“WE always hear, ‘Golden age of British drama.’
“It’s not. It’s a golden age of British acting talent.
“We have never been so blessed in this country. It is incredible.”
Jimmy McGovern speaking at the London BAFTA launch of Moving On series six last month.
Five new stand alone dramas by up and coming writers starting on BBC1 at 2:15pm tomorrow (Monday Nov 10).
MOVING On is back with a Scandinavian twist.
Created by Jimmy McGovern, the fourth series of BBC1’s daytime drama has the usual impressive cast lists.
This time including actors from The Killing, Borgen, Wallander and Lilyhammer.
MISSING your Sunday night slice of Rob James-Collier in Downton Abbey?
Well, you can see the former Coronation Street star in series three of BBC1’s acclaimed Moving On.
Along with the likes of Fay Ripley, Reece Dinsdale, Paul Rhys, Dean Lennox Kelly, Christine Bottomley, Ben Daniels, Eva Pope, Sally Philips and Warren Brown.
Together with less famous names (for now) like Shaun Mason.
Rob and Shaun appear tomorrow (Monday Nov 14) in The Milkman, the first of five new Moving On dramas screened at 2:15pm each weekday next week.
“IT feels a lot harder now than when I started,” said writer John Fay.
“There’s definitely more writers and actors out of work. There’s less getting done.
“And I do think that comes down to money. If people aren’t investing in it, then it’s not getting made, is it?'”
“IT’S going to be hard to walk through that door for the last time.
“I will cry. I know I will.”
Veteran actress Barbara Knox is not the only one to shed a tear in Coronation Street: A Moving Story.
“EVERYTHING has a pattern and a pattern to everything.
“Find the connections. Find a way out of this.”
Alex’s notepad is back in Ashes To Ashes final series episode four.
Along with even more clues to the bigger picture as we reach the halfway stage of this epic farewell.
First a declaration. I’ve already seen the episode after this one and my brain is still racing.
SPOILER alert: Do not read any further if you have yet to watch tonight’s (Thursday) episode of Coronation Street.
It was no secret that Jimi Mistry was leaving the cobbles.
But the death of his character Kal Nazir in tonight’s (Thursday) Coronation Street fire and explosion was kept under wraps until the episode aired on ITV.
As producer Stuart Blackburn noted: “The ability of a show like Corrie to still shock and surprise the audience is really precious.”
“DON’T wake mummy…”
The chilling, disturbing and fascinating series two of The Fall is due to begin on BBC2 next month (November).
As many fans of the drama will know, the premiere screening – hosted by BAFTA – was held at London’s Mayfair Hotel on September 23.
Below is the story I wrote for a national newspaper a few hours after that launch which was used the day after in the hard copy edition and online – the latter behind a paywall.
So for those who were unable to access at the time, here’s that report.
Followed by my transcript of the post-screening Q&A that night involving Jamie Dornan, Gillian Anderson and Allan Cubitt.
IN The Flesh creator and writer Dominic Mitchell told a story today about the power of drama.
He spoke at this morning’s London press launch for the second series of the BBC3 show.
Shortly before BBC director-general Tony Hall confirmed that BBC3 will be moving online in autumn 2015 to save £50m a year.
BBC3 controller Zai Bennett had been expected to introduce the screening, as he did for the first series launch 13 months ago.
But, unsurprisingly, he had more pressing business back at the BBC’s New Broadcasting House just a short walk along the road.
“THERE are an awful lot of things that are plausible and just a few things that are probable.”
Rory Kinnear talking to me about new two-part ITV drama Lucan, which tells a story most will not know.
He plays the Lord who created a headline-grabbing mystery after murdering his children’s nanny Sandra Rivett (Leanne Best).
Having mistaken her in a darkened basement kitchen for his wife Lady Lucan (Catherine McCormack).
And then vanishing – never to be seen again.
Life of Wylie 