royal College of Physicians in January in a special ceremony to mark their 60th anniversary.
Holdsworth said: “Our awards happen because of two things: the generous support of our loyal sponsors, and the same collective strength our union is founded on. Wggb members, all working writers, volunteer their time and energy to sit on juries, shortlist entries, and pull endless strings behind the scenes to make the event the glittering success it is every year.”
“This year, those same members are working tirelessly to protect writers’ rights in industries which are facing an unprecedented,...
The red-carpet, gala event was due to take place at London’s Royal College of Physicians in January in a special ceremony to mark their 60th anniversary.
Holdsworth said: “Our awards happen because of two things: the generous support of our loyal sponsors, and the same collective strength our union is founded on. Wggb members, all working writers, volunteer their time and energy to sit on juries, shortlist entries, and pull endless strings behind the scenes to make the event the glittering success it is every year.”
“This year, those same members are working tirelessly to protect writers’ rights in industries which are facing an unprecedented,...
- 5/20/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Following a heated auction, Anonymous Content, Chapter One, Hopscotch Features and Joel Edgerton (Boy Erased) are teaming to produce an international TV drama adaptation of Australian bestseller Boy Swallows Universe.
The project is the first to be announced for Anonymous Content’s UK spin-off Chapter One, which was set up last year with UK agencies Casarotto Ramsay and United. The deal was negotiated on behalf of HarperCollins Australia.
Acclaimed Oz journalist Trent Dalton’s lauded debut novel, inspired by his own complicated youth, is a coming-of-age story set in Brisbane’s violent working-class suburban fringe. The 1980’s story follows a young boy trying to find his way despite his mum being in jail, his stepfather pushing heroine, and the attentions of a local drug kingpin. Amid this fraught existence he also navigates his first romance.
Australian multi-hyphenate Edgerton, star of Loving and writer-director-producer of Boy Erased and The Gift,...
The project is the first to be announced for Anonymous Content’s UK spin-off Chapter One, which was set up last year with UK agencies Casarotto Ramsay and United. The deal was negotiated on behalf of HarperCollins Australia.
Acclaimed Oz journalist Trent Dalton’s lauded debut novel, inspired by his own complicated youth, is a coming-of-age story set in Brisbane’s violent working-class suburban fringe. The 1980’s story follows a young boy trying to find his way despite his mum being in jail, his stepfather pushing heroine, and the attentions of a local drug kingpin. Amid this fraught existence he also navigates his first romance.
Australian multi-hyphenate Edgerton, star of Loving and writer-director-producer of Boy Erased and The Gift,...
- 5/22/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The U.K.’s two biggest broadcasters have ordered new seasons of audience favorites “Call the Midwife,” “Endeavour,” and “Vera,” guaranteeing new episodes of some of the most-watched shows on British TV.
Season 9 of period drama “Call the Midwife” is about to go into production, and the BBC has greenlit two further runs beyond that. Season 8 is on air and the best-performing returning drama of the year so far in the U.K. The new seasons will take the action into the late 1960s. In the U.S. the show, which is produced by Sam Mendes’ All3Media-backed Neal Street, runs on PBS.
Series writer and creator Heidi Thomas said: “Even after all these years, it still feels as though ‘Call the Midwife’ has more truth to tell, more tears to cry, more life to celebrate, and more love to give.”
ITV has re-upped two of its big shows. “Inspector...
Season 9 of period drama “Call the Midwife” is about to go into production, and the BBC has greenlit two further runs beyond that. Season 8 is on air and the best-performing returning drama of the year so far in the U.K. The new seasons will take the action into the late 1960s. In the U.S. the show, which is produced by Sam Mendes’ All3Media-backed Neal Street, runs on PBS.
Series writer and creator Heidi Thomas said: “Even after all these years, it still feels as though ‘Call the Midwife’ has more truth to tell, more tears to cry, more life to celebrate, and more love to give.”
ITV has re-upped two of its big shows. “Inspector...
- 3/4/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
BBC period drama Call The Midwife is set to run through until at least 2022 after the British public broadcaster renewed it for a further two seasons.
The series, which airs on PBS in the U.S. has been handed a season ten and eleven consisting of eight episode seasons and two Christmas specials.
This comes as season eight of the Neal Street Productions series became the highest rating returning drama of 2019 with an average of around 9M viewers per episode. Filming is set to start on season nine shortly and it will air in 2020.
Heidi Thomas will continue to lead the writing team with Pippa Harris as executive roducer alongside Mona Qureshi. Ann Tricklebank is producer. The renewal was made by Charlotte Moore, Director, BBC Content and Piers Wenger, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning.
Harris said, “We are delighted and humbled by the continued warmth of the audience response to Call the Midwife.
The series, which airs on PBS in the U.S. has been handed a season ten and eleven consisting of eight episode seasons and two Christmas specials.
This comes as season eight of the Neal Street Productions series became the highest rating returning drama of 2019 with an average of around 9M viewers per episode. Filming is set to start on season nine shortly and it will air in 2020.
Heidi Thomas will continue to lead the writing team with Pippa Harris as executive roducer alongside Mona Qureshi. Ann Tricklebank is producer. The renewal was made by Charlotte Moore, Director, BBC Content and Piers Wenger, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning.
Harris said, “We are delighted and humbled by the continued warmth of the audience response to Call the Midwife.
- 3/4/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in a widely viewed trial that #MeToo advocates said doubled as a litmus test for the progress of the movement. Cosby was facing 30 years in prison.
Cosby was taken straight to prison following the sentencing, with Judge Steven O’Neill denying Cosby’s lawyer’s motion to allow him to remain free on bail pending an appeal.
Earlier in the day, O’Neill deemed Cosby a "sexually violent predator," which...
Cosby was taken straight to prison following the sentencing, with Judge Steven O’Neill denying Cosby’s lawyer’s motion to allow him to remain free on bail pending an appeal.
Earlier in the day, O’Neill deemed Cosby a "sexually violent predator," which...
- 9/25/2018
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Progress can be frustratingly slow, and that’s been the case when it comes to the Primetime Emmy writing and directing categories. While there are more female writers and directors nominated for Emmys this year than 10 years ago, they are still underrepresented on the final ballot. And what’s more, their representation is not keeping pace with the overall growth of women writers and directors in the TV industry.
IndieWire tallied the number of male and female writers and directors nominated this year and in 2008, for comparison. Here’s what we found:
Combined, when all comedy, drama, limited series/TV movie, variety series, variety special, and documentary/nonfiction categories are included, there are 149 writers nominated for an Emmy in 2018. Of that group, 35 are women. That makes for 23.5 percent of the nominees.
That’s a nice lift from 2008, when 11 out of 112 nominees — or 9.8 percent — were women.
According to the Writers’ Guild of America,...
IndieWire tallied the number of male and female writers and directors nominated this year and in 2008, for comparison. Here’s what we found:
Combined, when all comedy, drama, limited series/TV movie, variety series, variety special, and documentary/nonfiction categories are included, there are 149 writers nominated for an Emmy in 2018. Of that group, 35 are women. That makes for 23.5 percent of the nominees.
That’s a nice lift from 2008, when 11 out of 112 nominees — or 9.8 percent — were women.
According to the Writers’ Guild of America,...
- 8/10/2018
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Angela Lansbury has lost a record 18 races for acting at the Emmy Awards. But the TV academy has a chance to finally right that egregious wrong this year. In the recent TV adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic “Little Women,” Dame Angela shone in the scene-stealing role of Aunt March, the grande dame of the family. Acclaimed character actresses Edna May Oliver, Lucile Watson and Mary Wickes made much of this role in the 1933, 1949 and 1994 film versions as did Oscar winner Greer Garson (“Mrs. Miniver”) in the 1978 telefilm.
The pedigree of this remake of “Little Women” could done much to help Lansbury’s likelihood of winning. It is a BBC/PBS co-production and was presented stateside under the “Masterpiece” umbrella. The adaptation is by Heidi Thomas (“Call The Midwife”) while Vanessa Caswill (Thirteen”) handles the helming.
Lansbury lost every one of her record 12 consecutive Drama Actress bids for “Murder, She Wrote...
The pedigree of this remake of “Little Women” could done much to help Lansbury’s likelihood of winning. It is a BBC/PBS co-production and was presented stateside under the “Masterpiece” umbrella. The adaptation is by Heidi Thomas (“Call The Midwife”) while Vanessa Caswill (Thirteen”) handles the helming.
Lansbury lost every one of her record 12 consecutive Drama Actress bids for “Murder, She Wrote...
- 6/5/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Andrea Constand, whose sexual assault accusations against Bill Cosby led to his guilty conviction in April, detailed the 2004 incident in which she says he drugged and assaulted her, for the first time outside of a courtroom in an upcoming interview with “Dateline.”
“Three blue pills. And he put his hand out and I said, ‘What are those?’ And he said, ‘They’ll help you relax,'” Constand said of the time the now-disgraced comedian invited her to his home when she was an operations manager for Temple University’s women’s basketball program, in a preview for the interview released Thursday.
“And I said, ‘Are they natural? Are they, like, a herbal remedy?’ And he said, ‘No, they’re your friends. Just put them down.'”
Also Read: Bill Cosby's Sentencing Set for September
She says she took the pills from Cosby, 80, because she “trusted that they would maybe just...
“Three blue pills. And he put his hand out and I said, ‘What are those?’ And he said, ‘They’ll help you relax,'” Constand said of the time the now-disgraced comedian invited her to his home when she was an operations manager for Temple University’s women’s basketball program, in a preview for the interview released Thursday.
“And I said, ‘Are they natural? Are they, like, a herbal remedy?’ And he said, ‘No, they’re your friends. Just put them down.'”
Also Read: Bill Cosby's Sentencing Set for September
She says she took the pills from Cosby, 80, because she “trusted that they would maybe just...
- 5/31/2018
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
NBC News has released a teaser clip of its upcoming Dateline interview with Andrea Constand, the victim in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial that resulted in a guilty verdict last month in Pennsylvania.
In her first TV sit-down, Constand describes in detail to NBC’s Kate Snow her experience during the encounter in 2004, saying Cosby “had three blue pills in his hand” and told her it would “help you relax.” She said Cosby told her “Just put ’em down,”…’they’re your friends.”
She said she took the pills, adding, “I took them because I trusted that they would maybe just help me feel a little more relaxed” and because she trusted him.
After being drugged, she told Snow, “My mind is saying, ‘Move your hands. Kick. Can you do anything? I don’t want this. Why is this person doing this?’ And me not being able to do– react in any specific way.
In her first TV sit-down, Constand describes in detail to NBC’s Kate Snow her experience during the encounter in 2004, saying Cosby “had three blue pills in his hand” and told her it would “help you relax.” She said Cosby told her “Just put ’em down,”…’they’re your friends.”
She said she took the pills, adding, “I took them because I trusted that they would maybe just help me feel a little more relaxed” and because she trusted him.
After being drugged, she told Snow, “My mind is saying, ‘Move your hands. Kick. Can you do anything? I don’t want this. Why is this person doing this?’ And me not being able to do– react in any specific way.
- 5/31/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Andrea Constand, the victim in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial that resulted in a guilty verdict last month in Pennsylvania, will appear for an exclusive interview Friday on NBC’s Dateline. It will be her first TV sit-down.
The special Dateline episode, “Bringing Down Bill Cosby: Andrea Constand Speaks,” will air at 10 Pm Et and feature interviews with four other Cosby accusers — Janice Baker-Kinney, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Heidi Thomas and Chelan Lasha — who testified against him in the retrial, along with Constand’s mother Gianna Constand.
Kate Snow, who interviewed a group of 27 Cosby accusers as part of a Dateline special in 2015, will host. Friday’s special will also include interviews with Andrea Constand’s attorneys Dolores Troiani and Bebe Kivitz, and Angela Rose of Pave (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment), an advocacy group for survivors of sexual assault.
Constand’s case is the only one against Cosby to result in a criminal trial.
The special Dateline episode, “Bringing Down Bill Cosby: Andrea Constand Speaks,” will air at 10 Pm Et and feature interviews with four other Cosby accusers — Janice Baker-Kinney, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Heidi Thomas and Chelan Lasha — who testified against him in the retrial, along with Constand’s mother Gianna Constand.
Kate Snow, who interviewed a group of 27 Cosby accusers as part of a Dateline special in 2015, will host. Friday’s special will also include interviews with Andrea Constand’s attorneys Dolores Troiani and Bebe Kivitz, and Angela Rose of Pave (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment), an advocacy group for survivors of sexual assault.
Constand’s case is the only one against Cosby to result in a criminal trial.
- 5/29/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Andrea Constand, the first woman to pursue charges against Bill Cosby for sexual assault, is breaking her 13-year silence for an interview with NBC News' Kate Snow. Bringing Down Bill Cosby: Andrea Constand Speaks will air on Dateline on Friday, June 1st.
Constand is speaking for the first time in a televised interview about the sexual assault and Cosby's retrial. The hour-long special also features interviews with with Janice Baker-Kinney, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Heidi Thomas and Chelan Lasha, four Cosby accusers who testified against him last April. In 2015, Snow interviewed...
Constand is speaking for the first time in a televised interview about the sexual assault and Cosby's retrial. The hour-long special also features interviews with with Janice Baker-Kinney, Lise-Lotte Lublin, Heidi Thomas and Chelan Lasha, four Cosby accusers who testified against him last April. In 2015, Snow interviewed...
- 5/29/2018
- Rollingstone.com
A report commissioned by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has found a wide gap between male and female writers working across film and TV — with no significant improvement over a period of 10 years. Among the findings, 16% of all working film screenwriters in the UK are female while 14% of primetime TV drama is predominantly written by women.
The report, titled “Gender Inequality and Screenwriters,” gathered data from over 30 sources and examined the decade from 2005-2015. Figures reveal “the serious lack of authentic female voices and their opportunity to tell their stories.” More than half of respondents to a survey of Wggb members conducted by the authors of the report suggested they had seen evidence of discrimination over the course of their careers.
The findings have spurred the Equality Writes campaign which calls on the industry to effect positive change. Short-term goals include program-level TV equality monitoring data to be released...
The report, titled “Gender Inequality and Screenwriters,” gathered data from over 30 sources and examined the decade from 2005-2015. Figures reveal “the serious lack of authentic female voices and their opportunity to tell their stories.” More than half of respondents to a survey of Wggb members conducted by the authors of the report suggested they had seen evidence of discrimination over the course of their careers.
The findings have spurred the Equality Writes campaign which calls on the industry to effect positive change. Short-term goals include program-level TV equality monitoring data to be released...
- 5/23/2018
- by Nancy Tartaglione and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from the second part of the PBS adaptation of “Little Women.”]
“Little Women” may be one of the most beloved American novels, but one major storyline has divided readers ever since it was published over a century ago. Although tomboyish writer Jo March had had a strong bond with the boy next door Laurie Laurence, she rejected his marriage proposal and declaration of love, vowing to never marry. But lo and behold, she later fell for and wed the much older and gruffer German professor, Friedrich Bhaer.
While a certain contingent of “Little Women” fans supports Jo’s mature choice, a very vocal majority have been vehemently against the breakup of Jo and Laurie.
“When I first read the scene, I could not begin to understand what Jo was doing,” Maya Hawke, who plays Jo in the “Masterpiece” adaptation, said of reading the novel for the first time in eighth grade. “I really didn’t. Laurie...
“Little Women” may be one of the most beloved American novels, but one major storyline has divided readers ever since it was published over a century ago. Although tomboyish writer Jo March had had a strong bond with the boy next door Laurie Laurence, she rejected his marriage proposal and declaration of love, vowing to never marry. But lo and behold, she later fell for and wed the much older and gruffer German professor, Friedrich Bhaer.
While a certain contingent of “Little Women” fans supports Jo’s mature choice, a very vocal majority have been vehemently against the breakup of Jo and Laurie.
“When I first read the scene, I could not begin to understand what Jo was doing,” Maya Hawke, who plays Jo in the “Masterpiece” adaptation, said of reading the novel for the first time in eighth grade. “I really didn’t. Laurie...
- 5/21/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, this most recent adaptation of Little Women (from writer Heidi Thomas and director Vanessa Caswill) is as relevant and engaging in today’s modern times as it was when it was originally published in 1868, thanks to the universally relatable emotions of love and loss. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the story follows four sisters – Meg (Willa Fitzgerald), Jo (Maya Hawke), Beth (Annes Elwy) and Amy March (Kathryn Newton) – on their journey from childhood to adulthood, with the help of their mother Marmee (Emily Watson) and their …...
- 5/13/2018
- by Christina Radish
- Collider.com
And so, we reach the final month before Emmys eligibility closes once more. As the mad rush intensifies before the official start of summer, a number of returning TV shows will definitely be vying for your attention.
But amidst all the chaos of those shows making their way back into living rooms, some new series will also be vying for your attention. As is our custom at the beginning of each month, we’ve collected a rundown of the shows that might just be worth your time across broadcast, cable, and streaming.
(Missed our picks of what the first part of the year had to offer? Here are some notable TV premieres from February, March, and April.)
“Being Serena”
As one of the great athletes of her generation embarks on the new quest of being a mother, this five-part HBO series tracks her life on and off the tennis court.
But amidst all the chaos of those shows making their way back into living rooms, some new series will also be vying for your attention. As is our custom at the beginning of each month, we’ve collected a rundown of the shows that might just be worth your time across broadcast, cable, and streaming.
(Missed our picks of what the first part of the year had to offer? Here are some notable TV premieres from February, March, and April.)
“Being Serena”
As one of the great athletes of her generation embarks on the new quest of being a mother, this five-part HBO series tracks her life on and off the tennis court.
- 5/1/2018
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman's daughter, Maya Hawke, is set to make her acting debut as Jo March in a new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel <em>Little Women</em>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
The three-part miniseries from PBS Masterpiece and Britain's BBC, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, also stars <em>Big Little Lies</em>' Kathryn Newton and is executive produced by Colin Callender and Rebecca Eaton. Heidi Thomas penned the latest version of the March sisters' coming-of-age story, with Vanessa Caswill serving as director.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
Hawke and Newton, who plays youngest sister Amy, were both on hand ...
The three-part miniseries from PBS Masterpiece and Britain's BBC, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, also stars <em>Big Little Lies</em>' Kathryn Newton and is executive produced by Colin Callender and Rebecca Eaton. Heidi Thomas penned the latest version of the March sisters' coming-of-age story, with Vanessa Caswill serving as director.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
Hawke and Newton, who plays youngest sister Amy, were both on hand ...
- 4/30/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
A Pennsylvania jury took just 15 hours over two days to find comedy legend Bill Cosby guilty on all three counts of aggravated indecent assault against former Temple University employee Andrea Costrand. Cosby showed little emotion, only looking down when the verdict was read. Judge Steven O'Neil said Cosby could remain free on bail until sentencing, although District Attorney Kevin Steele asked Judge Steven O'Neil to revoke bail, stating Cosby was a flight risk since he owned a plane. While Cosby had been silent throughout the whole trial, Steele's statement prompted Cosby to shout a loud response in court. Here's what Cosby had to say, referring to himself in the third person as his voice began to shake.
"He doesn't own a plane, you a--hole. He doesn't know."
A date hasn't been set for sentencing yet, but Pennsylvania law requires that to happen at least 100 days after the verdict. The 80-year-old...
"He doesn't own a plane, you a--hole. He doesn't know."
A date hasn't been set for sentencing yet, but Pennsylvania law requires that to happen at least 100 days after the verdict. The 80-year-old...
- 4/27/2018
- by MovieWeb
- MovieWeb
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