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BBC News
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
This City is Ours: James Nelson-Joyce on the 'Scouse Sopranos'
In This City Is Ours, Liverpool actor James Nelson-Joyce plays a leading gang member who is struggling to balance his criminal career and family life, against a backdrop of changing modern it's not hard to see why the new BBC drama has been dubbed by reviewers as the "Scouse Sopranos" - with reference to the acclaimed US mafia boss Tony and his equally conflicting plays the notorious Michael Kavanagh, who works for drug lord and lifelong friend Ronnie Phelan, played by Sean Bean. And the plot focuses on the power struggle between Michael and Ronnie's son Jamie - played by Nelson-Joyce's real life football friend and fellow Scouser Jack McMullen - as to who will take over the business when the top dog retires to Spain, via the though, Michael falls in love with Diana (Hannah Onslow). The couple are trying for a baby but due to his low sperm count need to try IVF to start a not an ideal environment for domestic bliss to blossom - or good for Michael's street cred - but it does provide the scene for the 36-year-old actor's "most amazing" TV experience to date. "It's about Michael allowing himself to be vulnerable," Nelson-Joyce tells BBC News."Because a lot of men put up this brave wall where it's like, I can't be seen to be that person," he adds. "It's took Diana to be that breath of fresh air in his life." He believes it is important to show on screen how "we are allowed to change"."Because Michael's identity throughout has been as Ronnie's right-hand man, so he's always been the one you don't mess with."Whereas for the first time in his life, he's allowing himself to be who he wants to be; this loving partner who's reliable, who's safe and who doesn't lie to his partner." The rising star, who has been mentioned as potential future James Bond, previously appeared opposite Sheffield actor Bean in another Merseyside crime drama, he has featured alongside another Liverpudlian, Stephen Graham, in Time, Little Boy Blue, and the recent historical drama A Thousand says his latest character's respect for his partner in crime, Ronnie, was a mirror of his real life working relationship with Bean, who he describes as "a gift" of a co-star and a "kind human being".Graham is "so supportive" of Nelson-Joyce's career too. The former's own headline-grabbing new show, Adolescence, also tackles toxic masculinity and its potentially deadly City is Ours' Bafta-winning director Saul Dibb (The Sixth Commandment) notes how Nelson-Joyce has played "hard men" roles before but has not been able to demonstrate "all of the other qualities" he possesses, until now. 'Superb crime thriller' The Telegraph has awarded the show five stars, calling it a "superb crime thriller of betrayals and shifting loyalties". Critic Anita Singh noted that it "doesn't quite live up to" the Sopranos "but it comes close".In a four-star review, the Independent said Nelson-Joyce's "conflicted gangster" and the show's "moral ambivalence" elevated it "above the average boilerplate crime drama".The Guardian's Lucy Mangan awarded three stars, however, suggesting "the fantastic performances don't do enough to lift this Scouse Sopranos."But the Sunday Times' Carol Midgley offered another four-star review, saying it "is as much about family dynamics and the human condition as it is about gangsters and violence". The show's creator and writer Stephen Butchard (The Last Kingdom) tells us he is "happy" with comparisons to the "brilliant" New Jersey-based crime show "because that really is about a family"."We haven't got as many cured meats," he jokes, of Mr Soprano's favourite reference point was Shakespeare, he explains, to "explore those huge human emotions of your ambition and greed and love and betrayal.""Once greed and secrets take hold, the fabric of any society, including a family, begins to fray," he engineer Butchard was keen to capture the "vibrancy" of his native Liverpool, which he describes as a "really handsome" and "friendly" modern world vistas of the city's skyline and glamorous waterfront are juxtaposed with life on its streets (along with shots of the gang's dealings in sunny Marbella and Malaga)."I didn't want to show a Liverpool that has been seen previously on the television," he says."Because this story could be told in any city around the world, but then it's only when you come to the characters that you can give them that Liverpool inflection, bite and hopefully humour, and reflect the mood of the city."He says he was was impressed with the "wonderful" Scouse accents perfected by the non-local members of the extended fictional crime family, including Onslow, Julie Graham and Laura Aikman, as well as Derry Girls star Saoirse-Monica Jackson. As for genuine Scouser Nelson-Joyce, just when he thought he was out, the producers may have pulled him back in for a second series."We want to do a season two" says the star."It would be mad if there wasn't" offers underline the overwhemingly positive responses they've received, particularly from viewers with purple bins."Because they're the people who know if we've got all the details right," says the London director, adding that Liverpudlians would "not hold back" in saying so if recounts how a train conductor told actor Michael Noble - who plays Michael's confidant/enforcer, Banksey - that they had "done they city proud".The reaction has been "really lovely" and "a bit crazy" adds Nelson-Joyce."It feels like the whole city loves it," he says. "I think people really bought the relationship between me and Hannah and really wanted us to work."His celebrity pal, ex-Liverpool footballer Jamie Carragher told him personally last week that he thought the show was "[expletive] brilliant".Tony Soprano could not have put it better City Is Ours airs on BBC One on Sundays at 21:00 BST. All eight episodes are available now on iPlayer.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Dark Energy experiment shakes Einstein's theory of Universe
The mysterious force called Dark Energy, which drives the expansion of the Universe, might be changing in a way that challenges our current understanding of time and space, scientists have of them believe that they may be on the verge of one of the biggest discoveries in astronomy for a generation - one that could force a fundamental early-stage finding is at odds with the current theory which was developed in part by Albert data is needed to confirm these results, but even some of the most cautious and respected researchers involved in the study, such as Prof Ofer Lahav, from University College London, are being swept up by the mounting evidence. "It is a dramatic moment," he told BBC News."We may be witnessing a paradigm shift in our understanding of the Universe."The discovery of Dark Energy in 1998 was in itself shocking. Up until then the view had been that after the Big Bang, which created the Universe, its expansion would slow down under the force of gravity. But observations by US and Australian scientists found that it was actually speeding up. They had no idea what the force driving this was, so they gave it a name signifying their lack of understanding - Dark Energy. Although we don't know what Dark Energy is - it is one of the greatest mysteries in science - astronomers can measure it and whether it is changing by observing the acceleration of galaxies away from each other at different points in the history of the experiments were built to find answers, including the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at the Kit Peak National Observatory near Tucson Arizona. It consists of 5,000 optical fibres, each one of which is a robotically controlled telescope scanning galaxies at high year, when DESI researchers found hints that the force exerted by dark energy had changed over time, many scientists thought that it was a blip in the data which would go away. Instead, a year on, that blip has grown."The evidence is stronger now than it was," said Prof Seshadri Nadathur at the University of Portsmouth"We've also performed many additional tests compared to the first year, and they're making us confident that the results aren't driven by some unknown effect in the data that we haven't accounted for," he said. 'Weird' results The data has not yet passed the threshold of being described as a discovery, but has led many astronomers, such as Scotland's Astronomer Royal, Prof Catherine Heymans, of Edinburgh University, to sit up and take notice."Dark Energy appears to be even weirder than we thought," she told BBC News."In 2024 the data was quite new, no-one was quite sure of it and people thought more work needed to be done. "But now, there's more data, and a lot of scrutiny by the scientific community, so, while there is still a chance that the 'blip' may go away, there's also a possibility that we might be edging to a really big discovery." So what is causing the variation?"No one knows!" Prof Lahav admits, cheerfully."If this new result is correct, then we need to find the mechanism that causes the variation and that might mean a brand new theory, which makes this so exciting."DESI will continue to take more data over the next two years, with plans to measure roughly 50 million galaxies and other bright objects, in an effort to nail down whether their observations are unequivocally correct."We're in the business of letting the Universe tell us how it works, and maybe it is telling us it's more complicated than we thought it was," said Andrei Cuceu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, in details on the nature of Dark Energy will be obtained by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid mission, a space telescope which will probe further than DESI and obtain even greater detail. It was launched in 2023 and ESA released the new images from the spacecraft DESI collaboration involves more than 900 researchers from more than 70 institutions, around the world, including Durham, UCL and Portsmouth University from the UK.
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Man's brain turned to glass by Vesuvius volcano ash cloud
Nearly 2,000 years after a young man died in the Vesuvius volcanic eruption, scientists have discovered that his brain was preserved when it turned to glass in an extremely hot cloud of found the glass in 2020 and speculated that it was a fossilised brain but did not know how it had pea-sized chunks of black glass were found inside the skull of the victim, aged about 20, who died when the volcano erupted in 79 AD near modern-day Naples. Scientists now believe a cloud of ash as hot as 510C enveloped the brain then very quickly cooled down, transforming the organ into glass. It is the only known case of human tissue - or any organic material - turning to glass naturally."We believe that the very specific conditions that we have reconstructed for the vitrification [the process of something turning into glass] of the brain make it very difficult for there to be other similar remains, although it is not impossible," Prof Guido Giordano from Università Roma Tre told BBC News."This is a unique finding," he brain belonged to a man killed in his bed inside a building called the Collegium on the main street of the Roman city fragments of glass found by the scientists range from 1-2 cm to just few millimetres in size. The massive eruption of Vesuvius engulfed Herculaneum and nearby Pompeii where up to 20,000 people lived. The remains of about 1,500 people have been now think the hot ash cloud descended from Vesuvius first, probably causing most of the deaths.A fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter, also called a pyroclastic flow, followed, burying the believe the ash cloud turned the man's brain into glass because the pyroclastic flow would not have reached high enough temperatures or cooled quickly process of glass formation requires very specific temperature conditions and rarely occurs naturally. For a substance to turn to glass, there must be a huge temperature difference between the substance and its surrounding. Its liquid form has to cool fast enough not to crystallise when it becomes solid, and it must be at a much higher temperature than its team used imaging with x-rays and electron microscopy to conclude that the brain must have been heated to at least 510C before cooling other parts of the man's body are believed to have turned to glass. Only material containing some liquid can turn to glass, meaning that the bones could not have soft tissues, like organs, were likely destroyed by the heat before they could cool down enough to turn to scientists believe the skull gave some protection to the research is published in the scientific journal - a publication where researchers report their work to other experts - Scientific Reports.
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Pamela Anderson on missing out on the Oscars
Pamela Anderson has had her fair share of ups and down over her that might explain why she's so stoic about missing out on an Oscar nomination for her role in The Last Showgirl.'The win is the work,' the Canadian actress told BBC News.'You couldn't have told me I'd be here a decade ago, so this is very exciting for me, to even be in the conversation.'Anderson, 57, did manage to score nominations at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her part in Gia Coppola's film about a fading Las Vegas she is not in the running for the Academy Awards, which take place this Sunday in Los Angeles.'I just wish everybody well,' she said. 'I think anybody, any actor, realises that all of this is about having another chance to be able to perform and share your talent with the world.' Anderson rose to prominence on the 1990s TV series lifeguard drama became the most-watched television show in the world at the time, and it's still the role she's best known in the three decades since she first ran along the California beaches, fans and critics have become acquainted with different parts of Anderson's life story including Playboy covers, a leaked sex tape and many 2022, Hulu series Pam & Tommy told the story of how Anderson and now ex-husband Tommy Lee's sex tape was stolen and illegally distributed in the later criticised the series in an interview with Variety, describing it as "shocking" and calling for the people behind it to apologise to & Tommy: Lily James 'a triumph' as Pamela AndersonNow, she's starring in a new film which is also about second The Last Showgirl, the lead character Shelly, played by Anderson, must plan for her future after her show abruptly of critics have drawn parallels with Anderson's own life in the spotlight, and she doesn't dispute this.'I think that's what drew me to the project, that it was so relatable on so many levels,' Anderson said of the added that its central theme, of struggling to make your career work as a woman in later middle age, was something "many generations of women" had faced. In the film, Shelly is portrayed as having a strained relationship with her daughter career as a showgirl means she often works late, causing her to miss important moments like bedtime with too, is something that Anderson says she can relate Anderson memoir bares soul on fame and heartbreakShe shares two sons, Brandon Thomas, 28, and Dylan Jagger, 27, with her ex-husband, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy said that for all working mums, there's "no proper way" to be a parent while also following your dreams and pursuing your career.'So this movie is, I think, in a very vulnerable space.'And it was an interesting role to play with all her imperfections and selfishness and selflessness. And it was a lot of layers and nuances to the character that I could really relate to.' The Last Showgirl has received a mixed reception from critics, though most have praised Anderson's New York Times called it "sensitive and beguiling" and described Anderson as "dazzling". But the Guardian awarded it just one star, calling it "a big disappointment".Many have also described the role as Anderson's "comeback". She doesn't reject the term, but says she prefers to see it as "a new chapter"."I've always been fascinated with the craft of acting," she said. "[But] my personal life kind of took me off course, and I raised two beautiful boys."She's not the only actress to be back in the spotlight this Moore is nominated for best actress at the Oscars for her role in The Substance, a body horror which has revitalised her career."I'm really happy for Demi," Anderson said. "I think she's earned her place. And you have to earn it. You have to fight for it."With so many strong female protagonists in this year's films, I'm curious what Anderson now thinks of show has long been criticised for its portrayal of its female characters, who, many argued, were sexualised and denied meaningful plot lines."I didn't see it like that at all. I thought it was quite innocent and wholesome and, and fun to watch," she said."I always felt like I was surrounded by such incredible people, lifeguards that were also firemen or firewomen. It was really, really, empowering." Ditching the makeup Anderson has always been seen to embody a look that rose to prominence in the 90s - skinny, blonde, and enhanced by plastic in recent years, she has been sporting a "no-makeup" look, choosing instead to embrace her natural appearance."My beauty routine is rest. And so that's more important to me these days," she told said it's not that she's against makeup, but more that she thinks "there's a time and a place" for it."This chapter, for me, has been about self-acceptance and finding out who I am. What are my original thoughts? What do I have to give?" she said."I know I have a lot more to give in this world, in this industry too, and I feel like even I have to remember who I am to start with and then hopefully, play characters in films and not in my personal life."
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Apple iPhone 16e: firm gambles on AI features at lower cost
Apple has announced a new iPhone which brings artificial intelligence (AI) features at a lower cost than its flagship iPhone 16e has the same processor as the larger iPhone 16, Apple said, with similar storage options, though a lower spec elsewhere, including fewer has been struggling to find a new product that excites consumers - sales of iPhones dropped at the end of last will be hoping bringing enhanced AI functionality to a less expensive phone will address that - however analysts have been cautious about the sales boost such tools bring. Its name is clearly a nod to its iPhone SE series, which were released from 2016 to 2022, and similarly priced significantly said the iPhone 16e will be available for pre-order from February 21 in 59 countriesIt will launch in the UK for £599, which is £200 less than the iPhone 16 - but more than double what the original iPhone SE went for when it launched in 2016."This now becomes one of the most affordable powerful iPhones now on the market," industry analyst Paolo Pescatore told BBC News."The move should help accelerate adoption and especially its foray into AI with Apple Intelligence."Apple's trust and credibility is critical - this alone will help drive sales and lure users from rival devices and platforms." Apple Intelligence Much of the conversation around the new handset will likely centre around its power, with Apple electing to use the same A18 chip behind its more expensive means the 16e will be capable of playing the same games and running the same apps as other iPhones - though AI is likely at the heart of this decision. Apple boss Tim Cook said in the announcement the new model featured "the performance, intelligence and privacy" Apple fans "expect" from the he said the Apple Intelligence features on the device would "help you save time, quickly get more things done, and express yourself in new ways".The firm introduced its spin on the tech - Apple Intelligence - with this series of devices, which includes new tools for writing and incorporating OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT into hasn't always gone well, with the firm at one point suspending its AI-generated news alerts after they created false headlines attributed to news organisations including the now presents the summaries in said its new phone is "built for Apple Intelligence", and pointed to certain features of the tech, like an easy way to clean up photos or search your image phone manufacturers have similar features on their devices - though the iPhone 16e will be by far the cheapest way to access AI on an Apple handset."The iPhone 16e generates a new revenue stream for Apple, and this will be particularly noticeable in key markets like India, where iPhones are out of reach for most people," said Forrester principal analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee."There is also a second-order effect of cheaper devices like the iPhone 16e, bringing new customers into the Apple ecosystem. "We've seen a limited appetite among many of the installed base to upgrade from previous versions, but the new phone reduces the cost hurdle of joining the Apple Intelligence bandwagon."
