Got a craving for some female-fronted comedy? We’ve got just the thing. Dinosaur, produced by the same team that brought us Fleabag and thriller series TheTourist.
It drops this weekend, and we’re recommending it for your spring-time watchlist. We see serious (and literal) sisterhood vibes here, a coming-of-age story told through the prism of navigating life as an autistic woman, showcasing the importance of family and friendship.
Here’s everything we know about Dinosaur.
Mark Mainz
What is Dinosaur about?
The plot synopsis for the comedy series reads as follows: “Nina’s world is shaken when her sister Evie, also her best friend, hastily decides to get engaged, threatening to upend the dynamics of their close relationship.”
It will navigate Nina’s journey as she grapples with what her sister’s impulsive decision will mean for her own life, as she encounters challenges in her career as a palaeontologist and her own new significant relationship with Lee, a kind-hearted man that she forges a close bond with.
Basically, it’s about a neurodivergent woman working out all the things we all have to in life: love, relationships, careers, family – told with a dry Scottish humour.
“Dinosaur is a coming of age series exploring those moments of change we experience in the various relationships in our life including sisterhood, friendship and romance,” the show’s plot synopsis adds. Sounds delightful.
BBC/Two Brothers
Who is in the Dinosaur cast?
Nina will be played by Scottish comedian Ashley Storrie, while Kat Ronney will play Evie. You may recognise It’s A Sin star David Garlyle and Bridgerton‘s Lorn Macdonald (who will play Lee).
British businessman Mohamed Amersi has won lost the first hurdle in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
Amersi, who is a Conservative party donor, sued the BBC after its flagship documentary series “Panorama” accused him of being “involved in one of Europe’s biggest corruption scandals.” He also sued over an article published on the BBC News website on Oct. 4, 2021.
According to the documentary makers, he was “involved” in a suspicious $220 million payment made to an offshore company 14 years ago. They found his name in the Pandora Papers leak, which detailed numerous offshore financial firms in far-flung locations, including Panama and Singapore.
According to the BBC program, Amersi was implicated in a bribe involving the daughter of former Uzbekistan president Islam Karmov. At one point, even the U.S. Department of Justice was involved in tracking the dealings of a Swedish telecoms company called Telia for whom Amersi worked as a consultant between 2007 and 2013.
“Panorama” worked on the investigation alongside the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the Guardian. The documentary aired in October 2021.
In Amersi’s lawsuit, which was filed in October 2023, he said his “established reputation as an anti-corruption campaigner” has been “seriously undermined and damaged” by the documentary.
Amersi was seeking damages up to £100,000, an injunction and an order under s.12 Defamation Act 2013 requiring the publication of a summary of the court’s judgment.
“I came away with the impression that the Programme was making very serious allegations about the claimant, his involvement with Telia and the source of his wealth,” the judge said in court documents obtained by Variety.
The BBC can still try and defend the program and article by claiming that their claims were true.
The BBC did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
BBC Studios is launching ‘BBC Kids’ in Korea as a monthly subscription service on Genie TV Kids Land, a dedicated IPTV service for young children, in collaboration with telecoms and internet service provider KT. Through the partnership, BBC Studios Asia will bring a wide range of children’s content to Korean audiences, in one place for the first time. The service will feature a mix of content in English language as well as a variety of popular titles dubbed into Korean for the first time. Titles available include seasons 1-4 of BAFTA- and Emmy- award-winning pre-school animation series “Hey Duggee” on Genie TV Kids Land among IPTVs. Series 4 is exclusive to this service in Korea, “Andy’s Global Adventures,” “Yakka Dee,” “Go Jetters,” “Sarah & Duck,” and “My World Kitchen.” The service will be available for KRW5,000 ($3.70) per month.
SONG’S BONDS
Song Kang-ho (“Parasite,” “Snowpiercer”) stars in “Uncle Samsik,” a political thriller series set to launch on the Disney+ streaming platform from May 15. Set in the 1960s, the show follows an ambitious idealist who is driven to turn his country’s industrial fortunes around. He attracts the attentions of Uncle Samsik, a shady fixer and social chameleon. The pair form an uneasy alliance, navigating the complexities of the established system, united by their shared goal of a prosperous future.
Written and directed by Shin Yeonshick (“Cassiopeia,” “Romans 8:37”), the show also stars Byun Yohan (“Mr. Sunshine,” “Six Flying Dragons”). The streamer will release the show’s first five episodes on May 15, followed by two episodes a week until a three-part season finale on June 19. It will also be available on Hulu in the U.S.
BUNNY BOUNCE
Box office in Hong Kong over the four-day Easter weekend (Friday to Monday) bounced by 22% compared with the same time last year. According to data from Hong Kong Box Office Ltd., theatrical revenues reached HK$36.8 million ($4.72 million), compared with HK$30.1 in 2023.
The chart was led by “We 12,” a local film starring the members of Hong Kong’s Cantopop boy band Mirror. The film earned HK$13.2 million ($1.70 million) over the long weekend, comfortably ahead of “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” (with HK$9.82 million) and “Kung Fu Panda 4” (with HK$5.38 million).
FREE FLOWN
Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-government funded broadcast and online news operation, has closed its editorial office in Hong Kong. The company said on Friday that it has shut down its bureau as a reaction to the new Article 23 National Security Law which came into effect on March 23. RFA will keep its media registration in the city.
The law, which is addition to the National Security Law injected into Hong Kong’s mini constitution in July 2020, imposes severe punishments for interference by foreign forces deemed to threaten national security and criminalizes the possession or disclosure of state secrets. These can include economic and social issues. It also criminalizes sedition.
The Hong Kong government has criticized RFA, the BBC and other news organizations for their reporting about the new law. It says that it was its constitutional duty to enact the new law, rejects claims that Article 23 restricts personal freedoms or is substantially different from security laws in other developed territories.
WARNER CONSUMER
Vikram Sharma has been named group VP, head of consumer products, APAC, effective April 1. Sharma will report to Robert Oberschelp, head of Warner Bros. Discovery Global consumer products, and part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s revenue & strategy division headed by chief revenue & strategy officer Bruce Campbell.
Sharma will lead the APAC region of WBDGCP following longtime global consumer product executive Julian Moon’s previously announced retirement after 33 years with the company. He will be based in Singapore and continue to work closely with WBD’s head of APAC, James Gibbons.
Sharma has been with WBD for five years, working and leading teams in consumer products and licensing, ad sales, and partnership roles. Previously, he spent nearly nine years in similar roles with increasing responsibility in India and Southeast Asia at The Walt Disney Company.
SHANGHAI SWING
The Shanghai International Film Festival has confirmed the dates for its 2024 edition. It will take place June 14-23 and hold its Golden Goblet Awards ceremony on June 22.
In addition to the main competition section for feature films, the festival will operate: a short film section targeting films of five minutes in length; a science-fiction film week; the SIFF Young x Shanghai Young Filmmakers Support Program; and a market section that will also play host to seminars and conferences.
NO YOLK
Syracuse, New York-based The Dazey Phase has come on board as international sales agent for “Egghead & Twinkie,” a coming-of-age comedy film about coming out of the closet. Claiming to be the first feature film funded by TikTok, the film was directed by Sarah Kambe Holland and recently won the best comedy vanguard feature prize at the Austin Film Festival. The Dazey Phase first joined as consulting producers during the film’s post-production phase. The company was founded in 2021 by siblings Jake (“And Just Like That…”) and Eva Casey (“Stronghold”) with Danielle Benedict (“Hell Is Empty,” “Aloo”) joining the following year as head of business strategy & operations.
The Gladiatorsreboot, which has proved a huge hit for the BBC, has been handed a second season.
Ahead of this weekend’s final, the BBC said its first episode is now its biggest entertainment launch for nearly a decade and has almost reached 10M viewers after 28 days.
The first series hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh has seen 16 new superhuman Gladiators: Sabre, Legend, Nitro, Diamond, Phantom, Athena, Bionic, Fire, Giant, Dynamite, Viper, Electro, Apollo, Comet, Steel and Fury quickly become household names as viewers cheer on favorites as they compete against contenders in iconic events such as duel and powerball, culminating in the iconic eliminator.
Gladiators was a hit for ITV in the 1990s but hadn’t been on British screens for nearly 25 years apart from a brief return in 2008. The commission came alongside a string of reboots that have garnered varying degrees of success including Big Brother, Survivor and Deal or No Deal.
“Gladiators has really kicked this year off with a bang, and we’re so delighted that the fans have come to the show in their masses,” said BBC entertainment boss Kalpna Patel-Knight.
The UK series was produced by Hungry Bear Media and Amazon’s MGM Alternative UK, while the American original was created by Johnny C. Ferraro and Dan Carr. EPs are Dan Baldwin and Lou Brown for Hungry Bear and Dom Bird and Barry Poznick for MGM Alternative. The commissioning editor for the BBC is Clodagh O’Donoghue.
Throughout season 13, Death in Paradise dropped many hints that Detective Inspector Neville Parker (Ralf Little) was ready to say goodbye to Saint Marie. But will he truly leave? Or did recent developments make him change his mind?
The U.K. has currently seen two more episodes of Death in Paradise season 13 than the U.S., so for those of you reading this in the States, be warned, there are spoilers ahead!
**Spoilers ahead for Death in Paradise season 13, episodes 5-8**
It’s no secret that DI Neville Parker has been unlucky in the romance department. He’s either fallen for the wrong person, or his feelings were unrequited. At the end of season 12, Neville was horrifically betrayed, and in season 13, he has had a hard time overcoming that betrayal. A brief online dalliance with a woman who turned out to be his ex-girlfriend hasn’t helped, either. And yet, after all that, Neville realized that he still wanted to try and find love, but that staying in his little bubble on Saint Marie may not help him find it. There’s no denying that he’s much braver than he used to be.
Boldly, Neville proclaimed that he would leave Saint Marie and begin traveling, but the reappearance of DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert), whom Neville was in love with until she was forced into Witness Protection, could have been enough to change his mind. Despite the show insinuating that Neville got on a plane to leave the island and that he and Florence had missed their chance to reconnect face-to-face in Death in Paradise season 13, episode 7, the final eighth episode satisfyingly resolved everything.
Will Neville Parker return for Death in Paradise season 14?
After Death in Paradise‘s season 13 finale aired on BBC One in the U.K. on Sunday, March 24, the official Death in Paradise X account confirmed that this was Ralf Little’s last episode as the show’s leading DI.
This will undoubtedly be a blow for fans of the show, myself included, as it’s always hard to adjust to a new Detective Inspector, no matter how narratively satisfying the previous iteration’s departure is. Ralf Little is now the longest-serving Death in Paradise DI, too, and his character growth on the show has been astronomical. After the episode aired, Little and Death In Paradise posted a message on Instagram, too, which you can watch below.
When Parker first arrived on the island, he was allergic to literally everything, scared to try new foods, drinks, and experiences, and afraid to put himself out there. Slowly, with the help of his team and friends, he began to open up, becoming a better, more improved version of himself—he’s now empathetic, considerate, humorous, and much more outgoing. It’s been a wonderful journey. Now, he’s headed out on an adventure with Florence by his side, the finale ending with the pair holding hands on a boat as they both literally and figuratively sail off into the sunset. The romance fans have been hoping for has finally been realized.
Earlier, when speaking to RadioTimes.com, Little spoke of his desire to take on a more complex, perhaps even villainous, role, which might be one of the reasons he decided to move on from the show:
“I’ve mostly made a career out of playing quite likeable characters and I’ve loved it,” he said. “The characters I’m mostly known for are likeable, decent, lovable characters. But people are complex and I’d really love to do something very different.”
With Marlon (Tahj Miles) having already left at the end of season 13, episode 5, it looks like viewers may need to get used to more than one new cast member next season.
So, who will lead Saint Marie’s police force next in Death in Paradise season 14? Only time will tell.
El (she/her) has been working as a freelance writer for various entertainment websites for over a year, ever since she completed her Ph.D. in Creative Writing. El’s primary focus is television and movie coverage for The Mary Sue, including British TV and franchises like Marvel, but she is happy to pitch in with gaming content once in a while if it concerns one of the few video games she actually knows anything about. As much as she enjoys analyzing other people’s stories, her biggest dream is to one day publish an original fantasy novel of her own.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh submitted the resignation for his entire government Monday as Israel inches closer to invading Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, located along the border with Egypt. BBC News’ Paul Adams has more.
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The British producer of Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness has sounded the alarm on the state of the UK’s independent film industry.
This comes as the UK enjoys a boom due to respected British craft skills and tax incentives. The recent box office behemoth Barbie was made at Warner Bros studios near Watford, north London, and those studios are being expanded. Netflix is also planning to expand its studio space at Shepperton, south of London. Such investment from overseas translates into a huge boon for local economies and for training, and bringing new talent into the business.
However, veteran producer Mike Goodridge, who made the recent hit Triangle of Sadness, told the BBC’s Today Programme:
“The industry is essentially on its knees. On the upside, British actors, crew, are working at the highest level, but all for American companies. Theoretically, that’s wonderful, however, on a more philosophical level, British stories are not being supported.”
That’s great for the craftspeople, crew and actors being employed, but the independent sector is starting not to be able to afford these people. The prices are being driven up by the American companies.
He reported a conversation he has every day with his crew:
“Shall we shoot in Belgium, or Iceland, anywhere there’s an amazing tax credit? It’s not what we want. We are a nation of storytellers who end up going to Hollywood or struggling to get our films made through the independent system.”
Triangle of Sadness, a comedic satire targeting the thoughtless rich, was made on a production budget of $15.6million, and went on to garner $32.9million in ticket receipts.
The Apprentice returned to BBC One tonight (February 1), with a whole new batch of contestants battling it out for Lord Alan Sugar‘s affections.
Now in its 18th series, the business mogul takes absolutely no prisoners – as this year’s hopefuls will have already discovered.
It’s so intense that, according to series 15 star Thomas Skinner, candidates “don’t even realise the camera crew are there”.
Here, speaking exclusively to ED! on behalf of Sky Casino, Tom tells us what happens when the cameras stop rolling, from boardroom to bedroom and back again…
Alan Sugar and The Apprentice cast of 2024 (Credit: BBC)
The Apprentice stars given a very early wake-up call
Life as a contestant on BBC series The Apprentice starts very early in the day. Or, should we say, in the middle of the night.
“You wake up about three or four in the morning, you do a filming shot of getting into the minibuses, then you go and see Lord Sugar at the start of the tasks, and he tells you what you have to do,” Tom explained.
Viewers see Lord Sugar calling The Apprentice house, waking the contestants up. However, Tom revealed that’s not entirely the case.
“You get 20 minutes after the phone rings to get ready to do the task. But they do tell you the night before what time the phone will ring so you can set your alarm for half an hour earlier to start getting ready,” he said.
The tasks
Tom – who is a dad of three – told us: “One task takes three days on The Apprentice. Then, literally the next couple of days, you’re actually doing the task and everything that you do has got to be filmed on camera. If it’s not filmed on camera, it doesn’t count on the show.”
And, while the contestants do have phones to communicate with each other, that’s all they can use them for. When it comes to tasks, it’s all about brain power – and reading a map!
“You can’t use internet or phones – you can’t use nothing. They take your phones off you before you go in the house, so you’ve got to just use your head!”
Inside the boardroom on BBC One series The Apprentice
“A boardroom on The Apprentice takes a few hours, but on the show you’re only in there for 20 minutes,” said Tom.
“They have to re-film bits if they don’t get it right. I’d just sit there, be confident and talk when you have to talk,” he said, offering advice to this year’s contestants. “I was just being myself the whole way through.”
He added: “The Apprentice really doesn’t differ from what we see on TV. It really is what it is – it’s a business show, it’s a competition. It’s obviously set up for the cameras, but it is pretty much you just get your head down and do the best you can in each task.
“You don’t even realise the camera crew are there. You just crack on with the camera in the background, and you just want to do the best you can.”
Lord Sugar’s boardroom takes a few hours to film (Credit: BBC)
And relax…
After a pretty full-on day of running around town, the contestants are given a bit of downtime. And then it’s time to hit the sack.
“When you’re back from doing the task, you have a bit of down time,” Tom told ED!. “Then you go to bed about 9 or 10pm, ready to be up again at about 3am.”
The Apprentice is on Thursday nights on BBC One at 9pm.
The BBC enjoyed fresh success with its second season of The Traitors, which drew its highest ever audience with its second season finale airing on Friday evening in the UK.
A reported peak of 6.9million tuned in to discover the winner of the ‘blink murder’-inspired reality TV show, set in a Scottish castle, where ‘faithfuls’ must try to guess the identity of the ‘traitors’ who are meanwhile trying to bump them off one by one. This figure was up by 2.2million on the first season a year ago.
After Friday evening’s tense finale, the show’s winner pocketed a prize of £95,000 and told the BBC: “My legs are shaking. I just won £95,000. I underestimated this massively, you come here and there’s 22 amazing people, and from the off I’ve been a traitor.”
They added: “I’ve had enough of being naughty and being bad, because that was next level. I didn’t know I could lie that well and keep it up.
“The first couple of days I was struggling, because you’re lying to people and building relationships out of a lie. It was just mad.”
The show is one of the BBC’s biggest hits in recent years, and has already been commissioned for a third series. The Traitors is produced by All3Media-backed Squid Game: The Challenge maker Studio Lambert and the U.S. version has just kicked off on Peacock.
A third series for the UK has already been commissioned.
The final of The Traitors aired on BBC One tonight (January 26) and boy what an episode!
Drama, an intense mission and the ultimate “end game” round table.
But viewers at home were all wishing one thing as they watched – that they could play along as well!
Who won The Traitors? Harry was crowned victorious! (Credit: BBC)
The Traitors final – who wins?
After the first end game round table, all four players decided to banish again. Andrew was given his marching orders, with Harry, Mollie and Jaz voting again.
Mollie decided to end the game, Harry decided to end the game, Jaz decided to banish again.
All three had to pick a player to banish. Harry decided to banish Jaz, Jaz decided to banish Harry. This meant Mollie had the deciding vote. She banished Jaz, meaning he was eliminated from the game.
This left Mollie – a Faithful – and Harry – a Traitor – in the final two as the game ended. And it wasn’t long before Mollie realised she’d been mistaken in trusting Harry all along as he revealed himself as a Traitor and stole the entire prize pot.
Mollie was double-crossed by Harry and lost a fortune (Credit: BBC)
Viewers want in on the decisions
Posting on social media, fans of The Traitors have decided they want in on the action. And so they’re suggesting that the BBC switches things up and keeps exactly who is a Traitor a secret.
“Wonder if there is a season 3, if they will consider NOT telling the audience who the Traitors and Faithfuls are so we are trying to work it out as well,” said one amaetuer sleuth.
“Would this work? In a new series they don’ttell us who the Traitors are, we literally all become Faithfuls watching at home and get to use an interactive app to all be part of the round table and vote each episode,” said another.
“The thought of finding out who’s been murdered and then trying to figure out why and who the Traitors are feels exciting,” a third agreed.
“I’d love to play along next year, please don’t tell us who the Traitors are!” urged another.
Series 3 – expect the unexpected
However, some spotted a flaw in the plan. “I’ve considered that. But you’d have no turret scene as it would give away who they considered murdering, it would probably be a lot less interesting.”
But, a fair bit changed from series 1 of The Traitors to series 2. So could the BBC switch things up and make a key change to the format next time around?
When it comes to The Traitors, anything is possible. Watch this space!
Call the Midwife fans weren’t happy with what happened to fan favourite character, Fred yesterday.
Plenty of viewers took to Twitter to issue the BBC with a warning last night (Sunday, January 21).
Fred’s health took a turn last night (Credit: BBC)
What happened to Fred on Call the Midwife last night?
Last night’s episode of Call The Midwife had viewers convinced that fan favourite character Fred would die.
The lollipop man’s health took a drastic turn last night as he developed tetanus from a nasty cut.
His deteriorating health affected all those he is close to – Violet, Reggie, Trixie – who realised he may not make it.
Fred was placed on a ventilator in intensive care, but his health was still in a precarious position.
However, thankfully, Fred began to make a recovery, meaning he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon hopefully!
Fred’s health deteriorated (Credit: BBC)
Fans fume at BBC over Fred storyline
Despite his miraculous recovery, viewers were not happy about being scared over the possibility of Fred not surviving.
“I feel like I need an official apology from the BBC for the emotional distress they’ve just put me through with #CallTheMidwife – I’d take a bullet for Fred Buckle,” one fan fumed.
“Same. I am not ok. Should have at least signposted us to help. The emotional distress was next level,” another replied.
“Dear scriptwriters @BBC. For future reference, it will never be acceptable to kill off Fred. Sincerely, Everyone who watches,” a third wrote.
“If anything bad happens to Fred, we riot,” another warned. “Just caught up on #CallTheMidwife – I am not emotionally stable enough to deal with the risk of losing Fred. So happy he is ok!” a fifth said.
Fans are loving the new series (Credit: BBC)
Praise for series 13
There was plenty of praise for the new series on Twitter last night too.
“Once again you took me off on an emotional rollercoaster by far the best tv program absolutely love #CalltheMidwife,” one fan tweeted.
“I love #callthemidwife,” another said. “I love this show,” a third wrote.
The U.K. government is giving more power to the BBC and media regulator Ofcom to handle complaints as part of its mid-term review into the corporation’s functioning.
The Royal Charter is the constitutional basis for the BBC. The current Charter began on Jan. 1 and ends on Dec. 31 2027. The U.K. government’s mid-term review of the Charter, which began in May, 2022, focused on governance and regulatory arrangements.
The review states that audiences will be given greater certainty that their complaints about BBC TV, radio and on demand content – including concerns about bias – are dealt with fairly, through greater scrutiny of its complaints process, which is to be made more independent from program makers. A new legally binding responsibility on the BBC board will require it to actively oversee the BBC’s complaints process to assure audiences that their concerns are being fairly considered.
In addition, Ofcom oversight will be extended to parts of the BBC’s online public services, including the BBC News website, to “enable Ofcom to hold the BBC to account in a more robust way,” the review says. Ofcom will be given a new legally binding responsibility to review more of the BBC’s complaints decisions.
The review also stresses the need for the BBC to clearly demonstrate how it will meet its obligations on distinctiveness over the remainder of the Charter period, and for it to “meaningfully engage with its competitors, such as radio stations and local newspapers, when it is considering a change to its services.”
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The government wants to see a strong, independent BBC that can thrive in the years to come as a major contributor to the nation’s successful creative industries. In a rapidly changing media landscape the BBC needs to adapt or risk losing the trust of the audiences it relies on. Following constructive conservations with the BBC and Ofcom, we have recommended reforms that I believe will improve accountability while boosting public confidence in the BBC’s ability to be impartial and respond to concerns raised by licence fee payers.”
“These changes will better set up the BBC to ask difficult questions of itself, and make sure Ofcom can continue to hold the broadcaster to account. We all rely on the BBC being the best it can be and this review will help ensure that is what the British public gets,” Frazer added.
Responding to the review, a BBC spokesperson said: “No other organization takes its commitment to impartiality more seriously. We have well-established and detailed plans to sustain and further improve standards. We know this matters to audiences and the BBC continues to be the number one source for trusted news, with the highest scores for impartiality and accuracy.
“During discussions over the mid-term review, we proposed and implemented a number of reforms, including strengthening our complaints procedures, which now form part of the conclusions. We are pleased the government has fully taken our proposals onboard. We remain committed to continuous improvement to ensure we deliver for all licence fee payers.
“The BBC is operationally and editorially independent and we will continue to engage constructively with government, and our regulator Ofcom, over the second half of this Charter and as we look ahead to a new Charter in 2028.”
The Traitors is back on our screens for series 2 – and its soundtrack has got plenty of fans talking!
The BAFTA-winning reality series made its return this month with a brand-new cast. TV favourite Claudia Winkleman is back at the helm for the ultimate game of deception, backstabbing and trust.
Like its smash-hit first series, the new series has seen 22 members of the public compete for a £120,000 prize. And already there has been a a ton of drama!
But along with its jaw-dropping scenes that unfold, fans are also obsessed with iconic tunes that accompany them. And it turns out you can stream the soundtrack.
22 new contestants joined up hoping to win big (Credit: BBC)
Who composed The Traitors 2 soundtrack?
The iconic music was composed by Sam Watts. And it’s no surprise it’s top-tier dramatic music, as Sam has previously worked on the likes of Planet Earth, Wizards vs Aliens and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Fans of The Traitors can even stream the full album on Spotify here.
The show has been delivering the drama (Credit: BBC)
As well as the dramatic and ambient music, the show also features songs by other artists. Whether it’s a bit of Massive Attack or a reworking of Gangsta’s Paradise, the songs definitely help amp up the tension.
Episode 1
Darkside – Neoni
Losing My Religion – BellSaint
Who Can It Be Now – Royal Deluxe
Me And The Devil – Soap&Skin
The Strong Survive – 7kingZ
Insomnia – 2WEI
Angel – Massive Attack
Gangsta’s Paradise – 2WEI
The Traitors 2: Episode 2
Darkness Inside – Astyria
[I Just] Died In Your Arms – Hidden Citizens
Sour Times – Portishead
Boadicea – Enya
Keep On Fighting – Tribal Blood
Walking On The Moon – Ruelle
Rise Up – 2WEI & Edda Hayes
The Traitors fans have been on the edge of their seats (Credit: BBC)
Episode 3
The One To Survive (feat Josh Bruce Williams) – Hidden Citizens
Monster – Ely Eira
O Fortuna – Hidden Citizens
Tainted Love – Holy Wars & NOCTURN
Blindside – 2WEI & Edda Hayes
Episode 4
Final Hour (feat Ruelle) – Unsecret
In The House, In A Heartbeat – John Murphy
Never Tear Us Apart – Dia Frampton
Wanted Dead Or Alive – Empara Mi & Dreamchild
Whose Side Are You On (feat Ruelle) – Tommee Profitt
The Traitors 2 fans ‘loving’ the soundtrack
It comes after a lot of viewers were applauding the soundtrack on this year’s Traitors series. One person tweeted this week: “The soundtrack is always perfect on this show.”
Another wrote on X – formerly known as Twitter: “The soundtrack on this series of The Traitors is incredible.”
A third quipped: “The main thing I’m taking away from watching @TheTraitorsUK for the first time is that if you’ve ever released a ‘dark’ cover of a pop song (ideally from the 80s), you’re pretty much guaranteed to be on the soundtrack.”
“The soundtrack alone is a reason to watch,” said another. “No but seriously, where can I listen to the soundtrack?!” asked another.
As of yet, no one appears to have compiled a full Spotify playlist for the series, but here’s hoping they do by the finale!
A bubbling conflict from the last series of the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing – the original show of the global Dancing with the Stars franchise – has broken through the surface with a celebrity contestant reportedly demanding she receive footage of her dance rehearsals to assist in a possible legal claim.
Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington was paired with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice for the most recent series, but only made it a few weeks into the series before she departed citing medical reasons.
Abbington did not return for the finale of the series before Christmas, amid reports of friction between the pair during rehearsals. Pernice, a former champion on the show, is known to be intensely competitive and quite the taskmaster with his celebrity partners.
The paper quotes a production insider saying: ““The BBC has received a request for the footage they hold of Amanda and Giovanni. It is known as a data subject access request. There is a feeling that the recordings will lift the lid on what really goes on behind the scenes. Things in rehearsals can become very tense.
Meanwhile, the paper says Abbington needed therapy after leaving the show, with an insider quoted: “It has taken her months to get over what she went through. It was a real shock as she was initially so excited to sign up to the show to learn to dance, but instead she experienced an ordeal.”
Strictly Come Dancing is one of the BBC’s most successful shows. It has just finished its 21st series in the UK, while Dancing With the Stars continues to air across the world.
A statement on the venue’s site explains that Ardross Castle “is available for exclusive use hire for both corporate and private clients. The Castle is not a hotel and we do not let individual rooms but can accommodate small groups.”
They add that anyone wanting to book the estate can contact the business directly through their site but clarify that “The castle and estate are privately owned and therefore there is no facility for tour parties or individual visits.”
Smith Collection/Gado
Ardross Castle’s history
Stay with us on this, because Ardross Castle has a long and rich history, with it having seen several different residents over the years. The 1st Duke of Sutherland bought Ardross in the late 1700s before the 2nd Duke sold the estate on to Sir Andrew Matheson in 1845.
Matheson was the founder of tea and opium traders Matheson & Co., with him developing the property in the hopes of bringing in tenants to agricultural tenancies.
The late architect Alexander Ross was later commissioned to redesign the castle in the Scots Baronial style, incorporating the earlier mansion and adding 30 further rooms.
LLARA PLAZA
After Matheson’s death, his son sold the estate to successful businessman C. W. Dyson Perrins whose family spent several months each year at Ardross. Dyson Perrins continued modernisation efforts as well as installing electricity and purchasing further land in Glencalvie and Diebidale.
Eventually the estate was divided and sold in 1937, with the Mardon family purchasing the castle, Lealty Farm and over 80 acres, living there until 1983 when the estate was sold.
That takes us to 1983, when the McTaggart family acquired the estate and began works to restore the garden, with the castle itself and estate properties having been extensively renovated over the years.
I thought I’d drop an early note into your inbox as we start a very busy news year. The wall chart of news events in 2024 is already heavily coloured in – which presents us with lots of opportunities, a fair few challenges and a significant amount of work to do.
Voting everywhere Elections come round in all democracies, but never have the timings aligned like they do this year. Some statisticians reckon half the world’s adults will vote in national polls, or their equivalents, in 2024. That’s a lot of counting.
India – the world’s biggest democracy, the United States, Indonesia, Venezuela and South Africa are all definitely voting. Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan and even the Solomon Islands are also scheduled. And there are more. Plus, if Britain’s election is called, it’ll be the first time since 1992 that it’s been in the same year as the US Presidentials (Conservative win here, Democrat win there); if the UK’s election is in the autumn, it would be the first time since 1964 that the campaigns have overlapped (Labour here, Democrat there).
So that potential overlap is something we’ll all be dealing with for the first time. An emergency resupply of live pages will be needed.
Also on the wall chart It’s not just elections. 2024 is a year of other major events – the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris are sure to be of huge interest, as are the European Football Championships in Germany, where we know already that England and Scotland will play – the Scots having the honour of opening the tournament against the hosts. And there’s still a chance that Wales might join them.
That’s good news for football lovers. Avert your eyes this summer if sport isn’t your thing, but doubtless there’ll be stories springing up around the events which will be of massive interest to almost all audiences.
Continuing conflict We start the year covering two major wars – in the Middle East and in Ukraine, as well as multiple other trouble spots the world over. Particular thanks are due to colleagues who’ve been on or near the front lines during the holiday season, including our colleagues in Gaza.
And thanks also to those who scrambled to the Japan earthquake – the first major breaking story of the new year.
Decision points ahead All of 2024’s huge stories will play to our strengths. We have the journalists to report and analyse. Our verification tools are in better shape than ever – at the start of a year where misinformation and disinformation will be regular visitors to everyone’s feeds. And we have the production and technical skills to do all of that with immense quality.
But, we also have a challenge. In line with every other major newsroom, we will have to commit significant proportions of our budgets to these events. Undoubtedly more of our cash is earmarked up front than in any year in recent times. Obviously we also need to allow for the as-yet unknown stories which really matter, and to resource everything which makes us distinctive – interrogative journalism, eyewitness reporting, live coverage.
All of which means that we are going to need some patience. We won’t be able to back every idea or service every request. The bar for discretionary spending will have to rise, at least for the next twelve months. Working together to make our content travel further will be more important than ever. Every pound, dollar or rupee we spend has got to contribute to the heavy lifting which is needed throughout the year.
Let’s not get disheartened by that – it’s simple housekeeping.
Happy New Year So there’s much to think about. But none of us came into the news business to endure the quiet times. This is a wall chart which news lovers will relish. Fascinating events lie ahead, some of them deeply consequential.
And with that, it just remains for me to repeat my wishes for all of you to have a very happy 2024.
BBC’s The Traitors took the UK by storm back in December 2022 after season one was released and quickly amassed a dedicated following via word-of-mouth, becoming something of a cultural phenomenon and a staple in the weekly watching roster.
Set against the suitably dramatic backdrop of an eerie castle in the Scottish Highlands, the series saw contestants participating in the ultimate game of betrayal and deceit as the “Traitors” were tasked with working together to eliminate other contestants in hopes of winning the grand prize, while the “Faithfuls” strove to identify and evict the “Traitors” via voting.
It’s safe to say that the first season delivered on some deliciously brutal moments of backstabbing and uncomfortably suspenseful close calls, leaving us well and truly primed for another season.
And we’re pleased to say that as of tonight, that’s exactly what we’ll be getting!
The Traitors returns to BBC One on 3 January, with episode two and three airing on the BBC the following nights and being immediately available on iPlayer (there goes our evening plans for the rest of the week).
With Claudia Winkleman returning as The Traitors season 2 host and 22 new faces fighting it out for their share of the £120,000 prize, we’re finally being treated to another series of twists and turns.
So who are The Traitors contestants this year? Below, we reveal each of the new cast members. And as for whether they’re Faithfuls or Traitors? Well, you’ll have to wait and see.
20 top movies coming out in 2024, from the Mean Girls musical to a Beetlejuice sequel
Strictly star Amanda Abbington wasn’t invited to perform during the finale of the Strictly Come Dancing, according to insiders.
The 51-year-old was partnered up with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice during the 2023 series.
However, Amanda was forced to leave after five weeks due to “personal reasons”. A source close to The Mirror is now claiming that she “wasn’t invited back” for the show’s finale.
Strictly Come Dancing: Amanda Abbington absence
The insider revealed: “There was a lot of talk on set about Amanda’s notable absence from the finale. It seemed unfair that Nigel was invited back and she wasn’t. I imagine she was upset by the snub. It would have been nice to have seen her return for one last dance. Especially as she was so popular on the show and well-liked by viewers.”
Amanda Abbington wasn’t invited to the Strictly Come Dancing finale (Credit: Lorraine)
At the time of Amanda’s departure, a BBC spokesperson said: “Amanda Abbington is unable to continue in Strictly Come Dancing and has decided to withdraw from the competition. The show wishes her all the best for the future.”
Amanda, meanwhile, said: “It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly. I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons, I am unable to continue.
“It was an absolute joy working with my fellow contestants, they are a beautiful, hardworking and talented group of people who I love and who I will miss seeing every Friday and Saturday and competing alongside.”
Taking to her Instagram yesterday (Saturday, December 30) Amanda spoke out about her departure in depth. This comes after she didn’t return to the show for the group dance in the final. One Strictly viewer said on her post: “I was truly distraught with her sudden departure from the show.” Amanda replied: “Thank you, angel. So was I.”
While Amanda decided not to return for the final, she did however send a message of support to the three finalists on Instagram. She shared a snap of the three couples standing with the glitterball trophy and wrote: “Good luck tonight to these six beautiful humans.”
Brendon Cole said Amanda left the competition because of a feud with Giovanni (Credit: BBC)
When the report claiming Amanda wasn’t invited to the final was put to the BBC by ED!, a spokesperson said: “Amanda decided to withdraw from the competition, therefore did not return for the final.”
Strictly: Brendan Cole on Craig Revel Horwood crying
Speaking to Sky Bingo and ED!, professional dancer Brendan Cole pointed out Craig wasn’t the only one tearing up.
Speaking about the judges, he said: “They all seemed a little emotional, it was a bit weird. Craig wasn’t the only one. Anton [Du Beke] had a little tear in his eye when talking to Bobby. They were all emotional.”
Brendan Cole confessed it wasn’t just Craig Revel Horwood that was emotional in the final (Credit: BBC)
He continued: “I suppose there’s speculation that it could be Craig’s last series.
“He might be hanging up his boots and maybe that was why he’s feeling like it was the end of an era. Who knows what goes on in people’s minds? Obviously, we as punters don’t see the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, we don’t see the relationships formed.”
He also said the final saw some strong performances
He then went on to say that after the show, the judges and the contestants drink together.
“It was a powerful final, lots of strong dancing, lots of heartwarming statements, good stories between them all. So who knows? Maybe it just made everybody a little bit more emotional,” he explained.
Good afternoon Insiders, here we go again with a busy old week in TV and film. Max Goldbart penning the newsletter. Read on and sign up here.
Bad Times For The BBC
BBC/Guy Levy
Déjà vu: When you’ve been doing this for a little while, nothing gives off more of a sense of déjà vu than BBC budget woes. It always starts the same way. A downtrodden UK Prime Minister desperately seeks a distraction hook and latches on to the nation’s favorite (ish) broadcaster, in this case saying over the weekend that the public cannot afford the previously-agreed inflationary rise to the licence fee next year that would have seen the fee shoot up by nearly £15 ($18.90). Several days and one new chair appointment later, and the sentiment was confirmed by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, who said the fee will instead rise by just more than £10, as the government shifted the goalposts. While an extra £10 per person doesn’t look too bad at first glance, the move is set in context of two years’ worth of licence fee freeze, rampant inflation in production costs and stiff competition. Put bluntly, the BBC really needs more money. Unveiling yet another government review into the BBC’s future funding model, Frazer also pointed out that fewer people are paying the licence fee nowadays. This means that stiff hikes put more pressure on those who still do pay, but the BBC would likely flip the point and say fees should rise by even bigger amounts if fewer people are paying them. The BBC’s grave response said it all: “Our content budgets are now impacted, which in turn will have a significant impact on the wider creative sector across the UK.”
“Destabilizing”: The move leaves the BBC with an estimated shortfall of £90M, alongside the hundreds of millions of savings it already needs to make, and more cuts in programing are no doubt coming — “Inevitably program expenditure will be cut first,” said one connected source. But insiders are not only peeved by the inevitable hit to the coffers. If the government is now going to decide annually how much the licence fee rises by — rather than sticking to a pre-agreed 11-year long inflationary rise — two insiders pointed out that this will make budgeting for the following year incredibly difficult. Not only that, but it also leaves the BBC more exposed to political agendas. There are intricacies to the changes to the inflationary measure but the government has effectively pegged this year’s rise to September 2023’s figure, as opposed to the average across the past year. It all feels a bit random. There is little the BBC technically can do but work may begin behind the scenes to mount a campaign to convince the government that it is in no one’s interests to continually mess around with the figure. Jake spoke to insiders and his analysis has more. The BBC statement’s stress on the impact on the “wider creative sector” felt pertinent.
Musical chairs: Before the licence fee decision became official, there was the small matter of the new BBC Chair, who was unveiled Wednesday as British TV vet Samir Shah. Shah has previously spent years working for the BBC, runs an independent production company and has advised the government on numerous matters. He is well-liked and well-known, although perceived by some as a slightly surprising choice. Prior to the licence fee decision being announced by Frazer, one source close to the government said Shah had been working closely with the Culture, Media and Sport department of late and was “aligned” with these funding plans. He joins with a busy in-tray and with a need to regain trust in the BBC following the Richard Sharp debacle, which saw the previous Chair forced to resign over his role in a loan facilitation for Boris Johnson. And whether a help or a hindrance, Shah comes from a media family. His brother Mohit Bakaya runs BBC Radio 4 and his sister Monisha Shah is on the Ofcom content board.
Cultural test: Elsewhere in public broadcaster land, ITV chose the moments after Frazer’s Commons speech to publish its long awaited review into Phillip Schofield, the former This Morning presenter who resigned after admitting to an affair with a much younger colleague. ITV may have been hoping licence fee woes would act as a distraction but the actual contents of the report didn’t appear to give the broadcaster too much to worry about. Following more than 50 interviews, the review’s author rejected the much-raised notion of a “toxic culture” on This Morning and scotched the idea that Schofield’s affair had been an open secret. It would have been a big problem for ITV had it been deemed the opposite. Jane Mulcahy KC listed a number of recommendations including the forging of a “talent charter” for high-profile presenters of Schofield’s ilk that would set “out key standards ITV expects to be upheld.” With Schofield’s co-host Holly Willoughby having also departed, ITV will be hoping it can close this particular chapter. The BBC’s equivalent — a report into behavior by newsreader Huw Edwards — publishes soon. And would you look at that, we’ve managed to go an entire Insider public broadcasting lead without mentioning Channel 4…
Riding The Red Sea Wave
Getty
Star power: Saudi Arabia’s third Red Sea International Film Festival handed out its prizes overnight with Pakistani-Canadian director Zarrar Khan’s horror picture In Flames winning Best Film. The jury led by Baz Luhrmann was joined on the red carpet by some serious star power in Halle Berry, Andrew Garfield, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicolas Cage and Henry Golding, among others. They followed in the wake of a raft of A-Listers making the trip to the festival’s Red Sea port home of Jeddah over the past week, including Johnny Depp, Will Smith and Chris Hemsworth. Beyond the glitz of the red-carpet galas at the festival’s Ritz Carlton hub, the ‘place to be’ was the Vox Cinema multiplex in Jeddah’s Red Sea Mall. The venue hosted a series of intimate In Conversations with the likes of Smith, Cage and Berry as well as packed out screenings of local and regional features. Highlights of the latter included the Saudi premiere of Riyadh-set social thriller Mandoob, which met with a rapturous response from a youthful audience. The drama is the latest feature from rising local studio Telfaz11, which scored a box office hit with free-wrestling comedy Sattar earlier this year. Mandoob, revolving around a night courier who falls foul of an alcohol smuggling ring, has all the ingredients to achieve similar success. Another Saudi highlight was Tawfik Alkaidi’s drama Norah, about a young girl growing up in a remote farming community in the 1990s, at the height of the crackdown on cinema and other arts. Luhrmann was spotted quietly slipping into the screening, reportedly watching the work for a second time. The film appealed to local and international spectators alike, with one critic in the room declaring it should be Saudi Oscar submission next year. Just six years after Saudi Arabia lifted its 35-year cinema ban, its filmmakers are coming into their own. Deadline was out in force at the festival this year and you can read all our coverage here.
‘Crown’s Off To Them
Final hurrah: Whatever you think of The Crownand its various controversies, there is no doubt Netflix’s smash is one of the defining TV series of this generation. So it was no surprise that this week’s final season premiere hurrah was as glitzy as they come. Our roving International Editor-at-Large Baz Bamigboye strode the red carpet with queens, princes and princesses past and present, with an attendee list including but not limited to Imelda Staunton, Olivia Colman, Dominic West, Elizabeth Debicki, Jonathan Pryce, Gillian Anderson, Emma Corrin, Erin Doherty, Jason Watkins and Jonny Lee Miller. Speaking to Baz, current lead Staunton detailed how things had both changed and stayed the same following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last year, explaining: “[The Queen] got on with it and I took great comfort in that.” Baz and his fellow Crown attendees were then treated to the premiere of the final episode, one that was slightly altered by creator Peter Morgan following the Queen’s death. It ended in rapturous applause. This doyen of British TV shows is almost at its end and, while its creative team are no doubt looking forward to leaving the limelight for a bit, it will certainly be missed. Check out the full picture gallery here.
Spotlight On Singapore
Carola Frentzen/dpa (Photo by Carola Frentzen/picture alliance via Getty Images
Reporting from AFT: Sara Merican was on the ground at Singapore’s Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) this week and there was plenty for readers to get their teeth into. High-profile attendees discussed the issues of the day, including those that dominated the agenda of the recent WGA/SAG negotiations such as AI and dealmaking. Chinese streaming giant iQiyi hailed the integration of artificial intelligence into its development and pitching processes (“We can turn 2,000,000 words in a novel into an 8,000-word document that outlines the plot and includes character analyses,” said Chief Content Officer Wang Xiaohui), while execs from some of the world’s biggest production houses posited that Hollywood dealmaking has become more reliant on the international market. These weighty proclamations came as a report into the Korean streaming industry found subs had grown once again in the nation to around 19 million, coming as the local market braces for the merger of Tving and Wavve as they battle to take on the big American players. And check out this killer scoop from Liz, who broke the news that Parasite production outfit Barunson E&A is moving into the burgeoning Indonesian film industry.
Bye Bye Benjamin
Image: Tom Jenkins/Getty Images
“A proud Brummie and a proud Peaky Blinder”: Thoughts to the family of Benjamin Zephaniah, the iconic British poet and Peaky Blinders star who has died aged 65. Zephaniah was known for his radical and often deeply political poetry, his love for Jamaica, and his powerful and soulful delivery. He famously turned down an OBE, writing: “No way, Mrs Queen. I am profoundly anti-empire.” He was simply an inspiration for original thinkers. Born into a poor family, he left school in Birmingham at age 13 unable to read or write but used a typewriter to teach himself both skills. At this point he was already performing poetry live, and his unique style helped him become an influential voice in Black politics and identity, leading to meetings with the likes of Nelson Mandela and The Wailers. Tributes came flooding in about a man who touched all corners of British society. In a statement issued to Deadline, Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy called Benjamin a “proud Brummie and a Peaky Blinder.”
The Essentials
Vertigo
🌶️ Hot One: Danny Dyer is leading Marching Powderfrom new UK distributor True Brit; read our exclusive interview with True Brit’s Zygi Kamasa here.
🌶️ Another: Netflix is poised to greenlight French and German versions of reality format Surviving Paradise.
🌶️ Another one: Jean-Claude Van Damme is starring in Kill ‘Em All 2, which will shoot in Antigua from Jan.
⛰️ Summit: UK children’s TV bods will gather early next year to explore how to resuscitate the ailing sector.
😠 Grant grumps: Curmudgeonly Love Actually lead said he “hated” playing an oompa-loompa in Wonka.
