Paul Sinha's TV Showdown returns to ITV and ITV Hub

Chaser, comedian and TV Trivia genius Paul Sinha will return with an exciting new series of Paul Sinha's TV Showdown later this year, on ITV and ITV Hub.

Produced by Livewire Pictures, Paul Sinha's TV Showdown will see more famous faces battle it out in the ultimate TV trivia quiz.

Alongside Paul, Series 2 will also see the return of hilarious team captains Fay Ripley and Rob Beckett, who will be heading up two dazzling teams of celebrity contestants.

The new series will be bursting with more brilliant clips, featuring the most talked-about TV moments from recent years and yesteryear.

Once again, even the most self-proclaimed of quiz pros will be tested as Paul guides the celebrities through four challenging rounds, including questions about a smorgasbord of clips, identifying a TV character from a set of clues given by celebrity guests, and the dramatic final spotlight round.

Paul Sinha said ""It's great to be back hosting TV Showdown and I can't wait to see which celebrities rise to the occasion and which fall apart under the pressure"

Guy Freeman, MD at Livewire said "For anyone who's in the mood for a good laugh and the chance to show-off to friends or family that you know more about telly than they do - all in the excellent company of Paul, Fay, Rob and their celebrity teams – this is the perfect show to round off your Saturday evening viewing"

Celebrity line up revealed for brand new series of Channel 4’s Can I Improve My Memory?

Hosted by Sandi Toksvig, the brand-new series of Can I Improve My Memory? is set to air this Summer on Channel 4.

Over the course of the series, five famous faces from the world of TV, entertainment and sport will enter one of the trickiest competitions on TV designed to improve their memories. Coached by real masters of memory who share the secrets of their success and change the way the celebrity contestants think, they will be given just one week (each episode) to memorise hundreds of niche facts and master mind-bending techniques before being put on the spot in rigorous quiz conditions by Sandi at Memory HQ.  Across four knockout episodes, the challenges will get tougher and the group will be whittled down to just one celebrity being crowned Memory Champion by Sandi.

Competing to win the coveted Memory Champion title are; Strictly Come Dancing legend Len Goodman, boxing heavyweight Chris Eubank, TV presenter Anna Richardson, EastEnders actor Nina Wadia, ex beautician and Love Island Winner Amber Gill.

In the first episode, the celebrities must master general knowledge topics they know nothing about, followed by a quickfire challenge, tackling that common memory demon – names and faces. In this episode, Anna must become an expert in planetary science, including memorising information about the major and dwarf planets, the solar systems, names of moons and historical details about The Space Race.  Amber will have to spread her wings into ornithology, memorising the Latin names of common and rare British bird species, their wing spans, bird calls and decipher their plumages.  Len is challenged with remembering hundreds of facts about American hip hop in the 1990s, Nina attempts to crack facts on the human skeleton and Chris will be memorising information about dinosaurs of the Jurassic era.  To assist them with their daunting tasks, the celebrity contestants will be coached by Ed Cooke, who became a Grand Master of Memory at just 23 years of age. With an abundance of nerves and nail-biting tension, just how much can the celebrity contestants remember and who will win?

I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! - The castle edition lands in Greece

Last year the award-winning global phenomenon I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! set up their camp behind the towering walls of a ruined castle in Wales. Following the massive success in the UK, Antenna TV in Greece is now gearing up for their local adaptation of this castle version. The show will be produced in a scouted castle in Poland which has been turned into a production hub for more territories who wish to come in. An imposing medieval castle on a land of many acres, that has endless possibilities for terrifying tasks and grueling challenges. This hub offers a turnkey package; from game materials and technical facilities to hotel and catering, all included. The Greek castle version will be produced by Silverline Media Productions and is expected to air on Antenna in 2022. Which Greek celebrities are getting ready for the experience of a lifetime?

Maarten Meijs, President at Global Entertainment, ITV Studios says "The castle version of I Am A Celebrity in Wales was the biggest show of 2020, boasting huge viewership for its first edition filmed in the UK. The series has served as an inspiration for our international team as well as our clients. On the back of this success we have sourced an alternative castle location which we have found in Poland. The hub offers a complete package for broadcasters around the world to produce their own version, within reach of most budgets: just fly in, plug and play. Our clients benefit from the infrastructure, learnings and experiences we already have. The game playbook is ready. We are thrilled to have Greece as the first country to set up camp in the castle in Poland."

Stella Litou, General Manager at Antenna TV says, "Antenna TV is the home of the biggest entertainment  formats and we are thrilled to be introducing I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! to the Greek audience. Our amazing team, on and off air, can't wait to offer an amazing first season that will set new boundaries to prime time entertainment for the whole market, aiming to make it the most popular television brand for years to come in our territory."

In I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! - The castle edition we follow a group of celebrities on their adventures behind the towering walls of a ruined castle. Separated from the luxuries of modern life, they must survive in extreme conditions. To get their daily rations, our celebrities face their fears in gruesome new trials and sickening challenges. Who will  manage to succeed in all the challenges and finally be crowned the king of queen of the castle?

Is Katherine Kelly 'Innocent'? The Dark and thrilling Series 2 starts tonight

Airs 9pm on ITV - 17th May.

Innocent returns for its second series tonight with a brand-new case starring Katherine Kelly (Liar, Criminal: UK). This dark and thrilling four-part drama, penned once again by dynamic duo writing team Chris Lang (Unforgotten) and Matthew Arlidge (Silent Witness), airs over consecutive nights and Innocent Series Two arrives on DVD alongside the Innocent Series One and Two Box Set on 28 June 2021, courtesy of Acorn Media International.

When 16-year-old school-boy, Matty Taylor is found dead, brutally stabbed with a broken cider bottle, suspicion falls on his teacher Sally Wright (Kelly), who had allegedly been having an affair with him. 

Following a murder conviction and a lengthy sentence, new evidence comes to light and Sally is released from prison and free once more…or is she?  The case has all but destroyed the life she once had, a stable marriage, a nice home and a good job teaching English at a local comprehensive, now her reputation is in tatters and her life will never be the same again.

Filled with suspicion, secrets and lies, this enthralling drama will have you desperate to know who is guilty.

Pre-Order on DVD at https://amzn.to/3u30W93

Gillian Anderson Joins Season Two of Hulu's "The Great"

Gillian Anderson ("The Crown," "Sex Education," "The Fall" and "The X-Files") will join the cast of Hulu's critically-acclaimed Original comedy series "The Great" in a two-episode appearance as Catherine's (Elle Fanning) mother, Joanna.

Joanna is a glamorous socialite from Germany, sometimes also known as the "maestro of marriage" for her abilities to arrange high profile partnerships for her daughters. She has heard rumors of her daughter's coup and come to Russia to see it for herself. Though the apple of Catherine's eye and a doting mother, it soon becomes clear Johanna has more sinister intentions to save her family's reputation.

"The Great" is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia's history. With only occasional historical facts, the series stars Elle Fanning as Catherine, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Bayo Gbadamosi and Belinda Bromilow.

Sir Keir Starmer joins Piers for Piers Morgan’s Life Stories

ITV has announced that Piers Morgan will be joined in the studio by Sir Keir Starmer for a rare and fascinating insight into the man behind the politician.

This hour long episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories, which will be filmed next month, is the first interview with a party leader on Life Stories since Piers interviewed Gordon Brown when he was Prime Minister, in 2010.

The episode will see Sir Keir reflect on his childhood in Surrey as the second of four children. His stellar career in law – which earned him a knighthood. His family life and move into politics, culminating in his appointment as Labour leader in April 2020. And how Sir Keir has spent the last year leading his party in lockdown from his spare room.

Piers Morgan said: 

"It's very unusual for party political leaders to submit themselves to such lengthy personal interviews and I am delighted that Sir Keir has agreed to talk to me about his fascinating life. It promises to be a memorable and very revealing Life Stories show."

This episode, which will air later on ITV in the coming months.

Channel 4 commissions new series of ‘Britain’s Most Expensive Houses’ from Waddell Media

Following the huge success of the one-off Britain's Most Expensive Houses, which reached 2.1 million viewers on first transmission and achieved an impressive 3m viewers in its first week of airing (premiere and narrative repeat combined), Channel 4 has commissioned a four-part series from Belfast-based Waddell Media.

With Waddell Media's exclusive access to part of the world's largest luxury estate agency UK Sotheby's International Realty, this new 4 x 60 mins series will bring viewers behind the doors of more of the UK's most incredible homes. The series will follow prospective buyers as they view and purchase high-priced houses across the country, as well as following the work and home lives of Sotheby's estate agents.

Jannine Waddell, Executive Producer and Managing Director, Waddell Media said 

"We are absolutely thrilled to be commissioned to make a series of Britain's Most Expensive Houses following the huge success of the one-off at Christmas. This new series promises to be even better as we will be giving viewers not only a unique view into more fabulous homes owned by some of the most affluent people in the UK, but also an insight into the continued drive by so many wealthy individuals to move from the city to the country as a result of the pandemic."

Sky releases official trailer for David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed’s returning comedy Intelligence 2

At the end of the first series of Intelligence, we saw NSA agent Jerry Bernstein (David Schwimmer) narrowly avoid being extradited back to the States to face charges of treason. Indebted to his boss Christine (Sylvestra Le Touzel) for stepping in to protect him at the last minute - albeit with ulterior motives - we start series 2 with Jerry on the back foot. However when it’s revealed that the Russians have got their hands on a cyberweapon that Jerry was instrumental in developing, his intel suddenly becomes vital to national, if not international, security. Facing some demons from his past along the way, by the end of episode 1 he is firmly back in his alpha male comfort zone and heralded a hero.

Meanwhile Joseph (Nick Mohammed) has romance on the cards since sparking up an online friendship with Charlotte from the GCHQ offices in Bude. Romance blossoms and not even Jerry’s meddling nor Christine’s ban on cross-departmental relationships can get in the way.

As the series progresses, however, it soon becomes clear that while the initial cyber attack has been thwarted, the Russians are able to mutate the cyberweapon and Jerry’s personal security comes under serious threat…

Intelligence 2 features brand new cast members Morgana Robinson (Hilary) and Diane Morgan (Charlotte) who will be joining the cast. Alongside Robinson and Morgan, new additions include Vivian Oprarah, Nick Helm and Alastair Roberts.

Created, written and executive produced by Nick Mohammed, Intelligence is a production by Expectation TV in association with Sky Studios. Executive producers also include Nerys Evans and Morwenna Gordon for Expectation TV. Commissioned by Jon Mountague, Director of Comedy at Sky Studios and Zai Bennett, MD of Content for Sky UK. Intelligence 2 will be distributed by NBCUniversal Global Distribution on behalf of Sky Studios.

Lisey’s Story - Trailer - Limited Series from Creator Stephen King

Apple TV+ today unveiled the trailer for the highly anticipated limited series “Lisey’s Story,” based on the best-selling novel, and adapted and written by author Stephen King. Starring Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore and Academy Award-nominee Clive Owen, the eight-episode Apple Original series will premiere globally on Friday, June 4, 2021, with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday.

“Lisey’s Story” is a deeply personal, pensive thriller that follows Lisey Landon (played by Moore) two years after the death of her husband, famous novelist Scott Landon (played by Owen). A series of unsettling events causes Lisey to face memories of her marriage to Scott that she has deliberately blocked out of her mind. Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dane DeHaan, Ron Cephas Jones and Sung Kang also star alongside Moore and Owen.

Directed by Pablo Larraín, “Lisey’s Story" hails from J. J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. In a rare step, every episode of the series was personally written by Stephen King. King, Moore, and Larraín executive produce alongside Abrams, Ben Stephenson and Juan de Dios Larraín.

Pre-Order at https://apple.co/3fetQO5

The Masked Dancer arrives this May on ITV

The Masked Dancer, starting this May on ITV and the ITV Hub, will see celebrity contestants perform unique dances, whilst covered from head to toe in extravagant, colourful costumes and face masks leaving the viewers and star panel to guess their identities. Bringing a wealth of dance expertise to the panel, Oti Mabuse takes up a seat alongside Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan and Davina McCall as they all watch closely to see who knows their sashays from their pliés. Hosting this most unusual of dance parties will be Joel Dommett.  

12 celebrities will be stepping onto the dancefloor to take on character alter egos as they trip the light fantastic in a bid to wow the panel and confuse with their moves. Clue packages will accompany every Masked Dancer to help the panel and at home detectives crack the case of who the famous faces behind the masks are. From ballet to ballroom, salsa to swing and everything in between, here are the characters that will be dancing onto screens:

Tearing up the dancefloor, it's Zip

Sending the audience into a spin, come on y'all and sing it with me, it's Carwash  

Who let the dogs out? It's Beagle

Introducing a brand-new Nutcracker to the stage, it's Squirrel

An ex-STRAW-dinary mover that's the best dancer in their field, it's Scarecrow

I said-a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie. To the hip hip hop... here comes Frog

They dance to their own beat – it's Beetroot

Will they have snake hips? Can they be charmed by the music? It's Viper

You've heard of the funky chicken, now meet Rubber Chicken

This beautiful tropical bird migrates to the dance studio during the Spring, it's Flamingo

Whipped cream and whipping viewers into a dance fueled frenzy, it's Knickerbocker Glory

They'll push me and pull you all around the dancefloor, it's Llama

The Neighbor: Season 2 - Official Trailer - Starring: Quim Gutiérrez, Clara Lago, Adrián Pino

I LOVED the first season of The Neighbor so I am really looking forward to this. 

The Neighbor returns to Netflix on May 21.

Self-centered Javier's life gets a bit messy when he unexpectedly becomes a superhero -- and his recent ex is tasked with uncovering his identity.

Starring: Quim Gutiérrez, Clara Lago, Adrián Pino

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON will debut on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in 2022

Sky has today released the first official images from the upcoming drama series, HOUSE OF THE DRAGON. Based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood," the series, which is set 300 years before the events of "Game of Thrones," tells the story of House Targaryen.  HOUSE OF THE DRAGON recently began production and will debut on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in 2022.

 

Featured cast include the following:

Emma D'Arcy as "Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen": The king's first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider.  Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.

 

Matt Smith as "Prince Daemon Targaryen": The younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne.  A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon.  But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…

 

Steve Toussaint as "Lord Corlys Velaryon" ("The Sea Snake"): Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen.  As "The Sea Snake," the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.

 

Olivia Cooke as "Alicent Hightower": The daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.

 

Rhys Ifans as "Otto Hightower": The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king's brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.

Cast announced for ITV's new four-part drama, Hollington Drive

Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Rhashan Stone, Peter McDonald, Ken Nwosu, Jonas Armstrong and Jodie McNee to star in Hollington Drive

Anna Maxwell Martin and Rachael Stirling will play sisters in a new four-part thriller for ITV, Hollington Drive, from acclaimed screenwriter Sophie Petzal.

Produced by West Road Pictures, the All3Media scripted production label fronted by Managing Director and Executive Producer Jonathan Fisher, Hollington Drive focuses on the lives of sisters, Theresa, (Anna Maxwell Martin, Motherland) and her older headteacher sibling, Helen (Rachael Stirling, Wild Bill).

Theresa's partner Fraser will be played by Rhashan Stone (Finding Alice) and Helen's partner, David, by Peter McDonald (Dublin Murders).

The sisters appear close and their families enjoy spending time together. We open on a warm, balmy evening, barbecue sizzling on the patio, the perfect family setting. The atmosphere is chilled, as they lounge in Theresa and Fraser's perfectly manicured garden. Apart from Fraser's brother Eddie (Ken Nwosu, Sticks and Stones) winding everyone up, there's hardly a hint of tension, but this is the calm before the storm.

When Theresa's ten-year-old son, Ben (Fraser Holmes) asks to play in the nearby park with his cousin Eva (Amelie Bea Smith), the adults begin to niggle. Fraser is relaxed and is fine for them to go, but this doesn't help Theresa's fears of foreboding and growing feelings of anxiety.

As expected the children don't return on time, and Theresa goes in search. Her suspicions are heightened when she finds the children on the edge of a woodland area and they appear to be fighting. Immediately her instincts tell her something terrible has happened.

This is all too realised when later that evening distraught neighbour, Jean (Jodie McNee, Little Boy Blue), calls on the family.  Her ten-year-old son Alex has gone missing...

Hollington Drive has been commissioned by ITV's Head of Drama, Polly Hill.

Sophie Petzal has deservedly earned herself the reputation for writing thought provoking and engaging drama with her credits including Blood, The Last Kingdom, Riviera and Wolfblood. Most notably, Sophie recently won a Writers' Guild of Great Britain award for Best Long Form Drama for Blood. The series will be directed by  Carolina Giammetta (The Drowning) and produced by Catrin Lewis Defis (The Pact). Executive producers are Sophie Petzal and Jonathan Fisher.

Commented Sophie Petzal:

"I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Jonathan Fisher and West Road Pictures once again to bring our project Hollington Drive to ITV. We hope it will keep audiences gripped to their televisions."

Jonathan Fisher commented:

"We're so excited to have started filming on Hollington Drive, and to have attracted a top-rate cast led by the exceptional Anna Maxwell Martin and Rachael Stirling. We can't wait to share this captivating and surprising story with the ITV audience."

Anna Richardson to host Channel 4’s Changing Rooms reboot

The full line-up of presenter, designers and DIY expert for Channel 4's new version of the iconic '90s and '00s home-DIY series Changing Rooms has been confirmed.

Joining returning Changing Rooms favourite Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen to give the show a fresh lick of paint is host Anna Richardson and designers Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio. Completing the team is carpenter and joiner Tibby Singh.

Changing Rooms, a Shine TV production, is made in partnership with Dulux and sees two sets of homeowners from the same neighbourhood work against the clock to renovate a room in each other's houses.

The homeowners will work with LLB or 2LG to bring the new looks to life in the chosen rooms, with the designers' bold and opposing styles ensuring each transformation will be spectacular, innovative and unexpected.

Carpenter and joiner Tibby Singh will lend a helping hand to bring the designs to life, while presenter Anna Richardson will guide viewers through the makeovers and hear from the homeowners throughout the process to see how they're feeling about the renovations they're carrying out, and what might be going on back in their own home.

Changing Rooms will be packed full of design and DIY hints and tips, teaching us how to be crafty on a budget by upscaling and adding sparkle to unloved or outdated corners of our homes.

Anna Richardson said: "What an honour to be joining the Changing Rooms team, one of my favourite shows from when I first started in TV! This series is an absolute classic and I can't wait to see the designs the legendary Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and the brilliant Jordan and Russell of 2LG come up with for our homeowners. Let's get that house swapping started!"

Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead, 2LG, commented: "The childhood versions of ourselves are mind blown to be part of the new Changing Rooms and, as designers, we are beyond excited to take on this challenge. Our design style is about empowerment, kindness and pride - making homes that lift your spirits and facilitate your best life. Creativity is powerful so we love that Changing Rooms is back because, in many ways, it was the beginning of our own creative journeys. How incredible that we get to a part of the next step."

Tibby Singh said: "I'm humbled to be a part of Changing Rooms which is such an iconic TV show! I'm privileged to be working alongside Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and 2LG to create some amazing makeovers and bring their designs to life. Touch wood everything goes to plan!"

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen added: "Let the games commence!"

Changing Rooms is a 6 x 60' primetime series. It was commissioned for Channel 4, in partnership with Dulux, by Jonny Rothery. It will be made by Shine TV (part of Banjay UK) and executive produced by Mark Sammon and Katie Brosnan, the series producer is James Kane.

'Emily in Paris', Netflix's Top Comedy Series of 2020, Begins Production on Season 2

Netflix has announced that Season 2 of Emily in Paris begins production in Paris, St. Tropez and other locations in France today, May 3, 2021.

The first season of the comedy, which stars Lily Collins and hails from creator, writer and executive producer Darren Star (Younger, Sex and the City), captivated members around the world. During a recent Academy of Television Arts & Science panel on the series, we revealed that 58 million households around the world chose to watch Emily in Paris in its first 28 days, making it Netflix's most popular comedy series of 2020.

Says Lily Collins, "As an actor, an artist, and a creative, the most meaningful gift is to connect with people through your art in some way. It's an honour to be associated with a project that provided people with some much-needed relief during a trying time when everyone was looking for a reason to smile and laugh. Not only did playing Emily teach me more about myself, but also about the world around me. I couldn't be happier to be back in Paris for Season 2 to expand upon those lessons, to continue to grow, and learn even more about this beautiful city and all of its character with Emily."

Adds Darren Star: "From the beginning we always wanted to create this beautiful cinematic view of Paris. The timing of the series release was fortuitous for us as everyone around the world was able to become armchair travelers and live vicariously through our cast. We could not be prouder and are excited to bring more joy to our fans as we start production on Season 2."

Emily in Paris follows Emily, an ambitious twenty-something marketing executive from Chicago, unexpectedly lands her dream job in Paris when her company acquires a French luxury marketing company — and she is tasked with revamping their social media strategy. Emily's new life in Paris is filled with intoxicating adventures and surprising challenges as she juggles winning over her work colleagues, making friends, and navigating new romances.

ITV commissions a second series of contemporary detective drama, Grace

John Simm will return as Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, for a second series of ITV crime drama, Grace.

From acclaimed screenwriter and Endeavour creator, Russell Lewis, Grace is an adaption of international, bestselling author Peter James' award winning novels.

Co-starring Richie Campbell as DS Glenn Branson and Rakie Ayola as ACC Vosper, the first Grace film Dead Simple which aired on ITV last month achieved consolidated ratings of 8.8m viewers.

The second series of Grace, produced by Second Act Productions, Tall Story Pictures, both part of ITV Studios, and Vaudeville Productions, will comprise three 120 minute films; Not Dead Enough, Dead Man's Footsteps and Dead Tomorrow.

Writer Russell Lewis commented:

"After the overwhelmingly positive audience response to the seaside noir of Dead Simple, (tabloid trauma tales notwithstanding!) and Looking Good Dead cued up ready to go, all at Team Roy Grace are delighted to have been given the opportunity by ITV to return to Brighton (& Hove, actually!) to continue Roy's story with a new series of films based on Peter James best-selling novels.

We'll be shooting out of our Brighton HQ and all along and around the South Coast from late summer through to very late autumn, so it's quite possible that like some macabre Radio Fab Roadshow, our caravanserai of coroner's van, SOCO unit, Mobile Incident Room may well be coming to a street near you!  As the late, great Shaw Taylor used to ask viewers on Police 5... 'Keep 'em peeled!'"

Competition: Win The Blitz - 80th Anniversary on DVD

The Blitz - 80th Anniversary - Released on DVD from 10th May

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and a copy on DVD to give away.

Synopsis: 

On the 80th Anniversary of The Blitz, one of the greatest tragedies in British history, that saw the Nazis invade the UK with a devasting bombing campaign that led to the tragic loss of thousands of lives, Reel 2 Reel Films presents a fascinating new documentary The Blitz80th Anniversary to commemorate this pivotal event of World War II. 

The film offers a brand new insight into how ordinary people managed to survive with incredible acts of courage and features amazing never seen before archive footage, along with powerful interviews with those who experienced it first-hand. The Blitz80thAnniversary is set to arrive on DVD and digital on 10 May 2021.

Between 1940 and 1941, the German Luftwaffe regularly bombed different areas of Britain, including the relentless bombing of London, over 56 nights. Sadly the devastating campaign saw more than 40,000 civilians killed in what was to become known as The Blitz. 

Now this fascinating and powerful documentary sheds light on those fateful months and how they affected the British people living in the cities under attack. The film delves into the real story of The Blitz, how it played out from city to city, with an in depth look into the build-up and the difficult and emotional personal stories.

Pre-order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xKWGOf

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 17-05-21
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard return in BAFTA-nominated Sky Original Breeders starting Thursday 27th May

Following the critically acclaimed first series, Sky Original comedy Breeders, starring Emmy and BAFTA-winning Martin Freeman (Fargo, Sherlock, Black Panther) and International Emmy and BAFTA-nominated Daisy Haggard (Back to Life, Episodes, Black Mirror), returns to Sky One and streaming service NOW on Thursday 27 May. All ten episodes will be available on demand.

Breeders continues to explore the parental paradox that you'd happily die for your children, but quite often also want to kill them. In the new series, time has moved on from where we left Paul (Freeman) and Ally's (Haggard) family. Their son Luke (Alex Eastwood) is now 13 years old and daughter Ava (Eve Prenelle) is now 10, both serving up brand new parenting challenges. Luke's increasing anxiety and Ava's growing independence add some new and uncharted complications into the existing chaotic mix of stretched resources, lack of time and the fine art of winging it while looking like you know what you're doing.

Paul's parents, Jackie (Joanna Bacon) and Jim (Alun Armstrong) are older too, as is Ally's mother Leah (Stella Gonet), leading Paul and Ally to find that they now must parent the generation above them as well as the generation below. And at the centre of all this is Paul and Ally's relationship. Can they survive these new pressures when they only just about survived the old ones? Or is there a finite number of ropes you can find yourself at the end of?

First look images of Robert Carlyle and Victoria Hamilton in series two of Sky Original Drama COBRA: CYBERWAR coming this Autumn to Sky One and streaming service NOW

Sky today released the first look images of the second series of action-packed and suspenseful Sky Original drama COBRA: CYBERWAR coming to Sky One and streaming service NOW this autumn. Starring Robert Carlyle as Prime Minster Robert Sutherland and Victoria Hamilton as his Chief of Staff Anna Marshall and an ensemble cast featuring Richard Dormer as Fraser Walker, Head of Civil Contingencies, David Haig as Archie Glover-Morgan, Home Secretary and Marsha Thomason as Francine Bridge, Director of Policy.

The series which is created and written by Ben Richards looks at what happens when cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure and fake news are used to subvert democracy.

In the aftermath of both solar and political storms, Prime Minister Robert Sutherland attempts to steer the country on a more even course. He is assisted, as ever, by his loyal Chief of Staff Anna Marshall alongside a team of dedicated advisers.

An assassination on British soil, however, unleashes a chain of events that threatens to develop into a crisis even more serious than the one from which the country has recently emerged. An invisible global enemy, not playing by the rules and operating outside national boundaries, appears to be bent on our destruction, leaving an entire country unsure as to who is friend and who is foe.

The first season of COBRA achieved a cumulative launch audience of 2.2 million, making it one of Sky One's most successful drama series in recent years as well as being one of Sky's most rapidly binged box-sets.

COBRA: CYBERWAR is commissioned by Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content at Sky and will be executive produced by Gabriel Silver for Sky Studios. The series is created and written by Ben Richards with additional episodes written by Toby Finlay and

will be produced by New Pictures. The executive producers include Charlie Pattinson and Ben Richards. Joe Donaldson is the producer with Al Mackay directing block one, Mo Ali block two and Sallie Aprahamian block three. NBCUniversal Global Distribution will handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.

COBRA: CYBERWAR is coming to Sky One and streaming service NOW this autumn.

Secret Crush - Q&A with Verona Rose

Series overview:

In this 20 x 60" series lovestruck singletons who've been harbouring feelings from afar finally reveal their hidden passion to their unknowing crush.

Whether they've been secretly dreaming of dating their best friend, colleague or gym buddy, it's time for the lovelorn to publicly admit the desires they've been keeping bottled up.

But will their affections be reciprocated? Is love going to blossom? Or should their secret crush have actually stayed secret? For the four hopefuls in each episode, it's time to find out.

Admirers from all walks of life will secretly invite their crush to join them, agreeing to be filmed as they declare their true feelings. The other person will be told before filming that someone in their life secretly likes them but won't find out who it is until the moment they walk into the date. Honest revelations, shocked faces, tears of relief, and potential new relationships could all be in store.

Q&A:

Did you encounter many awkward, shocking, or surprising moments during filming?

"We had snotty noses, lots of crying and some really dramatic confessions. Dental nurses being surprised by clients, a dater revealing for the first time his drag queen alter-ego and a glamour model explaining patriarchy to her crush. On one date, the girl was like 'what do you mean, I thought you liked guys? Why have you brought me on here?' It was a bit of a shocker."  

   

What was it like saying goodbye to the couples whose dates didn't go well?

"It's tricky because you don't want to be condescending or patronising, but you also don't want to rub salt in their wounds. Most times people just want to get their coats and leave, but I had to do my job and ask a couple of questions. Saying bye to the couples whose dates didn't go well was the hardest part for me. But in most part, even if it went badly it made their relationship stronger."

 

Were any Secret Crush dates particularly memorable?

"One guy came in with a banjo and played me a song. He had a crush on one of his best friends, he wanted her to be his 'Sandy' from the musical Grease but I'm not quite sure he measured up to be her 'Danny Zuko'. There were no hard feelings at the end."

 

Which Secret Crush couples were you rooting for in particular?

"I was rooting for a guy called Charlie who said he usually goes for quite butch guys. His date said the same thing. Neither of them were particularly butch but it worked out."

 

You filmed Secret Crush during lockdown which meant that the couples had to remain socially distant, how did this affect their dates?

"It definitely made things more difficult because some wanted to hug, some even wanted to have a little smooch, but they had to keep their distance. It's almost liked the new normal of dating though."

 

You are used to working alongside your comedy sidekick Donna Preston, what is it like working alone on Secret Crush?

"When I booked Secret Crush, I missed that shared excitement that you have with a partner when you've just booked a gig together. It was almost like I had to keep some of the excitement in otherwise I'd be bouncing off the walls. For me it was absolutely incredible, and I was so blessed that I was given the opportunity and so much responsibility for such an amazing project. I find it quite emotional even thinking about it."

 

Who is your celebrity secret crush?

"Who tickles my tummy? Let's say 50 Cent. I've been crushing on him for the longest. When I watched him in Power I was like 'damn! This is too much!'"

 

What would be your ideal date?

"I would love to have a date on a little boat, or a yacht, or even sat in a field in the middle of nowhere, having a picnic with some music. No phones, just love, fresh air and birds singing in the background.

 

Describe the best date you have ever been on and why.

"Me and my partner once had lunch at the top of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It was so peaceful looking at the greenery, watching the nature and just eating and being with the love of my life."

 

Have you ever been on a disastrous date? If so, what happened?

"My partner and I once went to a restaurant and were seated by a window. One of his friends walked past and my partner started banging on the window and screaming at the top of his voice. Everyone at the restaurant was looking at us and I just sat there with my head down."

 

Who is your favourite celebrity couple?

"Tiffany Haddish and Common. They're so cute together, I'm loving them. The other one is Katherine Ryan and her husband Bobby. Their story is so beautiful, it's like something you'd watch in a movie when the couple was dating when they were younger then got back together. But for them it's reality!"

Jon Snow to step down as Channel 4 News presenter at end of 2021

Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow has decided to step down from his role from the end of the year after 32-years at the helm of the flagship news programme.

The acclaimed broadcaster and journalist, whose career at ITN has spanned 45 years, will leave the programme as the longest-serving presenter in the show's history but will continue to work with Channel 4 in 2022.

Presenter Jon Snow: "After three incredible decades on Channel 4 News, it is time to move on.  I am excited by the many things I want to accomplish but I have to say I have enjoyed every minute of my time with the programme.

"It has brought me adventure, as well as sorrow in some of the stories that I have had to report and also joy in reporting others, but above all, it has brought me community in working with the most fantastic group of people who are bound in intellect, humour and understanding.  

"Together, we have forged a wonderful service. I feel proud to have contributed to Channel 4 News let alone to have anchored the programme for the last 32 years. I'm looking forward to new adventures and new challenges."