Latest news with #TheCrystalMaze
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What's New On Netflix In May 2025? 9 Best TV Shows And Films To Stream
Before we get into what's new on Netflix this May, can we just say… how is it May? Seriously? Anyway, with summer now looming, the streaming giant is keeping the goods flowing, which includes binge-able teen romance, harrowing true crime, gripping dark comedy and the final season of one of Netflix's most polarising original series. So yes, in short, it's another eclectic mix. Here are nine of our top picks to stream this May... Tell me more: Adapted from the 80s film of the same name, this comedy miniseries centres around three couples who are also best friends, and the repercussions from the shock news that one of the pairings is splitting up. The premise itself is intriguing enough, but it also boasts an impressive cast that includes Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Colman Domingo and Will Forte. Netflix says: 'Six old friends head for a relaxing weekend away only to learn that one couple in the group is about to split up. The three couples, Kate and Jack, Nick and Anne, and Danny and Claude, are completely upended by the news. 'Over the course of a year, we follow the friends on four vacations, and watch how this shake-up affects everyone's dynamic – sending old issues and new bubbling to the surface. 'Co-created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, The Four Seasons is a hilarious and heartfelt love letter to long marriages and old friendships.' Tell me more: A new comedy from Mexico, the show centres around a much-loved Hollywood star, whose life turns upside down when she finds herself inadvertently cancelled. She then returns to her home country to try and make another go of it and prove herself. Unfortunately, there's something standing in her way – her number one fan. Netflix says: 'Canceled in Hollywood, star Lana Cruz heads to her hometown for a comeback. Enter Polly, her fan-turned-frenemy. Can Lana dodge drama and reclaim her fame?' Tell me more: While The Devil's Plan is based in South Korea, it gained a cult following internationally when it premiered in 2023, mixing elements of escape rooms with competition shows like The Crystal Maze, Big Brother and even Squid Game: The Challenge, with 12 highly-skilled contestants being put through their paces in tasks designed to stretch their brains and leave only one standing. Upping the ante in its second season, the new run is subtitled Death Room, which sounds suitably dramatic. Netflix says: 'In a game of wit, strategy and wisdom, rival contestants clash over six nights and seven days. Who will be crowned the ultimate victor?' Tell me more: This is one that fans of dreamy romances like Heartstopper, One Day and the To All The Boys I've Loved Before movies are undoubtedly going to binge in one sitting. Adapted from the hugely popular (though controversial!) Judy Blume novel Forever, this Netflix adaptation updates the story for the 21st century, and introduces us to two teenagers who meet and fall in love as they're right on the precipice of moving to the next stage of their lives. Forever follows Keisha and Justin's romance from its early stages through its various highs and lows, and asks whether love really can triumph over all obstacles. Netflix says: 'Judy Blume's groundbreaking 1975 novel, Forever, is being reimagined for a new generation by Mara Brock Akil. 'It's an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other's firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.' Tell me more: Netflix launched its British Horror Story franchise in 2022 with an original documentary about Jimmy Savile, which it is now following up with another harrowing true story. In the new three-part series, the crimes of Fred and Rose West are re-examined using newly-discovered police video, as well as interviews with a number of victims, including some who are speaking for the first time. Given the sensitive subject matter, though, we'd recommend approaching this one with caution. Netflix says: 'Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story is a definitive documentary series revealing the lives and crimes of Britain's most notorious and prolific husband and wife serial killers. 'With exclusive access to previously unseen police video and unheard audio recordings, the three part series will show how the Gloucestershire police were able to unearth the remains of the West's 12 victims to build a case against them that would bring closure for the families of the victims. 'The series features family members of some of the victims – a few of whom are speaking for the first time – giving insight into the pain and torment they went through for decades. From discovering that their missing loved ones were brutally murdered, to the trauma they experienced and the strength they displayed during the trial.' Tell me more: A story of two sisters whose relationship is shaken when one is taken under the wing of her wealthy boss. Expect plenty of glossy melodrama – and a camp-tastic performance from Oscar winner Julianne Moore. Netflix says: 'Devon thinks her sister Simone has a really creepy relationship with her new boss, the enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell. Michaela's cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it's time for an intervention. But she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be. 'Told over the course of one explosive weekend at The Kells' lavish beach estate, Sirens is an incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class.' Tell me more: While Tyler Perry's first official collaboration with Netflix saw him dipping his toe into the world of soapy drama, She The People is firmly in the comedy camp. At the centre of it all is Terri J. Vaughn, who plays a politician who realises she may have bitten off more than she chewed when she wins an election. The first eight episodes are dropping in May, with the rest of the season following later in the year. Netflix says: 'Tyler Perry's new Netflix comedy series stars Terri J. Vaughn and brings the laughs, leadership, and a little turn-up in the political halls of Mississippi.' Tell me more: The latest instalment in Netflix's adaptation of R.L. Stine's Fear Street series takes the slasher story to the late 1980s, where it's prom season at Shadyside High. Unfortunately, when an unexpected candidate enters the race for prom queen, the other contenders start to – you guessed it! – vanish one by one. Netflix says: 'Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school's wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. 'But when a gutsy outsider puts herself in the running, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of '88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.' Tell me more: After we've been with our teenage heroes through every graphic, disgusting and humiliating turn of their adolescence, the curtain is finally coming down on Big Mouth. But it sounds like the show is going out with a bang. Now in high school, the protagonists are now gearing up for graduation in the final batch of episodes – but they still have a lot to learn before they step into the real world. And given that this is their last outing, we wouldn't expect a single punch to be pulled. Netflix says: 'In the eighth and final season of Big Mouth, our beloved Bridgeton teens tackle new challenges as high schoolers such as: driving, drugs, sexual inexperience, enthusiastic consent, porn and the teenage mind, cancel culture, their changing bodies, and (in the end) fear of the looming future. 'Through it all, friendship is the cornerstone for surviving this time of life – whether one's puberty is just beginning, like for Nick who gets his first growth spurt, or near its conclusion, like for a maturing (and prematurely balding) Andrew. 'At the height of the season, when many of our characters are in crisis, Compassion (personified as a new creature voiced by Holly Hunter), emerges as a crucial way forward. Ultimately, though, this season is about the importance of sticking by and supporting your friends, especially when life gets overwhelming and messy. 'In the end, our kids step into the harrowing unknown of the future, made less afraid of what's to come because they have each other.' Penn Badgley Had To Throw This Personal Rule 'Out The Window' For You Season 5 Sex Scenes This Is How The Heartstopper Finale Is Going To Be A Little Bit Different 17 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets We Learned From The Cast Of Black Mirror Season 7
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Genius Game: David Tennant's brainiac gameshow is even duller than doing GCSE maths
Britain loves a good gameshow. And if there weren't enough on our screens already, the quizmasters-in-chief, ITV, recently announced that they would be bumping off the reality-focused ITVBe in favour of a new channel dedicated to them. Hopefully it will have some better programmes than Genius Game (Wednesday 30 April, ITV1), a new series that answers a question no one was asking. Namely, what if we had more light entertainment shows that felt like being back in GCSE maths? Frustratingly, Genius Game should be good. David Tennant is the host, for God's sake (though he joins the show via Zoom – maybe he's elsewhere in the studio, or even at home, perhaps already aware it wasn't worth the three-hour round trip from London, where he lives, to Maidstone in Kent, where it was filmed). Based on a South Korean series, a group of 'geniuses' must compete in puzzles and games based on strategy and social manipulation, with Tennant confined to a TV screen in the corner, doing a very loose impression of Richard O'Brien in The Crystal Maze. Contestants include Bodalia, an NHS doctor who is also a touring DJ; entrepreneur Bex, who doesn't think academic qualifications are the be-all and end-all, but does proudly possess a 100m swimming badge; and comedian Ken Cheng, who is easily one of the funniest people on LinkedIn, known for his satirical posts that send up 'hustle and grind' business culture. There seems to be real potential at the outset, with the sense that this bunch were cast for their charisma as much as their IQs (or, as lecturer Benjamin puts it, 'I applied for gay Love Island, so I don't know what the hell I'm doing here!') Oh, and there's a £50,000 prize pot, which isn't to be sniffed at. Sadly, though, Genius Game is dire – the TV equivalent of walking into a party halfway through an extremely convoluted game you never quite catch up with, and which is unthinkably dull to boot. After eight minutes of indeterminable explanations, the first episode begins with a challenge centred on stealing money from hypothetical vaults. It has the air of a logic puzzle, but also relies heavily on the kind of alliances you've seen on literally every other reality TV show ever broadcast. Forensic scientist Scott declares himself to be 'ruthless', while doctor Bhasha says she's 'good at coming across trustworthy'. All of this would be really helpful if it were compelling telly, and not the sort of thing that requires regular onscreen diagrams and voiceovers to make sure the audience at home are still following. Where it does try to do 'drama', it ends up looking more like a guide to committing elder abuse; a retired businessman called Paul is reduced to a patsy for Scott's scheming, and is locked away in a big cage in a way that feels undignified for everybody involved. As for the puzzles, you know that there's something vaguely intelligent happening here, but it's all explained so poorly that Genius Game often feels like watching the Mitchell and Webb sketch where a quiz host shouts 'Numberwang!' at random. In episode one, you can actually see the contestants blinking in slow motion as they figure out what they're supposed to be doing – never a good sign. In episode two, the challenges are a little easier to understand but, sadly, just as boring. The main task ('humans' and 'zombies' trying to work out who is who, to gain the most points) has nothing of the wit or the high-stakes backstabbing of The Traitors. By the time we make it to what is supposed to be a thrilling finale featuring a giant noughts and crosses board, my brain has switched off entirely. I am left pining for a real ITV quiz: a classic episode of The Chase, or even something featuring Ant and Dec. Where's Stephen Mulhern when you need him, eh? It would be easy to say that Genius Game is too lofty, misunderstood by the narrow-minded idiots at home. But nerdy gameshows can and do work: just look at Only Connect or University Challenge. The important thing is that they have to be entertaining, too – and it doesn't take a genius to see that this one falls flat.
Local France
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
Fort Boyard: How France plans to save its game-show fortress
If you have visited France's Charente-Maritime département, then you may have walked along the coast and noticed the grey hulk of Fort Boyard looming out of the water - located between the Île-d'Aix and the Île d'Oléron. If you have not seen it in person, you might be familiar with the TV game show of the same name, which has popular French and international versions. However, the fort now requires serious repairs if it is to stay above the waves. A picture shows an aerial view of Fort Boyard, off the western coast of France, near La Rochelle, on November 15, 2013. (Photo by XAVIER LEOTY / AFP) The fort itself - which has something of a stadium appearance inside - dates back to the 19th century, having served as both a military fort equipped with canons and military personnel to protect France against the British, and as a military prison. Advertisement Construction began in the early 1800s under Napoleon, was paused in 1809 and finally completed in 1857. The fortress was abandoned in 1913, and spent decades gradually falling into disrepair before it was purchased by the Charente Maritime local council in 1961. TV career In the early 1990s, the fort became the site for the French TV game show 'Fort Boyard', which involves contestants having to complete challenges to win prize money. The French version of the show has been running since 1990 and it is still being broadcast on France 2. The 2024 series (the 35th season) had more than two million viewers. The series has been exported to more than 30 countries including the US, where it ran in 1991 and in a revived version in 2011, and the UK, where it ran from 1998 to 2003. Ford Boyard's creator Jacques Antoine also created the popular, and somewhat similar, British show The Crystal Maze. Filming for the show takes place inside the fort itself, making it instantly recognisable to millions of TV viewers. Urgent repairs Despite still being used for filming, the site is now in urgent need of repair. The monument is "directly under attack from offshore swells," Matthieu Barbier, the project manager from the Charente-Maritime Departmental Council told Le Parisien. "The waves are causing major cracks. Keystones are also starting to loosen. If we do nothing, the fort will be ruined," Barbier warned. As such, the fort will undergo three and a half years of repairs, which will cost a total of €44 million, and will involve rebuilding the three main protective structures ( ouvrages de protection ). After that, Le Parisien reported there would be a second phase of repairs to 'restore the building to its original state'. Advertisement Reportedly, the filming and construction will co-exist, and construction won't start until July (after both the French and foreign versions of the show have wrapped filming. Construction will be paid largely by the département, with some from ALP (the company that rents the site for filming of the show) and community fundraising. At the end of 2024, there was a call for donations, which raised €135,000 toward the repairs. Once the first phase of repairs are complete, Barbier told Le Parisien that the goal will be to open the building to the public. ALP also said they would consider leaving some set pieces from the TV game show in place, for visitors to discover. Currently, it is impossible for people to visit, but private boat owners can navigate around the monument, and there are some local ferry services that allow visitors to approach the fortress.
