Latest news with #Bafta-nominated
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Sci-fi series dubbed 'freshest British drama in years' launched 10 years ago
Exactly 10 years ago, Channel 4 released one of the best tech dystopian series of the decade – and no, it's not Black Mirror. The star-studded 2015 series – featuring Gemma Chan, Colin Morgan and Katherine Parkinson – was set in a parallel near-future universe in which human-shaped robots (known as synths) are part of society. The synths' introduction into workplaces, the home, and the seedy underbelly of the cities has transformed the world as we know it. From having human-like robot slaves cleaning our characters' homes to using their bodies as sex dolls to replacing humans with their synth counterparts in the workplace, the three-season show was unafraid to explore the darker side of human-robot relations. Based on a Swedish drama, the show follows the Hawkins family, who are caught up in a technological web far larger than they ever imagined when they bring synth Mia (Gemma) home, who has depths far deeper than meets the eye. The Bafta-nominated series written by Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley wowed critics and audiences at the time of its release as well, securing an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes for its stellar acting, strong scripts and eerie finger on the pulse. At the time, Empire Magazine called it 'one of the freshest British dramas in years' and Digital Spy dubbed it a 'smart, deftly realised science-fiction with real heart.' New York Magazine said it was 'an impressively fleshed-out show, joining the ranks of other robo-oriented substantive dramas' and the LA Times lauded it for its 'surprisingly nuanced look' at the dangers of artificial intelligence. As laid out by those who watched it, what set Humans apart from the growing genre of sci-fi dystopia was its unapologetic look at the messy morality behind the curtain, and accepting that there was no easy answer. When I find myself looking down the barrel of technologically induced existential doom and looking to indulge, my hand often goes for the TV remote. As a sci-fi nerd and dystopia lover, I have long loved shows like Black Mirror and Orphan Black, but time and time again, I find myself revisiting Humans on Channel 4. Not only does this brilliant cast put on a compelling performance, but the storyline still feels like it could happen at any moment, even 10 years after it first aired. Nowadays, artificial intelligence has become a big part of our everyday lives, from ChatGPT to Character AI to AI-rendered pornography. So the questions raised by Humans around the abuse of women and capturing human consciousness in technology have never felt more relevant. Especially considering our growing co-dependency on technology, in many ways, it feels we are already living out the events of the show. Beyond its pertinent themes, it makes for gritty and grounded television with the human and robot relationships forming the beating heart of the show. Meanwhile, the speculative nature of the show means it goes in weird and wacky places that might not be the most realistic but are certainly fascinating to watch unfold. It is one of the rare times I have found myself rooting for the robots – not an easy feat. Although I think it did lose its way by season three, the first two seasons stand up as vibrant additions to the British sci-fi genre. One fan, RT user Pat K called it an 'uncomfortable watch' and Jared M shared they were 'looking for a new psychological deep sci-fi show that would make me think, and here it is.' Although some of the story arcs, themes or plots may seem outdated, the crux of the show holds up thanks to this layered approach. The first two seasons hold water with water-tight characters and motivations even if, as some fans have pointed out, it does lose steam by the final season with shakier plotlines. Speaking of the ethos behind the show in 2015, the co-creators told Den of Geek there is 'a strain of resistance to sci-fi in British TV commissioning'. More Trending They added: 'But people who are nervous of the term usually actually mean 'space opera' rather than 'sci-fi'. 'We're more the speculative science fiction of ideas, the kind that doesn't go to other galaxies but puts the scary, weird idea right in your living room.' And that they do. For those who haven't watched it Humans is available to stream on Channel 4 now . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Skins star unrecognisable as he reunites with cast 12 years after show ended MORE: Rylan says Celebrity Gogglebox editors had to cut out 'career-ending' conversations MORE: The 7 best 'explosive' Australian thrillers free to watch in UK
Scottish Sun
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I met ISIS bride Shamima Begum in prison camp – I felt sorry for her but saw true colours when I gave her wrong ‘gift'
SHAMIMA SHAM I met ISIS bride Shamima Begum in prison camp – I felt sorry for her but saw true colours when I gave her wrong 'gift' AS Andrew Drury made his way through a Syrian camp looking for notorious ISIS bride Shamima Begum, his mind began to race. Although the intrepid filmmaker had been in far more perilous situations - his nerves started to get the better of him. Advertisement 7 Andrew Drury with Jihadi bride Shamima Begum Credit: Supplied 7 The filmmaker said his view of Begum changed as he got to know her Credit: Supplied 7 The Al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria where Begum lives Credit: AFP But when he was introduced to Begum - who left the UK aged 15 to join ISIS a decade ago in 2015 - he was taken aback. "She was very shaky, very nervous, very shut, emotional, tearful," Andrew told The Sun. Advertisement Father-of-four Andrew met Begum, who grew up in East London, for the first of six times at the Al-Roj camp in Syria in June 2021 while filming for a documentary, Danger Zone. He initially felt sorry for Begum, then 21, and became a close confidant of the Jihadi bride - even securing a Bafta-nominated live interview with her for Good Morning Britain. In less than two years his view of Begum - accused of serving in the feared IS "morality police" and helping make suicide vests - completely changed, however. He saw a colder side when she talked about how the death of her three children no longer upset her and even expressed support of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi. Extreme adventurer Andrew, who has made treacherous journeys to North Korea and Iraq, said at first Begum was a "thin, ill-looking, sad character" who was "very apologetic". Advertisement "We took a long walk around the camp, She started to relax, and she said she used to take this regular walk right around the perimeter of the camp to clear her head," he said. "After the interview finished, we walked back to the room. Normally she'd go off to a tent, but she wanted to come back to the room to get a cold drink. "Then I didn't want to insult her at that point, I wanted to say goodbye - I thought I'd never see her again. How Shamima Begum camps are fermenting twisted next generation of ISIS as kids make 'cutthroat' gesture & hurl firebombs "I said, 'Can I shake your hand?' and she asked for a hug. "So she gave me a hug and started to cry." Advertisement Andrew, from Surrey, said he felt they had formed a connection and believed she regretted turning her back on Western society to join the murderous death cult. "At that point I kind of believed that she was sincere," he said. I actually don't think the death of her children actually bothered her in the slightest. She was not at all affected by it Andrew Drury "I kind of felt sorry for her. I thought at that point she'd been radicalised online, sent out as a prescribed bridge to somebody. "She said she'd made a real bad mistake and really regretted what she'd done. "She owned up to being this person that everybody hates in the UK. Advertisement "And I felt sorry for her, I've got young daughters, not a lot of difference in age, so I thought people do make mistakes, and I should give her a chance." Andrew - whose book Trip Hazard details his experience in dangerous areas - returned to the camp months later after GMB asked for his help to get an interview with Begum. The author, who has exchanged hundreds of messages with Begum, said he noticed a "subtle change" in the former Brit. Begum, who was stripped of her British citizenship in 2019, appeared to have undergone a more "Western" makeover - ditching her hijab and abaya. 7 Andrew secured the Bafta-nominated live interview with Begum for Good Morning Britain Credit: Alamy Advertisement 7 Begum, then 19, pictured in 2019 Credit: Times Media Ltd 7 The former Brit at the camp in 2021 Credit: Getty "She had changed as a character," Andrew said. "She was more short. She wasn't this nervous-cry sort of character. "She looked assured, and she didn't seem such a waif character, and she seemed to be in control of herself and her emotions." Advertisement Andrew told how Begum spent the night before the live interview "rehearsing" with three of her friends In the camp, which is controlled by armed guards. He added: "Her friends said they'd had their music playing and they were tutoring Shamima what to say. "They seemed pretty together about what she should say, and they were schooling her." Begum married an IS fighter soon after arriving in Syria and went on to have three children, none of whom survived. Andrew - who said he had formed a "bond" with Begum - told how after the interview, Shamima opened her purse and showed him photos of her children. Advertisement The tragic loss of his own brother Robert as a child made him sympathise with Shamima's plight. "One of them was a scene where the child must have been eight, nine months old, had chocolate around his face," he recalled. "I said, 'What's that?' and she said, 'Oh we used to like baking cakes'. "And it actually makes me quite sad. It was really quite sad knowing the child had died. "She made it sound like an honour that she had shared these pictures with me, which I guess it probably was, because she hadn't shared them before she said." Advertisement 7 But it was Begum's attitude after Andrew returned to the UK that shocked him - and began to shatter their relationship. "I said to her, 'Those pictures you showed me really upset me, I hope you're okay'," he said. "She messaged back and said, 'Oh, they don't bother me anymore. That doesn't make me sad'. "I thought, was that because she's been traumatised so badly? Advertisement "But I think she is that hard. I think she's calculated. "I actually don't think the death of her children actually bothered her in the slightest. She was not at all affected by it." After meeting Andrew a couple of times, Begum started asking him to bring stuff into the camp for her - including clothes. The dad said he felt "at a crossroads" about whether to take what she wanted. "I felt bad and guilty that I'd be taking somebody that carried out what could have been some atrocities, clothes," he said. Advertisement "But then, probably on the soft side of me, and the fact is, she was a young girl, so I was playing with these emotions, but I took her the clothes from Primark. "We had a bundle of stuff, we took some toys for the children because it's not their fault." But then Begum's requests started turning into demands, Andrew said. "The messages continued," he added. Camps breeding next ISIS generation Exclusive by Henry Holloway, Deputy Foreign Editor and Alan Duncan A CHILD no older than eight draws his hand across his neck in a chilling throat-slitting gesture - the message is clear, "You are not welcome here". Other kids hurl stones, shout and scream - while one exasperated camp official shows us CCTV of two youngsters hurling a firebomb. Welcome to camps al-Hol and al-Roj in northern Syria - the fates of which remain uncertain after the fall of tyrant Bashar al-Assad. It is warned these stark detention centres are now the breeding ground for the next generation of the bloodthirsty cult. And much of this new wave of radicalisation is feared to be coming from the mothers inside the camps. Senior camp official Rashid Omer said: "The reality is - they are not changing. This is not a normal camp - this a bomb." He went on: "They are saying it was ISIS who 'liberated' Damascus - and soon they will be coming here." "And then they want to spread to Europe, to Africa, and then to everywhere." The two sprawling sites hold a total of nearly 60,000 including ISIS fighters, families and children. At least 6,000 Westerners are still held among them - including infamous jihadi bride Shamima Begum, the 25-year-old from London. READ MORE HERE "This time they became slightly more angry, slightly more direct." Advertisement Before he planned to return to Syria again, Begum told him she wanted two books - Guantanamo Bay Diaries and Sea Prayer - which is inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis. Andrew said she was also being schooled by her lawyer about her media presence. He added: "What she declared by then is that she was hostage in a prison camp - where they were legally held. "That's how she started to see herself. All apologies had gone. "She'd done a documentary with the BBC and was on the front of The Times magazine. Advertisement "She'd become a celebrity and was loving all the attention. She'd read all the newspaper articles." Andrew - who returned to the camp with a friend and no crew - took some clothes for Begum with him. I could see things in her I didn't like. I didn't trust her. Her behaviour was poor. She was angry and aggressive Andrew Drury But it was his decision not to take the books she had demanded that revealed her true colours. "I did go back again, but my feelings were already changing towards her," Andrew said. "It was a little boy's birthday, and I felt so sorry for him. Advertisement "He wanted a Superman outfit, so I would have gone just for that, because I spend a lot of time in refugee camps. It's not fair for these kids. "I didn't take the books Shamima wanted because I didn't want to. I didn't want her to have that opportunity to what I saw as studying how to be a victim. "She opened the clothes, said she didn't like them. I mean, this is a girl in a prison camp. "She said, 'I didn't really care about the clothes, it was the books I wanted'. So she became quite aggressive in her nature." Begum's attitude then worsened when Andrew became interested in another girl's story. Advertisement It was one of the final nails in the coffin in the bond Andrew believed they had initially formed. "Shamima had a tantrum that the attention had been taken away from her," he said. "She was like a child that was pretending they were ill. "So during this period of time I was beginning to feel like the connection was gone. "It was broken, and I was beginning not to like her. Advertisement "I could see things in her I didn't like. I didn't trust her. Her behaviour was poor. She was angry and aggressive. "I had found out from other girls what she was accused of, and they told me the same thing that I had heard before, like sewing suicide vests "Things were ringing in my head like she said early on that the Manchester bombing was legitimate because of what happened in Iraq and Syria. "So I didn't trust her." Andrew's last contact with Begum was around two years ago in a fiery text exchange. Advertisement She accused Andrew of "selling her out", to which he shot back: "You've sold your country out." Begum last year lost her final appeal challenging the removal of her British citizenship. She can now no longer fight to overturn the revocation of her citizenship within the UK legal system. Andrew said: "I think she's a danger for what she stood for, and I don't think she could ever come back. "I think she needs to go on trial in Syria for the crimes she committed against the Syrian people."
Metro
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'I had to snort pure glucose': Inside BBC's outstanding 80s crime drama
It's a first-world problem but, while I'm at a chilly, damp Twickenham Studios on Valentine's Day, I can't help wishing the team from The Gold had invited me on set a couple of weeks later. When the Bafta-nominated first series finished, several of the criminals who had stolen and laundered the bullion from the 1983 Brink's-Mat heist – at the time, the biggest robbery in British history – were behind bars, yet DCI Brian Boyce and his compact task force were realising that half the gold remained unaccounted for. The second series rejoins the money-laundering trail in the late 1980s as it splits between the UK and the Isle of Man and the sunnier climes of Tenerife (which also doubles as South America and the British Virgin Islands). 'We'll be filming in Tenerife for eight weeks,' grins Hugh Bonneville, who returns as the dogged, incorruptible Boyce. 'It's a much bigger canvas this time – we shot in some buildings in London that clearly were built on Brink's-Mat money for season one, but this time you see the money leaking out into Tenerife and the tax havens. 'You begin to realise it funded drug imports and the beginnings of the ecstasy boom in the UK. The ripple effect of this one event in November 1983 is remarkable.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video I watch on as Boyce subjects a quivering suspect to a fearsome grilling – with retirement drawing near, the copper clearly intends to leave on a high, and Hugh clearly relished the opportunity to talk to Boyce himself, now in his mid-80s but still a formidable figure. 'Brian took me and [series creator] Neil Forsyth out to lunch as we were starting season one, so I reciprocated after it had been on. He likes to talk about the old days and took me through his entire career: he was on the squad that knocked down the door to get Ronnie and Reggie Kray! 'He was very courteous and thanked us for respecting the way they went about their work, which was very heartening. You get the sense he was a good leader who absolutely relied on teamwork.' Boyce and his team – returning coppers Nicki Jennings (Charlotte Spencer), Tony Brightwell (Emun Elliott) plus maverick newcomer Tony Lundy (Stephen Campbell Moore) – have two main quarries. One is Charlie Miller (Sam Spruell), a minor villain briefly glimpsed in series one waiting it out in Spain for the dust to settle. Now, though, he's back to claim his stash from its Cornish hiding place. 'It's a cat-and-mouse chase around the world as Charlie tries to use his ill-gotten gains to go legit, to be taken seriously and become a financial player,' says Sam. 'He has a strategy and he's very determined – no matter what goes wrong, he will make the best of it. He just keeps going despite the knockbacks, and as an actor I could relate to that, even admire him for it.' Miller, Sam concedes, doesn't quite have the capacity to realise his aspirations, and brings in Joshua Maguire's crooked lawyer Douglas Baxter to assist him. 'Baxter is the brains and has that class confidence and access Charlie lacks,' says Sam. 'They spend a lot of time being cross with each other, a bit like Laurel and Hardy.' Boyce's other prime target is the returning west-country gold smelter John Palmer (Tom Cullen) who, in contrast to Miller, works alone and is sitting pretty as the self-styled 'King of Tenerife'. 'Since he successfully defended himself in court [in season one], Palmer has a sense of freedom,' explains Tom. 'He's fitter, happier and wearing nicer suits. He can grow into his wealth now and enjoy it, having been driven all his life to better himself after growing up in immense poverty. Not a nice person, but fascinating to play.' Palmer's improved physical condition, though, is undermined by a deteriorating psychological one. 'Palmer has this innate confidence,' explains Tom. 'He's always assessing every option, like a chess player. But other factions are moving in on his empire so he's cutting deals and making alliances along with having to juggle his wife, children and mistresses, which comes with its stresses for him. 'I don't know how he had the energy for it all! The gold is infecting him as greed and power become complete obsessions.' More Trending The problems only mount as Palmer starts to sink into cocaine addiction – an experience, laughs Tom, almost as trying for the actor as it was for the character. 'The fake coke is pure glucose, and it absolutely f**ked me. We did one scene, the last of the day at about 8pm, where I had to snort this humongous line in Palmer's private plane, which is just ridiculous – everything in it is gold. I think I fell asleep about 1am.' He wags a finger at me – a final warning in a cautionary tale for the ages. 'Don't do glucose, kids!' View More » The Gold season 2 begins at 9pm on June 8 on BBC One. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: BBC's 'brilliant' true crime drama made me question my own morals MORE: Divisive horror movie full of 'grotesque monsters' now streaming on BBC iPlayer MORE: 'Doctor Who's finale infuriated fans – but the next series will fix everything'
Irish Independent
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘Stick' review: You can hate golf and still enjoy Owen Wilson's warm comedy
There's always been a danger that Wilson, a subtler actor than he often gets credit for as well as an Oscar- and Bafta-nominated screenwriter for The Royal Tenenbaums, could become little more than a catchphrase attached to the laid-back, slightly dopey stoner persona he's perfected, A little bong-smoking aside, he mostly scales back the familiar shtick for Stick (Apple TV+, from today), playing a once great golfer whose career came to a crashing halt 20 years earlier. When it comes to golf, I'm with Mark Twain – 'a good walk interrupted'. Also, those hideous trousers put me off. But you don't have to like or even have a vague grasp of the game to enjoy this gentle, funny comedy from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine). After all, Apple's biggest hit so far is Ted Lasso, which is loved by plenty of people who couldn't care less about football, mainly because it's not really about football – it's about personal growth, second chances and redemption. On the evidence of its first three episodes (the rest follow weekly), Stick covers similar territory, only with more laughs and fewer dollops of sickly sweet life-lesson sentimentality. Wilson's Pryce Cahill, known as Stick, was on his way to becoming golf's biggest star until he had a meltdown on the course during the Ryder Cup. Everyone has forgotten about how brilliant Stick once was. All they remember is him throwing his clubs into a pond and assaulting his opponent. Nowadays, he's reduced to working at a golf range, giving lessons to old ladies and flattering talentless fools into buying expensive clubs. Permanently short of money, he makes a few extra dollars on the side by running low-level bar hustles on suckers with his best friend Mitts (Marc Maron, excellent as always), who used to be his caddy in the good old days. Stick has been divorced for years, yet appears to be still carrying a torch for his ex-wife Amber-Linn (Judy Greer). They agreed long ago to sell the house, which is littered with beer cans, dirty plates and tons of memorabilia from Pryce's glory days, but he's been stalling signing the papers. Even a fat cash offer can't make him budge. It's about more than the house, though. Stick can't let go of his grief for their son, who died when he was seven. A scene of him watching a DVD of the three of them together, which Wilson plays with commendable restraint, will give you a little lump in the throat. When Stick notices a Latino teenager called Santi (Peter Dager), who sneaks on to the range, hitting balls farther than anyone he's ever seen, his eyes light up. Stick recognises straight off that the kid is something special, a real prodigy who, with the right kind of coaching, could go all the way to the top, and take Stick with him. But the kid has no interest in playing golf – or so he says. It transpires that Santi won every kid golf trophy going when he was younger, but soured on the sport when his pushy father, who's no longer on the scene, put too much pressure on him. Nonetheless, Stick persists with trying to persuade Santi to let him take him under his wing to compete on the amateur circuit. This means he also has to persuade Santi's funny, forthright mother Elena (Mariana Treviño, excellent), who's not about to let her son go off with another bullying golf coach. She eventually agrees, provided she goes along with them, Stick pays the travelling expenses and gives her $100,000 up front. Stick takes the cash offer for the house and he, Santi, an extremely reluctant Mitts and Elena head off in Mitts' pristine RV – which isn't so pristine after one of Elena's dogs pees on the bed. Along the way, they're joined by Yellowstone's Lilli Kay as Zero, a spiky golf club waitress who acts as a combination muse/romantic interest for Santi. Stick is not exactly the first sports underdog story we've seen – it's not even the first golf underdog story; that would be would be Kevin Costner's film Tin Cup – and the beats are familiar. With Wilson at his most charming and likeable, however, and the whole cast in similarly tip-top form, it coasts along enjoyably. Rating: Three stars
Irish Post
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Bridget Christie's ‘looking forward to' life on the road again as new tour announced
COMEDIAN Bridget Christie claims she is looking forward to life on the road again as she announced a new stand-up tour. The second-generation Irish woman, who was born in Gloucester to parents from counties Roscommon and Leitrim, will be back on stages across the country when her Jacket Potato Pizza show kicks off in 2026. Bridget Christie has announced a new show (Pic: Natasha Pszenicki) The new live show will take her across the UK from January to March, and Christie is pretty excited about it. 'I am very much looking forward to eating motorway services food again and picking my favourite roundabouts,' she said this week. 'Last year Plymouth won.' The news follows the second successful series of Christie's sitcom The Change airing on Channel 4. Christie wrote, executive produced and stars in the show, which centres on fifty-something heroine Lisa – who, after being diagnosed with the menopause, finds herself indulging in a mid-life crisis which sees her drop her home life for an adventure in the wilderness of the Forest of Dean. The Bafta-nominated comedy saw Christie win the Debut Writer award at the New Voice Awards 2024 in recognition of the first series' success and Best Actor at The Edinburgh TV Awards. Jacket Potato Pizza is Bridget's fourteenth live show. For tour listings click here. See More: Bridget Christie, Jacket Potato Pizza, The Change, Tour
