Latest news with #SASRogueHeroes
The Herald Scotland
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Baby Reindeer star to film new drama on Glasgow streets
Spanning almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, Mitchell Robertson (Curfew, Mayflies) and Stuart Campbell (SAS Rogue Heroes, The Winter King) have been announced to play Niall and Ruben in their younger years. Half Man "will cover the highs and lows of the brothers' relationship, from them meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults – with all the good, bad, terrible, funny, angry, and challenging moments along the way". Neve McIntosh (Tin Star, Chemistry of Death) stars as Niall's mother Lori, whilst Marianne McIvor (Screw, The Nest) stars as Ruben's mother Maura. READ MORE: Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd named most influential person on TV Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd's new TV project begins filming in Glasgow JJ Abrams lines up Glasgow shoot for secret new movie The cast of Half Man also includes Charlie De Melo (Rivals), Bilal Hasna (The Agency), Julie Cullen (Traces), Amy Manson (The Nevers), Philippine Velge (The Serpent Queen), Stuart McQuarrie (The Rig), Piers Ewart (The Primrose Railway Children), Scot Greenan (T2 Trainspotting) and newcomers Charlotte Blackwood and Calum Manchip. Richard Gadd, creator, writer and executive producer, said of the cast: 'Having scoured far and wide and met some of the most amazing talent this country has to offer, I'm so pleased to have landed on the cast that we have. I cannot wait for all our actors, young and old, to bring these characters to life. I have every faith everyone will fall in love with these performers as much as I did.' The Herald has learned that filming will take place on location in Glasgow this month. Scenes are due to be shot in the Hillhead area of the city on Monday, May 12 and in the Govan area of the city on Tuesday, May 27 to Friday, May 30. The series is made by Mam Tor Productions for the BBC, BBC Scotland and HBO. Half Man will air in 2026 on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland in the UK, and on HBO in the US.
Business Upturn
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3: Release date speculation, cast and plot details – Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on April 24, 2025, 19:00 IST Last updated April 24, 2025, 14:48 IST The gripping World War II drama SAS Rogue Heroes has captivated audiences with its intense action and historical intrigue. Created by Steven Knight, the mastermind behind Peaky Blinders , the series follows the formation of the British Special Air Service (SAS) during the darkest days of the war. While Season 2 ended on a thrilling cliffhanger in January 2025, fans are now eagerly searching for details about SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3. In this article, we dive into release date speculation, confirmed and potential cast members, and plot details based on the latest updates. Release Date Speculation for SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3 As of April 2025, the BBC has not officially confirmed SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3. However, creator Steven Knight has strongly hinted that the series will continue. During an interview on Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast, Knight stated, 'We can't leave it there. No, no, we will. There's more to come,' and teased exciting developments for Season 3, particularly for Jack O'Connell's character, Paddy Mayne. Based on the production timeline of previous seasons, speculation points to a potential release in late 2026 or early 2027. SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3 Expected Cast While the official cast list for Season 3 is yet to be confirmed, the core ensemble is expected to return, based on the historical roles of their characters and Knight's vision to continue the story. Here's a look at the likely returning cast: Jack O'Connell as Paddy Mayne : The fiery and fearless Paddy Mayne, who took command of the SAS in Season 2, is central to the series. O'Connell's standout performance makes his return almost certain, with Knight teasing a major arc for Mayne in Season 3. Sofia Boutella as Eve Mansour : The enigmatic spy Eve Mansour, presumed dead in Season 1 but revealed to be alive in Season 2, is likely to return, potentially with an expanded role. Dominic West as Dudley Clarke : The intelligence officer played by West is expected to continue supporting the SAS's operations. Theo Barklem-Biggs as Reg Seekings , Jacob Ifan as Pat Riley , Jacob McCarthy as Johnny Cooper , Corin Silva as Jim Almonds , Bobby Schofield as Dave Kershaw , and Stuart Campbell as Bill Fraser : These SAS members are likely to return, given their historical significance and survival through Season 2. Mark Rowley as Jock McDiarmid and Jack Barton as John Tonkin: Introduced in Season 2, these new recruits could play larger roles in Season 3. SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3 Potential Plot SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3 is expected to pick up after the events of Season 2, which concluded in June 1944 with Paddy Mayne and the SAS parachuting into France ahead of D-Day. Knight has expressed his desire to take the series 'to the end of the war, and just a bit beyond,' suggesting Season 3 will cover the final stages of World War II and possibly the SAS's post-war activities. SAS Rogue Heroes Season 3 Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
The Guardian
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Guns, bombs and needle-drop genius: how AC/DC and Motörhead became the sound of World War II
There was a time, 20 or so years ago, when it seemed as if TV music supervisors were among the most important people when it came to shaping public tastes. There were, as yet, no video or music streaming services, so music featured in a hit show could blow up as a result. One music supervisor – Alexandra Patsavas, whose work included selecting tunes for Grey's Anatomy – became so influential that Lena Dunham's Girls featured a storyline in which two characters dreamed of having their lives changed by getting a song approved by her on Grey's Anatomy, most likely a wispy piece of indie electronica over which a doctor would gaze wistfully into the middle distance while another patient copped it. While music supervisors may no longer have Patsavas's power to create new stars through a perfect piece of placement, the work of music supervisors these days is more imaginative than it has ever been, and it can be highlighted in ways it never was before: think how many times you've Shazamed something while sitting in front of the TV, or checked Spotify to see if there's a playlist of the soundtrack. And often, they're brilliant: try the perfectly judged dad rock of The Bear, or the incredible assemblage of early 1980s Black American music in the crack epidemic drama Snowfall. It helps, too, that a strong needle drop – the moment a featured song begins playing – can be a great promotional tool on social media. Amelia Hartley, who has worked in music supervision for more than 20 years and whose credits include the startlingly exciting soundtracks to Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes, credits the rise of prestige TV with opening up the spectrum of soundtracks. 'HBO and other big producers started to do big drama series that used anachronistic music in incredibly creative ways,' she says, highlighting the launch of Boardwalk Empire in 2010. 'From then on, people moved away from the idea of drama being a score-led thing, in a Jane Austen-type way, and into soundtracking with really cool commercial music, lifting the drama to another level. And when the streamers came on board, they really embraced that.' Ed Bailie, who supervised the music for Netflix's reboot of Top Boy, points out the effect very dramatic use of music can have on people's perception of the whole soundtrack. 'People know Top Boy is an east London drama, so that leads us to grime, trap, UK hip-hop and drill. But we've got cues in there from Wreckless Eric, and we've got reggae. It's a far broader musical palette.' OK, but no one who watches Top Boy is coming away from it thinking about Wreckless Eric, just as no one who watches SAS Rogue Heroes is thinking about Vera Lynn. They're remembering gunfire and booming hard rock. Bailie laughs. 'That's true.' Rogue Heroes has been peppered with startling 'needle drop' moments, where the soundtrack and action marry perfectly. In season one, a parachute mission is backed by the slow-burn intensity of AC/DC's Live Wire, while German defences in Crete are stormed to the sound of Motörhead's Overkill. More recently, in season two, a jeep raid in occupied Italy is soundtracked by Deep Purple's road warrior anthem Highway Star. Each time, the music ratchets up the excitement, but also produces an uncomfortable sensation: should brutal, unforgiving warfare be this exciting? And for those thinking it all sounds a bit metal, The Fall, Bauhaus, MC5 and more are also used to great effect. For both Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes, Hartley focused on anachronistic music: the former, set a century ago, used dark and brooding singer-songwriters, such as Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. The latter, set in the second world war and based on Ben Macintyre's nonfiction bestseller, goes hard on – for want of a better word – thug rock: boomingly aggressive 70s and 80s hard rock and punk, with some interesting and telling digressions. Season two director Stephen Woolfenden gives an example: 'There's a wonderful reveal of [SAS founder] David Stirling at the end of episode one with The Teams That Meet in Caffs by Dexys Midnight Runners – and that's a beautiful moment.' He's right: the notion of early Dexys, a band of ragtag ruffians bent on their own direction, soundtracking another bunch of young men with the same purpose is perfect on many levels. Even within the hard rock sphere, Hartley was able to find less raucous moments. 'One I like is She Sells Sanctuary by the Cult at the end of episode four. It's an emotional episode, and I like the way the guitar comes in at the end and lifts you out of the episode.' Both Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes were written by Steven Knight, who had very clear ideas himself about what he wanted, reflecting the fact that music supervisors are adamant that they are there to work with writer, director and editor, not to foist their choices on them. 'When I'm writing,' says Knight, 'I'm imagining what's happening on screen in total. So that means imagining the movement of the actors, the words that are being said, but also the soundtrack. I found the soundtrack is a very mysterious thing that most people don't question. We watch something, and we hear music, and we never ask, 'Where's that music coming from?' So you take advantage of the fact that there is an extra suspension of disbelief when it comes to music.' So the door is open to anachronistic music. But, says Knight, modern alternative music is not just there to display the exquisite taste and outstanding knowledge of the production team. It's because the music that might have emotionally affected the characters at that point in history would simply seem laughable to modern audiences. 'So it felt like pulling away a barrier to have the music work directly on the emotions of the audience. And what I think people forget is that most of the people in the SAS at the time were in their late teens or early 20s. The music needed to reflect the explosive emotions of people at that age.' So far, we've been talking about 'non-diegetic' music – songs that only the audience hear. On most shows, there is a clear division between non-diegetic and diegetic (what the characters also hear), but on Top Boy it could often feel as though the dividing lines were blurred. For the show, Bailie had to look not just for old music, but for new tracks and even unreleased tracks. Although he scoffs at the notion of music supervisors acting almost as A&R consultants (music industry talent-spotters) that was a decent chunk of his job on Top Boy. 'One aspect of the A&R thing that's always tricky is production turnaround. By the time we've picked the song, mixed it, mastered it, then waited the many months before the show is finally released, the track will likely be out, unless you can get them to hold it back. We are so beholden to our benefactors who help point us towards great music – the A&R people, the managers, the sync agents, the people in record stores. And for Top Boy that was a really deep dive, because being on the cultural pulse was really important.' What music supervisors don't want is to create new cliches, or to select something too on the nose. 'I've ruined any pleasure I might get from watching TV drama,' says Hartley, 'because all I do is watch it and think about the music.' Bailie, though, did create a TV music cliche, as one of the music team behind the John Lewis Christmas ads. 'It morphed and manifested into ukulele songs with slightly annoying, cutesy voices behind them. And that wasn't what we were doing, but that's how other people emulated it. But you always want to build your own thing.' Maybe SAS Rogue Heroes will create a new cliche of AC/DC, the Saints and the Stooges becoming the soundtrack to the second world war. If so, you know who to blame.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Thousand Blows star 'felt like Rocky' training for Peaky Blinders creator's new boxing show
A Thousand Blows is Disney+'s new boxing drama, and preparing to step into the ring was an experience that brought to mind the iconic Rocky film franchise, actor Malachi Kirby tells Yahoo UK. The six-part TV series is created by Steven Knight, the brains behind Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes, and it follows an array of characters in London's East End in the Victorian era. Kirby plays Jamaican immigrant Hezekiah Moscow and it follows his rise in the boxing ring and the characters he meets along the way like boxer Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham) and professional thief Mary Carr (Erin Doherty). Kirby is gushing when speaking about portraying real-life boxing prodigy Moscow, and says: "It was a joy for me, this little kid in me came out that loved the Rocky films back in the day. "Getting to train for it I started training in the winter so I think that was like Rocky 4 or something, you're out in the snow training. That was a dream for me, I loved every second of this job literally." "From the audition process up until right now I've loved every single moment of this job," he adds. "And like usually this is the worst part where it comes out and people have watched it and I thing 'this is the last job I'll ever have'. But I'm so excited, I'm so hopeful. "I don't know how people will receive it, and at this point I actually don't care. I'm so glad to be part of it, and I think we've done something really special. You know what I mean? I'm just excited to share it with the world, not thinking about what anyone is going to think of. I'm just like 'guys watch it' because I think we did something amazing." One thing that viewers might enjoy is the fact that Top Boy actor Ashley Walters has turned his skills to being behind the camera, as he directs half of the first season. Working with Walters as a director was a fun experience for the cast, who share their delight at trying to get him to rap 21 Seconds, the hit song he made with So Solid Crew. Daniel Mays, who plays MC Punch Lewis, says of Walters: "I've worked as an actor with Ashley, we've done a number of shows together so having him direct me was [mad], but he took to it like a duck to water. In his episodes in particular, he takes care of the back end of the first season, every beat is realised, every dramatic moment, and he's just done a sterling job." Alec Munroe star Francis Lovehall adds: "It was beautiful working with all directors —Nick Murphy, Tinge,— it was amazing seeing Ashley even work, seeing this transition from director to actor. I grew up on Bullet Boy and seeing him transition into a director so easily was inspiring." James Nelson-Joyce —who plays Treacle Goodson— grew up on So Solid Crew, the rap group Walters founded, so he couldn't help but sing 21 Seconds every moment he could and he wasn't the only one. "Ashley was breaking into 21 seconds all the time," Mays quips. "That's how you knew you had a good take under your belt." Morgan Hilaire was full of praise for Walters because he "gets" what a director needs to be for an actor because he's worked on both sides of the camera: "So there's certain notes he'd give and it wouldn't make sense to maybe someone else but you just know what you're talking about, or like I'll be trying to voice a note that I think might be a good little transition and he'll just get what I'm talking about. "And it's just so fantastic. I mean, we worked with so many amazing directors and they all had amazing different sparks about them, but just him being an actor before really made me feel so safe." Her co-star Darci Shaw, who plays maid-turned-thief Alice Diamond, adds: "He just felt so free, he just let you do your gut instinct, and then he'd just be like, 'oh, but I think maybe this' and then it just felt so natural." "It comes from, because he's an actor himself, his emotional integrity for the characters is so paramount," actor and executive producer Hannah Walters adds. "That's why the character journeys within each episode is very much within him to show, which is what he does incredibly." A Thousand Blows premieres on Friday, 21 February on Disney+.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The true story behind A Thousand Blows, as told by the Disney+ show's cast
Watch: A Thousand Blows cast talk about the Disney+ historical drama A Thousand Blows is the newest period drama from Steven Knight, the brains behind hit shows like Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes, which is inspired by a real-life story of boxers in Victorian England. Set in London's East End, the series follows Jamaican immigrant Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and his rise in the boxing world after arriving in England. He meets an array of colourful characters who feel like outsiders just like him, including a group of female thieves known as the Forty Elephants —led by Erin Doherty's Mary Carr— and bare-knuckle fighting brothers Sugar (Stephen Graham) and Treacle Goodson (James Nelson-Joyce). See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The stories of all three groups come together in the intricate narrative seamlessly, in a way that only Knight could make work. But what of the true story behind it? The cast of A Thousand Blows give Yahoo UK the details. A Thousand Blows is a drama but, much like Knight's show SAS Rogue Heroes, is inspired by real events. The writer tells Yahoo UK it's thank to Graham that he learned about the narrative. "It was Steven Graham who came to me with the story of Hezekiah, who comes to London from Jamaica to become a lion tamer and becomes a very successful boxer," Knight explains. "Because it was Steven that made a huge difference and I looked into the story of Hezekiah, which is quite extraordinary and true, and is a way into a world that really hasn't been done before. "At the same time, I've wanted to do the story of the Forty Elephants, which is the Mary Carr side of the story, for a long time and always wondered why it had been done for TV. I just saw that this was an opportunity to tell that Hezekiah story, but also tell the Forty Elephant story, and my idea was to bring those two real people together in a way that they may never have done." Graham admits to Yahoo UK he "can't take the credit" for the idea, though, because it was producer Tom Miller who first sent him an image of the real Hezekiah that began the conversation, and his wife Hannah Walters who suggested they work with Knight. "There was a photograph of Hezekiah who looked regal and dignified, and full of grace, and full of honour, and full of humility," he says. "I just immediately thought, wow, what an amazing photograph. Who is this man? How did he get here? What's he all about? And there was a couple of paragraphs as well about Sugar and Hezekiah, just a little brief description. "Then Hannah had a genius idea, which is why we are all sat here today, she said I know who'll write this? I'm going to ask Steve Knight to write it. And I was like, 'don't be silly love' and she was like, 'no, I'm telling you he will write this'." Hezekiah Moscow was a real person who boxed in England in the 1880s, the boxer can also be seen in archives as being called Ching Ghook or Ching Hook. Which was not his real name but indicates that he might have been mixed race, a detail that is included in A Thousand Blows as the character can speak Mandarin because of his Chinese grandmother. There is one famous photo of Hezekiah in a boxing pose, it is this snap that brought the real-life person to Walters attention. Walters, who stars and produces the Disney+ show, tells Yahoo UK how intriguing it was to find the picture. "I just found it super intriguing, what's the story behind this person? Why do I know nothing about the history of this person? So we did a bit of a deep dive into that, looked more at the research of that. And as we were doing that that's when the Forty Elephants and the Goodson Brothers came about," she says. Francis Lovehall, who portrays Hezekiah's best friend Alec Munroe (who is also based on a real person), was delighted to bring the story to life for the series, saying: "It's amazing to be bringing this story to the forefront of people's minds so they can be allowed to research and dig into these people as they choose to, because I think it really sheds light on a story that hasn't been told so I'm really proud of that." "Before we started filming we went to Jamaica and did a lot of research around Morant Bay," Lovehall adds, speaking about his and Kirby's preparation for the series. "You know where these men are from, the Morant Bay Rebellion, and even just the time that we spent togethe that really set the tone for not just the friendship with Alec and Hezekiah but Francis and Malachi. I think it really allowed us to trust each other in a way that we might not have before." Jason Tobin, who plays Mr Lao, also spoke of the show's approach to Hezekiah's presumed Chinese heritage, which is examined through their characters relationship. "Malachi as a person is a very gentle, kind person so he's someone very easy to fall in love with, and so playing those scenes with him came easy," he says. "I think this show's about loneliness as well and when we meet Mr Lao he's in hiding, his life is plodding along and all of a sudden he gets involved with Hezekiah and Mary Carr and things take a turn. "But the relationship with Hezekiah, he calls him his Chinese brother and I think that to me was the the part of the script that made me understand everything in the relationship." The Forty Elephants were a real gang of women who specialised in pickpocketing and shoplifting around London, they operated in the Elephant and Castle area between the 1870s and 1950s and would raid stores in London's West End. Per Knight Mary Carr did exist, and playing the character was an experience for Erin Doherty: "It was really empowering, I'd never really played anyone like her and it really rubbed off and I loved it. I loved everyday of getting to walk in her shoes, she inspired me. "I'm really buzzed to share her now, which is kind of rare. Like normally I feel filled with nerves about things going out there, but actually I'm really, really ready for people to have this story not just from Mary's point of view, but for all three [leads] and everyone involved in it. The writing is so brilliant, I just think it's time to pass it over now, but it was a joy being a part of it." Doherty's Forty Elephants co-stars say they're her "cheerleading squad" because of how much of a joy it was to work with her. Morgan Hilaire, who plays Esme, says: "She's just incredible, she's just a fantastic actor we're so proud of her, like slay all day we love her so much." Historically though there's another character in the series who is of note: Alice Diamond. Played by Darci Shaw, Alice actually became Queen of the Elephants but the series finds her at the start of her journey. "Alice is fitting into wherever she could and I think she's eager to be a part of it, but she doesn't have a very welcome reception from the ladies," Shaw says. Walter also conducted a lot of research on the group for the series, adding: "When we were doing the research for the Forty Elephants there were certain characters names that kept popping up. There are certain characters that are not from history and there are certain characters that are from history, and the ones that are we were limited to the resources that we had. "There was a certain amount of research but then it kind of stops because it's more generic. It's about the Forty Elephants as a whole as opposed to the specific individuals, like there was a little bit about Eliza, there was a little bit about Alice, there was not a lot about Esme so Morgan (Hilaire) had to make her own story." Hilaire adds: "[It was] so much fun, as an actor, to create your own backstory is like gold so I had a lot of fun doing that." The third narrative thread of the story is the Goodson Brothers, Sugar and Treacle, who were also real people. He was a prolific boxer who would take part in prize fights across the years, many MC'd by Punch Lewis (Daniel Mays) as depicted in the series. Knight had only the highest of praise for Graham, sharing: "What he brings to a character is immeasurable really. Sugar Goodson, again a real person and his brother Treacle, were always going to be key to this because they were the kingpins of the boxing world at the time. So unleashing Steven on the character of a boxer of a certain age is just fantastic." Nelson-Joyce said of his on-screen sibling: "It's a gift, I grew up adorning Steven. He's my very favourite actor so to then play his brother and have all these amazing scenes it was a gift, I just felt so lucky." He adds: "The beautiful thing is Steven's written a community aspect of London and everyone coming together who want a better cause. But we were all on set and everyone felt like we were all in it together. It was a gift." Knight's adaptation of the real-life story is much like how he approaches all his historical dramas, as he says: "It's bit like stepping stones, really. You've got the real events that happened and you can choose which you want to use as a stepping stone. But if you're going from one to the other, it's the journey between the two that is my job. "What I find fascinating is trying to understand how did this character get from that to that, in the bigger picture they start as this one thing factually and then they end up in a completely different situation and you're just trying to work at how in reality that could have happened." A Thousand Blows premieres on Disney+ on Friday, 21 February.
