Jekyll and Hyde on television and film

                                                             

Jekyll and Hyde, coming to ITV this autumn,  is the latest production inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's classic 1886 novella about a good man who transforms into his evil alter ego.

Set in the 1930s, Tom Bateman (Da Vinci’s Demons, The Tunnel) takes the lead role as Robert Jekyll,  grandson of Stevenson's Dr Henry Jekyll. Other leading roles are played by Richard E Grant (made famous in Withnail and I and more recently playing "The Great Intelligence" in Doctor Who) and Natalie Gumede (Doctor Who - Last Christmas, Coronation Street).

The series is written and executive produced by Charlie Higson, star of The Fast Show and celebrated novelist (Young Bond, The Enemy).   It will have ten episodes and is described by ITV as an "action adventure series" which "exudes mystery, fantasy, horror and sci-fi". 

Alongside Dracula and Frankenstein, Jekyll/Hyde is a Victorian gothic horror character who has been adapted and reinvented multiple times.  Around a hundred actors have played variations of the part in film and TV.  The earliest was Hobart Bosworth in a now-lost 1908 film.  Here are three subsequent short silent films which are now in the public domain:

1912

1913

1920

Rouben Mamoulian's 1931 film is still seen by many as the definitive adaptation of the story for its ground-breaking transformation scenes and a brilliant central performance by Frederic March. This film was also remade ten years later starring Spencer Tracey.  Britain's gothic horror specialists Hammer Studios produced two versions of the story: 1961's The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll starring Paul Massie and 1971's gender-switch version Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde starring  Ralph  Bates and Martine Beswick:

In recent decades, the story has been  adapted more often for the small screen, including TV movies in 1990 and 2003 starring Michael Caine and John Hannah, and the Steven Moffat's modern-day series in 2008 starring James Nesbitt.  Sadly, there was no proper resolution to Moffat's series as the BBC decided not to recommission it for a second run:

TV coming soon: Cuffs

Coming later in the year on BBC One, Cuffs is a new cop show set in Brighton.

Eight sixty-minute episodes are being produced and the show is reportedly going to air in a week-day 8pm slot (a replacement for the axed Waterloo Road).

The cast is fronted by Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Doctor Who - Journey to the Centre of the Tardis) Peter Sullivan (The Borgias, State Of Play), Amanda Abbington (Sherlock, Mr Selfridge) and  Shaun Dooley (Exile, The Game).  The series is written by Julie Gearey (Prisoners’ Wives, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl).

Cuffs is described by the BBC as "a fresh, authentic and visceral drama that will take the audience on an exhilarating ride through the challenges of front-line policing". 

  

The show is currently in production with filming continuing on the South Coast of England.  Amanda Abbington recently shared a picture with co-star Ashley Walters from the set:

On the beach. With my constable. @AshleyWalters82 #cuffs pic.twitter.com/bNjb0CJ02K

— amanda abbington (@CHIMPSINSOCKS) June 23, 2015

DVD REVIEW: Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel

Fans of Doctor Who might be interested to check out this time travel comedy from 2009.  It was written by Jamie Mathieson who wrote two of the best episodes from last year's series: Mummy on the Orient Express and Flatline.  Although it is inferior to the quality of those stories, it is an enjoyable film with entertaining performances and plot.

During an evening in their local pub, three blokes stumble across a tear in the space/time continuum in the gent's toilets.  Through this they travel backwards and forwards in time and have to work out how to fix the problem without bumping into themselves and therefore erasing themselves from existence.  A mysterious woman from the future also appears at random moments and implies that the trio have an important destiny.

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel seems heavily influenced by Shaun of the Dead (2004).  The film focuses on three young male friends who are unhappy in their work and love life, and it's easy to imagine Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in these parts.  Both films also use the setting of a grotty pub and cheesy music is played from jukeboxes for comic effect.  

Unfortunately, the comparison to Shaun of the Dead, does not favour FAQ About Time Travel.  Although well played by three engaging comic actors, Chris O'Dowd, Marc Wooton and Dean Lennox Kelly, the central characters are thinly drawn.  There is very little back story and at only 83 minutes, little time for proper characterisation.   O'Dowd plays Ray, not a great leap from his IT Crowd character Roy,  who is obsessed by time travel and science fiction.  There is a very weak romance between Ray and the mysterious time-traveller Cassie (Anna Faris).  Wooton plays Toby who dreams up awful sci-fi plot ideas and writes a letter to "Hollywood" complaining about their lack of originality.  Lennox Kelly plays Pete who is more cynical and less nerdy, being unable to distinguish between Star Wars and Star Trek.  Another major similarity between this and the Shaun of the Dead is that both films are full of intertextual references.

Mathieson's script is better on plot than characterisation.  There are some good twists and a lack of unnecessary  pseusdo-science.   Sadly, the film's director Gareth Carrivick died of leukaemia only a year its release.  It was his only feature film.  Although the film lacks cinematic flair, Carrivick used his experience directing television sitcoms to get likeable comic performances from the cast. Although not a great success, this film is recommended to anyone interested in time travel concepts and to fans of the lead actors' other work.

UK TV: 1970s Doctor Who on the Horror Channel this week

This week on The Horror Channel, UK television viewers can enjoy 1970s Doctor Who episodes including the emotional conclusion to Jon Pertwee's era and three classic stories from Tom Baker's dynamic first season as the Doctor.   Here are the scheduled broadcast times and clips from the official Doctor Who YouTube channel:  

Monday 29th June

Planet of the Spiders

10.00 - Episode 5 and 6

14.40 - repeated

19.50 - repeated

Tuesday 30th June
The Sontaran Experiment

10.00 - Episode 1 and 2

14.40 - repeated

19.50 - repeated

Wednesday 1st July
The Ark in Space

10.00 - Episode 1 and 2

14.40 - repeated

19.50 - repeated

Thursday 2nd July
The Ark in Space

10.00 - Episode 3 and 4

14.40 - repeated

19.50 - repeated

Friday 3rd July
Genesis of the Daleks

10.00 - Episode 1 and 2

14.40 - repeated

19.50 - repeated

Episodes 3 to 6 of this Daleks story, which first introduced their evil creator Davros, will be screened at the same times next Monday and Tuesday.

PREVIEWS: Three British films coming up in 2016

To follow up the recent post on British films coming out over the six months, here is a look further ahead to three intriguing films due out next year:  

Billie Piper City of Tiny Lights Director: Pete Travis Starring: Riz Ahmed, Billie Piper, Vincent Regan Genre: Crime thriller Known facts:  A London-set film noir thriller .  Riz Ahmed plays Tommy Akhtar, a private investigator drawn into a dark conspiracy after being hired to find a missing a girl.  Billie Piper co-stars in her first feature film role since Doctor Who established her as a major acting talent.  This is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Patrick Neale who also wrote the film script.  Pete Travis previously directed cult favourite Dredd. Currently in post-production.

Gemma Arterton She Who Brings Gifts Director:  Colm McCarthy Starring:  Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Paddy Considine Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama Known facts:  Based on M.R. Carey's The Girl with All the Gifts and adapted by Carey himself, this is  essentially another zombie story set in a dystopian future.  However, the novel was praised for its character depth and intelligence, and the non-generic title and quality casting suggests this should appeal to more than diehard zombie fans.    Director Colm McCarthy is making his feature film debut following excellent work in TV drama, including episodes of Sherlock, Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders. Currently in production.

Eddie Redmayne   Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Director: David Yates Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston Genre: Adventure, Fantasy Known facts:  Written by J.K. Rowling and set in the same wizarding world as Harry Potter, this is the story of Newt Scamender, a researcher of magical creatures.    For her first screenplay, Rowling has teamed up with David Yates who directed the last four Potter films.  Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne plays Scamander. Currently in pre-production. The first of a planned trilogy, the film already has a release date: November 18th.

Other projects of interest next year are new films from British directors Edgar Wright (Baby Driver),  Ben Wheatley (Fire Fire) and Michael Apted (Unlocked).  Steven Spielberg is also directing a largely British cast for his adaptation for Roald Dahl's The BFG.   More news on these films and others will continue to be posted right here!

New Doctor Who audio dramas announced

Exciting news has been announced by Big Finish today.  The company will be producing new audio dramas featuring characters from post-2005 Doctor Who.  This following previous announcements of a UNIT series featuring Kate Stewart and Osgood, and a Torchwood series starring John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness.  This is all suggests it is only a matter of time before new series Doctors and companions are added to the Big Finish range.

River Song is ready! Churchill is ready! The Monsters are Ready! More details here #BF27June http://t.co/9XjyotF1sn pic.twitter.com/RuU8aA1uWR

— Big Finish (@bigfinish) June 27, 2015

Coming in May 2016: #DoctorWho: Doom Coalition 2 #BF27June - Order Now: http://t.co/IWLgzRGBTO pic.twitter.com/uvIm7TMFz4

— Big Finish (@bigfinish) June 27, 2015

Coming in 2016: #DoctorWho: The Churchill Years. Order now: http://t.co/S2S1IC4mBu pic.twitter.com/zlFrmoo8Qc

— Big Finish (@bigfinish) June 27, 2015

BBC Worldwide has plans for more classic Doctor Who releases

We're hoping to release more classic Doctor Who and we'll let you know when we have news.

— BBC Worldwide (@BBCWPress) June 26, 2015

This tweet was posted after the latest Doctor Who Magazine  reported that the BBC's plans to release the second Doctor story, The Underwater Menace on DVD have been abandoned.  They were originally planning to release the two surviving episodes from the story alongside animated versions of the two episodes missing from the archive.  However, the BBC was unable to find a suitable partner to take on the animation work.

Episode Two of The Underwater Menace is the only classic Doctor Who episode, currently in the BBC archives, which has never had a release on DVD although it has leaked onto the internet.  

The Doctor heads down under this November

Following the UK's  Doctor Who Festival (held in the Excel Centre, London on the Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November), the event is heading to Australia.    Peter Capaldi, Steven Moffat and others will at the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries in Sydney on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd November.  Watch the promo video:

New Zealanders won't miss out.  Peter Capaldi will also be heading to Auckland on Tuesday 24th November for an evening fan event. Venue and ticket details for this will be announced soon.

Bond in Motion exhibition - London film museum

The Bond in Motion exhibition is continuing at the London Film Museum.   It features over 100 individual items from the Bond film series including many iconic cars.  This video from The Daily Telegraph shows off some of the highlights:

Hopefully, I will manage to get down to London this summer and then will post a review of the exhibition on the blog!

FILM REVIEW: Mr Holmes

IN CINEMAS

In the last decade, the character of Sherlock Holmes has been revived as an icon of popular culture and attracted a new young audience.   The Downey-Jr. starring feature films made Holmes into a pugilistic action hero and the TV series Sherlock and Elementary have reinvented him as a 21st century detective.  Mr Holmes, artfully directed by the versatile Bill Condon, is neither action-packed nor modern but rewards the patient viewer with its unflashy intelligence and emotional depth. 

An adaptation of Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind, this film is more an exploration of character rather than a thrill-ride of clever deductions and plot twists.  The plots unfold gently through a non-linear structure in which we follow Holmes through three linked strands.  In the central strand, Holmes living out his retirement in 1947 Sussex;  in the second, some months earlier, he is in Japan seeking out a medicinal root which may help restore his memory; and in the third strand he is engaged in his final case thirty years earlier.  

Sir Ian McKellen skilfully plays Holmes at the ages of 63 and 93.  Aged roughly halfway between these two ages, he convinces as the older Holmes through subtle vocal and body mannerisms.  The make-up on the older Holmes is also excellent.  This Holmes is less eccentric than some portrayals.  He is a little grumpy but warm-hearted and develops a touching friendship with his housekeeper's young son, Roger (also acted very well by Milo Parker).  Roger and his mother (Laura Linney) are fully rounded characters too, and there is an interestingly unconventional family dynamic between the three of them. 

The story fits nicely into the Conan Doyle's canon with Holmes engaged in beekeeping as his retirement hobby.  On the surface, it appears an idyllic life.  The countryside is shot beautifully and near every scene appears to be a perfect summer's day.  However, Holmes is troubled by his increasing senility and memory problems; in particular he cannot remember what caused him to give up his detective work thirty years earlier.  As Holmes remembers the details of his last case, they are shown to the audience.

In 1917 London, Holmes is hired by a man worried about the mental health of his wife following two failed pregnancies.  When Holmes follows the blonde wife around London, it evokes James Stewart following Kim Novak in Hitchcock's Vertigo but with a tone of gentle melancholy rather than melodrama.   Although this case initially appears to be routine for Holmes, his older self is aware he got something wrong but he cannot remember what.  Watson is no longer working with Holmes during the last case and without him, we are able to fully empathise with Holmes rather than seeing him through the eyes of his friend.  However, though we barely see him, Watson does have a presence in the film when Holmes refers to the inaccurate myths his friend invented in his published journals.   This conflict between fact and fiction becomes another central theme to the movie.

The tone of melancholy is also evident in the sequences set in Japan.  In one moving and atmospheric scene, Holmes visit Hiroshima where he is touched when seeing a woman mourn her lost relatives.  The  theme of unhappy families is also explored when we see Holmes with his Japanese hosts. In all of the three plot strands, the lonely Holmes finds himself between mother-son or husband-wife relationships.  The Japan scenes may seem inconsequential at first but in the final twenty minutes of the film, the three strands come together dramatically and emotionally resonate with each other.

Mr Holmes is a very rich story which may have worked even if it didn't involve Conan Doyle's character.  However, Sherlock's inclusion adds poignancy because we come to understand that even his great mind is subject to human frailties.  The subtleties of this film would have been lost without a great central performance and McKellen delivers.  The only slight regret after watching this moving film is that it is Sir Ian's first and almost definitely last time playing the part.   

Spectre filming locations

Daniel Craig is currently filming scenes for Spectre in Tangiers, Morocco.

Tangier. Morocco. #SPECTRE pic.twitter.com/4nR1N5OMj0

— James Bond (@007) June 21, 2015

Morocco is the fifth country the cast and crew have visited following Austria, Rome, Mexico and the UK.  Here is a map of all of the filming locations:
 

Sherlock panel at San Diego Comic Con

Half an hour after the Doctor Who panel has concluded on Thursday 9th July, show-runner Steven Moffat will be discussing his "other show" at this year's San Diego Comic Con.  He will be joined at the Sherlock panel by Sue Vertue (executive producer) and Rupert Graves (Lestrade) between 3.45pm and 4.45pm local time. 

A teaser trailer for the upcoming Christmas special is likely to be played to the audience in San Diego.  It may be too early to expect this to be released on-line though.  

Doctor Who Series 9: All the official news

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that there will be 12 episodes in the upcoming new series.  Changing the series format, they will mostly be two-part stories.

Most Doctor Who series since 2005 have begun on Bank Holiday Weekends so expect this one to start on Saturday 29th August.

The first full series trailer will probably be released online shortly after the Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic Con on Thursday July 9th.  The panel is scheduled at 2:15pm to 3:15pm local time (which will be 9:15pm to 10:15pm in the United Kingdom).

Here is an overview of what we know about the episodes, from official announcements only:

	Title	Writer	Director	Guest Stars	Plot Info
1	The Magician's Apprentice	Steven Moffat	Hettie MacDonald	Michelle Gomez Jemma Redgrave Kelly Hunter Clare Higgins Jaye Griffiths	Missy Kate Stewart
2	The Witch's Familiar	Steven Moffat
3	?	Toby Whithouse	Daniel O'Hara	Paul Kaye Morven Christie Arsher Ali Colin McFarlane	Moffat: "brilliantly creepy"
4	?	Toby Whithouse
5	The Girl Who Died	Jamie Mathison Steven Moffat	Ed Bazelgette	Maisie Williams Rufus Hound David Schofield Tom Stourton Ariyon Bakare	BBC: "period adventures"
6	The Woman Who Lived	Catherine Tregenna
7	?	Peter Harness	Daniel Nettheim	Jemma Redgrave Ingrid Oliver Rebecca Front Jaye Griffiths	Zygons Kate Stewart Osgood
8	?	Peter Harness
9	?	Mark Gatiss	?	?	Gatiss: "I’m delighted with how scary it is"
10	?	Sarah Dollard	Justin Molitnikov	Jovian Wade	Rigsy
11	?	Steven Moffat	?	?	?
12	?	Steven Moffat

Patrick Macnee: 6th February 1922 to 25th June 2015

Radio 1's Greg James and the Minions travel in the TARDIS

My verdict on the favourites to be the next 007

There has been recent speculation that Eon Productions are thinking ahead to casting the next James Bond. If Bond films continue to be released every three years, it is unlikely that the part will be vacant until 2018 or 2021 (if Daniel Craig finishes onto a fifth film).

Here are the latest favourite and odds, and my thoughts on how likely their casting may be:

Damian Lewis: 2/1
Lewis, like Bond, is an old Etonian and despite his ginger-hair would be a return to a more traditional suave and cultured 007.  He has previously voiced Bond  for a Diamonds are Forever audiobook so knows Fleming's character very well.  However he will be 47 or 50 by the time of the first post-Craig Bond film, which would make him the oldest ever Bond at time of casting.  
My verdict: Would have been a good alternative choice for Casino Royale but his time has passed - 2/5.



Idris Elba: 11/4 
For some time, Elba has been touted as the first "black Bond" and he was suggested by Sony executive Amy Pascal in a leaked email.  He would make a charismatic, powerful and ground-breaking Bond.    Elba would be 45 or 48 in his first Bond film.
My verdict:  Could be considered for a one or two picture deal  - 3/5.



Tom Hardy 7/2

Hardy seems a good choice to continue the franchise in the same style as that established with Daniel Craig; playing the rugged, intense type.  He is also young enough to potentially sign up for four or five movies.  He performed the action hero role impressively in this year's excellent Mad Max: Fury Road.
My verdict:  A safe choice.  However as a versatile actor in the middle of a successful film career, he may fear typecasting -  4/5.






Henry Cavill 4/1
Cavill has the looks, physically and upper-class background to play Bond.  He auditioned for the role against Daniel Craig in 2005.  He was probably too young back then but would be an ideal mid-to-late thirties Bond by the time of casting.  Cavill is best known for playing Superman in Man of Steel and the upcoming Batman vs Superman.  He also playing spy Napolean Solo in this summer's The Man from U.N.C.L.E which could be seen as a trial run for Bond or may alternatively rule him out if that too becomes a franchise. 

My verdict:  A good choice but unlikely.  Previous Bond actors have not starred in major blockbusters prior to taking the role -  3/5.


Michael Fassbender 6/1
Fassbender is one of the greatest film actors working in movies today and is in very high demand for both mainstream and more challenging dramatic roles. His performance as a young Magneto in X-Men First Class was very 007-like and he certainly has the looks of a classical Bond.
My verdict:  He would be brilliant but is more likely to want to win Academy Awards than risk type-casting by playing Bond in more than one film -  3/5.





Of the actors further down the odds list, the most impressive are Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Jamie Dornan and Richard Madden.  These four would be great Bonds and are in the right age-range. However, they may be too famous or have become so in three to six years time.  From Sean Connery onwards, each Bond actor was known for smaller films or television roles rather than major Hollywood features.  The next Bond may well not currently feature on the bookies' lists at all!

Odds from Paddy Power

Stephen Mangan to play Conan Doyle in ITV drama

Stephen Mangan is to play Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a new ITV Encore drama about the writer’s friendship with escapologist Harry Houdini.      Houdini & Doyle will dramatise the real-life relationship between the two men and their disagreements over their differing beliefs on the supernatural.

Conan Doyle, who created Sherlock Holmes in 1886, has been previously portrayed in dramas by many prominent actors including Ian Richardson in Murder Rooms, Richard Wilson in The Reichenbach Falls and most recently Martin Clunes in Arthur and George.

Trailer for new Doctor Who Lego set

Doctor, Bond and Sherlock feature in Empire's new polls

James Bond has been pipped by Indiana Jones in Empire's new 100 Greatest Movie Characters.  The full Top 100, voted by their readers, features in the latest magazine.  Here is the Top 10:

 

1. Indiana Jones               

2. James Bond3. Han Solo (Star Wars)

4. Batman

5. Ellen Ripley (Alien)

6. The Joker

7. John McClane (Die Hard)

8. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

9. Darth Vader (Star Wars)

10. The Dude (The Big Lebowski)

It will be interesting to see which British characters made the Top 100.  Harry Potter and friends must feature prominently.  

They have also released a Top 10 TV Characters list featuring the Doctor and Sherlock:

1) Walter White (Breaking Bad)

2) Tyrion Lannister (Game Of Thrones)
3) Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
4) The Doctor (Doctor Who)
5) Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)
6) Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)
7) Buffy (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)
8) Jack Bauer (24) 9) Omar Little (The Wire)
10) Frank Underwood (House Of Cards) 

The two lists are heavily dominated by American males.   British cult TV characters such as Number Six from The Prisoner and John Steed from The Avengers are omitted, and if Homer Simpson can make the Top 10, it's a surprise there are no British TV comedy characters featured such as Alan Partridge, David Brent and Basil Fawlty.

Spectre filming in London

Possible third Downey Jr Sherlock film?

It has been four years since Sherlock Holmes: Games of Shadows and it is currently uncertain whether the Robert Downey Jr film series will continue.

Today it has been reported that producer Lionel Wigram is continuing development work on a third film:

''We're still trying to crack the story together. For us, if we're going to do a third 'Sherlock Holmes', it has to be fantastic, so we have to be really confident that we can give the audience a story that makes them say, 'Wow, this was worth it, this was better than the last two.' 

http://www.tv3.ie/xpose/article/entertainment-news/170469/Lionel-Wigram-teases-new-Sherlock-Holmes-film

There is certainly great potential in this film series being revived.  Downey Jr. and Jude Law are a charismatic Sherlock and Watson and are young enough to continue playing the characters for many more years.  The previous two films both made over $500 million at the global box office.

MR HOLMES - OFFICIAL UK TRAILER

BBC America Series 9 teaser

SPECTRE TEASER TRAILER