News

In the 1980s, Hollywood didn’t quite know what to do with Rutger Hauer. The actor broke out in a pretty major way following his acclaimed turn in Paul Verhoeven’s Soldier of Orange, paving the way for his American debut in the Sylvester Stallone thriller Nighthawks, where he played the villain Wulfgar. His performance as Roy Batty in Blade Runner blew people away, and for a while, it looked like he might become the next big Hollywood heartthrob, especially when he signed on to star in the epic adventure film Ladyhawke opposite Michelle Pfeiffer for Richard Donner.

But major stardom didn’t happen? Why? Perhaps it was because the movies of Hauer’s that did best at the box office were the ones where he played the villain, such as The Hitcher. He was so unforgettable as a bad guy that when he played a hero, such as in...

To mark the release of Who Dares Wins and Centennial, both out on 7th June, we’ve been given a copy of each to give away to 1 winner.

Centennial

A captivating look at the intertwining lives of the brave men and women of the

fictional American town of Centennial, Colorado that endured the growing pains of a nation on the rise. Follow the grand hopes, dreams, loves and adventures of generations of residents from their risky attempts to establish a settlement in 1795 through to the politics and power plays of the 20th century.

Who Dares Wins

When an anti-nuclear group resorts to terror to secure their ends, it takes the Sas to deal with them…as only the Sas can. Lewis Collins plays Peter Skellen, an Sas Captain sent to join the terrorists who are led by Frankie Leith (Judy Davis). Skellen joins as an undercover agent as the terrorists...

Mark and Carl Fennessy.

Endemol Shine Australia co-CEOs Mark and Carl Fennessy are departing after leading the company for 10 years, with chief content officer Peter Newman taking over as CEO.

This follows the $US2.2 billion global takeover of Endemol Shine Group by the European production and distribution giant Banijay Group.

Meanwhile, Rory Callaghan continues as CEO of Banijay-owned Screentime, which is yet to be integrated with Endemol Shine. Its slate includes Sas: Who Dares Wins, Rbt and Anh’s Brush with Fame.

Business partners for 26 years after founding indie producer Crackerjack, the Fennessys say they are looking forward to taking a long break. No date has yet been revealed for the handover to Newman, who joined Shine in 2012 as creative director and was upped to chief content officer in 2018.

Newman has overseen one of the world’s biggest unscripted production slates including MasterChef Australia, Big Brother, Gogglebox Australia, Australian Survivor,...

To mark the release of Who Dares Wins on 1st June and Northern Exposure on 15th June, we’ve been given a bundle of both on DVD to give away.

Who Dares Wins

When an anti-nuclear group resorts to terror to secure their ends, it takes the Sas to deal with them…as only the Sas can. Lewis Collins plays Peter Skellen, an Sas Captain sent to join the terrorists who are lead by Frankie Leith (Judy Davis). Skellen joins as an undercover agent as the terrorists attack the London residence of the American secretary of state. Only the Sas can save the VIP hostages…because only they dare. (And because they are told to by their chain of command)

Northern Exposure

Joel Fleischman is a nebbishy Jewish doctor from New York City, and a fresh faced medical school graduate. He’s also about to begin the four year service...

ITV Studios has reshuffled the management of Eggheads producer 12 Yard following the departure of Andy Culpin to Elisabeth Murdoch-backed 110% Content.

The Weakest Link co-creator Culpin has joined 110% Content, which was set up by former ITV entertainment chief Siobhan Greene, as creative director. The company is backed by Shine Group founder Murdoch. Culpin was Managing Director of 12 Yard.

Michael Mannes, who was Deputy MD of the company, becomes MD following Culpin’s departure after joining the business in 2005. Meanwhile, Liz Gaskell becomes Creative Director.

Mannes has has produced shows including primetime BBC One quiz shows Who Dares Wins and In It to Win It, ITV’s Big Star’s Little Star, and Insert Name Here on BBC Two. Prior to this he was at the BBC, where he worked on the first series of Strictly Come Dancing, while he started his career at Planet 24 on The Big Breakfast.

Gaskell has...

Kirsten Howard Aug 8, 2017

Producer Jonathan Sothcott talks about running an independent film company in the UK, finding the right project and a post-Brexit industry.

Jonathan Sothcott has had a hand in producing a whole lot of independent films here in the UK over the last decade. You may have even seen a fair few of them yourself, especially if you’re a Danny Dyer completest.

See related Game Of Thrones season 6 recap Game Of Thrones spinoffs: HBO not keen to "overexploit it” Game Of Thrones: 8 ideas for prequel spinoffs

He’s the man behind Hereford Films, the production and financing company he runs with partner Damien Morley. If that name rings a bell, it might well be because Morley owns a modelling agency that takes care of most of the Page 3 girls, and the entrepreneur has even recently launched a bid to buy the Page 3 brand off The Sun himself.

Following its debut on the Australian streaming service Stan this past May, the six-part Wolf Creek series—featuring John Jarratt once again playing the malevolent Mick Taylor—will make its Us premiere on the Pop network on October 14th.

Comprised of six one-hour episodes, the Wolf Creek series was directed by Tony Tilse and Greg McLean (director of Wolf Creek and Wolf Creek 2) from a script by Peter Gawler and Felicity Packard. The series pits a vengeful young woman named Eve (Lucy Fry) against infamous Outback killer Mick Taylor (Jarratt):

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – July 27, 2016 – Inspired by one of the most terrifying, cult movie franchises ever released in theaters, named one of “The 25 best horror movies since 2000” (Av Squad), one of “The 100 Best Horror films” (Time Out), and one of “The 25 Best Horror Movies Since The Shining” (Vulture), the six-part television event, Wolf Creek, is a psychological...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Over the last year the entertainment industry has suffered incalculable losses of talented people. Some of them hit home personally, as is the case with producer Euan Lloyd, who passed away this weekend in London. I first met Euan in 1978 when I was attending college in New Jersey. I had the enviable gig of being the film critic for the campus newspaper, which afforded me the opportunity to routinely attend press screenings of forthcoming films in New York, which was a stone's throw across the river from my native Jersey City. I had read about the upcoming release of "The Wild Geese" which seemed to promise a "too-good-to-be-true" cast composed of some of my favorite actors (Richard Burton, Roger Moore and Richard Harris above all) in the kind of gritty, macho British war flick that I had become addicted to ever since seeing "Zulu" at age 8. To...

UK TV ratings round-up - data supplied by Barb

Doc Martin was once again top of the Monday night ratings, as its finale episode brought in over 5 and a half million viewers.

The ITV Martin Clunes drama was seen by an average overnight audience of 5.88m (26.6%) at 9pm (346,000/2.3%), down around 100k from last week.

On BBC One, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's War on Waste intrigued 3.36m (15.2%) at 9pm.

BBC Two's busy night started with Only Connect with 1.65m (7.8%) in an earlier timeslot of 7.30pm, followed by University Challenge with 2.73m (12.4%) at 8pm. Simply Nigella appealed to 2.34m (10.6%) at 8.30pm, while Autumnwatch was seen by 1.74m (7.8%) at 9pm. Mock the Week amused 1.25m (7.3%) at 10pm.

On Channel 4, Sas: Who Dares Wins interested 1.31m (5.9%) at 9pm (238k/1.6%), followed by Fargo with 489k (3.4%) at 10pm.

Channel 5's Police Interceptors attracted 1.01m (4.6%) at 8pm, and On Benefits amazed 971k (4.4%) at 9pm (124k/0.8%).

On...

UK TV ratings round-up - data supplied by Barb

The Walking Dead scared up an audience of more than 650,000 viewers last night (October 27), according to overnight figures.

The latest episode - which saw the possible death of a major character - averaged 658k (3.2%) from 9pm on Fox.

The Walking Dead season 6: Did 'Thank You' really just kill off a fan favourite?

Meanwhile, ITV's Doc Martin topped the ratings with 5.99 million (29.5%).

On BBC One, Panorama was watched by 2.07 million (9.6%) and Traffic Cops earned 2.32 million (11.4%).

BBC Two's University Challenge quizzed 2.82 million (13%) from 8pm. It was followed by Only Connect, which had 2.29 million (10.7%).

On Channel 4, Sas: Who Dares Wins appealed to 1.42 million (7%). American drama Fargo continued with 395k (3%) afterwards.

Over on Channel 5, Police Interceptors and Benefits averaged 924k (4.3%) and 1.1 million (5.4%) respectively.

E4's Made in Chelsea entertained 437k (2.1%), with the series premiere of Scream Queens attracting 230k (1.6%).

Action adventure The Dead Lands is in UK cinemas this weekend. Director Toa Fraser talks about its making and how James Cameron’s a fan...

A taut and intense action adventure, The Dead Lands is a superb showcase for director Toa Fraser. It provides an insight into a culture not often explored on screen - set in pre-colonial New Zealand, the film’s dialogue is entirely in the Maori language - while delivering the kind of pared-back revenge story you might expect from a western or a samurai film.

In other words, The Dead Lands is both unique to its country and universal; its historical setting and subtitles might suggest something for the arthouse crowd, but its bruising fight scenes will please the action crowd, too. What’s more, James Cameron is officially a fan.

As The Dead Lands makes its debut in UK cinemas, we caught up with Toa Fraser...

BBC One's brand new Saturday night gameshow Can't Touch This is among a raft of new entertainment programmes which have been ordered by the broadcaster.

The ten-part series - which will be filmed in Belfast - has a simple enough premise: if you touch a prize, you win it. However, nothing is that easy and contestants will have to negotiate a huge assault course while battling it out to touch the prizes.

BBC One has also ordered a new series called Five Star Family Reunion, in which long lost families have to work together to be reunited in a five star location.

Elsewhere, Shane Richie's quiz show Win Your Wish List will return for eight more episodes in 2016, while Nick Knowles's programme Who Dares Wins has won an eight-episode order - including a Eurovision special. Dale Winton's In It to Win It will also be back for eight more episodes.

Nick Knowles is definitely a fixture of the television schedules, and he's back for more with another series of his Saturday night show Break The Safe - which returns tomorrow. To mark its launch, we got on the phone with Nick for a natter about the many things he's got going on - from the future of Diy Sos to whether he really was approached about Strictly...

"I think people overlook the Saturday night stuff on BBC One because it's wrapped around the lottery. But you can tell a good show from a bad show, because a bad one will get about 2m, and a good one will do several million more than that. We know lots of people watched Break The Safe last time and enjoyed it, so I'm very pleased to get a second go at it. I think sometimes also people think these things are made up...

Stars: Simon Phillips, Tom Knight, Zara Phythian, Christina Bellavia, Lorraine Stanley | Written by Paul Tanter, James Crow, Simon Phillips | Directed by Paul Tanter

If I was to ask you to think of action movies set in tower blocks you could probably come up with movies like Die Hard, Dredd and The Raid as being some of the most popular. Working with these type of settings it allows the film to have a certain controlled level of action and even set the fighting at levels of hardness. This is something that He Who Dares does, but at a low-budget and with a certain degree of British patriotism.

When the Prime Minister’s daughter is kidnapped and held hostage in an underground car park rigged to explode the S.A.S are called in to handle the situation. Soon finding themselves trapped in the complex with resources low and men dying, the...

Son Terry (left) watches his Father Dickie, dance with lead vocalist Kerry Schultz and guitarist David D'Andrade (far right) during the band's performance of The Man With the Golden Gun.

 

By Dave Worrall

Last weekend (Saturday 22nd March) I had the pleasure of being invited to Jean and Dickie Bamber's Diamond Wedding anniversary celebrations held at Heatherden Hall, Pinewood Studios. Dickie has worked in the film industry for over 50 years on productions such as Genevieve, The Ipcress File, Thunderball, Battle of Britain, A Bridge Too Far and many of the Carry On comedies, to name but a few. Their son Terry, himself a veteran of the industry, and who I first met on the set of the James Bond film GoldenEye, did his parent's proud. Following a champagne reception we dined in the Pinewood house restaurant (remember the scene in Who Dares Wins where the hostages are held around...

The Voice UK topped Saturday primetime ratings once again last night (March 15) with an average of 6.7 million viewers and 29.2% of the audience share from 7.25pm, according to overnight data.

The BBC One show's first episode of knockouts peaked at 7.7m, marking an average increase of 1m more viewers than last year's equivalent instalment.

The singing programme was followed by National Lottery: Who Dares Wins with 4.77m (23.5%) at 8.40pm, while 5.17m (27.6%) tuned in to the latest episode of medical drama Casualty at 9.30pm.

Over on BBC Two, Dad's Army attracted the channel's biggest ratings of the evening with 1.7m (7.25%) watching the wartime sitcom at 7.30pm.

The Perfect Morecambe & Wise continued at 8pm with 1.41m (6.18%), while an episode of Qi quizzed 1.29m (6.74%) at 9.30pm.

ITV's Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway held steady in the ratings with 6.5m (28.68%) tuning in to see the Geordie duo prank Holly Willoughby on the set of Surprise Surprise from 7pm.

The Voice UK has continued to deliver high Saturday night ratings, going over eight million during last night's (February 1) instalment, according to overnight data.

The singing competition gave BBC One an average of 8.50 million viewers during its 7.15pm - 8.30pm slot, taking 36.6% of the audience share.

Over on ITV, Tom Daley's Splash! continued with a slight increase in viewers from last week at 6.45pm, with 3.62m (16%) tuning in to see Perri Kiely and Keith Duffy make it through to the final of the diving competition.

Back to BBC One, National Lottery: Who Dares Wins entertained 5.89m (26.6%) at 8.30pm, while the latest episode of medical drama Casualty had 5.20m (24.1%) gripped at 9.20pm.

BBC Two's biggest primetime ratings came from Dad's Army at 8pm, with 1.94m (8.2%) tuning in to the wartime sitcom. 2010 comedy film Made in Dagenham brought in 1.22m (5.9%) at 9.15pm.

ITV's Take Me Out attracted 3.28m (14.6%) at 8.15pm,...

The Voice UK continued its ratings success for BBC One last night (January 25), once again topping Saturday's primetime ratings during its 7pm slot.

According to overnight data, an average audience of 7.89 million (35.2%) tuned in to watch this weekend's show, which saw performances from Adele's cousin Georgia, and Vicky Jones - the sister of McFly's Danny Jones.

Over on ITV, Tom Daley's Splash! attracted 3.54m (16.25) at 6.45pm, as Richard Whitehead and Austin Healey made it through to the semi-finals of the diving competition.

Back on BBC One, 5.03m (23.6%) played along with National Lottery: Who Dares Wins at 8.15pm, while 4.65m (21.6%) tuned in to watch Casualty at 9.10pm.

A repeat of the first ever episode of Mrs Brown's Boys amused 4.72m (23.5%) at 10pm.

BBC Two's biggest primetime ratings came from an episode of Dad's Army, which pulled in 2.02m (9.19%) at 8pm. Morecambe & Wise in Pieces: At Home entertained 1.79m (8.34%) at 8.30pm,...

The Voice UK continued its third series last night (January 18) with a peak audience of 8.9 million.

The BBC One show averaged 7.6m and 32.8% of the audience share at 7pm. The figures show that the instalment attracted 1.2m more viewers than the second episode of the 2013 series.

Meanwhile, in the same time slot on ITV, 3.64m (15.86%) tuned in to see Dan Osborne and Danielle Lloyd dive their way into the semi-finals of Splash! An added 209,000 (0.93%) caught up with the action an hour later on +1.

Back on BBC One, Nick Knowle's National Lottery: Who Dares Wins hooked 5.13m (23.2%) at 8.20pm, followed by the latest episode of Casualty with 4.86m (21.6%) at 9.10pm.

BBC Two's Live Snooker: The Masters entertained 1.51m (6.67%) at 7pm, while James May's Toy Stories - which saw the Top Gear presenter attempt to create a life-size model of a Spitfire - was seen by 940k (4.39%).

Take Me Out scored...

A two-week stint in the jungle has a variety of consequences on its celebrity campers. It sends certain stars loopy and turns others into crying divas - but it's had a mellowing effect on EastEnders actress Laila Morse, as she reveals in this interview with Digital Spy.

How does it feel to be out of the jungle, Laila?

If I'm being truthful, I really miss the jungle. I slept well in there and I enjoyed it, but it was hard. You're cut off from the outside world and you don't eat properly. I lost a stone in there, but I'm happy.

Were you worried about the jungle diet and the meagre rations before you went in?

I like my food, so I was certainly worried about the diet before I went in there. I'm a good eater and I get very angry when I get hungry. I have a terrible...

Actor who was both heart-throb and hardman as Bodie in The Professionals

In a 1980 episode of the hit British cop show The Professionals, an ill-advised villain tries to threaten the ex-mercenary William Bodie with his snarling doberman pinscher. After a brief altercation, Bodie, all sang-froid and minimally curled lip, inquires: "Would your little dog like to chew this electric fire? Or maybe you'll just leave."

This kind of butch badinage, along with rugged good looks, helped make Lewis Collins, who played Bodie in all 57 of the show's episodes from 1977 and 1983, and who has died aged 67 after suffering from cancer, into a household name. During that time he formed one half of Britain's answer to Starsky and Hutch, a crime-fighting duo called Bodie and Doyle who worked for a shadowy criminal intelligence agency, CI5, headed by Gordon Jackson's strait-laced George Cowley. At its height, The Professionals was watched by 12 million viewers a week,...

In the 70s and early 80s most little boys in the UK wanted to be wisecracking Bodie from The Professionals. One writer remembers being in awe of Collins' brooding action hero

I wanted to be Lewis Collins when I was a boy. I'd kick open the kitchen door with a water pistol in my hand, shouting at my mum to: "Get down on the ground, hands where I can see them!" This must have been quite annoying. She was probably wearing yellow Marigolds, for a start, which wasn't very villainous.

Two decades later, I got to interview Collins. It was only 15 minutes on the phone but I was still in awe. I'd been told he was a bit moody and didn't like talking about The Professionals any more, both of which proved untrue. He was charm personified, only too happy to reminisce. He had a mischievous sense of humour, a...

 

Lewis Collins, the popular British actor who played men of action, has died at from cancer at age 67. Although his fame was largely relegated to his native England, he maintained a loyal fan following primarily attributed to his role in the long-running UK TV series The Professionals which is still being presented in re-runs on ITV4. Collins also had roles in other popular British TV series including Z Cars, The New Avengers and The Cuckoo Waltz. He also starred in producer Euan Lloyd's 1982 feature film Who Dares Wins about a daring Sas operation. The film, released in the United States as The Final Option, was a personal favorite of President Ronald Reagan, who requested a private screening at the White House. Collins was touted by many as a suitable candidate for playing James Bond. In fact, Collins screen tested for the role of 007 but failed to convince legendary producer...

Actor Lewis Collins has died, aged 67.

The Professionals star passed away in Los Angeles after a five-year battle with cancer, his agent told BBC News.

The actor was perhaps best known for playing Bodie in the 1970's TV drama alongside Martin Shaw.

His agent said: "He died peacefully at his La home surrounded by his family. Privacy is asked for at this very sad time."

The Professionals centred around the cases of the fictional crime fighting unit named CI5.

The ITV programme was ratings success in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Collins auditioned for the role of James Bond in 1982, but was reportedly thought "too aggressive" for the part.

His other roles included Sas captain Peter Skellen in 1982's Who Dares Wins, George Godley in Jack the Ripper and parts in The Grimleys, The Bill, Cluedo and The New Avengers.

Watch the intro from The Professionals below:...

Taking time out of her busy schedule to greet fans, Ellie Goulding signed autographs outside BBC Radio 1 in London, England on Tuesday (November 19).

The "I Need Your Love" singer wore a black T-shirt with "Who Dares Wins" on the front, tucked into gray high-waisted trousers as she smiled at the awaiting crowd.

Pleased with her performance, the 26-year-old songstress tweeted, "Busy day but absolutely loved every second of Radio 1 Live Lounge :)."

Recently, Ellie announced a North American tour beginning in March 2014 to support her newest album, Halcyon Days."...

Judy Davis is one of the fiercest film actors around. She talks about the flaws in her new film, feeling let down by Woody Allen, and her distaste over the release of River Phoenix's last movie

Judy Davis sounds vaguely discombobulated when she picks up the phone. The 58-year-old actor is at home in Sydney on a Friday evening. What have I interrupted? "Oh, nothing," she sighs. "I was just tidying." She asks how I am. I tell her I just got up (it's the time difference), and she sighs again and says: "Oh God."

Anyone who knows Davis's work will appreciate the disdain she can bring to a simple exhalation. Withering contempt is her on-screen stock-in-trade; her repertoire for expressing it includes an array of tics and twitches, a drop-dead stare and a temper seen to blistering effect in some of her films for Woody Allen, including Husbands and Wives and Deconstructing Harry.

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway has continued its surprise ratings rejuvenation, with its latest episode smashing the 7 million mark.

Some 7.33m, a 31.7% audience share, watched the fifth edition of the revived format airing its first run in four years, adding a further 421,000 on +1.

Setting a new high for its tenth series, Saturday Night Takeaway was easily the best-rated broadcast of yesterday (March 23), having fallen short of the Six Nations rugby finale last week.

Takeaway, screened at 7pm, also geared up ITV for its first Saturday night win over BBC One of 2013, with The Cube logging 4.69m (20.3%) at 8.15pm (+1: 377k), and The Jonathan Ross Show entertaining 2.62m (12.4%) from 9.15pm (+1: 266k).

Over on BBC One, Pointless and Lottery show Who Dares Wins recorded identical figures of 4.76m between 7pm and 8.50pm, then the audience rose to 5.16m (22.4%) for Casualty, before a Mrs Brown's Boys repeat amused 4.91m (22.7%).

Classic Foyle's War...

Ok, I'm no match for Roger Moore. But while I'm never shaken, I can be stirred

My favourite James Bond opening sequence occurred in Live and Let Die, which marked the debut of Roger Moore in the role. In it, we see a chap in a soft hat and grey suit (who is later revealed to be a British spy) watching a doleful New Orleans funeral procession led by a brass band. Soon, he is joined by a dapper wee bloke who looks like a Caribbean version of the shopkeeper character in Mr Benn. "Whose funeral is it?" asks the agent. "Yours," says the shopkeeper and duly sinks a flick knife right into the Brit's ribs.

Without breaking stride, the coffin-bearers move over to the prone spy and cover him with the casket. Whereupon the band breaks into a joyous Dixieland bacchanal and gaily clad dudes in jumpsuits and carrying...

Released on Blu-ray this week, Arrow Video’s long-awaited release of The Wild Geese and Who Dares Wins see the format debut of two very “British” war movies staring some very familiar faces, including Roger Moore, Richard Burton, Lewis Collins and Richard Widmark; and thanks to Arrow Video we have three Blu-rays of each to giveaway!

Who Dares Wins

A fanatical group of anti-nuclear radicals, calling themselves ‘The People’s Lobby’, is plotting a bloody outrage on British soil and, having already fatally lost their undercover operative at a violent protest, the secret services call on the aid of the Sas.

Captain Peter Skellen (Collins) is apparently thrown out of the service for gross misconduct and is soon recruited by The People’s Lobby. But Skellen’s dismissal is a front to enable him to infiltrate the terrorist group. He seduces Frankie Leith (Judy Davis) and she quickly admits him to the inner circle.

Outstanding Blu-ray presentations of two all-action classics, featuring the best of British are available to purchase right now. Arrow Video are proud to announce the release of The Wild Geese and Who Dares Win, available to buy on Blu-ray from 8th October 2012.

We have three copies of each Blu-ray to give away to our readers…

The Wild Geese (Arrow Video)

Available to buy on Blu-ray from 8th October 2012

British film legends Richard Burton (Where Eagles Dare; Cleopatra), Roger Moore (James Bond) and Richard Harris (Gladiator; Unforgiven) head up an all-star cast in the much-revered, all-action adventure film, The Wild Geese, coming to Blu-ray for the first time in October.

A high octane, thrill-ride directed by veteran action and western director Andrew V. McLaglen (The Sea Wolves; Chisum) and edited by John Glen (the director of the Bond movies For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights...

It’s Monday, so we all know what that means! Yes, it’s time for another rundown of DVDs and Blu-ray’s hitting stores online and offline this week. It’s a jam-packed week, with plenty of movies waiting to take you money, so let us breakdown the new releases and highlight what you should – and shouldn’t – be buying from today, October 8th 2012.

Pick Of The Week

Nash Bridges: The First Season (DVD)

In the first season of this action-packed police drama, Don Johnson stars as Nash Bridges, the charming street-smart inspector for San Francisco’s elite Special nvestigations Unit. Always behind the wheel of his signature yellow ‘Cuda,’ Nash often goes undercover to track down the city s most vile criminals, from drug dealers and smugglers to the Russian mob. Never far behind is Nash’s loyal partner Joe Dominguez (Cheech Marin), a retired cop who’s...

Let's Dance for Sport Relief was the most-watched show last night, according to the latest overnight data. At 7pm, 5.58m (25.3%) watched Tyger Drew-Honey, Omid Djalili and Dani Harmer make it through to the Let's Dance final. BBC One had a clean sweep, with 6.05pm's Pointless Celebrities (4.2m/21.3%), 8.20pm's Who Dares Wins (5.27m/22.9%) and 9.10pm's Casualty (5.17m/23.4%) also winning their respective slots. Meanwhile on ITV1, Take Me Out dipped to 4.62m (20%) at 8.05pm (+1: 182k), after which The Jonathan Ross Show remained steady with 2.91m (13.6%) at 9.20pm. All Star Family Fortunes kicked off the evening with 3.41m (17.5%) at 6.05pm (+1: 274k), then You've Been Framed entertained 4.36m (21.5%) at 7.05pm (+1: 350k), and 4.64m (20.8%) were amused by Harry Hill's (more)...

Let's Dance for Sport Relief's return boosted BBC One on Saturday (February 18) night, early overnight data reveals. The show opened with a solid 6.54m (28.9%), up slightly on the launch of the last series, and much higher than its 7pm predecessor, The Magicians. ITV1's early evening suffered as a result, with You've Been Framed nabbing 3.7m (16.4%) at 7.15pm (+1: 206k/0.9%), and Harry Hill's TV Burp slumping to 4.21m (17.5%) at 7.45pm (+1: 190k/0.8%). Both Who Dares Wins (5.3m/22.5%) and Casualty (5.35m/23.1%) rounded off BBC One's evening with decent audiences. Meanwhile, Take Me Out dipped to 4.85m (19.6%) at 8.15pm (+1: 151k/0.7%), then 571k (2.5%) switched over to ITV2 for Take Me Out: The Gossip. Back on ITV1, The Jonathan Ross Show entertained 3.23m (14.7%) at 9.15pm (+1: 306k/1.8%). (more)...

From our exclusive feed with Cult Labs we have some exciting news on Arrow's 2012 slate with 4 new titles announced for a March 2012 release. And what a gloriously eclectic mix it is, with a reassuringly (for me, anyway) strong showing from the Brits. There's cult Sas heroism, Moore, Burton and Harris  shooting baddies, a trashy creature feature and a sleazy video nasty. Read on for the official notes, and check out some artwork below...Who Dares Wins (Arrow Video) The 60 Second War Begins Now! Paranoia, black ops and espionage combine in Who Dares Wins, a violent and edgy anti-terror classic starring Lewis Collins (The Professionals) and Edward Woodward (The Equalizer). The anti-nuclear movement is plotting a bloody outrage on British soil and, having already fatally lost their undercover operative...

It’s time for another update from our friends at Arrow Video, this time previewing their March 2012 releases which encompass sleazy horror, cult British action movies and gory, cheesy sci-fi… The highlight for me in March’s releases? Definitely has to be Don’t Go In The House.

Who Dares Wins (Arrow Video)

The 60 Second War Begins Now! Paranoia, black ops and espionage combine in Who Dares Wins, a violent and edgy anti-terror classic starring Lewis Collins (The Professionals) and Edward Woodward (The Equalizer). The anti-nuclear movement is plotting a bloody outrage on British soil and, having already fatally lost their undercover operative at a violent protest, the secret services call on the aid of the Sas. Captain Peter Skellen (Collins) risks his career, his family and his life to infiltrate the terrorist group before they can unleash an attack that will devastate the country. Relive a classic cold war...

Production designer behind the deadly gadgets used by James Bond – and his foes

The production designer Syd Cain, who has died aged 93, was one of many behind-the-scenes professionals elevated to something like prominence by the worldwide interest in the James Bond films. An industry veteran who began work in British cinema as a draughtsman in 1947, contributing to the look of the gothic melodrama Uncle Silas, Cain is credited on a range of film and television projects, but remains best known for his work in various design capacities on the 007 series, from Dr No in 1962 to GoldenEye in 1995.

Born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Cain served in the armed forces in the second world war, surviving a plane crash and recovering from a broken back. Working at Denham Studios in Buckinghamshire in the 1940s and 50s, he moved up from uncredited draughtsman (on Adam and Evelyne, The Interrupted Journey, You Know What Sailors Are...

A line-up of Eon greats at the National History Museum in 2002, where Syd was promoting his autobiography. (L to R): Ken Adam, Syd Cain, Peter Lamont and Michael G. Wilson. (Photo copyright Dave Worrall. All rights reserved).

By Lee Pfeiffer

Syd Cain, the respected art director and production designer, has died at age 93. Syd's death is a personal loss to many of us at Cinema Retro who considered him a friend. His remarkable career included a long association with the James Bond films. He began on the very first film, Dr. No, in 1962 as art director, working with the legendary production designer Ken Adam. When Adam wasn't available for the second film, From Russia With Love, Syd took over for the art direction and production design duties. Syd was billed as the production designer for the 1969 Bond classic On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969, playing a crucial role in...

Ingrid Pitt in the classic 1970 horror film The House That Dripped Blood. Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Lions Gate

By Ronald Bergan; Reprinted from The Guardian.co.UK

In the late 1960s, when audiences were increasingly able to tolerate and even demand more graphic violence and sexuality from mainstream Hollywood films, the British company Hammer Film Productions, known as the "House of Horror", decided to compete by playing up the erotic and gory content of their baroque films. During the scream factory's last gasp period, the erupting female sexuality of young, curvaceous victims of predatory males was common. The voluptuous Ingrid Pitt, who has died aged 73, was fortunate enough to be cast as a perpetrator rather than a victim.

Pitt's reputation, which has been somewhat inflated by horror-movie freaks and camp followers, is largely based on two Hammer movies, The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Countess Dracula (1971). She was able to imbue these vampire...

Actor who gained a cult following playing lusty vampires in Hammer horror films

In the late 1960s, when audiences were increasingly able to tolerate and even demand more graphic violence and sexuality from mainstream Hollywood films, the British company Hammer Film Productions, known as the "House of Horror", decided to compete by playing up the erotic and gory content of their baroque films. During the scream factory's last gasp period, the erupting female sexuality of young, curvaceous victims of predatory males was common. The voluptuous Ingrid Pitt, who has died aged 73, was fortunate enough to be cast as a perpetrator rather than a victim.

Pitt's reputation, which has been somewhat inflated by horror-movie freaks and camp followers, is largely based on two Hammer movies, The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Countess Dracula (1971). She was able to imbue these vampire characters with every possible ounce of human feeling, as well as displaying a lustiness rare in British pictures,...

Come in from the cold, stranger, and prepare yourself for the best and bloodiest work from Hammer horror's archetypal vampire countess. Let me take your scarf ...

Following Ingrid Pitt's death at 73, apparently from heart failure, her daughter Steffanie told the BBC the actor should be remembered as the vampire countess with the "wonderful teeth and the wonderful bosom". There seems little doubt Pitt will remain associated with the particular blend of gore and sex appeal that typified the Hammer movies of the early 1970s, and which remain her trademark.

Ingoushka Petrov was born in Poland in 1937 to a German father and Jewish mother. Confined to a concentration camp for much of the war, she later moved to Berlin where, in the 1950s, she married an American soldier. They moved to California but the marriage failed and she returned to Europe. In the 1960s, Pitt worked with the Berliner Ensemble theatre company under Helene Weigel,...

The second episode of the new season of Doctor Who drew 6.36m (32.3%) for BBC One on Saturday night, the latest viewing figures show. 'The Beast Below' failed to top last week's series premiere, but was the most-watched programme during primetime. Also on BBC One last night, Over The Rainbow put in 5.35m (25.1%) at 7pm, 6.03m (26%) watched The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins at 8.15pm, and the 9pm screening of Casualty was seen by 5.61m (24%). Dad's Army interested 1.81m (8%) for BBC Two at 8pm, then the live coverage of Golf: The Masters averaged 2.01m (10.6%) between 8.30pm and midnight. Harry Potter And The Order Of The (more)...

Piers Morgan's Life Stories hit a series low on Saturday night, according to the latest viewing figures. The latest instalment, which revolved around Joan Collins, managed 3.39m (15.1%) for ITV1 during the 9pm hour. Also on ITV1 last night, Harry Hill's TV Burp and Ant & Dec's Push The Button logged 5.83m (25.2%) and 5.05m (21.5%) at 7.30pm and 8pm respectively. Over on BBC One, Over The Rainbow drew 5.22m (23.9%) with its second episode at 6.30pm, and The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins had 6.04m (25.7%) at 8pm. Casualty followed at 8.45pm, drawing 5.91m (25.6%). The Great Offices of State (more)...

Piers Morgan's Life Stories made a decent return to ITV1 Saturday night, according to the latest viewing figures. The first episode of the new series, which featured Simon Cowell, drew 5.61m (23.6%) during the 9pm hour, beating last year's high of 4.98m (28.4%) for Katie Price's episode. Earlier on ITV1, Harry Hill's TV Burp and Ant & Dec's Push The Button logged 4.75m (20.4%) and 5.74m (24.4%) at 7.30pm and 8pm. Over on BBC One, Let's Dance For Sport Relief took 6.97m (30.3%) at 7.15pm, then 5.91m (24.9%) tuned in for The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins between 8.30pm and 9.15pm. Casualty followed, (more)...

Brian G Hutton, 1968

I keep waiting for the day when Where Eagles Dare begins to pall. I mean, how many films can stand up to multiple viewings over such a vast span of time (about 40 years)? In fact, the opposite seems to be happening – it gets better, yields deeper layers of meaning, every time I see it.

Adapted from the novel by Em Forster… no, hang on, that's Where Angels Fear to Tread, but there's a point to be made here. Where Eagles Dare is a great title, anticipating the widespread popularity of the Sas motto "Who Dares Wins", even though it was made years before the storming of the Iranian embassy in 1980, of which the film could be seen either as a prophetic allegory or a direct inspiration. And the title is not just a sonorous bit of rhetoric plucked from Shakespeare. No, the castle scaled by Richard Burton,...

Brian G Hutton, 1968

I keep waiting for the day when Where Eagles Dare begins to pall. I mean, how many films can stand up to multiple viewings over such a vast span of time (about 40 years)? In fact, the opposite seems to be happening – it gets better, yields deeper layers of meaning, every time I see it.

Adapted from the novel by Em Forster… no, hang on, that's Where Angels Fear to Tread, but there's a point to be made here. Where Eagles Dare is a great title, anticipating the widespread popularity of the Sas motto "Who Dares Wins", even though it was made years before the storming of the Iranian embassy in 1980, of which the film could be seen either as a prophetic allegory or a direct inspiration. And the title is not just a sonorous bit of rhetoric plucked from Shakespeare. No, the castle scaled by Richard Burton,...

Popular actor known for his roles in Callan, The Equalizer and The Wicker Man

Edward Woodward, who has died aged 79, was an actor with possibly far more potential than was ever realised on screen, but he became a popular television star in Callan and The Equalizer and enjoyed cult success with the film The Wicker Man. For many years, he was part of the comfortable community of jobbing actors, directors and producers which could be called the "Teddington set" – those who worked for the BBC, ABC and Thames TV studios in west London in their heyday – and so found it comparatively easy to get parts which were financially rewarding but not too stretching.

Presentable, but sombre in appearance, he played loners on the edges of society, and even sanity, who were in their different ways concerned with justice – either sympathetically or not. He was a man who, like many of his most memorable roles,...

Actor Edward Woodward has passed away at age 79. The acclaimed star of stage and screen had appeared in many high-profile films including Breaker Morant, The Final Option, Young Winston and - more recently- the hit British comedy Hot Fuzz. He also starred in the popular British TV series Callan. However, Woodward will always be associated with the classic cult horror film The Wicker Man in which he plays a police inspector whose search for a missing girl leads him to interact with a bizarre society that mingles sex, murder and the occult. The film's long and pained history has been the subject of books and documentaries, but suffice it to say that it became a far bigger hit in the years after its initial release. Woodward co-starred in it with Sir Christopher Lee. In the 1980s, Woodward became a popular household name in America through his Emmy-nominated role as The Equalizer on TV.