Interview with Amara Karan - Hope Street

The ten-part drama will be set in the fictional town of Port Devine on the coast of Northern Ireland, and will centre on the town's police department and the mysterious arrival of English Detective Constable Leila Hussain, played by Amara Karan (The Night Of), the town's first Muslim police officer.

The series will chronicle the ups and downs of individuals working in the police department as they cope with everyday policing in the picturesque seaside town, with each episode having a self-contained criminal scenario.

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Amara Karan plays DC Leila Hussain

What attracted you to the role?

The money!! Haha... just kidding... I loved that this character is in a compromised situation in terms of her personal safety from the outset and so she has to assimilate, hide, duck and dive personal questions, and yet she sticks out in her new environment like a sore thumb.

What research did you do?

None! The wonderful writers did the work for me. Also my character is discovering the people and the place as she goes.  

How did you find filming in Donaghadee?

It was so fun because the people in Donaghadee were so proud of their town and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. And many were heavily involved in the show, like Brian, who runs the sailing club. It's a magical spot on the Irish Sea, which is very cold but can be extremely calm like a lake. You can see different weather systems in the distance over England, Scotland and the Isle of Man and enjoy rainbows on the horizon.

What do you hope the audience will take from this drama?

I hope the audience enjoys the warmth and wit of all of these small town characters, who might have their disagreements, but in the end, always have each other's back.  

Was there a particular moment during filming which stands out?

Doing the boat scenes while having a bad tummy was a very unpleasant experience! Thankfully my modesty just about remained intact! Also my scenes with Karl O'Neill were very memorable and he has become a friend!

BBC acquires short-form comedy-drama series Cheaters from Clerkenwell Films

Clerkenwell Films' innovative new short-form comedy-drama Cheaters has been acquired by the BBC.

Cheaters is an eighteen-episode comedy-drama about morality and monogamy, and everything in between, told in ten-minute chunks.

Oliver Lyttelton (The Listener) wrote and devised the series, which is directed by Elliot Hegarty (Ted Lasso, Lovesick) and produced by Alex Walsh-Taylor (In The Long Run, Lovesick).

Cheaters follows the storey of Fola and Josh, two strangers in their late twenties who meet after a cancelled flight and have an unexpected night of drunken airport-hotel sex. Fola is married to Zack, and Josh is in a long-term relationship with Esther. The next morning, as they hustle to make the rescheduled flight, they both disclose they are with other people — Fola is married to Zack, and Josh is in a long-term relationship with Esther.

The series stars Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes, Truth Seekers) as Fola and Joshua McGuire (Industry, The Duke) as Josh. Callie Cooke (Rules of the Game, Britannia) plays Esther, and Jack Fox (Sanditon, Riviera) plays the role of Zack. Further cast includes Andrea Valls (Waffle the Wonder Dog), Shiloh Coke (Pirates) and Jay Lycurgo (Titans).

Harder, hotter and tougher - The Bridge is back

The Bridge, Channel 4's gruelling reality competition, returns for a second season in a fresh tropical locale. There's double the drama and double the prize money on the line as two teams compete to be the first to win a £200k jackpot.

The eight-part series is hosted by AJ Odudu, and it follows 16 strangers who join together for the possibility to win a large financial award, but are unaware of the epic struggle that would be required to take the money home.

To take on the ultimate test of physical ability, mental talent, and teamwork, the candidates must set their egos and differences aside. In a race to reach the riches kept on top of 'Fortune Rock,' the teams must build a bridge over 1,000 feet of water in just 12 days. Will the first person to reach the money opt to share it with their teammates?

Coming soon.

The first look image for the second series of Sky Original comedy Bloods has been released.

Sky has released a sneak peek at the second season of the critically acclaimed comedy BLOODS. The quirky dream team Wendy and Maleek, played by BAFTA-nominated Samson Kayo and Golden Globe-nominated Jane Horrocks, return as we follow them and their paramedic colleagues in the life-saving realm of a south London emergency service. The series will be broadcast in two parts on Sky Comedy and the streaming service NOW, with the first five episodes premiering in March 2022.

The second season introduces a new source of friction for Wendy and Maleek in the form of Wendy's obnoxious son, Spencer (Nathan Foad). Katherine Kelly (Innocent, Liar) joins the cast as the acting therapist and listening ear at the ambulance station.

Coming in March

KIN: the gritty Irish gangland drama - Starring Charlie Cox, Clare Dunne, Ciarán Hinds & Aidan Gillen

 

Kin is a powerful, enthralling and slick new eight-part Irish gang drama, from AMC Networks that’s set for its UK Premiere exclusively on Sundance Now via Amazon Prime Video Channels on 24 February 2022.

This thrilling, critically acclaimed drama follows the Kinsella clan – who, when their boy is killed – set off a gangland war with an international cartel – a war that is impossible to win. As the violence escalates, the in-fighting begins and the body count rises. There will be blood… lots of it.

With a sterling cast including Charlie Cox (Daredevil, Spiderman, Boardwalk Empire), Clare Dunne (Herself, Spiderman: Far From Home), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, The Wire) and Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones, The Terror) and Peter McKenna (The Last Kingdom, Red Rock) as showrunner/executive producer, writer, and creator, alongside Ciarán Donnelly (Altered Carbon, Vikings) who also serves as executive producer, this hard-hitting drama packs real punch.

In a tale of David versus Goliath the Kinsellas are out-numbered, out-financed and out-gunned.  They find themselves holed up in their Dublin stronghold while their businesses fail, and family members and associates are picked off by one by one…. But the Kinsellas have something the cartel does not… the unbreakable family bond and the power of their brood.

Kin is a dark and thrilling tale of gangsters who on the surface appear to live ultimate celebrity lifestyle with a world of power, glamour and riches, but underneath lurks a deadly world of drugs, guns, undercover assassins and murder.

Is blood truly thicker than water in Kin?

Sundance Now, the streaming service from AMC Networks, is available as an Amazon Prime Video Channels add on in the UK.

Exclusive Premiere: Thursday 24th February

Episodes: 8

Star Trek: Picard Season Two Trailer

The official trailer for season two of ViacomCBS's successful original series Star Trek: Picard was released today by ViacomCBS's streaming service, Paramount+. Season two of Star Trek: Picard will release exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers in the United States on Thursday, March 3. Following the launch, new episodes of the 10-episode second season will air on Thursdays every week. The teaser also features a first look at Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, who reprises her beloved role as Guinan from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The renowned Jean-Luc Picard and his crew go on a bold and exciting new voyage in Season 2: into the past. Picard must recruit the help of old and new friends to tackle the dangers of 21st-century Earth in a desperate race against time to safeguard the galaxy's future – and face the ultimate test from one of his greatest adversaries.

Patrick Stewart reprises his legendary role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation, in Star Trek: Picard, which follows this iconic character into his next chapter.

Welcome to the road not taken. 💫 #StarTrekPicard #StarTrek https://t.co/bpxokj5q5H pic.twitter.com/lOquhyR2PC

— Star Trek (@StarTrek) January 21, 2022

BBC One will air a whole new Wallace & Gromit adventure.

The as-yet-untitled new Wallace & Gromit film, directed by Nick Park and the first since the BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated A Matter of Loaf and Death in 2008, focuses on Gromit's concern that Wallace has become over-reliant on his inventions, which is justified when Wallace invents a "smart gnome" that appears to develop its own mind.

As events spiral out of control, Gromit must set aside his reservations and fight evil forces, or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

The BBC has had a long and fruitful partnership with Aardman Animations, and this news comes on the heels of the success of the newest Shaun The Sheep adventure, The Flight Before Christmas, which broadcast on BBC One during the holidays.

Sean Clarke, MD of Aardman, says: "Wallace and Gromit are so loved by everyone at Aardman – they're like family to us, and we couldn't be more excited to be creating a brand-new film for them to star in. When Nick came up with the concept for a 'smart gnome', we all agreed that Wallace would find the idea irresistible – despite warnings from Gromit, who is wise beyond his (dog) years. We're sure audiences will find the story irresistible too."