Archive for January, 2018

Sony Crime Channel to launch on free-to-air TV next week

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Sony Crime Channel to launch on free-to-air TV next week

New channel Sony Crime Channel is coming to free-to-air television.

The new channel, as the title suggests, will feature the best of scripted and unscripted crime-themed entertainment. It launches on February 6 on Freeview 60, YouView 60, Sky 157 and on February 13 on Freesat 143.

Highlights confirmed for the new channel include Orange is the New Black on Saturdays at 9pm, Line of Duty on Sundays at 9pm, Person of Interest on weekdays at 9pm and CSI on weekdays at 6pm. That’s an impressive lineup!

In addition, the channel will broadcast season 14 of Law & Order (weekdays at 3pm), season 5 of Deadly Women (weekdays from 11pm) and the first series of Hustle (weekdays at 7pm).

Sony Crime Channel will also be the first channel in the UK to premiere Real Detective: North of the Border, a series which asks real-life detectives to reflect on the cases that have most perplexed them in their careers.

Launch night will see Sony Crime Channel broadcast simultaneously across sister channels True entertainment and truTV from 9pm. The night will showcase some of the channel’s exciting new content, including the first episode of Person of Interest (9pm), the season eleven premiere of CSI (10pm) and Orange Is The New Black (11pm).

Sony Crime Channel launches on February 6 on Freeview 60, YouView 60, Sky 157.

Piers Morgan and John Simpson at war on Twitter over ‘spineless’ Donald Trump interview

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Piers Morgan and John Simpson at war on Twitter over ‘spineless’ Donald Trump interview

Former BBC journalist John Simpson has sparked a Twitter row after calling Piers Morgan’s interview with Donald Trump “spineless”.

Three million viewers tuned in to watch Trump’s first international interview since becoming President when it aired on ITV last Sunday.

However, the interview has attracted its fair share of criticism, with many arguing Piers was too soft on the US leader and critics labelling the encounter a “love-in”.

Simpson was among those who criticised Morgan for the interview, and was not afraid to share his opinions on Twitter.

He wrote: “The art of the political interview, Piers, is to push your interviewee hard – not let them spout self-evident tosh. That’s just showbiz”.


Piers, who’s not one to shy away from a good old Twitter spat, responded to the comment, saying: “The BBC led on revelations from my interview all Friday morning, and Andrew Marr said yesterday it had made real news. So it would appear you’re the one spouting tosh, you pompous old prune.”


It seems the Good Morning Britain host may have met his match, however, as Simpson hit back: “Pompous, probably. Old, undeniably. Prune, quite possibly. But I don’t enjoy watching spineless political interviews.”


The controversial TV presenter replied: “You once claimed live on air that the BBC (you!) had liberated Kabul, you egotistical charlatan. So please spare me the journalism lectures”.


Unfazed, Simpson posted: “Poor old Piers – sounds like you need more than a journalism lecture.”


You can watch the full interview on ITV Hub here.

Glee cast and crew plead public to show compassion following Mark Salling’s suicide

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Glee cast and crew plead public to show compassion following Mark Salling’s suicide

Warning: This article contains topics that some readers may find distressing

Glee star Mark Salling was found dead on Tuesday and fellow cast and crew have begged fans to show compassion out of respect for his family.

The 35-year-old actor, who played Noah ‘Puck’ Puckerman on the popular musical series, was found dead by LAPD on Tuesday. According to TMZ, law enforcement reported the actor died from suicide by hanging.

Salling was facing four to seven years in prison for possession of child porn.

Glee cast and crew have reached out to their followers on social media to refrain from making any hurtful comments that could add to his family’s pain.

The show’s former vocal coordinator, Tim Davis, tweeted: “Today we lost another #Glee cast member. Yes, he committed crimes against children. Yes, it’s horrific. But #MarkSalling was a broken man, no doubt an abuse victim himself. I loved Mark, and am sad when I consider the devastation of his parents. PLEASE withhold your cruel comments.”

“Let me be clear. Having compassion for #MarkSalling in no way minimizes his crimes, nor does it minimize the pain and devastation of the victims of those crimes. I’m just saying stop adding to his family’s pain. This was their son. If you’re without sin, feel free to cast stones,” he continued.


Co-star Matthew Morrison also posted a picture of himself beside Mark and Cory Monteith, who also died at the young age of 31 following an overdose in 2013.


😇😔😇

A post shared by Matthew Morrison (@_matthew.morrison_) on

When Glee star Jane Lynch was asked how she would remember Mark, she replied: “As the guy who made that really sweet video in the beginning of Glee when he was so happy to be a part of this group.”

Salling’s lawyer, Michael J Proctor confirmed the actor’s death in a statement. He said: “I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning.

“Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment.

“He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.”

REVIEW: Voice of a Serial Killer explores disturbing case of The Green River Killer in big season 2 finale

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REVIEW: Voice of a Serial Killer explores disturbing case of The Green River Killer in big season 2 finale

It’s been a truly gripping second season and Voice of a Serial Killer might have just saved the best for last, as tonight’s finale takes a look at one of the most prolific murderers in American history.

The CBS Reality series comes to a close this evening with the dark and disturbing case of Gary Ridgway. Later to become known as ‘The Green River Killer’, Gary was an ordinary, church-going, married man to those that knew him. Little did they know, however, that a monstrous killer lived among their midst, and this seemingly normal family man was able to integrate murder into his everyday life for decades.

Gary Ridgway made it his mission to murder as many prostitutes as he could, even going as far as to commit his crimes while his young son waited in the back of his car. The killer would later dispose of the prostitutes’ bodies in the river, making him near impossible to trace by the police.

VOASKS2E5 - Gary Ridgeway 2

This episode of Voice of a Serial Killer examines exactly what did happen when Ridgway was finally caught, exploring the legendary techniques of King County Sheriff Dave Reichert who was able to extract even the most intimate details of the crimes from the killer by shifting play between good cop and bad cop.

Viewers can listen to the actual audio confession of this notorious murderer, while lip sync technology brings to life the extraordinary first encounter between these two men. And it is fascinating to gain access to such a historically significant interrogation, with Reichert adopting both the peace model and the accusatory Reid model to create a technique that proved to be a masterclass in how to question a serial killer about his dark craft.

As the episode progresses, Ridgway begins to uncover the most sinister and gruesome inner workings of his mind, unveiling intimate details of his past relationship with his mother and how that later came to impact on his criminal behaviour. A murderer may confess his or her crimes, but what truly lies behind their motives to kill is always the great mystery question, but this episode gets us closer than ever to finding that answer.

Make sure to catch the season 2 finale of Voice of a Serial Killer tonight (Wednesday, January 31) at 10pm on CBS Reality.

Dapper Laughs addresses “derogatory” comments made in Celebrity Big Brother house

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Dapper Laughs addresses “derogatory” comments made in Celebrity Big Brother house

The Loose Women panel grilled Dapper Laughs – real name Daniel O’Reilly – during his interview on the talk show today.

Daniel was evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house over the weekend and appeared on ITV’s Loose Women this afternoon to discuss his time on the Channel 5 series.

The panel were quick to ask the comedian about the notorious rape joke he made a few years ago whilst on his stand-up tour, which effectively brought an end to his comedy career.

First expressing his remorse for the joke, Daniel continued: “It was just a flippant comment. I got carried away with what I was saying.

“I was showing off, and it was a stupid thing to say.”

Dapper Laughs also explained how he grabbed the opportunity to appear on Celebrity Big Brother when he knew the theme was the Year of the Woman, as he knew it would be “tough” and because it might give him the “platform” to return to comedy.

Pannelist Nadia Sawalha chimed in: “You’re obviously a lovely guy, you’ve got a lot of great things going for you, but personally I still think you’ve got more to learn.

“Some of the comments you said were so derogatory to women, even in the house, that if you said that about my daughter I don’t know quite what I would say to you.

“You as a father of a daughter, I think if you put yourself in that place and hear those words – and I don’t think you do it maliciously, you’re probably in a crowd that talk like that – it’s really important. This language is so powerful.”

Daniel replied that he never meant his “silly” remarks in a “malicious way”, to which Nadia said: “I think you’re funny without the sexual jokes – just stop it!”

The comedian agreed that he still has more to learn and insisted he had “a different view” on everything since being in the CBB house.

Loose Women continues weekdays at 12:30pm on ITV.

Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.

Brendan Cole axed from Strictly Come Dancing after 14 years

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Brendan Cole axed from Strictly Come Dancing after 14 years

Brendan Cole has been axed from Strictly Come Dancing after 14 years of competing on the show.

BBC bosses have chosen not to renew the professional dancer’s contract, despite him being one of the show’s biggest personalities for an entire 15 series.

Appearing on today’s Lorraine, Brendan expressed his disappointment and argued the show will miss having such a feisty character who “will argue with the judges”.

The 41-year-old said: “It’s quite, actually, hard to talk about. The BBC haven’t renewed my contract.

“We get contracted year upon year. They’ve made an editorial decision to not have me back on the show. I’m a little bit in shock. I’m quite emotional, a bit raw about it.

“It’s done via a process of a phone call and stuff. I have had 15 incredible series on the show. I’m very proud of the whole show. It’s a great team. I’m disappointed. It’s very hard to talk about. It’s a recent decision.”

Brendan continued: “I’ve always known this day would come. To get to this point, the BBC make the decisions year upon year. It’s an editorial decision. I’m sure I’ll never know the ins and outs. I’m a very strong character within the show, I have my strong views.

“I feel like I’ve made a massive difference to the show. Even though the show has a different team, I will always be one of the ones who was part of the journey who got it to where it is today. And to not be a part of that is hard.”

The dancer insisted he will, however, continue to tune in to support his friends on the show.

“It’s going to be hard for me to watch,” he admitted. “But I’m a fan of the show and the show comes first. They’ve made the decision and I respect it completely – I don’t like it very much – but I still want to support my friends. I’m a strong character in the show and they won’t have that anymore. No one will argue with the judges.”

Brendan received the upsetting news about his departure last week, but kept it to himself until today. He explained: “I literally told the pros about 10 minutes ago. I couldn’t say it. My heart has been racing since I came on the show to tell you yesterday.”

Looking towards the future, Brendan said: “It opens up a world of possibilities that I haven’t had before. I’m excited about the future but I’m nervous about it.”

Lorraine continues weekdays at 8:30am on ITV.

What’s new on TV this week (Jan 29 – Feb 2, 2018)

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What’s new on TV this week (Jan 29 – Feb 2, 2018)

It’s the start of a brand new week of TV and the start of our latest weekly endeavour. We’re keeping television fans in the loop by bringing out a new weekly release on what’s new and returning to TV this week.

Every Monday, look out for our post on what’s new and returning to television this week across Freeview, Sky, BT and on-demand.

Monday, January 29th

Winterwatch

Week-Winterwatch
Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan are back for the sixth outing of the beloved nature series, catching up with animals from previous series and meeting fascinating new creatures.
BBC Two at 9pm

Rocky Mountain Railroad

A new series about Canadian rescue crews who serve some of the world’s most remote locations.
QUEST at 9pm

Two Doors Down

Week-TwoDoorsDown
It’s Burns Night on the newest series of sitcom Two Doors Down. Naturally, this means surprises, arguments and haggis.
BBC Two at 10pm

Snapped: Killer Couples

The first episode of season eight covers a double murder committed by a white supremacist couple.
CBS Reality at 10pm

Tuesday, January 30th

The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee

Week-Newstatemen
A documentary about the life of Ben Bradlee, the Washington Post editor whose work helped bring down President Nixon by revealing the infamous Watergate Scandal.
Sky Atlantic at 9pm

FIA World Rally Championship Highlights

Highlights from the 2018 Rallye Monte Carlo, which takes place on mixed road surfaces in the Hautes-Alpes.
Channel 5 at 7pm

Retribution

Week-Other
New Netflix series about a murderer who hides in the Scottish Highlands amongst the families of those murdered.
Netflix

Can You Rebuild My Brain?

Week-Brain
This fascinating documentary examines what we know about the workings of the brain by looking at the work of leading neuroscientists and the people they are helping.
Channel 4 at 10pm

Wednesday, January 31st

Gomorrah

Week-Gomorrah
The gritty Italian mob series is back for a third series, starting with Genny’s need to cover up Pietro’s death as a power vacuum takes hold on the streets.
Sky Atlantic from 9pm

The New Builds Are Coming: Battle in the Countryside

Week-NewBuilds
A very topical new series that examines Britain’s housing crisis. In the first episode, Richard Macer heads to Oxfordshire to meet local residents and learn how building new estates is affecting their lives.
BBC Two at 9pm

Wonders of the Moon

Week-Moon
A new documentary on how the moon impacts life on Earth over the course of a month.
BBC One at 9pm

Selling Houses with Amanda Lamb

Gloucestershire couple Susan and Alan want to add an en-suite to their master bedroom, while Sheela decides her parent’s kitchen is in need of renovation.
More4 at 9pm

Thursday, February 1st

Animals with Cameras

Week-AnimalswithCameras
Watch a nature documentary from the eyes of nature itself, in this intriguing new series which attaches cameras to various animals in the wild.
BBC One at 8pm

Death Row 2018 with Trevor McDonald

2Week-Trev
Trevor McDonald returns to Death Row for a new two-part documentary, in which he meets inmates waiting execution and tries to learn what made them do the things they did.
ITV at 9pm

Friday, February 2nd

Celebrity 5 Go Barging

Week-Barging
The most bizarre new concept for a celebrity series in recent times – actor Tom Conti, mercurial gardener Diarmuid Gavin, ex-athlete Tessa Sanderson, singer Tony Christie and presenter Penny Smith go barging.
Channel 5 at 8pm

Nigel Slater’s Middle East

Week-MiddleEast
Nigel Slater travels to the Middle East to sample some of the region’s finest food offerings, starting with Lebanon.
BBC Two at 9pm

Requiem

2-Week-Requiem
A musician heartbroken by the suicide of her mother discovers a box of items belonging to her mother relating to a murder some twenty years earlier. Believing her mother’s death may be related to the items, she goes on a quest to learn more about the murder.
BBC One at 9pm

Team GB is bringing its biggest ever Winter Olympics team to Pyeongchang

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Team GB is bringing its biggest ever Winter Olympics team to Pyeongchang

Team GB is bringing its biggest ever Winter Olympics team to PyeongChang 2018.

59 athletes from Great Britain will be competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics next month after The British Olympic Association announced its largest-ever delegation today.

56 Olympians competed in the last Winter Olympics in Sochi, where Great Britain equalled its Winter Games record of four medals. In 2010, 52 British athletes travelled to Vancouver for the Winter Games.

The 2018 team comprises 34 men and 25 women, with 33 competing on ice and 26 on snow. The 59 will compete in 11 of the 15 available disciplines, including alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, short track speed skating, skeleton and snowboarding.

11 of the 59 athletes will compete in the freestyle skiing team, which includes the team’s youngest athlete 19-year-old Izzy Atkin.

The athletes include Sochi 2014 medallists Lizzy Yarnold (skeleton gold), Eve Muirhead (curling bronze), Anna Sloan (curling bronze), Vicki Adams (curling bronze), and Lauren Gray (curling bronze).

Team GB Chef de Mission Mike Hay said: “With the team fully selected for PyeongChang 2018, I’m delighted to welcome all 59 athletes to Team GB. It’s a great milestone in our preparations for the Games to know our complete delegation travelling out to South Korea and the countdown is now firmly on for the Opening Ceremony on 9th February.

“Not only is this the largest team we’ve ever taken to a Winter Olympics but I feel it is also the most talented. Given results over the last two years at elite level, there is potential for success across a broader range of sports than ever before and I’m confident that with this group of athletes we can make history once again.”

CBB’s Andrew Brady calls Ann Widdecombe ‘c**t’ after she nominates him for ‘lewd’, ‘sexual’ act

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CBB’s Andrew Brady calls Ann Widdecombe ‘c**t’ after she nominates him for ‘lewd’, ‘sexual’ act

Celebrity Big Brother housemate Andrew Brady branded Ann Widdecombe a “c**t” after she highlighted his “lewd” behaviour.

Tensions grew among housemates during Thursday night’s episode, after Ann decided it should be Andrew and Shane Jenek to face the public vote. During face to face nominations, the former Conservative politician referred to an incident that took place earlier in the week, in which Andrew and Shane had playfully wrestled on the floor.

Nominating Shane – also known by his drag name Courtney Act – Ann declared: “I felt that the lewd display of behaviour the other night brought the entire house into disrepute.”

She continued: “It was a position that is normally adopted for a sexual purpose.”

“The term scissor sister might be of service,” Shane interrupted.

Ann then continued to nominate Andrew, who responded: “Sorry Ann, didn’t think you’d seen us.”

“Your mother and your grandmother almost certainly did,” Ann snapped.

Furious that Ann had brought his family into it, The Apprentice star went outside to vent his feelings to his fellow housemates Jonny Mitchell and Ashley James.

“She’s a c**t,” he said.

When the two celebrities reminded Andrew of Ann’s age, he replied: “She’s a c**t who’s an old lady.”

Jonny and Dapper Laughs later criticised Andrew for his language. “Who says that?” Daniel asked. Jonny replied: “No one says that.”

During a private conversation between Andrew and Shane that same night, Andrew vowed to ignore Ann for the rest of his time in the CBB house.

Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on Channel 5. 

Piers Morgan will interview Donald Trump in President’s first international interview

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Piers Morgan will interview Donald Trump in President’s first international interview

Piers Morgan will interview U.S. President Donald Trump on ITV this Sunday.

The controversial presenter is set to interview the even-more controversial Donald Trump this weekend, in his first international interview as President.

The Good Morning Britain host announced the news on Twitter earlier today, writing: “*BREAKING NEWS* I will sit down today in Davos with @realDonaldTrump for his 1st International TV interview since becoming President.

“It will air exclusively on ITV, this Sunday night at 10pm.”


This will not be the first time Piers and Trump have come face to face. In fact, the two are famously friends after meeting on Trump’s reality show, Celebrity Apprentice.

The broadcaster has since interviewed Trump many times, a fact Piers hasn’t been afraid to make well-known.


“He always thanks me [for my coverage],” Morgan told Digital Spy last year. “His staff print out all columns and interviews that are supportive.

“Donald then hand-writes a message on the print-outs and his staff scan it and send it back. I love it because the messages are always so fun. They’ll be like, ‘Piers, you’re my hero’ or ‘You’re my champion’.”


Many are already pretty sceptical about the upcoming interview, and Piers’ followers certainly had a lot to say on Twitter:

Whether you love or loathe them, it’ll be an interesting one to watch for sure…

Piers Morgan’s interview with President Trump will air in full this Sunday at 10pm on ITV.

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