Television industry

The former culture secretary Nicky Morgan launched the consultation on decriminalisation two months ago, in the aftermath of a rancorous general election campaign in which the BBC’s news output came under fire from across the political spectrum. At the time, Downing Street was picking a fight with the BBC, stopping ministers from appearing on major political programmes and warning of a forthcoming upheaval and a need to cut the corporation down to size. … [Read more...] about TV licence fee could be replaced by broadband levy, says BBC

But the most striking thing about Roseanne is how hugely it jars with our new (or at least resurrected) dominant image of the working class. When it first appeared, it was greeted as a simple novelty, a window on to lives that were seen almost nowhere on TV, unless neutralised by being in yellow, cartoon form. Now, against a backdrop that sees political rhetoric and various media collaborating to demonise the working poor, its scabrous, loving portrait of a normal, sarky, stressed, happy, hard-working, cash-strapped family looks like a radical counter-narrative. Funny, that. Well, I mean, you've got to laugh. … [Read more...] about Lucy Mangan: Roseanne Barr raised the sitcom bar. Shame no one’s done the same since

If it feels like there's no one behind the wheel of the Russian film juggernaut, it's enormously exciting. Anything seems possible: the sense of excitement Hollywood arrivistes must have felt standing in front of a tripod in the 1910s. Back on the Day Watch set, the scene I'm in is a birthday party for the hero's son Yegor, who has fallen in with the Dark Others. It's a full Russian banquet, caviar and meats spilling from the film company's horn of plenty. Bekmambetov's little joke is to fill out this gathering of wrongdoers with Russian celebrities - the free-thinkers and self-motivators who are the glamorous elite powering the new Russia. So there are plenty of luminaries around: rock stars, champion Olympic swimmers, even, in this bacchanalia of expenditure, a communist MP (he leaves early). Nifas Safonov, a famous painter who looks like Jeff Lebowski, is standing next to a topless geisha girl in the centre of the room, the victim of some unfathomable Russian parlour game that my … [Read more...] about The Russians are coming!

This heart-wrenching drama follows a young boy evacuated from the Blitz to the country during World War II. Things aren’t looking good when he’s left in the care of a cantankerous old widower (played by John Thaw in full beard), but this unlikely pair slowly begin to develop a close bond. That is until the past comes knocking.  … [Read more...] about Fun… at the double! In this final special guide to shows to watch at home during the lockdown, a round-up of the best family entertainment on demand

Capitalising on the success of their huge cinematic franchises such as Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the service will include confirmed limited series such as the Star Wars live-action series The Mandalorian and MCU outings for Vision and Scarlet Witch, Loki, and Winter Soldier and Falcon. … [Read more...] about Disney+ US launch date, original series and content confirmed