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Only Fools - US
Remake
US television network ABC has confirmed plans to make a pilot
of the classic British comedy, which will be written by Steven Cragg and
Brian Bradley, who previously worked on the long-running hospital series
Scrubs.
In a statement, a spokesperson for ABC said: "The show will be based on the
iconic British series, this classic comedy chronicles the misadventures of
two streetwise brothers and their aging grandfather as they concoct
outrageous, morally questionable get rich quick schemes in their quest to
become millionaires."
If the pilot is successful there are plans to commission a full series.
No actors have been confirmed for the project, but American Pie's Jason
Biggs has been tipped to play Rodney Trotter with Steve Carrell from The
Office set to star as his brother Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter, the role made
famous by David Jason,
Elsewhere, Robin Williams has been linked with the part of Uncle Albert.
Steve Carrell has spoken about his love for the original version of the show
in the past and said he would jump at the chance to appear as Del Boy.
He said: "That is my dream role. The British do sitcoms better than anybody
else in the world.
"I think with the right scriptwriters and cast we could do Only Fools and
Horses justice. If anybody wants to help me do a remake, I'd love it."
January
31
2012 - waveguide.co.uk
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Upstairs Downstairs - Lesbian Love
Upstairs Downstairs returns to BBC One next month featuring a
lesbian romance involving new protagonists played by Emilia Fox and Alex
Kingston.
Kingston will join the cast as academic Dr Blanche Mottershead, the younger
sister of matriarch Lady Holland. Her love interest will then arrive in the
form of intellectual novelist Lady Portia Alresford, played by Fox.
Also among the newcomers for this new series is former Coronation Street
star Sarah Lancashire, whose character Violet Whisset is set to become a
love interest for butler Mr Pritchard (Adrian Scarborough).
Speaking at a screening of the first episode, writer Heidi Thomas, whose
Sunday-night drama Call the Midwife is currently riding high in the ratings,
said of Dr Blanche and Lady Portia's affair:
"I really don't want to give the game away because it lets you know things
about the characters in the show ahead of time and I think it will spoil it
for the audience.
"The pair certainly bring a whiff of scandal. They've been living abroad and
now arrive in London. They try to be covert about their life. The series is
set in 1938, where life was far less sexualised. When it gets exposed,
though, they find a surprising ally."
January
31
2012 - waveguide.co.uk
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The X
Factor USA - Steve Jones
Welsh presenter Steve Jones will not present the second
series of The X Factor USA, he has revealed.
Jones broke the news on his Twitter account last night.
"I wont be hosting next seasons X Factor which is a shame but I cant
complain as I've had a great time," Jones wrote. "Good luck to everyone on
the show."
Fox confirmed Jones' departure, but did not provide any information about a
possible replacement for Jones.
January
31
2012 - waveguide.co.uk
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Boost For Sky
Profits
BSkyB profits have increased due to sales of broadband,
telephone and TV packages to its existing customers.
The firm reported a 27% rise in pre-tax profit to £597m for the last six
months of 2011, compared with the same period in 2010.
The broadcaster sold 772,000 products in the period, but only 100,000 went
to new subscribers.
Sky also announced it would create 1,300 new jobs in the UK and Ireland over
the next two years.
Chief executibe Jeremy Durroch said: "We expect the environment to remain
tough in calendar 2012. No consumer business can be immune to these
conditions and we will manage any short-term headwinds as they emerge."
January
31
2012 - waveguide.co.uk
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Sky Awarded
Cricket Rights
Sky Sports has been awarded four more years of live
international and county cricket under a new deal with the ECB.
The England & Wales Cricket Board today announced a new agreement with Sky
for coverage across TV, mobile and online. With the existing deal concluding
at the end of 2013, the new deal begins in 2014 and continues until the end
of the summer in 2017.
Sky Sports has been awarded exclusive live coverage of:
Test matches – all of England’s Test matches played at home, including
series against India (2014), Australia (2015), Pakistan (2016) and South
Africa (2017).
Internationals – all One-Day Internationals and T20 matches, plus selected
fixtures including England Lions and women’s matches.
County matchess – at least 60 days of domestic cricket each summer covering
each of the major competitions and including every county.
There is also an option for Sky to extend the deal for an
additional two years to cover tours by India in 2018 and Australia in 2019.
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: "This is good news
for cricket and good news for viewers. Our viewers will enjoy a breadth of
live coverage, at domestic and international level, and the ECB extends a
partnership that has proved good for the game."
He continued: "Cricket is flourishing in England and Wales, with increased
participation, record attendances and success for England's men and women.
Through extending our partnership, the ECB can invest on and off the pitch
and the game can continue to grow."
January
31
2012 - waveguide.co.uk
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Sky
To Launch New Internet TV Service
Sky today announced plans to launch a new service allowing
customers to watch some of its most popular content over the internet.
Taking advantage of the rapid growth in broadband-connected
devices, Sky said the new service will be an additional choice for
people who do not currently subscribe to a pay TV service.
Launching in the first half of 2012, the new service will provide instant
and simple access to a range of Sky content, including hundreds of films
from Sky Movies.
The new service will offer Sky Movies from launch and the
service will expand to offer sport and entertainment soon afterwards.
Customers will be able to choose from a variety of pricing
options. For example, people will be able to pay monthly for unlimited
access to Sky Movies or rent a single movie on a simple, pay-as-you-go
basis.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s Chief Executive, said: "This exciting new service will
offer some of Sky's most popular content through a wide range of broadband
connected devices. Alongside the continued growth of our satellite platform,
this will be a new way for us to reach out to consumers who love great
content, but may not want the full Sky service. Bringing a distinctive, new
choice to the marketplace will help us meet the needs and demands of an ever
wider range of consumers.
"This new product launch will build on our early leadership in
multi-platform distribution. It will allow us to make our expertise and
investment in content and technology work even harder, extending our options
for continued growth."
January
31
2012 - waveguide.co.uk
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