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Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Don't miss these gripping TV shows adapted from best-selling books
Some of our favourite novels have been adapted for the small screen. Here are 12 of the best book-to-TV shows to watch out for... TV bosses are taking a novel approach to making shows, with bestsellers being turned into gripping thrillers and captivating dramas. From Game of Thrones to The Handmaid's Tale and Bridgerton, some of our favourite TV shows are based on beloved books. For page-turning new shows, look no further… here we take a look at a dozen of the best book-to-TV adaptations coming soon. A Woman Of Substance, Channel 4 Novel: A Woman Of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford Plot: Fresh from hanging up her Vera hat, Brenda Blethyn is now starring as the inimitable Emma Harte, a poor housemaid-turned-mogul, daughter, mother, lover, fighter and 20th century feminist icon who refused to know her place. Jessica Reynolds plays the younger Emma, with other cast including Emmett J Scanlan, Leanne Best, Will Mellor and Lenny Rush. A rags to riches tale based on the 1979 multi-million bestseller that is still searingly relevant. Brenda says: 'As a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford, it is an unmissable opportunity to play the fierce Emma Harte.' Frankenstein, Netflix Novel: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Plot: Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts this classic tale of scientist Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who creates a monster and brings it to life. Lurching onto screens in November, the monster film stars Oscar Isaac as Victor, Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein's monster and Mia Goth as Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor's fiancee. Watch out also for David Bradley, Charles Dance and Ralph Ineson. Oscar says: 'Playing Frankenstein has been the experience of a lifetime.' Harry Potter, Sky Max Novel: Need you ask? Plot: After an open casting call that sent the nation's parents flying into action, this TV adaptation of novels will star newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione and Alastair Stout as Ron. Each series will focus on one of the books, starting with the debut story The Philosopher's Stone. Some big names are lined up including John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Nick Frost as Hagrid and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. It's bound to be magic. The Thursday Murder Club, Netflix Novel: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Plot: With an incredible cast, including Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Daniel Mays, David Tennant and Richard E. Grant, this adaptation of the cosy crime thriller has been hugely anticipated. The feature-length whodunit, starting on August 28, follows a group of senior sleuths in a retirement home who gather to solve murders for fun, but find themselves caught up in a real case. Director Chris Columbus teases: 'They are facing their own demise, but are obsessed with studying cold cases. It's comedic but also very emotional.' Lynley, BBC1 Plot: Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay star as the unconventional detective duo DI Tommy Lynley and DS Barbara Havers in this new imagining of the hit crime novels. If it sounds familiar, it's already been on the BBC in the past as The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, but this latest version promises a contemporary update. Lynley is a brilliant detective, but an outsider in the force thanks to his aristocratic upbringing. He's paired with Havers, a working-class sergeant with a maverick attitude. But they make a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done. Also features Daniel Mays and Niamh walsh. Author Elizabeth says: 'Watching my characters brought to life on television is a real celebration.' Murder Before Evensong, 5 Novel: Murder Before Evensong by Rev Richard Coles Plot: This six-parter promises all the hallmarks of cosy crime - small village drama, gossip and secrets and a murder that shakes a community to its core. Canon Daniel Clement (Matthew Lewis) lives in the quaint village of Champton with his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless and annoying Audrey (Amanda Redman). But when Daniel suggests installing a loo in the church, the seemingly innocent plan stirs up trouble - and then a body is found in the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs. The cast includes Amit Shah, Meghan Treadway, Tamzin Outhwaite. Waiting For The Out, BBC1 Novel: The Life Inside by Andy West Plot: Based on a memoir, Josh Finan leads the cast as Dan, a philosopher who begins teaching a class of men in prison. He leads discussions about dominance, freedom and luck, topics that ignite passions and create tensions. Through his work, Dan begins to dig deeper into his own past – growing up with a violent father (Gerard Kearns) who ended up in prison, as did his brother Lee (Stephen Wight) and uncle Frank (Phil Daniels). Josh says: 'It's a hugely sensitive, empathic, hilarious and at times deeply emotional story.' Ladies In Black, U Plot: This stylish six-part Australian import is set in the 1960s and follows the lives of women working at a fictional department store in Sydney. At a time of huge social change, they must navigate love, ambition and identity. Miranda Otto, who plays the head of model gowns, Virginia, says: 'I loved the book and thought the TV series was a great chance to take the story further. Also stars Clare Hughes, Debi Mazar, Jessica DeGouw and Azizi Donnelly. Expect glamour, gloss and girdles. The Seven Dials Mystery, Netflix Novel: The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie Plot: Billed as 'Agatha Christie, for a whole new generation'. It's England, 1925. At a lavish country house party, a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong. It will be up to the unlikeliest of sleuths - the inquisitive Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent (Mia Mckenna-Bruce) - to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery. Mia is joined by top British talent, including Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Caterham and Martin Freeman as Battle. Mia says: 'I am thrilled to be part of this new interpretation.' The Walsh Sisters, BBC1 Novel: Rachel's Holiday and Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes Plot: Irish author Marian's much-loved Walsh family are the focus of this Dublin-set saga, based on two of her books. It follows the lives of sisters Rachel (Caroline Menton), Claire (Danielle Galligan), Maggie (Stefanie Preissner), Helen (Mairead Tyers) and Anna (Louisa Harland) as they navigate their 20s and 30s. A comedy with series topics, expect themes of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood. Marian says: 'I love the scripts, they've really kept the spirit of the books.' Steve, Netflix Plot: Cillian Murphy stars in this intense feature-length drama that is based on a book that 'broke his heart'. He plays a headteacher at a college that aims to reform students, with the story taking place over 24 hours. As he and the students try to stop the school facing closure, Steve also struggles with his mental health. The plot also follows Shy, a troubled teenager who is on a self-destructive path. Cillian says: 'I love films that happen in real time, there's immediately an intense pressure on the characters.' A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, Sky Atlantic Novel: A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms novels by George R.R. Martin Plot: Game of Thrones fans, brace yourselves, the world of Westeros is expanding with this second prequel spin-off. Set 100 years before GoT and 100 years after House of the Dragon, this six-parter tells a gentler tale about Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). It's a lighter series, but author George teases: 'It's still Westeros, so no one is truly safe.'
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Reviewed: Murder Most Puzzling, Mitford drama Outrageous
This isn't the first time Phyllis Logan has dabbled in crime. Her gangster's wife in Guilt was more terrifying than any of her character's henchmen, and deserved a series of her own (quick as you like, Neil Forsyth). In the meantime, we will have to make do with Murder Most Puzzling, one of a growing band of 'cosy crime' offerings taking over the TV schedules (Ludwig, The Madame Blanc Mysteries), publishing (Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club) and film (Netflix's adaptation of Osman's book, arriving August). Cosy and crime: it's a difficult combination to get right. Logan's Cora Felton could have gone either way. A crossword setter known as The Puzzle Lady, Cora has come to the small town of Bakerbury with her niece, Sherry (Charlotte Hope), hoping for a quieter life. As per, all is not as it seems, starting with Cora. When a woman is found dead with what looks like a crossword clue in her pocket, the local plod ask for Cora's help. Before you can say a four-letter word for unbelievable, the victims are piling up and Cora has turned into a full-blown sleuth. The oft-married, loves-a-tipple Cora is a likeable sort given added heft by Logan. There's a scene at the start, when Cora is interviewing the parents of a young woman who died in an accident, that could have gone horribly wrong if not for Logan bringing her acting chops to bear. Cora/Logan is also a highly convincing dropper of the F-bomb, a power she uses seldom but well, ditto her Scottish sarkiness. 'Isn't the internet a marvel,' she says while picking a lock. 'All these instructional videos by cheerful men, helping burglars.' The rest is strictly Scooby-Doo, and I'd still rather have a series with Logan as a crime clan matriarch, but I might be tempted back to see how Cora is getting on. Outrageous U&Drama (free to air) *** WHAT ho folks, it's a thoroughly spiffing drama about those game gels, the Mitford sisters. You know the ones: Nancy the novelist, Diana the beauty, the one who went full blown Nazi … There ought to be a verse, like the one for Henry VIII's wives. Published, divorced, fascist … Written by Sarah Williams, Outrageous wisely gives the job of narrator to Nancy the novelist (played by Bessie Carter). It is Nancy who introduces us to the six sisters and one brother. Since he's the lucky chap who will inherit everything, it's up to the rest of them to marry well, a rule swiftly ignored like all the rest. Outrageous is handsomely shot and convincingly shabby in its depiction of the times. A few clunky moments of exposition aside ('Mrs Guinness? Oswald Mosley'), it rolls along like a game of croquet on a well-tended lawn. The first episode - one of six - is a warm-up for what comes next, but Anna Chancellor is already a standout as the mother desperate to get the gels off her hands. Careful what you wish for, 'Muv'. Next week: Diana invites Unity to join her on a trip to Germany.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FTX Limited Series a Go at Netflix With Julia Garner, Anthony Boyle Starring
Netflix has greenlit a series about the rise and fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the two central figures involved — Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison. The streamer has formally ordered The Altruists, which will chronicle how Bankman-Fried and Ellison 'two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye — and then seduced, coaxed, and teased each other into stealing $8 billion.' Julia Garner, who had been in talks to star in the drama, and Anthony Boyle will play Ellison and Bankman-Fried, respectively. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Thursday Murder Club' Is on the Case in Teaser for Chris Columbus Netflix Movie John Mulaney's Fight With Three 14-Year-Olds Was a Bit of a Letdown - Because It Had to Be Netflix, BBC Studios Team on Comedy Podcast 'The Big Pitch With Jimmy Carr' Graham Moore (The Imitation Game, The Outfit) and Jacqueline Hoyt (The Leftovers, The Underground Railroad) will serve as co-showrunners on the series. James Ponsoldt (Shrinking) is set to direct. The Altruists comes from Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions, which has an overall deal at Netflix. 'For nearly three years now, Sam and Caroline's story has been my daily obsession,' said Moore. 'I'm so grateful to my friends at Netflix and Higher Ground for loving this story not only as much as I do, but in the same way that I do. And we can't wait to show all of you why.' FTX went under in late 2022 after a run on customer withdrawals at the crypto exchange brought to light an $8 billion imbalance in its books. Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy; Ellison, who was co-CEO of a related hedge fund, Alameda Research — and Bankman-Fried's former girlfriend — testified against him after pleading guilty to other charges. The Altruists brings Garner back to Netflix, where she won three Emmys for her role on Ozark and also was nominated for Inventing Anna. She'll next be seen in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where she plays the Silver Surfer, when the Marvel movie hits theaters in July. Boyle's credits include FX's Say Nothing and Apple's Masters of the Air and Manhunt. Moore, Hoyt and Ponsoldt will executive produce the series with Vinnie Malhotra and Jessie Dicovitsky for Higher Ground, Scoop Wasserstein for New York Magazine/Vox Media Studios, Tonia Davis, Lauren Morelli and Garner. The Altruists is one of several TV and film projects delving into Bankman-Fried and FTX. Lena Dunham is writing a feature film for Apple and A24, and Amazon's Prime Video ordered a limited series from Joe and Anthony Russo's AGBO and writer David Weil shortly after FTX imploded. On the nonfiction side, Mark Wahlberg's Unrealistic Ideas and Fortune magazine are teaming on a documentary, and Bloomberg has also produced a doc about the company's collapse. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Irish Examiner
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Rev Richard Coles: 'Intense grief is the tribute that you pay for the person you've lost'
Showbiz divas are nothing new to writer, broadcaster and retired vicar The Rev Richard Coles, whose first Canon Clement book Murder Before Evensong is currently being adapted for TV. 'I have spent some time around divas. I've always been rather fascinated by them. 'It's interesting, because a diva is a rather disparaging term for someone who's extremely difficult, capricious – and they can be all those things. 'But often they are operating in a very competitive world and they are doing their thing – and that sometimes mean you take no prisoners. I rather like divas and I have some divas in my life and enjoy their company.' Coles, 63, whose latest tour Borderline National Trinket is a title which arguably sums him up, says he loves fame and indeed has fuelled it with his fair share of reality TV gigs, including Strictly Come Dancing and I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! (he came third in 2024), and his appearances on numerous panel shows, his bestselling novels and several podcasts. Now in an enclave of cosy crime writers – he has known Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club king of cosy crime, for some years – who gather at crime festivals, he says that far from being competitive, it's a very supportive, friendly world. 'When Murder Before Evensong went to number one, Richard sent me a little note saying, 'Do you remember when years ago, we used to talk about murder mysteries? And here we are.' That was very generous of him.' Coles has taken to asking everyone he meets about how they would murder someone in their profession, he continues. 'I had a fascinating conversation with some dentists in Egypt about how they would murder someone, which I'm definitely going to use, and I'm spending an evening with The British Tunnelling Society which will be useful on how to dispose of a body,' he says dryly. Richard Coles. Picture: Matt Crockett Being on set during some of the filming of Murder Before Evensong, due to be broadcast in October on Channel 5 and starring Matthew Lewis (who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films) and Amanda Redman as the canon's indefatigable mother, Audrey, also provided the spark of inspiration for the latest novel, A Death On Location. Set in 1990, it sees Daniel Clement and his sidekick Det Sgt Neil Vanhoo – for whom his interest is both professional and personal – investigating the stabbing of a local woman, an extra on the set of a Hollywood movie being shot at the fictional Champton House in the eponymous rural village. He jokes that his title of executive producer for the TV adaptation isn't as grand as it sounds. 'You get a bacon sandwich from catering,' he muses. 'I get given a set of headphones, then I can walk around looking important. I don't know anything about adapting books for television so I'm very happy to leave that to people who know how to do that. 'I talked to the actors quite a lot, especially Matt Lewis, about what it's like being a priest, with some suggestions.' One of the main characters in his latest novel is acting diva Gillian Smith – not based on anyone he knows but you get the impression he writes with authority – one of an array of suspects along with directors, assistants and others in the film-making process. His fictional diva relies on her minions to do everything for her, is deliberately unreliable and makes outrageous demands – and Coles has witnessed similar in real life, although he's far too diplomatic to name names. 'There are little things, like spectacular lateness. I mean hours late, days late, weeks late. I write a bit about Gillian that whenever she goes out to dinner, her poor PA has to fax instructions to the host saying what she will do and what she won't do. That's all based on real life experience of a certain diva I know. The Rev Richard Coles with his dogs Pongo and Daisy (Matt Crockett/PA) 'If you are cossetted and people jump when you want them to jump, you get used to that pretty quick.' Diva behaviour isn't something completely alien to the former Church of England vicar. He recalls that as a member of Eighties band The Communards it was easy to forget that fame wasn't a natural state of affairs. 'What's tough is when you stop being a pop star and return to civilian ranks. I remember once going to the airport just after The Communards had finished, and just presenting myself at the VIP check-in, and the computer said no. And I thought, 'How could you be so rude?' Then after a while I realised I just wasn't in that category anymore.' These days, he still loves being in the spotlight, he admits. 'I do like attention. Put on a spotlight and I'll run towards it.' His showbiz pals include influencer GK Barry, whom he met on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! He's hoping to work on a new project with her. 'We got on so well and it was such an unlikely friendship and people seemed to enjoy it. I like visiting her world and trying to figure out what's going on and I think she quite likes visiting my world, so may a little trip together would be fun to do. 'I love the TV reality format because you always have a 'bromance', but I've never had a bromance with a 25-year-old lesbian before, and that's great.' He doesn't bring his showbiz life home to East Sussex, he stresses. His partner, actor Richard 'Dickie' Cant, son of the late actor and children's TV presenter Brian Cant, whom he met in 2022 on a dating app, is about to move in. 'I think I'm quite difficult to live with. I'm very chirpy in the morning, which doesn't always go down well. And we have to negotiate our way around things like Match Of The Day. He's not very keen on football. He asked me one day if Arsenal was Spurs. 'He's quite tough, and he doesn't take any messing from me. If he needs to put me right on something, he does, and that's fine. He's just a great guy.' Will he marry again? 'I think so, probably, but all in good time.' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson/PA) He says he's enjoying his 60s enormously, yet life hasn't been all glitterballs and glamour for the famous vicar. He has suffered his share of grief – the death of his husband David from alcohol addiction at the end of 2019 while Coles was still vicar of Finedon, Northamptonshire, of his mother last year and recently his two dogs, Pongo and Daisy. Yet he can see the positive side of grief. 'Intense grief is the tribute that you pay for the person you've lost. So I don't begrudge it at all. I'm used to the feeling of grief.' When he's home, he helps out in his local parish but doesn't have the same day-to-day connections with the community that he had as vicar of Finedon. 'I do miss it – I loved being a vicar, it was great.' But he has plenty to keep him busy. He'll have another Canon Clement novel out at Christmas, is writing a children's book, and away from the spotlight loves cooking and playing the piano. 'I used to be ambitious but that's burned away now and I'm quite content with my life. I don't have a bucket list, the only thing I can think of is that I'd quite like to learn to yodel.' A Death On Location by Richard Coles is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on June 5.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New York Times, Amazon Unveil AI Content Licensing Deal
In its first AI licensing deal, The New York Times Company and giant Amazon have announced a multi-year agreement that will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences in a move the partners said broadens the companies' existing relationship. The idea is to 'bring additional value to Amazon customers and bring Times journalism to wider audiences,' the companies said. More from Deadline Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings Joins Board Of AI Firm Anthropic Amazon's Head Of Unscripted Series Jenny Falkoff Joins Netflix Darren Aronofsky's AI-Focused Studio Primordial Soup Sets Strategic Partnership With Google DeepMind Under the new deal, Amazon is licensing editorial content from The New York Times, NYT Cooking, and The Athletic 'for AI-related uses.' This will include real-time display of summaries and short excerpts of Times content within Amazon products and services, such as Alexa, and training Amazon's proprietary foundation models. The collaboration will make The New York Times's original content more accessible to customers across Amazon products and services, including direct links to Times products, 'and underscores the companies' shared commitment to serving customers with global news and perspectives within Amazon's AI products.' As AI firms suck up vast quantities of data to train their so-called Large Language Models publishers have taken different tacks, some inking deals some seeking the courts. The NYT is suing giant OpenAI and its major investor Microsoft for copyright violation in its use of content. A judge ruled in March that the suit can proceed. Copyright is the issue and 'fair use,' a legal doctrine that allows use of copyrighted material in certain ways and in certain cases. AI companies have often appeared game to compensate publishers on their own terms but are seeking loser restrictions on copyright rules in order to grown and, they said in recent testimony, compete globally. Copyright owners including the Hollywood creative community have pushed back on that, insisting that the laws be upheld. It's not clear if or how turmoil at the U.S. Copyright Office will impact this. A federal judge yesterday declined to issue an order that would immediately prevent the Trump administration from firing the register of copyrights and head of the office, Shira Perlmutter Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Thursday Murder Club' So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
