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With the exception of actor John Wayne and director John Ford, no other name is more synonymous with the Western than Clint Eastwood. The Outlaw Josey Wales, Hang 'em High, and the "Man with No Name" films by Sergio Leone, which included A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, are some of the most recognizable to fans of the genre. In 1992, Eastwood was both in front of and behind the camera for Unforgiven, a Western that not only featured a stacked cast with Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and Richard Harris but also thrived on the lore of the "gunslinger story," while simultaneously deconstructing it.

If any individual could provide such a captivating narrative and deconstruction of the Western genre, it was Eastwood. He is most associated with portrayals of larger-than-life characters who have become legends in their own right. The...

From early cinematic works like 1903's The Great Train Robbery and Douglas Fairbanks silents like Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro, it's been abundantly clear that action films have a singular ability to excite, even to raise the pulse. Swashbuckling films of classical Hollywood, grindhouse films of the '60s and 70s and more modern landmarks like John Wick and The Raid are all essentials for fans of the action genre.

The star known as Miss Moneypenny in Never Say Never Again and Prof Rachel Jensen in Doctor Who has died aged 80

Pamela Salem, known for her role as James Bond’s secretary Miss Moneypenny in Sean Connery’s Never Say Never Again, has died at the age of 80. The British actor, who also had a role in 1978 crime film The Great Train Robbery opposite Connery, died on Wednesday according to Big Finish Productions.

Born in 1944 in India, she attended Heidelberg university in Germany and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, before starting in repertory theatre in Chesterfield and York. She also appeared in US drama series The West Wing, where she played the UK prime minister, and medical series ER.

Prime Video’s big February drop is Mr. & Mrs. Smith! No, not the 2005 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie action movie, but a new TV series kinda based on it starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. The set up for the show version? Glover and Erskine are two strangers who both get jobs at a shady spy agency and are asked to get married so that they can pretend to be a couple undercover, but things get more complicated when they start falling in love for real. Uh oh!

If you’re in the mood for a movie or two this month, you can also check out the Prime debuts of Strays, Bottoms, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. In the meantime, here’s everything coming to Amazon Prime Video and Freevee this month. Amazon Originals are accompanied by an asterisk!

New on Amazon Prime Video – February 2024

February 1

12 Angry Men...

Love is in the air this February at Prime Video! From the long-awaited espionage comedy series “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” to Jennifer Lopez’s new album companion film “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story,” the streamer is days away from adding dozens of classic and fresh titles to its seemingly endless catalog, including the premieres of many more Amazon Originals like “The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy,” “Five Blind Dates,” and “The Silent Service.”

Check out The Streamable’s top picks for February on Prime Video, and find out everything coming to the platform this coming month!

30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Prime Video in February 2024? “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” | Friday, Feb. 2

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star in the long-awaited spy comedy series about two lonely strangers who land a job working for a mysterious spy agency...

The Western genre, although old-fashioned, has produced essential films that everyone should watch at least once. Modern TV shows and movies like Breaking Bad and Django Unchained prove that the genre is not dead. The Great Train Robbery, The Searchers, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are some of the iconic Western movies that deserve a spot on any watch list.

The Western genre may feel like a relic of an older time, and it's not everyone's cup of tea, but there are some essential examples that everybody should watch at least once. The most conventional and timeless examples of Western movies typically feature gunslinging cowboys, loner outlaws, and dangerous bandits, facing off against one another in the Old West of America. With films dating back to the earliest days of cinema, the Western was once one of the most popular genres among audiences, and it was a...

Everybody Loves Diamonds is a heist comedy series directed by Gianluca Maria Tavarelli. The Prime Video series is based on the 2003 “Antwerp Diamond Heist”, also known as “the world’s largest theft of diamonds” by media around the world. Everybody Loves Diamonds revolves around a team of petty thieves led by Leonardo Notarbartolo (Kim Rossi Stuart), as they bypass even the topmost level of security to steal millions of dollars worth of precious stones. So, if you loved Everybody Loves Diamonds here are the best similar heist shows you should watch next.

The Gold (Paramount+ & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Paramount+

Synopsis: They were looking for £1 million. They found £26 million. Inspired by the biggest gold heist in Britain’s history, The Gold tells the story of the 1983 Brink’s Mat robbery that kicked off decades of investigation, corruption, arrests, and murder as the police tried to identify the criminals and recover the gold.

“Candyman” star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and “The Prince of Persia’s” Gemma Arterton find themselves battling a mysterious assassin in the first trailer for Disney+ U.K. original series “Culprits,” which drops in the U.K. and Ireland on Disney+ on Nov. 8 and in the U.S. on Dec. 8 on Hulu.

The series, from filmmaker J Blakeson (“I Care A Lot”) tells the story of a group of elite reformed criminals who have left their old, bad selves behind. Just when they thought they could start afresh, a ruthless mystery assassin turns up to pick them off one by one — and they begin to realize not everyone is willing to let the past go.

“Why are they being stalked, who is behind the mayhem and will they be able to find one another in time to protect themselves and the people they love?” reads the logline.

The eight-part series from Character...

Western films give viewers a sense of traveling back in time to the American Frontier in the 19th century, providing a glimpse into a specific era and location. Some Western films, such as Heaven's Gate and The Big Trail, are not only painstakingly crafted with costumes and locations, but also accurately depict real historical events. Westerns, despite their dwindling popularity in the 1970s, remain influential and have experienced a resurgence in recent years, with movies like The Assassination of Jesse James gaining a large fan following.

In the early years of cinema the Western genre was beloved for how it romanticized the Old West, but, despite that idealistic approach, a number of Westerns are actually quite accurate to real historical events. They were among the first movies ever made with the technology of filmmaking, starting with the short The Great Train Robbery in 1903. Despite the genre’s popularity dwindling by the 1970s,...

“The clouds lifted” for cinema’s future recently. At least that was how Martin Scorsese felt after he saw “TÁR,” on which he lavished praise at the New York Film Critics Circle awards dinner in early January 2023.

That kind of praise means a lot. Scorsese is not just one of the greatest filmmakers of all time: he’s one of its greatest cinephiles. In recent years, he’s become known for the movies — or, as he might say of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “theme parks” — he doesn’t enjoy. But the Oscar-winning director’s favorite films are as wide-ranging in genre, year of release, and national origin as you might imagine, from Ti West’s “Pearl” to the horror flicks of Val Lewton and the works of Senegalese master Djibril Diop Mambety. He’s such an avid-moving watching buff that, in a recent interview with Time Magazine, he admitted he...

Ah, the American Western. Once one of the most prevalent of all movie genres, the Western has remained relatively unchanged since 1903's The Great Train Robbery. Good guys in white hats? Check. Bad guys in black hats? Check. Women folk who either tend the homestead or tend to, um, needs? Affirmative. Bank robberies, train robberies, horses? Yes, yes, and yes. While it has never regained the popularity it had once upon a time, the Western simply refuses to die. What's interesting, though, is that despite how little variance there is within the genre, there are remarkably few Western comedies making light of it. Poking fun at a Western should be akin to shooting fish in a barrel, and it's something we could use more of 'round these parts.

The Western genre has existed since the earliest days of cinema, and even early Westerns like The Great Train Robbery emphasized that at their heart, these were action movies. That definition has certainly expanded thanks to subversive westerns that incorporate other genres, including the social drama of Robert Altman’s McCabe and Mrs. Miller, the romantic tragedy of Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, or Mel Brooks’ parodical examination of genre archetypes in Blazing Saddles. However, a majority of the greatest Westerns of all time are known for their fearsome villains and heroic gunslingers, who end up crossing paths in some sort of violent brawl or battle. When looking at the history of the Western genre and its evolution, no shootout sequence is quite as iconic as the village battle that concludes the 1960 classic The Magnificent Seven.

The following contains spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in theaters now.

Sean Connery plays a huge role in the Indiana Jones franchise, despite only appearing in one movie. Filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas cite Connery's James Bond movies as one of the key inspirations for Raiders of the Lost Ark. That ultimately led to one of the series' unabashed triumphs when the actor played Indy's father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

So it stands to reason that Indy's final adventure would make at least one nod to Connery's legacy. In this case, it occurs at the beginning of the film, as Indy and his friend Basil battle Nazis on a train full of plundered art. The premise and execution match 1978's The Great Train Robbery, which saw Connery leaping from car to car on a vintage locomotive. He performed his own stunts on the scene,...

The following contains spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in theaters now.

As expected, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is quite the nostalgia-fest, not only for the venerable franchise itself but for similar movies of its ilk. Many of the action scenes echo the likes of The Fugitive and The Great Train Robbery, as well as the James Bond movies that ultimately served as Indy's inspiration. It even finds a way to slip an homage to Harrison Ford's other signature character, despite the fact that the action remains firmly grounded on planet Earth.

The fifth (and presumably final) entry in the Indiana Jones saga takes a wild turn in the third act, which accounts for both the sharply divided reaction upon its premiere and a gradual warming from the critics in the process. It also provides an opportunity for Ford to deliver a...

The Western is one of the oldest genres in the history of cinema. 1903’s The Great Train Robbery served as one of the earliest examples of the possibilities within the cinematic medium as a whole, and ever since, American filmmakers have been fascinated by the mythology of the Old West. We still see Westerns today because the genre is not monolithic, and there are many ways for it to be diversified by new generations. Due to the flexibility within the Western genre, such subgenres as Sci-fi Westerns, Punk Westerns, Comedic Westerns, Neo-noir Westerns, Revisionist Westerns, Acid Westerns, and even Martial Arts Westerns have emerged. However, none have been more popular or influential in the industry than Spaghetti Westerns.

The 1903 silent film The Great Train Robbery is widely credited with popularizing the heist subgenre and inspiring many subsequent heist films. This Western film, and the many that followed it, often depicted heists as exciting and adventurous events. In the lawless world often depicted in these films, heists were common and were sometimes even carried out without a plan. Bandits and outlaws are often featured as main characters in these fast-paced action films, as they try to outsmart each other and evade the law.

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 2013 ghost hunting horror movie Asylum: The Lost Footage, 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 Dan T. Hall, who also crafted the screenplay with Marcia Ellett and Moli Hall, Asylum: The Lost Footage has the following synopsis:

A group of amateur ghost hunters go missing as they journey into the bowels of an abandon Insane Asylum in a search for evidence of the ‘Lady in White’ said to haunt the grounds. The only evidence of their quest of no return are video cards discovered by workman...

Dating back to the age of The Great Train Robbery, movies have been fascinated with criminals. As with so many acts in this medium, movies about criminals or heists or anything else in this vein allows us to get the catharsis of rebelling against society without actually committing felonies. Thelma & Louise, the classic 1991 Ridley Scott movie written by Callie Khouri, continues this tradition but adds a new wrinkle to the proceedings. There’s no way to remove this movie from how it functions as a way for viewers to live vicariously through how its two lead characters are thrashing against a misogynistic society. There aren’t just a few bad apples here, men are, almost by default, not to be trusted.

Dalton Mills, a large former textile mill in West Yorkshire that as a filming location hosted series including Downton Abbey and the first season of Peaky Blinders, caught fire Thursday, requiring more than 100 firefighters to get the blaze under control.

Officials said there were no injuries in the fire, which required a total of 20 pumps called to the scene just before noon local time.

The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service closed roads and told nearby residents to keep doors and windows shut because of the smoke from the blaze, which the service said had engulfed “100 percent” of the building. Crews remained on the scene later in the day to tamp down flare-ups.

More than 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze in a mill in Keighley.

Read more here: https://t.co/2Kn6Wpwvhy pic.twitter.com/eZ6MKBCG0W

— BBC Yorkshire (@BBCLookNorth) March 3, 2022

According to film organization Screen Yorkshire, other...

A massive fire broke out on Thursday afternoon local time at Dalton Mills, the disused West Yorkshire factory used on “Downton Abbey” and “Peaky Blinders” shoots.

Confirming the incident, the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service posted on their website: “We currently have fire engines & specialist units in attendance at a fire at Dalton Mills, Keighley. There is a lot of smoke in the area & residents are advised to keep doors/windows closed. Please avoid travelling through the area.”

“We have 20+ appliances in attendance at a fire in Dalton Mill in Keighley,” an update added. “100% of building involved in fire. Hose reel jets & aerial ladder platform in use. Appliances from neighbouring brigades are also in attendance. Partner agencies in attendance – Police, Ambulance, Yorkshire Water and Environment Agency.”

“There is a large fire service presence around the incident so please give crews space to do their job safely,” said a further update.

The American movie business started in New Jersey.

Between 1893 and 1896 in West Orange, N.J., Thomas Edison was developing the early motion picture tech, inventing new ways to capture images in motion, and the result is that “you have the only fully operational motion picture studio facility in the world,” says Richard Koszarski, professor emeritus of English and cinema studies at Rutgers University, and expert in the early motion picture industry in New York and New Jersey.

His latest book on film history is “Keep ’Em in the East: Kazan, Kubrick, and the Postwar New York Film Renaissance.”

While companies were setting up production operations and offices in New York City, including Edison, “it’s very difficult to film in New York City. In those days, they didn’t have very good artificial lights,” says Koszarski. Making films required enormous skylights and other sources of natural light.

But over in Fort Lee,...

Theatergoers screamed and ducked when 1903’s The Great Train Robbery showed a sinister outlaw aiming a revolver straight at the camera and firing point-blank at the audience. The fourth wall-breaking shock shot became one of the most iconic moments in cinema history, and the film was credited with launching the first hit genre: the Western. It also arguably started the love affair between Hollywood and firearms, with guns becoming as commonplace and everlasting on film sets as gaffers tape and catering.

Yet an Oct. 21 tragedy on the set of another Western, Rust — where Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins ...

Theatergoers screamed and ducked when 1903’s The Great Train Robbery showed a sinister outlaw aiming a revolver straight at the camera and firing point-blank at the audience. The fourth wall-breaking shock shot would become one of the most iconic moments in cinema history, and the film was credited with launching the first hit genre: the Western. It also arguably started the love affair between Hollywood and firearms, with guns becoming as commonplace and everlasting on film sets as gaffers tape and catering.

Yet an Oct. 21 tragedy on the set of another Western, Rust — where Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna ...

It’s the understatement of the century to say that life for moviegoers — and everyone, really — was different in 1895. This was the year that, on March 22, 125 years ago today, Auguste and Louis Lumière debuted “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory,” a short film widely regarded as the invention of movies for mass audiences. The premiere was held at a private screening for an audience of 10. Watch the film below.

The film was shot in 35mm, with the aspect ratio of 1.33.1 at 16 frames per second. The Lumière brothers were among the first filmmakers in world history, pioneering cinematic technology as well as establishing the common grammar of film. The brothers went on to work on hundreds of films in less than a decade. The Lumières also created the cinematograph, a motion-picture film camera that serves as both a projector and a printer. Developed in Lyon, this technology allowed multiple moviegoers to experience...

In this week’s special Natpe: Miami International TV Newswire, Variety looks at the AVoD revolution through a new deal between Tubi and Mexico’s Azteca, ITV and Kew Media sell big across the Americas and two high-profile HBO Latin America series join Hulu Japan’s Latin American showcase.

Tubi and Azteca Presage AVoD Revolution

Tubi, the world’s largest AVoD (Advertising Supported Video on Demand) player, based out of San Francisco, signed this week a strategic partnership with Mexico’s broadcast network TV Azteca to launch a localized Spanish-language app.

As part of the deal, TV Azteca will sell ads on behalf of Tubi while promoting the service to the company’s audience across several platforms. Several of TV Azteca’s more popular titles will also be made available to Tubi members in Mexico, including: “Exatlón Mexico,” “MasterChef,” and “Lo que La Gente Cuente.”

That’s the deal. More will come.

Exclusive: Murder Mystery and The Alienist star Luke Evans is to lead an ITV crime drama from Bodyguard producer World Productions. The actor, who also starred in The Fate of the Furious, will play police officer Steve Wilkins in The Pembrokeshire Murders.

The three-part series, which depicts the pursuit of a cold-blooded serial killer, is based on true-crime book Catching the Bullseye Killer, written by Senior Investigating Officer Steve Wilkins and ITV news journalist Jonathan Hill.

Filming kicks off this month on the series, which was commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill, is written by In Plain Sight’s Nick Stevens. The series comes from ITV-owned Bodyguard and Line of Duty producer World Productions and is produced by Hinterland’s Ed Talfan for Wales-based Severn Screen.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle’s Keith Allen plays John Cooper, Game of Thrones’ Owen Teale plays Gerard Elias, The End...

Hot on the heels of a season finale that scored its largest audience ever, Line Of Duty producer World Productions has been acquired by ITV. The British broadcaster has taken a majority stake in the company which is also responsible for such programs as The Bletchley Circle, Dark Angel, In Plain Sight, Code Of A Killer and The Great Train Robbery. World CEO Roger Charteris will step down from his position with Creative Director Simon Heath assuming the Chief Executive…...

BBC announced today that, after six incredible series at the helm, the multi-award winning Steven Moffat has decided to step down as the lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who. Steven took over the reins on Doctor Who Season 5 in 2010 and during his tenure the show has become a truly global success. He will be replaced by Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch) He has been responsible for introducing the Eleventh and the Twelfth Doctors in Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi, as well as two companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) and iconic characters and monsters including River Song (Alex Kingston), Missy (Michelle Gomez), Rory (Arthur Darvill) and the terrifying Weeping Angels.

He was also responsible the smash hit 50th Anniversary special in 2013 which saw fans around the world celebrate the world's longest running sci-fi series with the Doctors, Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt battling the...

Principal photography is underway in Europe on Martin Koolhoven thriller.

Dakota Fanning (Night Moves) and Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) have replaced Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Robert Pattinson (Twilight), respectively, in Martin Koolhoven’s thriller Brimstone, which is now underway in Europe.

Also new to the cast, which already boasts Guy Pearce (Memento) and Carice van Houten (Black Book), are Paul Anderson (Sherlock Holmes), Jack Roth (The Great Train Robbery) and Carl Juri (Wetland).

The story follows a young woman (Fanning) who goes on the run and is chased by a diabolical preacher known as The Reverend (Pearce).

Producer Els Vandevorst issued the following statement to Screen about the cast changes: “Mia Wasikowska left the film due to unforeseen personal circumstances and Dakota Fanning immediately jumped into the leading starring role. Kit Harington was so consistently passionate about the script that his enthusiasm and total creative commitment made him a must for the role which...

Kit Harington has joined the cast of Martin Koolhoven’s Brimstone opposite Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce and fellow Game Of Thrones alum Carice van Houten. Also in the cast is Paul Anderson (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Jack Roth (The Great Train Robbery) and Carla Juri (Wetlands). Koolhoven (Winter In Wartime) directs from his own script. Fanning stars as Liz, a protagonist on the run from her past and chased by Pearce's diabolical Preacher. Principal production has…...

Filth, Pride and Philomena among film nominees; awards take place on Jan 19 in London.

Sandi Toksvig will present the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain annual Awards at Riba, in London, on Jan 19, 2015.

In the two film categories, Pride (Stephen Beresford), The Selfish Giant (Clio Barnard) and Starred Up (Jonathan Asser) are up for Best First Screenplay, while Filth (Jon S Baird), Metro Manila (Sean Ellis & Frank E Flowers) and Philomena (Jeff Pope & Steve Coogan) will compete for Best Screenplay.

TV programmes up for awards include Line of Duty (Jed Mercurio), Peaky Blinders (Steven Knight), The Great Train Robbery (Chris Chibnall) and House of Fools (Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer).

A special award for outstanding contribution to writing and writers will be presented on the night.

Full shortlist

TV Drama – Long Form

Line of Duty (Jed Mercurio), Happy Valley (Sally Wainwright), Peaky Blinders (Steven Knight)

TV Drama – Short Form

The Great Train Robbery (Chris Chibnall), Turks & Caicos (David Hare), [link...

A new film is to reveal one of the biggest mysteries of the Great Train Robbery.

The Great Train Robbery: A Tale of Two Thieves will finally unmask the identity of the elusive 'Ulsterman', who provided important information to the train robbers back in 1963.

The film will be released at selected cinemas in October, followed by a DVD and on-demand release on October 6.

Gordon Goody, one of the robbery masterminds, appears on film discussing the Ulsterman for the first time after 51 years.

15 men succeeded in stealing today's equivalent of £45 million. The Ulsterman's identity has been the subject of debate by the public and the police for many decades.

Director Chris Long said: "This story could never happen now. Meeting Goody was a fantastic, powerful experience and he has an unbelievable presence.

"Characters like him don't exist anymore and after shunning the public for a very long time, he and...

Let's find out which geek shows were rewarded by a shiny golden face at last night's Bafta TV awards...

News

Doctor Who: The Day Of The Doctor saw off competition from Breaking Bad, Broadchurch, Educating Yorkshire, Gogglebox and The Great British Bake-Off to win the public-voted Radio Times Audience Award at last night's Bafta TV ceremony. Hoo and indeed ray for that.

Elsewhere, Chris Chibnall's Broadchurch won in a number of categories, including Best Drama, Best Actress for Olivia Colman, Best Supporting Actor for David Bradley (who was also great in Mark Gatiss' An Adventure In Space And Time, nominated for Best Single Drama but pipped to the post by Complicit). 

BBC Three's superb In The Flesh was rewarded with the Mini-Series Bafta for its three-part first series, a deserved win over Southcliffe (for which lead Sean Harris picked up Best Actor), The Fall, and Chris Chibnall...

In the United Kingdom, just like any other country, we have our tales of gangsters and crooks that become legendary, not only for the crime but for the characters who took part in them. One of the biggest legends was The Great Train Robbery, which personally I first found out about through Buster starring Phil Collins, and now of course we have the BBC mini-series that was shown at the end of 2013, and is now released on DVD.

The Great Train Robbery comes in two parts, first looking at the robbery from the view-point of the criminals themselves, then the hunt which focuses on the police and their struggles to capture each member of the gang. With more of a focus on Bruce Reynolds (Luke Evans), the so-called mastermind and planner of the robbery the drama looks to take the glamour out of the tale, not focusing on the characters...

BBC One drama The Great Train Robbery topped Wednesday's ratings, according to overnight figures.

Chris Chibnall's first of a two-parter - aired on the night of real-life robber Ronnie Biggs's death - attracted 5.23 million (23.2%) at 8pm. Later, a repeat of Mrs Brown's Boys amused 4.89m (21.5%) at 9.30pm.

On BBC Two, Wartime Farm appealed to 1.39m (6.8%) at 7pm, followed by Food and Drink with 1.39m (6.8%) at 8pm. Tudor Monastery Farm gathered 1.51m (6.6%) at 9pm.

ITV's Surprise, Surprise entertained 4.06m (18.3%) at 8pm (230k/1.0% on +1). The second part of Lucan dropped around 1.2m from last week to 2.66m (12.1%) at 9pm (312k/1.9%).

On Channel 4, Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners intrigued 1.21m (5.4%) at 8pm (149k/0.6%). 24 Hours in A&E attracted 2.15m (9.4%) at 9pm (310k/1.7%), while the latest Gogglebox was up to 2.05m (11.0%) at 10pm (238k/2.3%).

Channel 5's Excessive Compulsive Collectors fascinated 404k (1.8%) at 8pm, while Britain's Craziest Christmas Lights was seen by 1.35m...

Review Louisa Mellor 18 Dec 2013 - 21:30

The first of two BBC films on the Great Train Robbery is slick stuff, but does it provide enough light and shade?

This review contains spoilers.

1.1 A Robber’s Tale

The Great Train Robbery. With a name like that, it’s no wonder we enjoy retelling this story. Had the 1963 Cheddington Mail Van Raid not been rechristened with such a swashbuckling title, you can bet we wouldn’t be here now, watching the credits roll on another dramatized version of events.

Or more properly, half a dramatized version. The second film in this diptych, A Copper’s Tale, airs tomorrow night and tells the same story from the other side of the thin blue line. Writer Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch, Torchwood) has cleaved the narrative into two neat halves: cops and robbers. In many ways, it’s a swell trick, the novelty of which tilts...

The Great Train Robbery: BBC One, 8pm

Two part drama by Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall telling the story of the most infamous heist in British history, beginning with the planning of the crime from the perspective of the perpetrators themselves.

Veep: Sky Atlantic, 10pm, Season 2, Episode 10/10

Selina informs her staff that she's decided not to run for a second term in the office she's come to hate, prompting them to start looking for new jobs. However, everything changes when she discovers the president isn't seeking re-election.

Lucan: ITV, 9pm

With the body of nanny Sandra Rivett in the basement of his family home, Lucan attacks his wife Veronica, but she fights back and alerts the police, prompting a national manhunt as the earl goes on the run.

Want to make sure you don't miss anything great on the telly in the next seven days? Never fear, because Tube Talk has done all the hard work for you and smushed all of this week's must-see TV into one snappy rundown. Check out what you should be checking out below...

Honorable mentions: Red John is unmasked in The Mentalist (Tuesday, December 17 at 9pm on Channel 5), ITV's festive fundraiser Text Santa returns (Friday, December 20 at 8pm on ITV) and Homeland's third season comes to a close (Sunday, December 22 at 9pm on Channel 4).

The Great British Bake Off Christmas Special: Tuesday (December 17) at 8pm on BBC Two

They got to sit back and cast a critical eye over a bunch of quivering amateurs earlier this year, but now it's the turn of Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry to step up in The Great British Bake Off Christmas Special - and...

Atlantis

BBC America has picked up the previously announced second season of fantasy co-production "Atlantis" just days after the first season premiered in the United States.

In the U.K., the show has been the biggest Saturday night drama to launch on the BBC since 2006. The network ordered a second season of the drama back in late October. [Source: Variety]

Up Late with Alec Baldwin

MSNBC has pulled the plug on Alec Baldwin's talkshow "Up Late" in the wake of a homophobic slur scandal earlier in November.

The network and Baldwin's rep Matthew Hiltzik issued the statement: "We are jointly confirming that Up Late will not continue on MSNBC". [Source: PageSix]

Helix

After various short teasers, Syfy has unveiled an extended and more plot-centric trailer for Ronald D. Moore's new thriller series about a group of scientists investigating a pathogen outbreak in an Arctic facility. The show premieres January 10th.

The Great Train Robbery...

The BBC has defended its Original British Drama trailer after it was criticised for its lack of female stars.

The 90-second trail promoted new series such as The Escape Artist starring David Tennant and the return of popular hits like Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch.

The clip provoked some criticism online for its focus on male performers, such as Tennant, Cumberbatch, The Great Train Robbery's Luke Evans and By Any Means star Warren Brown.

A spokesperson for the BBC acknowledged to The Telegraph that the trailer had a "male skew" but explained that another trailer "featuring female leads" would follow.

"This is the first in a series of new BBC Original British Drama trailers that showcase the range of our output, each designed to target different parts of our audience," the broadcaster said in a statement.

"We have a new trail featuring female leads launching soon."

Female stars expected to...

It's being called the British Boardwalk Empire, meaning expectations are high for the new BBC period drama. Meanwhile Joss Whedon brings the Marvel superhero world to the small screen

Peaky Blinders

Its producers will be wary of any "British Boardwalk Empire" comparisons, since calling The Hour the "British Mad Men" weighted expectations unflatteringly. But there are similarities that make it inevitable, particularly its luscious period sets and plot driven by the criminal underworld. Peaky Blinders takes place in Birmingham, 1919, and Cillian Murphy stars as Tommy Shelby, leader of the eponymous gang, so-called because they carry blades in their caps. Over six episodes, they cross paths with the police, the government, communists and the Ira, so it's certainly ambitious – and it looks gorgeous, too. Helen McCrory and Sam Neill add to a heavyweight cast. 12 September, 9pm, BBC2.

The Blacklist

Homeland season three is due on UK screens soon, but for those tired of its preposterousness,...

The BBC has unveiled its new 'Original Drama Series' montage promo for its various launches over autumn.

The list includes returning champs "Sherlock" for its third series of three telemovies, and "Ripper Street" for its second season of eight episodes.

There's first looks at "Primeval" & "Survivors" creator Adrian Hodges new ten episode "The Musketeers" starring Peter Capaldi and Luke Pasqualino, and the Luke Evans and Martin Compston-led period mini-series "The Great Train Robbery" from "Broadchurch" producer Chris Chibnall.

There's also several crime dramas including the four-part "What Remains" with David Threlfall & Russell Tovey which began airing the other week, the three-part "The Escape Artist" with David Tennant, the 1950s Dublin-set "Quirke" with Gabriel Byrne, and "Life on Mars" and "Hustle" creator Tony Jordan's "By Any Means" starring Warren Brown and Shelley Conn.

BBC One has previewed its upcoming dramas including the new series of Sherlock.

The Great Train Robbery, written by Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall and starring Jim Broadbent, and David Tennant's The Escape Artist - written by Spooks creator David Wolstencroft - also feature in the new Original British Drama trailer.

Other series showcased include The Musketeers, Quirke, What Remains, Ripper Street and By Any Means.

The Musketeers, a new ten-part series from Primeval co-creator Adrian Hodges, stars Skins actor Luke Pasqualino and Doctor Who's Peter Capaldi in a "fresh and contemporary take" on Alexandre Dumas's classic novel.

By Any Means stars Luther's Warren Brown as Jack Quinn, leader of an elite team of mavericks who bring criminals to justice.

BBC One's new British drama trail airs on TV for the first time tonight (September 1) at 9pm.

Trailer Louisa Mellor 1 Sep 2013 - 09:00

The BBC autumn drama trailer features a glimpse of Sherlock series 3, Ripper Street, The Great Train Robbery, The Musketeers & more...

"The thrill of the chase, the blood pumping through your veins. Just the two of us against the rest of the world."

The BBC has released its autumn drama trailer, showcasing anticipated new series such as Adrian Hodges' The Musketeers (featuring a certain Mr P. Capaldi), The Escape Artist (featuring a certain Mr D. Tennant) and Chris Chibnall-scripted miniseries The Great Train Robbery, as well as a tantalising glimpse of Benedict Cumberbatch atop that roof in Sherlock, and in conversation with Martin Freeman's Watson. We'll bring you more on the best of the new drama later on this year.

You'll note that there's no sign of the long-awaited Doctor Who 50th anniversary special in there, but fingers crossed we won't have much longer to wait.

Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Kudos.

Chibnall's company Imaginary Friends Productions has partnered with Kudos - the company behind Spooks, Hustle and Life on Mars - on a new two-year contract.

Under the deal, Kudos will have first refusal on all of Chibnall's new scripted projects, Deadline reports.

The writer's next project is two-part BBC drama The Great Train Robbery starring Luke Evans and Jim Broadbent. Broadchurch will also return for a second series in 2014.

Chibnall also recently confirmed to Digital Spy that he has been approached to write for the upcoming eighth series of Doctor Who.

However, he added that "scheduling" could prevent him from writing his sixth script for the sci-fi drama.

Watch Olivia Colman discussing Broadchurch with Digital Spy below:...

Interstellar

Jessica Chastain is in talks to star alongside Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway in Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" at Paramount and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Story details remain under wraps, though it's thought the sci-fi epic will deal with a team of explorers going through a wormhole. [Source: Deadline]

A Good Marriage

Kristen Connolly ("House of Cards") has joined the cast of Peter Askin's upcoming film adaptation of the 2010 Stephen King novella "A Good Marriage".

Joan Allen plays a woman who discovers her rare-coin-selling husband is a serial killer. Connolly will play Allen’s daughter. [Source: Deadline]

Imagine

Annette Bening and Bobby Cannavale are in negotiations to join Dan Fogelman's John Lennon-centric "Imagine" which is top lined by Al Pacino. Shooting kicks off in July.

Pacino plays an aging rocker who discovers a letter written to him by the late John Lennon and decides to alter the course of his life.

London – Oscar winner Jim Broadbent has signed on to star in the second installment of screenwriter Chris Chibnall's two-part TV movie The Great Train Robbery for BBC One. Broadbent will star as Tommy Butler, alongside Robert Glenister (Hustle), Tom Chambers (Waterloo Road), Tim Pigott-Smith (The Hour), Tom Beard (Hunted), James Wilby (Titanic) and James Fox (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory). James Strong, who teamed with Chibnall on United and Broadchurch, will direct second installment, titled A Copper's Tale, and made by World Productions for BBC One. Story: Roland Emmerich Developing 'Lawrence of Arabia' Mini-Series for Fremantle The so-called "great train robbery"

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Oscar winner Jim Broadbent will play Tommy Butler, the detective who relentlessly sought to bring the gang behind the infamous August 8, 1963 robbery of a Royal Mail train to justice. The BBC‘s two-part drama The Great Train Robbery kicks off with The Robbers’ Tale, the story of how the heist was planned and executed. Luke Evans will play Bruce Reynolds, the mastermind behind the heist. The second part, A Coppers’ Tale, will feature Broadbent leading the Scotland Yard team Butler assembled to bring the thieves to justice in a race against time. Also joining A Coppers’ Tale are Tim Pigott-Smith (Downton Abbey, Alice In Wonderland), Robert Glenister (Law & Order: UK, Hustle), Tom Chambers (Waterloo Road), Tom Beard (Salmon Fishing In The Yemen), James Wilby (Titanic) and James Fox (W.E., Utopia). Created by Broadchurch and Camelot exec producer Chris Chibnall, the films are produced by World Productions for BBC One. Part...

The BBC is marking a lot of anniversaries with its upcoming specials. Later this year, the broadcaster will celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who and will also remember The Great Train Robbery 50 years on with a serial starring Luke Evans. Mr. Selfridge creator Andrew Davies, who recently signed on to adapt Leo Tolstoy’s War And Peace for the BBC, has also just committed to A Poet In New York, a drama he’ll write about Dylan Thomas and his death in New York in 1953 at the age of 39. Broadcast is set for next year, the centenary of Thomas’ birth. The story kicks off with the Welsh poet’s arrival in Manhattan on his fatal visit and covers the last days of his life as well as his stormy relationship with wife Caitlin. Aisling Walsh will direct A Poet In New York. Shooting starts this summer. Modern TV is producing the movie for the BBC.