BBC lines up Tim Minchin sitcom

Comedian and musician to play loudmouth cocktail pianist in pilot for 88 Keys, which will also star Fonejacker's Kayvan NovakComedian and musician Tim Minchin will star in his first sitcom as a loudmouth cocktail pianist in 88 Keys for the BBC.Minchin will co-star with Fonejacker's Kayvan Novak in the pilot written by Jon Brown, whose previous credits include Channel 4's Fresh Meat and Nick Frost's latest big screen outing, Cuban Fury.Novak will play a barman in the comedy starring Minchin as Charlie the cocktail pianist who has grand ambitions, alongside his work colleague at the Carlton Arms Hotel, "walking failure" Amy.The pair of "monstrous rampaging ego-morons" are brought together by a rare fruit which causes "unseen complications".Born in the UK but raised in Australia, Minchin is best known for his musical comedy and his role as composer and lyricist of the award-winning musical, Matilda, based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name.88 Keys – initially a non-broadcast pilot – is being made by independent producer Big Talk, whose recent credits include Him and Her and Friday Night Dinner, as well as sitcoms Black Books and Spaced.Big Talk chief executive Kenton Allen said the show felt like the "son of Black Books" because it reunited director Martin Dennis with his co-chief executive Nira Park, who produced the Channel 4 sitcom and will take the same role on 88 Keys."Tim Minchin is without doubt one of the most multi-talented performers in the world and we are... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Divergent' film company teams with Sephora for a makeup line (+video)

Sephora has released a makeup line based on the upcoming movie 'Divergent,' adapted from the young adult book of the same name by Veronica Roth. Fellow young adult franchise 'The Hunger Games' also had tie-in makeup products, as well as a clothing line. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #upcoming movie #veronica roth #hunger games #makeup products #clothing line


'Divergent' film company teams with Sephora for a makeup line

Sephora has released a makeup line based on the upcoming movie 'Divergent,' adapted from the young adult book of the same name by Veronica Roth. Fellow young adult franchise 'The Hunger Games' also had tie-in makeup products, as well as a clothing line. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #makeup line #upcoming movie #veronica roth #hunger games #makeup products #clothing line


Julia Bradbury quits BBC's Countryfile for ITV show

Presenter says she has been heavily involved in development of new five-part series about Britain's landscapeCountryfile presenter Julia Bradbury is quitting the BBC Sunday evening show and has signed up to join a rival ITV show.Bradbury has presented Countryfile for nearly five years, helping... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams to star as BBC bags Agatha Christie drama deal

Corporation's contract with Christie estate will bring new series and documentaries coinciding with author's 125th anniversaryDavid Walliams will star in a new Agatha Christie adaptation on BBC1 under a new deal to bring some of the author's best-known works to the small screen in the 125th... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Alan Yentob: 'The BBC can't compete with its hands tied behind its back'

BBC's creative director on his closeness to Tony Hall, competition from rivals like Google – and his plan for more appsAlan Yentob is having his picture taken on a staircase overlooking the vast BBC newsroom at New Broadcasting House and telling me about the flooding at his house in Somerset... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC prepared to pay 'in excess of £15m' to build new EastEnders set

Corporation wants new facilities to drag soap out of 1980s into 21st century and more gentrified east London.The cost of building the new set for BBC1's EastEnders is likely to top £15m, a tender document for the sprawling lot in north London has revealed.The new facilities at the BBC's studios... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lush creates 'Christopher North' line

The founders of Lush cosmetics have named a product line "Christopher North" after... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Murray signs BBC journalist debut

John Murray has acquired the debut novel from former BBC News journalist Terry Stiastny. Acts of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Netflix and Google Books Are Blurring the Line Between Past and Present

We are now living in a history glut; the Internet has muddled the line between past and present. As our past gets closer and closer to the present and the line separating our now from our then dissolves, we're approaching an odd sort of asymptote.     Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comics Jump International Lines at Angoulême

Europe’s biggest comics festival opened in Angoulême, France Thursday with the streets thronged with avid comics readers and the rights center jammed with meetings from publishers around the world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Octopus signs BBC Radio 6 guide to music

An Octopus Publishing imprint is set to publish a book with BBC Radio 6 Music showcasing 500... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC faces damning criticism over £100m DMI fiasco in NAO report

• BBC admits it 'got this one wrong'• Executive board 'applied insufficient scrutiny'• 'Governance arrangements … were inadequate'Read the NAO report on the BBC's handling of the DMI projectThe BBC's handling of the £100m Digital Media Initiative fiasco has come in for further criticism, with a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former BBC technology chief to take legal action over DMI dismissal

Ex-employee accuses corporation of allowing 'inaccurate statements' to be made to MPs over failure of digital initiativeThe BBC chief technology officer dismissed over the failure of the Digital Media Initiative, the IT project scrapped last year at a cost of nearly £100m to licence fee payers,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC whistleblower claims staff 'falsified' benefits of DMI project

Ex-employee, who warned Lord Patten about digital initiative in 2012, compares benefits estimates to Enron-style accountingRead the full NAO report on the BBC's handling of the DMI projectRead the written evidence submitted to the PAC for the DMI inquiryThe whistleblower on the failings of the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC moves editor of Radio 1's Newsbeat after bullying allegations

Rod McKenzie, who denies the claims, is understood to have been given a final written warningThe editor of Radio 1's award-winning Newsbeat programme has been moved from his post following multiple complaints from staff about alleged bullying.Rod McKenzie, who denied the allegations, is... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ITV and BBC told to learn lessons from graphic Lee Rigby murder coverage

Ofcom clears broadcasters after complaints, but tells them to consider explicit warnings before airing 'challenging' footageRead the full Ofcom ruling on TV news coverge of Woolwich killing (P22)Ofcom has told broadcasters including ITV and the BBC to learn lessons after they aired graphic... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC Trust chief accused of 'obstruction and secrecy'

Lord Patten criticised by MPs for blocking publication of documents relating to corporation's failed £100m IT projectMPs have accused the BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten, of "obstruction and secrecy" for stopping the corporation publishing key documents about a failed £100m IT project.Patten... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AudioGO's BBC titles signed by Random House

Random House Audio has signed an agreement with BBC Worldwide to sell and distribute the company... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC 'took too long to realise DMI project was in trouble'

Report finds flaws in tech project could have been identified two years before it was shut down in May at a cost of almost £100mRead the full PwC report on the BBC's DMI failureThe BBC should have identified that the Digital Media Initiative was set to fail as early as July 2011, almost two... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC's Lord Patten under pressure over claim Savile inquiry excluded evidence

Despite threat of legal action, Guido Fawkes blog publishes tape of Nick Pollard allegedly admitting omission was a 'mistake'Lord Patten is facing mounting pressure to get to the bottom of an allegation that the internal inquiry into the BBC's handling of the Jimmy Savile scandal may have... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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