News

Sky has commissioned Gone, a new production created and written by The Walking Dead's Lennie James and directed by Nick Murphy (Occupation, The Last Kingdom). James, who also wrote drama Storm Damage, stars in the series with Stephen Graham and Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster). Story follows Nelson Rowe (James) – a man who likes a drink and whose days are bookended by his first can and his last pint. He lives with whichever woman he happens to be sleeping with at the time…...

An eerie artificial intelligence awakening takes place in the official trailer for Humans Season 2, premiering in February on AMC.

"The next big leap is here. Get a look at what’s to come in the second season of AMC’s Humans, premiering February 2017."

From the Previous Press Release: "AMC, Channel 4 and Kudos today announced that the critically acclaimed drama series “Humans” has been renewed for a second season. The series will return for eight new episodes, with production starting next year.

Co-produced by AMC and Channel 4 with Kudos, the makers of “Utopia” and “Broadchurch,” the first season tapped into society’s preoccupation with and mistrust of advancing technology and artificial intelligence. What does it mean to be human? Can the very traits through which we define humanity (love, trust, loyalty, friendship, sacrifice) be taught? What really is family? Exploring humans’ inherent fear of the unknown and the possible implications of granting machines consciousness,...

"They're waking up, more and more every day." A widespread AI awakening is featured in the official teaser trailer for the second season of Humans, premiering in February on AMC.

"Reboot. Recharge. Rebel. Get a first look at what's in store on the second season of AMC's Humans, premiering in February 2017."

From the Previous Press Release: "AMC, Channel 4 and Kudos today announced that the critically acclaimed drama series “Humans” has been renewed for a second season. The series will return for eight new episodes, with production starting next year.

Co-produced by AMC and Channel 4 with Kudos, the makers of “Utopia” and “Broadchurch,” the first season tapped into society’s preoccupation with and mistrust of advancing technology and artificial intelligence. What does it mean to be human? Can the very traits through which we define humanity (love, trust, loyalty, friendship, sacrifice) be taught? What really is family? Exploring...

Fans of AMC's artificial intelligence-centric thriller, Humans, will be pleased to know that the network has renewed the series for a second season:

Press Release: "New York / London – July 31, 2015 – AMC, Channel 4 and Kudos today announced that the critically acclaimed drama series “Humans” has been renewed for a second season. The series will return for eight new episodes, with production starting next year.

Penned by British writing partners Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley (“Spooks,” Spooks: The Greater Good) and based on the award-winning Swedish sci-fi drama “Real Humans” from Matador Films, the series stands as a top five cable drama launch among adults 25-54 in the U.S. this season and has averaged 2.0 million viewers and 1.0 million adults 25-54 through its first four episodes in live+3 ratings. The first episode was Channel 4’s highest rated originated drama in 20 years; season one has attracted an 18.0% share of the UK...

"I helped create you." The sinister side of artificial intelligence is teased in the first trailer for AMC's sci-fi series, Humans, premiering Sunday, June 28th at 9:00pm Est:

Press Release (via TV By the Numbers) -- New York, NY – May 14, 2015 – "AMC today announced its new eight-part drama series “Humans” will premiere Sunday, June 28th at 9:00 p.m. Et/Pt. Set in suburban London, “Humans” takes place in a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a Synth – a highly developed, artificially intelligent servant eerily similar to its living counterpart. Penned by British writing partners Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley (“Spooks,” Spooks: The Greater Good) and based on the award-winning Swedish sci-fi drama “Real Humans,” the series explores the emotional impact that comes as the lines between humans and machines become increasingly blurred. This bold new series is produced in conjunction with the...

We recently reported that AMC has teamed up with Kudos and Channel 4 for a drama series called Humans that takes place in an alternate reality in which families own advanced robotic servants, one of whom begins to act of its own will—a premise that might call to mind images of I, Robot or Bicentennial Man. Now the cast of Humans has been revealed and fans of Dark City and Kill List should be pleased.

Press Release – “William Hurt (A History of Violence, Damages), Katherine Parkinson (The It Crowd, The Honourable Woman), Tom Goodman-Hill (The Devil’s Whore, Mr Selfridge), Colin Morgan (Merlin, The Fall), Rebecca Front (The Thick Of It, Just William), Neil Maskell (Utopia, The Mimic) and Gemma Chan (Dates, Fresh Meat) are to star in Humans – the ambitious new co-production from Channel 4, AMC and Kudos.

Humans is set in a parallel present where the latest...

Wouldn’t you like a robot to take care of the tasks you don’t want to? AMC, Kudos, and Channel 4 announced a co-production deals for Humans, a new series where families own advanced robotic servants, but we have a feeling that all is not what it seems…

“Kudos, Channel 4 and AMC today announce a new co-production deal for the bold and ambitious drama series Humans, which is set to start filming this Autumn.

Humans” is set in a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a ‘Synth’ – a highly-developed robotic servant eerily similar to its live counterpart. In the hope of transforming the way they live, one strained suburban family purchases a refurbished synth only to discover that sharing life with a machine has far-reaching and chilling consequences.

The new deal is brokered by Dan Isaacs COO Kudos, Kerry Ball Senior Vice President of digital Business Development,...

G Feeney

Life on Mars lead man John Simm is set to star in a new ITV drama titled Prey. Simm plays Marcus Farrow, a cop and family man whose world is turned upside down when he is seemingly framed as a murderer. Farrow evades capture and goes on the run in the city of Manchester. As his colleagues try to track him down, Farrow concerns himself with unmasking the real killer.

Prey is written by newcomer Chris Lunt and directed by Nick Murphy (Occupation). Adrian Edmondson (The Young Ones), Rosie Cavaliero (Little Dorrit) and Heather Peace (Emmerdale) join Simm on screen as the actor takes on his first lead role for ITV. Filming commenced earlier this month and Prey is set to air next year.

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Sundance Channel has assembled the international cast of its eight-part miniseries The Honourable Woman starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and directed by Hugo Blick. Joining Gyllenhaal is Stephen Rea (The Shadow Line) as Hugh Hayden-Hoyle — a top M16 spy on the verge of retirement, digging deep into the family of Nessa Stein (Gyllenhaal). His bitter ex-wife Anjelica is played by Lindsay Duncan (The Hollow Crown). Janet McTeer (Damages) plays the Head of MI6 Julia Walsh, who has a personal hold over Hayden-Hoyle (Rea). Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch) will play Nessa Stein’s brother Ephra Stein — seemingly over-shadowed by his sister within the Stein family business. He is joined by Katherine Parkinson (Sherlock) as his highly strung pregnant wife Rachel Stein. British theatre and television actress Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) is Monica Chatwin, a key MI6 agent from the Washington Bureau – spoiling for a fight with her UK counterparts. Belgian actress Lubna Azbal (Incendies,...

ITV has axed James Nesbitt's medical drama Monroe. The series will not return for a third run, according to Broadcast. Monroe - which first aired in March 2011 - starred Irish actor Nesbitt as Dr Gabriel Monroe, a maverick neurosurgeon. Sarah Parish and Tom Riley also appeared in the series, created by Blackpool and Occupation writer Peter Bowker. The show premiered with 6.85 million viewers on ITV1 last year, but ended its second run with an overnight audience of 3.53m earlier (more)...

Warren Brown in The Good Cop

By K Kinsella

After a successful stint as a villain in BBC One’s Inside Men, Luther actor Warren Brown was back in familiar territory tonight as a cop confronting the darker side of Britain’s inner cities. In Good Cop, Brown’s nemesis is played by his Occupation co-star Stephen Graham. That award winning show helped to propel the duo into the British TV spotlight and both men were on top form tonight in this gripping crime drama.

John Paul Rocksavage – played by Brown – had to watch helplessly as his partner was brutally assaulted by a gang of thugs led by the malevolent Noel Finch (Graham). Rocksavage and Finch had some history as just days earlier the former made a timely intervention to prevent Finch sexually assaulting a young woman in a restaurant. The two unsavory incidents were enough to turn Rocksavage from...

Cohen Media Group has unveiled the first ten minutes from the upcoming supernatural thriller "The Awakening," starring Rebecca Hall (The Town), Dominic West (Punisher: War Zone) and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter). Check it out below. Plot: Set in post-World War I England in 1921, the story follows a skeptical woman (Hall) who travels to a countryside boarding school to investigate rumors of an apparent haunting. Just when she thinks she has debunked the ghost theory, she has a chilling spectral encounter which defies all her rational beliefs. The new movie is written and directed by Nick Murphy ("Occupation") and is set to hit theaters on August 17th. Clip:...

Cohen Media Group has unveiled a domestic trailer for the upcoming supernatural thriller "The Awakening," starring Rebecca Hall (The Town), Dominic West (Punisher: War Zone) and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter). Check it out below. Plot: Set in post-World War I England in 1921, the story follows a skeptical woman (Hall) who travels to a countryside boarding school to investigate rumors of an apparent haunting. Just when she thinks she has debunked the ghost theory, she has a chilling spectral encounter which defies all her rational beliefs. The new movie is written and directed by Nick Murphy ("Occupation") and is set to hit theaters on August 17th. Trailer:...

It never pays to be a cynic in a horror film. No matter how much a character may deny the existence of ghosts or the supernatural, by the end of the film they will be screaming and running for their lives away from some kind of malevolent spirit. We've seen it countless times before and now it's being presented to us once again. Apple has posted the first trailer for the upcoming horror film The Awakening, the feature directorial debut of Nick Murphy (who has previously helmed episodes of British televison shows such as Primeval and Occupation). You can watch the preview below and head over to the source to see it in HD. $sb("ci030_0441ac00a46854d2f12d302449506732",{"sbFeed":{"partnerId":39,"type":"video","contentId":513675,"cname":"cinemablend"},"style":{"width":480,"height":204}}); google.load("ima", "1"); Does ...

Monroe. Acorn Media DVD

Hot on the heels of the release of the critically acclaimed Time Team DVD, the good folks at Acorn Media have unearthed some more gems to close out the month of May. On 29 May, British TV fans stateside can get their hands on ITV’s medical drama Monroe. The title character is a neurosurgeon who is kind of like Sherlock Holmes in scrubs. Brilliantly clever, sharp tongued, intolerant of fools but someone who is ultimately concerned with making a meaningful and positive contribution to society.

Norther Irish actor James Nesbitt takes on the role of Monroe. American viewers may remember him as the lead man in the BBC America drama Jekyll. In the UK he is perhaps even better known for his starring role in the Iraq war drama Occupation. Nesbitt is ideally suited to this role. He is charismatic in a quirky sort of way...

Fans of British TV will be tuning in to BBC America’s Dramaville on 20 June for the launch of the hit drama Inside Men. Viewers will recognize one of the leading men as Outcasts star Ashley Walters. The actor is one of Britain’s fastest rising talents but on the other side of the pond Walters is as well known for his music as his acting. I was recently able to catch up with Ashley and took the opportunity to talk to the multi-talented performer about the new show and his extensive body of work.

Ashley Walters in Inside Men Copyright BBC America

In the new BBC America drama Inside Men you play a security guard named Chris. What kind of guy is Chris?

“Chris is an ordinary guy. He hasn’t been involved in a relationship for three or four years when the shows begins. He does not party...

The last time most of us saw Tahar Rahim, he was making unorthodox use of razor blades in A Prophet. Now he's back in Free Men, a story about the French Resistance that has a slightly different emphasis to the usual. And here are a new trailer and poster for the film.The film sees Rahim as a young Frenchman of Algerian origin who survives in the early years of the German Occupation of Paris as a black marketeer. But his situation soon becomes more complicated: he's blackmailed by the Germans into spying on a Paris mosque and its leader (Michael Lonsdale) and becomes inspired to join the Resistance by the people he meets there. While this trailer is similar to others out there, there are a few new snippets included. brightcove.createExperiences();The film also stars Mahmud Shalaby and Lubna Azabal, and is directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi. Free Men...

BBC The Fuse

Kieran Kinsella

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We have heard plenty about Titanic and the new series of Doctor Who but what are the other shows to watch out for in 2012?

Line of Duty. Our Friends in the North star Gina McKee seems to pick her parts carefully and Line of Duty is already receiving rave reviews from critics at advance screenings. The drama centers around an investigation involving corrupt cops. The writer claims that members of the Metropolitan Police Force were less than helpful when he was researching the show and their actions have only served to heighten the excitement surrounding Line of Duty.

Savage. 2012 is already proving to be a good year for Warren Brown thanks to his role in the critically acclaimed Inside Men. The Luther actor plays a troubled cop in this...

Sean Bean

Grey Feeney

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Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) plays a cross-dressing English teacher and Stephen Graham (Occupation) appears as a satellite TV installation man in season two of Jimmy McGovern’s The Accused. Like season one of the award winning show, The Accused season two features a series of self-contained stories each of which centers around a court case. Anna Maxwell-Martin (South Riding) is among the other big name stars that will appear in show which is due to air some time during 2012.

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Full listing of Game of Thrones Season 2 New Characters and Actors. Major and minor characters for Game of Thrones: Season 2 have been casting for months now. We have compiled a list of them all from different sources so that you will know what characters will be in Season 2 of HBO‘s Game of Thrones and who would be playing them. There are major spoilers below, especially if you have not read the A Song of Ice and Fire books so be warned. I personally have only shimmed over the detailed information below as I want characters and their motivations kept in shadow as much as possible. The list will be updated when new characters are cast so you might want to bookmark this page.

We previously posted on casting for Season 2 of Game of Thrones here: Game of Thrones: Season 2 Casts Liam Cunningham, Carice van Houten, Stephen Dillane,...

Warren Brown

By B Van Heusen

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The BBC have announced that Luther and Occupation star Warren Brown will take the lead role in Stephen Butchard’s new four part drama Savage. Filming will commence late this month in Liverpool. Savage sees Warren Brown reunited with Stephen Graham who appeared alongside Brown in the award winning drama Occupation.

Savage centers around a police officer from Liverpool who struggles to come to grips with the brutal murder of a colleague. He wonders where the line between right and wrong should be drawn and contemplates ways to bring a different kind of justice to the streets of Merseyside. The BBC’s Drama Commissioner Ben Stephenson said in a press release that Savage will take viewers on a “thrilling joyride through urban Liverpool. The show will air during...

Until recently, writer-director Nick Murphy’s credits mostly included a few episodes of the odd TV series or documentary. He’s now starting to make a big name for himself with his first feature film, The Awakening, starring Rebecca Hall and Dominic West, due out in November.

Murphy is now set to go behind the camera again for another feature, Blood, which is to be an adaptation of the Bill Gallagher’s TV series, Conviction, which Gallagher will himself adapt, ScreenDaily report.

The project is already taking shape nicely, with three fantastic lead actors attached in the form of Paul Bettany (Priest), Brian Cox (X-Men 2), and Stephen Graham (Snatch), the last of which Murphy has already worked with on the 2009 TV series, Occupation.

Neal Street Productions, whose credits include Jarhead, Starter For 10, The Kite Runner, and Revolutionary Road, has already secured funding from BBC Films and the BFI, which is terrific news,...

Last week we got a glimpse at his period horror thriller The Awakening starring Rebecca Hall, and now we have word on the cast coming together for another project from Nick Murphy. Screen Daily reports Murphy will next adapt the British TV series "Conviction" under the guise of a feature film called Blood which will tell the story of two policemen who kill a murder suspect and are plunged into chaos when they are forced to investigate their own crime. And the film has an impressive cast lined up with Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind), Brian Cox (X2), and Stephen Graham ("Boardwalk Empire") attached. Considering Murphy has his roots in British TV by working on series like "Occupation" (which snagged him a BAFTA) this is a perfect sophomore effort for him as a director. Of course, across the pond, the film will have a lot to live up to since...

Today we have an international trailer for the upcoming supernatural thriller "The Awakening," starring Rebecca Hall (The Town), Dominic West (Punisher: War Zone) and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter). Check it out below. Plot: Set in post-World War I England in 1921, the story follows a skeptical woman (Hall) who travels to a countryside boarding school to investigate rumors of an apparent haunting. Just when she thinks she has debunked the ghost theory, she has a chilling spectral encounter which defies all her rational beliefs. The new movie is written and directed by Nick Murphy ("Occupation") and is set to hit UK theaters on November 11th. Trailer: If you cannot see the player, click here.

Nonso Anozie has reportedly signed up to star in the second season of Game of Thrones. The British actor will play a Qartheen merchant prince called Xaro Xhoan Daxos, according to Westeros. The character offers Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her followers shelter and advice in the city of Qarth. Anozie has previously had roles in theatre and has appeared in movies such as Atonement, Happy-Go-Lucky, RocknRolla and Brighton Rock. He has had parts in the British television shows Occupation and Outcasts and worked alongside Game Of Thrones alum Jason Momoa on the (more)...

Steven Mackintosh in Inside Men. Co. BBC

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The BBC have announced plans for two exciting new dramas that are set to hit screens this winter: Great Expectations and Inside Men. The former, will feature X-Files star Gillian Anderson as the haggard Miss Havisham, Ray Winstone as Magwitch and Poirot star David Suchet as Jaggers. Anderson recently played another haggard Victorian woman in the Crimson Petal and the White and based on her performance in that show, she is ideally suited to take on the part of Miss Havisham. Suchet meanwhile is becoming a regular feature at the BBC studios since he is currently wrapping up work on the legal drama Undisclosed which also stars Philip Glenister (Gene Hunt). Great Expectations is set to air just before Christmas.

Meanwhile, recent Best British TV interviewee Warren Brown...

Luther and Alice. Co. BBC

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N Conrad

Luther season two, part two picked up where Case Histories left off last night as we were subjected to some rather graphic violence. Luther’s nail in the hand wasn’t quite as sickening as the pencil to the eye that we saw last night but nevertheless it was further proof that the BBC is prepared to enter into the kind of hard hitting territory that was once reserved for satellite channels.

Recent Best British TV interviewee Warren Brown, who endured torture at the hands of terrorists in Occupation, found himself in the hands of another sadist in tonight’s episode. Cameron Pell was the lunatic in question and he was played by Lee Ingleby who looks uncannily like James Blunt. Anyway, Warren Brown (aka Dci Ripley) managed to escape from his makeshift...

Warren Brown in Luther co. BBC

This week season two of the much anticipated Luther kicks off on BBC1. Warren Brown resumes his role as Luther’s loyal sidekick DS Ripley. Kieran Kinsella asked Warren about his role and the new season of the show.

Luther was a big hit in the UK and in the United States. How did you come to get involved in the show?

“I had an audition for it and I really liked the script because it was pushing the envelope a little bit. I met with casting director and my performance in Occupation was mentioned as it has been in subsequent interviews, and then a week later I got a call to say I had been chosen for the part.

I did not know that Idris was in the show when I had my audition but I found out that he was involved when...

Route Irish ***

Stars: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop | Written by Paul Laverty | Directed by Ken Loach

After his peculiarly upbeat dark comedy Looking For Eric in 2009 (one man’s struggle for inspiration guided by the spirit form of Eric Cantona – much better than it sounds on paper), director Ken Loach returns to familiarly bleak territory with conspiracy drama Route Irish.

Fergus, (Mark Womack) an ex-sas soldier and mercenary returns to Liverpool from his highly lucrative contracting job in Iraq for the funeral of his childhood friend and partner Frankie (John Bishop), who has been killed along Route Irish, the “most dangerous road in the world”, the road from Bagdad airport to the green zone.

Overcome with grief and struggling with the knowledge that his friend as a fellow contractor was in the Bagdad, not for patriotism but simply for money, Fergus is forced to examine his motivations for doing the job.

Route Irish ***

Stars: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop | Written by Paul Laverty | Directed by Ken Loach

After his peculiarly upbeat dark comedy Looking For Eric in 2009 (one man’s struggle for inspiration guided by the spirit form of Eric Cantona – much better than it sounds on paper), director Ken Loach returns to familiarly bleak territory with conspiracy drama Route Irish.

Fergus, (Mark Womack) an ex-sas soldier and mercenary returns to Liverpool from his highly lucrative contracting job in Iraq for the funeral of his childhood friend and partner Frankie (John Bishop), who has been killed along Route Irish, the “most dangerous road in the world”, the road from Bagdad airport to the green zone.

Overcome with grief and struggling with the knowledge that his friend as a fellow contractor was in the Bagdad, not for patriotism but simply for money, Fergus is forced to examine his motivations for doing the job.

New British ghost story tale 'The Awakening' is sitting in post at the moment giving its stars Rebecca Hall ('The Prestige', 'Frost/Nixon' and 'Dorian Gray'), 'The Wire's Dominic West and 'Harry Potter's Imelda Staunton a rest from supernatual happenings in 1920's England. The first image of a chilly looking Rebecca (below) has been revealed and you can check it out below. 'The Awakening' is the debut feature from writer/director Nick Murphy, who helmed the brilliant BBC drama 'Occupation' with James Nesbitt and Stephen Graham. The film co-stars Lucy Cohu, John Shrapnel, Diana Kent and Richard Durden....

The winners of the BAFTA TV awards held on Sunday, June 6th include Northern Irish born actor, Kenneth Branagh, Northern Ireland filmed drama 'Occupation' and other productions with strong Irish connections such as Julie Walters for her role in BBC One's 'Mo' and Channel 4's 'Misfits'. Sunday evening saw BBC One and Kudos Film and Television walk away with the BAFTA TV award for Drama Serial for 'Occupation'. The drama from Peter Bowker, Derek Wax, Nick Murphy and Laurie Borg was shot on location in Northern Ireland and Iraq in 2008 and stars James Nesbitt (Five Minutes of Heaven, Bloody Sunday), Stephen Graham and Warren Brown.

Stephen Volk has written for television and film for over twenty years. His debut script formed the basis of Gothic, a typically outré work from Ken Russell and based upon the infamous night at the Villa Diodati where Byron, John Polidori, Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley entertained each other with ghost stories. In 1989, Volk went off to Hollywood and worked with William Friedkin on The Guardian.

However it was 1992’s television drama, Ghostwatch, which cemented his reputation and entered history as one of the legendary moments of British television. The BBC drama was presented as a live broadcast and featured several high profile t.v. presenters including Michael Parkinson and Sarah Greene. Based on the famous case of the Enfield Poltergeist, the public reaction was vitriolic (to say the least), with many believing the show to be real and that presenter Sarah Greene had really been attacked and locked in...

London -- He commissioned such projects as Peter Bowker's "Occupation," "Ballet Shoes" and "Murphy's Law" for the BBC. Now, BBC Northern Ireland drama head Patrick Spence is setting up his own production shop within U.K. drama house Tiger Aspect, opening up for business in mid-July.

Spence, who exec-produced the Sundance director and screenplay winner "Five Minutes of Heaven," and has worked on a slew of BBC primetime crime procedurals including "Silent Witness," "Waking The Dead," and "Messiah," will work with the Endemol-owned British indie to develop specialist and mainstream drama.

He will work with Tiger Aspect's head of drama Greg Brenman, launching his own label within Tiger Aspect supported by the indie's production and back-office resource.

"Patrick has shown time and again that he is a great champion and producer of talent," said Brenman, who worked extensively with Spence when he was at the BBC.

"This is the perfect marriage for me,...

Rebecca Hall ("Dorian Gray", "Red Riding: In The Year Of Our Lord 1974"), Dominic West ("300", "Hannibal Rising", "Centurion") and Imelda Staunton ("Alice In Wonderland") have joined the cast of "The Awakening" for StudioCanal and BBC Films reports Deadline. Hall plays a paranormal investigator in post-WW1 England who sets out to debunk claims of spiritualism. She soon comes across an actual haunting in a countryside boarding school. Nick Murphy ("Surviving Disaster And Occupation") will direct from a script he co-wrote with Stephen Volk. David Thompson will produce. Filming kicks off in the UK in late June....

British actress Rebecca Hall, probably best known in America for her role in Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona, will be joining Dominic West and Imelda Staunton in the film The Awakening. Nick Murphy, director of episodes of BBC favorites Primeval and Occupation, will direct.

Hall plays a scientist in England around the time of World War I. She begins investigating strange occurrences in a boarding school and experiences several bizzare supernatural encounters.

I think Rebecca Hall is an amazing actress. I thought she should’ve gotten an Oscar nomination for Vicky Christina Barcelona. Dominic West and Imelda Staunton are also solid actors, so I have good feelings about this film.

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Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton have been set to star in the supernatural thriller The Awakening which marks the feature directorial debut of celebrated UK TV director Nick Murphy. Shooting will begin in June. Set in post-World War I England in 1921, the film follows a skeptical woman who travels to a countryside boarding school to investigate rumours of an apparent haunting. Just when she thinks she has debunked the ghost theory, she has a chilling spectral encounter which defies all her rational beliefs. Murphy co-wrote the film with Stephen Volk; Murphys TV credits include Surviving Disaster and Occupation.

Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton have joined the cast of "The Awakening" for StudioCanal and BBC Films reports Deadline.

Hall plays a paranormal investigator in post-WW1 England who sets out to debunk claims of spiritualism. She soon comes across an actual haunting in a countryside boarding school.

Nick Murphy ("Surviving Disaster and Occupation") will direct from a script he co-wrote with Stephen Volk. David Thompson will produce.

Filming kicks off in the UK in late June.

Victoria Wood has joined a new drama about Morecambe and Wise. The Mirror reports that Wood will play Morecambe's mother Sadie in the BBC Two show. The programme focuses on the duo's early career as they struggled to gain mainstream success. The script has been penned by Desperate Romantics and Occupation writer Peter Bowker. The BBC has not yet cast the parts of Morecambe and Wise. BBC Two (more)...

The winners of the 36th Annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards were announced recently at a ceremony at the Theatre Royal in London and saw wins for Northern Ireland drama series 'Occupation' and Terry Wogan. 'Occupation', a Kudos Film production for BBC One came away from the awards ceremony with the title of Best Drama Series. Written by Peter Bowker (Flesh And Blood, Canterbury Tales) and directed by Nick Murphy (Surviving Disaster, Heroes & Villains), 'Occupation' traces the lives of three British soldiers and spans the five years following the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Their fates – and the destiny of Iraq itself – become inextricably linked and, united in war, the three men, and their friendships, are torn apart during the peace that follows.

Simon Cowell, David Tennant and Julie Walters are among the nominees for this year's Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. Tennant has been nominated in the 'Best Actor' category for his starring role in Doctor Who, which he departed from on New Years Day, and Hamlet. The Scottish actor is pitched against Peter Capaldi, who plays Malcolm Tucker in BBC Four political comedy The Thick of It. Also competing for 'Best Actor' are David Morrissey for Red Riding and James Nesbitt, who is nominated for his performances in both Five Minutes to Heaven and BBC One's Occupation, which received three nods overall. Walters, meanwhile, has been put forward for (more)...

Simon Cowell, David Tennant and Julie Walters are among the nominees for this year's Broadcasting Guild Press Awards. Tennant has been nominated in the 'Best Actor' category for his starring role in Doctor Who, which he departed from on New Years Day, and Hamlet. The Scottish actor is pitched against Peter Capaldi, who plays Malcolm Tucker in BBC Four political comedy The Thick of It. Also competing for 'Best Actor' are David Morrissey for Red Riding and James Nesbitt, who is nominated for his performances in both Five Minutes to Heaven and BBC One's Occupation, which received three nods overall. Julie Walters, meanwhile, has been put forward for A (more)...

London -- Simon Cowell is in the running for this year's British Press Guild award for best non-acting performer.

The producer and judge for "The X-Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent" is nominated for the award to be dished out at an invitation-only ceremony March 26.

The Bpg nods are selected by journalists who write about TV and radio.

Peter Capaldi, David Morrissey, James Nesbitt and David Tennant will vie for the best actor nod at the 36th annual BPGAs.

Tennant is named for two roles, as Hamlet and the Doctor in "Doctor Who." Nesbitt is also nominated for two productions, "Occupation," in which he plays a soldier in the Iraq War, and "Five Minutes of Heaven," about the conflict in Northern Ireland. Peter Capaldi is named for his turn as Malcolm Tucker in "The Thick of It," while Morrissey picks up a nomination for his role in the trilogy "Red Riding,...

Writer Jeremy Brock and producer Andrea Calderwood working on 90-minute one-off, which may get UK cinema release

Channel 4 is reuniting the makers of its award winning film The Last King Of Scotland to make a new drama inspired by the evils of people-trafficking.

The film, currently untitled, will bring together the writer Jeremy Brock and producer Andrea Calderwood on their first project since The Last King of Scotland, with which Forest Whitaker won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin. The new film is being directed by Gabriel Range, who directed Channel 4's 2006 spoof documentary Death of a President.

Their new project tells the story of Malia, played by Moses Jones actor Wunmi Mosaku, who is snatched from her Sudanese village and sold into slavery before eventually being sent to work in London.

Co-starring will be Nonso Anozie, who appeared in the BBC1 Iraq film Occupation,...

'Occupation', the BBC war drama filmed in Northern Ireland, has won the Prix Europa 2009 for Best Episode of a Television Fiction Series or Serial of the Year 2009. The Prix Europa awards ceremony was held in Berlin on Saturday, October 24th, and saw the Nick Murphy (Surviving Disaster) directed war drama 'Occupation' scoop the special Prix Europa award. Written by Peter Bowker (Canterbury Tales) and starring James Nesbitt (Cherrybomb), 'Occupation' traces the lives of three British soldiers and spans the five years following the invasion of Iraq in 2003, it was filmed in Northern Ireland and Iraq.

Chicago – The American perspective on the war in Iraq has been well-documented in feature films and TV movies, but I was intrigued at the idea of seeing a British film about the Middle East, especially one with great actors like James Nesbitt and Stephen Graham. Sadly, “Occupation” is a bit of a disappointment. The lead actors almost save it but a weak script, lackluster supporting cast, and stupid scheduling choice hurt the project.

Television Rating: 3.0/5.0

“Occupation” is not your typical Iraq War movie - and, yes, there have been enough already that there’s usually a model for these things. Most of them fall into one of two categories - “over there” or “back home”. The most interesting thing about the set-up for “Occupation” is that it’s a little bit of both, telling a story of three men who leave Iraq but find that they’re drawn back to the Middle East.

In recent years, there have been a lot of feature films that sought to capture either the political fallout from the occupation of Iraq or the atmosphere of violence and terror that have fallen over the Middle East since 9/11. Many of them have been avoided at large by moviegoers and television viewers, all of whom have been saturated by imagery from Iraq in every facet of the media. But there have been very few projects, aside from perhaps The Hurt Locker, that have managed to capture the essence of what is going on over there while also managing to get inside the heads of the soldiers themselves and offer a look at the moral and psychological affects of warfare. Enter BBC America's haunting and provocative mini-series Occupation, which airs Sunday evening on the digital cabler, and tells the stories of three British soldiers who, following their tour of duty in Iraq,...

Stephen Graham is taking a stroll down "London Boulevard."

The British actor, who plays gangster Baby Face Nelson in the John Dillinger drama "Public Enemies," will carry a gun for the other side in "London."

Graham will play the lead detective in the Gk Films picture. William Monahan is making his directorial debut with "London," which revolves around a romance between a former con (Colin Farrell) and an actress (Keira Knightley).

Graham, repped by Inde¬pendent Talent Group and Kritzer Levine Wilkins, also is playing a gangster in another project: He portrays Al Capone in the Atlantic City casino pilot "Boardwalk Empire" for HBO.

Graham appears in the BBC miniseries "The Occupation" and next appears on the big screen in the Lionsgate period fantasy "Season of the Witch."...

BBC Two's Psychoville got off to a fair start last night, according to the latest viewing figures. The new comedy-thriller, starring The League Of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, averaged 1.44m (7.3%) between 10pm and 10.30pm. Earlier on the channel, Springwatch pulled in 2.02m (9.8%) during the 8pm hour, then the half-hour Matt Lucas comedy Kröd Mändoon And The Flaming Sword Of Fire took 1.25m (5.8%) at 9pm, followed by That Mitchell And Webb Look, which was seen by 1.1m (5.1%). Over on BBC One, Celebrity Masterchef put in 4.35m (21.1%) at 8pm, then the third installment of James Nesbitt-fronted drama Occupation followed with 3.31m (15.4%). The Bill led the 8pm hour with 4.44m (21.6%) for ITV1. The audience then fell to 2.84m (13.3%) during the 9pm screening of May Contain Nuts. (more)...

Last night's Big Brother highlights show drew an average of 1.88m (11.5%) for Channel 4, early figures suggest. The programme, which featured a clip of Angel skinny dipping in the pool, is down around 1.15m on the equivalent show from last year. It drew 3.03m (17.5%) on June 18, 2008. Earlier on the channel, at 9pm, the final episode of Embarrassing Bodies pulled in 3.06m (14.1%). The second installment of BBC One's Occupation, starring James Nesbitt and Stephen Graham, managed 3.23m (14.9%), down 1.16m on the opening episode. BBC Two documentary The Price Of Life took 810k (3.7%), while Spain: Paradise Lost had 4.28m (19.8%) for ITV1, putting the channel in first place for the hour. Five's Clint Eastwood Western A Fistful Of Dollars averaged 1.58m (8.2%) between 9pm and 11.15pm. The Bill came (more)...