News

Exclusive: Channel 4 has greenlit a sitcom described as a “comedic love letter to school support staff and teachers across the UK.”

BAFTA-winning producer Afolabi Kuti is EPing Schooled from Delia-René-Donaldson, which is based on the writer’s experiences in pastoral care at a London academy.

The series follows Kayleigh Clarke, a newly appointed pastoral Head of Year 10 with zero teaching experience and little patience for teenagers as she faces off with everything from inspections and AI-generated scandals to riotous parents’ evenings. Despite the lack of resources, overworked staff and relentless students, Kayleigh is determined to turn her lack of credentials into a strength as she forms unexpected bonds and discovers that sometimes empathy is the best tool for survival.

Produced by Kuti’s indie Broedmachine, Schooled comes from Channel 4 and GroupM Motion Entertainment’s Diverse Indies Fund, a ring-fenced fund set up to support small and medium sized ethnically...

BBC Comedy Head Tanya Qureshi Moves To Drama Team

Change afoot as the UK’s Creative Cities Conference (Ccc) gets underway this morning – BBC Head of Comedy Tanya Qureshi is swapping her role for one in Lindsay Salt’s drama division. Qureshi will take a Commissioning Editor role, overseeing a slate of shows including Sally Wainwright’s forthcoming Riot Women and Dennis Kelly series Waiting For The Out (w/t), which was confirmed yesterday two months after Deadline first revealed it was being adapted. We understand Jon Petrie’s BBC Comedy unit will not replace her. Qureshi joined the BBC four years ago and has since ordered shows such as Dreaming Whilst Black, The Outlaws, Am I Being Unreasonable?, Amandaland and Ludwig. She was previously at I May Destroy You maker Various Artists Limited and has worked in commissioning at UKTV and Channel 4. Her new role begins at the end of this month.

Exclusive: Apple TV+ has greenlighted The Husbands, a comedic drama starring Juno Temple. The eight-episode series, from A24, lead writer Miriam Battye and lead director Craig Gillespie is adapted from author and games designer Holly Gramazio’s bestselling debut novel of the same name.

The Husbands, with Temple attached, has been percolating for awhile. On a parallel track to its series order coming together over the past couple of months, Temple also has been negotiating her return to another Apple TV+ series, hit comedy Ted Lasso, with producing studio Warner Bros. TV.

Making the two shows’ filming schedules sync up has been a challenge, explaining why Temple’s Ted Lasso deal has not closed yet but I hear things are expected to work out, with her commitment to The Husbands not impacting her ability to reprise her role...

Exclusive: A24 is getting into business with the UK’s irreverent public broadcaster.

The indie behemoth has landed a flatshare comedy series for Channel 4 from Leo Reich, who broke out last year with HBO comedy special Literally Who Cares?!.

Starring and created by Reich, It Gets Worse, which is co-produced for Canada’s Crave, follows Ethan, Abi, and Sam – best friends from uni, soulmates for life, and dysfunctional roommates. It’s been a year since the trio finally managed to move to London, but they have collectively accomplished nothing and now their landlord is selling up.

Reich gained critical acclaim for his debut stand-up Literally Who Cares?! and A24 produced the HBO special. He is starring in Netflix’s upcoming Lena Dunham series Too Much.

Reich said: “I’m over the moon to be working with the amazing teams at A24 and Channel 4 on It Gets Worse. This is...

If the universe has plans to bring two people together, Ash and Gordon could have never predicted those plans would involve public flashing, a car accident, and an injured dog. Described as “a romantic comedy about flawed, funny people choosing each other and embracing the all-too-relatable chaos of modern life,” the hit Australian series “Colin From Accounts” returns this Thursday, Sept. 26 on Paramount+ for its second season. All eight episodes will be available at launch, and you can watch both full seasons with 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus.

How to Watch “Colin From Accounts” Season 2 When: Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 Where: Paramount+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus. 7-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month ParamountPlus.com About “Colin From Accounts”

Real-life married couple and series creators/writers Patrick Brammer and Harriet Dyer star as Gordon and Ashley, two single(ish) humans whose individually complex lives are brought together in...

Exclusive: Joe Hipps, who stepped down as Head of TV for Fifth Season earlier this month, is segueing to producing with a deal at another indie studio, A24. Hipps has launched a production company with an exclusive deal to develop and produce television series for A24.

Hipps surprised many when he exited Fifth Season after 16 years as a TV development executive, nine at MRC and seven at Fifth Season. It was rumored at the time that he may be looking for a change of pace and a career change.

As Head of TV at Fifth Season, Hipps oversaw a portfolio of more than a dozen series, including Apple TV+’s Severance and Lady In The Lake, Max’s Tokyo Vice as well as Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers and Life & Beth. His upcoming projects include The Savant, starring Jessica Chastain, and The Cheif of War, starring Jason Momoa — both...

Exclusive: Despite the current slowdown, the BBC’s creative diversity boss is confident representation in UK TV can keep heading in a positive direction.

Speaking to Deadline exclusively upon the announcement of a new 25% diversity target for all BBC shows, Jessica Schibli, who has been in post 12 months, said she takes confidence from the fact that representation has improved year-on-year since 2021 even as slowdown and recession have set in.

Concerns have been raised anecdotally over the past few months that the industry’s diversity push will be hard hit by the slowdown, with the freelancers exiting and indies closing coming from less traditional backgrounds. Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival late last month, a host of leading TV execs acknowledged with little apology that there are too many production companies, including the BBC’s own Dan McGolpin, who said: “There aren’t enough money and hours to keep everyone alive.

Today, Prime Video released the trailer and key art for A Very Royal Scandal, which will premiere on September 19 exclusively on Prime Video in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Additional cast members were also revealed.

The captivating retelling, featuring Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis, demonstrates the power of journalism through a pivotal moment in British history. A Very Royal Scandal is the third installment of the A Very…. Scandal anthology series.

One night. One hour. One interview that sent shockwaves around the globe. It is based on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations he faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre.

A Very Royal Scandal follows Maitlis and Prince Andrew’s actions in the lead-up to the interview, the ground-breaking event itself, and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever.

The latest Prince Andrew project has dropped trailer.

A Very Royal Scandal, which launches in a fortnight, stars Michael Sheen as the disgraced Prince with Ruth Wilson playing the role of his interviewer Emily Maitlis.

A Very Royal Scandal is a three-part TV series as opposed to Scoop, the Netflix feature that starred Rufus Sewell and Gillian Anderson in the lead roles. It is the third in the A Very… series that Amazon has previously co-produced with the BBC, although this one will only air on Prime Video. Unlike Scoop, Maitlis is involved with this one as an EP.

In the trailer, Wilson’s Maitlis can be seen pursuing the story that would make her a global household name and destroy the Prince’s reputation in a pivotal moment in British history, which saw him buckle under questions around his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and make a sea of humiliating utterances.

The BBC will require all TV shows to hit 25% off-screen representation targets after spending double the amount it expected to spend on diverse content since 2021.

With the first three years of its much-discussed creative diversity commitments having come to an end, the corporation said today that it will up representation by 5 percentage points in terms of ethnic diversity, disability and socioeconomic diversity on all content. This reflects its success so far and is part of its bid to better portray the nation. By last year, 82% of its shows were hitting the previous 20% target, the BBC said.

Under the new commitment, indies will be asked to outline their plans to deliver the 25% target and how they will apply a new set of Inclusive Production Principles as part of the commissioning process. The BBC has said it will help with the process. The inclusive principles include areas like hair and make up...

It’s an episode Prince Andrew would no doubt wish to be forgotten, but his car-crash “Newsnight” interview is set to enthral viewers yet again in Prime Video’s upcoming dramatization.

“A Very Royal Scandal,” which stars Michael Sheen as the disgraced prince and Ruth Wilson as arch interviewer Emily Maitlis, has been set for release on the streaming platform on Sept. 19, Variety can confirm.

Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis in ‘A Very Royal Scandal’ (Courtesy of Prime Video)

The streamer has also debuted a series of first-look images from the series, showing “Good Omens” star Sheen’s transformation into the British royal, who was widely criticized for his defense of his friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his failure to mention Epstein’s victims during the 2019 interview.

Wilson suits up as BBC anchor Maitlis, whose cool performance and professionalism during the interview was highly praised.

“One night. One hour.

Exclusive: Higher Ground is stepping up its TV series efforts. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s media company, which just re-upped its Netflix deal with a multiyear first-look film and TV agreement, has brought in Showtime’s Jessie Dicovitsky as Head of Television. This marks the first time Higher Ground has had a dedicated senior TV executive.

Dicovitsky is joining Higher Ground having just left her post as SVP of Original Programming for Showtime & Paramount+ last week after her most recent contract with the network came to an end. She is reuniting with former Showtime Documentary chief Vinnie Malhotra who is now President of Higher Ground Productions. Reporting to Malhotra, Dicovitsky will lead the company’s TV division, working to build out a comprehensive television production arm.

“While shepherding some of the most beloved shows on TV, Jessie has earned a remarkable reputation as a tasteful, trustworthy, and forward-thinking media executive,...

A lot of the work of making a great TV show is done in the casting. Characters with compelling, dynamic relationships are ultimately a huge part of what keeps our attention on the big or the small screen. So, given that Emmy voting has just begun, IndieWire wanted to reach out to some of television’s top casting directors to ask them to nominate one outstanding work from this past year.

Not so unlike seeing 10 great, different actors give 10 great, different interpretations of a role and then somehow having to pick just one, the casting directors who responded to us were quick to point out how many shows have made revelatory casting choices in the last year. “Baby Reindeer,” “Eric,” “Only Murders In The Building,” “Shogun,” and “What We Do in the Shadows” all received warm praise in multiple email threads about our casting directors’ choices, and luckily, most of...

When TV academy voters sit down to fill out their 2024 Emmy nominations ballots, they have to consider 73 shows for Best Comedy Series; this is down by 22 contenders from last year. As was the case last year, each member’s selections may not exceed the number of eventual nominations in a given category, which will be eight in this case.

On its quest for a second consecutive victory here, “The Bear” will have to fend off just two of its seven 2023 rivals: “Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders in the Building.” Last year’s remaining contenders that did not air episodes during the June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024 eligibility period are “Barry,” “Jury Duty,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Ted Lasso,” and “Wednesday,” the last of which is the only one known to have a new season in the works.

Remember, only eight of the shows listed below will earn bids for Best Comedy Series...

UK-based Black cinema distributor and supporter We Are Parable has teamed up with the Jamaican Film and Television Association (Jafta) for the third iteration of Shot List showcasing Black and Caribbean filmmakers based in the UK.

The event, which takes place in Kingston, Jamaica on Sunday (May 26), includes screenings, masterclasses and panel discussions. This year’s edition is also supported by James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli through Eon Productions.

Earlier this year, the Jamaican government launched a $1bn fund for filmmakers through the Jamaican Screen Development Initiative.

Jafta president Saeed Thomas said: ”This is a special year for film in...

Exclusive: Since being launched in 2017 by a quartet including Jesse Armstrong, Various Artists Limited (Val) has made shows ranging from Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You to Julia Davis’ Sally 4Ever, but bosses now see the comedy landscape heading in a somewhat different direction.

Fresh off the back of Sunday’s BAFTA win for Kat Sadler’s BBC comedy Such Brave Girls, head honcho Phil Clarke and comedy boss Jack Bayles are talking up the return of the sitcom in a landscape beset by budget woes and risk aversion that is nonetheless continuing to birth breakouts.

“The word we are getting from broadcasters is they want more traditional sitcoms with ‘A, B, C’ storylines and bigger characters,” Bayles tells Deadline. “We’ve been through this amazing era of drama and people have got so used to seeing that scale and ambition but trying to compete with that in half-hour,...

The 2024 BAFTA TV Awards very much celebrated the best of British TV tonight as the majority of big-name stars and more recognizable shows fell away to British shows and stars. The likes of “Succession” and “The Last of Us” went home empty-handed at the Royal Festival Hall. “Top Boy,” “The Sixth Commandment,” and “Such Brave Girls” claimed the three big prizes at the ceremony hosted by comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett.

“Top Boy,” Netflix’s hit show about two London drug dealers dealing with gang violence in East London, won Best Drama Series over “The Gold,” “Happy Valley,” and Emmy hopeful “Slow Horses.” Producers Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind came backstage to discuss their victory, which came for the fifth and final season of the fan favorite.

“The talent in front of the camera and behind the camera feels like a family. A lot of them started on ‘Top Boy...

Awards season may well be over for another year in the world of film, with the Oscars, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes just a distant memory now. But on Sunday evening, one of the biggest nights in British TV, the BAFTA TV Awards — this year hosted by comedians Rob Beckett and Ramesh Ranganathan — took place at London’s Royal Festival Hall. And on a night where the two most nominated shows, Black Mirror and The Crown, failed to snag a single win, Happy Valley, Top Boy, and The Sixth Commandment enjoyed great success in key categories, each taking home two awards apiece.

On the night, Sarah Lancashire won Leading Actress for her all-timer of a turn as police sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley, her second BAFTA for the same role. The show also snagged the public-voted Memorable Moment award for Catherine and Tommy Lee Royce’s (James Norton) remarkable final kitchen showdown.

The BAFTA TV Awards took place this sunny Sunday afternoon as the British equivalent of the Emmys awarded the best of the year’s TV on the other side of the Atlantic. The ceremony was hosted by Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett, who both hosted last year, while the event takes place at the Royal Festival Hall on London’s South Bank. Scroll down for the full list of winners.

Netflix’s “The Crown” leads the way with eight nominations. Another Netflix show, “Demon 79 (Black Mirror),” came in second with seven nominations while BBC’s “Happy Valley,” Apple TV’s “Slow Horses,” and BBC’s “The Sixth Commandment” all snagged six bids apiece.

Several US shows did well, too, with HBO’s “The Last of Us” and “Succession” each receiving five nominations — the same as ITV’s drama “The Long Shadow.” The BBC documentary “Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland...

The best in British television will assemble on Sunday, May 12 for the 2024 BAFTA TV Awards. American audiences can watch the red carpet festivities as well as the entire ceremony on BritBox. Tune in and see whether “The Gold,” “Happy Valley,” “Slow Horses,” or “Top Boy” will take home the award for Best Drama. Not only will Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan host the event, but they are nominated for two awards as well. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of BritBox.

How to Watch 2024 BAFTA TV Awards When: Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 10:30 Am Edt Where: BritBox Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of BritBox. 7-Day Free Trial$8.99+ / month BritBox.com About 2024 BAFTA TV Awards

The 2024 British Academy Television Awards will be presented to winners in 26 categories on Sunday, May 12 live at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The ceremony, hosted by double nominees Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan,...

Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock here with you today. Cannes is nearly here, and we’ve got you covered there, along with the rest of the noise from the international film and TV worlds.

Cannes Looms Large

The build-up: The 81st Cannes Film Festival kicks off in less than a week but all the early talk surrounding the fest is about events away from the big screen. The French industry is currently in a state of paralysis as speculation continues to mount in the local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the festival’s first day. There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of accusations is due to break in the lead-up and during the upcoming edition. The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to...

Margot Robbie and Rosamund Pike are among the nominees for the National Film Awards.The stars of 'Barbie' and 'Saltburn' respectively will compete against talent including Patricia Hodge ('Arthur's Whiskey'), Jo Hartley ('Swede Caroline'), Eiza Gonzalez ('The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare') and Emma Stone ('Poor Things)' in a star-studded Best Actress category.This year's ceremony is set to take place on July 3 at the Porchester Hall in London and marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious awards. It will feature a lineup of nominees from around the globe consisting of seasoned acting veterans and emerging young talents.The Best Actor category is equally competitive with stars including Barry Keoghan ('Saltburn), Kevin Hart ('Lift') and Ewan McGregor ('Bleeding Love') competing for the prize with Kane Robinson ('The Kitchen') and Lakeith Stanfield ('Book of Clarence').Meanwhile,...

Exclusive: The CAA agent who brokered the sale of Dreaming Whilst Black to A24 is to head up Emily in Paris producer Jax Media’s UK division.

Katie Gahamire joins the LA outfit’s London hub as Creative Director, replacing Molly Seymour, who recently moved to BBC Studios. Jax has also signed former Disney Star exec Hussain Casey-Ahmed as Production Executive.

The hires will help Imagine Entertainment-owned Jax expand its UK originals, alongside producing U.S. projects from the UK. Since launch, Jax UK commissions have included Channel 4’s Simon Bird-starrer Everyone Else Burns, which was picked up by The CW and has been recommissioned for a second season, and BBC Three short form show Peck Eds. The hub also made Clem Garritty’s Showtime pilot Jonah Kills.

Gahamire has spent the past six years working across the television and comedy departments at CAA, where she helped...

A pair of top international executives have joined forces to build a UK-based talent agency and production business.

Thomas Drachkovitch and Jason Hafford will lead Dream Bay Entertainment, with former Amazon exec Drachkovitch the founder and Managing Director and ex-CAA rep Hafford co-founder and Head of Dbe Management.

The company, which Drachkovitch launched last year after exiting his role at Amazon Studios (now Amazon MGM Studios), comprises film and television production, literary and talent management, and media advisory services divisions. Based out of London, Dream Bay’s bosses plan to offer “a unique blend of strategic guidance, development expertise, and industry insights.”

LA native Drachkovitch left his UK-based role as Original Series Development Executive at Amazon Studios in 2022 having overseen commissioning initiatives across global markets.

He had previously been based in India, where he helped spearhead the launch of Amazon Studios’ first Indian content slate out of Mumbai, including shows such as Comicstaan,...

Getting ready to make your 2024 Emmy predictions for Best Comedy Series? Be sure to scroll through our photo gallery that catalogs the shows with the best shots at reaping bids for the 76th annual edition of TV’s highest honors.

The current category champ, “The Bear,” is looking to become the 10th series to win this award for both of its first two seasons. It would join “The Phil Silvers Show,” “All in the Family,” “Taxi,” “Cheers,” “The Golden Girls,” “Frasier,” “30 Rock,” “Modern Family,” and “Ted Lasso” on this honor roll.

Of the seven other 2023 Best Comedy Series nominees, only “Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders in the Building” are eligible to contend again. “Barry” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” officially concluded in spring 2023, while the futures of both “Jury Duty” and “Ted Lasso” remain uncertain. That leaves “Wednesday,” the confirmed second season of which did not air in time to qualify for consideration.

Exclusive: Gina Lyons, a producer on the pilot of Dreaming Whilst Black and Amazon Freevee’s upcoming Dinner with the Parents, has launched a comedy indie to amplify working class, female voices.

Gobby Girl Productions recently closed finance on a £1.3M ($1.6M) British feature film starring big talent that will roll cameras in June. The company is also nearing greenlight on two shows for UK broadcasters.

Lyons has been a freelance producer for several years and launched the outfit as a vehicle for her shows after seeing the inequality faced by working-class women in the industry. The indie’s website points to recent research which found that 40% of Brits nominated for key awards at the Oscars, BAFTAs and Mercury prize over the past decade went to private school, while only 6% of the British population are privately educated.

Gina Lyons

Gobby Girl will therefore focus on amplifying these voices and has already got the ball rolling.

BAFTA announced its TV award nominations today with Netflix’s “The Crown” leading the way with eight nominations. Another Netflix show, “Demon 79 (Black Mirror),” came in second with seven nominations while BBC’s “Happy Valley,” Apple TV’s “Slow Horses,” and BBC’s “The Sixth Commandment” all snagged six bids apiece.

Several US shows did well, too, with HBO’s “The Last of Us” and “Succession” each receiving five nominations — the same as ITV’s drama “The Long Shadow.” The BBC documentary “Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland” and “The Eurovision Song Contest 2023” each received four bids.

“The Crown” was nominated in all the big categories, including Best Drama Series, Actor for Dominic West, and Supporting Actor for Salim Daw. It also received two Supporting Actress nominations — Lesley Manville and SAG winner Elizabeth Debicki.

The other Best Drama Series nominees are “The Gold,” “Top Boy,” and “Slow Horses.” The...

The BAFTA TV Awards are the British equivalent of the Emmys, honoring the very best of television in a wide range of genres and categories. Many of these contenders will also hope to compete at the Emmys but they’ll first have their BAFTA fates revealed on May 12, when the 2024 BAFTA TV Awards will take place. The BAFTA TV Craft Awards winners will be announced on April 28. (Read the full report on the BAFTA TV Awards nominations here.)

Best Drama Series

“The Gold” – BBC One

“Happy Valley” – BBC One

“Slow Horses” – Apple TV+

“Top Boy” – Netflix

Best Limited Drama

“Best Interests” – BBC One

“Demon 79 (Black Mirror)” – Netflix

“The Long Shadow” – ITV1

“The Sixth Commandment” – BBC One

Best Comedy Series

“Big Boys” – Channel 4

“Dreaming Whilst Black” – BBC One

“Extraordinary” – Disney+

“Such Brave Girls” – BBC Three

Best International Show

“The Bear” – Disney+

“Beef” – Netflix

“Class Act” – Netflix

“The Last of Us...

Another big award show took place this weekend (in addition to the SAG Awards), the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which celebrates indie film and TV. One thing about this awards show is that their idea of independent sometimes makes me scratch my head a bit, with HBO’s big-budget The Last of Us nominated a whole bunch in the TV category, along with Netflix’s Beef and several other streaming shows, which I’m not sure one could call independent. For films, there’s a $30 million budget cap. For TV, I’m honestly not sure what the benchmark is because Last of Us was notoriously an expensive show to shoot, costing at least $100 million.

Indeed, The Last of Us won some key awards on the TV side, winning Best Supporting Performance (for Nick Offerman) and Best Breakthrough Performance (for Keivonn Montreal Woodard). Over on the film side, American Fiction and...

The 2024 Independent Spirit Awards took place on Sunday at the traditional Santa Monica beach tent location, with Aidy Bryant hosting. “Past Lives” took home the coveted Best Feature award, with “Beef” being honored as Best New Scripted Series. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below.

Best Feature

“Past Lives”

Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon

“All of Us Strangers”

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey

“American Fiction”

Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

“May December”

Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon

“Passages”

Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd

“We Grown Now”

Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro

Best Lead Performance

Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Jessica Chastain, “Memory”

Greta Lee, “Past Lives”

Trace Lysette, “Monica”

Natalie Portman, “May December”

Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”

Franz Rogowski, “Passages”

Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”

Teyana Taylor,...

The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards are being handed out Sunday, February 25, from Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA in a show hosted by comedian, actress and “SNL” alumnus Aidy Bryant. On the film side, the nominations were dominated by “American Fiction,” “Past Lives” and “May December,” which picked up five nods apiece. Those three films are up for Best Feature along with “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.” Best Director is a contest between Andrew Haigh (“All of Us Strangers”), Todd Haynes (“May December”), William Oldroyd (“Eileen”), Ira Sachs (“Passages”) and Celine Song (“Past Lives”).

Of the nominated features, only “American Fiction” and “Past Lives” are also in the running for Best Picture at the Oscars, while none of the nominated directors are up for Academy Awards. However, on the off chance that either “American Fiction” or “Past Lives” manages to take the top prize at...

Gold Derby is backstage at the 39th Annual Indie Spirit Awards on the beach in Santa Monica, CA on Sunday, February 25, hosted by comedian, actress and “SNL” alumnus Aidy Bryant. We’ll bring you all of the up-to-date details on the presenters, nominees and winners. (See the complete winners list here.) Read on for the 2024 Spirits live blog.

The kudofest is streaming live on IMDb’s YouTube Channel as well as Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter accounts starting at 2 p.m. Pst/5 p.m. Est.

On the film side, the nominations were dominated by “American Fiction,” “Past Lives” and “May December,” which picked up five nods apiece. Those three films are up for Best Feature along with “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.” Since 2012, Film Independent and the Spirits have forecast 7 of 12 Best Picture winners at the Academy Awards, including “The Artist” (2012), “12 Years a Slave...

Raine Allen Miller’s debut feature Rye Lane, Adjani Salmon’s Dreaming Whilst Black, and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical were among the top winners at the sixth edition of the CDG Casting Awards. Scross down for the full list of winners.

Kharmel Cochrane picked up the Best Casting in an Independent Film award for her work on Rye Lane. Dreaming Whilst Black landed the Best Casting in a TV Comedy Series award for Heather Basten, Peter Noden, and Fran Cattaneo, and Louise Kiely won Best Casting in a Film for The Banshees of Inisherin.

High-profile titles that missed out on honors include Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which was nominated for Best Casting in a Film alongside Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Kharmel Cochrane cast Saltburn and also popped in the noms for Best Casting in a Commercial for her work on Vanish ‘Me, My Autism & I.

The awards were...

The Boiling Point TV series, The Banshees of Inisherin, Rye Lane and Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical are among the U.K. Casting Directors’ Guild Awards winners for 2024.

The sixth CDG Casting Awards, handed out Wednesday evening in London, also honored the likes of the theater play Dear England, a TV adaptation of which Sky has just unveiled.

Competing for the awards were productions that premiered between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023 and they were selected as nominees by members of the guild. The Casting Directors’ Guild represents casting directors in the film, television, theater and commercials industries in the U.K. and Ireland.

Its awards celebrate “the incredible work achieved by casting teams across film, television, theater and commercials,” in partnership with global casting platform Spotlight.

“Casting directors are often the unsung storytellers of the industry. Their vision and skills that help orchestrate an ensemble of characters bring a script to life in every medium,...

Due to the nature of its rating system, Rotten Tomatoes gives a perfect 100% score to some surprising shows. Reviews don't always correlate with audience scores, so a 100% score can be misleading. Rotten Tomatoes reveals plenty of hidden gems, including shows from different countries all over the world.

Scores on Rotten Tomatoes can often throw up some surprising results, and there are a few shows with perfect scores which aren't very well know. Due to the peculiar nature of the scoring system on Rotten Tomatoes, it's not uncommon for a TV show to score 100%. Reviewers are required to grade movies and TV shows using a binary system on Rotten Tomatoes, so 100% doesn't necessarily mean something is flawless. A perfect 100 doesn't guarantee that a show will reach a broad audience. There are plenty of TV hidden gems which have flown under the radar.

Rotten Tomatoes reviews a ton of movies and TV shows,...

Quick Links Dreaming Whilst Black Season 2 Is Confirmed Dreaming Whilst Black Season 2 Cast Dreaming Whilst Black Season 2 Story Dreaming Whilst Black Season 2: Further News & Info "Dreaming Whilst Black" has been renewed for a second season after its successful debut and positive reception. The main cast is expected to return for the second season, including Adjani Salmon as Kwabena and Dani Moseley as Amy. Season 2 will explore Kwabena's journey as a filmmaker, his mental state, and his complicated relationship with Vanessa.

A24's critical darling series Dreaming Whilst Black has been renewed for a second season, and there are already tons of exciting news about the show's second act. Initially premiering as a web pilot back in 2021, Dreaming Whilst Black made its official debut in 2023 and follows Kwabena as he hopes to get away from his boring corporate job and pursue his dream of being a filmmaker. Through comedy and brains,...

Following a turbulent year marked by dueling industry strikes and the violent contraction–if not yet full pop–of the streaming bubble, 2024 has thus far been pretty good to Hollywood. It certainly helps that we’re in the middle of awards season, which for cineastes amounts to a three-month holiday largely characterized by voluminous binge-watching. And not just binge-watching of the year’s top films. For the curious, the season also offers up a smuggler’s bounty full of talking special post-screening Q&As, roundtables, filmmaker panels, celebratory cocktail receptions and more.

Traditionally Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up series has been a little bit of all of the above, presenting behind-the-scenes insight into the year’s most important works of cinema, straight from the mouths and brains of filmmakers themselves. As the virtual portion of this year’s programming winds down (see below), we’re looking ahead now to our...

Steve Coogan is reprising his iconic role of Alan Partridge for new spoof documentary And Did Those Feet… Here are the details.

The BBC has announced a new Alan Partridge series, which will take the form of a spoof documentary called And Did Those Feet… With Alan Partridge. It’s once again written by Steve Coogan and brothers Neil and Rob Gibbons, with the latter also directing. The official description of the series reads as follows:

In his new documentary series – And Did Those Feet… With Alan Partridge – we follow the beloved and, to be fair, revered broadcaster as he reintegrates into life in Britain after a year working in Saudi Arabia. But what begins as a documentary about homecoming soon morphs into something more personal as Alan realises that the happiness he thought he’d feel at being back in Norwich just hasn’t materialised. Something’s missing.

We...

Dreaming Whilst Black, a critically acclaimed show created by Adjani Salmon, has been renewed for season 2. The show follows Kwabena, an aspiring filmmaker stuck in a recruitment job, as he pursues his dream of creating a TV show. After its debut in July 2023, the show received a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and has gained significant popularity.

Dreaming Whilst Black, a new television show from A24 with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, has been renewed for season 2. Created by Adjani Salmon, the story follows Kwabena, played by Salmon, an aspiring filmmaker stuck in a dead-end recruitment job who takes the first step to achieving his dream of creating a TV show.

Now, after debuting in July 2023, Deadline confirms that Dreaming Whilst Black will return for season 2.

Showtime has picked up a second season of the critically acclaimedhalf-hour dramedy series Dreaming Whilst Black, which garnered industry praise for its inaugural season, including nominations from the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards and the NAACP Image Awards. Featuring returning star and BAFTA Award winning co-creator and co-writer Adjani Salmon (Chivalry), season two is expected to commence filming later this year in the UK.  The season will premiere in the U.S. on streaming and on demand for Paramount+ for subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, on air on Paramount+ with Showtime, and in the UK on BBC Three and iPlayer. The series ... Read more...

Exclusive: Steve Coogan is bringing a long-gestating Alan Partridge comedy doc series to the BBC.

Deadline can reveal that the beloved comedy icon’s latest show, And Did Those Feet.. With Alan Partridge, will see him travel around meeting locals, with the character having come in to some money after a trip to Saudi Arabia, as the ever-developing Partridge moves with the times.

BBC comedy boss Jon Petrie revealed the news to Deadline alongside a string of recommissions including for Diane Morgan’s Cunk with Netflix, Dreaming Whilst Black with Showtime, Greg Davies comedy The Cleaner and Man Like Mobeen, along with a new show, Only Child, from the producer of Guilt.

Penned by long-time collaborators Neil and Rob Gibbons and produced by Coogan and Sarah Monteith’s Baby Cow, And Did Those Feet… starts as a homecoming documentary but morphs into something more personal as the character realizes that...

Barbie, Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin are among the nominees at the UK’s sixth CDG Casting Awards.

Lucy Bevan, Olivia Grant (associate), Lucy Downes (assistant) are nominated in Best Casting in a Film for Barbie, with Kharmel Cochrane (Saltburn), Louise Kiley (Banshees of Inisherin), Kahleen Crawford, Carla Morris & Eliza Heslop (All of Us Strangers) and Jessie Frost (Triangle of Sadness) providing the competition.

In the Best Casting in a TV Drama Series category, Nina Gold is nominated three times, for Andor and Slow Horses Seasons 2 and 3, competing against Shaheen Baig, Jonny Boutwood and Carolyn McLeod for Boiling Point and Robert Sterne and Kate Bone for The Crown.

In the TV Comedy category, Heather Basten, casting execs for Dreaming Whilst Black, Extraordinary, Motherland, Sex Education Season 4 and Ted Lasso Season 3 are up for awards. In the Limited or Single Series race are casting execs from A Small Light, Black Mirror Season 6, Somewhere Boy,...

Barbie, Saltburn, Sex Education and Ted Lasso are among the U.K. Casting Directors’ Guild Awards nominees for the 2024 edition of its honors.

The list of nominees for the CDG Casting Awards, now in its sixth year, also includes the likes of The Crown, Andor, Slow Horses and All of Us Strangers.

Nominated productions premiered between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023 and have been selected by members of the guild. The Casting Directors’ Guild represents casting directors in the film, television, theater and commercials industries in the U.K. and Ireland.

“We are delighted to be celebrating the sixth edition of our CDG Awards, recognizing the outstanding contributions of our members,” said CDG co-chairs Jessica Ronane and Rebecca Wright.

Celebrating “the incredible work achieved by casting teams across film, television, theater and commercials, the awards will be held on Feb. 21 in London in partnership with global casting platform Spotlight.

Check out the full list of nominees below.

Exclusive: The Night Manager star David Avery has joined the indie run by the director of buzzy BBC hit Dreaming Whilst Black to aid with a film and TV push.

David Avery joined Bluebird Pictures last year in an official capacity, having produced the company’s 2020 short Greasy Spoon.

Avery, who played Freddie Hamid in The Night Manager and has also starred in Starred Up, Gangs of London and Hanna, is helping with a fresh development slate as the company pivots focus to film and TV.

Bluebird was launched in 2017 by Dreaming director Joelle David but has in the main focused on running the World Cinema Festival. This festival has been placed on hiatus this year as David and Avery focus on their slate.

The slate, Bluebird’s first, features a dark comedy about motherhood and a comedy-thriller about how different cultures deal with death. Bluebird is also working with...

In a year that was defined by as much drama off-screen with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes as there was on-screen, 2023 saw the era of Peak TV come to a bruised end, but not without getting a few last solid punches in.

Ted Lasso sputtered to a pretty standard end as heavyweights Succession and Reservation Dogs made their last bows with exits on HBO and FX respectively that will almost certainly stand the test of time as some of the best finales ever executed. Entering the arena, filmmaker Boots Riley made his small screen debut with the quick witted and startling creatively I’m A Virgo on Amazon Prime Video. From the other side of the Atlantic, Adjani Salmon flexed some serious star power and unconventional wisdom on Paramount+/Showtime with Dreaming Whilst Black.

As the Great Contraction brought cancellations galore, removal of titles, and subscription hikes, one thing...

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for the Such Brave Girls season 1 finale.

Season 1 of Such Brave Girls is now streaming on Hulu with a cliffhanger ending that could be explored further in a potential season 2. The sitcom explores trauma and family dynamics, particularly between mothers and daughters, through a humorous lens. The season finale revolves around a funeral and the possibility of reuniting with their father, adding complexity to the family dynamic.

All six episodes of Such Brave Girls season 1 are now streaming on Hulu, with a cliffhanger ending opening up the opportunity for a possible season 2. The Such Brave Girls cast was also led by its creator, Kat Sadler, who based the series on her own experiences with mental health and the worst parts of herself, her younger sister, and her single mother. After following the three women through various misadventures in love and life, the Such Brave Girls...

“American Fiction,” “May December” and “Past Lives” shared the spotlight with five nominations apiece to lead the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards announced Tuesday. The trio all landed bids for Best Feature along with “Passages,” “All of Us Strangers” and “We Grown Now.”

“American Fiction” was also cited for its screenplay (Cord Jefferson), for Jeffrey Wright’s lead performance and for Sterling K. Brown’s and Erika Alexander’s supporting work. “May December” also landed bids for Best Director (Todd Haynes) and Best First Screenplay (Sammy Burch) as well as for Natalie Portman’s lead performance and Charles Melton’s support. And “Past Lives” was singled out for Celine Song’s screenplay and direction and the lead performances of Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. See the full list of nominees here.

Next with four nominations apiece were “Passages” and the Alexander Payne-directed “The Holdovers.” Besides its Best Feature bid, “Passages...

The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations — see the full list below — were unveiled on Tuesday, December 5, crowning the past year’s achievements in indie film. The actual awards ceremony, taking place on February 24, 2024 in the usual tent on the beach in Santa Monica, is a little less than three months away, but the films nominated today will carry new momentum into the rest of awards season, including the Oscar race. Joel Kim Booster (“Fire Island”) and Natalie Morales (“No Hard Feelings”) were the presenters of the nominees.

“American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” led the Indie Spirits noms with five each, including each of them getting a nod for Best Feature. Todd Haynes for “May December” and Celine Song for “Past Lives” also received Best Director nods. Natalie Portman for “May December,” Greta Lee for “Past Lives,” and Jeffrey Wright for “American Fiction” also received Best Lead Performance nods.

Nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards — the premiere awards event for the independent film and television community — were announced on Tuesday morning by actor/director/writer Natalie Morales and actor/producer/writer Joel Kim Booster, and HBO’s The Last of Us and Prime Video’s I’m a Virgo the TV pack with four nods each.

Netflix’s Beef followed closely with three noms.

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Film Independent announced the 2024 Spirit Award nominees in all the film and TV categories on Tuesday, Dec 5. Only American productions with budgets of less than $30 million were eligible for consideration in the film races. Winners will be revealed on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at a ceremony hosted by Aidy Bryant.

Last year, these kudos eliminated the four gendered acting awards and replaced them with just two prizes: lead and supporting performances (each has 10 nominees). It also added a new category, Best Breakthrough Performance, which has five contenders.

See the full list of 2024 Spirit Awards nominations for film and TV below.

Film

Best Picture

“All of Us Strangers”

“American Fiction”

“May December”

“Passages”

“Past Lives”

“We Grown Now”

Best Director

Andrew Haigh, “All of Us Strangers”

Todd Haynes, “May December”

William Oldroyd, “Eileen”

Ira Sachs, “Passages”

Celine Song, “Past Lives”

Best Lead Performance

Jessica Chastain, “Memory”

Greta Lee, “Past Lives”

Trace Lysette, “Monica”

Natalie Portman,...