News

In today’s Global Bulletin, Acorn TV greenlights “Queens of Mystery” season two; NATPE Budapest confirms in-person event in August; Lionsgate Play unveils “U-Special” — its second original series in India; ITV commissions relationship drama “You & Me”; Dave Johns joins the cast of “I’m Still Ethan”; Mexico’s Dopamine creates a new in-house entertainment team; Spanish courts proceed with a reckless homicide case against adult film star Nacho Vidal; Front Row nabs “The Present” and deals it to Netflix; and the New Voice Awards reveals its 2021 winners.

Renewal

AMC Networks-owned streaming platform Acorn TV has renewed its Primetime Emmy-nominated British crime series “Queens of Mystery” for a second season.

Created by Julian Unthank, who co-writes with Matthew Thomas (“Marcella”), season two sees the return of Julie Graham (“The Bletchley Circle”), Sarah Woodward (“The Pale Horse”) and Siobhan Redmond (“Unforgotten”), joined by newcomer Florence Hall (“The Princess Switch: Switched Again...

Exclusive: AMC Networks streamer Acorn TV has renewed its darkly comic British crime series Queens Of Mystery for a second season, with production already underway in Kent, south-east England.

Season 1 of Queens of Mystery followed a perennially single female detective and her three well-known crime writing aunts, who help her solve whodunit-style murders as well as set her up on blind dates. Acorn TV describes it as one of its most popular originals, though it did not disclose streaming figures.

Olivia Vinall played detective Matilda Stone in the first season, but will be replaced by Florence Hall in the second due to a scheduling conflict. Julie Graham (The Bletchley Circle), Sarah Woodward (The Pale Horse), and Siobhan Redmond (Unforgotten) return as Stone’s aunts.

The show will return for three feature-length stories, which will be broken up into six, 45-minute episodes. In episodes titled Sparring with Death,...

Exclusive: A comedy drama co-written by Gavin and Stacey star Mat Horne and a thriller based on Jack London’s manuscript of The Assassination Bureau Ltd and are two of the latest TV projects being set up by British producer Fired Up Films.

The company is doubling down on the scripted side of its business, having recently scored a two-hour order for producing Laurence Fishburne-narrated doc The Hunt for Hitler’s U-Boat for History on the factual side.

Horne, best known for his on-screen performance in the James Corden and Ruth Jones-penned BBC comedy, is writing Loose with actor-turned-screenwriter Christopher Adlington.

The series is a multi-cultural comedy about a man on the run, which Horne says is inspired by the pair’s love of 1980s caper movies such as Midnight Run. It tells the story of Howie Doohan, a Wall Street trader and father of a disabled child,...

Alex Rider Season 2 is officially in the works at Sony Pictures Television.

Developed by screenwriter Guy Burt, and based on the bestselling book series by Anthony Horowitz (creator of U.K. WWII-era detective series Foyle’s War), Sony’s Alex Rider follows the titular teen (Otto Farrant), who discovers a family legacy in the spy game after his late uncle/adoptive father seemingly dies under mysterious circumstances. Subsequently recruited by MI6 subdivision the Department of Special Operations, Alex undergoes a transformative training process for a job that uproots his adolescent life.

The second season renewal of Alex Rider arrives, via Deadline, shortly after the TV series made its June 4 debut, specifically in the franchise’s homefront, on Amazon U.K. However, while it has yet to arrive in most countries, including the U.S., Sony is reportedly close to landing a deal for platforms in the U.S., Australia and China.

Exclusive: Quiver Entertainment, an offshoot of eOne executive Berry Meyerowitz and onetime Lionsgate Films president Jeff Sackman’s Quiver Distribution, has acquired the rights to Kew Media Distribution’s library of 1,000 titles.

Kew Media Distribution went bust in February and administrator Fti Consulting has overseen the sale of its catalog, within which it included the international rights to shows including hit BBC drama Line Of Duty and the HBO/Channel 4 Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland.

Nearly 40 companies expressed an interest in acquiring the library, which Fti then whittled down to nine potential buyers. It entered into exclusive talks with Quiver Entertainment after March 27. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

The sale has been far from straightforward. Prior to Kew Media Distribution going bust, a number of producers took action to terminate their contracts with the company after it failed to pay them royalties they were owed.

U.S. streaming service BritBox is to co-produce ITV crime drama The Pembrokeshire Murders starring Murder Mystery and The Alienist star Luke Evans.

The Svod service, which is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV, will take U.S. and Canadian rights to the three-part series, produced by Bodyguard producer World Productions.

Evans plays police officer Steve Wilkins in the drama, which depicts the pursuit of a cold-blooded serial killer and is based on true-crime book Catching the Bullseye Killer, written by Senior Investigating Officer Steve Wilkins and ITV news journalist Jonathan Hill.

Filming kicked off in January on the series, which was originally commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill and is written by In Plain Sight’s Nick Stevens. The series comes from ITV-owned Bodyguard and Line of Duty producer World Productions and is produced by Hinterland’s Ed Talfan for Wales-based Severn Screen.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle...

Gavin & Stacey and Abigail’s Party star Alison Steadman is to front BBC drama Life from Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett.

Steadman is joined by Peter Davison, who starred as the Doctor in the fifth iteration of Doctor Who, Adrian Lester (Riviera), Victoria Hamilton (Doctor Foster) and Rachael Stirling (The Bletchley Circle) in the six-part series.

The Drama Republic-fronted series, which has just begun filming in Manchester, follows the stories of the residents in a large house in Manchester divided into flats. As each of the four separate, relatable yet surprising strands unfold, they tell a larger story about what happens when we decide to step out of our own personal space and take a closer look into other people’s lives.

Gail, played by Steadman, who is married to Henry, played by Davison, is about to celebrate her 70th birthday when a chance encounter throws her whole life into question.

“Brits don’t like boasters,” Rob Lowe’s high-flying U.S. cop Bill Hixon is told in the first trailer for ITV drama Wild Bill. He responds by calling East Lincolnshire a “godforsaken cabbage patch,” which nicely sums up the fish-out-of-water series.

The West Wing star plays Hixon, who is appointed Chief Constable of the East Lincolnshire Police Force in the UK in the ITV series, which launches in June. The series is produced by 42, Shiver and Anonymous Content.

Lowe’s Hixon is an analytics expert, a Moneyball-for-police type and he is in Lincolnshire to help bring down the crime rate, while also dealing with his troubled young daughter.

The show was created by The Hunted writer David Griffiths and then Awake creator Kyle Killen came on board with Silent Witness writers Dudi Appleton and Jim Keeble. Lowe acts as an exec producer as well as on-screen star.

He told Deadline earlier this year,...

Zdf Enterprises will bring “Queens of Mystery” to a host of markets after striking a rights deal for the offbeat drama that streaming service Acorn TV ordered as one of it latest originals.

The deal with Acorn hands Zdfe the rights to the show in non-English-language territories. It is the second time Zdfe and Acorn have pacted on distribution after they worked together on “London Kills,” another original for the British-content-skewed streamer and which has been picked up by the BBC in the U.K.

Specifically, Zdfe has teamed with Acorn Media Enterprises, the AMC-owned firm’s content division. Its sales unit, Acorn Media International, will sell “Queens of Mystery” in English-language markets.

Olivia Vinall (“Apple Tree Yard”) plays Matilda. Her aunts are played by Julie Graham (“The Bletchley Circle”), Sarah Woodward (“New Blood”), and Siobhan Redmond (“Between the Lines”).

Andrew Leung (Doctor Who) also stars a dashing doctor in the series,...

Acorn TV is going global. The Svod service is launching in thirty new countries including Australia and India.

The service launched in the U.S. and Canada in 2011 before rolling out to twelve Latin American countries in 2018, will now be available across Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Antigua, Barbuda and Belize.

Available for $4.99 per month, the service is launching with a raft of UK titles including Martin Clunes’ Doc Martin, Daniel Craig’s Sword of Honour, The Bletchley Circle, Lynda La Plante’s The Commander and Above Suspicion, The Secret Agent, Traffik, Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Last Enemy as well as Irish drama Jack Taylor, Australian cop drama East West 101 and documentaries including Britain...

The Woman in White’s Olivia Vinall, The Bletchley Circle’s Julie Graham and The Politician’s Husband’s Sarah Woodward are set to star in Acorn TV original Queens of Mystery.

The trio are joined in the six-part female detective series by Siobhan Redmond (Alfresco), Andrew Leung (Doctor Who), Rebecca Grant (Holby City) and Martin Trenaman (The Inbetweeners).

Queens of Mystery follows Matilda Stone, played by Vinall, a perennially single female detective and her three aunts, played by Graham, Woodward and Redmond, who are well-known crime writers that help her solve whodunit style murders as well as set her up on blind dates

Leung plays the dashing Dr. Daniel Lynch, Grant as Daniel’s mean-spirited girlfriend Natasha; Michael Elcock as Police Constable Terry Foster, who has long been in love with Matilda and Trenaman plays dry Inspector Derek Throne.

The Amelie-esque contemporary murder mystery series will feature quirky characters,...

BritBox, the subscription video streaming service from BBC Studios and ITV, in which AMC Networks also has a stake, has picked up two U.K. comedies to exclusively stream in the U.S.

Bliss, from David Cross (Arrested Development) and starring Stephen Mangan (Episodes) and Heather Graham (Austin Powers), will be added to the platform in August, with the John Cleese- and Alison Steadman-led ensemble Hold the Sunset following in September.

The pair of rom-coms join BritBox’s first original series The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, which is set to debut July 26. Picking up in 1956, the follow-up to The Bletchley Circle focuses ...

The code-breaking investigators of Britain’s Bletchley Circle are headed to San Francisco for streaming service Britbox’s first original, the first trailer of which was released Monday.

The series is set in the mid-1950s and picks up three years after the end of “The Bletchley Circle,” which went out on PBS in the U.S. The new show follows cryptographers-turned-detectives Jean (Julie Graham) and Millie (Rachel Stirling) as they head to San Francisco to investigate the murder of a friend.

Once in the U.S., the pair teams up with local female code-breakers and tackle an array of mysteries in the Bay Area. BritBox, Omni Films, and World Productions are making the show. The series has four stories, with two hour-long episodes dedicated to each. The trailer sees the team investigating a crime scene in a decrepit house, which they realize is linked to an earlier crime that took place in the U.

Omnifilm Entertainment producing in association with BritBox and World Productions.

Source: BritBox

BritBox, the fledgling Us streaming service from BBC Worldwide and ITV, has unveiled its first original drama series, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco.

A follow-up to The Bletchley Circle mystery drama that aired in the UK on ITV and in the Us on PBS from 2012-2014, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco will be produced by Omnifilm Entertainment in association with BritBox and World Productions, producer of the original show

Set in 1956, the new series will follow two of the original’s lead characters (played by Rachel Stirling and Julie Graham) as they travel to America and join forces with two code-breakers to tackle a string of murder cases.

The series, whose premiere date has not been announced, will be formatted as four stories spanning two episodes each.

Also on BritBox’s 2018 slate are: Maigret, ITV’s adaptation of the books by Georges Simenon with [link=nm...

Amazon’s Good Omens has cast Beelzebub and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse — but there’s a Catch… actor involved.

The Catch‘s Mireille Enos and The Originals‘ Yusuf Gatewood will play the Horsemen of War and Famine, respectively, in Amazon’s forthcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s novel, TVLine has learned.

RelatedJon Hamm Joins Amazon’s Good Omens in Expanded Angelic Role

“A script this clever, this smart, this current is very rare,” Enos said via statement. “How could I turn down playing one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse??? Especially with the incredible

group...

Hot on the heels of a season finale that scored its largest audience ever, Line Of Duty producer World Productions has been acquired by ITV. The British broadcaster has taken a majority stake in the company which is also responsible for such programs as The Bletchley Circle, Dark Angel, In Plain Sight, Code Of A Killer and The Great Train Robbery. World CEO Roger Charteris will step down from his position with Creative Director Simon Heath assuming the Chief Executive…...

A&E will offer a Stateside home to The Frankenstein Chronicles, a six-episode period mystery/crime drama commissioned by the UK’s ITV and produced by Rainmark Films.

RelatedUnforgettable Season 4 Premiere Date (on A&E!) Announced

Set in 1827 London, the miniseries follows Inspector John Marlott (Legends‘ Sean Bean) as he makes the horrific discovery that a child’s corpse is actually a grotesque assembly of human body parts.

Marlott commences a hunt for the person behind this abomination, taking him into the dark corners of Georgian London, an underworld of prostitution, drug smuggling, body-snatching, murder for profit and other vices.

To coincide with Agatha Christie's 125th anniversary, BBC One and Lifetime are teaming up for an all-star mini-series based on arguably the Grand Dame of mystery's most famous work - "And Then There Were None".

Set on the eve of World War Two, the story follows ten strangers with dubious pasts who are lured to an isolated rock near the Devon coast in southern England. Cut off from the mainland, their host is mysteriously absent.

A recording starts with each accused of a terrible crime. As each member of the party starts to mysteriously die one-by-one every few hours, the survivors realise one of them is a killer and start to turn on each other.

This time out the ensemble will be: Charles Dance ("Game of Thrones"), Sam Neill ("Jurassic Park"), Toby Stephens ("Black Sails"), Aidan Turner ("The Hobbit"), Miranda Richardson ("Harry Potter"), Anna Maxwell Martin ("The Bletchley Circle...

Channel 5 will air Spike's epic drama series Tut.

The six-hour miniseries was shot on location in Morocco and tells the story of Pharaoh Tutankhamun's rise to power and leadership of Egypt.

Channel 5's acquisitions manager Sebastian Cardwell said: "Tut is event television at its best.

"The series reveals the story behind one of history's biggest figures and is filled with epic high drama. I'm sure it'll be a hit with Channel 5 audiences."

Tut stars Ben Kingsley as Vizier Ay, the Prime Minister of the Egyptian Empire. Avan Jogia plays the title role of Tut.

The series also features Sibylla Deen, Alexander Siddig, Kylie Bunbury, Peter Gadiot, Iddo Goldberg and Nonso Anozie.

It premieres in the Us on Spike on July 19, with the UK premiere to follow soon after.

The acquisition of the exclusive UK rights is Channel 5's largest from one of its Us sister networks since its takeover by Viacom last year.

ITV is working on a new event series based around the discovery of Tutankhamun.

The four-part drama - from The Bletchley Circle writer Guy Burt - will tell the compelling true story of how Howard Carter came to discover the tomb of Ancient Egypt's boy-king.

Carter's incredible story will begin in 1905 as he leads an expedition to find lost treasures in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.

However, he finds himself living rough when his license to dig is revoked, and he is forced to sell his previous finds in order to survive.

An unlikely friendship with a British aristocrat named Lord Carnavon brings Carter back to archaeology, and helps him make one of the most significant discoveries of the modern age.

The drama will be executive produced by ITV Studios' Creative Director of Drama, Francis Hopkinson, who has previously worked on Home Fires, Jekyll & Hyde and Wallander.

She said:...

"Batman: The Animated Series" What Is It? Those who love the Dark Knight or comics in general would be hard pressed to miss out on the classic "Batman: The Animated Series," a ‘90s cartoon show that brought the caped crusader and his famous exploits to modern times. Its animation, complexity and the remarkable voices of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill resulted in praise by critics and fans alike, winning numerous Emmy's and affirming Batman's richness. Watch It If You Like: "Daredevil" (Netflix), "The Dark Knight Trilogy," Sophisticated Cartoons Where You Can Watch It: Amazon Prime "The Bletchley Circle"What Is It? Seven years after the end of World War II, four women who worked as codebreakers adjust to lives devoted to domesticity and keeping their past secret. While they find boredom in the repetitiveness, a string of murders bands the women together to find the killer, all while keeping their investigation from their husbands.

With T-minus three days until season 2 of HBO's crime anthology True Detective premieres, the hype has never been higher.

True Detective was a runaway success with its dark storyline, stunning cinematography and contribution to the McConaissance.

But there are plenty more spellbinding murder mysteries out there. Here are five TV shows, all available on Netflix, prime for binging while you wait for True Detective. Plus, they all feature a new addition the HBO series: a strong female lead.

Top of the Lake

This seven-episode miniseries tells the story of Police Inspector Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss), who returns to her small...

ITV has set the cast for three-part drama Midwinter Of The Spirit which is to air on its ITV Encore pay service. Anna Maxwell-Martin (The Bletchley Circle) will play Merrily Watkins, a single mother who isn't your average country vicar — she's also one of the few female priests working as an exorcist. David Threlfall (Code Of A Killer) plays Rev Huw Owen, a deliverance ministry tutor and Merrily's mentor. Also featured are Downton Abbey and Happy Valley's Siobhan…...

ITV has found their Beowulf in the form of Da Vinci's Demons' Kieran Bew. Step this way for more casting news and a first look at the set...

ITV is getting in on Game Of Thrones' swords-and-dragons action with its forthcoming Beowulf series, a thirteen-part adventure due to arrive later this year.

The show, which is set to occupy similiar Anglo-Saxon territory as the BBC's new The Last Kingdom and The History Channel's Vikings, has announced its cast. Taking the title role of heroic monster-hunter Beowulf is Kieran Bew (Da Vinci's Demons, The Bletchley Circle), joined by William Hurt (The Host, Dark City) as legendary Danish king Hrothgar, Joanne Whalley (Wolf Hall, The Borgias) as Rheda, Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey) as Slean, David Ajala as Rate, and more.

The official press bumf describes the series as "essentially, a western set in the Dark Ages of Britain's mythic past", to...

ITV has set a large ensemble to join Sean Bean in six-part period crime drama The Frankenstein Chronicles. Rainmark Films is producing the “thrilling and terrifying” re-imagining of the Frankenstein myth that blends the investigation and horror genres. Bean plays Inspector John Marlott who is on a terrifying journey in pursuit of a chilling and diabolical foe. Joining Bean are Anna Maxwell Martin (Philomena, The Bletchley Circle), Charlie Creed-Miles (Peaky Blinders), Ed…...

Bertie Carvel has revealed that his portrayal of Nick Clegg will be a "portrait" rather than an impression.

The Babylon actor will play the Deputy Prime Minister in the upcoming Channel 4 drama Coalition, which charts the dramatic rise of the Liberal Democrat leader.

Speaking to Digital Spy about taking on the role, he said: "The idea of perfecting Nick Clegg is interesting. The perfect Nick Clegg is living and breathing and walking this earth. I can't do it better than him.

"That's not my objective really, I think I can only fail if I were trying to perfect it. What I'm trying to perfect is the Nick Clegg we see in our drama, which doesn't involve an awful lot of looking at the real him.

"It's a portrait, not a lithograph. It's a perspective, and I really hope that it has integrity."

Carvel also said that he "admires" politicians...

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"How To Train Your Dragon 2"

This sequel to the popular DreamWorks animated film isn't quite as winning as the original, but the adventures of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless still manage to please. Gerard Butler returns as the voice of Hiccup's dad Stoick, with Djimon Hounsou as the voice of a baddie named Drago and Cate Blanchett as a mysterious dragon rider named Valka.

"Tammy"

Melissa McCarthy co-wrote this comedy/drama with her husband Ben Falcone, who also directs. Marketed as a broad comedy with lots of physical humor, "Tammy" has more to it than McCarthy's pratfalls and naughty humor. Susan Sarandon co-stars as Tammy's alcoholic grandmother Pearl, who accompanies Tammy on an ill-fated road trip. This included...

Mark Gatiss has signed up to play Labour politician Peter Mandelson in new Channel 4 political drama Coalition.

The Sherlock and League of Gentlemen actor will be joined by Babylon's Bertie Carvel as Nick Clegg, The Bletchley Circle's Mark Dexter as David Cameron and Ian Grieve (The Confessions of Gordon Brown) as Gordon Brown.

Coalition follows the moments which led to Clegg rising from outsider in the 2010 general election to the man who would decide the political fate of the country.

As a politician who was living in the shadow of Cameron and Brown, Clegg found himself in the powerful position of having to choose whether to ally his party with Labour or the Conservatives following the public's election votes.

Coalition is written by James Graham, who previously worked on Privacy, This House and Tory Boyz.

BAFTA-winning director Alex Holmes, who helmed Dunkirk and House of Saddam, will direct the 90-minute single drama.

Glue, the highly-anticipated new drama series created and written by BAFTA-winning writer Jack Thorne, comes to E4 on Monday 15th September at 10:00pm.

Set in a small village called Overton, it's about the murder of a boy, and how it affects his friends and the community that they live in.

Yasmine Paige plays Ruth Rosen, a 20 year old provisional police officer from a Romany background. She and her Romany mum are estranged from the travelling community, but that doesn’t stop Ruth. Not much does. Not being a young single mum, or the fact that she lives in the same village as a group of friends who no longer talk to her. She’s made of stronger stuff, or at least she thinks she is. Yasmine (represented by Curtis Brown), starred in the critically-acclaimed Submarine, and was named as a Screen International Star of Tomorrow in 2010.

Charlotte Spencer plays 19 year old Tina Fallon.

Lucy Lawless' character and more roles from Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2 have been revealed...

A few days into filming on Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two - a show that even the most steadfast fan will agree, took a little while to find its feet - a bunch of new characters and actors have been announced.

First up is the role played by geek favourite, Lucy Lawless, that of Isabelle Hartley, described in Variety as "a tough, longtime S.H.I.E.L.D. veteran who is good with a knife."

Next comes UK actor Nick Blood (Trollied, Him & Her, The Bletchley Circle), who'll be playing "mercenary Lance Hunter", a character "best known for being the director of S.T.R.I.K.E., a British intelligence agency that worked with Captain America and Captain Britain to defeat Red Skull".

Next for the newcomers we have Reed Diamond,...

Is S.H.I.E.L.D. destined to meet S.T.R.I.K.E.?

It was announced on Friday at the San Diego Comic-Con panel for ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that the role of Lance Hunter has been cast for Season 2, to be played by British actor Nick Blood.

Related Can TV’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Not Reassemble Until the May 2015 Avengers Sequel?

Hunter, per Marvel comic lore, has served as director of S.T.R.I.K.E. (Special Tactical Reserve for International Key Emergencies), a sort of across-the-pond version of S.

A bunch of great British talent has signed on for supporting roles in Bill Condon's retired Sherlock Holmes drama "Mr. Holmes" at AI Film, Archer Gray, See-Saw Films and BBC Films.

Set in post-war England, the story sees a retired Holmes (Ian McKellen) troubled by both his diminishing mental faculties and the devastation he witnessed on a recent trip to Japan. The great detective attempts to solve the case that forced him into retirement.

Already announced are Laura Linney as Holmes' housekeeper Mrs. Munro and Hiroyuki Sanada as Umezaki. Joining them are Hattie Morahan ("The Bletchley Circle," "Outnumbered"), Roger Allam ("V for Vendetta," "The Thick of It"), Phil Davis ("Whitechapel," "Vera Drake"), Frances de la Tour ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "The History Boys"), Patrick Kennedy ("Boardwalk Empire," "Atonement"), and newcomer Milo Parker ("Ghosthunters: On Icy Trails") who will play Mrs. Munro's son.

Jeffrey Hatcher adapted the...

Previously collaborating on "Kinsey," "The Fifth Estate" and "The Big C," Laura Linney and filmmaker Bill Condon are reuniting again for the upcoming retired Sherlock Holmes tale "A Slight Trick Of The Mind" for Archer Gray Productions and See-Saw Films.

Set in post-war England, the story sees a retired Holmes (Ian McKellen) troubled by both his diminishing mental faculties and the devastation he witnessed on a recent trip to Japan.

The great detective attempts to solve the case that forced him into retirement and uncover the mysteries of life and love.

Linney will portray the Holmes' housekeeper Mrs Munro. Hattie Morahan ("The Bletchley Circle") has also joined the cast.

Jeffrey Hatcher adapted the screenplay from Mitch Cullin's novel of the same name. Shooting begins this summer in the UK.

Source: Screen...

Tom Hardy is "amazing" in series two of Peaky Blinders, actress Sophie Rundle has said.

The Dark Knight Rises star will play a guest role in the BAFTA-winning drama's next run.

"Sometimes with second series, people think it won't be as good as the first, but [his casting has] just taken it to a whole new level," Rundle - who plays Ada Shelby - told Digital Spy. "It's brilliant that he's done it."

The actress revealed that Hardy worked closely with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight to create his character.

"I was sort of trying to stalk him around the set, because he's just brilliant," Rundle joked. "He's done legendary work and all the boys were just fan-girling over him - the stuff he's done in this show is just amazing!"

Peaky Blinders will return to BBC Two in late 2014.

Sophie Rundle stars in Happy Valley - beginning tonight at 9pm on BBC One.

The Bletchley Circle star Sophie Rundle has admitted that she was "gutted" by the show's axing.

ITV announced earlier this month that the period mystery would not be returning for a third series.

"It was a real shame because we would've loved to have come back," Rundle - who played Lucy - told Digital Spy. "I think we were all gutted."

However, the actress admitted that the cancellation by ITV was "not totally unexpected".

"In the climate that we're in at the moment, it's really hard to get shows re-commissioned," she said. "Doing a second series was a complete bonus - we only thought we were doing a one-off drama."

The Bletchley Circle aired seven episodes across two series between September 2012 and January 2014.

Sophie Rundle stars in Happy Valley - beginning tonight at 9pm on BBC One.

Sophie Rundle talks Happy Valley: "It's a dark subject matter"

Watch a...

News Louisa Mellor 16 Apr 2014 - 06:55

ITV has cancelled its 1950s codebreakers drama, Bletchley Circle...

We may not have covered The Bletchley Circle on this site, but any show whose official Twitter handle is @ladynerds surely falls under the protection of our geek umbrella.

After two short seasons, ITV's women-led 1950s-set codebreakers drama has been cancelled. The series starred Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachel Stirling, Sophie Rundle and Julie Graham as former WWII Bletchley Park codebreakers, using their considerable nous in post-war civilian life to solve crimes.

A four-episode second series of the drama ran earlier this year, and despite it hanging on to an average of 4.9 million viewers each week, ITV appears to have called time on the female investigators. The Twitter response to the cancellation has been characterised by disappointment, with messages displaying quite understandable "There are obviously already too many women geniuses being awesome on TV" frustration. 

Anyone...

The Bletchley Circle will not return for a third series, ITV has confirmed.

The period drama, starring Anna Maxwell-Martin, Rachael Stirling and Julie Graham, was set in the early 1950s and focused on four women who worked at the wartime code-breaking centre Bletchley Park.

News of the show's cancellation broke on Twitter, with cast members including Julie Graham encouraging viewers to protest the decision.

ITV has since confirmed to Digital Spy that the series, which launched in 2012, has not been re-commissioned.

A second series of the drama aired earlier this year, with the broadcaster describing The Bletchley Circle as a "wonderful addition to our drama slate" when announcing the new run in May 2013.

ITV's Director of Drama Commissioning Steve November added at the time: "We're delighted that it's returning to ITV with two new and exciting stories."...

The Jump concluded with a series low score on Monday night, according to overnight ratings.

The Channel 4 winter sport competition dipped to 1.56 million (6.4%) at 9pm, with an added 194,000 (1.2%) tuning in on +1. Earlier, Food Unwrapped was seen by 1.22m (5.0%) at 8.30pm (122k/0.5% on +1).

On ITV, new drama Dci Banks appealed to 5.73m (23.2%) at 9pm (321k/1.9%). This is over 2 million higher than The Bletchley Circle in the same slot last week. A Great Welsh Adventure gathered 3.14m (13.9%) at 8pm (119k/0.5%).

BBC One's Panorama interested 2.29m (9.4%) at 8.30pm, followed by Britain's Great War with 3.13m (12.7%) at 9pm.

On BBC Two, University Challenge quizzed 2.79m (11.6%) at 8pm, while Food and Drink entertained 2.30m (9.4%) at 8.30pm. A Horizon special on sinkholes fascinated 1.95m (7.9%) at 9pm.

Channel 5's Big Benefits Row live debate brought in 1.85m (7.5%) at 8pm (278k/1.6%), followed by the latest Helix with 587k (3.4%) at 9pm.

On BBC Three, documentary Growing Up Down's was seen by 224k (0.9%) at 9pm.

Benefits Street kept above 4 million viewers for Channel 4 on Monday, according to overnight data.

The controversial series dipped by around 400,000 viewers to 4.09m (16.9%) at 9pm (717k/4.5% on +1).

Earlier, The Jump dropped 200k from Sunday's opener to 2.07m (8.6%) at 8pm (234k/1.0%). Documentary Three Wives, One Husband was seen by 1.80m (11.0%) at 10pm (300k/3.5%).

BBC One's new Jeremy Paxman series Britain's Great War topped the ratings outside of soaps with 4.23m (17.4%) at 9pm.

On BBC Two, Paxman's University Challenge quizzed 2.79m (11.7%) at 8pm, followed by Food and Drink with 2.14m (8.9%) at 8.30pm.

ITV's Great Welsh Adventure gathered 3.49m (14.6%) at 8pm (146k/0.6%), while The Bletchley Circle concluded with 3.65m (15.0%) at 9pm (240k/1.5%).

On Channel 5, Police Interceptors brought in 907k (3.8%) at 8pm. Celebrity Big Brother entertained 2.60m (10.7%) at 9pm (248k/1.5%), followed by Helix with 626k (3.8%) at 10pm (128k/1.4%).

Benefits Street climbed once again in the overnight ratings for Channel 4 on Monday night.

The controversial documentary series rose by around 200,000 viewers to 4.51 million (18.4%) at 9pm, with an added 772k (4.6%) on +1.

Earlier, Food Unwrapped interested 2.07m (8.3%) at 8.30pm (179k/0.7% on +1), while My Baggy Body intrigued 1.97m (11.7%) at 10pm (437k/5.2%).

BBC One's The One Show was the most-watched programme outside of soaps with 4.92m (22.8%) at 7pm. A New Tricks repeat gathered 2.68m (10.9%) at 9pm. Panorama appealed to 1.88m (7.5%) at 8.30pm.

On BBC Two, University Challenge quizzed 3.21m (13.1%) at 8pm, followed by Winterwatch with 2.79m (11.2%) at 8.30pm. Russia on Four Wheels brought in 1.53m (7.0%) at 9.30pm.

ITV's Great Welsh Adventure was seen by 3.55m (14.5%) at 8pm (143k/0.6%), while The Bletchley Circle dipped by around 200k to 3.73m (15.2%) at 9pm (195k/1.1%).

On Channel 5, Celebrity Big Brother continued with 2.33m (9.5%) at 9pm (269k/1.6%), followed by the first episode of Helix with 959k (6.9%) at...

The Great Sport Relief Bake Off: BBC Two, 8.30pm

This celebrity edition of the baking show phenomenon sees Sue Perkins host as stars including Harry Potter's Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) and radio presenter Johnny Vaughan show off their best sandwich biscuits and tarte tatin.

The Bletchley Circle: ITV, 9pm

The second series of the 1950s mystery drama continues, as the women of the Circle face a battle to save Alice (Hattie Morahan) from the gallows. Evidence they find begins to suggest a high-level conspiracy may be involved...

Uncle: BBC Three, 10pm

This brand new sitcom sees out-of-work musician Andy (Nick Helm) forming an unwilling bond with his 12-year-old nephew Errol (Elliot Spencer-Gillott), which soon leads to an unexpected adventure involving a fake injury and a trip to a gay club.

The 7.39 came out on top in the drama ratings battle on Monday evening, according to overnight data.

The BBC One drama starring David Morrissey and Sheridan Smith was seen by 5.66 million viewers (22.6%) at 9pm. Earlier, A Question of Sport entertained 3.50m (14.0%) at 8.30pm.

ITV's returning drama series The Bletchley Circle opened to 4.11m (15.4%) at 9pm (389,000/2.2% on +1). Griff Rhys Jones's Great Welsh Adventure appealed to 3.71m (15.1%) at 8pm (169k/0.7%).

On BBC Two, University Challenge quizzed 3.13m (12.7%) at 8pm, followed by Sacred Wonders of Britain with 1.85m (7.3%) at 8.30pm.

Channel 4's new series Benefits Street attracted an impressive 3.61m (14.4%) at 9pm (695k/4.0%). Food Unwrapped's diet special brought in 1.82m (7.3%) at 8pm (222k/0.9%), and documentary Secrets of the Living Dolls interested 1.98m (11.4%) at 10pm (363k/3.9%).

On Channel 5, The Gadget Show gathered 716k (2.9%) at 8pm, followed by the latest Celebrity Big Brother with 2.08m (8.3%) at 9pm (351k/2.0%). Celebrity Wedding Planner was seen by 579k (3.3%) at 10pm.

The 7.39: BBC One, 9pm

A top-quality cast - including David Morrissey, Sheridan Smith and Olivia Colman - star in a two-part tale of commuter love. Penned by One Day writer David Nicholls, The 7.39 concludes tomorrow night at 9pm.

The Bletchley Circle: ITV, 9pm

ITV's underrated period mystery drama returns with the first of four new episodes. Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Sophie Rundle and Julie Graham lead the cast, with Doctor Who's Paul McGann guest starring as scientist John Richards.

Revenge: E4, 9pm

Soapy and silly, the Us thriller starring Emily VanCamp is back for a third season, with the arrival of Victoria's son - played by Smallville's Justin Hartley - causing trouble in the Hamptons.

Want to make sure you don't miss anything great on the telly in the next seven days? Never fear, because Tube Talk has done all the hard work for you and smushed all of this week's must-see TV into one snappy rundown. Check out what you should be checking out below...

The 7.39: Monday (January 6) at 9pm on BBC One

We've had plenty of rush hour arguments with fellow commuters before (the people who order everyone to "Move down, please" when there's clearly nowhere to move are particularly frustrating), and all they've done is ensured we've arrived at work in a foul mood. They've certainly never been the starting point for a passionate love affair.

But in The 7.39, which comes from One Day author David Nicholls, a row over an empty train seat is the 'meet-cute' for David Morrissey and Sheridan Smith's characters. As it becomes evident that they have chemistry,...

The Bletchley Circle Season 2. ITV

The crime fighting code-breakers are back on 6 January for The Bletchley Circle season two. The hit ITV drama, returns with two all-new stories each consisting of two 60 minute episodes. In the first story, Bletchley veteran Alice Merren (Hattie Morahan) is accused of murder. As she awaits trial, her former colleagues set about trying to identify the real culprit.

Season one regulars Julie Graham, Sophie Rundle, Anna Maxwell-Martin and Rachael Stirling all return for season 2. Season one aired on some PBS affiliates in the U.S. and is currently available through Netflix. Click the link below for a preview of the new season.

N Conrad

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A trailer for the second series of The Bletchley Circle has been released by ITV.

The mystery drama - which stars Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Sophie Rundle and Julie Graham - returns for a new series on Monday (January 6).

Outnumbered's Hattie Morahan joins the cast for the new series, which will be comprised of a pair of two-part stories written by series creator Guy Burt.

Set a year on from the first series in 1953, Jean (Graham), Susan (Martin), Millie (Stirling) and Lucy (Rundle) reunite when former Bletchley Park colleague Alice Merren (Morahan) is accused of murder.

ITV described The Bletchley Circle as a "wonderful addition to our drama slate" when announcing the second series last May.

ITV's Director of Drama Commissioning Steve November said: "The Bletchley Circle is a wonderful addition to our drama slate last year and we're delighted that it's returning to ITV with two new and exciting stories.

Yes, returning shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Good Wife, Borgen, Parenthood, and others were aces this year. But this is all about the newcomers. At BuzzFeed, you can read my latest feature, "The 16 Best New Television Shows Of 2013," in which I offer up my picks for the best new shows of the year, including Rectify, Orange Is the New Black, The Returned, Masters of Sex, Broadchurch, and Orphan Black, to name a few. 16. Bates Motel (A&E) The story of Norman Bates — recounted in Alfred Hitchcock’s jangling Psycho — is only too familiar to most people. But under the watchful eye of executive producers Kerry Ehrin and Carlton Cuse, the Twin Peaks-esque Bates Motel offers a fresh look at Norman’s formative years (despite the fact that the series is set in the present day and in a different location), including his relationship with his overbearing, quixotic mother,...

The Wrong Mans

James Corden’s (Gavin and Stacey) hilarious 24 spoof, The Wrong Mans is now available exclusively on Hulu Plus. The six part comedy series recently aired in the UK and received rave reviews before making its way across the pond. While AcornTV still dominate the rapidly expanding British TV streaming market in the U.S., Hulu and Netflix have recently expanded their line up of UK shows. The Netflix line up now includes Philip Glenister’s Hidden, John Simm’s Exile and the recently aired PBS/ITV hit drama The Bletchley Circle. Click below for a sample of Hulu’s latest offering.

Written by N Conrad

Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter. You can also find us on Google+ by clicking here.

Fans of The Bletchley Circle have got quite awhile to wait before they can see season two. PBS has announced that the second season will debut on April 13th at 10pm. There are just four episodes and the finale will air on May 4th.

The Bletchley Circle follows four ordinary women (Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Sophie Rundle, and Julie Graham) who have the extraordinary ability to break codes. They honed this skill during World War II when they worked undercover at Bletchley Park, site of the United Kingdom’s main decryption establishment. Following the war, the women use their code-breaking abilities to solve crimes in post-war London.

What do you think? Did you watch the first season? Do you plan on checking out season two?...

Press Release: PBS announced today its slate of Winter/Spring 2014 programs, including the long-awaited return of Masterpiece “Sherlock, Season 3” starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the legendary British sleuth, on Sunday, January 19 at 10 p.m. Et. The highly acclaimed “Sherlock” follows Season 4 of “Downton Abbey,” which debuts with eight new episodes January 5 on Masterpiece. The two shows bolster Sunday night as a hallmark of British drama on PBS, whose ratings that night have grown 26 percent (8-11 pm, 2011-12 season: 9/19/2011-9/23/2012 to 2012-13 season: 9/24/2012-9/22/2013) season over season. The schedule also reinforces PBS’ move into 10 p.m. programming on several key nights.

PBS also announced a number of new programs, including the real-life adventure series Chasing Shackleton, the broadcast premieres of biopics “Salinger” on American Masters (about the reclusive Catcher in the Rye author) and Hawking, an intimate portrait of physicist Stephen Hawking’s extraordinary life and career, along with a roster of...