Latest news with #Ayres
Metro
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Netflix is hours away from dropping all 6 episodes of 'traumatic' new thriller
If you're willing to stay up for a few more hours into the night, Netflix is about to release your next bingeable fix. The creator behind the platform's hits Clickbait and Stateless now brings The Survivors to the streaming service, a murder mystery set against the Australian island Tasmania's unforgiving landscape. Showrunner Tony Ayres has described the six-part miniseries as 'a family melodrama disguised as a murder mystery', exploring the long-tail of generational trauma. Based on Jane Harper's bestselling book, the thriller follows Kieran Elliott (Charlie Vickers) and Mia Chang (Yerin Ha), who return to Kieran's Tasmanian hometown Evelyn Bay. They arrive in the seaside setting fifteen years after a terrible storm took three lives, including Kieran's older brother. 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. When a young woman's body is discovered on the beach, Kieran's father (Damien Garvey), who's suffering from dementia, becomes the prime suspect. The tragedy forces the community of Evelyn Bay – where everybody knows everybody's business – to confront their long-ignored grief and buried secrets. A synopsis of the show on Netflix's Tudum reads: 'The show explores what happens to families and friends when they're forced to reckon with the kind of traumatic events that have a way of floating up to the surface again and again. 'It's a thrilling whodunnit— with an intensely emotional core.' Ayres has described the show as a 'Trojan horse' for family melodrama, using the murder mystery as cover. 'The things that are really at its heart are things like a son wanting his mother's love and the mother who just cannot afford to give it because her whole world might fall apart,' he said. 'Themes of family and loss and the stories that we tell each other to understand loss.' Evelyn Bay isn't a real place, but one Jane Harper created for her novel, although the Netflix production did shoot at various locations in Tasmania. Ayres told Variety: 'It became very clear once we found Eagle Hawk Neck and the spectacular landscapes that the locations were going to be crucial to not just the tone of the show, but the themes of the show.' More Trending Those who come to The Survivors as fans of Harper's books will also find much more than they bargained for here. Ayres has explained that the novel only afforded around two and a half hours of screen time, but Netflix wanted to make six episodes of the show. He told the trade publication that there was a degree of 'invention' behind the scenes, but all of it drawn from the original book. View More » The Survivors is available to stream on Netflix from June 6. 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: Feel Good remains one of the greatest LGBTQ+ gifts to TV MORE: Holly Willoughby suffers major blow as Netflix show is 'axed' after one season MORE: I binge-watch TV for a living – here are my recommendations for June
Axios
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
Hillsborough schools superintendent faces criticism over broad library book removals
The leader of Hillsborough County's school district is set to face state regulators on Wednesday, but he's also facing tough questions at home, including from the school board. Why it matters: Superintendent Van Ayres, with the district under state scrutiny over library books some argue are age-inappropriate, recently opted to remove 600 titles from circulation, per the Tampa Bay Times. The titles comprise all books that have been placed on a removal list by any Florida county in the last two years, the Times reports. Catch up quick: Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. in May sent the Hillsborough district a letter accusing it of offering "pornographic and inappropriate" books in its libraries. The district faced similar accusations from Attorney General James Uthmeier, who in a letter demanded the materials be removed and threatened legal action. Zoom in: The books identified by Diaz were "Call Me by Your Name" and "Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts)," both of which are celebrated novels about LGBTQ+ characters. The books have also been criticized by conservative groups and some parents for sexual content they argue is inappropriate for minors. The big picture: Book bans have sparked culture-war controversy nationwide, especially as critics note that stories about people of color and LGBTQ+ characters are frequent targets. Friction point: School board members at a meeting this week said they were blindsided by Ayres' removal of such a large number of library books, per the Times. "You did not engage with parents. You did not engage with our PTA. You did not engage with the union," Member Nadia Combs said. "You did not engage with your supervisors or your lead librarians, and I was not informed at all." Members were also critical of the cost of reviewing the removed books, which Ayres estimated at $345,000. The other side: "I needed to ensure that we don't have inappropriate materials in libraries, and that's my ultimate responsibility," Ayres told the board.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Under fire from state, Hillsborough's Ayres pledges to pull more books
Hillsborough County schools Superintendent Van Ayres pledged to remove more books from district shelves during a heated state Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, as board members suggested firing all county media specialists or exploring criminal charges as possible alternatives. The meeting in Miami followed letters from Education Commissioner Manny Diaz and Attorney General James Uthmeier sharing concerns about the content of six books including 'pornographic materials' in school shelves. Ayres told the state board he would immediately order the removal of another 57 titles identified by the state as objectionable. 'I expect and hope that these books will be removed in the next two weeks,' board Chairperson Ben Gibson told Ayres. 'If they're not removed, then I'm going to ask the department and I'll ask the attorney general to use every tool within their disposal to make sure that pornographic materials are not in our schools.' Ayres and the district's attorney, James Porter, said the district had already permanently removed the six books listed by Diaz and Uthmeier, and had pulled for review 600 additional books that had been challenged in any other Florida county. That decision put Ayres at odds with members his of own school board, who said that while they supported the idea of removing inappropriate materials, they felt they should have been consulted. Board members also said his plan to offer a $1,500 stipend to eligible employees to help review books could cost the district more than the $345,000 he estimated. The state board also did not appear to be satisfied with Ayres' move. They pressed for the immediate removal of a subset list of 57 titles they deemed patently pornographic, which includes 'All Boys Aren't Blue' by George Johnson and 'A Stolen Life: A Memoir' by Jaycee Lee Dugard. 'These are nasty, disgusting books that have no place in a school in Florida or even California,' board Vice Chairperson Richard Petty said. 'Please help me understand what your review process is. ... 'Process' sounds complicated. 'Process' sounds like it takes time. 'Process' sounds like there's some ambiguity to the outcome.' Ayres said there is no process needed 'if the material is inappropriate for our students.' In 2022, the state passed a law requiring trained media specialists to approve all materials in school libraries, and in 2023, they passed a law expanding the definition of unsuitable material. This year, a proposal to further define what is unsuitable failed to become law. But at Wednesday's meeting, the state board questioned the existing processes in Hillsborough County. Currently, if a parent has a concern with a book that a media specialist has allowed into a school's collections, they can raise it to a school-level committee. The committee would then read the book in its entirety and weigh the objectionable passages against the whole to determine if it should meet the criteria for selection, calling on outside professionals when necessary. If a book is deemed inappropriate, it can either be referred to a different age level or removed from that school and elevated to be considered for district-wide removal. The district said more than 389,000 books out of more than 2 million had been removed as a result of these processes, but no concerns had previously come up about the specific titles the state identified. Still, the board urged Ayres to go further. 'Have you considered firing all your media specialists and starting from scratch with women and men who can read?' board member Grazie Pozo Christie asked. 'These people that you trust to review these materials are abusing the children of your county. They're child abusers.' The words they had allowed were 'too dirty and gross' for her to look at, she said. Ayres said he did trust the media specialists and that 95 percent were certified. Petty then asked Ayres to read out loud an excerpt from the memoir by Dugard, who was a kidnapping victim at age 11. 'I'm not going to — this material is not appropriate,' Ayres said. 'I'm not going to read that out loud, and that's why it was made unavailable for our students.' 'But you trust your media specialists, who obviously read this?' Petty followed. 'I think this is a moment where we need to see some courage from you to say this is inappropriate. I don't care what the rules say. I don't care what the current process is. This garbage should not be in schools in Hillsborough County schools, because it serves absolutely no educational purpose.' Board member Daniel Foganholi said he believed accountability should fall on more than just Ayres. 'You have activist board members that put superintendents in a tough place, force them to do things, keep things in their libraries,' he said. 'What are we going to do to hold them accountable?' Diaz pointed to the 'teeth in the law' and said the attorney general's office could explore repercussions for anyone who tries to prevent the removal of controversial books — including board members. 'I want to provide caution to those individuals that are either on a board and trying to put pressure on a superintendent, or those individuals that are directly placing these items in the library: they could face penalty under law and prosecution,' Diaz said. This is a developing story and may be updated.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Superintendent faces state board over Hillsborough book removals amid backlash at home
The Brief Hillsborough Superintendent Van Ayres is in Miami on Wednesday, expected to explain to state education leaders why flagged books are still on school library shelves. Ayres is facing criticism from parents, state officials, and his own school board over how he's handled the issue. Nearly 600 titles have been pulled for review, far more than the state initially demanded. MIAMI, Fla. - Hillsborough County Superintendent Van Ayres is expected to speak before the Florida Board of Education on Wednesday in Miami, defending his district's decision to temporarily remove hundreds of books from school libraries. The backstory The meeting comes after Education Commissioner Manny Diaz and Attorney General James Uthmeier raised concerns about "pornographic materials" in Hillsborough schools. In response, Ayres said that not only were the titles mentioned in their letters removed, but nearly 600 other books flagged in other counties over the last two years were also pulled "out of an abundance of caution." That move has sparked backlash not only from parents, but from school board members and educators who say the decision sidestepped normal procedures and lacked transparency. Tensions flared during a packed school board meeting earlier this week, with more than a dozen speakers weighing in on the issue. Some parents criticized the district for not acting sooner to remove explicit content. Others pushed back against the decision to pull critically acclaimed works, including Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," and a graphic novel version of Anne Frank's diary without first reviewing them locally. Trisha Long, a parent of two current students in the district, criticized the move as being outside the normal process for book removal. "In this case, we are in the dark," Long said. "There is no transparency about which titles are being reviewed, nor has the community been offered any opportunity to participate in the review process. As a parent, I find this concerning. Public school parents ought to be able to see what is being removed and to have a say in whether or not these books are inappropriate for our own children." Ayres said he acted quickly to ensure no inappropriate material would remain when students return in the fall. "That's my ultimate responsibility," he told the board. "But I'll learn from this and do better moving forward." READ: University of Florida presidential pick not approved in final vote amid growing GOP opposition Dig deeper Several board members said they were left in the dark, learning after the fact that the district had pulled hundreds of titles and responded to the state without first consulting them. "I'm trying to process your lack of communication," board member Nadia Combs told Ayres, "the transparency, and also lack of knowledge and input from me with the attorney general letter coming out. When that attorney general came out, I had absolutely no knowledge of the response that came (on behalf of the board.)" READ: New Florida law expands services, support for children with autism Board Chair Jessica Vaughn said the district's move undermined trained media specialists on staff who already follow a legal review process and risk penalties if they fail to do their jobs properly. "It's offensive to say you're protecting the community by removing books without proper review," Vaughn told the superintendent. The district is now paying certified media specialists $1,500 stipends to review the titles outside of normal work hours. The cost? As much as half a million dollars. Ayres acknowledged that the current process isn't working. "Come August, I want to make sure all the books have been reviewed," he said. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source This story is based on public statements made during the Hillsborough County School Board meeting on June 2, and letters from the Florida Department of Education and Office of the Attorney General. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hillsborough school board grills superintendent over book removals
TAMPA — Days before he is expected to discuss his district's removal of library books before state leaders, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Van Ayres faced scrutiny from all directions at a heated school board meeting Monday — including from members of his own board. In May, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz sent a letter calling for the removal of two books from Hillsborough shelves over concerns about their content. The week after, Attorney General James Uthmeier followed up with a second letter asking about more 'pornographic materials in your school libraries.' In a response, Ayres wrote that all titles mentioned had been removed. He also said that to 'err on the side of caution,' all 600 titles that had been placed on a list for removal by any county in the state during the past two school years had been taken out of circulation and would be reviewed, even though no objections to them have risen through Hillsborough's existing process. Ayres' response garnered rancor from all sides. During the public comment portion of Monday's meeting, 10 people, arguing that they were against book bans and censorship, questioned why the books were still allowed in the district. Julie Gebhards, a mother of a former Newsome High School student, pointed to passages in books that were still allowed prior to the state's letter, including Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye' and Chuck Palahniuk's 'Invisible Monsters.' 'I can't believe that nobody stood up and said, 'This does not belong in our schools,'' she said. Three people spoke against the district's move to remove the titles, which include classics like Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' a graphic adaptation of Anne Frank's diary and other Morrison titles that have been critically acclaimed for their discourse of race and gender. Jeanne Coleman, a parent of two former students, questioned why the existing process, which includes parental input and community standards, had been overstepped. 'I agree there has to be age appropriate books for students, but don't tell me that it's inappropriate if I think it's appropriate for my child to read,' she said. 'That's a parental decision.' But Ayres faced the most heat from the board. Board member Nadia Combs said she was initially pleased with how he handled Diaz' letter, and appreciated a conversation that reiterated that no one stood for age-inappropriate books in schools. But she said the board was blindsided by the response to Uthmeier's letter, sent from the board's attorney, and his quick decision to pull books 'I'm trying to process your lack of communication, the transparency, and also lack of knowledge and input from me,' Combs told Ayres. 'I'm very concerned with your decision making process on that.' Combs continued: 'You created a financial burden for librarians. … You did not engage with parents, you did not engage with our PTA, you did not engage with the union. You did not engage with your employees. You did not engage with your supervisors or your lead librarians, and I was not informed at all.' Ayres said that as superintendent, he bears the final responsibility of day-to-day operations. 'I needed to ensure that we don't have inappropriate materials in libraries, and that's my ultimate responsibility,' he said. School board attorney James Potter called the letters from the state an 'unprecedented situation' and said they'd work to develop protocol in the future. Board member Patti Rendon said she wished there was a special board meeting called or some form of prior review of the letter Ayres sent out. She and board member Lynn Gray questioned other district officials for not having evidence of process of compliance with state statutes that put board members and Ayres at risk. Board chairperson Jessica Vaughn also expressed frustration with Ayres. She believed the district overstepped media specialists hired to fill libraries, who she said put their own licenses on the line and face jail time if they do their job wrong. The district is offering a $1,500 stipend to certified media specialists to review the books outside of their contracted hours. Vaughn asked Ayres about the anticipated cost of the reviews. Ayres estimated around $345,000. 'That's the low end,' Vaughn said. 'On the higher end, it could be up to half a million dollars that this is costing us.' Van Ayres said he had concerns about the existing process, which he called 'not acceptable.' 'I wanted to ensure that ... come August, all books have been reviewed,' he said. 'And that was the action that I took, was to make those books under review and unavailable while that process took place.' Vaughn pushed Ayres on whether he notified parents or board members about his decision. When he said he did not, she asked whether other districts had these books on their libraries. Ayres said they did. 'I find it offensive that you say that it's your duty to protect our community from inappropriate books, because taking sexual content books and reading them out of context does not make them inappropriate,' Vaughn said. Ayres is expected to address Hillsborough County's book removal process before the state Board of Education on Wednesday in Miami.
