News

Way back in 1986, when "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was still in development, the original casting sheets called for actresses to play a 15-year-old character named Leslie Crusher, the daughter of Dr. Beverly Crusher. "Her remarkable mind and photographic memory," the character rundown read, "make it seem not unlikely for her to become, at 15, a Starfleet acting-ensign. Otherwise, she is a normal teenager." As casting and development continued, however, Leslie was transformed into a teenage boy named Wesley, and more closely modeled after Gene Roddenberry's own 15-year-old self (Roddenberry's middle name is Wesley).

Wesley wasn't widely liked by Trekkies, as he seemed too much like a brown-noser. He was too eager to please the adults in his life, too well-behaved, and definitely too smart. Fans point to the instances wherein a teenage boy, working with the best and brightest in Starfleet, managed to be the only one to solve a massively difficult space conundrum.

Richard Griffiths is best known for his role as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter series, but one of his most iconic and memorable performances actually came much earlier in his career. The veteran actor offered a wide array of characters, from the grumpy Uncle Vernon in Harry Potter to the cerebral Hector in The History Boys.

Harry Potter actor Richard Griffiths | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

However, despite his illustrious career and diverse roles, there was one character that continued to haunt him long after the credits rolled: Uncle Monty, the lascivious and flamboyant homosexual character from the cult classic Withnal & I. Griffiths shared that though he played characters of varied sexual orientations throughout his career, this particular role shaped people’s assumptions about him, especially regarding his sexuality.

Richard Griffiths discussed how Uncle Monty contributed to the misunderstanding of his identity

Released in 1987, Withnail & I became a defining movie for Richard Griffiths,...

The theme song for "The Big Bang Theory" is a fast-talking deluge of pseudo-nerdy references that are juuust incorrect enough to drive real-life nerds a little big crazy. The full version of the theme, rarely played in its entirety before the show, included enough brainy references to be clever, however. It talks about bipeds evolving, the continent of Pangaea, and it contains the lyric "Australopithecus would really have been sick of us," which I deeply appreciate. 

The theme song was written and performed by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies, the authors of the famously wordy 1998 hit "One Week." Gen-Xers can likely recite large portions of "One Week", although only committed Barenaked Ladies fans have memorized the entire thing. The band also had charting hits with "It's All Been Done" (also from 1998) as well as "Pinch Me" and "Too Little Too Late." Those paying attention to indie rock in 1992 likely heard...

On Tuesday November 19 2024, Food Network broadcasts Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown!

Pie in the Sky Season 3 Episode 2 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown” is titled “Pie in the Sky.” This exciting installment promises to bring holiday cheer and delicious desserts to the Food Network. Ina Garten, known for her warm personality and culinary skills, will join in to help challenge Bobby Flay. She will be passing the whipped cream and guiding the chefs through the competition.

In this episode, chefs Amanda Freitag, Aarti Sequeira, and Duff Goldman will team up to create their best versions of Thanksgiving pie. Each round will focus on a different aspect of this beloved dessert, allowing the chefs to showcase their creativity and baking talents. The goal is to impress Bobby Flay and serve him a slice of humble pie, which adds a fun twist to the competition.

Viewers can...

Thanksgiving just got a little more interesting, and possibly a lot more stressful for Bobby Flay. The Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown returns, and this time, culinary icon Ina Garten is joining the fray. In “Pie in the Sky,” airing Tuesday, November 19th at 9/8c, Garten lends her expertise to a trio of […]

Ina Garten Helps Celebrity Chefs Tackle Thanksgiving Pies on Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown...

In the season 3 episode 2 of Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown, titled “Pie in the Sky,” Bobby Flay faces off against some of the best chefs in the business, but this time, with a holiday twist. The episode is hosted by Ina Garten, who brings in a star-studded lineup of chefs, including Amanda Freitag, Aarti Sequeira, and Duff Goldman. Their mission? To bake the perfect Thanksgiving pie and serve Bobby Flay a slice of humble pie.

Each round features a unique take on everyone’s favorite holiday dessert, with the chefs tasked with creating their best pie to impress both Ina and Bobby. The competition is fierce as these chefs pull out all the stops to elevate the classic pie to new heights. Will Bobby Flay’s culinary skills be enough to take down these holiday experts, or will one of them rise to the occasion and beat him at his own game?...

The official website for the TV anime adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist author Hiromu Arakawa's autobiographical manga series, Hyakusho Kizoku ( Noble Farmer ), today announced that the anime's second season is set to premiere in Japan on October 4, 2024. Season 2 key visual The site also announced that the ending theme song for the second season, "Chouai-zoku" (literally means "Well-liked Tribe"), is performed by sanetti , a singer-songwriter who was born in 2000. He mainly performs in the Kansai area and is popular for his pop and catchy songs that fuse the sounds of 2000s rock tunes and 2020s Vocaloid songs. sanetii Related: Hyakusho Kizoku TV Anime Season 2 Announces Fall 2024 Premiere The first season of the TV anime adaptation, produced by Pie in the sky, aired for 12 episodes from July to September 2023. The author's own experiences inspire the dairy farming-themed comedy manga. Arakawa was born in Tokachi-city, Hokkaido, to a farming family that ran a...

Malcolm Mowbray, the British director of “A Private Function,” died June 23, producer Deniz Erel confirmed to Variety. He was 74.

Mowbray was known for directing “The Revengers’ Comedies,” “Meeting Spencer,” “Out Cold” as well as the 1984 feature “A Private Function.”

Maggie Smith, Michael Palin, Richard Griffiths, Denholm Elliott, John Normington and Tony Haygarth starred in “A Private Function,” which Mowbray co-wrote. The dark comedy followed the citizens of a small English town in 1947 who were awaiting the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. The citizens had to ration their food, but the royal celebration was the one exception. They gathered to prepare and raise a pig for the celebratory meal — but a couple, Smith’s Joyce and Palin’s Gilbert, decide to steal the pig in an act of rebellion. The film garnered six BAFTA wins, including original screenplay and best film.

In 1989, Mowbray directed the black comedy “Out Cold,...

Hidden cinematic treasures are buried everywhere in Cannes. But even the most tireless hunters and diggers amongst us couldn’t have predicted that this year’s finest archeology film would not be found in James Mangold’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” but in Alice Rohrwacher’s whimsically ethereal tapestry of romance, history and afterlife, “La Chimera.”

A rich and humorous folk tale overflowing with cultural details, aesthetic pleasures and the effervescent musicality of the Italian language, Rohrwacher’s melancholically grainy pastoral fable isn’t exactly about professional archeology, to be perfectly clear. But what some of her characters—the ancient-grave-raiding collective “tombaroli,” led by Josh O’Connor’s (“The Crown”) enigmatic Arthur—lack in bona fide archeological expertise, they make up for with rebellion and a reckless sense of aspiration.

Violating the bottomless sacred burial grounds of their little Italian village and stealing historical wonders the Etruscan people have taken to their grave,...

Jeremy Strong as Irving Graff and Anne Hathaway as Esther Graff in ‘Armageddon Time’ (Photo Courtesy of Focus Features)

Writer/director James Gray’s Armageddon Time will open the 2022 San Diego International Film Festival on October 19th and writer/director Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light has been selected as the festival’s closing night film. The 21st annual SDiFF’s lineup will also include the San Diego premiere of Taurus as well as screenings of Close, Good Night Oppy, and The Banshees of Inisherin.

This year’s festival will honor Taurus star Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) with the Spotlight Award. Baker, who made his acting debut in the Showtime series Roadies, will be presented with the honor following a special Spotlight Screening of Taurus from writer/director Tim Sutton on October 23rd.

“This year, our slate has been curated from over 3000 film submissions from 82 countries with compelling Social...

Anne Heche began acting in dinner theater at age 12 and enjoyed a prolific career in TV and film for the past 30 years. From playing separated-at-birth twins on Another World and fronting Men in Trees to starring in features including Six Days Seven Nights, Psycho and Volcano, she became a familiar face and beloved actress.

Scroll through a photo gallery of her long career by clicking on the image above.

Ellen DeGeneres, James Tupper, Others Pay Tribute To Anne Heche

Heche has been adept at comedy and drama, lead and supporting roles and big or small screens. After breaking out on Another World in the late 1980s — in a Daytime Emmy-winning dual role still revered by soap opera fans — she did supporting turns opposite A-list stars in such early-’90s features as I’ll Do Anything and Milk Money before landing a lead opposite Josh Charles in 1995’s Pie in the Sky.

For original fans of the hilarious Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman crafting competition series called “Making It,” the arrival of feel-good spinoff “Baking It,” which includes the additional comedy genius of SNL icons Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg, was a welcome joy.

Hosted in the same barn where “Making It” housed so many laughs, the “Baking It” competition became a holiday hit for its ability to blend talented home bakers, grandmas, and two Saturday Night Live legends in a six-episode series full of giggles and triumphs centered on fantastic food.

This article will discuss the latest news and information about “Baking It,” including up-to-date insights as to whether a second season may be in the works.

How Do Rounds on “Baking It” Work?

“Baking It” is set up in a similar structure to many other cooking-based competition shows in that contestants are expected to proceed through rounds of challenges of varying degrees of difficulty.

Two years ago, Goldman Sachs issued a report which whipped up global excitement over the future of the record business — most particularly, the future of the three major music rightsholders, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group.

The headline was an exciting one: Goldman’s report forecast that global recorded music industry revenues would more than double by 2030, with annual streaming sales reaching $28 billion by the same date.

The investment banking community certainly paid attention to Goldman’s optimism; witness the ever-escalating valuations of Universal Music Group which have followed.

After winning the Jury Battle Back competition in Thursday’s live episode, Scottie Salton went from the jury house to the “Big Brother” house. How did the remaining Season 20 players react to Scottie’s return? And who won the all-important Head of Household competition and took the key from Angela, who just last week put a target on herself by going after Haleigh and Faysal Shafaat?

See ‘Big Brother 20’ spoilers: Week 10 Power of Veto results on #BB20 and what they mean for September 6 eviction

Below, check out our minute-by-minute “Big Brother” recap of Season 20, Episode 30 to find out what happened Sunday, September 2 at 8/7c. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite houseguests on CBS’ reality TV show, who annoys you the most, and who you think will ultimately join the “Big Brother” winners list. Keep refreshing/reloading this live blog for the most recent updates.

British stage, film and television actor Richard Griffiths died yesterday due to complications in the aftermath of heart surgery at Coventry hospital. He was 65 years old. Though best remembered for his performance as Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter flicks, Griffiths was a well-respected name on the British stage, having won a number of awards ( Tony. Laurence Olivier, and Drama Desk awards.) for playing a free-spirited gay teacher -- who likes his male teenage students a tad too much -- in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys. (Pictured above: Griffiths in the film version of The History Boys, co-starring Dominic Cooper.) Griffiths was also a well-regarded movie actor -- though not as a result of his work on the Harry Potter movies. His prestige lay on his work on low-budget, independently made British efforts such as Nicholas Hytner's outstanding film adapation of The History Boys (released in 2006) and...

Actor of geniality, grace and solemnity, he excelled in playing characters on the margins of society

Richard Griffiths, who has died aged 65 from complications following heart surgery, was a fine actor defined by his largeness of spirit, his comic instinct and his empathy with outsiders, as well as his undeniable physical size. He was the kind of actor whom everyone remembers with affection, whether as the flawed but inspirational Hector in Alan Bennett's The History Boys (first staged in 2004, then filmed in 2006) or as the eccentrically gay Uncle Monty in Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I (1987).

Like most actors who have a thriving career in film and television, he learned his craft in theatre. I first became aware of him in the late 1970s when he rose steadily through the ranks of the Royal Shakespeare Company. I was especially struck by his ability to speak verse with mellifluous clarity.

The sad news of actor Richard Griffiths’ passing at the age of 65 has been unsurprisingly marked by headlines which routinely mention the Harry Potter movies. Certainly Griffiths made an impressive contribution to that franchise as he did a remarkable number of other projects, including the U.K. TV show Pie in the Sky and the acclaimed Broadway hit The History Boys, which earned him a Tony.

But for cult movie fans — and particularly British cult movie fans such as myself — Griffiths will be most fondly remembered for playing the eccentric “Uncle Monty” in the fabulous 1987 black comedy Withnail and I,...

London — Richard Griffiths was one of the great British stage actors of his generation, a heavy man with a light touch, whether in Shakespeare or Neil Simon. But for millions of movie fans, he will always be grumpy Uncle Vernon, the least magical of characters in the fantastical "Harry Potter" movies.

Griffiths died Thursday at University Hospital in Coventry, central England from complications following heart surgery, his agent, Simon Beresford, said. He was 65.

"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe paid tribute to the actor Friday, saying that "any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence."

"I am proud to say I knew him," Radcliffe said.

Griffiths won a Tony Award for "The History Boys" and appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows. But he will be most widely remembered as a pair of contrasting uncles – Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon Dursley...

Sad news to start this Good Friday comes from across the pond as Reuters reports Harry Potter franchise star Richard Griffiths has passed away at 65 from complications following heart surgery. The British actor, who played Harry Potter's nasty Uncle Vernon in the multi-billion dollar series, has been acting for nearly 30 years, taking pivotal roles in both TV and film. His early career started on UK series like "The Sweeney" and "Minder" and would later return to the small screen for "Pie in the Sky" and "A King of Living." However, it's Griffiths presence as a character actor on the big screen that audiences remember. Griffiths brought one of his many stage roles (that landed him the Laurence Olivier award in 2005) to life in a film adaptation of The History Boys in 2006, but before that he had already starred in several critically lauded and world famous films like Gandhi and Chariots of Fire.

65-year-old legendary British actor Richard Griffiths has died after complications following heart surgery.

Though widely known for his role as Harry's pompous uncle Vernon Dursley in the "Harry Potter" films, Griffith's career has been one of much acclaim and some stunning films, and shows such as his starring role as Henry Crabbe in the mid-1990s TV series "Pie in the Sky".

Films he has worked on include "Withnail and I," "Gorky Park," "Sleepy Hollow," "The Naked Gun 2 1/2," "Stage Beauty," "Venus," and "Hugo".

He also scored multiple awards for his work on the stage play of "The History Boys," and reprised the role for the film adaptation.

Following a complicated heart surgery, the ‘Harry Potter’ actor died on March 28. So sad.

Richard Griffiths, most famously known as Uncle Vernon in all the Harry Potter films, has died. The actor died following heart surgery on March 28, and Daniel Radcliffe has said touching words about him.

Richard Griffiths Dies At 65 Years Old

Richard, 65, died in England following his surgery, reports TMZ. He is survived by his wife, Heather Gibson.

This is such sad news! Richard’s co-star Daniel released a statement regarding his death, and he said that he was “proud” to know him.

“Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career … any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him,” said Daniel.

Daniel is referring to the famous wizard movies, and also his role in Equus,...

British actor Richard Griffiths has died at the age of 65 after complications following heart surgery, his agent said today. Griffiths was best known for his portrayal of Vernon Dursley in the "Harry Potter" films and his credits included Withnail and I , Pie in the Sky , Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides , Gandhi and Hugo . He received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, all for his role in Alan Bennett's play "The History Boys." He reprised his role for the 2006 movie. Griffiths' agent, Simon Beresford, described him as "a remarkable man and one of our...

Richard Griffiths has died at the age of 65.

Griffiths's agent Simon Beresford confirmed that the award-winning actor passed away on Thursday (March 28) after complications following heart surgery.

The British actor was most recently seen in the play The Sunshine Boys alongside Danny DeVito.

Griffiths had an acting career spanning over 30 years, first appearing in the 1975 movie It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet.

Since then, he has had roles in much-loved films such as Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Hugo, as well as classic TV series including Pie in the Sky, Minder, The Sweeney and Bergerac.

Griffiths won a Laurence Olivier Award and a Tony Award for 'Best Actor' when he starred in the play The History Boys.

He most notably appeared as Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter series and as Uncle Monty in Withnail & I.

His Harry Potter and Equus co-star Daniel Radcliffe told BBC News...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

The leading ‘Best British TV’ streaming service Acorn TV is now streaming full seasons of several popular British mystery and drama series, along with two critically acclaimed Canadian series. This week Acorn TV also has a special Memorial Day Weekend Midsomer Marathon with the first 22 episodes of its best-selling series,Midsomer Murders, and the U.S. debut of John Nettles final episodes.

Acorn TV is currently streaming a full season of Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect; the final seasons of the universally acclaimed Canadian dramedy Slings & ARROWSand Derek Jacobi’s mystery series Cadfael; the U.S. debut of the newest season of Murdoch Mysteries; Lynda La Plante’s Trial & Retribution; John Mortimer’s Under The Hammer; the final episodes of WWII drama Wish Me Luck; Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter) in Pie In The Sky; and John Nettles final episodes with Midsomer Murders,...

For those who are big fans of any crime-related shows on American television whose names consist exclusively of, or include, acronyms, it's probably safe to suggest that you give Pie in the Sky a miss.

Things get trickier after that though, because the mid-90s BBC show is hard to compare to anything, much less any other criminal investigation series. Fans of British television surely want to give it a chance, especially anything that falls in the general category of episodic drama, but you don't want to look here for your fix of detective programming.

Much as you might like to try to explain the show in simple terms, it's actually just a show about Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths), and though he is a police detective, and it is hard to argue against the idea that "crimes" "happen," and he "investigates" them, but there the similarity to any police or detective drama ends.

DVD Playhouse December 2010

By

Allen Gardner

America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...

DVD Playhouse—August 2010

By

Allen Gardner

Black Orpheus (Criterion) Winner of the 1959 Best Foreign Film Oscar and that same year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes, Black Orpheus is a modern-day update of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice reset in 20th century Brazil during Carnival in Rio. Director Marcel Camus offers up a visual feast with some of the decade’s most ravishing color cinematography. A classic. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Archival interviews with Camus and actress Marpessa Dawn; Interviews with Brazilian cinema scholar Robert Stam, jazz historian Gary Giddins, and Brazilian author Ruy Castro; Documentary on the film; Trailer. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.

The Last Song (Touchstone) Sentimental adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ (by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie) sentimental novel about a father and daughter attempting to repair their damaged relationship. Greg Kinnear, as the dad in question, comes off best, while tween sensation Miley Cyrus...

DVD Playhouse—December 2009

By

Allen Gardner

Public Enemies (Universal) Johnny Depp portrays legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger in co- writer/director Michael Mann’s take on America’s first “Public Enemy Number One.” Like many big studio releases today, Public Enemies has it all: A-list talent before and behind the camera, but lacks a heart or soul that allows its audience to connect with it. Film plays out like a “true crime” TV show with re-enactments of famous events cast with top actors and shot by the best technicians in the business, with little, if any, character or story development to hold it together in between. A real disappointment from one of our finest filmmakers and finest actors. The lone standout: the great character actor Stephen Lang as a hard-eyed lawman who’s seen a lot, but manages to retain a tiny piece of his heart. For a better take on the same subject,...

DVD Playhouse—April 2009

By

Allen Gardner

Milk (Universal) Sean Penn deservedly captured his second Best Actor Oscar (and Dustin Lance Black a statuette for his original screenplay) in director Gus Van Sant’s portrait of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold public office in the U.S. Alternately heartbreaking, infuriating and very funny, a film that both captures a bygone era and is still very timely. Fine support from Josh Brolin, Victor Garber, James Franco and Emile Hirsch. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Three featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.

Slumdog Millionaire (20th Century Fox) The Best Picture of 2008 is a kinetic, clever audience-pleaser about a determined lad (Dev Patel) from the slums of Mumbai, who has his chance at literal and financial redemption as a contestant on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Best Director Danny Boyle dazzles...