News

The great and the good of the U.K. TV industry have descended on London’s Royal Festival Hall for the British small screen’s biggest night of the year, the BAFTA TV Awards.

Among the shows up for awards are Netflix’s smash hit “Baby Reindeer,” Apple TV+’s acclaimed spy series “Slow Horses,” HBO/BBC financial series “Industry,” Disney+’s raunchy comedy “Rivals” and its Ira drama “Say Nothing” and the ITV drama “Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office.” On the performance front, the likes of Gary Oldman, David Tennant, Richard Gadd, Marisa Abela, Nicola Coughlan and Danny Dyer are nominated.

Hosted by Alan Cumming, the ceremony began with “Baby Reindeer,” “Slow Horses” and “Rivals” already leading the pack with two awards each from the BAFTA TV Craft awards held two weeks earlier.

See the list of winners as they’re updated below.

TV Awards

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“Can You Keep a Secret,” the upcoming comedy series led by British TV icon Dawn French, is set to premiere on Paramount+ in the U.S.

The series — starring 7-time BAFTA TV nominee French alongside Mark Heap (“Friday Night Dinner”). Craig Roberts (“Submarine”) and Mandip Gill (“Doctor Who”) — recently wrapped filming.

“Can You Keep a Secret?” sees French play domineering granny Debbie Fendon, a woman who will stop at nothing to protect her family. However, as the synopsis goes, the person they most need protecting from is her. When her hermit-like husband, William (Mark Heap), unexpectedly dies, Fendon makes an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before. Because William isn’t actually dead – he just got mistakenly declared it and has been living in the loft while they wait for the life insurance to pay out.

This news comes as a bit of a...

Paramount+ has announced that the upcoming U.K. comedy “Can You Keep a Secret?” will be coming to the streamer in the United States. The series stars seven-time BAFTA TV Awards nominee Dawn French, who is best known for starring in the BBC sketch comedy series “French and Saunders,” as well as “Friday Night Dinner” star Mark Heap.

The series recently wrapped filming. Craig Roberts (“Submarine”) and Mandip Gill (“Doctor Who”) also star in the production.

“Can You Keep a Secret?” follows domineering granny Debbie Fendon (French), a woman who will stop at nothing to protect her family. The problem with that is they mostly need protecting from her. When her hermit-like husband William (Heap) is declared dead, they make the decision to hide William in the loft as they wait for his life insurance to pay out. The comedy follows Debbie, William and their easily frazzled son Harold (Roberts...

Paramount+ has boarded the BBC and CBS Studios’ upcoming Dawn French sitcom Can You Keep A Secret?.

The streamer has taken U.S. rights to the comedy, with Paramount Global Content Distribution selling around the world.

In Can You Keep a Secret?, British comedy icon French plays domineering grandma Debbie Fendon, a woman who will stop at nothing to protect her family. When her hermit-like husband William (Mark Heap) unexpectedly dies, she makes an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before. The show also stars Craig Roberts and Mandip Gill.

The BBC and CBS Studios are already combining on James Norton-starring historical epic King and Conqueror. Big Talk Studios is also behind Can You Keep a Secret? along with creator Simon Mayhew-Archer’s Mayhay Studios.

The BBC will be delighted with the Paramount+ deal. The start of 2025 has been characterized by the American...

Anne Mensah, vp of content at Netflix UK, Tanya Quereshi, head of comedy at the BBC, Kenton Allen, chief executive of Big Talk Studios, and Phil Edgar-Jones, head of unscripted originals at Sky, are among the speakers taking part in next week’s high-level Broadcast Summit, organised by Screen’s sister publicationBroadcast.

The day-long event on April 2 will offer attendees the chance to get the inside track from commissioners working across multiple genres.

Delegates who purchase a ticket today (Thursday 27 March) have the opportunity to request to speak directly to one of 10 commissioning editors fromUKTV, Warner Bros Discovery, ITV, Disney+andBritBoxin a one-to-one meeting.

David Mitchell is a little coy while discussing how he onboarded Ludwig. “As far as I know,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter, “it was thought up with me in mind!”

The actor and comedian is beloved in the U.K. for his starring role in Peep Show and on the British panel show Would I Lie to You?, so it was a no-brainer for creator Mark Brotherhood when he got wind that Mitchell, inspired by his own love of crime and mystery shows, was looking for a detective role.

“I grew up with Inspector Morse and Miss Marple and Poirot and all that,” Mitchell says. “It’s a kind of television I love watching so I’ve long wanted to be in one.” Fast forward a few years and his latest dry-humored, endearingly grumpy success has come in the form of John “Ludwig” Taylor, the titular character of the BBC...

Today, in celebration of National Puzzle Day, BritBox debuted the official trailer for its Original detective comedy Ludwig, which will premiere with two episodes on Thursday, March 20 followed by one new episode weekly through the April 17 finale.

The detective show broke viewership records in the UK, with more than 9.5 million viewers and a second season already confirmed.

In the series, puzzle setter John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor sees his life of solitude turned upside down when his identical twin brother, James, disappears without a trace. In a quest to track James down and bring him home, Ludwig assumes his brother’s identity – but by taking over every aspect of James’s life, Ludwig is forced to confront his issues.

Unlike Ludwig, James is no hermit. Far from it, in fact. He’s a family man who also just happens to be the Dci of a busy inner-city major crimes team.

For Ludwig,...

Bad news for the fans of the Apple TV+ show The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. The British series, which was currently filming Season 2, has been canceled.

Deadline confirms Apple TV+ has abruptly pulled the plug on the comedy series after its leading star, Noel Fielding, has allegedly failed to return to work on the series. Shooting had already begun three months ago for the upcoming season, and it was reportedly three-quarters done. According to the outlet, Season 2 can't go on without Fielding, so producer Big Talk Studios decided to disband the cast and crew.

Related 5 Years Later, M. Night Shyamalan's $81 Million Apple TV+ Lawsuit Gets a Major Update

An underrated AppleTV+ series is the center of a legal conflict for one of horror's most notorious minds.

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin premiered on Mar. 1, 2024, and it was popular on the streaming service. Apple TV+ renewed...

Apple TV+‘s comedy The Completely Made–Up Adventures of Dick Turpin will not return.

The show has ceased production on series two, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Thursday. British tabloid The Sun first reported the news, adding that titular star Noel Fielding — well known among U.S. audiences as a co-host of The Great British Baking Show — pulled out three-quarters of the way through the shoot.

Filming started on a second series in the autumn, the tabloid said, but 51-year-old Fielding did not return after the Holidays. The cast and crew have now been stood down. Though THR has been unable to confirm the report, Fielding’s team has been contacted for comment.

Written by Fielding, Richard Naylor and Jon Brittain, the series followed the contemptuous life of the 18th-century highwayman, known in York, England, as a thief, poacher and killer but whose exploits have been widely romanticized in modern culture.

Apple TV+’s comedy series “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” has stopped production because the main actor, Noel Fielding, left the show before completing a quarter of its second season. Big Talk Studios had to stop production early because the series could not continue without its lead star.

The shutdown happened after the 2024 holiday season because Fielding did not return to the set in early 2025. Apple TV+, Big Talk Studios, and Fielding’s team at Pbj Management have not explained why he left.

The comedy series featured Fielding as Dick Turpin, a surprising 18th-century highway robber who used his charm more than his taking abilities. The show’s first season had popular British comedians like Ellie White, Dolly Wells, Mark Heap, Marc Wootton, Duayne Boachie, and Michael Fielding.

Fielding worked as an actress and a writer behind the scenes. He wrote with Richard Naylor and Jon Brittain. The...

The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin is no more.

Season 2 of the Apple TV+ comedy has been shut down after Noel Fielding pulled out around three-quarters of the way through the shoot.

The Sun newspaper first reported on Dick Turpin’s demise. Deadline understands that Season 2 cannot be salvaged and that producer Big Talk Studios has disbanded the cast and crew.

The Sun reported that Fielding “failed to come to work” at the start of 2025 after the series paused for the Christmas holiday.

Apple, Big Talk, and Fielding’s rep at Pbj Management have been contacted for comment.

In the irreverent retelling of the 18th-century highwayman’s life, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair. Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin rides the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity.

Exclusive: The BBC assembled some of the UK’s finest drama and comedy producers to discuss the scripted funding crisis currently gripping the industry, we can reveal.

Described as a “gathering of the families,” BBC director general Tim Davie and content chief Charlotte Moore invited the group of seasoned executives to a lunch meeting at London’s Charlotte Street Hotel in late November.

Deadline is disclosing details from the private talks for the first time after Jane Featherstone, the Black Doves producer who was in attendance last year, told British Parliament yesterday that the BBC is struggling to fund “multiple” series on its books.

Others at the BBC meeting included The Crown producer Andy Harries, Ludwig maker Kenton Allen, The Traitors producer Stephen Lambert, and Jimmy Mulville, the maker of Derry Girls. Tim Hincks, producer of Alma’s Not Normal, was also in attendance.

Sources familiar with the gathering said the talks were constructive and pragmatic,...

Exclusive: Amazon will not be proceeding with a second season of single-camera comedy Dinner With The Parents. The news comes eight months after the series, a remake of the long-running British comedy Friday Night Dinner, launched on Amazon Freevee.

The free, ad-supported video on demand streaming service was recently shut down, with existing Freevee series migrating to Prime Video. Dinner With The Parents was one of the last remaining Freevee originals whose fate had not been decided.

Dinner with The Parents, from CBS Studios and Big Talk, centers around a weekly family get-together that always devolves into chaos. Every Friday evening, the closely-knit Langers prove that it takes those we love best to bring out our worst.

Michaela Watkins and Dan Bakkedahl led the cast as the parents, with Henry Hall, Daniel Thrasher and Carol Kane also starring.

Jon Beckerman executive produced and served as showrunner with Big Talk’s...

Gregory Alan Williams Directing Pair Of Pics

Exclusive: Baywatch: The American Dream and The Righteous Gemstones actor Gregory Alan Williams is to direct a pair of SAG feature films, one a family adventure and the other a thriller. Production has begun on Paw Paw and Dayja, which follows the tender story between a grandfather, played by Williams, and his Bigfoot-loving granddaughter (Aria Isabella May) set to the backdrop of Georgia’s wilderness. Also cast are Trazi Lashawn, Raven Danielle Baker, Kenisha Johnson, and Jay Peterson. Crazie has concurrently gone into production, billed as a high-stakes dark psychological thriller set in Atlanta. It follows a family’s turmoil as a teenage son falls prey to a dangerous obsession with an older woman. Cast includes Brenda Washington, Juvan Elisma, Wendell Lee Mitchell, Diesel Madkins, Nikia Gettridge and Alpha Trivette. Williams is writing, directing and executive-producing both films, alongside producers Richard Tavernaro, Dawson Williams,...

Exclusive: Ludwig has taken its first steps to a potential U.S. remake after the David Mitchell cozy crime series became the BBC’s biggest comedy launch since 2018.

Deadline hears that Big Talk Studios is entertaining interest from writers about adapting Ludwig for an American audience high on similar shows, including Only Murders in the Building. The series has been presented to the market and early talks are taking place with potential showrunners.

Ludwig was watched by 9.5M people on the BBC and the British broadcaster has moved quickly to renew the comedy crime drama for a second season. BritBox has also closed a deal to stream the first two seasons in the U.S. and Canada from early next year.

Created by Mark Brotherhood, the series stars Peep Show’s Mitchell as John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor, a reclusive puzzle-setter who becomes an unlikely detective when his twin brother goes missing.

The UK studio landscape is set for another shakeup with Bristol City Council pushing on with a decision to sell Bottle Yard Studios, where Sherlock, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and The Outlaws were filmed.

Bottle Yard is the only film and TV studio in the UK owned and managed by a local authority but the council of late has decided that it has “hit a glass ceiling” and should be sold, according to council leader Tony Dyer.

At an extraordinary council meeting last night, the amendment calling for a pause and delay to the sale was ruled out of order, and the long leasehold of the studio will now very likely be sold. The final decision on the sale will be considered by the committee at a later date and a separate amendment to bring sale plans back for scrutiny and a democratic vote once they are decided upon was agreed unanimously.

Insiders, it’s me again. Jesse Whittock here to run you through the main international film and TV news. Off we go, and don’t forget to sign up to the newsletter here.

‘Cheers’ To That

Where everybody knows your script: Making your way in the entertainment world today can take everything you’ve got, so it makes sense that you might think remaking an existing program could make things that little bit easier. That feels part of the thinking behind Big Talk Studios’ plan to relocate the Boston bar that Cheers made famous to the UK. On Monday, Jake revealed that Big Talk, known for BBC/Prime Video comedy The Outlaws and many others, has tapped CBS Studios for the rights to remake iconic sitcom Cheers, 30 years after Ted Danson rang the bell for last orders in America. Simon Nye, writer of Men Behaving Badly and The Durrells, is...

The bar where everybody knows your name (as long as you’re a functional alcoholic who spends 90 percent of your waking hours in a below ground watering hole) was the subject of one of the greatest TV comedies of all time: Cheers. From the Sam and Diane romance, to Norm’s witticisms, to Cliff Clavin’s unhinged theories, there was so much to love about Cheers. It’s still only the second-best show to feature Frasier Crane, though.

Surely remaking Cheers, an iconic series that very much succeeded on the charms of its unique cast during a very specific moment in time, is a horrible, horrible idea — but someone’s going ahead and doing it anyway.

As reported by Deadline, it was recently announced that U.K. studio Big Talk is currently pitching a brand new version of Cheers, which would shift the action from a Boston Bar to an English pub.

Iconic American sitcom Cheers is being remade in the UK, with Men Behaving Badly writer Simon Nye working on the scripts.

Well here’s a bit of TV news nobody saw coming. Iconic American sitcom Cheers is gearing up for a British remake.

According to Deadline, production company Big Talk is in the early stages of development on a UK version of Cheers, which will be set in a pub instead of a bar. The remake is being pitched to broadcasters but has not yet been picked up.

Men Behaving Badly writer Simon Nye has been enlisted to write the scripts. A prolific writer, Nye’s other work includes Martin Freeman vehicle Hardware, Is It Legal?, the terrific How Do You Want Me?, which starred Dylan Moran and Charlotte Coleman, and the star studded ITV Pantomimes, which were broadcast in the early 2000s. Nye is no stranger to American remakes,...

Exclusive: After spooking both sides of the Atlantic with their hit series Ghosts, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond have found their next project.

The writing duo are working with Big Talk Studios to develop a Netflix animated series that takes inspiration from Family Guy and is set in a British hospital.

Titled In Case of Emergency, Big Talk has produced a six-minute animatic pilot, with members of the British comedy community providing voiceover work.

Big Talk is collaborating on the project with Blue Zoo Animation Studio, a British animation company known for children’s shows including The Adventures of Paddington.

Big Talk CEO Kenton Allen confirmed In Case of Emergency in an interview with Deadline and said the company, which makes The Outlaws, was approached by Netflix with the animation ambition.

Netflix UK chief Anne Mensah and Julio Bonet, the streamer’s London-based manager of adult animation, are overseeing the show,...

Exclusive: It was the place where American viewers were always glad they came — and now the Cheers bar is hoping to open its doors to Brits.

Deadline can reveal that Big Talk Studios, the producer behind Stephen Merchant’s BBC/Amazon series The Outlaws, is pitching a UK version of NBC’s iconic comedy. Thirty years after Cheers’ last orders, Big Talk has enlisted Simon Nye, the British writer known for Men Behaving Badly and The Durrells, to adapt the series for a UK audience. Nye will be showrunner if Cheers is greenlit.

Cheers ran for 11 seasons and 275 episodes on NBC, depicting life in a titular Boston bar run by Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Regulars included Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), and the show is consistently ranked among the best comedies ever made.

Big Talk is in the early stages of pitching Cheers to British broadcasters...

U.K. culture secretary Lisa Nandy has used her first appearance at the annual Royal Television Society conference to castigate the TV industry for being “centralized” and “exclusive.”

“For all of the efforts made by many of you in this room, it should shame us all that television is one of the most centralised and exclusive industries in the U.K.,” she told the conference, which included TV industry executives including Big Talk CEO Kenton Allen and Pact CEO John McVey. “Because who tells the story determines the story that is told.”

In her speech, Nandy urged executives to commission content “from every part of the country – towns and villages as well as major cities – why not?”

“Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not. And if you’ve moved jobs and people and content, but the heads of departments and commissioners are still in an office in London, do something about it.

Dawn French is returning to the BBC with a sitcom from This Country’s Simon Mayhew-Archer, CBS Studios and Big Talk.

French is co-starring with Mark Heap on Can You Keep a Secret?, in which the comedy icon will play widower Debbie Fenton, who will stop at nothing to make sure her family’s protected. Unfortunately, most of the time the person they really need protecting from is her. When her hermit-like husband William (Heap) unexpectedly dies, she makes an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before.

French hasn’t appeared on the BBC since a French and Saunders Christmas special in 2017. She made her name with her sketch show alongside Jennifer Saunders and has appeared in a wealth of other comedies and dramas, as well as performing stand up.

Can You Keep a Secret? is being created and written by Mayhew-Archer and directed by Ghosts’ Simon Hynd.

Apple TV+ has given the green light to a second season of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, the comedy-adventure series starring Noel Fielding as a legendary British highwayman. The series debuted globally on Friday, March 1, 2024.

In the six-episode series, Dick Turpin (Fielding) sets out on a journey of wildly absurd escapades when he’s made the reluctant leader of a band of outlaws — and tasked with outwitting corrupt lawman and self-appointed thief-taker Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville).

In this irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mainly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair.

Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin experiences the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity, while trying to escape the clutches of the thief-taker.

Ellie White (The Windsors), Marc Wootton (High & Dry), Duayne Boachie...

Apple TV+ has given the green light for a second season of the adventure comedy The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, starring Noel Fielding.

The British series, which debuted worldwide on March 1, has comic and actor Fielding playing 18th century highwayman Dick Turpin alongside his merry band of outlaws. “Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin rides the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity,” Apple TV+ said of the comedy headed to another cycle.

There’s no word on casting or a premiere date for the second season of the British comedy created by Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane. The first season ensemble cast included Duayne Boachie, Ellie White, Marc Wootton, Asim Chaudry, Mark Heap and Hugh Bonneville as a ruthless and corrupt thief-taker.

The first season finale streamed on March 29, 2024 and complemented the cliff hanger fifth episode entitled Tommy Silversides.

Apple TV+’s notorious highwayman is back.

The streamer has greenlit a second season of Noel Fielding-starrer The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, which will see another round of fantastical adventures for the lead.

In the irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair. Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin rides the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity.

The first season also starred British comics including Ellie White, Dolly Wells and Mark Heap, and Apple said Season 2 will feature “a host of great British comedy talent.”

Written by Fielding, Richard Naylor and Jon Brittain, the series is produced by The Outlaws maker Big Talk Studios. It is executive produced by Kenton Allen, Fielding, Victoria Grew, Anthony Wilcox and Ben Palmer,...

Exclusive: Big Talk Studios, producer of Amazon/BBC series The Outlaws, has turned to Brontë Film & TV to find its first creative director of drama.

Jenny van der Lande will join Big Talk in the newly-created role having developed all six seasons of J.K. Rowling’s BBC/Max series Strike, starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger.

Alongside her creative director duties at Brontë, she has also led the editorial side of Snowed-In Productions, overseeing projects including Itvx’s upcoming Sophie Turner series Joan and Mrs Wilson, the BBC’s Ruth Wilson drama.

Joining in June, Van der Lande will report to Big Talk CEO Kenton Allen and work closely with Luke Alkin, drama executive producer. She will split her time between London and Bristol, and is tasked with growing the ITV Studios-backed company’s drama slate.

Allen said: “She brings a wealth of experience and relationships and has...

Today, ahead of its inaugural upfront presentation on May 14, Prime Video revealed the trailer and new key art for The Outlaws Season 3. All five episodes of the comedy thriller from creator, star, and award-winning writer and director Stephen Merchant will debut on May 31, 2024.

The series follows a group of strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol. The third season will be available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Nordics.

With crime boss The Dean behind bars awaiting trial, the Outlaws are moving on with their lives—until one of their own returns with a deadly secret, hurling them back into mortal danger.

As a murder manhunt closes in on the gang, can they prove their innocence before The Dean’s case collapses, and he comes looking for revenge?

Stephen Merchant (The Office) returns as Greg, along with Rhianne Barreto as Rani,...

“The Outlaws” are back for Season 3. The five-episode season of the comedy thriller is created by lead actor and director Stephen Merchant. The series follows a group of strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol. Now, with crime boss The Dean (Claes Bang) behind bars awaiting trial, the Outlaws are moving on with their lives — until one of their own returns with a deadly secret, hurling them back into mortal danger. As a murder manhunt closes in on the gang, can they prove their innocence before The Dean’s case collapses, and he comes looking for revenge?

In addition to Merchant, Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole, Jessica Gunning, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins, Eleanor Tomlinson, Charles Babalola, Tom Hanson, and Christopher Walken return.

“The Outlaws” streams on Prime Video. The third season will be available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand,...

Maria Menounos’ new show “Maria: Discover More” is set to launch on ReachTV. The magazine style talk series will play daily at 2,400 gates at 90 airports and 500 thousand hotel rooms. It will cover travel, wellness, beauty, cooking, fashion, finance and entertainment.

In addition to “Maria: Discover More,” Menounos will also host and produce “Maria At the Airport Trivia” for ReachTV. The new game show is designed for families to play along while waiting for flights.

“My passion today is to work on content that is either of service or fun and with ReachTV and the shows Keven [Undergaro] created, I get to do both,” said Menounos.

In other TV roundup news:

Programming

Comedy series “Bob Hearts Abishola,” from creator, executive producer and writer Chuck Lorre, will launch nationwide in syndication beginning in the fall. The series was sold by Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales, joining fellow Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre...

Today, Prime Video revealed the premiere date and first-look photos for the third season of the fan-favorite series, The Outlaws. All five episodes of the comedy thriller from creator, star, and award-winning writer and director Stephen Merchant will debut on May 31, 2024.

The series follows a group of strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol. The third season will be available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Nordics.

With crime boss The Dean behind bars awaiting trial, The Outlaws are moving on with their lives—until one of their own returns with a deadly secret, hurling them back into mortal danger.

As a murder manhunt closes in on the gang, can they prove their innocence before The Dean’s case collapses, and he comes looking for revenge?

Stephen Merchant (The Office) returns as Greg, along with Rhianne Barreto as Rani,...

Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning has been generating headlines aplenty for her creepy turn as Martha in Netflix’s stalking thriller series, but she’s imminently set to return to screens on both sides of the pond in the third season of the BBC/Amazon’s The Outlaws.

Gunning talked the Creative Cities Convention through her role as community services officer Diane in Stephen Merchant’s hit dramedy.

She revealed that she entered The Outlaws’ writing room for Season 3, which launches on the BBC and Amazon next month, and has a co-writing credit on episode five of the new season.

“I love working with Stephen and he does let us add bits [of writing] here and there,” she said. “I was lucky enough to be in the writers room for Season 3 and I learned so much behind the scenes. I was honored to be a part of that.”

In Season 3, Gunning’s...

The finale of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is a perfect end to a top comedy series, and we have an exclusive clip. Dick Turpin's character is charming, an incongruously vegan, creative pacifist in this historical fiction show that changes the narrative of the real Dick Turpin. The show cleverly plays with storytelling becoming history and myth, adding depth to the comedic narrative.

The finale of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin airs Friday, March 29, following the cliffhanger of episode five, "Tommy Silversides." It's a perfect end to one of the best new comedy series in some time, and finally brings Tamsin Greig's evil criminal mastermind together with her daughter and Noel Fielding's wonderful Dick Turpin character. We have an exclusive clip from the finale that you can watch above, and read on to see what Fielding and producer Kenton Allen said to MovieWeb about creating the show.

BBC Buys HBO Max Thriller ‘Spy/Master’

The BBC has acquired HBO Max thriller Spy/Master as it continues to beef up its iPlayer offering. Acquired from Warner Bros. Discovery, the show stars Happy Valley’s Alec Secăreanu as the most trusted advisor to Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu. With his government poised to uncover that he’s a secret agent for the Soviets, Godeanu uses a diplomatic trip to Germany as a springboard to defect to the U.S. The series also stars Aidan McArdle, Ana Ularu (Who Is Erin Carter?), Laurențiu Bănescu (Boss), Andreea Vasile (Umbre), Nico Mirallegro (Our Girl), lulian Postelnicu (Arest) and Elvira Deatcu (Clanul). “A classic spy drama set at the height of the Cold War, Spy/Master is an atmospheric, complex thriller, dripping with style and suspense,” said Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition. The show was nominated for the inaugural...

Episode five of The COmpletely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin brings a new charismatic rival into the mix, threatening Turpin's leadership and adding more chaos. Connor Swindells delivers a hilarious performance as Tommy Silversides, adding depth to the character's surprising arc. Fielding tells us how the show's bountiful cast of comedic actors create a perfect balance of eccentricity without becoming too farcical.

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin has been a delightful ride through history, folklore, fantasy, and absurdity these last few weeks. The fifth and penultimate episode, "Tommy Silversides," premieres today on Apple TV+, and we have a clip which you can watch above. We also spoke with star Noel Fielding and producer Kenton Allen about the series for a wide-ranging conversation.

Episode five of the great Apple TV+ show finds the leadership of Dick Turpin threatened by a rival who may be even more charismatic and quirky than him.

Noel Fielding discusses comedy legends like Richard Lewis and Mitch Hedberg, reflecting on their impact and talent. The new comedy series, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, features a star-studded cast of UK comedians. Fielding and producer Kenton Allen reminisce about the comedic genius of Richard Lewis and the legacy of great artists in the industry.

Fans of British comedy (and The Great British Bake-Off) should be extremely familiar with Noel Fielding by now. The soft-spoken, witty, musical 'glitter goth' is beloved for his work with Julian Barratt on The Mighty Boosh, his time on the panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his surrealist series Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy, and, of course, hosting the last several seasons of the world's favorite baking competition show. Fielding has a great new comedy series, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, streaming on Apple TV+, which was the perfect occasion for us...

This year’s nominees for the Royal Television Society Programme Awards have been revealed, with Gary Oldman, Hannah Waddingham and Bella Ramsey making the cut.

The BBC leads the list with 51 nods across 30 categories, while Disney+ has earned its first nominations for “Extraordinary.” Channel 4 received 17 nominations, including for comedy series “Big Boys.” The leading actor — male category recognized Oldman (“Slow Horses”), Kane Robinson (“Top Boy”) and Timothy Spall (“The Sixth Commandment”), while Jodie Whittaker (“Time”), Tamara Lawrence (“Time”) and Sarah Lancashire (“Happy Valley”) are competing in leading actor — female.

“2023 was an outstanding year for U.K. creativity, and the nominations we have announced today highlight the breadth of genre-defining, exceptional programming that British audiences have enjoyed over the last 12 months,” Rts Programme Awards chair Kenton Allen said in a statement. “Despite the unpredictable times our industry currently faces, we at the Rts welcome the opportunity to come together as...

The historical comedy series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is set to premiere with its first two episodes this Friday, March 1st, with the rest of the show’s six episodes being released on a weekly basis through Friday, March 29th – all of this exclusively on Apple TV+. In anticipation the show’s premiere, we’re proud to share an Exclusive clip from the first episode, and you can check it out in the embed above!

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin stars Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh and The Great British Bake Off in the titular role as the legendary British highwayman. Also in the cast are Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Ellie White (The Windsors), Marc Wootton (High & Dry), Duayne Boachie (Blue Story), Tamsin Greig (Episodes), Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing), Dolly Wells (Doll & Em), Joe Wilkinson (The Cockfields), Mark Heap (Stardust), Geoffrey McGivern...

Millions of The Great British Baking Show’s fans might not know it, but Noel Fielding is very funny outside the tent, too.

Before taking over as co-host of Netflix’s supremely cozy UK baking competition in 2017, Fielding was best known for starring in The Mighty Boosh, a wildly surreal sitcom that became a cult hit during its 2004-07 run on BBC Three. Now two decades later, Fielding is returning to TV comedy with a new Apple TV+ series, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (premiering this Friday on the streamer), with Fielding playing an easygoing misfit who accidentally...

Hunt is renowned for her vast experience in the UK TV landscape.

In Jay Hunt, the BFI has landed one of the most experienced UK media executives of her generation as its new chair, appointed by the government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Hunt has run three of the UK’s biggest TV channels at the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5, and also has US streamer experience from leading the European team of Apple TV+.

“Whatever space Jay is working in, she brings incredible energy, spirit and creative rigour to her role,” said Piers Wenger, A24’s Europe head of TV,...

Exclusive: The Outlaws producer Big Talk Studios is developing its first TV thriller, a high-stakes series about a drug-smuggling submarine.

Big Talk boss Kenton Allen described Vulture as a cross between Below Deck and Narcos.

Penned by BAFTA-nominated Cyberbully writer David Lobatto, the series, which is being developed in association with ITV Studios, follows the crew on-board a ‘narco-sub’ on its way to deliver a $200 million payload of base cocaine to the Albanian mob. After a perilous journey across the Atlantic, the sub is ambushed by a rival cartel. Following a narrow escape with their cargo intact, but with a severely damaged submarine, the crew find themselves marooned in the middle of the Adriatic Sea.

Allen, who is EPing alongside Luke Alkin, called Vulture a “highly dynamic, action-packed series that we know will cut through in this very crowded market and thrill audiences around the world with this ultimate culture-clash high stakes drama.

David Mitchell is returning to the BBC for genre-bending detective comedy Ludwig, which features on a five-strong comedy slate alongside Hulu co-production Dinosaur and a show from The Duchess star Michelle de Swarte.

Unveiling his first major comedy slate at this afternoon’s BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff, the corporation’s Comedy Director Jon Petrie said the shows reflect “the depth and range of our offerings which champion British creativity.”

The slate is led by Ludwig, Peep Show star Mitchell’s first BBC project since Upstart Crow, which follows the eponymous protagonist as he takes on the identity of his brother, Dci James Taylor, who has disappeared off the face of the earth. Mitchell’s Ludwig lives in quiet solitude, designing puzzles for a living under his nom-de-plume, and he struggles to adapt to being a twin who happens to be a successful Dci leading Cambridge’s busy inner-city major crimes team.

The cast of ‘The Outlaws’ (Photo Credit: BBC Studios)

Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws will return for a third season on Prime Video and BBC One. Filming on the new season of the critically acclaimed comedy is currently underway in and around Bristol.

“After the overwhelming response to the first two series, I’m delighted to be bringing back our lovable band of miscreants for more misadventures. Audiences have really taken the characters to their hearts, so I can’t wait for them to see what hot water we’ve thrown them into this time. And I’m thrilled we’ll once again be filming in my hometown of Bristol. I expect I’ll be welcomed with a ticker-tape parade. It didn’t happen on the previous series, but I put that down to Covid,” said Stephen Merchant.

Merchant co-created the series with Elgin James (Mayans M.C.) and writes,...

“The Outlaws” has been picked up for a third season by Amazon Prime Video and BBC One. As the latest addition to the Prime membership, the third season will be available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Nordics.

The comedic thriller follows a group of strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol.

Season 3 will pick up with crime boss The Dean behind bars awaiting trial, leaving the crew of outlaws to move on with their lives — until one of their own returns with a deadly secret that threatens their lives as they know it. As a murderous manhunt closes in on the gang, the group attempts to prove their innocence before The Dean’s case falls apart and he hunts them down for revenge.

Stephen Merchant returns to the series as Greg, along with Rhianne Barreto as Rani,...

Comedy thriller The Outlaws will be back for a third season. Prime Video and BBC One today announced the renewal of the series from Stephen Merchant (The Office) and co-creator Elgin James (Mayans M.C.).

It follows a group of strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol. The third season will be available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Nordics.

With crime boss The Dean (Claes Bang) behind bars awaiting trial, The Outlaws are moving on with their lives—until one of their own returns with a deadly secret, hurling them back into mortal danger. As a murder manhunt closes in on the gang, can they prove their innocence before The Dean’s case collapses, and he comes looking for revenge?

Stephen Merchant returns to the series as Greg, along with Rhianne Barreto as Rani, Gamba Cole as Ben,...

Exec will report into Spt’s president of international productions Wayne Garvie.

Sony Pictures Television (Spt) has appointed Big Talk managing director Matthew Justice to the newly created role of EVP, head of UK & Europe.

Justice, who announced earlier this week that he was stepping down from The Outlaws producer Big Talk after 16 years, will report into Wayne Garvie, Spt’s president of international productions.

Justice will manage Spt’s international studio operations and European co-productions business, and work closely with Spt production labels and joint ventures. These include: Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials), Eleven Films (Sex Education), Left Bank Pictures...

In what is likely to be considered a major poach, Sony Pictures Television has hired Mathew Justice — a seasoned U.K. industry vet and currently managing director of the ITV Studios-owned Big Talk — for the newly created role of executive vp, head of U.K. and Europe.

Reporting to Spt president of international productions Wayne Garvie, Justice will directly manage the company’s International Studio operations and European co-productions business, as well as work closely with Spt International Production’s wholly owned and joint venture production companies in the region, which include Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials, Industry), Eleven Films (Sex Education) and Left Bank Pictures (The Crown). He joins later this year.

“Joining Wayne and the team at Spt is an opportunity that dreams are made of,” said Justice. “The Spt labels are outstanding, so it is a rare honor to get to work with them and the people behind them.

Sony Pictures Television has appointed Matthew Justice as executive VP and head of U.K. and Europe.

In the newly created role, he will report into Wayne Garvie, president of International Productions. Justice will directly manage Spt’s international studio operations and European co-productions business, as well as work closely with Spt International Production’s wholly-owned and joint venture production companies in the region, which includes Bad Wolf, Eleven Films and Left Bank Pictures.

Justice most recently served as managing director at ITV Studios-backed Big Talk. He will start at Spt later this year.

Garvie said: “Matthew is a highly respected figure in the U.K. television and film industry — together he and Kenton Allen have built Big Talk into a significant international player. A smart operator, a strategic thinker and, just as importantly, a very good person, Matthew brings just what we need to build our UK and...

Exclusive: Big Talk Productions is renaming itself Big Talk Studios and is reshuffling its top team as Matthew Justice departs after 16 years.

The British producer behind Amazon’s The Outlaws is rebranding with an eye on the U.S., where it has just wrapped Dinner With The Parents for Freevee, a remake of Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner.

Managing Director Justice is leaving in the fall for a new role, which is expected to be announced later this week. He has worked at Big Talk for 16 years and has a close relationship with CEO Kenton Allen, which will continue as part of a transition process over the coming months.

Justice has Executive Produced films such as Attack the Block and BAFTA-winning series including Rev and Him & Her. He helped oversee Big Talk’s sale to ITV Studios in 2013 for £30M ($37M).

Big Talk’s new logo

Christina Angeloudes, Big...

Kit Connor and Kate Winslet were among the major winners at the 2023 Royal Television Society program awards on Tuesday night in London.

Winslet claimed the leading actress award for her performance in Channel 4 drama I Am Ruth — in which she starred alongside her daughter Mia Threapleton — while Connor won the leading actor honor for his breakout turn in Netflix’s hit series Heartstopper.

For the 2023 awards, several new awards were introduced, including supporting actor – female, which was claimed by Ambita Mod for the BBC/AMC NHS comedy-drama This Is Going to Hurt (which also leads the BAFTA TV awards nominations), and supporting actor – male, which went to Sweet Tooth star Adeel Akhtar for the BBC series Sherwood. Meanwhile, Sky’s Brassic won the inaugural comedy drama award. Other winners on the night included Raw’s Netflix hit The Tindler Swindler, which won the single documentary honor, and Succession writer Lucy Prebble,...