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iNHouse Communications is delighted to announce the shortlist of finalists for the inaugural Political Podcast Awards, sponsored by Google.

Podcast stars and new voices alike have been recognised in the shortlist which was collated from a huge pool of entries.

Winners of 11 awards will be revealed on 29th January 2025 at a ceremony hosted by broadcaster and former MP Gyles Brandreth in Westminster.

Judging the awards is an independent panel chaired by Good Morning Britain’s Head of Politics Anne Alexander. She is joined by Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Caroline Nokes MP, Leader of Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar Msp, Deputy Mayor of London Mete Coban, former Minister Lord Ed Vaizey, Downing Street Political Director Claire Reynolds, Women2Win founder Baroness Anne Jenkin, and Cps Director and Sunday Times columnist, Robert Colvile.

All the podcasts named on the shortlist are automatically nominated for The Podcast of the Year Award...

Today, people in the United States will go to the polls and elect a new president. It's a touchy time, with folks on the edge of their seats to discover whether Donald Trump will return to the presidency or if the people will pick Kamala Harris to lead them for the next four years.

To distract from all that, how's about we talk about a show with dragons and swords and stuff: HBO's Game of Thrones. With its focus on the win-or-die contest for power, Game of Thrones recalled the real-life fight for political control more than once, and it was so popular that a lot of people across the political spectrum noticed and drew comparisons.

Before the polls come in, let's go over some of the high-profiles examples of Game of Thrones crossing over with real-world politics, starting with a comparison people loved to make:

Donald Trump Campaigns In...

With Wake Up Dead Man castings coming thick and fast, we’ve got a handy guide to who’s not in the Knives Out 3 cast so far.

Since Knives Out 3 was officially announced (and renamed Wake Up Dead Man) last week, the casting news has been flying thick and fast. Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott and Kerry Washington were first out of the bag, with Glenn Close following up close behind.

That’s five whole names! In one week! Far too many, if you ask us. With that in mind, here’s everyone Not cast in the third Knives Out Mystery (so far). Feel free to comment below if we’ve missed anyone.

Daniel Day-Lewis

If there’s one thing that could pull the famously retired actor out of, well, retirement, surely it would be a new Knives Out? We’re not actors, but even we’d bite...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is saying no to a version of the Msg Sphere. On Monday, the mayor rejected plans to bring a version of the entertainment venue to Olympic Park over concerns of light pollution, the high electric cost, and the impact on nearby heritage sites.

“London is open to investment from around the world and Sadiq wants to see more world-class, ambitious, innovative entertainment venues in our city,” said a spokesperson for the mayor to The Standard. “But as part of looking at the planning application for the Msg Sphere,...

London mayor Sadiq Khan has shot down plans for a local venue identical to Las Vegas’ new Msg Sphere, The Standard reports.

After Madison Square Garden Entertainment opened the doors to their $2.3 billion sphere in September, the company was keen on making Stratford, London the next location for one of its ultra-futuristic, high-tech domes. But Khan rejected the proposal, reportedly citing the potential light pollution, whopping electricity bills, and threat to local historical sites.

“London is open to investment from around the world and Sadiq wants to see more world-class, ambitious, innovative entertainment venues in our city,” a representative told The Standard. “But as part of looking at the planning application for the Msg Sphere, the Mayor has seen independent evidence that shows the current proposals would result in an unacceptable negative impact on local residents.”

This alone doesn’t necessarily mean a London Sphere is completely off the table,...

In the second episode of “The Great Climate Fight,” airing on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 10:00 Pm on Channel 4, viewers can expect a compelling exploration of environmental advocacy. Mary Portas takes on the task of holding Jeremy Hunt accountable for the government’s oil and gas tax breaks, shedding light on critical policies that impact climate efforts.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall steps into the spotlight as he calls out the Energy Secretary for obstructing onshore wind projects, emphasizing the importance of renewable energy sources. The episode also features Kevin McCloud, who impassionedly urges Michael Gove to elevate housing standards, highlighting the role of sustainable architecture in the fight against climate change.

The episode promises a blend of investigative journalism, direct challenges to policymakers, and impassioned pleas for crucial environmental reforms. “The Great Climate Fight” continues to engage viewers in the conversation surrounding climate change, rallying influential figures to address key issues and drive positive change.

The Las Vegas Msg Sphere had its first screen show before its opening in September. It was lit up with moving lava visuals and showed a message that read “Hello World.”

The sphere was designed by the same company that owns Madison Square Garden in New York City and cost over $2 billion to create. After its opening, it will become the world’s largest structure in a sphere.

The images projected on the sphere were shared on social media. Photos and videos were taken, which demonstrate just how large the structure is. It is 34 meters high and 157 meters wide. The sphere is the largest LED screen in history and covers almost 54,000 square meters.

Las Vegas Issues posted a video on Twitter captioning it, “The Death Star has some fancy new lights. ”

The Death Star has some fancy new lights. pic.twitter.com/hipiKXUNj5

— Las Vegas Issues (@VegasIssues) July 1, 2023

The video...

Graham Norton has informed fans that his Twitter account has been hacked.

The chat show host and novelist, who came off the platform in late 2022, shared the warning on his Instagram account on Monday (3 April), writing: “I’ve just been told someone has reactivated my Twitter account. I’m now locked out of it.

“My worry is that whoever has access may try sending DMs asking for money or donations. Please spread the word that it is Not me even though it still has a blue tick.”

Norton has 1.4 million followers on Twitter. His bio reads “Chatting slowly towards the grave. White wine please!” but he has no profile picture.

In October, there was speculation that Norton came off Twitter after a clip of him talking about “cancel culture” and Jk Rowling went viral.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by graham norton (@grahnort)

The TV presenter was...

Exclusive: Peter Kosminsky will not start writing scripts for the BBC’s Grenfell drama until after the findings of the landmark inquiry into the national tragedy have been published, Deadline understands.

The BBC unveiled three-parter Grenfell earlier this week, the result of five years worth of research and interviews, which will continue now that the project is in the public domain.

Viewers are unlikely to see the factual drama on screen anytime soon, however, as we understand Wolf Hall scribe Kosminsky will wait until the huge national inquiry into the failings surrounding the tragic tower fire that killed 72 people in London in 2017 has published findings. Production will therefore not start for at least a year but interviews and research will continue in the meantime, allowing Kosminsky to build up a full picture of events, including the response to the inquiry findings from those closest to the tragedy.

The Grenfell inquiry...

Jason Momoa has revealed that the forthcoming Aquaman sequel filmed scenes with multiple different Batman actors.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to hit cinemas towards the end of this year.

Reports have suggested that Michael Keaton is set to reprise the role of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, which he last inhabited back in 1992’s Batman Returns.

Keaton also filmed scenes for the forthcoming DC Comics adaptation, The Flash.

Speaking to The Wrap, Momoa confirmed that Aquaman 2 had included multiple Batman actors during production, though he declined to say exactly who.

“I shot with a couple different Batmans, but you just don’t know what’s going on and we’ll see what the end product is,” he teased.

The former Game of Thrones star previously shared a picture with Ben Affleck on the set of Aquaman 2, suggesting that Affleck would be returning as the iteration of...

The studio was first greenlit for development in 2020.

Over £14.7 million from the UK government’s levelling up fund has been allocated to support the creation of a new international film studio in Ashford, Kent.

The planned studios will sit on an over 500,000ft2 brownfield site with five Grade II listed buildings on the site of the old Newton Railway Works.

The studio will provide production and filming space and will be developed with several partners, including Ashford International Development Company, a joint venture between Ashford Borough Council and Quinn Estates; a yet-to-be announced film and TV studios operator; and Ekg...

“I think I’m Kanye mixed with Donny Hathaway,” raps Stormzy on the title track of his third album, This is What I Mean. There’s definitely a touch of the troubled West’s ambitious alchemy to the track, which pirouettes from a pretty piano intro (think child’s ballet rehearsal) into an elating, bass-blast of braggadocio, given dramatic ballast with operatic backing vocals.

But there’s really more of Hathaway to Croydon-born grime star. Not just because of the jazzy warmth with which this album leans into its soulful balladry. It’s there in the rich, stable sincerity of his vocals. Like Hathaway, 29-year-old Michael Owou Jr has a voice that can reach through the darkness and steady your heart. Even if you didn’t know that Stormzy’s the kind of national treasure who invests in scholarship schemes to support Black kids through Cambridge University, his decency feels embedded in his frequency.

Picture the scene. It’s the end of November. Matt Hancock has been named king of the jungle. After a month of tears, torture and tepid banter, he has obliterated all competition. Boy George has made zero impact. Mike Tindall is in the dust. Jill Scott is no one. The public have voted to humiliate the former health secretary, and he has eaten it up. Literally: he has eaten every species of testicle. But at some point during this process there came a moment when the tide started to turn. When, exactly, is hard to say: when he taught Chris Moyles how to do parkour? When he played truth or dare round the campfire and admitted he thinks Dominic Cummings is a “gimp”? Or when, on his ninth bushtucker trial, he was finally broken, weeping into a bath of eels? No one knows. But this much is true: he may have lost the Tory whip,...

Picture the scene. It’s four weeks from now. Matt Hancock has been named king of the jungle. After a month of tears, torture and tepid banter, he has obliterated all competition. Boy George has made zero impact. Mike Tindall is in the dust. Jill Scott is no one. The public have voted to humiliate the former health secretary, and he has eaten it up. Literally: he has eaten every species of testicle. But at some point during this process there came a moment when the tide started to turn. When, exactly, is hard to say: when he taught Chris Moyles how to do parkour? When he played truth or dare round the campfire and admitted he thinks Dominic Cummings is a “gimp”? Or when, on his ninth bushtucker trial, he was finally broken, weeping into a bath of eels? No one knows. But this much is true: he may have lost the Tory whip,...

Liz Truss’ difficult week is going from bad to worse. A former aide has claimed the under fire British Prime Minister’s advisers would lie about deaths in her family so she could miss appearing on British current affairs program Question Time.

Speaking on the Whitehall Sources podcast, Kirsty Buchanan said Truss did not like media appearances, so her team would find excuses to pass on them. Buchanan worked for the Pm when she was Justice Secretary between mid-2016 and 2017.

“She didn’t like the media, so we used to spend quite a lot of time making up excuses and killing off minor members of her family so she didn’t have to go on,” said Buchanan. “Only minor people like aunts and cousins and things — I’m not talking about major members of the family.”

After her team “ran out of excuses, Buchanan said Truss eventually agreed to appear on Question Time,...

Graham Norton has deleted his Twitter account days after a clip of him talking about “cancel culture” and Jk Rowling went viral.

The TV presenter was speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Tuesday (11 October), when he said that he felt the word “cancellation” should be replaced with “accountability’.

“You read a lot of articles in papers by people complaining about cancel culture and you think, ‘In what world are you cancelled?’” he said. “I’m reading your article in a newspaper, or you’re doing interviews about how terrible it is to be cancelled? I think the word is the wrong word. I think the word should be ‘accountability’.”

Host Mariella Frostrup then asked Norton about how his comments applied to Rowling, whom she said had been hit with “anger, rage and attempts at censorship” for her views on transgender people.

Norton replied that he felt his voice on...

Kwasi Kwarteng’s “we get it” statement, in which he revealed that he was backtracking on plans to scrap the 45p tax rate, has been roasted on social media – with many comparing his words to those of Shiv Roy in the HBO satire Succession.

On Monday (3 October), the chancellor said in a statement that “we get it and we have listened”, following a fierce backlash to the move, which makes those earning over £150,000 a year richer as the poorest people struggle, in the worst cost-of-living crisis the UK has seen for decades.

Kwarteng’s statement sounded all too familiar to some on social media, who compared it to a speech given by Sarah Snook’s character Shiv Roy in Succession.

In season three of the hit show, Shiv used the phrase “we get it” while addressing Waystar Royco employees after a series of scandals hit the company.

“Does the UK government...

A role-playing game born half a century ago in a Wisconsin basement has spawned an empire spanning film, TV and YouTube. How did it leave its mark on Stranger Things, Et and everyone from Stephen King to Elon Musk?

‘We didn’t mean to unleash the greatest evil the world has ever known,” says Chris Pine’s voiceover. “But we’re gonna fix it.” In the forthcoming movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Pine plays Edgin, a lutenist bard who, according to the blurb, leads a band of medieval misfits with special powers who undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry. Their enemy is played by Hugh Grant, hopefully channelling his villain from Paddington 2.

The release of the Dungeons & Dragons movie, next March, will be the culmination of a story more improbable than anything spawned by a Hollywood hack. As Dungeons & Dragons...

Updated: The BBC will broadcast a live debate with the final two candidates Conservative Party leadership candidates on July 25. The corporation confirmed that all four remaining candidates have agreed to take part if they make it to the final two. Tuesday’s debate on Sky News was canceled as frontrunners Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss declined to participate.

Presented by Sophie Raworth, with analysis from BBC political editor Chris Mason and BBC economics editor Faisal Islam, “Our Next Prime Minister” will broadcast live from Stoke on Trent in front of a 80-100 strong audience on BBC One. The 60-minute program will be simulcast on BBC Radio 5 Live with coverage continuing after the debate and across BBC News Online and the BBC News Channel.

Jonathan Munro, interim director of BBC News and Current Affairs, said: “We’re delighted to be offering BBC audiences the chance to be part of this pivotal moment in politics and hear,...

Netflix was one of the key sponsors of UK magazine The Spectator‘s summer party last week.

The well-timed and buzzy London event — which came amid the stormy unseating of Boris Johnson as Pm — was attended by a number of leading figures in the UK political and media landscape.

Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos was at the event, which formed part of a UK charm offensive. That offensive included an event at BAFTA to celebrate the charity’s Bafta Breakthrough program, also sponsored by the streamer. The studio is celebrating 10 years in the UK.

Among politicians to have attended The Spectator‘s bash were former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the frontrunner to replace Johnson as UK leader, current Chancellor and another Pm hopeful Nadhim Zahawi, former Cabinet minister Michael Gove, Tory MP Tom Tugendhat (yet another contender to be the next Pm) and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Also among attendees were...

A timetable for Boris Johnson’s replacement will be announced next week, as the embattled UK Prime Minister on Thursday delivered his resignation speech outside 10 Downing Street, stating: “In politics, no one is indispensable.”

Johnson’s speech was a far cry from Theresa May’s tearful departure three years ago, and the Pm, who suffered more than 50 cabinet resignations in the past 36 hours before finally leaving, looked determined.

Boris Johnson’s Departure: Media In Overdrive, TV Schedules Ripped Up & Questions Over Future Of BBC & Channel 4 — Analysis

He said he had spoken to Graham Brady, who runs the influential Conservative 1922 Committee, and will now appoint an interim cabinet to serve until a new leader is in place. Some members of that cabinet have been unveiled in the past hour and a timetable for Johnson’s replacement will be announced next week. Johnson’s team initially floated October as the time...

After a seismic 36 hours during which British politics has been rocked, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is stepping down and the British media is in overdrive speculating on what happens next. In the UK broadcasting world, questions will soon be raised about a future that will almost certainly have a different Culture Secretary than current incumbent Nadine Dorries.

Following the news Johnson is resigning, schedules are being uprooted as news teams provide minute-by-minute reports on the fast-moving events and offer what insight they can. The UK’s major TV and radio stations have already been completely dominated for the past 36 hours with wall-to-wall coverage of the chaos, which was triggered by the resignations of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid in response to the Chris Pincher scandal. That incident, the latest of many, saw Johnson sew confusion over whether he knew of sexual assault allegations made against Deputy Chief Whip Pincher,...

Boris Johnson has finally agreed to step down as UK Prime Minister following more than 50 resignations from his government in response to multiple scandals.

According to the BBC, Johnson has said he will carry on until the fall when a new Conservative Party leader will be chosen. A Number 10 spokesman confirmed that the Pm will make a more detailed statement to the country later Thursday.

Boris Johnson Resigns: Timetable For Appointment Of New UK Prime Minister To Be Unveiled Next Week, As UK Pm Says: “In Politics, No One Is Indispensable”

There is now a debate raging as to whether Johnson should remain until the fall and how the country will be run given ongoing disagreement, uncertainty and chaos within the government.

The embattled UK leader’s grip on power began slipping last month following a narrow victory in a no-confidence vote. On Tuesday, two top cabinet ministers, Chancellor Rishi Sunak...

Updated, 1:37 Pm Pt: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sacked one of his closest allies, Michael Gove, after the Levelling Up Secretary was one of a clutch of cabinet ministers calling on Johnson to go, while more than 40 have now resigned.

As of this evening in the UK, Johnson is clinging onto power as his government crumbles around him.

There have been 41 resignations, most of which are junior ministers triggered by the departures of big beasts Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid last night, while a number of other cabinet ministers are reported to have attended Johnson’s 10 Downing Street home and urged him to step down.

Gove is reported to have asked him to make way earlier today, before Johnson faced Labour leader Keir Starmer in a bruising Prime Minister’s Questions at 12 Pm BST (4Am Pt).

Johnson is insisting he remains Prime Minister and the prospect of a...

Chums, a forthcoming TV series about the Oxford University days of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is set to be illuminated by never before seen stills by acclaimed photographer Dafydd Jones.

Two Rivers recently optioned Simon Kuper’s book of the same name, telling the history of Johnson and fellow Oxford alumni turned politicians Michael Gove, David Cameron, George Osborne and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Chums is now set to become a four-part series, with many of the stories brought to life through the photography of Jones, who studied his craft Oxford Polytechnic while several of the country’s future leaders partied nearby.

On Instagram, Jones explained how he came to photograph future prime minister Boris Johnson:

“At Oxford the privately educated formed their own cliques separating the top private schools from the minor ones. They didn’t socialise much with those from state schools. I was turned down when I asked permission...

Sky Recommissions ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ On Four-Strong Entertainment Slate

Sky has commissioned a second season of its Never Mind the Buzzcocks reboot on a four-strong entertainment slate that includes a football quiz exec produced by Jack Whitehall. The recommission comes alongside a second series of Matt Lucas/Elis James’ Fantasy Football League, Whitehall’s quiz Got Got Need, which is led by football pundits Harry and Jamie Redknapp, and a Nish Kumar/Josh Widdicombe series about local news called Hold the Front Page. Cult music quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks aired for nearly 20 years on the BBC before being rebooted last year on Sky, hosted by Greg Davies and featuring Noel Fielding, This Country star Daisy May Cooper and comedian Jamali Maddix. They are joined by a roster of top music and comedy stars each week. All shows will air on Sky Max, which replaced Sky One last year.

Exclusive: The pressure is ramping up on UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries to refuse to privatize Channel 4 after a group of Scottish politicians from her own party sent a letter urging her to keep it public, Deadline can reveal.

The letter was sent by Sharon Dowey, a minister for Scottish Parliament, on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives late last year, in which she said the sale of Channel 4 would create a “significant risk that Scotland’s independent production sector, not to mention all the associated companies within that ecosystem, would be under threat.”

Dowey, who is a Shadow Minister for Culture, pointed out that Channel 4 is “rare” in having Scottish-based commissioners and that its shows hand IP to the producer, thereby building their businesses. If privatized, however, a private buyer would have no motivation to commission shows from different producers based around the country, nor have commissioners based beyond London,...

The 18-stage facility is set for completion by the end of 2024.

Full planning permission has been granted to Shinfield Studios to continue construction of its studio facility, located in Shinfield, Berkshire, in Thames Valley Science Park, with Disney named as the first client.

The 85,000 square metre facility will include 18 sound stages and is expected to generate a total inward investment to the UK economy of approximately £600m each year. It will be one of the largest film and TV studios in the UK.

In March, Shinfield Studios was granted temporary planning consent from Wokingham Borough Council for four sound stages and four workshops.

The 18-stage facility is set for completion by the end of 2024.

Full planning permission has been granted to Shinfield Studios to continue construction of its studio facility, located in Shinfield, Berkshire, in Thames Valley Science Park, with Disney named as the first client.

The 85,000 square metre facility will include 18 sound stages and is expected to generate a total inward investment to the UK economy of approximately £600mi each year. It will be one of the largest film and TV studios in the UK.

In March, Shinfield Studios was granted temporary planning consent from Wokingham Borough Council for four sound stages and four workshops.

Dominating headlines in the UK this bank holiday weekend was the revelation that Dominic Cummings, chief advisor to Pm Boris Johnson, had taken a 260-mile trip while his wife was displaying coronavirus symptoms.

Fellow politicians and journalists, as well as much of the public, were incensed by what appeared to be an overt breach of the country’s lockdown policy, with numerous calls for his resignation.

Cummings appeared on TV on Monday afternoon to address the controversy, making a staunch defense of his actions as “reasonable”, claims that were subsequently backed up by his boss Johnson. A total of 3.7 million viewers tuned in to BBC One for the statement, according to the BBC Live Political Programmes’s editor Rob Burley on Twitter.

Looking to clarify events, the government aide stated that on March 27 he visited his wife, who was experiencing coronavirus symptoms, but then returned to work. This itself appears...

Update, 11.50Am GMT: British politicians and broadcasters are at each other’s throats in what is becoming an increasingly fraught general election campaign in the UK.

There is currently a laundry list of disputes between the BBC, Channel 4 and the two main candidates to be prime minister: Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party.

The wrangles, which hit a new level on Thursday, are also raising serious questions about the impartiality of the BBC, with audience anger spilling over on Twitter as the hashtag #bbcimpartiality trended for most of the day.

Here’s a quick rundown of three live arguments:

Channel 4 replaces Boris Johnson with ice sculpture

Channel 4 hosted a televised debate about the climate emergency on Thursday. The leaders of all major parties were invited, with Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson turning up.

Johnson decided against attending, however, and...

Madrid — Just selected as a Special Event at September’s Toronto Film Festival, Alvaro Longoria’s “Sanctuary.” starring and produced by Javier Bardem, may need a new ending.

On Aug. 19, Bardem, along with Greenpeace, addressed delegates at the United Nations in New York to urge governments to agree to a strong Global Ocean Treaty. Creating ocean sanctuaries across the planet, this, or so activists hope, would put a third of the seas off-limits to fishing, mining, drilling and other destructive industries.

The trailer for “Sanctuary,” to which Variety had had exclusive media access, began the conference.

The conference’s results are as yet unknown. Written by Alvaro Longoria and Carlos Bardem and produced by Longoria and the Bardem brothers and shot over January to October 2018, “Sanctuary” chronicles one crucial campaign building towards the call for a Global Ocean Treaty, the push to put pressure on governments to create the largest...

Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Belcher, Malcolm Freeman, Lucy Russell, Liz White, Simon Paisley Day, John Heffernan, Lee Boardman, Paul Ryan, Kate O’Flynn, Tim Steed, Nicholas Day, Tim McMullan, Richard Goulding, Oliver Maltman | Written by James Graham | Directed by Toby Haynes

Toby Hayne’s untimely and somewhat exploitive chartering of the creation and ultimately the execution of what may just be one of the most consequential political tragedies to befall on the British people by the British people in modern times – Brexit: The Uncivil War is, like its namesake, a disaster.

The subject matter of Hayne’s film has, of course, an interesting basis to be brought to the screen. Almost two years on from David Cameron’s ludicrous political party gamble in a referendum vote on the E.U. and the UK government (nor people for that matter) are nowhere closer formulating a promising deal or coming together to...

Talk about newsworthy.

With British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plans running up against vast Parliamentary opposition, chaos beckons for the United Kingdom. I’m based in London and this topic’s on everyone’s lips right now. After the March 29th Article 50 deadline passes, will we leave without a deal and commit economic suicide, including food and drug shortages? Will be end up as a vassal state, subject to EU regulations but unable to influence them? Will Brexit just not happen at all?

Nobody knows. Which is why it’s a smart and timely moment for HBO to drop the trailer for Brexit, which is going to try and show us how we got into this mess in the first place. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Dominic Cummings, one of the chief architects of the campaign to leave the European Union. Ever since the referendum, there’s been a slow...

Like a parody of Brexit Britain, never has the 1967 comedy been more horribly pertinent than it is now

Each time I’ve watched it – and I’ve watched it many times – Mel Brooks’ The Producers has felt horribly pertinent to the present moment. One year, I found it a poignantly contemporary paean to postmodern irony; another year, it was an agonisingly topical satire of the American dream and success über alles.

But with its latest rerelease, it has never been so relevant than now, in the era of what Donald Trump calls “Brexit plus plus plus”. Those rackety campaigners Boris Johnson and Michael Gove in the back of the Vote Leave bus resembled no one as much as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, but without the charm. Could it be that they did not seriously expect or want Brexit to succeed, but figured their quixotic referendum failure would tickle the malcontent right,...

Skyfall star Rory Kinnear and The Crown’s John Heffernan have joined Benedict Cumberbatch-fronted drama Brexit (w/t) as the first image of the Sherlock star, without his long locks, has been unveiled.

Filming has begun on the two-hour drama special, produced by Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell’s House Productions for Channel 4.

Kinnear, who has also starred in The Imitation Game and Black Mirror stars as Craig Oliver, Prime Minister David Cameron’s Director of Communications, who was brought in to oversee the Remain campaign’s communications strategy, while Heffernan, who played John Grigg, 2nd Baron Altrincham in Netflix’s royal drama, stars as Matthew Elliott, political lobbyist and Chief Executive of Vote Leave.

They join Cumberbatch, who stars as Dominic Cummings, the leading strategist and Campaign Director of Vote Leave.

Elsewhere, Call The Midwife star Liz White plays Mary Wakefield, a journalist and Dominic Cummings’ wife...

As Parliament prepares to debate a UK ban on fur imports next week, 50 veterinary and animal behaviour experts including Un Ambassador of Peace and world renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, have joined with #FurFreeBritain campaigners from animal charity Humane Society International/UK in writing to Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

In a letter to the Minister they express their “concern at the severe animal welfare deficiencies inherent to the fur trade” and point to the “worrying, even distressing evidence of persistently poor welfare conditions”.

Wildlife expert Chris Packham has also sent MPs an impassioned video message to support #FurFreeBritain, in which he says the fur trade is “entirely repugnant” and urges them to ignore welfare-washing by the fur trade which he calls “nonsense”.

Fur farming was banned in the UK in 2000, but since that time Britain has imported animal fur worth more than £650 million from countries such as Italy, France, Poland,...

Prince William just took a big step forward in saving almost extinct rhinos and elephants, as the UK government announced Friday they are close to banning all sales of ivory. Related: Prince William Reveals Prince George Is Over School After Just 14 Days! The BBC reports that Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, has made progress in […]...

Royal victory! Prince William scored a big win in his longtime campaign for the welfare of elephants and rhinos.

The U.K government announced Friday that it is working towards banning the sales of almost all ivory. Environment Secretary Michael Gove has begun a consultation to end the trade, the BBC reports. It is a change of direction as previous attempts at a ban would have excluded antique ivory produced before 1947. There will be some exemptions, for musical instruments and items of cultural importance.

“The decline in the elephant population fueled by poaching for ivory shames our generation,” Gove said in a statement.

Mark Allison Apr 18, 2017

10 years ago was was a high watermark in Hollywood - and British - filmmaking. We've been looking at why...

Ten years on, and 2007 must surely be remembered as one of the finest years in English-language film-making, quite possibly the best of this century so far. Like 1939, 1976, or 1994, it was one of those years in which a succession of veritable classics came into being. So many, in fact, that some of the best examples were cruelly overlooked by the hype machine of the day. A decade later, it’s high time to look back at 2007 for both its celebrated landmarks and forgotten masterpieces.

See related Kevin Feige on Black Panther, female superhero movie Thor: Ragnarok - the first trailer

The 2007 Oscar race saw two equally worthy films competing for poll position; the Coen Brothers’ No Country For Old Men and Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood.

Rob Leane Apr 13, 2017

We chatted to Toby Whithouse about his terrific one-man show Executioner Number One, and his episode of Doctor Who series 10...

Toby Whithouse, known by many as the creator of Being Human and The Game, and a recurring writer on Doctor Who (so far he’s written for David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi’s versions of the iconic Time Lord), has a wonderful one-man show on in London at the moment.

See related Bill Condon interview: Mr Holmes, Beauty & The Beast Bill Condon interview: Beauty And The Beast, Twilight, fandom

It’s called Executioner Number One, and it takes place in an alternate version of the present day. In this parallel world, a referendum was held in Britain after the 1974 Ira bombings in Guildford and Birmingham, asking one massive question to the British public: should Britain reinstate the death penalty for murder?

Whithouse’s script imagines...

On the wall facing John Oliver's desk, on the eighth floor of an office building so far on the West Side of Manhattan it's practically floating in the Hudson River, are 30 blue index cards. Each represents an episode of the 2017 season of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. And each and every one of them is blank. That's one reason Oliver is already arriving at the office before 8:30 a.m. each day, though he has weeks until the February 12th kickoff of the show's fourth season. But he...

Simon Brew Jul 21, 2016

Simon Mayo chats to us about writing, the importance of Stephen King, politics, Blame, and Basil Exposition...

Simon Mayo is a man of many talents. To cinema folk, he's one of the two voices behind Wittertainment, the BBC's flagship film programme (wassup, etc). To others, he plays choice songs on Radio 2. To me: he was also chairman of Melchester Rovers. And to a growing number of people, he's the author of some really fine works of fiction.

His latest, Blame, sees him heading into the world of Young Adult. And over a hot drink (him: civilised green tea, me: coffee caffeine rocket fuel concoction, no biscuits) we had a chat about what could almost be an accidental shift into non-fiction...

The last time I interviewed you I messed up my opening question when I tried to follow the Simon Mayo interview handbook, but I think I’ve got this nailed now.

Theresa May is set to become the second female prime minister of Great Britain - following in the footsteps of "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher a quarter of a century ago. May, 59, is certain to inherit the UK's top job following the surprise decision of leadership rival Andrea Leadsom to pull out of the two-way contest to become the Conservative Party chief on Monday. Leadsom's decision leaves May as the only candidate left standing to succeed David Cameron as British prime minister - arguably the most unwanted political office in the world right now. Since the British public voted to leave...

Theresa May is set to become the second female prime minister of Great Britain - following in the footsteps of "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher a quarter of a century ago. May, 59, is certain to inherit the UK's top job following the surprise decision of leadership rival Andrea Leadsom to pull out of the two-way contest to become the Conservative Party chief on Monday. Leadsom's decision leaves May as the only candidate left standing to succeed David Cameron as British prime minister - arguably the most unwanted political office in the world right now. Since the British public voted to leave...

Forget "stuffy old Britain." Since the U.K. voted to leave the European Union on June 23, the country has resembled a modern day Game of Thrones - with all three leading members of the Brexit campaign firmly pushed aside as the campaign to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron heats up. First to go was wild-haired Brexit poster-boy Boris Johnson, who sensationally quit the race on Thurdsay amid claims that he was backstabbed by fellow Brexit front man, Justice Minister Michael Gove. On Monday, right wing political leader Nigel Farage - who did more than anyone to push Britain to the...

Forget "stuffy old Britain." Since the U.K. voted to leave the European Union on June 23, the country has resembled a modern day Game of Thrones - with all three leading members of the Brexit campaign firmly pushed aside as the campaign to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron heats up. First to go was wild-haired Brexit poster-boy Boris Johnson, who sensationally quit the race on Thurdsay amid claims that he was backstabbed by fellow Brexit front man, Justice Minister Michael Gove. On Monday, right wing political leader Nigel Farage - who did more than anyone to push Britain to the...

Boris Johnson, who led Britain's movement to "Brexit" from the European Union, will not run for Prime Minister after all. The shocking announcement came shortly before the Thursday morning deadline for nominations for a new leader of the conservative Tory party, during a speech that was intended to mark the launch of Johnson's campaign. In his speech, Johnson noted that the next Conservative leader and prime minister will have the hefty responsibilities of unifying the Tory party and maintaining Britain's powerful global status. "Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me,...

Boris Johnson, who led Britain's movement to "Brexit" from the European Union, will not run for Prime Minister after all. The shocking announcement came shortly before the Thursday morning deadline for nominations for a new leader of the conservative Tory party, during a speech that was intended to mark the launch of Johnson's campaign. In his speech, Johnson noted that the next Conservative leader and prime minister will have the hefty responsibilities of unifying the Tory party and maintaining Britain's powerful global status. "Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me,...

In a monumental decision last week, Britain voted to leave the European Union - and almost immediately came down with a case of buyer's remorse. Dubbed the Brexit, the referendum vote - 52 to 48 percent to exit - has sent the stock markets and the British pound's value crashing. The harsh pill of reality has left many wondering if they can turn back time - but is it a little too late? Is there a scenario where Britain can reverse course and remain in the EU? A parliamentary petition calling for a second referendum vote now has well over the necessary...