Latest news with #LennyRush
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie unveils 10 star-studded new and returning shows, championing affordable, distinctive, UK comedy
BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie today announced 10 new and returning shows at the BBC Comedy Festival, as he championed affordable, distinctive comedy from across the UK. Speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival in Belfast, Jon Petrie and Eddie Doyle, Senior Head Content Commissioning BBC Northern Ireland, also announced over half a million pounds of additional, year-long funding for brand new comedy. The money will be ringfenced exclusively for production spend on new comedy in Northern Ireland for 2025/2026. BBC Comedy and BBC Northern Ireland are committing to putting the commissioning spend towards the production of comedy-focused projects, demonstrating the BBC's unwavering commitment to new comedy from across the UK. Jon confirmed: Diane Morgan's sitcom Ann Droid (w/t) about a social humanoid robot designed to keep elderly people company, exploring the hilarious intersection of technology and human connection Supernatural family sitcom Reluctant Vampire starring BAFTA winner Lenny Rush Bill's Included, which stars Rob Brydon as a middle-aged divorcee who staves off financial ruin by renting his spare rooms to students Small Prophets, created by BAFTA winner Mackenzie Crook, starring Pearce Quigley, BAFTA winner Sir Michael Palin and BAFTA winner Sophie Willan Stuffed, starring Guz Khan as an office worker who gets an unexpected Christmas bonus and takes his family to Lapland, only to find that he has to pay the money back. The return of Only Child, Funboys, The Young Offenders and Golden Cobra Ahead of the festival, BBC Northern Ireland also announced Leonard and Hungry Paul, based on the award-winning, best-selling novel by Rónán Hession Jon said: 'The BBC continues to be the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK. And for the second year running eight out of the top 10 scripted comedies were on the BBC. Created, written by and starring some of the UK's most brilliant homegrown talent, I'm really proud of the shows we have announced today and can't wait for BBC viewers to see them.' He added: 'Great comedy always comes back to the fundamentals: brilliant characters, sharp jokes, a unique voice. Those are the elements that endure – not massive sets or casts of thousands. 'Our priority is to keep our shows affordable and distinctive, because comedy doesn't need explosions and continuous shots, it needs punchlines, authentic voices, and that gleeful point of view that no algorithm can touch.' Eddie Doyle, Head of Commissioning, BBC Northern Ireland, said: 'We're known in Northern Ireland for our unique and sometimes dark sense of humour, so it's fitting that Belfast is hosting the BBC Comedy Festival this year. 'We've been doing our part to develop local comedians and comedy writers on and off screen at BBC Northern Ireland over the last number of years, and it's great that network BBC Comedy is recognising the talent that's here. The additional year-long funding of more than half a million pounds shows real faith in Northern Ireland comedy talent and will provide a decent leg up to network commissioning for the comedy sector here, like Hot House has been to factual and the Green Lit project to scripted. 'And of course, it's been exciting to announce the commissioning of Leonard & Hungry Paul and the return of Funboys which we can't wait to bring to audiences.' LH2
The Herald Scotland
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Billie Piper, Jessie J and Danny Dyer hit the TV Baftas red carpet
The drama helped focus attention on the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal, has six nominations and is also nominated in the memorable moment category. Jessie J and Alan Cumming (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Leading the pack with eight nominations this year is stalking drama Baby Reindeer, created by Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, who has already won a slew of awards, including the best limited series Emmy. On the red carpet, Jessie, whose full name is Jessica Cornish, posed with Cumming for photos, ahead of her performing at the ceremony later, as she is one of the musical acts along with British singer Tom Grennan, The ceremony is taking place, following US president Donald Trump proposing a 100% tariff on international films. Bafta chief executive Jane Millichip called for more 'meaningful conversations' around Mr Trump's tariffs. Emily Atack, who starred in Rivals. (Ian West/PA) 'I think the most important thing is, if you look at the history of film and television, the UK and the US have been in lockstep for decades, almost a whole century across film and TV,' she said. 'Culturally, we're so tied, and there is so much co-production happening, I think to unpick that will be like making eggs out of an omelette to be honest.' Lenny Rush. (Ian West/PA) Actor Lenny Rush, who rose to fame as the witty child of Daisy May Cooper's character in BBC hit Am I Being Unreasonable?, told the PA news agency on the red carpet that he felt he could 'relax a bit more' this year, after winning the male performance in a comedy Bafta in 2024. 'It was unreal, I still can't believe it to be honest. It's just such a nice experience and I can relax a bit more this year,' he said. Fiennes, who played former England manager Gareth Southgate in the play Dear England and is also known for dystopian series The Handmaid's Tale, is a presenter at the Bafta ceremony along with young Adolescence star Owen Cooper, Poirot actor Sir David Suchet, TV baker Dame Mary Berry and Stacey Dooley. Disney+ drama Rivals, which is adapted from a novel by Dame Jilly Cooper, has six nominations and a memorable moment nod, while Apple TV+ spy series Slow Horses, starring Oscar winner Gary Oldman, also has six nods. Actress Piper is nominated for Netflix's Scoop, which sees her play former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who secured the infamous Newsnight interview with the Duke of York. (Left to right) Sunnie Jo Dyer, Danny Dyer and Dani Dyer. (Ian West/PA) She will compete in the leading actress category against Marisa Abela, for banking drama Industry, Anna Maxwell Martin for her role in ITV's Until I Kill You, which told the true story of Delia Balmer who survived a near-fatal relationship with murderer John Sweeney (Shaun Evans), and Monica Dolan, who played subpostmistress Jo Hamilton in the ITV drama about the scandal. Dolan is also nominated in the supporting actress category alongside Baby Reindeer stars Jessica Gunning, for portraying stalker Martha, and trans actress Nava Mau for playing Teri, Donny's girlfriend. Mau told PA: 'I think it's so important that that we have trans representation on screen and behind the scenes as well, because at the end of the day, we are just human beings, and our stories exist in conjunction with everybody else's. 'I think maybe right here is a perfect example of what is possible when trans people can be uplifted and celebrated for all that we are.' Other nods in the same section have gone to Katherine Parkinson for Rivals, Maxine Peake for Say Nothing, and Sue Johnston for Channel 4 drama Truelove. The Bafta TV Awards will air on BBC One at 7pm.
The Herald Scotland
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Joseph Fiennes and Jessie J lead arrivals at the TV Baftas
The drama helped focus attention on the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal, has six nominations and is also nominated in the memorable moment category. Jessie J and Alan Cumming (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Leading the pack with eight nominations this year is stalking drama Baby Reindeer, created by Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, who has already won a slew of awards, including the best limited series Emmy. On the red carpet, Jessie, whose full name is Jessica Cornish, posed with Cumming for photos, ahead of her performing at the ceremony later, as she is one of the musical acts along with British singer Tom Grennan, The ceremony is taking place, following US president Donald Trump proposing a 100% tariff on international films. Bafta chief executive Jane Millichip called for more 'meaningful conversations' around Mr Trump's tariffs. Emily Atack, who starred in Rivals. (Ian West/PA) 'I think the most important thing is, if you look at the history of film and television, the UK and the US have been in lockstep for decades, almost a whole century across film and TV,' she said. 'Culturally, we're so tied, and there is so much co-production happening, I think to unpick that will be like making eggs out of an omelette to be honest.' Lenny Rush. (Ian West/PA) Actor Lenny Rush, who rose to fame as the witty child of Daisy May Cooper's character in BBC hit Am I Being Unreasonable?, told the PA news agency on the red carpet that he felt he could 'relax a bit more' this year, after winning the male performance in a comedy Bafta in 2024. 'It was unreal, I still can't believe it to be honest. It's just such a nice experience and I can relax a bit more this year,' he said. Fiennes, who played former England manager Gareth Southgate in the play Dear England and is also known for dystopian series The Handmaid's Tale, is a presenter at the Bafta ceremony along with young Adolescence star Owen Cooper, Poirot actor Sir David Suchet, TV baker Dame Mary Berry and Stacey Dooley, Disney+ drama Rivals, which is adapted from a novel by Dame Jilly Cooper, has six nominations and a memorable moment nod, while Apple TV+ spy series Slow Horses, starring Oscar winner Gary Oldman, also has six nods. The Bafta TV Awards will air on BBC One at 7pm.
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Joseph Fiennes and Jessie J lead arrivals at the TV Baftas
The ceremony, which is being presented by Scottish actor Alan Cumming at London's Royal Festival Hall, will see ITV recognised with the Bafta TV special award for commissioning post office drama Mr Bates. The drama helped focus attention on the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal, has six nominations and is also nominated in the memorable moment category. Jessie J and Alan Cumming (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Leading the pack with eight nominations this year is stalking drama Baby Reindeer, created by Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, who has already won a slew of awards, including the best limited series Emmy. On the red carpet, Jessie, whose full name is Jessica Cornish, posed with Cumming for photos, ahead of her performing at the ceremony later, as she is one of the musical acts along with British singer Tom Grennan, Lenny Rush. (Ian West/PA) Actor Lenny Rush, who rose to fame as the witty child of Daisy May Cooper's character in BBC hit Am I Being Unreasonable?, told the PA news agency on the red carpet that he felt he could 'relax a bit more' this year, after winning the male performance in a comedy Bafta in 2024. 'It was unreal, I still can't believe it to be honest. It's just such a nice experience and I can relax a bit more this year,' he said. Fiennes, who played former England manager Gareth Southgate in the play Dear England and is also known for dystopian series The Handmaid's Tale, is a presenter at the Bafta ceremony along with young Adolescence star Owen Cooper, Poirot actor Sir David Suchet, TV baker Dame Mary Berry and Stacey Dooley, Disney+ drama Rivals, which is adapted from a novel by Dame Jilly Cooper, has six nominations and a memorable moment nod, while Apple TV+ spy series Slow Horses, starring Oscar winner Gary Oldman, also has six nods. The Bafta TV Awards will air on BBC One at 7pm.
Western Telegraph
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Joseph Fiennes and Jessie J lead arrivals at the TV Baftas
The ceremony, which is being presented by Scottish actor Alan Cumming at London's Royal Festival Hall, will see ITV recognised with the Bafta TV special award for commissioning post office drama Mr Bates. The drama helped focus attention on the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal, has six nominations and is also nominated in the memorable moment category. Jessie J and Alan Cumming (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Leading the pack with eight nominations this year is stalking drama Baby Reindeer, created by Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, who has already won a slew of awards, including the best limited series Emmy. On the red carpet, Jessie, whose full name is Jessica Cornish, posed with Cumming for photos, ahead of her performing at the ceremony later, as she is one of the musical acts along with British singer Tom Grennan, Lenny Rush. (Ian West/PA) Actor Lenny Rush, who rose to fame as the witty child of Daisy May Cooper's character in BBC hit Am I Being Unreasonable?, told the PA news agency on the red carpet that he felt he could 'relax a bit more' this year, after winning the male performance in a comedy Bafta in 2024. 'It was unreal, I still can't believe it to be honest. It's just such a nice experience and I can relax a bit more this year,' he said. Fiennes, who played former England manager Gareth Southgate in the play Dear England and is also known for dystopian series The Handmaid's Tale, is a presenter at the Bafta ceremony along with young Adolescence star Owen Cooper, Poirot actor Sir David Suchet, TV baker Dame Mary Berry and Stacey Dooley, Disney+ drama Rivals, which is adapted from a novel by Dame Jilly Cooper, has six nominations and a memorable moment nod, while Apple TV+ spy series Slow Horses, starring Oscar winner Gary Oldman, also has six nods. The Bafta TV Awards will air on BBC One at 7pm.
