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holyforalaughtoleap · 2 years

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Colorblind Dragons - Unpacking Adaptations in Amazon’s The Wheel of Time

I was introduced to the Wheel of Time book series written by Robert Jordan several years ago, after having finished reading Pat Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles series and having it recommended to me by fans of both series. I’m kind of an old school nerd - though that word has so little meaning anymore - in that I love writing and reading, but typically engage with those genres considered to be less meaningful and elevated, like fantasy and science fiction. For most of my life, the only fantasy series that was considered even remotely cool or trendy was The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) - I am too young to remember what life was like before the film adaptations of those books came out, but certainly in a post seventeen-academy award wins world, LOTR established an avenue for fantasy to be translated into a visual medium and find success. That success was continued by the more recent adaptation of George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, more commonly referred to by the title of the show adaptation, Game of Thrones. Despite a well-publicized and oft-discussed crash and burn in the last season (personally I would argue that the show really went downhill after the fourth season with only brief moments of brilliance in all four of the later seasons, but that’s immaterial), the fact remains that Game of Thrones was a cultural touchstone for nearly a decade. Between fan theories and instant meme outreach, fantasy had a bonafide success in the small-screen medium - one that could, importantly, be quantified fairly easily by looking at the amount of fan interaction that each episode brought about. Game of Thrones ended not in a blaze of glory as I’m sure HBO would have preferred, but with a whimper that left fans wondering whether another big fantasy series could be adapted in a meaningful and interesting way while still being successful, or whether Game of Thrones would be the closest they could get. They needn’t have worried. Partially owing to the success of Game of Thrones and partially owing to the continued relevance and vaunted space that the series occupies in the literary canon, Amazon began funding a new program set to be called The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power all the way back in 2017. At the same time, Amazon acquired the rights to another popular fantasy series to be adapted for their streaming service - The Wheel of Time. The move made sense - if one is looking for a series to adapt with a major fanbase and a lack of other adaptations that have been made, The Wheel of Time would surely top the list. Having sold over 90 million copies worldwide, The Wheel of Time is one of the most famous and recognizable fantasy series of all time.

As a huge fan I was excited to hear that they would be making the series I loved into a television show. I genuinely enjoyed the first six seasons of Game of Thrones (though, as mentioned above, seasons five and six were more fun to watch than actually good), and as much as I liked reading the books from A Song of Ice and Fire that have been released, The Wheel of Time holds a higher place in my heart. Of course, there are always concerns when a beloved work is being adapted into another medium. Some of these concerns are legitimate, and some are not. I once took a film studies class that was entirely based around the idea of film adaptations, and as such the class consisted primarily of reading the primary text and discussing it before watching the adapted film and discussing the differences between the two. Some of those films managed to exceed the books they were based on, largely due to their intelligent use of the special abilities that visual mediums have for storytelling (for example, I would argue that both 1997’s The Sweet Hereafter and 2010’s Winter’s Bone surpass the texts they are adapted from). Others were less successful, for a variety of reasons. However, entering the class the professor established one consideration that simply had to be accepted in order to discuss adaptation within the class - by adapting a work from one medium to another, you are fundamentally changing it. Whatever you enjoy about a text may still be there or it may not, but the two works will not be the same. The sooner one can accept this simple reality, the easier it will be to critically examine whether an adaptation works or not.

This is, as said above, a simple reality. Unfortunately, many of the larger themes in the discourse of adaptations complicate and obfuscate this line. Particularly as it relates to issues of representation, adaptation can run into questions that are difficult to answer. Is it appropriate to cast a black actor in a role that is described as being white? Is it appropriate simply to plug actors from marginalized groups into roles that do not reflect any of their marginalization? What type of responsibility does a showrunner have to the text vs the culture it operates within? It is perhaps useful at this point to determine whether an adaptation should be faithful to the spirit of a text or the letter of a text. The common critical consensus trends toward the former (think of how French New Wave directors lambasted “The Cinema of Quality'' for being soulless reproductions of books, rather than intentional reframing of narrative through the medium of film), while the more common commercial/consumer thought process typically prefers the latter (think of how Game of Thrones fans were upset at how the direwolves stopped showing up in the narrative after the first several seasons). There is something to be said for both, I suppose - I can see why it would be frustrating for a fan of a series that was not typically considered cool until being adapted to have an artist come and reinterpret what parts of a story are important. Still, that speaks to a failure to recognize the spirit of a text in essence, it is simply couched in the lack of recognition of the finer details that fans pick up on.

So, how does one unpack these ideas when it comes to a show like The Wheel of Time, which has drawn some criticism from fans for so-called color-blind casting? Is the rejection of character descriptions in the text a rejection of the spirit of the text? There is some narrative importance to the way that the characters are described. Rand, the main protagonist throughout the series, is described as being unlike all of his friends from his hometown because he is tall and red-headed. More than simply characterization, this detail matters as his relation to his ancestry relates not only to the logic behind the story (as one can expect from fantasy, there is a prophecy related to how the world will end or be saved, one that ties into where Rand originates from) but also the narrative path that the story takes. It is also worth mentioning that, unlike other popular series like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time does contain important, diverse characters from distinct cultures and racial groups with their own identities and experiences. Much of the world building of the series focuses on the different cultures within the world and the ways that they interact - and had the series been adapted with casting focused on character descriptions, there would still have been a very diverse cast with actors from marginalized groups taking on main character roles. In that sense, it is possible that a true-to-text adaptation of The Wheel of Time could have succeeded in contemporary times, and perhaps avoided questions of representation in media. On the other hand, one must question whether those cultural differences are fundamental to the spirit of the text. Do the characters in the series have to look they were they are described for the story to work? Does the show lose out on anything by changing something like appearances? Is whatever the show stands to lose from such a decision not offset by the value of placing marginalized groups in a position to be meaningfully represented (and also to engage with an industry that frequently ignores them)? This is where adaptation can really get into the weeds, as different groups of people may take completely separate understandings of the spirit of a text away despite reading the same work. It gets further into the weeds when bad-faith arguers paint casting decisions as a choice to minimize the role of white people in a story (which unfortunately does exist, but I’d rather not link and give those views a further platform). The association of those critics who place casting decisions as the ultimate consideration in the quality of a show (particularly along racial lines, prioritizing their own conception of what a literary character looks like over the real world implications of greater representation in media and art) with those who have more narrative or craft based concerns creates an uncomfortable situation for fans of the series but not of the adaptation.

Ultimately, the whole argument amounts to a mere diversion from the issues the show had in the first season. The frustration that fans have felt with the show should be directed at any number of other significant changes/limitations that the show had demonstrated - things like writing towards a narrative purpose, rather than the device of building up tension towards a mystery that never really needed to be, tighter focus on the actual cast members that matter (near two whole episodes focused on a new character that promptly dies, all done to show something that could have been said in a couple lines of dialogue - yes, we don’t want to be told things and we like to be shown things, but everybody needs exposition sometimes so that we can sit in the moments that are actually interesting), and a more cohesive sense of what the show is about. If the show is going to diverge from the books in terms of messaging or story, which it almost certainly has to and is not inherently a bad thing, the show still needs to figure out why it is diverging. Currently, the show seems to be uninterested in adhering to the spirit of the text or the letter of the text, leaving it in a weird zone where it is something new, but not original. It is not the casting that has made the show alternately bland and nonsensical, it is the inconsistent tone and authorial voice - the exact thing that the source material should be there to provide! Discussions of representation (and how to make it meaningful) aside, it is tough to look at the text and see anything that makes it an adaptation of the source text other than the names. That can work in some ways, there are plenty of works that pay little homage to their namesake than the repetition of proper nouns - but there has to be something that makes the series feel like an actual story and not just a chance to film beautiful people in beautiful locations. It is disheartening as a fan of fantasy - a genre already saturated with tropes and formulaic writing - to see a show be so patently uninspired. The closest that the show gets to saying anything interesting is a half-hearted allusion to patriarchy and the wickedness of men in power - fine, an interesting narrative thread to explore in fantasy (even if it isn’t particularly original) but it has to be developed. You can’t just say that men are evil and then go fight monsters with swords and magic - how does the evilness of men tangibly affect the world you’re showing to your audience? Coincidentally (or not, hard to know the intentions of the showrunners at this point), this exact theme is a major element of the book series, as the world was torn apart by men in power and is now largely run by women. Depending on your views of the world, that can be a meaningful parallel to the real world that a showrunner can expand upon and make something meaningful from - but instead, the audience was treated to girl-boss moments where, rather than writing their women to be smart to show that they are smart, they write the men to be stupid to show that the women are smart. You cannot write a character smarter than the author, and unfortunately this often means that “smart” characters in series are simply not as dumb as everyone around them.

Far more than the way that characters look, it is the way that the characters act that make no sense - whether thinking of it in comparison to the source text, or even as a standalone project.

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defjux · 4 years

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Defjux’s Top 100 Hip Hop Albums of The 2010s Took longer than expected but i said i’d get around to it so here it is: 100 of my favorite hip hop albums of the 2010s. Nothing objective about this list, it’s based entirely on personal impact and what albums I found myself going back to the most throughout the last 10 years. It’s my list, so of course that means multiple billy woods, Aesop, Ka, Jam Baxter, Elucid, r.a.p. ferreira, Mach-Hommy, Busdriver, Earl, zeroh, Danny Brown, Oddisee, Doppelgangaz, and Roots albums. I did put together a top 500 list on RYM as well so if there’s something you think is missing here chances are it’s on there somewhere. Also, feel free to let me know what some of your favorite albums of the decade were. Peace.

Chart w/ album titles included Top 500 list on RYM Spotify playlist

As always, you can click the title of each album and it’ll take you to a stream or bandcamp page where you can hear / purchase it 1. Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid 2. Dark Time Sunshine - ANX 3. Billy Woods & Blockhead - Dour Candy 4. Jam Baxter - ...So We Ate Them Whole 5. Armand Hammer - Paraffin 6. Ka - Grief Pedigree 7. The Doppelgangaz - Lone Sharks 8. Cult Favorite - FOR MADMEN ONLY 9. Danny Brown - XXX 10. Busdriver - Thumbs 11. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up 12. Billy Woods - History Will Absolve Me 13. Zeroh - awfulalterations 14. Milo - who told you to think??!!?!?!?! 15. Avantdale Bowling Club - Avantdale Bowling Club

16. Mach-Hommy - Dumpmeister 17. Dr. Yen Lo - Days With Dr. Yen Lo 18. Mr Key & Greenwood Sharps - Yesterday's Futures 19. Melanin 9 - Magna Carta 20. Armand Hammer - Rome 21. CunninLynguists - Oneirology 22. Oddisee - The Good Fight 23. Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time 24. Open Mike Eagle - Hella Personal Film Festival 25. The Roots - How I Got Over 26. Aesop Rock - Skelethon 27. Has-Lo - In Case I Don't Make It 28. Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition 29. Qwel & Maker - Beautiful Raw 30. Roc Marciano - Reloaded 31. Edward Scissortongue - Better.Luck.Next.Life 32. Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Hiding Places 33. Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs 34. Mach-Hommy - HBO 35. The Doppelgangaz - Hark 36. Quelle Chris - Guns 37. Milo - budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies 38. Hermit and the Recluse - Orpheus vs. the Sirens 39. L'Orange & Stik Figa - The City Under the City 40. Jam Baxter - Mansion 38 41. A Tribe Called Quest - We got it from Here... 42. Elucid - Save Yourself 43. El-P - Cancer 4 Cure 44. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly 45. Black Milk - No Poison No Paradise 46. BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah - Sour Soul 47. Blu & Exile - Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them 48. Deca - The Ocean 49. lojii & Swarvy - DUE RENT 50. TheParadoxicalState - Dark City 51. Onry Ozzborn - c v p ii d 52. Busdriver - Perfect Hair 53. Zeroh - 0 Emissions 54. Super Chron Flight Brothers - Cape Verde 55. Cavalier - Private Stock 56. Slauson Malone - A Quiet Farwell, 2016–2018 57. Little Brother - May the Lord Watch 58. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana 59. Milo & Kenny Segal - So The Flies Don't Come 60. Serengeti - Family & Friends 61. Captain Murphy - Duality 62. Lil Ugly Mane - Oblivion Access 63. Cities Aviv - Raised for a Better View 64. Death Grips - Bottomless Pit 65. Skyzoo & Pete Rock - Retropolitan 66. Emay - Ilah 67. Signor Benedick the Moor - El Negro 68. Jalal Salaam X ewonee - Past Lives 69. Pink Siifu - ensley 70. Yugen Blakrok - Anima Mysterium 71. Anguish - Anguish 72. H.I.S.D. - The Weakend 73. Kill the Vultures - Carnelian 74. MIKE - May God Bless Your Hustle 75. Willie Green - Doc Savage 76. Homeboy Sandman - First of a Living Breed 77. Royce Da 5'9 & DJ Premier - PRhyme 78. Oddisee - Tangible Dream 79. Noveliss - Kenjutsu Under The Moonlight 80. Earl Sweatshirt - I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside 81. The Roots - Undun 82. MEDSLAUS - Poorboy 83. yU - the EARN 84. clipping. - There Existed An Addiction To Blood 85. Jean Grae & Quelle Chris - Everything's Fine 86. Run the Jewels - RTJ3 87. Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth 88. Elzhi & Will Sessions - Elmatic 89. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city 90. The Roots - ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin 91. Code Nine & Purpose - Below Sumerian Skies 92. Your Old Droog - It Wasn't Even Close 93. Lushlife & Botany - The Skull Eclipses 94. L'Orange & Jeremiah Jae - Complicate Your Life With Violence 95. NICKELUS F & SHAWN KEMP - TRICK DICE 96. Paranom & Purpose - Life Outside The Frame 97. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata 98. Sadistik - Haunted Gardens 99. JPEGMAFIA - Veteran 100. Benny the Butcher - Tana Talk 3

#music recommendations #top 100 #2010s hip hop #favorite hip hop albums of the decade #aesop rock #billy woods #ka #elucid #oddisee #the roots #r.a.p. ferreira #busdriver #jam baxter #armand hammer

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soviet-history-detective · 4 years

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What is the cost of not respecting boundaries?

(For those who haven’t seen, Part 1 and Part 2) A quick rundown for the people who are wondering what’s going on: Hello, folks. I am one of the leading Chernobyl/Legasov researchers who runs this youtube channel. I found the audio fragments of Legasov tapes which became quite a hit and received praise from Craig Mazin. Legasov tapes, which the migty HBO couldn’t find with their Russian-speaking consultants and millions of dollars of budget. I found rare photos and pre-Chernobyl videos of Legasov, translated a substantial amount of documentary material on Soviet near history topics, a good chunk of that being on Legasov and Chernobyl. I am a live and let live kind of person and I was willing to look the other way with the Valoris shipping business cause “they were shipping the tv show characters and fangirling about the actors” so I ignored it and posted historical information, answered questions, unearthed and translated documentary videos and text material. Then I abruptly stopped and went quiet cause the shipper gang went too far and started writing gross shit, rape fantasies and dragging real people who weren’t even in the tv show into their godawful fics -one of them being someone I highly admire, respect and look up as an inspiration and role model notwithstanding.

They didn’t stick to Valoris, they had to involve the people who were not in the script at all. People whose names they learned from me. They had the audacity to discuss their fucked up fantasies (which they call headcanons) right under my nose, they couldn’t control themselves since they are completely driven by base animal instincts and some of them are downright sociopaths with no boundaries: Rabid and depraved, driven only by the primitive sexual instincts, with a two digit IQ, no understanding of boundaries, ethics, morals, completely bereft of common respect and decency. It’s creepy as hell -run for the hills kind of creepy. (When I say no ethics and morals I don’t mean only sexual perversions. One of them is notorious for plagiarizing other people’s content in multiple social media platforms and acting indifferent when called out.) So I got creeped out, grossed out, infuriated, disillusioned and went quiet. Blocked everyone who was associated with Valoris to avoid their gross thirst talks. Blocked the tag too. Stopped posting new finds after the last Legasov video compilation. Stopped translating videos and text material for a long while.

They are way past normal shipping. This is some seriously fucked up shit. Here are a couple of examples (Warning: Gross content, rape fantasies, scroll past the images and continue reading below if you can’t stomach or are a minor)

Here is more rape:

Their biggest argument is “We are writing fics about the fictionalized tv show characters” which is total and utter bullshit, because:

Nikolai Ryzhkov was not in the tv show at all.

Neither was Vladimir Gubarev. Why are they in those fics?

This isn’t all, there are public posts here where they were bouncing ideas and coming up with the most abhorrent fantasies about a real person who was NOT in the tv show. I don’t have the time to search them, plus they are really gross, you are better off not seeing it. (A paranthesis here: I’m totally indifferent about explicit fics if they involve only fictional characters and not promote rape culture. Just to make things clear.)

If you are using the names of real people, you are shipping real people. Period. I can write a fic using the shipper gang’s names in an alternate reality setting where they are an evil gang of cannibalistic cunts who raid maternity wards and butcher all the babies then burn puppies ad kittens alive for fun. Or I can write a fic where they all get sodomized with saguaro cacti dipped in ghost pepper sauce by sadistic rogue KGB agents. It’s fictionalized versions of them in an alternate universe after all, so it’s totally ok. Right? Well, there really is no point arguing these things, and that is not even the point of this post. I’m just saying it’s fucked up, creepy and wrong in every way.

Not to mention they bully and gaslight people who speak up against them. Grown ass women bullying a 15 year old and adding a transphobic comment after learning they are trans is NOT COOL. @ihatefandomsfuckyouall can testify as the target of their bullying. That’s wrong and creepy as hell.

HOWEVER. Like I said in the previous post, this won’t be about a holy jihad against shipping or some big anti-shipper crusade. Nope, nope and nope with nope sauce.

Ship away, ship all you want, ship till you drop, ship till you turn Fedex green with envy. I am not here to lecture sociopaths driven solely by primitive sexual instincts and bereft of any kind of boundaries, morals, common respect and decency. There is nothing I or anyone can do about it. Like i said, I have no intention of trying to talk sense into anyone or giving sermons. So rest assured that I am well aware it’s pointless and stupid to wage a war against shipping, however gross and vile it is. I can’t stop you from sexualizing anything that walks (or has been long dead) and spewing sick ass fantasies. I will repeat for those with two digit IQ: I know there is nothing I or anyone can do to stop you from doing what you are doing, absolutely nothing. So I will do NOTHING. Got it? Whoever claims otherwise is full of shit, I will do absolutely NOTHING, you got my word 100%.

Seriously I won’t hate on you, I won’t call for holy wars and witch hunts. So, rest assured, I will not make any move against any of you, nope. Besides I don’t have the time for that, I have a busy life and better things to do. No war, no hate, no screaming, no drama, nothing. Is that clear? Capiche? Comprende? Понятно?

Well, now let’s get to the heart of the matter:

I have been quiet but not idle. I’ve been contacting people, sending queries, making phone calls, digging state archive repositories. I have been finding material and boy did I find material! I happen to be one of the very few people who are blessed with an extraordinary ability to find things no one else can find. You have seen what I can find by utilizing search engines and going through links. Even Craig Mazin himself was mighty impressed with my finds, the proof is out there in public view, I won’t bother digging it up now.

Anyway. It turns out I can find hell of a lot more than that by contacting people, sending queries, making phone calls and digging through state archive repositories. Some of it costs pretty penny but no matter, I don’t mind paying for never-before-published video footage that is not on the internet. Some of it is not even digitized so you gotta pay extra fee for digitization and it can be quite high depending on the video length and media.

We are talking about HD videos here. There is excellent AI video processing software out there which can turn even the most primitive 19th century videos to crystal clear 60 fps HD so we are good. (Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbElEqm1TQ) I have photos that can’t be found by searching the internet. You’d drop dead if you saw some of them. I’m working on getting the full footage of Legasov’s IAEA presentation. It’s hella difficult, you have to personally go to Vienna and go through the seven hells and seven lower hells to obtain access. Also you need to be a research scientist with a reference letter. (All this info and list of requirements can be found on IAEA official site.) I won’t get into the details but I have it all sorted out, scientist and all. It wasn’t easy and it took a damn lot of time, effort, pulling family connections etc. Now the only remaining roadblock is this accursed coronavirus. As soon as the pandemic subsides a trip to Vienna shall be in order. The long Q&A session following Legasov’s report is unfortunately not available, but Legasov’s report certainly is (after fulfilling a laundry list of requirements.)

This is not all. There are photos (in addition to the publicly available ones I posted before) and video footage of Ryzhkov visiting Chernobyl, Legasov’s meetings, partial video of one Polituro meeting. There is this one precious footage where Legasov is laughing and drinking vodka. I won’t even say how many hours of work it took to find that. (Plot twist: I’m not the one who found it!) I have a pile of videos of Ryzhkov when he was the chairman of the council of ministers of the USSR, which are historical records of tremendous importance and not on Youtube. Buddies who have seen them had insta-man crush on him without even hearing my translation. Some of you would KILL for those, I know for a fact. For the Legasov drinking-partying video you would sell your soul to the devil (who wouldn’t?)

I have an IAEA report with an extremely rare photo you can’t find by searching. I won’t tell you who is in it cause I don’t want to supply anything you could use for your gross fics. Suffices to say one of them is someone you are drooling about and the other one is a big shot name that’s not on your radar and will unleash all kinds of fic ideas once you hear it. So nope. I ain’t giving you another Ryzhkov, I learned my lesson. I have video footage of that same man giving high praise to Legasov, talking with a tone of fondness, defending him against accusations. Such a sweet video. It put tears in my eyes. I can see you gang drooling a lake over that one so hell fucking no.

Did I mention I started translating Legasov documentaries? Every single one on youtube. Including the entire Звезда Полынь. Also planning to convert some Legasov footage to HD using the aforementioned software tools.

I have actually been posting videos and text material translations left and right, just out of your sight (nice rhyme, isn’t it?) 90% the material I listed above is either in the pipeline or in my hard disk. @tryingtobealwaystrying can verify. She helped out a great deal with the IAEA business and I owe her one for that. We are both individually damn good at finding stuff but it turned out we can work wonders as a team. As a result, we have a treasure trove of the highest order in hand and in the works.

And, here is the deal: YOU WILL SEE NONE OF IT.

N.O.N.E.

Not a shred. Not a pixel. Nothing. Ничего. Совсем нет.

Get it now? “You didn’t see it cause it’s not there!”

You won’t see it cause it won’t be there!

So, this is it. I can’t do anything about your shipping scumbaggery but I can cut off your supply and deprive you of material and information. You will NEVER be able to find any of it on your own (let alone afford the fees for.)

I will deprive you of the fruits of my labor.

Indefinitely.

Of course that doesn’t mean I’ll keep it all to myself. I will share them but not in public. In fact I have translated and posted some videos you wanted real bad, one of them got 1000 views overnight but they are not public, for my work is not for the eyes of the wicked and unclean miscreants. I post them in shipper-free foreign forums you can’t find and send links privately to decent, wholesome people who are interested in Chernobyl and Soviet history for the passion to learn and admiration for the historical figures, not for spinning depraved fantasies and writing horrendous, projectile-vomit-inducing sex fics. And -as those of you who possess three digit IQ’s might have figured out!- I am not alone in that. (Plot twist FTW!) Congrats, folks. You managed to alienate and drive away the top Chernobyl-Legasov researchers and translators with your hideous debauchery, extreme scumbaggery and abominable attitude. So, this is your punishment: NOTHING. This is the consequence you will deal with. This is the cost of your choices.

A big nothing is all you will ever get from now on.

See, told ya, there is absolutely nothing I can do about your gross shipping and scumbaggery so I will do NOTHING.

Got the joke? LOL. I have awesome humor don’t I :)

No more videos. No more photos. No more answers. No more translations. No more information.

You royally fucked up, people. You don’t get to eat the cake and the icing, especially not when you offend and insult the cooks, take a dump in the middle of the restaurant and masturbate while rolling in it. You could have kept it out of sight. You could have exercised some goddamn tact. But no, you had to behave like animals in heat.

Well, you can continue obsessing over the TV show scripts until you get sick of it. I will be posting translations of different parts of Soviet history like the WW2 era. You can ship Hitler and Stalin all you want. Get those headcanons rolling! I will even give you a prompt: Stalin cheats on Hitler with Mussolini. LMAO.

You know what, I take back the not a pixel thing. We may post screenshots from the videos and low-res crops from the photos from time to time just to rub it in your face.

Here is one where they are grilling Velikhov shortly after Legasov’s suicide. Oh boy you gotta see his face when they start bombarding him about Legasov’s death....

Here is the shot from a long video where the legendary Premier Ryzhkov is sporting the legendary 80′s Soviet glasses in all his superlative handsome glory. He is giving an interview about important historical turning points in this video and this isn’t even the best shot. You have to pay to get a copy but before that you need a superpower-like ability to find where it is in the first place. I scaled it up to 1440×1080 but not gonna put the high resolution version cause I’m such a darling.

Here is Ryzhkov in the famous white work attire of the Soviet era. Looks familiar, yes? Do I need to tell WHERE he is and what he is doing? (Hint: The year is 1986.)

Oh man, oh man. How worried he looks, so heart-wrenching. The footage is only about 3 minutes but absolutely solid gold. I won’t say whether there is Legasov or Scherbina or BOTH of them appearing in this footage cause I’m such a sweetheart.

Unfortunately I am not at liberty to post any Legasov shots cause I am not the finder of the Legasov videos we currently have at hand. Too bad, so sad. There you go. Enjoy your cold dish of nothing. Bon appetite. Adios amigas! WHAT IS THE COST OF NOT RESPECTING BOUNDARIES? @tryingtobealwaystrying @the--arch @ihatefandomsfuckyouall @rarravai @weronikaisback @live-long-and-time-warp @tryingtobealwaystrying @chernobylgal86

#chernobyl #valery legasov #legasov #boris scherbina #valoris #chernobyl nuclear disaster #Soviet History #soviet union #ussr #shippers take all the fun out of life #like cockroaches in the picnic #this is why we cant have nice things #ACCESS DENIED #NO SOUP FOR YOU

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tellytuber · 4 years

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12 shows of 2019

I recently started what will most likely be my top shows of 2020 when I realized I never posted my 2019 list! Better 7 months late than never. Without further adieu:

The new (and sometimes old) series and seasons that made my year.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A random S3-7 rewatch inspired me to play around with my own rip-off story that I became very obsessed with.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency [BBC America]: An extremely fun weird beautiful ride that deserved at least 1 or 2 more seasons.

90 Day Fiancé (the franchise) [TLC]: Trash tv at its finest. For added fun and generational whiplash, concurrently watch the pioneer of voyeuristic reality tv: Michael Apted’s Up series.

Better Things (S3) [FX]: It started great and gets better and better every year. Like Pamela Adlon herself.

Workin’ Moms (S2) [CBC/Netflix]: This season reinvented the meet-cute, smartly swapped main/side characters, and delivered a wallop of a season finale that perfectly bookended the premiere.

Claws (S3) [TNT]: The season that finally delivered on its premise in the weirdest, bloodiest, and most fabulous ways.

Silicon Valley (final season) [HBO]: A solid ending for a solid comedy that brought me a lot of joy over the years.

The Other Two [Comedy Central]: The freshest funniest new thing! Quirky. Delightful. Relatable. And just enough emotion and love without crossing into saccharine. Also, it introduced me to Josh Segarra, who I am now in love with.

Barry (ronny/lily) [HBO]: This. Episode.

Legion (final season) [FX]: From the psychedelic premiere alone, I knew this was going to land on my list again. As much of a visual and auditory work of art as ever, this final bow tightened up the story enough to be a satisfying ending. Also, this ship.

Succession (S2) [HBO]: L to the OG. Boar on the floor. Holly Hunter. Cherry Jones. Stefan Strauss. Gerri and Roman. Brian Cox in every scene. Jeremy Strong’s face. No other show feels like a tight coil in your stomach waiting for the pin to drop while you laugh at filthy insults.

On Becoming a God in Central Florida [Showtime]: This bizarre murky pastel colored 90′s-set dark dramedy immediately hooked me in with its oddness. By the time Dunst’s Krystal took a bird-induced surreal odyssey through Floridian suburbia I was absolutely in love.

Lodge 49 [AMC]: A gem. Influenced by two of my most beloved series: Cheers and Peep Show, I was bound to love this. But it is a masterpiece all on its own. So funny and so sad. It manages to oscillate between silliness and philosophy. It is literary in both text and image. So deeply human in its study of the journey to find meaning in contemporary life. Such a unique meditative show didn’t stand a chance, but the cancellation hurt like the devil nonetheless. (Even more so when not long after AMC premiered a slightly similar show with bigger names and a flashier premise.) Go watch seasons 1 & 2 on Hulu!

#top shows of 2019 #buffy the vampire slayer #dirk gently's holistic detective agency #90 day fiance #better things #workin' moms #the other two #barry #silicon valley #legion #claws #succession #on becoming a god #lodge 49 #tv review

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redcarpetview · 4 years

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2020 AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL WRAPS WITH CELEBRATION OF WINNING FILMS AND FILMMAKERS VIA ‘THE BEST OF THE ABFF AWARDS’

LOS ANGELES, CA, August 31, 2020 – The 24th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF), which took place August 21 - 30 virtually via the newly launched ABFF PLAY platform, wrapped ten days of festivities with ‘The Best of the ABFF Awards,’ hosted by Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker with a simulcast on IMDb (www.imdb.com). Presenters included: Lee Daniels (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), Laz Alonso (The Boys), Bevy Smith (BEVELATIONS), Logan Browning (Dear White People), Sinqua Walls (American Soul), La La Anthony (Power) and Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods). The ceremony closed with an emotional performance by Grammy Award-winning Gospel and R&B Artist Bebe Winans singing his new single Black Lives Matter. The full awards show and highlight reel of ‘The Best of the ABFF Awards’ is available to watch on abffplay.com and www.imdb.com/festival-central/abff/

The Festival, available online for the first time, drew a global audience from 85 countries around the world. The robust program featured 90 films representing the best in independent Black cinema, virtual networking events, studio screenings, and 30 conversations and panels featuring Stacey Abrams, Kenya Barris, Mary J. Blige, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Yara Shahidi, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Yvonne Orji, Gabrielle Union, Radha Blank, and Lena Waithe among others. Jemele Hill hosted a one-on-one conversation with Blige powered by Cadillac, who was also this year’s festival ambassador.

With a track record for recognizing Black filmmakers on the rise, this year’s competition attracted a record number of films, over half from first-time filmmakers and the most from female directors in the festival’s history. The festival’s international entries included films from more than ten foreign markets including: Belgium, Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mozambique, Canada and the United Kingdom. It also marked the introduction of the first annual John Singleton Director Award for Best First Feature for a director of African descent.

2020 American Black Film Festival Full Winners List:

HBO Short Film Competition (presented by HBO, Prize: $10,000 for winner; $5,000 for finalists)

Dolapo Is Fine, directed by Ethosheia Hylton, screenplay by Joan Iyiola, Chibundu Onuzo

Jury Award - Best Director (presented by Cadillac, Prize: $10,000)

Hisonni Johnson, Take Out Girl

John Singleton Director Award for Best First Feature (presented by Netflix, Prize: $5,000)

Solomon Onita, Jr, Tazmanian Devil

Jury Award - Best US Narrative Feature (presented by Prudential, Prize: $2,500)

Curtis, directed and written by Chris Bailey, produced by Kimberly Hwang, Chelsea Davenport and Desi Bee Richardson

Jury Award - Best Screenplay (presented by BET, Prize: $2,500)

Addison Henderson, G.O.D - Givers of Death

Jury Award - Best International Narrative Feature (presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Prize: $2,500)

The New Normal (Nigeria), directed by Teniola Olatoni, written by Tunde Babalola, produced by Sourmash Stories

Jury Award - Best Documentary (presented by Amazon Studios, Prize: $2,500)

Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, directed by John Carluccio, written by Tracy E. Hopkins

Jury Award - Best Web Series (presented by Xfinity, Prize: $2,500)

Loving in America, directed by Jason Gudasz, written by Bianca Cristovao

Fan Favorite Movie

Death of A Telemarketer, directed by Khaled Ridgeway, produced by Datari Turner, Meagan Good, James J. Yi

“We are overwhelmed by the support of the community that made this year’s festival possible,” said Jeff Friday, founder and CEO ABFF Ventures. “We were very encouraged to see a record setting number of submissions, the willingness of our corporate partners and Black talent to stand with us during these uncertain times and the response of our audience around the world. While we look forward to returning to Miami for our 25th anniversary next year, we are thrilled to have been able to reach a new audience for ABFF this year.”

Sponsors included WarnerMedia, HBO® (Founding), Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (Presenting Sponsors); Comcast NBCUniversal, Amazon Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Endeavor Content (Premier Sponsors); Cadillac, IMDb, Netflix, Motion Picture Association (MPA), Jeff Friday Media, Prudential Financial, Starz, a Lionsgate company, UMC, Verizon Media (Official Sponsors); AspireTV, BET, Facebook, Moet Hennessy, Morgan Stanley, New York University, PEACOCK, and Universal Production Music (Supporting Sponsors); Blackfilm.com, Black Information Network, Film Independent, and Variety (Marketing Partners).

For more information on ABFF and up-to-date news, go to abff.com and follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook. Join in on the conversation by using #ABFF20 and #ABFF.

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heroicadventurists · 5 years

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HBO Max-Green Lantern John Diggle Stewart

Greg Berlanti has made his mark on the DC Universe, as he is the executive producer on all of the Arrowverse shows, Black Lightning, Titans, Doom Patrol and Stargirl. His IMDB page also lists a new animated series about Slade Wilson called Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons for CW Seed and a Booster Gold title.

Berlanti will have two shows on the upcoming HBO Max streaming service, Strange Adventures and Green Lantern. Currently there is no information surrounding Green Lantern, but with Berlanti’s involvement with the Arrowverse, what if the Green Lantern show follows John Stewart, who was revealed to be John Diggle on Arrow.

John Diggle has been a fan favorite on Arrow, becoming so popular that he was introduced into the comics on Dec 2013 (Green Arrow Vol 5 #24). Last season, it was revealed on Arrow that the John Diggle on Earth-90 took his step-father’s surname (Stewart) and became the Green Lantern in his Universe. The Green Lantern show can follow up with this revelation and show Diggle’s journey in the Lantern Corp (especially with Arrow being cancelled).

The only question is which John Diggle do you use? I would use the Earth-90 version of John Diggle Stewart, that way he is not technically part of the Arrowverse but he’s still a familiar character. Using the Earth-90 version will also tie-up any loose ends with John’s family on the Arrowverse (Lyla, John Diggle Jr & Connor Hawke).

David Ramsey has done a phenomenal job playing Diggle over the years. He has a great look, has been grounded and often times is the voice of reason on the show. It would be amazing to continue Diggle’s journey with him joining the Green Lantern Corps.

Do you agree? If not John, who do you want to headline Green Lantern?

#dc #dc comics #hbo max #dc cw #dc cw universe #green arrow #arrowverse #john diggle #john stewart #green lantern #green lanter corps #greg berlanti

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makeuptips10-blog · 6 years

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12 Romantic Comedies Where the Fashion Is Almost Better than the Movie

New Post has been published on https://www.claritymakeupartistry.com/12-romantic-comedies-where-the-fashion-is-almost-better-than-the-movie/

12 Romantic Comedies Where the Fashion Is Almost Better than the Movie

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There isn’t a romantic comedy that I won’t watch. Whether it’s Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant struggling to survive in the Midwest or Drew Barrymore having her first kiss in a baseball field, I’m all in. But I’m not blind either. There are more bad rom-coms than there are amazing ones, and I’ve watched my fair share of stinkers. But even if the plotline isn’t good, I’ve always found a silver lining: the clothes.

Rom-coms have their recurring tropes: the final-act kiss, the flirty quips between the leads. But one thing that I can almost always rely on when I watch a rom-com is fabulously dressed characters, from the hot-pink dresses Isla Fisher wears in Confessions of a Shopaholic to the drop-dead-gorgeous wedding gown in Crazy Rich Asians. To fuel your fashion-loving moviegoer, we’ve rounded up 12 rom-coms where the style is almost (if not) better than the story. The plots can sometimes disappoint, but fashion will always be a highlight.

The Devil Wears Prada

No fashion film list is complete without 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada. The film, which centers on Andy Sachs, an assistant at a high-fashion magazine, is filled with fun fashion moments, from the beautiful coats and bags that Miranda Priestly flings on desks to the iconic montage of Andy transforming from a bargain-bin shopper to one of the most well-dressed employees at Runway magazine. Though the film barely qualifies as a rom-com (Andy’s romance takes a back seat to her relationship with her boss), there are more than enough fashion moments to enjoy.

Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Sex and the City

Rom-coms have always been associated with fashion, but Sex and the City took it to the next level. The HBO TV series premiered its first film in 2008, and though the storyline was met with mixed reviews from fans (don’t even get us started on the second movie), the fashion didn’t disappoint. From Carrie Bradshaw’s dreamlike Vivienne Westwood wedding dress to the many colorful and fashion-forward looks all four of the women wear, the fashion in Sex and the City make it a must-watch even if you have lukewarm feelings about the franchise as a whole.

Photo: Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic.

Photo: James Devaney/WireImage.

Crazy Rich Asians

2018’s Crazy Rich Asians was history-making in more ways than one. In addition to its all-Asian cast, the movie was a damn good rom-com, and it included one of the genre’s most well-known tropes: amazing clothes. The film is about an American professor who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend—unaware that he’s the heir of one of the country’s wealthiest families. The storyline is a breeding grown for beautiful, luxurious clothes, and it doesn’t disappoint. From the gold hand-painted wedding dress that Araminta Lee walks down the aisle in to Rachel Chu’s gasp-worthy blue gown, Crazy Rich Asians is full of fashionable eye candy.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Pretty Woman

1990’s Pretty Woman follows Vivian Ward, a down-on-her-luck sex worker, who meets a wealthy businessman named Edward Lewis. The film is chock-full of sassy monologues (including this iconic one), shopping sprees and outfits worthy of copying, from Vivian’s off-the-shoulder red dress to the matching polka-dot look she wore with Edward to a polo match.

Photo: Buena Vista Pictures.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Based on its title alone, 2009’s Confession of a Shopaholic should be filled with beautiful clothes, and surprise, surprise, it is. The film follows Rebecca Bloomwood, a writer who has a shopping addiction so big that it leads her to serious debt and broken relationships. Though the movie is a cautionary tale for those who spend too much on clothes, it’s also a feast for the fashion lover.

Photo: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

2018’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before premiered only a couple months ago, but it’s already made an impact in terms of its retro high-school style. The film follows Lara Jean Covey, a teenager whose love letters to former crushes are accidentally mailed out. The movie is adorable and a much-needed breath of diversity that was lacking in the teen rom-com genre. But on top of that, the movie also includes a ton of Pinterest- and Halloween-worthy outfits, like Lara Jean’s colorful turtlenecks and denim skirts.

Photo: Netflix.

13 Going on 30

13 Going on 30 is a classic rom-com that has stood up to the test of time, both film-wise and fashion-wise. The movie follows Jenna Rink, an awkward 13-year-old girl who magically ages 17 years to become 30 and a writer at a big-time women’s magazine. The movie’s fashion mixes the whimsical outfits of an ’80s-born 13-year-old with the over-the-top style of the early ’00s.

Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Clueless

If you were born in the ’90s, you’ve thought about dressing up as Clueless‘s Cher Horowitz for Halloween at least once in your life. The character, a teenage girl with a passion for fashion and gossip, became an instant icon when the teen rom-com premiered in 1995. Along with Cher’s iconic yellow-plaid schoolgirl outfit, Clueless also saw fashion-favorite looks from her bestie, Dionne, and the other preppy outfits that Cher wears throughout the movie.

Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Legally Blonde

Pink, pink and more pink is the color scheme of 2001’s Legally Blonde, which follows a woman named Elle Woods as she heads to Harvard Law School to win back the heart of her ex. Though Elle ends up ditching her ex to become a serious lawyer, her love for fashion never faltered, judging from the all-pink ensemble she wore in the film’s ending court scene.

Photo: MGM Distribution Co.

500 Days of Summer

2009’s 500 Days of Summer might not have the flashiness and designer costumes that the other rom-coms on this list have, but it’s still filled with a ton of inspiration. The movie follows the relationship of a couple from beginning to end. It takes place in modern-day, but a lot of its outfits have a 60s-style flare, with sweater vests and denim skirts commonly seen on the characters.

Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Amélie

2001’s Amélie is a French film and fashion lover’s dream. The movie follows Amélie, a shy waitress who decides to turn her life around. Unlike some of the rom-coms on this list, fashion isn’t a theme of the movie, but it definitely makes an appearance in the protagonist’s clothes, from her cool coats to her quirky accessories.

Photo: UGC-Fox Distribution.

1968’s Funny Girl follows the life of Fanny Brice, a famous actress and fashion icon from the 1920s. The movie stars Barbra Streisand as Brice in multiple stages of her life. She models some of the character’s most beautiful outfits and hairstyles, from her iconic updos to the sparkly and flowy gowns she wears to parties.

Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Source: http://stylecaster.com/romantic-comedies-fashion/

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benbarnesescape · 6 years

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Dive - Part 5

Warnings: M for Mature (language, suggestions of 18+)

A/N: Remember this little gem. This is one of the first series I wrote and FINALLY after MONTHS I know where I want to take it. Thanks for all of you being patient for it and enjoy. Also, for the sake of this story, Ben still has luscious locks, I’m not against the short cut just yea lol

Special shout out to my girl @binbonsadoration for the banner for the series!

Four Months Later

You sat on your kitchen counter, your legs swinging idly over the counter top as you bit down your lip, fidgeting with the object in your hands. There were a thousand things going through your mind right now, the biggest question being how? And what the fuck where you going to do about it? You checked the instructions again, before you give a deep sigh and look at the narrow stick once more.

The large plus sign is taunting as it showcases itself and you can’t fit the pit in your stomach, trying to bite back tears as they try to make their way to the forefront. This could not be happening. This had to be a glitch in life. Or finally, the well-deserved karma you had been putting off was coming to nip you in the ass.

The soft sound of keys jiggling in the lock of the door draws your attention and you jump down from the island, quickly moving to your purse to throw the object in before your return to your spot, crossing your legs and picking up your phone, opening up your Instagram feed and scrolling through photos idly as Ben walks in, two large bags in his hand.

The night after you admitted to him the whole truth behind Charles and yourself and him, finally being honest about the previous events, you both decided something had to change. It was the next morning as you lay by his side, looking at your engagement trying to figure out what you should do from here on out that Ben decided that a break would probably be best. It was obvious you were conflicted about your loyalties and he realized that outside of sex, you both barely got to know each other on an emotional level. So – you decided that you would both stick to being friends. That you would take it slow – take your time and see how things would progress as you slowly told Charles the truth if it was even worth telling him.

Once sex was taken out of the equation – the easy beat of becoming friends slips easily into your relationship. You complied to take hikes with him and in return, he allowed you to beat him mercilessly in tennis. You both enjoyed going to shows, checking out book stores for rare first editions, and going to plays and brunches. You both enjoyed snuggling on the couch in the afternoons watching Netflix or having him teach you how to play the guitar.

You and Ben always fit well together in bed. But in life, you both moved as one and there are nights when you know who you should choose though the thought idea lives you uncertain.

Because despite all of the ways that things were working for you and Ben, things were shifting for the better with you and Charles.

It seemed that since the engagement, something had clicked in him and for the first time in a while he is aware of the large rift occurring in your relationship. You had moved back in together after your breakup, marking it for a year and a half now, and the whole time you were together he had been a ghost. He barely ate dinner with you, stayed in the same space and both of you would fall asleep at different times. Now, he took one day off from the work week, dedicating that time to work from home. He took the opportunity to make you breakfast, helping you to get ready for the day as you both sipped over coffee. He would clean up and do the laundry, grab things from the stoer and help you make dinner. You both started getting into shows together, introducing him to the world of HBO and would opt to go to bed together.

He took you to the ballet, your favorite restaurants, the zoo and out to lazy beach days. He was different, this Charles you had thrown a cold shoulder too. Now he was more intimate, finding random moments to grab your hands, placing soft kisses on your forehead, wrapping his arms around you while you cooked and whispering how much he loved you. You’ve even started having sex again and Charles was like a fiend, taking any opportunity to have you and thought at times you felt guilty – it felt like it natural for it happen. It brought you back to the man you missed was how you knew him. Sweet, charming and full of love for you.

You were so conflicted and torn.

So a few weeks back, when you were out with Ben and few of his friends and he had asked if you wanted to spend the weekend with him in Malibu, reading by the ocean’s edge and enjoying time at the beach, you had been hesitant. Hesitant because it would mean spending more than four hours with him, not being able to escape his aura and despite your mutual agreement, sexual tension was at its thickets between the both of you. And you just knew that two nights of drinking and having a good time could only result in one thing.

When you had asked Charles if he’d be ok with you hanging out with friends in Malibu, trying to find some scapegoat out because at the end of the day, you were too selfish to make the decision yourself, he had happily encouraged it. He was going to be out for the weekend and was feeling bad for it, so hanging out with friends seemed like the appropriate reaction. He knew you were social and greeted the opportunity that you had expanded your friend base.

Great.

Which had led you sitting on the counter island, looking down at a pregnancy test, completing forgetting where you were because you’re period was two months late and that was NOT like your body chemistry. Ben had sent a text earlier letting people know they could come in whenever they arrived, so you had taken the opportunity to pay for the small stick, waiting for anyone to show up. Of course, naturally, it would be Ben.

Ben had changed even over the last time you saw him. It had been two weeks – both of you being occupied with work – and his evenly buzzed hair was growing out along with his beard. But despite that, there was no hiding those large, brown eyes that were looking at you, his bright smile taking you in. It had been subconscious wearing the tank top that did wonders for your cleavage and the short skirt but it had been in the late 90s all week and you were hot – not thinking that Ben was going to drink up your appearance the way he was now, his tongue flickering over his lips as he drank you in. But he doesn’t say anything, instead he moves past you, placing the groceries on the counter before he says,

“When did you get in?”

You try to ignore the way his cologne infiltrates your senses, returning your eyes to your phone as you let out,

“About a few minutes ago. Saw your note and was going to make my way into the living room until I got distracted by Instagram and alas.” You put your phone down and Ben nods as he starts to put things up in the refrigerator. There’s a knowing smirk that still plays on his face as he slowly puts things away, silence eating up your words before he says,

“It’s no worry. Thought I’d get a jump on dinner – its late and figured by the time you all got in you’d be starved.”

He turns to you as you jump down, throwing your phone on the counter as you move past him to look at the ingredients.

“Burgers?” you ask, quirking up an eyebrow and he nods as you grab the target meat, moving past him to get a bowl and he nods.

“I’ll help out. Traffic was brutal coming down here.”

He nods, not paying you any attention and you curse at yourself inwardly. This was going to be harder than you thought.

Its halfway through meal prep that you hear him curse under his breath. You look up from the tomatoes your cutting, as Ben looks down at his phone, his hair falling in front of his face with a frown planted on his lips.

“What’s wrong?” you ask and his eyes snap up at yours and you know its something he’s debating. Whether he tells you fully was always 50/50 with him. Typically private it was rare that he gave in to his thoughts.

“Jason, Lily and Denea…they’re all bailing on me. Jason got pulled into a last minute gig, Lily and Denea forgot about some concert they paid for in San Fran so that leads just you and me. I don’t mind or anything but…I want to respect your boundaries.”

His eyes have that predatory glint in them again and you give a slow nod, returning to your potatoes,

“It’s no big deal. Charles is out for the weekend so I’d just be by myself…I’d rather be with you.”

“I’d rather you be here too. That’s not the issue – we know what it is.”

He leans against the counter, his dark eyes drinking you in and you feel yourself shiver. When Ben got this way, quietly possessive and lust driven you never could resist. It was a shift in his normal, playful nature. Typically gregarious and shy, the goofy friend that could shoot off quotes and give you a top five book suggestion that varied each week – this darker side never emerged. But when it did it turned you on – you loved that he would take control and practically demand to bend to his will. The control freak in you that loved to be challenged thrived for it.

You bite your lip as you place your hands on either side of you, knowing that this was the last thing you should be inviting. The pregnancy was looming in the back of your mind and yu didn’t need to complicate your life evne more by jumping back into old habits. But four months was a long time and despite your brain listing off all the reasons it was stupid, it was not enough to fend off the way you had to press your thighs together.

Because you both fit perfectly, sure. Ben got you in ways that Charles despite his efforts, couldn’t. But when you guys were together physically, you both were practically electric.

“Should be fine if you are.”

He nods as you clear your throat, trying to change the subject.

“Well I’m not really hungry. We could finish food prep and then maybe head down to the beach for a walk? Kill some time and build up an appetite – still got some sunlight outside before it sets. Cool down…”

Ben doesn’t say anything, just continues to lean across the counter, hands crossed as he watches you. You can’t help but stare back, even though everything is willing you to look elsewhere. Instead you’re drawn to the way Ben’s muscles moved under his dark t-shirt, watches the way he licks his lips as he watches you before slowly uncrossing his arms, a knowing smirk on his lips.

“Right. Help us cool down. Deal with the nasty heat wave spreading.”

It’s a metaphor for the bigger issue at hand but neither of you let on to it. Instead you return to finishing your task as he starts to put things away. You both are silent for the rest of your time together before you move out, getting ready to get dressed. Because you both knew exactly what you were doing.

And there could only be one outcome for a dumb disaster like this.

He was, he finally decided, a complete and full idiot.

It only takes one night before he realizes he can’t make it. That you were probably going to be the death of him either mentally or physically. You never gave him in any warning, couldn’t be aware of the power you had over him. It had been four months of you both mutually working to not pull each other into the closest tight space and fuck each other silly. Had set a maximum limit of being with each other for four months. Four hours – any more time and you both were setting each other for failure. It had worked so far. Could continue to make it work now.

So when he had walked into the space into the town home, surprised to find you casually sitting on the island, your legs that he swears is going to be the death of him crossed over each other as you looked down at your phone he knew he was fucked. Your hair was pulled back loosely in that way that always made him want to card his fingers through it as he kissed you deeply, your sunglasses lying idly on top of your head. It was the damn skirt to tank top combo, the lacy red bra straps peaking from underneath. It made him wonder which bra you were wearing – the red lace and black one or the all red push up that he could spend hours massaging your breast in. The idea of seeing the way your body squirmed for him as he massaged your fatty tissues, his mouth pleasuring your pussy sent blood straight to his penis and he had to distract himself putting the groceries away.

Fucking Jason and Denea.

They had easily picked up on the friend zone vibes you both had built up on the last outing you went on. They didn’t know the extreme details of why – you always took your engagement ring off when you were around him and his friends – but knew that you two were into each other. Didn’t understand this new distance you had built. So they had staged this whole thing, of course after he had bought enough food to feed a family, to provide an opportunity for some intimate one on one time.

“Enjoy a romantic weekend with Y/N. We all know how much you’re into her and by the way she looks at you when you’re not paying attention, she’s still really into you too.” Jason had said over the phone later that night and Ben had groaned, shaking his head.

Of course they both were. That wasn’t the problem.

After breakfast you had suggested heading down to the beach and make a day of it. At the time it sounded like a good idea. Watching you now as you surveyed the private beach for a spot, easily finding one a few yards away as you set down the bundle of things you’ve brought he knows he’s fucked.

You both had made a promise. You both needed to learn one another without sex being a driving factor, temporarily putting a hold on your romantic relationship while you figured out what you wanted. How to deal with the complicated aspects of your love life.

But as he watched you take off your beach cover up, exposing the emerald blue cutout one-suit, the thin material barely covering you he groaned inwardly.

He was going to fuck you. How could he not?

You were made from him, from your personality to the way you physically looked. You were, he had decided, his dream woman. He wanted to make you happy. Lived to be the other man in your life.

“Gonna bring that umbrella over here? It’s hot as hell today.”

Your voice breaks him out of his thoughts and he gives you a smile as he follows you, throwing down the boom box and cooler as he situates it to shade you.

You give a grateful sigh as you fall back on your towel, placing your sunglasses over your eyes as you throw your hands behind your head. He had started putting sunscreen on and he knows his mouth noticeably pops out, drinking the way your breast fall back and rise and fall with the movement, the way your legs look in the shaded golden light and he has to think about dying puppies and how horrible it had felt when he broke his thumb to fight his erection from rising.

Because fuck you were a fantasy, a dream and all he wanted was you.

It was what had you in this place to begin with.

You have a knowing smirk on your face, probably very aware of how he was drinking you in as you say softly,

“Mind rubbing some of that stuff on me? You know my irrational fear for skin cancer…”

It’s not meant to sound dirty but god if it doesn’t turn him on. He’s quick to move toward you, practically shooting sand at you as he falls beside you and you giggle as you lean up a bit, raising your sunglasses. Innocent eyes looking into his lust filled ones and the way you bite your lip, taking in his body has his nipples taut.

“Got sand on my hands, don’t want to grainy.” You say as you lift your leg and he wants to curse you, pin you down and have you begging out his name as he rammed into you because you were being such a goddamn tease. Instead, he squirts out a bit of the cream on your leg and he sees the goosebumps rise from the contrast of coolness from the warmness and he snickers as he turns his attention to your skin. Needing a new distraction,

“Sure. Don’t mind at all.”

You fall back on your place as he takes time rubbing down your right leg, then your left. He moves his way up to your stomach and bites his lips as he brushes against your breast, but you don’t say anything. Instead you rise, lifting enough for him to massage above your breast, then your shoulders, fighting everything in him not to look at your face.

He can feel your gaze on you, the heavy way you are watching him and he has to clear his throat multiple times before you whisper out,

“Ben – look at me.”

He closes his eyes and can feel the soft breath of your sigh as he feels you shift closer to him.

“Benjamin, please? Look at me?”

It’s a soft purr and he can’t resist snapping his eyes back to you. Your pupils have shifted, dark and wild and he bites his lips as he asks,

“Yea?”

“Maybe we need to cool off. I’ll finish….doing this.”

You give a heavy sigh and he nods, handing you the lotion as he stands. You shake your head as you put the lotion over the rest of your body, giving a frustrated huff as you try to put it on your back with no success. Your eyes flash to his again as he walks further and you both know exactly what’s on the others mind.

“No worries. I’ll just….run in real quick and avoid laying on my stomach.” You start to stand, putting the lotion down and he sighs, shaking his head.

“No way. The whole time you’ll be thinking about how the rays are fucking up your cells. I’ll help you out. We can do this.”

You betray a smile, grateful because he understood and knew and you give a grateful nod as you hand him the lotion. He takes long breathes, thinking about getting stung by jellyfish and his grandma as he walks toward you, squirting more of the screen onto his hands and massaging it onto the back of your shoulders – your back. You give a grateful nod, your head tilting to the side as he works you over, his hands moving lower and you both naturally gravitate toward you. He’s aware of the blood rushing to his erection by the time he gets to your lower back and you give a low moan, the kind that reverberates your throat and he groans, gripping your waist and pulling you back to him.

This was a bad idea. He should have just told you to go home. You both knew that being in situations like this – the kind where you both were alone – always led to the same thing.

Blissed out amazing sex.

“I missed being able to touch you like this.” His voice is low and husky in your ear and you mewl, your ass rubbing against his erection and he groans.

“You trying to drive me insane,” his mouth moves down your neck, feeling powered by something else. “You literally have consumed me and that’s before you even touch me. feeling you again, its make me just……”

Your hands move over his, squeezing him as you shift, your ass jirating against his before you’re pulling away, turning and shaking your head.

“Fucking insane.” You finish, throwing a smile over your shoulder as you wade into the water. He growls, needing to feel your body, hating that you’ve taken yourself from proximity and he follows you easily, the warm water cool against his already warming skin. You’re a stronger swimmer than him but his mind is set – he needs you and the feeling you can provide. Wants ot be so buried in you he can’t see straight and as he swims toward you as you wade in the water, a teasing look in your eyes, he knows you want it too.

“Why you running away from me baby girl?” he whispers as his arms wrap around you and you shrug, giggling as he nuzzles his face into your neck.

“You know why….you asked me to remove myself if you got this way.”

You fall into him easily, your body pressing against his own hard one as you wrap your arms around his own.

“Why are you wearing my favorite swimsuit. You’ve been playing an unfair game since you’ve arrived.”

You shrug as you giggle out,

“Only clean suit I could find. I was packing quick.”

“Uh huh. Packing quick my ass. You’re such a goddamn tease,” he cups you in the water and you gasp as he nips you in the water. “You’ve been messing with me since you’ve arrived.”

You turn into him, your lips brushing against his own as you whisper,

“Well what are you going to do about it?”

#ben barnes #ben barnes x reader

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mostfunnystuff247-blog · 6 years

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Actors Who’ve Disappeared From The Spotlight

Celebrities & Pop Culture Some of these stars haven't been seen on the big screen in years. Anna Weaver 2018-09-05

Getty Images | Scott Halleran Celebrities who’ve reached household name status are often expected to stay that way. While it can be hard to imagine big-name stars slipping out of the spotlight, it happens. For some, it’s an intentional choice to step away from acting. Others simply are just waiting for a role that really gets them jazzed. Check out all the Hollywood stars we haven’t seen onscreen in years.

Michael Schoeffling

Could any teenage heartthrob ever hold a candle to Jake Ryan from “Sixteen Candles”? As loyal Jake Ryan fans may know, the actor who played him, Michael Schoeffling, has left Hollywood behind. After memorable roles in “Mermaids” and “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken,” he disappeared. Schoeffling now apparently lives in Pennsylvania and has a carpentry business. He and his wife have two grown children, including a model daughter.

Universal Pictures

Stacey Dash

Stacey Dash made a name for herself in “Clueless” as Cher’s best friend. But her acting career has fizzled since then. Nowadays, Dash is known more for being a conservative political activist. She’s appeared as a FOX News commentator and recently ran for a congressional seat before deciding to pull out from the race.

Getty Images | Kevin Winter

Phoebe Cates

Best known for her roles in “Gremlins” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” Phoebe Cates left acting years ago. She’s married to actor Kevin Kline, with whom she has two children. Cates did appear in the 2001 movie “The Anniversary Party,” but only as a favor to friend Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Getty Images | Frazer Harrison

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones has kept a lower profile in recent years. Up until recently, the Oscar winner’s last big project was 2012’s “Rock of Ages.” She’s been open about her bipolar disorder diagnosis and also dealt with husband Michael Douglas’ cancer battle. But Zeta-Jones came back to larger acting roles with last year’s “Feud” and is currently working on a TV show called “Queen America.”

Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

Sarah Michelle Gellar

The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Cruel Intentions” actress has left acting on the back burner. Instead, she’s been focusing on her new company, Foodstirs, which makes sustainable, fair trade and organic baking products. She has two kids with husband and fellow actor Freddie Prinze Jr.

Getty Images | Emma McIntyre

Freddie Prinze Jr.

After playing a teen heartthrob in “She’s All That” and other films, starring in the live-action movie remake of “Scooby-Doo” and leading his self-titled one-season show “Freddie,” Freddie Prinze Jr. left much of acting behind. He prefers to be a stay-at-home dad with side jobs like being the voice of a “Star Wars Rebels” character. He has also written a cookbook, “Back to the Kitchen,” and continues to have a strong marriage with Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Getty Images | Nicholas Hunt

Matthew Fox

“Party of Five” and “Lost” made Matthew Fox famous, but he hasn’t made a movie since 2015 and has gone on the record saying he doesn’t love acting. Fox had a couple run-ins with the law several years ago, and he popped up in the news recently when his Bend, Oregon, house went on the market. Below, Fox and his wife Margherita Ronchi and their son, Byron, take in a tennis match in Rome, Italy, in May 2018.

Getty Images | Dean Mouhtaropoulos

Calista Flockhart

Calista Flockhart found a starring role in late ’90s/early ’00s classic “Ally McBeal” and then jumped quickly from that into the family drama “Brothers and Sisters.” But after the latter went off the air, Flockhart took a more low-key acting path. She had a prime role as Cat Grant on “Supergirl” until the show switched filming locations from Los Angeles to Vancouver and she became an occasional guest star. Perhaps she’s just more content spending time with her son, Liam, and husband, Harrison Ford.

Getty Images | Matt Winkelmeyer

Jack Nicholson

Iconic actor Jack Nicholson hasn’t been seen in anything since 2010’s “How Do You Know.” A U.S. remake of “Toni Erdmann” was supposed to bring Nicholson back to the big screen, but he backed out of the project. His friend Peter Fonda says Nicholson is basically retired.

Getty Images | Kevork Djansezian

Cameron Diaz

Remember the days of “There’s Something About Mary,” “Shrek,” “Charlie’s Angels” and the many other films that made Cameron Diaz famous? Where’d she go? Apparently, the last movie the actress appeared in was “Annie” in 2014. Turns out she’s retired from acting and is just enjoying life with husband Benji Madden. Though Diaz did say in a recent interview that she’d be open to a sequel to “The Sweetest Thing.”

Getty Images | Stuart C. Wilson

Amanda Bynes

The former teen comedian had a very public breakdown several years ago. After receiving treatment, she’s kept a low-profile life. She hasn’t acted on screen since 2010, instead choosing to go to fashion school. Though she did say in a 2017 interview that she’d like to get back into television acting.

Getty Images | Jason Merritt

Dominic Monaghan

The “Lord of the Rings” and “Lost” actor Dominic Monaghan hasn’t had a big role since “Lost” went off the air in 2010. He’s slated to appear in the Australian television drama “Bite Club” and he just scored a part in the currently filming “Star Wars: IX,” though what his role will be remains to be seen.

Getty Images | Jonathan Leibson

Bridget Fonda

Peter Fonda’s daughter (and Jane’s niece) Bridget made a name for herself in movies like “It Could Happen To You” and “Single White Female.” Fonda hasn’t had a screen credit since 2002, but she’s no doubt been busy raising her son, Oliver, whom she shares with music composer husband Danny Elfman.

Getty Images | Frazer Harrison

Chuck Norris

The last big roles the martial artist and actor best known for “Walker, Texas Ranger” did were in 2005. In recent years, he’s been supporting his wife through health issues. Even though Norris himself is in semi-retirement, his tough-guy legend lives on through things like the popular Chuck Norris Facts meme.

Getty Images | Jerry Markland

Dennis Franz

“Hill Street Blues” and “NYPD Blue” actor Dennis Franz hasn’t acted since the latter went off the air in 2005. Apparently, it was a hard act to follow. Now, Franz is just enjoying retirement. He did present an Emmy award with co-star Jimmy Smits at the 2016 awards ceremony.

Getty Images | Kevin Winter

Doris Day

Iconic ’50s and ’60s actress and singer Doris Day has been in too many great films to list them all. But the actress hasn’t appeared on screen since her sitcom “The Doris Day Show” went off the air in 1973. Instead, the now-96-year-old is known as an animal welfare activist with her own foundation, and lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

Wikimedia Commons | Paramount

Gene Hackman

Prolific actor Gene Hackman isn’t planning to come back to acting, having been retired for a number of years now. His last role was in “Welcome to Mooseport” in 2004. He and his second wife live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he enjoys bicycling and writes books.

Getty Images | Vince Bucci

Rick Moranis

“Little Shop of Horrors,” “Ghostbusters,” “Spaceballs” and “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” actor Rick Moranis seemed to be all over the place in the ’80s and early ’90s. Then his wife passed away and Moranis stepped out of the spotlight to raise his kids. He’s done mostly small parts, voiceover work and country comedy albums (believe it or not) in the years since. He recently came out of retirement to reprise the voice of Dark Helmet from “Spaceballs” in an episode of “The Goldbergs.”

Getty Images | Theo Wargo

Randy Quaid

Randy Quaid might be best known for “Independence Day” and the “National Lampoon” movies, plus some erratic behavior in the last decade-plus. But the Oscar-nominated actor is due to return in the movie “Weight” this year after a nine-year absence from the screen.

Getty Images | Scott Halleran

Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen

The Olsen twins have put acting behind them. Mary-Kate and Ashley declined to join the “Fuller House” reunion with their old “Full House” costars and don’t like to be in front of the camera much anymore either. The twins run clothing lines The Row and Elizabeth and James together. Mary-Kate is also married to French financier Olivier Sarkozy while Ashley is unattached.

Getty Images | Theo Wargo

Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez, son of Martin Sheen and brother of Charlie Sheen, has taken a quieter career path since his “Mighty Ducks” and “Breakfast Club” days. He’s focused more on writing and directing, such as in the 2010 film “The Way,” which he collaborated on with his father.

Getty Images | Matt Winkelmeyer

Ali MacGraw

“Love Story” actress Ali MacGraw has been off the screen since 1997. She toured with “Love Story” co-star Ryan O’Neal doing the play “Love Letters” in 2015. But nowadays, she lives in New Mexico, does yoga, is involved in animal welfare causes and designs clothes.

Getty Images | Aaron Davidson

Sean Connery

Even legendary actors with prolific careers want to retire at some point. Or so it is with Sean Connery, whose last onscreen credit was 2002’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” Connery is living a quiet retirement in the Bahamas with occasional public sightings, like at the U.S. Open.

Getty Images | Clive Brunskill

Mara Wilson

Mara Wilson was a well-known child actor back in the early ’90s. “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Matilda” made her famous. But a few years after her mother passed away, Wilson decided she was largely done with acting. She’s had a few bit parts primarily as a voice actor in more recent years, but Wilson is now focusing on a career in writing, and recently published a memoir.

Getty Images | Jason Kempin

Jack Gleeson

The “Game of Thrones” king hasn’t acted since he was killed off of the HBO miniseries. Instead, he did his university studies at Trinity College and has made a lot of fan convention appearances, too. He’s also gone on humanitarian missions.

Getty Images | Jamie McCarthy Originally published on The Delite. We were not paid to write this story. The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website. Previous post This Nurse Discovered Her Colleague Was A Premature Baby She Cared For 28 Years Ago Next post This is the most recent story. Read the full article

#Celebrities&PopCulture #Entertainment

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westworld-daily · 6 years

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‘Westworld’ Season 2: 6 Secrets Learned From the Real-Life Park, From Samurai to Drone Hosts

Escape this reality. Live without limits.

Well, almost.

Despite what the “Welcome to Westworld” brochure says, SXSW fans who make the trip to Sweetwater — a fully-realized recreation of the fictional townat the center of HBO’s hit sci-fi drama, “Westworld” — are given two rules before entering the park:

Don’t break anything.

Don’t touch anyone.

While the truly debaucherous fan base who’s looking to kill and canoodle their robot hosts may be disappointed, that brief (and twisted) regret is immediately overshadowed once you step off the bus. After a 30-minute ride outside of Austin, registered guests enter the welcome portal (see the photo above), walk through a train car (complete with hosts who yell things like, “Do I look like a fucking picture frame?” if you try to take a photo), and enter the town of Sweetwater.

Created in five weeks by a 40-person crew, the town features the Mariposa Saloon, where guests can play a hand of blackjack, the Hotel Coronado, which offers cocktails, meat, and beans (more on this later), a photography studio, a post office, and more. There are any number of inconspicuous hideaways meant to be overlooked — but don’t. The 60 actors, six stunt people, and five bands (plus six horses) were operating off a 444-page script, so even though you can have any kind of conversation you want with the hosts, what happens in the town has been meticulously plotted out by HBO.

Rodrigo, your host for the “motor carriage” ride to town, gives one other instruction to arriving guests: “Sweetwater is full of secrets.” Over the course of 90 minutes, IndieWire did its best to suss out the promised easter eggs, hints, and secrets for Season 2. If you want to live the experience in photos, check out our gallery, but here’s what we learned about the new season in our extravagant, nearly limitless new reality:

1. Samurai are coming, and not just to SamuraiWorld…

Much was made of the brief glimpse of samurai during the “Westworld” Season 1 finale, and even though creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are notoriously close-mouthed (even about confirming their own hints), it sure seems like Samurai will be a part of Season 2.

Note the use of “samurai” and not “SamuraiWorld”: At the activation, a rogue samurai was wandering through Sweetwater, perhaps hinting that the samurai aren’t contained to their own world in Season 2. He walked around town, silently looking at various hosts and guests, but the cowboys and cowgirls on hand didn’t interfere with him. Eventually, he ended up inside, but that doesn’t mean he’s meant to be there.

Is Delos losing control of their parks? Will one world bleed into another? Will cowboys be fighting samurai, or will the hosts bond together to destroy their robot masters? Well, if the SXSW park is to be trusted, it sure looks like the latter…

2. The hosts are starting to see what they’re not supposed to see.

One of the fundamental operating principles of Westworld is that the hosts do not know they’re hosts. This point was used to set up a number of juicy twists in Season 1, but by the end, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) has solved the maze and looks ready to start a rebellion.

So far, it seems to be working.

While this critic was sipping an old fashioned with dinner, two cowboys came charging into the bar in a huff. They cut the line, grabbed a couple of drinks, and started talking loudly about their position in life. Though the room noise muffled some of what they were saying, it was clear these two men knew they were hosts.

“We’re just the freaks,” one said, noting how they’re “part of the sideshow” while the humans get to do whatever they want. It was unclear how much they knew — for instance, they didn’t specifically say they were “hosts” or robots, but they definitely recognized they were there to serve the humans, as their programming intends — and they ran out of the room (chasing a woman) before anyone could ask any questions.

3. Chaos reigns.

The deeper you get into the park, the more problems arose. The concert, bar, hotel, and most official landmarks all seemed to be operating fine — though the banker did say he couldn’t help me because they’d “briefly” run out of money — but if you walked off the beaten path, there were secrets to discover.

One especially creepy example of this was when you walked to the edge of Sweetwater and found the graveyard. There was a woman compulsively tracing patterns in the dirt. After staring at it for a second, it became clear they were numbers: a zero (with circles inside circles) and a four, above two two’s, or 04 and 22, 4/22, April 22 — the release date for “Westworld” Season 2.

But that’s not all she had to offer. Right behind her was a grave that read, “Dolores Abernathy,” Evan Rachel Wood’s character, and (matching what happened at the end of Season 1), if you took the wandering preacher’s advice and “dug a little deeper,” you’d find a familiar maze buried in the ground.

As you pieced together what to do, the woman and her friend got in a fight with the preacher, who they said was pretending to be a Catholic in order to take confessions, which he’d then turn around and use as blackmail. Or, he’d simply just shoot people and use their corpses to fill up his graveyard. When asked about this accusation, the maze, and the numbers in the dirt, the preacher shorted out; stuttering “oh, four, two, two” over and over again until he reset, begged your pardon, and continued on as if nothing happened.

4. The drone hosts are going to be a big deal.

As seen in the first “Westworld” Season 2 trailer and discussed briefly in previews, the ominous, muscular, and blank-faced “drone hosts” have generated a lot of buzz, and they were a presence in Sweetwater — if you knew where to look.

A strange cave-like room near the end of town appeared to be empty. A number of people walked in and out of it without discovering anything, and apparently not questioning why such a structure would exist. But if you looked closely at the walls, one bump appears to be separated from the rest — a little too separate. Pushing it aside reveals a big red button, and if you press the big red button, the wall slides away revealing a hidden room, a technician, and… a drone host.

Nothing particularly notable happened in the room — the technician appeared to be working on the drone — but its presence further emphasizes the role they’ll play in Season 2. At the very least, it confirms the shot wasn’t one fabricated to throw theory-driven fans off the trail.

5. “May you all rise to a new day.”

While the samurai and disgruntled cowboys hinted at problems in the park, the most prominent event to happen during IndieWire’s time there illustrated that things were working fine. After a standoff outside the Hotel Coronado, one cowboy fired a shot into another, killing him on the spot. The crack of the gun was loud enough to startle everyone watching, but what happened next was even more surprising.

This wasn’t host-on-host crime, but a guest (played by an actor) completing a mission in the park. After the cowboy collapsed to the ground, the shooter let out an excited cry and celebrated with his buddy. He said he’d finally beat the game after seven tries, and his friend noted how Sally was going to be pissed she missed this.

“I hope the baby shower was worth it,” he said.

As soon as they left to go get drunk at the saloon, a costumed woman shouted, “Cease all motor functions,” and the hosts in the audience immediately froze. White-suited men and women emerged from a nearby house and started inspecting the corpse, talking about how long they’d worked on him and reminiscing about his many adventures.

After the scene was cleaned up, the same woman who gave the instruction to “cease all motor functions,” said, “May you all rise to a new day,” and the hosts resumed their day-to-day lives.

6. “Westworld” can crack jokes, too.

Guests don’t leave the park empty-handed. In addition to the black or white hat handed out (based on a personality assessment administered during registration), there’s a letter waiting in the post office and a photography studio where you can dress up in even more cowboy garb.

But anyone who dines at the hotel should take a closer look at their can of beans. The “Maiden Brand Beans” sport the tagline, “fuel for the human machine” on the front, but the best easter egg is on the back: A recipe for “liver and beans” lists ingredients like ” 1 human liver” and says it’s an “old favorite of our founder,” Dr. Robert Ford. Ford was played by Anthony Hopkins, who won an Oscar for his performance as the cannibal-killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs,” a man who has a penchant for pairing beans with liver.

The kicker? At the very bottom, the instructions tell consumers to “pair with a nice chianti!” Apparently “Westworld” Season 2 is going to bring the jokes.

#westworld #articles #indiewire #sxsw #articles 2018 #sxsw2018 #spoilers

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wazafam · 3 years

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When auteurs come up in conversation, they're typically associated with films, in the sense that Martin Scorsese is an auteur director. However, there are a few showrunners in the medium of television who have become auteurs in their own right. One such example is Michael Schur, who has become a comedy legend on the small screen and essentially has a blank check to create whatever show he desires.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Why The Good Place Is Michael Schur's Best Show (& 5 Why It's Parks And Rec)

Schur's next project is the Peacock original, Rutherford Falls, which will star Ed Helms. Until that time, though, it's always worthwhile to explore his past career achievements. He's created, written, and produced many television shows, all of which have been rated by IMDb.

10 Sunnyside: 5.1

Created by Kal Penn and Matt Murray, Sunnyside was an NBC comedy during the 2019 television season that died quickly and only ever aired eleven episodes. Schur helped produce the series under his Fremulon banner, but it ultimately went nowhere.

The comedy on Sunnyside was ultimately just too broad. Penn is a winning performer and the topic of immigration is a quality one to boost. Still, not even Schur's production team could boost the series out of meandering mediocrity.

9 Abby's: 5.2

Another short-lived NBC series from 2019, Abby's was created by Josh Malmuth with the intention that it would be the long-awaited series vehicle for Natalie Morales, who previously worked with Schur on Parks and Recreation.

The cast was winning between Morales, Jessica Chaffin, Neil Flynn, and Nelson Franklin. But the alchemy was completely off. Abby's was a noble endeavor that never took flight and remains one of the few blights on Schur's IMDb-rated resume.

8 The Comeback: 8.0

From here on out, Schur's list of shows he had a hand in becomes quite remarkable; they're all at an 8.0 or better! First up is The Comeback, which was Lisa Kudrow's follow-up to the obvious NBC juggernaut, Friends.

Over on HBO, The Comeback employed Schur as a writer and he was credited on two of the series's most acclaimed episodes before the show was canceled outright. While The Comeback eventually made a comeback of its own, Schur was too busy with Parks to partake in earnest.

7 Saturday Night Live: 8.1

It's certainly strange to consider Saturday Night Live as being a "Schur show," but he did write for the variety/sketch behemoth from 1997 to 2004. As he's explained on The Poscast and Le Batard & Friends, he didn't unlock his comic voice until he realized he hated his job.

RELATED: SNL: 10 Funniest Sketches Starring Professional Athletes

One wouldn't guess it on paper, though, considering Schur is one of the most storied writers to come from SNL. His tenure comprised the bulk of Will Ferrell's run on the show and aligned with cast members like Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, and, fortuitously, Amy Poehler.

6 The Good Place: 8.2

One show that has Schur's identity written across it much more clearly is The Good Place, the first truly blank check Schur received from NBC. He used his rein-free creativity to depict an alternative version of the afterlife with Kristen Bell and Ted Danson at the helm.

Quickly, though, this comedy morphed into a treatise on philosophy and what it means to be a good person. It remains Schur's most singular vision and a clear contender for one of the best to ever do it in the world of television.

5 Master Of None: 8.3

After Aziz Ansari's breakout on Parks and Rec, he had the ability to shepherd a series that reflected his own voice. Thus was born Master of None, which is a definite marriage of Ansari's and Alan Yang's talents, but which Schur does hold a producer credit on.

With a third season rumored at the moment, there might be time for Master of None's IMDb score to tick up a bit. For now, it remains an accurate crystallization of how soaring and thought-provoking the Netflix original can be.

4 Brooklyn Nine-Nine: 8.4

Another show that largely credits Schur as a producer is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He is credited as a co-creator of the Fox-turned-NBC police comedy, but as he's stated, the show largely belongs to the creative vision of Dan Goor and his writing staff.

Still, though, the Schur sensibility is all over the Andy Samberg vehicle. Smart, gentle humor with satisfying pay-offs, lovely character dynamics, and a few well-written archetypes. That's the Schur way and it works wonders in the nine-nine.

3 Parks And Recreation: 8.6

Of course, many of these archetypes first got their start on the first series Schur was allowed to work as a creator on (along with his The Office supervisor, Greg Daniels), Parks and Recreation. This was Schur's first television baby that he guided from beginning to end.

RELATED: Parks And Rec: 5 Best Leslie Knope Compliments (& 5 Of The Weirdest)

Over time, Parks found its footing and a singular voice to separate it from other workplace mockumentaries. Credit Schur and his all-star team of writers (including the aforementioned Yang and Goor, as well as Aisha Muharrar), who spun an all-timer from the rainbow of the peacock.

2 Black Mirror: 8.8

A certain departure from Schur's typical fare was his 2016 dip into the world of Black Mirror, the sci-fi/thriller anthology from Charlie Brooker. Schur and fellow Parks star Rashida Jones are credited as the writers on the season three episode, "Nosedive," starring Bryce Dallas Howard.

RELATED: Black Mirror: 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Episodes (According To IMDb)

The episode deals with themes of status, popularity, and social media very astutely and it all stems from the work of Schur and Jones, who are crafting their story from a Brooker script. It helps show Schur can also lend a hand in dramatic territory when called upon.

1 The Office: 8.9

While Schur was certainly an instrumental figure of late-'90s, early-00s SNL, The Office is where he got his first mainstream breakout. He was a member of that early writing staff, which also hosted Daniels, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, and Paul Lieberstein. It was like the 2017 Golden State Warriors at Dunder Mifflin.

In addition to writing many of The Office's best episodes, Schur also portrayed Dwight's cousin, Mose. It wouldn't have been one of the most popular series ever made without him and it will always be a part of Schur's towering legacy.

NEXT: 10 Repeat Actors In Mike Schur’s Shows (That You Might Have Missed)

Michael Schur's 10 Best TV Shows, According To IMDb | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3rWy7Ki

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Best Returning British TV Series 2021: the Most Anticipated Series Coming Back This Year

https://ift.tt/3ohYR6W

There’s no getting around it; you’re going to see more of your TV than your friends and loved ones over the next few months. That being so, it’s lucky that there continues to be still so bloody much of the stuff, despite Covid-19’s best efforts to shut it all down. They might have been delayed, they might have been curtailed, but they weren’t stopped. Returning British TV shows are on their way. The horizon is filled with them, gambolling like lambs over the fields and into your living room.

There’s comedy and drama and crime thrillers arriving by the lorryload, and sci-fi and fantasy coming by the… much smaller lorryload. (More of a small van for returning British sci-fi and fantasy this year, but check out the new titles coming soon.)

We’ll keep this list updated as soon as more details are announced and release dates are confirmed.

A Discovery of Witches Season 2 (January 8th)

Based on Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy about the forbidden love between a powerful witch and a centuries-old vampire, A Discovery Of Witches debuted on Sky in autumn 2018 (read our reviews here) and was renewed for series two and three almost straight away. The second run sees leads Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode (pictured) time-walking in Elizabethan England where they meet some famous faces of yore.

A Very English Scandal series 2

This one has yet to receive the official commission stamp, but it’s too good not to pass on a bit prematurely. Following on from the success of Russell T. Davies’ acclaimed three-part drama based on the real-life events of Lib Dem leader Jeremy Thorpe’s plot to have his lover Norman Scott murdered, the BBC plans to turn the ‘A Very English Scandal’ header into an anthology series following different true life events that rocked English society. As reported by Deadline in March 2020, Agatha Christie adapter extraordinaire Sarah Phelps is writing a three-part drama about a 1963 sex scandal involving the Duchess of Argyll, nicknamed ‘The Dirty Duchess.’

Back Season 2 (January)

Channel 4 has a second run of Simon Blackwell’s excellent sitcom Back on the way. The first series aired in autumn 2017 and was delayed while actor Robert Webb suffered an episode of ill health. The comedy reunites Peep Show’s David Mitchell and Webb as Stephen and Andrew, two erstwhile foster brothers whose neurotic rivalry boils up in the wake of Stephen’s father’s death. Louise Brealey also stars in the squirming, tragicomic delight. Stream the first series on All4 here.

Back To Life Season 2 (tbc)

Daisy Haggard and Laura Solon’s six part comedy-drama about a woman released from a lengthy prison sentence arrived in 2019 as one of a clutch of well-received original BBC shows. Haggard plays Miri, who returns to her childhood home and isn’t exactly welcomed back to the community with open arms, alongside Adeel Akhtar, Geraldine James, Liam Williams and more. It aired on Showtime over in the US, and will return for series two, which is currently being written.

Baptiste Season 2 (tbc)

Tcheky Karyo will return as grizzled French detective Julien Baptiste in a second series of the Williams Brothers’ Euro-set crime thriller. The character made his name on two series of The Missing, and earned his own BBC spin-off in spring 2019. (Read our spoiler-filled reviews here.) Series two sees Baptiste in Budapest on a search for the missing family of a British Ambassador, and co-stars Killing Eve‘s Fiona Shaw. Production on series two was halted in March 2020 because of the global spread of COVID-19, but got back up and running in the summer.

Breeders Season 2 (tbc)

Filming wrapped on the second series of Sky One parenting comedy Breeders just before Christmas 2020, so we can expect to see the new episodes later this year. The series, created by Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison and Martin Freeman, follows the child-based frustrations and catastrophes of Paul (Freeman) and Ally (Daisy Haggard), breaking taboos and punching you in the heart as it goes.

Britannia Season 3 (tbc)

Playwright Jez Butterworth and showrunner James Richardson first brought their trippy vision of warring Celts, mystical druids and invading Romans to Sky Atlantic in January 2018, and were quickly rewarded by a second series renewal. That run has already been and gone, leaving us awaiting the return of David Morrissey, Mackenzie Crook and co. for more bonkers ancient history, this time with added Sophie Okonedo!

Bulletproof: South Africa (January 20th)

After two hit series of crime drama Bulletproof on Sky One, police officers Bishop (Noel Clarke) and Pike (Ashley Walters) are back for a three-part special set in South Africa. The miniseries will see the crime-fighters’ attempt to relax on holiday scuppered when they become entangled with a dangerous kidnap plot.

Cobra Season 2 (tbc)

Robert Carlyle’s PM will return for another series of Sky One political thriller Cobra, written by The Tunnel and Strike: Cuckoo’s Calling‘s Ben Richards. The first series saw Carlyle’s character attempting to maintain power after solar flares took out Britain’s power grid and left the country in chaos as political factions vied for his position. What disaster will befall him in series two we don’t yet know…

Dead Pixels Season 2 (January)

Jon Brown’s gamer comedy debuted in March 2019 and was renewed four months later for series two. It stars Alexa Davies and Will Merrick as two die-hard MMORPG gamers (massive multiplayer online roleplay game, if you were wondering) and Charlotte Ritchie as their non-gaming flatmate. Here’s our interview with the creator on how other TV shows and films so often go wrong in their depiction of gaming and gamers.

Derry Girls Season 3 (tbc)

Lisa McGee’s terrific 90s-set Northern Irish comedy is set to return for a third series about the lives of secondary school students Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and James. Filming was due to begin in June 2020, but Covid-19 disrupted that schedule so we’ll have to wait a little longer for this one. Set in the 1990s, Derry Girls is a coming-of-age nostalgia-flood with characters to love and jokes to spare, in which crushes and friendship fall-outs are dealt with in the same breath as dangerous political turmoil. Cracker.

Doctor Who Season 13 (tbc)

Thanks to Covid-19, we’re getting a shorter run of eight episodes for Doctor Who‘s next series, which is confirmed to welcome new companion Dan to the TARDIS. Played by comedian-actor John Bishop, Dan will join Yaz and the Doctor as they continue their travels after saying goodbye to Ryan and Graham in New Year special ‘Revolution of the Daleks.’

Endeavour Season 8 (tbc)

A three-episode seventh series of Russell Lewis’ Inspector Morse prequel aired in February 2020, taking Morse into a new decade, as he and the team investigated the discovery of a body on a canal path on New Year’s Day 1970 (read our spoiler-filled reviews here). Shaun Evans not only returned as the lead, but also directed his second instalment of the long-running crime prequel. Series eight was due to begin filming in summer 2020 but it was pushed back until 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gangs of London Season 2 (tbc)

The body count was high in Sky Atlantic’s ultra-stylish, ultra-violent 2020 thriller Gangs of London, but enough characters made it all the way through for a second season to be commissioned. When it eventually arrives, expect more expertly choreographed fight scenes, more international crime family intrigue and more betrayal. Co-creator Gareth Evans and his fellow directors gave us a taste of what to expect from the new run here.

Gentleman Jack Season 2 (tbc)

Renewed even before series one had aired, Sally Wainwright’s Gentleman Jack arrived on BBC One in the UK and HBO in the US with a bang. It stars Suranne Jones as real-life trail-blazing lesbian industrialist Anne Lister, with a cast including Sophie Rundle, Gemma Whelan and Rosie Cavaliero. It’s witty and dynamic, offering television a new 19th century hero at whom to marvel (here’s our episode one review). The eight-episode second series started filming in November 2020.

Ghosts Season 3 (tbc)

This tremendously fun comedy arrived in 2019 from the cast of Horrible Histories and Yonderland. Happily, it was renewed by the BBC for a third series, which guarantees us at least six more episodes of spectral shenanigans as Alison and Mike (alive) try to keep the ancestral family home going while dealing with an influx of housemates from history (dead). Speaking to Den of Geek in November 2020 about the terrific Christmas special, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who plays Mike in the show, said they were hoping to film series three in spring 2021.

Guilt Season 2 (tbc)

BBC Scotland’s dark comedy-drama Guilt was a word-of-mouth hit that became an award-winning hit. Created by Neil Forsyth and starring Mark Bonnar, it was the story of two very different brothers attempting to cover up an unthinkable act. It’s currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer and will be joined by a second four-part series. Don’t get it confused with the US Amanda Knox series of the same name, which was cancelled.

Happy Valley Season 3 (tbc)

We’re cheating here because there is very little chance that 2021 will see the planned third and final series of Sally Wainwright’s excellent crime drama Happy Valley but it’s too good a drama not to include. The word seems to be that creator Wainwright and star Sarah Lancashire are keen to return for the final chapter in Sgt. Cawood’s story, but they’re waiting for young star Rhys Connah, who plays Cawood’s grandson Ryan, to get a bit older before tackling the story Wainwright wants to tell. Patience.

His Dark Materials Season 3 (tbc)

One final eight-episode season is on its way to BBC One and HBO to conclude this stunning adaptation of Philip Pullman’s book trilogy. Season three will tell the story of The Amber Spyglass, taking Lyra and Will to even more new worlds, where they’ll meet strange creatures and have to face a weighty choice. Pre-production began earlier in 2020, but the renewal announcement didn’t officially arrive until December. Here’s a taster of what we might expect to see.

Innocent Season 2 (tbc)

ITV’s Innocent was a four-part series about a miscarriage of justice that aired in May 2018. Its conclusion certainly didn’t call for a continuation so news of a second series renewal was a bit of a head-scratcher until it was revealed that creator Chris Lang (Unforgotten) was writing a whole new case and a whole new set of characters for the second run, now due to arrive this year.

Inside No. 9 Season 6 (tbc)

Knowing a good thing when it has one, BBC Two renewed Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s ingenious anthology series Inside No. 9 for a sixth and seventh series back in March. That means 12 new half-hour stories told with wit, originality and – every so often – a surprising amount of heart. Shearsmith Tweeted in November 2020 that the team were in rehearsals and planning to start filming on the new episodes imminently.

Killing Eve Season 4 (tbc)

Season four of mega-hit spy thriller Killing Eve was announced back before season three aired, so we know that it is coming, the question is: when? As the series films across various European locations, it’s been hit harder than many by the Covid-19 pandemic, and production was confirmed as being on an indefinite hiatus in October 2020, so don’t hold your breath for the usual April start date. As soon as things are up and running, we’ll let you know.

New British TV Series for 2021: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Dramas and More

By Louisa Mellor

New British TV Series from 2020: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Dramas and More

By Louisa Mellor

Line of Duty Season 6 (March)

Series five of Jed Mercurio’s hugely successful crime thriller concluded in May 2019, and, after a Covid-related five-month delay, filming wrapped on series six in November 2020. Line of Duty stars Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar as bent-copper-hunters AC-12, with each series welcoming a high-profile guest – previous series have welcomed Stephen Graham, Thandie Newton and Keeley Hawes, and this time around it’s Kelly Macdonald.

Man Like Mobeen Season 4 (tbc)

Announced on creator and star Guz Khan’s Instagram account in September 2020, as reported by Comedy.co.uk, hit BBC Three comedy Man Like Mobeen will return in 2021. Series three left fans on a serious cliffhanger that saw Mobeen doing time despite his best efforts to stay out of trouble and raise his younger sister. Catch up on BBC iPlayer here.

Marcella Season 3 (January)

ITV’s Marcella, co-created by The Killing’s Hans Rosenfeldt and starring Anna Friel, went out in a blaze of bonkers glory in 2018. Series two marked a turning point for the detective show, which went from domestic crime drama to full-blown comic-book spy thriller, complete with faked deaths, conspiracy, and secret investigative units. Series three has Marcella working undercover in a Belfast crime family. It’s already aired on Netflix around the world, and will finally arrive on ITV in January 2021.

McMafia Season 2 (tbc)

Starring James Norton as the conflicted British son of a Russian mob boss, McMafia was BBC One’s big, glamorous New Year drama for 2018. It was renewed for another eight episode season a good while back but updates on progress have been very thin on the ground since then Whenever it arrives, expect more double-crossing and high-stakes violence set against the backdrop of gangland London. Read our series one episode reviews here.

Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Season 4 (tbc)

A fishing show may seem like a strange choice for this list of mostly high-profile dramas and comedies, but Gone Fishing deserves as much celebration as any of them. That’s thanks to Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s natural chemistry as two long-time friends, both of whom have been forced to contemplate their mortality in recent years due to serious heart problems. It’s fishing, yes, but it’s also chat, silliness and genuine human warmth.

Motherland Season 3 (tbc)

Sharon Horgan, Holly Walsh and Helen Linehan’s parenting comedy Motherland will be back for a third series. Starring Anna Maxwell-Martin (Good Omens, Line Of Duty), Lucy Punch, Paul Ready and Diane Morgan, it’s a caustic look at the demands of modern parenting and life in your thirties and forties that you don’t even need to have kids to relate to/stare at in rapt horror.

Peaky Blinders Season 6 (tbc)

Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight’s BBC Two crime saga following the ascendancy of Birmingham’s Shelby family in post-World War One England, is set to return for two further series, which should, if all goes to plan, take us all the way up to the outbreak of World War II. Series five aired in late summer 2019 and here’s all the news we have on series six, which was sadly forced to suspend production in March due to the global spread of Covid-19. Filming is due to resume in January 2021, so fingers crossed we’ll get the new series later this year.

Sex Education Season 3 (tbc)

Season three of Netflix’s celebrated high school comedy-drama went into production in September 2020, so there’ll be a little wait until the new episodes arrive on the streaming service. The show has won such an adoring fandom over its two seasons that they’ll wait as long as it takes to continue the stories of Otis, Eric, Maeve and of course, Gillian Anderson’s masterful Jean.

Staged Season 2 (January 4th)

A lot of people tried their best to make new TV under lockdown conditions last year, and some fared better than others. At the top of the comedy pile is Staged, starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen as exaggerated versions of themselves, rehearsing a play on Zoom with a host of big name guest stars and plenty of laughs courtesy of their other halves Georgia Tennant and Anna Lundberg.

Stath Lets Flats Season 3

We waited too long to hear that Channel 4 was doing the sensible thing and renewing Jamie Demetriou’s excellent Stath Lets Flats for a third series. During that wait, the show won three Baftas and even more fans, securing its reputation as one of the best comedies around. According to cast-member Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who plays reluctant letting agent Dean, the plan is to start filming in summer 2021, if everybody’s schedules can match up.

Taboo Season 2 (tbc)

From Steven Knight, creator of the excellent Peaky Blinders, in collaboration with star Tom Hardy, Taboo presents a very different vision of Regency England to the traditional Jane Austen world of assembly balls and etiquette faux pas. It’s about James Delaney, an almost invincible, little bit magic, highly mysterious thorn in the side of the East India Company. Series one aired in early 2017, and as of summer 2019, Knight had finished six of the eight scripts for the second series. Here’s what we know so far.

Taskmaster Season 11 (tbc)

Joining the Taskmaster and little Alex Horne for series ten of Taskmaster – its first series on Channel 4 – were Daisy May Cooper, Johnny Vegas, Katherine Parkinson, Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring. Then came a New Year treat featuring all-new one-off contestants. In 2021, we’re due a full new series starring Charlotte Ritchie, Jamali Maddix, Lee Mack, Mike Wozniak and Sarah Kendall, plus a champion of champions miniseries.

Temple Season 2 (tbc)

Adapted from Norwegian series Valkyrien, Temple is the story of an underground medical facility run by a desperate surgeon and his apocalypse-prepping colleague. It stars Mark Strong, Carice Van Houten and Daniel Mays, and debuted on Sky One in autumn 2019. The series two renewal was announced as the series one finale aired, and the new episodes are expected to air in summer 2021. Read more about the series here.

The Bay Season 2 (January)

Daragh Carville’s Morecambe-set crime thriller returns with a new case for Morven Christie’s DS Lisa Armstrong and co. this year. The first series dealt with the disappearance of a set of teenage twins and shady goings-on in a picture-perfect coastal town, earning it the title of ‘the new Broadchurch’. Here’s our episode one review.

The Capture Season 2 (tbc)

Ben Chanan’s BBC One thriller The Capture was a high-stakes crime drama that tackled the question of what truth and innocence mean when video evidence can be so easily manipulated in the modern age. It starred Strike‘s Holliday Grainger, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘s Callum Turner, and was renewed for a second series in summer 2020.

The Crown Season 5 (tbc)

Olivia Colman took over from Clare Foy as HRH Elizabeth II in The Crown series three. The time jump saw Matt Smith replaced by Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip and Helena Bonham-Carter take the reins from Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, with Gillian Anderson playing Margaret Thatcher. For season five, the palace welcomes Imelda Staunton (pictured) and Lesley Manville as the Windsor sisters.

The Last Kingdom Season 5 (tbc)

The Last Kingdom series five will adapt the next two books in Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories series: Warriors of the Storm and The Flame Bearer. Starring Alexander Dreymon as Viking-raised-Saxon Uhtred of Bebbenberg, it’s an action-packed historical drama filled with wit and characters to love. Read our spoiler-filled episode reviews and more.

This Time With Alan Partridge Season 2 (tbc)

Filming concluded on the second run of This Time With Alan Partridge in December 2020, so there shouldn’t be too long a wait for the new episodes to arrive on BBC One. Series two sees Norwich broadcasting veteran Alan established as the co-presenter of fictional magazine chat show This Time, following his gaffes on-screen and off. Susannah Fielding co-stars.

Unforgotten Season 4 (tbc)

Cassie and Sunny (played by Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar) return for a fourth series of ITV’s excellent cold case crime drama Unforgotten. What makes Chris Lang’s detective series stand out is its empathy—for its characters, for the victims, and often, for the killers themselves. The new series will take another decades-old case as its starting point, and no doubt tell another engrossing, affecting story led by excellent performances from a cast including Susan Lynch and Sheila Hancock.

War of the Worlds Season 2 (tbc)

FOX UK sci-fi War of the Worlds was one of the first TV dramas to restart filming after the enforced Covid-19 lockdown (it helps when your show is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the population has been more or less destroyed), so even with all the effects-heavy post-production required, we can expect it to arrive this year. It uses H.G. Wells’ story more as a jumping-off point than a bible, and developed into a poised and atmospheric sci-fi for adults. Read more about it here.

World on Fire Season 2 (tbc)

To the delight of fans following series one’s tense cliff-hanger ending, Peter Bowker’s WWII drama following multiple interconnected stories from around the world during the war, was recommissioned in November 2019. The stories of Harry (Jonah Hauer-King), Kasia (Zofia Wichlacz) and Lois (Julia Brown) will continue in the second run, alongside those of Lois’ conscientious objector father Douglas (Sean Bean) and Harry’s ice-cold mother Robina (Lesley Manville).

Year of the Rabbit Season 2 (tbc)

Detective Rabbit returns! Matt Berry, Susan Wokoma and Freddie Fox will be back for more Victorian crime-based comedy in a second series of Channel 4’s acclaimed Year Of The Rabbit. C4’s Head of Comedy Fiona McDermott describes the show, which is co-written by Matt Berry with Veep and Black Books‘ Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil, as “glorious, gutsy and audacious”, and you won’t hear any disagreement from us. Series one is currently available to stream on All4, and the six new episodes are expected to arrive this year.

Also returning:

Brassic Season 3 (tbc) – Joseph Gilgun’s Sky One comedy returns for a third run.

Code 404 Season 2 (tbc)– Stephen Graham and Daniel Mays are back on Sky One in this very British comedy take on RoboCop.

Don’t Forget the Driver Season 2 (tbc) The brilliant Toby Jones returns in this heartfelt seaside comedy drama.

Feel Good Season 2 (tbc) – Mae Martin’s autobiographically inspired comedy returns to Channel 4.

Hitmen Season 2 (tbc) – Mel and Sue will be back on Sky One for more paid-assassin larks.

King Gary Season 2 – Gary King will be ruling the crescent once again in this BBC One comedy.

I Am… Season 2 (tbc) – The Channel 4 female-fronted anthology drama returns with Suranne Jones among the cast.

Intelligence Season 2 (tbc) – David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed are back on Sky One for more tech-spy comedy.

State of the Union Season 2 (tbc) – Nick Hornby is creating two new characters who meet up weekly before their marriage counselling sessions for this BBC Two comedy-drama.

The Cockfields Season 2 (tbc) – This Gold original comedy starring Joe Wilkinson and Diane Morgan will return, but sadly, without comedian Bobby Ball, who passed away in 2020.

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