Archive for May, 2009

BSkyB is to offer gamers access to its programmes without a satellite dish through the Xbox 360 games console. The broadcaster has teamed up Microsoft to enable video gamers to watch its channels, including live Premier League football, through the console.

Due to be launched in the autumn, the service will stream live and on-demand content through the Xbox’s internet connection, helping Sky meet its target of 10 million customers by 2010. Sports fans will also be able to see which events their friends are watching and sit with them in a virtual sports lounge to watch the game.

This is the first time the Microsoft has offered live television through its Xbox 360 console, which is used by more than £30 million people worldwide. However, the deal with Sky is not exclusive. Microsoft has also been in talks with BT to discuss the possibility of making BT Vision available to customers through the Xbox. It is also in negotiations with a number of broadcasters in other countries.

However, Sky’s Xbox deal will allow the broadcaster to reach customers who do not want, or cannot have a satellite dish. The broadcaster also hopes that the service will be taken up by its existing customers, increasing the number of households signed up to Sky multiroom.

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Judi Dench is to return as Cranford’s Miss Matty Jenkyns for a BBC Christmas special, it has been announced.

The 74-year-old actress will be joined by new talent from British film, television and theatre including Jonathan Pryce, Celia Imrie and Lesley Sharp.

Imelda Staunton will also return as the gossiping Miss Pole, with Julia McKenzie as Mrs Forrester and Deborah Findlay reprising Miss Tomkinson.

“BBC One viewers are in for a treat with the return of Cranford this Christmas,” said BBC controller of series and serials Kate Harwood.

“Old favourites return as well as exciting new characters in a richly moving story that will once again delight, enthral and entertain our audience.”

Channel 4 has commissioned Heston Blumenthal’s food series Feast for a second series with a possible fairytale theme.

In the new series, created by independent producer Optomen, the Michelin-starred chef will reinvent historical and mythical feasts. Filming will start in August for broadcast next year.

The first four-episode series of Feast saw Blumenthal serving his celebrity guests period dishes (or, more probably, very loosely inspired by a period) including an edible garden with insects, frozen cow-head stock in the shape of a fob watch, a giant pigeon pie containing live birds and an ‘ejaculating cake’. Each programme was based on a period in history - Roman, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian.

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ITV is predicted to rake in £30 million in advertising revenue this week, with Susan Boyle attracting massive ratings for ITV1’s Saturday night final of Britain’s Got Talent. Last night’s Champions League final and the FA Cup forecast will also have helped to generate the highest weekly revenue for the broadcaster this year.

The added revenue will be a welcome tonic for ITV, which has seen profits nosedive during the economic downturn. Earlier this month the broadcaster admitted a 15% drop in ad revenues year-on-year in the first quarter of this year. It has also announced 600 job losses across its businesses, and the planned sale of its social networking site Friends Reunited.

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Comedian Steve Coogan is the latest British TV star to announce a cinema appearance, as he confirmed plans to bring Alan Partridge to the big screen.

Speaking to Radio 1, the Night At The Museum actor disclosed that “there are plans afoot” to create a movie about the hapless chat show host.

“We are planning on making a movie,” he said. “We’re talking at the moment. What it is we’re not quite sure.”

Coogan admitted that a storyline had already been drafted, but refused to disclose further details. When asked whether he was worried about sustaining humour throughout a feature-length film rather than a half hour programme, the 43-year-old said that he would have to approach his character in a different way for the big screen.

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The BBC has confirmed plans to launch a Dr Who movie. In a BBC article about David Tennant’s cameo role in the CBBC spinoff drama The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spokeswoman for the corporation’s film division revealed that “a script is in development” for a Dr Who feature for the big screen.

The BBC has not yet disclosed whether David Tennant or his replacement Matt Smith will be cast in the role of the Doctor. Neither is it known whether either executive director Russell T Davies or incoming showrunner Steven Moffat is to write the script. Last October Tennant announced that he would stand down as the tenth Time Lord in the hit television series. He will appear on three special one-off programmes, including The Waters Of Mars this November, as well as the children’s series The Sarah Jane Adventures before Smith takes over the role.

Dr Who has appeared on cinema screens on two previous occasions: in the 1965 film Doctor Who And The Daleks and the 1966 movie Daleks’ Invasion Earth: 2150 AD, featuring Peter Cushing as the Time Lord in both films.

David Tennant is to appear as Dr Who in the CBBC drama spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures this autumn.

The BBC announced today that Tennant, who last October said he would step down from his role as the tenth Time Lord, will appear in two episodes of the children’s drama which chronicles the adventures of investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith, a one time companion of the Doctor.

Smith is played by 61-year-old Elisabeth Sladen, who also appeared as the character in Doctor Who between 1973 and 1976, opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. She said that she was “over the moon” when she heard that Tennant would be starring alongside her in the children’s TV series.

“It’s fantastic news that Sarah Jane is going to spend some time working with The Doctor again and is testament to just how successful this CBBC series is,” she added.

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After months off our television screens, Big Brother is returning for a landmark 10th series on 4th June, Channel 4 has confirmed.

As usual Davina McCall will be back to host proceedings at Big Brother’s 9pm live launch, when this year’s contestants enter the house and meet each other for the first time. McCall will also be taking over presenting duties on the E4 spinoff Big Brother’s Big Mouth, to air weekly, while George Lamb returns for Big Brother’s Little Brother.

E4 will also air three special programmes on a Big Brother theme. Jade: As Seen on TV will feature never-been-seen archive footage of the reality star as well as interviews with those close to her; the Big Brother Celebrity Quiz hosted by Davina McCall sees captains Jason Manford, Jamelia, Jack Whitehall and Bob Mortimer team up with former contestants to celebrate all things Big Brother; and Big Brother: A Decade in the Headlines examines how from its inception the show has influenced and changed the television, media and social landscapes.

The show’s producers have already released this year’s eye logo, which is black, blue and purple and has a thumbprint design.

BSkyB is the latest broadcaster to have run into trouble with its premium rate phone lines, after viewers in the Republic of Ireland paid to submit votes in three separate competitions which were not counted.

Two of the incidents occurred on 13th December 2008 and 3rd January of this year during text votes on Sky Sports 1’s Soccer AM. A third incident occurred on Cricket AM on 2nd August last year.

The satellite broadcaster issued an apology for the mistakes during Soccer AM on Saturday morning.

BSKyB said that 1,683 texts from viewers in the Republic of Ireland had been affected by the voting system, worth approximately €600 (£529). It added that the missing votes would not have changed the results of the three competitions.

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Sir Alan Sugar is to put teenager entrepreneurs through their paces as they battle to win the top spot on a youth version of The Apprentice.

Sir Alan, who went into business shortly after quitting school aged 16, has wanted to launch Junior Apprentice for years.

Due to be aired on BBC1 next year, the new show will see five boys and five girls aged between 16 and 17 attempt a variety of business tasks set by the self-made multi-millionaire. Just like the original Apprentice, nine of the ten candidates will leave the boardroom with Sir Alan’s catchphrase “you’re fired!” ringing in their ears. Instead of securing a £100,000 job, the winner will receive a prize of £25,000 “tailored to their career prospects”.

As the series is only five episodes long, it is expected that more than one candidate will be fired each week.

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