Tag Archives: ITV

7-49 UP DVD

Posted on by

Arguably the best documentary series ever made for British television and certainly the longest running factual programme in the history of UK TV, The release of 7-49 Up is now out on DVD. The flagship ITV series about children from different social backgrounds made between 1964 and 2005 as they evolve through life will be available to buy on DVD for the first time in the UK in a 6-disc set,

The first instalment of 7-UP was broadcast in 1964 as a one-off World in Action special, featuring children talking about their hopes and dreams for the future. As members of the generation who would be running the country by the year 2000, what did they think they would become? Inspired by World In Action founder editor Tim Hewat’s passionate interest in both the Jesuit saying: “Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man,” and the rigid class system of 1960s Britain, Seven Up set out to discover whether or not the children’s lives were pre-determined by their background.

This forward thinking television show – the very first example of a programme recording real people living real lives – and the follow-up documentaries – have won an array of accolades and awards. Director Michael Apted, who has since moved to Hollywood to direct films, has returned every seven years to chart the children’s progress through life. Over the past five decades, the series has documented the group as they have become adults and entered middle-age, dealing with everything life has thrown at them in between.

 

Downton Abbey, Scorsese's Broadwalk Empire Compete For Emmy Awards.

Posted on by

Downton Abbey, Mad Men and Broadwalk Empire are all competing for Emmy Awards tonight. The Emmy Awards are the TV equivalent of the Oscars.

Mad Men have been nominated for outstanding drama series, for the fourth year in a row. Jon Hamm is also nominated for outstanding dramatic actor and co-star Elisabeth Moss has been nominated for best dramatic actress, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery are up for the best supporting actor/actress awards.

Kate Winslet and Hugh Laurie are keeping the British side up, Winslet is up for best actress in a mini-series for her role in Mildred Pierce, while the show itself is also competing for the mini-series award.

And Laurie is up against Jon Hamm in the outstanding actor category for his role as grumpy surgeon Dr Gregory House in the acclaimed drama House.

Downton Abbey – which returns to ITV tonight for a second series – is up for the best mini-series category, while Maggie Smith is nominated for her role as the Countess of Grantham. I have filmed a lot for Downtown Abbey, as a downstairs maid, so I am rooting for the cast and crew, who are all lovely.

And British actresses Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh both received nominations for their roles in the BBC remake of Upstairs Downstairs.

Other shows with nominations are Glee – nominated in a few categories including best comedy – the medieval drama Game Of Thrones, serial killer drama Dexter and the US remake of The Office.
Martin Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire is also tipped to win big at the awards.

The prohibition era drama is up against Mad Men in the best drama category, while Steve Buscemi is nominated in the same category as Jon Hamm, for the best actor trophy.

The awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday night, will be hosted by Glee actress Jane Lynch.

Christie Brinkley: Desperate Housewife?

Posted on by


An immaculately groomed Christie Brinkley arrives at ITV studios. While the US star’s yellow 50s-style dress flatters her amazing figure – she does have a bit of a ‘Stepford Wife’ look to her. Perhaps she is hoping for a part in ‘Desperate Housewives’?

 

What the Americans can learn from UK Law & Order {TV}

Posted on by

The TV industry is a funny one. The UK version of Law & Order is obviously a remake of the American format which seems to have franchises around different US cities. So ITV bought the format rights, remade it and sold the series to BBC America who are showing back to the Americans? Well at least they’re learning things they never thought they’d want to know. Hit play on the video for almost 3 minutes of giggles.

Poirot Halloween Special Preview {TV}

Posted on by

Halloween’s as much about guilty little treats as it is about undead souls. This Halloweens treat is a special episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Possibly the most dark and sinister Poirot yet starts out with a children’s Halloween party complete with witches, eerie music, jack o lanterns, fire a haunting game of snap dragon and of course a death. Add into the mix a cast of suspicious characters and an un co-operative police officer in a rural setting and you tada, one classic who dunnit.

Award winning actress Zoë Wanamaker makes a welcome return, alongside David Suchet, as Ariadne Oliver in Hallowe’en Party.

Adapted by actor, screenwriter and novelist, Mark Gatiss, Hallowe’en Party also stars Amelia Bullmore, Deborah Findlay , Georgia King, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Sophie Thompson, Paul Thornley, Eric Sykes, Fenella Woolgar and Timothy West.

When Ariadne Oliver attends a children’s Hallow e’en party in Woodleigh Common with her friend Judith, a young girl boasts of having witnessed a murder years before. Later that evening, the girl, Joyce Reynolds is found dead, drowned in an apple-bobbing bucket in the library. It appears that any one of the guests could have slipped out in the dark during a game of Snapdragon and murdered her.

At the request of Ariadne, Hercule Poirot arrives at Woodleigh Common to investigate the murder. Though Joyce was dismissed as a fantasist, Poirot is convinced her story has some truth to it. When he seeks out the local gossip, he discovers that there have been a number of suspicious deaths in the village in recent years which Joyce could have witnessed. But while Poirot pieces together the facts, another child is found murdered. Could a forged codicil, a missing au pair and a secret love affair be the key to solving the crime?

Watch the Poirot Halloween Special in ITV1 at 8pm on Wednesday 27th October.

X Factor and BGT here at least until 2013 {TV}

Posted on by

ITV has signed a new, three-year deal with The X Factor & Britain’s Got Talent, keeping Simon Cowell in work for at least another 3 years.

As part of this renewed collaboration with Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia, the broadcaster has also secured exclusive UK broadcast rights to the American version of The X Factor and America’s Got Talent for ITV2.

Simon Cowell said: “I am thrilled this deal has been concluded with ITV to enable our relationship to continue to develop. I am committed to making sure both shows get bigger and better every year. I have a lot to thank ITV for; they have been key in making The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent the UK’s biggest television shows.”  

The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent are the UK’s most popular entertainment television programmes on any channel.  The two shows provided the most watched television moments of 2009 with peak audiences of 19.3 million for The X Factor final and 19.9 million for the Britain’s Got Talent Final.
This year’s seventh series of The X Factor has been the most popular ever with viewing figures across every stage reaching record levels. Almost 17 million watched the second Judges’ houses show, and yesterday’s second live results show peaked at an enormous 15.2 million; the highest ever at this stage of the competition.
Online, ITV.com/TheXFactor attracted over 95 million page views during the 2009 series with over 30 million video views across the run.

Alex Kingston to star in new supernatural drama 'The Oaks' {TV}

Posted on by

Alex Kingston and Jodie Whittaker are to lead the cast of ITV Studios’ brand new supernatural drama The Oaks (working title).

The Oaks is the gripping story of three different families living in the same house in the 1960’s, 1980’s and present day. The families are linked by the spirit of a young girl – the 1960’s family’s daughter who died in mysterious circumstances.

Filming has begun in London on the program which will be broadcast as a five part drama.

A creative collaboration between ITV Studios and Fox, the series is written for ITV by Stephen Greenhorn (Glasgow Kiss, Doctor Who) and is based on an original US pilot from David Schulner.

“The Oaks is a really original concept that blends relationship drama with an atmospheric ghost story,” said Laura Mackie from the commissioning team. “Stephen’s scripts are compellingly written and this is a very distinctive drama to add to our slate.”

“This is a strongly authored, ambitious piece and we’re thrilled to have such an exciting and talented cast on board,” said Kate Lewis, Executive Producer.

TV Preview: The Seasons with Alan Titchmarsh; Autumn

Posted on by

I love a good wildlife documentary, If they’re done right they can be relaxing and informative at the same time. Frost Magazine were allowed a preview of ITV’s current offering ‘The Seasons’ so we can tell you all about it.
In ‘The Seasons’; gardening zen master Alan at-one-with-nature Titchmarsh takes us through the seasons and how we’re intrinsicly linked with nature.
This time round it’s Autumn. Mixing time lapse sequences and beautiful photography, The Seasons shows us something about our home country that we’ve forgotten about. As we increasingly move and expand our urban jungles, we’re actively trying to recapture our link to nature. Farmers markets and organic food are booming and we guilt trip ourselves and others into shunning advances in food technology. We’re increasingly seeking a more natural and simplistic way of life. It’s little wonder then that glorious early morning mists in seemingly mystical forests seem so appealing.
Titchmarsh walks us through Autumn explaining why we have seasons by using an electric globe and an orange ball and answering questions like why do leaves turn orange? and why do berries taste bitter after michaelmas?
He also talks about animal behaviour; covering hibernation, migration and how animals prepare for winter; which gives lots of opportunities to show us shots of adorable small mammals and woodland creatures as well as some less adorable insects and a snail in its very own stasis.
The Seasons doesn’t stop at animals and plants, it looks into how humans relation to nature, from Harvest to allotments to sustainable oyster fishing.
It’s a lot of information to cover in one hour long program which means that The Seasons touch upon a great deal of information but doesn’t go into any real depth. Still, it has some great photography. The episode concludes on visions of frosty fields and snowy countrysides which gives you a taste iof what will follow.

The Seasons: Autumn is on ITV1 on 23rd May at 7pm