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Warning: this Inside No. 9 review contains spoilers.

Without question, that episode featured the worst dialogue, the most clichéd plot threads, and the most thinly drawn, hackneyed characters Inside No. 9 has ever produced. Which, of course, was entirely the point. This was metadrama: four characters in search of a rubbish author.

Unlike with most of Inside No. 9’s surprises, who bets the show’s creators were hoping the penny would drop sooner rather than later with this one? If regular viewers didn’t smell a rat when they heard Sophie Okonedo’s flawed-detective-with-inner-demons gutsily snarl, “I know how to dig my heels in, and let me tell you, size eight stilettos dig in deep,” Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith should worry. The stink was quite deliberate.

There was more where that came from, ‘Kat’ spoke only in affected barbs and emphatic monologues about not having a cock...

Warning: contains spoilers for Inside No. 9 series six.

In series six, Inside No. 9 pulled off a diamond heist, explored obsessive geek fandom, framed a cuckold in an international conspiracy, let a grotesque true crime bleed from reality to fiction and back again, made a deal with the devil, and killed Jesus. Where, one might well ask, next?

Anywhere it wants, is the answer to that question. The BBC Two anthology series can float from location to location, story to story, unhampered by the need to put down roots in any one place. Series seven brings half a dozen brand new films to screen, scored by composer Christian Henson, and each one as different as the last.

The official synopsis describes the new episodes as taking us “from the Welsh valleys to an abandoned house, from kidnappers to detectives, and from a day trip out in a pedalo to a public information film.

A wellness center and a modern-art gallery are among the locales that become crime scenes in Season 2 of this colorful mystery series, which plays like the love child of Midsomer Murders and Pushing Daisies. As the bodies pile up in the English village of Wildemarsh, Detective Sergeant Matilda Stone gets assistance from her three offbeat aunts, all crime writers who decipher clues like pros. Watch an exclusive sneak peek from Queens of Mystery about that wellness retreat above. One mystery Matilda can’t seem to solve: What happened to her mum, who disappeared years ago. Creator Julian Unthank drops more hints in these six episodes and promises an answer is forthcoming—eventually. “The truth will be revealed in the end,” he says. “But as an avid whodunit fan, the fun is always in how we get there.” Queens of Mystery, Season 2 Premiere, Monday, January 10, Acorn TV...

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

Renewal

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stars: James Robinson, Maggie Bain, Jim Sturgeon, Siobhan Redmond, Gordon Kennedy, Corin Edgar Robert | Written by Geoff Dupuy-Holder, Alistair Rutherford | Directed by Magnus Wake

The feature debut of Scottish director Magnus Wake, Dark Sense is adapted from the First and Only, the best-selling novel by Peter Flannery. Unfortunately, whatever virtues the novel possessed have been rather lost in its translation to the screen, resulting in a supernatural thriller that fails to convince on a number of levels.

Set in present-day Edinburgh, the plot begins with young Simon (Corin Edgar Robert) experiencing a terrifying vision of a murderer killing a local priest. Arriving too late to stop the crime, Simon is traumatised, which blocks his psychic powers. However, years later, an older Simon (now played by Shane O’Meara) experiences another terrifying vision, this time of his own death at the hands of a serial killer wearing a black mask.

With...

"Can you save my life?" 4Digital Media has debuted an official Us trailer for a "family adventure" movie titled 2 Hours, also known as 2:Hrs. The plot is a bit odd: three school friends ditch classes, and somehow stumble into the lab of a mad scientist lady. There they discover her latest invention, The Vitalitron, which predicts the time of death of any living creature. Tim discovers he only has two hours left to live, so he and his mates create a bucket list that will cram a lifetime into the next two hours. Anyone want to bet that he doesn't die at the end of two hours, but learns a few lessons along the way? What an original idea. Starring Harry Jarvis, Ella-Rae Smith, Alhaji Fofana, Keith Allen, Siobhan Redmond, Seann Walsh, Marek Larwood, and Kirsty Dillon. It looks pretty bad - almost made-for-tv bad, but that's why it's being...

Exclusive: UK distribution outfit Blue Finch Films has boarded UK/Ireland rights to Karen Gillan’s (Avengers: Endgame) directorial debut The Party’s Just Beginning, which she also wrote and stars in.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and Doctor Who actress Gillan plays Liusaidh, a young woman living in Scotland with her parents. After she loses her best friend, she embarks on a journey of of drink, drugs and casual flings, until a stranger comes into her life. The Glasgow and Tribeca 2018 drama also stars Lee Pace, Paul Higgins and Siobhan Redmond.

The film was produced by Claire Mundell of Synchronicity Films, Andru Davies of Mt. Hollywood and Mali Elfman. The deal was struck with Mike Chapman and Russell Webber on behalf of Blue Finch Films and the film is set to be released in Q4 this year.

Gillan commented, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Bluefinch distribute my debut film.

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for Acorn TV. For this season, the streamer has TV movie “Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate,” limited series “London Kills” and “Pitching In” and drama series “Queens of Mystery” as part of their 2019 campaign.

Below, the list of Acorn TV lead and supporting submissions for their drama, TV movie and limited series. More names might be added by the company on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

See over dozens of interviews with 2019 Emmy Awards contenders

“Agatha Raisin And The Curious Curate”

TV Movie

Movie/Limited Series Actress – Ashley Jensen

“London Kills”

Limited Series

Movie/Limited Series Actress – Sharon Small

Movie/Limited Series Actor – Hugo Speers

“Pitching In”

Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actress – Hayley Mills

“Queens Of...

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

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

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

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

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

Karen Gillan is best know for her roles in Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Who, and Jungle Book, but the actress has also just directed her first movie! It’s called The Party’s Just Beginning and the trailer for the movie has been released.

The movie is described as a “surreal coming of age story told from the perspective of a young Scottish woman (Karen Gillan) trying to cope with the suicide of her best friend and struggling to confront what's truly haunting her.” As a coping mechanism to deal with her life issues, she resorts to having sex and drinking alcohol.

I’ve been a fan of Gillan since her days on Doctor Who and it’s been great to see her film career thrive. Now, she’s getting behind the camera to tell stories and it will be interesting to see where this directing career path leads her.

"I can offer you, like, more magic than any mushroom ever picked." The Orchard has unveiled an official trailer for an indie drama titled The Party's Just Beginning, the feature directorial debut of Scottish actor-filmmaker Karen Gillan, who wrote the screenplay as well. This first premiered at the Glasgow and Tribeca Film Festivals earlier this year, and will be available to watch this fall. The Party's Just Beginning also stars Gillan as a woman named Liusaidh, who's struggling to deal with stress and all the feelings after her friend takes his own life. It's a powerful, darkly comedic film about loss, grief, and survivor's guilt. The cast includes Lee Pace, Matthew Beard, Paul Higgins, Rachel Jackson, Siobhan Redmond, Jamie Quinn, and Lesley Harcourt. This seems a bit wild & crazy but actually looks like an impressive debut. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Karen Gillan's The Party's Just Beginning, from...

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

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

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

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

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

Stars: Harry Jarvis, Ella-Rae Smith, Alhaji Fofana, Keith Allen, Siobhan Redmond, Seann Walsh, Marek Larwood | Written by Roland Moore | Directed by D. James Newton

The concept of knowing when you die is something the we, as humans, seem to focus on as wwe get older. It’s also been the subject of a number of films: from thrillers such as D.O.A., to comedies like The Bucket List… the idea of knowing when you die (and to a lesser extent “how” you die) is fascinating for filmmakers and audiences alike.

Brand-new British teen comedy 2:Hrs tells the story of budding graffiti artist and an expert slacker Tim (Harry Jarvis), who gets more than he bargained for when he convinces his two best friends, Vic and Alf, to skip a school trip. They stumble into a press conference being held by scientist Lena Eidelhorn (Siobhan Redmond) who is unveiling her latest invention,...

Distributor The Orchard has acquired North American rights to “Avengers: Infinity War” star Karen Gillan’s directorial debut.

“The Party’s Over,” which was written by and stars Gillan, will see an undated release from the company in North America.

The dramedy stars Lee Pace, Matthew Beard (“The Imitation Game”), Paul Higgins (“Utopia”), Siobhan Redmond (“Holby City”), Jamie Quinn (“Bluestone 42”), and Rachel Jackson (“Two Doors Down”).

Also Read: Nebula of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Should Get Her Own Movie (Commentary)

Gillan plays Liusaidh, a hard-partying twenty-something hitting the bottle to cope with a recent loss.

“Living with her parents in the remote Scottish Highlands, she spends most nights boozing at the local pub and embarks on what she assumes–perhaps rightly — will be yet another short-term fling when she hooks up with an out-of-towner (Lee Pace) who is going through a midlife crisis. At the same time,...

Coming-of-age story premiered in Tribeca.

The Orchard has picked up North American rights from UTA Independent Film Group to Karen Gillan’s directorial debut The Party’s Just Beginning.

Gillan wrote and stars in the film about a sharp-witted heavy drinker reeling from a recent loss, a man experiencing mid-life crisis, and an older man grapping with regrets who encounter each other in the Scottish Highlands.

Lee Pace also stars, Matthew Beard, Paul Higgins, Siobhan Redmond, Jamie Quinn, and Rachel Jackson. Gillan’s producing partner Mali Elfman served as producer alongside R. Andru Davies and Claire Mundell.

The Orchard plans...

Tuesday, July 10

– Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Ondi Timoner’s feature film “Mapplethorpe.” The film stars Matt Smith, Marianne Rendón, John Benjamin Hickey, Mark Moses, Carolyn McCormick, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Kerry Butler. The film will be released in late fall.

The film explores artist Robert Mapplethorpe’s “life from moments before he and Patti Smith moved into the famed Chelsea hotel,home to a world of bohemian chic. Here he begins photographing it’s inhabitants and his new found circle of friends including artists and musicians, socialites, film stars, and members of the S&M underground. Mapplethorpe’s work displayed erotisim in a way that had never been examined nor displayed before to the public. The film explores the intersection of his art and his sexuality and his struggle for mainstream recognition. The biopic offers a nuanced portrait of an artist at the height of his...

Exclusive: The Orchard has snapped up North American rights to Karen Gillan’s directorial debut The Party’s Just Beginning which made its stateside premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival where it was one of the standouts. The Orchard is planning a fall release for the movie.

Shot in Gillan’s Scottish Highlands hometown of Inverness, The Party’s Just Beginning was a passion project which took the Guardians of the Galaxy and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actress six years to write and five to finance before breaking through with Mt. Hollywood Films. She also headlines in the film as Liusaidh, a young woman who is living an endless bacchanal to mask the severe pains from a recent loss. At the same time, a wrong number leads Liusaidh to an anonymous connection with an old man grappling with his own end-of-life questions and regrets. Under fleeting glimpses of the Northern lights,...

In a year that sees her star in The Circle, the Jumanji remake and reprise her role as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Scottish actress Karen Gillan is adding to an already rather tight schedule by embarking on her first feature behind the camera. 

Shooting began earlier this week on her as-yet-untitled debut (which was called Tupperware Party... more on that later), being produced by Mt. Hollywood Films in association with Synchronicity Films, in which Gillan stars alongside Lee Pace (The Hobbit), Matthew Beard (An Education, The Imitation Game), Paul Higgins (In the Loop), Siobhan Redmond (Alice Through The Looking...

The Doctor Who star tells Screen why she was forced to ditch the Tupperware Party title.

New cast details and a change in title have been announced for Karen Gillan’s directing debut, backed by fledgling Us production outfit Mt. Hollywood Films.

The film, which Gillan also wrote and stars in, was previously called Tupperware Party but has reverted to working title Untitled Original Drama.

Gillan explained to Screen why she was forced to change the name.

“The title is currently in limbo”, she said. “Basically we had a title [Tupperware Party] and then realised that it was a brand name. That’s actually the name of the company that makes those tubs, so currently we’re deciding on a new title. I’m kind of digging the idea that we have to figure out a new title. I do believe that obstacles in creative situations often result in a better idea so I’m hoping that’s the case...

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Coming from Big Finish in October is the return of Siobhan Redmond as the Rani in Doctor Who: Planet of the Rani. Written by Marc Platt, the Sixth Doctor and Constance Clarke (Colin Baker and Miranda Raison) stumble upon the Rani in the Teccaurora Penitentiary Miasimia Goria was a quiet planet, an ancient world of bucolic tranquillity…...

The post Planet of the Rani Trailer Plus The Last Adventure Available Early appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Photo taken by author.

Colin Baker appeared this past weekend at the Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest.

After appearing before a room of fans, where he talked about how he hated the polls ranking Doctors, his issues with the newest season, and how much he loved working with Patrick Troughton on “The Two Doctors”; he took a few minutes to chat with WhatCulture.com’s Chris Swanson.

Me: Thank you for sitting down and interviewing with me! I really appreciate it.

Baker: My pleasure.

Me: Allow me to say that when I’m on panels and people ask my who my favorite Doctor is, it’s a tie between the Sixth and the Eighth. I put that almost completely on the audios, because you have been so consistently fantastic in the audio stories.

Baker: Thank you very much.

Me: So what was it like coming back to the character after all those years,...

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Today, there’s more news than is socially acceptable. If you’re of a nervous disposition, take a sip of tea, read slowly and, if all else fails, watch City of Death for a while. Engage safety. And three, two and… spike. Siobhan Redmond Is The Rani! Big Finish has announced that they’re bringing the Rani back!

The post A New Rani, A New Dalek Game and A New Spider-Girl? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Every performer has a horror story about auditions – a bullying director, falling over, not having done their homework. But what's the secret of nailing that part?

Last September, Alice Jane Murray queued in the rain outside the London Palladium for five hours, waiting to take her chance at the open auditions for A Chorus Line, the legendary 1970s show about a group of Broadway dancers looking for their big break. Eventually, she was ushered on stage with a group of 50 other hopefuls, and asked to do a double pirouette on the left, and then another on the right. Her future rested on their perfect execution. "I just went with the thought that this is who I am and what I can do," she told me afterwards. "And if they don't like it, I can't do anything about it. It may just be that they're not looking for someone with your hair colour or your height.