The Friday News Roundup: Adventures in Eclectic Links Edition
We’ve got a wide variety of news stories (and a few non-entertainment ones!) covered this week, so click through for goodies from Downton Abbey, Sherlock, The Only Way is Essex, Luther, Birdsong, Torchwood, Being Human and more, including news from National Television Awards. Enjoy!
Downton Abbey beat out Doctor Who for the top drama prize at Britain’s National Television Awards. Watch an interview the Downton cast following their NTA win.
More photos from the NTA’s, the Daily Mail has rounded up a bunch of pics from celebrities who were tweeting photos from the event.
For a full list of NTA winners can be found here (A personal interjection: yay, Matt Smith!)
Star Joan Collins denies she’s going to be in Downton Abbey.
Meet the new Series 4 cast of The Only Way is Essex.
We all admire Benedict Cumberbatch’s uber-snazzy Sherlock suits, but apparently they’re very tailored. Like, occasionally rendering him incapable of breathing properly tailored. Wow.
Cute interview with Sherlock’s Molly, Louise Brealey. Safe for those avoiding S2 spoilers!
Star Gabriel Byrne is set to star in Channel 4’s new conspiracy thriller Coup.
Tom Riley will play Leonardo Da Vinci in the forthcoming Starz/BBC co-production Da Vinci’s Demons.
The Duchess of Cambridge: Britain’s current fashion icon. Yet, it’s apparently Pippa Middleton who gets photographed hundreds of times a day.
Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess: master of the verbal put-down.
As I am sure a lot of folks expected, Downton Abbey sparks UK tourism boom.
This looks fun: Recipes to host your own Downton Abbey-inspired dinner party.
To say that I identify with my entire life a tremendous amount little bit with this article about Benedict Cumberbatch’s sudden rise to popularity would possibly be an understatement.
The National Theater cleans up at the Critics Circle Theater Awards – probably the one you’ll want to know is that Benedict Cumberbatch won best actor for Frankenstein and accepted the award via a note from director Danny Boyle’s iPad. Amazingly, he wrote a short and a long version of his thank you note and let everyone vote on which to read out. (The critics picked the short one. I quite disapprove).
Fun piece on the actors who have popped up repeatedly on Doctor Who.
More rumors that Sophia Myles may return to the next series of Doctor Who. (Though it’s unclear whether she’d be back as Madame de Pompadour or a new character. I think I’d prefer the latter?)
Confirmed: another series of crime drama Luther will premiere in 2012 on BBC America.
More new character trailers from Series 4 of Being Human. (Reminder: for those of you who like this show, it’ll start Feb. 25th on BBC America.)
The Daily Mail has overtaken the New York Times as the world’s most visited newspaper website. (Really? I mean, I read the Mail, but I don’t know anyone else that does, and it’s a secret shame because it’s so often so trashy!) Anyway, this is an interesting look at how/why the paper’s become so popular in America.
A great post from British blog Anglotopia about Queen Elizabeth’s upcoming Diamond Jubilee – Top Ten Royal Moments of Her 60 Year Reign, including lots of video!
Production begins on Series 2 of BBC Two comedy Vexed, per the BBC Press Office.
More on Russell T. Davies upcoming CBBC series Aliens vs. Wizards.
This isn’t exactly “news,” per se, but it’s an interesting read on how Americans view England’s history with neighbor Scotland.
A look at how the BBC’s World War I drama Birdsong (coming to America in April), created a realistic and accurate replica of the underground tunnels in no man’s land.
Eve Myles says that there's no plans for anything to happen with Torchwood in 2012, but she would like to see the series resume at some point because "the fans deserve closure."
The surviving members of Monty Python’s Flying Circus are set to reunite for another film, says Terry Jones.
