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PBS Masterpiece’s The Forsyte, previously titled The Forsyte Saga, has yet to debut and even has no premiere date announced yet. Nevertheless, the series is already being eyed for a renewal, according to Deadline. In addition to this promising news, it appears that filming of the second season is expected to take place over the summer in the UK, though PBS Masterpiece has not confirmed the drama’s renewal. This comes after Paramount-owned broadcaster Channel 5 revealed that it had acquired The Forsytes in the UK.

The Forsytes is making history for PBS Masterpiece. The drama series, which is the third adaptation of The Forsyte Saga book series by John Galsworthy, is a rare British production to be green-lit by an American network. And now, a U.K. channel is picking it up for distribution. Typically with PBS programming, it’s British shows that get picked up by the network for U.S. distribution. Clearly, there’s something special about this upcoming period drama beyond just the star-studded cast that includes Francesca Annis, Millie Gibson, Jack Davenport, Stephen Moyer, Josette Simon, Tom Durant-Pritchard, Eleanor Tomlinson, Susan Hampshire OBE — a returning star from the 1960s BBC adaptation — and more. The Forsytes cast was announced in April 2024. PBS said it’s “a lavish reimagining” of Galsworthy’s books that’s “planned as a returning series,” which means the network intends for it to be more than one season.

Exclusive: The Forsyte family looks set to become a fixture on PBS Masterpiece as the network is ready to renew the period drama before the first season has even premieres.

The Forsytes is a glossy adaptation of The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy’s sweeping portrait of a wealthy British family in 1880s London.

Deadline hears that filming on a second season is expected to take place over the summer in the UK, though PBS Masterpiece has not confirmed the drama’s renewal. A premiere date for Season 1 has yet to be revealed.

It comes after Paramount-owned broadcaster Channel 5 revealed that it had acquired The Forsytes in the UK. Channel 5 also combines with PBS Masterpiece on hit series All Creatures Great and Small.

Produced by Poldark maker Mammoth Screen, The Forsytes‘ ensemble cast is led by BAFTA-winner Francesca Annis (Lillie), who plays formidable matriarch Ann.

True Blood star Stephen Moyer...

Channel 5 is joining The Forsytes.

The Paramount network has taken UK rights on PBS Masterpiece’s splashy adaptation of John Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga, which stars Doctor Who’s Millie Gibson and Francesca Annis as formidable matriarch Ann.

Penned by British screenwriter Debbie Horsfield (Poldark), the series chronicles the lives of four generations of an upper-class family of stockbrokers, set against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving late-Victorian world. True Blood star Stephen Moyer (Sexy Beast) also features alongside the likes of Jack Davenport (The Morning Show) and Gibson.

This is the third Forsyte Saga adaptation. A version aired in 1967 on the BBC and 35 years later on ITV. The new show is made by ITV Studios-backed Mammoth Screen and is a rare example of a British show being greenlit by an American network, with Channel 5 coming in at a later date. Channel 5 also combines with PBS Masterpiece...

Beloved documentaries from Ken Burns, cooking content from Julia Child, and more are coming to Hoopla.

The library streaming service Hoopla is one of the most unique free streamers out there. With nothing more than a valid library card, viewers can sign up for Hoopla and stream a huge catalog of TV shows and movies. Hoopla also has what it calls the BingePass, which is a lot like checking out a huge stack of library books while using just a single credit. On Tuesday, Hoopla announced it was adding even more titles to its inventory via BingePass, this time encompassing popular shows from PBS.

Key Details: PBS Kids content, Julia Child cooking, and Ken Burns documentaries have been added to Hoopla. Users can also watch “The Forsyte Saga” and other PBS content on Hoopla. Hoopla launched its SeasonPass feature at the end of 2024. Watch Now Free hoopladigital.com

The BingePass...

Sadie Sink is now a front-runner to play Jean Grey in an X-Men reboot movie in the MCU. Marvel first teased an X-Men reboot following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. More updates came recently as X-Men characters began appearing in several MCU films. While some fans are excited about the actress in the role, others harbor concerns regarding her age.

Sadie Sink as Max in Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix

Many believe that Sink is too young to play Jean in the films. Earlier versions of the character in the Fox Universe were played by Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner. Sink looks younger than both these actresses, leading us to believe that Marvel might go for a story featuring much younger mutants.

Sadie Sink’s Stranger Things co-star supports her potential casting despite concerns from fans Sadie Sink’s role in Stranger Things would likely pave the way for...

Which PBS TV shows have been cancelled? How many episodes are there this season? Has a series already been renewed for next season? Below, you'll find a list of PBS' recent/current/upcoming scripted TV shows and their current status.

TV shows like All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife, Endeavour, D.I. Ray, The Forsyte Saga, Grantchester, Marble Hall Murders, Marie Antoinette, Miss Scarlet, Moonflower Murders, Mr. Bates vs The Post Office, Ridley, Tom Jones, Unforgotten, Vienna Blood, Wolf Hall, World on Fire, ...

Every season, Netflix’s hit action-thriller The Night Agent introduces a new story and new characters around title character Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), who has been accompanied so far by Luciane Buchanan’s Rose Larkin. Season 3 is shaping up to introduce the highest-profile new cast, with three new series regulars who have led their own shows, David Lyons, Jennifer Morrison and Stephen Moyer.

They join fellow new series regulars Genesis Rodriguez (Lioness), whose pending casting was revealed last month, and child actor Callum Vinson (Chucky). Additionally, Suraj Sharma (How I Met Your Father) has been tapped as recurring.

Per usual, no details are being revealed about the characters. I hear Lyons will play a former spy lured out of retirement, Morrison will play the First Lady, Moyer will play a top hitman; and Rodriguez will play a reporter.

Season 3 has begun a production unit in Istanbul and will return to...

Exclusive: Acorn TV, the AMC Networks-owned streamer, is exploring the art world in its latest original crime drama.

The streamer has greenlit Art Detectives starring and exec produced by Stephen Moyer.

The True Blood star, who recently starred in PBS’ reboot of The Forsyte Saga and Paramount+’s remake of Sexy Beast, plays art loving Di Mick Palmer in the series, which is centered around the Heritage Crime Unit police department. Alongside straight-talking DC Shazia Malik, played by The Lazarus Project’s Nina Singh, the pair solve murders connected to the world of art and antiques, from Old Master paintings, to Banksy street art, medieval manuscripts and collectible vinyl.

In the series, the artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase and items rescued from the Titanic. Palmer navigates these cases while managing a budding romance with museum curator Rosa, played by Coupling star...

Post-2005 Doctor Who main TV-show companions. That’s the first qualifier to add to the following list. For now at least, we’re celebrating only the Nu-Who main companions who had their own proper stint travelling in the Tardis, or any of the many wonderful actors who preceded them in the classic era.

Now that the rationale has been set out, join us to round up some of the best after-Who roles from the likes of Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, Catherine Tate, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Jenna Coleman, Pearl Mackie, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole. It’s too early to add Millie Gibson to this gang but look out for her in rebooted period drama The Forsyte Saga when it arrives.

Billie Piper – Suzie in I Hate Suzie (2020)

Thanks to her teen pop career and personal life, Billie Piper was already a famous name in the UK before she played Rose Tyler,...

Still riding the wave of the release of Season 3A, Netflix’s Bridgerton dominated Nielsen’s U.S. ranking of streaming originals for a third straight week, this time racking up nearly 1.4 billion minutes viewed across 20 total episodes.

For the week of May 27, Paramount+’s Evil once again placed (a distant) second with 826 million minutes viewed across 38 available episodes. It was followed by the chart debuts of Netflix’s Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult docuseries (673 million minutes viewed for three episodes) and Eric (672 million minutes/six episodes), and then Netflix’s Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (rising two...

Jennifer Lopez’s latest straight-to-Netflix flick, Atlas, bested Dune: Part Two on Max, on Nielsen’s latest U.S. ranking of streaming movies and series.

The two-hour Atlas racked up 795 million minutes viewed, to top Nielsen’s Movies chart for the week of May 20 and rank No. 5 on the Overall chart.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Rahul Kohli Joins Liars, The Forsyte Saga First Look and MoreRatings: House of the Dragon Dips After 20-Month Break, But Fuels Max's Biggest Day EverStreaming Usage Set an All-Time Record in May, Tubi and Roku Hit Highs

Dune: Part Two, which clocked in at...

McDreamy will soon face off against a teenage Dexter Morgan: Patrick Dempsey has joined Paramount+ with Showtime’s Dexter prequel Original Sin as a series regular, the streamer/network announced Thursday.

The Grey’s Anatomy vet will play Aaron Spencer, the Captain of the Miami Metro Homicide who has a decades-long relationship with Harry Morgan (played by Christian Slater).

More from TVLineBatman: Caped Crusader Cast Includes Hamish Linklater, Christina Ricci, Jamie Chung and OthersChicago P.D. Vet Jesse Lee Soffer Joins FBI: International - But There's a Twist!TVLine Items: Rahul Kohli Joins Liars, The Forsyte Saga First Look and...

Rahul Kohli will be spending his summers with some liars.

The Fall of the House of Usher and iZombie vet has joined Prime Video’s upcoming series We Were Liars, replacing Arsher Ali, who was recast for creative reasons, our sister site Deadline reports.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Fire Country Spinoff Names Showrunner, Oltl Fave Exits Y&r and MoreRatings: House of the Dragon Dips After 20-Month Break, But Fuels Max's Biggest Day EverStreaming Usage Set an All-Time Record in May, Tubi and Roku Hit Highs

An adaptation of E. Lockhart’s young-adult novel of the same name, the drama follows the rich Sinclair family,...

The lonnnnnng-awaited Season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon delivered 7.8 million cross platform viewers in the U.S. on Sunday night, marking a 16% decline from the Game of Thrones prequel’s freshman finale, which was released some 20 months ago, in October of the year 2022.

That Season 1 finale drew 9.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched HBO finale since Game of Thrones concluded its eighth and final season with 19.8 million viewers in 2019.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Fire Country Spinoff Names Showrunner, Oltl Fave Exits Y&r and MoreTVLine Items: Rahul Kohli Joins Liars, The Forsyte Saga First Look and MoreHouse of the...

Masterpiece on PBS unveiled its first look at the upcoming series, The Forsyte Saga, featuring the first imagery of Doctor Who star Millie Gibson as Irene and Joshua Orpin (Titans) as Soames. The lavish, sumptuous, and romantic series follows the opulent lives of the Forsyte family in 1880s London, weaving a tale of love, loyalty, ambition, and betrayal. The series boasts a stellar ensemble cast that includes Francesca Annis (Reckless), Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Jack Davenport (The Morning Show), Danny Griffin (Fate: The Winx Saga), Eleanor Tomlinson (One Day), Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey: A New Era), Owen Igiehon (Disclaimer), Tom Durant Pritchard (This is Going to Hurt), Jamie Flatters (Avatar: The Way of Water), and Josette Simon (Anatomy of A Scandal).

Streaming as a means of TV consumption hit an all-time high in May by accounting for 38.8% of all viewing, Nielsen reported on Tuesday morning.

The previous record for streaming as a share of TV viewing was 38.7%, set in July 2023 (the first month that broadcast and cable combined totaled less than 50%)..

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Rahul Kohli Joins Liars, The Forsyte Saga First Look and MoreRatings: House of the Dragon Dips After 20-Month Break, But Fuels Max's Biggest Day EverWill Queen Charlotte Die in Bridgerton? Showrunner Weighs In

May’s most-watched streaming title was Netflix’s Bridgerton; the first four episodes...

The Outlander prequel series is enlisting some family members for its latest bit of wee casting.

The real-life sons of Outlander alums Stephen Walters and Grant O’Rourke will portrayer the younger versions of their characters, Angus Mhor and Rupert MacKenzie, respectively, in Blood of My Blood, the actors announced on Instagram. Watch the reveal below.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Rahul Kohli Joins Liars, The Forsyte Saga First Look and MoreResident Alien Renewed for Season 4 With One Major ChangeGrantchester Renewed for Season 10, Ahead of Season 9's Big Vicar Switch

The Starz drama’s prequel will follow Jamie’s father and mother...

Tatiana Maslany is about to get down with the boogeyman: The Orphan Black actress is set to produce and star in a pilot for Amazon MGM Studios called The Nightbeast, Deadline reported Monday.

Helmed by Leah Rachel (Chambers) and Travis Jackson (Hemlock Grove), The Nightbeast follows “a young mother who is unsatisfied with her seemingly perfect suburban life, so she begins an affair with the boogeyman in her son’s closet — a surprisingly sexy man called the Nightbeast,” reads the description. “But this harmless affair she thought to be a figment of her imagination begins to have unexpected consequences, as...

British audiences are already fairly familiar with up-and-comer Millie Gibson, who spent three years on one of the UKs foremost soap operas, Coronation Street. On the heels of the start of her journey through space and time across the next two seasons of Doctor Who, it was recently announced that Gibson would be starring in PBS Masterpieces new series adaptation of The Forsyte Saga.

The Forsyte Saga is making a return, courtesy of a new series reimagining at Masterpiece on PBS.

Based on John Galsworthy’s novel of the same name, the update follows the lives of the wealthy Forsyte family in 1880s London and explores the themes of love, loyalty, ambition and betrayal. Francesca Annis (Flesh and Blood) will star as the formidable Forsyte matriarch Ann, while Stephen Moyer (True Blood) will play her eldest son, Jolyon Senior, head of the family stockbroking firm Forsyte & Co.

More from TVLinePresumed Innocent Trailer: Jake Gyllenhaal Is Suspected of Murder Following a Steamy Affair - WatchAlex...

The Forsyte Saga, a trilogy of 20th century British novels that have been fertile ground for TV adaptations, are returning to PBS Masterpiece for a new adaptation. The generational saga will feature an extensive ensemble cast, including Stephen Moyer, Tuppence Middleton, and Millie Gibson. Deadline reports that the series is preparing to film next month in England, Wales, and Italy.

Exclusive: The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy’s sweeping portrait of a wealthy British family in 1880s London, is getting its third TV adaptation in less than 60 years.

PBS Masterpiece has set a six-part season based on the 1920s novels, with BAFTA-nominated Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield penning the adaptation, designed to become a returning series.

It follows the BBC’s 1967 adaptation, which was watched by audiences of up to 18M. The 2002 version aired on ITV and featured a cast including Damian Lewis and Gina McKee.

The latest reimagining is housed at Mammoth Screen, the ITV Studios-backed British production company behind Parade’s End, The Serpent, and Victoria. Filming begins next month in England, Wales, and Italy.

Mammoth has gathered an ensemble cast for the series, led by BAFTA-winner Francesca Annis (Lillie), who plays formidable Forsyte matriarch Ann.

True Blood star Stephen Moyer (Sexy Beast) features as Ann’s eldest son, Jolyon Senior,...

Susan L. Schulman, a longtime Broadway publicist whose five-decade career included such theater milestones as Applause starring Lauren Bacall, Death of a Salesman with George C. Scott and Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, died Wednesday, October 18, at Mt. Sinai West Hospital in New York City following a brief illness.

Her death was announced by friends Leslie Krakowe, actor Kathleen Chalfant and Roy Bernstein. Her age was not immediately available.

A member of the theatrical union Atpam (Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers) since 1973, Schulman, a New York native, opened her own theatrical Times Square press office in 1978, with early clients including Jack Gilford, Manhattan Theatre Club, Joffrey Ballet, and Garrison Keillor.

Over the years she would take on clients from Broadway, Off Broadway, dance, film, TV and books. A small Broadway sampling: Requiem For A Heavyweight (with John Lithgow and George Segal), City Of Angels, Death And The Maiden with Glenn Close,...

The BBC is 100 years old. It was formed back in 1922, the same year that the Soviet Union was founded. And while the Ussr perhaps shaped the course of 20th-century history more than any other entity, it also collapsed in 1989 – whereas the BBC is going strong to this day. So who’s to say which has the more profound legacy?

It would’ve been hard to predict in 1922, when Lord Reith was tasked with putting together a consortium of British wireless providers, the way that the corporation would develop. The past century has seen the BBC grow from a small-time radio organisation to a global media superpower. The BBC has become one of the world’s biggest digital news sources, it has broadcast coronations and weddings and funerals, Olympics and Euros and World Cups. All to millions of viewers. It has won Oscars and Emmys, broken stories that have rocked governments,...

Exclusive: Erin Young’s recently published crime thriller The Fields is in the works for the small screen. Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories (Big Little Lies), Jennifer Todd Pictures and Endeavor Content have acquired the rights to the book to adapt into a television series, with Kate Brooke attached as writer/showrunner.

Young is the pseudonym of bestselling historical novelist, Robyn Young, and The Fields is her crime thriller debut.

Per the book’s description: The Fields starts with a body – a young woman found dead in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture. When Sergeant Riley Fisher, newly promoted to head of investigations for the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, arrives on the scene, an already horrific crime becomes personal when she discovers the victim was a childhood friend,...

It’s been half a century since David Frost and Danny Thomas hosted the 22nd Emmy Awards, and there are many moments that remain memorable 50 years later. A shift in audience’s tastes during this time can be seen in the nominees from this year, as quite a few new series received nominations and wins, there were some anomalies in the comedy categories and one actress made history, while another shocked viewers with her behavior. Here’s a flashback trip back to June 7, 1970, and shag carpet, TV dials and hoping to get your antenna just right so that you could watch the star-studded gala.

SEEEmmys flashback 20 years ago to 2000: ‘The West Wing’ dominance, 1st win for James Gandolfini, emotional Michael J. Fox victory

In a reflection of the changing culture, all comedy series up for the top award were first-time nominees in their freshman seasons. This is the last...

We were guaranteed a new Best Drama Actress Emmy winner before nominations last year with 2018 champ Claire Foy (“The Crown”) out, but that’s not the case this time around. “Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer is currently in fourth place in our odds and is looking to become the first drama actress champ to defend her crown in seven years and the 10th altogether.

Of the 16 women who’ve won this category more than once, nine have done so with at least one successful title defense. Two, Tyne Daly and Barbara Bain, have even three-peated. Here are the nine:

1. Michael Learned, “The Waltons” and “Nurse” (1982)

2. Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”

3. Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible” (1967-69)

4. Susan Hampshire, “The Forsyte Saga” (1970) and “The First Churchills” (1971)

5. Sharon Gless, “Cagney & Lacey” (1986-87)

6. Patricia Wettig, “thirtysomething” (1990-91)

7. Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”

8. Glenn Close, “Damages” (2008-09)

9. Claire Danes, “Homeland” (2012-13)

See ‘Killing Eve’: Villanelle’s most gruesome,...

PBS’s Masterpiece has launched a campaign to raise $20M for a Masterpiece 50th Anniversary Fund in 2020. The fund has landed a lead gift of $5M from Darlene Marcos Shiley, chair of the Shiley Foundation, longtime public media supporter and the first face an average of 13 million Americans saw when they tuned in to Downton Abbey and caught that 10-second introductory spot.

The $5M gift is the largest to date to the Masterpiece Trust, an initiative that launched in 2011 to reach out to individual donors and families after the iconic franchise lost its main sponsor Exxon Mobil in 2004.

Producing station Wgbh said the Masterpiece Trust 50th Anniversary Challenge Fund is established in honor of “five decades of beloved programming,” including the Upstairs Downstairs, The Forsyte Saga and Prime Suspect and recent hits Downton Abbey, Sherlock, and Victoria, and to further the legacy of the series that also is by far...

Author: Zehra Phelan

An emotionally affecting and inspiring trailer for the biographical film Another Mother’s Son has been released. The film stars Judge John Deed actress, Jenny Seagrove as Louisa Gould – one of the first recipients of Her Majesty’s British Hero of the Holocaust Awards in March 2010.

Louisa Gould was a shopkeeper in Jersey during the Second World War, in charge of handing out rations to those in the only British territory to fall under the control of the Third Reich. After learning of her son’s death in battle she takes under her wing a young Russian Pow who escaped a German Prison camp despite her family’s concerns. Singer/songwriter, and ex-Boyzone member, Ronan Keating plays her brother Harold Gould. He is no stranger to acting following his role as Guy in the West End show, Once, which earned him rave reviews.

Directed by Emmy-nominated Christopher Menaul (Summer in February,...

Downton Abbey has come to an end – both across the pond and here at home – but the period piece binge is just beginning.

While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline – a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.)

In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.

Downton Abbey has come to an end - both across the pond and here at home - but the period piece binge is just beginning. While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline - a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.) In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.

Downton Abbey has come to an end - both across the pond and here at home - but the period piece binge is just beginning. While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline - a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.) In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.

It’s almost August and that means Netflix is about to give their content a refresh. Some of the notable titles leaving include: Family Ties: Season 1-7, Unbreakable, and Titanic. So if you haven’t seen some of these titles, plan your nights accordingly. We of course can look forward more than a few new titles including The Hurt Locker, White God (pictured above), and Girl Meets World season 1.

Available August 1

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (1999)

In this animated adventure, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore revel in their new gig at a movie theme park by wandering the grounds after hours. Among the attractions is the spooky Frankenstein’s Castle, where a real mad scientist is bringing the monster to life. But when the boys cross paths with the creature (Frank Welker), they soon learn that appearances can be deceiving, and Frankenstein is more misunderstood than malevolent.

Asylum (2005)

A...

So much for "Never let go": Mighty epic "Titanic" leaves Netflix streaming on August 1st.

Say goodbye to "Driving Miss Daisy," "Kiss the Girls," "The Fifth Element," "Unbreakable," "and "Face/Off" as well. These and dozens more titles will be leaving Netflix in August.

Also marked for deletion: '60s classics "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "The Longest Day," and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."

And if you want to revisit the '80s sitcom "Family Ties," better get on that before August 15, when the Michael J. Fox series disappears from your queue.

Here's a complete list of the movies and TV shows that Netflix is pulling from your streaming list in August 2015. And, just so you're not left empty-handed, we've also got the list of what's new on Netflix in August 2015. (All titles and dates provided by Netflix and subject to change.)​

Leaving August 1

"Bad Girl Island...

The 50th anniversary celebration of BBC Two is under full swing with “Harry and Paul’s Story of the Twos,” airing on BBC Two Dec. 27. The special will also air on FilmOn’s BBC Two channel. The television special, hosted by Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse, feature the presenter’s look back at the historic channel and some of their favorite memories. Here’s more about what you can expect from the special. “As part of the 50th anniversary of BBC Two, Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse present their own unique biography of BBC Two. They romp through the story of Two’s highs and lows, from imported Scandinavian dramas, via The Forsyte Saga, [ Read More ]

The post Harry and Paul’s Story of the Twos on FilmOn’s BBC Two Channel appeared first on Shockya.com.

BBC Two is 50 - the British Broadcasting Corporation's second eldest child hits the half-century mark today - Sunday, April 20.

Picking out the greatest shows from five decades of broadcasting seems like a near-impossible task, but never say that Digital Spy is easily cowed. These are - in our humble opinion - the channel's finest ever offerings.

BBC Two is 50: The Hour, Bottom and more shows to bring back

The rules are as follows: shows like Red Dwarf that originated on BBC Two are eligible, but shows better associated with another channel are not - say Top of the Pops, which aired on BBC One for the majority of its run but shifted to the sister channel for its final episodes.

Oh, and we're talking only original commissions - so no Us imports either. But even that barely narrows it down, so if you think there are any glaring omissions,...

BBC Two is 50 - the British Broadcasting Corporation's second eldest child hits the half-century mark this Sunday (April 20) and, in those five decades, has delivered some phenomenally popular and powerful programming.

Kim Shillinglaw has a lot to live up to - with every channel controller from the very first, Michael Peacock, to the most recent, Janice Hadlow, serving up a range of diverse, entertaining and even groundbreaking shows.

Since 1964, BBC Two has become renowned as a home for great comedy - from the surreal The League of Gentlemen and Shooting Stars, to much-loved classics like The Likely Lads and The Goodies and modern favourites such as The Trip and The Wrong Mans.

But there's a tradition of fine drama too - running from the original The Forsyte Saga (1967) to Line of Duty (2012-present) and taking in such iconic series as I, Claudius (1976) and Edge of Darkness (1985).

Meanwhile, popular entertainment and...

The Spoils of Babylon, premiering Thursday on IFC (10 p.m. Et/Pt) and produced by Funny or Die, is more correctly titled - with a significant loss of magnificent pretentiousness - Eric Jonrosh's The Spoils of Babylon. It also bills itself as an “epic television event,” but in truth boils down to a mere six half-hour episodes. And although Babylon boasts a cast that starts somewhere in the A-list (Tobey Maguire, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell), it stoops a little to accommodate a few highly respectable character actors (Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen). Then it improbably winds down to Haley Joel Osment,...

The Spoils of Babylon, premiering Thursday on IFC (10 p.m. Et/Pt) and produced by Funny or Die, is more correctly titled – with a significant loss of magnificent pretentiousness – Eric Jonrosh's The Spoils of Babylon.

It also bills itself as an “epic television event,” but in truth boils down to a mere six half-hour episodes.

And although Babylon boasts a cast that starts somewhere in the A-list (Tobey Maguire, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell), it stoops a little to accommodate a few highly respectable character actors (Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen). Then it improbably winds down to Haley Joel Osment, the former...

We had a feeling that An Adventure in Space and Time would be aired over the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who celebration weekend, but the exact day and time were still to be specified. We have confirmation of that now, November 22nd at 9/8c on BBC America. Wouldn’t want to miss it. Here’s the official press release.

Doctor Who’s First Doctor Regenerated in BBC America’s An Adventure in Space and Time Premiering on November 22 The story of how it all began stars David Bradley, Jessica Raine and Brian Cox

What do you get when you mix C.S. Lewis with H.G. Wells, and sprinkle in a bit of Father Christmas? An alien Time Lord exploring space and time in a Police Box spaceship called the “Tardis” (Time And Relative Dimension in Space). On November 23, 1963, a television legend began when the very first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast on BBC One.

Foyle's War: one of the most highly acclaimed British TV shows of all time.

Silver Spring, MD; August 15, 2013 – Rlj Entertainment’s (Nasdaq: Rlje) Acorn TV, the first streaming service focused on the best of British TV in North America, announces more exclusive U.S. premieres as well as tripling its available content. Available at www.Acorn.TV and via its popular Roku app, Acorn TV brings many of the best British mysteries, comedies, and dramas, as well as select Australian, U.S. and Canadian series, to the increasing number of consumers who prefer to stream content. Previously, Acorn TV streamed a full season of 18 rotating series; moving forward, Acorn TV will add at least six new and classic series each month, as well as offering a catalog of 65 series for catch-up viewing and discovery of new series, with no set end dates. Acorn TV also continues to offer a free 30-day trial.

Twelve years ago, HBO put to screen a miniseries that was one part Television event, one part historical drama, which had the considerable backing of executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and the hype of being something of a spiritual successor to their highly acclaimed war film Saving Private Ryan. Through ten one hour long episodes, essentially using TV as a medium to explore a vast and epic journey through the Second World War that would simply be impossible to map on the big screen, and with Stephen E Ambrose’s critically acclaimed non-fiction book as source material and a huge cast representing a collective of real world heroes, one of the most ambitious storytelling exercises the small screen has ever mounted was brought to life. The result was much fanfare, both critically and among the masses, a recurring trope that continues to this day, and the fledgling start...

The Olympics are almost finished, but archery’s greatest heroine is set to return this week when The Hunger Games arrives on home video. Jennifer Lawrence helped the first installment of the dystopian franchise split the box-office bulls eye, cashing in more than $400 million, and the blockbuster gets a special Saturday Blu-ray release. With midnight purchase parties, it could conceivably hurt the movies actually opening in theaters and make them… Expendable.

Sunday, Aug. 12

Olympics closing ceremonies and men’s basketball final, NBC

The closing ceremonies are notoriously a pot-luck affair, with the host nation dusting off every native-born international star...

The Sinking of the Laconia

Kieran Kinsella

August will be an exciting month for fans of British TV as Acorn Media are set to release the critically acclaimed BBC Two production of The Sinking of the Laconia. The drama is based upon real events that occurred during World War II when a German U-boat torpedoed a British ship that was transporting civilians and Italian POWs off the coast of Africa. Having initially mistaken the Laconia for a military vessel, the commander of the U-boat was mortified to discover that he had in fact sunk a civilian boat. Breaking with orders from high command, the German commander began orchestrating a massive rescue operation designed to get the survivors to the relative safety of the West African shoreline. The real-life drama doesn’t end there but I don’t want to give the whole plot away so you’ll just have to...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

The leading ‘Best British TV’ streaming service Acorn TV is now streaming full seasons of several popular British mystery and drama series, along with two critically acclaimed Canadian series. This week Acorn TV also has a special Memorial Day Weekend Midsomer Marathon with the first 22 episodes of its best-selling series,Midsomer Murders, and the U.S. debut of John Nettles final episodes.

Acorn TV is currently streaming a full season of Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect; the final seasons of the universally acclaimed Canadian dramedy Slings & ARROWSand Derek Jacobi’s mystery series Cadfael; the U.S. debut of the newest season of Murdoch Mysteries; Lynda La Plante’s Trial & Retribution; John Mortimer’s Under The Hammer; the final episodes of WWII drama Wish Me Luck; Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter) in Pie In The Sky; and John Nettles final episodes with Midsomer Murders,...

On Monday, Dec. 5th, Acorn TV, the first streaming service specializing in British television - has the U.S. debut of "Above Suspicion",the newest series from Prime Suspect (UK) creator Lynda La Plante available. The new, ongoing British detective series hasn.t aired in the U.S. and won.t be available on DVD until March, so this will be the first time U.S. audiences can see the series, starring Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes movies) and Ciarán Hinds (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter). Additionally, The Forsyte Saga, Series 2 offers the second season of the classic PBS miniseries starring Damian Lewis (Showtime.s Homeland, Band of Brothers), Ioan Gruffudd (Horatio Hornblower), Gina McKee (Notting Hill) and Rupert Graves (Mrs. Dalloway). For...

Acorn Media, which releases DVDs of many British mysteries and miniseries, has just launched the streaming site Acorn TV, and because it’s so new you can watch some of the best of its classic series for free. There’s Michael Kitchen (photo above) as the World War II era detective in the addictive Foyle’s War, Damian Lewis embroiled in Edwardian family turmoil in The Forsyte Saga, and best of all the original Brideshead Revisited, the series that made Jeremy Irons a star and that I still consider the best miniseries ever made. (The recent film version was a laughable distant echo.)…...

Damian Lewis (Life, The Forsyte Saga, Series II, Band of Brothers) has been tapped to co-star in Homeland, Showtime’s new one-hour drama pilot starring Claire Danes (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines).

Lewis will play U.S. Marine Sergeant Scott Brody, a Pow who miraculously returns home after nearly a decade of captivity in Iraq. Additionally, Laura Fraser (A Knight’s Tale) has been cast in the role of Jessica, Brody’s intrepid and complicated wife. Diego Klattenhoff (Men in Trees) will play Mike Faber, a Marine colonel and Brody’s best friend who has become close with Jessica over the years that he has been Mia. Homeland begins production in January 2011 and will be executive produced by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, who recently served as executive producers on the long-running series 24.

About Homeland:

Homeland, which was written by Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Gideon Raff, centers...

Composer of television and film scores for Brideshead Revisited and Monty Python, as well as many concert and stage works

The composer Geoffrey Burgon, who has died aged 69 after a short illness, wrote some of the most memorable music for television drama of recent decades. He was also versatile and prolific, producing a wealth of refined, compelling music in many other genres.

Though an old friend, Geoff, born in Hampshire, wasn't my friend to begin with. He was my elder brother Nigel's best mate at Pewley school, Guildford, in Surrey. It was there that my brother persuaded Geoff to buy a trumpet so that he could play alongside Nigel's clarinet in the school jazz band. But his ambitions to be a jazz trumpeter were thwarted by his yearning to write music. He taught himself notation while he was still at school, played the trumpet in a local youth orchestra, and...