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Throughout its ten seasons, many characters have come and gone in Friends. While the number would certainly be surprisingly high, some stayed in the audience’s memory longer than the rest. Be it for a good reason or a bad one, fans have firm opinions about certain characters, and they have stuck through the decades.

The cast of Friends | Credit: NBC

One character who has certainly received the short end of the stick is Emily Waltham, who is hated by everyone in the series, as well as by the fandom. However, it would seem that no one is to be blamed for the character’s dislike.

The most hated character on Friends

From Ursula to Janice, many characters from Friends have left a sour taste in the mouths of the viewers. However, none seem to make fans more furious than Emily Waltham. Being introduced as a love interest, she seemed...

Friends made its debut in 1994 and immediately, the show’s popularity grew to reach newer heights of fame. The six lead stars were adorable and their on-screen characters were equally iconic.

A still from Friends | Credits: Warner Bros. Television

Running for a whopping 10 seasons, the show probably wouldn’t have reached this far if it weren’t for a few budget-cutting tricks. In today’s world, however, one episode with the highest budget-cutting is now the most hated Friends episode of all time.

The one where they saved the budget for Friends

It was a different time. It was a different era when these sitcoms would run for hundreds of episodes on television all over America back in the day. Well, it is quite a strenuous task to make a show go on for a decade.

A still from “The One Where No One’s Ready” | Credits: Warner Bros. Television...

Did David Schwimmer’s tongue slip turn into a great Friends moment? ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )

Yes, David Schwimmer’s slip-up in an earlier rehearsal gave writers the perfect awkward twist, turning an accidental mistake into one of TV’s most cringeworthy (and unforgettable) moments ever. During a rehearsal in Season 4, Schwimmer was supposed to say, “Emily, the taxi’s here”. Instead, he accidentally said, “Rachel, the taxi’s here.” Classic mix-up. But Greg Malins (a Friends writer) caught it, turned to David Crane, and said, “That’s it. We’re doing this.” Genius. They decided to roll with it, turning Schwimmer’s real-life blunder into Ross’s biggest love-life fail.

Here’s where it gets juicy: Helen Baxendale, who played Emily, wasn’t planning on sticking around much longer. So, they used the accidental name switch to write her out of the show — talk about making lemonade out of lemons.

Over the course of 10 seasons, the hit NBC sitcom Friends has offered its audience with few of the most beloved episodes of all time, featuring the stellar cast and their lives set in New York. But while the pop culture show has garnered an overall score of 8.9/10 on IMDb, one particular episode seemed to single-handedly bring down the rating of the entire series.

Ross and Rachel from Friends | Image: NBC

Yes, we’re talking about Season 4 Episode 21, The One With the Invitation. Apparently, while the episode was set to focus on Ross and Emily’s wedding plan while highlighting Ross’ incomplete love story with Rachel, it ended up becoming a flashback of Ross and Rachel’s relationship. And those old clips from “we were on a break” were indeed too much to take, for repetition.

Friends Witnessed a Drop in Rating After Replaying Ross and Rachel’s Clips

After a...

Friends had a variety of special guests, among them Hugh Laurie, who, in his very brief appearance, said everything we all thought about Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) relationship. Two decades have passed since Friends ended after 10 successful seasons, but the show is still quite popular, not just due to its incomparable legacy, but also thanks to streaming platforms making it accessible to a wider audience. However, this has also brought to light some of the show’s biggest flaws, as well as some fun details that could have been easily missed.

Throughout 10 seasons, Friends followed the many ups and downs of Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Ross, and Rachel in all areas of their lives. However, despite all of them being main characters, Ross and Rachel more often than not were in the spotlight because of their chaotic relationship.

Remember When Ross Said the Wrong Name in Friends? (Photo Credit – Amazon Prime Video)

Ah, the ‘90s sitcom Friends—where love triangles, friendship woes, and laugh tracks ruled the day. But one moment, he had fans gasping when Ross Geller said the wrong name at the altar! Yep, the iconic scene from The One After Ross Says Rachel shook the audience and left us all wondering if Ross’s wedding to Emily was doomed. After Ross dropped the ultimate Freudian slip, let’s dive into this unforgettable moment and the drama.

In Friends Season 5’s premiere, Ross infamously says “Rachel” instead of “Emily” during his vows, sparking chaos. Emily locks herself in the bathroom, setting off dramatic storylines for the season.

Ross Geller: The Name Game Gone Wrong

Ross’s blunder wasn’t just an innocent mistake—it was the ultimate gut punch to his fiancée, Emily (played by Helen Baxendale...

Through all the seasons of Friends, fans have seen all kinds of storylines make their way into the fabric of the series. From weird love interests to feuds among the protagonists, and even deep-rooted issues, there are several plots that fans love and some that they hate with a passion. Recently, fans started a conversation about a storyline that is widely disliked among the community.

Helen Baxendale and David Schwimmer in Friends I Credit: NBC

However, looking at it from a new perspective, fans began to realize that it was one of the funniest moments for one character, and the person who can be credited for this is none other than David Schwimmer.

Friends’ Worst Storyline

Although Ross goes through several important storylines throughout Friends, there is one running joke that never gets old. Considering how the series starts with his first divorce, it is not surprising that even by the end,...

Over the course of its 10 seasons, Friends introduced many interesting love interests for fans to judge. They were funny, and weird, and even brought out feelings of concern among fans. However, some love interests were simply irritating and infuriating for many viewers. While some would immediately think of Chandler’s ex-girlfriend, Janis, there was one character that managed to annoy fans more than the singing queen.

Ross’s ex-wife, Emily Waltham brought about an energy into the show that no fan wanted. She shifted the dynamic between all of the characters, acting as a catalyst for the beloved Ross and Rachel. While no one wanted her to stay longer than she did, fans cannot help but wonder the reason why the series decided to write her off.

Helen Baxendale as Emily on Friends I NBC

According to director, James Burrows, it would seem that Jennifer Aniston and her character had...

The co-creators of Friends revealed that they had to fight for Monica Geller’s storyline in the first episode, which featured her sleeping with someone on a first date.

Nearly 30 years after the beloved show premiered, David Crane and Marta Kauffman recently told The Times UK that an NBC executive wanted to change Monica’s (Courteney Cox) plot in the pilot, which aired in September 1994.

“The guy who was in charge said: ‘We’re not going to like Monica because [in the pilot] she sleeps with a guy on the first date,’ We made the argument that it makes her sympathetic,” Crane recalled, adding that the network even looped in the audience, hoping they would back their opinion.

“The network, in trying to prove that the audience wouldn’t like Monica if she sleeps with a guy on the first date, distributed a little questionnaire to the audience at our dress rehearsal,” Crane said.

Olivia Williams spilled some tea about her time on Friends, and her experience was not great.

The 55-year-old actress appeared in the finale episode of the beloved sitcom’s forth season, where Ross (David Schwimmer) marries Emily (Helen Baxendale).

She has previously hinted that being a guest star on the show was not all that good for her. However, in a new interview she provided some explicit details about what went wrong.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Well, just as an example, I was taken to the studio in a shared car with a wonderful actress whose character, I think, was called ‘Old Woman’,” Olivia told the Independent.

She continued, alleging that the actress was yelled at one set: “At one point, a producer – who shall remain nameless – just yelled at her: ‘You’re not funny!’ And she didn’t come back the next day. So that was alarming.

Olivia Williams describes her "harrowing" experience working on Friends, which included a yelling producer and extreme eyebrow plucking. Williams played Emily's bridesmaid Felicity in the Friends season 4 finale, and her character had a brief fling with Joey Tribbiani. Williams has had an impressive career since, recently portraying Camilla Parker Bowles in Netflix's The Crown.

Friends guest star Olivia Williams details her extreme experience working on the sitcom. Throughout its ten seasons, Friends earned its reputation as a show that knew how to utilize its special guest stars, whether Julia Roberts or Brad Pitt late in its run. But the NBC sitcom also featured several actors who would go on to much bigger roles after their brief one-off appearance. Williams, who recently portrayed Camilla Parker Bowles in Netflix's The Crown, is one of them.

In an interview with The Independent, Williams opened up about her time on Friends. The actor,...

Olivia Williams, the BAFTA-winning actress and recent SAG Awards nominee as an ensemble member for her performance as Camilla Parker Bowles on “The Crown,” has worked on the British stage in classic and new productions. But in a new interview, she points to a beloved American sitcom as an “alarming” and “harrowing” experience when compared to other gigs.

Williams appeared as a bridesmaid in the fourth season finale, in which Ross (David Schwimmer) married Emily (Helen Baxendale) in London. (You may recall some zany hijinks at some historic landmarks.) Speaking with The Independent, the actress recalled the “alarming” experience of sharing a car with an elderly actress Williams described as “distinguished” and “very good” who was later berated by a producer and told, “You’re not funny!” According to Williams, the unnamed performer was not on set the following day.

“‘Friends’ was a brand,” she continued, “and you had to fit the brand.

Doctor Rachel Clarke and ex-junior doctors Jed Mercurio and Prasanna Puwanarajah have teamed up to make Covid drama Breathtaking, here’s the trailer.

It is perhaps no surprise that following the most tumultuous, traumatic time in our recent history, writers quickly opened Final Draft and began to try to make some sense of it all.

Jack Thorne’s astonishingly powerful film Help, which starred Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham, shone a light on the brutal reality or running a care home during the pandemic.

Michael Winterbottom and Keiron Quirke aimed their anger at the political side of things, with Kenneth Branagh playing Boris Johnson in mini series This England, while writer Stephen Knight and director Doug Liman took a more lighthearted approach with comedy drama Lockdown, which saw Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor stage a diamond heist in Harrods.

Jed Mercurio is no stranger to medical dramas, drawing on his...

Two scripts from the fourth season of Friends will be auctioned off in England after an unnamed studio employee found them in the trash at London’s now-defunct Fountain Studios. The hit NBC series filmed its two-part finale, “The One With Ross’s Wedding,” partly in London in 1998 and the scripts were apparently left behind.

Amanda Butler, who is handling the sale, said the scripts should have been destroyed. “Apparently, the cast and crew were ordered to destroy their copies so the ending wouldn’t be leaked,” she said in a press release.

Friends director James Burrows reveals behind-the-scenes struggles with Emily, mirroring a similar problem on the set of Seinfeld. Burrows dislikes Emily character and finds Helen Baxendale "not particularly funny," affecting chemistry with David Schwimmer. Emily's storyline on Friends was quickly written out due to difficulties, while Seinfeld dealt with a similar issue by killing off Susan for laughs.

Friends director James Burrows has revealed on-set difficulties with the Emily character that surprisingly mirror a behind-the-scenes problem from the making of Seinfeld. Burrows is a prolific TV director whose sitcom credits include episodes of Cheers, Taxi, Will & Grace, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and, of course, Friends. In his memoir Directed By James Burrows, Burrows has revealed some behind-the-scenes secrets from the making of Friends – including the revelation that Emily polarized the cast and crew just as much as she polarized the fan base.

The struggles that Friends went through...

Emily's departure from Friends was due to her lack of chemistry and comedic compatibility with Ross, according to director James Burrows. The actor playing Emily, Helen Baxendale, was almost recast because she was "nice, but not particularly funny." Burrows' described David Schwimmer's scenes with Baxendale as "like clapping with one hand."

Emily's abrupt departure from Friends has been explained by famed TV director, James Burrows. The iconic long-running sitcom, which followed the romantic travails of a group of six friends living in New York City, featured an on-again-off-again relationship between the characters of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). However, one roadblock to their getting together was Ross' relationship with and eventual marriage to Emily (Helen Baxendale), Rachel's boss' niece, though the couple quickly got divorced and Emily exited the series after Ross accidentally said Rachel's name during their wedding in the season 4 finale.

Per Deadline, Burrows wrote...

The character of Emily was a major hurdle for Ross and Rachel’s relationship on Friends, but she was also apparently a challenge for the producers. James Burrows, who directed numerous episodes of the hit series, wrote in his new memoir that actress Helen Baxendale and cast member David Schwimmer struggled with chemistry.

“She was nice, but not particularly funny,” Burrows wrote in Directed by James Burrows, out now. “Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand.”

He continued, “In sitcoms and any type of romantic comedy,...

Friends director James Burrows never found Helen Baxendale, who played Ross Geller’s wife, “particularly funny,” and felt she lacked chemistry with actor David Schwimmer.

That’s one of the revelations in his memoir, Directed By James Burrows, a collection of memories from the veteran director.

Burrows hints that the ’90s sitcom nearly recast Baxendale, who played Ross’ wife, Emily.

“She was nice, but not particularly funny,” Burrows wrote of Baxendale.

Burrows believed that Baxendale and Schwimmer lacked natural on-screen chemistry compared to Ross and Rachel, Jennifer Aniston’s character.

“Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand. In sitcoms and any type of romantic comedy, the funny is just as important as the chemistry. We discovered that any new girlfriend for Ross needed to be as funny as Rachel.”

What saved Emily were the show’s tight deadlines.

“Often, you can’t recast,...

You’ve got your Casualty and Doctors – medical soaps that have been around forever and will hopefully stay around forever to reliably entertain, educate and break in the stars of tomorrow. Next, there are your factual medical shows of questionable taste – Embarrassing Bodies, 101 Things Removed From the Human Body and other fleshlump-zoo tours that’d put anybody off their dinner.

And then there are the following – quality 21st century hospital dramas, documentaries and comedies, all of which present their unique take on the world of medicine. Leave your own recommendations below.

Call the Midwife

Watch on: BBC One and BBC iPlayer (UK); PBS Masterpiece (US)

If you know, you know. And if you don’t know, then you haven’t been paying attention. There’s a popular misconception that BBC One’s long-running Sunday night drama Call the Midwife is a sickly sweet, rose-tinted, tweer-than-twee nostalgia-fest. Nuns on bicycles! Cockneys with hearts of gold!

Exclusive: UK TV firm Projector Pictures has secured the rights to the trilogy of espionage thrillers written by author and journalist Charlotte Philby, the granddaughter of ‘Cambridge spy’ Kim Philby.

Projector, whose credits include upcoming Channel 5 drama The Holiday and ITV’s Kidnap and Ransom, is developing the trilogy as a returning drama series.

Part Of The Family is Philby’s debut novel and was published by Harper Collins in 2019. It was followed up by A Double Life, with the final installment in the trilogy, The Second Woman, hitting the shelves in July 2021.

The trilogy, which is linked through its themes and characters, is being adapted under the working title A Double Life. Executive producers are Projector Pictures’ Rachel Gesua (The Holiday) and Suzi McIntosh (New Tricks).

In Part Of The Family, protagonist Anna Witherall appears to have the perfect life. Married to her university boyfriend David, she has an enviable job,...

‘Noughts + Crosses’ Renewed For Season 2 By BBC

The BBC has renewed Mammoth Screen drama Noughts + Crosses for a second season, revisiting the alternate world of Malorie Blackman’s bestselling novels. Jack Rowan and Masali Baduza return as Callum and Sephy, now desperately attempting to flee Albion in search of a new life together. Paterson Joseph, Helen Baxendale, Bonnie Mbuli, Jonathan Ajayi, Josh Dylan, and Kiké Brimah all reprise their roles, while new cast includes Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy) and Robert Hands (Endeavour). The four-part second season will be written by Lydia Adetunji and Jerome Bucchan-Nelson, directed by Koby Adom, and produced by Sarah Lewis. Executive producers are Preethi Mavahalli, Damien Timmer, and James Gandhi for Mammoth Screen, Ben Irving for BBC One, Blackman, Lydia Adetunji, and Kibwe Tavares. The show will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios. U.S. streamer Peacock picked up the first season of Noughts + Crosses.

Barbadian British author Malorie Blackman’s popular and critically acclaimed “Noughts + Crosses” series, which uses the setting of a fictional dystopia to explore racism in the present day, is coming to NBCUniversal’s recently launched streaming service, Peacock. The timely and thought-provoking six-episode drama, which is set to launch Friday, September 4, follows the love story of two star-crossed young adults who are divided by their skin color, in an alternate universe where the racial power structure is turned on its head.

In this world, Africa — or “Aprica” as it’s referred to in the novel — invaded Europe centuries ago, enslaving its people. In present-day London (known as “Albion”), slavery is an institution of the past, but Jim Crow-esque segregation laws maintain the power dynamic: A ruling class of Black “Crosses” control the country’s politics, wealth, and culture over an oppressed, impoverished underclass of white “Noughts,” who are at the brink of revolt.

Peacock has acquired BBC One’s young adult drama series “Noughts and Crosses.”

Now a Peacock Original, the six-episode series, which reimages racial power structures in an alternate world, will begin streaming on Sept. 4. It originally aired on BBC One in March.

The series is adapted from the first book in British author Malorie Blackman’s Ya series. Watch the trailer, which asks “What if Africa had colonized Europe?” above.

Also Read: Harry Belafonte and Malcolm Jenkins Documentaries Lead Peacock Original Films Slate

Here is the official synopsis from Peacock:

“Noughts + Crosses imagines an alternate universe in which history happened in racial reverse. In this world, Africa – or “Aprica” – invaded Europe centuries ago, enslaving its people. In present-day London, “Albion,” slavery is an institution of the past, but Jim Crow-esque segregation laws maintain the power dynamic: a ruling class of Black “Crosses” control the country’s politics, wealth and culture over an oppressed,...

Noughts + Crosses, the BBC adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s bestselling Ya series, is coming to the U.S. after Peacock boarded the drama.

The streamer will air the six-part series as a Peacock Original from September 4.

Originally commissioned by the British public broadcaster in 2016, the drama launched in the UK in March.

From Victoria producer Mammoth Screen, Green Book producer Participant Media and Jay Z’s Roc Nation, the series follows two young people: Sephy, played by newcomer Masali Baduza, and Callum, played by Peaky Blinders’ Jack Rowan, who are divided by their colour but united by love.

Sephy is a ‘Cross’, a member of the black ruling class and daughter of a prominent politician. Callum is a ‘Nought’, a white member of the underclass. The two have been friends since early childhood but their relationship grows ever more complicated as they come of age. It’s the story of...

Peacock has acquired the BBC’s Ya drama series Noughts + Crosses, which imagines an alternate world in which Africa colonized Europe — but this new version of history still feels awfully familiar.

Based on the first novel in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses series, the six-episode project takes place in a timeline where Africa — or “Aprica” — invaded Europe centuries ago and enslaved its people, instead of the other way around.

More from TVLineSaved by the Bell Revival: Everything to Know About the Peacock Sequel SeriesA.P. Bio Is Weirder, Wronger and [Bleep]ier in Season 3 Peacock TrailerTVLine Items: Ariana Grande Joins VMAs,...

Here’s a bumper crop of the weird and the British – streaming service Britbox, which is home to a wide selection of BBC, ITV and Channel 4 series including classic Doctor Who, is fortifying its sci-fi ranks. From Thursday the 20th of August, a host of new additions will be joining the classic and modern British fare, including cult series The Prisoner and the complete collection of Sapphire & Steel.

Here’s the full list of new arrivals, known collectively on BritBox as the ‘Out of this World Collection’…

The Prisoner (1967)

All 17 episodes of the television drama created by and starring Patrick McGoohan. A former British secret agent is abducted and held captive in a strange coastal village while those who captured him try to discover the truth of why he suddenly resigned from his position.

Sapphire & Steel (1979)

The complete collection featuring all six seasons and 34 episodes from the...

This Noughts and Crosses review contains spoilers.

Noughts + Crosses Episode 1

Every generation has its Romeo and Juliet. The fifties had Tony and Maria finger-clicking around the Upper West Side, the nineties had Leo and a young Carrie from Homeland in a pair of angel wings, and the noughties had both High School Musical’s Troy and Gabriella breaking free, and Sephy and Callum, the star-cross’d lovers of Malorie Blackman’s young adult series Noughts + Crosses.

Adapted from the first of Blackman’s five acclaimed novels, this six-part BBC series brings Sephy and Callum’s world to the screen for the first time. It’s not our world, but a version of it in which Europe’s colonisation of Africa happened in reverse. Blackman imagined a version of the UK hewn by racist segregation seven centuries after the Aprican continent invaded Albion and enslaved its people. Now, Albion is divided...

Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) are quite possibly the best couple to emerge from Friends. Starting out as friends, the two become something more while in London to attend Ross's (David Schwimmer) wedding to Emily (Helen Baxendale). From there, nothing is ever the same for these two. They date in secret for some time, with the remainder of their friends gradually finding out along the way. They have their struggles (especially commitment-phobe Chandler), but manage to come out stronger because of it, finding a happily ever after by the series' end. In that time, the two have had some funny moments; 10 of which we're presenting here in the form of Chandler and Monica's 10 funniest memes.

Related: Himym: All 5 Doppelganger’s Explained (& When They Appear)...

Brit musician Stormzy has joined the cast of BBC One drama Noughts + Crosses, Mammoth Screen’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s dystopian young adult book series currently being filmed in South Africa. The popular grime artist will play newspaper editor Kolawale, a character created for the series. Jack Rowan (Peaky Blinders) stars with newcomer Masali Baduza, Helen Baxendale, Paterson Joseph and Ian Hart. The show charts the story of first love in a dangerous, alternate world where racism divides society. Exec producers on the show include Participant and Jay-z’s Roc Nation. International distribution is handled by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Anthony Kimble, who recently left Cineflix Rights after five years as Svp acquisitions and co-productions North America, has formally launched new content outfit Fugitive. Kimble will be at next week’s Series Mania, where he will be repping projects including Uncanny Valley: The Truth About Thinking Machines, a six-hour hybrid event series about A.

“Noughts and Crosses” just added another musical heavy hitter with grime supremo Stormzy set to star in the adaptation of the Malorie Blackman novels for the BBC. Jay-z’s Roc Nation is already on board and will exec produce, as will Participant Media.

Stormzy has an on-screen role and will play Kolawale, a newspaper editor and character created for the series. “As a diehard fan of Malorie’s novels, being a part of this important show is a dream come true,” he said.

“The first time I met Stormzy he informed me he was a huge fan of my ‘Noughts & Crosses’ series of books,” Blackman added. “I’m thrilled he will now be a part of the Noughts + Crosses TV production.”

The book and series are set in an alternate world where there is a ruling class of people of African descent and white people suffer discrimination and prejudice.

Peaky Blinders star Jack Rowan and newcomer Masali Baduza are to lead the lineup of the BBC’s dystopian drama Noughts + Crosses.

The six-part series, which is produced by Victoria producer Mammoth Screen for BBC One, will also star Timeless’ Paterson Joseph, Wallander’s Bonnie Mbuli, Love Type D’s Kike Brimah, Cold Feet’s Helen Baxendale, The Last Kingdom’s Ian Hart, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’s Josh Dylan, Goodbye Christopher Robin’s Shaun Dingwall, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s Rakie Ayola and Jonathan Ajayi.

The adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s young adult book, the series tells the story of first love in a dangerous, alternate world where racism divides society. It is written by Toby Whithouse (Being Human), Lydia Adetunji (Riviera), Nathaniel Price (Tin Star) and Rachel De-Lahay (Kiri) and filming has begun in South Africa.

Noughts + Crosses follows two young people Sephy and Callum,...

In today’s film news roundup, the La Film Festival will premiere Toni Collette’s series, the Nashville Film Festival gets a new exec director, and “Heidi: Queen of the Mountain” gets a 3D version.

Film Festivals

The La Film Festival has scheduled the U.S. premiere of the first episode of Toni Collette’s “Wanderlust” for Sept. 22 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Directed by Luke Snellin, “Wanderlust” looks at how we build and maintain happy relationships and asks whether lifelong monogamy is possible – or even desirable. Collette plays a therapist trying to find a way to keep her spark alive with her husband after a cycling accident causes them to reassess their relationship.

“Wanderlust” launches on Netflix on Oct. 19 as the start of a six-episode season. Collette and members of the cast and crew will hold a conversation following the screening.

Nick Aldwinckle Sep 2, 2016

Our latest The Bottom Shelf DVD and Blu-ray round-up features Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, Jaws: The Revenge and Chuck Norris...

With Shark Week arguably America’s most beloved religious festival and the unprecedented worldwide cultural impact of Anthony C. Ferrante’s acclaimed Sharknado trilogy showing no sign of letting up, who could deny the necessity of the Jaws sequels finally getting a Blu-ray release?

The immediate answer is obvious (well, anyone), though this belated look at Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, Jaws: The Revenge and Jaws 5: The Sharkening was, for this writer at least, a nostalgic journey through a world where morbidly obese fish bear grudges, Michael Caine fights a script far deadlier than any marine predator and where lines such as “Weld that sonuvabitch” are somehow deemed passable.

Generally considered the best of the sequels, perhaps Jaws 2 holds a special place in the heart of the reader who,...

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We spoke to the Line Of Duty creator about series 3, Lindsay Denton, The Caddy, Jimmy Savile, tension, thrillers and more…

Warning: contains spoilers for Line Of Duty series 3, episode 5 (Nb interview took place before the finale aired. Here's a spoiler-filled post-finale chat).

As Line Of Duty viewers might expect from the man who’s turned the police interview into an art-form, Jed Mercurio is a very measured, practiced interviewee. He gives precise, categorical answers unfurred by the usual hesitations and rambling false starts. Bring up the perception that Line Of Duty’s series two finale was hard to follow and he explains, patiently, that the most reliable evidence we have suggests otherwise. He speaks fluently in terms of suppositions, anecdotal evidence, arithmetical means and statistical outliers. When he completes a given response, he simply stops talking.

Mercurio’s voice only became heated twice in the next six thousand words.

After making waves with her debut feature Dharm which bagged the National film award and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, acclaimed director Bhavna Talwar has a force to reckon with. Her next feature, a major International production, which is an adaptation of the much-loved children's Book 'Heidi' has begun its second schedule in Spain, following the UK Schedule and stars heavy weight actors such as Bill Nighy, Mark Williams and Helen Baxendale among others. While Talwar is all set to make her mark internationally, she has chosen to work with a core Indian crew, including noted cinematographer Binod Pradhan and Action director Sham Kaushal, in addition to her core creative team. "Cinema is a universal language and I know and our production company has worked closely with Shamji and Binod, it was not just about the comfort level but also the fact that they are world class talent. It's...

ITV drama Cold Feet premiered in 1997 and ran for 34 episodes over the course of five seasons. While Cold Feet was not cancelled, it ended its first run in March, 2003. Now, star Fay Ripley spills the beans: ITV is bringing back the Manchester-set show with its original cast, in 2016.

Cold Feet centers on the lives and loves of three Mancunian couples. In addition to Ripley, the cast includes: Helen Baxendale, Robert Bathurst, Hermione Norris, John Thomson, and James Nesbitt. Baxdale's character, Rachel, was killed off in the series finale. There is no news, as of yet, if Baxdale will return to the reboot in some form. Continue for more details on Cold Feet's return to ITV. Read More…...

The rumours weren't greatly exaggerated - Cold Feet will return to our screens in 2016.

Fay Ripley has confirmed a new series of the ITV comedy-drama, which followed the lives of three couples going through the highs and lows of romance and friendship.

Cold Feet: Where are the cast of ITV's hit series now?

"I think we're off and away, I think we can say that," Ripley told The Mirror. "My only hesitation is that one hopes it's not going to be rubbish."

Back in August, rumours increased about a potential return for the show as stars James Nesbitt, Hermione Norris and John Thomson were thought to be in talks.

Ripley admits to having no idea where the new series will find the characters, but joked that she hopes it hasn't been written that her character has "got very thin".

"Ten years have passed, anything could have happened," she explained.

Helen Baxendale's character may have died in Cold Feet, but that hasn't stopped co-star John Thomson coming up with a clever way of bringing her back.

A new series of Cold Feet has been rumoured to be in the works, with the original cast, including Thomson and James Nesbitt, back on board.

Cold Feet: Where are the cast of ITV's hit series now?

Viewers of the popular 1990s comedy drama were shocked when Rachel (Baxendale) was killed off in the final series in a car crash. However, could she come back as a sort of ghost?

"My idea for that would be, I don't know if you've seen Dexter, but his father appears in that and he's not a ghost, it's not supernatural," Thomson told Digital Spy and others.

"The beauty of Dexter's father is that he's his conscience, so he can see him and hear him, and they do it really well.

Is ITV really going to bring back Cold Feet?

That's the rumour, with the broadcaster apparently looking to plug the Downton-shaped hole in its schedule with a revival of the popular comedy-drama.

If it's true, they'll have a job bringing the cast back together - some have gone on to be huge telly and film stars, while others have stepped out of the spotlight entirely...

James Nesbitt

Nesbitt's carefree lothario Adam Williams met his match in Helen Baxendale's Rachel - the couple overcame infidelity and infertility but were denied lasting happiness when Rachel was killed in a traffic accident.

Since Cold Feet wrapped, Nesbitt has become one of British television's most in-demand leading men.

He fronted BBC One's gritty cop series Murphy's Law from 2003-07, led Steven Moffat's supernatural thriller Jekyll - also in 2007 - and played the title character in ITV's short-lived medical drama Monroe (2011-12).

Of late,...

Oh. My. Gaaaaawwwwwdddddd. Paul McCartney almost guest starred on Friends. This is not a drill. Paul McCartney. From The Beatles. Almost guest starred. On Friends! This is brand new information! When the iconic sitcom's Emmy-nominated casting director Leslie Litt spoke to the Huffington Post, she revealed that she had tried extremely hard to get The Beatles musician to come on the show for a very specific role. Remember the one with the wedding in London? You know, that disastrous ceremony where Ross (David Schwimmer) said his lobster Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) name instead of his bride Emily's (Helen Baxendale) name? Yeah, Litt wanted McCartney to play Ross'...

In 2012, it became BBC Three's biggest ever sitcom, and in 2015, a third series was announced - but the path to success for Cuckoo has been far from smooth.

After a first series delivered record-breaking ratings, the show lost its star (more on that later) - but it emerged rejuvenated two years on, its second run charming audiences all over again.

Cuckoo - the story of an eccentric bohemian who infiltrates a straight-laced, middle-class family - was devised by writing partnership Robin French and Kieron Quirke as a vehicle for a Us comedian.

When the project materialised, American actor and comic Andy Samberg was cast in the title role, alongside a cast which included Greg Davies as the uptight Ken and Helen Baxendale as his wife Lorna.

BBC Three was on a hot streak at the time, with the Cuckoo series premiere beating a ratings record only set the previous month...

In 2012, it became BBC Three's biggest ever sitcom, and in 2015, a third series was announced - but the path to success for Cuckoo has been far from smooth.

After a first series delivered record-breaking ratings, the show lost its star (more on that later) - but it emerged rejuvenated two years on, its second run charming audiences all over again.

Cuckoo - the story of an eccentric bohemian who infiltrates a straight-laced, middle-class family - was originally devised by writing partnership Robin French and Kieron Quirke as a vehicle for Us comedian Rob Schneider, who was contemplating a move to the UK.

When the project finally materialised, Schneider was no longer attached - with another American actor and comic, Andy Samberg, cast in the title role, alongside a cast which included Greg Davies as the uptight Ken and Helen Baxendale as his wife Lorna.

BBC Three was on a hot streak at the time,...

Cuckoo is coming back to BBC Three, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.

The channel has ordered a third series of the sitcom, which will pick up six months after the 2014 Christmas special.

Taylor Lautner will be back as Dale, who returns - transformed - to throw more spanners in the family works.

Greg Davies, Helen Baxendale, Tyger Drew-Honey and Esther Smith will also reprise their roles for the new episodes.

"Cuckoo is the quintessential BBC Three series - a grabby concept, world class talent and writers destined for greatness," said Shane Allen, Controller, Comedy Commissioning.

BBC Three has also ordered a new sitcom - originating from its Comedy Feed initiative - called Flat TV.

Created, written by and starring Tom Rosenthal and Naz Osmanoglu, the series follows two flatmates who battle against the realities of living together by imagining their lives through the prism of television.

Whether they're fighting over...

In The Club: BBC One, 9pm

There's only one of the Parentcraft gang still pregnant in the series finale of this antenatal drama, and so naturally its the turn of Vicky (Christine Bottomley) to give birth tonight. But there are physical and emotional complications as the baby's father Chris decides to drop a poorly-timed bombshell.

Elsewhere Simon (Luke Thompson) throws a surprise party for Roanna (Hermione Norris), and Rick (Will Mellor) and Diane (Jill Halfpenny) prepare to take Hope home - in the shadow of Rick's impending court hearing.

Dave Gorman's Modern Life is Goodish: Dave, 10pm

The opinionated comedian returns to the channel of the same name for a second series of thoroughly modern dilemmas. This week he contemplates the absurdity of recycling pornographic magazines, and reveals what happened when he decided to develop pictures from an old-fashioned camera.

Ray Donovan: Sky Atlantic, 10pm

On UK...

Stars: Andy Samberg, Greg Davies, Helen Baxendale, Tyger Drew-Honey | Created by Robin French, Kieron Quirke

A cuckoo is a bird that lays its eggs in other bird’s nests, so in human form it’s easy to assume that the Cuckoo is another man moving into a family’s home and encroaching on the territory of the parents. In Cuckoo the BBC comedy it’s not only about the family but also an American comedian going head to head with a British one. When these comedians are Andy Samberg and Greg Davies the results are as expected, very funny.

When Ken Thompson’s (Greg Davies) daughter arrives home from holiday with a new husband he is horrified by what he comes face to face with. Cuckoo (Andy Samberg) is a new age hippy with a liking for drugs and getting naked when the urge takes him. As the two get...

"Chronicle" scribe Max Landis is teaming with Idw for a TV series adaptation of Douglas Adams' 1991 "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" graphic novel and its sequel "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul".

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" author Adams created the story of the titular holistic detective who investigates cases involving the supernatural. Dave Alpert will produce the new series.

The property was already adapted for TV by the BBC with an hour-long pilot in 2010 followed by three episodes in 2012. That version starred Stephen Mangan as Gently, Darren Boyd as Macduff and Helen Baxendale as Susan.

Source: The Live Feed...

Taylor Lautner has starred in a new trailer for Cuckoo.

The second series of the BBC Three comedy has the Twilight actor taking up the lead role, replacing Andy Samberg.

The 30-second clip has the strapline "Different guy. Just as cuckoo", and shows Dale (Lautner) being revealed as Cuckoo's (Samberg) son.

The comedy, which also stars Greg Davies, Helen Baxendale and Tyger Drew-Honey, will start on Thursday, August 7 at 10pm.

In an interview with Digital Spy, Drew-Honey said that Lautner was "fantastically talented" and that he did all of his own stunts.

BBC One has revealed further casting details of upcoming five-part drama The Secrets.

Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt, World Without End's Ben Chaplin and Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox have signed up to appear in an episode written by Elinor Cook.

Each 30-minute episode of the Dominic Savage-directed drama will centre around a provocative incident told from separate viewpoints.

Cook's episode focuses on a man who is married to two women as he leads a secret double life.

Nick Payne will write two episodes of the series, starring previously announced cast members Olivia Colman, Alison Steadman and Steve Oram, while Sarah Solemani will write and star in her own instalment as a bride-to-be who discovers her fiancé was once accused of a shocking crime.

Ben Ockrent will pen an episode starring Cuckoo's Helen Baxendale, Anthony Welsh and Waterloo Road star Paige Meade, which revolves around a girl...

Andy Samberg was captured on camera running through cars in downtown Los Angeles on the set of his TV sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Andy Samberg Shoots 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

Samberg looked like he was on a mission in a pair of gray pants, a blue and black-checkered shirt and leather jacket. In Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the Saturday Night Live alum plays Detective Jake Peralta. He won a Golden Globe for his performance as the law enforcement agent last month.

Possibly due to his busy schedule filming Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Samberg will no longer appear in the BBC comedy Cuckoo. He’s being replaced by Twilight star Taylor Lautner, who’ll join Greg Davies and Helen Baxendale on the show. Towards the end of the first season, Samberg’s character Cuckoo disappeared into the Himalayas.

"Cuckoo was one of BBC3's most stand-out comedies, so I'm delighted to welcome it back with the...

Making the leap from the big screen to the small screen, Taylor Lautner will star in a new BBC sitcom.

Called "Cuckoo," the "Twilight" star is replacing Andy Samberg, who appeared in the series' first season.

Speaking of the add, BBC2 controller Zai Bennett gushed, "'Cuckoo' was one of BBC3's most stand-out comedies, so I'm delighted to welcome it back with the addition of superstar Taylor Lautner joining the critically acclaimed Greg Davies and an outstanding British comedy cast for what will be one of the comedy treats of the year.

Joining him in the show will be British co-stars Greg Davies and Helen Baxendale. The big announcement comes as Taylor marks his 22nd birthday (February 11).