As television and film continue to synthesize into a gray streaming sludge known as “content,” TV still has one unique trait going for it. The noble episode.
Television has been an episodic medium ever since it was first invented as an excuse to sell commercial time. Episodes are TV’s secret weapon. Though they exist as a part of a whole, TV episodes are unmistakably their own thing. Each episode of television comes complete with a unique script, a fresh guest cast, and even its own name. Now, however, an insidious new trend has jeopardized TV episodes’ distinctive status. Shows feel increasingly emboldened to leave their episodes title-less.
You’ve undoubtedly seen them as you’ve scrolled through your streaming subscriptions. Whether they run with “Part 1, Part 2, etc.,” “Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.,” or even just “Episode 1, Episode 2, etc.,” many series are forgoing their sacred duty to give their episodes titles.
This is frustrating on several fronts.
Television has been an episodic medium ever since it was first invented as an excuse to sell commercial time. Episodes are TV’s secret weapon. Though they exist as a part of a whole, TV episodes are unmistakably their own thing. Each episode of television comes complete with a unique script, a fresh guest cast, and even its own name. Now, however, an insidious new trend has jeopardized TV episodes’ distinctive status. Shows feel increasingly emboldened to leave their episodes title-less.
You’ve undoubtedly seen them as you’ve scrolled through your streaming subscriptions. Whether they run with “Part 1, Part 2, etc.,” “Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.,” or even just “Episode 1, Episode 2, etc.,” many series are forgoing their sacred duty to give their episodes titles.
This is frustrating on several fronts.
- 1/29/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Before she was seen online dancing with knives, Britney Spears was on a bigger screen. Now, her first film role, Crossroads, is finally coming to Netflix.
The 2002 film will hit the streamer on Feb. 15. The movie hasn’t been on streaming platforms or available from digital retailers since its release.
Crossroads features Spears as “Lucy,” a character who reunites with her childhood best friends Kit (Zoë Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning). A cross-country road trip ensues with Mimi’s friend Ben (Anson Mount).
The film was written by Shonda Rhimes. It returned to theaters last year for two nights in October to coincide with the release of Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me.
Director Tamra Davis said at that time, “I recently rewatched Crossroads and was so enthralled with the time capsule of nostalgia that this incredible ensemble cast brings to the screen. Britney is absolutely breathtaking to watch, and...
The 2002 film will hit the streamer on Feb. 15. The movie hasn’t been on streaming platforms or available from digital retailers since its release.
Crossroads features Spears as “Lucy,” a character who reunites with her childhood best friends Kit (Zoë Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning). A cross-country road trip ensues with Mimi’s friend Ben (Anson Mount).
The film was written by Shonda Rhimes. It returned to theaters last year for two nights in October to coincide with the release of Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me.
Director Tamra Davis said at that time, “I recently rewatched Crossroads and was so enthralled with the time capsule of nostalgia that this incredible ensemble cast brings to the screen. Britney is absolutely breathtaking to watch, and...
- 1/26/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
In any given year, British TV can be relied on to provide plenty in the way of crime drama, and 2023 was no different. Between these returning series and newcomers A Town Called Malice, Blue Lights, Marlow, Payback, Rebus, Steeltown Murders, The Gold, The Sixth Commandment, Wolf and more, crime continued to flourish on the small screen.
Happily though, that was far from all that UK TV offered this year. There was fantasy too, in the form of Netflix’s South London super-powers drama Supacell, ghost detective series Lockwood & Co., Greek and Roman mythology series Kaos, and sci-fi in Prime Video’s The Rig.
Add to all those the romances, dramas inspired by real-life, and several other book adaptations, period and otherwise plus music-based dramas Champion and This Town, and it was a pretty full slate.
January Stonehouse
Succession‘s Matthew Macfadyen and Crossfire‘s Keeley Hawes star in this three-part ITV drama,...
Happily though, that was far from all that UK TV offered this year. There was fantasy too, in the form of Netflix’s South London super-powers drama Supacell, ghost detective series Lockwood & Co., Greek and Roman mythology series Kaos, and sci-fi in Prime Video’s The Rig.
Add to all those the romances, dramas inspired by real-life, and several other book adaptations, period and otherwise plus music-based dramas Champion and This Town, and it was a pretty full slate.
January Stonehouse
Succession‘s Matthew Macfadyen and Crossfire‘s Keeley Hawes star in this three-part ITV drama,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival is set to return for the first time in four years, taking place Sept. 23 and 24 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The lineup boasts an array of young and old talent, including Gary Clark, Jr., Sheryl Crow, H.E.R., Vince Gill, Buddy Guy, Santana, Stephen Stills, Zz Top, the War on Drugs, Robert Randolph, John Mayer Trio, Los Lobos, Joe Bonamassa, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Marcus King, Robbie Robertson, Taj Mahal, Jakob Dylan, Molly Tuttle, and Keb’ Mo’. Clapton will also perform on both nights of the festival.
The lineup boasts an array of young and old talent, including Gary Clark, Jr., Sheryl Crow, H.E.R., Vince Gill, Buddy Guy, Santana, Stephen Stills, Zz Top, the War on Drugs, Robert Randolph, John Mayer Trio, Los Lobos, Joe Bonamassa, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Marcus King, Robbie Robertson, Taj Mahal, Jakob Dylan, Molly Tuttle, and Keb’ Mo’. Clapton will also perform on both nights of the festival.
- 4/17/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Could Britney Spears be making a return to the big screen?
If her husband, Sam Asghari, has anything to say about it, he and Spears will be co-starring in a new movie that would mark her first movie role since 2002’s “Crossroads”.
TMZ recently caught up with Asghari as he returned to Los Angeles on a break while shooting a top-secret project that he wasn’t at liberty to reveal.
Read More: Sam Asghari Shares Never-Before-Seen Britney Spears Wedding Pic For Valentine’s Day
During the brief chat, Asghari was asked whether he’d like to co-star with his wife “in a rom-com or something?”
“I hope so,” Ashgari replied.
“I think she’s a great actress, actually… I hope one day, that would be a dream come true,” he continued.
Asked if he was waiting for the right script to come along, he answered, “Maybe I write the script.
If her husband, Sam Asghari, has anything to say about it, he and Spears will be co-starring in a new movie that would mark her first movie role since 2002’s “Crossroads”.
TMZ recently caught up with Asghari as he returned to Los Angeles on a break while shooting a top-secret project that he wasn’t at liberty to reveal.
Read More: Sam Asghari Shares Never-Before-Seen Britney Spears Wedding Pic For Valentine’s Day
During the brief chat, Asghari was asked whether he’d like to co-star with his wife “in a rom-com or something?”
“I hope so,” Ashgari replied.
“I think she’s a great actress, actually… I hope one day, that would be a dream come true,” he continued.
Asked if he was waiting for the right script to come along, he answered, “Maybe I write the script.
- 3/24/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
U.K. producer Nicola Shindler received on Tuesday the third Women in Series Award at Series Mania, Europe biggest TV festival.
Few awards seem such just reward. From serving as a script editor on “Cracker” (1993), Jimmy McGovern’s breakout, to producing his “Hillsborough” (1995) and executive producing “Queer as Folk” (1999) which heralded Russell T. Davies as a major writing talent, very few producers have been so consistently successful down the decades.
Shows produced by Shindler in just the last 10 years take in Sally Wainwright’s “Happy Valley” (2014), Harlan Coben’s “The Five” (2016) and “Safe” (2018), Davies’ “Years and Years and It’s a Sin, his consecration, and now “Nolly,” made by Shindler out of Quay Street Productions, her new label launched in 2021 as part of ITV Studios.
“Her lineup is amazing,” said Francesco Capurro, head of the Series Mania Forum, introducing the Award on Tuesday.
All of which raises the huge question of...
Few awards seem such just reward. From serving as a script editor on “Cracker” (1993), Jimmy McGovern’s breakout, to producing his “Hillsborough” (1995) and executive producing “Queer as Folk” (1999) which heralded Russell T. Davies as a major writing talent, very few producers have been so consistently successful down the decades.
Shows produced by Shindler in just the last 10 years take in Sally Wainwright’s “Happy Valley” (2014), Harlan Coben’s “The Five” (2016) and “Safe” (2018), Davies’ “Years and Years and It’s a Sin, his consecration, and now “Nolly,” made by Shindler out of Quay Street Productions, her new label launched in 2021 as part of ITV Studios.
“Her lineup is amazing,” said Francesco Capurro, head of the Series Mania Forum, introducing the Award on Tuesday.
All of which raises the huge question of...
- 3/21/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
After leaving The Beatles, Paul McCartney had more freedom to do whatever he wanted musically. His solo career and time with Wings are filled with oddball songs that showed McCartney’s willingness to think outside the box and experiment with new sounds. One song from Wings was an intriguing choice for the singer-songwriter, and he labeled it as a “joke,” even though he enjoyed the track.
Paul McCartney ended Wings’ ‘Venus and Mars’ with a soap opera theme song cover Paul McCartney | Wood/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Venus and Mars is the fourth studio album released by Paul McCartney and Wings. The album had massive expectations, following up on the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Band on the Run. While it didn’t receive the same acclaim, it still reached No. 1 on the charts and featured the No. 1 single “Listen to What the Man Said”.
The album ends with an odd duo.
Paul McCartney ended Wings’ ‘Venus and Mars’ with a soap opera theme song cover Paul McCartney | Wood/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Venus and Mars is the fourth studio album released by Paul McCartney and Wings. The album had massive expectations, following up on the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Band on the Run. While it didn’t receive the same acclaim, it still reached No. 1 on the charts and featured the No. 1 single “Listen to What the Man Said”.
The album ends with an odd duo.
- 3/14/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will be posting one full movie every day of the week, giving viewers the chance to watch them entirely free of charge. The Free Movie of the Day we have for you today is the Nigerian crime drama Crossroads, and you can watch it over on the YouTube channel linked above, or you can just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.
Directed by Seyi Siwoku from a screenplay by Tunde Babalola, Crossroads has the following synopsis: When the gorgeous wife of a high profile politician gets robbed, a senior police detective on the eve of his retirement has to swim against the political tide and through murky waters to crack the case.
The film stars Damilola Adegbite, Nengi Adoki, Ojo Agboworin, Dare Ahmed, Seun Akindele, Somadina Anyama, Kehinde Bankole, Daniel Etim Effiong, Toju Ejoh, Goodness Emmanuel, Mawuli Gavor,...
Directed by Seyi Siwoku from a screenplay by Tunde Babalola, Crossroads has the following synopsis: When the gorgeous wife of a high profile politician gets robbed, a senior police detective on the eve of his retirement has to swim against the political tide and through murky waters to crack the case.
The film stars Damilola Adegbite, Nengi Adoki, Ojo Agboworin, Dare Ahmed, Seun Akindele, Somadina Anyama, Kehinde Bankole, Daniel Etim Effiong, Toju Ejoh, Goodness Emmanuel, Mawuli Gavor,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Tom Luddy, the co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival and a longtime producer for Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, died on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 79.
His death comes on the verge of the festival’s 50th anniversary, as Telluride planned to salute the man responsible for establishing the Colorado gathering as a critical launchpad for international cinema. Luddy was shrewd cinephile with a daunting grasp of film history that informed his sharp opinions about the medium, much of which played a role in the unique nature of the Telluride community.
The festival drew crowds of major directors and industry insiders in tandem with amateur movie lovers attracted to the same welcoming environment he created for anyone who shared his passion for the movies. For many Telluride devotees, Luddy was its biggest draw — someone as emblematic of cinema’s global presence as the directors he championed.
As...
His death comes on the verge of the festival’s 50th anniversary, as Telluride planned to salute the man responsible for establishing the Colorado gathering as a critical launchpad for international cinema. Luddy was shrewd cinephile with a daunting grasp of film history that informed his sharp opinions about the medium, much of which played a role in the unique nature of the Telluride community.
The festival drew crowds of major directors and industry insiders in tandem with amateur movie lovers attracted to the same welcoming environment he created for anyone who shared his passion for the movies. For many Telluride devotees, Luddy was its biggest draw — someone as emblematic of cinema’s global presence as the directors he championed.
As...
- 2/14/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Catching a breath after that astonishing final series of Happy Valley? Well, we have bad news – the box isn’t going to let you rest for a single second. The line-up of TV series and streaming shows flooding into your living room this year is, frankly, incredible, meaning you’ll want to have a thorough schedule planned out of what to watch and when.
The return of David Tennant in Doctor Who. Read Empire’s hand-picked guide to the best TV 2023 has in store for you, and happy viewing.
February 2nd:
Nolly
Russell T. Davies already had our attention given his return to Doctor Who, but this series, which stars Helena Bonham Carter as Crossroads actor Noele Gordon, who served on the soap for years before she was unceremoniously given the boot. There will be drama. There will be tears. There might be wobbly sets? After all… Crossroads.
Where: Itvx...
The return of David Tennant in Doctor Who. Read Empire’s hand-picked guide to the best TV 2023 has in store for you, and happy viewing.
February 2nd:
Nolly
Russell T. Davies already had our attention given his return to Doctor Who, but this series, which stars Helena Bonham Carter as Crossroads actor Noele Gordon, who served on the soap for years before she was unceremoniously given the boot. There will be drama. There will be tears. There might be wobbly sets? After all… Crossroads.
Where: Itvx...
- 2/13/2023
- by James White, Ben Travis, Sophie Butcher
- Empire - TV
Shortly before Christmas, the eminent British critic and broadcaster Matthew Sweet embarked on a sponsored, round-the-clock watch of a new DVD set of “Crossroads,” the dogged ITV soap that first ran between 1964 and 1988. The prevailing idea was that negotiating the boxset’s 700 episodes might be as arduous — perhaps even as deadly — as any cross-Channel swim or Himalayan hike; that impression was soon confirmed by Sweet’s running Twitter commentary, which vacillated between the amused, the bemused and the increasingly discombobulated.
A clumsily aspirational, shot-as-live serial set around a motel in the British Midlands — some distance removed from the working-class, Northern grit of ITV’s better known, Bob Dylan-approved “Coronation Street” — “Crossroads” became notorious for its combination of wobbly sets, inexplicable plot shanks and stretches of dead air deployed to trick out the U.K.’s yawning schedules. One argument goes it could only have been a ratings success in...
A clumsily aspirational, shot-as-live serial set around a motel in the British Midlands — some distance removed from the working-class, Northern grit of ITV’s better known, Bob Dylan-approved “Coronation Street” — “Crossroads” became notorious for its combination of wobbly sets, inexplicable plot shanks and stretches of dead air deployed to trick out the U.K.’s yawning schedules. One argument goes it could only have been a ratings success in...
- 2/3/2023
- by Mike McCahill
- Variety Film + TV
At the mention of Crossroads, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘wobbly scenery’. This British soap about a bizarre motel ran on ITV between 1964-1988 and earned legendary status thanks to its cheap production values (it had a third of the budget of its closest rival Coronation Street), but that didn’t stop it pulling in 18 million viewers at its 1970s peak.
Itvx’s latest drama Nolly – which depicts the shock sacking of Crossroads’ leading lady, Noele ‘Nolly’ Gordon, played by Helena Bonham Carter – shows just how precarious the production was. Scripts were delivered weekly – and savagely. If you didn’t get one, that was how you found out your character had been binned. Time and budget restraints meant everything had to be filmed in one take, so mistakes were left in, and if the episode under-ran the producer would make the motel phone ring and characters would...
Itvx’s latest drama Nolly – which depicts the shock sacking of Crossroads’ leading lady, Noele ‘Nolly’ Gordon, played by Helena Bonham Carter – shows just how precarious the production was. Scripts were delivered weekly – and savagely. If you didn’t get one, that was how you found out your character had been binned. Time and budget restraints meant everything had to be filmed in one take, so mistakes were left in, and if the episode under-ran the producer would make the motel phone ring and characters would...
- 2/3/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Warning: contains plot details
Watching Nolly will divide a generation: you’ll either be surprised you haven’t heard of her (even if she was ‘a bit before your time’), or even more surprised you’d somehow forgotten she ever existed.
She certainly seems instantly unforgettable, thanks in part to Helena Bonham Carter’s assured depiction of her full-throttle, take-life-by-the-horns character (infamous red dye job included), but also thanks to Nolly writer Russell T Davies’ very obvious affection for the real Noele Gordon.
Davies respectfully litters the series with references to her many underappreciated achievements in the television industry. If you do know Noele Gordon, you’ll most likely know her as a daytime TV stalwart who propped up the naff-but-beloved British soap Crossroads (even if she couldn’t prop up the show’s infamous wobbly scenery) as motel owner Meg for the best part of two decades.
But the reality,...
Watching Nolly will divide a generation: you’ll either be surprised you haven’t heard of her (even if she was ‘a bit before your time’), or even more surprised you’d somehow forgotten she ever existed.
She certainly seems instantly unforgettable, thanks in part to Helena Bonham Carter’s assured depiction of her full-throttle, take-life-by-the-horns character (infamous red dye job included), but also thanks to Nolly writer Russell T Davies’ very obvious affection for the real Noele Gordon.
Davies respectfully litters the series with references to her many underappreciated achievements in the television industry. If you do know Noele Gordon, you’ll most likely know her as a daytime TV stalwart who propped up the naff-but-beloved British soap Crossroads (even if she couldn’t prop up the show’s infamous wobbly scenery) as motel owner Meg for the best part of two decades.
But the reality,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
As the credits rolled on another episode of Crossroads on 4 November 1981, the switchboards at ITV started to jam. After watching the show’s beloved Midlands motel go up in flames, hundreds of viewers picked up the phone in tears to ask one question: would Meg Mortimer, the onscreen alter ego of actress Noele “Nolly” Gordon, make it out of the blaze alive? The odds for Meg, last seen clutching some sleeping pills, didn’t look good. The Sun claimed in a front-page splash the next day that some fans had even phoned up hospitals to ask about the injuries she might have sustained in the fire.
It was the culmination of nearly five months of outrage and hysteria that had begun in June, when news first broke that Gordon’s much-loved character would be written out of the soap. This was not a mutually agreed parting of ways – it was against Gordon’s own wishes.
It was the culmination of nearly five months of outrage and hysteria that had begun in June, when news first broke that Gordon’s much-loved character would be written out of the soap. This was not a mutually agreed parting of ways – it was against Gordon’s own wishes.
- 2/2/2023
- by Katie Rosseinsky
- The Independent - TV
As the credits rolled on another episode of Crossroads on 4 November 1981, the switchboards at ITV started to jam. After watching the show’s beloved Midlands motel go up in flames, hundreds of viewers picked up the phone in tears to ask one question: would Meg Mortimer, the onscreen alter ego of actress Noele “Nolly” Gordon, make it out of the blaze alive? The odds for Meg, last seen clutching some sleeping pills, didn’t look good. The Sun claimed in a front-page splash the next day that some fans had even phoned up hospitals to ask about the injuries she might have sustained in the fire.
It was the culmination of nearly five months of outrage and hysteria that had begun in June, when news first broke that Gordon’s much-loved character would be written out of the soap. This was not a mutually agreed parting of ways – it was against Gordon’s own wishes.
It was the culmination of nearly five months of outrage and hysteria that had begun in June, when news first broke that Gordon’s much-loved character would be written out of the soap. This was not a mutually agreed parting of ways – it was against Gordon’s own wishes.
- 2/2/2023
- by Katie Rosseinsky
- The Independent - TV
Soap operas are microcosms of life. Streets and squares, farms and motels; all the triumph and despair of human existence compressed into a few houses, a few lives. It’s no surprise then, that Russell T Davies – on a hot streak afterA Very British Scandal and It’s a Sin – has turned his attention to the Golden Age of the British soap opera. His three-part drama, Nolly, streaming now on Itvx, has a similarly telescopic scale: a portrait of a woman, and a portrait of a nation.
Nolly is the story of Noele Gordon (Helena Bonham Carter), the star and matriarch of Crossroads – the Midlands-based soap opera that ran from the 1960s through to the end of the Eighties. Nolly, as everyone calls her, is a legend: loved by co-stars, adored by the public, tolerated by directors. But a new era is approaching, and executives at Atv (one of the broadcasters...
Nolly is the story of Noele Gordon (Helena Bonham Carter), the star and matriarch of Crossroads – the Midlands-based soap opera that ran from the 1960s through to the end of the Eighties. Nolly, as everyone calls her, is a legend: loved by co-stars, adored by the public, tolerated by directors. But a new era is approaching, and executives at Atv (one of the broadcasters...
- 2/2/2023
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
Everyone knows Russell T Davies is a great writer. Far fewer know he’s a great talker. By the time I meet Davies at a Soho hotel to discuss his latest TV drama, Nolly, a tremendously entertaining three-parter about Crossroads star Noele Gordon, the 59-year-old Welshman has been gabbing all day. He still has plenty of words for the conservative government, however, and their recently abandoned plan to privatise Channel 4. “We were all played by the right wing for a year defending Channel 4 and then they dropped it,” he booms, sounding both furious and friendly. “We were just like yo-yos.”
It’s fair to say that Davies has a vested interest in the subject. He worked with the not-for-profit channel on Queer As Folk, his seminal 1990s gay drama that was rebooted in the US for a second time last year, and It’s a Sin, his gut-wrenching series about...
It’s fair to say that Davies has a vested interest in the subject. He worked with the not-for-profit channel on Queer As Folk, his seminal 1990s gay drama that was rebooted in the US for a second time last year, and It’s a Sin, his gut-wrenching series about...
- 2/1/2023
- by Nick Levine
- The Independent - TV
TV legend Russell T. Davies joins us on the show this week to talk Nolly, his new three-part drama, which stars Helena Bonham Carter as Crossroads star Noelle Gordon (and there may be a few Doctor Who nuggets in that conversation as well). Plus Joe Cornish is here to chat all things Lockwood & Co, his new supernatural series on Netflix (which we reviewed on Pilot+ last week).
All that and we look at Apple's interconnected drama Dear Edward, watch the second series of Paramount's Your Honor, and Empire's Chris Hewitt crashes the studio and manages to derail the first 20 minutes of the show. Sorry.
Listen to the episode in the player above, or on your podcast app of choice. And if you want to subscribe to Pilot TV+, find all the details here.
All that and we look at Apple's interconnected drama Dear Edward, watch the second series of Paramount's Your Honor, and Empire's Chris Hewitt crashes the studio and manages to derail the first 20 minutes of the show. Sorry.
Listen to the episode in the player above, or on your podcast app of choice. And if you want to subscribe to Pilot TV+, find all the details here.
- 1/30/2023
- by James Dyer
- Empire - TV
George Takei has shared a message of support with his former I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! campmate Esther Rantzen following her lung cancer diagnosis.
On Sunday (29 January), the broadcaster and Childline founder publicly shared the news of her diagnosis, announcing that she no longer wanted to keep it a secret after learning that the cancer had spread.
Star Trek actor Takei appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday (30 January), where he shared a message of support for the 82-year-old, with whom he appeared on ITV’s reality show in 2008.
“Esther and I were the senior members of that team in the jungle and we were the early risers,” he said. “We were the earliest in the morning and we got the fire started, the campfire, and boiled the hot water and began the day chatting over white tea [and] hot water in the jungle.
“I love her dearly.
On Sunday (29 January), the broadcaster and Childline founder publicly shared the news of her diagnosis, announcing that she no longer wanted to keep it a secret after learning that the cancer had spread.
Star Trek actor Takei appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday (30 January), where he shared a message of support for the 82-year-old, with whom he appeared on ITV’s reality show in 2008.
“Esther and I were the senior members of that team in the jungle and we were the early risers,” he said. “We were the earliest in the morning and we got the fire started, the campfire, and boiled the hot water and began the day chatting over white tea [and] hot water in the jungle.
“I love her dearly.
- 1/30/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
The actor on her latest role as Crossroads doyenne Noele Gordon, watching Woody Allen fire people, and the key to understanding Princess Margaret
Helena Bonham Carter thinks that, at 56, she is being offered some of the richest parts of her long, storied career. The British actor is talking about Netflix’s The Crown, in which she played Princess Margaret in seasons three and four, and the forthcoming Nolly on Itvx. This three-part drama is the creation of Russell T Davies (It’s a Sin), and sees Bonham Carter take on the role of Noele Gordon (Aka Nolly), who played Meg Mortimer, the matriarch of the British soap opera Crossroads, until she was unceremoniously fired in 1981 after 17 years on the show. Bonham Carter lives in London with her partner, art historian Rye Dag Holmboe, and her two children.
Are you going to tell us that you were a diehard Crossroads fan and admirer of Noele Gordon?...
Helena Bonham Carter thinks that, at 56, she is being offered some of the richest parts of her long, storied career. The British actor is talking about Netflix’s The Crown, in which she played Princess Margaret in seasons three and four, and the forthcoming Nolly on Itvx. This three-part drama is the creation of Russell T Davies (It’s a Sin), and sees Bonham Carter take on the role of Noele Gordon (Aka Nolly), who played Meg Mortimer, the matriarch of the British soap opera Crossroads, until she was unceremoniously fired in 1981 after 17 years on the show. Bonham Carter lives in London with her partner, art historian Rye Dag Holmboe, and her two children.
Are you going to tell us that you were a diehard Crossroads fan and admirer of Noele Gordon?...
- 1/29/2023
- by Tim Lewis
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – “The Sense of an Ending” is a highfalutin title, automatically putting most folks into book club mode. It is adapted from a novel, and the narrative has the same page turning-type rhythm. An old man, portrayed by Jim Broadbent, is encountering his past, while his current situation remains untenable.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The “ending” is what the story is driving towards, and it involves a past that is hard to grasp in the complexities, since it involves university days, girlfriends, best friends, parents and post adolescent anger. There is a secret among all this, which is buried under layers of feelings and the years. We are all products of our past, and what haunts us about it defines much of our emotional make up. That is the theme of “The Sense of an Ending,” and that theme is established early and is not much affected by the reveal of what actually happened.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The “ending” is what the story is driving towards, and it involves a past that is hard to grasp in the complexities, since it involves university days, girlfriends, best friends, parents and post adolescent anger. There is a secret among all this, which is buried under layers of feelings and the years. We are all products of our past, and what haunts us about it defines much of our emotional make up. That is the theme of “The Sense of an Ending,” and that theme is established early and is not much affected by the reveal of what actually happened.
- 3/17/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Last Week’S Review: Two Characters Arrive at a Moral Crossroads in ‘Hostiles and Calamities’
Whose Episode Is It?
If you were hankering for some Rick last week, worry not, because he and Michonne are the focus of “Say Yes,” as they try to scrounge up the guns that the Dumpsters demanded in “New Best Friends.” Meanwhile, Rosita is still stewing about blowing her shot at Negan (as she should, he was right there) and Tara expounded her moral conundrum to a baby. It’s hardly a barn-burner of an episode, but it gets the job done, and there are a few deft touches here and there that set it apart from other by-the-numbers “Walking Dead” installments.
Obligatory Zombie Action
For the first time this season, the main plot centers exclusively on a zombie operation, as Rick and Michonne find a school carnival that was turned into a military outpost...
Whose Episode Is It?
If you were hankering for some Rick last week, worry not, because he and Michonne are the focus of “Say Yes,” as they try to scrounge up the guns that the Dumpsters demanded in “New Best Friends.” Meanwhile, Rosita is still stewing about blowing her shot at Negan (as she should, he was right there) and Tara expounded her moral conundrum to a baby. It’s hardly a barn-burner of an episode, but it gets the job done, and there are a few deft touches here and there that set it apart from other by-the-numbers “Walking Dead” installments.
Obligatory Zombie Action
For the first time this season, the main plot centers exclusively on a zombie operation, as Rick and Michonne find a school carnival that was turned into a military outpost...
- 3/6/2017
- by Jeff Stone
- Indiewire
Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Doctor Who script editor and novelisation legend Terrance Dicks features in a special Q&A on this week’s podKast, recorded at the Fab Cafe in Manchester on April 19th 2015. Aside from that, the usual team of Christian, Brian and James will be discussing everything from Crossroads to the new Star Wars movie trailer, and all...
The post A PodKast with Autograph Anxiety Plus Terrance Dicks Q&A appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Doctor Who script editor and novelisation legend Terrance Dicks features in a special Q&A on this week’s podKast, recorded at the Fab Cafe in Manchester on April 19th 2015. Aside from that, the usual team of Christian, Brian and James will be discussing everything from Crossroads to the new Star Wars movie trailer, and all...
The post A PodKast with Autograph Anxiety Plus Terrance Dicks Q&A appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 4/23/2015
- by Christian Cawley
- Kasterborous.com
Protecting Sir Paul McCartney is no laughing matter -- and last night his bodyguard threatened to open a major can of whoopass on photogs ... in the form of a stun gun.The altercation went down right after Sir Paul and Dave Grohl were wrapping up a double date for dinner at Crossroads restaurant. McCartney was stepping into his chauffeur driven ride ... and the bodyguard clearly thought the paparazzi were getting a little too close, 'cause...
- 3/3/2014
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Jean Kent: ‘The Browning Version’ 1951, Gainsborough folds (photo: Jean Kent in ‘The Browning Version,’ with Michael Redgrave) (See previous post: “Jean Kent: Gainsborough Pictures Film Star Dead at 92.”) Seemingly stuck in Britain, Jean Kent’s other important leads of the period came out in 1948: John Paddy Carstairs’ Alfred Hitchcock-esque thriller Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948), with spies on board the Orient Express, and Gordon Parry’s ensemble piece Bond Street. Following two minor 1950 comedies, Her Favorite Husband / The Taming of Dorothy and The Reluctant Widow / The Inheritance, Kent’s movie stardom was virtually over, though she would still have one major film role in store. In what is probably her best remembered and most prestigious effort, Jean Kent played Millie Crocker-Harris, the unsympathetic, adulterous wife of unfulfilled teacher Michael Redgrave, in Anthony Asquith’s 1951 film version of Terence Rattigan’s The Browning Version — a Javelin Films production...
- 12/4/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Film and television star Jean Kent has died, aged 92.
The actress became one of Britain's biggest entertainment stars in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in 45 films during her career.
Close friend and film critic Michael Thornton confirmed that she was injured at her home in Westhorpe, Suffolk, and later died in hospital.
Thornton said: "I knew Jean for more than 50 years. She was a feisty, funny, outspoken character who never took herself too seriously.
"She knew what it meant to be a star and regarded it as her job to live up to that position and never to disappoint the public."
Her last public appearance was back in 2011, when she was honoured by the British Film Institute.
Kent starred opposite the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Michael Redgrave and Laurence Olivier among others.
She appeared in several Gainsborough melodramas, which became hugely popular during World War II.
Kent was married to...
The actress became one of Britain's biggest entertainment stars in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in 45 films during her career.
Close friend and film critic Michael Thornton confirmed that she was injured at her home in Westhorpe, Suffolk, and later died in hospital.
Thornton said: "I knew Jean for more than 50 years. She was a feisty, funny, outspoken character who never took herself too seriously.
"She knew what it meant to be a star and regarded it as her job to live up to that position and never to disappoint the public."
Her last public appearance was back in 2011, when she was honoured by the British Film Institute.
Kent starred opposite the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Michael Redgrave and Laurence Olivier among others.
She appeared in several Gainsborough melodramas, which became hugely popular during World War II.
Kent was married to...
- 12/2/2013
- Digital Spy
Popular stalwart of film classics such as The Browning Version and Fanny By Gaslight
Jean Kent, the fiery, sexy, red-haired bad girl of British movies in the 1940s, who has died aged 92, was a fine actor, and clearly enjoyed life, her work and – while it lasted – her cinema fame. While never a top star, she gained a considerable following, and from the 1960s appeared regularly on television. Her film breakthrough came as a result of stage work: after the revue Apple Sauce, starring Vera Lynn and Max Miller, reached the London Palladium in 1941, she was offered a long-term contract, and the first of her Gainsborough Pictures appearances came in It's That Man Again (1943), with another wartime entertainer, the radio comic Tommy Handley.
It took another four films for her to make her first real mark as Lucy, the friend of Phyllis Calvert in the title role of the melodrama Fanny By Gaslight,...
Jean Kent, the fiery, sexy, red-haired bad girl of British movies in the 1940s, who has died aged 92, was a fine actor, and clearly enjoyed life, her work and – while it lasted – her cinema fame. While never a top star, she gained a considerable following, and from the 1960s appeared regularly on television. Her film breakthrough came as a result of stage work: after the revue Apple Sauce, starring Vera Lynn and Max Miller, reached the London Palladium in 1941, she was offered a long-term contract, and the first of her Gainsborough Pictures appearances came in It's That Man Again (1943), with another wartime entertainer, the radio comic Tommy Handley.
It took another four films for her to make her first real mark as Lucy, the friend of Phyllis Calvert in the title role of the melodrama Fanny By Gaslight,...
- 12/2/2013
- by Sheila Whitaker
- The Guardian - Film News
Charismatic star of Polanski's Macbeth and Hitchcock's Frenzy
In the 1970s, it seemed a sure bet that the actor Jon Finch, who has died aged 71, would become a durable film star of some magnitude. He had the dark good looks, the voice, the charisma and the opportunities. At the beginning of his film career, he played the title role in Roman Polanski's The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971) and starred in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972). Around the same time he was offered the chance to replace Sean Connery as James Bond in Live and Let Die (1973). The fact that Finch turned the part down stupefied many commentators.
That Finch never achieved the level of stardom that was anticipated may be attributed to his dislike of the kind of media publicity that goes with it and his self-proclaimed lack of ambition. "I never wanted to be a big star," Finch once said.
In the 1970s, it seemed a sure bet that the actor Jon Finch, who has died aged 71, would become a durable film star of some magnitude. He had the dark good looks, the voice, the charisma and the opportunities. At the beginning of his film career, he played the title role in Roman Polanski's The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971) and starred in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972). Around the same time he was offered the chance to replace Sean Connery as James Bond in Live and Let Die (1973). The fact that Finch turned the part down stupefied many commentators.
That Finch never achieved the level of stardom that was anticipated may be attributed to his dislike of the kind of media publicity that goes with it and his self-proclaimed lack of ambition. "I never wanted to be a big star," Finch once said.
- 1/14/2013
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
There's a foretaste of the Somme and a whole social order being upended in Roy Ward Baker's film
Ah, the many Proustian pleasures to be derived from a renewed acquaintance with Roy Ward Baker's 1958 Titanic melodrama A Night To Remember ... Last seen by me on some wintry Sunday afternoon in the prepubescent early 1970s, probably in the same post-prandial time-slot where I first encountered The Cockleshell Heroes, Carve Her Name With Pride and The Colditz Story – the dull roar of British postwar self-congratulation on film. It has lingered clearly in my head in a way none of those others ever did, and come back fresh as ever.
Certain pleasures derive from familiarity: any waterborne or storm-tossed movie made in Britain in those years fetched up sooner or later in what I've always thought of as "the Ealing tank", although here it's the equally ripple-free Pinewood tank, abetted, pricelessly,...
Ah, the many Proustian pleasures to be derived from a renewed acquaintance with Roy Ward Baker's 1958 Titanic melodrama A Night To Remember ... Last seen by me on some wintry Sunday afternoon in the prepubescent early 1970s, probably in the same post-prandial time-slot where I first encountered The Cockleshell Heroes, Carve Her Name With Pride and The Colditz Story – the dull roar of British postwar self-congratulation on film. It has lingered clearly in my head in a way none of those others ever did, and come back fresh as ever.
Certain pleasures derive from familiarity: any waterborne or storm-tossed movie made in Britain in those years fetched up sooner or later in what I've always thought of as "the Ealing tank", although here it's the equally ripple-free Pinewood tank, abetted, pricelessly,...
- 4/6/2012
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Stephen Thorne as Omega. co. BBC
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Stephen Thorne has one of the most recognizable voices in Britain. He has worked on radio for over thirty years but he has also made some memorable contributions to British TV. He played three of Doctor Who’s most notorious villains and he took on the role of Aslan in ITV’s much-loved animated version of C S Lewis’ classic novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Kieran Kinsella recently had the opportunity to speak with Stephen and began by asking him about his time on Doctor Who.
Your first appearance in Doctor Who was in the Jon Pertwee story The Daemons in which you played Azal. How did you come to get that part?
“I was asked to do the voice of Azal but when I went for my audition,...
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on twitter.
Stephen Thorne has one of the most recognizable voices in Britain. He has worked on radio for over thirty years but he has also made some memorable contributions to British TV. He played three of Doctor Who’s most notorious villains and he took on the role of Aslan in ITV’s much-loved animated version of C S Lewis’ classic novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Kieran Kinsella recently had the opportunity to speak with Stephen and began by asking him about his time on Doctor Who.
Your first appearance in Doctor Who was in the Jon Pertwee story The Daemons in which you played Azal. How did you come to get that part?
“I was asked to do the voice of Azal but when I went for my audition,...
- 8/12/2011
- by admin
TV and film make-up artist with a gift for applying prosthetics
The television and film make-up artist Jane Royle, who has died aged 78, was admired by fellow professionals for her all-round ability to bring a look to the screen that was as important as that contributed by the director of photography or production designer. She could go from ensuring Izabella Scorupco looked stunningly beautiful as a Bond girl in GoldenEye (1995) to making actors appear hideous, old, scarred, bruised, bearded or bald. Royle particularly enjoyed applying prosthetics – to which she referred as "the stickies".
For the 1979 Sherlock Holmes film Murder By Decree, she simulated the wrenched-out innards of prostitutes killed by Jack the Ripper. One of her most memorable transformations was the complete prosthetic makeover – wrinkled face, bulbous nose, pointy ears and flowing hair and whiskers – she gave Billy Barty for his cowardly dwarf character, Screwball, in the fantasy film Legend (1985).
Later,...
The television and film make-up artist Jane Royle, who has died aged 78, was admired by fellow professionals for her all-round ability to bring a look to the screen that was as important as that contributed by the director of photography or production designer. She could go from ensuring Izabella Scorupco looked stunningly beautiful as a Bond girl in GoldenEye (1995) to making actors appear hideous, old, scarred, bruised, bearded or bald. Royle particularly enjoyed applying prosthetics – to which she referred as "the stickies".
For the 1979 Sherlock Holmes film Murder By Decree, she simulated the wrenched-out innards of prostitutes killed by Jack the Ripper. One of her most memorable transformations was the complete prosthetic makeover – wrinkled face, bulbous nose, pointy ears and flowing hair and whiskers – she gave Billy Barty for his cowardly dwarf character, Screwball, in the fantasy film Legend (1985).
Later,...
- 3/8/2011
- by Anthony Hayward
- The Guardian - Film News
As we continue our countdown to the Feb. 13 Grammy Awards, we’re predicting a category a day. Today, we look at best solo rock vocal performance. We picked this category for a very specific reason: we want to rant a little. Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance “Run Back To Your Side,” Eric Clapton “Crossroads,” John Mayer “Helter Skelter,” Paul McCartney “Silver Rider,” Robert Plant “Angry World,” Neil Young Good God, Clapton, McCartney, Plant and Young are legends and it’s great that they are still making vibrant, if not vital, music, but could we please nominate some artists who aren’t card-carrying members...
- 2/10/2011
- Hitfix
Gold Derby's music experts Darrin Dortch and David Schnelwar agree about who will win and should win this first of the rock races. Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance “Run Back To Your Side,” Eric Clapton “Crossroads,” John Mayer “Helter Skelter,” Paul McCartney “Silver Rider,” Robert Plant “Angry World,” Neil Young Darrin's take: Robert Plant and Eric Clapton’s songs are the most recent entries in this category, but they are unlikely to spoil since neither have any additional nominations in the rock field. Plus, their recent albums have made little impact. Perennial Grammy loser Neil Young will continue his losing streak this year since he doesn’t have much buzz for his latest effort. Paul McCartney appeared on "Saturday Night Live" during the voting period and is probably the dark horse, but voters will likely go with John Mayer again, unfortunately, since he gar...
- 2/5/2011
- Gold Derby
We've known for a while now that E1 will be releasing Suck, a rock & roll vampire spoof, on Blu-ray and DVD this September 28th, and now the picture is a bit clearer as to what types of extras will be included.
From the Press Release:
Fresh off of a series of theatrical screenings across the country, Suck follows a bottom-shelf bar band that’ll do anything for a record deal. After a life-changing encounter with a vampire, they rocket to stardom only to discover that fame and fortune are not all they are cracked up to be. Featuring an all-star ensemble, riotous cameos from rock icons along with a killer soundtrack – and arriving while our culture is transfixed by all things vampiric – Suck is sure to be devoured by horror lovers and music fans alike, when the DVD and Blu-ray versions ($24.98 Srp each) are unleashed on September 28.
The Winners are a go-nowhere rock band,...
From the Press Release:
Fresh off of a series of theatrical screenings across the country, Suck follows a bottom-shelf bar band that’ll do anything for a record deal. After a life-changing encounter with a vampire, they rocket to stardom only to discover that fame and fortune are not all they are cracked up to be. Featuring an all-star ensemble, riotous cameos from rock icons along with a killer soundtrack – and arriving while our culture is transfixed by all things vampiric – Suck is sure to be devoured by horror lovers and music fans alike, when the DVD and Blu-ray versions ($24.98 Srp each) are unleashed on September 28.
The Winners are a go-nowhere rock band,...
- 9/9/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Supporting actor in works from Harry Potter to Shakespeare
In St Paul's church, Covent Garden, amid the memorials to the theatrical stars of their day, is a modest plaque dedicated to an actor described as "a much-respected player of supporting parts". Such a one was Jimmy Gardner, who has died aged 85.
In his acting career, stretching over half a century, he played the gamut of character roles, ranging from the statutory drunken old man in the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage version of A Clockwork Orange (1990) to Peter in Romeo and Juliet (a role first created by Shakespeare's clown, Will Kempe), to the bus driver Ernie Prang in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). No popular TV series could be counted as having truly arrived until he had played a cameo role in it, whether it be The Forsyte Saga, Z Cars, Doctor Who, EastEnders, Casualty, The Bill,...
In St Paul's church, Covent Garden, amid the memorials to the theatrical stars of their day, is a modest plaque dedicated to an actor described as "a much-respected player of supporting parts". Such a one was Jimmy Gardner, who has died aged 85.
In his acting career, stretching over half a century, he played the gamut of character roles, ranging from the statutory drunken old man in the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage version of A Clockwork Orange (1990) to Peter in Romeo and Juliet (a role first created by Shakespeare's clown, Will Kempe), to the bus driver Ernie Prang in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). No popular TV series could be counted as having truly arrived until he had played a cameo role in it, whether it be The Forsyte Saga, Z Cars, Doctor Who, EastEnders, Casualty, The Bill,...
- 6/16/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
The BBFC have cleared extras for the DVD release of the Second Doctor story The Dominators.
This 1968 five-part story has been expected ever since an official promo for the story was leaked to YouTube at the end of last year. The story stars Patrick Troughton as the Doctor along with Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.
The story is set on the planet Dulkis, under threat from two alien Dominators, Rago and his subordinate Toba, who have landed in a spaceship. It features the robot Quarks.
Guest stars include Ronald Allen, who was well known at the time for his starring role in the soap opera Compact and later for his role in Crossroads and Brian Cant who was a staple of Children's television in the sixties and seventies, well known for his work on Play School and Play Away and for his narration on the popular Trumpton,...
This 1968 five-part story has been expected ever since an official promo for the story was leaked to YouTube at the end of last year. The story stars Patrick Troughton as the Doctor along with Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.
The story is set on the planet Dulkis, under threat from two alien Dominators, Rago and his subordinate Toba, who have landed in a spaceship. It features the robot Quarks.
Guest stars include Ronald Allen, who was well known at the time for his starring role in the soap opera Compact and later for his role in Crossroads and Brian Cant who was a staple of Children's television in the sixties and seventies, well known for his work on Play School and Play Away and for his narration on the popular Trumpton,...
- 4/22/2010
- by Marcus
- The Doctor Who News Page
Scarborough Literature Festival saw an attack on the town library by none other than the Cybermen - coincidentally on the same day when veteran Doctor Who scritpwriter and novelist Terrance Dicks was on hand to talk about his career and the move from advertising copy-writer to co-writing an episode of The Avengers and penning scripts for the soap Crossroads. The Saturday April 24th event saw Dicks in conversation with Peter Guttridge, and with Cybermen on the prowl, terrorising children and...
- 4/29/2009
- by Christian Cawley info@kasterborous.com
- Kasterborous.com
Jeff Stewart may never win an Oscar or a Golden Globe, but very few actors can claim to have created a character as well-loved as The Bill's PC Reg Hollis. Stewart made the eccentric gardening-fanatic police officer a cult hero, bringing comic relief to the ITV cop show for 24 years. Reg may have bowed out of the show in 2008's 'Heat On The Beat' episode, but Stewart will be always fondly remembered by all Bill fans for his numerous enthralling and humorous storylines. The Aberdeen-born thespian worked on shows including Crossroads, Minder, Hi-De-Hi! and even cameoed in Doctor (more)...
- 3/27/2009
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Hi-De-Hi! star Diane Holland has died at the age of 78. The actress, who played dance instructor Yvonne Steward-Hargreaves in the BBC sitcom, passed away on January 24 after suffering from bronchial pneumonia. Holland started her career in music theatre before going on to appear in Crossroads, Casualty and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. In her later years, she performed Christmas recitals at the Royal Opera House in London. Speaking about her passing, agent (more)...
- 2/17/2009
- by By David Balls
- Digital Spy
Actor Terence Rigby has died, aged 71. The thespian, who performed on the big screen, TV and stage, passed away at his London home. Rigby's TV roles included Softly, Softly: Task Force, Midsomer Murders, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Crossroads and Holby City. 2003's Mona Lisa Smile, Michael Caine's Get Carter and Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies were among his movie credits. He also appeared in a version (more)...
- 8/11/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
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