Latest news with #AmericanTV
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Karen Pirie fans praise 'refreshing' second series but all have same complaint
ITV's Karen Pirie recently returned to our screens for its second series, and fans were quick to praised the 'refreshing' series Karen Pirie returned to ITV for its second series, three years after the first debuted on our screens to great reviews. The crime series is based on the Inspector Karen Pirie novels by Val McDermid, and stars Lauren Lyle as the lead - who was recently promoted to detective inspector in the new series. Getting straight into it, the police officer finds herself in immediate drama as she gets to work cracking a cold case involving an unsolved case from over three decades before. The mysterious case saw the kidnapping of heiress Catriona Grant (played by Julia Brown) and her young son. A man's body is soon found with links to the original kidnapping, leaving Karen scrambling to find out the truth. Fans were obsessed with the return of the series and rushed to social media to praise the 'refreshing' change in cop shows as they complimented how 'normal' the main character is. One user said on X/ Twitter: "Great to have #KarenPirie back. Refreshing to have a normal screen detective, fun and clever but not traumatised and grumpy." Another impressed viewer added: "I love #KarenPirie she's so normal… no cop on the edge or cop that can't play by the rules.. just a normal cop solving crime! Thank you!" One said: "35 minutes in and I'm hooked. This is brilliant #KarenPirie," and another fan added: "Karen Pirie is so well produced and edited." However, a few had the same complaints as they hit out at ITV for adding too many ad breaks in the episode. One annoyed user said: "These ad breaks through Karen pirie is absolutely ridiculous @ITV #KarenPirie." "I'd enjoy #KarenPirie even more if there wasn't an advert every 5 mins ! Getting as bad as American TV," another irritated viewer commented. Karen Pirie stars the likes of Chris Jenks as DC Jason Murray, Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka, Steve John Shepherd as DI Simon Lees and Emer Kenny as River Wilde. Lauren, who plays Karen, spoke about the return of the series and explained: "I'm thrilled that we will continue the life of our fearless young detective Karen Pirie, and of course, her bumbag. 'I've known for a while how well the show has gone down behind the scenes so it's been a joy to see audiences want more. It's a creative honour to work alongside Emer Kenny with the backbone of Val McDermid's story. "Season 1 was incredibly exciting building an original character we hadn't seen before. I look forward to getting the gang back together and finally being able to answer the question: 'Please say there will be a season 2?' with an 'Oh yes.'"
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stephen Colbert: The death of the late night US chat show?
Stephen Colbert took viewers by surprise this week when he announced The Late Show would be heading for the big TV schedule in the long-running series, which he has hosted since 2015, will leave screens next May. And not because Colbert is being replaced by a new presenter - the show is ending the way the broadcasting winds are blowing, this cancellation is unlikely to be the last. Viewers will now be wondering whether Seth Meyers or one of the Jimmys - Fallon and Kimmel - might soon follow. TV critic Emma Bullimore notes the late-night chat show format has historically thrived in the US in a way that other countries, including the UK, have always "admired but struggled to emulate"."Late night shows are a staple of American TV in the same way British television would look odd without soaps or afternoon quizzes," she says. "This cancellation certainly comes as a surprise, both in the decision itself and the way it has been delivered."Some viewers were similarly taken aback. "I'm not big into late night TV anymore," wrote one, "but this feels weird. The Late Show is an institution." Another described the news as "really, really bad, not just for the state of late TV but also in a general sense for the state of media".But the traditional chat show format, which was created decades ago, finds itself facing several issues in the current television landscape. For one thing, the kind of content they produce is arguably no longer compatible with audience appetite."These types of programmes are generally not a genre people will stream or watch via catch-up," says Frances Taylor, TV Previews Editor at Radio Times. "They're nightly and they're topical and are therefore pretty much out of date just 24 hours later. "It's tricky for them to have life outside of that nightly broadcast, whereas dramas, documentaries and sitcoms don't suffer from that problem."Added to which, it can be increasingly difficult for bookers to get good guests, and not just because they have four shows a week to fill. Chat shows used to be one of the first places for publicists to offer their stars, but the huge number of competitors that have sprung up over the last 15 years has changed on popular social media or YouTube formats such as Chicken Shop Date or Snack Wars arguably now hold more appeal, both for the celebrity, who can goof around and not reveal as much of much of themselves, and for their PR teams, who feel safer if they can keep their talent away from potentially more difficult questions. That's not to say viral moments can't come from traditional TV. Chat shows have done their best to adapt to the times over the last decade. Segments such as James Corden's Carpool Karaoke and Fallon's Wheel of Musical Impressions reflected a new blueprint, where features were invented with online appeal front of it worked, too. Audiences love clips based on "bits" rather than chat. Graham Norton's best performing YouTube clip, with more than 100m views, is the time Will Smith broke away from the sofa for an all-star musical has 10m YouTube subscribers - a healthy number for sure, but a weaker figure than Kimmel's 20m and Fallon's 32m. It's worth noting that, even before the invention of streaming, the world of US chat shows was always a competitive, dog-eat-dog world. But the big TV advertising bucks that kept so many of them afloat have vanished, having gone down with the terrestrial TV ship. Fundamentally, the format's raison d'être is now under question. Taylor notes that, by the time chat shows are broadcast, "most people will already be across all of the major stories from the day"."Not only that, but their social feeds will be full of social creators feeding that appetite for topical, satirical content, be it with impressions of the US President or having an irreverent take on Elon Musk's latest venture."She references John Mulaney's recent attempt to bring a live chat show to Netflix, with mixed results. Its future now looks uncertain, and Mulaney recently said he and the team were "figuring out" what their next move would be, stopping short of committing to a second season. "That doesn't exactly sound as though it was a runaway success," Taylor says. Political pressure? Colbert told viewers The Late Show's cancellation was ultimately a financial decision - which is certainly a credible is expensive to make, with huge teams of producers, directors, camera operators and other technical staff, not to mention the large fee for the presenter. And while YouTubers can now offer an increasingly professional operation themselves, they can do so at a fraction of the the cancellation still puzzled some. The Late Show was one of CBS's top shows, attracting an average audience of 2.57m viewers in ratings actually improved under Colbert, particularly after it began skewering the Trump administration - the host is one of the president's most vocal a result, some have questioned whether the show's cancellation has anything to do with political closure comes after CBS parent company Paramount settled with US President Donald Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. President Trump said the way his presidential rival's answer to a question about Israel was presented on two different platforms made her look more favourable to viewers. CBS noted at the time its settlement did not include a statement of apology or regret. Business commentators said the deal was made partly so as to not affect Paramount's planned merger with Skydance Media, which Trump had the power to after the The Late Show's cancellation was announced, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff said: "If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better." The sentiment was echoed by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who noted the show's cancellation came three days after Colbert's criticism of the Paramount is no evidence that this was a factor - but it highlights the political climate in which this decision has been made. In their statement announcing the end of The Late Show, CBS said it was a "purely financial decision" and "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount". It's not clear what will be next for Colbert himself. He may be snapped up by a streamer, or try to move his current show Morgan's Uncensored provides a potential model - a programme which started on television and still looks like a TV show, but later moved, successfully, to YouTube. The Late Show brand is "strong, storied and irreplaceable, and no host is funnier and more thoughtful - soulful - than Stephen Colbert", said John Avlon, a media executive and former Democratic congressional nominee. "That's why he is loved by a loyal audience and they will follow him to whatever he does next."Other TV chat show hosts have found new formats in order to stay relevant. Colbert's predecessor David Letterman was able to still attract A-list guests when he moved to Netflix in 2018 for a new series, My Next Guest Needs No all else fails, there's one other option available to Colbert. He is currently one of the only existing celebrities without his own podcast.
Metro
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Wimbledon star held back from umpire as crowd boo 'embarrassing' decision
A furious Ben Shelton was prevented from approaching the chair umpire after his Wimbledon match against Rinky Hijikata was suspended due to bad light as he was about to serve for the match. Shelton, 22, was on the verge of a straight-sets victory over Hijikata when the umpire made the decision to suspend the match. The 10th seed won the first two sets 6-2 7-5 and was about to serve for a place in the third round. Shelton had discussed the possibility of a suspension at the start of the third set but it looked as if the players would be able to get through the match as he led 5-4 on serve. Australia's Hijikata saved three match points in the previous game and will live to fight another day after the umpire called time at the following changeover. 'Ladies and gentleman, play is suspended due to darkness,' the umpire announced at just before 9.30pm, sparking raucous boos from the crowd on Court Two. Shelton was furious with the decision and walked in the direction of the chair umpire only to be ushered away by another match official. Ben Shelton reacts to his match against Rinky Hijikata being suspended at 9:29 PM local match will be resumed tomorrow after play is suspended due to darkness. — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 3, 2025 After composing himself, Shelton gestured to the spectators who were deprived of the chance to see him finish the match and book his place in the third round of Wimbledon. A commentator on American TV said: 'Oh my goodness. This is unbelievable. The officials have painted themselves into a corner. 'It's a tough situation but they [the officials] did this to themselves by not stopping in at 4-2 when they were willing to go off. 'Now Ben's furious that they're stopping. He's got to come out tomorrow cold and serve for the match.' The decision was branded 'embarrassing' and 'ridiculous' by many fans on social media. The match will resume on Friday, depriving Shelton of a full day-off ahead of his likely third-round clash with the winner of Gael Monfils vs Marton Fucsovics. That second-round match was also suspended on Thursday evening after Fucsovics won a tie-break to level at two sets apiece. Earlier in the week, Taylor Fritz's clash with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard had to be completed the following day after officials suspended the match despite there being around 45 minutes of playing time left. Both players were asked if they wanted to continue and as they did not agree – Perricard was keen to come back the following day – the officials opted to pause the match. World number one Jannik Sinner had no such problems as he eased his way into the third round with an emphatic win over Aleksandar Vukic. More Trending Sinner, seeking his maiden Wimbledon title, has dropped just 12 games across his first two matches at the All England Club. The three-time Grand Slam champion remains the second-favourite to win the men's title, however, behind two-time defending champions Carlos Alcaraz. Novak Djokovic, bidding to win a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title, is also through to the third round, but British number one Jack Draper was knocked out by former US Open winner Marin Cilic. World number ten Shelton is yet to reach the second week of Wimbledon but made it to the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where he lost to eventual winner Sinner. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Comedian admits he 'nearly got into a punch-up' at Wimbledon MORE: Jack Draper complains about big Wimbledon change after painful Marin Cilic defeat MORE: Novak Djokovic plots Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal reunion after Wimbledon win
Scottish Sun
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
My daughter died on her 25th birthday cruise – her pals made baffling choice with body and we still want answers
WALKING on board the ship with her boyfriend and friends, Ashley Barnett couldn't wait to celebrate her 25th birthday on a three-day cruise through the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific ocean. Less than 24 hours, however, the aspiring actress would be found dead in her cabin - and her tragic death still remains shrouded in mystery. 8 Within less than 24 hours of being on the vessel, Ashley was found dead Credit: Getty 8 An aspiring actress, Ashley was working on American TV 8 Ashley's mum spoke exclusively to The Sun about her daughter's tragic death 8 The Paradise cruise ship set sail from Long Beach, California Credit: Alamy With the 20th anniversary of Ashley's death next October, her heartbroken mum, Jamie, revealed to The Sun that she's still searching for answers on what happened to her beloved daughter. "It was a long, perilous journey, which had no real answers in the end,' she said. "I'll never get all the answers. That's one of the most heartbreaking aspects of all… losing someone like that on a cruise ship. "It's just all different when it happens at sea - and people don't realise that at all." After boarding Carnival Cruise Line's Paradise in Long Beach, California on 14 October, 2005, Ashley's boyfriend said they hit up the casino and a concert before returning to their cabin for the night. But following an alleged disagreement, her boyfriend went back out - leaving her alone in the room. He said he returned in the early hours after continuing his night out onboard, falling asleep next to Ashley, before waking up hours later to join pals upstairs. Ashley remained in bed, her boyfriend believing she was still fast asleep from celebrations the night before. After partying some more, he returned to the cabin once again - except this time he tried to wake her up. When he was unable to rouse her, he went running into the hallway screaming that his girlfriend wasn't breathing, with another passenger scrambling to call 911 after hearing his cries. While a nurse began to perform CPR, the ship's doctor arrived - but efforts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. There were allegedly few defibrillators on the ship and no opioid-overdose inhibitors to aid medical staff. Ashley was pronounced dead soon after. Holidaymaker, 60, killed in 'fight' on luxury cruise ship hours after leaving UK as man, 57, arrested over 'murder' Following Ashley's shocking death, the boat docked in Ensenada on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Here, authorities boarded the ship to determine if there were any suspicious circumstances, while the FBI back in the US were notified. With Ashley's body handed over to a Mexican morgue, instead of staying with her, the young woman's boyfriend along with the rest of the group stayed on the party ship and, shockingly, returned to California. 8 Ashley Barnett tragically died on board a cruise after suffering a drug overdose Credit: Getty 8 Ashley boarded the cruise with her boyfriend and friends to celebrate her 25th birthday Credit: Getty 8 For decades Ashley's mother Jamie Barnett has been working to change the way deaths on cruises are treated Two decades later, Jamie is still outraged by the decision. "They just left her body there," she said. "Not the boyfriend, not one of those other folks, not a representative from the cruise line." Jamie said she didn't even hear from Ashley's boyfriend - the last person to see her alive - until a full day after her daughter's tragic passing. He claimed he had no idea what had happened to her - but revealed that some of his medications was missing. It was later concluded that Ashley had died from a methadone drug overdose - something that shocked her grieving family and friends who insist she was extremely anti-drugs. Methadone is what's dubbed a "legal high" drug, traditionally used to help addicts stop taking heroin - despite both being Class A. Jamie says Ashley was "autopsied and, before she could come back to the United States, her body had to be embalmed". This meant that by the time her body was returned to her family, "any forensic pathologist had very little to go on to figure out what happened" - shrouding even more mystery over Ashley's death. With Jamie still desperate for answers, the family hired a private pathologist to carry out a forensic autopsy. They found exactly what Jamie thought - healthy organs in a healthy body, with some evidence of alcohol consumption. No signs of trauma were discovered either. Still bewildered by her shocking passing - and the cause behind it - the family then requested a test of Ashley's hair follicles. The test confirmed that there were zero signs of habitual drug use. Therefore the question remained: why was Ashley found dead having overdosed on methadone? Ashley's passing - and the reason behind it - has tormented her family for 20 years. They are yet to receive real answers. Despite the nightmare Jamie has endured over the last two decades, her trauma ignited a need to help others who have endured similar nightmares. It's just all different when it happens at sea, and people don't realise that at all. Jamie Barnett Jamie has been pivotal in developing stricter laws surrounding crimes and deaths on cruises in her role as president of lobbying group International Cruise Victims. The grieving mum believes cruise-goers are often "lulled into a false sense of security". She explained to The Sun: "Don't get on a ship and think nothing could happen to you. "It's like a small city where anything can happen. "You can't let your guard down. You have to still be mindful and keep your eyes open." Jamie also described how difficult it is for authorities to investigate crimes that happen at sea and collect key evidence. This means many cases on board ships remain unsolved - leaving grieving families with unanswered questions about their loved ones. Jamie, who campaigns through International Cruise Victims, said: "We're there to help folks who have found themselves victims of either some kind of crime at sea or some kind of negligence or traumatic event at sea. "When that happens to people, because of laws being so wishy-washy, if they even exist on the high seas, they don't know where to turn to or what to do. "And most of us who are leading this organisation remember that vividly and how that feels. "We do everything we can to take somebody's hand and walk them through all of these things should they find themselves a victim in any way." The chancing of dying on a cruise ship were recorded as being roughly 1 in 6.25 million in 2019, according to Forbes - suggesting it as being one of the safest ways to travel for holidaymakers. But the statistic misses out crimes committed on ships, or missing persons. Jamie claims that some cruises only put out a "soundbite" on missing persons on board the ships, along with what could have happened to them. She said families are often told their loved one was "depressed" or "this person had a fight with their partner". Jamie explained: "So right away you're thinking it was intentional, when it's very important for us hearing those reports to stay neutral, to wait. "How do you know? What leads you to say that?" Advocates have claimed that cruise lines have a "spotty" record of crime reporting, which makes actual statistics hard to determine. But through her work at International Cruise Victims, Jamie looks to hold cruise lines more accountable for what goes on on their ships, while also protecting future cruise-goers on their holidays. Jamie added: "The cruise industry loves to say 'passenger safety is our number one priority'. "We're over here saying - put your money where your mouth is."
The Irish Sun
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
My daughter died on her 25th birthday cruise – her pals made baffling choice with body and we still want answers
WALKING on board the ship with her boyfriend and friends, Ashley Barnett couldn't wait to celebrate her 25th birthday on a three-day cruise through the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific ocean. Less than 24 hours, however, the aspiring actress would be found dead in her cabin - and her tragic death still remains shrouded in mystery. 8 Within less than 24 hours of being on the vessel, Ashley was found dead Credit: Getty 8 An aspiring actress, Ashley was working on American TV 8 Ashley's mum spoke exclusively to The Sun about her daughter's tragic death 8 The Paradise cruise ship set sail from Long Beach, California Credit: Alamy With the 20th anniversary of Ashley's death next October, her heartbroken mum, Jamie, revealed to The Sun that she's still searching for answers on what happened to her beloved daughter. "It was a long, perilous journey, which had no real answers in the end,' she said. "I'll never get all the answers. That's one of the most heartbreaking aspects of all… losing someone like that on a cruise ship. "It's just all different when it happens at sea - and people don't realise that at all." After boarding Carnival Cruise Line's Paradise in Long Beach, California on 14 October, 2005, Ashley's boyfriend said they hit up the casino and a concert before returning to their cabin for the night. But following an alleged disagreement, her boyfriend went back out - leaving her alone in the room. He said he returned in the early hours after continuing his night out onboard, falling asleep next to Ashley, before waking up hours later to join pals upstairs. Ashley remained in bed, her boyfriend believing she was still fast asleep from celebrations the night before. After partying some more, he returned to the cabin once again - except this time he tried to wake her up. When he was unable to rouse her, he went running into the hallway screaming that his girlfriend wasn't breathing, with another passenger scrambling to call 911 after hearing his cries. While a nurse began to perform CPR, the ship's doctor arrived - but efforts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. There were allegedly few defibrillators on the ship and no opioid-overdose inhibitors to aid medical staff. Ashley was pronounced dead soon after. Holidaymaker, 60, killed in 'fight' on luxury cruise ship hours after leaving UK as man, 57, arrested over 'murder' Following Ashley's shocking death, the boat docked in Ensenada on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Here, authorities boarded the ship to determine if there were any suspicious circumstances, while the FBI back in the US were notified. With Ashley's body handed over to a Mexican morgue, instead of staying with her, the young woman's boyfriend along with the rest of the group stayed on the party ship and, shockingly, returned to California. 8 Ashley Barnett tragically died on board a cruise after suffering a drug overdose Credit: Getty 8 Ashley boarded the cruise with her boyfriend and friends to celebrate her 25th birthday Credit: Getty 8 For decades Ashley's mother Jamie Barnett has been working to change the way deaths on cruises are treated Two decades later, Jamie is still outraged by the decision. "They just left her body there," she said. "Not the boyfriend, not one of those other folks, not a representative from the cruise line." Jamie said she didn't even hear from Ashley's boyfriend - the last person to see her alive - until a full day after her daughter's tragic passing. He claimed he had no idea what had happened to her - but revealed that some of his medications was missing. It was later concluded that Ashley had died from a methadone drug overdose - something that shocked her grieving family and friends who insist she was extremely anti-drugs. Methadone is what's dubbed a "legal high" drug, traditionally used to help addicts stop taking heroin - despite both being Class A. Jamie says Ashley was "autopsied and, before she could come back to the United States, her body had to be embalmed". This meant that by the time her body was returned to her family, "any forensic pathologist had very little to go on to figure out what happened" - shrouding even more mystery over Ashley's death. With Jamie still desperate for answers, the family hired a private pathologist to carry out a forensic autopsy. They found exactly what Jamie thought - healthy organs in a healthy body, with some evidence of alcohol consumption. No signs of trauma were discovered either. Still bewildered by her shocking passing - and the cause behind it - the family then requested a test of Ashley's hair follicles. The test confirmed that there were zero signs of habitual drug use. Therefore the question remained: why was Ashley found dead having overdosed on methadone? Ashley's passing - and the reason behind it - has tormented her family for 20 years. They are yet to receive real answers. Despite the nightmare Jamie has endured over the last two decades, her trauma ignited a need to help others who have endured similar nightmares. It's just all different when it happens at sea, and people don't realise that at all. Jamie Barnett Jamie has been pivotal in developing stricter laws surrounding crimes and deaths on cruises in her role as president of lobbying group International Cruise Victims. The grieving mum believes cruise-goers are often "lulled into a false sense of security". She explained to The Sun: "Don't get on a ship and think nothing could happen to you. "It's like a small city where anything can happen. "You can't let your guard down. You have to still be mindful and keep your eyes open." Jamie also described how difficult it is for authorities to investigate crimes that happen at sea and collect key evidence. This means many cases on board ships remain unsolved - leaving grieving families with unanswered questions about their loved ones. Jamie, who campaigns through International Cruise Victims, said: "We're there to help folks who have found themselves victims of either some kind of crime at sea or some kind of negligence or traumatic event at sea. "When that happens to people, because of laws being so wishy-washy, if they even exist on the high seas, they don't know where to turn to or what to do. "And most of us who are leading this organisation remember that vividly and how that feels. "We do everything we can to take somebody's hand and walk them through all of these things should they find themselves a victim in any way." The chancing of dying on a cruise ship were recorded as being roughly 1 in 6.25 million in 2019, according to But the statistic misses out crimes committed on ships, or missing persons. Jamie claims that some cruises only put out a "soundbite" on missing persons on board the ships, along with what could have happened to them. She said families are often told their loved one was "depressed" or "this person had a fight with their partner". Jamie explained: "So right away you're thinking it was intentional, when it's very important for us hearing those reports to stay neutral, to wait. "How do you know? What leads you to say that?" Advocates have claimed that cruise lines have a "spotty" record of crime reporting, which makes actual statistics hard to determine. But through her work at International Cruise Victims, Jamie looks to hold cruise lines more accountable for what goes on on their ships, while also protecting future cruise-goers on their holidays . Jamie added: "The cruise industry loves to say 'passenger safety is our number one priority'. "We're over here saying - put your money where your mouth is." 8 Decades later, Jamie Barnett is still searching for justice for her daughter Credit: Getty
