Category Archives: Television

TV REVIEW: Michael Sheen in ‘Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!’

Posted on March 13, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Kenneth Williams, whose sucked-in cheeks, rolled eyes and stretched vowels were known best internationally from the cheerfully vulgar “Carry On” comedies, was born a princess who longed for a Prince Charming but was far too … Continue reading →

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John Inman, who died today, an unlikely hit in Memphis

Posted on March 8, 2007 by admin

Among the more curious things I discovered living in Tennessee in the mid-1980s was that one of the most popular entertainment figures in Memphis was the English comedy actor John Inman, who died this morning aged 71. It was very … Continue reading →

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Abbey Road studios: a logical idea for a TV show

Posted on March 6, 2007 by admin

  By Ray Bennett LONDON (Hollywood Reporter) – Setting a television music series in the most famous recording studio in the world is such a logical idea that it’s a wonder no one’s done it before. But better late than … Continue reading →

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Whistle stop at the Palace of Westminster

Posted on February 27, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett I can’t recall the last time someone holding a semi-automatic rifle smiled at me and said, “How’s it going?” It happened this morning at the Palace of Westminster, where I was covering my first parliamentary committee hearing … Continue reading →

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One winner among the Oscar awards montages

Posted on February 26, 2007 by admin

By Ray Bennett No surprise that the best film montage in last night’s Oscar show was Giuseppe Tornatore’s impressionistic assembly of clips from the Academy’s best foreign-language film winners. The director of “Cinema Paradiso” (pictured) put together a rapid-fire sequence … Continue reading →

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TV REVIEW: Ray Winstone in ‘All In the Game’

Posted on May 11, 2006 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Ray Winstone at full throttle is like a force of nature and he’s firing on all cylinders as a passionate but corrupt English Premier League soccer manager in the scalding sports drama ‘All In the … Continue reading →

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TV REVIEW: Sean Bean in ‘Sharpe’s Challenge’

Posted on April 23, 2006 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Bernard Cornwell’s terrific creation Richard Sharpe, loyal soldier in the battles of the Duke of Wellington, hasn’t been seen in anything new on British television for eight years but he returns in great form Sunday … Continue reading →

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TV REVIEW: Jimmy McGovern’s ‘The Street’

Posted on April 12, 2006 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Marital strife fierce and unsettling comes flying in the opening scene of the first episode of Jimmy McGovern’s new BBC series “The Street,” and it sets the tone for a show that brings fresh imagination … Continue reading →

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TV REVIEW: Tom Hardy, Kelly Reilly in ‘A for Andromeda’

Posted on March 27, 2006 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – ‘A for Andromeda’ is a tidy little science fiction picture starring Tom Hardy and Kelly Reilly (above) with a reach well within its grasp that is likely to please both sci-fi fans and those who … Continue reading →

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TV REVIEW: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt in ‘Gideon’s Daughter’

Posted on March 23, 2006 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – No one does preoccupied better than Bill Nighy and playing to his strength as a serenely detached public relations guru just about saves writer/director Stephen Poliakoff’s ponderous story of family alienation, “Gideon’s Daughter.” The film … Continue reading →

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