Worried that the next few months of the summer blockbuster season won’t bring anything but superheroes, horror, animated movies and broad comedy to the big screen? While those big-budget extravaganzas will make most of the headlines, there are going to be a number of “indie” movies that you can enjoy this summer.

While I always enjoy a good popcorn flick (see my 13 blockbusters movies picks for this summer), I can get just as excited (if not more) for these alternate summer picks. And the 2025 new movie slate for this summer has plenty of good ones to choose from. That includes new movies from established filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Ethan Coen, Spike Lee and Celine Song, as well as ones from emerging/first-time filmmakers ready to break out.

Many of these come from smaller, indie film labels, while others do have the backing of major studios but don’t have the budget that resembles the gross domestic product of a country, which at least gives them the indie spirit.

Ultimately, they’re movies that likely won’t set the box office on fire (though how refreshing it would be for some of these to become notable hits), but they are going to be some of the more interesting and engrossing new movies available to watch on the big screen all summer.

So without further ado, here are the 11 indie movies you can watch in summer 2025 that I am most excited about:

11. Weapons (August 8)

Horror movies aren't my go-to choice, they usually require a strong word of mouth for me to be interested. While Weapons doesn’t have that yet on a count as it hasn’t been seen, Zach Cregger’s previous movie, Barbarians, certainly had that (though that one is admittedly still on my watch list, which I hope to remedy before Weapons comes out).

Cregger’s latest stars Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Benedict Wong, with the mysterious premise of what happens when all but one child from an elementary school class goes missing on the same night at the exact same time.

10. Friendship (May 9)

The juxtaposition of how A24 has been marketing Friendship has me fascinated. The way the trailer for the movie is cut and scored makes it feel like a dark thriller, but at the same time quotes from critics call it one of the funniest things they’ve seen in a while.

This isn’t going to be your traditional broad comedy, which should be no surprise considering it stars Tim Robinson, who’s made a name for himself as one of the more unique comedy voices working right now.

9. Sorry, Baby (June 27)

This was the first time since 2020 that I wasn’t able to see a few movies as part of the Sundance Film Festival (most years virtually, outside of my trip to Park City in 2020), but that has only made me more eager to catch up with many of the movies that had fest attendees buzzing.

One of the most talked about movies was Sorry, Baby, the debut feature from Eva Victor that won Sundance’s Waldo Salt Screenplay Award and has a 95% “Fresh” Rotten Tomatoes score as of publication. The movie follows a college professor who, with the help of others, tries to cope after a bad event in her life.

8. Honey Don’t! (August 22)

Ethan Coen continues his solo directing career with his new movie Honey Don’t!, a dark comedy crime thriller. One half of the iconic Coen Brothers, Ethan Coen’s first solo directing outing was 2024’s Drive-Away Dolls, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This time he reteams with his wife Tricia Cooke on the screenplay and with Drive-Away Dolls star Margaret Qualley, who will play the main character of Honey O’Donahue, a small town private investigator looking into a string of strange deaths.

Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner and Chris Evans also star in the movie. I honestly don't know if/when we'll get another Coen Brothers movie, so it's good to see that Ethan Coen is still bringing part of the brothers' unique sensibilities to audiences.

7. The Life of Chuck (June 6)

This Stephen King adaptation is more in the lines of The Shawshank Redemption than Carrie, as The Life of Chuck tells the life story of the titular Chuck, played by the combination of Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay and Benjamin Pajak in three different chapters of his life.

The rest of the supporting cast is pretty stellar too, consisting of Matthew Lillard, Karen Gillan, David Dastmalchian, Annalise Basso, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Siegel, Mia Sara, Samantha Sloyan, Nick Offerman, Carl Lumbly, Rahul Kohli, Harvey Guillen and Mark Hamill. The movie got some solid notices after playing the film festival circuit last fall, as it's currently "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.

6. The Roses (August 29)

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star in the falling out of love movie The Roses. A new take on the novel "The War of the Roses" by Warren Adler (previously adapted for the 1989 movie of the same name starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner), The Roses is a comedy about a married couple going through a tough divorce after the husband’s life comes crashing down. With a script by Oscar-nominee Tony McNamara and a cast that also includes Allison Janney, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon and Ncuti Gatwa, this is the type of adult-driven movie we often claim we don’t get any more.

5. Eddington (July 18)

Ari Aster burst onto the scene with his psychological horror movies Hereditary and Midsommar, but this latest is looking at a new kind of horror — the year 2020. Eddington stars Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal as a small town sheriff and mayor, respectively, whose clash leads to growing tension in their town in the spring of 2020.

Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Micheal Ward and Clifton Collins also star in the movie, which is playing in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before it premieres in movie theaters.

4. Caught Stealing (August 29)

Though I was not the biggest fan of The Whale, I still always get excited when Darren Aronofsky has a new movie out. With Caught Stealing, the director teases how he was looking for a fun project after most of his filmography has been emotionally devastating or traumatizing (but often brilliantly done).

Based on the novel by Charlie Huston (with the author adapting his own book), Caught Stealing stars Austin Butler as a former baseball player that gets mixed up in the criminal underbelly of 1990s New York City. A crime thriller comedy from Aronofsky, yeah, I’ll be there opening weekend.

3. Highest 2 Lowest (August 22)

Spike Lee is one of our greatest living filmmakers, but he’s going back to one of his idols for his latest movie, Highest 2 Lowest. The movie is a reimagined version of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, a crime movie about a powerful businessman who must make difficult choices when the son of his chauffeur is kidnapped by mistake.

Adding to the intrigue is that the movie is a reunion between Lee and Denzel Washington, as the iconic pairing reunite for the first time since 2006’s Inside Man. Here’s hoping we have another classic collaboration between the two of them.

2. The Phoenician Scheme (May 30)

After claiming his first Oscar for his short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson is back with an all new movie, The Phoenician Scheme. Benicio Del Toro, after making his debut as part of Anderson’s troupe of actors in The French Dispatch, leads this new movie about a wealthy European businessman and his daughter, a nun, played by Mia Threapleton.

A swarm of well known stars round out The Phoenician Scheme ensemble, including Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend and Hope Davis. I’ve been middle of the road on Anderson’s last two efforts (The French Dispatch and Asteroid City), but I’m always excited to see what he does next.

1. Materialists (June 13)

Two summers ago Wes Anderson and Celine Song had the top two indie movies I was excited to see, though at that time it was Anderson who got the no. 1 spot. However, after Past Lives ripped my heart out (in the best possible way), the next movie from Song is my most anticipated indie movie of 2025.

Materialists stars Dakota Johnson as a New York City matchmaker whose own love life gets complicated when she is torn between the perfect guy (Pedro Pascal) and her imperfect ex (Chris Evans). Song had one of the best debut movies I can remember in some time, so I’m completely invested in what she does next. And honestly, when thinking of a movie to counter the traditional summer blockbuster fare, Materialists feels like the perfect match.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star as a dysfunctional married couple in The Roses (not to be confused with the Roses of Schitt’s Creek). The 2025 new movie is an adaptation/remake of The War of the Roses from the 1980s.

Warren Adler wrote the initial book back in 1981, which was then turned into a 1989 movie of the same name starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito (with DeVito also directing). The original movie was well received, as evidenced by its “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. Can the new adaptation of the story have similar (or better) success?

Here is everything you need to know about The Roses, from when it is going to premiere to who else makes up the cast.

The Roses release date

The Roses has been set for an August 29 release in the US from Searchlight Pictures. It arrives a couple days later, September 1, in the UK.

The Roses cast

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star as the central couple, Theo and Ivy, respectively. Two of the most respected actors working today, Cumberbatch is a two-time Oscar-nominated actor (The Imitation Game, The Power of the Dog), who most recently was seen in the Netflix limited series Eric.

Colman, meanwhile, is an Oscar-winner (The Favourite) who most recently was seen on the big screen in Paddington in Peru and Wicked Little Letters, but has also had notable TV roles in The Bear, Heartstopper and The Crown.

Others making up The Roses cast are Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Allison Janney (The Diplomat season 2), Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who season 15), Jamie Demetriou (Back in Action), Zoe Chao (The Afterparty), Belinda Bromilow (The Great) and Kate McKinnon (Barbie). Their roles have not been specified at this time.

The Roses plot

Tony McNamara, the Oscar-nominated writer for Poor Things and The Favourite and creator of The Great, adapted the screenplay for The Roses. Here is the official synopsis:

“Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy and Theo: successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the facade of their ideal life, a storm is brewing — as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites.”

The Roses trailer

Watch Cumberbatch and Colman's marriage deteriorate in epic fashion in The Roses trailer directly below:

Also check out this clip from the movie:

The Roses director

Jay Roach is the director of The Roses. Roach may not be as recognizable a name to all, but he has a number of major movies on his resume. That includes notable TV movies for HBO primarily centered around major US political events, like 2008’s Recount about the Bush/Gore election of 2000, 2012’s Game Change about Sarah Palin becoming John McCain’s vice presidential nominee in 2008 and All the Way in 2016, about LBJ’s push to get the Civil Rights Act passed.

But here is a complete look at Roach’s feature film directing credits:

• Zoo Radio (1990)
• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
• Mystery, Alaska (1999)
• Meet the Parents (2000)
• Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
• Meet the Fockers (2004)
• Dinner for Schmucks (2010)
• The Campaign (2012)
• Trumbo (2015)
• Bombshell (2019)

The Roses behind the scenes

As mentioned, The Roses is a Searchlight Pictures production, alongside Adler Entertainment Trust, South of the River Pictures and SunnyMarch.

The producers on the movie are Roach, Michelle Graham, Ed Sinclair, Tom Carver, Adam Ackland and Leah Clarke.

Check out this feature that sees the cast and director detail what's in store with The Roses:

Wicked Little Letters is a sweary comedy that brings a bizarre true story from 20th-century England to the big screen - and now it is coming to Netflix. 

This new movie transports us back in time to the picturesque seaside town of Littlehampton which found itself in the public eye after its residents began receiving foul-mouthed poison-pen letters from an anonymous sender. The main recipient was Edith Swan (Olivia Colman), a holier-than-thou woman who found herself being called all manner of colorful insults in the mystery missives. 

The movie depicts the hunt to find the sweary scribe behind the letters and turns it into a hilarious comedy that pits two neighbors (and former friends) against one another. Here's everything you need to know about Wicked Little Letters.

Wicked Little Letters release date and how to watch

Wicked Little Letters will premiere on Netflix on Friday, July 26, 2024.

Wicked Little Letters first aired in UK theatres on Friday, February 23. If you missed the sweary comedy during its UK cinema run, Wicked Little Letters is also available to rent at home on services like Prime Video and iTunes.

In the US, the movie had a limited release on Friday, March 29 and the movie originally premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Wicked Little Letters reviews

As of our latest update, Wicked Little Letters has an 80% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, from over 150 reviews. The audience score's even higher, sitting at 92% from over 100 ratings.

In our four-star Wicked Little Letters review, we called the movie 'a stellar sharp-tongued comedy elevated by its top-tier cast'. 

Variety's Peter Debruge said of the movie: "In Sharrock’s hands, “Wicked Little Letters” is an entertaining account of what feels like a primitive form of today’s online flame wars, where people take sides as commenters openly disparage one another."

Total Film rated the movie 3/5 and highlighted the "uniformly excellent cast", summing the flick up as "an ultimately rather cosy tale of British eccentricity, enlivened by a superb cast".

Wicked Little Letters cast

The Lost Daughter co-stars Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley lead the cast of Wicked Little Letters as Edith Swan and Rose Gooding, respectively. 

Edith is a deeply conservative woman who still lives with her parents, and she's the recipient of several of the titular missives. Rose, meanwhile, is the complete opposite: she's a rowdy and foul-mouth Irish migrant whom many suspect simply must be the sweary scribe. 

The third most important character is Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts), who stars as Woman Police Officer Gladys Moss, who launches her own investigation into the entire ordeal, suspecting that the real culprit could be someone else entirely. 

In addition, the Wicked Little Letters cast also includes: 

• Joanna Scanlan as Ann
• Gemma Jones as Victoria Swan
• Timothy Spall as Edward Swan
• Malachi Kirby as Bill
• Eileen Atkins as Mabel
• Lolly Adefope Kate
• Paul Chahidi as Chief Constable Spedding
• Hugh Skinner as Constable Papperwick

Wicked Little Letters plot

As we mentioned, Wicked Little Letters brings the mystery of the Littlehampton Letters to life, and the search for the true culprit who's been terrorizing the town. 

Studiocanal's full summary reads: "A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a dark and absurd scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, Wicked Little Letters follows two neighbours: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). 

"When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foulmouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town's women — led by Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) — begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss, and Rose may not be the culprit after all."

Is there a Wicked Little Letters trailer? 

The Wicked Little Letters trailer sets up the mystery of the obscene poison-pen letters, without managing to reveal most of the filthy language that they actually contain. Check it out below:

Studio Canal has also put together a short video of the cast and crew discussing the bizarre true story behind the movie and how they reacted to it, which we've embedded below:

Thea Sharrock movies

Thea Sharrock is an English firm and theatre director. She notably became the youngest artistic director in British theatre back in 2001 when she took over London's Southwark Playhouse and has worked with plenty of top stars over the years. She made her feature film debut in 2016; Wicked Little Letters is her third movie.

• Me Before You (2016)
• The One and Only Ivan (2020)
• Wicked Little Letters (2024)
• The Beautiful Game (2024)

Wicked Little Letters filming locations

Although the movie dramatizes the Littlehampton Letters scandal and some scenes were shot there, a lot of Wicked Little Letters was filmed in another West Sussex town: Arundel. 

The Visit Arundel website has an entire page dedicated to the movie's filming locations, including a map indicating relevant settings to help you retrace Edith and Rose's footsteps around the town, pointing out specific locations and what they became in the movie itself. It's perfect if you're planning to pay the place a visit! 

The latest offering from director Sam Mendes, Empire of Light, is here to remind you of the magic of the movies. To help with that are the likes of Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Michael Ward and more.

Empire of Light lands just in time to join the slate of the new 2022 movies after getting its first look at some of the biggest international film festivals this fall, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.

Here is everything that we know about Empire of Light.

Empire of Light release date

Empire of Light is now playing in the US, check your local theater website or Fandango to find out where. UK general audiences can see it in a few weeks, starting January 9.

Empire of Light plot

Empire of Light writer/director Sam Mendes says that the movie is one of his most personal works to date. Here is the official synopsis:

"From Academy Award-winning director and writer Sam Mendes, Empire of Light is a moving drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times. Set in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, it follows Hilary a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen, a new employee who longs to escape this provincial town in which he faces daily adversity. Both Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship and come to experience the healing power of music, cinema and community."

Empire of Light cast

The incomparable Olivia Colman headlines Empire of Light along with Michael Ward.

Colman, who is an Oscar-winner for The Favourite, was nominated again for 2021’s The Lost Daughter and has recently been seen in Heartstopper, is set to play a character named Hilary Small. Her performance has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress — Drama. 

Ward is playing a character named Stephen. The winner of BAFTA’s 2020 Rising Star Award, Ward has previously been seen in Blue Story, The Old Guard, Small Axe, The A-List and Top Boy.

The movie features another Oscar winner in Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) as Mr. Ellis, while the rest of the cast is made up of Tom Brooke (Preacher, Bodyguard), Sara Stewart (La Fortuna, The Night Manager), Crystal Clarke (Sanditon, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain), Tanya Moodie (The Man Who Fell to Earth, A Discovery of Witches) and Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), among others.

While not part of the cast, there are number of behind the scenes individuals who are worth mentioning: Roger Deakins is handling the cinematography for the movie after having previously worked with Sam Mendes on Skyfall and 1917; and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the music.

Empire of Light trailer

An Empire of Light trailer has been released, to go along with the previously released teaser trailer. Olivia Colman looks to be on point once again, affirming that she is one of the best actresses working today. Check out the trailers below:

Empire of Light reviews — what the critics are saying

The reviews for Empire of Light aren't among the best of Sam Mendes' career. The Oscar-winning director's latest movie currently (as of December 9) has a 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It does a bit better on Metacritic, where is has a score of 55.

Despite the general attitude toward the movie, many of Empire of Light's performances have received strong notes, including Olivia Colman's and Michael Ward's.

How long is Empire of Light?

Empire of Light clocks in at just under two hours, with a runtime of one hour and 59 minutes.

What is Empire of Light rated?

Empire of Light is rated R in the US for "sexual content, language and brief violence." The UK has not given the movie an official rating at this time.

Sam Mendes movies

Sam Mendes is an Oscar-winning director who is once again stepping behind the camera with Empire of Light. In addition to serving as the movie’s director, Mendes is also the lone credited writer; the story is said to be a personal one for him. This is only Mendes second writing credit in his career and his first as a standalone writer (the other was 1917). 

Mendes has been much more prolific as a director since he broke out in 1999 with his Oscar win for American Beauty. Here is his full directing resume:

• American Beauty (1999)
• Road to Perdition (2002)
• Jarhead (2005)
• Revolutionary Road (2008)
• Away We Go (2009)
• Skyfall (2012)
• King Lear (2014)
• Spectre (2015)
• The Lehman Trilogy (2019)
• 1917 (2019)

Joyride is an upcoming coming-of-age movie starring Olivia Colman, and it's out very soon!

Joyride is the latest film from Emmy award-winning Irish filmmaker Emer Reynolds (Songs for While I'm Away, My Name is Emily), and it sees Colman's character, Joy, forming an unlikely bond with a young boy called Mully. 

Reynolds has described it as a "huge-hearted, wickedly funny and emotional story about hope; a story of how we can heal the wounds of our past with love, spirit, and courage."

In the film, Mully steals a taxi whilst trying to get away from his father. Mully's soon shocked to find Joy (and her baby) sitting in the backseat, and the two then set off on a riotous adventure together.

Here's everything we know about Joyride so far.

Joyride release date

Joyride is due to be released in UK and Irish cinemas on July 29. At the time of writing, we don't yet know if the movie will get a theatrical release in the US; we'll be sure to update this section of our guide as and when we hear more.

You can check out the poster for Joyride below:

What's the plot of Joyride?

Joyride has been penned by Ailbhe Keogan (Run and Jump, Take Me Swimming). 

The full synopsis for Joyride reads: "In Co. Kerry, Ireland, 12-year-old Mully has lost his mother, and discovers his debt-ridden father stealing the charity money they’ve raised in her name. Grabbing the cash, Mully steals a taxi and is shocked to find a woman, Joy, in the back seat with a baby. A straight-talking solicitor who didn’t expect to get pregnant, Joy is struggling with motherhood and planning to give her baby to a friend who will raise the child as her own. 

"She joins Mully on a wild journey across Ireland, stealing cars, hitchhiking, catching ferries, and breaking police barricades. Mully’s father is in hot pursuit and Joy is desperate to escape and leave her life behind. But these two outlaws gradually bond, discovering that both felt unloved by their parents, yet both have a lot of love to give. Together, they find a happier way to journey through life and find love in each other.

Who's in the cast of Joyride?

Following on from star turns in The Crown and The Lost Daughter, Colman stars as Joy, a complicated solicitor who was planning to give away her own baby.

Talking about her character, Colman said: "She's very independent, quite fierce, you find out a bit about her upbringing and her possible lack of love from her mum. I think that's why she can't settle with anyone and she looks for affection in one-night hookups and things like that because it's easier to deal with.

"I think it's all too hard. And partly why she doesn't want this baby is that she doesn't want to be as bad as her mum and is terrified of that. Lovely Mully makes her realise you're not your mum, you can be better."

15-year-old Irish actor Charlie Reid stars opposite Colman as Mully. Talking about the night he got the part, Charlie said: "I got Mully and it was the best night in my life. And then I went through the script with my mum, and it's an amazing script. It's a beautiful, nice-hearted script. It's a script for everyone, it really touches you."

Lochlann Ó Mearáin (Outlander, The Musketeers) plays Mully's father, James. Although it would be easy to write him off as a bad guy, Lochlann wanted to find a way to bring out his human side. 

"On paper, it's very easy to look at James as a two-dimensional bad guy", Lochlann said. "My job is to make him a real person. So even though he is responsible for endless acts of manipulation and deceit and theft, he's doing it because he thinks it's the right thing to do. He's trying to look after his family."

Is there a trailer for Joyride? 

Yes! The Joyride trailer gives us a glimpse at the friendship that the pair form on their journey across Ireland after Mully inadvertently kidnaps Joy and her baby. It allows shows us just a few of the scrapes that they get themselves tangled up in along the way! 

Check it out below:

• New movies releasing in 2022

Elena Ferrante’s The Lost Daughter is a dense little novel that is so packed with parallel symbolism and psychoanalytic commentary that it’s an astounding feat of brevity coming in under 150 pages. It’s such a thematically hefty work that even a seasoned director might find it hard to successfully adapt the novel’s examinations of motherhood, depression and personal autonomy. So it’s somewhat shocking to see this adaptation written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal — on her debut behind the camera — that is so confident and self-assured it feels like the work of someone with many more credits to their name.

Gyllenhaal’s script for The Lost Daughter hues fairly close to Ferrante’s original text. It follows 48-year-old professor Leda (Olivia Colman) on summer vacation in Greece — alone and estranged from her adult daughters, back in North America. While studying on the beach one day, she encounters another vacationing family. She becomes particularly fascinated with a young mother, Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her 4-year-old daughter, Elena, who is herself enamored with a doll that she drags up and down the sandy beach.

When Elena goes missing one day, Leda becomes entangled in the search for her. While Elena is soon discovered to be fine, the doll is nowhere to be found. That’s because, seemingly inexplicably, Leda has taken and hidden the missing doll — causing a breakdown in Nina’s ability to cope with her attention-starved daughter.

The reason for Leda’s abduction of the little plastic doll is, at first, something of a mystery. Flashbacks to Leda’s time as a young married mother (portrayed with raw spirit by Jessie Buckley), however, reveal a parallel between hers and Nina’s challenges with motherhood. The conflict between Leda’s desire for self-actualization, to pursue a rewarding academic career and her love for her daughters creates a fracture in her soul that she regrets to the present day. The performances by Colman and Buckley are such a perfect complement to one another that it’s uncanny — an expression of such finely-tuned character work that bridges the gap between universal experience and specific character study.

What Gyllenhaal manages to capture is not just the specifics of the experiences shown within the story, but also the internal struggle motivated by forces Leda doesn't seem to fully understand. There’s a schism between the desire to be more than "a mother", to be more than what your mother was for you, to be a fully autonomous being in your own right and the love, care and attention that young children demand.

The movie's perspective on men is not quite as nuanced — it makes no bones about a large component of the stress of motherhood being the shirked responsibilities that traditional masculinity affords young fathers. Men in the film are physically present but emotionally unavailable: shown by Nina’s husband Toni (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) —a gangster who uses threats and intimidation to get what he wants, Peter Sarsgaard as Leda's charming, but flighty, lover and Nina's risky holiday romance with Normal People's Paul Mescal. This carries across slightly better with the portrayal of Leda’s ex-husband (Jack Farthing) — seemingly caring but emotionally oblivious. The closest thing to a masculine ideal comes in the form of Lyle (Ed Harris) an American ex-pat from whom Leda is renting a flat. Lyle is somewhat desperate in his desire for female company and unable to take a hint when Leda wishes to be left alone, but he is ultimately supportive when she needs it.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is so attentive to the details of Ferrante’s novel that it comes across as slightly too loyal to the source material. Coming in at about two hours long, the pacing of the back half drags a bit. However, Gyllenhaal has demonstrated herself to be a powerhouse of an actors’ director, guiding her performers in ways that complement each other’s strengths without bombast or showing off. 

The Lost Daughter is a quiet, thoughtful film about imperfect people, hinting at an imperfect truth: how imperfect mothers necessarily are and the imperfections that are passed along in the process.

The Lost Daughter premieres on Netflix Dec. 31.

Landscapers is a new drama that's just premiered in the US and UK.

It is a true-crime drama starring The Crown's Olivia Colman. The four-part series is inspired by real events and documents the unique transformation of a mild-mannered English couple into killers.

Talking about why the case intrigued her, Olivia said: “You think, ‘How the hell did they get away with it for that long? Why were those people not missed?’ They had covered their tracks pretty well, but I imagine they can never have felt genuinely happy or relaxed in those 15 years. It’s a horrible way to live your life.”

Landscapers is a co-production between HBO and Sky and is the latest project from SISTER, the company behind the multi-Emmy and BAFTA award-winning limited series, Chernobyl.

Here’s everything you need to know about Landscapers...

'Landscapers' release date 

Landscapers premiered on HBO on Monday, Dec. 6 in the US. New episodes will be released on a weekly basis; the first two are now available to stream on HBO Max.

In the UK, Landscapers began airing on Tuesday, Dec. 7 on Sky Atlantic. All four episodes are available to watch now on Sky Box Sets and on NOW TV.

'Landscapers' cast

Landscapers stars Olivia Colman (The Crown, The Favourite) as Susan Edwards. David Thewlis (Fargo, Big Mouth) stars opposite Colman as her husband, Christopher. 

Colman, who is also an executive producer on the series, said: “the truth is it’s quite rare to be desperate to play a part on the first reading of a script, but that was the case here. The writing is brave, but subtle and tender too — a joy for any actor.”

Colman and Thewlis are joined by Kate O'Flynn (Bridget Jones's Baby) as DC Emma Lancing, Dipo Ola (We Hunt Together) as Douglas Hylton, Susan's solicitor, Samuel Anderson (The History Boys) as DC Paul Wilkie, David Hayman (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), Felicity Montagu (I'm Alan Partridge) as Patricia Wycherley, Susan's mother and Daniel Rigby (Eric and Ernie, Flowers) as DCI Geoff Collier.

What’s the plot of 'Landscapers'? 

Directed by Will Sharpe (Flowers), Landscapers is based on the seemingly ordinary lives of Christopher and Susan Edwards, who became the focus of an extraordinary investigation.

Based on extensive research, hours of interviews, and direct access to the accused couple, the mini-series follows the couple as they are suddenly thrust into the spotlight when Susan’s parents are discovered buried in their back garden in Mansfield.

We've now got a full series synopsis from Sky:

"Mild-mannered husband and wife Susan (Colman) and Christopher Edwards (Thewlis) have been on the run from reality for over 15 years. When Christopher makes a startling call home to his step-mother, their role in a terrible crime that remained undiscovered for over a decade begins to emerge into the light. As their relationship is subjected to the glare of a full police investigation, the devoted couple are separated for the first time in their marriage.

"As the investigation moves forward, inspired by Susan’s obsession with old Westerns and classic cinema, the fantasists cast themselves as Hollywood heroes in narratives of their own invention.  Powered by Susan’s extraordinary imagination, Susan and Chris’s fantasy world provides a much-needed sanctuary from real-world horrors and their own clawing guilt but also threatens to undo them completely. "

You can find plot summaries of every episode later in this article.

Thewlis previously said: "This is without doubt the very finest project I have worked on for many years. Everything about Landscapers is magical, there is nothing like it and I’m impatient to get to work so that its brilliance can be shared with the rest of the world.”

Is there a 'Landscapers' trailer? 

Yes! Sky has dropped a first look trailer at this fascinating new comedy-drama. 

This gripping trailer gives us our first glimpse at tense police interrogations, Susan and Christopher's close relationship, and the visually stunning fantasy land that Susan has conjured up in her head. It's dramatic stuff!

You can watch the trailer below:

What happened in episode one?

In the first episode of Landscapers, we saw Susan speaking to her legal representative, before heading back in time and meeting her and her partner Christopher and Susan in France, where they had moved following the murders of Patricia and William Wycherley. They're struggling to make ends meet as Christopher is unable to secure a job and Susan is spending their money on movie memorabilia.

Out of desperation, Christopher goes against Susan's wishes and contacts his step-mother, Tabitha to ask her for financial support. On the call, he reveals their involvement in the Wycherleys' death; although he begged Tabitha not to tell the police, she reports what Christopher has told her.

Back in Britain, Nottinghamshire police officers visit the Wycherleys' former address; after interviewing the current resident and his neighbor, they dug up the garden and discover two bodies, later recovering bullets from them both.

As they reside overseas, arresting the couple is more complicated, and the police require a lot more evidence that Susan and Christopher were the ones responsible in order to charge them. The DCI contacts Christopher by email, inviting him back to England for a personal interview regarding the case; politely, Christopher replies but explains that their return to England will be difficult.

Susan doesn't take news of the investigation kindly, but Christopher eventually convinces her the best thing to do is to return and cooperate with the investigation. The police arrange the couple's transport home, and ready a squad to bring them into the station at London St Pancras International railway station.

What happened in episode two?

With the Edwardses now in police custody, episode two primarily focuses on their interviews. Susan starts out following her solicitor Douglas' advice to the letter, answering almost exclusively with "no comment". 

The only real info she gives over is in a police statement which dictates to Douglas; according to this statement, Susan visited Mansfield by coach the day before her parents were shot. Susan alleges that her mother, Patricia, shot her father one evening and that she was forced to shoot Patricia after her mother provoked her and tried to turn the gun on her. Susan also specifies that Christopher was in London that weekend and could not have been involved in any way.

Christopher is interviewed by two different officers and foregoes any legal support. According to him, he remained in Dagenham and traveled up to meet Susan a week later, where she finally revealed that she had been keeping the bodies wrapped in duvets under the bed.

The officers working the case do not believe their stories. In a bid to tackle the case a different way, DC Emma Lancing asks if she and her partner, DC Paul Wilkie can take over both interviews. They're granted permission, and begin playing Susan and Christopher's stories off one another to pick holes in their testimony; Susan becomes distressed when she learns that Christopher hasn't got a lawyer with him.

Financial forensics officer Sandra Winters finds a crucial piece of evidence; Susan had opened a joint account in her and her mother's name the Tuesday morning after she had been shot and then withdrew almost half the total funds in cash. Emma uses this to push the couple and asks if they conspired to murder Susan's parents just to get money.

Susan does not fare as well as Christopher does under the increased pressure from Emma and Paul. She starts ignoring her solicitor's advice and sharing more info about the case. Susan goes over the night of the murder, but also slips up and reveals that Christopher helped her bury the bodies in the garden.

Throughout the episode, we also see flashbacks of a younger Christopher and Susan on a date, the first time she spent the night at his house, and Susan trying to keep Christopher away from her family life.

What happened in episode three? 

The police interviews continue as the officers do not believe their stories about what happened that night. They push Christopher to elaborate on his description of Susan as "fragile", as well as the fact that they owned a lot of classic movie memorabilia which the couple grossly overvalued despite the debts they were in.

Christopher alleges that the Wycherley's were never nice to Susan, and recounts how they forced her to hand over the share she had to her parents' home, an encounter which we then see play out in a flashback.

Emma and Paul also press Christopher about his decision to let Susan travel up to visit her parents by herself if he knew they were abusive towards her. He still maintains he stayed in London the night of the murders.

Paul presents Christopher with a series of wedding photos; William Wycherley isn't in any of them, which Christopher says is due to him not approving of the couple. They also question him about his mother and brother who had passed away; Tabitha had told police earlier that their deaths had weighed heavily on Christopher. Susan only managed to bring him around by pretending to be French actor Gerard Depardieu and forging letters from him for Christopher.

Under continued questioning, Christophereventually tells Emma and Paul Susan couldn't have shot her parents because she's terrified of guns; it's at this point he reveals he used to own guns and was a member of a gun club. 

Susan is briefly brought back in for questioning, but Emma promptly leads her through a fourth-wall-breaking recreation of how the police believe the couple carried out the murders together.

Susan breaks down and tries to tell them the gun was her father's, not Christopher's, but the interview is stopped. The department celebrates solving the double murder case.

What happened in episode four?

Episode four sees Susan's love of Westerns colliding with reality. Their trial proceeds in black and white, but we also see her and Christopher star in a western film which serves as a metaphor for how the actual murder of Patricia and William Wycherley is believed to have played out, and how Nottinghamshire police finally closed in on the couple in their investigation

In their trial, their story is slowly picked apart; the bullet wounds on the two bodies indicate the Wycherley's would have been killed by someone familiar with a revolver, and Christopher admits that he used to own a revolver that would have taken the same rounds as those used to kill them. He insists he surrendered his weapons and his firearms certificate in 1995, though.

As cowboy Susan and Christopher make a final stand against the Nottinghamshire officers in the fantasy, the case against the couple continues to pile up. The jury is particularly shocked to witness Christopher demonstrating a practiced shooting stance in the courtroom.

Susan is asked what she did with the gun, and the casings which she has consistently said were found at the scene. In a damning move, it is revealed that a weapon of this type does not discharge casings, seemingly proving she had made up the fact she fired the gun at her mother. A lawyer also brings up the fact the photos and memories (which we had seen the couple burn outside their residence in France) as evidence of Susan getting rid of any trace of her parents.

After Susan breaks down on the stand, we cut to Douglas and her chatting outside of court. She admits she wrote the letters from Gerard Depardieu to Christopher. In turn, Douglas says he tried his best to help her and says he will carry the experience of this case with him.

The couple receives their sentence. Later, Susan gets a letter in her cell from Christopher where he says how much he loves her, before the two ride off into the sunset together on horseback in another Hollywood fantasy. 

• The best HBO series
• HBO Max review
• Everything you need to know about HBO Max
• The best movies on HBO and HBO Max

The Lost Daughter is a tense psychological drama starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Jessie Buckley which is streaming on Netflix.

Based on Elena Ferrante's novel of the same name, The Lost Daughter is a tense, emotional drama centering on Leda Caruso — a university professor who grapples with the consequences of her own family life after developing an obsession with another family on holiday.

The movie is adapted and directed by Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actor Maggie Gyllenhaal in her directorial debut. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021 — where it was praised by critics, nominated for Best Film and netted Maggie the award for Best Screenplay.

Here's everything we know about The Lost Daughter so far...

'The Lost Daughter' release date

The Lost Daughter is available to stream on Netflix on Dec. 31 2021. It also had a limited theatrical release appearing in movie theatres from Dec. 17.

'The Lost Daughter' cast

The Lost Daughter has an impressive cast list. 

Multi-award-winning actor Olivia Colman (The Crown, The Father, Landscapers) stars in the film as Leda Caruso, the troubled academic at the heart of the film. Jessie Buckley (I'm Thinking of Ending Things, War and Peace, Wild Rose) plays a younger version of Leda.

Also on board are Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades, The Peanut Butter Falcon) as Nina, a young mother married to a mobster, Peter Sarsgaard (Dopesick, The Batman) as Professor Hardy, Leda's lover, Ed Harris (Westworld) as Lyle, and Normal People's Paul Mescal as Will.

'The Lost Daughter' plot

The Lost Daughter follows a woman called Leda. On a seaside vacation, Leda becomes obsessed with a young mother and daughter whilst watching them on the beach. 

As she looks on, Leda gets wrapped up in their compelling relationship and their raucous, menacing extended family. Watching them causes Leda to become overwhelmed with memories of the terror, confusion and intensity of early motherhood.

An impulsive act shocks her back into memories of the past, forcing her to face the unconventional choices that she made when she was a young mother. As obsession takes hold, Leda grapples with the secrets locked away in her mind, struggling with the consequences of old actions and how they're seemingly mirrored by events in the present day.

The Lost Daughter wrestles with questions of motherhood, personal sacrifice, expected conventions around social roles and what happens when women transgress those expected conventions. It's a tense, slightly eerie film but always compelling.

Read our full review of the Lost Daughter

Is there a trailer?

In the trailer, we're treated to the stunning setting of Leda's beach vacation, but it wastes no time in shattering that serenity and showing us the downward spiral that Leda gets herself into. Quickly, we start seeing glimpses at Leda's past, and the tension only ratchets up as she begins to interact with Nina more and more.

The trailer also makes a point of highlighting some of the praise that has been lavished on The Lost Daughter, making it sound like an intimate, gripping journey that's not to be missed.

It’s not hard to see what the appeal in pitching a film like The Electrical Life of Louis Wain must be. Wain was an eccentric figure in his life at the tail end of the 19th century, celebrated for his increasingly surreal paintings and drawings of cats that helped to popularize felines as an English pet of choice, rather than just tolerated rodent-catchers. But a faithful telling of Wain’s life needs to grapple with the fact that his world was largely defined by his relationship with tragedy and trauma, so any exploration of the apparent whimsy in his work would necessarily bump heads with the bitter realities that he seemed incapable of fully processing. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain never rises to the task, failing to conduct more than a few sparks of inspiration between bouts of dire misery.

Much of this comes down to the portrayal of Wain himself, leaning on Benedict Cumberbatch’s recurring penchant for playing neurodiverse Englishmen, here almost to self-parody. As breadwinner for his ailing mother and five sisters — the eldest of which is played by Andrea Riseborough with just enough dimension to prevent her from being a one-dimensional nag — Wain’s attentions shift wildly between sketching animals, formulating pseudoscientific theories about the relationship of life to electricity, boxing and his nightmarish fixation with drowning at sea.

The only person capable of seeing past his nervous tics and special interests is the governess of his younger sisters, Emily Richardson (Claire Foy), whom his affections for are the only reason he retains a job as a newspaper illustrator. As capable as Foy and Riseborough are as sympathetic and frustrated foils to Cumberbatch’s rambling, mumbling, fumbling performance, they contribute to a continually muted tone that Cumberbatch is constantly trying to break away from, as if the film might flatten out into a cartoon at any moment were it not for the women in his life constantly insisting on reality.

But one soon comes to realize that the consistent grounding of the narrative, the continual pull back to a recognizable realism, is mainly done in reverence to a constant sense of tragedy that pervades Wain’s life. His marriage to Emily is cut short by a bout with cancer, which in turn sets off his career-defining fascination with cats in remembrance of the kitten the couple adopted together. The emphasis on his life’s tragedies only escalates from there, but it inversely makes Wain’s character more alien and less comprehensible as a real person. The film is so entirely unconcerned with Wain’s humanity beyond his eclectic interests that it completely neglects to provide us more of a window into Wain’s character other than to say that great art arises from pain, an observation so pat and overexplored that it’s a shame there’s nothing more for the film to hang its hat on.

It’s so bizarre, then, to see glimmers of inspiration here and there, to see glimpses of a film that can at least take the smatterings of its shallow conception and stylize them into the facsimile of substance. The choice to cast Olivia Colman as the film’s matronly storytime narrator is bizarre, almost infantilizing to Wain himself, but it’s at least a choice with personality. A conversation with a fellow cat enthusiast devolves into Wain’s unhinged assertions that the electrical energy of cats will one day allow them to turn blue and stand upright, which is evidence of a much higher level of absurdity than the film is usually comfortable with. The most interesting quirk comes in the eventual introduction of subtitled meows for Wain’s many cats, including one adorable instance of a mewling kitten proclaiming “I love jomping!” Oh yes, dear reader, he does give a little jomp.

Moments like these are oases of attempted levity in a film that is otherwise a slog to endure. The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is not unwatchable, but it’s indicative of misplaced priorities in examining the life of a truly unique individual. Cumberbatch’s broad performance is nearly impenetrable as anything more than a vessel for pain and deteriorating mental capacity, which is sadly fitting for how disinterested the film is in diving deeper than that. If the real Louis Wain was truly such an enigma, surely that could have been harnessed to drive the engine of a narrative. Instead, he’s pulled along with all the inertia of a Wikipedia article, going through the motions of a standard biopic with an occasional acknowledgment that a distinctive life probably deserves more artistic flair in its presentation. But for a film that can’t even be bothered to highlight its artist’s famous works until the credits start to roll, maybe that’s too much to ask.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain opens theatrically on Oct. 22,  then on Amazon Prime on Nov. 5.

The Father is currently only available to watch in theaters (as of February 26, 2021). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend checking it out at your local drive-in. If one isn’t available, please be sure to check out state and CDC guidelines before watching in an enclosed space.

It’s always interesting to see how different films will opt to tackle similar subject matter in completely different ways, especially when two films arrive relatively close to one another but are disserved by the assertion that they should be compared. Though The Father and Supernova both explore the tragic consequences of dementia, Supernova is much more focused on that external drama, the impact of the diagnosis on the relationships one has and those relationships’ future prospects. The Father, meanwhile, is a much more internal film, much more stylistically similar to Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things than the romantic tragedy of Supernova. And much like Kaufman’s film, The Father is capitalizing upon the unique strengths of film as a medium to capture the perspective of a mind on the verge of collapse, albeit in a less idiosyncratic manner.

The titular father is Anthony (played by Anthony Hopkins), an eighty-year-old living with his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) in her flat while insisting that the space is, and always has been, his. Anne struggles to care for her persistently confused father and endeavors to hire a nurse to look after him while she is at work. However, as the pressure of caring for her father increases, the specter of moving her father into a care facility looms over their lives with inevitability.

The premise is simple, but the devil is in the details. None of this information is presented with straightforward efficiency, instead meandering around from Anthony’s perspective as we piece together a semblance of reality that he is incapable of comprehending. As his never-ending search for his missing watch alludes to, time is becoming lost to Anthony, with scenes transitioning as he rounds a corner without him realizing, with dialogue repeating and remixing into new contexts or redundant ones, with characters swapping out actors to represent Anthony’s growing incapability to recognize familiar familial faces, especially as he muses after his absent favorite daughter, Anne’s sister.

This is pieced together through some absolutely superb editing, transitioning between scenes and into circular patterns to emphasize the horrifying repetition of a life without continuity. Whether depicting Anne’s struggling marriage to her husband Paul (alternately played by Mark Gatiss and Rufus Sewell), the elder abuse Anthony suffers at Paul’s hands, or Anthony’s hot-and-cold rapport with his new caretaker Laura (Imogen Poots), The Father knowingly and maliciously withholds scene resolution in favor of disorientation, aided handily by subtly shifting set design that transforms the flat in ways simultaneously familiar and foreign, ways that merge fantasy with supposed reality.

Of course, Hopkins is going to garner the most attention for his lead performance, and it’s rightly deserved. Anthony is a proud, independent man who cannot grasp why his daughter seeks to trap him in domesticity, and his wild mood swings from affably personable to conspiratorially cantankerous bely a man falling apart as the very core of his identity is stripped away. However, for as much as Hopkins deserves the spotlight for accolades, Colman is similarly compelling in her role as struggling daughter. Though the film primarily stays in Anthony’s point of view, the few moments it veers away to Anne’s perspective highlight a horribly overlooked fact: the redundancy and repetition of a dementia patient's life will, in turn, make the life of the primary caretaker just as cyclical and disorienting. It’s a situation where no one comes out feeling heroic or satisfied. Instead, there is only the wait for life to resume.

Viewers may be tempted to solve the continuity of The Father, to piece together a definitive timeline of events that progressively heightens Anthony’s departure from selfhood, but I would posit that doing so misses the point. The circular machinations of the plot are purposely obtuse, demonstrating that reality is merely our perception and that the degradation of our minds is the degradation of logic, cause, and effect. This is a harrowing experience that deserves to be meditated upon for its inescapable terror, the somber truth that any of us could become trapped in our own crumbling existence. The Father handily demonstrates that, should any one of us lose ourselves to dementia, we can become the time-ravaged shells of our former personalities, and though not framed as a horror film, its prospective pondering is more horrifying than any monstrosity.

The Father will open in theaters on February 26, 2021.

• The best Amazon Prime movies
• Amazon is right: You don't own your digital media
• The best shows on Amazon Prime
• New movies on Amazon Prime

Olivia Colman made her acting breakthrough in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, before going on to appear in hit TV series such as That Mitchell and Webb Look, Rev., Flebag, Twenty Twelve, The Iron Lady and Accused to name but a few. 

She won high praise for her role as DS Ellie Miller in Broadchurch (which made our best 100 TV shows list), and has been awarded Golden Globes for her roles in The Night Manager and for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. As well as also winning a Golden Globe for her role as Queen Anne in The Favourite, Olivia also won an Oscar for the part in 2019.

Olivia was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019 for her services to drama.

Now, she is appearing in major new drama Great Expectations...

But what else is there to learn about the much-loved TV star? Here are a few things you might not know.

1. Her real name isn't Olivia.

Despite becoming a household name as Olivia Colman the actress was born Sarah Caroline Colman, but is known professionally as Olivia. She changed her name when she launched her acting career because there was already a Sarah Colman registered with Actors Equity Association. 

2. She met her husband at university. 

Olivia met her husband, Ed Sinclair, at Cambridge University in 1999 when they were both cast in a student production of Alan Ayckbourn's Table Manners together. The couple got married in 2001 and now have three children. 

3. She had to put on weight to play Queen Anne in The Favourite

Instead of wearing costume padding, Olivia decided to gain weight to play Queen Anne in The Favourite. However, in contrast, she had to lose weight to play Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. She told OK Magazine: "I had to put on a lot of weight for Queen Anne, but I had to lose weight for The Crown. Well, I didn't have to because everyone was being very polite and nice, but I decided I needed to. It would have felt a bit wrong to play Queen Elizabeth II as the same size as Queen Anne. I probably wouldn't say yes to putting on weight again for a job because it's been very difficult to lose."

4. She trained to become a teacher. 

Before discovering her passion for acting, Olivia's first career plan was to become a teacher. She trained as a primary school teacher at Homerton College in Cambridge but later admitted that she would have been a terrible teacher because she wasn't very committed.

5. She stole toilet paper from Buckingham Palace. 

Well, technically her husband was the one who actually stole the toilet paper while at Buckingham Palace for a formal dinner, but it was all Olivia's idea. Apparently, she thought it would be fun and he came home with two squares! In fact, toilet paper is a bit of a reoccurring theme for Olivia, because she was also the voiceover for a series of Andrex adverts in 2013.

6. She's spent a huge amount of time watching 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' 

Before you go thinking Olivia is a huge fan and has got every episode on record, she actually spent a lot of time watching one series in particular, which was 2005 when Carol Thatcher won the show. This was all in preparation for when Olivia played Carol in The Iron Lady, and she watched Margaret's daughter on the reality TV show to get her voice just right.

7. She loves being at home with a cup of tea. 

While Olivia is used to attending glamorous parties and award ceremonies, she has confessed that she would rather be at home with a cup of tea. Olivia told The Guardian that after she won her BAFTA for The Favourite in 2019 she turned to her husband and said, "Can we go home? I want to put my socks on and have a cup of tea." The pair were apparently home by 10 pm. 

Olivia Colman's fact file. 

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the actress.

How old is she?

Olivia Colman is 49 years old. She was born on 30th January 1974.

Is she married? 

Olivia Colman married her husband Ed Sinclair in 2001. 

Does she have children?

Olivia Colman and her husband Ed have three children. 

Where was she born?

Olivia Colman was born in Norwich, Norfolk. 

How tall is she?

Olivia Colman is 1.7 metres tall.

Instagram: @itsoliviacolman

We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.

Jodie Whittaker is the13th Doctor, and actress Olivia Colman, writer Jenny Colgan and many others couldn't be happier

Olivia Colman has sung the praises of her Broadchurch co-star Jodie Whittaker after she won the lead role in Doctor Who.

Jodie will become the first female Time Lord in the hit sci-fi series when she replaces Peter Capaldi.

Olivia, who was linked with the role alongside a number of other big names, said she had 'no idea' Jodie had landed the part until Sunday’s announcement.

She told BBC News: “I was really impressed because we’ve seen each other since she’s found out… I was just like ‘my god’ when I found out.

The actress added: “She’ll do it better than anyone, I’m so proud of her.”

She also pleaded with people to leave Jodie alone and 'let her do the job brilliantly'.

“It’s a massive, massive thing that she’s undertaken and she will be great. It’s not her job to fly the flag for all of womankind… the creatives have made the decision that part should be a woman and it’s about time,” said Olivia.

Meanwhile, Doctor Who superfans have welcomed the casting of Broadchurch actress Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor.

Writer and avid fan Jenny Colgan – who has written several Doctor Who novels and audio dramas – said she was 'absolutely delighted' that Jodie is the new Doctor, describing her as 'brilliant and bold and brave'.

She said: “When I was a little girl I thought I was the only female Doctor Who fan in the world. Now Jodie Whittaker is taking it to a whole new place, and I am absolutely delighted for all of us wee Whoviennes, old and new.”

Asked what she would say to anyone unhappy that the new Doctor is a woman, she said: “People are always unhappy when there’s a new Doctor, that’s just the way of it.

“Then new stuff happens and it’s brilliant and everyone loves them and they have to leave and then everyone gets sad again.

“If you really would stop watching Doctor Who because it was a woman, I don’t think you really understand the entire ethos the last 55 years of The Doctor has been about.”

Dermot Devlin, a disability campaigner and advisor from Omagh in County Tyrone, said he was looking forward to seeing what Jodie did with the role, adding that he hoped she was chosen because she was right for the part, and not as a gimmick.

Devlin, who was once photographed with Billie Piper as he cosplayed as Davros, said: “I am looking forward to seeing the direction she takes the Doctor in and I do believe the time is right for ‘he’ to become ‘she’.

“Michelle Gomez paved the way as The Master to Missy and she was fantastic.”

Devlin, who said he thought Jodie was 'excellent' in Broadchurch, joked: “So Jodie, it’s over to you and if you’re looking for a companion, you know where and when to find me.”

How much do you know about one of Britain's busiest and most loved actresses Olivia Colman?

Olivia Colman has been a hit with viewers as DS Ellie Miller in ITV's Broadchurch, working tirelessly with DCI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) to discover who attacked farm shop worker Trish Winterman (Julie Hesmondhalgh). She's one of Britain's most recognisable AND rewarded television stars, but how much do you know about the 43-year-old actress?

Ahead of Monday's unmissable finale, read our quick guide to the life and career of Olivia Colman...

NAME CHANGER Olivia’s real name is Sarah Colman, Olivia is one of her middle names, having been born Sarah Caroline Olivia Colman on January 30, 1974.

COUNTRY GIRL Olivia was born in Norwich, Norfolk. Her mum was a nurse and her dad a chartered surveyor. She went to two independent schools – Norwich High School for Girls and Gresham’s School in Holt.

ACTING BUG She was bitten by the acting bug at the age of 16, after appearing in a school production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, playing the lead role of Jean Brodie, a role made famous by Downton Abbey's Maggie Smith in the 1969 film.

DRAMA QUEEN After leaving school Olivia won a place at Cambridge University, and joined the famous Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club where she met comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb, her future Peep Show co-stars, as well as comedian and actor Peter Serafinowicz.

ODD JOBS After studying drama, Olivia worked as a temp and a cleaner before landing various TV roles, which she believes has kept her grounded. “I can’t forget what it was like to struggle to pay the rent and sometimes to have to borrow money to get on the bus, and it’s important that I don’t.”

LOVE MATCH When Olivia met her husband Ed Sinclair at the age of 20 it was love at first sight! She said: “There’s the bloke I’m going to marry. For me it was thunderbolts straight away."

They married in 2001 and have three children.

ROLE CALL Olivia's one of TV's busiest actors and has appeared in The Night Manager, Twenty Twelve, Rev, Accused, Fleabag, Flowers, The Green Wing. Peep Show and, of course, Broadchurch.

AWARD WINNER Olivia has won a multitude of awards for her acting, including three BAFTAS (for Twenty Twelve, Accused and Broadchurch) and a Golden Globe for her role in The Night Manager.

OLIVIA WHO? She’s one of the favourites to play the next Doctor Who, following Peter Capaldi's departure, although she has already appeared in the show as Mother in a 2010 episode called The Eleventh Hour.

Watch Olivia in the final episode of Broadchurch on ITV, Easter Monday, at 9pm

As a new series of Vera begins, there's a glut of female detectives on TV right now, from Ellie Miller in Broadchurch, Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect 1973 and Kate Ashworth in Line of Duty. But these are just a few of the fantastic crime-busting TV female detectives who have been chasing criminals and keeping us entertained over the last 30 years. We look back on a few more...

VERA STANHOPE (Brenda Blethyn)

Despite a somewhat scruffy and dishevelled appearance, Vera Stanhope is thoroughly organised, leaving no stone unturned during her investigations in Northumberland, with a no-nonsense attitude verging on the blunt!

JANE TENNISON (Helen Mirren)

Jane Tennison led the way for female coppers in Prime Suspect during the nineties, battling to be taken seriously in a male-dominated environment. As a female Detective Chief Inspector she had to prove herself against her critics, and was finally promoted to Detective Superintendent.

ELLIE MILLER (Olivia Colman)

Having been born and brought up in Broadchurch, DS Ellie Miller was devastated when faced with the task of investigating the murder of 11-year-old Danny Latimer, the son of a good friend. But she was even more stunned when her husband Joe confessed to committing the crime! Now she’s tracking down a rapist in the town, but will her snippy relationship with partner DI Hardy (David Tennant) get in the way?

CAGNEY AND LACEY (Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly)

The New York cops were chalk and cheese, with Mary Beth Lacey juggling family life with her job while her partner Christine Cagney was ambitious and determined to get to the top. But the pair of female detectives was a winning combination, as they enforced the law on the streets of the Big Apple.

SCOTT AND BAILEY (Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones)

Rachel Bailey and Janet Scott were known as the ‘Cagney and Lacey of Manchester’. What made this pair interesting is we got a glimpse into their often troubled and chaotic private lives as they made mistakes but dealt with whatever life threw at them.

STELLA GIBSON (Gillian Anderson)

Cool and collected DSI Stella Gibson was always in control in The Fall as she tracked down serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan) in Northern Ireland, determined to bring him to justice.

SARA LUND (Sofie Grabol)

Unemotional and focused, Danish female detective Sarah Lund often jarred with her colleagues in The Killing, keeping her cards close to her chest and rubbing people up the wrong way. But she always bagged the villains, so her methods worked, even if her dodgy jumpers didn’t!

MAGGIE FORBES (Jill Gascoine)

Way before we even met Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, DI Maggie Forbes was carving a career in the Metropolitan Police in the Gentle Touch in the early Eighties, fighting crime and sexism at work as a female detective, while raising a teenage son alone after her policeman husband was murdered.

KATE FLEMING (Vicky McClure)

As part of the AC-12 anti-corruption unit in Line of Duty, DS Kate Fleming’s sharp attention to detail helped prove the innocence of her colleague DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) who was accused of murder, and routed out the real corrupt officer, DS Matt Cottan.

ROSIE MCMANUS (Lindsey Coulson)

In The Bill spin-off M.I.T: Murder Investigation Team, DC Rosie McManus got stuck in to investigating all kinds of murders. Her hard work paid off when the female detective was eventually was promoted to sergeant.

CASSIE STEWART (Nicola Walker)

Unforgotten’s DCI Cassie Stewart has a hard but sensitive approach when investigating cold cases. Along with her partner, DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), she finds the answers to long dormant mysteries, murders and missing person cases, bringing peace to victims' families.

VIV DEERING (Joanna Scanlan)

Bold and mouthy, DI Viv is a female detective who commands the respect of her team with her often unorthodox approach to policing in No Offence. But she turned criminal herself when she covered up the murder of her husband who she discovered was a serial killer!

JANINE LEWIS (Caroline Quentin)

After being promoted, DCI Janine Lewis found herself balancing a demanding career with bringing up four children while battling her ex husband, who has a new family in Blue Murder. Luckily support came from her DI Richard Mayne (Ian Kelsey), who helped her professionally and personally.

ANNIE CABBOT (Andrea Lowe)

It seemed like DS Annie Cabbot would never get together romantically with her colleague and boss DCI Banks (Stephen Tompkinson), but just as they finally did, livewire cop Annie followed up a lead off her own bat and ended up dead!

SAGA NOREN (Sofia Helin)

Her powers of deduction are excellent, but Saga struggles with empathy and has communication issues, isolating her from the rest of her team in Danish/Swedish cop drama The Bridge. But deep down she has a heart of gold, and harbours a deep sadness over the death of her sister.

KATE ASHURST (Caroline Catz)

Tackling crime out in the suburbs, DI Kate Ashhurt partnered up with DS Emma Scribbens (Lisa Faulkner) in the town of Middleford in Murder in Suburbia, investigating stabbings, drownings and hit and run killings.

Broadchurch actress Georgina Campbell spills the beans on working with Lenny Henry and clashing with Hardy and Miller

In 2015, Georgina Campbell defied the odds and beat Keeley Hawes, Sarah Lancashire and Sheridan Smith to win a Bafta for her stellar turn as a casualty of domestic violence in gritty BBC3 drama Murdered By My Boyfriend. Now, the 24-year-old is cementing her rapid rise to fame with her role in Broadchurch as spirited DC Katie Harford, who we now know is the secret daughter of farm shop owner Ed Burnett (Lenny Henry). Here, Georgina gives TV Times the lowdown…

Were you a fan of Broadchurch already? “Yes, I’ve watched it since the beginning. It’s cool to be in a show that you really like. I binge-watched it again with my mum before I started filming though because she hadn’t seen it and she wasn’t excited enough when I told her I’d got the part so I made her sit down and see it! Then she was really excited.”

Katie is pretty hard-nosed and that hasn’t gone down well with Hardy (David Tennant) and Miller (Olivia Colman) has it?! “No! They are all coming at the case from different perspectives. She has this youthful, arrogant attitude of, ‘I know everything,’ so they clash because she hasn’t got the sensitivity they have but she wants to prove herself by being heard. Also Hardy and Miller know each other, so they are in sync, but she has come in and disrupted that and is not into the swing of how things work with them. But we’ll see as the series goes on whether she changes…”

The audience knows that Ed is Katie’s dad, what impact will that have? “The revelation that Ed is secretly Katie's dad is interesting because it really does set her story arc up and illustrates her lack of experience and maturity while working on this case. It was an amazing experience working with such an incredibly esteemed actor like Lenny Henry. I was so excited to meet him! I genuinely felt like he was my surrogate dad by the end of it, he was so kind and giving, it was a real pleasure to work with him.”

Have you enjoyed working with Olivia and David too? “Oh it has been a lovely experience. I had worked with Olivia before on [Channel 4 comedy drama] Flowers and she is fantastic. We only had about two scenes together then so it was great to spend more time with her on this. Both she and David are such brilliant actors; it has been great watching the way they act. They are so good that they make it look easy and they make every scene interesting, they always do something different. I have learned a lot from them.”

When you were filming, did you enjoy being in the dark about how the series is going to end? “I really liked it, it makes you feel like a viewer yourself because you are slowly getting information and getting really excited about reading a script, which is a different experience to when you have suddenly got all eight scripts to get through really fast. It makes everything more realistic.”

Has winning the Bafta opened new doors for you? “Definitely. I am not really at a point where I am picking and choosing but it has really helped me to become a name that people know a bit more and it has made producers want to bring me in for auditions. I couldn’t have predicted that win though, no one thought I was going to win, even on the polls beforehand, I was only at about a five per cent chance, so it was a big shock.”

Here's a trailer for the next episode of Broadchurch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgPMqdFwIUA

Broadchurch airs on Monday on ITV at 9pm

Cast your mind back – here are some other dramas starring Broadchurch's fabulous Olivia Colman and David Tennant - but who was in what and can you remember the character they played?

David Tennant and Olivia Colman give the lowdown on what’s in the store in the final series of Broadchurch

As David Tennant and Olivia Colman return for the third and final instalment of Broadchurch, TV Times apprehended them on the set of the ITV thriller and took them in for questioning to find out more as they prepare to say farewell…

How does it feel to be back for the final series of Broadchurch? David: “It’s lovely to have been involved in something that has meant so much to an audience and I will miss it, but the show’s creator Chris Chibnall is certain it is the last series, which makes you wonder if they’re going to kill us off in some terrible way! Hardy’s pacemaker for his heart condition is working a treat, but there could be a malfunction…” Olivia: “It has been a lovely job so I’d happily do it every couple of years, but it seems right to end it now. Originally it was about a terrible thing that happened in a beautiful place, but if you went up to series 10, it’d be a lovely place where terrible things happen all the time.”

So where do we find Hardy and Miller this time? David: “Hardy left town in a cab at the end of series two, but he has come back and has brought his daughter Daisy [Hannah Rae]. So now he and Miller are both single parents and he looks to her for parenting advice – I don’t know how wise that is!” Olivia: “I know, especially because Miller’s son Tom [Adam Wilson] is going through the terrible teens and there will be repercussions. She also has her dad David [Roy Hudd] staying, which is handy for childcare, but he’s not an easy man. Work’s the best part of her life.” David: “Yes, work’s a solace for them both, although they grumble like a cantankerous old married couple.” Olivia: “They’re best friends though, they’d do anything for each other.”

The new case sees farm shop worker Trish, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, report that she has been raped. How does the investigation impact on them? David: “It’s brutal and unlike any case that Broadchurch would have seen before and it shocks them. They initially think it’s a rape by a stranger, which is rare, because most rapes are done by people who are known to their victims.” Olivia: “It upsets them both. For our research, it was humbling meeting people who support rape victims. They never get any glory, but they devote their lives to helping people who’ve gone through something hideous.”

Do you know who is guilty? Olivia: “Not yet, but I like that, it’s exciting! It’s great going back to a whodunit again, but David and I think everybody is guilty as soon as we’ve interviewed them. As actors we’re terrible detectives, Hardy and Miller are much better.” David: “How dare you?! Who’s done it has become the topic of conversation on set though; everyone is intrigued. We had a similar exciting feeling on series one and then it became a national conversation.”

Which of your new co-stars have you enjoyed working with? Olivia: “I was excited watching Charlie Higson [who plays Trish’s estranged husband Ian] because I grew up laughing at him in The Fast Show. There’s a lot of casting against type because Roy Hudd is the nicest man in the world, but he’s unpleasant as Miller’s dad and Lenny Henry is the nation’s darling, but he’s socially inept as Trish’s boss.” David: “Sarah Parish, who I’ve worked with loads of times, is amazing as Trish’s friend Cath. Because Sarah’s effortless in what she does, you forget how good she is.”

Will the two of you miss working together? Olivia: “Once we’ve finished filming it might hit us and we’ll go, ‘Argh!’ But we plan to work together again playing the Ugly Sisters in panto when we are in our 70s or 80s.” David: “It’s hard work; we should do it earlier than that.” Olivia: “OK, maybe when we’re 60, or 50…” David: "This Christmas isn’t too soon!"

Will you take any mementoes from the set of Broadchurch? Olivia: “I won’t take Miller’s orange jacket. Everyone says it is iconic, but I think she should have bought herself a new coat!” David: “Maybe she wears it because it’s lucky?” Olivia: “No, she is SO unlucky! I like Miller’s bra though; it’s quite comfortable.” David: “Hardy’s isn’t, it really cuts into me!”

What’s next for both of you? David: “I’ve done a film called You, Me and Him. It’s a modern romance, produced by my wife [actress Georgia Moffat]. It’s exciting working for the missus.” Olivia: “I’ve done a voiceover for a new BBC version of Watership Down, but I keep crying. I promised my mum I’d never watch it because she knew I wouldn’t cope, but now I’m seeing it when I record.” David: [Starts singing the theme from the original 1978 film] “Bright Eyes, burning like fire.” Olivia: “Stop it!”

Broadchurch series three premieres on Monday, February 27 at 9pm on ITV

As the last ever series of ITV's brilliantly twisty crime thriller Broadchurch approaches, what can we expect and what do we know so far?

We can’t wait for the third and final series of Bafta-winning ITV crime drama Broadchurch, which is set to return later this month. Here, we sifted through the evidence to work out what lies ahead…

What’s the case this time?

The action has moved on three years, and dogged detectives DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller, played by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, have to investigate a horrifying sexual assault that rocks the close-knit residents of the Dorset town. The harrowing case is based on extensive research with both the police and organisations that help victims of sexual violence.

How about Hardy and Miller’s private lives?

While Alec juggles the case with fretting about his daughter, mum-of-two Ellie has rebuilt her life after her evil husband Joe was drummed out of town for the murder of young Danny Latimer. But now she is set to face more difficulties thanks to her elderly dad David, played by Roy Hudd.

 Who else is back?

Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan return as bereaved parents Beth and Mark Latimer, who remain haunted by Danny’s death, while Arthur Darvill is back as vicar Paul Coates, along with Carolyn Pickles as local newspaper editor Maggie Radcliffe, while Adam Wilson and Charlotte Beaumont reprise their roles as Ellie’s eldest son Tom and Mark and Beth’s daughter Chloe.

And who is new?

Several fresh faces will make their presence felt in Broadchurch including Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Trish Winterman, the victim of the assault, who works in a farm shop owned by reserved widower Ed Burnett, played by Lenny Henry.

Sarah Parish plays Trish’s bubbly best friend Cath Atwood, who’s married to garage owner Jim (Home Fires’ Mark Bazeley). One of Us’s Georgina Campbell plays ambitious young DC Katie Harford, who joins Ellie and Alec on the case and soon rubs them up the wrong way, and also look out for The Fast Show’s Charlie Higson and former Casualty actress Sunetra Sarker.

What else can we look forward to?

The third series, written again by Chris Chibnall (pictured), is set to go back to the roots of the show’s acclaimed first series while also giving some closure to the lead characters we have come to love. "People have taken it to their hearts so much and Chris is brilliant and has come up with another beautiful story," Olivia tells TV Times News.

Broadchurch returns to ITV in late February

Speculation has ramped up about who will replace Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, following his resignation from Doctor Who

Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has decided to quit his role as the Time Lord, sparking speculation about who will take on one of British TV's most iconic roles.

Could this mean that the show finally gets a female lead? The bookies favourites are James Bond star Ben Whishaw (pictured) and former IT Crowd actor Richard Ayoade.

Executive producer Steven Moffat has suggested a future regeneration of the Doctor could also be a woman, previously saying: “I think the next time might be a female Doctor. I don’t see why not.”

Michelle Gomez was the first female incarnation of the Doctor’s nemesis Missy (formerly the Master).

Here are some of the actors and actresses who could be in line for the top sci-fi role.

Ben Whishaw

The actor, who played tech wizard Q in Bond blockbusters Spectre and Skyfall, has previously been mentioned as a leading contender for the role and is one of the bookies’ favourite.

Olivia Colman

New Doctor Who boss Chris Chibnall has been working with Colman on his other show, Broadchurch. MP Yvette Cooper is among her fans, once saying that seeing the award-winning actress playing the Doctor would be 'ace'.

Richard Ayoade

The comedian, actor and director earned legions of fans and a TV Bafta for his portrayal of lovable geek Maurice Moss in hit Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd. He has humorous, quirky edge to his on-screen persona.

Hayley Atwell

The Agent Carter and Captain America actress has previously said she would love the role. Asked by a fan whether she would like to appear in the BBC sci-fi series, she tweeted in 2015: “I’d like to be Doctor Who”.

Rory Kinnear

The 38-year-old, who has appeared in several Bond films, said in 2013 he had never watched Doctor Who and had no idea what it was all about, but was once tipped to take over from Matt Smith as the Doctor.

Billie Piper

Could the actress, who previously played companion Rose Tyler, return as the Time Lord?

Ben Daniels

The Cutting It actor once said he had been approached, adding: “I was asked, and when I eventually managed to peel myself off the ceiling, I said, ‘Yeah, of course it’d be something I’d be interested in doing’, and I was hugely excited by it.”

David Harewood

The ex-Homeland star would be the first non-white lead in the hit drama. “It would be very exciting if the phone rang. I doubt it somehow,” he has previously said.

Rupert Grint

The ex-Harry Potter star, 28, was tipped as a possible replacement for Matt Smith in 2013.

Olivia Colman got quite a surprise when she turned her phone on this morning – she'd just won a Golden Globe while she was asleep

The Night Manager star Olivia Colman says she was fast asleep in London when she won a Golden Globe and is now devastated she missed the chance to get 'wellied' with co-stars Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie.

Olivia, 42, chose not to fly to Los Angeles for the star-studded ceremony so she would be on top form to star opposite Dame Judi Dench in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Murder On The Orient Express, which is currently filming.

She told the Press Association: “I can’t believe I was not there, but it feels like the wrong thing not being there for the first week of a new job.

“I’m playing Judi Dench’s maid and I want her to be so impressed because she is my hero. I have to be good and I don’t want to be that person who turns up jetlagged, but now I sort of think they would have forgiven me.”

Olivia, who is currently struggling to learn German for the role in the Agatha Christie adaptation, said she was tucked up in bed at home by 10pm last night and only found out about her big win when she turned her phone on at 7am.

She said: “I had all these voicemails from the director Susanne Bier saying ‘turn your phone on!’. Now I’m so gutted I’m not there. It’s such an enormous honour, I’m beside myself.”

The Broadchurch star, who defeated Game Of Thrones actress Lena Headey, Westworld star Thandie Newton and This Is Us actresses Chrissy Metz and Mandy Moore to the Globe for best supporting actress in a series, limited series or TV movie, added: “It was a gamble not to go, but I thought ‘I bet I don’t win’.

“I looked at the list and thought ‘I won’t win in that group’.

Her co-stars Tom and Hugh also picked up awards for the BBC thriller The Night Manager, in which she played Angela Burr, and Olivia said she is particularly sad she missed the chance to celebrate with them.

She said: “I bet they know how to have a good time. I was always pregnant when we were filming, but I could have got wellied with them all last night.”

Presenters Kristen Bell and Cuba Gooding Jr collected Colman’s award in her place and the British star said: “Don’t wash it! Don’t polish it if they have touched it!

“I’m clearing everything off the mantelpiece, it’s going right in the middle.

“Cool people put their Baftas and things in the downstairs loo but mine are on the mantelpiece.”

There was major success for British stars including Clare Foy, Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman at the Golden Globes awards

BBC thriller The Night Manager was the big British winner at the 74th Golden Globe Awards.

Tom Hiddleston was named best actor in a limited television series for his performance in the series, while Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman collected awards for their supporting roles.

British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson won the award for best supporting actor in a movie for his portrayal of a psychopathic drifter in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals.

And in more success for the Brits, Claire Foy won best actress in a television drama for her portrayal of the Queen in The Crown.

The big-budget Netflix series, which explores the early years of the monarch’s reign, was also named best television drama series.

Of course, there were plenty of other winners, too. Here they all are:

FILM

*Best motion picture (drama) – Moonlight

*Best motion picture (musical or comedy) – La La Land

*Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea

*Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – Isabelle Huppert, Elle

*Best performance by an actor in a motion picture (musical or comedy) – Ryan Gosling, La La Land

*Best performance by an actress in a motion picture (musical or comedy) – Emma Stone, La La Land

*Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture – Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

*Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture – Viola Davis, Fences

*Best director – Damien Chazelle, La La Land

*Best original screenplay – La La Land

*Best motion picture (foreign language) – Elle (France)

*Best motion picture (animated) – Zootopia

*Best original song – City Of Stars, La La Land

*Best original score – Justin Hurwitz, La La Land

TELEVISION

*Best television series (drama) – The Crown

*Best television series (musical or comedy) – Atlanta

*Best performance by an actor in a television series – Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath

*Best performance by an actress in a television series – Claire Foy, The Crown

*Best performance by an actor in a television series (musical or comedy) – Donald Glover, Atlanta

*Best performance by an actress in a television series (musical or comedy) – Tracee Ellis-Ross, Black-ish

*Best performance by an actor in a limited series or motion picture made for television – Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager

*Best performance by an actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television – Sarah Paulson, The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

*Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television – Olivia Colman, The Night Manager

*Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television – Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager

A host of British actors are set to be honoured at the prestigious Golden Globes award ceremony in Beverley Hills.

Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie are among a host of British stars hoping for success at the 74th annual Golden Globes.

A number of British actors are nominated in the TV categories, with Broadchurch and Peep Show star Olivia Colman hoping to secure the award for best supporting actress in a limited series as she goes up against British stars Thandie Newton, who is nominated for Westworld, and Lena Headey from Game Of Thrones.

Tom, Olivia and Hugh are recognised for their roles in BBC thriller The Night Manager, which is up for four awards including best limited TV series.

Hugh Laurie is nominated for best supporting actor and will go head-to-head with American John Lithgow, who is nominated for his portrayal of Sir Winston Churchill in Netflix drama The Crown.

John’s co-star, Briton Claire Foy, is nominated for best actress in a television drama series for her portrayal of the Queen in the drama, which focuses on the monarch’s early reign.

The Crown will battle for best television drama series with Game Of Thrones, Netflix’s original series Stranger Things, US drama This Is Us and big budget HBO drama Westworld.

The star-studded event in Los Angeles will see Hiddlestone compete for best actor in a limited TV series against fellow Briton Riz Ahmed, who is recognised for his performance in The Night Of.

Another Briton hoping for Golden Globes glory is Charlotte Rampling, who is nominated for best actress in a limited television series for her performance in London Spy.

Welsh actor Matthew Rhys is up for best actor in a television drama series for The Americans.

Musical La La Land leads the pack with seven nominations at the awards show, which recognises both film and television talent, while coming-of-age drama Moonlight has six nods, including one for its British star Naomie Harris.

Skyfall star Naomie is nominated for best supporting actress for her performance as a crack addict in Moonlight, while Hugh is up for best actor in a musical or comedy film for Florence Foster Jenkins.

Meanwhile, British-American star Andrew Garfield is nominated for best actor in a film drama for his portrayal of Second World War hero Desmond Doss in Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge.

In the film categories, La La Land’s golden couple, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, have both been nominated, in the best actor and actress in a comedy categories.

La La Land is up for best musical comedy film along with superhero film Deadpool, Florence Foster Jenkins, Sing Street and 20th Century Women.

The ceremony will be hosted by American comedian Jimmy Fallon and takes place at the Beverly Hilton hotel from 1am GMT on Monday.

Broadchurch producers announced that Sir Lenny Henry and Roy Hudd will join the cast as Broadchurch series three commenced filming today.

David Tennant and Olivia Colman return to their roles as DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller, this time investigating a serious sexual assault, while Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan return to play Beth and Mark Latimer.

Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall said: “This is the final chapter of Broadchurch. We have one last story to tell, featuring both familiar faces and new characters. I hope it’s a compelling and emotional farewell to a world and show that means so much to me.”

Also in the cast are ex Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh, BAFTA winner Georgina Campbell, plus Sarah Parish, Charlie Higson and Mark Bazeley. Arthur Darvill returns as local vicar Paul Coates, Carolyn Pickles as newspaper editor Maggie Radcliffe, Charlotte Beaumont as Mark and Beth’s daughter Chloe, and Adam Wilson as Ellie’s son Tom.

The eight-part series dramatises what happens to the community of Broadchurch when Hardy and Miller investigate a serious sexual assault.

Based on a year of research with Dorset-based organisations who specialise in dealing with victims of sexual assault, and police advisors who specialise in investigating crimes of sexual violence, Broadchurch’s final chapter looks at the emotional cost to all of those involved and the irreparable damage to friendships and relationships.

Filming will take place during the summer in Bridport, West Bay, Clevedon and Bristol.

BBC1 and Netflix have attracted Hollywood stars to its groundbreaking co-production of the classic children's novel, Watership Down.

The four-part animated series about a group of rabbits who flee their home in fear of destruction by humans will star James McAvoy as Hazel, Nicholas Hoult as Fiver, Sir Ben Kingsley as General Woundwort, John Boyega (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) as Bigwig, Gemma Arterton as Clover, Miles Jupp as Blackberry, Freddie Fox as Captain Holly, Olivia Colman as Strawberry, and Anne-Marie Duff as Hyzenthlay.

The series will premiere on BBC One in the UK and worldwide, outside of the UK, on Netflix.  

Larry Tanz, Vice President Global Television, Netflix, said: “We jumped at the chance to get in early and work alongside the BBC and production company] 42 to bring this classic English tale to our members around the world. This novel presentation of [author Richard] Adam’s work pairs great talent with beautiful animation and will delight existing fans and capture a whole new audience for this timeless story.”

BBC dama commissioning editor Matthew Read said: "Before there was Harry Potter there was Watership Down, Richard Adams’ novel is one of the most successful books of all time and one of the biggest selling books in history. It is fantastic to have the opportunity to bring a modern classic to a mainstream BBC One audience with such an incredible roster of actors alongside the talented team overseeing the animation.”

Watership Down has been produced for cinema and television before. The 1978 animated film starring John Hurt and Richard Briers was a hit in its day and has been frequently re-run on TV. ITV made an animated TV series in 1999, starring Stephen Mangan, Rik Mayall and Jane Horrocks.

The new version is a unique co-production between the BBC and streaming service Netflix and will be created in CGI by an animation team led by Pete Dodd (Fantastic Mr Fox, Frankenweenie) and Hugo Sands; along with the animation studio Brown Bag Films, based in Dublin.

A premiere date for the new Watership Down hasn't been set yet.

The Night Manager star Olivia Colman is back on TV this week, this time starring in the new Channel 4 dark comedy, Flowers.

Told over one week, Flowers is the story of an eccentric family struggling to hold their lives together.

In a recent interview, Olivia explained what attracted her to the series…

“I liked the script. It was lovely to work with Julian Barratt [who plays Maurice] from The Mighty Boosh and I think writer/director [and former Casualty star] Will Sharpe is amazing,” she told the Daily Express.

“I play Deborah, a woman of love. She loves her family. If she can sense something is not right, she doesn’t necessarily try and sort it the right way. The entire family listen but don’t hear, which is where a lot of the comedy comes from.”

But it’s not your typical comedy. For a start, the subject matter isn’t the stuff of everyday jokes…

“A comedy about suicide and mental health is pretty unusual,” Olivia agrees. “It goes to darker places than most would go to.

“But if everyone’s happy all the time it’s a bit dull. Darkness really compliments comedy. I think watching someone, from the comfort of your own home, doing something awful or wrong, you have the luxury to be able to laugh at it.”

It certainly sounds very different to the tense, thrilling Night Manager…

“Between scenes it’s not very different, whether you’re on a comedy or a drama,” says Olivia. “We’re doing a job we love. Take the job seriously but not yourself.

“I felt out of my comfort zone doing Flowers, at first. But then I started to care less and just enjoy it. With [director] Will’s guidance, either thumbs up or a ‘rein that in a bit’, it was fun.”

Flowers begins on Channel 4, Monday, April 25, 10.00pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpR-5gzK04U

Hit spy thriller The Night Manager, starring Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie – could return for another series, despite no second book to base it on.

The hugely popular series has pulled in 8 million viewers in its Sunday night slot.

And BBC executives are confident they have clinched a deal for another run of the show. Sources claim talks for six more episodes have reached “an advanced stage”, says The Mirror.

It will continue the story of the three main characters – reluctant spy John Pine (Hiddleston), spook Angela Burr (Colman) and arms dealer Dickie Roper (Laurie) – in the aftermath of the explosive conclusion.

The Night Manager was a stand-alone story by John Le Carré and it would be the first time a drama featured characters but not content from one of his novels.

But the production company, The Ink Factory, is run by his sons – Simon and Stephen Cornwell – so the 84-year-old author, whose real name is David Cornwell, has given his blessing.

Simon, the drama’s executive producer, admitted: “We would love to do more with the BBC but I don’t want to tempt fate. I cannot be drawn on a second series.”

But a source revealed: “BBC executives are desperate to have a follow-up series and The Ink Factory is also keen to make more.

“Talks have reached a very advanced stage, there are just a few formalities to tie up. But everyone is confident of it happening.”

Spokespersons for The Ink Factory and the BBC say a second series is not confirmed.

The Night Manager continues on BBC1, Sunday, March 13, 9.00pm.

Olivia Colman had a dilemma when she learned that she was pregnant with her third child. The Broadchurch actress was eager to win the part of intelligence officer Angela Burr in BBC1's The Night Manager, but nowhere did it mention that the character was pregnant. But, as TV Times discovers here, Olivia [who gave birth to her first daughter last August] knew she had to tell the truth when she went into a meeting with the drama's director, Susanne Bier...

So Olivia, what happened in the meeting?

"I thought, 'I can't lie,' because it would soon become quite obvious. So I said, 'By the way, Susanne, I'm pregnant' and she replied, 'OK, we'll talk to the producers...'. There was a bit of a lull while we waited for the decision to come back and then Susanne said, 'It's OK, you can be pregnant.'"

What do you like about Angela?

"I love the fact that she never seems to compromise and won't be bullied. There's something special about this renegade woman who sounds different from the public school and establishment men who surround her. I always thought of her as a zebra among the lions, but a zebra that isn't scared or intimidated - and that's what freaks the lions out!"

How did you enjoy working with megastars Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie?

"It was such a treat! Hugh has a gravitas playing this despicable baddie who's also charming and sauve. Tom is fantastic as Pine, too - he's so multi-faceted and his character is quite Bond-like."

Was it exciting getting to meet John le Carré?

"He's a wonderful, charismatic, incredibly youthful and energetic man. You can see why his books have stayed poignant and brilliant."

The Night Manager is filmed in lots of exotic locations - was that fun?

"I've never travelled so much, but it was a very companionable job. We all really believed in it."

The Night Manager continues on Sunday, BBC1 at 9.00pm.

Currently starring as spy boss Angela Burr in The Night Manager on BBC1, busy actress Olivia Colman can soon be seen in another drama, this time on C4.

The channel released details of the dark comedy drama which is to be screened later in the spring. Flowers tells the tale of the eccentric and dysfunctional Flowers family, who are on the verge of falling apart. Children’s author Maurice, played by The Mighty Boosh star Julian Barratt, is married to music teacher Deborah (Colman), and although their marriage has long since been dead in the water, the couple haven’t got round to getting a divorce.

As Maurice fights his inner demons and dark secrets, Deborah is desperate to keep  the family together, whatever the cost, and she becomes increasingly suspicious that her husband is having a homosexual affair with Japanese illustrator Shun, played by the show’s creator Will Sharpe. Viewers will know Will from Casualty because he played trainee doctor Yuki in the medical drama.

"I feel very lucky to be making Flowers with Kudos, Channel 4 and Seeso,” said Will. “They've been really supportive and pushed me to make bold decisions on a show that aims both to celebrate and challenge the traditional family sitcom format. The characters in this show are all trying to break free in some way. In part, it's a comedy about the different ways of feeling trapped or alone and how difficult it can be to admit that's how you're feeling.”

The Flowers family live in a messy, creaky, crumbling old house with Maurice’s ailing mother Hattie (Leila Hoffman) and their twentysomething twins Amy (Sophia di Martino) and Donald (Daniel Rigby), who are both competing for the affection of neighbour Abigail (Georgina Campbell). Also starring in the drama is Anna Chancellor, who plays Deborah’s vivacious sister Viv.

“Flowers is the kind of deliciously dark world we love at C4,” said Deputy Head of Comedy, Nerys Evans. “The word ‘dysfunctional’ doesn’t come close to describing quite how brilliantly peculiar the Flowers family are. Will Sharpe’s wonderful writing and direction coupled with an amazing cast has led us to an unbelievably original piece and we are delighted to have it on the channel.”

Meanwhile, Naomi de Pear, who developed and produced the series for Kudos said: "Flowers is perhaps the saddest comedy I’ve come across but it’s also very silly. Working with the very talented Will, Channel 4, Seeso and the extraordinary cast to bring to life this emotional and unique vision about the awful and funny pain of being in a family has been brilliant fun. Flowers has an other-worldly quality to it, even though it’s about real characters and real emotions."

Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes this year, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster is a surreal parable set in a dystopian near-future society where being single is a crime.

In the world Lanthimos and co-writer Efthymis Filippou have conjured up, the law is enforced with perverse rigour, as Colin Farrell’s listless divorcee discovers when he is shipped off to The Hotel, whose singleton residents have 45 days in which to find a compatible mate.

Fail and you are transformed into an animal of your choosing (Farrell’s is the eponymous crustacean) and released into The Woods. These are the haunt of The Loners, whose steely leader (Blue is the Warmest Colour ’s Lea Seydoux), counterpart of the hotel’s bossy manager (Olivia Colman), dictates a different set of ruthlessly imposed rules.

Shot in Ireland with a multi-national cast, Lanthimos’s first English-language film combines mischievous satire with the perverse logic of dreams to create a compellingly bizarre, decidedly off-kilter comedy.

The Lobster screens at 6.15pm tonight at the Ritzy Cinema, Brixton, and goes on general release tomorrow, Friday 16th October.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z069ldsumxA

Singing with a ‘Suffolk twang’ was one of the challenges facing Anita Dobson in the groundbreaking new British film London Road, co-starring Olivia Colman and Tom Hardy, which shows how an Ipswich community healed itself after a series of horrifying murders in 2006.

Fortunately, the Suffolk accent ‘is not dissimilar to an East End accent,’ Anita told What’s On TV, speaking of her role as one of the residents of the Ipswich street that was put in the media spotlight following the killing of five local prostitutes. "]

Anita and her fellow cast members break into song in London Road, using the real words and speech patterns of the residents - an innovative technique devised by the award-winning team of writer Alecky Blythe, composer Adam Cork and director Rufus Norris for the acclaimed National Theatre production on which the film is based.

“It’s strangely freeing and exhilarating,” was Anita’s verdict on this unusual working method.

While making the film, Anita shared a Winnebago with Mad Max star Tom Hardy – but never at the same time.

She did share scenes, however, with Olivia Colman and brims over with praise for her co-star: “Olivia was remarkable. The minute she walked into the rehearsal room and started I thought, my God, she’s going to be amazing! It was a real joy to work with her. I’m a big fan.”

London Road premieres on 9th June via NT Live and is on general release on 12th June. Visit londonroadfilm.co.uk for more information.

Olivia Colman has admitted that her parents never loved Peep Show – although they didn’t mind the swearing.

The actress stars in the Channel 4 sitcom about two flatmates with nothing in common, alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb, which is due to make a ninth and final series.

Olivia, who plays Mark Corrigan’s (Mitchell) ex Sophie Chapman, said: “Comedy does seem to be for your generation and not the older; new comedy, you own it amongst your generation, and you love it, and the next lot don’t necessarily get what you loved.

Olivia Colman (Jonathan Brady/PA)

“We all loved, say, Fawlty Towers, but the generation above never really get the comedies for the younger ones. My parents, I don’t think they ever loved Peep Show.”

Asked if they had minded the frequent swearing in the series, she said: “I don’t know if they mind that – they’re quite sweary! But it didn’t do it for them, which is quite common. But I will be sad [when it comes to an end] – I felt like I owned it as well. It was our thing.”

David Mitchell and Robert Webb star in Peep Show (Ian West/PA)

On whether Sophie would be back for the last series, she said: “I hope so! We’re all mates. I don’t know. They need to make the right decisions for the story.

“I suppose it’s been nice that Series 9 is there and it’s a possibility.”

Olivia Colman has revealed she was 'terrified'” of singing in her new film, London Road.

The Bafta-winning star, 41, had to tune up to play Julie, a community leader and member of the Neighbourhood Watch, in Rufus Norris’ big-screen adaptation of the 2011 stage show.

Olivia Colman and her London Road co-stars (Picturehouse Entertainment)

Olivia, whose singing credits stretch 'enthusiastically'to the shower and the school choir, said: “It was definitely the music I was terrified of, because it was very difficult.

“The songs in London Road are all verbatim, which is much more about the rhythms and pitches of human speech. In the end, actually the music was much easier to learn than the dialogue. It’s verbatim and somebody else’s voice patterns. That’s really hard.”

The Broadchurch actress joins the original cast of the theatre production, at London’s National Theatre, which documents the events that shook Suffolk in 2006 when the rural town of Ipswich was shattered by the discovery of the bodies of five women who had been murdered.

Tom Hardy and Anita Dobson also play characters in the film, which will have its world premiere at the Ritzy in London’s Brixton, on June 9 before being released nationwide in 300 cinemas on June 12.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8NxcsH9o4A&feature=oembed

The Peep Show actress said she didn'tt take any singing lessons in preparation. She said: “I think I’d stick out like a sore thumb if I did. I wasn’t employed for that.”

She did have some help when it came to the musical scenes. “David Shrubsole, who is the musical director, was there, whenever there was a singing piece,” she said.

“He had a little ear-piece and he had clicks, to keep you to time. I was always like, ‘Please be there where I can see you!’ – because I was so nervous. Amongst the whole team, who were brilliant singers and could all read music, I just had to follow the black dots.”

Olivia Colman in London Road (Picturehouse Entertainment)

Olivia, whose other screen credits include BBC TV series Twenty Twelve, Phyllida Lloyd’s drama The Iron Lady and Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur, said she is not tempted to do any other musicals on stage.

“I think that’s a whole other skill. Singing on stage is a very different thing. It would be wrong to assume everyone could do it,” she added.

“Musicals are not really my bag, to be honest, but you know why the songs are in it. I do find songs in the middle of a film peculiar a lot of the time.”

Olivia Colman has admitted she had no idea she was talking to the famous novelist John Le Carre about starring in a TV adaptation of one of his books – because she didn't know his real name.

Double Bafta winner Olivia, 41, plays a spy alongside Tom Hollander in The Night Manager, a BBC adaptation of the novel by Le Carre, whose real name is David Cornwell.

She told Radio Times magazine: “I didn’t know it isn’t his real name. At the read-through, I was chatting away to someone called David Cornwell, telling him how great the story was, without realising that he was John Le Carre.”

Olivia Colman has revealed she had a period of six months where she was offered no work (Ian West/PA Wire)

She also told how she experienced a work drought after the second series of Broadchurch, despite acclaim for her performance in the ITV drama.

“I think there’s a perception that I’ll be too busy,” she said. “So actually, after those first two Baftas, I didn’t really get offered anything, which makes you think: ‘Oh, no!’ And, after I finished the second series of Broadchurch, nothing came up for six months, which really is a long time and I got a bit panicky.”

The pregnant Twenty Twenty actress, who begins filming the third series of Broadchurch after she has her third child, added: “I’d always worked steadily and, maybe once a day or so, someone would tell me that they loved Peep Show.

“But Broadchurch was a totally different thing. The level of interest was actually quite intimidating.

Olivia and her Bafta award in 2014 (Jonathan Short/AP/)

“On the second one, there were so many long lenses around that we had to film scenes that gave anything away indoors.”

She said she is also looking forward to reuniting with Robert Webb and David Mitchell in a ninth and final series of Channel 4 hit Peep Show.

“I’ve seen the writers,” she said, “And I’ve said I’d do anything, even a drive-by scene, to be in it.”

David Harewood (Homeland), Neil Morrissey and Katherine Kelly will join joining Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman in a TV adaptation of John Le Carré's spy thriller novel The Night Manager.

The star-studded mini-series, a co-production between the BBC, US network AMC and the Ink Factory, also features Tom Hiddleston (War Horse), Tom Hollander (Rev) and Tobias Menzies (The Honourable Woman) in the cast.

The Night Manager is billed as a modern retelling of the 1993 novel and will apparently bring together love, loss and revenge in a complex story of modern criminals.

The plot follows a former British soldier Jonathan Pine (Hiddleston), who is recruited by an intelligence operative named Burr (Colman) to navigate the shadowy recesses of Whitehall and Washington, where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade.

To infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper (Laurie), which includes girlfriend Jed (Debicki), Pine has to ebcome a criminal himself.

Filming has begun on The Night Manager and it will be broadcast in 2016.

Benedict Cumberbatch is in the running to pick up a TV Bafta for his performance as the master detective Sherlock Holmes.

The star, who lost out on a Best Actor Oscar earlier this year, is nominated for the best actor award alongside Toby Jones for Marvellous, James Nesbitt for The Missing and Jason Watkins for The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

In the best actress category, the nominations are Line Of Duty star Keeley Hawes, Sheridan Smith for Cilla, Sarah Lancashire for Happy Valley and Georgina Campbell, who starred in Murdered By My Boyfriend.

Keeley Hawes (Joel Ryan/Invision)

The nominations were announced at Bafta’s central London headquarters by actors Freddie Fox and Sherlock star Amanda Abbington.

It is Cumberbatch’s third nomination for his performance in the hit show.

BBC dramas dominate with Happy Valley, Marvellous, The Missing and Line Of Duty all leading the way with three nods.

Lancashire’s co-star in Happy Valley, James Norton, is nominated for the supporting actor award and the show itself is in the running for best drama.

James Norton (Joel Ryan/Invision)

Toby Jones’s co-star in Marvellous, Gemma Jones, was nominated for best supporting actress – her first nod since 1977.

Ken Stott’s role in The Missing sees him nominated for best supporting actor, alongside Adeel Akhtar from Channel 4′s Utopia and Stephen Rea for The Honourable Woman.

Line Of Duty’s Vicky McClure is nominated for best supporting actress alongside Amanda Redman for ITV’s Tommy Cooper biopic and Charlotte Spencer for E4′s Glue.

Claudia Winkleman (Ray Burmiston/BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing’s Claudia Winkleman is nominated for best entertainment performance alongside chatshow host Graham Norton, Ant and Dec and Celebrity Juice’s Leigh Francis.

This year’s Baftas will be held at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London on Sunday May 10.

BAFTA-winning Broadchurch actress Olivia Colman is to star in a new BBC1 mini-series based on John Le Carre's spy thriller, The Night Manager, alongside Hugh Laurie and Rev's Tom Hollander.

In the first TV adaptation of a Le Carre novel for more than 20 years, Olivia plays an intelligence operative called Burr, who recruits former British soldier turned hotel night manager Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston from The Avengers) to navigate the shadowy recesses of Whitehall and Washington, where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade. 

To infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper (Laurie), which includes girlfriend Jed (Elizabeth Debicki) and an associate named Corcoran (Hollander), Pine must himself become a criminal.

The Night Manager, a mini-series, is a co-production between the BBC and US network AMC and begins filming this spring to be broadcast next year.

ITV appeared to confirm there will be a third series of hit crime drama Broadchurch immediately after the conclusion of series two on Monday night.

The voiceover which immediately followed the conclusion to the series about the search for the killer of a young boy in a small Dorset town said: "What next for detectives Hardy and Miller? We'll have to wait until series three to find out."

Early in Monday's episode local man Joe Miller was found not guilty of the murder of Danny Latimer, a verdict which was met by stunned disbelief and grief by all following the case, especially his estranged wife, detective Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman).

But the locals including the vicar of Broadchurch decided to take their own vengeance on Miller when he turned up back in Broadchurch... Not by killing him, but by banishing him forever from their community.

How will Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall follow his smash hit in series three? Expect some details from ITV in the coming days.

Olivia Colman has revealed she’s pregnant with her third child.

The Bafta-winning actress, 41, already has two sons, Finn, nine, and Hal, seven, with her husband, writer Ed Sinclair.

Olivia Colman (Yui Mok/PA Wire)

But the Broadchurch star told the Daily Mirror: “I’m pregnant with baby number three.”

Olivia said the whole family was 'very excited' and that she has 'quite a few months to go'.

Olivia Colman and husband Ed Sinclair (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

And she said of her cravings: “I’m obsessed with Smarties.”

Olivia was explaining why she couldn’t work with Spike Lee on his big-screen remake of British short The Karman Line, which was nominated for a Bafta, saying he’d have to 'wait a while' before she can start anything.

Broadchurch cast and crew are said to have been so keen to keep the plot of the second series under wraps that they used encryption to make sure scripts and plots could not be leaked.

Bosses apparently used a combination of coded scripts and a crack security team to make sure that no storyline details were revealed, according to The Sun.

As ITV's murder mystery drama, which stars David Tennant and Olivia Colman, heads into its second series, the cast have stressed that they have been sworn to secrecy about what will happen. But they reportedly signed non-disclosure agreements, which would have seen them fired if they had spilled any details.

Scripts are thought to have been issued and the series filmed under a false name and call sheets used pseudonyms for the cast. All character names were taken out of the scripts, which were only handed out a few days before filming scenes, and all digital documents were kept firmly under password protection.

Added to these special measures, a team of ex-military guards are said to have been hired to patrol the set.

Meanwhile, creator Chris Chibnall has warned that none of his characters are safe this time around - even detectives Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller, played by David and Olivia.

According to the Daily Mirror, he teased: "No one is safe. Who knows who will be standing at the end?"

Broadchurch returns to ITV tonight, Monday January 5, at 9pm. Watch the trailer below:

http://youtube.com/v/isToG5_U1Ug

David Tennant and Olivia Colman have admitted they relish being the secret keepers of Broadchurch’s plot twists and turns.

The actors play detectives Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller in the hit ITV mystery series and said they had no problem in keeping schtum about the killer’s identity in the first series, and about the storyline in the upcoming series two.

Former Doctor Who star David said: “I think it frustrates those around you, but I am well practised at not giving anything away; withholding everything.

“I quite like being the holder of secrets. I get frustrated if I’m the one that doesn’t know them, but happy to be in the slightly superior position of knowing what comes next…”

Olivia added: “We had each other if we needed to talk about it. I did get a lot of texts and emails from close friends and family, asking me who did it, and I quite enjoyed the power of saying no to them all.”

Broadchurch returns to ITV on Monday, January 5, 9.00pm.

Michelle Keegan, Lorraine Kelly and Olivia Colman are among the stars who have banned the slap by ditching their make-up to encourage people to raise money for BBC Children In Need.

Michelle Keegan (Rankin/BBC Children In Need/PA Wire)

They are some of the well-known names who have bared their skin for the charity and are instead wearing just a Pudsey pawprint on their faces.

Also taking part in the annual BearFaced campaign to go make-up free for the day, prior to November 14, are Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Laura Mvula, Rochelle Humes and Ella Eyre.

Sophie Ellis Bextor (Rankin/BBC Children In Need/PA Wire)

Sophie said: “It is a campaign that brings women together from across the UK, and is something I am very proud to be a part of.”

Olivia Colman (Rankin/BBC Children In Need/PA Wire)

Olivia said: “Please join me in showing your support for BBC Children in Need by having a BearFaced moment this year. Whether it is a five-minute moment or a one-hour moment, I want to see your beautiful bare faces across the UK, but don’t forget your pawprint.”

Participants are encouraged to buy the pawprints at Boots stores for £1 and share photos of themselves at bbc.co.uk/pudsey.

Sarah Monteith, director of fundraising for Children In Need, said: “It’s a great initiative that always proves successful, it’s such a simple way for women across the UK to get involved and raise money for those that need it most.”

Broadchurch star Olivia Colman says people should have the right to choose when they die.

Olivia's starring in a one-off drama The Dilemma, part of the BBC's The Secrets series (premieres Sunday, September 7), playing a vet whose terminally ill mother (Gavin & Stacey star Alison Steadman) begs for help to end her own life.

"I would fight for anyone's right to make that decision I think," said Olivia. "It's a tricky subject to get into, but if someone's a sentient bright being and they know where they're going to end up and they don't want to go there, then it's their decision and I'd support them in that decision.

"If you've ever loved anybody, the thought of seeing them in pain is awful!"

The subject gained much attention earlier this year following the death of Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street and, with a recent Zurich University study revealing that one in five people who use Swiss Assisted Suicide clinics is British, it's a subject that won't go away. 

As for Olivia, she admits that after a string of hard-hitting roles in which she sheds several tears she's looking forward to doing something with a different mood.

"I might have to do a comedy next!"

Award-winning BBC2 sitcom Rev is back on Monday, March 24 and we caught up with Tom Hollander - who plays the long-suffering vicar of a Hackney church - to talk about working with babies, people shouting 'Rev!' at him in the street and whether the new Archbishop of Canterbury likes the show.

Is it good to be back?

"Yes it was a lot of fun. We started writing and talking about what story we were going to do in September 2012 so that preparation period's quite long. But before that we'd been doing nothing else but Rev for a couple of years so we just wanted to do some other things and get inspired again and also make sure we cared about it as much as before!"

A lot's changed for Adam and Alex (Olivia Colman) as well...

"They have a baby Katie and she's been promoted!"

Is he a hands-on dad? Does he do the nappies?

"Yeah he does. He has the baby in the vestry which irritates Nigel, but moments of beauty when he shows the baby the stained glass window and the light falls on her face makes the drudgery of pushing her around in the pram in the rain worthwhile."

What was it like working with the baby?

"We used twins actually and they were a delight eventually. They were pretty frightened of me! I don't have children myself and I'm not very confident with them and it got to the point where they would see me and start screaming. But with the miracle of editing, she is very cute and makes a significant contribution to the scenes that she's in by looking very strangely wise in the way babies do."

Has warm-hearted alcoholic Colin been doing any babysitting?

"Colin wants to babysit. He wants to be a godparent. Vicars' babies become the property of the parish so it belongs to everyone, in the same way that the vicarage belongs to everyone."

Joanna Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine are returning this series - they want to close the church don't they?

"Yes they do a bit. Adam's slightly chippy with them. He doesn't want to have to kowtow to them, but he has to if he wants the church to survive. Joanna Scanlan is an amazing woman. We've done several things together, she's immensely gifted. She's absolutely hilarious in this and Vicki is also superb. The most exciting thing for me about the show is the cast. This season I just thought how amazing it was when our regulars all turned up - they're just brilliant in their parts and we're really lucky. We could never have expected the cast to be so brilliant."

Did you ever expect Rev to keep running for three series?

"It wasn't the intention. I was always quite keen to see how it went, but people were very enthusiastic. It took off in a way we couldn't have expected. I've been acting for a long time and the moments where you do something which people really connect to are rare. But with that came the burden of how are we going to do it again and again? All of that took a bit of time to get together. But I'm proud of it."

A lots happened with the Church of England since you've been away...

"And that's been hard. It's hard to stay topical and up to the minute. Women, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the gay ruling... we touch on all of those areas, but the main story in the third series is what happens to Adam and Alex and the others."

Rowan Williams was a massive fan. Do you know if new Archbishop Justin Welby is?

"Don't know. We haven't been on since he's been Archbishop..."

Does Ralph Fiennes come back this series?

"Yes, he comes back as Bishop of London... the other old friend in it is Hugh Bonneville. The casting process is interesting - it's funny being on the other side of it. It means that now when I'm auditioning I think I've got an idea of what they're looking for! It's pretty embarrassing being an actor holding auditions because you're so aware of what it's like auditioning."

What was it like writing an episode on your own for the first time?

"That was exciting. I was very nervous, but having done it and it having worked, it feels like a wonderful thing. It's been the gift of the third series to me has been that new experience of writing stuff and our cast saying the lines I've written. Although acting my own scenes I'd written was hard, I found it embarrassing, I kept thinking 'Who's written this nonsense?'"

Do people still shout Rev at you in the street?

"When it's on you get it and then it fades away again. It's not too overwhelming. The first time it happened was when I did Ab Fab in the 90s and for a few days after an episode of that it was bizarre. I played Saffy's boyfriend and girls would go 'Oh there he is!' and run away. It was awful. But this isn't like being Johnny Depp where you can't walk down any street in the world without being mobbed."

How long do you see Rev running for?

"This is it. I'll never say never and it's not killed off forever, but for the time being we've told the story of Adam and Alex and the people who live in the parish and we don't want to overdo it."

Olivia Colman took to the stage minus her shoes as she accepted her honour for best actress at the Royal Television Society Awards.

The popular star picked up the title for the second year running for her role in Broadchurch with judges calling her 'an actor at the top of her game'.

Taking to the stage shoeless, she said: "I kicked them off under the table and forgot to put them back on."

Broadchurch won a second prize at the London event hosted by comic Tim Vine, landing the best drama serial award.

Idris Elba took the best actor prize for his performance in BBC One detective series Luther.

Other winners included ITV's Corornation Street, which took the prize for best soap and Stephen Fry who was named best presenter for his series Stephen Fry: Out There, in which he travelled to a number of countries to examine how they treated their gay communities.

The broadcaster famously made an attempt on his own life as he made the series. He paraphrased Winston Churchill to tell guests at the ceremony: "I think you can judge a civilisation by the way it treats its minorities."

Channel 4 was the biggest winner of the night sharing in nine awards, including the best documentary series prize, which went to Educating Yorkshire. Maths teacher Michael Steer from the show blasted Education Secretary Michael Gove as he collected the award.

Outgoing BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow was given the 'judges' award' for her achievements with the channel.

Veteran actor David Suchet was honoured with the lifetime achievement award in recognition of his quarter of a century portraying Hercule Poirot. The star was unable to attend the event due to feeling unwell before the ceremony.

The winners of the RTS Programme Awards were:

Actress

Olivia Colman - Broadchurch (ITV)/Run (Channel 4)

Actor

Idris Elba - Luther (BBC One)

Arts

Imagine...Vivian Maier: Who Took Nanny's Pictures (BBC One)

Children's Fiction

Dumping Ground (CBBC)

Children's Programme

Hard Times - A Newsround Special (CBBC)

Comedy Performance

Brendan O'Carroll - Mrs Brown's Boys (BBC One)

Daytime

Four Rooms (Channel 4)

Documentary Series

Educating Yorkshire (Channel 4)

Drama Serial

Broadchurch (ITV)

Drama Series

Peaky Blinders (BBC Two)

Entertainment

The Last Leg (Channel 4)

Entertainment Performance

Alan Carr - Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Channel 4)

History

Richard III: King In The Car Park (Channel 4)

International

Game Of Thrones (Sky Atlantic)

Live Event

The Ashes - 2013 (Sky Sports)

Popular, Factual and Features

Gogglebox (Channel 4)

Presenter

Stephen Fry - Stephen Fry: Out There (BBC Two)

Science and Natural History

Africa (BBC One)

Scripted Comedy

PLEBS (ITV2)

Single Documentary

The Murder Trial (Channel 4)

Single Drama

The Challenger (BBC Two)

Soap and Continuing Drama

Coronation Street (ITV)

Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit

Gary Neville - Sky Sports (Sky Sports)

Sports Programme

World Athletics - Mo Farah's Double Gold Win (BBC One)

Comedy Writer

James Corden, Mathew Baynton and Tom Basden - The Wrong Mans (BBC Two)

Drama Writer

Marlon Smith and Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan - Run (Channel 4)

Judges' Award

Janice Hadlow

Lifetime Achievement

David Suchet

– Press Association

BBC drama has revealed a stellar cast including Olivia Colman and Alison Steadman featuring in the upcoming BBC1 series The Secrets.

Directed by True Love's Dominic Savage and scripted by up-and-coming writers including Bad Education actress Sarah Solemani, The Secrets is a collection of five self-contained stories, starting with the tale of a bigamist, starring Joanne Froggatt, Ben Chaplin and Emilia Fox.

Gavin & Stacey's Alison and Broadchurch actress Olivia team up for the second episode, about a terminally ill woman and her daughter, and the cast for the three other stories includes Helen Baxendale, Ashley Walters and Solemani, who will star in her self-penned tale of a bride who makes a shocking discovery on the eve of her wedding.

“I'm thrilled that Dominic has assembled such a stellar line up,” says Juliette Howell, head of television at Working Title, who are making the series.

“It's hugely exciting to see so many of our finest actors bringing these original and distinctive new voices to life on BBC One.”

Olivia Colman and David Walliams are to star in Pudsey the Dog: The Movie, a family adventure featuring the nation's favourite pooch, Pudsey the dog, who won Britain's Got Talent in 2012.

Little Britain star David will be the voice of the cute canine, while Broadchurch's Olivia will be the voice of a horse called Nelly.

The shaggy dog tale sees Pudsey as a down and out stray in London, whose life is transformed when he makes friends with a family. Mum Gail, played by Harry Potter star Jessica Hynes, is recently widowed and she and her three children Molly, George and Tommy move to the countryside village of Chuffington, so Pudsey decides to tag along.

But as the family and their new pet settle in to their new home, evil landlord Mr Thorne and his devious cat Faustus have a sinister plan up their sleeves, and it's down to Pudsey to save his new adopted family and the whole village.

Watch out, too for ex-Emmerdale star, Luke Tittensor who also pops up in the adventure as Will, a resident of Chuffington who befriends the family.

Pudsey the Dog: The Movie will open in cinemas on July 18 this year.

Broadchurch star Olivia Colman appears as a wronged wife in BBC1's new two-parter The 7.39 (Monday, 9pm), alongside David Morrissey and Sheridan Smith. She tells What's On TV all about the drama that follows an affair on a rush-hour train...

Tell us about your character, Maggie...

"She's a straightforward devoted wife and mum. She's an occupational therapist, she's bright and funny and in love with her family. So it's a bit of a shocker when it goes wrong!"

Maggie's husband Carl (David Morrissey) has an affair with a fellow commuter, Sally (Sheridan Smith). But were there cracks in the relationship beforehand?

"No. They're happily married and everything seems fine. Admittedly, they don't necessarily listen to each other, but they're still loving and they still get on. It's interesting that solid and lovely relationships still have moments of fragility."

So what happens?

"They start to drift apart. She puts it down to him being tired and disenchanted with his job and only later worries that there's something else. Then she has a sudden rush of blood and decides to follow him and that's when she finds out... It's a bit like the film Brief Encounter with people falling in love on a train, but the added bonus is that you see the fallout."

But Maggie fights for Carl, doesn't she?

"Yes. She's aware of what they've got and that it's good. There's something about her that's very strong because she tells him it's not worth losing him over what's happened. She doesn't give up."

Will viewers sympathise with Carl as well as Maggie?

"In a way, because it's about that monotony and that boredom of going to a job that doesn't do it for you. So that frisson makes everything a little bit more exciting. I suppose that's why affairs happen."

Have you ever had to commute before?

"Yes, I was a temp. But my husband and I worked together, so we got the bus in together and the bus home together!"

You've been on our screens a lot lately. Do you ever worry about taking on too much?

"No, I'm very grateful to be working! I remember what it's like to not work and I'd rather have it this way around. I've got friends who are brilliant actors and I can't work out why they're not getting the work."

So what's next for you?

"I didn't do Peep Show last year because of Broadchurch, so hopefully I'll do that, as the guys are my best friends. Then there's Sky1's romantic comedy Mr Sloane. That was fun! I had to wear a sort of 60s helmet hairstyle and a mini skirt with a pinny!"

David Morrissey has confessed it was intimidating working with Sheridan Smith and Olivia Colman on The 7.39 as they both won Baftas during filming.

The trio star in the BBC drama, written by David Nicholls of One Day and Starter For 10 fame, about a married man who falls for a young woman he meets on his daily commute.

David revealed: "It was very intimidating. They're two actresses who I've admired for a long, long time and whilst we were actually shooting The 7.39 the television Baftas happened so at one point Sheridan had to run off set in a ball gown to get to the venue in time.

"And of course they both won, Sheridan won best actress and Olivia won best supporting actress and best comedy performance, I think, so she got two awards. And the next day I arrived in the make-up trailer and Sheridan was sitting there with her award on the desk. So it was quite intimidating to be working with award-winning actresses right there right then.

"But they're both wonderful and both have that ability which is rare in being able to flip between the comedic and the dramatic very quickly. And I think that's an amazing ability."

The TV drama has obvious parallels with David Lean's classic film Brief Encounter, written by Noel Coward, but the characters in this modern version are much more open with their feelings than in the 1945 film.

David said: "I think they're very much of their time. What's always been interesting for me is that Brief Encounter was written by a gay man in a time when being gay was very dangerous and had to deal with codes and love affairs and it had to be conducted in deepest secrecy. So his idea of a love affair between two married people, he had an insight into that from a secretive place."

Talking of the characters in The 7.39, he said: "They talk about their feelings and they act on them. This is a modern love story with all its difficulty and tragedy. I think hopefully it's a tale many people could relate to whether they've acted on it themselves or not.

"It's a very grown-up drama which people will relate to and see as a modern story about people like them. It's not a sensationalist story in any way, it's a very heartfelt story about a very true event."

The 7.39 begins on Monday, January 6 at 9pm on BBC One.

Actress Olivia Colman has revealed that she has changed her mind about wanting a role in Downton Abbey, on account of the costumes.

The Broadchurch actress told the Radio Times that she had once been desperate to be a part of the ITV show, but changed her mind after starring in 19th Century murder mystery The Suspicion Of Mr Whicher.

"I used to want to be in Downton because I had never been in a period drama, but then I did The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher and had to wear one of those frocks and... I didn't feel very comfortable," she admitted.

Olivia is set for a busy 2014 with a new series of Broadchurch set to go before the cameras early in the new year.

The actress revealed that keeping the identity of the killer a secret during transmission of the first series - voted the best show of 2013 by Radio Times readers - had not been easy.

"In the final couple of weeks of Broadchurch I ended up spending a fortune on cabs, because every time I took the train l would see people nudging each other, whispering, 'Ask her, ask her'," she said.

"I was getting texts from friends saying, 'Tell me, tell me.' But I couldn't, because I'd signed all these legal documents swearing me to secrecy. I didn't even tell my mum and dad."

She will also appear in new BBC One drama The 7.39, as a woman whose husband (David Morrissey) embarks on an affair with a much younger woman he meets on his morning commute.

Olivia admitted she could understand his character's predicament, saying: "I spent years commuting into London when I was working as a temp and I hated the monotony of it.

"David Morrissey's character is at a point in his life when everything is the same every day. He's bored, hates his job, but he's forgotten that there's this fantastic love at home and he has to weigh up whether it's worth losing that."

But despite all her successes, there's one type of show we won't be seeing Olivia in next year, with the actress revealing she had turned down the chance to take part in Dancing On Ice - and wouldn't ever consider appearing in the likes of Strictly either.

"I love watching the show and I appreciate the work that goes into it," she said of the BBC One hit, "but I would not be acting; I would be there as a 'celebrity', and it's not my cup of tea. That's crossing a line,"

Broadchurch star Olivia Colman joins Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave in BBC2's haunting one-off psychological drama, The Thirteenth Tale (Monday, Dec 30). Here she talks stunts, scares and how she struggled to keep the biggest TV secret of the year!

Can you tell us more about Margaret Lea, your character in the The Thirteenth Tale, and how she gets involved with telling Vida Winter's (Vanessa Redgrave) story?

"Vida approaches Margaret to be her biographer. We don't really know why she's chosen Margaret, but it soon becomes clear that Vida knows something about Margaret's own past and she taps into that upset. She's fearless I think. When Margaret's past is revealed, it's clear she's felt like she's had to toughen up. And she's functional. She's not girly or glamourous, she's tougher."

It sounds like Vida and Margaret want to find out about each other really. Do they form a bond?

"Yes. Margaret's not sure why she's taken this job, but she can't leave once she starts to hear Vida's story. Margaret is also carrying around a kind of ghost with her and Vida says: 'Let it go, it will ruin your life.' It's through hearing Vida's story and watching how she's suffered with things all her life that Margaret realises she's right and they have a lovely bond by the end."

What is the significance of The Thirteenth Tale?

"Basically, Vida's written a book called The Thirteenth Tale, but when you read it there are only 12 tales. The Thirteeth Tale is the most important one: it's the story of HER life, and she's saved this story to tell before she dies."

How did you feel about working with Vanessa Redgrave?

"Working with Vanessa was one of the things that attracted me to this. I was really excited, yet really nervous. I kept waking up in a sweat thinking: 'She doesn't like me!'"

We see Margaret having to climb through windows and suchlike in this drama... do you enjoy doing your own stunts?

"I do get a real rush of adrenaline. For the first take of that scene, I was a bit nervous and looked a bit like a fraggle running, so we had to do it again. I think Margaret's very brave - I certainly wouldn't clamber around a dilapidated old house, crawl through a window, hear a dragging body sound and go towards it."

The Thirteenth Tale is rather spooky. Do you scare easily?

"I am a big chicken! On Broadchurch, Jodie Whittaker and I were flatmates and one night there was a horror film on... I had to go for a wee with the door open, I was so scared. Things like Tarot readings are not my bag at all."

Broadchurch was one of the TV success stories of 2013. Why do you think people were so drawn to it?

"It didn't patronise anybody and there was something about Broadchurch that didn't just concentrate on the case, it was everything... all our nightmares... and it featured normal families that don't want to think about that awful thing happening. You've got to watch the fallout of that lovely community crumbling. It was awful to watch and fascinating at the same time."

What was it like having to keep arguably the biggest TV secret of the year: Who Killed Danny Latimer?

"I just had to stay at home, not answer the door, and not look anyone in the eye. I'm good at keeping secrets, but I knew I could just twitch at the wrong moment and give the game away."

You also won two BAFTAs this year for your roles in The Accused and Twenty Twelve. Where do you keep your awards?

"You know how really cool people say they keep them in the downstairs loo? Well, I'm really uncool, so they're on the fireplace! I don't party all night so, after the awards dinner, me and my husband snuck off home, where I had a cup of tea and put my big socks on."

You've been hailed as the next Judi Dench. How does that feel?

"It's lovely that someone's put our names together in the same sentence because I think she's amazing. She's always worked and she's deliciously private - she's everything I admire."

Finally, The Thirteenth Tale will be going out at Christmas. Do you like Christmas?

"I love it! I get really excited for months beforehand about Father Christmas coming... and sitting by the fire... I put on my Christmas CD in November. I'm a bit of a fascist about weekend mornings and I tell my kids that, if it's before 8am, you read or go back to sleep; after 8am we can all play. But on Christmas morning I'm the one shouting: 'GET UP!!'"