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Critically acclaimed series Humans commissioned for second season

31 July 2015

The United Kingdom’s Channel 4 (4oD) and America’s AMC (The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul) have confirmed that the critically acclaimed series Humans has been recommissioned for a second series.

Unblock and watch Humans on 4oD

Humans is Channel 4’s highest rated originated drama in 20 years. Series 1 of Humans has attracted an average of 4.8million viewers per episode and an 18% share of the viewing audience on Sundays from 9-10pm. Every Sunday the series attracts the highest share of 16-34 year old viewers to its time slot with an impressive average share of 26% of Channel 4’s key demographic – triple the slot average. On AMC the series stands as a top five cable drama launch among adults 25-54 in the U.S. So far, season one has averaged 2 million viewers.

Humans has been described as “a terrific mix of panache and creepiness” (Sunday Times Culture) “truly a drama for our times” (The Independent) and “smart and dark….one of 2015’s dramatic hits” (The Guardian) and is based on the award-winning Swedish sci-fi drama “Real Humans” from Matador Films.

Do you live outside of the United Kingdom? Go to our home page to see how to bypass 4oD’s geoblocks so you can start watching Humans on the free 4oD from anywhere country in the world.

Set in a parallel present, the series explores what happens when the lines between humans and machines are blurred. The series will return for eight brand new episodes, with production starting next year.

The first series tapped into society’s preoccupation with and mistrust of advancing technology and artificial intelligence. What does it mean to be human? Can the very traits through which we define humanity (love, trust, loyalty, friendship, sacrifice) be taught? What really is family? Exploring humans’ inherent fear of the unknown and the possible implications of granting machines consciousness, the final episode will leave viewers on a thrilling cliff-hanger – will the synth family come together and find a way to create sentience in others like them?

Piers Wenger, Head of Drama at Channel 4 said; “Humans has proved a huge hit with both audiences and critics alike this summer and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to writers Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley and to the team at Kudos for bringing a truly unmissable show to life. It also marks a key moment for Channel 4 as we expand our remit for bold and original drama into the international, co-production space. We look forward to working with our partners AMC on series 2 of Humans and to more Synth-related adventures to come”.

Derek Wax, Executive Producer, Kudos added; “As producers, we’re so thrilled to have been able to work with Sam and Jon on such provocative and challenging ideas and stories. We’re delighted that viewers have connected with the series so wholeheartedly and look forward to continuing the wonderfully collaborative relationship with Channel 4 and AMC. And of course, going back to Synth School to learn some new moves for series two”

Joel Stillerman, President of Original Programming and Development for AMC and Sundance TV, said; “We’re so pleased to announce a second season of Humans and extend our terrific partnership with Channel 4, Kudos and the stellar cast, crew and writers Sam and Jonathan. As one of the year’s top new cable series, ‘Humans’ has been embraced by fans and critics across the U.S. and UK. We’re looking forward to continuing this very captivating story and further exploring the show’s parallel, Synth-filled world that hits so disturbingly close to home.”

Humans is written by Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley (Spooks, Spooks: The Greater Good), the series is produced by Kudos (Broadchurch, Utopia) in association with Matador Films. Executive producers are Derek Wax (The Hour, Occupation, Lip Service) and Chris Fry (The Smoke, Spooks) for Kudos, Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley and Henrik Widman and Lars Lundström for Matador Films. Commissioned for Channel 4 by Simon Maxwell and Beth Willis, and Joel Stillerman and Kristin Jones for AMC.

news | paul | |   4oD NEWS U.K.
Ungeoblock and watch Stonemouth

BBC iPlayer heats up for northern summer with host of sizzling new features

20 August 2015

New features and functionality to transform how you watch your favourite BBC TV shows on BBC iPlayer have been unveiled – whether on the go on a mobile, in bed on a tablet or on TV from a comfy sofa.

Rolling out from today, BBC iPlayer will begin to introduce:

Live Restart on Connected TVs – missed the start of your favourite show on your telly? BBC iPlayer’s Live Restart feature lets you jump back to the beginning of the programme without having to wait for it to end, by simply hitting ‘Watch from start’.

Cross-device pause and resume – cross-device resume lets you watch a programme on one device and seamlessly continue watching on another. Sign in and catch up on EastEnders on your mobile in the morning and continue from where you left off on your computer in work on your lunch-break.

My Programmes – a new place on BBC iPlayer just for you. Sign in on the website and/or app and find the shows you’ve favourited, programmes you’ve started watching but not finished, and the next episodes of that series – all in one place for you to enjoy. In future, My Programmes is somewhere you’ll also find other programmes we think you might like to watch.

Are you outside of the U.K.? Go to our home page to learn how to bypass BBC geoblocks to get access to the free BBC iPlayer from any country in the world.

The new features build on the BBC’s strategy to make BBC iPlayer more personal – letting you discover, watch and favourite content that’s more relevant to you to enjoy on the devices you use, when you use them. These will roll-out just in time for the start of a packed autumn schedule, which sees the likes of Doctor Who, Sherlock and Strictly Come Dancing return to our screens.

BBC iPlayer has also recently updated its mobile apps with a brand new look and feel, making it even easier to enjoy the latest drama from Walford or interrogation from the Dragons in the Den when out and about.

And, following the news that all pre-recorded programmes are available on iPlayer with subtitles, Audio Description (AD) functionality is now available on iPlayer on TV platforms – as well as computers, mobiles and tablets – making BBC iPlayer the largest and most widely available audio description service from any video on-demand provider in the UK.

Dan Taylor-Watt, Head of BBC iPlayer, says: “This raft of new features promises to give users even greater control over their iPlayer experience, ensuring they’re never late for a BBC TV broadcast again and providing easy access to the programmes they’re enjoying on BBC iPlayer whether at home or on the move”.

Today’s announcement builds on a hugely successful year for BBC iPlayer which saw a record 2.6bn TV requests across 1,700 devices and platforms in 2014, the catch-up window extend from seven to 30 days, and a host of exclusive content – from Adam Curtis: Bitter Lake to Frankie Boyle’s Election Autopsy.

news United Kingdom | paul |

The Game, a Cold War spy thriller set in the secretive world of 1970s espionage on BBC iPlayer

BBC Two’s The Game, a Cold War spy thriller set in the secretive world of 1970s espionage, starring Brian Cox and Tom Hughes.

unblock-the-game-bbc-iplayerLondon 1972; when a defecting KGB officer reveals the existence of a devastating Soviet plot by the name of ‘Operation Glass’, the charismatic head of MI5 must assemble a secret committee to help protect Britain. As the Soviets awaken sleeper agents to carry out the plot, the new team are faced with an unidentified, invisible threat.

The first agent reactivated is a civil servant, bullied and blackmailed into working for the KGB. As MI5 scramble to identify his role in ‘Operation Glass’ Joe Lambe becomes obsessed with the reappearance of his nemesis, the Soviet agent codenamed ‘Odin’.

If you live outside of the U.K., please go to our home page where you can see how to bypass geoblocks to access and watch The Game on the free BBC iPlayer streaming media player.

The Game stars Tom Hughes (Joe Lambe); Brian Cox (Daddy); Paul Ritter (Bobby Waterhouse); Victoria Hamilton (Sarah Montag); Jonathan Aris (Alan Montag); Shaun Dooley (Jim Fenchurch); Chloe Pirrie (Wendy); Judy Parfitt (Hester Waterhouse); Zana Marjanovic (Yulia); Marcel Iures (Arkady); Jevgenij Sitochin (Odin); Gabrielle Scharnitzky (Kitty); Timothy Bentinck (Home Secretary); Scott Handy (David Hexton).

news | paul | |   BBC free TV
Ungeoblock and watch Stonemouth

Stonemouth: A romantic BBC mystery delving into love, loyalty and vengeance

19 May 2015

A romantic mystery delving into love, loyalty and vengeance, BBC drama Stonemouth is the first TV adaptation of acclaimed author Iain Banks’ work since his death in 2013.

Ungeoblock and watch StonemouthThe two-part TV dramatisation focuses on the character of Stewart Gilmour played by Christian Cooke (The Promise, Magic City), who returns to the fictional village of Stonemouth for his best friend’s funeral. Run out of town two years earlier by girlfriend Ellie Murston’s criminal family, Stewart is forced to face up to his own past whilst uncovering the sinister truth behind his friend’s apparent suicide. Stewart resolves to find out what really happened, which means he must face the girl he left behind – Ellie.

If you live outside of the U.K., please go to our home page where you can see how to bypass geoblocks to access and watch Stonemouth on the free BBC iPlayer streaming media player.

Charlotte Spencer (Glue, Line Of Duty) plays Ellie Murston and her father Don, the no-nonsense head of Stonemouth’s most notorious criminal family is played by Peter Mullan (Top Of The Lake, Sunshine On Leith). Brian Gleeson (Snow White & The Huntsman, The Eagle) plays Don’s henchman Powell Imrie, Sharon Small (Mistresses, Inspector Lynley Mysteries) plays Don’s wife and Ellie’s mother, Connie, with Gary Lewis (Gangs Of New York, Filth) as local businessman Mike MacAvett.

A BBC Scotland/Slate North co-production for both BBC One Scotland and BBC Two, Stonemouth also stars, Samuel Robertson (River City, Coronation Street), Kevin Mains (Outlander, Cilla), Jack Greenless (Sunset Song, Suspects), Naomi Battrick (My Almost Famous Family, Waterloo Road), Joy McAvoy (Filth, The Angel’s Share), Gerard Miller (Short History Of Confetti) and introduces Chris Fulton in his first TV role.

Written by David Kane (Shetland, The Field Of Blood) and directed by Charles Martin (Run, Wallander and A&E’s US remake of The Returned), Stonemouth was co-commissioned by Ewan Angus, BBC Scotland’s Head of Commissioning and Ben Stephenson, former Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning.

Andrea Calderwood, Executive Producer, Slate North explains the significance of adapting Iain Banks’ novel for TV:

“Iain was really happy that David [Kane] was going to be adapting his work – he’d been really looking forward to collaborating with him and it is one of the sadness’s of losing him so suddenly that we weren’t able to work with him on the show.

“David was very conscious of staying true to the spirit of Iain’s writing throughout the adaptation and I think he’s done that brilliantly.

“David has a great sense of character and plot and, like Iain, knows how to use warmth and humour to create distinctive and engaging characters. He’s really captured the spirit of Iain’s writing and the wit in David’s dialogue is very much in tune with the wit in Iain’s writing.

“One of the distinctive aspects of the Stonemouth story is that it really captures the world of a younger generation in Scotland – the world is their oyster, but they really value their friendships and the community they come from.

“One of the themes of the story is young people choosing to stay in their home towns and making a difference there, and the choices they make which differ from their parents’ generation. There are great moments of drama in the different directions the two generations take, so it was an ideal opportunity to showcase some of the most exciting emerging talent as well as enjoying stellar performances from high profile cast.

“It’s great to see such a strong cast of young actors give such compelling performances – there is a great energy and fun in the scenes they have together. The combination of bold young actors like Christian Cooke and Brian Gleeson going head-to-head with established actors like Peter Mullan and Gary Lewis, creates some great electric moments.”

Continue reading →

news | paul | |   BBC free TV

First look pictures of BBC One’s epic new event drama War And Peace

Wednesday, 12 August 2015

6war-and-peace-624The BBC today released the first-look images of BBC One’s epic new event drama War And Peace, adapted by Andrew Davies.

They reveal Paul Dano as Pierre, Lily James as Natasha and James Norton as Andrei. The six-part series is directed by Tom Harper, and will air this northern winter (or southern summer) on BBC One, available to stream on the free BBC iPlayer.

War and Peace is made by BBC Cymru Wales Drama, in partnership with The Weinstein Company and BBC Worldwide/Lookout Point. Filming took place in Russia, Lithuania and Latvia.

If you live outside of the U.K., please go to our home page where you can see how to bypass geoblocks to access and watch War and Peace on itv’s free streaming media player.

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news | paul | |   BBC free TV U.K.
Unblock The Americans on ITV

itv secures rights for the UK premiere of The Americans series 3 and 4 | unblock and watch for free

Monday, 20 July 2015

Unblock The Americans on ITVITV today announced it has secured the exclusive UK rights to series 3 and 4 of the award-winning drama The Americans, to air on ITV Encore, a channel dedicated to unmissable drama.

Series 1 and 2 of The Americans, which aired on ITV in June 2013 and May 2014, will transmit on ITV Encore from July 2015, with the brand new third series starting later this summer.

If you live outside of the U.K., please go to our home page where you can see how to bypass geoblocks to access and watch The Americans on itv’s free streaming media player.

Critically acclaimed The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), who have two children – 14-year-old Paige (Holly Taylor) and 11-year-old Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who know nothing about their parents’ true identity – grows more passionate and genuine by the day.

However their relationship is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control. The trickiest of Philip’s sources continues to be Martha (Alison Wright), the assistant to Special Agent Gaad (Richard Thomas). In order to ensure her continued loyalty, Philip, in the guise of FBI bureaucrat “Clark,” one of his numerous cover identities, marries her.

Things were going smoothly until Martha began pressuring Clark to start a family. Their neighbour, FBI Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), could also prove to be a renewed threat. When forced to choose between betraying his country or his KGB double-agent and paramour Nina (Annet Mahendru), Stan chose the USA. Nina has been sent back to Moscow to face charges of treason, much to the dismay of her boss Arkady (Lev Gorn), Director of the KGB Rezidentura. In addition to his rededication to his mission of uncovering the identities of the Russian spies living among them, Stan is also attempting to rebuild a relationship with his estranged wife Sandra (Susan Misner). Meanwhile, in the Jennings’ house, Philip and Elizabeth find themselves at odds over Paige’s future now that the KGB has made it clear that they want her to join the family business.

Sasha Breslau, Head of Acquired Series at ITV, and Steve Cornish, SVP & Managing Director at Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, brokered the deal.

Sasha Breslau said; “I am delighted to be renewing our partnership with Fox Television on The Americans, a truly distinctive, utterly compelling drama which grips you tighter with each season. It feels like the perfect fit for ITV Encore”.

Steve Cornish added; “We are thrilled that ITV will continue to be the home of The Americans in the UK”.

The Americans is co-produced by Fox Television Studios and FX Productions, created by executive producer, Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies, Damages) and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution. Graham Yost (Justified, Boomtown), Joel Fields (Rizzoli & Isles) and Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank (Falling Skies, Smash) and Justin Falvey (Falling Skies, The Borgias) are also executive producers.

news | paul | |   free TV itv
Downton Abbey

itv launches final series of Downton Abbey | unblock and watch for free

Monday, 13 August 2015–Journalists were treated to an exclusive screening of the first episode, followed by a series of Q&A’s with Executive Producers Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes and Liz Trubridge, along with cast members including Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Joanne Froggatt.

Downton AbbeyDownton Abbey is the highest rating UK drama of the past decade across any channel, with an average of 11 million viewers over the course of the last five series, including Christmas specials.

Downton Abbey is available to watch for free on itv’s streaming media player.  If you live outside of the United Kingdom, just follow the instructions on our home page to bypass geoblocks to access the itv player from anywhere in the world. 

Gareth Neame, Executive Producer said: “Last night at 7pm we wrapped all of the servants. They shot their last scene. It’s an incredibly emotional, moving scene in the very last episode. It was very cleverly scheduled that they had that scene to do and then we clapped them all off the stage. I can tell you that quite a few tears were shed by grown men in the form of butlers and footmen that I never expected to see.

“I think the final season is very strong and I believe the fans of the show around the world will be happy and satisfied with what happens to our characters.”

Maggie Smith, who plays the Dowager Countess, Violet, added: ‘‘I’m just surprised that I got to the end because just before this I’d done about 10 years with Harry Potter. So I felt very old indeed by the time I got to the Dowager. I’m honestly just surprised that I got through it and I’m still here.”

The five times BAFTA-award winning actress paid tribute to the Downton Abbey crew and production team. Maggie continued: “It was extraordinary and incredibly reassuring to see these people day after day and know that they were the first people there and they were the last people to go. You’ve no idea how incredibly exhausting that must be. I do not know how it’s done, quite honestly. And there they are, all of them, and always in a very good mood, which I can’t say for myself.”

Asked what she would be doing next, she replied: “I’m going to be lying down. I believe for quite some time. The other thing I will be doing is watching it. I will get the box set and have a good look. I certainly haven’t watched anything that I’ve done. I have seen some of it. But I want to sit down and look at it all.”

Writer and Creator Julian Fellowes said: “The characters have been so real to me for six years. So I do think you have a little sadness. You do feel rather sorry to say goodbye to these people because I’ve enjoyed the creation. I’m sorry to see them go. I’m very unlikely to be involved in anything that is as successful again and so, of course, I say goodbye to these golden years with a slight pang. But it seems the right time to go while we’re still firing.”

Peter Fincham, ITV’s Director of Television, said: “We loved Downton Abbey from the beginning. It has been a landmark. A wonderful series on ITV. It’s one of those things where it all went right and that’s a fantastic thing. We’re very excited about this last series.”

Downton Abbey was honoured this week with a BAFTA Special Award in recognition of its contribution to television both in the UK and around the world.

It was also announced today that Patricia Hodge (Miranda) would be joining the cast for the final ever episode, the Christmas episode due to air on Christmas Day 2015.

The drama is the most nominated British show in Emmy® history with 59 nominations to date, collecting 11 wins including Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Movie, Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Movie and Outstanding Miniseries or a Movie. As well as its record-breaking Emmy® nominations, the show has so far amassed nearly 30 other major accolades around the world, including three Golden Globes®, three Screen Actors Guild Awards of which two were for Best Ensemble Cast in a Drama Series, a Producers Guild of America Award, three BAFTA awards and three National Television Awards for Best Drama as voted for by the British public.

In the U.S. series 5, had a weekly average audience of 12.9 million viewers over its nine-week run and concluded in March this year having been watched by 25.5 million people.

The Golden Globe®, Emmy®, PGA, BAFTA, National Television Awards and Screen Actors Guild award-winning show, debuted on ITV in 2010 and has since become a global phenomenon. Downton Abbey is now in over 250 territories worldwide.

On social media the series 5 UK transmission reached new heights with over 60 million tweet impressions, almost 6 million on the top Facebook post and weekly trending across hashtags and conversation points, gaining a social media chart spot week on week.

Downton Abbey is a Carnival Films/MASTERPIECE co-production and distributed by NBCUniversal International Distribution. Carnival Films is part of NBCUniversal International Studios.

FACTS:

Filming days across all six series – 790
S1 – S6 Cast – 255
S1 – S6 Crew – 900
S1 – S6 Sets – 350 sets designed
Drawings – 1000 plus
S5 and S6 – 1000 plus wigs used
S5 and S6 – 400 original costumes designed and made

news | paul | |   free itv U.K.

EU Commission goes after geo-blocking, ‘absurd’ digital barriers

Letting EU citizens watch movies online anywhere and simplifying cross-border e-commerce are key European Commission efforts to unify the continent’s digital market.

The Commission on Wednesday agreed how to proceed with its European Digital Single Market plan and identified priorities to be detailed in May.

Limiting access to content to people in a particular country or region is a bad strategy, so the Commission wants to tear down geo-blocking barriers, he said.

Continue reading at: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2901912/eu-commission-goes-after-geoblocking-absurd-digital-barriers.html

news | paul |