Articles tagged with ‘BBC’
BBC Worldwide and Starz Sign Multi-Year TV Deal!
Posted on August 8th, 2011 at 7:06 pm by
Just days after Starz Entertainment CEO Chris Albrecht said his company might not continue to produce the popular BBC show Torchwood, Starz and the BBC signed a multi-year agreement to co-develop and co-finance international television content produced by BBC Worldwide Productions.
According to the deal, Starz will distribute the shared content in the U.S. and Canada, while BBC Worldwide will distribute internationally.
Prior to this new agreement, the two companies previously worked together in a similar approach to co-finance and distribute ten episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day, which has garnered strong reviews and solid ratings. Jane Tranter, head of BBC Worldwide Productions, recently announced that the first project to be developed under the new multi-year deal will be Da Vinci’s Demons, written by David S. Goyer. Until the advent of this pact, BBC Worldwide was primarily known for producing the hit ABC reality dance competition series Dancing with the Stars, but will now be a major supplier of scripted programming in America.
Regarding the partnership, Albrecht said: “When I came to Starz, we determined that forging strong international partnerships would play center stage in financing our ramp-up of dynamic original programming. This exciting partnership with BBC Worldwide Productions is a major step in that direction. It will allow us to provide Starz subscribers more original programming, while delivering enhanced opportunity across all our domestic distribution businesses including Anchor Bay and Starz Digital Media. Jane Tranter and the incredible teams at BBC Worldwide Productions and BBC Worldwide will be terrific partners, and we are very pleased to be able to extend our relationship with them through this venture.”
Likewise, Tranter declared: “[BBC World Wide Prods. is] in a uniquely similar place to Starz. With [CEO Chirs Albrecht]‘s arrival, Starz made a name in originals and is defining themselves as a true player in the U.S. premium cable territory. At BBC Worldwide Productions, we’ve hit our stride in the scripted business after starting these efforts just over two years ago. Working with Starz on ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’ has been a collaborative and invigorating journey. We’re very much looking forward to bringing Starz’ subscribers more of the programming they’re coming to expect – intelligent, groundbreaking, and honest storytelling, which is synonymous with our BBC roots and values.”
Cheers to Chris and Jane for delivering more scripted BBC quality programming to American and British viewers living across the pond!
BBC Cuts Torchwood Gay Sex Scene in Britain – But U.S Starz To Show it!
Posted on July 20th, 2011 at 11:42 am by
I always thought it was the other way around, what was too racy for the Americans; the UK couldn’t lap up enough.
Notorious for their strong censorship, the Americans have decided on this occasion to air the ‘graphic’ gay scene that features John Barrowman (pictured left) as bisexual Captain Jack Harkness romping with another man; however, the BBC has just announced it is to axe the lewd sex act from an upcoming episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day fearing a public outcry.
What’s happened to us Brits? Have we all gone soft or something!?
Last night, the BBC confirmed the scene had been axed along with another gruesome scene later in the series, a source said: “It wasn’t that it was a gay scene that worried people, but just the fact that it was such an explicit sex scene full stop. You can get away with scenes like that on American cable channels, but you can’t on primetime BBC One.”
The source added: “Even though the show airs after the watershed, it has a lot of young fans who would have been shocked at the graphic nature of the sex.”
Barrowman, in recent interviews promised Torchwood fans that the new series would be its sexiest yet, with “man sex” and “full-on” nudity.
Leaping to the shows defense he insisted that the sex scenes are part of the plot and not “gratuitous.” He said: “It’s not gratuitous sex. It facilitates the story, so it’s nothing they grab just to put on the camera and sensationalize it.”
Fans were furious the BBC began broadcasting the series six days after it premiered on Starz. The backlash against the decision had actress Eve Myles who plays Gwen Cooper speaking out against the BBC by saying: “If it was up to me and John we’d show it to UK fans straight away.”
The BBC argued that it had a contract with Starz, which meant it couldn’t broadcast the series for at least 24 hours after the American broadcaster and eventually they chose a slot that was the “best” for the show.
Well, it has to be said; banning scenes is the kind of censorship that will certainly have people wanting to see what all fuss is about. So I’d say it’s probably not such a bad thing for Torchwood that this has happened and it could well give John Barrowman’s star-power the much-needed boost to get him noticed a little more in Tinseltown!
I for one WILL be watching!
Doctor Who Secretly Summoned to the White House!
Posted on October 11th, 2010 at 10:58 am by
In the two-part premiere episode of the coming sixth series of Doctor Who, the Doctor (Matt Smith), Amy (Karen Gillan), and Rory (Arthur Darvill) will find themselves in America in the 1960s when they are secretly summoned to the Oval Office, the BBC recently announced. Additionally, there will be scenes filmed in the desert in the state of Utah.
The episodes have been written by new series show-runner Steven Moffat and co-produced with BBC America and will feature actress Alex Kingston reprising her role as River Song.
This will be the first time Doctor Who has filmed on location in America according to Moffat who said: “The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound to get round to America eventually. And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location – and not with a story like this one.”
The first half of series six will be shown in the spring of 2011 followed by a second block of episodes to be broadcast in the autumn of 2011 all on BBC One.
Hmmm… 1960s, Utah desert, and the White House… sounds like a recipe for a UFO crash to me. Calling Doctor Who!
Spielberg Casts Unknown Brit Actress, Shelley Conn, in New Project!
Posted on October 4th, 2010 at 4:58 pm by
Welcome to Terra Nova Miss Conn!
Shelley Conn, a virtually unknown actress from London, has recently made a name for herself after winning the lead female role in a prominent new American sci-fi television series being developed for the Fox network by Steven Spielberg. Conn will portray Elisabeth Shannon, a trauma surgeon married to the lead male character played by Irish born actor Jason O’Mara. Before being cast in Terra Nova, Conn worked on various BBC productions in supporting roles.
The series is set in the year 2149 in a future where the Earth is overdeveloped, overcrowded, and overpolluted and humans are on the brink of extinction. As a result, a team of scientists create a portal to the past and select a number of people to send 100 million years back in time to start a new human colony, called Terra Nova, where they attempt to re-build human civilization. Conn’s character’s family is selected for this mission and must battle for survival in the midst of prehistoric dangers, including dinosaurs, and other sinister external threats.
The big-budgeted series will be heavily enhanced with special effects, similar to those utilized in Avatar, and is reported to cost somewhere around £100 million, making it one of the most expensive shows in broadcasting history.
Conn will begin working on Terra Nova this month in Australia and the highly anticipated sci-fi drama is expected to debut in the autumn of 2011.
Congratulations on being given the opportunity to work on such an exciting project Shelley! The role of a lifetime!
The Inceptive Tom Hardy!
Posted on July 21st, 2010 at 2:07 pm by
Move over Leonardo, Tom Hardy is here!
As millions flock to movie theaters to watch the sci-fi action thriller Inception, many movie-goers probably find themselves wondering who the dashing British actor is who plays the character of Eames. The name of this particular rising star is Tom Hardy. The 33-year-old London-born player has gradually been building an impressive reputation around Tinseltown and is on the verge of breaking out to become Hollywood’s next big leading man.
After studying drama in London, Hardy got his first big break in the acclaimed HBO/BBC miniseries Band of Brothers in 2001. The actor went on to work in various feature films like Black Hawk Down with Ewan McGregor, Star Trek: Nemesis opposite Sir Patrick Stewart, and most recently Inception alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
Hardy is currently preparing to replace seemingly bi-polar Aussie Mel Gibson as the lead character of Max in the upcoming installment of the post-apocalyptic Mad Max franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road. South African actress Charlize Theron is rumored to be Hardy’s co-star in the film, which is slated for a 2012 release.
Maybe it’s about time Leo, and Mel for that matter, pack their bags and move to Shutter Island… eh Tom?
Johnny Depp to play Doctor Who?!?!?
Posted on June 30th, 2010 at 8:51 am by
Johnny Depp is reportedly in negotiations to play the title character in a feature film adaptation of the popular BBC series Doctor Who. While nothing is confirmed, rumours of the television series getting a big-budget Hollywood makeover have been swirling ever since former DW head writer and executive producer Russell T. Davies moved to Los Angeles two years ago, leaving the show behind in England.
Davies, who is credited with reviving the legendary sci-fi series in 2005, has said: “Bringing the Who franchise to the theaters is a regeneration for the character beyond the usual one. A theatrical release has a greater range and can reach millions of more people than just the fans.”
Davies added: “There will be brand new concepts and the film will be just as adventurous, scary and humorous as the television programme. But none of us working the film will forget what makes the character great and interesting and the long-time fans will not be disappointed because yes, the [infamous characters called] Daleks make an appearance.”
Davies has not officially commented on who he would like to see play the theatrical version of the Time Lord and no other news about the project’s development has been made public. Meanwhile, the television series, starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, continues to thrive. Smith is the eleventh actor to portray Doctor Who on the small screen since 1963.
Most would agree that it’s about bloody time a Doctor Who feature film was made, but I’m not certain Depp is the best man to bring the Time Lord to the big screen. Considering his popularity, I can understand why the Pirates of the Caribbean actor would be considered for the role; however, Depp is American and everyone knows Doctor Who is a British show. There must be some other talented actor out there who is actually British to better personify this traditionally BRITISH character for the movie-going masses. Next thing you know, they’re going to cast a Brit to play an American superhero like Spider-Man or something crazy like that! Oh wait…
Matt Smith’s Afraid of Who!?!?
Posted on June 18th, 2010 at 8:10 am by
English actor Matt Smith was scared he wasn’t good enough to play Doctor Who… who knew? I certainly did not.
Smith recently revealed that during his first month on the job playing the title character of the popular BBC series Doctor Who, he often panicked about not being skilled enough to adequately portray the good doctor. The then-26 year-old was an unknown actor taking over the role from his well-established predecessor David Tennant, who many consider to be one of the best actors ever to play the time lord.
At a London pre-screening of the upcoming two-part season finale, titled The Pandorica Opens, Smith said: “In my first week I rang my dad and went ‘I’m in trouble. There’s a lot of stuff to learn. The type of language it is and everything else.’ I talked to my dad a lot through my first month.” Smith’s co-star Karen Gillan who plays the character of Amy Pond also attended the event.
I must admit that when Matt was first cast in the role I had my doubts about such a young actor taking on the legendary part, but thanks to his talent and hard work I think any fears Matt (and the rest of us) had about his ability to embody the character can be put to rest now.
I’m happy to report that both actors, Smith and Gillan, have signed on to do another season of the series. Well done Matt and Karen, well done!
Bra-less Sex and the City Nanny, Alice Eve, has Arrived!
Posted on June 11th, 2010 at 2:04 pm by
For those of you who’ve seen Sex and the City 2, you know exactly who Alice Eve is and for those of you who haven’t… it’s only a matter of time before you do. (As Carrie Bradshaw puts it, this nanny is so hot there should be a law against hiring her… the Jude law.)
The 28 year-old London-born actress’s career is on fire this summer after mesmerizing audiences as the bra-less wonder-nanny in SATC 2 and as the “She” (“Molly McCleish”) in this Spring’s comedic film She’s Out of My League. The film’s title is fitting as Eve has now entered into an entirely new league of hotness.
Eve’s success is not surprising (she even has a perfect movie star name!) Besides her god-given (and un-holstered) assets, the blonde and brainy beauty was groomed to become a high-achiever. She received a world-class education (read English at Oxford) and has acting in her blood. Her father, Trevor Eve, plays Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd on the BBC series Waking the Dead and her mother, Sharon Maughan, can be seen on BBC One’s Holby City.
Up next for the bright starlet is rumoured to be a part in a Scotish based dramady film called The Decoy Bride.
I don’t care how gorgeous you are… standing out amongst the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis is no easy task… welcome to the big leagues Alice!
