News

King Charles III‘s New Year’s honors list has been unveiled, with Stephen Fry set to be knighted, and Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire, Bad Sisters star Anne-Marie Duff and veteran actor Eddie Marsan (Supacell) also among the A-listers receiving honors.

At the end of each year, the reigning British monarch gets to name new members of the U.K.’s orders of chivalry, including knights, dames and commanders of the British Empire (Cbe); officers of the order of the British Empire (OBE); and members of the order of the British Empire (MBE), along with other honors.

The list of honorees for 2025 includes Fry getting a knighthood along with former England soccer national team manager Gareth Southgate and London mayor Sadiq Khan, among others.

Mulligan and Lancashire were among the people named CBEs for their contributions to drama. Meanwhile, Duff, Marsan and Inspector Morse actor Kevin Whately received OBE honors.

Actors Stephen Fry, Carey Mulligan and Sarah Lancashire, author and screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro and executives Amanda Berry and Tim Richards are among the UK film industry figures recognised in this year’s New Year Honours list.

Among the 1,200 recipients in King Charles III’s list, Fry, whose recent film appearances include The Canterville Ghost, is awarded a Knighthood for his work on mental health awareness.

Mulligan, recently seen in Maestro and Saltburn, and Lancashire, best known from TV series Happy Valley, both receive CBEs for services to drama.

Richards, CEO of Vue Entertainment and until recently chair of the British Film Institute,...

Actors Stephen Fry, Carey Mulligan and Sarah Lancashire, author and screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro and executives Amanda Berry and Tim Richards are among the UK film industry figures recognised in this year’s New Year Honours list.

Among the 1,200 recipients in King Charles III’s list, Fry, whose recent film appearances include The Canterville Ghost, is awarded a Knighthood for his work on mental health awareness.

Ishiguro, screenwriter on Living and author of the novels adapted in Never Let Me Go and The Remains Of The Day, is named a Companion of Honour, for services to literature.

Mulligan, recently seen in Maestro and Saltburn,...

Carey Mulligan, Sarah Lancashire, and Stephen Fry are among the stars to receive recognition in King Charles III’s New Year honors list.

Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) and Lancashire (Happy Valley) have been made Commanders of the British Empire for their services to drama.

Fry has been knighted for his environmental, charity, and mental health work. The Hobbit star said he was “startled and enchanted” after receiving the letter about his knighthood.

Other actors recognized include The Sixth Commandment star Anne Reid, who was awarded a Cbe. There were Officer of the Order of the British Empire awards for Anne-Marie Duff (Bad Sisters), Eddie Marsan (Back to Black), and Kevin Whately (Inspector Morse).

Doctor Who star Thomas Baker was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire, while Desmond’s actress Carmen Munroe was made a Dame.

Former BAFTA CEO Amanda Berry was recognized with a Cbe, as was Steve Morrison,...

The United Kingdom has been producing many notable detectives for centuries. Arthur Conan Doyle gave the world Sherlock Holmes stories, and Agatha Christie was responsible for not one, but two iconic crime-solving sleuths. Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple have both had forays into film and television, but there are many more who followed in their footsteps. From quaint villages to big cities, crime has a way of creeping into everyday life.

British TV shows tend to come out in shorter installments, with many seasons having only a handful of episodes. Some also tend not to outstay their welcome by wrapping up their storylines within a few seasons. There are, however, a select few that have lasted for decades, rotating cast members and introducing new mysteries. Whether they're perennial TV staples or two-season whodunits, there's no doubt that British detectives know how to solve crime with a unique kind of flair.

For this edition of Celebrity Catchphrase, host Stephen Mulhern welcomes a new trio of celebrities who will put their phrase-guessing skills to the test for charity. Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis, businesswoman and Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden, and actor Kevin Whately step up to the challenge, aiming to decipher well-known phrases and win a […]

Celebrity Catchphrase: Kevin Whately, Deborah Meaden, Denise Lewis...

Exclusive: BritBox International has named Diana Pessin as its Chief Marketing Officer, while striking U.S. and Canada deals for UK drama The Inheritance.

Pessin joined the BBC Studios-owned best-of-British streamer in April 2023 from her consultancy NextPhase Advisors as SVP, Global Marketing and has now been upped. She is best known for a near-20 year run at Warner, where she rose to SVP, Media Strategy, Audience & Analytics and was a key player in the launch of HBO Now and HBO Max.

She will now oversee all BritBox International marketing, including brand marketing and creative, title campaigns, partner and growth marketing, as well as communications and publicity. She will report to Robert Schildhouse, President of BritBox North America and General Manager of BritBox International, who was recently upped to his role following the news BritBox International CEO Reemah Sakaan was stepping down.

The news also follows BBC Studios’ acquisition of the streamer,...

Get ready for a nostalgic and picturesque journey as “Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes” returns with Season 2 Episode 1, featuring the affable actor Kevin Whately. Airing on Monday, January 1, 2024, at 7:00 Pm on BBC Two, this episode takes viewers on a delightful trip down memory lane as Robson and Kevin, old friends hailing from north east England, share heartfelt reminiscences of their youth.

The episode promises a unique blend of camaraderie and exploration as the duo heads to the scenic Alnmouth beach. Against the backdrop of rolling waves and sandy shores, Robson and Kevin try their hands at the art of making pictures in the sand during low tide, adding a touch of creative flair to their escapade.

With a perfect mix of nostalgia, friendship, and the beauty of the natural landscape, “Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes” Season 2 Episode 1 is set to be a charming start to the new season. Join Robson and...

If you like engrossing murder mysteries, good detective work and a show that keeps you guessing, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, […]

The post Deceit and Office Adultery Create Havoc Leading to a Double Murder in Oxford University, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.

Lewis is a British Detective Crime drama set in picturesque Oxford in England. The series follows Inspector Lewis played by Kevin Whately and Di Hathaway played by Lawrence Fox solving intellectual murders taking place in the county of Oxford. Lewis is a straightforward copper who works diligently by the book and Hathaway is a quick-witted […]

The post Amateur Astronomer Dead in Oxford University Observatory appeared first on Shockya.com.

Julian Richards acclaimed conspiracy thriller Silent Cry is now available in USA, Canada, UK and Ireland from Amazon. Emily Woof (The Full Monty), Douglas Henshall (Shetland), Kevin Whately (The English Patient), Clive Russell (Game of Thrones), Craig Kelly (Titanic) and Steve Sweeney (Lock Stock and Two Smokin Barrells) star in this nail-biting suspense story about …

The post Amazon Releases “Silent Cry” in USA & UK appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

If you like engrossing murder mysteries, good detective work and a show that keeps you guessing, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, […]

The post Morse and Lewis mix Pleasure with Work and Head to Italy appeared first on Shockya.com.

Good detective work, a show that keeps you engrossed, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, and cryptic crosswords. Set in Oxford in […]

The post Two Young Women Stabbed by the Same Killer, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.

If you like engrossing murder mysteries, good detective work and a show that keeps you guessing, Inspector Morse is a must watch. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse is known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, […]

The post Attractive Woman Found Dead Disguised as Suicide, Morse Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.

Lewis is a British Detective Crime drama set in picturesque Oxford in England. The series follows Inspector Lewis played by Kevin Whately and Di Hathaway played by Lawrence Fox solving murders taking place in the county of Oxford. Lewis is a straightforward copper who works diligently by the book and Hathaway is a quick-witted genius, […]

The post Parcel Bomb Claims Life of an Eminent Mathematician with a Carnal Appetite, Lewis Investigates appeared first on Shockya.com.

Inspector Morse is one of the most popular British Crime drama of all time. The series stars John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Morse if known for his brooding nature, snobbish temperament, fond of his tipple, love for classical music, poetry, and cryptic crosswords. Set in Oxford in England, […]

The post Morse and Lewis head to Australia to track an ex-supergrass on Inspector Morse appeared first on Shockya.com.

Lewis is a British Detective Crime drama set in Oxford in England. It is a spin-off of the most popular British crime drama Inspector Morse. Kevin Whately returns as Inspector Robert Lewis who was Morse’s sergeant in the original series. Lewis is now a detective inspector and has DS James as his partner played by […]

The post Lewis and Hathaway investigate the murder of a psychologist leading a double life on Lewis appeared first on Shockya.com.

Watch a sneak peek of the eighth and final season of the Inspector Lewis TV show on PBS. The Inspector Morse sequel series, which in UK is titled Lewis, will run for a total of 33 episodes in honor of John Thaw, star of the parent-series. PBS will rerun the seventh season of Inspector Lewis on Sundays, between July 17 and July 31, 2016.PBS teases Inspector Lewis season eight: "Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox return for one last time as Inspector Lewis and Cs Hathaway, investigating new cases of murder and other crimes in the seemingly perfect academic haven of Oxford." The final season of Inspector Lewis premieres Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 9:00pm Et/Pt.Read More…...

facebook

twitter

google+

Den Of Geek wheels in the big telly for a fond look back at pigeon crime Look And Read schools series, Geordie Racer…

“Spuggy and Plod weren’t runners. They just didn’t see the point”. And thus the hero of the BBC's Geordie Racer and his dog were endeared to a generation of biscuit-eating 1980s schoolchildren.

Part of the long-running Look And Read series of television programming for schools, Geordie Racer was written by The Bill’s Christopher Russell and first aired in 1988. Its ten episodes told a continuing crime story interspersed with factual spots about the North-East and appearances by Wordy, a floating Henry Hoover/Scrabble set who played songs about gerunds. Wordy was just part of Geordie Racer’s educational framing narrative though, Spuggy was its star.

Richard “Spuggy” Hilton was my kind of people. He wore a Star Trek: ToS t-shirt, had neat...

[caption id="attachment_48593" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Laurence Fox as Di Hathaway and Kevin Whately as Di Lewis. (C) ITV Studios/Masterpiece./caption]

The Inspector Lewis TV show on PBS announces the eighth and final season premieres Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 9:00pm Et. In the Us, the final season, starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox, consists of three 90-minute episodes. Since Inspector Lewis is a sequel series to Inspector Morse, Whately and Fox decided to retire from their roles after 33 episodes, as an homage to John Thaw, who played Chief Inspector Morse for 33 episodes.

In UK, the series is known simply as Lewis. Because PBS combined the second and third UK series into one season, the final season of Inspector Lewis on PBS is considered the eighth. In UK, Lewis, which has already concluded its ITV run, is considered a nine series (season) program. Through the years the...

Gem Wheeler Jan 10, 2017

To mark 30 years of Inspector Morse on television, here are 10 of his most complex, macabre and memorable cases...

Warning: contains spoilers.

See related Legion: Marvel shares cryptic logo for X-Men series What can Fox learn from the previous X-Men TV series? 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them New TV 2016: 28 Us shows for this autumn

Beer, Wagner, a red Jaguar, and Barrington Pheloung’s haunting theme. Those images conjure up one of the most memorable characters in British television. Inspector Morse’s final episode aired in the UK over fifteen years ago, yet the impression left by the hugely popular drama remains indelible. Its popular spinoff, Lewis, finished only two years ago after nine successful series, while a prequel, Endeavour, has just started to air its fourth run. The appeal of Morse and his Oxford is clearly as strong as ever.

Inspector Morse...

Lewis, ITV's long-running Morse spin-off, is effectively cancelled after UK series nine. Kevin Whately was first cast as Robbie Lewis opposite the late John Thaw's Morse, on the forerunning British drama of the same name. Reportedly, Whately and Lewis co-star Laurence Fox, who plays Detective Sergeant James Hathaway, have decided to retire from their roles, after 33 episodes, so as not to outdo Thaw's Morse, which also ran for 33 episodes. ITV will air part one of the two-part series finale, "What Lies Tangled," today, November 3, 2015. Lewis will conclude its UK run on November 10.

In the Us, the series, which airs on PBS under the Masterpiece! banner, is titled Inspector Lewis (and its predecessor: Inspector Morse). The final season has yet to air. Because PBS combined the second and third UK series into one season, the final season of Inspector Lewis...

Inspector Lewis will finally retire later this month.

Inspector Morse spinoff Lewis will come to an end after its ninth series on ITV, which concludes with final episode 'What Lies Tangled' on November 10.

Launching in January 2006, it will have aired the same number of stories as Morse with 33 each. However, the most recent two series have aired two-parters, so technically Lewis comes out on top.

Kevin Whately, who began playing the detective in 1987, said that he was "incredibly fortunate to have shared a decade of fantastic worldwide success" with Lewis.

His co-star Laurence Fox added: "What an extraordinary 10 years. I feel so lucky to have worked with absolutely the best crew in the business on Lewis. I will really miss hanging out with Kev for half the year.

"I am however fairly confident that he will not miss my flawless Geordie accent between takes. Thank you so much for watching and supporting us.

Steve Toussaint will fight crime alongside Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox in the new series of Lewis.

The Line of Duty actor will star in the new series as Chief Superintendent Joseph Moody, who will clash with Robbie Lewis (Whately) over their differing approaches to detective work.

Angela Griffin (Waterloo Road) will return to the series as Detective Sergeant Lizzie Maddox, while Clare Holman will also appear as forensic pathologist Laura Hobson.

Other new additions to the cast include Steve Pemberton (Happy Valley) and The Hour's Helen Schlesinger, who will play Ian and Vivienne Tedman in 'One For Sorrow', the first episode of the new series.

The couple have connections to the death of a psychology student and artist named Talika Desai and will face questions from Lewis and his colleagues.

Ralf Little (Our Zoo), Tim Pigott-Smith (Houdini) and Naomi Scott (Terra Nova) will also star in the episode.

Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox are to return for a ninth series of 'Lewis'. The 64-year-old actor and his 36-year-old co-star are set to reprise their roles as detectives Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway respectively following ITV's decision to recommission the popular crime drama for another series. ITV's director of drama Steve November commented: ''We are delighted that Kevin and Laurence are returning for a ninth series of Lewis. Each story is complex and intriguing and Detectives Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway are a formidable partnership much loved by ITV viewers. I am also pleased to welcome back Angela Griffin as...

Lewis has been renewed for a ninth series.

Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox will reprise their roles as Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway for the ITV drama, alongside Angela Griffin as Detective Sergeant Lizzie Maddox.

The ninth series will see the arrival of a new Chief Superintendent at Oxfordshire Police, who clashes with Lewis over his traditional approach to police work.

Forensic pathologist Laura Hobson (Clare Holman) will also consider taking an early retirement, while Hathaway finally confronts his past.

ITV's Director of Drama Steve November said: "We are delighted that Kevin and Laurence are returning for a ninth series of Lewis.

"Each story is complex and intriguing and Detectives Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway are a formidable partnership much loved by ITV viewers. I am also pleased to welcome back Angela Griffin as DS Lizzie Maddox."

Production for series nine of Lewis will take place in May around the city of Oxford.

Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox are to return for a ninth series of 'Lewis'. The 64-year-old actor and his 36-year-old co-star are set to reprise their roles as detectives Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway respectively following ITV's decision to recommission the popular crime drama for another series. ITV's director of drama Steve November commented: ''We are delighted that Kevin and Laurence are returning for a ninth series of Lewis. Each story is complex and intriguing and Detectives Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway are a formidable partnership much loved by ITV viewers. I am also pleased to welcome back Angela Griffin as...

Kevin Whately has hinted he may be set to retire from his role in 'Lewis'. The 63-year-old actor has starred as Robert 'Robbie' Lewis for 27 years, first taking on the role in 'Inspector Morse' before becoming the titular character in the spin-off, but he's now revealed he's thinking of retiring. Speaking about the upcoming eighth series, he said: ''There might be more Lewis after this series but there won't be a lot more. ''Not with Lewis himself. Who knows what the others will do but I think I'm coming to the end of the road. ''There may be on more series, possibly, we'll...

Kevin Whately has hinted that Lewis may not run for many more series.

The Inspector Morse spinoff returns for its eighth series on ITV later this month, with Whately's title character now retired.

Laurence Fox's Di James Hathaway is joined by DS Lizzie Maddox (Angela Griffin), while Lewis returns as a consultant after Chief Superintendent Innocent asks for his help.

Whately revealed to Digital Spy and others that he was concerned about returning for another series, after the seventh run appeared to have a potential conclusion.

"It is a big worry for me because I'm past retirement age and there are an awful lot of geriatric policemen on British telly at the moment," Whately said.

"We're all a bit long in the tooth and it worries me slightly. I don't wanna be a 70-year-old cop."

Speaking about the cast's decision to return for a new series, Whately continued: "The...

Miss_Marple Acorn Media Rlj Entertainment

To coincide with the final installments of Poirot on Acorn TV, Acorn media are releasing two Agatha Christie boxsets on 5 August. These boxsets include previously released episodes that have been pieced together in best-of-the-best collections that will be a must-have for die-hard fans of the author and her two most famous creations: Poirot and Marple.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot Fan Favorites Collection features David Suchet in six episodes produced across a 25 year time span. Murder on the Orient Express (Series 12, 2010); Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (Series 6, 1995); The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Series 3, 1990); The ABC Murders (Series 4, 1992); The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (Series 5, 1993); and Four and Twenty Blackbirds (Series 1, 1989). As a story, Murder on the Orient Express ranks as one of my favorites and this particular adaptation is very good. It’s somewhat surprising that ITV waited until 2010 to produce a Suchet version of the...

Angela Griffin has joined the cast of ITV's Lewis.

The Loose Women star and former Waterloo Road actress confirmed that she had joined the eighth series of the detective drama as a DS on Twitter yesterday (March 17).

Taking to the social networking site, Griffin wrote: "First day of filming tomorrow on my new job... Which I can now tell you is on Lewis for @ITV. I'm playing the new DS. Can't wait!! Chuffed."

Last month, it was confirmed that the drama, starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox as Lewis and Hathaway, would be returning for six more hour-long episodes.

The new series will see a retired Lewis returning to active duty and re-teaming with his old partner Hathaway - now promoted to Inspector.

Fox had previously claimed that the seventh series of Lewis - which aired in January and February 2013 - would be the show's last.

Though it was widely reported that Lewis had ended, ITV maintained that the series would likely continue. They've now renewed the series for an eighth season of six one-hour episodes. Production will begin next month.

There's no word on when they'll start airing. Here in the Us, Lewis is carried by PBS. It should be noted that, few years back, PBS made two seasons out of three of the UK seasons. As a result, these new episodes would be season seven here in the States.

Here's the official press release:

ITV commissions a new series of Lewis starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox from ITV Studios

The ‘perfect’ detective team of Lewis and Hathaway are set to return to ITV in six new episodes of Lewis, one of ITV’s best-loved and most enduring dramas.

ITV has commissioned a new series of 'Lewis'. The hit detective drama starring Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox will return for an eighth series of six, 60-minute episodes, with production due to begin in March. The detective duo will once again investigate crimes such as grisly murders in the idyllic town of Oxford, but Laurence's James Hathaway has now been promoted to inspector and must coax Kevin's Robert Lewis out of retirement to solve the mysteries at hand. ITV's director of drama Steve November said in a statement: ''Viewers have a great deal of respect for Inspector Lewis and a huge loyalty to...

Lewis is to return to ITV for an eighth series.

The detective drama has been recommissioned for six more hour-long episodes, with stars Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox reprising their roles as Lewis and Hathaway.

The new series will see a retired Lewis returning to active duty and re-teaming with his old partner Hathaway - now promoted to Inspector.

"Viewers have a great deal of respect for Inspector Lewis and a huge loyalty to Kevin Whately," said ITV's Director of Drama, Steve November.

"Together with Laurence, he has forged a formidable partnership and we're delighted to have them back on ITV."

The new Lewis episodes will enter production in March.

Series lead Fox had previously claimed that the seventh series of Lewis - which aired in January and February 2013 - would be the show's last.

Lewis star Kevin Whately 'taking a year off, may not return'...

Midsomer Murders ITV

Despite the demise of Poirot and the unexpected cancellation of Whitechapel, ITV continues to dominate the market for British TV detective shows. Within this genre, there is arguably no show more popular than Midsomer Murders, and more blood has been spilled on the streets of Britain’s most dangerous rural community in the stories included in Acorn’s latest DVD release. Midsomer Murders Set 23 features three tales that are intriguing, unpredictable and just a little bit peculiar.

The trilogy of tales begins with The Dark Rider, a spooky adventure in which local residents are seemingly being tormented by the vengeful spirit of a headless horseman. The guest stars include William Gaunt who is perhaps best known for his role as Martin Clunes’ Dad in No Place Like Home. His onscreen wife is Doctor Who veteran Eleanor Bron while James Callis has his work cut out playing twins.

The National Television Awards 2014 longlist nominations have been announced and voting is now (September 17) open.

Hosted by Dermot O'Leary, the NTAs celebrate the best and most popular TV and are exclusively voted for by viewers. The 2014 awards take place at London's O2 on January 22.

Full list of 2014 nominations:

Drama

Broadchurch

Call The Midwife

Casualty

Dci Banks

Death In Paradise

Doc Martin

Doctor Who

Downton Abbey

Endeavour

Foyle's War

Holby City

Homeland

Jonathan Creek

Last Tango in Halifax

Law & Order: UK

Lewis

Love and Marriage

Luther

Midsomer Murders

Mr Selfridge

New Tricks

Poirot

Revolution

Ripper Street

Scott & Bailey

Shetland

Silent Witness

The Fall

The Paradise

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

The Syndicate

The Village

The White Queen

Under The Dome

Vera

What Remains

TV Detective

Olivia Colman - Broadchurch

David Tennant - Broadchurch

Stephen Tompkinson - Dci Banks

Shaun Evans - Endeavour

Michael Kitchen - Foyle's War

Alan Davies - Jonathan Creek...

The stars of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet will reunite for the show's 30th anniversary later this year.

A special weekend-long convention in Newcastle will mark the milestone in September, including a tour of locations used in the series.

The comedy followed a group of British construction workers overseas, launching in November 1983.

It ran for two series on ITV from 1983 to 1986, before returning on BBC One in 2002. A fourth series followed in 2004, along with a two-part finale special.

Timothy Spall, Kevin Whately, Jimmy Nail and Tim Healy led the cast, along with Gary Holton, Christopher Fairbank and Pat Roach.

Healy - who played team leader Dennis Patterson - is confirmed for the event, along with creator Franc Roddam and writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.

Several other cast members are expected to confirm their attendance in the coming weeks.

"Thirty years, I can't believe where it's gone," said Healy. "We're having...

Were it not for how much fun BBC's Sherlock series has proven to be, it's very likely that the detective series Inspector Lewis (or sometimes just Lewis) would have found a bigger audience in the states instead of getting overshadowed and drowned out by countless Benedict Cumberbatch memes. Inspector Lewis clearly aims at a more patient, slightly older audience with less desire for rapid-fire wit and more focus on a mystery with a relaxed pace and a mentor-mentoree relationship between its protagonists that's played more for sentiment and character growth than laughs. The seventh season of Inspector Lewis has three two-part mysteries that maintain the audience's thanks to a few dry punchlines, the great pairing of Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox, and some decent mysteries.

Read more...

We have some amazing things we're about to announce for Cinelinx, and we've been working our tails off in order to get them done.  While this is great, it unfortunately means that I haven't kept up with my press releases like I should have been.  There's been a few things going on in the Indie world, so I've decided to bring them all together, News Bits style, for your enjoyment.  Come inside for casting news on Kickback, a new trailer for Entity, and a North American release date for Silent Cry!

Here at Cinelinx we like to talk about all aspects of filmmaking and movie news. To that end, we have Indie Beat where we highlight some of the latest news, trailers, and PR releases from the indie filmmaker scene.  So if you're an independent filmmaker and want some coverage on our site, be sure to drop us a line at  jordan@cinelinx.

Thriller goes to Us, Benelux and Scandinavia.

Music Video Distribution has acquired North American rights to Julian Richards thriller Silent Cry.

Additional deals have closed with Zeno Pictures for Benelux and Njuta for Scandinavia.

Emily Woof, Douglas Henshall, Kevin Whately, Clive Russell and Frank Finlay star in the urban chase thriller about corruption and murder in the medical world.

Simon Lubert wrote the script, producers are Peter La Terriere and Tim Dennison. Executive producers are Keith Hayley and Robert Bevan.

Screen Media Ventures handles sales.

The final episode of "Inspector Lewis" aired on PBS' "Masterpiece Mystery" Sunday night (June 30), with the spinoff of "Inspector Morse" calling back to its predecessor in a lot of ways.

Sunday's episode closed with Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his partner, James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), share a pint on the bank of the Thames -- echoing a shot near the end of "Morse" with Whately and John Thaw. And with both Lewis and Hathaway leaving the police force at episode's end, it seems like a pretty definitive end to the series.

But maybe not entirely definitive. Whately has been candid about wanting to step away from the character he's played since 1987, but he told The Daily Beast in June that an occasional special could be in the offing for the future.

"I think we might, as we did with 'Morse,' do the odd one or two [specials], but I don't want...

Kevin Whately has been playing gruff, sensible detective Robbie Lewis on Morse and Lewis for 26 years. I speak to him about the possible end of the Oxford copper. At The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Oxford's No. 1 Sleuth: Inspector Lewis's Kevin Whately on Morse, John Thaw, and the End of the Series," in which I speak with Kevin Whately, star of Inspector Morse and Lewis (which returns to PBS' Masterpiece Mystery on Sunday) about playing Robbie Lewis for 26 years, whether this is the end for the Oxford-set drama, and what's next. Inspector Lewis is due for a vacation. After more than 20 years playing Detective Inspector Robert “Robbie” Lewis, actor Kevin Whately has earned a well-deserved break from investigating murders beneath the Oxford spires. Introduced in Inspector Morse’s first episode (“The Dead of Jericho”), Whately’s Robbie Lewis was the Geordie sidekick of the late John Thaw...

George Gently

Kieran Kinsella

The utterly captivating crime drama George Gently is making its return to the U.S. with Acorn Media’s May 28 release of George Gently season 5. If you’re not familiar with the series, it is centered around a police detective from London who reluctantly relocates to the North of the country. Martin Shaw plays the dour 60s era detective while rising star Lee Ingleby plays his cocky sidekick Bacchus. It is similar to Endeavour, only darker, and reminiscent of Vera – only much better – and I actually really like Vera.

Series 5 features four stand-alone stories that cover issues ranging from child kidnappings to grizzly murders. We’re all familiar with the racial tensions that divided the U.S. in the swinging 60s but race relations were also a major talking point in the UK as the break up of the British Empire lead to an increase in immigration.

We at Tube Talk know you lot are constantly clamouring for telly scoop, but as mere mortals you face the constant disappointment of having those mean old TV bigwigs slamming doors in your faces.

Thankfully, instead of bawling like maniacs and screaming "I Hate Doors" at the top of your voices, you can come to our Q&A for that juicy TV info you crave and a reassuring pat on the back. This week we've got all the deets on Game of Thrones, Person of Interest and much, much more...

I'm thrilled that Game of Thrones is back! The first episode was epic! Any hints for next week?

You don't have to tell us, brother! GoT kept its title as the most astonishing thing on TV when it returned to Sky Atlantic for its third season this week, serving up an episode containing massive great dragons, more terror from the...

Lewis is the original spin-off from the original Inspector Morse detective series which first appeared on UK TV sets in 1987 and starred John Thaw as the complicated and often unconventional detective. After a very successful run the series ended in 2000 with the demise of Inspector Morse in “The Remorseful Day” and that was sadly followed by the death of John Thaw who played the opera-loving detective two years later.

Morse’s legacy was too strong to fade entirely though and the pilot for Lewis hit TV screens in 2006 and this latest series is the seventh and quite possibly final one, depending on which news source or interview you choose to believe.

For my part I’m a dedicated Morseophile and as I write this my DVD collection of the entire Morse episodes plus all of the original Colin Dexter books sits comfortingly on the shelf across the room. By my reckoning it would be difficult,...

There’s a new face in ‘Lewis’ tonight with Babou Ceesay collecting the sidekick baton from Laurence Fox, in Episode 3 of the seventh and final series of ITV’s crime drama (9pm).

“I’ll probably have to go behind the sofa a couple of times,” confides Ceesay, of watching himself in what is undoubtedly his biggest role to date.

“But Kevin Whately’s seen my first episode and sent me a lovely text, so I’m not worrying too much. A bit.”

Babou Ceesay with his 'Lewis' co-star Kevin Whately

According to Ceesay, his co-star, who knows all too well the perils of stepping into a pair of acting shoes made comfy by someone else (those of John Thaw’s Morse being particularly familiar and distinctive), could not have been more welcoming...

“He’s such a lovely man,” muses Ceesay. “Laurence Fox joked a lot about my being...

Congrats to Gambian-British actor Babou Ceesay on joining the cast of ITV's crime drama Lewis, in what is being hailed as a significant shift in cultural practice at that network. Lewis is a spin-off of the popular drama Inspector Morse, and stars Kevin Whately in the lead role of Di Robert Lewis.  With the departure of Di Lewis' long-time partner DS James Hathaway, Ceesay joins the show as Lewis' new partner, DS Alex Gray. The addition of Ceesay's character was highlighted by several British media outlets as noteworthy, particularly due to ITV's reported history of programming that rarely features characters-of-color in prominent roles.  As many of...

Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys lost millions of viewers as they clashed with Lewis last night (January 7). The flying BBC One comedies pulled in near identical audiences of 6.81m (25.9%) at 9pm for Miranda Hart's sitcom and 6.79m (26.3%) half-an-hour later for Brendan O'Carroll's Irish studio comedy. Meanwhile, the seventh and potentially final series of ITV's flagship detective drama premiered with 6.26m (24%), adding a million viewers on last year's opener. Unlike in previous years, ITV has decided to split the stories into two hour-long parts, meaning the Kevin Whately drama will air for six weeks this year. Elsewhere on the two main channels, Cornwall with Caroline Quentin returned with 3.9m (15.7%), while Rip-Off Britain informed 3.45m (13.7%) in BBC One's 8.30pm slot which Panorama normally (more)...

Kevin Whately has revealed that he will be taking a year's break from Lewis, and that afterwards he may decide not to return. The 61-year-old actor, who stars with Laurence Fox in the ITV1 drama, has said that the final episode of the latest series - which starts on January 7 - "does have a resolution". Speaking to The Sun, Whately said: "I told ITV to treat it like any other episode so that we may or may not come back. But ITV wanted a resolution. And so where I am is that I want (more)...

Newcastle city council has been criticised by a host of musicians with connections to the North-East for its planned cuts to the culture budget. Music legends including Bryan Ferry, Sting and The Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant have sent an open letter to The Guardian opposing the "shortsighted attack" on the city's cultural life. Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler and Thomas Allen were also signatories alongside writers Pat Barker and Tony Harrison and actors Robson Green and Kevin Whately. They call the cuts "economically disastrous", saying that "the council's support helps these arts organisations (more)...