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THAT WAS THE MONTH THAT WAS…
British TV and Showbiz News for April
The London production of the play, which starred Dame Judi and Dame Maggie Smith, closed on March 1st. There had been much speculation that both women would appear in a Broadway production but Dame Judi bowed out claiming that she has another commitment and that she found doing the play tiring and "terribly hard work." Dame Judi did not comment on what her next project would be.
This Agatha Christie style whodunit will give 10 amateur detectives a chance to solve a fictional murder and win a 25,000 pound cash prize. The action opens with a murder at a wedding in the fictional village of Blackwater, which leaves nine potential suspects, who are played by actors. During the eight programs the contestants will work under the supervision of a former police detective to solve the murder. Viewers at home will also be able to help solve the murder via interactive TV.
India is set to get its own version of Hyacinth Bucket when Keeping Up Appearances is remade in Hindi with an all Indian cast. The series will be screened later this year. Its name in Hindi will be Kauva Chala Hans Ki Chaal, which translates as "the crow who tries to walk like a peacock." Hyacinth Bucket will be renamed Bulbul Sand and she will have a henpecked husband named Mandan, a man-eater of a sister named Koel and a lazy brother-in-law named Champak. (Instead of gulping down lagers, this Onslow will sit in front of the television eating samosas.) There will be 26 episodes of the series shown. Starring as Hyacinth will be veteran actress Ketaki Dave, who is known for theatre, TV and movie roles. The Indian version of the Bucket family will live in Bombay and be younger than the ones we've come to know and love. ***** The shortlist has been announced for this year's British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards for television excellence. The nominees are:
***** Plot details of the long-awaited Red Dwarf film are beginning to leak out. The movie gossip website Ain't It Cool News recently obtained publicity material from the American Film Market trade fair held in Santa Monica. The blurb reveals that in the film, the crew of Red Dwarf will battle with Homo Sapienoids - "a fearsome combination of flesh and machine that have taken over the Solar System". They send Death Ships to hunt down long-haul space freighters, including Red Dwarf, to eradicate the last remaining humans. Until now, the plot of the film, due for release in Easter 2004, has been a closely guarded secret. The only comment from co-creator Doug Naylor has been that the movie "will involve a red spaceship". *****
Despite consistently high ratings, Bullen decided to end Cold Feet following its recently completed fifth season. He has not, however, ruled out the possibility that a couple of the Cold Feet characters may get their own spin-offs. Bullen is now concentrating on two new projects: Life Begins, with Royle Family star Caroline Aherne and GeorgeIII, about a man in his 40s who becomes a grandfather and grandson. By Michelle Street |