Latest news with #LastoftheSummerWine
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Benidorm star's iconic outfit sells for hundreds after tragic death
Bobby Knutt's jumper went under the hammer for a good cause years after the the actor died in 2017 A colourful jumper worn by late Benidorm star Bobby Knutt has sold for nearly £500 at auction eight years after the actor's sudden death. The pullover, which featured in the hit ITV sitcom, fetched £487 as part of a special costume auction organised by Benidorm creator Derren Litten. The sale saw several fan-favourite pieces from the show go under the hammer, with proceeds going towards medical treatment for a close friend of Litten's. Bobby Knutt starred as cheeky pensioner Eddie Dawson between series eight and ten of the popular comedy, which aired from 2007 to 2018. Benidorm became a cult favourite with British audiences thanks to its outrageous humour and funny depictions of holiday chaos at the fictional Solana resort. Fans also snapped up other memorabilia from the show, including the Solana hotel-branded staff tabard, which sold for £422. A darts shirt worn by Johnny Vegas as Geoff 'The Oracle' Maltby sparked a bidding frenzy, reaching over £1,000 before being withdrawn. Darren explained: "Sadly it was withdrawn as someone was bidding and retracting bids 30 or 40 times a day which, although I don't understand eBay, is a method of bumping other bidders off the auction item. I will have to find another method of auctioning it. The vast majority sold to very happy buyers." The auction, which ran from May 25 to June 2, was set up to raise funds for Litten's friend Leonard, who is battling Facial Fibrous Dysplasia. This is a rare and serious condition that can lead to blindness and severe disfigurement if left untreated. Fans and castmates were shocked when they received the news that Bobby Knutt had died suddenly from heart failure in 2017 at the age of 71 while on holiday in France. At the time, Benidorm creator Derren Litten tweeted: "Very sad Benidorm news guys. The wonderful Bobby Knutt has passed away suddenly aged 71. Sending our Beni love to his family." Co-star Tony Maudsley, who played Kenneth in the series, added: "Take a bow Grandad Dawson. Your Benidorm family will miss you. RIP Bobby Knutt x." Knutt's had a long and successful career, as he found fame early in life on The Comedians and went on to bag roles in Emmerdale, Coronation Street, and Last of the Summer Wine. In Emmerdale he played Albert Dingle for a decade, and later appeared in Corrie as garage boss Ron Sykes. Off-screen he was also known for stage work, a stint doing comedy shows on cruise ships, and his role as the voice of Gaffer in the Tetley Tea adverts. After his death, it was revealed that Knutt left much of his £350,000 estate to friends and his sister, while his four children received little or no inheritance. He asked to be buried with his third wife Donna Hartley-Wass, a former Olympian and champion bodybuilder who passed away in 2013.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What we know about the new series of Not Going Out
New details have been revealed about the return of Lee Mack's hit sitcom Not Going Out, which will take another time leap and get a fresh format. The show's return date has also been confirmed as 13 June. In May 2025, the BBC delighted fans with the news that the sitcom would be back for series 14. First airing in 2006, Not Going Out stars Mack as a fictional version of himself opposite Sally Bretton, who portrays Lucy Adams, and Hugh Dennis, who plays his neighbour Toby. It has enjoyed huge success and has become the UK's second longest-running sitcom behind Last of the Summer Wine, and now viewers are set to see Lee and Lucy in another new phase of life as empty nesters. Not Going Out is no stranger to a time leap - when Lee and Lucy finally got together, fans saw their story jump forward in time in the 2017 series where they were parents of two. Now, the popular sitcom is set for another new phase in Lee and Lucy's lives, as we'll meet them again in the 2025 series after their children have left home. The couple are adjusting to their newly empty nest and will be moving house as they go back to life with just the two of them at home. There'll also be a change to the format in series 14, which according to the Radio Times will follow each episode in real time. It's something the show has done before, but this is the first time the entire series will be in real time. Mack told Radio Times: "What I'm trying to do is get the audience involved, to make them feel like they're witnessing an event that's happened. And hopefully that carries over when you're watching at home." On 23 May, the BBC confirmed that the show would return for a new series in 2025. It was later announced that series 14 would air from Friday, 13 June at 9pm on BBC One, with the whole series available as a box set on BBC iPlayer from then. A series 15 has also been confirmed by the BBC, which will mark the long-running sitcom's 20th anniversary. In a statement, Mack said: "Once again I'm very grateful that the BBC have trusted in us to keep alive the studio sitcom. I grew up watching this genre of sitcom on the BBC, and to be part of it myself is still a dream come true, even after 18 years of doing it. Here we go again….!!" Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the BBC, also said: "Not Going Out remains one of the UK's most cherished sitcoms, a true testament to the exceptional comedic talents of Lee and his team. The show's consistent success and popularity speak volumes, and we are beyond chuffed about its return." Mack had previously told The Sun in April that fans couldn't expect the series to return until at least early 2025, if it comes back at all. Sharing his career plans for the future, Mack said: "More 1% Club, more Would I Lie to You? and, for the first year in a long time, I won't be doing Not Going Out. If we do bring it back, we're looking at early 2025." The comedian clarified at the time that despite being the show's creator the decision to make the show was up to the BBC — who has now renewed it: 'We're talking about it now. I'd love to do more, I love doing it, it's great fun, I love the cast but […] it's not always my decision, these things," he shared. "I just wait for someone to say, 'There's a bag of money, get on with it'." Read more: The 1% Club contestant kept £99,000 win a secret from family for almost a year Not Going Out has had 13 seasons so far, and viewers last enjoyed the return of the sitcom for a Christmas special in 2023. In the episode, Lee and Lucy invite a lonely old pensioner to their house for a festive dinner, only for things to start going hilariously wrong. The Christmas special marked the 100th episode for the series and drew in almost 4 million viewers. Not Going Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lee Mack breaks silence after show's future is confirmed
BBC One has given Lee Mack's long-running sitcom Not Going Out an update on whether or not a new will series will be commissioned Lee Mack has shared an exciting career update as his hit sitcom Not Going Out is set to continue until at least 2026 after being renewed for a 15th season. The Southport comedian stars in the show, which debuted in 2006 and features him playing a fictionalised version of himself. The programme faced a brief hiatus after its third series in 2009 but made a swift comeback in 2011 and has been a staple on our screens ever since. The BBC's recent confirmation means fans can look forward to more laughs for years to come. Overjoyed with the announcement, Lee expressed his delight: "I am delighted that the BBC are once again showing such great support for studio sitcom. It's a genre I've always loved and to be able to be part of it myself for so many years is both a privilege and an excuse not to have to shop, as I always take the underpants they give me home." Jon Petrie, the BBC's director of comedy, couldn't hold back his praise for Not Going Out, attributing its success to Lee Mack's comedic genius: "'Not Going Out' is in rude health as it passes its centenary episode, and that's due to the incredible creativity of Lee Mack, who has the most amazing ability to pack a show full of jokes", reports the Liverpool Echo. "We're excited for audiences to find out what the new chapter looks like for Lee and Lucy." Not Going Out now holds the title of the UK's longest-running sitcom currently on air and is second only to Last of the Summer Wine in terms of longevity for prime time sitcoms in the UK. The forthcoming series will feature a time leap for Lee and Lucy, along with a slight alteration in the format where each episode unfolds within a 30-minute timeframe. The synopsis states: "Series 14 now rolls the story on several years again, with the couple moving away from their suburban 'empty nest' and finding plenty of time to focus on each other... what could possibly go wrong? (Spoiler: quite a lot!)." Exact airing dates for the 14th and 15th series are still under wraps. However, details and episode titles for the imminent run next month have been disclosed, including House Move where Lee "asks to use the loo, causing unwanted tension with the vendor", Doll when he uncovers a box from the tip "to reveal a sex doll" and a disastrous holiday in Campervan. In Oasis, the pair "start to blame in each other" as they miss out on tickets for the band's reunion gig, Dragon Castle sees them "on the set of a famous TV mini-series', and Hotel Room features Lee attempting to "take advantage of all the hotel's complimentary services". Lee is a familiar face as, besides creating Not Going Out, he is a presenter on ITV's 1% Club and a panellist on Would I Lie To You. Despite having one of the UK's top comic minds, Lee confessed to the Liverpool Echo in an exclusive chat that he has a unique approach to handling stage fright, reassuring himself that a less-than-perfect performance won't haunt him since he's unlikely to encounter the audience again. However, he confessed that this tactic has its downsides, especially since it prevents him from performing in his hometown of Southport. He said: "I've never done a gig in Southport and I never will. It just feels wrong for me to do that. It's just the nerves. It's too close to home. "I know those people. I always have a psychological trick when I go on stage, I'll never see these people again for as long as I live and then it gives you a bit of confidence. You can't say that if your Auntie Gladys is in." Not Going Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Series 14 is set to premiere in June 2025.
The Independent
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
From Severance to Silo – the 24 best Apple TV+ shows to binge
Over the past decade, the TV landscape has been revolutionised by streaming. Where once everyone was limited to a handful of channels and had to put up with endless repeats of Last of the Summer Wine, viewers are now faced with a glut of potential streaming services – making it harder than ever to know what to switch on. Throughout most of the 2010s, Netflix was all but synonymous with the idea of original streaming content. But the past few years have given rise to a number of compelling alternatives, including Disney+, Prime Video, and Apple TV+. Since its launch in 2019, Apple TV+ has established itself as one of the most reliable emergent streaming services, when it comes to original content. From dramas such as For All Mankind and Pachinko to lighter comic fare like Ted Lasso and Mythic Quest, the streamer has proved that it can more than hold its own against the competition. In 2019, Apple TV+ even became the first streaming service to produce an Oscar Best Picture winner, in the sentimental drama Coda. And with its television output, Apple has worked with a number of esteemed creatives such as Pablo Larrain and Clio Barnard, as well as some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway and Harrison Ford. With dozens of past and ongoing TV series in its catalogue, and many more in the pipeline, Apple TV+ 's range of options may still be intimidating for new subscribers. To help you out, The Independent has assembled a list of the very best shows Apple TV+ has to offer – and you can watch them for free this weekend. Here are 17 of our favourite TV series to watch now on Apple TV+... Severance This chilling corporate satire about work/life balance sees staff at a mysterious company, Lumon, get 'severed' – slicing their work selves apart from their home selves so that one part of their consciousness never leaves the office and the other part never goes in. Starring Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette, it's surreal, blackly comic, beautiful and profound. And the season finale was a nailbiting masterpiece. The first series made it onto our list of the best shows of 2022, which you can read in full here. Ellie Harrison Criminal Record Don't let the plodding title put you off: Criminal Record is anything but your average police drama by numbers. When detective duo Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo face off in this thriller, it's hard not to hold your breath. In another, cosier police procedural, this pairing might have ended up as an 'odd couple' pair, with Jumbo's young, principled sergeant teaching Capaldi's gruff chief inspector a thing or two about the modern world, and him imparting a few nuggets of old-school wisdom in return. But this eight-parter, created by Indian Summers writer Paul Rutman, is definitely not that show: it's much nastier and, therefore, much more realistic. Katie Rosseinsky Ted Lasso Jason Sudeikis's Yank-out-of-water comedy about a belligerently good-natured NFL manager who tries his hand at Premier League football is probably Apple TV+'s most talked about original series. The increasingly indulgent second and third seasons have proved divisive – as have the show's constant Americanisms and spurious butchering of the beautiful game – but its first season in particular remains a charming, light-hearted endeavour. Louis Chilton An ambitious historical epic detailing the lives of four generations of Korean immigrants, Pachinko launched on Apple TV+ in 2021 to universal acclaim. There's some real talent both behind and in front of the camera: The Terror 's Soo Hugh served as showrunner, while Columbus and After Yang filmmaker Kogonada split directing duties with Justin Chon (Blue Bayou). A second season, currently in development, is likely to be a source of feverish anticipation among fans. LC Bad Sisters Where Sharon Horgan goes, razor-sharp comedy can usually be found. She was already pretty universally adored for her writing on Catastrophe and Motherland, and then the Garvey girls tore onto the scene in Bad Sisters. It follows four Dublin sisters who are conspiring to murder the horrible husband of the remaining, fifth, sister. Horgan, who also stars in it, is terrific, and Eve Hewson is a revelation as plucky youngest sibling Becka. EH For All Mankind Everyone knows the USA was the first country to send people to the moon. What this series presupposes is… what if it wasn't? For All Mankind takes the Space Race as a jumping-off point for a whole alternative history timeline, as a Soviet PR victory causes a butterfly effect that ripples throughout the rest of the century. Solid writing and strong performances from a cast that includes Joel Kinnaman, Jodi Balfour and Wrenn Schmidt make For All Mankind arresting and unusual television. LC Slow Horses This adaptation of Mick Herron's Jackson Lamb spy books stars Gary Oldman as the gloriously grumpy intelligence officer. He's part of the dysfunctional team of British agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 known as Slough House. The show, from Veep and The Thick of It writer Will Smith, is cerebral and full of pitch-black comedy. EH Mythic Quest This half-hour series, set in the offices of a World of Warcraft -esque video game studio, is a robustly enjoyable sitcom created by It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia alumni Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Megan Ganz. While it never really comes close to matching Always Sunny 's lightning-in-a-bottle comic brilliance, Mythic Quest shines thanks to Charlotte Nicdao's turn as the talented but flawed Poppy, whose bristly relationship with the egomaniacal Ian (McElhenney) forms the show's narrative core. LC The Morning Show One of the starriest shows on the platform – and that's saying something – is this comedy drama that pulls back the curtain on early morning US TV. Massively in its favour are the fizzing performances from Jennifer Aniston, Reece Witherspoon, Steve Carrell and Billy Crudup. The first season was fantastic. The second slightly descended into chaos (plus, it introduced Covid into the storyline, which is always painful). And the third was fully deranged. But it was still compulsively watchable. EH Dickinson One of Apple TV+'s earliest series is also one of their best: a revisionist comedy-drama about the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, starring pop musician and True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld. There are plenty of liberties taken with historical fact – here, the young artist is shown to be in love with Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt), her best friend, who is also engaged to marry Emily's brother. But Dickinson is an intelligent, imaginative series that seeks to capture its subject in spirit rather than likeness. LC Trying In this lovely British sitcom, Esther Smith's Nikki and Rafe Spall's Jason are 'trying' to adopt a child. They've attempted to conceive for years, including through IVF, and it hasn't worked out. While infertility struggles might not exactly sound like ripe territory for comedy, writer Andy Wolton is masterful at unearthing the absurdities within. Worth your time. EH The Problem with Jon Stewart Ex- Daily Show comedian Stewart more than proves his chops as a formidable political interviewer in this topical non-fiction series. Every so often, a clip from The Problem will go viral, featuring Stewart holding a politican to account on issues like gun reform, but episodes are worth watching in their entirety: Stewart is a likeable and articulate host, attacking his subjects with a good balance of accessibility and rigour. LC Shrinking In Apple's sunny dramedy Shrinking, Jason Segel plays a therapist whose – to borrow an expression from the writer Georgia Pritchett – mess is a bit of a life. The series co-stars a growling Harrison Ford and a mesmerising Jessica Williams, and it arrived on the platform just weeks before Segel's best mate Chris O'Dowd's own midlife crisis show (see next pick) came along, so it certainly seems as though there's something in the water. EH The Big Door Prize Chris O'Dowd is as leggy and affable as ever in this show adapted from the novel by MO Walsh. It's set in a small town that turns upside down after a strange 'Morpho' machine appears in the local store. For the same price as a cup of coffee, the glowing blue object promises to tell people their 'true life potential'. Of course, it pretty instantly sends everyone, including O'Dowd's Dusty, into an existential spiral. EH There's not really anything else on television quite like Schmigadoon!. A musical tribute to 1940s and 1950s Hollywood musicals (and a direct parody of Brigadoon), this effervescent show sees Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key stumble upon a town where everyone is all-singin' and all dancin'... but won't let them leave. Barry Sonnenfeld, erstwhile Coen brothers cinematographer and director of 1993's Addams Family Values, directs the entirety of season one. LC Shining Girls Based on Lauren Beukes's 2013 novel, this dark mystery sees Mad Men favourite Elisabeth Moss play Kirby, a newspaper researcher who, six years before the series kicks off, survives a viscious attack by a man who was never captured. Determined to find the culprit, she discovers a murder that has a striking resemblance to her own attack, and begins her investigation. As our writer Amanda Whiting put it: 'There's hardly a scene in Shining Girls that doesn't feature Elisabeth Moss doing something stunning.' EH Hijack This real-time show, starring Idris Elba as a man trying to stop hijackers on a plane from Dubai to London, was the stealth hit of last summer. It has all the hallmarks of true event TV: a slow-burn mystery waiting to be solved, a ticking-clock scenario, a hero you'd trust with your life, and an agonising week-long wait for new episodes. Elba does some of the finest eye-acting seen on TV: his pupils darting around the cabin, communicating to viewers, if not his fellow passengers, where his interests lie. And there's something almost erotic about the calm confidence with which he goes toe-to-toe with Neil Maskell's Stone Island hijacker (Maskell, too, is superb, projecting an eerie competence as an East End villain). Nick Hilton Silo Based on the books by Hugh Howey, this series has an irresistible setting: a subterranean city with 144 floors whose residents unquestioningly lock themselves away from the outside world. Why? Because they believe they will die within minutes if they leave. Naturally, some characters believe a conspiracy may be afoot, and secretly attempt to learning the truth behind their existence in the the silo. It stars David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones, Rebecca Ferguson and Harriet Walter, to name a few. And it's brilliant. Jacob Stolworthy High Desert Patricia Arquette anchors this witty, dynamic series about Peggy, a chaotic ex-felon who becomes a private eye. As Peggy gets sucked into an eccentric mystery involving a stolen Picasso painting and a number of skeevy figures from her past, she struggles to keep her own demons at bay. Arquette is undisputedly the star here, but High Desert is enlivened by a number of quirky, charismatic supporting performers, including Rupert Friend, Matt Dillon, and Bernadette Peters. LC Before He's better known for comedy but Billy Crystal plays convincingly against type in this earnest drama in which he stars as child psychologist Eli, already reeling from the suicide of his wife and suddenly confronted with a mute, traumatised child. The child, Noah appears in his life as both a challenge and a curse. He has bloodied hands, an implacable stare and no capacity to explain the roots of his disturbing appearance and behaviour. It's heavily indebted to The Sixth Sense but remains both creepy and unpredictable throughout. Phil Harrison Prime Target Everyone's favourite White Lotus breakout star Leo Woodall plays a mathematical genius in this enjoyably bonkers thriller, which starts off at a Cambridge college and ends up hopping around the globe as a strange conspiracy unravels. Edward (Woodall, dressed in a lot of brown) is a postgrad who is trying to find a pattern in prime numbers, which might just allow him access to every computer in the world. Naturally, there are shadowy forces attempting to thwart his research. Yes, the plot stretches credulity, but it's perfect popcorn escapism. KR Dope Thief Ray and Manny are a couple of small-time Philadelphia crooks who specialise in peacefully ripping off stash houses by masquerading as DEA officers. But they get in over their heads when an acquaintance of Manny's tips them off about a possible big score out of town. Dope Thief works as an amiable buddy drama thanks to the natural chemistry between leads Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura. But it has a hard centre too - both men have tragic backstories and big dreams and are easy to root for as two underdogs, out of their depth. PH The Studio A TV show about a film studio with a storied past that's struggling to stay afloat in the streaming age, debuting on a streaming platform? Let's just say that things get pretty meta in Seth Rogen's comedy The Studio. He plays Matt, an exec who has just been promoted to head of (fictional) Continental Studios. It should be his dream gig, but it soon becomes clear that he won't exactly be making great cinema: instead, the higher-ups want him to help them churn out blockbusters based on 'legacy brands'. A whole load of famous faces, from Martin Scorsese to Ron Howard to Charlize Theron, make cameos as themselves, too. KR Your Friends & Neighbours Jon Hamm manifests his usual blend of self-assurance and self-loathing in this drama about a hedge fund manager who suddenly loses everything. After watching his job, his family and his fortune crumble, he has a dangerously seductive idea. He's surrounded by awful, rich neighbours - so why not start emptying their houses of the trinkets of conspicuous wealth they so complacently take for granted. It's a midlife crisis and a wry satire on the crumbling American dream all rolled into one. PH
BBC News
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Sunderland vehicle museum inundated with glass donations
A planned transport museum has been inundated with donations of glass and volunteers after people were asked to help restore their charity Tyne Tees Heritage Transport is converting an old warehouse in Sunderland into a vehicle museum and workshop. Vice chairman Rob Evans said his phone went "crazy" with people responding to the social media appeal and that a "vast amount" of glass had been John Kelly said they were undertaking the project to keep "history alive". The organisation, which is made up of groups including the Northeast Military Vehicle Group, Durham MG group and Sunderland and District Classic Vehicle Society, got access to the building in November."When we first came in, it was like an Axminster [carpet] of pigeon poo," Mr Kelly said."We had 14 volunteers on the day to brush pigeon poo, which is remarkable on a cold November day." Volunteers from all over the north-east of England had been at the site glazing, clearing vegetation and reconnecting the mains Kelly said people had been "cleaning drains out up to their necks and up to their shoulders, with hands down drains"."It's dedication, they're a first class group of people." 'Last of the Summer Wine' The building was previously used to repair steam locomotives before becoming an engineering workshop and the charity has been successfully applying for grants to fund the project."It's got a huge history," Mr Kelly said."We're all of a geriatric age now, it's like Last of the Summer Wine when you come into our groups."We decided we need to leave something for the future and get younger people involved." Mr Evans said he had been all over the region collecting donated glass."It's very expensive if you need to buy it," he said."So I thought, 'What better? We've got a community of classic car enthusiasts and I'm sure people have old greenhouses falling down in the garden, and it was worth a try'."They also received a large donation from Washington company N E & C Windows & Doors."I can't thank them enough," Mr Evans said."There'll probably be other appeals because there's an awful lot we need, so watch this space." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
