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BBC News
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jessica Raine, Damien Molony, Nicholas Pinnock, Antonia Thomas, Leila Farzad and Hugh Skinner to star in hot new drama Two Weeks in August
The BBC has announced casting for Two Weeks in August, a witty and painfully relatable eight-part drama series for BBC iPlayer and BBC One that follows a group of friends reuniting for a summer holiday. Made by the multi-award-winning Various Artists Limited (I May Destroy You, Such Brave Girls), filming is now underway in Malta. Written and created by Catherine Shepherd (Sally4Ever, The Shrink Next Door), Two Weeks in August is a story about friends who reconnect and uncover more about themselves and each other than they ever expected. Jessica Raine (The Devil's Hour, Patrick Melrose) stars as Zoe, a woman pulled in every direction and hoping this holiday will be the tonic she and her family need. She is joined by Damien Molony (Bergerac, Brassic) as her troubled husband Dan. The cast also includes Nicholas Pinnock (For Life, The Book of Clarence) as their old friend Solomon and Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor, Still Up) as his new wife Jess, alongside Leila Farzad (Kaos, I Hate Suzie) and Hugh Skinner (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Fleabag) as uni friends Nat and Jacob. Additional cast confirmed are Dolly Wells (Dracula), Tom Goodman-Hill (Baby Reindeer), Dylan Brady (Mary & George), Maria Almeida (The Strays), Khalil Gharbia (The Lost Boys), Florence Banks (The New Look), Sonny Poon Tip (Industry), Cassius Hackforth (Doctor Who), and introducing Eliza and Anthony Lambon as Zoe's children Eve and Theo, and Joe Dixon as Solomon and Jess' son Henry. Set in Greece, Two Weeks in August tells the story of a woman who goes on holiday with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life. But, here in paradise, what starts with an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare. Zoe (Jessica Raine) begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. When they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to find out who is to blame. Is Zoe responsible for the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are bigger forces at play? We are in Greece after all, the land of the ancient Gods… Jessica Raine says: 'Catherine's scripts reeled me in from the first page. Epic and nuanced. Funny and tragic. I'm honoured to be playing Zoe in this simply brilliant story.' Roberto Troni and Kat Reynolds from Various Artists Limited and Catherine Shepherd said: 'Individually, these actors have such range and brilliance in everything they do. We feel so lucky to have them with us in the Med as they are dynamite together. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking – the real heart of the show.' Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: "There is no better cast to bring Catherine's Two Weeks in August to life. You might not want to find yourselves on holiday with this group of characters, but watching their reunion unfold across eight sun-soaked episodes will be irresistible." Two Weeks in August's lead director is Tom George (This Country, Sherwood) who is directing episodes 1-4. Matthew Moore (The Great, Colin from Accounts) will direct episodes 5-8. Two Weeks in August is currently being shot in Malta and Gozo with the help of local production company Pellikola. Two Weeks in August is a Various Artists Limited production and was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. Catherine Shepherd and Tom George serve as executive producers alongside Roberto Troni and Kat Reynolds for Various Artists Limited, and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Rhonda Smith (The Pursuit of Love, The Flatshare) will produce. Casting is by Julie Harkin and Nathan Toth. Episodes 1-4 and 6-8 are written by Catherine Shepherd and episode 5 is written by Georgia Christou. Two Weeks in August is produced in association with and distributed by ITV Studios. SJP
Reuters
28-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Amazon's Wondery podcast unit trims jobs
Feb 28 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab cut "a small number" of jobs at its Wondery podcast unit, known for "Dr. Death" and "Business Wars," the company said in a statement to Reuters on Friday. Amazon purchased the company in 2020 for a reported $300 million and last year signed a 3-year $100 million deal for rights to "New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce," a podcast featuring the brothers of National Football League fame. "We regularly review our team structures to ensure we're best set up to serve customers," said Amazon spokesperson Alice Zou. "Following a recent review, we've identified a small number of roles in the Wondery organization that are no longer required." A person familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said both the content and advertising teams were affected and that it appeared to involve "dozens and dozens" of workers. Zou said the number was lower without providing details. Wondery was founded in 2016 and has produced several podcasts that were adapted for streaming television, such as "The Shrink Next Door." Amazon most recently cut jobs among its communications staff last month in an effort to reduce costs and what CEO Andy Jassy has called an abundance of bureaucracy. Jassy has slashed tens of thousands of corporate jobs since taking the helm in July 2021. Last year he announced a goal to reorganize business units in order to reduce the ratio of managers to 'individual contributors' by the end of this year's first quarter. Amazon shares were trading down less than 1% at $208.35.
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC announces new drama Two Weeks in August
The BBC has commissioned Two Weeks in August from Various Artists Limited (I May Destroy You, Such Brave Girls). Written and created by Catherine Shepherd (Sally4Ever, The Shrink Next Door) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, Two Weeks in August is an original eight-part drama series. Set in Greece, Two Weeks in August tells the story of a woman who goes on holiday with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life. But here in paradise, what starts with an illicit kiss, quickly turns the dream holiday into a nightmare. Zoe begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. When they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to find out who is to blame. Is Zoe responsible for the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are bigger forces at play? We are in Greece after all, the land of the ancient Gods… Roberto Troni and Kat Reynolds from Various Artists Limited say: 'Two Weeks in August is Catherine Shepherd's painfully funny and heartbreakingly original show that focuses on a group of friends who reconnect on a summer holiday and discover more about themselves and each other than they could have imagined. Catherine's writing is both intimate and epic and we're delighted that her exceptional scripts are gathering a supremely talented cast and creative team, with the incredible support of the BBC and ITV Studios. The emotional struggles of her characters speak to how so many of us feel about trying to live life to the fullest, whilst the world around us burns. Sometimes, literally. We think audiences are in for a real treat.' Catherine Shepherd says: 'I am so excited to be bringing this story to the screen and very grateful for the unwavering support and nurture I've been shown at VAL while writing the scripts and to the BBC and ITV Studios for their belief and commitment. I'm also delighted to be working with kindred spirits, Tom George and Matthew Moore as directors, who share a vision for the show. This is a story about what it's like to try and be happy in a very anxious and confusing world and at its core, about a woman struggling to play all the roles she's been given by life. How do you enjoy yourself for two weeks in August when the world appears to be falling apart around you? I hope it will be as funny and sad, as thrilling, beautiful, ridiculous and heartbreaking as real relationships between humans are.' Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: 'We could not be happier to have Two Weeks in August to look forward to! Catherine's writing is razor sharp and hilarious, but ultimately full of compassion and humanity, and it's an honour to join forces with her and VAL to bring her first original drama series to the BBC.' Two Weeks in August's lead director is Tom George (This Country, Sherwood) who will direct episodes 1-4. Matthew Moore (The Great, Colin from Accounts) will direct episodes 5-8. Two Weeks in August goes into production soon and will be shot in Malta and Gozo with the help of local production company Pellikola. Two Weeks in August is a Various Artists Limited production and was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. Catherine Shepherd and Tom George serve as executive producers alongside Roberto Troni and Kat Reynolds for Various Artists Limited, and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Rhonda Smith will produce. Two Weeks in August is produced in association with, and distributed by ITV Studios. SJP
