Section
Entertainment
Michael Palin in the Philippines
Michael Palin plans to visit the conflict-prone island of Mindanao in the Philippines despite UK government travel warnings, accompanied by a security team. His trip…
Alien plot led to Cartland biography
Matthew Sweet’s biography of Dame Barbara Cartland, *The Great Dictator: A Life of Barbara Cartland*, was inspired by a *Doctor Who* audio drama concept and…
Celebrity Traitors has a seedy side, and I love it
The BBC reality show *The Celebrity Traitors* features celebrities navigating alliances through deception, revealing the psychological toll of dishonesty under public scrutiny. This portrayal highlights…
Stowaway comes home to hang with the masters
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has launched the largest European exhibition in over 40 years of Willem de Kooning’s work, featuring more than 120 pieces, many…
Nicholas Barrett: TV producer and wingman to David Frost
Nicholas Barrett, a British television producer instrumental in shaping influential programs for London Weekend Television during the 1970s and 1980s, died on June 19, 2026,…
Singing praises for university choral evensongs
In 2014, Dr. Ian d’Alton attended choral evensongs at Cambridge and noted their exceptional musical quality despite very low attendance. This highlights a decline in…
How Lord of the Flies spawned ChatGPT
A new film directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman premiered at the London Film Festival, critically examining OpenAI’s rise and…
‘I always feel like the fraud in the room. It’s absurd, I’m 40 years old!’
Jamie Bell stars as John Ball in a new historical drama about the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, directed by Paul Greengrass and co-starring Andrew Garfield. The…
Traitors-maxxing: have you been lured into the new TV cult? I haven’t
The UK reality show "Celebrity Traitors" draws around nine million viewers per episode as celebrities compete in a high-stress game of deception set in a…
The future’s bright: meet the stars of tomorrow
The Times Breakthrough award 2026 shortlist features playwright Nancy Farino, composer Ben Nobuto, and investigative journalist Harry Shukman, each recognized for their innovative and impactful…
This punchy saga shows the dark side of privilege
Sarah Solemani’s five-part ITV adaptation of Elizabeth Day’s *The Party* follows Martin, a working-class boy navigating elite British society and its hidden conflicts, culminating in…
Treasure Island Streaming Choice on Paramount+
Paramount+ has released a new six-part adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s "Treasure Island," featuring notable changes like the removal of the black spot and the…
American Fiction Film Choice on BBC2
Cord Jefferson makes his feature film debut with a comedy-drama about a disgruntled literature professor who writes a satirical novel criticizing the sensationalization of black…
Will mega-merger save Hollywood?
Paramount has completed its acquisition of Warner Brothers after settling legal challenges from multiple U.S. states, following CEO David Ellison's threat to move the company…
Apple takes a local crime drama to global audience
Apple produced the six-part Australian crime drama *Last Seen*, filmed over 100 days in locations like Portland and Warrnambool, with a focus on a gender-balanced…
World’s Largest Movie Markets Hit It Big
In November 1994, the American thriller *The Fugitive* became the first major U.S. film officially screened in mainland China since 1949, marking a turning point…
Crime pays off for home-grown thriller
Apple's six-part thriller *Last Seen*, filmed entirely in regional Victoria with a strong local cast, marks the company's first Australian-produced TV series and showcases the…
Centuries-old Chinese opera captivates new fans in Berlin
The Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe performed a series of traditional Wu Opera pieces at Urania Berlin on September 30, attracting over 800 attendees. The event…
Emmys the latest show heading to streamers
Amazon Prime Video will exclusively broadcast the Emmy Awards starting in 2027 under a six-year global rights deal with the Television Academy. This marks a…
'Authentically Disney, Distinctly Chinese'
Shanghai Disney Resort's LinaBell character has become extremely popular, often drawing wait times of over 10 hours shortly after park opening. This popularity reflects the…
‘Forgotten Island’ Makes a Bet on an Original, Filipino Story
DreamWorks Animation released the original film “Forgotten Island,” a story rooted in Filipino culture created by veterans Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, featuring voices like…
Betting big on dramas for the smallest screens
CBS’s soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” team, led by Bradley Bell and his son Oliver, is producing “Hollywood Starlet,” a 40-episode microdrama series…
‘The Social Reckoning’ Film Review: Outdated and Failing to Connect
The film "The Social Reckoning" dramatizes Facebook’s internal debates and whistleblower disclosures amid the January 6 Capitol attack, focusing on Mark Zuckerberg’s and his team’s…
Msheireb Properties announces 4th edition of Baraha Musical Concert
Msheireb Properties has announced the fourth Baraha Musical Concert for January 14-15, 2027, featuring a collaboration with the Al Jazeera Orchestra and Choir and new…
‘Fjord’ Film Review: Parental Rights vs State Custody
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s film "Fjord" won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for its portrayal of a conservative Christian family in Norway facing state intervention…
Trailblazing AIDS Activist and Actor Michael Kearns Dead at 76
Michael Kearns, an actor and AIDS activist known for being one of the first openly gay actors to reveal his HIV-positive status publicly, died on…
Victoria Monét needed a new way to channel her creativity after her wins at the Grammys
Singer-songwriter Victoria Monét enrolled in culinary school and completed an externship as a prep cook while touring with Bruno Mars, seeking a fresh creative outlet…
Aaron Sorkin’s slog focuses on the foul Facebook choices we already know about
Aaron Sorkin’s film “The Social Reckoning,” released on October 9, dramatizes Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz’s exposure of the platform’s algorithm-driven promotion…
The Queen of Disco from other sides
Donna Summer’s new career-spanning box set, “The Casablanca Studio Albums,” showcases her versatility across genres, including extended disco tracks, Broadway-inspired tunes, and synth-rock, highlighting her…
Indian Actor-Filmmaker Nana Patekar Dies at 75
Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker Nana Patekar died at age 75 from a suspected cardiac arrest at his home in Goa. Known for his impactful…