Latest news with #U&Drama
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Outrageous cast teases second season of scandalous period drama
U and U&Drama's new historical series Outrageous has scored rave reviews, but will the Mitford sisters' story continue? The cast of Outrageous are all keen to return for a second series of the gripping historical drama following its premiere this week. Releasing this Thursday (19th June) on U, U&Drama and BritBox, the six-part first outing follows Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) and her five sisters' ascent to notoriety in the 1930s. While Nancy was becoming a reputable author and journalist, her sisters were either breaking the rules of society or rubbing shoulders with fascists. After taking off the rose-tinted glasses for a key era of British history, will Outrageous continue the scandalous narrative in a second outing? Acclaimed star James Purefoy, who portrays the Mitfords' father, insists: 'They'd be mad not to, I think.' Reach chatted to Purefoy and the rest of the cast at the show's London premiere, and enthusiasm to continue was high across the board. 'I think it's a great show and there's a lot more meat on these bones,' he continued. 'We're only at 1937, with loads more to come.' Along with Bridgerton star Carter portraying Nancy, the Mitford family is brought to life by a crop of both established stars and new talent to watch out for. In addition to Anna Chancellor portraying their dedicated mother, Joanna Vanderham and Shannon Watson portray fascist sympathisers Diana and Unity and Isobel Jesper Jones plays Pamela Mitford, who defied gender norms of the time. Zoe Brough and Orla Hill portray the youngest sisters, Jessica and Deborah and, finally, Toby Regbo portrays the only brother, Tom Mitford. Jones teases of a potential second season: 'There is so much history to cover. It's the tip of the iceberg, there's so much more they go on to do. 'Pamela's story, in particular, is so interesting beyond the 1930s. I really hope that we'll get to do that. If anything it gets more chaotic and more outrageous.' And Hill was equally enthusiastic to return, saying: 'I would love to. 'I'm desperate to because Deborah starts to come out to society and then had a crazy, teenage… her sweet 16 was pretty [crazy], hanging out with the Kennedys. 'One of the most interesting things about Outrageous is you have all those really famous historical figures that we know just trickling in,' she added. 'Having some of that for my character's storyline would be really fun.' From the first episode's surprise appearance of Winston Churchill (Robert Daws), it's clear the Mitfords were one of the most well-connected families in Britain during the early 20th Century. With plenty more history to cover, a second season could feature cameos galore from famous faces as well as plenty more scandalous revelations about the Mitfords.
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Outrageous star had ‘mental block' delivering her ‘offensive' dialogue
Actress Joanna Vanderham admits she had difficulty wrapping her head around her character's fascist views in the new period drama, Outrageous Outrageous star Joanna Vanderham admits she was uncomfortable with some of the dialogue she had to say as historical fascist figure Diana Mitford in the new series. U and U&Drama's six-part period drama reveals more about the life of iconic author Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) and her five sisters. In the 1930s, with war looming and women struggling to find a place in society outside the home, the Mitfords stood out as rebels and pioneers amongst their aristocratic peers. However, their rise to notoriety threatened to fracture the family as both Diana and their younger sister Unity (Shannon Watson) began to associate with British Fascists and Nazis. Reach caught up with Vanderham at Outrageous' London premiere and asked if she found the role of a notable Nazi sympathiser challenging. 'Absolutely,' she said. 'Diana has a couple of lines that refer to what was happening at the time, and I personally found them quite difficult to deliver. 'I'm usually really quick to learn lines, they go in in an instant. But, for some reason, there was like a mental block of, 'I don't want to say this!' 'So some of those political lines, those were hard to say.' Written by Sarah Williams, this new period drama is a must-watch for fans of Downton Abbey, but be warned - it's a historical series like no other. Outrageous takes an unflinching look at the role of British aristocrats in the years leading up to the Second World War, proving not everyone was on the right side of history. Viewers will also get to know one of the most infamous wealthy families of the 20th Century better than ever before. 'What's so remarkable about Sarah's writing is so much of it is about what's between the lines and what's unsaid, the subtext of it,' Vanderham added. 'Which a) I think is really British, but b) when you have a family, you can have those silent communications and the little nods that's sort of like, 'Go on, do it', 'Go on, say it', 'Oh my God! You're not going to say that!' And it's just all silent. 'That's what lends itself to the fact that this was a real family and we were just really lucky to get to spend time together beforehand to really create that camaraderie.' The riveting new series is now streaming completely for free, so there's no excuse not to get totally scandalised by this shocking corner of history. Outrageous is available to stream on U, U&Drama and Britbox.
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
You can now watch all 6 episodes of 'brilliantly seductive' period drama free
If you're in search of some period drama escapism with a splash of sauciness to it, six new episodes are waiting for you on a free streaming service. The appropriately-named drama Outrageous is based on the true story of the Mitford sisters, as told in Mary S Lovell's bestselling biography. This adaptation – available on U&Drama – sees the six sisters in 1930s London, as the storm clouds of war gather and the pillars of aristocracy start to crack. The sib at the centre of this drama is Diana, played by Scottish actress Joanna Vanderham, who kicks things off with a very public and very scandalous divorce. She trades in her husband for fascist leader Oswald Mosley (Joshua Sasse), which earned the real Diana the questionable honour of being dubbed 'the most hated woman in Britain'. In between the champagne and country estates, there's political intrigue in the mix as, elsewhere among the sibs, Jessica (Zoe Brough) pursues an interest in communism, while Unity (Shannon Watson) gets into fascism (what a thing to say – the real Unity mixed in Nazi circles), leaving their parents perhaps understandably bewildered. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Meanwhile, we also have Nancy, played by Bridgerton star Bessie Carter, who's unlucky in love but tremendously good with a pen. On the whole, the Mitfords can't keep out of the gossipy headlines – they're the Kardashians of the 1930s – while their mother (Anna Chancellor) and House of Lords cardholder father (James Purefoy) try to make sense of what their daughters are up to. The best-known statement from the Mitford sisters' long-suffering mother, according to the New York Times, was: 'Whenever I see the words 'Peer's Daughter' in a headline, I know it's going to be something about one of you children.' Celebrated and sometimes scandalous, The Times once summarised the sisters as follows: 'Diana the fascist; Jessica the communist; Unity the Hitler-lover; Nancy the novelist; Deborah the Duchess and Pamela the unobtrusive poultry connoisseur'. Catchy. The six sisters gained much attention for their stylish and – if it wasn't clear already – occasionally controversial lives in high society. Their heyday marked a high-water-mark of the British upper class. Much of what we know about the sisters, and that is dramatised in the show, is because they were prolific letter-writers. They would have probably crushed on social media. If any of that sounds familiar, it might be because you watched the 2021 drama The Pursuit of Love, starring Lily James, which was based on the real Nancy Mitford's novel of the same name, which in turn drew heavily on her sisters' lives. Outrageous has already garnered glowing reviews, with a five-star write-up from Digital Spy, labelling it 'brilliantly seductive television'. Meanwhile, the Radio Times awarded the show four stars, hailing it as 'scandalous' and 'stylish', before adding: 'A series which beggars belief, Sarah Williams's six-part drama could easily be mistaken for a work of fiction, and understandably so.' More Trending The show's writer Sarah Williams said she was drawn to the subject material two decades ago, after a friend told her to read Lovell's biography of the sisters. U&Drama is part of the U on-demand service, which is a free British TV streamer. You can access U&Drama through the U app on your TV or phone, as well as through their website. On the website, you can sign up here for a free account and start streaming all the shows they have on offer – including Outrageous. 'I was completely blown away,' Williams told Vanity Fair, 'because here was everything. Love, death, passion, elopements, imprisonment, suicide.' She added: 'They had passionate opinions, and were prepared to go to jail for what they believed in, were prepared to kill themselves for what they believed in. They were not playing about.' View More » Outrageous is available to stream on U&Drama. 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: This 'hidden gem' period drama took me by surprise – I'm now obsessed MORE: Bridgerton star was cut from Brad Pitt's new F1 movie, says director MORE: My date said I had one drink to impress him – so I downed it
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
A glossy new period drama based on a real life scandalous family starts tonight
Based on a real life family of six sisters, who caused quite the scandal in the 1930s, Outrageous on U&Drama is an addictive period drama With Bridgerton and Sex Education stars, glossy period drama Outrageous, about the real life Mitford sisters - 'the Kardashians of their generation' - is your next binge. Based on Mary Lovell's book The Mitford Girls, this scandalous family saga (tonight June 19, U&Drama, 9pm) is inspired by six aristocratic sisters who refused to play by the rules. Sweeping through the turbulent backdrop of 1930s Britain, this addictive six parter follows the betrayal, romance and radicalisation of these gloriously rebellious socialites. Their controversial antics, including marrying a fascist and being imprisoned during WW2, saw the family splashed all over the press. Also starring Anna Chancellor and James Purefoy, Bridgerton's Bessie Carter (Imelda Staunton's daughter) plays eldest daughter Nancy, who narrates events with an air of Lady Whistledown. Her foreboding voice explains: 'Surely within the decade we'd all have married well and be quietly breeding the next generation of British aristocrats. Unfortunately it didn't quite turn out like that. Instead, within a few years we would have gone entirely off the rails.' Nancy is desperate for her long-term boyfriend Hamish to propose, but he says marriage seems 'so very much not fun.' Diana (Joanna Vanderham) is married to one of the richest men in London - but is seduced by fascist politician Oswald Mosley (Joshua Sasse), while Unity (Shannon Watson) becomes 'the most hated woman in Britain' for defending Hitler. From the start, there's a growing sense of tension that everything is about to unravel. Wonderfully camp and wickedly funny, this is no stuffy period drama - it's an irreverent tale about sisters who followed their passions, to hell with the consequences. Outrageous is airing on U&Drama tonight at 9pm, with all six episodes available to stream There's plenty more on TV tonight - here's the best of the rest.. PUSHERS, CHANNEL 4, 10pm Comedian Rosie Jones is having her moment in the sun - a firm favourite on comedy panel shows, she has now co-created this fresh new series. She plays Emily, who's terminally single, stuck living with her sad dad, and can only find voluntary work. And now her disability benefits have been cut. At her lowest ebb, she bumps into her dodgy old school friend, Ewen (Ryan McParland), who spots an opportunity. If Emily needs money, perhaps she could deliver a parcel for him. 'It seems a bit dodgy,' she says… at first. You can guess where this is going. Who would ever suspect that this nice young disabled charity worker was a drug dealer? But everything soon spirals as Emily begins to get a thrill out of drug dealing. There are plenty of laughs, but it also makes a political point. Rosie says: 'We wanted to show what it's like to be working class and disabled right now - because it's s*** for a lot of people.' MURDER MOST PUZZLING, 5, 8pm Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan stars as Cora Felton, the eponymous Puzzle Lady, in this latest murder mystery series to hit our screens. Based on the best-selling books by American author Parnell Hall, it begins when a strange murder takes place in the sleepy market town of Bakerbury. Local police are baffled by a crossword puzzle left on the body, so they turn to Cora, whose fame as an excellent puzzler, suggests she can help. But Cora isn't who she claims to be, and as she throws herself into the case, she starts to attract allies and enemies in equal measure. Quirky, light-hearted and easy-viewing, this has all the hallmarks of a wholesome whodunit - sleepy village, random murders, interfering amateur detectives and gossipy secrets. Phyllis says: 'It's a bit like Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple on steroids. It's a police procedural, but not as we know it and it's full of great characters.' EMMERDALE, ITV1, 7.30pm Sarah goes for her procedure and is elated when Dr Knapp reveals they managed to retrieve a good number of eggs to test for viability. Later, Charity answers a call on Sarah's phone from the hospital and is horrified by what she hears. Sarah feels caught out when Charity reveals she's found out about her cancer diagnosis. Mandy persuades Paddy to confront his worries for his dad head on, but Paddy is surprised to discover that Bear and his motorbike are missing. EASTENDERS, BBC1, 7.30pm Kat is trying to talk to Alfie about her fears for Tommy, but things go from bad to worse when Alfie tells her she needs to visit Spencer in Australia as he's in turmoil. Tommy tries to avoid Joel, but is shaken when Vicki collars him and warns that she'll implicate him in what happened to Isla if he doesn't keep his mouth shut. Elaine wakes up with a vicious hangover and refuses to engage with Linda, who is still furious.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘Outrageous' review: You'd learn more about ghastly Mitford sisters from Wikipedia than this superficial drama
Six-part adaptation of Mary S Lovell's novel seems like old hat If the miniseries Outrageous (U&Drama, Thursday, June 19, 9pm), about the exploits of the Mitford sisters, had been made 20 years ago, it would probably have looked fresh, innovative, daring and, well, outrageous. The brisk pace. The colourful, screen-filling graphics introducing the characters. The freeze frames. The wry, knowing voiceover. All of these things, in a series set mostly in the 1930s might have marked it out as bracingly original: the fact-based historical drama playfully reimagined using very modern methods.
