Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2025-12-04T09:47:21.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Avatar: Fire and Ash director James Cameron shares how this film about loss helped him process his "true grief"
items: Game of Thrones star reveals her Avatar: Fire and Ash villain is a "magnificent beast of a lady"
items: Avatar star Sam Worthington reveals why he didn't interact with one key cast member during sequel filming
items: 10 Questions with Lennie James
items: BAFTA winner Lennie James calls out issues of the current Trump era and why we need working class voices
items: View from my sofa: Maisie Adam
items: Taskmaster's Maisie Adam: "You look at early series of Mock the Week and it was all the same kind of male"
items: Ten Questions with Jared Harris
items: Jared Harris reveals one of his biggest regrets – never working with his screen icon father
items: Star Wars grows up
items: Andor creator: 'We try to be more serious about Star Wars – we shot a cop in the face in the opening scene'
items: Ten Questions with Chris O'Dowd
items: Chris O'Dowd on returning to his roots for Small Town, Big Story: "I'd been looking for a reason"
items: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creator says he'll "protect" young cast as they opt to "stay off social media"
items: 'As a kid, my world fell apart'
items: Ten Questions with John Lithgow
items: John Lithgow turned down playing "ghastly threat" Donald Trump several times
items: View from my sofa: Nick Mohammed
items: John David Washington on The Piano Lesson: "The scab wounds of those times still affect us today"
items: Ten Questions with John David Washington
items: Michael Douglas on nepotism, playing an American legend and sex scenes
items: Doctor Who at 60: When Russell T Davies met Waris Hussein
items: Andor's Adria Arjona on entering the Star Wars universe
items: Stephen Lang: 'I always had the greatest confidence in James Cameron'
items: Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington on how life has changed since Avatar
items: Cowboy Bebop review: A pale imitation of the original series
items: Foundation review: Science fiction has hardly ever looked this good
items: To Mondas and back again: a brief history of the Cybermen in Doctor Who
items: Meet the cast of Doctor Who series 11
items: Doctor Who: did the Doctor really used to have sisters?

Avatar: Fire and Ash director James Cameron shares how this film about loss helped him process his "true grief"
type: item
date: 2025-12-03T17:01:10.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: As the Avatar saga’s latest chapter hits cinemas, can director James Cameron replicate the mind-blowing success of its predecessors? No pressure…
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. James Cameron operates at the kind of scale usually reserved for plagues and empires. For instance, for his latest “very expensive” Avatar sequel, Fire and Ash, to be considered successful, “I don’t have to affect every single person on the planet,” he says, modestly. “I only need about 3 per cent.” If you’re wondering, that equates to about 240 million people: over three times the population of the UK. And if they all buy a ticket for $10 each, then that translates to a gross of $2.4 billion: placing it in the top three highest-grossing films of all time. “It is the stupidest business model in the world,” he laughs. “We’ve made a movie that fails if it’s not in the top ten in history. That’s ludicrous, right?” Ludicrous for most directors, perhaps. But not James Cameron. This is the man who directed the 1997 phenomenon Titanic, a blockbuster so over budget that at one point it looked as though it would sink his career. Instead, it became the highest-grossing film of all time. And then there’s 2009’s Avatar. Back then, it was a baffling prospect: a surreal 3D science-fiction extravaganza made almost entirely on a virtual soundstage, about a distant planet of blue aliens called the Na’vi. It overtook Titanic to became the highest-grossing film of all time. And yet, even by Cameron’s standards, the 71-year-old director admits that he has played a “dangerous game” with his two Avatar sequels, which were filmed back to back in New Zealand. “That was a big bet,” he says. “Because we had to assume that the second film would be successful enough to warrant the finishing of the third.” The first sequel, The Way of Water, was released in 2022 amidst scepticism as to whether audiences still cared about Avatar. It grossed $2.3 billion: placing it in the top three highest-grossing films of all time. More than enough to justify this third instalment, Fire and Ash. Avatar’s status as a worldwide phenomenon is often attributed t…

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Game of Thrones star reveals her Avatar: Fire and Ash villain is a "magnificent beast of a lady"
type: item
date: 2025-12-02T19:01:02.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Oona Chaplin tells us how she brought Varang to life with intense Method prep, ritual stomps, and unflinching authority.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Tell us about Varang, the leader of the antagonistic Ash people, who you play in Fire and Ash. She is spicy! A magnificent beast of a lady. She is the leader of the Ash clan, who are very different to the other Na’vi clans. They live in a place where there was a huge natural disaster so their connection to [Pandora’s spiritual nature entity] Eywa was severed. They have this huge trauma and pain and the smart, brilliant Varang has figured out a way to harness that despair. Sam Worthington mentioned that you went “Method” for the role of Varang. What did you do to get into character? I plastered very traumatic images all over my trailer, which I don’t think I’ll do again! Also, before scenes I would do these chants and stomps to get myself into Varang’s headspace. Looking back on it now I am a little bit embarrassed… but at the time it seemed the right thing to do. Going from being the kind of person who is like, “Oh no, don’t worry about me!” to being like, “Do exactly as I say or you shall die!” – it was a big leap! What was your audition for Varang like? At the time, I had built myself a treehouse and I was determined to live in there and start a permaculture project [for sustainable land use]. And then there was this opportunity to audition for Avatar and I was like, “That’s a good reason to come out of my treehouse!” James Cameron is a hero for me. But then I met him and he’s so playful and curious. We ended up stopping the audition and talking about agriculture and biodynamics. It sounds like you were at an interesting point in your life at that time? A huge crossroads. I was in a place of really feeling the injustices of the world. I spent a lot of time in Calais building shacks in the Jungle [the refugee camp in France]. And I was very conflicted, because then I’d be going on to set and wearing a £9,000 dress. There was a lot of inner turmoil in that. The performance-capture process used in Fire and Ash mean…

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Avatar star Sam Worthington reveals why he didn't interact with one key cast member during sequel filming
type: item
date: 2025-12-01T14:01:48.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: From the first Avatar to Fire and Ash, Sam Worthington talks 16 years of filmmaking, fatherhood, and working with Jim Cameron.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The first Avatar movie was released 16 years ago. How would you describe its impact on your life? When we started, I was 31 – I’m 49 now. Avatar made my whole world do a 180. You can’t prepare for the Hollywood industry, you’ve just got to survive the turbulence. And then you learn as you’re doing it. Unfortunately, you have to do it under a spotlight. James Cameron has a reputation for being demanding. What’s he like to work with? Jim is the best acting director I’ve ever met! He’s so detailed. It really helps. His movies are acknowledged for their spectacle, but these movies don’t work unless they have a soul and that’s what you get from the performances. I’m humbled to have Jim as my friend and mentor. When I go to other jobs, that bar is very high once you’ve worked with Jim. Before the release of The Way of Water there were doubts whether audiences still had the appetite for Avatar. Were you worried? I don’t doubt my boss, man! People thought Aliens wouldn’t match Alien. People thought Terminator 2: Judgment Day wouldn’t be as good as The Terminator. The thing about Jim is he always gives you the unexpected. Jake’s eldest son Neteyam died at the end of The Way of Water. How does that grief affect him in Fire and Ash? They’re still in a state of shock over what happened. The movie explores the struggle to hold together the things that you love. Jake goes back to his touchstone, which is soldiering. He doesn’t want violence to come, but soldiering is what he knows, and that helps him navigate these harsh emotions. You’re the father of three boys. Was it a challenge to tap into every parent’s worst nightmare? The great thing was that we filmed the two sequels simultaneously. So Neteyam’s death came early on and I knew we could use the emotion of that scene and carry it into Fire and Ash. You can’t “play” grief, otherwise the movie becomes bogged in this mire of pain and sadness. It’s more about how you resurrect…

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10 Questions with Lennie James
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: He’s a major star on both sides of the pond and has won awards for writing and acting — so what’s next?
encoded: Add Mayor of Kingstown to your watchlist British writer, actor and director Lennie James has just turned 60 and splits his life between the UK and the USA. He wrote and starred in the dramas Save Me and Save Me Too, he was corrupt DCI Tony Gates in Line of Duty and in May this year he won a Bafta for his performance as Barry Walker in Mr Loverman. In the USA he was Morgan Jones in The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, and in his latest role he is crime lord Frank Moses in Mayor of Kingstown, an American drama set in a community whose fortunes are entwined with those of the prisons that surround it. So what’s it like living the American dream? You have lived in America for a while now. What do you find are the cultural differences between the USA and the UK? We are two countries separated by a common language. There are similarities between Britain and America, but to almost every situation add race, add guns. Those two things define the cultural differences between our two countries. That, and size! Mayor of Kingstown is about private prisons. Was that a concept strange to wrap your head around as a Brit? It’s one that’s scary. Prisons can be big business. That means that they need prisoners. And in order to have prisoners, that affects the way that people are sentenced, and it affects who is being sentenced. Under this current administration, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out who is going to be populating the prisons and feeding that particular industry. Have you felt the difference in the past few years since Donald Trump became president again? It’s noticeable, particularly if you’re a black or brown person, a member of the LGBTQ+ community or a woman. It’s noticeable how quickly and systematically the advances that have been made are being eradicated. It’s obvious what’s going on and how someone who looks like me would feel about it. In Mayor of Kingstown you play erudite gangster Frank Moses. What attracted you to the role? I’m now looking for…

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BAFTA winner Lennie James calls out issues of the current Trump era and why we need working class voices
type: item
date: 2025-10-28T00:01:36.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: Paramount Plus
description: He’s a major star on both sides of the pond and has won awards for writing and acting – so what’s next?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. British writer, actor and director Lennie James has just turned 60 and splits his life between the UK and the USA. He wrote and starred in the dramas Save Me and Save Me Too, he was corrupt DCI Tony Gates in Line of Duty and in May this year he won a Bafta for his performance as Barry Walker in Mr Loverman. In the USA he was Morgan Jones in The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, and in his latest role he is crime lord Frank Moses in Mayor of Kingstown, an American drama set in a community whose fortunes are entwined with those of the prisons that surround it. So what’s it like living the American dream? You have lived in America for a while now. What do you find are the cultural differences between the USA and the UK? We are two countries separated by a common language. There are similarities between Britain and America, but to almost every situation add race, add guns. Those two things define the cultural differences between our two countries. That, and size! Mayor of Kingstown is about private prisons. Was that a strange concept to wrap your head around as a Brit? It’s one that’s scary. Prisons can be big business. That means that they need prisoners. And in order to have prisoners, that affects the way that people are sentenced, and it affects who is being sentenced. Under this current administration, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out who is going to be populating the prisons and feeding that particular industry. Have you felt the difference in the past few years since Donald Trump became president again? It’s noticeable, particularly if you’re a black or brown person, a member of the LGBTQ+ community or a woman. It’s noticeable how quickly and systematically the advances that have been made are being eradicated. It’s obvious what’s going on and how someone who looks like me would feel about it. In Mayor of Kingstown you play erudite gangster Frank Moses. What attracted you to the role? I’m now…

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View from my sofa: Maisie Adam
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Joining Taskmaster was like winning the lottery, says the comedian — but appearing on it really tested her temper
encoded: Add Taskmaster to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? My husband [businessman Mike Dobinson] and I live in a small flat in Brighton, so we’ve got the telly in the corner and then we’ve got our little sofa on the opposite side. I got a sore neck last night because there’s a good and a bad seat on it and I was in the bad seat… but it’s lovely and it’s ours, so it’s all right! What have you been watching? We’re bingeing The White Lotus, which is so good. It seems like the best job ever: to be taken to these gorgeous destinations and deliver great dialogue about being the worst people in the world. Who controls the TV remote? Me! I’m terrible for chipping in with my own personal thoughts about what we would do in that scenario. I do my husband’s head in by constantly pressing pause and going, “Can you imagine if I did that?” And he’s always like, “Yeah... Should we carry on watching?” How big a deal was it when you got the call from Taskmaster? It’s the show that everybody wants to do. When the offer came in, I felt like I’d won the lottery! I’ve been waiting and hoping that I might get asked. It’s a bit like when your parents go, “Why don’t you just hand in a CV and ask if they’re hiring?” It’s not for lack of wanting, believe me! I haven’t turned it down these past five years. Did anything surprise you about being on the show? My temper! I’ve watched the show so many times and thought, “You just need to stay calm and think laterally; take a step back.” When you’re there, you’re filming back-to-back tasks from early in the morning to late at night and it’s filmed in real time. You’re also not given any information, so you do feel quite exposed. I’ve learnt that I’m not great under pressure! What have you learnt from being on panel shows? When I started doing them, there was definitely a style that was very “elbows out”. Five people would start talking at once and whoever kept talking would get the gag in the edit, and that is tiring across a three-hour recor…

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Taskmaster's Maisie Adam: "You look at early series of Mock the Week and it was all the same kind of male"
type: item
date: 2025-10-13T23:01:23.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: Channel 4
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Joining Taskmaster was like winning the lottery, says the comedian – but appearing on it really tested her temper.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What’s the view from your sofa? My husband [businessman Mike Dobinson] and I live in a small flat in Brighton, so we’ve got the telly in the corner and then we’ve got our little sofa on the opposite side. I got a sore neck last night because there’s a good and a bad seat on it and I was in the bad seat… but it’s lovely and it’s ours, so it’s all right! What have you been watching? We’re bingeing The White Lotus, which is so good. It seems like the best job ever: to be taken to these gorgeous destinations and deliver great dialogue about being the worst people in the world. Who controls the TV remote? Me! I’m terrible for chipping in with my own personal thoughts about what we would do in that scenario. I do my husband’s head in by constantly pressing pause and going, “Can you imagine if I did that?” And he’s always like, “Yeah... Should we carry on watching?” How big a deal was it when you got the call from Taskmaster? It’s the show that everybody wants to do. When the offer came in, I felt like I’d won the lottery! I’ve been waiting and hoping that I might get asked. It’s a bit like when your parents go, “Why don’t you just hand in a CV and ask if they’re hiring?” It’s not for lack of wanting, believe me! I haven’t turned it down these past five years. Did anything surprise you about being on the show? My temper! I’ve watched the show so many times and thought, “You just need to stay calm and think laterally; take a step back.” When you’re there, you’re filming back-to-back tasks from early in the morning to late at night and it’s filmed in real time. You’re also not given any information, so you do feel quite exposed. I’ve learnt that I’m not great under pressure! What have you learnt from being on panel shows? When I started doing them, there was definitely a style that was very “elbows out”. Five people would start talking at once and whoever kept talking would get the gag in the edit, and that is tiring acros…

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Ten Questions with Jared Harris
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The acclaimed actor on how to cheat death, fame’s “hall of mirrors” — and one small misstep for Harriskind
encoded: Add Foundation to your watchlist. Series 3 is available to stream on Apple TV+ from Friday 11 July. British actor Jared Harris has starred in some of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of the 21st century. He played tragic Englishman Lane Pryce in Mad Men, Soviet scientist Valery Legasov in Chernobyl and King George VI in The Crown. But for now the 63-year-old has left period drama behind, playing prophetic genius Hari Seldon in Apple TV+ sci-fi epic Foundation. About to kick off its third series, the show is based around a science capable of mapping out the future… One of Foundation’s core themes is how seemingly tiny events can have profound consequences for the future. Has that made you think about our own future as a society? There are all sorts of crossroads. If the US Supreme Court had made a different decision in 2000, Al Gore would have been the president. Maybe then we would have a completely different attitude towards climate change. We’d probably be in a different situation now. In Foundation, those tiny events snowball into huge inflection points called Seldon Crises. Are we nearing our own Seldon Crisis? I think we’re constantly going through those. When I was younger we were living under the fear of nuclear armageddon. The Cold War was something that would keep you up at night. Now we face different sorts of existential crises. You wanted to go into space as a child, so is Foundation the next best thing? Of course! The Apollo programme was such a big thing when I was young. Unfortunately I missed the Moon landing because my older brother had discovered a bottle of cider and persuaded eight-year-old me to drink some. Only it wasn’t cider, it was paraffin! So we were having our stomachs pumped when Neil Armstrong was walking on the Moon. Your TV CV is impressive. What do you look for in a script? You’re looking for something that is a story that you’re interested in telling. If you’re struggling to turn the pages and get to the end, that’s probably s…

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Jared Harris reveals one of his biggest regrets – never working with his screen icon father
type: item
date: 2025-07-07T23:01:52.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The acclaimed actor on how to cheat death, fame’s “hall of mirrors” — and one small misstep for Harriskind.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. British actor Jared Harris has starred in some of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of the 21st century. He played tragic Englishman Lane Pryce in Mad Men, Soviet scientist Valery Legasov in Chernobyl and King George VI in The Crown. But for now the 63-year-old has left period drama behind, playing prophetic genius Hari Seldon in Apple TV+ sci-fi epic Foundation. About to kick off its third series, the show is based around a science capable of mapping out the future… One of Foundation’s core themes is how seemingly tiny events can have profound consequences for the future. Has that made you think about our own future as a society? There are all sorts of crossroads. If the US Supreme Court had made a different decision in 2000, Al Gore would have been the president. Maybe then we would have a completely different attitude towards climate change. We’d probably be in a different situation now. In Foundation, those tiny events snowball into huge inflection points called Seldon Crises. Are we nearing our own Seldon Crisis? I think we’re constantly going through those. When I was younger we were living under the fear of nuclear armageddon. The Cold War was something that would keep you up at night. Now we face different sorts of existential crises. You wanted to go into space as a child, so is Foundation the next best thing? Of course! The Apollo programme was such a big thing when I was young. Unfortunately I missed the Moon landing because my older brother had discovered a bottle of cider and persuaded eight-year-old me to drink some. Only it wasn’t cider, it was paraffin! So we were having our stomachs pumped when Neil Armstrong was walking on the Moon. Your TV CV is impressive. What do you look for in a script? You’re looking for something that is a story that you’re interested in telling. If you’re struggling to turn the pages and get to the end, that’s probably something you should let somebody else do, who’s…

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Star Wars grows up
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App archive 100
description: As Star Wars origin series Andor returns, creator Tony Gilroy reveals why he insisted on turning his back on the Skywalkers and embracing the dark side
encoded: This article was first published in Radio Times magazine in May 2025. Add Andor to your watchlist The American screenwriter Tony Gilroy, a cerebral man best known for making the gritty Bourne action movies, had one condition before signing on to create a Star Wars TV show. “I was just not interested in the Skywalkers,” he tells RT. “I said to Disney, ‘You’ve made all these films about one group of people.’ There are billions of creatures in the galaxy and most have never heard of Jedis or the Force. Let’s get out of the front of the restaurant and go into the kitchen. That’s where I’ll be.” George Lucas’s Star Wars is, at heart, a space opera for children; morality tales about light versus dark, good versus evil. But Andor is something different. Indeed, there are no Skywalkers here. No lightsabers. No cute little Ewoks or Baby Yodas. In fact, the series – which has become the most critically acclaimed Star Wars story of the past decade – hardly feels like Star Wars at all. Instead, it’s a moody spy thriller in the mould of John le Carré, set during the height of the Galactic Empire, told in the serious, sophisticated style of prestige television. It doesn’t exactly scream “Disney”. “I mean, my God,” says Gilroy, “in series one we shoot a cop in the face in the opening scene – outside a brothel!” Andor is something extraordinary – Star Wars for adults. Ask a fan of the show what it’s about, and they might tell you different things. The scrappy rise of the Rebel Alliance. The suffocating oppression of the Empire. But primarily, it’s about Cassian Andor – played by Mexican actor Diego Luna – who was first introduced in 2016 Star Wars spin-off movie Rogue One. That film told the story of how seasoned spy Andor sacrificed himself to steal the plans for the Death Star; the planet-destroying superweapon introduced in 1977’s original Star Wars movie (and later blown up by Luke Skywalker). Andor rewinds the timeline back a further five years. It is, in the words of Luna, a …

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Andor creator: 'We try to be more serious about Star Wars – we shot a cop in the face in the opening scene'
type: item
date: 2025-04-22T13:48:56.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
description: The spin-off's creator reveals why he insisted on turning his back on the Skywalkers and embracing the dark side.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The American screenwriter Tony Gilroy, a cerebral man best known for making the gritty Bourne action movies, had one condition before signing on to create a Star Wars TV show. “I was just not interested in the Skywalkers,” he tells Radio Times magazine. “I said to Disney, ‘You’ve made all these films about one group of people.’ There are billions of creatures in the galaxy and most have never heard of Jedis or the Force. Let’s get out of the front of the restaurant and go into the kitchen. That’s where I’ll be.” George Lucas’s Star Wars is, at heart, a space opera for children; morality tales about light versus dark, good versus evil. But Andor is something different. Indeed, there are no Skywalkers here. No lightsabers. No cute little Ewoks or Baby Yodas. In fact, the series – which has become the most critically acclaimed Star Wars story of the past decade – hardly feels like Star Wars at all. Instead, it’s a moody spy thriller in the mould of John le Carré, set during the height of the Galactic Empire, told in the serious, sophisticated style of prestige television. It doesn’t exactly scream “Disney”. “I mean, my God,” says Gilroy, “in series one we shoot a cop in the face in the opening scene – outside a brothel!” Andor is something extraordinary – Star Wars for adults. Ask a fan of the show what it’s about, and they might tell you different things. The scrappy rise of the Rebel Alliance. The suffocating oppression of the Empire. But primarily, it’s about Cassian Andor – played by Mexican actor Diego Luna – who was first introduced in 2016 Star Wars spin-off movie Rogue One. That film told the story of how seasoned spy Andor sacrificed himself to steal the plans for the Death Star; the planet-destroying superweapon introduced in 1977’s original Star Wars movie (and later blown up by Luke Skywalker). View Green Video on the source website Andor rewinds the timeline back a further five years. It is, in the words…

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Ten Questions with Chris O'Dowd
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The IT Crowd star is back on home turf in his culture-clash comedy drama where Hollywood meets small-town Ireland
encoded: Add Small Town, Big Story to your watchlist Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is known for the Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd and the hit American romcom Bridesmaids, but it was the experience of shooting his 2012 coming-of-age Sky comedy Moone Boy, filmed in Boyle, where he grew up, that inspired him to write and direct his new show, Small Town, Big Story. Set in the fictional rural town of Drumbán, it follows a community that’s taken over by a huge Hollywood production. And for O’Dowd — who recently moved from Los Angeles to London with his wife, writer Dawn O’Porter, and their two sons, aged ten and seven — it was a chance to return to his roots. Small Town, Big Story took you back home to Boyle. What made you want to film there again? I’d been looking for a reason to go back and film close to home. I was stuck in Los Angeles during lockdown in 2021 and we were living by a ravine. I’d walk the dog near it for two hours a day and it was the closest I had felt to home – the scenery reminded me of the forests where I grew up. It gave me a feeling of being far away. And this show is how that feeling manifested itself. How did the experience of making Moone Boy a decade ago inspire your new story about a small town swallowed up by Hollywood? It’s not a coincidence! The locals love you at first and then eventually it’s like, “Oh my God, my driveway is blocked again!” You get into the practicalities of life and the novelty wears off. It’s interesting how unnatural it all feels. People that you’ve known all your life come up to you wearing a little bit more make-up than they usually would! Was there anything in particular you wanted to capture about small-town Irish life? I like that nobody has moved on from the dynamics that they had at school! That happens in small towns more than people realise. You see it in the bar scenes where these middle-aged men are still ribbing each other. It’s so juvenile and silly, although it has its own kind of intimacy to it. Christina Hendricks pl…

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Chris O'Dowd on returning to his roots for Small Town, Big Story: "I'd been looking for a reason"
type: item
date: 2025-02-18T00:01:49.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
description: The IT Crowd star and Moone Boy creator speaks to Radio Times about his new Sky series.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is known for the Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd and the hit American romcom Bridesmaids, but it was the experience of shooting his 2012 coming-of-age Sky comedy Moone Boy, filmed in Boyle, where he grew up, that inspired him to write and direct his new show, Small Town, Big Story. Set in the fictional rural town of Drumbán, it follows a community that’s taken over by a huge Hollywood production. And for O’Dowd — who recently moved from Los Angeles to London with his wife, writer Dawn O’Porter, and their two sons, aged 10 and seven — it was a chance to return to his roots. Small Town, Big Story took you back home to Boyle. What made you want to film there again? I’d been looking for a reason to go back and film close to home. I was stuck in Los Angeles during lockdown in 2021 and we were living by a ravine. I’d walk the dog near it for two hours a day and it was the closest I had felt to home – the scenery reminded me of the forests where I grew up. It gave me a feeling of being far away. And this show is how that feeling manifested itself. How did the experience of making Moone Boy a decade ago inspire your new story about a small town swallowed up by Hollywood? It’s not a coincidence! The locals love you at first and then eventually it’s like: "Oh my God, my driveway is blocked again!" You get into the practicalities of life and the novelty wears off. It’s interesting how unnatural it all feels. People that you’ve known all your life come up to you wearing a little bit more make-up than they usually would! Was there anything in particular you wanted to capture about small-town Irish life? I like that nobody has moved on from the dynamics that they had at school! That happens in small towns more than people realise. You see it in the bar scenes where these middle-aged men are still ribbing each other. It’s so juvenile and silly, although it has its own kind of intimacy to it. Christina Hend…

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Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creator says he'll "protect" young cast as they opt to "stay off social media"
type: item
date: 2024-12-05T00:01:37.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Disney Plus
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: On demand
description: The cast and creators of Skeleton Crew, including Jude Law, spoke with Radio Times magazine.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. When Jude Law was seven years old, he would run around his playground at school in Blackheath, London, pretending to be Luke Skywalker. “We had those really early, fat, chunky lightsabers,” he says, reflecting on the years in the late '70s when Star Wars mania first swept the UK. “They didn’t make any noises. They barely lit up. But we would go ‘pew-pew!’ and bash them about!” There is a fitting symmetry, of course, in the child who once pretended to be in Star Wars growing up to be in it for real. Yet for Law, now 51 and the star of the new Disney Plus series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, it means more than that. “That leap of the imagination,” he says. “Play-acting as a kid, having that connection with roles that you want to recreate – it’s probably the reason I’m an actor.” That sense of childhood wonder – the generations of kids transfixed by starships, Jedi and adventure – is writ large in Skeleton Crew, the Star Wars story that puts the kids in charge. It follows four pre-teen protagonists who stumble upon a mysterious spaceship in the suburbs of their seemingly mundane, Earth-like planet. The wide-eyed Wim, played by 13-year-old American Ravi Cabot-Conyers, believes the ship leads to a Jedi temple. Instead, inside is the wreck of an old pirate ship – one that maroons them in space with no way back home. Law plays the enigmatic rogue Jod Na Nawood, a swashbuckling space pirate who tags along with the kids in the hope that they will lead him to long-lost treasure, entering the story properly in the third episode of the series. “I took a little bit of Han Solo as inspiration,” he explains. “I adore that slightly cynical, world-weary swagger.” Jude Law is no stranger to big, family-friendly franchises. In recent years he has popped up as villain Yon-Rogg in comic book movie Captain Marvel, and as the young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts films. Law is the father of seven children, most recently with psycho…

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'As a kid, my world fell apart'
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The Star Wars films made a huge impression on the young Jude Law – now he’s taking a new generation of space adventurers across the universe
encoded: Add Star Wars: Skeleton Crew to your watchlist When Jude Law was seven years old, he would run around his playground at school in Blackheath, London, pretending to be Luke Skywalker. “We had those really early, fat, chunky lightsabers,” he says, reflecting on the years in the late 70s when Star Wars mania first swept the UK. “They didn’t make any noises. They barely lit up. But we would go ‘pew-pew!’ and bash them about!” There is a fitting symmetry, of course, in the child who once pretended to be in Star Wars growing up to be in it for real. Yet for Law, now 51 and the star of the new Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, it means more than that. “That leap of the imagination,” he says. “Play-acting as a kid, having that connection with roles that you want to recreate – it’s probably the reason I’m an actor.” That sense of childhood wonder – the generations of kids transfixed by starships, Jedi and adventure – is writ large in Skeleton Crew, the Star Wars story that puts the kids in charge. It follows four pre-teen protagonists who stumble upon a mysterious spaceship in the suburbs of their seemingly mundane, Earth-like planet. The wide-eyed Wim, played by 13-year-old American Ravi Cabot-Conyers, believes the ship leads to a Jedi temple. Instead, inside is the wreck of an old pirate ship – one that maroons them in space with no way back home. Law plays the enigmatic rogue Jod Na Nawood, a swashbuckling space pirate who tags along with the kids in the hope that they will lead him to long-lost treasure, entering the story properly in the third episode of the series. “I took a little bit of Han Solo as inspiration,” he explains. “I adore that slightly cynical, world-weary swagger.” Jude Law is no stranger to big, family-friendly franchises. In recent years he has popped up as villain Yon-Rogg in comic book movie Captain Marvel, and as the young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts films. Law is the father of seven children, most recently with psychologist wife…

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Ten Questions with John Lithgow
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
subject: App Oscars 2025
description: The star of stage and screen on his Vatican thriller — and paying to appear in the West End
encoded: Conclave is nominated for eight Oscars. Add it to your watchlist New film Conclave is a nail-biting political thriller set in the Vatican and based on Robert Harris’s bestseller. John Lithgow, best known for his turn in the 90s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, plays the politicking Cardinal Tremblay, one of many ambitious candidates in the running to be elected as the new Pope. But are his methods more devilish than holy? Of course, 79-year-old Lithgow is no stranger to politics himself. Not only did he play Winston Churchill in The Crown, but in recent years he has been a vehement critic of Donald Trump… Conclave is a film rooted in the machinations of politics. Was that something that attracted you to it? I think so! I love the fact that it’s about political behaviour. You don’t see stories of politics told in such an extraordinary setting. It was uncanny how this social organism, just like every other political entity, divided itself into a left and right wing. We all have politics on the brain these days, but we don’t think much about the politics inside the Vatican. View oEmbed on the source website What is your own relationship with religion? I’m not religious. Both my mother and father were from serious churchgoing families, but it never stuck. Still, I have my own morality and I try to lead a good life. And I’m a great fan of religious art, of Bach’s masses and Mozart’s sacred music. There are also certain things about religious holidays that I find deeply moving. Cardinal Tremblay is a scheming, contradictory character. Did you base your performance on anyone in particular? I dove into shady parts of my own nature. To me, the film is about the conflict between faith and ambition. I consider myself a serious artist, but I’m still vulnerable to wanting to make more money in my next job. Right now I’m working in the theatre in London, in a wonderful play called Giant [in which he plays Roald Dahl]. But I’m basically paying to do the job. I head to the theatre eve…

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John Lithgow turned down playing "ghastly threat" Donald Trump several times
type: item
date: 2024-12-02T00:01:26.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Magazine
description: The veteran actor spoke to Radio Times about his role in new movie Conclave and why he won't play Trump.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. New film Conclave is a nail-biting political thriller set in the Vatican and based on Robert Harris’s bestseller. John Lithgow, best known for his turn in the 90s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, plays the politicking Cardinal Tremblay, one of many ambitious candidates in the running to be elected as the new Pope. But are his methods more devilish than holy? Of course, 79-year-old Lithgow is no stranger to politics himself. Not only did he play Winston Churchill in The Crown, but in recent years he has been a vehement critic of Donald Trump… Conclave is a film rooted in the machinations of politics. Was that something that attracted you to it? I think so! I love the fact that it’s about political behaviour. You don’t see stories of politics told in such an extraordinary setting. It was uncanny how this social organism, just like every other political entity, divided itself into a left and right wing. We all have politics on the brain these days, but we don’t think much about the politics inside the Vatican. What is your own relationship with religion? I’m not religious. Both my mother and father were from serious churchgoing families, but it never stuck. Still, I have my own morality and I try to lead a good life. And I’m a great fan of religious art, of Bach’s masses and Mozart’s sacred music. There are also certain things about religious holidays that I find deeply moving. Cardinal Tremblay is a scheming, contradictory character. Did you base your performance on anyone in particular? I dove into shady parts of my own nature. To me, the film is about the conflict between faith and ambition. I consider myself a serious artist, but I’m still vulnerable to wanting to make more money in my next job. Right now I’m working in the theatre in London, in a wonderful play called Giant [in which he plays Roald Dahl]. But I’m basically paying to do the job. I head to the theatre every night on a London bus. And yet it’s my most…

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View from my sofa: Nick Mohammed
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: He likes hiding behind his alter ego, but will he be back in Ted Lasso?
encoded: Nick Mohammed is currently on stage in London's Soho Place theatre in A Christmas Carol (ish). Ted Lasso is on Apple TV+ – add it to your watchlist. What’s the view from your sofa? A relatively small TV! We don’t have a big wall-mounted flatscreen or anything. Our sofa is old and tatty. My wife [teacher Becka] and I have had it since we were renting. We keep meaning to replace it but my three children are still little; what with all the spillages, there’s not much point right now. But our small cosy living room is my favourite place. What have you enjoyed on TV recently? I just finished watching Industry series three, which I thought was phenomenal. The subject matter is money and greed and a lot of the characters aren’t explicitly likeable, but it’s so smartly done. It’s edge-of-your-sofa stuff. Do you watch much comedy? I tend to avoid comedy, partly because you don’t want to find yourself imitating it. It’s also what I do for a living, so I tend to prefer drama when chilling out – I get exposed to it enough during the day! You’re currently on stage in A Christmas Carol(ish) as your comic persona Mr Swallow. What is his take on Dickens? Basically, Santa is our Scrooge figure. He’s a mean Santa – miserly, doesn’t want to give presents away. So he cancels Christmas on Christmas Eve and is visited by three ghosts. Mr Swallow has got that end-of-the-pier feel to him. A bit of a has-been. The character originally came from me doing an impression of my teacher in Leeds when I was 14. It’s quite camp! Why did you decide to adopt an alter ego while performing? I like to preserve the mystery! It was also more of a nerves thing when I started doing live comedy. It was useful to hide behind a mask. Even with something like Taskmaster, which I did as myself, I still wanted to hide behind Dracula make-up! It helped me feel less self-conscious. Do fans of Ted Lasso turn up to your shows bamboozled by Mr Swallow? His appearance at this years Bafta Film Awards took a lot of peopl…

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John David Washington on The Piano Lesson: "The scab wounds of those times still affect us today"
type: item
date: 2024-11-12T00:01:21.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
description: "I just had to think about my grandparents, all my elders, to get into character."
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. For actor John David Washington, the son of double Oscar-winner Denzel, new Netflix movie The Piano Lesson is a family affair. The adaptation of August Wilson’s 1987 play is directed by his brother Malcolm, while his father and sister Katia are producers. And of course, Washington stars as the rambunctious Boy Willie, the youngest child of a 1930s African American family who are divided on the future of an inherited piano. As you might expect, the themes of family legacy were especially resonant for the Washingtons… You played Boy Willie in the Broadway version of The Piano Lesson. Was it a no-brainer that you would play him in the film? I don’t know if it was a no-brainer! I know I wanted to do it. My father has made it his mission to bring all of August Wilson’s work to the big screen, so I was very much aware of that. It became a real discussion as I was getting more comfortable in doing the play and it just went from there. Luckily, the producers of the film believed in me enough to do it! How involved was your father as a producer? My dad respected everybody’s process. I didn’t see him giving any notes. That being said, when he was on set we felt his presence. It was encouraging to see one of the GOATs [greatest of all time]! We had the greats – Michael Potts, Samuel L Jackson, Denzel Washington. When they’re on set you shut up and listen! But if they don’t have anything to say, then you’re doing something good. How have you found navigating the film industry as the son of Denzel Washington? My parents have always been supportive. My mum was a piano teacher at nine years old. My father attended Fordham University to study acting. They had this relentless pursuit of excellence in their artistry, so that’s all I knew. And they have both had a great influence on the kind of artist I’m trying to be. Has it been a challenge to step out of that shadow? My parents are a huge influence in my life, so they’ve encourag…

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Ten Questions with John David Washington
type: item
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The former American football player has joined the family business and is now working with the best — his dad
encoded: Add The Piano Lesson to your watchlist For actor John David Washington, the son of double Oscar-winner Denzel, new Netflix movie The Piano Lesson is a family affair. The adaptation of August Wilson’s 1987 play is directed by his brother Malcolm, while his father and sister Katia are producers. And of course, Washington stars as the rambunctious Boy Willie, the youngest child of a 1930s African American family who are divided on the future of an inherited piano. As you might expect, the themes of family legacy were especially resonant for the Washingtons… You played Boy Willie in the Broadway version of The Piano Lesson. Was it a no-brainer that you would play him in the film? I don’t know if it was a no-brainer! I know I wanted to do it. My father has made it his mission to bring all of August Wilson’s work to the big screen, so I was very much aware of that. It became a real discussion as I was getting more comfortable in doing the play and it just went from there. Luckily, the producers of the film believed in me enough to do it! View oEmbed on the source website How involved was your father as a producer? My dad respected everybody’s process. I didn’t see him giving any notes. That being said, when he was on set we felt his presence. It was encouraging to see one of the GOATs [greatest of all time]! We had the greats – Michael Potts, Samuel L Jackson, Denzel Washington. When they’re on set you shut up and listen! But if they don’t have anything to say, then you’re doing something good. How have you found navigating the film industry as the son of Denzel Washington? My parents have always been supportive. My mum was a piano teacher at nine years old. My father attended Fordham University to study acting. They had this relentless pursuit of excellence in their artistry, so that’s all I knew. And they have both had a great influence on the kind of artist I’m trying to be. Has it been a challenge to step out of that shadow? My parents are a huge influence in my life,…

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Michael Douglas on nepotism, playing an American legend and sex scenes
type: item
date: 2024-05-08T21:36:17.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Drama
subject: TV
description: "It’s interesting with all the intimacy co-ordinators. It feels like executives taking control away from film-makers."
encoded: For his most recent role, Michael Douglas is playing Benjamin Franklin — writer, scientist, inventor and one of the founding fathers of the United States. Apple TV+ drama Franklin, however, explores one of the polymath’s lesser-known qualities: diplomacy. Specifically, his efforts in 1776, at the age of 70, to bring France into the American War of Independence — one of the great gambles of his career. It was a character that Douglas, at 79, could relate to. Both in their 70s, the two men are celebrities of their time and find themselves in uncharted territory… Your father was Kirk Douglas. Was it difficult to emerge from his shadow and make a name for yourself? Oh, very much so. I remember when I first started auditioning and they’d say, "That’s just like your dad, that’s amazing, just the same expression as your father". But the best part of being second-generation is you understand how the business operates. When I was growing up, I'd see Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis and Gregory Peck in the house and you’d see their foibles and insecurities, just like real people. How do you feel about the recent spotlight on so-called "nepo babies" in Hollywood? I’m a little defensive about that. There was a big article about it in New York Magazine and I thought it was a snarky attack. Whether it’s a plumber or electrician or anyone else, I can’t think of a business where mothers and fathers don’t encourage their children to follow them into it. All three of my kids are actors and I wish them the best, because it’s not easy. As a star of erotic thrillers like Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct, what’s your opinion on the discussion that sex scenes are disappearing from cinema? I’m past the age where I’ve got to worry about that! But it’s interesting with all the intimacy co-ordinators. It feels like executives taking control away from film-makers – but there have been some terrible faux pas and harassment. Sex scenes are like fight scenes, it’s all choreographed. In my experience…

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Doctor Who at 60: When Russell T Davies met Waris Hussein
type: item
date: 2023-11-23T14:00:16.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Interview
description: The returning showrunner and original series director talk 60 years of Doctor Who.
encoded: This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. As Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials approach, returning showrunner Russell T Davies sat down with Waris Hussein, the original director of the iconic sci-fi series. The pair talked about everything from the power of the original episode, An Unearthly Child, to working with the eccentric First Doctor, William Hartnell. Love Doctor Who? Listen to our podcast interview about Doctor Who games! And, to finish, Davies looked from the past to the present - discussing what it was like to come back to the Whoniverse. As the original director and current showrunner, you must have met before? Russell: It was at a marvellous, queer Doctor Who convention in Cardiff about five years ago, talking about gay matters in the show. We were very proud to be there. Waris: I wish I had been able to cover a theme like that in the show, but in those early days there were very few points of view. Russell: I don’t know. You dealt with war. You dealt with race, to some extent. I think it was all there in that first episode. Waris: Well, I don’t want to be telling tales out of school, but we had no script to work with. I remember coming in and saying, "What do we do with this?" to [producer] Verity Lambert. She said, "We have to make it work." We tried, and we did. Russell: You absolutely did. Your shows are still loved today, all these years later. Your peers all strutted past you, saying, "I’m doing Dickens. I’m doing Jane Austen. Aren’t I posh?" Forgotten! Every single one of them. Your work lives on. Waris, what was in that original episode, An Unearthly Child, that still resonates today? Waris: I never cease to be amazed at how it managed to take off. I know it was the Daleks in the next story. But what was the magic? Russell: It wasn’t just the Daleks – it was episode one! I must have seen that 100 times. It’s still so beautiful, so mysterious. And what’s astonishing is that the show has never changed. It’s still about …

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Andor's Adria Arjona on entering the Star Wars universe
type: item
date: 2023-01-12T15:04:35.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Disney Plus
subject: On demand
subject: Star Wars (franchise)
description: Arjona spoke with Radio Times magazine about her role in Andor, the "crazy" sets and Star Wars secrecy.
encoded: With the first season of Andor having gone down a storm with fans, and a second season on the way, Radio Times magazine caught up with Bix Caleen star Adria Arjona to talk about her first foray into the Star Wars universe. Arjona was quick to point out that she's a "big fan" of the franchise, before hyping up the "crazy" sets, the secrecy and her "badass" character's costume. She also revealed that she planned on getting a tattoo of Bix's name, although admits she hasn't done so... yet. Read on for the full interview with Adria Arjona. Nothing's bigger than Star Wars "I’m a big fan so being cast in Star Wars is a huge deal for me. At the beginning, I had all of this nervous energy, and you have to put that to the side and get to work. But then you get to set and everything you see and touch just reminds you that you’re in Star Wars. The sets on Andor were enormous! They basically built a real, 360° city. I could run anywhere. There was running water in the buildings! It was crazy." I couldn't tell anyone - not even my mother "Secrecy on Star Wars is serious. You desperately want to share what you’re living through with the people you love, but there’s also a responsibility to conserve the audience experience. The hardest person to keep secrets from was my mother because I know her too well. I thought, 'If I tell her, that’s telling the whole of Puerto Rico. I can’t do that. That’s how I get fired.'" View Green Video on the source website I planned on getting a Star Wars tattoo "I play a character called Bix, who’s an old friend of Diego Luna’s character Cassian Andor. I have never taken as many selfies in my life as when I tried on the costume! It got me feeling just how badass this character was. I even considered getting her name tattooed on me but then Tony [Gilroy, the showrunner] called and said, 'Yeah, maybe don’t do that until the trailer comes out' - and I haven’t had the opportunity to do it since." I have a ready-made fan disguise "I did think about how th…

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Stephen Lang: 'I always had the greatest confidence in James Cameron'
type: item
date: 2022-12-15T14:06:52.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: The returning series villain reveals why he’s back – and the big changes that could be coming to future Avatar movies.
encoded: After 13 years, James Cameron’s Avatar is set to make a big comeback with new sequel The Way of Water – but it’s not the only surprise return to Pandora. Despite his death in the original movie, baddie Quaritch (AKA actor Stephen Lang) is back facing off with the Na’Vi, this time in a towering Avatar body of his own. Recently, we caught up with Stephen to find out how much he knew about his return, and what it was like to switch from his live-action role to the motion-capture suits of the Na’Vi characters. There’s been such a big gap between the first Avatar and the second one. Did you ever think that James Cameron would make another one? Stephen: I did. Indeed, I never had anything but the greatest confidence in Jim Cameron. We were talking about it before the first one emerged, even as the first one was released, and then discussions began soon after its success, I would say. So I never for a moment doubted that would come out. So you never doubted it would come out – but your character died in the first one. Were you quite surprised to get the call? I was delighted to get the call. I was aware. Even as we were making the first one back in 2007, Jim had told me that he had planned for Quaritch to be around for a long time. What I’ve learned is that when Jim says something, he pretty much means it. Now, what was absolutely thrilling to me was, I think, the extent to which Quaritch returned. In no way did he become a peripheral player or anything like that. He remains a very important figure throughout the world of Pandora and Avatar. So what is the deal with Miles in this one? Because obviously he’s escaped death in the first one, and now he has returned in an Avatar body, right? Well, that wouldn’t be entirely accurate. He did not escape death. He died. As it happens, it was company policy – RDA policy – to bank someone with his experience and his qualifications, bank their DNA. You have to understand that Quaritch probably had far more success on Pandora than he …

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Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington on how life has changed since Avatar
type: item
date: 2022-12-15T13:05:34.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Movies
subject: News
description: The pair speak to Radio Times magazine about reprising their roles as Jake Sully and Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water.
encoded: Australian actor Sam Worthington, now 46, had tried and failed for many years to break into Hollywood. He even auditioned for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale — “I would have been another George Lazenby,” he jokes. But then, after selling everything he owned – save for a bag of clothes and a bag of books – he was invited to audition for the lead role of Jake Sully in Avatar. The studio, Fox, didn’t want him. They wanted someone more established, a star. But James Cameron believed in him. “That man changed my life,” Worthington says, leaving little doubt of whether he ever considered not returning for a sequel. “If the boss says, ‘jump’, I jump. I’m his soldier, man.” He’s even on board for Cameron’s proposed five-movie saga. “I’ve read all of the scripts,” he says. “I know exactly where we’re going.” “I’ve grown a lot in my career thanks to Avatar and the doors that it opened for me,” says co-star Zoe Saldana, who plays Jake’s wife Neyteri, but is perhaps better known for her role as Gamora in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies. “I feel grateful to be part of something so special. But the test when it came to the sequel was time. We were always waiting. ‘Is it gonna be now? Is it gonna be now?’” When the call finally did come years later, it found a Worthington and Saldana that had grown almost in parallel with their characters. Worthington, for instance, describes the young man who walked into his Avatar audition as “fearless and reckless, similar to Jake in the first film". But Jake has changed. He’s a family man now, a father of five, and not the wild Na’vi warrior he used to be. Worthington can relate. In 2014, he married Australian model Lara Bingle, and together they now have three children. “When you’re young, you can risk it all,” he says. “But as soon as you become a dad, your head’s on a swivel, because you’re always looking out for them.” View Green Video on the source website In a remarkable quirk of symmetry, Saldana has also become a parent…

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Cowboy Bebop review: A pale imitation of the original series
type: item
date: 2021-11-19T13:50:44.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: TV
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
subject: Review
description: Netflix's live-action remake of the classic anime has its moments, but it'll probably just remind you how good the earlier version was.
encoded: There is an extraordinary sense of alchemy to the original 1998 anime series of Cowboy Bebop, directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. The opulence of its images, the fluidity of its animation, the seamless blending of science fiction, western and noir – all elevated by Yoko Kanno’s vibrant jazz and blues soundtrack. Few shows have come close to its command of style and mood. Pity then the Netflix remake, which has the unenviable task of rebottling Watanabe’s lightning – this time in live-action. It is, in parts, an admirable attempt, although generally amounts to nothing more than pale imitation. At best, it functions as affectionate homage; at worst, it struggles to escape the feeling that this is all just a big cosplay project that got way out of hand. Set in the year 2071, in a future in which humanity has colonised the solar system, Cowboy Bebop follows the adventures of the laid-back bounty hunter Spike Spiegel (John Cho) and his partner Jet, a grumbling ex-cop with a metal arm, played by Mustafa Shakir. The remake retains the basic structure of the original. Each episode is set around a different bounty or problem – a bomber who dresses up as a teddy bear; a seemingly unkillable killer clown – while telling the grander, overarching story of Spike’s past (as a member of a crime syndicate) coming back to haunt him. Developed by showrunner André Neme (co-writer of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), and featuring scripts by Thor: Ragnarok writer Christopher Yost, it is a fairly uneven adaptation. The scripts are often tiresomely quippy (I hope you like compound swearing). The tight and sharp 20-minute stories of the original have been stretched to nearly an hour, which gives the episodes a slower, baggier feel. While the stories themselves shine when flirting with the source material’s weirder moments, they never quite embrace them in a way that feels imaginative or interesting. If anything, it just ends up reminding you of how good the anime is. Unfortunately, some …

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Foundation review: Science fiction has hardly ever looked this good
type: item
date: 2021-09-24T01:00:46.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Apple TV
subject: On demand
subject: Review
description: Adapted from Isaac Asimov's classic creation, this Apple TV+ series makes some huge changes – for better and for worse.
encoded: In the early 1950s the renowned science fiction author Isaac Asimov published the Foundation series, a collection of short stories that would go on to become his most famous, most influential work. Put simply, said stories are based around the idea of psychohistory, a fictional science which can apparently predict the future. Its inventor, a genius called Hari Seldon, uses psychohistory to forecast that the galactic empire he is living under will crumble within 300 years – prompting him to put in motion plans to grow a new one from a 'foundation' of scientists. In the years since publication, the books have influenced everything from Star Wars to Dune to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And yet it doesn’t take a genius to predict why it’s taken so long for the story to be adapted for screen. Told across hundreds of years, Foundation is structured like a series of snapshots, with each short story focusing on a different period of galactic history and featuring a different cast of characters. It’s a story too vast and episodic for film, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a natural fit for television either. TV drama tends to be built around characters who change, relationships which develop, and neither of these were particularly Asimov’s concern. In Foundation the main character is society itself – how it develops over the course of history, how it changes from one political system to another. Fascinating on page, potentially too dry for screen. David S Goyer and Josh Friedman, co-creators of Foundation’s first ever TV adaptation (premiering today on Apple TV+), have got around this issue by probably doing the only thing you can possibly do: fleshing out the book and its characters to such an extent that it practically becomes a different story. The character of Gaal Dornick, for example, is a thinly written mathematician whose perilous trip to Trantor – the empire’s capital planet – takes up the opening 37 pages of the first book. In the show, Dornick (play…

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To Mondas and back again: a brief history of the Cybermen in Doctor Who
type: item
date: 2020-02-23T11:00:00.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: News
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
description: As the Cybermen return to Doctor Who, we recall over four decades of redesigns, upgrades and parallel timelines
encoded: The Daleks might be the most iconic of Doctor Who villains, but the Cybermen are – at the risk of extermination – the more interesting. For whilst Dalek creator Terry Nation, who grew up during the Second World War, based the pepper-pots on Nazi values – presenting them as the manifestation of hatred and conformity – the Cybermen's roots are in a question more complex and tragic than the simple desire to kill: what does it mean to be human? Just like the Daleks before them, the Cybermen were reflections of the era that created them. In 1966, the show's scientific advisor, Dr Kit Pedler and writer Gerry Davis were fascinated by innovations in prosthetic surgery and the ethical issues it brought with it. If, they asked, you became more machine than flesh, were you still technically human? And what makes a human anyway, is it the physical or the emotional? At what point do you cease to be you? This is why, despite all the different forms the Cybermen would take over their 46 years, their ideology remains the same: human existence, physically and emotionally, is weak and cruel – the Cybermen are the saviours. And now, they're back once more to take on Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor in the series 12 finale Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children. That makes this the perfect time to take a look back at the history of the Cyber menace... Mondasian origins The Cybermen made their first appearance in William Hartnell's final story, The Tenth Planet, in 1966. And it was here, on Earth's twin planet of Mondas, that the age of steel truly began – born out of desperation and pain. Originally twinned with Earth, Mondas is essentially our planet ravaged after drifting out of the solar system and into the abyss of space. Isolated and frozen by their distance from the sun, Mondas' people suffered. That is until some brain-box had the idea of replacing failing organic parts with cybernetics in order for them to physically deal with the brutality of their new environment.…

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Meet the cast of Doctor Who series 11
type: item
date: 2018-12-13T21:57:19.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: News
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
description: Get acquainted with the new Doctor, the new Tardis team and beyond...
encoded: Pretty much everything is new in the new series of Doctor Who – including a new Doctor, and a new cast of companions and monsters. It's never been a more exciting time to be a Doctor Who fan, or to become one. New Doctor Who stars hit the red carpet for series 11 premiere Doctor Who fans perfectly cosplayed 13 Doctors with Jodie Whittaker Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter Meet the cast and characters of its first episode, The Woman Who Fell to Earth, below... Jodie Whittaker plays the Doctor Who is the Doctor? The Doctor is an alien who travels through time and space with the aid of her ship, the Tardis. She belongs to a race known as the Time Lords, who have the ability to cheat death by regenerating into a totally new and different person. Having regenerated into a man for her past 12 (technically 13, if you count John Hurt's the War Doctor) incarnations, the Thirteenth Doctor made television history last year by regenerating into a woman for the first time. Where have I seen Jodie Whittaker before? Jodie Whittaker is best known for playing grieving mother Beth Latimer in ITV1 crime hit Broadchurch, but has also appeared in 2011 Black Mirror episode The Entire History of You, and played the lead in medical drama Trust Me last year. Beyond television, she also made her cinematic debut in 2006 film Venus, where she played a love interest opposite Peter O'Toole, and had a memorable turn in 2011 cult hit Attack the Block, which also featured Star Wars star John Boyega. Tosin Cole plays Ryan Sinclair Who is Ryan Sinclair? Ryan Sinclair is a member of the Doctor's new Tardis team – companions who she will take with her through time and space. He is a young warehouse worker from Sheffield who suffers from dyspraxia, a co-ordination disorder which means, among many other things, he struggles to do relatively basic tasks like riding a bike. Throughout the course of the episode, he will encounter the Doctor, and get caught up in an alien plot. Where have I seen…

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Doctor Who: did the Doctor really used to have sisters?
type: item
date: 2018-10-28T19:50:00.000Z
creator: Stephen Kelly
subject: News
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
description: How much do we really know about the Time Lord's younger years? Stephen Kelly trawls the show's 50 years of confusing canon to figure it out...
encoded: In Doctor Who series 11's fourth episode, Arachnids in the UK, Jodie Whittaker's Doctor hints at her mysterious family life for the first time in a while, suggesting that she might have once had sisters when younger. “Sisters. I used to have sisters," the Doctor muses when meeting Yaz's (Mandip Gill) own sibling. "I used to be a sister, in an aqua hospital. Actually turned out to be a training camp for the Quistin Calcium Assassins.” 11 questions (and some answers) we have after Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK View oEmbed on the source website Ignoring the second part of the anecdote, it's an interesting admission from the Doctor, whose family life has remained shrouded in mystery over the decades of the BBC TV series - but what DO we know about her past? Has there ever been reference to her sisters before? And why is the whole thing left so enigmatic anyway? To find out, why not revisit Stephen Kelly's 2014 examination of the Doctor's family life, as we've seen it presented in Doctor Who episodes... Steven Moffat says Doctor Who risks looking ‘cheap’ compared with big-budget TV series Doctor Who boss Chris Chibnall may still save Torchwood, says John Barrowman It’s hard to believe that the Doctor – a being who’s ancient and forever, who burns at the centre of time and can see the turn of the universe – was once a child. A sad, sobbing child, if 2014 episode Listen is anything to go by. The Doctor’s childhood is a strange, confusing and mysterious area of Doctor Who mythology. Indeed, before CBBC commissioned The Sarah Jane Adventures in 2006, there was interest in a spin-off focusing on a young Doctor, an idea that Russell T Davies strangled in its crib. "Somehow, the idea of a fourteen-year-old Doctor, on Gallifrey inventing sonic screwdrivers, takes away from the mystery and intrigue of who he is and where he came from,” he once said. In the actual show, the Time Lord’s early life is shrouded in secrecy – only ever opened up in snippets of dialogue. Put those sni…

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