News

One of PBS’ longest-running current series is coming to an end.

Grantchester, the cozy mystery that has been part of the Masterpiece lineup for a decade, will conclude with its forthcoming 11th season on PBS and British network ITV. The announcement on Tuesday came as the show’s cast had its first table read for season 11.

“At its heart, Grantchester is a show about the power of friendship and love. We’ve been so lucky over the last 11 series to experience that on and off screen,” series creator, writer and executive producer Daisy Coulam said in a statement. “For over a decade now, cast and crew (many who’ve been there since the beginning) have met each summer to film. And it’s been an absolute joy. Thank you to James Runcie for entrusting us with his characters. Thank you to the lovely people of real Grantchester. Thank you to...

Detective drama Grantchester will return and end with season 11 on PBS and British network ITV.

Based on the The Grantchester Mysteries books by James Runcie, the series was first broadcast in 2014 on ITV in the U.K. and on PBS in 2015 as part of the Masterpiece anthology. James Norton, famed for his roles in Little Women, Happy Valley and, more recently, Netflix film Joy, led the initial cast alongside Robson Green, who still stars as police officer Geordie.

Norton’s successor as the local vicar of a Cambridgeshire village in the 1950s was Tom Brittney, who was then succeeded by Rishi Nair as Alphy in 2024. Al Weaver, Tessa Peake-Jones, Kacey Ainsworth and Oliver Dimsdale are also set to star in the Kudos-produced (part of Banijay U.K.) show. Nick Brimble, Bradley Hall and Melissa Johns round out the cast.

Filming on the final series is set to kick off this month,...

On the heels on the Season 4 finale, Masterpiece has handed a two-season renewal, for Seasons 5 and 6, to its hit series All Creatures Great and Small.

Based on James Herriot’s beloved collection of stories, each season will consist of six episodes plus Christmas specials.

Season 5 will see the return of Callum Woodhouse as Tristan Farnon.

Also returning for the fifth season is Nicholas Ralph as vet James Herriot, and Samuel West as his mercurial mentor Siegfried Farnon. Anna Madeley returns as the matriarch of Skeldale House Mrs. Hall, along with Rachel Shenton as the charismatic Helen Herriot. James Anthony-Rose also reappears as Richard Carmody. Also returning is Patricia Hodge as the wonderfully sophisticated Mrs Pumphrey, and her adored pampered Pekingese Tricki. Callum Woodhouse reprises his role as Tristan Farnon, Siegfried’s mischievous brother who has been serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, when he makes an unexpected return later in the season.

There’s a new trailer for World on Fire, the Masterpiece war drama from The A Word’s Peter Bowker that bows Sunday, October 15, on PBS.

The series looks at World War II through the eyes of ordinary people from all sides of the conflict. The new seven-episode season will follow the first year of the war, starting with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and ending with the Battle of Britain.

The cast includes Lesley Manville (The Crown), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Ahad Raza Mir (Resident Evil), Mark Bonnar (Guilt) and Gregg Sulkin (Runaways).

In 2019, PBS joined the BBC for a second season of the drama that starred Helen Hunt as a war correspondent. Season 2 has already dropped in the U.K, where viewers have noticed the absence of Hunt, as well as Sean Bean, Arthur Darvill and Brian J. Smith — due to a combination of scheduling...

As filming for “Grantchester” Season 9 is officially underway, star Tom Brittney has revealed that it will be his last. The actor, who has portrayed Reverend Will Davenport since 2019, will exit the PBS and ITV series to focus on new projects.

“I’ve had the most incredible time playing Will Davenport for the last five years. I got to solve crimes with my best friend, and work with the best cast and crew I could ever ask for,” Brittney said in a statement. “I’ll miss it more than anything. But it’s time for the baton to be passed, as it once was to me.”

In addition to Brittney’s departure, Rishi Nair is joining the show’s cast as the new vicar, Alphy Kotteram.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining ‘Grantchester.’ The welcome and support I’ve received from everyone has been overwhelming,” Nair added. “The success of...

Lead actor Tom Brittney has announced that the upcoming ninth season of the Masterpiece/ITV drama Grantchester will be his last.

Brittany has played Reverend Will Davenport on the crime series since 2019 and is stepping back to focus on new projects. Grantchester follows Detective Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and the motorcycle riding vicar Will (Brittney) as they investigate murders in the Cambridgeshire village.

The drama has cast Rishi Nair as a charismatic new vicar named Alphy Kotteram. Filming is already underway on the ninth season; the eighth kicked off Sunday, July 9, on Masterpiece.

“I’ve had the most incredible time playing Will Davenport for the last five years,” Brittney said in a statement. “I got to solve crimes with my best friend, and work with the best cast and crew I could ever ask for. I’ll miss it more than anything. But it’s time for the baton to be passed,...

Neve McIntosh (“Shetland”) and James Anthony-Rose are joining the seven-episode fourth season of Masterpiece on PBS’ “All Creatures Great and Small.”

The drama, based on a collection of stories by best-selling author James Herriot that have sold 60 million copies internationally, is currently filming on location in Yorkshire and will air on the network in early 2024 and Channel 5 in the UK this fall.

Season 4 will return to Yorkshire Dales, picking up in 1940 as Churchill takes office and Europe is under serious threat. With Tristan away serving in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) and James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) bring in some extra hands to help around the practice.

McIntosh will play the highly efficient bookkeeper Miss Harbottle, while Anthony-Rose will play undergraduate vet student Richard Carmody who arrives at Skeldale as part of his placement under the guidance of James.

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Jonah Hauer-King can currently be seen swimming up a storm alongside Halle Bailey in Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid” but for his next project he’s part of a different world – “World on Fire.”

The PBS and BBC drama series has released first look images from its upcoming second season, showing Hauer-King as a grimy soldier called Harry in the Royal Air Force (Raf) during World War II.

Jonah Hauer-King in ‘World on Fire’ (courtesy of BBC)

In the show, which was created by Peter Bowker, he is joined by “The Crown’s” Lesley Manville, Parker Sawyers (“A Discovery of Witches”) and Eugénie Derouand (“The Advent Calendar”).

In new images from Season 2 Manville, who plays Robina, looks elegant in a 1940s hair-do and outfit while Sawyers, who plays Albert, is pictured looking concerned, a Nazi flag visible behind him. Meanwhile Derouand is clad in a nurse’s outfit as Henriette.

Freeform dropped a teaser for Season 5 of “Good Trouble,” which premieres March 16 and will stream on Hulu the next day.

The series is a spin-off of “The Fosters,” and has followed the characters Callie and Mariana to Los Angeles. In the fifth season of the drama series, the roommates find relationship challenges as well as career opportunities, and “The Coterie” group must support each other as they navigate adulthood.

Season 5 features Cierra Ramirez, Tommy Martinez, Emma Hunton, Sherry Cola, Zuri Adele, Josh Pence, Bryan Craig and Booboo Stewart. Maia Mitchell, who left the show last season, will return for a short arc. The series is executive produced by showrunner Joanna Johnson as well as Christine Sacani, Greg Gugliotta, Jennifer Lopez, Benny Medina, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Cierra Ramirez.

Check out the teaser below.

Also in today’s TV news:

Trailers

Prime Video Sports dropped the official trailer for the new documentary “Reggie,...

“All Creatures Great and Small,” the wholesome reboot of the popular British veterinarian drama, is returning for Seasons 3 and 4.

U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece in the U.S. have officially signed on for two more seasons of the Playground-produced drama. Each season will get a 6-episode order, along with a Christmas special. PBS Masterpiece, which will debut Season 2 on Sunday (Jan. 9), is co-producing along with distributor All3Media International selling the series globally.

The show is based on a series of books written by vet Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot. An early adaptation of the books, also called “All Creatures Great and Small,” aired on the BBC from 1978 to 1990 and was enormously popular. ViacomCBS-backed broadcaster Channel 5 rebooted the show in 2020 to critical acclaim — a ballsy move given it was one of the broadcaster’s first attempts at scripted content, having been a historically unscripted channel.

PBS Masterpiece and ViacomCBS UK’s Channel 5 have shown faith in All Creatures Great and Small with a rare double season order.

Lead writer and exec Ben Vanstone had already all but confirmed a third run but the commitment to a seven-episode fourth is demonstrative of the success of the reboot of the 1980s UK hit, which has achieved killer ratings on both sides of the Atlantic.

The first season of the James Herriot adaptation attracted 10M U.S. viewers while, in the UK, episodes regularly consolidate above the 5M mark and the drama has helped establish Channel 5 as a creative force, most recently airing a highly-rated Christmas special.

Filming on season three will kick off in Yorkshire in the spring, re-joining the beloved Skeldale House family in the Spring of 1939 as the prospect of another World War looms large over the Dales. Change is afoot for all the Darrowby residents,...

Sales

Studiocanal has sold a raft of global territories on four-part thriller drama series “Ridley Road.” Created by Studiocanal’s Red Production Company, commissioned for BBC One and co-produced with Masterpiece, the series will air in the U.S. on PBS Masterpiece, in France on Canal Plus, and has also been acquired by Now Studio Hong Kong, ABC Australia, Nova Greece, Yle Finland, Svt Sweden, Nrk Norway, Dr Denmark, Rte Ireland, Hot Israel, Canal Plus Poland and Disney Plus Benelux. A sale to Mola Indonesia was agreed earlier this year.

Based on Jo Bloom’s book, the series follows a young Jewish woman who falls in love with a member of the ’62 Group. She rejects her comfortable middle-class life in Manchester and joins the fights against fascism in London, risking everything for her beliefs for the man she loves.

The drama adaption is written, and executive produced by Sarah Solemani...

Hannah Waddingham, Emmy winner for Apple TV Plus series “Ted Lasso,” is joining leads Solly McLeod and Sophie Wilde in the cast of Masterpiece and U.K. broadcaster ITV’s literary classic adaptation, “Tom Jones.”

Waddingham has been cast as the seductive and vengeful Lady Bellaston in the miniseries, which is currently filming in Northern Ireland.

Based on Henry Fielding’s classic 1749 novel “The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling,” the series follows the romantic and chivalrous adventures of adopted Tom Jones in 18th-century England.

McLeod (“The Rising”) plays the hero Tom, alongside Wilde (“You Don’t Know Me”) as the heroine Sophia Western. The cast also includes Pearl Mackie (“Doctor Who”) James Fleet (“Bridgerton”), Alun Armstrong (“Breeders”), Olivier winner Shirley Henderson (“Happy Valley”), Tamzin Merchant (“Carnival Row”), Julian Rhind-Tutt (“Britannia”), Susannah Fielding (“This Time With Alan Partridge”), BAFTA-winner Daniel Rigby (“Black Mirror”), James Wilbraham (“In My Skin”), Felicity Montagu (“The Durrells...

Emmy Award-winning Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham has joined the cast of upcoming ITV/Masterpiece drama Tom Jones.

Waddingham, who won the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series Emmy for her role as Rebecca Welton in the AppleTV+ comedy, will play the seductive and vengeful Lady Bellaston in the Mammoth Screen production.

She joins The Rising’s Solly McLeod, who is playing the lead of Tom, and You Don’t Know Me’s Sophie Wilde, who is playing heroine Sophia Western.

Also starring are James Fleet (Bridgerton), Alun Armstrong (Breeders) and Olivier Award-winner Shirley Henderson (Happy Valley).

Based on the 1749 book and written by Vanity Fair’s Gwyneth Hughes, the show follows the rollercoaster story of the title character’s journey to find real life.

Executive producers are James Gandhi, Gwyneth Hughes, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler for Mammoth Screen, Susanne Simpson and Rebecca Eaton for Masterpiece and Polly Hill for ITV.

Apple TV Plus set Chris Miller and Phil Lord’s “The Afterparty” for a January 2022 debut and released a teaser for the upcoming murder mystery.

The show is set at a high school reunion, and each of the eight episodes retells the events of the night through a different character’s perspective — and therefore unique visual style.

“This is one of the most surprising, original and fun projects we’ve ever made,” said Lord and Miller. “Our goal was to tell a comedic whodunit story in a new and exciting way. By giving each episode its own unique style of storytelling, we were able to make what feels like eight distinctly different but interconnected films that highlight how everyone’s personal perspective and biases shape how they see the world.”

The show stars Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Ben Schwartz, Ike Barinholtz, Ilana Glazer, Jamie Demetriou and Dave Franco.

Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) has joined Solly McLeod and Sophie Wilde in the cast of Tom Jones, a miniseries reimagining of Henry Fielding’s classic novel The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, for PBS’ Masterpiece, Mammoth Screen (Poldark) and ITV.

First published in 1749, Tom Jones is the scandalous tale of a young man’s attempt to find a place in the world. It is widely regarded as a British classic and has been adapted previously, most notably in the 1963 feature film version starring Albert Finney as the titular character.

Waddingham will play the seductive and vengeful Lady Bellaston.

She joins McLeod as the hero Tom, Wilde as the heroine Sophia Western and Pearl Mackie as Sophia’s trusted maid, Honour.

Cast also includes James Fleet, Alun Armstrong, Shirley Henderson, Tamzin Merchant, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Susannah Fielding, Daniel Rigby, James Wilbraham, Felicity Montagu, Janine Duvitski Dean Lennox Kelly and Lucy Fallon.

Exclusive: Doctor Who star Pearl Mackie is joining Solly McLeod (The Rising) and Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me) in the cast of Tom Jones, the four-part period TV series reimagining Henry Fielding’s classic novel The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling.

The project heralds from Mammoth Screen (Poldark), PBS’ Masterpiece and ITV. Masterpiece was previously the U.S. home of ITV’s hit period show Downton Abbey.

First published in 1749, Tom Jones is the scandalous tale of a young man’s attempt to find a place in the world. It is widely regarded as a British classic and has been adapted previously, most notably in the 1963 feature film version starring Albert Finney as the titular character.

Gwyneth Hughes (Vanity Fair) wrote the series. Georgia Parris (Mari) is directing, Benjamin Greenacre is producing. Executive producers are James Gandhi, Gwyneth Hughes, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler for Mammoth Screen,...

Solly McLeod (The Rising) and Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me) will lead the cast of Tom Jones, a four-part period TV series reimagining Henry Fielding’s classic novel The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling.

The project comes from Mammoth Screen (Poldark), PBS’ Masterpiece and ITV. Masterpiece was previously the U.S. home of ITV’s hit period show Downton Abbey.

First published in 1749, Tom Jones is the scandalous tale of a young man’s attempt to find a place in the world. It is widely regarded as a British classic and has been adapted previously, most notably in the 1963 feature film version starring Albert Finney as the titular character.

Gwyneth Hughes (Vanity Fair) wrote the series. Georgia Parris (Mari) is directing, Benjamin Greenacre is producing. Executive producers are James Gandhi, Gwyneth Hughes, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler for Mammoth Screen, Susanne Simpson and Rebecca Eaton for Masterpiece, and Polly Hill for ITV.

All Creatures Great And Small has found its new Mrs. Pumphrey following the death of Diana Rigg last September.

Miranda and A Very English Scandal actress Patricia Hodge will step into the role for Season 2 of Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece’s period drama, adapted from bestselling author James Herriot’s cherished collection of stories about a young country vet in 1930s Yorkshire.

Produced by Playground, Season 2 is currently shooting in the UK with other new cast including Dorothy Atkinson (Call the Midwife) as Diana Brompton, and James

Fleet (The Vicar of Dibley) as Colonel Merrick. Returning to the series are Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West, Anna Madeley, Callum Woodhouse, Rachel Shenton, Matthew Lewis, Cleo Sylvestre, and Kriss Dosanjh.

Playground CEO Sir Colin Callender said: “We were deeply saddened by the passing of Dame Diana Rigg who will always be a treasured member of the All Creatures family. Mrs. Pumphrey and her overly indulged Pekingese,...

PBS’ Masterpiece, which has been home to classic British dramas including Downton Abbey, Upstairs, Downstairs, Prime Suspect and the original House of Cards, turns 50 on January 10.

The venerable drama strand is celebrating with a slew of period dramas and mystery thrillers. But it is also using the anniversary as an opportunity to shift its programming strategy to allow it to hunt down the next breakout hit from the other side of the pond, amid aggressive competition from streamers such as Amazon, AppleTV+, HBO Max and Netflix.

Susanne Simpson, an exec producer on series including Downton Abbey, took over running Masterpiece in November 2019, replacing Rebecca Eaton.

She told Deadline that the success of the regal ITV drama, which ran for six seasons and ending in 2015, was a turning point for British dramas in the U.S. and it has now pivoted to ensure that it still has a pipeline of shows.

PBS prepares to celebrate “Masterpiece’s” 50th anniversary on the heels of another gold celebration: that of the first book in author James Alfred Wright ’s veterinary series. Wright, who became better known under his pen name of James Herriot, released “If Only They Could Talk” in the U.K. in 1970, and that story became part of the “All Creatures Great and Small” collection. To celebrate both anniversaries, a new adaptation of “All Creatures Great and Small” from Playground Ent. is taking the tentpole PBS time slot (Sundays at 9 p.m.) beginning Jan. 10.

The stories that center on a new veterinarian who takes a job in a family practice in the Yorkshire Dales were adapted and aired on PBS before, for a seven-season series that began in 1978. But this is the first time they are under the “Masterpiece” brand.

“Our audience loves the costume dramas and I really also like...

As the Covid-19 pandemic approaches its one-year anniversary of ravaging the globe and disrupting workflows, PBS is coming into 2021 strong with a robust slate for what network president and CEO Paula Kerger calls one of its “brand-defining programs”: “Masterpiece.”

“When you ask people what they think about when they hear ‘PBS,’ many people will say ‘Masterpiece’ and in fact consistently it’s one of the most popular programs from an audience size standpoint on public television,” says Kerger. “A lot of people plan their Sunday nights around watching ‘Masterpiece’ live. In this era of on-demand, the fact that people think of ‘Masterpiece’ as not only a lovely viewing experience, but more of an event also speaks to the place that it holds in our schedule.”

Kicking off the new year with “Elizabeth Is Missing” on Jan. 3, Glenda Jackson’s first “Masterpiece” project since “Elizabeth R” in 1972, and moving into a new flagship series,...

In today’s Global Bulletin, Channel 5 announces Season 2 of “All Creatures Great and Small,” BAFTA backs Indian talent, Cj Enm commissions format deals for “I Can See Your Voice” and Newen hires a new distribution executive.

Commission

Channel 5 in the U.K. has commissioned a second season of its hit period drama “All Creatures Great and Small,” including six new episodes and a Christmas special. As was the case with season 1, Masterpiece on PBS will co-produce with All3Media International as a global partner.

Based on James Herriot’s best-selling book series, Channel 5’s highest rated new program of the last five years is produced by BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning production company Playground. Shooting will take place in 2021.

Seb Cardwell, the series’ original commissioner and deputy director of programs at ViacomCBS Networks UK, commissioned season 2. Colin Callender and Melissa Gallant for Playground, Louise Pedersen for All3Media International, Caroline Cooper Charles for Screen Yorkshire,...

ViacomCBS’s UK broadcaster Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece have confirmed that period veterinary drama All Creatures Great And Small will return for a second six-part season.

Deadline reported last month that the renewal was all-but done, with Playground Entertainment ready to begin shooting Season 2 in the Yorkshire Dales early next year. It follows the first season premiere becoming Channel 5’s highest-rated show since February 2016 with 5M viewers.

Starring Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West, All Creatures Great And Small is a new take on best-selling author James Herriot’s humorous adventures of a young country vet. The books were previously adapted into a group of films and TV series in the 1970s.

Ben Frow, ViacomCBS’s director of programs in the UK, first teased the recommission last year when he said that he wanted a second season after watching just one episode of the first. PBS Masterpiece has come on...

The BBC and PBS Masterpiece have released new images of Hugh Laurie and Helen McCrory in Roadkill, a four-part political thriller written by Collateral’s David Hare and made by National Treasure producer The Forge.

Laurie stars as self-made, forceful and charismatic politician Peter Laurence, whose life is being picked apart by his enemies. Laurence, however, is shamelessly untroubled by guilt or remorse as he walks a high wire between glory and catastrophe.

“The story is in some regards about the price he is prepared to pay to get to the top position and the price that he forces everyone else to pay, principally his family but also those who pledge their loyalty to him,” Laurie said in a press pack accompanying the new stills.

Peaky Blinders actress McCrory plays the British prime minister in the series, which also stars Westworld’s Sidse Babett Knudsen and Dublin Murders’ Sarah Greene.

PBS released the first trailer on Saturday for the new Masterpiece series “Roadkill,” starring Hugh Laurie as a scheming U.K. politician.

The four-episode series, set to premiere on Nov. 1, stars Laurie as Peter Laurence, a “self-made forceful and charismatic politician,” according to PBS’s description of the series.

“Peter’s public and private life seems to be falling apart – or rather is being picked apart by his enemies. As the personal revelations spiral, he is shamelessly untroubled by guilt or remorse, expertly walking a high wire between glory and catastrophe as he seeks to further his own agenda while others plot to bring him down.”

Created by Michael Keillor and written by “The Hours” writer David Hare, the series also stars “Peaky Blinders” alum Helen McCrory as well as Saskia Reeves, Iain De Caestecker, Pip Torrens, Millie Brady, Danny Ashok and Sidse Babett Knudsen.

Michael Keillor directs the series,...

British drama All Creatures Great and Small has become a ratings boon for Viacom’s UK network Channel 5 – becoming its highest rated show since February 2016.

This comes as the show, produced by Playground Entertainment, has already been picked up for a second season.

It scored 3.3M viewers, a share of 20.4%, which was the highest rated show for the Ben Frow-run channel since it launched the reboot of The X-Files, scoring 3.7M with a 16.3% share. It comfortably beat C5’s previous drama The Deceived, starring Normal People’s Paul Mescal, which got 2.1M viewers and a 12.3% share and also helped bring in a younger, and more affluent demographic.

The series, which will air on PBS in 2021, is a reboot of the classic James Herriot adaptation, following a country vet. The series sees Nicholas Ralph plays Herriot and Samuel West of The Crown stars as the eccentric veterinary surgeon Siegfried Farnon.

David Hare, creator of the BBC and PBS drama Roadkill, said that he has written a new play based entirely on his experience contracting coronavirus. The screenwriter-playwright revealed Wednesday he had written the one-man play Beat the Devil during a panel for the Hugh Laurie-fronted drama at PBS’ TCA virtual press tour.

Hare, who penned the four-part political thriller Roadkill from National Treasure producer The Forge, said an actor had been chosen to perform Beat the Devil but that he could not disclose the identity. Due to current social distancing guidelines in London, he also did not know when the play would be performed but expressed confidence theaters will open before the end of August.

The Oscar-nominated screenwriter of...

British drama All Creatures Great and Small is on the verge of a second season after exec producer Colin Callender revealed that he was in talks with UK network Channel 5 and PBS.

This comes after Ben Frow, who runs content at the ViacomCBS-owned UK broadcaster said last year that he wanted to commission a second season even before the first aired.

Callender was speaking at PBS’ virtual TCA press tour. He shared that the team behind the James Herriot-inspired series have been discussing a sophomore season.

“We are in discussions with Channel 5 in England and Masterpiece,” said Callender. “We are developing season two right now. So there’s every intention and hope that this will be a returning series and hopefully everyone will fall in love with the characters and want to run and run. Certainly that was our ambition from the outset.”

The series, which begins...

The BBC and PBS Masterpiece have released a first look image of Hugh Laurie in Roadkill, a four-part political thriller written by Collaterel’s David Hare and made by National Treasure producer The Forge.

Laurie stars as self-made, forceful and charismatic politician Peter Laurence, whose life is being picked apart by his enemies. Laurence, however, is shamelessly untroubled by guilt or remorse as he walks a high wire between glory and catastrophe.

Peaky Blinders actress Helen McCrory plays the British prime minister in the series, which also stars Westworld’s Sidse Babett Knudsen and Dublin Murders’ Sarah Greene. Filming took place in London last year.

Roadkill is directed by Michael Keillor (Line of Duty) and the executive producers are Hare, George Faber and Mark Pybus for The Forge, Lucy Richer for the BBC, Michael Keillor and Rebecca Eaton for Masterpiece. Andy Litvin (The Trial) produces and All3Media International is the distributor.

Grantchester is coming back for a sixth season after British broadcaster ITV and PBS Masterpiece renewed the quaint drama.

Stars Robson Green and Tom Brittney, who revealed the news on an Instagram live video, will return.

This comes as the fifth season finale of the Kudos-produced drama is set to air in the U.S. this Sunday.

Brittney and Green revealed that the show is set to start shooting in September and could become one of the first big British scripted series to return.

The show, set in the quaint but crime-ridden village of Grantchester, England, follows the investigations of an unlikely pairing: a detective (Green) and a vicar (Brittney).

Season 5 picked up in Cambridge in 1957, a year after the current fourth season in which Prime Minister Harold MacMillan told the British people that they had “never had it so good.”

Green said that he was “so happy” that the show was returning.

In today’s TV news roundup, Own orders a new unscripted relationship series and Disney Channel orders new seasons of “The Owl House” and “Sydney to the Max.”

Dates

ABC will live broadcast the “2020 Ncaa Gymnastics Championship Final” on April 18. The semi finals will air the day before at 1 and 6 p.m. Et. ESPN networks will feature over 50 hours of gymnastics coverage during the 2020 session

Development

Own ordered an unscripted relationship series titled “#LoveGoals,” premiering March 2020. In the series, Spirit, renowned family and relationship therapist, counsels five celebrity couples: Benzino and Althea Heart (“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta”); former NFL wide receiver and rapper Dwayne Bowe with wife Theresa Bowe; Sundy Carter (“Basketball Wives”) with Breyon Williams; Dee Dee Roper of Salt-n-Pepa with Quenton Coleman; and Coolio with Mimi Ivey.

Disney Channel ordered a second season of “The Owl House” ahead of the Jan. 10 series premiere. Created and executive-produced by...

Exclusive: It’s an end of an era at Masterpiece. As the iconic PBS drama franchise is heading into its 50th anniversary in 2021, the woman who steered it for the past 34 years, Rebecca Eaton, is taking a step back. Eaton, who has headed Masterpiece since 1985, is stepping down as Executive Producer. She will stay on as Executive-Producer-at-Large, focusing on the development of new drama projects and fundraising for the Masterpiece Trust.

Eaton will be succeeded by Susanne Simpson who has been promoted to Executive Producer of Masterpiece from Deputy Executive Producer. Simpson, a two- time Oscar nominee and two-time Emmy winner, will be responsible for the slate of programming and day-to-day operations.

One of the most celebrated producers in television, over the past three decades Eaton has became a go-to partner for producers of high-end U.K. dramas. She helped British drama series enter the U.S. mainstream — and cultural...

Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of PBS' long-running Masterpeice, is stepping aside after 35 years.

Susanne Simpson will take over as executive producer of the drama series after serving as deputy executive producer for the past dozen years. Eaton will transition to the role of executive producer at large, with a focus on developing new projects and fundraising for the Masterpiece Trust.

"There is no one better prepared than Susanne to succeed Rebecca," says John Bredar, vp programming at Wgbh Boston, which produces Masterpiece. "And Masterpiece will continue to benefit from Rebecca's sharp-eyed sense of story and character and her ...

Ben Frow, the director of programs at Viacom’s Channel 5, has said he wants to commission a second season of its PBS Masterpiece co-production All Creatures Great And Small before the first has even aired.

Speaking at a Channel 5 upfronts event in London on Tuesday night, Frow said he watched the first episode of the Playground Entertainment show over the weekend and is prepared to go again.

“I watched the first episode on Saturday and I already want to commission series two,” he said. “There’s a whole new cast, but the warmth, the familiarity, the landscape, the beauty is all there.”

Channel 5’s drama is a new take on best-selling author James Herriot’s humorous adventures of a young country vet. The books were previously adapted into a group of films and TV series in the 1970s.

Newcomer Nicholas Ralph plays Herriot, starring opposite Samuel West (The Crown) as Siegfried Farnon,...

Peaky Blinders’ Helen McCrory is to play the British Prime Minister alongside Hugh Laurie in British drama Roadkill as PBS Masterpiece boards the four-part BBC series.

McCrory will be joined by Westworld’s Sidse Babett Knudsen and Dublin Murders’ Sarah Greene in the series, which is written by Collaterel’s David Hare and produced by National Treasure producer The Forge.

The cast is rounded out by Saskia Reeves (The Child in Time), Patricia Hodge (A Very English Scandal), Ophelia Lovibond (Hooten & the Lady), Iain De Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Katie Leung (Chimerica), Olivia Vinall (The Woman in White), Pippa Bennett-Warner (Harlots) Shalom Brune-Franklin (Our Girl), Pip Torrens (Preacher), Millie Brady (The Last Kingdom) and Danny Ashok (Deep Water).

The thriller is about self-made, forceful and charismatic politician Peter Laurence (Laurie). Peter’s public and private life seems to be falling apart – or rather is...

Britain is getting a new prime minister – on TV, at least, after “Peaky Blinders” star Helen McCrory signed on to play the part in the BBC political thriller “Roadkill.” PBS Masterpiece has boarded the series and will co-produce and launch it in the U.S. Masterpiece’s Rebecca Eaton will exec produce the project.

McCrory joins the previously cast Hugh Laurie who plays one of her ministers, in the series. David Hare (“Collateral”) is writing. It is being made by The Forge, the All3Media-backed producer of “National Treasure.”

All3Media International is handling distribution and struck the PBS deal, its latest with the U.S. broadcaster and hot on the heels of an agreement for European cop series “Van Der Valk.”

McCrory and Laurie will play Conservative Party politicians clinging to power in “Roadkill.” Other cast announced, Friday, include Sidse Babett Knudsen (“Westworld”), Saskia Reeves (“The Child in Time”), Sarah Greene...

Exclusive: PBS is joining the BBC for a second season of Helen Hunt-fronted war drama World on Fire and has set a premiere date for the first season.

The U.S. public broadcaster will air the first season on Sunday April 5 2020 on its Masterpiece strand but has already signed up to co-produce the second season of the period thriller ahead of its TX.

Earlier today, the BBC revealed that it had renewed the series, produced by Victoria producer Mammoth Screen, following the UK finale.

World on Fire is written by The A Word’s Peter Bowker; it is a multi-stranded drama that looks at World War II through the eyes of ordinary people from all sides of the conflict. The first seven-episode season will follow the first year of the war, starting with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and ending with the Battle of Britain.

It stars...

PBS Masterpiece has boarded the remake of classic European detective series “Van der Valk” and will co-produce and air the show in the U.S.

Masterpiece’s Rebecca Eaton will exec produce the project. It is the latest in a healthy line of U.K.-originated drama that Masterpiece has boarded since becoming the U.S. home for British-made hits such as “Downton Abbey.” More recent projects include “Mrs Wilson” and the upcoming “All Creatures Great and Small” reboot.

“Van der Valk” now joins that roster. The original series was loosely based on the Nicolas Freeling novels and was made by British producer Thames for ITV in the 1970s. Barry Foster starred as the thoughtful titular Dutch detective, tackling crimes against a picturesque Dutch backdrop. The producers said the new iteration will see Van der Valk re-imagined as an unapologetic and street-smart cop in Amsterdam who leads a dynamic team investigating mysterious crimes.

Nicolas Ralph will make his television debut playing the lead in the remake of the popular British series “All Creatures Great and Small.” Ralph will play James Herriot, a handsome and compassionate veterinarian who brings his practice to the country. Christopher Timothy portrayed Herriot in the original series, which ran for seven seasons and 90 episodes from 1977 to 1990 on BBC1 and PBS.

This latest adaptation of best-selling author James Herriot’s cherished collection of stories is written by Ben Vanstone (The Last Kingdom) and directed by Brian Percival (“Downton Abbey”).

Samuel West joins as Siegfried Farnon, the wonderfully eccentric veterinary surgeon and proprietor of Skeldale House who reluctantly hires the recently qualifiedHerriot into his rural practice. Mrs. Hall, the resident housekeeper and matriarch of Skeldale House will be played by Anna Madeley. Siegfried’s errant and charismatic younger brother, Tristan, will be played by Callum Woodhouse (“The Durrells in Corfu”). Rachel Shenton...

“Every war is different until it’s the same…” The BBC and PBS have unveiled the first trailer (below) for period war drama World on Fire.

Helen Hunt and Sean Bean star in the series, written by The A Word’s Peter Bowker and produced by Victoria producer Mammoth Screen. Launching later this year on BBC One and recently acquired by the U.S. public broadcaster for its Masterpiece strand, the series is a multi-stranded drama that looks at World War II through the eyes of ordinary people from all sides of the conflict.

The first seven-episode season will follow the first year of the war, starting with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and ending with the Battle of Britain.

The cast also includes Lesley Manville (Mum), Jonah Hauer-King (Little Women) and Julia Brown (The Last Kingdom), Polish Academy Award-winner Zofia Wichłacz (Warsaw 44) and Brian J. Smith (Sense8...

PBS has acquired Helen Hunt-fronted British drama World on Fire. The public broadcaster will air the BBC series, which is produced by Victoria producer Mammoth Screen on its Masterpiece strand.

The announcement was made by Masterpiece Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton at the TCA summer press tour.

The drama is written by The A Word’s Peter Bowker; it is a multi-stranded drama that looks at World War II through the eyes of ordinary people from all sides of the conflict. The first seven-episode season will follow the first year of the war, starting with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and ending with the Battle of Britain.

It stars Hunt as a “complicated” war correspondent as well as Sean Bean Jonah Hauer-King (Little Women) and Julia Brown (The Last Kingdom), Polish Academy Award-winner Zofia Wichłacz (Warsaw 44) and Brian J. Smith (Sense8) along with Parker Sawyers (The Autopsy of Jane Doe...

PBS and ITV have unveiled the first trailer for period drama Sanditon. The series is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel Sanditon that stars Reign star Rose Williams and Downton Abbey and Divergent’s Theo James.

Williams and James star alongside Last Tango In Halifax’s Anne Reid and Love Actually’s Kris Marshall in the eight-part series. Produced by Death in Paradise producer Red Planet Pictures, it was written by War and Peace and Mr Selfridge writer Andrew Davies.

Written only months before Austen’s death in 1817, Sanditon tells the story of the impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Heywood, played by Williams, and her spiky relationship with the charming Sidney Parker, played by James. When a chance accident transports her from her rural hometown of Willingden to a would-be coastal resort, it exposes Charlotte to the intrigues and dalliances of a seaside town on the make.

Grantchester is coming back for a fifth season after British broadcaster ITV and PBS Masterpiece renewed the quaint drama. Stars Robson Green and Tom Brittney will return, although James Norton will not.

The fourth season of the Kudos-produced drama is set to air in the U.S. this weekend after airing in the UK at the start of the year.

Season 5 will pick up in Cambridge in 1957, a year after the current fourth season in which Prime Minister Harold MacMillan told the British people that they had “never had it so good.” For many of the residents of Grantchester, it really will feel like they’re in a delightful new Eden, but for all the talk of paradise on earth and faith-in-action, Geordie (Green) knows that trouble is never far away.

Kudos executive producer Emma Kingsman-Lloyd said: “We are very excited that Grantchester is returning for a fifth series.

Viacom-owned Channel 5 has ordered UK series All Creatures Great And Small, a new adaptation of best-selling author James Herriot’s humorous adventures of a young country vet.

The celebrated books were previously adapted into a group of films and TV series in the 1970s.

Howards End and Wolf Hall outfit Playground will produce the commissioned six episodes and a Christmas special. PBS’s Masterpiece in the U.S. will co-produce and All3Media will distribute internationally. The production will also receive funding and support from Screen Yorkshire.

The new version will shoot on location in Yorkshire, England later this year. The production, commissioned by Digital Channel Controller Seb Cardwell, will be produced by Richard Burrell (Silent Witness); executive producers are Colin Callender, and Melissa Gallant for Playground, Hugo Heppell for Screen Yorkshire and Rebecca Eaton for Masterpiece. Ben Vanstone (The Last Kingdom) is lead writer and executive producer...

A new adaptation of “All Creatures Great and Small” is in the works for Viacom’s Channel 5 in the U.K. and Masterpiece on PBS in the U.S. The source books by James Herriot, about country veterinarians in 1930s rural England, were made into a much-loved 1978-90 British series that ran to 90 episodes, which also aired on public TV in the U.S. There was also a 1975 film starring Anthony Hopkins.

The new show will be made by “Wolf Hall” producer Playground. It will shoot in Yorkshire, northern England, in 2020, and consist of six episodes and a Christmas special. For Channel 5, the commission comes as it pushes deeper into original drama, with this being its biggest scripted project to date. Masterpiece in the U.S. has traditionally fared well with British dramas, including “Downton Abbey.”

Since their publication in 1970, the books by James Alfred Wight, under the Herriot pseudonym,...

The new television adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables will premiere in the U.S. this month on Masterpiece on PBS. The six-part miniseries stars Dominic West as fugitive Jean Valjean, with David Oyelowo as his pursuer Inspector Javert and Lily Collins as luckless single mother Fantine. Rounding out the cast are Oscar winner Olivia Colman, Adeel Akhtar, Ellie Bamber, Josh O’Connor and Erin Kellyman.

West and Collins took the stage Sunday at Deadline’s The Contenders Emmys to talk about their characters and how this version differs from previous adaptations of the classic French novel.

“You’ll love this one” West told Deadline’s Peter White about the BBC Studios production.

Collins described playing Fantine as “real and grounding.”

“It was a real transformational character for me to go from long hair, obviously the physical aspect of long hair, a young naive woman, to no hair, no two front teeth,...

Ahead of its French premiere at Series Mania on Saturday, BBC Studios has revealed a raft of international broadcaster deals on Lookout Point’s Les Misérables.

Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic has sold to Portugal (RTP2), Norway (Nrk), Sweden (Svt), Finland (Yle), Iceland (Ruv), Denmark (TV2), New Zealand (Tvnz), India (Zee Café), Spain (Telefonica), Taiwan (Catchplay), Estonia (Etv), Russia (Channel One and Kultura), Greece (Cosmote) and Latvia (Ltv).

BBC First will premiere the series across Benelux, South Africa, Middle East, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Masterpiece-PBS is U.S co-production partner.

Cast includes Dominic West, David Oyelowo, Lily Collins, Olivia Colman, Adeel Akhtar, Josh O’Connor, Ellie Bamber, Erin Kellyman, David Bradley and Derek Jacobi.

Executive producers are Andrew Davies, Faith Penhale (War And Peace) for Lookout Point, Bethan Jones for BBC Studios (Sherlock). David Oyelowo and Dominic West also executive produce. Mona Qureshi is...

PBS has picked up its latest British drama – Gurinder Chadha’s Beecham House. The India-set series was produced by Bend It TV for ITV and will now air on the PBS Masterpiece block in the U.S.

The six-part series takes place on the cusp of 19th century in Delhi, following the fortunes of the residents of the titular mansion. Written by Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, Shahrukh Husain and Victor Levin (Mad Men).

The story begins as handsome and soulful former soldier, John Beecham, has acquired the house to start a new life for his family and a business as a trader. Wealthy and distinguished, John has witnessed profiteering and exploitation during his time with the controlling East India Company and appears haunted by his past. Determined to escape that life, he sets his sights on becoming an honorable member of the region’s trading community.

But in the glorious setting of Beecham House,...

Endeavour Morse is back for a seventh season after the period drama starring the eponymous detective was renewed by ITV.

The British commercial broadcaster handed Mammoth Screen-produced Endeavour, which airs on PBS in the U.S., a new set of films. It is likely to return for four new episodes.

The show, which charts the early career of the young Endeavour Morse, played by Shaun Evans, alongside his mentor Di Fred Thursday, played by Roger Allam.

Creator Russell Lewis, who has penned all of the 27 Endeavour screenplays to date, continues in this role. The new series, which will air in 2020, will be set in 1970 and production will take places later this year in Oxford. Mammoth Screen’s Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler will exec produce Lewis and Wgbh’s Rebecca Eaton. ITV Studios Global Entertainment distributes.

Lewis said, “We’re thrilled ITV has asked #TeamEndeavour to continue to add...