Q&A/PREVIEW: Nolly at the BFI with Russell T Davies, Helena Bonham Carter & Mark Gatiss

By Neil Durham

WHEN?: Thursday 26 January 2023, Nolly drops 2 February 2023 on ITVX

We’ve just seen the 1st 2 of 3 episodes of new Russell T Davies (It’s A Sin, Channel 4) show Nolly and he tells us in the Q&A afterwards: ‘When we 1st met ITV and said we wanted to make a drama about Noele Gordon, they said: ‘Who’s he?’

  • Read on for reasons including Helena Bonham Carter’s thoughts on the show and Gatiss on Larry Grayson
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Q&A: Bridgerton cast starring Nicola Coughlan, Adjoa Andoh, Golda Rosheuvel, Ruth Gemmell, Luke Thompson, Martins Imhangbe & Bessie Carter

WHERE?: Kiln Theatre, Kilburn hosted by Jim Carter

WHEN?: Sunday 13 March, ahead of the 25 March dropping of season 2 on Netflix

Asked about the appeal of this show to its worldwide audience of 85 million, Rosheuvel who plays Queen Charlotte (pictured 5th from left) talks about the ensemble feel of a large cast with a theatrical background.

  • Read on for reasons including everything we know about series 2 available from Friday 25 March 2022
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Q&A/PREVIEW: It’s A Sin featuring Russell T. Davies, Olly Alexander, Keeley Hawes & Omari Douglas

WHERE?: BFI at Home on YouTube

RUNTIME: 46 minutes

WHEN?: available to watch from 18/1/21

Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander remembers watching Russell T. Davies’ groundbreaking Channel 4 series Queer As Folk in secret when he was just 14 years old.

  • Read on for reasons including how Alexander wants to play a ‘sexy gay witch’

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Q&A and TV PREVIEW: His Dark Materials featuring Ruth Wilson, Dafne Keen & Sir Philip Pullman at the BFI

WHERE? BFI IMAX RUNTIME: 60 minutes (episode 1 to air on BBC1 3/11 and HBO 4/11/19)

WHEN? 15/10

Piers Wenger is BBC’s controller of drama and describes this eight-part first season of Sir Philip Pullman’s renowned literature trilogy as ‘the most ambitious drama the BBC has ever made’.

  • Read on for reasons including what to expect from episode 1 which airs on BBC1 Sunday 3 November 2019

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Q&A: Unforgotten featuring Nicola Walker & Sanjeev Bhaskar at the BFI & Radio Times TV Festival

WHERE? BFI, BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, London

WHEN? 13/4/19

We’re at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival which is an appropriate location because hit ITV cold case series Unforgotten was born here when writer Chris Lang pitched it to producer Laura Mackie (2nd from left and far right below) over coffee.

  • Read on for reasons including the unlikely inspiration for the central conceit of the series

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Q&A: Derry Girls at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival

WHERE? BFI IMAX, BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, London

WHEN? 14/4/19

Derry Girls writer and creator Lisa McGee had never really seen anything on television that represented her growing up in the 90s in Northern Ireland and so set about writing it.

  • Read on for reasons including the similarities between Derry Girls and Channel 4’s Father Ted

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Q&A: Josh O’Connor at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival

WHERE? BFI & Radio Times Television Festival

WHEN? 13/4/19 The Durrells airs on ITV at 8pm on Sundays, finishing 12/5/19

Josh O’Connor plays Prince Charles in the next series of Netflix’s The Crown and if he met the royal he would want to compare ear stories.

  • Read on for reasons including what happened when O’Connor auditioned for the film version of Les Miserables

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REHEARSED READING & Q&A: Bull In A China Shop starring Fiona Shaw, Jade Anouka & Leah Harvey at the National

WHERE? Dorfman Theatre, National

RUN TIME: 75 minutes (without interval)

WHEN?: 17/11/18

Author Bryna Turner explains the conflict at the heart of her play is between a revolutionary, the old guard and someone seeking to make progress, and its star Fiona Shaw adds 1 word – ‘Brexit’.

  • Read on for reasons including how this play forms part of the Courage Everywhere season at the National

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