Latest news with #AriyonBakare
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Mr. Loverman' Is a Rich, Stylish and Riveting Mini-Series
Lennie James recently won a BAFTA for his leading role in the mini-series 'Mr. Loverman,' and for good reason: His performance is as whole and mesmerizing a portrait as one sees on television. 'Loverman,' arriving Wednesday, on BritBox, is based on the novel by Bernardine Evaristo and follows Barrington Jedidiah Walker (James), an Antiguan native who has been living in London for decades. He is a self-described 'man of property, man of style,' a dapper dresser and a Shakespeare enthusiast, husband to a devout Christian woman, father to two adult daughters and grandfather to a teen boy. He is also closeted. His long-term partner, Morris (Ariyon Bakare, who also won a BAFTA for his work here and is also fantastic), has been his best friend and lover since they met in Antigua as young men; he is Uncle Morris to Barry's children, a constant presence, a secret and not a secret, a betrayal but also a devotion. But Barry balks at labels, and he says he isn't a homosexual but rather 'a Barry sexual.' Barry swears he is about to leave his wife, about to tell her the truth. But he has sworn that before. The show weaves among the characters' perspectives, and long flashbacks depict the pivotal moments that carve each person's reality. We hear their internal monologues, though none sing quite as melodically as Barry's does. 'Loverman' is polished and literary, practically silky — sublime, even. It's natural to be baffled by other people's choices: Why would you do that? Why didn't you say anything? Why would you stay? Why would you leave? A lot of contemporary shows — even plenty of good ones — fall back on pat just-so stories for their characters' backgrounds, but the picture here is deeper and fuller than that. Fear and pain, love and loyalty: They're never just one thing. There are eight half-hour episodes of 'Mr. Loverman.' I couldn't resist bingeing it, not because it's so propulsive, per se, but because it's so lovely.
Metro
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'My BBC drama did something rarely seen before on TV'
Doctor Who star and Bafta winner Ariyon Bakare reflects on the power of telling diverse stories and paving the way for future generations. The 53-year-old actor has not had a moment to slow down since his starring role in Doctor Who episode, The Story and the Engine, where he played the episode's reformed villain, the Barber. The episode, which aired last week to widespread praise, was set in Lagos, Nigeria, aka the first full story to be set in Africa and featured the return of Fugitive Doctor (Jo Martin) among other epic moments. Needless to say, his stellar performance left Whovians abuzz. Just days after appearing on the sci-fi series, he was stood on the Bafta stage 'in shock' collecting his award for best supporting actor in Mr Loverman, based on the bestselling novel by Bernadine Evarsito. So when Ariyon sat down to talk with Metro, he was still reeling from a monumental week. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. And his commitment to telling nuanced, rich stories was immediately clear with Mr Loverman. The show follows the love story between two gay Black older gentlemen (portrayed by Ariyon and fellow Bafta winner Lennie James). He explained: 'Mr Loverman is one of those rare shows. It does everything that it's not supposed to do. It's a queer story, elderly gentleman, a full ethnic cast, showing a story that we hardly ever see on screen. I don't think we've ever seen it on screen! 'And so for it to be recognised by its peers and be taken into the hearts of this audience the way it did, it was like a snowball effect. '[After my Bafta win] I felt hope that good stories can come out of anywhere, doesn't matter sex, creed or colour. 'I know that we live in a world now where we've progressed so much [that] some people want us to look backwards and stay there. I'm not about that. And that win for me was all about that.' Meanwhile, The Story and the Engine isn't the first time Ariyon has appeared on Doctor Who. In 2015, he starred in the Peter Capaldi and Maisie Williams episode, The Girl Who Lived, as the extraterrestrial lion Leandro, and was unrecognisable under 'six hours' of prosthetics. And having ticked two Doctors off his list, he reflected on just how different they are. 'Peter's really a consummate professional. He's technically amazing, but adds heart to it. I loved working with him, because he's so fast you can't keep up. 'Ncuti brings this modern quality, and he's got this cheekiness. When him and Varada [Sethu] are together, they have this connection which is just like two cheeky young teenagers in your room, and you want to go: 'Oh my God, I want to strangle you, but you're so brilliant.'' Luckily, thanks to his incognito costume, the door was open for him to return, and he jumped at the chance, praising Inua Ellam's 'beautiful, culturally dynamic' script. As such, the sense of community on set shone bright. 'We all had some connection to Africa, whether [through] our parents or [being] directly from [there], so we had a shorthand. The Doctor Who team and Bad Wolf did everything to recreate it in as authentic a way as possible, which was really beautiful. 'We'd all heard about Anansi [a mythological figure in African folklore] growing up, these are our bedtime stories. So we were really determined to bring the stories to life and make it as accessible to everybody else as well.' And, he reiterated the importance of telling diverse stories on Doctor Who, no matter what the trolls say. He explained: 'The best stories should be shown on screen, and Inua wrote an amazing, poetic, culturally driven story which was universal in every single way. 'The characters are no different than the characters we hear in Cinderella or any other fable, what makes it different that it's coming from Africa? 'What do we do with these stories. Do we just leave them to be imprisoned in some vault somewhere, or do we share them with the world? 'So no, I wasn't worried at any point, because all I wanted to do was just make sure I played this character as well as I could, and bring his words alive.' In fact, he's ready to reprise his role already. 'That was one thing that came out of the whole internet: 'When is there going to be a Barber spin-off?' Everybody keeps on asking me this. 'You have to speak to Russell T Davies about that. But yeah, I would love to play that role and Jo Martin can chase me around wherever she wants,' he joked. And he has the proof of just how impactful these stories, whether in family shows like Doctor Who or dramas like Mr Loverman, can be. 'I get messages nearly daily for Mr Loverman, from our elderly gay men who said that's their story. From straight men who said, 'I would never have watched this show, but you've educated me'. From Caribbean women grabbing me on the street and saying, 'Thank you. Thank you.' 'I had this young Muslim boy who said to me: 'I'm really struggling. I want to come out to my family. I don't know how to'. And he watched the show, and he said it gave him courage [because his] story has been going on for years and years. 'I said to him: 'You come out when you feel you need to. It's your story. You do it in your time.' It actually makes me want to cry, because it really was a moving moment when that happened. I was so touched by this young man. Then, he added: 'The younger years are creating a future that is so inclusive, all you want to do is applaud it, not stop it.' He channels his love for the next generation through his work as an ambassador for WaterAid, a non-profit organisation 'working to get clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere.' Ariyon reflected: 'We did a trip to Lagos, Nigeria, which I haven't been to for many, many years, and I was just taken aback. 'This is my father's hometown and I witnessed firsthand the struggles that [these] communities are facing, living without clean water and decent toilets.' And he recounted tales of children who had to 'urinate or defecate' outside their school to go to the toilet or nurses in maternity wards forced to 'stop their work' because they had run out of water and were forced to walk miles. More Trending The British screenstar concluded: 'Clean water changes everything – health, education, dignity. 'I don't believe that it should be a struggle, not in 2025. Sometimes we forget that one in 10 people still don't have water or access to clean water, and that just blows my mind. How does that happen? 'I just want to inspire action to create a brighter, more resilient future for both this generation and the next. I think that's my whole thing. I don't have children myself, but I know if I did, I'd want to listen.' View More » Doctor Who and Mr Loverman are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Huge update as EastEnders character charged with murder in early iPlayer release MORE: TV fans binge 'outstanding' true story drama quietly added to Netflix MORE: Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones' close friendship 'blossoms into deeper connection'
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Great television is being made. So why aren't we watching it?
As a rule, I hate awards ceremonies. The idea of sitting and watching several hours of inane acceptance speeches, humblebrags and standing ovations is enough to make me want to infiltrate a lost tribe in the Chaco forest, and stay there till kingdom come. But I have to admit, the Bafta TV Awards on Sunday made me reassess my grouchy stance – for the first time in years I felt that prizes really matter. Because the Bafta TV Awards, by and large, got it right. These awards were not gunning for Instagram glory, or photo opportunities, but focused instead on real talent. Among the judges' eminently sensible decisions were awarding acting honours to Lennie James and Ariyon Bakare (as closeted lovers in Bernardine Evaristo's Mr Loverman – quite easily the best two performances of last year), and recognising Northern Irish cop show Blue Lights, documentary Atomic People, which followed some of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Alma's Not Normal, a joyously raucous comedy from Sophie Willan. With the exception of Blue Lights, none of these shows rated very highly in terms of audience figures, none were part of what I hesitate to call the national conversation. And yet they were among the best things on television in 2024. Instead, we obsessed over The Traitors (no Baftas cue, social media outrage) and Rivals (sort of all right, but again no Baftas). Netflix's Baby Reindeer was also one of the most talked-about shows of last year and yet Jessica Gunning, a deserved Bafta winner, was the only good thing about this overpraised show. So what has gone wrong? Why are we, as viewers, so intent on ignoring the brilliant and celebrating the mediocre? A lot of it is because hype has reduced rigour, and so someone creates a buzz and everyone loses their minds – or else viewers can't be bothered actually to seek out something new for themselves. I also find that the casual viewer is becoming far more overbearing in their opinions. Both as a journalist and as a civilian, I am constantly being assailed by people telling me how much they love something. 'Have you seen [Netflix romcom] Nobody Wants This? It's sooooo goooood.' 'Oh my God, [thriller] The Jetty blew my mind. Were you not, like, dying?' Well, no. Of course I realise that taste is subjective and we risk getting into snob territory. Yet while I do broadly believe in people power – that the success of a show like Strictly Come Dancing should be praised, in part, because it is so loved, and that its popularity reflects, in a way, that it is a great show – I also think that we should take note of professional opinion, too. Yet more and more, there seems to be a gulf between critical praise and audience figures (Atomic People was only watched by 400,000 people – although of course many will have caught up on iPlayer). The end result of all of this is worryingly obvious. Fewer risks will be taken and so we will all soon be dribbling in a corner and watching Claudia Winkleman on a loop until we spontaneously combust. The rest is static. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. If those who commission TV were to start listening properly to original pitches rather than chasing a particular formula which will appeal to the lobotomised, we would all be the better for it. In the meantime, for those of you who are still sentient, I would recommend going to iPlayer and watching Alma's Not Normal, Atomic People and Mr Loverman. They are, like, sooooo gooood.
The Sun
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
BAFTA 2025 winners: Danny Dyer and Mr Bates vs the Post Office take home gongs at glittering ceremony
DANNY Dyer has bagged a BAFTA TV award as well as ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office and the winners list has been confirmed. The glittering ceremony - that will air tonight on BBC One from 7pm - has taken place today at London's Royal Festival Hall. 2 The best and brightest of the telly industry attended to battle it out to take home the prestigious awards. Baby Reindeer actress Jessica Gunning has won the best supporting actress gong at the Bafta TV Awards. The programme, which is nominated in several categories, follows Richard Gadd's character, Donny, who is stalked by Gunning's Martha after he serves her a free cup of tea in the pub that he works at. Gunning said: "Gosh thank you Bafta. Wow. I sometimes do this kind of cheesy thing where I look back on the younger me and moments in my life, and I imagine the kind of then me, seeing me now, and think, 'little did we know'. "I'm so proud to be part of this show.' The actress from Yorkshire has already won a slew of awards for Baby Reindeer, including an Emmy and Golden Globe. The Bafta reality prize has gone to Channel 4 's The Jury: Murder Trial, beating the hit BBC psychological series The Traitors. The reality series restaged a trial of murder, in front of two juries of ordinary people, and aired last year to critical acclaim Ariyon Bakare has won the best supporting actor gong at the Bafta TV Awards for his role playing Morris De La Roux in BBC drama Mr Loverman. The BBC also won the sport award for its coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics and an award in the live coverage category for Glastonbury Festival. Best specialist factual went to BBC Two 's Atomic People, which heard from those who witnessed the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Sadly Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams on Tour was snubbed in favour of Channel 4's To Catch A Copper. The female performance in a comedy Bafta has been snapped up by Welsh comedian Ruth Jones for BBC sitcom Gavin And Stacey: The Finale. "I'm not going to lie this is immense," she said. "The person I would like to thank most his my dear, dear talented friend James Corden." She said without British actor Corden "Vanessa Shanessa Nessa' Jenkins would not exist", as their final instalment of the show brought to a close the love story between his character and hers. BAFTA TV WINNERS LIST Here's everyone who has taken home an award at tonight's ceremony Entertainment: Would I Lie To You? Factual Series: To Catch a Copper International: Shogun Supporting Actor: Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman Supporting Actress: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer Limited Drama: Mr Bates Vs The Post Office Male Performance in a Comedy: Danny Dyer, Mr Bigstuff Female Performance in a Comedy: Ruth Jones, Gavin and Stacey Fellowship: Kirsty Wark News Coverage: BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special Reality: The Jury: Murder Trial Scripted Comedy: Alma's Not Normal Short Form: Quiet Life Single Documentary: Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods Special Award: ITV - Mr Bates Vs The Post Office Soap: EastEnders Live Event Coverage: Glastonbury 2024 Specialist Factual: Atomic People Sports Coverage: Paris 2024 Olympics, BBC One Children's Non-Scripted: Disability and Me (FYI Investigates) Children's Scripted: Cbeebies As You Like It At Shakespeare's Globe Current Affairs: State of Rage Daytime: [TO BE ANNOUNCED] Drama Series: [TO BE ANNOUNCED] Entertainment Performance: [TO BE ANNOUNCED] Factual Entertainment: [TO BE ANNOUNCED] Leading Actor: [TO BE ANNOUNCED] Leading Actress: [TO BE ANNOUNCED]
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bafta TV awards 2025: the full list of winners
Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer (Netflix) WINNER Katherine Parkinson, Rivals (Disney+) Maxine Peake, Say Nothing (Disney+) Monica Dolan, Sherwood (BBC One) Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer (Netflix) Sue Johnston, Truelove (Channel) Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman (BBC One) WINNER Christopher Chung, Slow Horses (Apple TV+) Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC One Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses (Apple TV+) McKinley Belcher III, Eric (Netflix) Sonny Walker, The Gathering (Channel 4) Baby Reindeer (Netflix)Lost Boys and Fairies (BBC One)Mr Bates vs the Post Office (ITV1) WINNEROne Day (Netflix) Alma's Not Normal (BBC Two) WINNERBrassic (Sky Max) G'Wed (ITV1)Ludwig (BBC One) Dragons' Den (BBC One)The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4) WINNER Love Is Blind (Channel 4)The Traitors (BBC One) CBeebies As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe (CBeebies) WINNER Horrible Histories (CBBC) Ready Eddie Go! (Sky Kids) Tweedy & Fluff (Channel 5) BoosNoo! (Sky Kids)FYI Investigates: Disability and Me (Sky Kids) WINNER Operation Ouch! (CBBC) Reu and Harper's Wonder World (Channel 5)
