Latest news with #UandU&Drama
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Outrageous cast teases second season of scandalous period drama
U and U&Drama's new historical series Outrageous has scored rave reviews, but will the Mitford sisters' story continue? The cast of Outrageous are all keen to return for a second series of the gripping historical drama following its premiere this week. Releasing this Thursday (19th June) on U, U&Drama and BritBox, the six-part first outing follows Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) and her five sisters' ascent to notoriety in the 1930s. While Nancy was becoming a reputable author and journalist, her sisters were either breaking the rules of society or rubbing shoulders with fascists. After taking off the rose-tinted glasses for a key era of British history, will Outrageous continue the scandalous narrative in a second outing? Acclaimed star James Purefoy, who portrays the Mitfords' father, insists: 'They'd be mad not to, I think.' Reach chatted to Purefoy and the rest of the cast at the show's London premiere, and enthusiasm to continue was high across the board. 'I think it's a great show and there's a lot more meat on these bones,' he continued. 'We're only at 1937, with loads more to come.' Along with Bridgerton star Carter portraying Nancy, the Mitford family is brought to life by a crop of both established stars and new talent to watch out for. In addition to Anna Chancellor portraying their dedicated mother, Joanna Vanderham and Shannon Watson portray fascist sympathisers Diana and Unity and Isobel Jesper Jones plays Pamela Mitford, who defied gender norms of the time. Zoe Brough and Orla Hill portray the youngest sisters, Jessica and Deborah and, finally, Toby Regbo portrays the only brother, Tom Mitford. Jones teases of a potential second season: 'There is so much history to cover. It's the tip of the iceberg, there's so much more they go on to do. 'Pamela's story, in particular, is so interesting beyond the 1930s. I really hope that we'll get to do that. If anything it gets more chaotic and more outrageous.' And Hill was equally enthusiastic to return, saying: 'I would love to. 'I'm desperate to because Deborah starts to come out to society and then had a crazy, teenage… her sweet 16 was pretty [crazy], hanging out with the Kennedys. 'One of the most interesting things about Outrageous is you have all those really famous historical figures that we know just trickling in,' she added. 'Having some of that for my character's storyline would be really fun.' From the first episode's surprise appearance of Winston Churchill (Robert Daws), it's clear the Mitfords were one of the most well-connected families in Britain during the early 20th Century. With plenty more history to cover, a second season could feature cameos galore from famous faces as well as plenty more scandalous revelations about the Mitfords.
Daily Mirror
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Outrageous star had ‘mental block' delivering her ‘offensive' dialogue
Actress Joanna Vanderham admits she had difficulty wrapping her head around her character's fascist views in the new period drama, Outrageous Outrageous star Joanna Vanderham admits she was uncomfortable with some of the dialogue she had to say as historical fascist figure Diana Mitford in the new series. U and U&Drama's six-part period drama reveals more about the life of iconic author Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) and her five sisters. In the 1930s, with war looming and women struggling to find a place in society outside the home, the Mitfords stood out as rebels and pioneers amongst their aristocratic peers. However, their rise to notoriety threatened to fracture the family as both Diana and their younger sister Unity (Shannon Watson) began to associate with British Fascists and Nazis. Reach caught up with Vanderham at Outrageous' London premiere and asked if she found the role of a notable Nazi sympathiser challenging. 'Absolutely,' she said. 'Diana has a couple of lines that refer to what was happening at the time, and I personally found them quite difficult to deliver. 'I'm usually really quick to learn lines, they go in in an instant. But, for some reason, there was like a mental block of, 'I don't want to say this!' 'So some of those political lines, those were hard to say.' Written by Sarah Williams, this new period drama is a must-watch for fans of Downton Abbey, but be warned - it's a historical series like no other. Outrageous takes an unflinching look at the role of British aristocrats in the years leading up to the Second World War, proving not everyone was on the right side of history. Viewers will also get to know one of the most infamous wealthy families of the 20th Century better than ever before. 'What's so remarkable about Sarah's writing is so much of it is about what's between the lines and what's unsaid, the subtext of it,' Vanderham added. 'Which a) I think is really British, but b) when you have a family, you can have those silent communications and the little nods that's sort of like, 'Go on, do it', 'Go on, say it', 'Oh my God! You're not going to say that!' And it's just all silent. 'That's what lends itself to the fact that this was a real family and we were just really lucky to get to spend time together beforehand to really create that camaraderie.' The riveting new series is now streaming completely for free, so there's no excuse not to get totally scandalised by this shocking corner of history. Outrageous is available to stream on U, U&Drama and Britbox.
Daily Mirror
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
‘Off the rails' period drama exposing famous family scandals streaming for free
A promising new period drama about one of Britain's most infamous families is now streaming for free U and U&Drama is now home to one of the most riveting and shocking period dramas of the year - and you can stream it completely for free. Premiering on the free streaming service today (Thursday, 19th June), the six-part series follows a group of aristocratic sisters who become notorious for their high-society antics and radical political views in the 1930s. Set in the years building up to World War II, writer Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) becomes renowned for her novels while some of her sisters begin to fraternise with fascists and Nazi sympathisers. Outrageous is now streaming and is a must-watch for fans of Downton Abbey, The Buccaneers and series that peer behind the curtains of the darker periods of British history. Speaking to Reach at the series' premiere in London, several cast members shared what makes the new drama by writer Sarah Williams live up to its name. Deborah Mitford star Orla Hill said: 'It's so off the rails that you wouldn't really believe it was real. 'You might think someone had made it up and then it would never get made because it was so crazy.' Her co-star Isobel Jesper Jones (Diana Mitford) added: 'I think it's outrageous that you have this many female characters in it. You could make an entire series of just one of them.' And Zoe Brough (Jessica Mitford) admitted: 'I just can't believe that it hasn't been done before. 'You would think that when pitching these stories of the Mitford sisters that you were making it up. 'It's mixed with so much humour, tragedy, extremism, radicalism. It's all twists and turns, it's overwhelming, so the audience won't know where the trajectories of the characters are going from start to finish.' Reviews are already pouring in for the series and it's clear to see Outrageous is shaping up to be one of the best new historical dramas of 2025 - possibly of the whole decade. Collider gave the series a rave 9/10 write-up, saying: 'Whether you know about the Mitford sisters or not, Outrageous is still worth watching, as it delivers a polarizing, relevant, and lush '30s period drama, both dazzling us and stripping off our rose-tinted glasses.' Decider agreed with their take, adding: 'Outrageous conjures up an impressive feat by balancing multiple acts. 'It's a historic drama that speaks to the here and now, a serious exploration of politics that's also full of fluff, and a classic British drama that feels young and cool.' And AV Club says: 'Despite being set almost a century ago, Outrageous couldn't feel more timely. '[While] it is a fun romp packed with delicious 1930s fashions, illicit affairs, and sibling feuds, [...] it's also a harrowing chronicle of the rise of fascism in Europe. 'That's quite an audacious elevator pitch. But against all odds, the show masterfully blends witty dialogue with a dire historical warning.' This must-watch series is certainly not your average period drama, but there's certainly enough intrigue, twists and shocking revelations to keep viewers hooked. Outrageous premieres Thursday, 19th June on U, U&Drama and BritBox.
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Bridgerton icon's ‘hidden talent' exposed by co-star in scandalous new series
James Purefoy revealed his co-star Bessie Carter of Bridgerton fame has a surprising hidden talent Outrageous star James Purefoy has praised his co-performer Bessie Carter ahead of their new project premiering this week. The Bridgerton breakout was previously best known for portraying Prudence Featherington in the hit Netflix series but takes on a totally different role in U and U&Drama's new period drama. Set over 100 years after the Regency romance, with the Second World War looming, Carter portrays renowned writer Nancy Mitford, the daughter of Purefoy's David Freeman-Mitford. As their father struggles to keep his family's footing amongst the elite amidst Britain's financial woes, Nancy's sisters start to make names for themselves as socialites and fascist sympathisers. 'She seizes it like Atlas, it's on her shoulders, the show,' Purefoy said of Carter at Outrageous' London premiere. Article continues below Reflecting on their scenes together, the Sex Education star shares one unexpected talent stuck out during filming. 'She's so cool and so calm and so collected and talks so fast,' he went on. 'It's a habit I've never really gotten into, but she could talk very fast when she's acting and I love that. 'Makes the editors really pleased because you can get so much into a scene.' Despite Carter's knack for speedy line reading, her co-star Orla Hill, who portrays Deborah Mitford, revealed some scenes actually took days to get right. 'Basically, any scene where we sat around the kitchen table took about three days,' she admitted. 'The whole time we're either sat at the table filming it or we're sat in a room next to that room just kind of hanging out.' Hill also revealed she struck up a strong bond with another one of her co-stars thanks to their close proximity. 'I live round the corner from [Joanna Vanderham] so we got driven into work together at, like, 6am every day and driven back together at 9pm,' she recalled. 'So we spent all the time together when it was like that. There was definitely a big sense of camaraderie. 'There was a lot of that joking around. For me, Deborah is 14-16 in the show so she's that silly, younger self and I myself am a silly younger sister so I enjoyed that very much.' Promising romance, family drama and scandals galore, Outrageous is a must-watch for both Bridgerton and Downton Abbey fans once it releases to stream for free this week.
Daily Mirror
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Outrageous' James Purefoy on ‘joy' of reuniting with co-star
Two British icons of the screen finally join forces in the new period drama Outrageous, releasing this week on U and U&Drama Outrageous star James Purefoy has opened up about working with his long-time friend Anna Chancellor for the first time ever in the upcoming period drama. This scandalous series coming this week on U and U&Drama takes viewers back to the 1930s when the shadow of World War II was beginning to loom. While Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) becomes a reputable writer, her sisters follow drastically different career paths. Under the stern eyes of their parents, David Freeman-Mitford aka 'Farve' (Purefoy) and Sydney Bowles aka 'Muv' (Chancellor), the family is catapulted into notoriety as the sisters become rebels, socialites and even rub shoulders with fascists. Speaking to Reach at Outrageous' London premiere, Purefoy explained his co-star has been a dear friend for years despite never sharing the screen. 'She's an amazing actress,' he said. 'She's the godmother to my eldest child, I've known her 35 years and this is the first time I've worked with her. 'It was just a joy working with a really old friend because there's a lot of shorthand there and it was a very easy fit for us. 'It was just an enormous pleasure every single day.' Throughout the six-part drama, the Mitford patriarch struggles to keep his foothold in high society following a substantial loss during the Wall Street Crash. Although he attempts to rule his household with an iron fist, his anarchic daughters have other ideas. As Britain faced economic turmoil in the years preceding the war, his daughters Diana (Joanna Vanderham) and Unity (Shannon Watson) blindly swear allegiance to the British Union of Fascists. Meanwhile, Muv is simply desperate for her daughters to find good husbands during an era when family connections meant everything. 'The thing about Anna is she's so curious about everybody and everything,' Purefoy added. 'She will talk to anybody about anything. And is always interested, and that's what makes her such a good actress.' This isn't the first time Purefoy and Chancellor have been involved in the same project, however. Chancellor portrayed a fascist herself, the villainous Dr. Frances Gaunt, in the popular Batman prequel series Pennyworth, starring Jack Bannon as the nocturnal hero's future butler Alfred. Despite not sharing scenes together, Purefoy also had a major role in the Epix and HBO Max series, playing Captain Gulliver 'Gully' Troy, aka Captain Blighty, in the second and third seasons. As two legendary stars of the British stage and screen, don't miss the chance to see Purefoy and Chancellor as married aristocrats in this scandalous new drama that truly lives up to its title. Outrageous premieres Thursday, 19th June on U, U&Drama and BritBox.
