Latest news with #ThisisEngland
Wales Online
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
ITV Malpractice full cast list - where you've seen the stars of medical drama before
ITV Malpractice full cast list - where you've seen the stars of medical drama before The cast of Malpractice series two has a serious pedigree in some of the UK's most iconic dramas including Happy Valley, Line of Duty, This is England and more Malpractice returns for it's second season on ITV and will feature new characters and new storylines. (Image: (Image: ITV) ) The long-awaited second series of Malpractice is finally here and kicks off on May 4, 9pm on ITV. Fans of the drama will be swept back into the turmoil of the West Yorkshire hospital where an unplanned investigation kicks off. Viewers will meet new cast members including Tom Hughes as Dr James Ford, a psychiatrist who becomes the subject of this season's inquiry. Meanwhile, Selin Hizli and Zoë Telford assume significant supporting roles. You can find out who the cast are and where you've seen them before, below. After the success of the first series, which provided a real insight into the workings of an emergency department, it's expected that viewers will be left wondering whether the series is based on a true story or influenced by real-world events in any way. You can read more about that, here. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . The official show synopsis reveals: "As the team dig further into the events of that night, what appears to be a series of poor choices by one doctor spreads beyond the psychiatric unit to a hospital seemingly at war with itself. Article continues below "With the MIU investigation closing in, can Dr Ford save his already fragile career from a string of apparently damning mistakes? "Is Dr Ford a doctor with a God complex or a victim of the institution? "And can the MIU uncover the truth of what happened, despite hostility from all sides?" Cast list of Malpractice series two Tom Hughes (Victoria) as Dr James Ford Selin Hizli (Am I Being Unreasonable) as Dr Sophia Hernandez Zoë Telford (Teachers, Unforgotten) as Dr Kate McAllister Jordan Kouamé (Wolf Hall, Dope Girls) as Dr George Adjei Helen Behan (This Is England '88 and '90, The Virtues,) as Dr Norma Callahan Hannah McClean (Blue Lights) as Rosie Seraphina Beh (Top Boy) as Toni Campbell-Brown Rick Warden (Trigger Point, HappyValley) as Eric Sawers Ace Bhatti (Line of Duty) as Dr Arun Mansoor Jessica Layde (Endeavour) as Bernadette Tobi Bakare (Death in Paradise) as Kwame Produced by World Productions (Line of Duty, Vigil), in partnership with and distributed by ITV Studios, Malpractice was filmed on location in Belfast with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Article continues below The new series begins on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 4th May, with the second episode airing on Monday 5th. The third on Tuesday, May 6 with episodes four and five planned for the following week. You can catch up with Malpractice on ITVX.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aurora and ‘Adolescence' Director Philip Barantini on the Show's Devastating Needle Drop Finale: ‘I Could Not Stop Crying'
Netflix's Adolescence has got the world talking. The four-part drama covers the fallout from a brutal murder of a teenage girl by her male classmate following his radicalisation by misogynistic content online. The Guardian called it 'the closest thing to TV perfection in decades' and the topics raised on the show – incel culture; Andrew Tate's influence on young boys; the dangers of the manosphere – are brought back to the forefront of U.K. and global political discourse. That's without mentioning the technical triumph the show achieves. Directed by Philip Barantini (Boiling Point), the show uses one-take shots for entire episodes, allowing tension to build and to demand viewers attention; to pick up intimate moments of doubt, fear and sadness. It is a show of rare brilliance and massive U.K. success story; upon release, episode one pulled the largest ever audience for any streaming TV show in the UK in a single week. More from Billboard Katy Perry Posts Video of Her Blue Origin Flight Featuring Outer Space Reveal of Tour Setlist Lil Nas X Reveals Partial Paralysis of Right Side of His Face: 'I Can't Even Laugh Right' BTS' Jin Prepping Second Solo Album, 'Echo' The show – spoilers ahead – culminates with a devastating moment. Stephen Graham (This is England, Boiling Point), whose son is accused and convicted of the aforementioned murder, is trying to keep the family together amidst the turmoil. In the final scene of episode four, Graham's character heads to his son's bedroom and breaks down in tears full of sorrow, rage and despair. The scene is soundtracked by Aurora's 2016 single 'Through the Eyes of a Child,' which was first released via Decca Records on her debut LP All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, with the sync made possible with by Globe, part of Universal Music U.K. playing a key role in the process. The song has been boosted with over five million streams since the show's release, and had success on the Global and U.K. Shazam charts. A decade down the line, the Norwegian's poignant track is now resurging with new meaning and reaching fans all over again. In an exclusive chat with Billboard U.K., director Barantini and Aurora discuss the song's place in the show, the vital conversation the show has renewed and the possibility of a second season of Adolescence. Philip, when did you first hear Aurora's song? Philip: Well, I have been a fan for a long time of yours, Aurora. I think you're incredible. We were in the writing stage of Adolescence and we'd had a first script written for the first episode. We were driving to look at some locations actually, and the song just came on in the car on a playlist from my phone. The timing of it… it was like something in the air. I'd heard the song before, but the words didn't really hit me as much because we were talking about this adolescent child and this whole thing. I listened to it, and honestly, I could not stop crying in the car; so in my head, I knew that was going to be in the show. How does that make you feel, Aurora? I mean, to know that it was so integral to the writing process so early… Aurora: It's absolutely beautiful. I feel very honored. It's always so nice when something that you've created from your soul, and obviously kind of at the same age of the characters in Adolescence — which is also very heartwarming, to hear the vocals of me from such a long time ago being sung almost like a classmate, like one of them in the the fact that this show, the actors and the dialogues and the music and the way it was filmed, it's a piece of art. It's so deep. You can sit and discuss it for hours and hours, which I love because there are a few things now I feel that come out and touch you, because we are so used to consuming things without being deeply disturbed or moved these days. Did you have a feeling you were onto something special? Philip: Of course you never know. You sort of hope, don't you? I always wanted it to be a conversation starter, or certainly for people to take different things away from it and have their own experience with it. There was definitely that feeling when we were on set. When we screened it to people, the audience were having the same reaction, but I did not think for one second it would be doing what it's doing and still continues to do. Aurora, the song that was first released in 2016. How does it feel to see it be repurposed almost a decade later? Auroa: That's the curse and the gift in making things and giving them to the world. They're no longer yours and belong to everyone, which also makes it possible for them to be revived again and again through different emotions and through different eyes and ears. I love the way this show kind of has changed a bit now what the song means to me. I'm very grateful to have the fire in me reignited when I sing this song now, and I feel very, very grateful that this show has done that. It's like every song has arms that stretch out and wants to hold the whole world. But every song kind of finds a group to hold at the time. And I feel like this show and you, Philip, have helped this song stretch its arms even further to hold a new group. How did it feel when you saw the final scene and your song came in? Aurora: I didn't know how the song was going to be there, or if it was going to be in the scene, or just at the end. So I kind of had forgotten by the last scene, because obviously the show had such a hard grip on me that I couldn't leave the screen. I don't think I blinked either as the scene just kept going and going without cutting. It had such a hold on me, which was beautiful to be held like that by a show. It's been a long time since I've felt this gripping feeling. But then I had forgotten by the end of the show that I was going to be on it because I was just completely taken away and apart by the show. I almost didn't feel like it was me [singing]. I just felt like it was a child who knows how it is to be at the age of losing childhood. It's a weird balance for people that age. I felt like I heard it from a child singing to me as well, for me to also relearn something I had forgotten as an adult. So it felt like it wasn't me, if that makes sense. The universe kind of just chooses for you. Needle drops are always difficult to get right. Did you feel that pressure Philip? Philip: We talked about music a lot in this show, and whether we were going to have any music at all because I'd done a movie called Boiling Point, which we didn't have any music in. That was also shot in one take, and it was a very conscious decision to not have music in it. But with Adolescence, it became apparent quite early on that music is going to help us here. I always knew that I wanted to have the needle drop at the end of episode, two with the choir and the kids' voices. But then with this, 'Through the Eyes of a Child' at the end of episode four — it was just like, that is the perfect song to end the whole show on. How does it feel to lead on a conversation around topics like incel culture and violence towards girls and women? Philip: We started the discussions about making something because of a couple of things that we'd seen over the last few years. What drives a young boy to pick up a knife and kill a young girl at that age? We did a lot of research into the incel culture and toxic masculinity and all of these things, and it was really deeper than what I thought. I didn't understand it at the beginning. I thought I had a small understanding of it — but Jack Thorne, one of our writers, went on a real deep dive. It's absolutely terrifying. It's a terrifying state that we're in at the minute with our children. I would hate to be a teenager in this day and age. Obviously, the internet can be a very amazing thing, and social media too, but it also can be really dark as well. I'm just incredibly proud and honored to be part of this because we have started a conversation and not just in the U.K. but globally. This is a big global issue. I think it has been a part of a tiny little stone that we've dropped into the middle of the ocean and now the ripple effect is doing what it's doing. It really does hurt my heart, but it also melts it as well. Aurora, what have you seen from the response from people towards the show and the topics that are raised in it? Aurora: I'm just happy to see people discussing, even arguing because it's all engagement. Hidden issues like this only reach the public when it's too late. Every time this happens, it's already too late to bring it up, because it should never have been an issue in the first place. But the way the world is, is that we're so in touch with each other and things are quite unfair in this world. It's quite an unjust world. We are also so aware of how unjust it is, and then we're being misled in who's to blame for why we're sad and why we are feeling like we're being treated in an unjust way. There's a report on that a second season could be in the works. What's your feeling on that? Philip: Look, there are so many stories to tell about adolescence: boys and girls. It is a minefield. So I'm sure there's more stories to tell, but whether we do… I'll be honest with you, we've been talking for a long time about whether we should do another one or how we do another one. Obviously with the success of this one, it's something we will look at and see what we can come up with. But there's nothing set in stone or anything like that. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Adolescence executive producer shares excitement for Threads reboot
The head of a production company behind hit TV show Adolescence says remaking a 1980s nuclear war film will be the culmination of a 20-year dream. Sheffield-based Warp Films, which produced Netflix's hard-hitting drama, is to film a contemporary version of Threads - a "groundbreaking" portrayal of a post-apocalyptic South Yorkshire. Chief executive officer Mark Herbert says "nothing is off the table" for the reboot, which he says could include a mix of old and new characters."At the moment it's about finding the best writer and the best director and people to help us adapt it - that's what we are doing at the moment," he says. Threads, released in 1984 and written by Kes author Barry Hines, tracks the aftermath of an attack on Sheffield and had a profound effect on many who watched by documentary maker Mick Jackson, it was only broadcast a handful of times between its original transmission and its 40th anniversary last year."I watched Threads when I was a teenager, everybody was terrified by it," Herbert, who grew up in Doncaster, says."It was so well made and so real and so raw - when something has that much of an impact on you, you remember it forever." Herbert says Warp Films, creators of This is England and new BBC One drama Reunion, has been waiting for "the right time" to create a new version."When we started Warp over 20 years ago, I always had a thing that if there was anything I'd like to tackle as a remake, it would be Threads," he says."In the original there was no internet, no mobile phones, it was a different city. "I think we will have to reflect what the city is like now."While he remains tight-lipped about the potential cast, he says the TV series could stretch over four to six hopes it would "delved deeper" into some of the characters, but stresses he wants it to stay true to the original."Threads terrified me, so it won't be an easy watch, but at the same time I want it to have more hope and humanity."Discussing the time frame, Herbert says the new version was "a while away"."Even with a gust of wind, we'd be lucky to be shooting in two years from now," he says. He says the daunting prospect of remaking Threads has parallels with the challenges of capturing Adolescence. "Adolescence terrified me because it was [filmed in] one shot and I was so worried - if something goes wrong at 50 minutes, you start again."It's scary and it's a challenge, but I think that's the best way to start something."Since its release on 13 March, the acclaimed drama has become the most talked-about show of the year so far."You have no idea when you are making something like Adolescence that it would have such an impact globally," he says."I'm overwhelmed but really happy." Herbert says the show "hit a nerve" as a parent, adding: "When I was a kid, my mum and dad worried about where I was going and who I was hanging out with."Now they can be in their bedrooms and looking at content that's really bad."Among the millions of viewers were Herbert's own three children, who have known Adolescence actor Stephen Graham since they were toddlers."One of my daughters sent me pictures of her in tears after the first and the fourth episode," Herbert says."I think they are really pleased and proud of it and it's amazing for them to know that all their mates are talking about it."Asked if the Threads remake would also be shot in one continuous take, he replies: "Absolutely no chance."Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Guardian
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Adolescence's success ‘should push UK's public broadcasters to take more risks'
The success of Adolescence should encourage Britain's public service broadcasters to take more risks in the programmes they commission, one of the hit show's executive producers has said. The programme, which examines the influence of misogynist 'incel' culture on a boy who stabs a classmate to death, has been a global phenomenon. It is the No 1 show across 74 countries and the ninth most-watched Netflix show of all time, with 96.7m views so far. Jack Thorne, its writer, has questioned whether the programme could have been made in the same way by the BBC because of the financial pressures it is under after cuts to the licence fee, the arrival of streaming services and the fragmentation of audiences. Emily Feller, the chief creative officer of Sheffield-based Warp Films, who was an executive producer on Adolescence, said the financial hardship hitting the public sector broadcasters (PSBs) – BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 – had made them risk-averse about the kinds of shows they pursued. She said the next Adolescence or Baby Reindeer, a dark British comedy about a stalker that was also on Netflix, could be made by the PSBs if they were prepared to take a chance on difficult projects. 'Hopefully Adolescence is allowing people to feel the risk-taking again, because there is an issue with money right now,' she said. 'I think that it's hard, and people are risk-averse. Hopefully, people will just take a moment and think this story has sold well. And obviously it comes down to money. 'I really hope that this is going to allow the public service broadcasters to be able to look for those authored pieces. If you look at a BBC or ITV show, you're talking about an 11-, 12-, 13-day shoot for an hour [of television]. And this was a 15-day shoot for an hour. So there is an expense in how we shot it. But I'm talking about the risk of storytelling, not just the production side.' Her intervention came after Elisabeth Murdoch, co-founder of the production company Sister, told the Guardian that a 'perfect storm' hitting the UK's television industry risked leading to British stories disappearing from the small screen. Warp Films, which co-produced Adolescence, has made its name by making challenging productions set in Britain, from This is England to Four Lions. Mark Herbert, its chief executive and another executive producer on Adolescence, said the show proved stories set in Britain could be successful internationally. 'A British story set in this country can travel and you don't need loads of effects, you don't need crazy budgets,' he said. 'Certain shows need that, and they've got their place, but I hope this shows you can hit a massive global audience without any of those. Just great acting, great storytellers.' However, he called for the government to intervene to help the UK's struggling TV industry. A post-Covid contraction, price inflation and the financial pressures placed on the main domestic broadcasters have resulted in thousands of the industry's workers losing their jobs – and talk of a crisis in production. 'I certainly think the whole tax credit thing needs looking at,' Herbert said. 'If you look at what kind of stuff we've made historically, it's £2-3m an episode. The international market is really struggling at the moment. People are not coming up with the ways to top up that finance – the costs to make those shows can't go down any more. So we are in this weird chicken and egg situation where we do need some help. 'I've seen what having proper dramas and films shot in the regions does, not just for the local economy directly, but also for confidence.' Warp's next production, the revenge thriller Reunion, which begins on Monday, is set in and around Sheffield. It is billed as a bilingual series featuring both British Sign Language and spoken English. Warp also revealed that it has acquired the option to develop Threads, the critically acclaimed 1984 film depicting Sheffield during a nuclear war. Feller said it was another example of featuring ordinary British people against the backdrop of a provocative topic. 'The way the original film was written and made, it absolutely had that voice with Sheffield,' she said. 'That's the kind of place, again, where you find that very rounded heart to the storytelling.'
The Independent
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Adolescence star Stephen Graham once offered to adopt child co-star after mother's death
Stephen Graham is receiving huge acclaim following his new show Adolescence, for which he plucked newcomer Owen Cooper from obscurity to overnight stardom. Cooper, who is 15, is being tipped for Bafta victory for his debut acting performance as Jamie Miller, a child accused of murder, in the sleeper Netflix hit, which has become the streaming service's most-watched title since its release earlier this month. Graham told The Independent that the team behind the series were adamant that they would 'create opportunities' through the show's production, giving a chance to people 'who may not normally have those opportunities'. Despite the's show's impressive one-shot filming technique, Graham has branded Cooper's performance Adolescence 's 'biggest achievement'. But this isn't the first time the show's production company, Warp Films, have unearthed talent. In 2006, This is England introduced the world to Thomas Turgoose, who developed a close bond with Graham throughout filming. Turgoose was 13 when he first played Shaun, a teenager who finds companionship in a group of older skinheads in the 1980s, led by Graham's Combo – and Graham grew so close to his co-star that he once offered to adopt him after the death of his mother. Speaking on the Private Parts podcast in 2021, Turgoose said he had to move in with his father, whom he barely knew, when his mother died of cancer shortly after This is England finished filming. 'I remember. I sat in my bedroom for days and weeks, and I was so confused,' he said. 'This isn't the lifestyle that I'm used to.' 'I spent a lot of time with Shane Meadows and Stephen Graham. They agreed between them that if they didn't get on with my dad, or if they didn't see my dad fit to bring me up, they was gonna adopt me.' He added: 'But they met my dad. And my dad is a proper bloke! He's worked his arse off his whole life, and he's respectable. Me and my dad are best friends now, whereas, when I moved in with him, I didn't know him.' Turgoose also told The Independent that Graham and another of his co-stars, Vicky McClure, assured him they wouldn't just drop him after cameras stopped filming. 'I was made a promise by Stephen Graham and Vicky [McClure] that when This Is England was released, it wasn't just gonna be 'That's it,'' he said, adding: 'They promised to stick by me and support me.' It's certain Graham would have made the same promise to Cooper, who doesn't need to worry: after hearing rumblings of his performance in Adolescence, Saltburn writer-director Emerald Fennell cast him in her forthcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Cooper will play a young version of Heathcliff.
