Latest news with #W1A
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rushdie 'pleased' with attacker's maximum sentence
Author Sir Salman Rushdie has said he is "pleased" the man who tried to kill him in a knife attack in 2022 has received the maximum possible prison sentence. Hadi Matar, 27, was jailed for 25 years earlier this month for attempted murder after repeatedly stabbing Sir Salman on a New York lecture stage. "I was pleased that he got the maximum available, and I hope he uses it to reflect upon his deeds," Sir Salman told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. The attack left the award-winning writer blind in one eye, with damage to his liver and a paralysed hand caused by nerve damage to his arm. Last year, Sir Salman published a book titled Knife reflcting on the attack, which he has described as "my way of fighting back". It includes an imagined conversation with Matar. "I thought if I was to really meet him, to ask him questions, I wouldn't get very much out of him," Sir Salman told Radio 4. "I doubt that he would open his heart to me. And so I thought, well, I could open it by myself. I'd probably do it better than a real conversation would." The fictional conversation was brought to life by BBC film-maker Alan Yentob in an artificial intelligence animation created for a documentary last year. The results were "very startling", Sir Salman said on Monday. "I have to say it certainly made a point." The author was speaking on Radio 4 to pay tribute to Yentob, the BBC's former creative director, who died on Saturday. "Apart from everything that everybody's been saying about him - that he was an unbelievable champion of the arts and so on - he also had a real gift for friendship," he said. "He was a very strong ally in bad times." Sir Salman added: "He was a great programme maker, and I hope that's how he will be primarily remembered." Yentob leaves a "colossal" legacy, he said. "He's one of the giants of British media in the last generation, and I think he will be remembered as a maker of great programmes, as an enabler of great programmes." BBC arts broadcaster Alan Yentob dies aged 78 Alan Yentob: BBC TV's creative giant, on screen and off The pair's personal and professional relationship extended to Yentob famously enlisting Sir Salman to take part in a spoof arm wrestle for a scene in BBC mockumentary W1A. "People keep asking me who won," Sir Salman said. "And of course nobody won because it was complete fraud." In November, the author will publish a short story collection, The Eleventh Hour, his first work of fiction to be written since the stabbing. The attack came 35 years after Sir Salman's controversial novel The Satanic Verses, which had long made him the target of death threats for its portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. Rushdie attacker sentenced to 25 years in prison Salman Rushdie to release first fiction since stabbing Salman Rushdie: Losing an eye upsets me every day Salman Rushdie tells court he thought he was dying after stabbing
Spectator
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
There will never be another Alan Yentob
In the excellent BBC comedy series W1A, which poked a harsher degree of fun at its makers than many would have believed credible, there is one especially amusing throwaway gag. The hapless Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) is taken on a tour of Broadcasting House, and briefly veers into a meeting room, where, to his surprise, he sees Salman Rushdie and Alan Yentob engaged in a game of arm wrestling. Both men look up at him in pained surprise, and a baffled Fletcher makes his excuses and leaves. I was reminded of this moment yesterday when the news broke of Yentob's death, at the age of 78. My initial response was to think predominantly of the broadcaster's significant, even overwhelming self-regard and preening. There have been few figures in public life more associated with both name-dropping ( 'Salman' was probably the least of it) and putting themselves front and centre when it came to the programmes that he was responsible for. This reached a nadir in 2007 with the so-called 'Noddygate' scandal, in which shots of Yentob nodding gravely and looking serious were cut and pasted into Imagine interviews that he did not conduct.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC arts broadcaster Alan Yentob dies aged 78
Alan Yentob, the long-serving BBC arts broadcaster and documentary-maker, has died aged 78. Yentob profiled and interviewed a wide range of important cultural and creative figures over the years, including David Bowie, Charles Saatchi, Maya Angelou and Grayson Perry, for TV series such as Omnibus, Arena and Imagine. He also served as controller of BBC One and Two, and the organisation's creative director and head of music and arts during a long and varied career. Paying tribute to her late husband, Philippa Walker described Yentob as "curious, funny, annoying, late and creative in every cell of his body" and added that he was "the kindest of men". BBC director-general Tim Davie called him a "creative force and cultural visionary" who championed "originality, risk-taking and artistic ambition". He added: "To work with Alan was to be inspired and encouraged to think bigger. He had a rare gift for identifying talent and lifting others up - a mentor and champion to so many across the worlds of television, film and theatre. "Above all, Alan was a true original. His passion wasn't performative - it was personal. He believed in the power of culture to enrich, challenge and connect us." Yentob was known for his connections in the entertainment industry, often befriending his famous film subjects who included music stars Jay-Z and Beyoncé, actors and filmmakers Orson Welles and Mel Brooks, and author Salman Rushdie. Synonymous with the BBC, Yentob was seen by viewers engaging in an arm wrestle with Rushdie while listening to opera in a scene taken from W1A - a sitcom which satirised life at the corporation. Yentob's famous 1975 Omnibus feature, Cracked Actor, about David Bowie, showed the drug-affected star opening up to him in the back of a limousine at an "intensely creative time", the filmmaker later recalled, but also at the singer's most "fragile and exhausted". Yentob became controller of BBC Two in 1988, making him one of the youngest channel controllers in the corporation's history. He oversaw a popular and influential period for the channel, with commissions such as hit sitcom Absolutely Fabulous - where his name was dropped into the dialogue of one episode as an in-joke Other shows launched during his tenure included The Late Show and Have I Got News for You. Yentob's success in the role saw him promoted to controller of BBC One from 1993 to 1997, before a stint as BBC television's overall director of programmes. He was announced as the corporation's creative director in 2004, a role he filled for more than a decade. But he continued to step in front of the camera to front more Imagine programmes, including the final episode of that series, a profile of comedic duo French & Saunders. His commissions also included a TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and children's channels CBBC and CBeebies. BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Amol Rajan paid tribute, saying: "He was such a unique and kind man: an improbable impresario from unlikely origins who became a towering figure in the culture of post-war Britain. "Modern art never had a more loyal ally. His shows were always brilliant, often masterpieces, sometimes seminal. So much of Britain's best TV over five decades came via his desk. That was public Alan. In private, he was magnetic, zealous, and very funny, with a mesmerising voice and mischievous chuckle." Yentob's long and successful career at the BBC was not without controversy. In 2015, he resigned from his role as the BBC's creative director, having faced scrutiny for his role, as chairman, in the financial mismanagement of the charity Kids Company. Yentob said the speculation over his conduct - which included claims he had tried to influence the BBC coverage of the charity's demise - had been "proving a serious distraction" when the BBC was in "particularly challenging times". But in the years that followed, he continued to make many more programmes for the broadcaster, and was subsequently appointed a CBE in 2024 for services to the arts and media. He is survived by his wife, TV producer Philippa Walker, and their two children.
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Channel 5 fans ‘scared to go to bed' after watching Robson Green's new thriller – but that's not the biggest complaint
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CHANNEL 5 fans 'scared to go to bed' after watching Robson Green's new thriller - but that's not the biggest complaint. The Game stars W1A star Jason Watkins as a retired detective called Huw Miller. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Channel 5 viewers have claimed they are terrified by The Game Credit: Channel 5 5 However, other viewers had a different complaint about the casting Credit: Channel 5 The former police officer remains haunted by one of his previous cases which remains unsolved. The open mystery on Channel 5 involved a sadistic serial killer who was nicknamed the Ripton Stalker. However, Patrick Harbottle (Robson Green) moves in next door with shocking repercussions. Miller is caught completely by surprise when his new neighbour repeats the killer's catchphrase. The officer is certain that he has finally cracked the case and caught the wanted man at large. Many viewers of the growing commercial network took to social media as they claimed they were struggling to watch the 'scary drama'. Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan stated: "Just watched Ep 2 and it really gets into your head !! Episode 3 behind the sofa!" A second claimed: "TheGame finding it a bit scary tbh, in fact, watched a fair bit through my fingers tonight." "Jason Watkins and Robson Green - a thrilling thriller - but I'm now too scared to go to bed!," wrote a third. However, the frightening aspect of the show isn't even the worst complaint for TV viewers. Grantchester fans stunned as Emmerdale favourite makes appearance alongside Robson Green Robson, 60, is known for his high-profile detective roles in Wire in the Blood and Grantchester. Many fans of the star could not believe that he was cast as the main antagonist in the new series. Another user commented: "Really enjoying this series #TheGame but I don't like #RobsonGreene being the bad guy. He's so lovely. Brilliant acting by both him and #JasonWatkins." "Is it just me, or wouldn't the casting have made more sense with Robson as the detective and Jason Watkins as the stalker? Tony Hill can't be the bad guy!," posted someone else. Top Channel 5 dramas Channel 5 has become a hub for gripping drama, these are some of the best My5 has to offer. All Creatures Great and Small - Based on the best-selling novels by real-life vet Alf Wright, the show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. Eccentric Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) hires James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) for his veterinary practice at Skeldale House alongside himself and his younger brother Tristan (Callum Woodhouse). There James settles into his new life and even finds love with local farmer's daughter Helen (Rachel Shenton). The Ex-Wife - New parents Tasha (Céline Buckens) and Jack (Tom Misson) seem to have the perfect life, but the constant presence of Jack's overly friendly but suspicious ex-wife Jen (Janet Montgomery) puts pressure on the couple. But as the series progresses it becomes less clear who the bad guy really is and how far everyone will go to get the life they think they deserve. Heat - EastEnders alum Danny Dyer leads this four-part action thriller, set in Australia, which sees two families holidaying together during bushfire season. But instead of rest and relaxation, secrets and lies start to unravel — and not everyone will make it out alive… Lie With Me - Another soap legend jets off to Australia, this time its EastEnders alum Charlie Brooks who takes as a married woman trying to saving her marriage by moving halfway around the world after her husband had an affair. However it's far from plain sailing, as a young and attractive live-in nanny comes to work with the Fallmont family, and tensions soon build and eventually, someone ends up dead. The Drowning - Jill Halfpenny plays Jodie, a woman whose life is shattered following the disappearance of her beloved four-year-old son, Daniel. However, ten years later, the grieving mother thinks she's finally found her missing child, and embarks on a journey to discover the truth about him. But has she really just found the son she has been missing for so long? And a sixth watcher added: "I can't believe the lovely #RobsonGreen has me watching from behind a cushion." 5 Many fans could not believe that Robson Green was cast as the antagonist Credit: Channel 5 5 Some viewers think his co-star Jason Watkins should be the villain instead Credit: Channel 5 5 Loose Women star Sunetra Sarker also stars in the hit drama Credit: Channel 5 The Game continues on Channel 5.
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Channel 5 fans ‘scared to go to bed' after watching Robson Green's new thriller – but that's not the biggest complaint
CHANNEL 5 fans 'scared to go to bed' after watching Robson Green's new thriller - but that's not the biggest complaint. The Game stars W1A star 5 Channel 5 viewers have claimed they are terrified by The Game Credit: Channel 5 5 However, other viewers had a different complaint about the casting Credit: Channel 5 The former police officer remains haunted by one of his previous cases which remains unsolved. The open mystery on Channel 5 involved a sadistic serial killer who was nicknamed the Ripton Stalker. However, Patrick Harbottle ( Miller is caught completely by surprise when his new neighbour repeats the killer's catchphrase. READ MORE ON CHANNEL 5 DRAMAS The officer is certain that he has finally cracked the case and caught the wanted man at large. Many viewers of the growing commercial network took to social media as they claimed they were struggling to watch the 'scary drama'. Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan stated: "Just watched Ep 2 and it really gets into your head !! Episode 3 behind the sofa!" A second claimed: " TheGame finding it a bit scary tbh, in fact, watched a fair bit through my fingers tonight ." Most read in News TV "Jason Watkins and Robson Green - a thrilling thriller - but I'm now too scared to go to bed!," wrote a third. However, the frightening aspect of the show isn't even the worst complaint for TV viewers. Grantchester fans stunned as Emmerdale favourite makes appearance alongside Robson Green Robson, 60, is known for his high-profile detective roles in Wire in the Blood and Grantchester . Many fans of the star could not believe that he was cast as the main antagonist in the new series. Another user commented: "Really enjoying this series #TheGame but I don't like #RobsonGreene being the bad guy. He's so lovely. Brilliant acting by both him and #JasonWatkins." "Is it just me, or wouldn't the casting have made more sense with Robson as the detective and Jason Watkins as the stalker? Tony Hill can't be the bad guy!," posted someone else. Top Channel 5 dramas Channel 5 has become a hub for gripping drama, these are some of the best My5 has to offer. All Creatures Great and Small - Based on the best-selling novels by real-life vet Alf Wright, the show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. Eccentric Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) hires James Herriot ( - New parents Tasha ( - Another soap legend jets off to Australia, this time its EastEnders alum And a sixth watcher added: "I can't believe the lovely #RobsonGreen has me watching from behind a cushion." 5 Many fans could not believe that Robson Green was cast as the antagonist Credit: Channel 5 5 Some viewers think his co-star Jason Watkins should be the villain instead Credit: Channel 5 5 Loose Women star Sunetra Sarker also stars in the hit drama Credit: Channel 5 The Game continues on Channel 5 .
