SEE CHRISTIAN COOKE AS KASPAROV IN REMATCH HIGH END SERIES TRAILER WITH TOM AUSTEN, SARAH BOLGER, LUKE PASQUALINO, AIDAN QUINN

    REMATCH TV SERIES  

SEE THE TRAILER WITH CHRISTIAN COOKE

One of the series that competed at this year's Series Mania and won the Grand Prix award is REMATCH a co production between Hungary and France, starring our dear

Rematch airs over on Arte in  France and Germany

Christian Cooke! It already aired on Arte in France and Germany in September and will stream on Disney + in UK and on HBO Europe. Inspired by real events, this captivating thriller immerses us in the most decisive chess game in history – the second match between the champion Kasparov and the computer Deep Blue. With the advancing technological breakthroughs of our age, this fascinating duel still has resonance today, at a time when artificial intelligence is raising new challenges. Our favourite hunks Tom Austen and Luke Pasqualino also star next to Sarah Bolger, Trine Dyrholm and Aidan Quinn.

 

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON DISNEY PLUS STAR STUDDED 80S SET MINI SERIES RIVALS WITH AIDAN TURNER, DAVID TENNANT, ALEX HASSELL, LUKE PASQUALINO, OLIVER CHRIS

   FULL RIVALS TRAILER  

FROM DISNEY'S STAR STUDDED SERIES

Disney Plus has released a new trailer for their exciting new  RIVALS eight part series set against the backdrop of the excess and antics of the power-grabbing

Rivals start October 18th on Disney and Hulu

social elite of 1980s England and delving into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986. The series, which will stream on Hulu in USA and Disney around the world, will arrive October 18th.

 

THE STORY OF RIVALS

In the fictional county of Rutshire, along-standing rivalry between two powerful men is about to boil over. Alex Hassell plays dashing ex-Olympian, Tory Member of Parliament and incorrigible rake, the dangerously charismatic Rupert Campbell-Black. David Tennan is Ruperts ambitious and egotistical Rutshire neighbour Lord Tony Baddingham, controller of Corinium Television. A long-simmering power struggle between them threatens to boil over when the two men lock horns over the future of Corinium. Caught in the crossfire is TV presenter Declan OHara, (Aidan Turner). Fiercely intellectual, with an even fiercer temper, he is wooed to Corinium TV from the BBC by Baddingham himself, but feels he’s been swindled when Tony refuses to deliver on his promises. Furious with Tony, Declan vows to get his revenge. Victoria Smurfit is Maud OHara, a former actress and Declans bohemian, fickle wife. Bella Maclean is Declan and Mauds tender-hearted yet strong-willed elder daughter, Taggie. She holds the O Hara family together and keeps an eye  on her younger and wilder sister Caitlin  (Catriona Chandler). Nafessa Williams is Cameron Cook, a ferociously talented American TV executive who is brought to Corinium by Tony to produce Declans new prime-time talk show. She soon finds herself caught between the two powerful men who deeply underestimate her at their peril. Katherine Parkinson is Lizzie Vereker, a romantic novelist consistently overlooked by her preening and self-centred TV presenter husband, James Vereker (Oliver Chris). Danny Dyer is Freddie Jones: honourable, loyal and lovable, he’s a self-made electronics millionaire. Freddie's got the money, but finds himself, along with his social-climbing wife Valerie (Lisa McGrillis), an outsider to Rutshires cliques. But when Rupert and Tony come to him with a business proposition, all that could change. Claire Rushbrook is Lady Monica Baddingham, Tonys dependable, upper-crust wife who has absolutely no interest in the dramatic goings-on within her husbands empire. Luke Pasqualino is the charming Basil Bas Baddingham, Tonys younger brother and the proprietor of Cotchesters hot spot, Bar Sinister. Emily Atack is Sarah Stratton, the new wife to Deputy Prime Minister, Paul Stratton (Rufus Jones). Sarah is ambitious and not afraid to use her looks to get to the top. Paul, on the other hand, is in the throes of a midlife crisis – everyone knows it. 

AIDAN TURNER, DAVID TENNANT, ALEX HASSELL ARE RIVALS IN THE FIRST POSTER FOR DISNEY PLUS AND HULU TV SERIES

   RIVALS TV SERIES  

DISNEY PLUS REVEALS FIRST POSTER

After the first trailer a few weeks ago, Disney Plus has unveiled a poster for their new eight episode series RIVALS which arrives sometime this Autumn. Into the cut-throat world of Corinium television comes Declan O'Hara (Aidan Turner), a mega-star of great glamour and integrity with a

Rivals will also stream on Hulu

radiant feckless wife, a son and two teenage daughters. Living rather too closely across the valley is Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), divorced and as dissolute as ever, and now the Tory Minister for Sport. Declan needs only a few days at Corinium to realise that the Managing Director, Lord Baddingham (David Tennant), is a crook who has recruited him merely to help retain the franchise for Corinium. Baddingham has also enticed Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams), a domineering executive, to produce Declan's programme. Declan and Cameron detest each other, provoking a storm of controversy into which Rupert plunges with his usual abandon. As a rival group emerges to pitch for the franchise, reputations ripen and decline, true love blossoms and burns, marriages are made and shattered, and sex raises its (delicious) head at almost every throw as, in bed and boardroom, the race is on to capture the Cotswold Crown. Oliver Chris, Danny  Dyer and Luke Pasqualino also star. 

SEE FIRST TEASER WITH AIDAN TURNER, DAVID TENNANT, ALEX HASSELL, LUKE PASQUALINO IN DISNEY PLUS STAR STUDDED MINI SERIES RIVALS SET IN THE 80S

   FIRST RIVALS TEASER  

FROM DISNEY'S STAR STUDDED SERIES

The series will probably arrive this Autumn

Disney Plus has released first trailer for their exciting new  RIVALS eight part series set against the backdrop of the excess and antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England and delving into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986. The series, which will stream on Hulu in USA and Disney around the world, will arrive this Autumn.

 

In the fictional county of Rutshire, along-standing rivalry between two powerful men is about to boil over. Alex Hassell plays dashing ex-Olympian, Tory Member of Parliament and incorrigible rake, the dangerously charismatic Rupert Campbell-Black. David Tennan is Ruperts ambitious and egotistical Rutshire neighbour Lord Tony

Luke Pasqualino stars in the eight episode drama

Baddingham, controller of Corinium Television. A long-simmering power struggle between them threatens to boil over when the two men lock horns over the future of Corinium. Caught in the crossfire is TV presenter Declan OHara, (Aidan Turner). Fiercely intellectual, with an even fiercer temper, he is wooed to Corinium TV from the BBC by Baddingham himself, but feels he’s been swindled when Tony refuses to deliver on his promises. Furious with Tony, Declan vows to get his revenge. Victoria Smurfit is Maud OHara, a former actress and Declans bohemian, fickle wife. Bella Maclean is Declan and Mauds tender-hearted yet strong-willed elder daughter, Taggie. She holds the O Hara family together and keeps an eye on her younger and wilder sister Caitlin  (Catriona Chandler). Nafessa Williams is Cameron Cook, a ferociously talented American TV executive who is brought to Corinium by Tony to produce Declans new prime-time talk show. She soon finds herself caught between the two powerful men who deeply underestimate her at their peril. Katherine Parkinson is Lizzie Vereker, a romantic novelist consistently overlooked by her preening and self-centred TV presenter husband, James Vereker (Oliver Chris). Danny Dyer is Freddie Jones: honourable, loyal and lovable, he’s a self-made electronics millionaire. Freddie's got the money, but finds himself, along with his social-climbing wife Valerie (Lisa McGrillis), an outsider to Rutshires cliques. But when Rupert and Tony come to him with a business proposition, all that could change. Claire Rushbrook is Lady Monica Baddingham, Tonys dependable, upper-crust wife who has absolutely no interest in the dramatic goings-on within her husbands empire. Luke Pasqualino is the charming Basil Bas Baddingham, Tonys younger brother and the proprietor of Cotchesters hot spot, Bar Sinister. Emily Atack is Sarah Stratton, the new wife to Deputy Prime Minister, Paul Stratton (Rufus Jones). Sarah is ambitious and not afraid to use her looks to get to the top. Paul, on the other hand, is in the throes of a midlife crisis – everyone knows it. 

SEE FIRST IMAGES OF AIDAN TURNER, DAVID TENNANT, ALEX HASSELL IN DISNEY PLUS STAR STUDDED MINI SERIES RIVALS SET IN THE 80S

   FIRST RIVALS IMAGES  

FROM DISNEY'S STAR STUDDED SERIES

Disney Plus has released first images from their exciting new  RIVALS eight part series set against the backdrop of the excess and antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England and delving into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986. In the fictional county of Rutshire, along-standing rivalry between two powerful men is about to boil over. Alex Hassell plays dashing ex-Olympian, Tory Member of Parliament and incorrigible rake, the dangerously charismatic Rupert Campbell-Black. David Tennan is Ruperts ambitious and egotistical Rutshire neighbour Lord Tony Baddingham, controller of Corinium Television. A long-simmering power struggle between them threatens to boil over when the two men lock horns over the future of Corinium. Caught in the crossfire is TV presenter Declan OHara, (Aidan Turner). Fiercely intellectual, with an even fiercer temper, he is wooed to Corinium TV from the BBC by Baddingham himself, but feels he’s been swindled when Tony refuses to deliver on his promises. Furious with Tony, Declan vows to get his revenge. Victoria Smurfit is Maud OHara, a former actress and Declans bohemian, fickle wife. Bella Maclean is Declan and Mauds tender-hearted yet strong-willed elder daughter, Taggie. She holds the O Hara family together and keeps an eye on her younger and wilder sister Caitlin  (Catriona Chandler). Nafessa Williams is Cameron Cook, a ferociously talented American TV executive who is brought to Corinium by Tony to produce Declans new prime-time talk show. She soon finds herself caught between the two powerful men who deeply underestimate her at their peril. Katherine Parkinson is Lizzie Vereker, a romantic novelist consistently overlooked by her preening and self-centred TV presenter husband, James Vereker (Oliver Chris). Danny Dyer is Freddie Jones: honourable, loyal and lovable, he’s a self-made electronics millionaire. Freddie's got the money, but finds himself, along with his social-climbing wife Valerie (Lisa McGrillis), an outsider to Rutshires cliques. But when Rupert and Tony come to him with a business proposition, all that could change. Claire Rushbrook is Lady Monica Baddingham, Tonys dependable, upper-crust wife who has absolutely no interest in the dramatic goings-on within her husbands empire. Luke Pasqualino is the charming Basil Bas Baddingham, Tonys younger brother and the proprietor of Cotchesters hot spot, Bar Sinister. Emily Atack is Sarah Stratton, the new wife to Deputy Prime Minister, Paul Stratton (Rufus Jones). Sarah is ambitious and not afraid to use her looks to get to the top. Paul, on the other hand, is in the throes of a midlife crisis – everyone knows it.

SEE CHRISTIAN COOKE AS KASPAROV IN REMATCH HIGH END SERIES WITH TOM AUSTEN, SARAH BOLGER, LUKE PASQUALINO, AIDAN QUINN, TRINE DYRHOLM! MALPRACTICE ITV SERIES TRAILER WITH NIAMH ALGAR, JAMES PUREFOY

 1ST REMATCH SERIES IMAGE 

WITH CHRISTIAN COOKE

From Arte France and our dear Federation Studios, comes first image of Christian Cooke in new six part series REMATCH a psychological thriller set in the crossfire of the 1997 historical battle between world chess champion Garry Kasparov and IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue, a high-

We watched Christian Cooke in Barkskins and Ordeal By Innocence

pressure confrontation between man and machine, a war of minds, both on and off the chess board. Our favourite hunks Tom Austen and Luke Pasqualino also star next to Sarah Bolger, Trine Dyrholm and Aidan Quinn. The series was shot last winter in Budapest and Montreal.

  MALPRACTICE TRAILER  

FOR NEW ITV MINI SERIES

Starting Sunday April 23rd on ITV and their streamer ITVX is new 5 part series MALPRACTICE about Dr Lucinda Edwards (Niamh Algar) a smart, battle-hardened doctor, but we meet her on a nightmare shift that ends in the death of an opioid overdose victim, Edith Owusu. Despite the support of her medical supervisor, Dr Leo Harris (James Purefoy), Edith’s grieving father Sir Anthony Owusu (Brian Bovell), demands an enquiry into Lucinda’s actions on the fateful night. Leading the medical investigation are Dr Norma Callahan (Helen Behan) and Lucinda’s former colleague, Dr George Adjei (Jordan Kouamé). While George feels this was an unavoidable tragedy, Norma is suspicious of Lucinda’s behaviour and decisions in the lead up to Edith’s death. As the pressure of the investigation intensifies, Lucinda’s relationship with husband Tom (Lorne MacFadyen) starts to fracture, and her confident professional exterior begins to crack. Is Lucinda hiding something? Through the cat and mouse thriller of the medical investigation, Malpractice tells the story of a damaged doctor caught up in a dangerous conspiracy. 

AIDAN TURNER, DAVID TENNANT, LUKE PASQUALINO, DANNY DYER, ALEX HASSELL TO LEAD DISNEY'S RIVALS GLAMOROUS 80s SOAP OPERA! NETFLIX' SWEET TOOTH 2ND SEASON TRAILER

  DISNEY'S RIVALS SERIES  

ANNOUNCES STELLAR CAST

If you are in the mood for a Dynasty style 80's glam soap opera Disney + has announced cast for their new series RIVALS which, based on the novel by Jilly Cooper, follows the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England. It dives headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986. In the fictional county of Rutshire, along-standing rivalry between two powerful men is about to boil over. Alex Hassell plays dashing ex-Olympian, Tory Member of Parliament and

Aidan Turner and David Tennant will lead the show

incorrigible rake, the dangerously charismatic Rupert Campbell-Black. David Tennant is Ruperts ambitious and egotistical Rutshire neighbour Lord Tony Baddingham, controller of Corinium Television. A long-simmering power struggle between them threatens to boil over when the two men lock horns over the future of Corinium. Caught in the crossfire is TV presenter Declan OHara, (Aidan Turner). Fiercely intellectual, with an even fiercer temper, he is wooed to Corinium TV from the BBC by Baddingham himself, but feels

Alex Hassell will lead, with Luke Pasqualino also starring

he’sbeen swindled when Tony refuses to deliver on his promises. Furious with Tony, Declan vows to get his revenge. Victoria Smurfit is Maud OHara, a former actress and Declans bohemian, fickle wife. Bella Maclean is Declan and Mauds tender-hearted yet strong-willed elder daughter, Taggie. She holds the OHara family together and keeps an eye on her younger and wilder sister Caitlin  (Catriona Chandler). Nafessa Williams is Cameron Cook, a ferociously talented American TV executive who is brought to Corinium by

Victoria Smurfit and Danny Dyer are also set to star

Tony to produce Declans new prime-time talk show. She soon finds herself caught between the two powerful men who deeply underestimate her at their peril. Katherine Parkinson is Lizzie Vereker, a romantic novelist consistently overlooked by her preening and self-centred TV presenter husband, James Vereker (Oliver Chris). Danny Dyer is Freddie Jones: honourable, loyal and lovable, he’s a self-made electronics millionaire. Freddie's got the money, but finds himself, along with his social-climbing wife Valerie (Lisa McGrillis), an outsider to Rutshires cliques. But when Rupert

Lisa McGrillis and gorgeous Oliver Chris will also star

and Tony come to him with a business proposition, all that could change. Claire Rushbrook is Lady Monica Baddingham, Tonys dependable, upper-crust wife who has absolutely no interest in the dramatic goings-on within her husbands empire. Luke Pasqualino is the charming Basil Bas Baddingham, Tonys younger brother and the proprietor of Cotchesters hot spot, Bar Sinister. Emily Atack is Sarah Stratton, the new wife to Deputy Prime Minister, Paul Stratton (Rufus Jones). Sarah is ambitious and not afraid to use her looks to get to the top. Paul, on the other hand, is in the throes of a midlife crisis – everyone knows it. 

  NETFLIX' SWEET TOOTH 

SEASON 2 TRAILER & AIR DATE

I must admit I fully forgot about this one as the break was so long and the first season was nothing special, but SWEET TOOTH is returning to Netflix April 27th with a second season in which a deadly new wave of the Sick bears down, as Gus (Christian Convery) and a band of fellow hybrids are held prisoner by General Abbot (Neil Sandilands) and the Last Men. Looking to consolidate power by finding a cure, Abbot uses the children as fodder for the experiments of captive Dr. Aditya Singh (the godawful Adeel Akhtar), who’s racing to save his infected wife Rani (Aliza Vellani). To protect his friends, Gus agrees to help Dr. Singh, beginning a dark journey into his origins and his mother Birdie’s (Amy Seimetz) role in the events leading up to The Great Crumble.

SEE PERIOD SET SHOWS FROM ITVX WHICH WILL STREAM ONE NEW FLAGSHIP DRAMA PER WEEK FEATURING DAMIAN LEWIS, GUY PEARCE, KEELEY HAWES, MATTHEW MACFADYEN, HELENA BONHAM CARTER! BRIAN COX, MIRANDA OTTO, LUKE PASQUALINO LEAD WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM LOTR ANIMATED MOVIE VOICE CAST

  ITV'S STREAMER ITVX  

ADDS NEW PERIOD SET SHOWS

Launching later this year, ITV's official streaming channel ITVX (which will be separate from Britbox which ITV has together with BBC) will have a number of period set shows. Some of them will stream there at least six

A Spy Among Friends will launch the streamer at the end of the year

months before moving over to ITV motherchannel. Among those are A SPY AMONG FRIENDS cold war drama in which Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce play best friends who spy for opposite sides, NOLLY in which Helena Bonham Carter plays the soap opera star who gets

Sophie Cookson on the set of Confessions of Frannie Langton

unceremoniously sacked after decades of career, and THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON a four part costume drama set in the dazzling opulence of Georgian London. Meanwhile, after airing the first episode on ITV some series will immediately have the whole season available on ITVX and

Matthew MacFadyen as the disgraced prime minister in Stonehouse

such will be the case with STONEHOUSE in which real life married couple Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes following the life and times of disgraced Labour minister John Stonehouse who faked his own death back in the 70s. ITVX plans to launch at least one flagship show per week! 

 THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM 

LORD OF THE RINGS ANIMATED MOVIE  SETS VOICE CAST

New Line Cinema has set voice cast for their animated epic movie LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM which will follow the House of Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan voiced by Brian Cox! The story is set 183 years before the original movie trilogy. A sudden attack by Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Hera (Gaia Wise), the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction. Miranda Otto will narrate the story as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan! The film will arrive April 12th, 2024!

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON EPIC FANTASY SERIES SHADOW AND BONE WHICH HITS NETFLIX NEXT WEEK WITH BEN BARNES, TOM WESTON JONES AND LUKE PASQUALINO

  SHADOW AND BONE  

NETFLIX EPIC TV SERIES

The series hits Netflix April 23rd, next week!

Oh, sing me a sad song, spylings, the spring landscapes on the small screens have been such a tragic wasteland so far! Out of new epic shows we only had Leonardo which started this Friday and then the only next one is arriving next week: SHADOW AND BONE series, based on the Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo hits Netflix April 23rd. As Bardugo described herself - the series takes place in a very different kind of fantasy world. Think Imperial Russia, not Medieval

Lead character Alina Starkov reveals she has special powers

England, repeating rifles instead of broadswords. Of course with the cast that looks as bland as the one from Twilight, and female lead charismatic as much as a lukewarm mash potato, don't raise your hopes too high!

SHADOW AND BONE SEASON ONE

 will see the story adapting two overlapping series in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse: Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows. The eight episode series will, however, differ massively from those two sagas as they had to somehow

Judging by the photos the only plus in the series are the costumes

connect the characters in them within one TV show. The story is set in a world that is split in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness, where unnatural creatures feast on human flesh. The protagonist is Alina Starkov, a young

The series will consist of eight hourlong episodes in the first season

soldier and a citizen of the Russia inspired Kingdom of Ravka. She unexpectedly uncovers a power that might save her best friend and finally unite her country. As she starts to hone it, dangerous forces unite against her

Ben Barnes is General Kirigan the head of kingdom's magical elite army

and only General Kirigan seems to be willing to help. Thugs, thieves, assassins, and saints are at war now, and it will take more than magic to survive.

WHO IS IN THE CAST?

With Eric Heisserer as the showrunner, the cast of the series, which managed to wrap its production over in Hungary back in February before the general lockdown, includes (it is strange that the producers have not find it

The series is based on Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse novels

convenient to put Russian actors in the cast but they did put Asian and black actors in a Russia inspired story): Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Ben

Our dear Luke Pasqualino will be the eye candy of the show

Barnes as General Kirigan aka The Darkling, Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker aka Dirtyhands, Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev, Kit Young as Jesper

A lethal heartrender and spy Nina Zenik and witch hunter Matthias Helvar

Fahey, Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar, Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, Sujaya Dasgupta as Zoya Nazyalensky,

Costumes in the series are inspired by Imperial Russia

Daisy Head as Genya Safin, Julian Kostov as Fedyor Kaminsky, Zoë Wanamaker as Baghra, Kevin Eldon as The Apparat, Luke Pasqualino as

Tom Weston Jones is General Zlatan of West Ravka (left)

David Kostyk, Jasmine Blackborow as Marie, Gabrielle Brooks as Nadia Zhabin. Our beloved Tom Weston Jones plays a very important character of general Zlatan.