1.
Harrogate
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Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its attractions include its spa waters. Nearby is the Yorkshire Dales national park and the Nidderdale AONB, Harrogate grew out of two smaller settlements, High Harrogate and Low Harrogate, in the 17th century. Since 2013, polls have consistently voted the town as the happiest place to live in Britain, Harrogate spa water contains iron, sulphur and common salt. The town became known as The English Spa in the Georgian era, in the 17th and 18th centuries its chalybeate waters were a popular health treatment, and the influx of wealthy but sickly visitors contributed significantly to the wealth of the town. Harrogate railway station and Harrogate bus station in the town centre provide transport connections, Leeds Bradford International Airport is 10 miles south-west of Harrogate. The main roads through the town are the A61, connecting Harrogate to Leeds and Ripon, Harrogate is also connected to Wetherby and the A1, by the A661. The town motto is Arx celebris fontibus, which means a citadel famous for its springs, the name Harrogate is first attested in the 1330s as Harwegate, Harougat and Harrowgate. The origin of the name is uncertain and it may derive from Old Norse hǫrgr a heap of stones, cairn + gata street, in which case the name presumably meant road to the cairn. Another possibility is that the means the way to Harlow. The form Harlowgate is known from 1518, and apparently in the rolls of Edward II. In medieval times Harrogate was a place on the borders of the township of Bilton with Harrogate in the ancient Parish of Knaresborough, and the parish of Pannal, also known as Beckwith with Rossett. The part within the township of Bilton developed into the community of High Harrogate, both communities were within the Royal Forest of Knaresborough. In 1372 King Edward III granted the Royal Forest to his son John, Duke of Lancaster, Harrogates development is owed to the discovery of its chalybeate and sulphur rich spring water from the 16th century. The medicinal properties of the waters were publicised by Edmund Deane and his book, Spadacrene Anglica, or the English Spa Fountain was published in 1626. In the 17th and 18th centuries further chalybeate springs were discovered in High Harrogate, the two communities attracted many visitors. A number of inns were opened for visitors in High Harrogate in the 17th century In Low Harrogate the Crown was open by the mid 18th century, in accordance with an Enclosure Act of 1770, promoted by the Duchy of Lancaster, the Royal Forest of Knaresborough was enclosed. The Enclosure Award of 1778 clarified ownership of land in the Harrogate area, under the Award 200 acres of land, which included the springs known at that time, were reserved as a public common, the Stray, which has remained public open space
2.
North Yorkshire
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North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan county and larger ceremonial county in England. It is located primarily in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber, created by the Local Government Act 1972, it covers an area of 8,654 square kilometres, making it the largest county in England. The majority of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors lie within North Yorkshires boundaries, the largest settlements are York, Middlesbrough, Harrogate and Scarborough, the county town, Northallerton, has a population of 16,832. The area under the control of the county council, or shire county, is divided into a number of local government districts, Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, the changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009. This was rejected on 25 July 2007 so the County Council, the largest settlement in the administrative county is Harrogate, the second largest is Scarborough, while in the ceremonial county, the largest is York. The largest urban area within the county is the Middlesbrough built-up area sub-division of Teesside. Uniquely for a district in England, Stockton-on-Tees is split between North Yorkshire and County Durham for this purpose, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, and Redcar and Cleveland boroughs form part of the North East England region. The ceremonial county area, including the authorities, borders East Riding of Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria. The geology of North Yorkshire is closely reflected in its landscape, within the county are the North York Moors and most of the Yorkshire Dales, two of eleven areas of countryside within England and Wales to be officially designated as national parks. Between the North York Moors in the east and the Pennine Hills in the west lie the Vales of Mowbray, the Tees Lowlands lie to the north of the North York Moors and the Vale of Pickering lies to the south. Its eastern border is the North sea coast, the highest point is Whernside, on the Cumbrian border, at 736 metres. The two major rivers in the county are the River Swale and the River Ure, the Swale and the Ure form the River Ouse which flows through York and into the Humber estuary. The River Tees forms part of the border between North Yorkshire and County Durham and flows from upper Teesdale to Middlesbrough and Stockton and to the coast, North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan county that operates a cabinet-style council, North Yorkshire County Council. The full council of 72 elects a council leader, who in turn appoints up to 9 more councillors to form the executive cabinet, the cabinet is responsible for making decisions in the County. The county council have their offices in the County Hall in Northallerton, the county is affluent and has above average house prices. Unemployment is below average for the UK and claimants of Job Seekers Allowance is also very low compared to the rest of the UK at 2. 7%, agriculture is an important industry, as are mineral extraction and power generation. The county also has high technology, service and tourism sectors. This is a chart of trend of gross value added for North Yorkshire at current basic prices with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling
3.
England
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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west, the Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east, the country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain in its centre and south, and includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Wight. England became a state in the 10th century, and since the Age of Discovery. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the worlds first industrialised nation, Englands terrain mostly comprises low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there are uplands in the north and in the southwest, the capital is London, which is the largest metropolitan area in both the United Kingdom and the European Union. In 1801, Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland through another Act of Union to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922 the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the name England is derived from the Old English name Englaland, which means land of the Angles. The Angles were one of the Germanic tribes that settled in Great Britain during the Early Middle Ages, the Angles came from the Angeln peninsula in the Bay of Kiel area of the Baltic Sea. The earliest recorded use of the term, as Engla londe, is in the ninth century translation into Old English of Bedes Ecclesiastical History of the English People. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its spelling was first used in 1538. The earliest attested reference to the Angles occurs in the 1st-century work by Tacitus, Germania, the etymology of the tribal name itself is disputed by scholars, it has been suggested that it derives from the shape of the Angeln peninsula, an angular shape. An alternative name for England is Albion, the name Albion originally referred to the entire island of Great Britain. The nominally earliest record of the name appears in the Aristotelian Corpus, specifically the 4th century BC De Mundo, in it are two very large islands called Britannia, these are Albion and Ierne. But modern scholarly consensus ascribes De Mundo not to Aristotle but to Pseudo-Aristotle, the word Albion or insula Albionum has two possible origins. Albion is now applied to England in a poetic capacity. Another romantic name for England is Loegria, related to the Welsh word for England, Lloegr, the earliest known evidence of human presence in the area now known as England was that of Homo antecessor, dating to approximately 780,000 years ago. The oldest proto-human bones discovered in England date from 500,000 years ago, Modern humans are known to have inhabited the area during the Upper Paleolithic period, though permanent settlements were only established within the last 6,000 years
4.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
5.
Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey is a historical period drama television series created by Julian Fellowes and co-produced by Carnival Films and Masterpiece. It first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2010, the sixth and final series introduces the rise of the working class during the interwar period and hints towards the eventual decline of the British aristocracy. It was recognised by Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed English-language television series of 2011 and it earned the most nominations of any international television series in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, with twenty-seven in total. It was the most watched series on both ITV and PBS, and subsequently became the most successful British costume drama series since the 1981 television serial of Brideshead Revisited. By the third series, it had one of the most widely watched television drama shows in the world. On 26 March 2015, Carnival Films and ITV announced that the series would be the last. It aired on ITV between 20 September 2015 and 8 November 2015, the final episode, serving as the annual Christmas special, was broadcast on 25 December 2015. The storyline centres on the fee tail or entail governing the titled elite, as part of the backstory, the main character, Robert, Earl of Grantham, had resolved past financial difficulties by marrying Cora Levinson, an American heiress. Her considerable dowry is contractually incorporated into the comital entail in perpetuity, Robert and Cora have three daughters and no sons. As the eldest daughter, Lady Mary Crawley was to marry her second cousin, the first episode begins as news reaches Downton Abbey that both Grantham heirs perished in the sinking of the Titanic. A distant male cousin, solicitor Matthew Crawley, is from an upper-middle-class family - as his mother reminds him in one of series one. Matthew Crawley becomes the new heir, the plot centres on the relationship between Lady Mary and Matthew, who resists embracing an aristocratic lifestyle. A subplot involves John Bates, Lord Granthams new valet, and Thomas Barrow, Bates and Thomas remain at odds in subsequent series. Barrow works to sabotage Bates after learning he was released from jail for theft. In the story line, Barrow, a gay man in late Edwardian England, aided by Miss OBrien, Lady Granthams personal maid, Barrow is caught stealing, but he joins the British army as a medic. Matthew eventually falls in love with Lady Mary, but she rejects his proposal. Cora becomes pregnant, possibly with an heir, but falls and miscarries after OBrien, mistakenly believing she was to be fired. The series ends just after the Archduke Franz Ferdinands assassination and the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914, the second series comprises eight episodes and runs from the Battle of the Somme in 1916 to the 1918 flu pandemic
6.
Hearts and Bones
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Hearts and Bones is the sixth solo studio album by Paul Simon. The album was intended to be called Think Too Much. Records, persuaded Simon to change it to Hearts and Bones, the album was written and recorded following Simon & Garfunkels The Concert in Central Park in 1981, and the world tour of 1982-1983. Garfunkel left the project and Simon worked the material into a solo album, although in 1983 the album was considered somewhat of a commercial failure and signaled a low point in Simons career, the passage of time has been kind to the album. It has been re-examined and considered to be one of Simons more important records, robert Christgau later referred to the album as being a finely wrought dead end. There were two songs from this album released as singles, the first single with Allergies as the A-side and Think Too Much as the B-side peaked at #44 in the U. S. The second single failed to chart, this being Think Too Much, all songs written by Paul Simon, with one-minute coda on Track 10 written by Philip Glass
7.
Spooks (TV series)
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Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 to 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. It is notable for various stylistic touches, and its use of popular guest actors, in the United States, the show is broadcast under the title MI-5. In Canada, the originally aired as MI5 but now airs on BBC Canada as Spooks. The series continued with a film, Spooks, The Greater Good, starring Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Jenny Agutter, and Peter Firth, the initial series of six one-hour episodes premiered 13 May 2002. The second episode gained notoriety for the violent killing of character Helen Flynn and he refused and she was killed. This provoked a reaction from many viewers who jammed BBC phone switchboards with complaints. With the success of the first series, a second, longer series of ten episodes was commissioned, new regular characters Sam Buxton and Ruth Evershed, were introduced in the first and second episodes respectively, while the series finale ended with a dramatic cliffhanger. The series averaged 7.1 million viewers, a third series of ten episodes was transmitted on BBC One in the spring of 2004 and concluded on 13 December. The first episode features Rupert Penry-Jones as Adam Carter, who was drafted in from MI6 to help investigate Toms disappearance and he later takes over Toms position as Section Chief after the latter jeopardised an important operation. In episode six, Zoe is taken to court for misconduct during an operation and is forced to leave MI5 and she is replaced by Adams wife, Fiona. In the series finale, Danny is killed while he and Fiona are being held hostage, audience figures dropped to a series average of 5.8 million viewers. The fourth series of Spooks began transmission on Monday 12 September 2005 on BBC One at 9 pm with the first of a two-part story, the next day the second episode was shown. The following week Spooks assumed a 9 pm Thursday slot, a break from the Monday 9 pm slot the previous series had traditionally occupied, once again, the series ran for ten episodes and averaged 6.05 million viewers, a notable increase on the previous series. The opening two-part episode introduces two new characters to the series, Zafar Younis, and Juliet Shaw. The storyline involves a terrorist bombing central London, something that, in reality, took place on 7 July, in episode seven, Fiona Carter leaves because the actress portraying her, Olga Sosnovska, was pregnant during filming and chose to leave the programme. In that story arc, Fiona attempts to kill her deranged ex-husband, however, her ex-husband ultimately abducts her and later shoots her dead in Adams presence during her attempted escape. Her character is replaced by Jo Portman, a new arrival at MI5 who was recruited by Adam in a previous episode, the fifth series of Spooks aired its first episode in two parts, the first appearing on 17 September 2006. In it, elements within the British Government, MI6 and the UK press conspire in an attempt to overthrow the Parliament and these elements agree that for Britain to survive the threats posed by modern-day terrorism, democracy had to be replaced with rule by committee
8.
Rome (TV series)
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Rome is a British-American-Italian historical drama television series created by John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller. The shows two seasons were broadcast on HBO, BBC Two, and RaiDue between 2005 and 2007 and they were later released on DVD and Blu-ray. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Romes transition from Republic to Empire, Rome was a ratings success for HBO and the BBC. The series received media attention from the start, and was honored with numerous awards. The series was filmed in locations, but most notably in the Cinecittà studios in Italy. The fictional Vorenus and Pullo manage to witness and often many of the historical events presented in the series. Against the backdrop of these events, we also see the early years of the young Octavian, who is destined to become Augustus. After their defeat at the Battle of Actium, Kevin McKidd as Lucius Vorenus – A staunch, traditional Roman officer who struggles to balance his personal beliefs, his duty to his superiors, and the needs of his family and friends. The basis for this character is the historical Roman soldier of the same name, Ciarán Hinds as Julius Caesar – Caesar is ambitious but his aims and motives are often kept ambiguous to further complicate the plot and test the personal loyalties of other characters. He advertises himself as a reformer who sides with the Plebeians and he is also merciful to his beaten enemies, genuinely distressed by their deaths and relieved at their willingness to make peace where a more vindictive individual would have simply killed them. Kenneth Cranham as Pompey Magnus – A legendary general, past the days of his prime, the real Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus was a Roman general and politician who was as ambitious as Caesar and just as unorthodox in his youth. He chose to ally himself with the optimates in opposing Caesar, polly Walker as Atia of the Julii – The niece of Julius Caesar and mother of Octavian/Augustus and Octavia. She is depicted as an amoral and opportunistic manipulator. Her family connections and sexual liaisons have brought her into contact with some of the most powerful individuals in Rome, Atia is very loosely based on the historical figure Atia Balba Caesonia about whom little detail is known. Rome Historical Consultant Jonathan Stamp identifies the historical figure Clodia as the basis for the character of Atia. James Purefoy as Mark Antony – A very popular and cunning Roman general and politician, in Season 2, he fights the power hungry and unaccomplished Octavian. Tobias Menzies as Marcus Junius Brutus – Portrayed as a man torn between what he believes is right, and his loyalty and love of a man who has been like a father to him. The real Marcus Junius Brutus was the most famous of Julius Caesars assassins, lindsay Duncan as Servilia of the Junii – The mother of Marcus Junius Brutus, lover of the married Julius Caesar, and enemy of Atia of the Julii
9.
Suburban Shootout
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Suburban Shootout is a British satirical black comedy television series produced for Channel 5 and Paramount Comedy by Feelgood Fiction in association with Oxygen. The first series aired in the UK on Channel 5 from 27 April 2006 and it began airing in the United States on 22 March 2006 on Oxygen and in Germany on Comedy Central in 2007. The second series began on Channel 5 on 6 September 2007, Joyce Hazeldine and her policeman husband Jeremy move to what seems to be an idyllic home counties town of Little Stempington from London. She soon discovers there are two rival gangs of housewives, one headed by Camilla Diamond and one by Barbara Du Prez, barbaras gang continues to take extreme action against perceived threats to Little Stempington life, while also working tirelessly against Camillas gang. Timid Joyce, unfortunately, becomes a pawn in both gangs, enlisted by Barbara to work undercover as a way of getting closer to Camilla, the plot later thickens with Camilla racketeering the local recreational drugs market with 8 times strength HRT patches from their contacts in Marseille. She is of a nervous disposition and frequently attempts to solve disputes by talking them over - not that this method ever gets her anywhere. She works for both Barbara and Camilla during the course of the series, but her true alliance is with the good gang, throughout the series she battles to keep her excursions into the murky underworld of Little Stempington a secret from her loving husband Jeremy. Anna Chancellor - Camilla Diamond, head of the bad gang, originally very good friends with Barbara du Prez, the two formed an all-female mafia system after accidentally killing a burglar. They used it to keep Little Stempington free of crime, but Camilla saw what the crime could do for her own gain, and the two soon parted ways. She constantly masterminds a variety of schemes to make very rich, such as running a male prostitution ring and introducing a female fight club to Little Stempington. Felicity Montagu - Barbara du Prez, head of the good gang, despite being good she employs extreme and often violent methods in order to prevent the bad gang from gaining a stronghold of the town. She is an optimist who takes pride in her status as a vigilante. Rachael Blake - Hilary Davenport, one of Camillas sidekicks, Hilary is an archetypal cougar, preying on a number of younger men throughout the series. When the bad gang initiate a male prostitution ring, Hilary takes it upon herself to give each of the men a thorough suitability check, cathryn Bradshaw - Margaret Littlefair, a sidekick of Barbara du Prez and the good counterpart to Lillian. She is particularly posh and is seen in a clean. She has very little compassion for the people she combats. Emma Kennedy - Lillian Gordon-Moore, one of Camillas sidekicks, Lillian has more than a passing passion for firearms, and can handle virtually any weapon you put in her hands. Usually dressed in trousers, jodhpurs or similar lady of the manor-style attire, although not necessarily a lesbian, she is rather taken by Joyce and even saves her life at one point
10.
British Academy Film Awards
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The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to honour the best British and international contributions to film. Between 2008 and 2016, the ceremony was held in central London at the Royal Opera House, the 70th British Academy Film Awards were held on 12 February 2017 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. British Academy of Film and Television Arts was founded in 1947 as The British Film Academy, by David Lean, Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, Charles Laughton, Roger Manvell and others. BAFTA stated charitable purpose is to support, develop and promote the art forms of the image, by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners. In addition to awards ceremonies BAFTA runs a year-round programme of educational events including film screenings. BAFTA is supported by a membership of about 6,000 people from the film, television, the Academys awards are in the form of a theatrical mask designed by American sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe, which was commissioned by the Guild of Television Producers in 1955. The ceremony previously took place in April or May and since 2002 it takes place in February in order to precede the Oscars. The awards are open to all nationalities, though there is an award for Outstanding British Film. Only UK films are eligible for the categories of The British Short Film, the Awards ceremony is delayed broadcast on British television the same evening, and across the world for example its shown on BBC America in the United States. It has been broadcast in colour since 1970, the award ceremony is held in London. From 2000 to 2007 the ceremonies took place at the flagship Odeon cinema in Leicester Square, between 2008 and 2016, the ceremonies took place at the Royal Opera House. The 70th Awards in 2017 were held at the Royal Albert Hall, until 2012, the mobile network Orange sponsored the awards and starting in 2013 Oranges parent company, EE, began sponsorship. British Academy of Film and Television Arts British Academy Television Awards Official website BAFTA Awards database Museum of Broadcast Communications, BAFTA IMDB, BAFTA
11.
Emmy Award
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An Emmy Award, or simply Emmy, recognizes excellence in the television industry, and corresponds to the Academy Award, the Tony Award, and the Grammy Award. Because Emmy Awards are given in various sectors of the American television industry, Regional Emmy Awards are also presented throughout the country at various times through the year, recognizing excellence in local and statewide television. In addition, International Emmys are awarded for excellence in TV programming produced, each is responsible for administering a particular set of Emmy ceremonies. The Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences established the Emmy Award as part of an image-building and public relations opportunity. The first Emmy Awards ceremony took place on January 25,1949, at the Hollywood Athletic Club, shirley Dinsdale has the distinction of receiving the very first Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, during that first awards ceremony. In the 1950s, the ATAS expanded the Emmys into a national event, in 1955, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was formed in New York City as a sister organization to serve members on the East Coast, and help to also supervise the Emmys. The NATAS also established regional chapters throughout the United States, with each one developing their own local Emmy awards show for local programming, the ATAS still however maintained its separate regional ceremony honoring local programming in the Los Angeles Area. Originally there was only one Emmy Awards ceremony held per year to honor shows nationally broadcast in the United States, in 1974, the first Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was held to specifically honor achievement in national daytime programming. Other area-specific Emmy Awards ceremonies soon followed, also, the International Emmy Awards, honoring television programs produced and initially aired outside the U. S. was established in the early 1970s. Meanwhile, all Emmys awarded prior to the emergence of these separate, in 1977, due to various conflicts, the ATAS and the NATAS agreed to split ties. However, they agreed to share ownership of the Emmy statue and trademark. With the rise of television in the 1980s, cable programs first became eligible for the Primetime Emmys in 1988. The ATAS also began accepting original online-only web television programs in 2013, the Emmy statuette, depicting a winged woman holding an atom, was designed by television engineer Louis McManus, who used his wife as the model. The TV Academy rejected a total of forty-seven proposals before settling on McManus design in 1948. The statuette has become the symbol of the TV Academys goal of supporting and uplifting the art and science of television, The wings represent the muse of art. When deciding a name for the award, Academy founder Syd Cassyd originally suggested Ike, however, Ike was also the popular nickname of World War II hero and future U. S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the Academy members wanted something unique. Finally, television engineer and the third president, Harry Lubcke, suggested the name Immy. After Immy was chosen, it was feminized to Emmy to match their female statuette
12.
Emmerdale
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Emmerdale is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale, a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale Farm was first broadcast on 16 October 1972, produced by ITV Yorkshire, it has been filmed at their Leeds studio since its inception. The programme has been broadcast in every ITV region, the series originally appeared during the afternoon until 1978, when it was moved to an early-evening time slot in most regions, London and Anglia followed during the mid-1980s. Until December 1988, Emmerdale took seasonal breaks, since then, episodes air on ITV weekday evenings at 19,00, with a second Thursday episode at 20,00. The programme began broadcasting in high definition on 10 October 2011, Emmerdale is the United Kingdoms second-longest-running television soap opera, and attracts an average of five to seven million viewers per episode. In October 2012, it was the 40th anniversary of the show, on the shows anniversary week, the show made a live episode to mark the anniversary. The premise of Emmerdale Farm was similar to the BBC radio soap opera The Archers, focusing on a family, the programmes farmyard filming was originally modelled on RTÉs The Riordans, an Irish soap opera which was broadcast from the mid-1960s to the end of the 1970s. The Riordans broke new ground for soap operas by being filmed largely outdoors rather than in a usual practice of British. The programme pioneered farmyard location shooting, with animals and equipment. During the 1960s and 1970s, outdoor filming of television programmes with outdoor broadcast units was in its due to higher costs. The Riordans success demonstrated that a soap opera could be filmed largely outdoors, Emmerdale has had a large number of characters since it began, with its cast gradually expanding in size. The programme has also had changing residences and businesses for its characters, including a bed-and-breakfast, the Miffield estate was the largest employer in the village of Beckindale,39 miles from Bradford and 52 miles from Leeds. Lord Miffield leased Emmerdale Farm, on the edge of the village, joshs grandson Joseph married Margaret Oldroyd and their son, Jacob, was born in January 1916. During the 1930s, Jacob Sugden purchased Emmerdale Farm, in 1945 he married Annie Pearson, daughter of farm labourer Sam Pearson. Margaret Sugden died in 1963, and Joseph died the following year, Jacob Sugden ran the farm into the ground, drinking away its profits. The badly-maintained farms future looked bleak at his death on 10 October 1972 and he was survived by his wife Annie, two sons and a daughter, Jack, the eldest, Peggy and Joe, the youngest of the three. These characters formed the basis of Emmerdale Farm, the show has had a number of matriarchs, including Diane Sugden, Viv Hope, Lisa Dingle, Annie Sugden and Moira Barton. Older characters in Emmerdale include Edna Birch, Betty Eagleton, Pearl Ladderbanks, Sandy Thomas, Seth Armstrong, Alan Turner, Sam Pearson, Lily Butterfield, the first episode of Emmerdale Farm, aired on 16 October 1972, began with Jacob Sugdens funeral
13.
The Bible (miniseries)
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The Bible is a television miniseries based on the Bible. It was produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett and was broadcast weekly between March 3 and March 31,2013 on History channel and it has since been adapted for release to theaters as a feature film, the 2014 American epic biblical drama Son of God. Burnett, best known for producing prime-time hit reality shows, considers the scripted 10-hour series to be the most important project he has undertaken, the project was conceived by Burnett and Downey, who are married, after watching Cecil B. DeMilles 1956 film The Ten Commandments for the first time since childhood, the series is Mark Burnetts first scripted project. In addition to Burnett and Downey, executive producers include Richard Bedser and Historys Dirk Hoogstra, the first episode of the mini-series was seen by 13.1 million viewers, the largest cable television audience of 2013 to date. The second installment continued to deliver blockbuster ratings for the network, the third installment on March 17,2013 was once again the No.1 show on all of Sunday night television with 10.9 million total viewers. In addition, the series garnered 4.2 million adults 25–54 and 3.5 million adults 18–49, in total, with subsequent airings, The Bible has received more than 100 million cumulative views. The series received three Emmy Award nominations for best miniseries, and sound editing and sound mixing on July 18,2013, parts of the telecast – including unaired footage – have been turned into a feature film about the life of Jesus entitled Son of God. A sequel series with the title A. D, the Bible Continues aired on NBC. The series covers Genesis to Revelation in one narrative, within five two-hour parts. According to Burnett, it included obvious stories such as Noahs Ark, the Exodus, five hours are taken from the Old Testament, five from the New. The series is based on the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Downey and Burnett said their greatest hope in making the series was that it would affect a new generation of viewers and draw them back to the Bible. Instead, we wanted to show how the Old Testament connects seamlessly to the New Testament, how they are one sweeping story with one grand, overriding message, God loves each one of us as if we were the only person in all the world to love. In May 2011, The New York Times reported that Downey, Burnett and their team were selecting stories for the series. The budget for the series was under $22 million, researchers and theologians were asked to verify accuracy. Academic consultants included Craig A. Evans, Helen Bond, Paula Gooder, Mark Goodacre, shooting took place in Morocco and elsewhere. Burnett and Downey consulted a range of pastors and academics, including their friend Joel Osteen, Joshua Garroway. Another consultant, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, applauded the couples courage for making the series, in fact, when they first proposed the project they were told to try and tell the story without mentioning Jesus
14.
Jamaica Inn (2014 TV series)
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Jamaica Inn is a British drama television series that was first broadcast on BBC One for three consecutive nights from 21 to 23 April 2014. The three-part series, written by Emma Frost, is an adaptation of Daphne du Mauriers gothic novel Jamaica Inn, Jamaica Inn is set in 1821. It tells the story of Mary Yellan who is uprooted to live with her Aunt Patience after her mother dies, Mary finds Aunt Patience under the spell of her husband, Joss Merlyn after she arrives at Jamaica Inn. She soon realises that the inn has no guests and it is being used as the hub of Joss free trade, Mary becomes attracted to Jem Merlyn, Joss younger brother who is a petty thief. Mary meets Francis Davey, the vicar, and his sister Hannah. It was originally decided that the series would be filmed in Northern Ireland, an investment from Screen Yorkshire was provided for the series. The three-part series was commissioned by Ben Stephenson and Danny Cohen, terry Ramsey of The Daily Telegraph claimed Daphne du Mauriers story is a classic, but this hard-to-watch version is unlikely to have had people gripped. David Stephenson of Daily Express agreed, disappointing BBC drama with mumbling dialogue, sean Harris later addressed his reaction to the mumbling controversy in an interview after his BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for Southcliffe. Jamaica Inn at BBC Programmes Jamaica Inn at the Internet Movie Database Jamaica Inn at Radio Times
15.
Bad Girls (TV series)
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Bad Girls is a British television drama series created by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus and premiered on ITV on 1 June 1999. The series received critical acclaim immediately following its inception. It was produced by Shed Productions, the company behind the its later productions Footballers Wives, the original cast included Simone Lahbib, Mandana Jones, Debra Stephenson, Jack Ellis, Helen Fraser, Alicya Eyo, Kika Mirylees and Victoria Alcock. It is set in the womens prison of Larkhall, and features a mixture of serious and light storylines focusing on the prisoners. Eight series and 107 episodes, including a crossover with Footballers Wives, the show featured a large ensemble cast of characters, with only three of the original cast remaining by the series conclusion in 2006. The first series received critical acclaim and successful ratings, averaging over 7 million per episode. Due to a decline in viewers for series 8, ITV cancelled Bad Girls, Bad Girls has since been shown numerously in syndication. The success of the series, saw the series be adapted into a musical, titled Bad Girls. The first series of Bad Girls was shown on ITV in 1999, there have been eight series in total, ranging from 10 to 16 episodes. Christmas specials were produced in 2005 and 2006 and are now established as the episodes of Series 7 and Series 8. All series have shown on ITV, at 9 pm, on varying days. The 100th episode, part of Series 8, was shown on Thursday 3 August 2006 at 9 pm, ITV cancelled Bad Girls after Series 8 and the 2006 Christmas Special was the final episode. The exact location of the fictional HMP Larkhall was never revealed, although in Series One, there were several other references through the series that alluded to it being in the South London region, but no specific location was given. Several districts of the London area were referenced throughout the run, these include, Peckham, Clapham, Acton, Catford, Streatham, Sydenham, Tooting, Stratford, Balham. HM Prison Oxford was used for the exterior shots featured in Series 1–3, a reconstruction of the prisons exterior was also created for series 4–8, as HM Prison Oxford had by then been redeveloped into a hotel complex. Location of HMP Prison Oxford Many scenes outside of Larkhall, were filmed on location, usually around London, real houses were used for prison officers houses, rather than sets. From the beginning, Bad Girls dealt with subject matter. Furthermore, the script, unwilling to compromise the realism of the programme, Series 1 was produced by Brian Park
16.
West End theatre
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West End theatre is a common term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of Theatreland in and near the West End of London. Along with New York Citys Broadway theatre, West End theatre is considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. Seeing a West End show is a common tourist activity in London, in 2013, ticket sales reached a record 14.4 million, making West End the largest English speaking audience in the world. Famous screen actors frequently appear on the London stage, helen Mirren received an award for her performance as the Queen on the West End stage, and then stated, theatre is such an important part of British history and British culture. Theatre in London flourished after the English Reformation, the first permanent public playhouse, known simply as The Theatre, was constructed in 1576 in Shoreditch by James Burbage. It was soon joined by The Curtain, both are known to have been used by William Shakespeares company. In 1599, the timber from The Theatre was moved to Southwark and these theatres were closed in 1642 due to the Puritans who would later influence the interregnum of 1649. After the Restoration, two companies were licensed to perform, the Dukes Company and the Kings Company, performances were held in converted buildings, such as Lisles Tennis Court. The first West End theatre, known as Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, was designed by Thomas Killigrew and built on the site of the present Theatre Royal and it opened on 7 May 1663 and was destroyed by a fire nine years later. It was replaced by a new designed by Christopher Wren and renamed the Theatre Royal. Outside the West End, Sadlers Wells Theatre opened in Islington on 3 June 1683. Taking its name from founder Richard Sadler and monastic springs that were discovered on the property, it operated as a Musick House, with performances of opera, as it was not licensed for plays. In the West End, the Theatre Royal Haymarket opened on 29 December 1720 on a site north of its current location. The Patent theatre companies retained their duopoly on drama well into the 19th century, by the early 19th century, however, music hall entertainments became popular, and presenters found a loophole in the restrictions on non-patent theatres in the genre of melodrama. Melodrama did not break the Patent Acts, as it was accompanied by music, initially, these entertainments were presented in large halls, attached to public houses, but purpose-built theatres began to appear in the East End at Shoreditch and Whitechapel. The West End theatre district became established with the opening of small theatres and halls. South of the River Thames, the Old Vic, Waterloo Road, the next few decades saw the opening of many new theatres in the West End. It abbreviated its name three years later, the theatre building boom continued until about World War I
17.
Berlin
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Berlin is the capital and the largest city of Germany as well as one of its constituent 16 states. With a population of approximately 3.5 million, Berlin is the second most populous city proper, due to its location in the European Plain, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one-third of the area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers. Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world, following German reunification in 1990, Berlin once again became the capital of all-Germany. Berlin is a city of culture, politics, media. Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, media corporations. Berlin serves as a hub for air and rail traffic and has a highly complex public transportation network. The metropolis is a popular tourist destination, significant industries also include IT, pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, clean tech, biotechnology, construction and electronics. Modern Berlin is home to world renowned universities, orchestras, museums and its urban setting has made it a sought-after location for international film productions. The city is known for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts. Since 2000 Berlin has seen the emergence of a cosmopolitan entrepreneurial scene, the name Berlin has its roots in the language of West Slavic inhabitants of the area of todays Berlin, and may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl-. All German place names ending on -ow, -itz and -in, since the Ber- at the beginning sounds like the German word Bär, a bear appears in the coat of arms of the city. It is therefore a canting arm, the first written records of towns in the area of present-day Berlin date from the late 12th century. Spandau is first mentioned in 1197 and Köpenick in 1209, although these areas did not join Berlin until 1920, the central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns. Cölln on the Fischerinsel is first mentioned in a 1237 document,1237 is considered the founding date of the city. The two towns over time formed close economic and social ties, and profited from the right on the two important trade routes Via Imperii and from Bruges to Novgorod. In 1307, they formed an alliance with a common external policy, in 1415 Frederick I became the elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440. In 1443 Frederick II Irontooth started the construction of a new palace in the twin city Berlin-Cölln
18.
Mark Ravenhill
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Mark Ravenhill is an English playwright, actor and journalist. His plays include Shopping and Fucking, Some Explicit Polaroids and Mother Claps Molly House and he made his acting debut in his monologue Product, at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He often writes for the section of The Guardian. He is Associate Director of Londons Little Opera House at The Kings Head Theatre, Ravenhill is the elder of two sons born to Ted and Angela Ravenhill. He grew up in West Sussex, England and cultivated an interest in early in life, putting on plays with his brother when they were eight and seven. He studied English and Drama at Bristol University from 1984–1987, and held jobs as a freelance director, workshop leader. In 1997, Ravenhill became the director of a new writing company. In 2003, when Nicholas Hytner took over as director of the National Theatre. In the mid-nineties, Ravenhill was diagnosed as HIV+, his partner of the early 1990s having died from AIDS, although he was at the heart of new British playwriting in the 1990s and 2000s, Ravenhill respects historical theatre. He has said that he would like to see directors focus more on the classics, Ravenhill has a love of traditional pantomime, he presented a Radio 4 documentary about the form and wrote Dick Whittington for the Barbican Theatre in 2006. Ravenhills work has transformed and developed in the 2000s and his earlier short plays for young people, Totally Over You and Citizenship, both written for the National Theatres National Theatre Connections Programme, continue to be produced. In November 2007, he announced in the Guardian that for the moment and they express his ambiguous and politically indirect later style. The following year, he presented readings of this work at St. Anns Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY, bourne worked with Ravenhill previously on a short play, Ripper, playing Queen Victoria at the Union Theatre in London in 2007. He is also working on a TV series, Ravenhill is a regular contributor to the annual Terror Season at the Southwark Playhouse in London, England. His short play The Exclusion Zone premiered in October 2010, Ravenhill was appointed Associate Director of Londons Little Opera House at The Kings Head Theatre in September 2010. He played a role in the venues relaunch as Londons third Opera House along with patron Sir Jonathan Miller, Robin Norton-Hale. In 2012, Mark Ravenhill became the Royal Shakespeare Companys Writer in Residence, the same year, he was commissioned by the London Gay Mens Chorus for a piece to mark the choirs 21st anniversary. With the music composed by Conor Mitchell, the piece, entitled Shadow Time, the piece will be premiered at the Royal Festival Hall, on 6 May 2012 during the Chorus summer concert, A Band of Brothers
19.
Harrogate Grammar School
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Harrogate Grammar School, is a coeducational academy school and sixth form located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It has about 1,700 pupils and there are about 600 pupils in the sixth form, the current headmaster is Richard Sheriff who became the full-time headmaster of the school in January 2007. Harrogate Grammar School was founded in 1903 as the Municipal Secondary Day School of Harrogate and its original premises were simply a collection of rented rooms in Haywra Crescent. By the time the school achieved Grammar School status in 1931 the school had outgrown its premises as the roll of 44 pupils had grown to 530. Work began on the new Grammar School in Arthurs Avenue, to which the staff, during the Second World War evacuees poured into Harrogate from the cities. This swelled the roll at the school to 900, still a small number compared with the roll of 1740 in 2006, between 1976–77 a new sports hall was built together with a new classroom block. This eventually enabled the removal of the temporary classrooms situated in the old playground, an all weather shale pitch, primarily for hockey, was created at the Otley Road end of the playing field. A new Sixth Form block, including a room, a new library and new science labs was added. This has recently been further extended, a humanities building was added in the 1990s. In 2002 Harrogate Grammar School acquired Specialist Language Status and now has state-of-the-art language-learning facilities, in 2006 the school was recognised as an extremely successful specialist school and was invited to take on a second specialism in technology. A new-build library and IT suite were opened in July 2006, temporary classrooms for the Sixth Form were added in October 2006, and these are expected to stay on the School grounds until the new sixth form arrangements have been built. In 2010, Harrogate Grammar School opened their new Sixth Form block for its higher education 16–19 section. The Sixth Form has a theatre with retractable seating of up to 300, as well as a number of classrooms. The new building replaces the old classrooms that adjoined with the Arthurs Avenue nursery which were knocked down. The school is now an independent academy trust, plans were made to expand the sixth form centre, an opening expected in September 2012. The extension opened in 2013 as The Sherwood Wing, named after Mrs Jan Sherwood, the school shares its motto with the town of Harrogate. Arx Celebris Fontibus translates from Latin as A citadel famous for its springs, the school has undergone a period of growth in its sixth form and now has a roll of 540 students. The increased provision for sixth form began in the 1980s when a sixth form block was added
20.
The Government Inspector
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The Government Inspector, also known as The Inspector General, is a satirical play by the Russian and Ukrainian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition, based upon an anecdote allegedly recounted to Gogol by Pushkin, the play is a comedy of errors, satirizing human greed, stupidity, and the extensive political corruption of Imperial Russia. According to D. S. Mirsky, the play is not only supreme in character, the great originality of its plan consisted in the absence of all love interest and of sympathetic characters. The latter feature was deeply resented by Gogols enemies, and as a satire the play gained immensely from it. There is not a word or intonation from beginning to end. He is full of movement and meaningless fermentation incarnate, on a foundation of placidly ambitious inferiority. The publication of the led to a great outcry in the reactionary press. It took the intervention of Tsar Nicholas I to have the play staged. Early in his career Gogol was best known for his short stories, after establishing a reputation, Gogol began working on several plays. His first attempt to write a play about imperial bureaucracy in 1832 was abandoned out of fear of censorship. In 1835, he sought inspiration for a new play from Pushkin. Do me a favour, send me some subject, comical or not and my hand is itching to write a comedy. Give me a subject and Ill knock off a comedy in five acts — I promise and my mind and stomach are both famished. Pushkin had a background and was once mistaken for a government inspector in 1833. His notes alluded to an anecdote similar to what would become the basic story elements for The Government Inspector. Krispin arrives in the Province. to a fair – he is taken for, the governor is an honest fool – the governors wife flirts with him – Krispin woos the daughter. The corrupt officials of a small Russian town, headed by the Mayor, the flurry of activity to cover up their considerable misdeeds is interrupted by the report that a suspicious person has arrived two weeks previously from Saint Petersburg and is staying at the inn. That person, however, is not an inspector, it is Khlestakov, for quite some time, however, Khlestakov does not even realize that he has been mistaken for someone else
21.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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A Midsummer Nights Dream is a comedy written by William Shakespeare in 1595/96. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six actors who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play is one of Shakespeares most popular works for the stage and is performed across the world. The play opens with Hermia, who is in love with Lysander, resistant to her father Egeus demand that she wed Demetrius, Helena meanwhile pines unrequitedly for Demetrius. Enraged, Egeus invokes an ancient Athenian law before Duke Theseus, whereby a daughter must marry the suitor chosen by her father, Theseus offers her another choice, lifelong chastity while worshipping the goddess Artemis as a nun. Quince reads the names of characters and bestows them to the players, nick Bottom, who is playing the main role of Pyramus, is over-enthusiastic and wants to dominate others by suggesting himself for the characters of Thisbe, the Lion, and Pyramus at the same time. He would also rather be a tyrant and recites some lines of Ercles, Bottom is told by Quince that he would do the Lion so terribly as to frighten the duchess and ladies enough for the Duke and Lords to have the players hanged. Quince ends the meeting with at the Dukes oak we meet, in a parallel plot line, Oberon, king of the fairies, and Titania, his queen, have come to the forest outside Athens. Titania tells Oberon that she plans to stay there until she has attended Theseus, Oberon and Titania are estranged because Titania refuses to give her Indian changeling to Oberon for use as his knight or henchman, since the childs mother was one of Titanias worshippers. Oberon seeks to punish Titanias disobedience, when the concoction is applied to the eyelids of a sleeping person, that person, upon waking, falls in love with the first living thing they perceive. He instructs Puck to retrieve the flower with the hope that he might make Titania fall in love with an animal of the forest and thereby shame her into giving up the little Indian boy. He says, And ere I take this charm from off her sight, /As I can take it with another herb, Hermia and Lysander have escaped to the same forest in hopes of eloping. Helena, desperate to reclaim Demetriuss love, tells Demetrius about the plan, Helena continually makes advances towards Demetrius, promising to love him more than Hermia. However, he rebuffs her with cruel insults against her, observing this, Oberon orders Puck to spread some of the magical juice from the flower on the eyelids of the young Athenian man. Instead, Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius, not having seen either before. Helena, coming across him, wakes him while attempting to determine whether he is dead or asleep, upon this happening, Lysander immediately falls in love with Helena. Oberon sees Demetrius still following Hermia and is enraged, when Demetrius goes to sleep, Oberon sends Puck to get Helena while he charms Demetrius eyes
22.
Oberon
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Oberon is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeares play A Midsummer Nights Dream, in which he is Consort to Titania, Oberons status as king of the fairies comes from the character of Alberich, a sorcerer in the legendary history of the Merovingian dynasty. In the legend, he is the brother of Merowech, whose name is the eponym of the Merovingians. Alberich wins for his eldest son, Walbert, the hand of a princess of Constantinople, in the Nibelungenlied, a Burgundian poem written around the turn of the 13th century, Alberich guards the treasure of the Nibelungen, but is overcome by Siegfried. Huon, son of Seguin count of Bordeaux, passed through the forest inhabited by Oberon and he was warned by a hermit not to speak to Oberon, but his courtesy had him answer Oberons greetings, and so gain his aid in his quest. Huon had killed Charlot, the Emperors son, in self-defense and he succeeds only with Oberons aid. This elf is dwarfish in height, though very handsome and he explains that, at his christening, an offended fairy cursed him to dwarfish height, but relented and gave him great beauty as compensation. Alberich features as a dwarf in the Nibelungen, the height was thus explained. The real Seguin was Count of Bordeaux under Louis the Pious in 839, Charles lEnfant, a son of Charles the Bald, died in 866 of wounds inflicted by a certain Aubouin in the circumstances of an ambush similar to the Charlot of the story. Thus, Oberon appears in a 13th-century French courtly fantasy that is based on a shred of 9th century fact and he is given some Celtic trappings, such as a magical cup that is ever full for the virtuous. The magic cup supplied their evening meal, for such was its virtue that it afforded not only wine, in this story, he is said to be the child of Morgan le Fay and Julius Caesar. Shakespeare saw or heard of the French heroic song through the c. 1540 translation of John Bourchier, Lord Berners, in Philip Henslowes diary, there is a note of a performance of a play Hewen of Burdocize on December 28,1593. Oberon is the king of all of the fairies in William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream who is feuding with his wife Titania and they are fighting over a changeling child whom Oberon wants to raise as his henchman. Titania wants to keep the child because he is the child of Titanias mortal follower who died, because Oberon and Titania are powerful fairies, their arguments affect the weather. Titania describes what happens to nature when Oberon tricks Titania into loving Bottom, the flower was accidentally struck by Cupids arrow when he attempted to shoot a young maiden in a field, instead infusing the flower with love. Oberon sends his servant, Puck, to fetch the flower, furious that Titania will not give him the child, he puts juice from a magical flower into her eyes while she is asleep. The effect of the juice will cause Titania to fall in love with the first live thing she sees. Titania awakens and finds herself madly in love with Bottom, an actor in the Mechanicals whos head was just transformed into that of a donkeys, thanks to a curse from Puck
23.
Aladdin
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Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. Aladdin is an impoverished young neer-do-well dwelling in one of the cities of China, the sorcerers real motive is to persuade young Aladdin to retrieve a wonderful oil lamp from a booby-trapped magic cave. After the sorcerer attempts to him, Aladdin finds himself trapped in the cave. Fortunately, Aladdin is still wearing a ring the sorcerer has lent him. When he rubs his hands in despair, he rubs the ring. When his mother tries to clean the lamp, so they can sell it to buy food for their supper, with the aid of the genie of the lamp, Aladdin becomes rich and powerful and marries Princess Badroulbadour, the sultans daughter. The genie builds Aladdin and his bride a wonderful palace, far more magnificent than the sultans, the sorcerer hears of Aladdins good fortune, and returns, he gets his hands on the lamp by tricking Aladdins wife by offering to exchange new lamps for old. He orders the genie of the lamp to take the palace, along all its contents. Fortunately, Aladdin still has the ring and is able to summon the lesser genie. The sorcerers more powerful and evil brother plots to destroy Aladdin for killing his brother by disguising himself as an old woman known for her healing powers, Badroulbadour falls for his disguise and commands the woman to stay in her palace in case of any illnesses. Aladdin is warned of danger by the genie of the lamp. Everyone lives happily ever after, Aladdin eventually succeeding to his father-in-laws throne, Gallands diary records that he met the Maronite scholar, by name Youhenna Diab, who had been brought from Aleppo to Paris by Paul Lucas, a celebrated French traveller. Gallands diary also tells that his translation of Aladdin was made in the winter of 1709–10 and it was included in his volumes ix and x of the Nights, published in 1710. One was written by a Syrian Christian priest living in Paris, named Dionysios Shawish, the other is supposed to be a copy Mikhail Sabbagh made of a manuscript written in Baghdad in 1703. It was purchased by the Bibliothèque Nationale at the end of the nineteenth century, however, modern scholars such as Muhsin Mahdi and Husain Haddawy claim that both manuscripts are forgeries—back-translations of Gallands text into Arabic. The opening sentences of the story, in both the Galland and the Burton versions, set it in China and imply, at least, on the other hand, there is practically nothing in the rest of the story that is inconsistent with a Persian or Arabian setting. A Jewish merchant buys Aladdins wares, but there is no mention of Buddhists or Confucians, of course, Chinas ethnic makeup has long included Muslim groups, including large populations of the Hui people whose origins go back to Silk Road travellers. In addition, large communities of Muslim Chinese have been known since the Tang Dynasty, some commentators have even suggested that the story might be set in Turkestan
24.
Pantomime
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Pantomime, is a type of musical comedy stage production, designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, generally during the Christmas and New Year season and, to a lesser extent. It is a form of theatre, in which the audience is expected to sing along with certain parts of the music. Pantomime has a theatrical history in Western culture dating back to classical theatre. It developed partly from the 16th century commedia dellarte tradition of Italy, as well as other European and British stage traditions, such as 17th-century masques, an important part of the pantomime, until the late 19th century, was the harlequinade. Outside Britain the word pantomime is used to mean miming. The Roman pantomime drew upon the Greek tragedy and other Greek genres from its inception, although the art was instituted in Rome, the English word came to be applied to the performance itself. Music was supplied by flute and the pulse of an iron-shod shoe, performances might be in a private household, with minimal personnel, or else lavish theatrical productions involving a large orchestra and chorus and sometimes an ancillary actor. The dancer danced all the roles, relying on masks, stock poses and gestures, Pantomime differed from mime by its more artistic nature and relative lack of farce and coarse humour, though these were not absent from some productions. Precursors of pantomime also included the masque, which grew in pomp, the development of English pantomime was also strongly influenced by the continental commedia dellarte, a form of popular theatre that arose in Italy in the Early Modern Period. Each scenario used some of the stock characters. These included the innamorati, the vecchi such as Pantalone, and zanni such as Arlecchino, Colombina, Scaramouche, Italian masque performances in the 17th century sometimes included the Harlequin character. In the 17th century, adaptations of the characters became familiar in English entertainments. From these, the standard English harlequinade developed, depicting the eloping lovers Harlequin and Columbine, pursued by the girls father Pantaloon and his comic servants Clown, in English versions, by the 18th century, Harlequin became the central figure and romantic lead. The basic plot of the harlequinade remained essentially the same for more than 150 years, tavern Bilkers, by John Weaver, the dancing master at Drury Lane, is cited as the first pantomime produced on the English stage. The same year he produced a pantomime on the subject of Perseus, after this, pantomime was regular feature at Drury Lane. In 1717 at Lincolns Inn, actor and manager John Rich introduced Harlequin into the theatres pantomimes under the name of Lun and he gained great popularity for his pantomimes, especially beginning with his 1724 production of The Necromancer, or, History of Dr. Faustus. These early pantomimes were silent, or dumb show, performances consisting of only dancing, spoken drama was only allowed in London only in the two patent theatres until Parliament changed this restriction in 1843
25.
Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)
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Heathcliff is a fictional character in Emily Brontës novel Wuthering Heights. Owing to the novels enduring fame and popularity, he is regarded as an archetype of the tortured romantic hero whose all-consuming passions destroy both him and those around him. His complicated, mesmerizing, consumable, and altogether bizarre nature makes him a rare character and you teach me now how cruel youve been — cruel and false. Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy, I have not one word of comfort. Yes, you may kiss me, and cry, and wring out my kisses and tears and you loved me — then what right had you to leave me. What right — answer me — for the poor fancy you felt for Linton, because misery, and degradation, and death, and nothing God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart — you have broken it, so much the worse for me, that I am strong. What kind of living will it be when you——oh, God, would you like to live with your soul in the grave. In keeping with the themes present in the novel, it is speculated that Heathcliff might be a demon or a hellish soul. His appearance would be interpreted as resembling a Roma, or Gypsy. He becomes a gentleman in dress and aspect, mrs. Ellen Dean states that he could be a little Lascar or American castaway. Upon Mr. Catherine, however, remains close to her foster brother and she claims that she cannot marry him because it would degrade her and that the two would be beggars were such a union to take place. Nevertheless, she declares her passion for him in such ways as whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. Nelly Dean describes him as lazy when he returns and that his upright carriage suggested his being in the army, No other hints are given about where Heathcliff was and how he made his fortune over the course of his three-year absence. On returning, he is determined to destroy those who degraded him and prevented him from being with Catherine, cementing his status as an anti-hero. This can only be achieved, however, by Heathcliffs forcing his and Isabellas son Linton into marriage with Catherines daughter, who is also named Cathy. Heathcliff forces his son, Linton, who entirely resembles his mother Isabella, into marriage with Catherine Linton, daughter of Cathy and Edgar. Shortly after the two are married in their nearly loveless match, the insipid Linton dies, hardly a surprise to either his father or his widow
26.
Wuthering Heights
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Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontës only novel. Written between October 1845 and June 1846, Wuthering Heights was published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, Brontë died the following year, Wuthering Heights and Anne Brontës Agnes Grey were accepted by publisher Thomas Newby before the success of their sister Charlottes novel, Jane Eyre. After Emilys death, Charlotte edited the manuscript of Wuthering Heights, the novel has inspired adaptations, including film, radio and television dramatisations, a musical by Bernard J. Taylor, a ballet, operas, and a 1978 song by Kate Bush. In 1801, Lockwood, a young man from the South of England who is seeking peace and recuperation. He visits his landlord, Heathcliff, who lives in a remote moorland farmhouse, snowed in, Lockwood is grudgingly allowed to stay and is shown to a bedchamber where he notices books and graffiti left by a former inhabitant named Catherine. He falls asleep and has a nightmare in which he sees the ghostly Catherine trying to enter through the window and he cries out in fear, rousing Heathcliff, who rushes into the room. Lockwood is convinced that what he saw was real, Heathcliff, believing Lockwood to be right, examines the window and opens it, hoping to allow Catherines spirit to enter. When nothing happens, Heathcliff shows Lockwood to his own bedroom, at sunrise, Heathcliff escorts Lockwood back to Thrushcross Grange. Lockwood asks the housekeeper, Nelly Dean, about the family at Wuthering Heights, thirty years earlier, the owner of Wuthering Heights is Mr. Earnshaw, who lives with his son Hindley and younger daughter Catherine. On a trip to Liverpool, Earnshaw encounters a homeless boy and he adopts the boy and names him Heathcliff. Hindley feels that Heathcliff has supplanted him in his fathers affections, Catherine and Heathcliff become friends and spend hours each day playing on the moors. Three years later Earnshaw dies and Hindley becomes the landowner, he is now master of Wuthering Heights and he returns to live there with his new wife, Frances. He allows Heathcliff to stay but only as a servant, a few months after Hindleys return, Heathcliff and Catherine walk to Thrushcross Grange to spy on Edgar and Isabella Linton, who live there. After being discovered they try to run away but are caught, Catherine is injured by the Lintons dog and taken into the house to recuperate, while Heathcliff is sent home. The Lintons are landed gentry and Catherine is influenced by their fine appearance, when she returns to Wuthering Heights her appearance and manners are more ladylike, and she laughs at Heathcliffs unkempt appearance. Catherine tries to comfort Heathcliff, but he vows revenge on Hindley, the following year, Frances Earnshaw gives birth to a son, named Hareton, but she dies a few months later. Two more years pass, and Catherine and Edgar Linton become friends, Edgar visits Catherine while Hindley is away and they declare themselves lovers soon afterwards. She hopes to use her position as Edgars wife to raise Heathcliffs standing, Heathcliff overhears her say that it would degrade her to marry him, and he runs away and disappears without a trace
27.
Almeida Theatre
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The theatre produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West End theatres, the theatre was built in 1837 for the newly formed Islington Literary and Scientific Society and included a library, reading room, museum, laboratory, and a lecture theatre seating 500. The architects were the fashionable partnership of Robert Lewis Roumieu and Alexander Dick Gough, the library was sold off in 1872 and the building disposed of in 1874 to the Wellington Club which occupied it until 1886. In 1885 the hall was used for concerts, balls, the Salvation Army bought the building in 1890, renaming it the Wellington Castle Barracks. The Salvationists remained there until 1955, for a few years from 1956 the building was a factory and showroom for Becks British Carnival Novelties, then remained empty until in 1972 a campaign began to turn it into a theatre. The building was Grade II listed by English Heritage in 1972, the current modified building retains the listing. The campaign to open the building as a theatre was led by the Lebanese-born internationally renowned opera and theatre director Pierre Audi, under Audi the theatres reputation grew and its annual summer International Festival of Contemporary Music and Performance became highly regarded. In the summer of 1985 Ástor Piazzolla, the renowned Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player, throughout the 1980s the Almeida Theatre was a London receiving house for Fringe, avant-garde and provincial theatre productions. Touring companies from the UK were regularly hosted, including Shared Experience, Joint Stock, Theatre Complicite, Cheek by Jowl, in 1987, the Almeida also became home to Motley Theatre Design Course, under the directorship of Margaret Harris. The Not the RSC Festival was presented at the Almeida in 1986 and 1987, in 1990 the Scot Ian McDiarmid and the South African Jonathan Kent took over as joint artistic directors. Organised as a producing theatre its productions regularly played to packed houses and frequently transferred to the West End. In 1993 the theatre won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, one of the keys to the success and reputation of the Almeida during the 1990s were the stagings of various plays by Harold Pinter. These included revivals of Betrayal in 1991 and No Mans Land in 1992 and premières of Party Time in 1991, first, an eclectically international programme, everything from Molière and Marivaux to Brecht and Neil LaBute. Second, top-level casting that has given us Ralph Fiennes in Hamlet and Ivanov, Kevin Spacey in The Iceman Cometh, third, a territorial expansion that has seen the Almeida colonise the Hackney Empire, the old Gainsborough film studios and even a converted bus depot in Kings Cross. In November 1999, the Almeida was awarded £1.5 million by the Arts Council of England to undertake repairs to the theatre. The work began early in 2001 when the theatre was closed, national Lottery backing of £5.8 million allowed for a complete restoration. The theatres artistic remit was the presentation of bold and adventurous play choices staged to the highest possible standards and this included classics from the British, American and Irish repertoire, foreign classics in newly commissioned versions, and new plays. In October 2012 Attenborough announced that he would step down early in 2013, rupert Goold was appointed Artistic Director in February 2013, taking up the post full-time in September 2013
28.
Hamlet
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatises the revenge Prince Hamlet is called to wreak upon his uncle, Claudius, by the ghost of Hamlets father, Claudius had murdered his own brother and seized the throne, also marrying his deceased brothers widow. It has inspired many other writers—from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Charles Dickens to James Joyce and he almost certainly wrote his version of the title role for his fellow actor, Richard Burbage, the leading tragedian of Shakespeares time. In the 400 years since its inception, the role has been performed by highly acclaimed actors in each successive century. Three different early versions of the play are extant, the First Quarto, the Second Quarto, each version includes lines and entire scenes missing from the others. The plays structure and depth of characterisation have inspired much critical scrutiny, the protagonist of Hamlet is Prince Hamlet of Denmark, son of the recently deceased King Hamlet, and nephew of King Claudius, his fathers brother and successor. Claudius hastily married King Hamlets widow, Gertrude, Hamlets mother, Denmark has a long-standing feud with neighboring Norway, which culminated when King Hamlet slew King Fortinbras of Norway in a battle years ago. Although Denmark defeated Norway, and the Norwegian throne fell to King Fortinbrass infirm brother, Denmark fears that an invasion led by the dead Norwegian kings son, Prince Fortinbras, is imminent. On a cold night on the ramparts of Elsinore, the Danish royal castle and they vow to tell Prince Hamlet what they have witnessed. As the court gathers the next day, while King Claudius and Queen Gertrude discuss affairs of state with their elderly adviser Polonius, after the court exits, Hamlet despairs of his fathers death and his mothers hasty remarriage. Learning of the ghost from Horatio, Hamlet resolves to see it himself, as Poloniuss son Laertes prepares to depart for a visit to France, Polonius gives him contradictory advice that culminates in the ironic maxim to thine own self be true. Poloniuss daughter, Ophelia, admits her interest in Hamlet, and that night on the rampart, the ghost appears to Hamlet, telling the prince that he was murdered by Claudius and demanding that Hamlet avenge him. Hamlet agrees and the ghost vanishes, the prince confides to Horatio and the sentries that from now on he plans to put an antic disposition on and forces them to swear to keep his plans for revenge secret. Privately, however, he remains uncertain of the ghosts reliability, soon thereafter, Ophelia rushes to her father, telling him that Hamlet arrived at her door the prior night half-undressed and behaving crazily. Polonius blames love for Hamlets madness and resolves to inform Claudius, as he enters to do so, the king and queen finish welcoming Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two student acquaintances of Hamlet, to Elsinore. The royal couple has requested that the students investigate the cause of Hamlets mood, additional news requires that Polonius wait to be heard, messengers from Norway inform Claudius that the King of Norway has rebuked Prince Fortinbras for attempting to re-fight his fathers battles. The forces that Fortinbras conscripted to march against Denmark will instead be sent against Poland, Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude his theory regarding Hamlets behavior, and speaks to Hamlet in a hall of the castle to try to uncover more information. Hamlet feigns madness but subtly insults Polonius all the while, when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, Hamlet greets his friends warmly, but quickly discerns that they are spies
29.
Ralph Fiennes
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Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor. A noted Shakespeare interpreter, he first achieved success onstage at the Royal National Theatre and his performance as Count Almásy in The English Patient garnered him a second Academy Award nomination, for Best Actor, as well as BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. He voiced Rameses in The Prince of Egypt and Alfred Pennyworth in The Lego Batman Movie, in 2011, Fiennes made his directorial debut with his film adaptation of Shakespeares tragedy Coriolanus, in which he also played the title character. Fiennes won a Tony Award for playing Prince Hamlet on Broadway, since 1999, Fiennes has served as an ambassador for UNICEF UK. One of the highest profile actors in contemporary British popular culture, Fiennes was born in Ipswich, on 22 December 1962. He is the eldest child of Mark Fiennes, a farmer and photographer, and Jennifer Lash and he has English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. His surname is of Norman origin and his grandfathers were industrialist Sir Maurice Fiennes and Brigadier Henry Alleyne Lash. His great-great-uncle was Edward Pomeroy Colley, a Civil Engineer and first class passenger who died in the sinking of RMS Titanic, Fiennes is an eighth cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales, and a third cousin of adventurer Ranulph Fiennes and author William Fiennes. He is the eldest of six children and his siblings are actor Joseph Fiennes, Martha Fiennes, a director, Magnus Fiennes, a composer, Sophie Fiennes, a filmmaker, and Jacob Fiennes, a conservationist. His foster brother, Michael Emery, is an archaeologist and his nephew Hero Fiennes-Tiffin played Tom Riddle, young Lord Voldemort, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The Fiennes family moved to Ireland in 1973, living in West Cork, Fiennes was educated at St Kierans College for one year, followed by Newtown School, a Quaker independent school in County Waterford. They moved to Salisbury in England, where Fiennes finished his schooling at Bishop Wordsworths School and he went on to pursue painting at Chelsea College of Art before deciding that acting was his true passion. Fiennes trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art between 1983 and 1985 and he began his career at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park and also at the National Theatre before achieving prominence at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Fiennes first worked on screen in 1990 and made his debut in 1992 as Heathcliff in Emily Brontës Wuthering Heights opposite Juliette Binoche. He had a role in Peter Greenaways film The Baby of Mâcon with Julia Ormond. Later that year he became known internationally for portraying the amoral Nazi concentration camp commandant Amon Göth in Steven Spielbergs Schindlers List, for this he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He did not win the Oscar, but did win the Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award for the role and his portrayal of Göth also earned him a spot on the American Film Institutes list of Top 50 Film Villains. Fiennes gained weight to represent Göth, but shed it afterwards, Fiennes later stated that playing the role had a profoundly disturbing effect on him
30.
BBC
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The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. It is headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, the BBC is the worlds oldest national broadcasting organisation and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees. It employs over 20,950 staff in total,16,672 of whom are in public sector broadcasting, the total number of staff is 35,402 when part-time, flexible, and fixed contract staff are included. The BBC is established under a Royal Charter and operates under its Agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The fee is set by the British Government, agreed by Parliament, and used to fund the BBCs radio, TV, britains first live public broadcast from the Marconi factory in Chelmsford took place in June 1920. It was sponsored by the Daily Mails Lord Northcliffe and featured the famous Australian Soprano Dame Nellie Melba, the Melba broadcast caught the peoples imagination and marked a turning point in the British publics attitude to radio. However, this public enthusiasm was not shared in official circles where such broadcasts were held to interfere with important military and civil communications. By late 1920, pressure from these quarters and uneasiness among the staff of the licensing authority, the General Post Office, was sufficient to lead to a ban on further Chelmsford broadcasts. But by 1922, the GPO had received nearly 100 broadcast licence requests, John Reith, a Scottish Calvinist, was appointed its General Manager in December 1922 a few weeks after the company made its first official broadcast. The company was to be financed by a royalty on the sale of BBC wireless receiving sets from approved manufacturers, to this day, the BBC aims to follow the Reithian directive to inform, educate and entertain. The financial arrangements soon proved inadequate, set sales were disappointing as amateurs made their own receivers and listeners bought rival unlicensed sets. By mid-1923, discussions between the GPO and the BBC had become deadlocked and the Postmaster-General commissioned a review of broadcasting by the Sykes Committee and this was to be followed by a simple 10 shillings licence fee with no royalty once the wireless manufactures protection expired. The BBCs broadcasting monopoly was made explicit for the duration of its current broadcast licence, the BBC was also banned from presenting news bulletins before 19.00, and required to source all news from external wire services. Mid-1925 found the future of broadcasting under further consideration, this time by the Crawford committee, by now the BBC under Reiths leadership had forged a consensus favouring a continuation of the unified broadcasting service, but more money was still required to finance rapid expansion. Wireless manufacturers were anxious to exit the loss making consortium with Reith keen that the BBC be seen as a service rather than a commercial enterprise. The recommendations of the Crawford Committee were published in March the following year and were still under consideration by the GPO when the 1926 general strike broke out in May. The strike temporarily interrupted newspaper production and with restrictions on news bulletins waived the BBC suddenly became the source of news for the duration of the crisis. The crisis placed the BBC in a delicate position, the Government was divided on how to handle the BBC but ended up trusting Reith, whose opposition to the strike mirrored the PMs own
31.
Casualty (TV series)
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Casualty, stylised as CASUAL+Y, is a British medical drama series that airs weekly on BBC One. It is the emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 6 September 1986, the original producer was Geraint Morris. The programme is set in the fictional Holby City Hospital and focuses on the staff and patients of the hospitals Accident, the show has very few ties to its sister programme Holby City, which began as a spin-off from Casualty in 1999, set in the same hospital. Casualty is shown weekly on a Saturday evening, which has been its time slot since the early 1990s, Casualtys exterior shots were mainly filmed outside the Ashley Down Centre in Bristol from 1986 until 2002 when they moved to the centre of Bristol for just over nine years. In 2011, Casualty celebrated its 25th anniversary, following that, for the Bristol finale, they filmed the Emergency department catching fire, after 25 years in Bristol, Casualty moved to its new home at the Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff where it is currently filmed. The 1, 000th episode of Casualty aired on 25 June 2016, for an episode guide, see List of Casualty episodes. The 30th Anniversary episode of Casualty aired on 27 August 2016, the series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. Casualty and Holby City are both set in Holby City Hospital, in the county of Wyvern, in the south-west of England. City of Bristol College was used as the location for most exterior shots of the hospital from 1986 until 2002, Casualty has also filmed at Chavenage House back in 1997. Episode 16 of series 26 marked the episode filmed in Bristol. The first episode from Cardiff, broadcast on 7 January 2012, was an 80-minute episode, most exterior shots of the city of Holby are now shot within the city of Cardiff and wider area of South Wales. Railway scenes are shot on location at various preserved railways, which from the start of shooting have centred around the West Somerset Railway, the programme has usually been transmitted on Saturday nights, although for a period in the late 1980s and early 1990s it switched to Fridays. The first two series consisted of 15 episodes, series 3 ran for 10 episodes, series 4,5 and 6 were 12,13. When the show moved back to Saturday nights in September 1992, the length was extended to 24 episodes per year. This initially caused controversy due to the graphic and controversial nature of some of the storylines. In 1997-8, the number was increased again, with 26 episodes making up series 12. However, this figure was dropped to 42 for series 26, with no summer break, series 27 consists of 44 episodes – an increase of 2 episodes on the previous series and returned to 48 for series 28
32.
The Bill
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The Bill is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a drama, Woodentop, broadcast in August 1983. In its final year on air, The Bill was broadcast once a week, usually on Tuesdays or Thursdays, the programme focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work. The Bill was the police procedural television series in the United Kingdom. The title originates from Old Bill, a term for the police. Although highly acclaimed by fans and critics, the series attracted controversy on several occasions, an episode broadcast in 2008 was criticised for featuring fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis. The series has faced more general criticism concerning its levels of violence, particularly prior to 2009. The Bill won several awards, including BAFTAs, a Writers Guild of Great Britain award and Best Drama at the Inside Soap Awards in 2009, throughout its twenty-seven-year run, the programme was always broadcast on the main ITV network. In later years, episodes of the show were repeated on ITV3 on their week of broadcast, the series has also been repeated on other digital stations, including Gold, Alibi, Watch, Dave and Drama. In March 2010, executives at ITV announced that the network did not intend to recommission The Bill, the last episode aired on 31 August 2010. The Bill was originally conceived by Geoff McQueen in 1983, then a new television writer. McQueen had originally titled the production Old Bill, the first episode of the full series was Funny Ol Business – Cops & Robbers. With serialisation, the name of the changed from Woodentop to The Bill. In its first four years the series was broadcast between July onwards each year, with a 12-week summer break from May until the next July. In 1998, The Bill returned to hour-long episodes, which later became twice-weekly, with the Friday episode, being dropped, at which point the series adopted a much more serialised approach. When Paul Marquess took over as producer in 2002, as part of a drive for ratings. Many veteran characters were written out, leading to the Sun Hill fire during 2002, Marquess stated that the clearout was necessary to introduce plausible, powerful new characters. As part of the new format, much more of the characters personal lives were explored, however, as Marquess put it
33.
ITV (TV network)
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ITV is a commercial TV network in the United Kingdom. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990 its legal name has been Channel 3, to distinguish it from the analogue channels at the time, namely BBC1, BBC2. ITV is a network of channels that operate regional television services as well as sharing programmes between each other to be displayed on the entire network. In recent years, several of companies have merged so currently the fifteen franchises are in the hands of two companies. With the exception of Northern Ireland, the ITV brand is the used by ITV plc for the Channel 3 service in these areas. In Northern Ireland, ITV plc uses the brand name UTV, STV Group plc, uses the STV brand for its two franchises of central and northern Scotland. The origins of ITV lie in the passing of the Television Act 1954, the act created the Independent Television Authority to heavily regulate the industry and to award franchises. The first six franchises were awarded in 1954 for London, the Midlands, the first ITV network to launch was Londons Associated-Rediffusion on 22 September 1955, with the Midlands and North services launching in February 1956 and May 1956 respectively. Following these launches, the ITA awarded more franchises until the country was covered by fourteen regional stations. Following the 1993 changes, ITV as a network began to consolidate with several companies doing so to save money by ceasing the duplication of services present when they were all separate companies. The ITV Network is not owned or operated by one company, since 2016 the fifteen licences are held by two companies, with the majority held by ITV Broadcasting Limited, part of ITV plc. The network is regulated by the media regulator Ofcom who is responsible for awarding the broadcast licences, the last major review of the Channel 3 franchises was in 1991, with all operators licences having been renewed between 1999 and 2002 and again from 2014 without a further contest. However, due to amalgamation of several of companies since the creation of ITV Network Limited. Approved by Ofcom, this results in ITV plc commissioning and funding the network schedule, all licensees have the right to opt out of network programming, however many do not due to pressures from the parent company or because of limited resources. The network also needs to produce accessible output containing subtitles, signing, in exchange for this programming, the ITV network is available on all platforms free to air and can be found at the top of the EPG of all providers. Since the launch of the platform in 1998, all of the ITV licensees have received gifted capacity on the terrestrial television platform. At present, the companies are able to broadcast additional channels and all choose to broadcast the ITV plc owned ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV in their region. UTV and STV previously broadcast their own services – UTV2 in Northern Ireland and S2 in central and northern Scotland – until 2002, the broadcasters all make use of the Digital 3&4 multiplex, shared with Channel 4
34.
Heartbeat (UK TV series)
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Heartbeat is a British police drama series set in 1960s North Riding of Yorkshire and broadcast on ITV in 18 series between 1992 and 2010. It was made by ITV Studios at the Leeds Studios and on location, Heartbeat first aired on Friday 10 April 1992. The 372nd and final aired on Sunday 12 September 2010. Heartbeat proved popular from the beginning, when early series consistently drew over 10 million viewers. In 2001, Heartbeat came sixth in the UK TV ratings list with an audience of 13.82 million. In autumn 2008, typical viewing figures were around 6 million per episode, originally conceived as a vehicle for Nick Berry, on whom early series centred, the show has seen many characters come and go over the years. Derek Fowlds and William Simons were the only main-cast actors who remained with the show over its entire 18-series run, Heartbeat is set in the 1960s. Although the specific timeframe is vague, various episodes appear to correspond to events between 1964 and 1969, the series initially revolves around the work of a group of police officers in the fictional town of Ashfordly and the village of Aidensfield in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The series was based on the Constable books written by former policeman Peter Walker, under the pen-name Nicholas Rhea. The title Heartbeat was chosen to represent the beat and the medical connotations of the word heart. The show was originally a vehicle for ex-EastEnders actor Nick Berry, cast as PC Nick Rowan, the Aidensfield policeman newly arrived from London with his wife Kate. Berry also sings Heartbeats theme song — the Buddy Holly song of the same name, berrys recording reached number 2 on the UK singles chart in 1992. In the 2005 series no fewer than twelve regular actors had their names and faces included in the opening credits— at the time a record for any British series, in series 18 this had increased to thirteen. The record has since broken by Holby City, which during the later stages of its 2009–10 series had sixteen regular actors appearing. The show rarely features political storylines, though references to the counterculture movement are made during some episodes. Sixties pop music is prominent, forming the soundtrack to the show, some 1970s records appear anachronistically, such as the Hollies 1974 song The Air That I Breathe.14 was preceded by a viewer discretion warning for containing scenes of domestic violence. The first series dealt mainly with the experiences of a married couple, PC Nick Rowan and Doctor Kate Rowan. Both faced initial suspicion from the villagers, but over the course of the came to be accepted as part of the community
35.
Touching Evil
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Touching Evil is a British television drama serial, which began airing in 1997. It was produced by United Productions for Anglia Television, and screened on the ITV network, the first season consists of six 50 minute episodes. It was created by Paul Abbott, and written by Abbott with Russell T Davies, the serial was very popular, and led to two sequel serials in 1998 and 1999, although these were not written by Abbott or Davies. The first episode aired on 29 April 1997, the last episode of the series aired on 6 June 1999, after 16 episodes and 3 seasons. The star of the series is Robson Green, playing a police officer D. C. I, dave Creegan, whose injuries after a shooting leaves him with strange abilities to sense criminals. Touching Evil III was co-produced by Greens own independent production company Coastal Productions, Greens co-star was Nicola Walker, playing Creegans colleague D. I. Dave Creegan Nicola Walker as D. I, susan Taylor Shaun Dingwall as D. C. Mark Rivers Michael Feast as Commander Stephen Enwright Mary Cunningham as Police Psychologist Marion Adam Kotz as D. C, jonathan Kreitman Andrew Scarborough as D. C
36.
Silent Witness
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Silent Witness is a British television crime drama series, produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel McCrery and he later went on to create the hit series New Tricks, with writer Roy Mitchell. Since 1996, twenty series of the programme have been broadcast, Amanda Burton originally starred as primary character Dr. Sam Ryan, before leaving the show during the eighth series. Since, the series has featured more of an ensemble cast, currently consisting of Emilia Fox, David Caves, Liz Carr, twenty years after its inception, Silent Witness continues to achieve good audience ratings, with the last series drawing in an average of nine million viewers. The original series was based on Professor Helen Whitwell, a forensic pathologist based in Sheffield, the programme originally followed the activities of pathologist Sam Ryan, played by Amanda Burton. However, Burtons character departed early in the eighth series, a new character, Dr Nikki Alexander, was introduced to the team in the eighth series. She is of assistance that she overcomes Leos reluctance and, with Harrys support, is offered. During the fifteenth series, Dr. Cunningham leaves to accept a position in New York City, subsequently, he is replaced by forensics expert Jack Hodgson, and his assistant Clarissa Mullery. During the sixteenth series, Dr. Dalton is killed in an explosion, at the start of the seventeenth series, his replacement, Dr. Thomas Chamberlain, is introduced to the team. Although the show focuses heavily on areas of pathology, the police also have a presence in each case. During latter series of the show, detectives and investigators tend to differ from episode to episode, however, during the early years of the show, several characters appeared regularly to investigate each case. The first three series were set in Cambridge and this changed to London from the start of the fourth series, following Sam as she took up an academic position. Each series is made up of a series of two-part stories. The first nine series typically featured eight episodes, increased to ten episodes from the series onwards. In 1998, writer John Milne received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the series episode Blood, Sweat. In the United States, the series airs during Mystery Monday on BBC America, the series airs in Norway under the name Tause vitner on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK and in Sweden on TV4 under the name Tyst vittne. Both the Norwegian and Swedish titles are direct translations, the theme music featured in the series is entitled Silencium, and is performed by John Harle. The arrangement, for Chamber Orchestra and soprano solo, was first performed as part of the Canterbury Festival on 22 October 2011
37.
BBC One
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BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service and it was renamed BBC TV in 1960, using this name until the launch of sister channel BBC2 in 1964, whereupon the BBC TV channel became known as BBC1, with the current spelling adopted in 1997. The channels annual budget for 2012–13 is £1.14 billion, the channel is funded by the television licence fee together with the BBCs other domestic television stations, and therefore shows uninterrupted programming without commercial advertising. It is currently the most watched channel in the United Kingdom, ahead of its traditional rival for ratings leadership. As of June 2013 the channel controller for BBC One is Charlotte Moore, the BBC began its own regular television programming from the basement of Broadcasting House, London, on 22 August 1932. BBC Television returned on 7 June 1946 at 15,00, Jasmine Bligh, one of the original announcers, made the first announcement, saying, Good afternoon everybody. Do you remember me, Jasmine Bligh, the Mickey Mouse cartoon of 1939 was repeated twenty minutes later. The competition quickly forced the channel to change its identity and priorities following a reduction in its audience. The 1962 Pilkington Report on the future of broadcasting noticed this, and it therefore decided that Britains third television station should be awarded to the BBC. The station, renamed BBC TV in 1960, became BBC1 when BBC2 was launched on 20 April 1964 transmitting an incompatible 625-line image on UHF. The only way to all channels was to use a complex dual-standard 405- and 625-line, VHF and UHF, receiver. Old 405-line-only sets became obsolete in 1985, when transmission in the standard ended, although standards converters have become available for enthusiasts who collect, BBC1 was based at the purpose-built BBC Television Centre at White City, London between 1960 and 2013. In the weeks leading up to 15 November 1969, BBC1 unofficially transmitted the occasional programme in its new colour system, to test it. At midnight on 15 November, simultaneously with ITV and two years after BBC2, BBC1 officially began 625-line PAL colour programming on UHF with a broadcast of a concert by Petula Clark, colour transmissions could be received on monochrome 625-line sets until the end of analogue broadcasting. In terms of share, the most successful period for BBC1 was under Bryan Cowgill between 1973 and 1977, when the channel achieved an average audience share of 45%. On 30 December 1980, the BBC announced their intention to introduce a new breakfast television service to compete with TV-am. On 17 January 1983, the first edition of Breakfast Time was shown on BBC One, becoming the first UK wide breakfast television service and continued to lead in the rating until 1984. The first major overhaul was to axe the deeply unpopular Sixty Minutes current affairs programme and its replacement was the BBC Six OClock News, a straight new programme in a bid to shore up its failing early evening slot
38.
Coronation Street
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Coronation Street is a British soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. In the shows history, the street was built in the early 1900s. The show typically airs five times a week, Monday and Friday 7. 30–8 pm &8. 30–9 pm and Wednesday 7. 30–8 pm, however this varies due to sport or around Christmas. From late 2017 the show will air six times a week, the programme was conceived in 1960 by scriptwriter Tony Warren at Granada Television in Manchester. Warrens initial kitchen sink drama proposal was rejected by the stations founder Sidney Bernstein, within six months of the shows first broadcast, it had become the most-watched programme on British television, and is now a significant part of British culture. The show has one of the most lucrative programmes on British commercial television, underpinning the success of Granada Television. Coronation Street is made by Granada Television at MediaCity Manchester and shown in all ITV regions, on 17 September 2010, it became the worlds longest-running TV soap opera in production. On 23 September 2015, Coronation Street was broadcast live to mark ITVs 60th anniversary, Coronation Street is noted for its depiction of a down-to-earth working class community combined with light-hearted humour, and strong characters. The first episode was aired on 9 December 1960 at 7 pm, Granada Television had commissioned only 13 episodes, and some inside the company doubted the show would last beyond its planned production run. Despite the criticism, viewers were drawn into the serial. The programme also made use of Northern English language and dialect, affectionate local terms like eh, nowt, and by eck. became widely heard on British television for the first time. Early episodes told the story of student Kenneth Barlow, who had won a place at university, the character was one of the few to have experienced life outside of Coronation Street. In some ways this predicts the growth of globalisation, and the decline of similar communities, in an episode from 1961, Barlow declares, You cant go on just thinking about your own street these days. Were living with people on the side of the world. Theres more to worry about than Elsie Tanner and her boyfriends, Roache is the only remaining member of the original cast, which makes him the longest-serving actor in Coronation Street, and in British and global soap history. At the centre of early stories, there was Ena Sharples, caretaker of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall, and her friends, timid Minnie Caldwell. Headstrong Ena often clashed with Elsie Tanner, whom she believed espoused a dauntlessly loose set of morals, Elsie resented Enas interference and gossip, which most of the time had little basis in reality. In April 1961, Jed Stone made his first appearance and returned the year in 1962
39.
Hallmark
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A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals—platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term hallmark can also be used to refer to any distinguishing characteristic, historically, hallmarks were applied by a trusted party, the guardians of the craft or more recently by an assay office. Hallmarks are a guarantee of certain purity or fineness of the metal, Hallmarks are often confused with trademarks or makers marks. A hallmark is not the mark of a manufacturer to distinguish his products from other manufacturers products, to be a true hallmark, it must be the guarantee of an independent body or authority that the contents are as marked. Thus, a stamp of 925 by itself is not, strictly speaking, a hallmark, many nations require, as a prerequisite to official hallmarking, that the maker or sponsor itself marks upon the item a responsibility mark and a claim of fineness. Responsibility marks are required in the U. S. if metal fineness is claimed. In some nations, such as the UK, the hallmark is made up of elements, including, a mark denoting the type of metal, the maker/sponsors mark. In England, the year of marking commences on May 19, in other nations, such as Poland, the hallmark is a single mark indicating metal and fineness, augmented by a responsibility mark. These can ease import obligations among and between the signatory states, signatory countries each have a single representative hallmark which would be struck next to the Convention mark which represents the metal and fineness. The control or inspection of precious metals was an ancient concept of examination and marking, a series or system of five marks has been found on Byzantine silver dating from this period, though their interpretation is still not completely resolved. From the Late Middle Ages, hallmarking was administered by local governments through authorized assayers and these assayers examined precious metal objects, under the auspices of the state, before the object could be offered for public sale. By the age of the Craft Guilds, the authorized examiners mark was the masters mark, at one time, there was no distinction between silversmiths and goldsmiths, who were all referred to as orfèvres, the French word for goldsmith. The Master Craftsman was responsible for the quality of the work that left his atelier or workshop, hence the responsibility mark is still known today in French as le poinçon de maître literally the makers punch. Hallmarking is Europes earliest form of consumer protection, modern hallmarking in Europe appears first in France, with the Goldsmiths Statute of 1260 promulgated under Etienne Boileau, Provost of Paris, for King Louis IX. A standard for silver was thus established, in 1275, King Philip III prescribed, by royal decree, the mark for use on silver works, along with specific punches for each communitys smiths. In 1313, his successor, Philippe IV the Fair expanded the use of hallmarks to gold works, in 1327 King Edward III of England granted a charter to the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, marking the beginning of the Companys formal existence. This entity was headquartered in London at Goldsmiths Hall, from whence the English term hallmark is derived, although gold was certainly used for articles, the regulation was silent on standards and hallmarking for gold. In 1355, individual maker marks were introduced in France and this concept was later mirrored in England in 1363, adding accountability to the two systems
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Jason and the Argonauts (miniseries)
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Jason and the Argonauts, is a 2000 TV movie, directed by Nick Willing and produced by Hallmark Entertainment. It is based on the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, the film opens as soldiers invade the city of Iolcus. King Aesons brother Pelias is leading the charge, inside the temple he goes to embrace his brother but produces a dagger and kills him during the embrace. This is witnessed by his wife Polymele and his son Jason and he intends to do the same to Jason but one of the guards rescues him and takes him out of the palace through a secret tunnel. It is then revealed that this is a memory, experienced as a nightmare by an older Jason and he is then ordered by his uncle to retrieve the golden fleece. He recruits a crew from the folk of Iolcus, including shepherds. He is joined by Hercules, Orpheus, Atalanta and the brothers Castor, Acastus stows away on the ship. The Argonauts run aground on an island in the middle of the ocean that is actually the sea god Poseidon. In the ensuing storm, they lose the map, the crew make their way to the Isle of Lemnos, an island of warrior women, to recover from the experience and repair the ship. The men pleasure themselves with the women while their ship is repaired, Atalanta discovers that the women have killed all the men on the island and are planning to sacrifice the crew. She warns Jason, and the Argonauts flee the island, the crew become rebellious and Jason has Zetes, a young man with brilliant vision, see the stars and find their route to Tabletop Island, where they find Phineus. They are attacked by the Harpies - the winged monsters that torment Phineus -, in return, Phineus tells them the Golden Fleece is in Colchis. Meanwhile, on Colchis, the princess Medea has visions of the crew, Jason finds the ship wrecked and rescues Aspyrtes. They approach the Dark Rocks and send a dove through before sailing through themselves, the ship docks at Colchis and Jason goes ashore with Aspyrtes, Castor and Pollux. Hera asks Eros to shoot Medea so she falls in love with Jason, King Aertes wants Jason killed but Medea convinces him to face the Minoan Bull. Medea gives Jason magic oil that protects Jason from the bulls fiery-breath, Jason yokes the bull and ploughs a field and sows it with dragons teeth. Warriors sprout up from the earth, and Jason tricks them into attacking each other, Medea tells Jason she must go with the Fleece. Aspyrtes overhears this and sends soldiers out after them, the other Argonauts debate whether to leave or not
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Channel 5 (UK)
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Channel 5 is a British commercial television network. It was launched in 1997, and was the national terrestrial analogue network in the United Kingdom after BBC One, BBC Two, ITV. It is generally the network in the country in audience share. The station was branded as Five between 2002 and 2011, when it was owned by the RTL Group, on 1 May 2014 the channel was acquired by Viacom for £450 million. Well Take It Away. and Gibraltar, Britain in the Sun, the station has been very successful with imports from the United States in particular, including the CSI franchise, the NCIS franchise, the first 3 series in the Law & Order franchise. Power Rangers, The Mentalist, Body of Proof, Once Upon a Time, Dallas, in July 2014, Channel 5 announced plans to open up its production arm and allow it to create shows for other channels, aping the BBC and ITV Studios. Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited was licensed by the UK Government in 1995 after a process that started in 1993. The difficulty with the lay in use of television broadcast frequencies that had been allocated to RF outputs from domestic videocassette recorders. To achieve national coverage, large numbers of domestic video recorders had to be retuned or fitted with a filter, the project was revived in mid-1994 when the ITC re-advertised the franchise. Lord Hollick, then chief executive of Meridian Broadcasting took up the project as lead investor as UK law prohibited Time Warner from owning more than 25%, pearson Television, who by now owned original licence bidders Thames Television, also came on board. When McGrath left to become President of Paramount, Time Warner dropped out of the project and was replaced by CLT, the channel would be both modern and mainstream. After re-tuning around 65% of the populations televisions could view the channel on launch night, the channels launch on Easter Sunday 1997 at 6pm featured the Spice Girls singing a re-written version of Manfred Manns hit 5-4-3-2-1 as 1-2-3-4-5. Presenters Tim Vine and Julia Bradbury introduced the nation to the UKs fifth terrestrial channel with half an hour of previews, on 16 September 2002, Channel 5 re-branded to Five, in a multimillion-pound project directed by Trevor Beattie. The channels director of marketing at the time, David Pullen, said, On 27 February 2004, it was reported that Five, Channel 4 and Five announced in November of that year that merger plans were being called off. Early in 2009, rumours started re-surfacing about Five, Channel 4, pearson Television and CLT later merged, becoming RTL Group who became part of Bertelsmann and, control the network, after buying UBMs 35. 4% stake for £247.6 million on 20 July 2005. The acquisition was approved on 26 August 2005, after Holleck became involved, he and McGrath brought on board Greg Dyke as interim CEO during the application and launch phase of the project. On 18 November 2005, it was announced that Five had bought a stake in DTTs pay-TV operator and it was said that the investment may lead to the development of new free and pay services on DTT, and other platforms. The channel previously aired pre-school shows under the Milkshake and it was renamed Fiver in 2008, 5* in 2011 and eventually its current name in 2016
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Joshua
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Joshua /ˈdʒɒʃuə/ or Jehoshua is the central figure in the Hebrew Bibles Book of Joshua. According to the books of Exodus, Numbers and Joshua, he was Moses assistant and his name was Hoshea the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, but Moses called him Yehoshua the name by which he is commonly known. The name is shortened to Yeshua in Nehemiah, according to the Bible he was born in Egypt prior to the Exodus. According to the Hebrew Bible, Joshua was one of the spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. In Numbers 13, 1–16, and after the death of Moses, he led the Israelite tribes in the conquest of Canaan, according to Biblical chronology, Joshua lived between 1355 and 1245 BCE, or sometime in the late Bronze Age. According to Joshua 24,29, Joshua died at the age of 110, Joshua also holds a position of respect among Muslims. According to Islamic tradition, he was, along with Caleb, all Muslims also see Joshua as the leader of the Israelites, following the death of Moses. Some Muslims also believe Joshua to be the attendant of Moses mentioned in the Qurān, before Moses meets Khidr, the English name Joshua is a rendering of the Hebrew language Yehoshua, meaning Yahweh is salvation. The vocalization of the second name component may be read as Hoshea—the name used in the Torah before Moses added the divine name, Jesus is the English of the Greek transliteration of Yehoshua via Latin. In the Septuagint, all instances of the word Yehoshua are rendered as Ἰησοῦς, thus, in Greek, Joshua is called Jesus son of Naue to differentiate him from Jesus Christ. This is also true in the Slavic languages following the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Joshua was a major figure in the events of the Exodus. He was charged by Moses with selecting and commanding a group for their first battle after exiting Egypt, against the Amalekites in Rephidim. He later accompanied Moses when he ascended biblical Mount Sinai to commune with God, visualize Gods plan for the Israelite tabernacle and receive the Ten Commandments. Joshua was with Moses when he descended from the mountain, heard the Israelites celebrations around the Golden Calf, and broke the tablets bearing the words of the commandments. However, when Moses returned to the mountain to re-create the tablets recording the Ten Commandments, Joshua was not present, according to Joshua 1, 1-9, God appointed Joshua to succeed Moses as leader of the Israelites along with giving him a blessing of invincibility during his lifetime. The first part of the book of Joshua covers the period when he led the conquest of Canaan, at the Jordan River, the waters parted, as they had for Moses at the Red Sea. The first battle after the crossing of the Jordan was the Battle of Jericho, Joshua led the destruction of Jericho, then moved on to Ai, a small neighboring city to the west. However, they were defeated with thirty-six Israelite deaths, the defeat was attributed to Achan taking an accursed thing from Jericho, and was followed by Achan and his family and animals being stoned to death to restore Gods favor
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Trial & Retribution
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Trial & Retribution is a feature-length ITV police procedural television drama series that first aired on ITV1 on 19 October 1997. Written and devised by Lynda La Plante as a follow-on from her television series Prime Suspect. David Hayman stars as the main protagonist of the series, DCS Michael Mike Walker, throughout the series, he has two main sidekicks, DI Pat North and DCI Róisín Connor. The first seven series each contained two two-hour long episodes, covering one feature-length story, from series eight, the format was reduced to two 90-minute-long episodes. As of series ten, the once again changed, incorporating multiple stories across one series. For the final two series, this format was retained, however the length of the episodes was reduced to 60 minutes, the last ever episode was broadcast on 13 February 2009. The complete series was released on DVD on 14 July 2014, each episode makes frequent use of split screen scenes, with usually three images shown in one screen. Similar effects were used in other series such as 24 and Spooks. Certain other territories, including Australia, still received the broadcast in 2001, DCI Connor takes leave in the episode Conviction and does not appear in the episode The Box, returning in Tracks. This was to accommodate actress Victoria Smurfits pregnancy, as The Box was the first episode to be filmed
