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From Garth Marenghi to The Mighty Boosh, Paddington’s blockbuster success stands on a TV comedy golden age and the early work of Paul King.

“The very gates of Hell” might not be the first place you’d look to find Paddington’s origin story. But with Paul King as director and future ursine-alumni Alice Lowe and Richard Ayoade on the stage, the 2000 Edinburgh Fringe run of Garth Marenghi’s Fright Knight proved not to be a half-bad training ground for the man behind the most successful comedy franchise of the last decade.

Pitched as a gory and melodramatic spoof of Stephen King-style scares, the show centred around Matthew Holness’ fictional horror author, Marenghi, and his inspired telling of another writer’s fight to rescue his muse from the forces of darkness. Fright Knight was nominated for a Perrier award. The follow-up, 2001’s Netherhead, won one. TV beckoned, and soon King,...

Lewis Carroll's 1871 fable "Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There" features a notable scene wherein the young titular protagonist runs across a pair of whimsically dunderheaded identical twins while lost in an alternate dimension. The characters are named Tweedledee and Tweedledum and are based on numerous 18th-century folk poems variously attributed to John Byron, John Pope, and Jonathan Swift. In an early epigram by Byron, the two characters agree to have a battle but are startled by a crow, and forget to fight each other. It wouldn't be until the publication of "Through the Looking Glass," and John Tenniel's illustrations therein, that Tweedledee and Tweedledum would be depicted as identical twins. 

In Carroll's book, the twins reenact the Byron epigram and flee when a crow appears. Some might say that Tweedledee and Tweedledum represent easily distracted governments, or merely the capriciousness of children. Either way,...

This piece was originally published in Issue 5 of Notebook magazine as part of a broader exploration of the instructional form. The magazine is available via direct subscription or in select stores around the world.On October 18, 1962, Twa flight 801 from Rome touched down at New York’s Idlewild Airport. Among the passengers was an actress by the name of Dolores Hart, and she was more anxious on the ground than she was in the air. Hart was the star of MGM’s forthcoming sex romp, Come Fly With Me, about three airline hostesses looking to score rich husbands. The film had wrapped in Vienna in August, and Hart was scheduled for a grueling cross-country promotional campaign. But that wasn’t what had her anxious. Just days before her 24th birthday, Hart was wrestling with the idea of ditching the film industry and—despite smooching Elvis Presley in Loving You, defending a...

The Hallmark Channel announces its premiere of Come Fly With Me. This movie stars Heather Hemmens and Niall Matter in a movie made in cooperation with the Department of the Air Force and the Thunderbirds. Critics have called this Hallmark’s Top Gun.

“A new United States Air Force Thunderbird pilot and a civilian are brought together by their young daughters, but her dedication to duty may mean their romance won’t be cleared for take-off.”

Here is more about the regal Come Fly With Me.

Hallmark Come Fly With Me Heather Hemmens Niall Matter – YouTube What Is Come Fly With Me About?

“Romance takes flight” in Hallmark’s Come Fly With Me. What is it about? According to the synopsis, After landing a spot on the Thunderbirds team, Emma “Blitz” Fitzgerald, an Air Force pilot needs to figure out how to balance her life along with being a mother,...

Spring is nearly here, and Hallmark is getting ready for the change of seasons with a fresh slate of rom-coms and mysteries. The network’s March lineup includes movies with Hallmark stars such as Tyler Hynes, Sarah Drew, and Katherine Barrell.

Several of this month’s Hallmark Channel debuts, including Guiding Emily, Come Fly With Me, and The More Love Grows, previously aired on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, so if you missed them last year, now is your chance to catch up. Plus, new episodes of The Way Home Season 2 continue to air on Sunday nights throughout the month. Keep reading for our rundown of the Hallmark movie schedule for March 2024.

Sarah Drew stars in ‘Guiding Emily’

In Guiding Emily, Sarah Drew plays Emily, whose life changes after losing her eyesight. Meanwhile, the guide dog who is supposed to help her is struggling with this training. Through a series of missed encounters,...

Prepare to take flight as Hallmark Media introduces a one-of-a-kind sky-high romance.

Hallmark has a history of showcasing the military in their movies, and Come Fly with Me takes the tradition to new heights.

We’re used to seeing the military representing the heart of America, the pride in our accomplishments, and, most importantly, how we all care for the community at large.

Most of these movies, such as Holiday for Heroes, My Grown-Up Christmas List, or Welcome Home Warrior, use a holiday backdrop to explore family and charity.

Come Fly With Me, premiering Friday, September 15 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, brings the unbelievable spectacle of the Air Force Thunderbirds to the small screen.

Heather Hemmens stars as Emma Fitzgerald, who arrives at Nellis Air Force Base with her daughter Lucy to begin a two-year assignment as one of the Air Force Thunderbirds.

If you’ve ever visited an airshow or seen the Thunderbirds in action,...

It’s time to break out the cozy sweaters and grab a pumpkin spice latte. Hallmark Channel is falling in love this September, with a full line-up of autumn-themed rom-coms featuring fan-favorite actors such as Ryan Paevey, Pascale Hutton, and Luke Macfarlane. New movies premiere on Saturday nights throughout the month. Keep reading for the complete Hallmark “Fall Into Love” movie schedule for September 2023.

‘Love In Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance’

Hallmark’s series of romances set in America’s national parks continues with Love In Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance. Arielle Kebbel and Zach Roerig play Haley and Rob, former high school sweethearts who reconnect at an archeological dig site in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rob wants to rekindle their romance, but Haley still isn’t over the way he betrayed her years earlier.

Love In Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance airs Saturday,...

If you’re starved for new content, remember that Hallmark Media never lets us down.

Today, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries revealed a new movie premiering on Friday, September 15, starring Roswell, New Mexico’s Heather Hemmens and Aurora Teagarden Mysteries Niall Matter.

In Come Fly with Me, a new United States Air Force Thunderbird pilot and a civilian are brought together by their young daughters, but her dedication to duty may mean their romance won’t be cleared for take-off.

Come Fly With Me was filmed in cooperation with the Department of the Air Force and the Department of Defense.

The Department of Defense provided production access to film scenes on location at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, the home of the Thunderbirds and the movie features exciting flight footage courtesy of the Department of the Air Force.

In this first for Hallmark Media, Capt. Emma Fitzgerald (Hemmens...

Start your engines and mark your calendars for July 28. “RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under” is back for a third season with 10 fierce and fabulous queens.

RuPaul will be hosting the series with returning judges Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson.

“Australasian drag is filled with heart and humor, and I’m thrilled to share my Season 3 queens to the world, for all to see their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent,” RuPaul says.

The 10 queens hail from across New Zealand and Australia. This season promises to be filled with thrills and maxi-challenges galore as the queens go head-to-head to snatch the crown.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under” will air day and date on Wow Presents Plus in the U.S. and select territories worldwide, with its local airing on Tvnz+ in New Zealand and Stan in Australia. Meet the queens below.

Amyl

Age: 27

Amyl hails from Sydney. She has been on the...

Ambra Danon, the Italian costume designer who worked on the three La Cage aux Folles films, earning an Oscar nomination for the first one, has died. She was 75.

Danon died April 12 in Rome after a long battle with cancer, her niece, Echo Danon, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The original La Cage Aux Folles (1978), based on Jean Poiret’s 1973 play of the same name, was directed by Édouard Molinaro and released by United Artists. The French-language comedy starred Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault as a gay couple operating a drag nightclub in a French resort town and was a huge box office success.

Danon, who shared her Academy Award nom with five-time nominee Piero Tosi, lost out on Oscar night to Albert Wolsky of All That Jazz. She then returned for the La Cage aux Folles sequels released in 1980 and 1985.

The daughter of Marcello Danon, who produced the first two movies in the series,...

A patient shamelessly flirting with his surgeon, and that surgeon welcoming those advances? Seems like classic Grey’s Anatomy to us! Read on to see who’s wooing whom in Season 19, Episode 17, May 4’s “Come Fly With Me.” [Warning: The below contains major spoilers for the Grey’s Anatomy Season 19, Episode 17, “Come Fly With Me.”] One of the patients this week is Sam Sutton (Sam Page), an Air Force veteran who broke 93 bones in a base-jumping accident. Kwame (Kwame Patterson), his Air Force wingman, recognizes Link (Chris Carmack) as the guy on whose watch a Seattle Seahawks player died, and Kwame casts doubts about Link’s surgical skills. And Owen (Kevin McKidd) isn’t helping matters. Link wants to fix Sam’s bones in phases, worrying about the anesthesia risks of doing it all in one go, but Owen undercuts Link’s authority in front of Sam, suggesting that it’s better to do it all at once so...

“He’s a jigsaw puzzle!” Grey’s Anatomy’s Link excitedly said of Thursday’s Special Guest Patient. But before hitting the O.R., the ortho god, still reeling from Tank’s demise, was smacked with self-doubt. Was history going to repeat itself, in so doing killing off Jo’s new admirer before they had even gotten past the flirting stage? Read on…

‘Don’T Worry, It Feels Worse Than It Looks’ | As “Come Fly With Me” got underway, Nick showed up at Grey Sloan early and was stood up, he told Amelia. Um, by whom? Lucas, it turned out. Nick...

Hey, "Grey's Anatomy" fans. We've got some absolutely terrific news for you in this article because the ABC people are going to finally serve up the next, new episode 18 of Grey's Anatomy's current season 19 tonight, May 4,2023. That's right, guys. After delaying it last week, ABC is ready to finally deliver it to your TV sets tonight, and we've got some new spoiler info for it. ABC served up an official press release for this new episode 18. So, we're certainly going to pull it up to deliver this spoiler session. Let's get into it. For starters, we've got an official title for this new episode 16 of Grey's Anatomy season 19. The writers decided to name this one, "Come Fly With Me." It sounds like episode 18 will feature some very interesting, intense, dramatic and emotional scenes as an emergency meeting gets called. Someone deals with self-doubt issues. Lucas gets some guidance and more.

As Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 winds down, the hospital will be getting a new, notable patient. Sam Page has been cast in the recurring role of Sam Sutton, according to Variety. Page’s Sam is described as “an Air Force pilot who is seriously injured in a base-jumping accident. Although he’s coping with trauma, he somehow maintains his sense of humor and charm.” Page will debut in the episode airing on May 4, “Come Fly With Me.” It will also see Link (Chris Carmack) struggling “with his own self-doubt as he preps for a massive surgery,” and chances are that his patient is Sam. However, because this is Grey’s Anatomy, even if Sam is connected to the aftermath of Link losing a patient earlier this season and how he moves forward, we have a feeling he could end up “charming” one ...

If laughter really is the best medicine, he just might pull through. Sam Page has been cast by Grey’s Anatomy in the recurring role of Sam Sutton, a new patient who, though seriously injured, still has his sense of humor, our sister site Variety reports.

The actor, a veteran of The Bold Type and Mad Men, will make his first appearance in the Thursday, May 4, episode. His character, an Air Force pilot, is dealing with trauma in the aftermath of a base-jumping accident. But he remains quite the charmer, ABC hastens to note. So perhaps he could catch the eye of Jo,...

Sam Page, he of “The Bold Type” and “Mad Men,” has joined the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” in a recurring role.

Page will make his first appearance during the May 4 episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” playing Sam Sutton. According to the character description provided by ABC, Sam is “an Air Force pilot who is seriously injured in a base-jumping accident. Although he’s coping with trauma, he somehow maintains his sense of humor and charm.” The episode is titled “Come Fly With Me,” and in the logline, it says the character of Link (Chris Carmack) willl be wrestling “with his own self-doubt as he preps for a massive surgery.”

Will that massive surgery be performed on Sam? Perhaps!

Page co-starred on the series “The Bold Type” — a five-season-long Freeform show that drew a cult following, especially among media people — as a publishing executive. He also appeared as a recurring cast member on the original “Gossip Girl,...

Exclusive: Channel 4-backed Spirit Studios has signed ITV’s Father’s Day and Walking on the Moon writer Martin Sadofski in the newly-created Head of Scripted role.

Sadofsksi will develop projects in scripted drama and comedy aligned to the company’s vision of “telling stories that break out of traditional silos whilst changing the world for the better.”

He is well known in UK drama circles, having penned Peter Kosminsky bullying drama Walking on the Moon and Father’s Day, which won a Cannes Lion and starred Ray Winstone. Other credits include feature Seamonsters, BBC One comedy Come Fly With Me and documentaries such as the Grierson Award-nominated Alastair Campbell: Depression & Me and Stv/Amazon Prime Studios’ Undercover in the Alt Right.

Sadofski said he wants to “mentor new marginalized writers and help them to tell their stories,” adding: “My role is to develop contemporary dramas about big...

Pamela Tiffin, star of the 1962 remake of “State Fair” who enjoyed major success in the U.S. and Italy before retiring from acting in 1974, died Friday of natural causes. She was 78.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tiffin was hospitalized at the time of her death.

Born Pamela Tiffin Wonso in Oklahoma City but raised in Chicago, she began a public career as a teen model in the late 1950s. Her film career began during a trip to Los Angeles in 1961 when, while visiting the Paramount lot, she was spotted by powerhouse producer Hal B. Wallis and given a screen test.

She very quickly saw success as a burgeoning movie star, landing as her second film role one of the leads in Billy Wilder’s 1961 cold war comedy “One, Two, Three” starring James Cagney. She followed that up by landing the lead role of Margy Frake in the 1962 remake of the...

Pamela Tiffin, who was a Golden Globe nominee for her film work in Hollywood and later made many Italian films, has died. A friend confirmed her death, but no cause was given.

Born in Oklahoma City, Tiffin initially found success as a teen model. She moved to New York City in the early 1960s and briefly attended Hunter College, appearing in a short film, Music of Williamsburg, in 1960).

But in a classic Hollywood story, Tiffin was spotted by producer Hal B. Willis when she was vacationing in Los Angeles and visited the Paramount Pictures lot. She was screen tested and cast in the 1961 film Summer and Smoke.

She went on to play against James Cagney in the comedy 1961 One, Two Three, winning a Golden Globe nomination for that role and her work in Summer and Smoke.

Over the next two years, her resume included the films State Fair with Bobby Darin,...

Pamela Tiffin, the 1960s starlet who was discovered in the Paramount commissary on the way to memorable turns in such films as State Fair, The Pleasure Seekers, Come Fly With Me and Harper, has died. She was 78.

Tiffin died Wednesday of natural causes in a hospital in New York, her daughter Echo Danon, an actress, video director and music supervisor, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Tiffin received Golden Globe nominations for her first two features, both released in 1961: as most promising newcomer — female for Summer and Smoke and as best supporting actress for her performance in Billy Wilder’s Cold War satire One, Two, Three (1961)....

Pamela Tiffin, the 1960s starlet who was discovered in the Paramount commissary on the way to memorable turns in such films as State Fair, The Pleasure Seekers, Come Fly With Me and Harper, has died. She was 78.

Tiffin died Wednesday of natural causes in a hospital in New York, her daughter Echo, an actress, video director and music supervisor, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Tiffin received Golden Globe nominations for her first two features, both released in 1961: as most promising newcomer — female for Summer and Smoke and as best supporting actress for her comedic performance in Billy Wilder’s One, Two, Three (1961).

In 1964,...

The temperature in the tent reached fever pitch this season, and it wasn’t just chocolate mirror glazes that melted in the heat.

Every season of “Great British Baking Show” (or “The Great British Bake Off” to folks across the pond) has included controversial eliminations, baking disasters and emotional highs, but season 11 was a tiered cake of controversy with cultural insensitivity and severe online trolling as its top two layers, and the pandemic as its genoise base.

At times “Bake Off” can be the most therapeutic show on television (who doesn’t enjoy a triumphant amateur placing the final spun sugar nest atop their beautiful creation), but it can also be the most stressful. The Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdown meant that viewers on both sides of the Atlantic needed “Bake Off” more than ever. However, perhaps it was too much to expect Channel 4 and studio Love Productions to...

Actor Idris Elba weighed in on the removal of old movies and TV shows deemed racist or sexist, saying he’d opt for keeping the shows but with warnings or even a ratings system.

“I’m very much a believer in freedom of speech,” Elba said in an interview with Radio Times magazine. “But the thing about freedom of speech is that it’s not suitable for everybody. That’s why we have a rating system: We tell you that this particular content is rated U, PG, 15, 18, X…I don’t know anything about X, by the way.”

Elba’s comments come as his The Long Run comedy returns to UK’s Sky One for a third series. As in the U.S., streamers in Britain including BBC iPlayer, Netflix and BritBox have recently pulled old episodes deemed racist, often for depictions of blackface, including Little Britain, Come Fly with Me,...

British star Idris Elba advocated that racism in film and TV shows should be no different from sexism, with a rating system to warn viewers of racist viewpoints.

“That’s why we have a rating system: We tell you that this particular content is rated U, PG, 15, 18,” said Elba to the Radio Times. “To mock the truth, you have to know the truth. But to censor racist themes within a show, to pull it – wait a second, I think viewers should know that people made shows like this.”

He continued: “Out of respect for the time and the movement, commissioners and archive-holders pulling things they think are exceptionally tone-deaf at this time – fair enough and good for you. But I think, moving forward, people should know that freedom of speech is accepted, but the audience should know what they’re getting into.”

Elba’s comments came after several shows removed episodes,...

The BBC’s streaming service iPlayer has started adding new warnings to certain shows that people may find offensive following the controversy over blackface performances in comedy.

Archive comedies, including The League Of Gentlemen and The Mighty Boosh, now feature a little “i” logo, which carries a warning that they reflect attitudes of their time.

Here’s the full quote: “The Mighty Boosh is a classic comedy which reflects the broadcast standards, language and attitudes of its time. Some viewers may find this content offensive.”

Furthermore, when watching iPlayer through Sky, viewers are greeted with the same message and have to click “ok” before the show begins to stream.

The warning was not present on The League Of Gentlemen and The Mighty Boosh last month and comes after the shows were scrubbed by Netflix for featuring white actors in black makeup.

The BBC, Netflix and others also removed Little Britain...

Four episodes of 30 Rock in which characters appear in blackface are being pulled from streaming and syndication at the request of creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. 

According to Variety, Fey said that the episodes are "best taken out of circulation" and apologized "for pain they have caused,"

The episodes in question will be pulled from streaming services Amazon Prime and Hulu, as well as purchase platforms.

Jon Hamm appeared in one of the pulled episodes in a wig and blackface as part of a spoof of Amos 'n' Andy. 

Another installment involved Jenna (Jane Krakowski) and Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) deciding to swap identities in order to determine whether black men or white women faced more challenges in society.

The final episode being pulled by the studio is the East Coast version of a special live show that aired as part of Season 5, and marked the show's first live episode.

David Walliams and Matt Lucas, the creators of the BBC-produced show Little Britain, who are white, have apologized for their prior use of blackface sketches, saying they now “regret” playing characters of other races.

The show, which ran for three years on the BBC starting in 2003, was recently rediscovered by viewers perusing BBC’s iPlayer, Netflix, and BritBox.

The offensive BBC-produced shows were removed from the services’ libraries. Its follow-up, Come Fly With Me, was also taken down by the services.

“There’s a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review,” said a BBC statement. “Times have changed since Little Britain first aired, so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.”

BritBox added: “Times have changed since Little Britain first aired, so it is not currently available on BritBox. Come Fly With Me has not been available on the service for six months.

Little Britain creators Matt Lucas and David Walliams have issued a formal apology in the wake of their series being pulled from Netflix and the BBC for its use of blackface.

Both Lucas and Walliams simultaneously tweeted public apologies Saturday, four days after the series’ removal from the streaming platforms.

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Lucas wrote,...

British comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams have apologized for the use of blackface in their BBC series “Little Britain.”

Lucas and Walliams posted identical public apologies on Twitter at the same time on Saturday evening, days after Netflix, BBC on-demand service iPlayer and Britbox removed the series from their platforms. Netflix also dropped the comedians’ airport mockumentary “Come Fly With Me.”

The pair had been conspicuously silent on the matter since the show’s removal made international headlines. The event served as something of a harbinger for a slew of other problematic TV series and films disappearing from various services in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Lucas, who is best known for roles in “Bridesmaids” and “Polar,” wrote, “David and I have both spoken publicly in recent years of our regret that we played characters of other races. Once again, we want to make it clear...

Hello, and welcome to International Insider, Jake Kanter here. For those who missed us last week, this is Deadline’s new weekly newsletter containing everything you need to know about the global film and television business. If you want to subscribe, sign up to our breaking news alerts here.

Here are the six things we want you to know this week:

1. Scoop: D-Day For Endemol Shine Deal

One for the diary: It’s been eight months since Banijay Group announced its $2.2Bn takeover of MasterChef producer Endemol Shine Group, and the deal is still in a regulatory quagmire not helped by coronavirus. But there is now light at the end of the tunnel, with the European Commission setting a provisional date of June 30 to make a ruling. As regulatory hurdles go, this is the Super Bowl for all concerned in the takeover. Read more here.

2. Cannes Gets Cracking

Sales slated:...

Chris Lilley.

Netflix has removed four Chris Lilley comedies from its platform in Australia and New Zealand: We Can Be Heroes, Summer Heights High, Angry Boys and Jonah From Tonga.

Two other shows from Lilley, Ja’mie: Private School Girl and Lunatics, a Netflix Original, remain on the streamer.

While Netflix has yet to publicly comment on its decision to pull the shows, it comes amid renewed criticism of the comedian’s portrayal of non-white characters using blackface and brownface. Variety reports that the removal of the shows will be permanent.

The series see Lilley play characters such as African-American rapper S.mouse (Angry Boys), Tongan schoolboy Jonah Takalua, Japanese mother Jen Okazaki (Angry Boys) and Chinese physics student Ricky Wong (We Can Be Heroes).

We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High were commissioned by the ABC, Angry Boys by the ABC and the Us’s HBO, and Jonah...

Netflix’s purge of comedies featuring white performers in blackface continued last night when the streamer removed cult British show The Mighty Boosh.

Created by Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, and produced by Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow Productions, the program featured a character called The Spirit of Jazz in an episode titled Electro.

For the role, Fielding was painted in black makeup and wore a dread-like wig below a white top hat. The character appeared in later episodes over the course of the three series.

Netflix has taken down its entire Mighty Boosh collection rather than targeting specific episodes. It follows the streamer’s decision to take down three other British comedies, Little Britain, Come Fly With Me, and The League Of Gentlemen, over blackface concerns.

Deadline also revealed on Wednesday that Netflix had removed four Chris Lilley comedies in Australia for the same reason. Angry Boys, Summer Heights High,...

Four Chris Lilley series have been pulled from Netflix in New Zealand and Australia due to criticisms of the shows’ depictions of people of color and the use of blackface and brownface makeup, TheWrap has learned.

The white Australian comedian’s “Summer Heights High,” “Angry Boys,” “We Can Be Heroes” and “Jonah From Tonga” — which were produced by Princess Pictures and first aired on Australian Broadcasting Corporation — have all been removed from the streaming service in New Zealand and Australia.

Lilley uses blackface to play black rapper S.mouse in “Angry Boys” (pictured above) and brownface to play Jonah, a teenage Tonga native, in “Summer Heights High” and its spinoff series “Jonah From Tonga.” In “We Can Be Heroes,” he plays Ricky Wong, a Chinese physics student.

Also Read: Netflix Launches 'Black Lives Matter' Collection With More Than 45 Films, TV Series and Docs

Lilley’s shows “Lunatics,” which features Lilley playing a South African woman,...

The BBC sketch comedy series “Little Britain” has been removed from Netflix, Britbox, and BBC iPlayer amid concerns about the show’s use of blackface.

Variety reports that the three platforms removed the series on Friday. A BBC spokesman told Variety: “There’s a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review. Times have changed since ‘Little Britain’ first aired, so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.”

IndieWire has confirmed the streaming services’ removals of the series. A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment about its decision to take “Little Britain” off the platform.

Netflix apparently wants little to do with original series creators and stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams, as the streamer also removed their 2010 “Come Fly with Me” sketch comedy series. A BritBox spokesperson told Variety that “Come Fly with Me” was taken off the service six months ago. In the series...

Little Britain is no longer available on Netflix. The streaming service, citing the British series’ use of blackface, no longer carries the sketch comedy starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, per The Daily Mail.

Little Britain debuted in 2003 on BBC Three. It aired three seasons and several specials in Great Britain; HBO aired an American spinoff starring Walliams and Lucas, Little Britain USA, in 2008.

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Netflix has removed a pair of older British comedies “Little Britain” and “Come Fly With Me” over their use of blackface, the streaming service confirmed.

Both series, from Matt Lucas and David Walliams, were only available to Netflix’s U.K. subscribers.

“Little Britain,” a sketch comedy series, aired from 2003-07 on the BBC, while the mockumentary “Come Fly With Me” debuted in 2010. Both series saw Lucas and Walliams play characters from different ethnic backgrounds. The decision to pull the two comes after two weeks of protests against police brutality and racism sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

Also Read: 'Next in Fashion' Canceled by Netflix After 1 Season

Matt Lucas playing “Taaj” in “Come Fly With Me”

Lucas had previously expressed regret over the show in a 2017 interview.

“I wouldn’t play black characters. Basically, I wouldn’t make that show now,...

Netflix, the BBC and BritBox have all removed Little Britain from their libraries after the Matt Lucas and David Walliams sketch show featured blackface sketches.

Netflix pulled the BBC Studios-produced program and its follow-up Come Fly With Me on Friday, while the BBC and BritBox took action this week following days of protests across the world in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The BBC said: “There’s a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review. Times have changed since Little Britain first aired so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.”

BritBox added: “Times have changed since Little Britain first aired, so it is not currently available on BritBox. Come Fly With Me has not been available on the service for six months.”

Little Britain ran for three seasons on the BBC beginning in 2003, and included a character called Desiree DeVere,...

Streamers Netflix, BBC iPlayer and BritBox have removed comedy series “Little Britain” from their platforms amid concerns about its use of blackface for certain characters.

Variety has confirmed that Netflix pulled the BBC series, which was written by and stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams, on Friday. Netflix has also dropped the comedians’ airport mockumentary “Come Fly With Me.”

BBC iPlayer and BritBox have also ditched “Little Britain” from their platforms this week.

A BBC spokesman told Variety: “There’s a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer which we regularly review. Times have changed since ‘Little Britain’ first aired, so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.”

BritBox also confirmed that “Little Britain” was no longer on the service, adding that “Come Fly With Me” had not been available for six months.

“Little Britain” first aired in 2003, while “Come Fly With Me” debuted in 2010. Both series saw...

British sketch comedy Little Britain — a hugely popular show in the mid-2000s and one that made household names in the U.K. of its creators and stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams — has been pulled from Netflix, BritBox and the BBC's iPlayer over concerns about racism, in particularly the use of blackface on several characters.

Netflix confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the show — which first aired in 2003 on BBC Three — had been removed from the platform on Friday alongside Come Fly With Me, the comedy follow-up from Lucas and Walliams (and one also featuring characters ...

‘Australia Come Fly With Me’ (Photo credit: WildBear Entertainment).

Australia’s documentary makers are less affected by production shutdowns than most other sectors of the screen industry – apart from the large cohort of animators who are still working remotely.

While some productions have been delayed or suspended, filming continues on a sizable number of projects and many are in post.

WildBear Entertainment, which has has 85 people working remotely, is delivering five shows including Australia Come Fly With Me for Sbs, Demolition Downunder for Network Ten and France’s Mediawan, and Bushfire Animal Rescue for PBS and Arte/Zdf.

“We had five projects that were about to commence shooting and these have been delayed, around 25 hours in total,” WildBear CEO Michael Tear tells If. We have another 19 projects in post or very close to delivery. On seven we are experiencing interruption or requiring some form of change to production methodology.

“We...

Matt Lucas, the comedian, actor and writer who has starred in Bridesmaids, is to become the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4.

Lucas will replace Sandi Toksvig in the tent, hosting alongside fellow comedian Noel Fielding. Filming on the 11th series of The Great British Bake Off begins in the spring, with Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith returning as judges.

Lucas said: “I’m chuffed to bits to be joining the most delicious show on television. I can’t wait to break bread with Noel, Prue and Paul and meet the brilliant bakers. And bearing in mind my love of cake, I’ve already ordered some much larger trousers in anticipation.”

The Great British Bake Off executive producer Richard McKerrow added: “He’s a phenomenal talent with a huge heart and we can’t wait to enjoy the mischief and mayhem he and Noel will inevitably create in the tent.

New projects from Fernando Trueba, ‘Loving Vincent’ filmmakers and a ”Nordic Sex Education”.

Screen has been on the ground at animation pitching event Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux this week, hearing about 66 feature film projects at various stages of concept, development and production.

Here are five which generated particular buzz among attendees:

Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary (Fr-Den)

With Cartoon Movie tracking the attendance of its delegates to each pitch, the most popular – by a decent 10% margin – was this France-Denmark co-production with 316 audience members from the 800 people at the event. The second feature from French director Rémi Chayé, it...

‘New Gold Mountain’ writers Peter Cox, Benjamin Law and Yolanda Ramke.

Sbs has commissioned a 4-part drama set during the 1850s gold rush from the perspective of desperate Chinese miners from Goalpost Television, to be directed by The Hunting’s Ana Kokkinos.

The broadcaster’s 2020 slate unveiled today includes documentaries spotlighting immigration, identity, homelessness, addiction and domestic violence.

Among the returning shows, Bert Newton, Lisa Wilkinson and country music star Troy Cassar-Daley will be among the eight identities who search for their family history in Warner Bros. Australia’s Who Do You Think You Are?

In the third season of Blackfella Films’ Filthy, Rich & Homeless five high-profile Aussies including Dr Andrew Rochford will swap their privileged lives to discover what life is like for the nation’s homeless.

Scripted by creator/lead writer Peter Cox (the Kiwi’s first Australian screen credit), Benjamin Law and Yolanda Ramke, Goalpost’s New...

Cinema Retro issue #44 is now shipping to subscribers worldwide.

We present out first regular edition with a consistent theme throughout: "Girl Power!", as we celebrate female stars and films of the 1960s.

Diane A. Rodgers examines two of the first female action heroes of the big screen: Monica Vitti as Modesty Blaise  and Raquel Welch as super spy Fathom.

Mike Siegel provides a rare interview with Marianne Koch, who recalls filming A Fistful of Dollars with Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood.

Lee Pfeiffer presents an exclusive interview with Stefanie Powers about starring in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.

Dawn Dabell explores the exotic world of the Emmanuelle films, the first attempt to present erotica from a female perspective.

Actress Pamela Green talks to Tim Greaves about the challenge of appearing in Michael Powell's notorious Peeping Tom.

Lee Pfeiffer analyzes the British comedy/drama Take a Girl Like You...

Maurice Hines, best known forEubie, Uptown.It's Hot, andHot Feet, returns to Feinstein's54 Below June7-8 inTappin' Thru Lifewith the internationally acclaimedAll Female Jazz Orchestra Diva. Along with tappersJohn ManzariandLeo Manzari, he pays tribute to his brother Gregory and their lives in show business, from TV to film, Broadway, Vegas, and beyond. Featuring songs like Luck Be A Lady, Smile, and Come Fly with Me,Tappin' Thru Lifecelebrates the performers that inspire Hines, from Frank Sinatra to Lena Horne.

In 2015, Trisha Yearwood was one of the artists selected for the Recording Academy’s all-star tribute to Frank Sinatra, during which she performed “I’ll Be Seeing You.” The event’s musical director, producer Don Was, asked her backstage if she’d ever considered doing a full album of standards. She told him, “Yes, every day.”

As far back as the mid-Nineties, the singer had been mixing orchestral versions of her country hits with standards at full-fledged symphony shows, along with delivering the occasional knockout rendition of “Somewhere” from West Side Story at special events.

Country vocalist and Emmy-winning TV cooking-show host Trisha Yearwood releases her new album today — Let’s Be Frank, a tribute to American music icon Frank Sinatra, is now available at Williams Sonoma stores across the country. The singer’s first solo album in more than a decade, Let’s Be Frank will be released everywhere on February 15th via the Georgia native’s own Gwendolyn Records label. Yearwood shared the track list to the LP this week.

Recording the entire album in just four days at Capitol Records studios in Hollywood,...

Join the pursuit of justice with a background role this month! The CW TV series “Black Lightning,” starring Cress Williams, is now casting actors to portray gang members, police officers, and detectives. Plus, the Royal Caribbean production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Cats” is casting singers and dancers, Tinder needs a new user for a documentary, and a CBS talk show needs seat fillers in Hollywood. “Black Lightning”Join the cast of the CW TV series “Black Lightning,” starring Cress Williams as a retired superhero who becomes a vigilante for justice. Talent, aged 18–50, is wanted to portray gang members, police officers, and detectives in background roles. The series will shoot through Sept. 25 in Atlanta, Georgia. Pay is $75 for eight hours of work. Apply here! “Cats”The Royal Caribbean is currently casting its upcoming production of the musical “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The show will be produced in full alongside “Come Fly With Me,...

In what could be the beginning of a transatlantic battle testing an obscure provision under U.K. copyright law, Warner Chappell Music has initiated civil proceedings in New York against Bourne Co. over who has worldwide rights to works composed by Jimmy Van Heusen.

Van Heusen, an American songwriter, wrote many hits for Frank Sinatra including "Love and Marriage," "Come Fly With Me," and "My Kind of Town." Collaborating with various lyricists, Van Heusen also won four Academy Awards with "Swinging on a Star" for Going My Way, "All the Way" for ...

In what could be the beginning of a transatlantic battle testing an obscure provision under U.K. copyright law, Warner Chappell Music has initiated civil proceedings in New York against Bourne Co. over who has worldwide rights to works composed by Jimmy Van Heusen.

Van Heusen, an American songwriter, wrote many hits for Frank Sinatra including "Love and Marriage," "Come Fly With Me," and "My Kind of Town." Collaborating with various lyricists, Van Heusen also won four Academy Awards with "Swinging on a Star" for Going My Way, "All the Way" for ...