British Television Newsletter
Hello everyone,
Welcome to another burst of TV news and gossip.
New article on site now:
Two new articles this week, one features some hot new DVD releases in North America,
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art21028.asp
The other is on the weekend long Inspector Morse retrospective on ITV3.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art21214.asp
Join in at the forum, we'd love to hear from you:
http://forums.bellaonline.com/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=426
Telly Talk:
The last bastion of sports sexism finally falls as Jacqui Oatley becomes the first ever female commentator for Match of the Day. Go Jacqui !
An online poll has declared Mr Bean Britain's favourite comic character. Rowan Atkinson's other alter ego, BlackAdder, marched into fifth place.
So which American actor would you get to play Frank Gallagher in the US adaptation of the British mega-hit ? Clue: Cheers. Yes, lovable ole' Woody Harrelson is up for the role of the unemployed, drunken Gallagher patriarch.
Yes it's another cop show. Will it be any good ? Co-produced by Life on Mars production company Kudos, HolbyBlue may be a hit. Think the Bill moved to the land of Casualty, with hard drugs, very bad baddies and gritty storylines. Coming to BBC1 in an eight part series on Tuesday, May 8th.
The US Sci Fi channel has picked up the third series of Dr Who, now airing in the UK, daleks and all, after some very respectable viewing figures for the second series.
Two Heartbeat coppers are set to pack in life in 60s Yorkshire. Mark Jordan (PC Bellamy) has been with the show since it began, sixteen long years ago, and Jonathan Kerrigan has played PC Rob Walker for three.
“La la la two Liver Birds” That's as in Liverpool, not....oh you remember the show ! Apparently, the wave of remakes continues with The Liver Birds, to star Lucy Montgomery and Kerry Goldliman. The original, which ran nine seasons from 1969-1978 , was a Carla Lane (Butterflies) creation, and initially starred UpDown's Pauline Collins. Let's hope the new show, to be penned by Peep Show creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong proves more popular than the short lived 1996 revival.
A splendid new drama starring Dame Judi Dench is filming right now. The Cranford Chronicles is based on the comic novels of 19th Century author Elizabeth Gaskell, set in Cheshire in the 1840s. Written by Heidi Thomas, fresh from the marvellous Lilies, it sounds like the Beeb is on to another winner. Watch for an article about this soon.
Finally, be sure to catch the splendid David Suchet, the ultimate Hercule Poirot himself, as none other than dodgy media tycoon Robert Maxwell. Watch BBC2, Friday, 4 May.
That's all for this week.
See you soon.
Pam Lawrence, British Television Editor
britishtelevision@bellaonline.com
http://britishtelevision.bellaonline.com
