Latest news with #MarkGatiss
Cosmopolitan
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
How to watch Bookish in the UK: Sherlock writer Mark Gatiss' new thriller
Just when you think you've watched every possible thriller going, another intriguing addition gets added to your list, and this time our new obsession is going to be Bookish. Set in post-WWII, Bookish stars Mark Gatiss as a bookshop owner who helps the police solve crimes in London. A bookshop? And solving crimes? We are locked in. The six part series started last week and has already been renewed for a second season, with many fans thrilled at the arrival of the new series, with one writing on X: "Bookish is everything I'd hoped it would be, and more. Everything about it just works for me, the writing, the characters, the cast, the look, the sound, the direction. Bravo!" While another heaped on the praise saying: "#Bookish was quite frankly a brilliant piece of period detective drama , stunningly realised, wonderfully cast , and hit the ground running from the off." And another simply said: "Finished watching Bookish AND IM FOREVER OBSESSED." Want to understand what all the fuss is about? Here's what to know about Bookish and crucially where to watch it. Bookish is a new six-part drama, with Mark Gatiss starring as Gabriel Book, a former spy turned detective and bookshop owner. He offers his services to the local London police in order to help solve crimes. His private life is also a major part of the series, with Gabriel being in a lavender marriage with wife Trottie, played by Bridgerton's Polly Walker, who runs the wallpaper shop next door. Gabriel is gay in a time when it was illegal to be so in the UK and his wife Trottie, whom he adores, explores other connections outside their marriage. They're joined by Connor Finch and Elliot Levey in leading roles, with Daniel Mays and Joely Richardson making guests appearances. The best way to watch Bookish in the UK is with a NOW subscription, with all six episodes available to stream now. Each two episodes tell the story of one crime Gabriel is helping to solve. A NOW Entertainment Pass costs £9.99 a month. Alternatively the series is also showing on the channel U&Alibi, with two new episodes dropping each Wednesday evening. The first of the two episodes begin at 8pm, with the second airing at 9:15pm. Episodes 1 and 2 in the series were shown last week on 16th July, with the second batch of episodes 3 and 4 to be shown on 23rd July and the final two 5 and 6 on 30th July. Depending on your TV package it should also be available on catchup on Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk and BT. SIGN UP FOR A NOW ACCOUNT HERE
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Do we need Bookish, yet another cosy crime?
A silhouette on flocked wallpaper. A cute transistor radio playing light jazz. A woman is dozing, slipping down the settee – no, wait – she's being dragged on to the floor, the seams of her nylons disappearing into the shadows. Sedation, abduction and murder, quite possibly, have never looked or sounded more tasteful. In our world of constant, instantly accessible horror, TV schedulers are turning more than ever to – excuse me while I gag – cosy crime . I get it. TV viewers are human. We crave shocks that activate our fight-or-flight instincts, our primitive selves. It's simply that gentler versions are nicer when the news cycle is all disaster, fascism and genocide. On UKTV's cosy crime network (and available to subscribers of Now TV ), Bookish presents itself more poshly than Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise and the recent BBC Sunday night hit Death Valley. It is set in a strangely glossy post war London, where Mark Gatiss plays the irritatingly named Gabriel Book, who runs an antiquarian bookshop. Polly Walker plays his wife, Trottie, a shoulder-padded, vintage-clad dream who runs the wallpaper shop next door. Outside work, they help police solve crimes, although it's not clear why. We also slowly discover that their marriage is shrouded in mystery for other reasons. The first episode is slow. We're guided through it s world by newcomer Jack (Connor Finch) , a flat-cap-wearing mini Eddie Redmayne with eyes like sapphire marbles. He gets a job at the shop, even though he struggles to locate it (not because he's illiterate: he finds the apostrophe in the store's name, Book's Books, understandably challenging). He's then brought along to a crime scene that reveals itself as a previously undiscovered plague pit. As a police officer railed at the Books' arrival at the scene, questioning who Jack was, while another officer encouraged the amateurs' deductions, my TV recall siren went off. A very similar setup occurs in the first episode of the BBC 's Sherlock, co-written by Gatiss . Why change a winning formula? We're then whisked along to a suicide that might be a murder. Mentions of the war's effects on the city add an intriguing texture to the plot. But what makes cosy crime really zing is the characters who lead it. In the first few episodes, Gabriel Book's camp pedantry clearly aims towards David Suchet's reading of Poirot in the classic ITV series that ran for 24 years. His bon mots – 'Loose lips drop slips' – feel heavy-handed, however. Trottie's sexy matriarch is a much more intriguing figure, and even better is part-time bookseller Nora (Buket Kömür) . All quickfire wit, she makes the screen shimmer every time she appears. Bookish presents itself more poshly than Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise and the Sunday night hit Death Valley Jump forward to the present day, and more than 5,000 miles west , to the Yosemite National Park , where – surprise! – there's another mysterious death to investigate. Untamed is Netflix's latest brooding, US-set drama, although Australian and New Zealand actors lead it. Eric Bana, 22 years on from playing the Hulk, is 56 and in his moody, silver- fox era. He plays surly national parks special agent Kyle Turner, a man at his happiest when crossing the wilderness on a horse. Sam Neill, clearly in his kindly grandad era, plays Paul Souter, his boss. Written by Mark L Smith ( screenwriter of The Revenant and Twisters ) and Elle Smith, this is the kind of show made for huge, wall-mounted screens. Craggy landscapes loom and ache, while episode one's opening climbing scene is not for the acrophobic. Turner suddenly has a young woman's death on his hands and he's given a rookie agent, Naya Vasquez (played by the sparky Lily Santiago) , to work with. Yes, there are clich es here, but Santiago brings a welcome levity to the role. There are also some bold visual tricks. A twist late in the opener is nicely done, as are jump cuts between Turner's explorations and the victim's last moments. Is he imagining them or is the park revealing its own memories? If the series continues to plough these deeper, weirder furrows, it may work. Mix Tape is a summer romance set in Sheffield and Sydney. It follows fortysomething music journalist Daniel O'Toole (Jim Sturgess) , who's reminded of the first love of his life, Alison Connor (Teresa Palmer) , after his best friend finds out about her success as a novelist. Here's a generation X-er in mid life, still writing about arts and culture, trying to defend their life choices. Ouch. Scenes slip and slide easily between the present and the past as we learn about each character. Alison's complex backstory unfolds gradually. At one point in Australia, she chats worriedly to her literary agent on a park bench, watching kids play football. A whistle blows, and she's a teen back in school watching a young Daniel (a pitch-perfect Rory Walton-Smith) swearing as he misses a goal. Florence Hunt, playing the young Alison, has the crackle and glow of a star in the making. In the post-Normal People era of more explicit romantic dramas, Mix Tape feels old-fashioned, sweet and slightly cloying – like a striped bag of lemon sherbets. Nevertheless, I loved the close ups of ballpoints scrawling on inlay cards and bedroom floors strewn with C90s (under-35s, ask your parents). Despite clunky dialogue, improbable plot points (surely we all befriended our teenage exes on Facebook nearly 20 years ago?) and too many shots of people gazing into the distance, there are some nice subtle details. The links between his situation and his parents' relationship emerge slowly. And Alison's husband marks himself out as definitely not her indie boy by singing Mental As Anything's 1985 cringe-fest Live It Up. Jude Rogers's watch list Human (BBC Two) This ambitious new BBC/PBS co-production, hosted by the engaging British palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi (below) , takes us 'behind the curtain of evolution', stuffing us full with cutting-edge science. Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters (ITVX) It sounds like a fevered Alan Partridge programme pitch, with a title that implies the toothy fish should be more afraid of the stars. But this bizarre show comes alive thanks to endearing contestants such as Lucy Punch (Amandaland) and Lenny Henry . The Great British Sewing Bee (BBC One) Sara Pascoe returns from maternity leave (another task, she says, that involves 'labour, love and careful stitching') to host the 11th series of TV's warmest show, cosying up to sustainable fashion guru Patrick Grant and designer Esme Young. Photographs by Nicolas Velter; Netflix
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Justin Bieber to Human: the week in rave reviews
BBC iPlayer Summed up in a sentence Explorer, paleoanthropologist and standup comedian Ella Al-Shamahi delivers a wonder-filled, joyful look at the origins of humanity that is never short of fascinating. What our reviewer said 'It feels as if a presenting star is being born here.' Jack Seale Read the full review Further reading 'Forever chemicals' are killing whales – and harming us U&Alibi Summed up in a sentence Mark Gatiss leaps into the world of cosy crime dramas as a postwar bookseller with a mysterious 'letter from Churchill' that lets him assist the police with investigations. What our reviewer said 'Bookish is a fine piece of entertainment – meticulously worked, beautifully paced and decidedly moreish. A joy.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review Further reading Mark Gatiss: 'What does Benedict Cumberbatch smell like? Strawberries' Sky Documentaries Summed up in a sentence A touching, beautiful and sad biopic of film star Jayne Mansfield, created by the daughter who lost her mother to a car crash aged three. What our reviewer said 'My Mom Jayne is tender rather than schmaltzy, compassionate rather than hagiographic and an evident labour of love for all involved.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review BBC iPlayer Summed up in a sentence A three-part retrospective of the era-defining 80s charity concerts, filled with startling archive clips and soul-baring modern-day interviews. What our reviewer said 'A fascinating portrait of a complex man's imperfect attempt to solve an impossible problem.' Jack Seale Read the full review Further reading Live Aid campaigner Bob Geldof was 'scathing about African leaders', files reveal In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Tim Robinson is magnificently cringeworthy as a man in thrall to his cool neighbour Paul Rudd in Andrew DeYoung's comedy bromance. What our reviewer said 'This is a shaggy dog tale of ineffable silliness, operating ostensibly on the realist lines of indie US cinema but sauntering sideways from its initial premise, getting further and further from what had appeared to be a real issue: how difficult it is for grown men to make new friends.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading 'A case study on psychosis': men on why Tim Robinson's Friendship feels a little too real In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr return for a goofy, slickly made legacy sequel to the classic 90s slasher. What our reviewer said 'There's something charmingly deranged about this kind of hyper-specific fan service, appealing to a select few with the brash confidence that everyone knows exactly what you're talking about.' Benjamin Lee Read the full review In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Reissue of 90s one-crazy-night clubbing comedy, a loved-up ensemble piece that is cheerfully apolitical, pro-drugs and pro-hedonism. What our reviewer said 'A reminder of that interesting 90s moment when euphoria and uncomplicated fun had cultural cachet.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading How we made Human Traffic: 'The first question I asked in the auditions was: have you ever taken drugs?' In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Stanley Kubrick's hypnotic masterpiece, adapted from Thackeray, follows the fluctuating fortunes of Ryan O'Neal's humble Irish hero. What our reviewer said 'Barry Lyndon is an intimate epic of utter lucidity and command. The final intertitle drily noting that all the characters are 'equal now' in death is exquisitely judged.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading Stanley Kubrick: the Barry Lyndon archives – in pictures Mubi; available now Summed up in a sentence Gripping thriller about an Austrian ex-cage fighter called Sarah who goes to Dubai to work with three teenage sisters, and realises they are trapped. What our reviewer said 'It's easy to imagine the Hollywood version of this story, with a heroic escape orchestrated by Sarah. But Moon is gripping in its own understated way as it presents the unvarnished reality: that standing up to injustice is harder than it looks in the movies.' Cath Clarke Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence A black comedy about endangered snails and the Ukraine marriage industry is disrupted, in terms of both narrative and form, by Russia's full-scale invasion. What our reviewer said 'Rather than feeling distracting or tricksy, the author's intervention heightens the impact of the story, giving it a discomfiting intensity and a new, more intimate register. We all have skin in the game at this point.' Marcel Theroux Read the full review Reviewed by Lara Feigel Summed up in a sentence A flamboyant tale of fakery and forgers that delights in queering the Victorian era. What our reviewer said 'In book after book, Stevens is showing herself to be that rare thing: a writer who we can think alongside, even while she's making things up.' Read the full review Further reading Nell Stevens: penguins, paranoia and an old potato on the island of Bleaker Reviewed by Christopher Shrimpton Summed up in a sentence The perfect lives of wealthy New Yorkers are shattered by a violent act on a birthday weekend. What our reviewer said 'A bracingly honest and affectingly intimate depiction of abuse, family dynamics and self-deceit… it upends its characters' lives so ruthlessly and revealingly that it is hard not to take pleasure in a false facade being finally smashed.' Read the full review Reviewed by Joe Moran Summed up in a sentence Behind the scenes at the Guardian, 1986-1995. What our reviewer said 'Few events in these years, from the fatwa on Rushdie to the first Gulf war, failed to provoke fierce disagreements in the newsroom.' Joe Moran Read the full review Reviewed by Alex Clark Summed up in a sentence Life on the women's wards of Iran's infamous prison. What our reviewer said It is unclear how many of these dishes are materially realised within the confines of the prison, and how many are acts of fantasy, a dream of what life might be like in the future. Alex Clark Read the full review Further reading I endured Evin, Iran's most notorious jail. I can't understand how Sweden can leave its citizen to die there Out now Summed up in a sentence The London rapper and producer doubles down on his vaulting style, lurching from alt-rock to distortion and chipmunk soul on an astonishingly coherent and melodic third record. What our reviewer said 'It feels like the work of someone who has grown up with the all-you-can-eat buffet of streaming as standard, hurling contrasting ideas and inspirations at you in a way that recalls someone continually pressing fast-forward in a state of excitement … That it doesn't result in an annoying mess comes down to Legxacy's skills as a producer, which allow him to weave it all into something coherent, and to his songwriting.'. Alexis Petridis Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence While the sonic invention and off-kilter details remain, on his 10th album the cult musician eschews distortion for melancholic melodies and crooked love songs. What our reviewer said 'The sonic invention remains, but it is deployed with increased subtlety, serving the timeless, melancholic soft-rock rather than overpowering it.' Rachel Aroesti Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence Ruth Clinton of Landless and Cormac MacDiarmada and John Dermody of Lankum contrast hauntological synths with robust noise on this playful debut. What our reviewer said 'Poor Creature comprises three musicians expert in heightening and managing atmosphere … Within Clinton and MacDiarmada's dense harmonies, Dermody's drums and the track's cacophonous final minutes, you sense folk rocketing somewhere poppy, wild and new.' Jude Rogers Read the full review Further reading 'We are extreme' … how Lankum's heavy mutant folk made them Mercury favourites Out now Summed up in a sentence Bieber reverts to his first love, R&B, in what seems to be a genuine passion project. What our reviewer said 'It's all very considered, cleverly nostalgic and subtly satisfying – there's not a craven chart smash in earshot.' Rachel Aroesti Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence The Portuguese producer and British-Italian drummer united last year for a characterful, polyrhythmic debut; this redux sees each song remixed by a different producer, from Sherelle to Kelman Duran. What our reviewer said 'These transformations yank the source material in all kinds of different directions, from baile funk to breakbeat. My favourite is the brooding, bubbling take on the title track by Chinese producer Yu Su.' Laura Snapes Further reading 'Drumming is full of machismo, so vulgar, so dumb': Valentina Magaletti, the musician giving the underground its rhythm
Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Bookish is textbook cosy crime — but who cares when it's this good?
A long time ago, a German friend introduced me to a very catchy old comedy song by the German-American jazz singer Bill Ramsey called Ohne Krimi geht die Mimi nie ins Bett. Or, in English: Mimi never goes to bed without a crime story. The narrator, Mimi's beleaguered husband, ultimately turns to drink as he is left sleepless by his wife's insatiable lust for low-rent crime novels at bedtime: 'She takes no Goethe, she takes no Schiller … No, Mimi just chooses a superhard thriller.' Gabriel Book, the proprietor of Book's Books and the protagonist of Mark Gatiss's new crime drama Bookish, on U&Alibi, would not approve. Customers who arrive at Book's Books in search of something lowbrow, the latest Georgette Heyer for example, are politely but firmly redirected to more challenging literature, like The Scarlet Pimpernel novels by Baroness Orczy. That they also introduced to the world the notion of a hero with a secret identity is a foreshadowing of what is to come.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Even a Fantastic Four cast member doesn't know what happens in the movie yet: "I'm so glad I can stand on the red carpet and not worry about giving anything away"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If you feel like you don't really know much about the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, you don't have to worry about being out of the loop, as even one of the stars says he doesn't know much about the upcoming superhero film… and he's in it. "I did like two days of it. I'm just in the trailer a lot because I sort of do the exposition," said Mark Gatiss to Variety. Gatiss plays a '60s talk show host in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, as Gatiss outlines, his limited time on set and the secrecy around the movie which is fine with him. "I'm so glad I can stand on the red carpet and not worry about giving anything away." The upcoming movie is not an origin story, and will catch up with an already established group of Supes who are extremely famous across the world. So much so, they live in the Baxter Building, worth a cool $4.4 million. This means that the four have to partake in a lot of celebrity rituals, like appearing on talk shows where they meet Gatiss' host Ted Gilbert of The Ted Gilbert Show. We get a glimpse of Ted Gilbert at the beginning of The Fantastic Four: First Steps' final trailer. He introduces the heroes by saying, "Well, folks, we all know the story. Four brave astronauts head up into space and come back forever changed." Gatiss had worked with Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman previously on Game of Thrones. So when it came time for the filmmaker to find his 'Ed Sullivan' type host for the "retro future '60s Fantastic Four world," he knew where to look. "He's terrific in the film," said Shakman of Gatiss. "I'm in awe of his talent and already hoping for another project we can do together." However, although he may only appear in a handful of scenes, Gattiss' character was no easy feat. Gatiss explained how he studied a lot of archival television from the '60s to really get a grasp of his character in the "Jetsons"-like universe. The star even tried on wigs, and a number of costumes before he found Gilbert's look. Well, it looks like Gatiss, along with the rest of us, will have to wait to see how Marvel's first family's battle with Galactus ends. Fantastic Four stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Benn Grimm, Julia Garner as Silver Surfer, and Ralph Ineson as Galactus. The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25. For more, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies heading your way. Solve the daily Crossword
