Andrew Scott

Is it my birthday? Did Christmas come early? That’s the only explanation that seems plausible for the cast announcement for James Bond director Sam Mendes’ upcoming World War I film, 1917.

BBC 2 and Amazon teamed up for a new, star-studded adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, starring Anthony Hopkins as the famous king.

Moriarty has a new gig.

Andrew Scott, best known for playing Benedict Cumberbatch’s nemesis in Sherlock and a Bond villain opposite Daniel Craig, will join the cast of the highly anticipated second season of Phoebe Waller Bridge’s comedy-drama series Fleabag.

The casting news as announced this week, as filming kicked off on the series’ second season. (Finally!)

The Wars of the Roses, the highly anticipated follow up to Shakespeare mini-series The Hollow Crown started filming in late September and, happily, the kick off to official production has resulted in some more exciting casting announcements as the massive cast of Yorks and Lancasters gets fleshed out more fully.

Plus, we got our first official look at Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch in his lead role as hunchbacked King Richard III. Huzzah, indeed.

BBC Two has released the first trailer for Legacy – a one-off Cold War thriller which boats an impressive roster of recognizable British actors among its cast. The drama stars Boardwalk Empire’s Charlie Cox, Sherlock’s Andrew Scott, The Hour’s Romola Garai and The Hollow Crown’s BAFTA-winning Falstaff Simon Russell Beale among others.

Based on the novel by Alan Judd, Legacy is written by Paula Milne, who also penned the recent The Politician’s Husband with David Tennant. The drama tells the tale of a British spy named Charles Thoroughgood (played by Cox), who, at the height of the Cold War in 1970s London, discovers some rather unsettling information about his father’s complex past. Though Charles has barely begun his MI-6 training, he also winds up on a case involving an old university acquaintance (Scott) who is now a Soviet diplomat. Obviously this is going to complicate matters further.

Milne describes Legacy as more than just a British spy thriller, claiming that it has "an extraordinary personal twist" because of the family relationships involved in the story.

Watch the trailer for yourselves below and see what you think.

The first image has been released from upcoming BBC Two drama Legacy – which boasts a trio of recognizable British stars as its leads. The Cold War thriller stars Boardwalk Empire’s Charlie Cox, Sherlock’s Andrew Scott and The Hour’s Romola Garai (who recently showed up on our British Actresses You Should Know list).

The three are also joined by Simon Russell Beale – who recently won a BAFTA for his performance as Falstaff in The Hollow Crown - Olivia Grant, Christian McKay and Tessa Peake Jones.

Check out a bigger look first promotion image below – and tell us what you think is more dramatic – Scott’s mustache or the color on his jacket? (Amazing!)

Apparently I must have been the only person on the internet that wasn’t clamoring for – or creating elaborate conspiracy theories about – the possible return of Andrew Scott’s villainous Moriarty whenever Sherlock Series 3 finally gets around to existing. So, it’s a bit painful to have to break the hearts of all those people and report – straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were – that that’s not going to happen.

In a recent interview with the Sun, Scott finally said straight out that “Moriarty is dead,” claiming “I don’t think there could have been any better exit for a character like that.” So, there you go, Moriarty’s really most sincerely dead. Personally, I’m still fairly certain that he’ll show up again – either in flashbacks or in some sort of figment-of-Sherlock’s-mind capacity – but I do think that Moriarty’s days of crime are over for real. Here’s the thing, though – Scott is a great actor and he certainly has wonderful chemistry with co-star Benedict Cumberbatch – but this news is more likely than not a good thing for the series.

Sherlock star Andrew Scott is set to headline a new three-part contemporary drama for ITV called The Town. Scott will star alongside what looks to be a truly outstanding ensemble cast, which includes many names you’ll recognize, including Martin Clunes (Doc Martin), Julia McKenzie (Miss Marple), Charlotte Riley (DCI Banks), Gerard Kearns (Shameless) and Kelly Adams (Holby City).

Scott, who recently won a BAFTA for his portrayal of Holmes’ nemesis Moriarty, will play Mark Nicholas, a man who returns to his hometown after ten years away and struggles to reconnect with those he left behind – including his family, friends and former sweetheart, who is now married with a child. MacKenzie plays his grandmother Betty, Riley is his first love Alice, and Clunes is the town’s alcohol-soaked mayor, Len.

The Town is being written by Laurence Olivier award-winning playwright Mike Bartlett and produced by Big Talk Productions, the company behind Rev, Friday Night Dinner and Him & Her. (All of which are outstanding programs, so this bodes well!)

“We’re thrilled to be making our first original drama series for the fantastic team at ITV. At the heart of The Town will be a family struggling to come to terms with change,” said Big Talk’s CEO and The Town’s co-executive producer Kenton Allen. “It’s also our hope to paint a picture of contemporary Britain through the magnifying glass of an ordinary market town.”

“These communities are desperate for a sense of purpose and direction. They face the same challenges we all do. A shrinking economy, under-employment, crime and a struggle to educate our children. Mike's real skill is to craft a compelling and entertaining drama at the heart of such a world,” added co-executive producer Simon Curtis.

Filming on the three-part series began this week. No word yet on possible screening dates in the UK, nor whether this series will be broadcast internationally. Here’s hoping that US Sherlock-mania will help bring this drama across the pond!