Latest news with #TheMadameBlancMysteries
Scottish Sun
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Future of Channel 5 drama with Hollyoaks star revealed after one series
hard comeback Future of Channel 5 drama with Hollyoaks star revealed after one series THE future of The Hardacres has been confirmed and the hit drama will return for another series. Channel 5's The Hardacres stars Hollyoaks actress Claire Cooper and follows the rags to riches story of the eponymous family set in 1890s Yorkshire. 5 Channel 5 drama The Hardacres is coming back from a second season Credit: Channel 5 5 The drama stars Claire Cooper as the family martriarch Credit: Channel 5 5 Claire rose to fame on Channel 4's Hollyoaks Credit: Lime Productions The gritty drama debuted on Channel 5 last year and became an instant hit. The network announced The Hardacres' return and gave fans a hint what they could expect in the second series. Channel 5 said in a statement, saying: "The new season charts the Hardacres as they settle into Hardacre Hall and turn their attention to reshaping the world around them with all the ambition, friction, and fallout that entails." The second series will also run for six hour-long episodes with no confirmed air date as yet. Hollyoaks star, Claire, plays Mary on the show who is the matriarch of the Hardacre family, and is key to turning her family's fortunes around. "What's interesting about Mary is she feels deeply for all the family members, all the people around her, and she does connect with them," the actress said ahead of the show's debut in 2024. "Even though she finds there is a distance that comes later on, she regroups everyone – she's the anchor, the pioneer, the entrepreneur. She's the mother, the wife, the daughter. "She's certainly not a wallflower." Claire shot to fame on Hollyoaks and is best known for her role as Jacqui McQueen. She is married to fellow actor Emmett J. Scanlan who she met on the set of the Channel 4 soap. Hollyoaks star Claire Cooper leads the cast in Channel 5's the Hardacres Other familiar faces in the series include much-loved actress Julie Graham, The Borgias' Liam McMahon, Coronation Street star Adam Little, Shannon Lavelle and Bridgerton's Zak Ford-Williams. In the first series, the Hardacres family start as a poor family, whose fortunes suddenly change for the better thanks to a turn of events. Their lives transform from living in a grimy fish dock to moving into a huge country estate and joining high society. Along with confirming the return of The Hardacres, Channel 5 also announced a raft of other new and returning show, including a Christmas special of the hit crime drama The Madame Blanc Mysteries. 5 The show also star Corrie alum, Adam Little Credit: Channel 5
Metro
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Netflix fans can now binge all 4 seasons of 'near-perfect' crime series
Cosy crime has managed to carve out an escapist monopoly – with Death Valley and Ludwig the latest TV iterations to find an audience on the BBC. But Channel 5 has had another enjoyably gentle whodunnit on its screens for several years now – and it's just dropped on Netflix. The Madame Blanc Mysteries stars Coronation Street alum Sally Lindsay – who created, co-wrote and executive-produced the show – as antiques dealer Jean White, who sets about investigating the death of her husband and other miscellaneous misdemeanors. Set in a quaint south of France village, Jean teams up with taxi driver Dom, played by Benidorm's Steve Edge, to get to the bottom of things. The pair are this show's incarnation of the classic amateur detective duo and, later on, love interests. All four seasons of the crime caper have just hit the streaming service, complete with a set of larger-than-life characters and a bit of summer escapism in the Malta and Gozo filming locations, which stand in for the fictional village of Sainte Victoire. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Jean suspects foul play in her husband Rory's death, putting two and two together to get to the answer that he was leading a double life – possibly one that involved an entirely other family. He was murdered by his other women for a ruby ring, putting Jean on the hunt for the killer and the jewel. The cast is filled out with Robin Askwith and Only Fools and Horses' Sue Holderness, as a couple of expats living large in a chateau, as well as one half of the Chuckle Brothers, Paul Chuckle, and Blackadder's Tony Robinson. The show already has a Christmas special on the way this year – so you could binge all four seasons just in time for that – and Lindsay has said she will make The Madame Blanc Mysteries for as long as Channel 5 want them. Ahead of the fourth season, she told gathered press: 'I'm not under any, 'Yes, I'll quit when I'm on a high'. No, I won't. I love it so much. I will do it until they want me to not do it, to be honest, because it's such a special thing in my life. And it's such a part of our lives now.' The feel-good cosy crime show has a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season, as well as several positive reviews on IMDb. SunnyDaise described the show as 'almost perfect', writing: 'It's great to have a show written by and predominantly starring over 50s that is clean enough for all generations to watch together.' More Trending Paul_anson described the show as 'silly fun in a light entertainment format'. 'Of course it's not meant to be taken seriously,' Paul added. 'Of course the actors are hamming it up. It's still an entertaining little package best enjoyed with a nice glass of red French wine.' 'Really enjoyed this,' echoed robbiep-53815. 'Great location. A bright sunny and refreshing change. The ongoing mystery is intriguing and the self contained weekly case to be solved keeps things ticking along nicely. A lovely change.' View More » The Madame Blanc Mysteries is available to stream on Netflix. 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. MORE: Liam Payne fans heartbroken over 'special' first glimpse of singer in Netflix series MORE: Netflix's controversial new thriller watched 2,400,000 times gets second season MORE: The completely free streaming service that boasts 10,000 shows and movies
The Herald Scotland
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Reviewed: Murder Most Puzzling, Mitford drama Outrageous
This isn't the first time Phyllis Logan has dabbled in crime. Her gangster's wife in Guilt was more terrifying than any of her character's henchmen, and deserved a series of her own (quick as you like, Neil Forsyth). In the meantime, we will have to make do with Murder Most Puzzling, one of a growing band of 'cosy crime' offerings taking over the TV schedules (Ludwig, The Madame Blanc Mysteries), publishing (Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club) and film (Netflix's adaptation of Osman's book, arriving August). Cosy and crime: it's a difficult combination to get right. Logan's Cora Felton could have gone either way. A crossword setter known as The Puzzle Lady, Cora has come to the small town of Bakerbury with her niece, Sherry (Charlotte Hope), hoping for a quieter life. As per, all is not as it seems, starting with Cora. When a woman is found dead with what looks like a crossword clue in her pocket, the local plod ask for Cora's help. Before you can say a four-letter word for unbelievable, the victims are piling up and Cora has turned into a full-blown sleuth. The oft-married, loves-a-tipple Cora is a likeable sort given added heft by Logan. There's a scene at the start, when Cora is interviewing the parents of a young woman who died in an accident, that could have gone horribly wrong if not for Logan bringing her acting chops to bear. Cora/Logan is also a highly convincing dropper of the F-bomb, a power she uses seldom but well, ditto her Scottish sarkiness. 'Isn't the internet a marvel,' she says while picking a lock. 'All these instructional videos by cheerful men, helping burglars.' The rest is strictly Scooby-Doo, and I'd still rather have a series with Logan as a crime clan matriarch, but I might be tempted back to see how Cora is getting on. Outrageous U&Drama (free to air) *** WHAT ho folks, it's a thoroughly spiffing drama about those game gels, the Mitford sisters. You know the ones: Nancy the novelist, Diana the beauty, the one who went full blown Nazi … There ought to be a verse, like the one for Henry VIII's wives. Published, divorced, fascist … Written by Sarah Williams, Outrageous wisely gives the job of narrator to Nancy the novelist (played by Bessie Carter). It is Nancy who introduces us to the six sisters and one brother. Since he's the lucky chap who will inherit everything, it's up to the rest of them to marry well, a rule swiftly ignored like all the rest. Outrageous is handsomely shot and convincingly shabby in its depiction of the times. A few clunky moments of exposition aside ('Mrs Guinness? Oswald Mosley'), it rolls along like a game of croquet on a well-tended lawn. The first episode - one of six - is a warm-up for what comes next, but Anna Chancellor is already a standout as the mother desperate to get the gels off her hands. Careful what you wish for, 'Muv'. Next week: Diana invites Unity to join her on a trip to Germany.
The Guardian
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: a big night in with Elton John and Brandi Carlile
9.05pm, ITV1 The two musicians have been friends for more than two decades and have a new duets album, Who Believes in Angels?. They perform these songs for the first time at a special gig at the London Palladium, along with covers of each other's hits. But that's not all: Dan Levy is host for the evening and will be sitting the pair down to get all the gossip. Hollie Richardson 7.15pm, BBC One With wary nurse Belinda (Varada Sethu) now along for the ride, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) sets down in 50s Miami. But strange things are afoot in the pastel paradise. Might it have something to do with cinema fixture Mr Ring-a-Ding, a tuneful cartoon character voiced by Alan Cumming? Get your popcorn ready. Graeme Virtue 8.30pm, Channel 4 Previously shown on More4, Hugh Dennis and David Baddiel go on holiday together in a genial travelogue, which at least benefits from them being friends in real life. Having known each other for 40 years, the comics are cycling around France: week one takes them from Arcachon on the Atlantic coast to the Garonne valley. Jack Seale 9pm, Channel 5 The actor – who is now basically the queen of Channel 5 – hosts a lively quiz about all things 70s. Comedians Shaparak Khorsandi and John Thomson are the team captains, with Tiswas host Sally James, Stars in Their Eyes presenter Matthew Kelly, Hi-de-Hi! star Su Pollard and The Madame Blanc Mysteries star Steve Edge. HR 9.35pm, BBC Two This concert film opens with an aerial shot of the Manhattan skyline that slowly zooms in on a 600,000-strong crowd, gathered in Central Park to hear Paul Simon. It's a powerful illustration of the success of Simon's internationally flavoured albums Graceland (1986) and The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), music from both of which he plays here. Ellen E Jones 10.20pm, ITV1 Rebel Wilson has been spotted in Yorkshire filming her upcoming Christmas film, but this weekend she's in Jonathan Ross's London studio. Also in the lineup: Freddie Flintoff, who has a documentary coming out, Government Cheese star David Oyelowo and Alma's Not Normal creator Sophie Willan. HR Lightyear, 5.40pm, BBC One This is the film that (fictionally) inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy in Toy Story – but Pixar's 2022 meta-animation takes a different trajectory to its forebear, visually and comedically. We meet space ranger Buzz (voiced by Chris Evans) as his mistake leads his spaceship to crash on a dangerous planet. Test-flights of a new hyperdrive lead to time dilation, so his ground crew age more quickly than him. Then Emperor Zurg appears … Buzz here is smarter than his plastic avatar, and the action is in the stars not the suburbs, but it retains that Pixar focus on the strength of family. Simon Wardell The Game, 9pm, Legend Xtra What do you get the man who has everything for his birthday? How about an existential crisis? David Fincher's tightly wound 1997 thriller about banker Nicholas Van Orton delivers peak Michael Douglas – a smug man brought low but learning valuable lessons. The gift of a mysterious game by his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) is the start of a dark few days of the soul for Nicholas, as a series of increasingly fraught role-playing scenarios (or are they actually real?) – bring up memories of their father's suicide and focus his mind on his own empty life. SW Snooker: The World Championship, 10am, BBC Two The morning session on day one, as Kyren Wilson begins his defence of the title. Women's Champions League Football: Arsenal v Lyon, noon, TNT Sports 1 A semi-final first leg at the Emirates. Super League Rugby: Leigh v Warrington, 1.25pm, BBC Two At Leigh Sports Village. Premiership Rugby Union: Harlequins v Sale, 2.45pm, TNT Sports 1 Saracens v Gloucester is at v Leicester is on Sun, 2.30pm. Women's Six Nations Rugby:England v Scotland, 4.30pm, BBC Two From Welford Road, Leicester. Premier League Football: Aston Villa v Newcastle, 5pm, Sky Sports Main Event Ipswich v Arsenal is on Sun at 1pm; Leicester v Liverpool at 4pm.
Telegraph
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Tony Robinson: ‘People are supposed to say 'I have no regrets' – but I do'
How do famous names spend their precious downtime? In our weekly My Saturday column, celebrities reveal their weekend virtues and vices. This week: Tony Robinson 7am I'll write. I've been immersed in my new book, The House of Wolf. It's like steel shutters being slammed down, and I concentrate on what I'm doing, regardless of what's going on around me. I was an only child – my parents doted on me and were always talking to me, but I wasn't listening as I was always doing something else. My mum took me to an ear specialist because she thought I was deaf. 9am A slow-burn breakfast because I don't want to eat again until evening. Microwaved porridge, zero-fat yogurt, and blueberries and raspberries decorating it in a pyramid, so you can't see the boringness of the porridge underneath. 10am I drive to see my granddaughters, who are 16 and 13, play football. It's one of the most exciting new things in my life. Women's football has exploded exponentially. If you watch boys' football, from about age 13, you could cut the ambition with a knife. With girls, there's a whole different spirit about it. I shout praise, which might be embarrassing for them to receive from a 78-year-old man, but I would say, honestly, it's when I'm at my happiest. 12pm Down the M4 to watch Bristol City. They're an extraordinary football team. Every year for the past 10 years – and I think I'm only slightly exaggerating here – they have come between 11th and 13th in the Championship, so a really exciting year is when they come 11th and a really depressing year is when they come 13th. This is not what most football supporters see as excitement. At the moment, it looks like we may make the play-offs this year, and consequently I'm in seventh heaven. 5pm Back to west London, listening to the radio. There's been a real renaissance of Radio 4, the imagination of the programmes is great. It could be a show about Ray Charles's childhood, then 'Who's best, Aristotle or Plato?' followed by a documentary about tap dancers with disabilities. If I'm part-way through a programme and get home, I sit in the car until it finishes. 7pm I'll read scripts, like the ones for The Madame Blanc Mysteries [Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 5; or streaming on In fact I didn't even need to look at the script at first, I just thought, '[Co-creator] Sally Lindsay is lovely and it's filmed in Gozo,' but then I read it and it was fantastic. I had a cameo role that turned into a whole series this time. As an actor, the length of your employment is normally so short that there's always part of you thinking, 'How am I going to pay the phone bill?' 8pm My wife and I always have Saturday evenings together; I can't remember the last time we didn't. I've been cavalier in my relationships as far as time is concerned – I think people are supposed to say, 'I have no regrets,' but I do. I wish I'd had the integrity to spend more time with partners. Sometimes you've got nine things on the go and the one you can put at the bottom of the list is your partner, but it's so damaging. 8.30pm Around 60 paces from home, we have an Everyman cinema, which knocks every other cinema experience into a corner. I feel like a little boy living next to a sweet shop. The last thing we enjoyed was the Bob Dylan movie [ A Complete Unknown ]. I'd have thought that, as an actor, I would recognise great actors, but I've never particularly noticed Timothée Chalamet is the truth. He is stunning in it. 11.13pm I turn to my wife and say, 'I'm thinking about going to bed,' and when we look at our watches, it is always 13 minutes past 11. In the middle of the night, I get up, go to my study and write down notes or plot ideas – 'his sister kills him', 'buy choc ices', 'get a new razor'…
