Latest news with #Bafta-nominated
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘Stick' review: You can hate golf and still enjoy Owen Wilson's warm comedy
There's always been a danger that Wilson, a subtler actor than he often gets credit for as well as an Oscar- and Bafta-nominated screenwriter for The Royal Tenenbaums, could become little more than a catchphrase attached to the laid-back, slightly dopey stoner persona he's perfected, A little bong-smoking aside, he mostly scales back the familiar shtick for Stick (Apple TV+, from today), playing a once great golfer whose career came to a crashing halt 20 years earlier. When it comes to golf, I'm with Mark Twain – 'a good walk interrupted'. Also, those hideous trousers put me off. But you don't have to like or even have a vague grasp of the game to enjoy this gentle, funny comedy from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine). After all, Apple's biggest hit so far is Ted Lasso, which is loved by plenty of people who couldn't care less about football, mainly because it's not really about football – it's about personal growth, second chances and redemption. On the evidence of its first three episodes (the rest follow weekly), Stick covers similar territory, only with more laughs and fewer dollops of sickly sweet life-lesson sentimentality. Wilson's Pryce Cahill, known as Stick, was on his way to becoming golf's biggest star until he had a meltdown on the course during the Ryder Cup. Everyone has forgotten about how brilliant Stick once was. All they remember is him throwing his clubs into a pond and assaulting his opponent. Nowadays, he's reduced to working at a golf range, giving lessons to old ladies and flattering talentless fools into buying expensive clubs. Permanently short of money, he makes a few extra dollars on the side by running low-level bar hustles on suckers with his best friend Mitts (Marc Maron, excellent as always), who used to be his caddy in the good old days. Stick has been divorced for years, yet appears to be still carrying a torch for his ex-wife Amber-Linn (Judy Greer). They agreed long ago to sell the house, which is littered with beer cans, dirty plates and tons of memorabilia from Pryce's glory days, but he's been stalling signing the papers. Even a fat cash offer can't make him budge. It's about more than the house, though. Stick can't let go of his grief for their son, who died when he was seven. A scene of him watching a DVD of the three of them together, which Wilson plays with commendable restraint, will give you a little lump in the throat. When Stick notices a Latino teenager called Santi (Peter Dager), who sneaks on to the range, hitting balls farther than anyone he's ever seen, his eyes light up. Stick recognises straight off that the kid is something special, a real prodigy who, with the right kind of coaching, could go all the way to the top, and take Stick with him. But the kid has no interest in playing golf – or so he says. It transpires that Santi won every kid golf trophy going when he was younger, but soured on the sport when his pushy father, who's no longer on the scene, put too much pressure on him. Nonetheless, Stick persists with trying to persuade Santi to let him take him under his wing to compete on the amateur circuit. This means he also has to persuade Santi's funny, forthright mother Elena (Mariana Treviño, excellent), who's not about to let her son go off with another bullying golf coach. She eventually agrees, provided she goes along with them, Stick pays the travelling expenses and gives her $100,000 up front. Stick takes the cash offer for the house and he, Santi, an extremely reluctant Mitts and Elena head off in Mitts' pristine RV – which isn't so pristine after one of Elena's dogs pees on the bed. Along the way, they're joined by Yellowstone's Lilli Kay as Zero, a spiky golf club waitress who acts as a combination muse/romantic interest for Santi. Stick is not exactly the first sports underdog story we've seen – it's not even the first golf underdog story; that would be would be Kevin Costner's film Tin Cup – and the beats are familiar. With Wilson at his most charming and likeable, however, and the whole cast in similarly tip-top form, it coasts along enjoyably. Rating: Three stars
Irish Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Bridget Christie's ‘looking forward to' life on the road again as new tour announced
COMEDIAN Bridget Christie claims she is looking forward to life on the road again as she announced a new stand-up tour. The second-generation Irish woman, who was born in Gloucester to parents from counties Roscommon and Leitrim, will be back on stages across the country when her Jacket Potato Pizza show kicks off in 2026. Bridget Christie has announced a new show (Pic: Natasha Pszenicki) The new live show will take her across the UK from January to March, and Christie is pretty excited about it. 'I am very much looking forward to eating motorway services food again and picking my favourite roundabouts,' she said this week. 'Last year Plymouth won.' The news follows the second successful series of Christie's sitcom The Change airing on Channel 4. Christie wrote, executive produced and stars in the show, which centres on fifty-something heroine Lisa – who, after being diagnosed with the menopause, finds herself indulging in a mid-life crisis which sees her drop her home life for an adventure in the wilderness of the Forest of Dean. The Bafta-nominated comedy saw Christie win the Debut Writer award at the New Voice Awards 2024 in recognition of the first series' success and Best Actor at The Edinburgh TV Awards. Jacket Potato Pizza is Bridget's fourteenth live show. For tour listings click here. See More: Bridget Christie, Jacket Potato Pizza, The Change, Tour
Belfast Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Ex-Newsnight producer on life after BBC: ‘I will never get tired of speaking about Prince Andrew'
Former Newsnight producer discusses life after the BBC and the importance of journalism The former Newsnight producer who negotiated the groundbreaking interview with Prince Andrew is coming to Belfast as part of the city's annual book festival. Sam McAlister, now an Emmy-nominated executive producer and Bafta-nominated interview producer, will be in conversation with Lucia Osborne-Crowley and Lucy Caldwell on June 6. The former criminal barrister's memoir Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the Most Shocking Interviews was a primary source for the 2024 Netflix dramatised movie Scoop, in which Billie Piper played the TV producer.
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Brilliant' detective drama set to return after smashing TV ratings
After the first series of Ellis was a massive ratings success, Channel 5 have confirmed it'll be back for a second season. Channel 5's hit detective drama Ellis is set for a thrilling second season after a smash-hit first series that premiered last October. Starring Sharon D. Clarke as the formidable FBI agent DCI Ellis, who's drafted in to crack failing investigations, the show quickly became a viewer favourite, pulling in an impressive 2.4 million fans. The three-part whodunit sees the 'tenacious cop' DCI Ellis and her faithful sidekick DS Harper (Andrew Gower), unravel a maze of 'cryptic clues' and a hefty 'complex conspiracy'. Fans were glued to their screens for each episode's lengthy 90-minute adventure which first captivated audiences in October. Bafta-nominated Sharon D. Clarke, couldn't hide her excitement about continuing her role. She said: "I am thrilled to return as DCI Ellis. "The response to the first series was overwhelming, and I am excited to continue this journey with such a talented team, especially with the wonderful Andrew Gower by my side." She added, eagerly anticipating the new mysteries, adding: "Ellis is a character who resonates deeply, and I can't wait for audiences to see what we have in store for her and Harper in series two." Acorn Media Enterprises (Acorn TV), equally enthused, noted: "Ellis was an instant fan-favourite for the Acorn TV audience and met with rave reviews from top critics for its elevated and smart storytelling brought to life by the incomparable Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower. "We could not be more excited to dive in on a second season of unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat cases with this dynamic pair." The series has been met with unanimous acclaim from audiences since its debit, reports Surrey Live. One viewer said: "Inspector Ellis is one of the best series of its kind to come along recently. It's serious without being morose or depressing. "It interjects humour sparingly, but perfectly timed. The actors are a natural fit for their roles, and the stories are intriguing without being too complicated." Another fan enthused: "This is one of the best detective shows we have watched for ages and definitely above average and better than my beloved Vera. "Sharon D Clark is superb in the role of Ellis and her sidekick DS Chet Harper is brilliantly played by Andrew Gower to give some humour to the drama." Meanwhile, a third admirer shared: "I think it is truly wonderful that not only is DCI Ellis an extremely strong woman, but an extremely strong Black woman at that. All the other actors are brilliant in the show as well." Ellis is available to watch on My5.
Metro
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
One of the 'best police dramas in years' confirms season 2 return
The widely praised Channel 5 detective series Ellis will return for a second season after proving a huge hit for the newly rebranded network. The three-episode show came out in October 2024 and follows the titular FBI agent, played by Mr Loverman star Sharon D. Clarke, 'parachuted in to resolve failing investigations'. The 'tenacious cop' is drawn into a trail of 'cryptic clues' she is drawn into a 'complex conspiracy' alongside her right-hand man DS Harper (Andrew Gower). The show drew in 2.4 million viewers when it was first released with each episode coming in at a whopping runtime of one hour 30 minutes. The groundbreaking crime drama is also the first black solo female-led detective series in the UK. The Bafta-nominated lead star celebrated the renewal, sharing: 'I am thrilled to return as DCI Ellis. The response to the first series was overwhelming, and I am excited to continue this journey with such a talented team, especially with the wonderful Andrew Gower by my side. 'Ellis is a character who resonates deeply, and I can't wait for audiences to see what we have in store for her and Harper in series two.' And Acorn Media Enterprises (Acorn TV) added: 'Ellis was an instant fan-favourite for the Acorn TV audience and met with rave reviews from top critics for its elevated and smart storytelling brought to life by the incomparable Sharon D Clarke and Andrew Gower. z 'We could not be more excited to dive in on a second season of unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat cases with this dynamic pair.' The series has been met with rave reviews. 'Inspector Ellis is one of the best series of its kind to come along recently. It's serious without being morose or depressing. It interjects humor sparingly, but perfectly timed. The actors are a natural fit for their rolls, and the stories are intriguing without being too complicated,' Laurie Comody praised on Google reviews. 'This is one of the best detective shows we have watched for ages and definitely above average and better than my beloved Vera. Sharon D Clark is superb in the role of Ellis and her sidekick DS Chet Harper is brilliantly played by Andrew Gower to give some humour to the drama,' Stephen Redmond waxed. 'I think it is truly wonderful that not only is DCI Ellis an extremely strong woman, but an extremely strong Black woman at that. All the other actors are brilliant in the show as well,' Bryan Knox praised. In the realm of critic reviews, Radio Times said it was 'the British detective drama that the genre has been crying out for.' It added: 'The show is helmed by Sharon D Clarke [three-time Olivier winner], who effortlessly pours wit, enigma and emotion into her leading role.' The Wall Street Journal said: 'Ellis may be seen by the inept and understaffed as a black female intruder, but her signature is really her grim attitude and, naturally, her near-flawless investigative gifts. 'Ms. Clarke makes her daunting and likeable, no small accomplishment, but the only way the show could survive.' Reflecting on portraying the complicated relationship between the Black British community and the police, Sharon told The Guardian this week: 'The show is based on Merseyside's first black female detective, and I spent a lot of time with her, learning about her experiences. More Trending 'And listen, when Cressida Dick said [in 2020] that there is no institutional racism in the police force … how much of a fool did she look? We have the marks and the scars and the funerals to show that it exists.' She continued that a role like this is 'long overdue'. 'When I started doing television, I would only be seen as a nurse. I played so many that I got to the point where I was like: 'I can't do it any more.' So I removed myself from television and didn't audition,' she said. View More » Ellis is available to stream on 5 now. 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: TV fans are completely hooked after just one episode of 'superb' thriller MORE: Anne Robinson: 'I used to tell people on TV they were overweight – I can't anymore' MORE: People are shocked to find out Peppa Pig's first name isn't Peppa
