Latest news with #Channel 4
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Exciting' new Channel 4 adventure show with huge cash prize and VERY familiar format set to air later this year
IN an era obsessed with Baby Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z, Channel 4 is giving us a TV show that cuts through the generational divides. This week, at the Edinburgh TV Festival, it is announcing Worlds Apart, a contest where a young and old person are paired up to complete a challenge on the road. 7 7 With more than a whiff of Race Across The World to the format, the teams of two will be sent to Japan, where there is a stronger emphasis on care and respect for the elderly. And if that wasn't enough of a feat, many of the contestants vying for the £50,000 cash prize will be Brits who have never travelled abroad before. Channel 4 commissioning editor Genna Gibson said: 'I've seen how generations can feel miles apart, but bring them together and you realise they share more than you think. 'Japan, with its ancient traditions and cutting-edge modern life is the perfect backdrop for their journeys.' Unsurprisingly, Worlds Apart is being made by South Shore, which was behind Freddie Flintoff 's young cricketers show Field Of Dreams on BBC One, and The Real Marigold Hotel, about veterans going on adventures, for BBC Two. Both shows endeavoured to shatter stereotypes about young and old. RO CAN'T RESIST A REVAMP TOP Boy creator Ronan Bennett is giving World War Two drama Army Of Shadows a bold new twist. His Channel 4 show was inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 film and Joseph Kessel's seminal book. Ronan's project was unveiled last night at the Edinburgh TV Festival. The movie and novel dramatised the emergence of the French Resistance to the Nazi occupation of France. Ronan has created a new story of how resistance takes shape in a near-future authoritarian Britain. Under de facto American occupation, a former British army officer builds a covert cell from scratch as young recruits fight to reclaim their country. Ronan said: 'Democracy is in clear and present danger. 'This is a story about commitment, resistance and defiance in the coming age.' MOFFAT IN No10 DRAMA SHERLOCK and Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat is making a drama about life inside the Prime Minister's Downing Street home. Simply called Number 10, it will delve into what it is like to live in one of the most powerful places on Earth – an old terrace with mice and a lift that never works. 7 Channel 4 confirmed it was making the programme as the four-day Edinburgh TV Festival got under way yesterday. Sue Vertue, executive producer for Hartswood Films, which is creating the show for C4, said: 'We are excited to be working with Channel 4 on Number 10, which is a passion project for Steven. 'He says there are three famous doors in the world; he's done 221B Baker Street and the Tardis – now he's going to do the real one.' C4 have yet to announce the lead stars, but given the pedigree of Steven and Hartswood, its sure to attract huge names. GLENN IS STILL KILLING IT GLENN CLOSE plays a cantankerous killer in new Channel 4 drama Maud next year – having won the part thanks to her bunny-boiler role in film Fatal Attraction. The 1987 thriller saw her character Alex Forrest terrorise married lawyer Dan (Michael Douglas) after a one-night stand. Even though almost 40 years have passed, I'm told the film helped her bag the lead in the upcoming six-parter. Gwawr Lloyd, acting head of drama, at C4 said: 'Maud is a deliciously dark and daring drama and the amazing Glenn Close will bring a thrilling complexity to the role.' Filming for Maud, which is based on the short stories by Swedish writer Helene Tursten, will take place in London later this year. GAME SHOW TO RIVAL ALL OTHERS ITV doesn't appear to be hiding the similarities to Disney+ show Rivals in its teaser image for new game show, Nobody's Fool. Revealed at the start of the Edinburgh TV Festival, it sees two stars of the Jilly Cooper drama – Emily Atack and Danny Dyer – pose up as hosts. 7 7 7 And the pair are inside a stately home, just like the one in Rivals where lead character, saucy MP Rupert Campbell-Black, lives. While Emily looks quite different to her character Sarah Stratton, Danny's moustache and smart attire make him virtually indistinguishable from businessman Freddie Jones. Commenting on the show, due to air next year, Danny said: 'This is a blinder of a game show. 'Emily and I had a brilliant time making it and, much like the audience at home will be, we were kept guessing right until the very end.' Emily added: 'It's so exciting to be part of something this fresh.' Hmm, not entirely fresh though, is it?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Channel 4 to air new Steven Moffat Downing Street drama Number 10
Channel 4 is to air Number 10, a new political drama written by Steven Moffat, which will tell the story of a fictional British government living and working in Downing Street. The former Doctor Who writer's latest show will also tell the story of those working in the street who are not part of the government, such as cafe workers, maintenance workers, and even the cat. Gwawr Lloyd, acting head of drama at Channel 4, said: 'We're thrilled to be bringing Number 10 to Channel 4, a bold, brilliant and witty new drama from the exceptional mind of Steven Moffat and the powerhouse team at Hartswood Films. 'Number 10 will offer a rare glimpse behind the doors of the world's most iconic political residences, which will take viewers from the high-stakes decisions of leadership to the lives of the staff who keep the house running. 'An insightful and entertaining twist on a state of the nation drama.' Producers say the show is about 'the only terrace house in history with mice and a nuclear deterrent' and the only place in the world 'where a hangover can start a war', adding that 'the government will be fictional, but the problems will be real'. The programme will be produced by Hartswood Films, part of ITV Studios, and directed by Ben Palmer. Sue Vertue, executive producer for Hartswood Films, added: 'We are excited to be working with Channel 4 on Number 10, which is a passion project for Steven. 'He says there are three famous doors in the world; he's done 221B Baker Street and the Tardis – now he's going to do the real one.' Moffat is best known for his work on BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, and has also worked on shows such as Sherlock, Dracula and Douglas Is Cancelled. An air date for the programme will be announced at a later date.
The Guardian
13-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: invaluable VJ Day accounts by surviving veterans
9pm, BBC Two 'We used to be called the forgotten army – and it was. They hardly mentioned Burma.' In Europe, the second world war may have ended in May 1945, but Japan wouldn't surrender until August (celebrated in London, above). This invaluable documentary hears first-hand accounts from surviving veterans – most of them more than 100 years old – including former prisoners of war, soldiers who fought in Europe and were deployed to India and east Asia, and a woman who worked at Bletchley Park. Hollie Richardson 8pm, Channel 4 This slightly baffling series from the Amazing Spaces host features homeowners choosing to overhaul the inside or the outside of their properties (but, er, Channel 4 will revamp both anyway). First up are Gemma and Scott, who have £90,000 to spend, but differing ideas of how to spend it. Hannah J Davies 8pm, BBC Four The Mayuyama family are expert antique restorers who piece together shattered ceramics – and rarely share their secrets. But in the final episode of this peek into the world of Koji Mayuyama, AKA the 'God Hand', we see his small team travel to London to help fix one piece. HR 9pm, BBC One It may not have the same grip on the country as The Traitors – and can often feel like watching a bunch of headless chickens shouting out names of cities (despite them claiming to be 'really smart, honestly!') – but this travel game is still good fun. New contestants have shaken things up; now, Rob Brydon is making them get to know each other a little better to identify the group's biggest threats. HR 9pm, ITV1 Tensions rise and tempers fray as the guests continue to search for the hidden £250,000 without drawing suspicion. As one highly quotable couple (no spoilers) reasonably surmise: 'If we keep the case too long, they're going to know we're real bad buggers …' Ali Catterall 9pm, Sky Documentaries 'The police were more worried about knocking somebody off a bicycle than they [were] about selling drugs.' A colourful three-part documentary series that speaks to those who were inside Amsterdam's rise to becoming the drug capital of Europe between the 70s and early 00s, including 'the Godmother', Thea Moear. HR Uefa Super Cup football: PSG v Tottenham Hotspur 7pm (8pm kick-off), TNT Sports 1. The Champions League winners play the Europa League winners in Udine, Italy.
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
All to know on Channel 4 crime thriller In Flight starring Katherine Kelly
A new crime thriller will be airing on Channel 4 soon, which has former Coronation Street, Happy Valley and Mr Bates vs The Post Office star Katherine Kelly leading the cast. In Flight follows single mother and flight attendant Jo (Kelly), who is coerced into smuggling drugs to keep her son safe. The synopsis for the programme reads: "After a fight outside a bar in Sofia, 19-year-old Sonny Conran [Harry Cadby] is convicted for the murder of a member of an infamous criminal family. "His mother Jo, a flight attendant, is blindsided by a threat to her son's life, but is then told she can keep him safe by agreeing to take on an additional role at work - as an international drug smuggler." The programme follows Jo's attempts to untangle herself from the criminal organisation, including going to customs officer and ex-partner Domnic [Ashley Thomas] for help. The Radio Times reports that the six-episode series is written and co-created by Mike Walden. He has previously worked on Marcella season 3 and the detective series Whitstable Pearl, alongside Adam Randall, who recently served as director on Slow Horses season 4. Speaking with the Radio Times about taking on her role in In Flight, Kelly shared: "Jo wakes up every morning and she doesn't know if her son's dead or alive. She then has to put her front-of-house face on and smile her way through the day. "To be that polished and then to feel that edgy and raw was so appealing to me. 'As it goes on, she becomes more adept at what she's doing, but there's never a point where you feel like she's on top, like she's in control of what's happening. "She's constantly failing upwards. She messes it up, then she fixes it. She messes it up and then she fixes it.' Channel 4 In Flight full cast list Katherine Kelly as Jo Conran Ashley Thomas as Dominic Delaney Stuart Martin as Cormac Kelleher Harry Cadby as Sonny Conran Warren McCook as Rory Rayson Niall McNamee as Lee Castle Joseph Loane as Glenn Lunt Bronagh Waugh as Melanie Delaney India-Rain Fenty as Lucy Delaney Olivia Popica as Rali Petrova Nadia Albina as Irina Georgiev Shaheen Jafargholi as Jordan Black Julia Brown as Amy McCallum Ambreen Razia as Zara Gregston Mark Asante as Marvin Srbo Markovic as Vladislav Vanessa Ifediora as Shell Recommended reading: Everything to know on ITV crime-drama Ridley series 2 starring Adrian Dunbar Everything to know on ITV's Karen Pirie series 2 starring Lauren Lyle Everything to know on The Couple Next Door Series 2 starring Annabel Scholey When will Channel 4's In Flight be on TV? The first episode of In Flight will air at 9pm on Channel 4 on Tuesday, August 12. After that, the next two episodes will air in the same timeslot on Wednesday, August 13 and Thursday, August 14. The remaining three episodes will air in the same format in the following week.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Robin Williams said: 'I'll buy the club!'': how The Comic Strip set the UK comedy scene ablaze
It was the moment comedy broke with sexism – yet it happened in a strip club. It was a fervour of free creative expression – yet it retained a commercial, careerist edge. It was one of the longest-running and most successful brands in UK comedy history – which few people could now recognise. At the Edinburgh fringe this summer, The Comic Strip Presents … will be memorialised in a series of film screenings and Q&As with its creator and prime mover Peter Richardson. Richardson was the impresario behind the legendary comedy club The Comic Strip, which opened in 1980. When he and his star performers – Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, French and Saunders among them – created Channel 4's The Comic Strip Presents … a couple of years later, he could legitimately claim to be the man who brought alternative comedy to television. This being a celebration of an iconic moment in UK comedy history, one might assume Edinburgh's Usher Hall or the 750-seat Pleasance Grand has been set aside to host. But one might assume wrong. 'When I started [showing these films] about a year ago,' Richardson tells me, 'we didn't have the money to advertise them. So we'd arrive at theatres that had about 30 people who had somehow read our minds that we were going to be there. And 30 people in a 300-seat cinema can be hard work.' The Comic Strip Presents … ran for three series on Channel 4 from 1982-1988, then it moved to the BBC in the early 90s before making a return to Channel 4 for one-off specials, the most recent in 2016. But it's not a big name in comedy – far less so than, for example, The Young Ones, the BBC sitcom starring some of the same talents and broadcast at the same time. 'It wasn't good television,' admits Richardson, 'because it wasn't repetitive, and television is about repeating a formula and people getting to know it well.' And was it even comedy? One of the show's stars, Mayall, argued that it shouldn't have been called The Comic Strip, and that 'Interesting Films' might have been a better fit. In fact, the series was – like Inside No 9 more recently – a tonally varying anthology show, a suite of standalone films united only by sensibility, and by the performers bringing them to the screen. 'I told Channel 4,' says Richardson, ''These performers are so good they don't need to be stuck playing one-dimensional characters. They can play all sorts. One week they can be a heavy metal band, the next week they can be The Famous Five.' You could call it bad television, because you're not seeing more of the same. But as it's gone on, it's become a collection of very memorable one-off moments and that's what people now remember.' The performers also included Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Richardson himself, with a rotating supporting cast that included Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and more. At the time, they were setting the UK comedy scene ablaze. That all started at the Comedy Store, a strip club and the anarchic HQ of what had recently been called 'alternative comedy'. Richardson's coup was to cherrypick the most exciting voices of that generation, and cart them off to another strip club, a little less anarchic, a few blocks up the road: the Raymond Revuebar. Here, with the financial support of the Rocky Horror Picture Show producer Michael White, he opened The Comic Strip club – a name that seems obvious, although 'the New Depression Club' was, according to Edmondson, a very near miss. For a year from 1980-1981, the Comic Strip was the hippest and hottest comedy night in town. 'The bouncers at Raymond Revuebar had a simple rule of thumb for who was directed where,' Sayle later wrote. 'If they reeked of aftershave they were sent to the strip show; if they smelled of beer they came to us.' Celebs piled in: Bianca Jagger, Dustin Hoffman. Robin Williams came and demanded to perform, to impress his guest, David Bowie. Sayle offered him 15 minutes. Williams said: 'I told [Bowie] I'd do an hour'. Sayle: 'You can't.' Williams: 'I'll buy the club!' Sayle: 'We don't own it. It belongs to a bouffant-haired pornographer.' The buzz even reached the pages of the London Review of Books, whose critic noted, 'within seconds, [Sayle] has the audience agape. Most of them, it seemed, had never been called cunts before.' Then Channel 4 came calling, looking for cutting-edge talent to help launch the new broadcaster on to the country's airwaves. Richardson was given carte blanche. 'They said, 'What do you want to do?' and I said, 'I want to make six films, all different.'' The first, Five Go Mad in Dorset, was transmitted on the station's opening night, and the controversy around its satire of Enid Blyton attitudes gave that event a front-page news fillip. But Five Go Mad will not be celebrated at the fringe this summer, says Richardson. 'Taking the piss out of racism and sexism [in that way] is long gone,' he says. 'It's not a funny issue like it was when we did it in the 80s.' One option might have been to re-edit the episode – a course of action in which Richardson, now 73, has freely indulged as the Edinburgh shows have come together. Not for him a bask in the glory of his youthful success. 'What we've done,' he says, 'is revisited the films and said, '30 years later they need some adjustment.' Because things go faster now.' Western spoof Fistful of Travellers Cheques has been 'cut back a bit'. So too has late-period favourite Four Men in a Car. And a scene has been trimmed from The Strike, the show's faux Hollywood movie making mincemeat of the miners' strike. That one bagged a Golden Rose of Montreux comedy award, and starred Richardson (the only performer to appear in every episode) as Al Pacino playing, er, Arthur Scargill. 'I could do Pacino much better now,' he laughs, 'because I worked with John Sessions on Stella Street.' So now, he says, slipping into a convincing Italian-American accent, 'I can do Al.' Stella Street was another of Richardson's TV hits, undertaken when The Comic Strip Presents, by any measure his life's work, was in abeyance. Even when he was a jobbing comedian, in double act The Outer Limits with Nigel Planer, Richardson was a child of amateur film-makers and a wannabe film-maker himself. With The Comic Strip, he made movies for cinematic release: The Supergrass in 1985, and Eat the Rich two years later. Further TV specials included Red Nose of Courage, telling the tale of John Major's flight from the circus to parliament, and 2011's The Hunt for Tony Blair, imagining the ex-PM on the run having been accused of a series of murders. Both will be screened at the fringe, MC'd by comedian Robin Ince and with special guests including Sayle and Allen. Richardson is modest about the achievement of having brought these 30 years' worth of films to the screen. 'I always thought we were the new Ealing comedies. And [Ealing Studios at its peak] made about 150 films over 20 years, of which about 15 are remembered. So our strike rate isn't too bad. We made some flops, but at least one or two out of each series are really good.' Some, indeed, are carved on this writer's heart – notably Bad News Tour and More Bad News, the show's two-part heavy metal spoof, which predated This Is Spinal Tap and ended up with Edmondson, Mayall and co performing live on stage, under a hail of beer glasses, at the 1986 Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington. Richardson is at peace with the under-appreciation of The Comic Strip Presents, acknowledging that, as a bloody-minded sitcom refusenik way back when, he is the auteur of his own misfortune. He is delighted to be bringing the remastered films to Edinburgh, a city in which, back in the day, he and Planer once toured as a support act to Dexy's Midnight Runners. 'FrontmanKevin Rowland complained,' he says, 'that we didn't do new material at every performance.' Expect no new material at these screenings – but a new experience, perhaps. 'It's a great thing,' says Richardson, 'to show them in the cinema. You don't often get to share comedy television with an audience, and it changes the whole experience: people laughing around you. We've discovered that there is an audience around the country who want to see these films on the big screen and talk about them. It's fantastic that something we created 30 or 40 years ago is still creating laughter. I love it.' The Comic Strip Presents … is at the Fringe is on 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 August at Just the Tonic, Edinburgh
