Latest news with #Blackadder
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
I'm always asked where to find Edinburgh's best Sunday lunch, now I know what to tell them
Contributed You will not be disappointed by the feast at this new venue Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I've been a restaurant reviewer for a couple of millennia now. One of the most commonly asked questions I used to get asked was, where can I get a good Sunday roast in Edinburgh? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That doesn't happen so often now. I think this traditional meal's popularity has declined. Generation Z are too busy eating kimchi noodles. However, I still get the occasional person who asks for a recommendation. To be honest, I have always struggled with an answer. Usually, I'll say, what's that in the sky behind you, before roly-poly-ing away before they can look round again. Now, I can mention The Captain Darling, which is presumably named after the Blackadder character and is in the former premises of Hamilton's in Stockbridge. Not that Sunday lunch is all it does. This is a seven-day operation, which offers things like chicken schnitzel and fish pie, and there is a decent kids menu, not to mention a Workers' Lunch, Monday to Friday, where you can get a substantial main course for £12.50. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This new pub seems like a friendly rival to Tom Kitchin's nearby gastropub, Scran & Scallie, just along the road, and has a crack squad of cheffy talent behind it. There's Scott Smith, formerly of the excellent but recently closed down fine-dining restaurant, Fhior. As part of his new project, Blank Plate Creative, he's helping with the launch of this place, which is owned by the folk behind Oir Group, who operate Bodega as well as the fun and vibrant Lucky Yu on Broughton Street. Great pedigree, and we like the interior, with its teal walls and box-fresh mustard yellow velvet banquettes. We bagged an ideal people-watching spot by the window, though I think the passers-by were watching us rather than vice versa, especially when the Sunday lunch menu plates started arriving. The people at the bus stop had eyes as big as saucers. No wonder. I'd gone for the prawn cocktail (£9.50), which wasn't made with those retro tiny and hard commas, but five big fat langoustines. They were slapped in plenty of Marie Rose sauce, with a good whack of Tabasco and cayenne, and served with crispy strips of iceberg heart. I teamed this with an equally calamine-coloured El Sueno tequila based paloma (£10) cocktail. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He tried the haggis and smoked Dunlop croquettes (£9.50). This starter consisted of three mobile-phone-sized sea-salted bricks, but, luckily, they were lighter than they looked, with a melty liquid centre and crispy Panko cladding. They came with a ramekin of beautifully tangy and molasses sweet brown sauce, and a pile of pickled cucumbers. Gaby Soutar The main event was next. You can choose confit chicken leg (£20) finished on the barbecue, or hispi cabbage (£15), which has Smith's name all over it, since he did amazing things with this humble veg at Fhior. However, I went for the rare breed porchetta (£23), and my other half went for the dry aged sirloin roast beef (£26). I can't remember the last time I had proper crackling in a restaurant. With this stuff, you could probably hear my crunching reverberating all the way down to Comely Bank. These were on two saucer-sized slabs of soft meat, which came with all the trimmings - aka a huge pair of crunchy-seamed potatoes, perfect rosemary-injected carrots, vibrantly green charred broccoli, and the most intensely meaty and addictive, sticky and rich gravy. Gaby Soutar I'm almost entirely unique, in that Yorkshire puddings don't do anything for me. However, I handed my fluffy and chestnut dappled cloud over to my pud taster and he joyously guddled them both around in the gravy, then noshed them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We should've both been stretchered out at this point, since it was now very difficult to bend and we were both in the midst of a carb slump. However, we thought it'd be remiss not to sample the sticky toffee pudding (£15), since it's a classic. My most regular disappointment, with this specific dessert, is down to sauce quantity. In this case, they'd included about a pint of the warm butterscotch stuff, and there was also a scoop of Mackie's vanilla ice-cream beside the block of relatively airy sponge. So, yeah, ask me where to go for Sunday lunch, and it's obviously going to be this place. I need not distract you, and roll away. At last, I have an answer.
Metro
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Controversial BBC series viewers called 'abysmal' confirms return is weeks away
Mrs Brown's Boys is back for another run (Picture: BBC Studios / Kirsty Anderson) One of the BBC's most controversial shows is set to return in just a couple of weeks. For years now, Mrs Brown's Boys has split the nation down the middle, with some viewers branding the show 'abysmal'. Since 2011, the sitcom – which follows the life of the interfering Agnes Brown (played by Brendan O'Carroll) – and has aired five series and 12 Christmas Day specials. In an update that will have some people rejoicing and others wanting to bang their head against the wall, new episodes are on the way. The latest run was filmed at the beginning of May, and Mrs Brown's Boys will officially return on August 1 at 9:30pm. If you're really keen, you'll be able to binge all five episodes that same day, with the full series available on iPlayer – but it's safe to say not everyone is happy about the news. Viewers have branded the show 'abysmal' (Picture: BBC) The latest Christmas special was slated by viewers (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) 'Literally no one asked for this, the BBC becoming even more irrelevant and out of touch,' ranted one user on X. Others called the programme 'abysmal' when the fifth series was announced, and another quipped: 'Actually, I'm starting to think this is an elaborate prank on behalf of the BBC.' Someone else ranted: '[It] keeps coming back like a rotten smell! Give the investment to more new comedy, not keep old ones past best limping on @BBC.' Sorry, the video was not found The crass, provocative humour has had millions tuning in over the years, with the first December 25 special in 2013 pulling in a whopping 11.52 million nationwide viewers. However, after that the show averaged around nine million viewers as it slowly declined in popularity, with the 2024 Christmas Special Ding Dong Mammy pulling in just 2.2 million, while fans weren't kind. 'Baffles me how it's got so bad after the great start it had,' wrote @paulc1884, as @ads900 added: 'This was exceptionally bad this year…more than usual.' The show does have some supporters excited for the return (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) Not everyone agrees though, and comedy legend Ben Elton – best known for his work as a writer on The Young Ones and Blackadder – threw his support behind O'Carroll's sitcom. 'It's insane this show is so abused. It's so inoffensive,' he told The Sun. 'You can say it's unfunny or old-fashioned, but you cannot say it's stupid and lacks skill. 'These are brilliant comedians with perfect timing. They're doing a type of comedy you may not find appealing because maybe you're embarrassed about the fact you have no understanding of why it's funny, so you can't give yourself over to it.' Mrs Brown's Boys is 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. Arrow MORE: Doctor Who legend takes swipe at 'grumpy old fans' of BBC series Arrow MORE: MasterChef's John Torode reportedly used 'worst racial slur there is' before sacking Arrow MORE: BBC confirms Two Doors Down is returning 2 years after show was cancelled
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Indie gem Lucy Dreaming is coming to Playstation this month
The award-winning point and click adventure, Lucy Dreaming, hits the Playstation store on 31 July 2025. In October 2022, we reviewed Lucy Dreaming - a hillarious and thoughtful indie point and click adventure from British studio Tall Story Games. It's a game that draws inspiration from comedy classics like Blackadder and Monty Python, while remaining a heartfelt homage to adventure games of times gone by. Think games like "Monkey Island" and "Day of the Tentacle", which still have a cult following to this day. You follow a girl called Lucy, who is plagued by nightmares she must learn to control. You step into her dreams, explore her subconscious mind, and trip across a family secret which might explain the darkness that's gripping her slip. Since its release, Lucy Dreaming has performed exceptionally well in reviews, garnering a staggering 99% Positive reviews on Steam, and performing well across a whole stack of awards throughout the industry. The developer has been working hard, rolling it out on Switch, Xbox, and even iOS, with the console collection completing on 31 July 2025 when it releases on PS5 and PS4. 'We're absolutely thrilled to bring Lucy Dreaming to new audiences.", says developer Tom Hardwidge. "It's been a joy watching players fall in love with Lucy's story and we can't wait to share her world with a whole new audience of gamers. We've poured so much heart into this game, and we're excited for more people to experience its humour, puzzles, and charm for the first time." It's not just a port to Playstation though - the game is also updating to add French, Spanish, and Italian localisation. This isn't a simple translation however. The developers promise "careful attention" to translating the games "wit, wordplay, and cultural quirks", making sure that the jokes work in other languages, and are culturally appropriate in doing so. Although we don't have any official word from the developer, the delayed release on Playstation won't come as much of a surprise. Sony impose pretty hefty restrictions on games in their store, things like Exit Game buttons aren't allowed, and games often have to have moving parts on loading screens over a certain timeframe. Tall Story Games aren't stopping here though, with two more releases slated for some time next year. There's Heir of the Dog, which sees Cummerbund Bandersnatch transform thanks to his uncle's secret formula, and Adventures of a Cat in Space, which is a heatwarming collaboration with children's musical theatre company Little Seeds Music. Demos are available for both, with full releases scheduled for sometime in 2026. In the meantime, there's a Platinum trophy available on the Playstation version of Lucy Dreaming to hunt.
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Rory McIlroy ‘looking more like Mr Bean every day' joke fans after revealing new look haircut ahead of Scottish Open
RORY McILROY was compared to Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson after debuting a new haircut. The Irishman is competing at the Genesis Scottish Open this week, with action getting underway on Thursday. Advertisement 2 Rory McIlroy sported a new haircut at the Scottish Open Credit: X @DPWorldTour 2 Fans compared his new look to Mr Bean Credit: Thames Television Archive He got a feel for the course at the Renaissance Club on Wednesday and revealed a new haircut. In a photograph shared to the official It led to a deluge of comments from fans who compared him to England films, and Blackadder. One said: "Rory low-key rocking the cut…" while a second posted: "That's Jonny English." Advertisement Read More on Rory McIlroy A third said: "He obviously asked the barber for a 'Mr Bean'" A fourth said: "I didn't know we needed a 4th Johnny English film s, but I'm not mad at it!" A fifth added: "Looking more and more like Mr Bean every day" and a sixth quipped: "Looks like And a seventh commented: "Why's Rory made himself look like Mr Bean?" Advertisement Most read in Golf The Scottish Open will be McIlroy's first competition since finishing in a tie for sixth at the Travelers Championship last month. Eagle-eyed fans spot Rory McIlroy's 'unrepeatable' magic trick in furious fit of rage at US Open And he is looking forward to trying to regain a title he last won in 2023. The world No2 said: "The one thing I would say about the last couple of weeks is I felt like I could detach a little bit more and sort of hide in a way. Advertisement "Sometimes you need that to completely get away. I feel like this world of golf can become all encompassing if you let it. " "It has been lovely to get back and see some familiar faces, and is the first time back playing in the UK since what happened at Augusta, which is a really nice feeling as well." He added: "I don't think I started out too well here, but I have learned how to play the course a little bit better. Advertisement "Obviously I had that great finish in 2023, then played well again last year, so I am looking forward to getting out there tomorrow."
Otago Daily Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
'I'm stoked': Blackadder sticking with Crusaders
Ethan Blackadder says it wasn't a hard decision to stay with the Canterbury team. Photo: RNZ Former All Black Ethan Blackadder has re-signed with the Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby until 2026. The 30-year-old said it wasn't a hard decision to extend his time in New Zealand and his contract with Canterbury's red and blacks. "I'm sticking round for one more and I'm absolutely rapt. There's no other team I'd rather be playing for; I just love the Crusaders. We've got a real brotherhood here and we're all very close friends, I'm stoked." Blackadder was unlucky to miss out on the first All Blacks squad of the year, named last week. The loose forward was a workhorse in the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs for the Crusaders. After making his All Blacks debut in 2021, Blackadder played 14 tests for New Zealand but injuries have scuppered his opportunities in the black jersey. Since making his debut for the Crusaders in 2018, Blackadder has achieved many milestones, including receiving Crusaders Player of the Year, Champion Crusader of the Year in 2022 and being named as vice-captain for the 2025 season. "It's hard to sum it up, but it means so much to be a part of this team. What the team's done previously, the history behind it and the legacy that's there and the players who have worn the jersey before you - it's a rich history and to be continuing that and enjoying it along the way is really special." Blackadder's re-signing follows another successful Super Rugby Pacific campaign for the Crusaders, who beat the Chiefs in the final last month. "It was such an enjoyable campaign - it had a bit of everything. It wasn't perfect by any means, but we ended up putting ourselves in a position to win it and we managed to do so; it was a campaign I'll never forget."
