Meet the Manchester producer behind Years and Years, Happy Valley and a bunch of huge TV hits

Award-winning Nicola Shindler has a rack of impressive TV series under her belt, including the new BBC drama Years and Years

By Vickie Scullard

19:57, 21 MAY 2019Updated20:53, 21 MAY 2019


By 30, most people are just about working out what they want to do with their lives.

Nicola Shindler, however, was already running her own successful TV production company.

You may not know much about the staunchly private mum-of-three, or indeed Red Production Company - but you’ll no doubt have watched a number of the highly acclaimed programmes it has produced.

Happy Valley, Queer as Folk, Clocking Off and Ordinary Lies are just some of the credits under Nicola’s belt, along with an impressive string of Bafta TV awards.

She’s worked with writers including Russell T Davies, Sally Wainwright and Danny Brocklehurst, as well as award-winning actors such as Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley) Michael C Hall (Safe) and Christopher Eccleston (Come Home).

Despite her success, Nicola, from Rochdale, has stayed true to her north west roots and loves nothing better than shooting gritty dramas around Manchester.

“Filming in Manchester is good in a practical way, but there’s also a great tone, humor and warmth in the city that translate well on screen,” she told the Manchester Evening News.

“It’s really distinctive. Everything feels like a melting pot of creativity. It’s a place that generates different ideas.”

After moving to Bury when she was 14, a studious Nicola worked hard at school and was accepted to read history at the University of Cambridge.

Despite her academic prowess, television was always a big thing in her life.

“There were only three channels back then and my mum would say that I would even watch the test cards for Channel 4 before it launched,” she joked.

“I loved TV when I was growing up but I never thought of it as a job then.

“I remember always watching Coronation Street - that was a time where we all sat down and watched it together as a family.”

After showing an interest in theatre, Nicola began working in television by chance after a trainee script writer role came up at the BBC.

“I used to go to the Royal Exchange all the way through the 80s,” she remembers. “I saw so many plays there. I wanted to work in theatre initially and started off there after moving to London.
Nicola Shindler of Red Production Company

“But when I told someone in the industry how I loved working with writers, they suggested that I be a scriptwriter, so I applied for a trainee role at the BBC. I always watched a lot of television so it seemed like the perfect job.”

After her time at the BBC, Nicola moved back up north to join Granada as a script editor, where she worked on ITV drama Cracker - a show that offered her the creative freedom that translates into her work today.

“Doing Cracker was incredible,” she said. “We were told to just go for it, try things out. Without a doubt the creative freedom from that show I bring through in my programmes at Red. I know that it is OK to take risks.

“I like to not know where things are going when I’m watching a TV show. I like to try and guess the plot, just like any viewer. So I keep this in mind when producing.”

Nicola went on to work on Our Friends in the North, and was producer on Hillsborough, a dramatised account of the 1989 football stadium disaster.

It was after this that she set up Red, named after her favourite football team. No, not Liverpool - their arch rivals, Manchester United.

“I was working as a producer for six years in TV before I set up Red, which is a ridiculously small amount of time really,” she said.

“I did Cracker, produced Hillsborough - it was such a massive tragedy, I learnt a lot from creating that.

“I did a couple more shows and decided to set up on my own. I was 29. I guess there were not many women doing what I did back then, but I never saw that as an obstacle.

“I didn’t question what I was doing. Back then I had no children and didn’t own a house - I had nothing to hold me back.”

In her most recent series Nicola has reunited with Russell T Davies for BBC drama Years and Years, which started last week.

The series opener managed to shock viewers after including Doris Day’s death in a news bulletin hours after she had died.

“We have just finished Years and Years which is on BBC One. It’s a brilliant new series about a Manchester family trying to survive in the future over a 15-year period, with new technology and a difficult political climate.

“It’s essentially about family life and society. The characters are great. With TV, you have to believe in the characters - if they’re not real then you can’t take them anywhere.”

Another project which is in the making is the hotly anticipated Netflix series The Stranger, which sees Nicola team back up with Danny Brocklehurst and Harlan Coben.

The Stranger, starring Richard Armitage, will follow the success of The Five and 2018 hit Safe, which starred Dexter’s Michael C Hall.

On top of that, she has received another award - this time a Bafta TV Special Award. Although her trophy cabinet at her Salford Quays office is pretty full these days, Nicola is delighted with the accolade.

“It’s always fantastic to be given awards,” she said. “They mean a lot to me. I don’t get bored of being given them, it is special every time.”

Years and Years continues Tuesday from 9pm on BBC One.

Bei der Daily Mail gibts heute einen Artikel zu den Dreharbeiten mit aktuellen Bildern von RA und Anthony Head - klick

Da ich gerade per Smartphone unterwegs bin, kann ich leider weder Text noch Bilder posten, sorry!

Published on : June 27, 2019 16:10

New Netflix Drama ‘The Stranger’ will be Filming in Stockport Tomorrow

Camera crews are set to descend on Stockport town centre tomorrow as Netflix continue filming for their new series, ‘The Stranger’.

Filming for the new crime drama started in March and is set to continue in and around Manchester until the end of August.

Iconic Stockport landmarks, The Plaza and the Market Place, will be the main sites for tomorrows shoot.

This isn’t the first time historic theatre and cinema, The Plaza, has played a starring role on a television set.

Earlier this year, the Peaky Blinders gang filmed huge scenes outside the Plaza, transforming the building into a 1920’s versions of Bingley Hall, Birmingham.

Filming for the new eight-part series ‘The Stranger’ will commence at 8 am and will finish at 5 pm – just in time for Foodie Friday.

Expect to see technical vehicles, security staff and potentially a few famous faces!

Apparently, the new series will star The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage, who might make an appearance on set tomorrow.

So, what’s ‘The Stranger’ about?

The Stranger is an eight-part thriller that follows a seemingly perfect marriage of main character, Adam Price and his wife Corinne.

The pair have a water-tight marriage and two great kids, all seems to be going well – until a stranger approaches Adam at a bar.

The stranger reveals a shocking secret that brings Adam’s world crashing down around him.

Based on the novel, The Stranger by Harlan Cobden, the story has been called “twisted” and nail-biting” by critics.

When will the series be aired?

It’s a little early for a release date, however, we hope to see it on our screen by the end of the year.

If you’re a big fan of crime dramas, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for this new series.
What other famous things have been filmed in Stockport?

Stockport has been a prime location for film makers, television producers, and advertising agencies for a fair few years.

In this last year alone, hit TV show the ‘Peaky Blinders’ have taken over the Plaza and new comedy series ‘Scarborough’ spent a week filming in the Underbank.

Local band, Blossoms have used the historic market place as the backdrop to their first album which also featured in ASDA’s Christmas advert back in 2017.

One of Stockport’s earliest appearances in the world of film and television was in ‘A Taste of Honey’ in 1961.

Stockport has a beautiful landscape of historic old buildings that are bursting with character and full to the brim with stories.

It’s one of the many reasons we’re so proud to be a part of this little town.

We imagine we’ll see many more film crews and famous faces filming here in the future.

First Look: Harlan Coben's 'The Stranger' on Netflix.
Netflix has released a scene from upcoming UK drama The Stranger based on the novel from Harlan Coben. The series will be written by seasoned UK writer Danny Brocklehurst.



The stand-alone series, made by Manchester's Red Production Company is the second Netflix Original collaboration after Safe starring Michael C Hall.

Richard Armitage takes the lead in this new psychological thriller as Adam Price. Price seems to be living the perfect life — two great sons, a watertight marriage — until a stranger approaches him at a bar and reveals a shocking secret about Price’s wife, Corinne.

As Price delves into Corinne’s deception, he soon realises that he’s become entangled in a dark conspiracy that could risk the lives of those around him.

Coben said, “The Stranger was one of my most challenging novels — and definitely the most twisted. When I wrote it, I never imagined that I’d be part of a ‘Dream Team’ of extraordinary talent bringing it to life. I can’t wait to reunite with Danny, Nicola, and Netflix on this remarkable project.”



The Stranger will be released globally on Netflix in 2020

Camera crews roll in for new crime drama

CAMERA crews are once again descending on Bolton as filming starts for a new star-studded crime drama.

Traces has been described as a 'suspense-filled six-part series' and is set in the world of forensic science in Dundee, Scotland.

It has been written by one of the masterminds behind Scott & Bailey, Amelia Bullmore.

This week camera crews were spotted on Le Mans Crescent, which has become a firm favourite for production companies in recent years.

A spokesman for RED Production Company, who are making the series, described Bolton as a "perfect base".

They said: "Bolton has such a wonderful range of architecture, stone and age of buildings that (amongst the warm welcome from the community) is what makes it a perfect base for locations for a series."

The award-winning cast for Traces includes Molly Windsor, best known for her role in the harrowing drama Three Girls, Breaking Bad star Laura Fraser, Jennifer Spence from You Me Her and Line of Duty legend, Martin Compston.

Bafta-winning Windsor stars as 23-year-old lab assistant Emma, with a dark past.

Fraser and Spence join her as forensic science professors, united in the pursuit of bringing a killer to justice.

Production and film crews were seen shooting bright and early outside Bolton Town Hall on Thursday, welcoming a small dose of sunshine for some stroll-along shots.

Traces is being executively produced by RED Production Company’s Nicola Shindler and Michaela Fereday and will air on Alibi later this year.

EastEnders star Laurie Brett, Michael Nardone from Silent Witness and The White Princess star Vincent Regan are also lined up for the series.

Netflix thriller The Stranger, featuring Richard Armitage, and major new Sky drama, Cobra, starring Hollywood hero Robert Carlyle, are among the productions which have recently used Bolton as a backdrop.

7th August
Filming to start on Culcheth street starring in new Netflix drama
By Nathan Okell Reporter
Filming for the Netflix show will start on Common Lane today

Filming for the Netflix show will start on Common Lane today
0 comment

FILMING is due to start today, Wednesday, for a new Netflix drama series on a street in Culcheth.

Entitled ‘The Stranger, the eight-episode show is adapted from a novel of the same name and will star The Hobbit actor Richard Armitage.

And although most of the filming started in March in Manchester, filming crews have now moved onto Common Lane and will shoot scenes inside a residential property around 5pm.

In a letter to nearby residents, Red Production Company said: “In order to facilitate the filming, we need our technical vehicles for camera, lighting and power to be as close to the property as possible.

“We realise we are visitors to the area and filming would not be able to take place without your co-operation.”

The Stranger is being promoted as a psychological thriller, in which Armitage will take on the lead role of Adam Price - a man whose seemingly perfect life comes crashing down around him.

A shock revelation from a stranger reveals a shocking secret about his wife, Corinne, and he soon becomes caught up in a web of conspiracy and danger.

Speaking about the upcoming series, novel writer Harlan Coben said: “The Stranger was definitely one of my most challenging and twisted novels, but I never thought it would be brought to life.

“I can’t wait to reunite with Danny, Nicola, and Netflix on this remarkable project.”

Also starring in the drama are Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran, Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders, Paul Kaye from Game of Thrones and Black Mirror’s Kadiff Kirwan.

No start date or trailer has been released as of yet, but keep a close eye out and see if you can spot a glimpse of Warrington when it finally lands on our screens.

FRANCE 24 English@France24_en

Harlan Coben: 'Writers never like to admit it but all lead characters are based on them' https://f24.my/5qrA.t

Harlan Coben: 'Writers never like to admit it but all lead characters are based on them'

Issued on: 19/11/2019 - 17:48Modified: 19/11/2019 - 12:54
ENCORE
By:
Eve JACKSON


He's sold more books than most of your favourite authors combined: 70 million copies translated into more than 40 languages. The award-winning author Harlan Coben is adored here in France with film director Guillaume Canet adapting his 2001 thriller "Tell No One" for the big screen in 2006, and two of his books have been made into French TV series. In addition, the adaptation of his 2015 novel "The Stranger" will appear on Netflix later this year. He's currently in France because his 31st book, "Run Away", has just been translated into French.

The author speaks to Eve Jackson about being inspired by places that are a fruition of the American dream, why he's not afraid of bleak endings or of killing off important characters, and why his dog Laszlo isn’t ready for big-time fame.

Doctor Who, White House Farm and The Masked Singer: TV shows to look forward to in 2020

Get ready for another year of great television

Isobel Frodsham


New year new, television shows - and 2020 has got some real corkers in store.

January will sereve up the return of numerous reality TV shows, including Dancing On Ice and Love Island, and there are some hot new picks too, with The Masked Singer making its UK debut.

Netflix has got us covered on the drama front with the adaptation of Harlan Coben's book The Stranger arriving along with a second series of Sex Education.

But what does the rest of the year hold?

With all-new period dramas and thriller series, along with plenty more reality tv, there's truly something for everyone next year.

Here are our top picks...

Doctor Who, New Year’s Day, 6.55pm (BBC One)

Jodie Whittaker is back in her role as the ground-breaking female Time Lord when the BBC favourite returns for its 12th series. The new episodes will also see Robert Glenister return after appearing in the show more than three decades ago. Other guest stars for the new series include Sir Lenny Henry and Stephen Fry. Whittaker returns as the Thirteenth Doctor alongside co-stars Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh.

The Masked Singer, Saturday January 4, 7pm (ITV)

Based on the King Of Mask Singer, the South Korean singing competition launched in 2015, The Masked Singer will see 12 celebrities perform behind elaborate masks which conceal their identities.

Their aim is to be the last masked singer standing as the judges try to figure out who they really are.

All your burning questions about The Masked Singer answered

Instead of their usual showbiz outfits, they will be dressing up as a Butterfly, Hedgehog, Pharoah, Tree, Unicorn, Fox, Monster, Chameleon, Daisy, Octopus, Duck or a Queen Bee.

Jonathan Ross, Ken Jeong - who has featured in both of the US versions - Rita Ora and Davina McCall are on the panel. The show is presented by Joel Dommett.

White House Farm, Wednesday January 8, 9pm (ITV)

Back in 1985, the nation was left shocked after a family of five was found dead at their home in a quiet village of Tolleshunt D'Arcy in Essex.

Nevill and June Bamber, along with their adoptive daughter Shelia Caffell and Sheila's six-year-old twin sons, Daniel and Nicholas Caffell, were shot inside the farmhouse on August 6 or 7.

It was believed at first that the deaths were a result of a murder-suicide by Shelia. However the Bambers' adoptive son – and only surviving member of the family – Jeremy was later arrested after ex-girlfriend told police that he had implicated himself.

He was convicted in 1986 of five counts of murder, however, he has always protested his innocence and his lawyers have made repeated attempts for the case to be reviewed.

The story will be chronicled in a six-part drama series starring Freddie Fox, Stephen Graham and Cressida Bonas.

Deadwater Fell, Thursday, January 10 (Channel 4)

Doctor Who star David Tennant will star opposite actress Cush Jumbo in the Channel 4 drama.

He will play a local GP in the four-part series, described as a psychological story of suspicion. The series is set in a small fictional Scottish town, which is rocked by the murder of a family. It has been penned by Grantchester writer Daisy Coulam and has been filmed entirely on location in Scotland.

Winter Love Island, January 12 (ITV2)

The first half of the TV viewing year kicks off with the first of two series of Love Island. The villa will be in South Africa and for the first time ever, the series will be hosted by Laura Whitmore, following Caroline Flack's decision to temporarily stand down.

Sex Education, Thursday 17 January (Netflix)

The Netflix show about socially-awkward high school student Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mum Jean (Gillian Anderson) is returning with eight new episodes in 2020.

The Stranger, Wednesday, January 30 (Netflix)

Based on the novel by Harlan Coben, the Netflix show sees Adam Price, a father-of-two, left speechless after a stranger in a coffee shop tells him his wife lied to him about being pregnant years ago.

He then begins to investigate his spouse and discovers more secrets about her.

Starring Richard Armitage and Dervla Kirwan, this is bound to be the British thriller equivalent of You.

Star Trek: Picard, Wednesday, January 23 (Amazon Prime Video)

The much-anticipated series sees Sir Patrick Stewart reprising one of his most famous roles when he returns as Jean-Luc Picard, a character he first played in 1987.

Bridgerton, Date tbc (Netflix)

Based on the Julia Quinn novels, the series marks Shonda Rhimes’ first collaboration with Netflix.

Described as being set in the “sexy, lavish and competitive world of Regency London high society”, it will follow the trials and tribulations of the Bridgerton family. The cast boasts the voice of Dame Julie Andrews, as well as Phoebe Dynevor, Jonathan Bailey and Vanity Fair star Claudia Jessie.

Drag Race UK, date tbc (BBC Three)

After crowning its first winner in November 2019, the colourful BBC Three series is back for more drama, fashion and runway magic.

The first UK series featured judges RuPaul and Michelle Visage as judges, with Graham Norton and Alan Carr starring as rotating judges. Celebrity guests included Maisie Williams, Geri Horner and Stacey Dooley.

After Life, Spring, date tbc (Netflix)

Ricky Gervais’ dark comedy returns for a second instalment on Netflix with a six-episode run.

The first series introduced viewers to journalist Tony Johnson, played by Gervais, who is trying to make sense of his life following the death of his wife. After contemplating taking his own life, he decides instead to live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes.

Honour, date tbc (ITV)

Keeley Hawes takes on the role of a real-life detective – Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode – and her relentless search for the truth surrounding the murder of Banaz Mahmod.

The 20-year-old disappeared in 2006 and her body was found three months later, buried in a suitcase in a garden in Birmingham. The two-part drama has been written by Gwyneth Hughes, whose credits include Vanity Fair and Dark Angel.

The Circle, date tbc (Channel 4)

After the success of the second season – which saw Paddy Smyth crowned the winner – producers for the Circle are on the hunt for fresh contestants.

The show sees a group of people move into a block of flats and interact with each other through social networking site, The Circle. The contestants can either be themselves or create a new personality inside The Circle with an aim to win over their fellow contestants. In the end they vote for the contestant they like the most, which allows them to scoop the cash prize.

The series has inspired international versons as Netflix has announced it will be doing French, American and Brazilian series of the programme.

Normal People, date tbc (BBC Three)

Based on the bestselling novel by Sally Rooney, the 12-part BBC series will star Cold Feet actress Daisy Edgar-Jones and newcomer Paul Mescal as Marianne and Connell. The series is described as “an exquisite and compulsive modern love story about how two people can profoundly impact each other’s lives”.

Belgravia, date tbc (ITV)

The six-part ITV series will be one of 2020’s big period dramas.

From Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, it is described as being set in the “upper echelon of London society in the 19th century”. It stars Tamsin Greig, Alice Eve, Philip Glenister, Dame Harriet Walter and more.

The Best Movies and TV Shows New on Netflix Canada in January

This month’s new additions include “The Post” with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks; “Uncut Gems,” starring Adam Sandler; and “AJ and the Queen,” featuring RuPaul.

By Scott Tobias

Published Dec. 27, 2019
Updated Dec. 31, 2019

ImageClockwise from top left, “Messiah,” “Spinning Out,” “Next in Fashion“ and “Uncut Gems.”
Clockwise from top left, “Messiah,” “Spinning Out,” “Next in Fashion“ and “Uncut Gems.”Credit...Netflix

Every month, Netflix Canada adds a new batch of TV shows and movies to its library. Here are the titles we think are most interesting for January, broken down by release date. Netflix occasionally changes schedules without giving notice.
Movies

‘The Post’

Starts streaming: Jan. 1

Produced quickly in response to the escalating tensions between the press and the Trump administration, Steven Spielberg’s political thriller makes a strong case for the mainstream media as a bulwark of democracy in dark political times. “The Post” spells that thesis out a bit too explicitly at times, but when it focuses on the nuts and bolts of the Washington Post editor in chief Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) and his team publishing the Pentagon Papers despite White House objections, it belongs in the conversation with classics like “All the President’s Men.” Meryl Streep does standout work as Katharine Graham, the paper’s new publisher, who has to fend off the same D.C. elites she entertains at parties.

‘Game Night’

Starts streaming: Jan. 4

Rachel McAdams cuts loose in this hugely entertaining comedy about a competitive married couple (McAdams and Jason Bateman) whose regular game night among friends turns into a life-or-death situation. It begins innocently enough with her megasuccessful brother-in-law (Kyle Chandler) inviting the group over for an interactive role-playing mystery game, but when assailants break into the house and take him away, nobody realizes he’s been abducted for real. “Game Night” keeps them in the dark for a while, leading to one hilarious bit in which McAdams re-enacts a scene from “Pulp Fiction,” and it stays funny when they’re thrust into a chaotic nocturnal adventure.

‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

Starts streaming: Jan. 25

One criticism of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies is that all of them look the same, forced to conform to a common template so the various superheroes can come together in crossovers and team-ups. “Captain America: The First Avenger” is one of the few exceptions, thanks to its director, Joe Johnston, who has always been a high-quality Steven Spielberg mimic (he directed “Jurassic Park III”) and who gives the World War II section of the film a distinct visual panache. Chris Evans enters the MCU as Steve Rogers, an eager World War II recruit who agrees to take part in a “super-soldier” experiment if it can help the war effort. The experiment works all too well.

‘Frères Ennemis’

Starts streaming: Jan. 29

Picked up by Netflix after drawing strong reviews at the Venice Film Festival in September, David Oelhoffen’s French crime drama, translated as “Close Enemies,” details the divergent paths of two men who grew up friends in a rough Paris banlieue — one has become a narcotics officer, the other part of a drug syndicate. The twist in “Frères Ennemis” is that the surrogate families that surround these men are not what one might assume: The drug dealer (Matthias Schoenaerts) is part of a warm and loyal clan while the officer (Reda Kateb) lives out his more respectable life in relative isolation. Their paths intersect in complex and explosive ways.

‘Uncut Gems’

Starts streaming: Jan. 31

In Josh and Benny Safdie’s bleeding ulcer of a thriller, Adam Sandler stars as a Diamond District store owner whose gambling addiction has put him in mortal danger with the criminal element. His chances of betting his way out of hock are remote, but he sees an opportunity to climb out of debt when he purchases an uncut opal from an Ethiopian mine with the hope of auctioning it off for hundreds of thousands of dollars. A visit from the former Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett (playing himself, convincingly) alters his plans, as do huge bets placed with a bookie (Mike Francesa) and with the Mohegan Sun casino. The Safdies stage his wheeling and dealing with relentless pace and an acrid sense of humor.

‘Messiah’

Starts streaming: Jan. 1

What if the Second Coming happened in our modern world? That’s the question asked by this sure-to-be-controversial series about a serene miracle worker (Mehdi Dehbi) who materializes in the Middle East and gathers a devoted following, but opinions vary on whether he’s a savior or a con artist. Michelle Monaghan stars as the C.I.A. officer assigned to the case, and the supporting cast is loaded with familiar faces like Jane Adams, Beau Bridges and Philip Baker Hall. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are among the executive producers, and given their past sponsorship of faith-based projects like “The Bible” and “Son of God,” a Christian bent seems likely.

‘Spinning Out’

Starts streaming: Jan. 1

Older generations might remember the 1978 sports drama “Ice Castles,” about a figure skater who is blinded in a terrible accident and miraculously returns to the sport with a partner/love interest. This new series looks like a similar story, only a much hipper, more hard-edge version, with Kaya Scodelario starring as an Olympic-level talent who abruptly exits the competition track after a head injury, but makes a comeback alongside a bad-boy pairs skater (Evan Roderick). The heightened theatrics of the trailer make “Spinning Out” look like a camp thriller, with “Mad Men” ice queen January Jones as Scodelario’s disapproving mother and a role for the real-life skater Johnny Weir.

‘The Circle’

Starts streaming: Jan. 1

It wasn’t long ago that Dave Eggers wrote a book called “The Circle” that warned of the dark side of Silicon Valley, focusing on a cultish invasiveness of a Google-like corporate campus. It was even less long ago that Eggers’s book was turned into a disastrous flop with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. And now the title has been claimed, without a hint of self-awareness, by this reality competition series, which cheerfully accepts an online discourse where identity and accountability are totally up for grabs. “The Circle” mixes the surveillance-cam aesthetics of “Big Brother” with the sinister twists of “Catfish,” with contestants who all live in the same apartment building but communicate with one another only through an app. The last one not to get “blocked” wins.

‘Cheer’

Starts streaming: Jan. 8

Fans of the addictive junior-college football series “Last Chance U” can expect a similar approach to this six-episode documentary series from the same creator, Greg Whiteley, about the unusually dominant competitive cheerleading squad at Navarro College in Corsicana, Tex. The Navarro cheerleaders have won 14 national championships since 2000, so expectations are high that they will win another in the year “Cheer” follows them around, but the pressure to win, along with injuries and other setbacks, makes it a stressful run. As with “Last Chance U,” Whiteley tries to bear down on the particulars of the sport while getting to know these athletes off the field, too.

‘AJ and the Queen’

Starts streaming: Jan. 10

Despite some bit appearances in movies and fictional shows over the years, the drag queen icon RuPaul is best known for appearing on television shows like the reality-TV hit “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The new series “AJ and the Queen,” which he conceived with the frequent “Sex and the City” writer/director Michael Patrick King, gives him a chance to play off his irreverent persona while honing his dramatic chops. He stars here as Ruby Red, a cash-poor drag queen who travels across the country in a beat-up R.V., accompanied by an 11-year-old orphan stowaway (Izzy G.). The pair get more than a few looks as they make their way through the heartland.

‘Giri/Haji’

Starts streaming: Jan. 10

After debuting to strong reviews on the BBC, this eight-part cross-cultural British mini-series comes to Netflix to fill a seemingly endless appetite for crime stories among subscribers. Set between London and Tokyo, “Giri/Haji” (translated as Duty/Shame) starts with a Japanese detective (Takehiro Hira) who travels to London to search for his missing brother, who’s a member of the Yakuza. Once he arrives in the U.K., he gets help from a detective constable (Kelly Macdonald) and a half-Japanese prostitute (Will Sharpe), but these unlikely allies face a much thicker plot than they might have imagined.

‘Medical Police’

Starts streaming: Jan. 10

The creators of “Childrens Hospital” parody international espionage thrillers with this extended goof about doctors-turned-government agents who try to find the source of a virus that threatens to wipe out civilization. Erinn Hayes and Rob Huebel star as American physicians in a São Paulo hospital who discover the virus and get recruited by a secret spy organization to find the cure while unmasking the conspiracy responsible. Other “Childrens Hospital” regulars are cast here, too — including Rob Corddry, Malin Åkerman, Ken Marino and Lake Bell — so it’s reasonable to expect the tongue-in-cheek absurdity of that show to carry over into this one.

‘Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts’

Starts streaming: Jan. 14

Though heavily influenced by the sharp angles, vibrant colors and exaggerated character design of Japanese animation, “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts” was created through DreamWorks by one of its artisans, Radford Sechrist, and includes Sterling K. Brown, Dan Stevens, Joan Jett, John Hodgman and RZA among its eclectic voice talents. Karen Fukuhara voices Kipo, a young girl who is among the human survivors of an apocalyptic event that has turned other living things into enormous and intelligent creatures, pushing people far down the evolutionary chain. She and a handful of humans and friendly surface-dwellers band together to find her father and others missing from her underground city.

‘Next in Fashion’

Starts streaming: Jan. 29

The venerable “Project Runway” is currently on its 18th season and counting, but without Heidi Klum as host and Tim Gunn as mentor, there must be enough blood in the water for another fashion competition show to seize the spotlight. The “Queer Eye” favorite Tan France and the designer/model Alexa Chung are co-hosting “Next in Fashion,” which puts 18 designers through various challenges to determine a winner, but the tight 10-episode run will ramp up the hourly casualties. The winner gets $250,000 and a collection showcased by the retailer Net-a-Porter, which is a larger-than-usual carrot at the end of the stick.

‘The Stranger’

Starts streaming: Jan. 30

The team behind the Netflix crime drama “Safe” from 2018 — the novelist Harlan Coben and Red Production Company — returns with an eight-episode adaptation of Coben’s novel “The Stranger.” Richard Armitage stars as a normal guy with a healthy marriage and two sons whose life turns to shambles when a stranger sits next to him at a bar and tells him a secret that sets him on a destabilizing course. How this stranger’s words could upend the lives of anyone who hears them is a mystery the series will explore, leading its hero to a sinister conspiracy that threatens harm to himself and others.


‘Bojack Horseman Season 6 (Part B)’

Starts streaming: Jan. 31

After a three-month breather, “Bojack Horseman” returns with the last eight episodes of its six-season run, which has evolved from an offbeat comedy about a has-been equine entertainer (voiced by Will Arnett) to a character study that’s chased its laughs with serious insight into addiction, depression and various existential crises. The first part of season six caught Bojack at a low point, struggling to clean himself up after getting hooked on painkillers and alcohol, and assaulting a co-star. The second part will continue his road to recovery, but characters and incidents from his past are sure to create a few speed bumps. The miracle of the show is how much it incorporates these difficult life events without losing its sense of humor.

Also of interest: “American Graffiti” (Jan. 1), “Definitely, Maybe” (Jan. 1), “Sex, Explained: Limited Series” (Jan. 2), “Thieves of the Wood” (Jan. 2), “Grace and Frankie: Season 6” (Jan. 15), “Sex Education: Season 2” (Jan. 17), “Tyler Perry’s A Fall From Grace” (Jan. 17), “The Queen” (Jan. 23), “The Ranch: The Final Season” (Jan. 24), “I Am a Killer: Season 2” (Jan. 31).

What to watch on Netflix in 2020

Features | Published: Dec 30, 2019

Sex Education, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina and Money Heist will all return to Netflix in 2020, while To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel PS I Still Love You will also debut.

Here is a look at some of the best shows and films set to stream on the service next year.

January

Messiah – January 1

The new drama follows a CIA officer (Michelle Monaghan) who uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) gaining international attention through acts of public disruption, and cultivating followers who claim he is performing miracles.

Is he the Messiah? Or is he a̶ ̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶n̶a̶u̶g̶h̶t̶y̶ ̶b̶o̶y̶ not? Find out (maybe) when Messiah arrives on 1 January.

Spinning Out – January 1

Skins actress Kaya Scodelario plays an aspiring Olympic skater as she battles her personal demons and faces drama on and off the ice.

Anne With An E: series 3 – January 3

The latest adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel Anne Of Green Gables finishes with the third and final series.

Every day can be an adventure. ???

AJ And The Queen – January 10

Drag Race star RuPaul plays a down-on-her-luck drag queen who travels across America from club to club in a rundown van, to recoup her stolen savings, accompanied by a recently orphaned, tough-talking, scrappy 11-year-old stowaway.


Grace and Frankie: series 6 – January 15

The comedy series, starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda as two women who are forced to live together after their husbands fall in love with each other, return for new episodes.

Sex Education: series 2 – January 17

Asa Butterfield returns as Otis, a teenager who sets up a sex clinic at his school, while Gillian Anderson returns as his sex therapist mother.


Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina: part 3 – January 24

The supernatural series following a teenage witch, played by Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka, returns as Sabrina prepares to enter hell to save her boyfriend.

The Stranger – January 30

The new psychological thriller is an adaptation of Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name and stars Spooks actor Richard Armitage as a happily married father of two whose life is turned upside-down after a stranger tells him a secret about his wife.


Bojack Horseman: series 6 part 2 – January 31

The adult animated series about an alcoholic horse movie star is due to come to an end with these final episodes.

[...]

From Doctor Who to Killing Eve: 30 television shows to look forward to in 2020 – so get your popcorn ready

By Tilly Pearce and Cydney Yeates, Entertainment Reporter
Tuesday 31 Dec 2019 8:00 am

Let’s be honest here – 2020 has some serious shoes to fill when it comes to TV, because 2019 absolutely smashed it. But judging by what we already know is coming, we’re already fully prepped and coming up with excuses about why we can skip out nights out to watch telly instead. Whether it’s the return of Doctor Who kicking things off, to a whole slate of Netflix content ensuring we keep that subscription fee rolling each month, there’s something for everyone. Reality TV? We’ve got you covered. Romcoms? Bring it on. Sci-fi? There’s buckets full. Heck there’s even a fair bit of horror and true crime to chuck in for good measure. So what have we got coming up this year? Here’s all the best telly we’ve got to look forward to…


1. Doctor Who (New Year’s Day on BBC One)

Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and her band of friends Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yaz (Mandip Gill) are kicking 2020 off with a bang, and some new adventures in time and space. Expect to see some pretty big name guest stars this series, with the likes of Stephen Fry and Sir Lenny Henry appearing, as well as Goran Visnjic and Robert Glenister making an appearance. You’ll also be seeing some old friends and foes – with the rhino-aliens The Judoon, and Cybermen, confirmed to be making a comeback. Chuck in a fair amount of running and an episode showrunner Chris Chibnall has promised to be the ‘biggest episode’ in the show’s 51-year history, and we’re sold.

2. Dracula (1, 2 and 3 January on BBC One)

Sherlock creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffatt have come together to bring a brand new spin on the dark vampire tale Dracula. Setting the tone for the year going forward, the three-part series will air on consecutive nights starting from 1 January. Claes Bang will play the titular immortal bloodsucker, who we meet in 1897 alongside English lawyer Jonathan Harker, who travels to Transylvania to meet his new client. The new series promises ‘re-introduce the world to Dracula, the vampire who made evil sexy’, and even used second-hand sex toys for reasons we’re yet to discover.

3. The Masked Singer UK (4 January on ITV)

The celebrity singing competition has been a massive hit in South Korea and America, and now it’s heading in our direction too. Each participant will appear every week in intricate costumes that deliberately designed to hide or distort distinguishing features – including body shape, colour, race and gender, which could all be giveaways to who they really are. Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Ken Jeong are the judges on the panel trying to hunt down the real identities of who’s underneath each outfit. Kelly Osbourne, Seal, Michelle Williams and Gladys Knight have previously taken part in the US version. It’s bonkers and we love it.

4. The Greatest Dancer: Series 2 (4 January on BBC One)

We have our first clash of the ratings war early this year with The Greatest Dancer going against The Masked Singer. Coming back bigger and better than ever before, this time US dancer/singer/all-round entertainer Todrick Hall will be joining the judges panel. Love Island’s Curtis Pritchard will be acting as receptionist during the dancing competition as well. Fresh from her win of series one, and winning Strictly Come Dancing 2019 with Kelvin Fletcher, we’re pretty sure Oti Mabuse will want to keep up her winning streak. Cheryl, Matthew Morrison and Todrick have definitely got a fight on their hands.

5. Dancing On Ice (5 January on ITV)

Dancing On Ice is still finding its legs a little bit but is breaking down barriers this season with the first blind contestant, and the first same sex coupling. Celebs taking on potentially death-defying stunts as they perform routines each week is always a nail-biter, so it’s perfect Sunday night telly. Love Island’s Maura Higgins, Joe Swash, Michael Barrymore and Caprice Bourret are among this year’s stars taking part. Who will be brave enough to try the headbanger? or even better, who is the one most likely to pull a GC and go flying across the ice in the middle of their routine? Only one way to find out…

6. AJ And The Queen (10 January on Netflix)

RuPaul is trading in judging queens to going back to her roots as a travelling drag superstar all on her own as part of new series, AJ and the Queen. Mama Ru plays Robert, who at night becomes dazzling star Ruby Red, a fabulous drag queen that over the years has managed to save up $100,000 to open their own nightclub. However, after being swindled by pals and left with no one when their boyfriend leaves, Robert takes to the road with an unexpected stowaway in young child, AJ. Expect a lot of cameos from Drag Race alumni as they make a trip across the US in an RV, and a lot of tears and life lessons. Queue all the hijinks.

7. Sex Education: Season 2 (11 January on Netflix)

Coming of age laugh riot Sex Education is back for more trouble – and this time there’s a chlamydia outbreak at the school. Otis (Asa Butterfield) and best mate Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) are still navigating their awkward teens, made worse with their frosty friendship breaking down with business partner Maeve (Emma Mackey). Chuck in a new girlfriend, your overtly sexual mum (the incomparible Gillian Anderson) getting a new boyfriend, and the upcoming exams and it’s safe to say things are complicated. So much for a quiet life on the outskirts of Wales.

8. Love Island (12 January on ITV2)

Love Island is gracing us with not one, but two villas full of singletons in 2020 – but the one we’re excited to see most is the first ever Winter Love Island. Moving over to South Africa to make sure the reality stars stick to their bikini and bathers uniforms, we’ll get a brand new villa and a lot of new drama. The format will largely remain the same despite the new location, except with new host Laura Whitmore after Caroline Flack had to withdraw. Iain Stirling will still be around too to throw some sarcastic wit our way as the voiceover for the show’s shenanigans. If it doesn’t work out, we can always return to sunny, sunny Mallorca in the summer.

9. Star Trek: Picard (24 January on Amazon Prime Video)

Something for Sir Patrick Stewart and Star Trek fans everywhere, Picard will see what’s been going on with the iconic captain after his retirement. Running for 10 episodes, Picard follows the events of Star Trek: Next Generation, where the elderly captain has set up home in his vineyard, willing the days away in his new content life. But he is soon joined by a mysterious young woman Dahj in the new chapter of his life, who he seeks to help after coming to believe is in imminent danger. Santiago Cabrera will play Cristobal “Chris” Rios, and will be joined by Michelle Hurd, Alison Pill, Harry Treadaway, and Evan Evagora. Among the things awaiting the series is the return of another fan favourite character, Data (Brent Spiner), and Seven Of Nine, who were spotted in the first trailer released for the upcoming franchise addition.

10. The Stranger (10 January on Netflix)

The Stranger is the second Netflix adaptation of a Harlen Coben novel, following on from 2018’s Safe, which starred Michael C Hall and Amanda Abingdon. This time around, Jennifer Saunders will be taking on her first dramatic role in the eight-part thriller based on the 2015 book of the same name. Richard Armitage will play leading man, Adam Price, who seems to have the perfect life until he meets a stranger in a bar (played by Ant Man’s Hannah John-Kamen) who tells him a ‘devastating secret’ about his wife. Netflix teases: ‘Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realises that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives — it will end them.’

11. The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 (release date: unknown on Netflix)

Last we saw of The Umbrella Academy, they were being zapped through a vortex into somewhere unknown after saving the world from the apocalypse. The anti-hero family have definitely got their work cut out from them wherever they end up – which if they stick to the comic books, is actually JFK-era Dallas around the time of the assassination. We have a lot of questions for the insanely fun and twisted tale based on the comic books by My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way. But we know whatever happens, it’s going to have one hell of a killer soundtrack.

12. The Crown: Season 4 (release date: unknown on Netflix)

After Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Josh O’Connor and co took over the reigns of the Royal family in season three, it’s safe to say we’re getting excited for some of the more scandalous years. Throw in the upcoming arrival of Gillian Anderson as The Iron Lady herself, Margaret Thatcher, and Emma Corrin as Lady (soon to be Princess) Diana, and there’s a lot of ground to cover. The upcoming season will also be the current cast’s final bow, before being entirely replaced as a time-jump takes effect for seasons five and six. Claire Foy, the first actress to play Queen Elizabeth II, will also be making a brief comeback in a flashback scene.

13. Schitt’s Creek: Season 6 (UK release date: unknown on Netflix)

It seems like it’s only been recently that the world has caught on to the amazing sitcom that is Schitt’s Creek, and it’s now being taken away from us. Going out on a high, the show follows a formerly rich family who are forced to adapt to their new life in a middle-of-nowhere town. With television and film’s Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara) and her fabulous wig collection leading the way, we’ve got a wedding to plan this year with David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) tying the knot. Then there’s Alexis (Annie Murphy) who was last saw getting ready to head to the Galapogos with her handsome vet Ted (Dustin Milligan). In the US and Canada, it’s coming back on 7 January, so hopefully us Brits won’t have too long a wait to see what happens to the Roses. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed for some spin-offs.

14. After Life: Season 2 (release date: unknown on Netflix)

Ricky Gervais’s unexpectedly gut-punching comedy-drama on life after the death of a loved one took everyone by surprise in March 2019. Renewed for a second season shortly after, we already know the show has been filming, so we can assume the show will return about the same time in 2020. The new series will see Tony (Gervais) and his new band of friends continuing to navigate the complications of life together. After realising that being horrible to people gets no one anywhere, Tony will get a new lease of life as he attempts to be better to people. We’re saying it now: if anything happens to the adorable pet dog, we’re rioting.

15. Little Mix: The Search (release date: unknown on BBC One)

After finding fame, and each other on The X Factor back in 2011, Little Mix have been a pop force to be reckoned with. Now they’re helping a new band form and spread their Wings (sorry… had to) with new BBC series Little Mix: The Search. Auditions are currently underway with the deadline being 10 January – so if you want to have a go, now’s the time! The winning act will be joining them on their 2020 tour as well… which is not a bad place to start your music career. We sat down and had a chat with the girls, who said they would hope to be ‘authentic’. Let’s hope it does better than X Factor: The Band did…

16. Quiz (release date: unknown on ITV)

Quiz, a limited series based on the Charles Ingram coughing scandal on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, has already been praised before a release date has even been announced. Michael Sheen took on quite the transformation to become quiz host Chris Tarrant, with Matthew McFadyen playing the disgraced contestant, and Fleabag’s Sian Clifford playing his wife, Diana. Charles fronted the TV appearance in 2001 and it’s been alleged that Diana, alongside their pal Tecwen Whittock, would cough from the audience to tell him which answer was the right one. Their plan initially paid off, and they walked away with the million pound jackpot until people started figuring out what they had got up to. A release date has not been confirmed, but it’s estimated for a March/April release.

17. Four Lives (release date: unknown on BBC One)

Four Lives, originally called The Barking Murders, focuses on the sick crimes of Stephen Port, who murdered four men after meeting them on Grindr. Called the Grindr Killer or the Chemsex Killer, Port would drug his victims before sexually assaulting and killing them. Stephen Merchant plays the man in question, who got away with the murders due to police failing to connect them. Also starring Jaime Winstone and Sheridan Smith, the show’s name was changed to focus and commemorate the victims lives instead of their deaths.

18. Killing Eve: Season 3 (release date: unknown on BBC Three)

It seems that Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) have hit a rough patch in their weird, twisted relationship… specifically the bullet in her back Eve got. Villanelle’s dream of running off together with her former chaser was shattered, and now the pair who are helplessly addicted to each other are back to being enemies. Then there’s Niko, who was also left in a less than helpful position, the member of the Twelve Eve hacked to death and poor Hugo (Edward Bluemel) being left for dead, it seems that the body count for the couple is only going to keep on climbing until one ends up dead. But who’s going to bite the bullet (no pun intended) first? And whatever happened to just having dinner together to get to know each other?

19. Westworld: Season 3 (release date: unconfirmed on Sky Atlantic)

The futuristic dystopia is back and this time there’s a World War II fantasy to live up to. Aaron Paul is joining this year’s cast, as a construction worker called Caleb – but is he real or droid? Speaking about the new episodes, showrunner Jonathan Nolan warned we’re about to see ‘something that we hadn’t seen before’ which, considering the anything goes reality of Westworld, is really saying something. He said (via Deadline): ‘Dystopia can look pretty beautiful in the world. Just because the world is corrupt inside, doesn’t mean it can’t be smothered over and pretty. ‘We wanted to find a version of dystopia that we hadn’t seen before.’ The trailer dropped in July but as of yet there’s still no news of when the show will return… which is just rude if you ask us.

20. Celebrity Drag Race (release date: unknown on VH1)

We love ourselves some Drag Race over here at Metro.co.uk, so when we heard chat of a celebrity series on the way? Well… you know we were gagged. How the format will work is still not known – we’re assuming that it’s going to be a bit like the now-defunct Drag U, where they learn as they go. Seeing as some of the judges have been more than eager to get up on that catwalk, we can’t help but wonder who will be signing up and just how extra they’re going to get. We’re not sure when to expect the series to arrive, but we’re assuming somewhere between season 12 of Drag Race, season 5 of All Stars, and before they start filming Drag Race UK season 2. Is there such a thing as too much drag?

21. Lucifer: Season 5 (release date: unknown on Netflix)

It’s the beginning of the end for Tom Ellis’s handsome devil – and after finding love with Chloe Decker (Lauren German) at the end of season 4, he’s not going quietly. It’s already been confirmed that season five will be the show’s last, but Netflix has since extended the episode run to 16, and then split it in half (so we kind of get two seasons). Season 5a is expected soon and will see Lucifer adapt to his new life as the king of Hell – while Chloe and the Detective team adapt to life without him around. Somehow we don’t think it’s going to be long until we see him make a reappearance in LA. We’re ready to see our Deckerstar back together, to be honest.

22. Outlander: Season 5 (17 February on Amazon Prime Video)

Outlander has had a bit of delay in the arrival of its fifth season but we’re sure the wait will be worth it. Amazon Prime Video dropped the trailer for the new installment back in October, giving us a teaser of our favourite characters back together again. The future (well, technically the past) certainly looks bleak for Claire and Jamie’s family as they must band together to survive. There are also stronger hints than ever that a journey in time will happen and our heroine seems pretty determined to keep her brood safe. Whether that’s the future’s advanced weapons or medication, we’ll have to find out.

23. Better Caul Saul: Season 5 (23 February on Netflix)

Like Outlander, Better Call Saul’s season five release date was also pushed back. Back in April, bosses announced that the Breaking Bad spin-off had been held off in order to accommodate the ‘talent’s needs’, and then we were treated to the film El Camino in the interim. The official synopsis teases: ‘Jimmy finally makes the decision that changes everything — to practice law as “Saul Goodman.” And this decision will soon create unexpected and profound waves of change for everyone in his world.’ Yep, we’re counting down the days until this one airs.

24. Inside No. 9: Series 5 (release date: unknown on BBC One)

We’ve been waiting on tenterhooks for the BBC to confirm a release date for the fifth series of Inside No. 9 and sadly, we’re still waiting. Co-creator Steve Pemberton confirmed in June that the brand new chapter is ready to go. ‘We have done a new series, which is all edited and ready to go, so that should be on in the autumn,’ he told Radio Times at The South Bank Show Live. What’s the hold-up?

25. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Season 1 (release date: unknown on Disney+) 23)

This show is due on Disney+ sometime in August and will see The Falcon and The Winter Soldier team up for a series of missions and adventures – loosely based on the comic books of the same name. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are set to reprise their roles as Falcon and Winter Soldier, respectively, from the film series. Meanwhile, Daniel Brühl has been confirmed to return as villain Zemo, while Emily VanCamp will also come back as Sharon Carter. Back in November, Anthony shared a cheeky behind-the-scenes picture onset and honestly, we’re still not over it.

26. The Society: Season 2 (release date, unknown on Netflix)

The Society came crashing into our lives last May and here at Metro.co.uk we’re completely and utterly obsessed. Production on the mystery teen drama Netflix show has already begun and it’s expected that season two will drop in the second half of 2020. We’ve got so many questions that need answering as we return to West Ham – like where exactly are the teenagers and where is the rest of the world? More importantly, though, are Grizz and Sam still together?

27. The Boys: Season 2 (release date: unknown on Amazon Prime Video)

The Boys has become the biggest smash on Amazon Prime ever and the superhero epic is now officially more popular than any Marvel series. So of course, it’s coming back for a second inning. In fact, Amazon confirmed that it would be returning for another chapter a week before the show made its debut on the platform. Producer Eric Kripke revealed he’s hoping season two will go ‘deeper’, while Metro.co.uk has listed all the superheroes from the comics we need to see popping up. ‘A more intense, more insane, more wrenching, more character-driven season,’ he said. ‘It’s my one and only goal to make season two even better than season one.’

28. Nine Perfect Strangers (release date: unknown on Hulu in US)

Nine Perfect Strangers is a Hulu adaption of Liane Moriarty’s latest novel and we are so pumped for its arrival. The story takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine burnt-out city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during their 10-day stay is the resort’s director Masha (played by Nicole Kidman). Over the course of their stay, things start to take a turn and it gets pretty darn wild. Nicole Kidman joined the star-studded cast back in July 2018 and the series is expected to land toward the end of 2020.

29. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt interactive episode (release date: unknown on Netflix)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is returning for an interactive episode in 2020. Yep, that’s right, we’re getting our very own Kimmy styled choose-your-own-adventure – and just when we thought it had been dead and buried forever. In May, show creator Tina Fey confirmed that Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), Titus (Tituss Burgess), Jacqueline (Jake Krakowski) and Lilian (Carol Kane) will be back on our screens and we’ll get to choose their jokes.

30. The Nest (release date: unknown on BBC One)

A wealthy couple and a teenage girl make a pact that will change all of their lives forever in this new five-part drama. Line of Duty’s Martin Compston and Gentleman Jacks’ Sophie Rundle lead the cast and together, they play couple Dan and Emily, a husband and wife who are so desperate for a child they ask a teenage girl to carry their baby. By chance, the couple meets 18-year-old Kaya who lives at the other end of town and whose life is a lot more precarious than theirs. Kaya agrees to carry their baby, but there’s a mystery around who Kaya really is and what has brought her into the couple’s lives. A start date for this thriller has not yet been confirmed, so sit tight folks.

The Two Shot Podcast@TwoShotPod

NEW EPISODE ALERT

Last one before Christmas this! It’s episode 108 with the majestic Siobhan Finneran.

Out in all good podcast apps now!

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the

#TSP108 - Siobhan Finneran The Two Shot Podcast

Film Interviews

Season's greetings mates. Hope you're all alright. It's our last episode before Christmas and as Craig mentions in the intro, we're going out in style with the total ledge Siobhan Finneran.

We met Shiv in Manchester's Cultureplex, got a coffee and got down to it.You'll know her from Downton Abbey, Benidorm, Happy Valley, Clocking Off, Coronation Street and the iconic Rita, Sue and Bob Too. We talked about her sporting prowess, changing attitudes to depictions of sex on screen, Lancashire, being confused by the world of drama and acting, being an imposter and tonnes more. She's an incredible woman with steel and humour in equal measures and we're sure you'll love listening in to this episode.

Hope you get a few days of rest and recuperation over the holidays. We'll be back with you in early 2020.TSP XX

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If you've enjoyed listening then please click through to https://www.patreon.com/twoshotpod to make a donation to the running costs of the show. You'll get bonus pictures, video and audio in return. Nice one.

Netflix: 10 of the best new shows and films to watch in January
Among its offerings for 2020, Netflix asks the bold question: is it okay to fancy Jesus?

Wed, Jan 1, 2020, 06:00
Jennifer Gannon


Messiah
January 1st

In the year of our Lord 2020, Netflix is boldly asking the age old question: is it okay to fancy Jesus? It’s a complex, philosophical query that has been rumbling ever since Robert Powell’s blue eyes blinked out from the BBC production of Jesus of Nazareth, right through to Joaquin Phoenix’s pre-Joker turn as the wild, desert-roaming Messiah.
This spiritual thriller created by devotional duo Roma Downey and Mark Burnett follows a mysterious, charismatic young outsider (Mehdi Debhi) who appears in the Middle East and gains a cult following after performing a series of “miracles”. With his ability to appear at moments of crisis and then disappear again, he has people pondering if he is the new Messiah or just another very naughty boy. Michelle Monaghan plays the CIA agent eager to find out whether this guru is amassing an army of zealots for terrorist reasons or if there is something deeper to this unexplained phenomenon.


Sex, Explained
January 2nd

Narrated by singer/actor Janelle Monae, this documentary delves into all aspects of sexual behaviour, from the biology of attraction, the history of birth control, male reproductive issues and common fantasies, exploring everything you wanted to know but were too afraid to ask.


Anne with an E, final season
January 3rd

The prestige drama inspired by LM Montgomery’s beloved book is drawing to a close. With her 16th birthday arriving, Anne (Amybeth McNulty) is on the cusp of adulthood, wondering about her past and worrying about her future as matters of the heart begin to take hold.


AJ and the Queen
January 10th

Created by Sex and the City’s Michael Patrick King and RuPaul, AJ & the Queen sees Ru in the starring role as Ruby Red, a down-on-her luck drag queen who, after a series of personal disasters, tries to start her life over again, striking up an unlikely friendship with a wayward, wise-cracking 11-year-old. The duo tour across the US in a battered RV, delivering drag on a dime, challenging outmoded attitudes and discovering their true selves as they twirl their way through the dimly lit dive bars of forgotten America.
With a supporting cast of Drag Race alumni (from Latrice Royal to Trinity the Tuck) and 1990s goddess Tia Carrere, it’s a dose of escapist, campy fun to erase January blues.


Grace and Frankie, season 6
January 15th

On its way to becoming Netflix’s longest-running original series (if Jane Fonda can keep herself out of prison), Grace and Frankie is back for its penultimate season. Changes are afoot for the odd couple, with their time as housemates perhaps drawing to a close as their close-knit bond is challenged by the burgeoning relationships with the men in their lives.
Although as with every series of the sitcom, the theme of sisterhood solidarity still stands with the pair relying on each other to navigate their way through a society that refuses to acknowledge them. As caustic as it is heartwarming, thankfully these acerbic, adroit golden girls show no signs of slowing down.


Sex Education, season 2
January 17th

A surprise hit for the streaming service, this British comedy-drama returns for a second season following the relationship mishaps, misfortunes, misfires, loves and lusts of Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his gang of equally mixed-up misfit mates. Picking up from where season one left off, Otis is now trying to balance his difficult friendship with Maeve and his evolving affair with girlfriend Ola.

There is also an unfortunate outbreak of chlamydia that the school must deal with, and new students come to the town challenging the status quo of the group. Gillian Anderson will return as Jean, Otis’s glamorous, sex therapist mother whose frank discussions make teen life even more mortifying for the socially awkward adolescent.


Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, part 3
January 24th

This dark reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch starring Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka continues with Sabrina forced to face the tragic consequences that occurred at the end of the second season. Her boyfriend Nicholas (Gavin Leatherwood) having made the ultimate sacrifice, it is up to Sabrina to save his soul and bring him back to the mortal realm with the help of her “Fright Club” friends.

The witchy teen must also make a decision about her presence in the other realm, which is threatened by a pretender to the throne, the handsome Prince of Hell, Caliban (Sam Corlett) and try to keep up with her maths homework.


Next in Fashion
January 29th

Queen of the slashies, model/presenter/DJ/designer/writer/IT girl Alexa Chung teams up with Queer Eye’s stylist Tan France for this competition that pits young designers against each other to become the next big thing and win an opportunity to debut their collection on luxury retail site Net-a-Porter. Next in Fashion is an updated version of Project Runway with Chung and France as new accessories to spruce up a tired format.


The Stranger
January 30th

Based on the Harlan Coben novel of the same name, The Stranger is a psychological drama about what happens when a seemingly idyllic life is shattered by a random encounter. Spooks star Richard Armitage plays Adam Price, a loving father and husband who begins to have doubts about his relationship when he receives some shocking information about his wife. This revelation sparks a paranoid descent. Piecing together the depth of his wife’s deception, he realises he’s become entangled in a dark conspiracy that could put his family’s lives at risk.

From the production team that previously adapted Coben’s novel Safe for Netflix, this bingeable thriller is full of the usual compelling twists.

Uncut Gems
January 31st

From the minds of the Safdie brothers comes another adrenaline-fuelled work of genius. Uncut Gems boasts an utterly compelling, brilliantly nuanced performance from Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner, a fast-living ducking-and-diving jeweller in New York’s Diamond District, who becomes caught up in what should be the deal of a lifetime: auctioning off a chunk of rock embedded with precious opals.

What follows is an anxiety-inducing crime caper full of the brothers’ trademark surrealist, vulgar aesthetics. Soaked in blood, sweat and tears, Uncut Gems is an intense ride through Ratner’s chaotic, gaudy world full of bedazzled Furbys and warm leatherette. Sandler relishes the role, amid a strong ensemble cast that includes Lakeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel and a star-making turn from newcomer Julia Fox. Uncut Gems could be the rough diamond in Netflix’s awards-season crown.