Exclusive: Doctor Who star Catherine Tate’s Netflix comedy Hard Cell is a tonal shift from her previous work, according to exec Kristian Smith, who revealed the mockumentary’s producer Leopard Pictures is working on a feature film adaptation of a Michael Morpurgo novel.
Hard Cell, which drops today, features a fake documentary crew following the inmates and staff of Hmp Woldsley, with beloved UK comedy star Tate portraying multiple characters to capture the British penal system at its brutal and humorous best.
Smith told Deadline the six-parter is a departure from Tate’s previous work such as the BBC’s The Catherine Tate Show and said it is unique in the TV landscape.
“There’s real pathos to this, it’s proper storytelling” he added. “The show is laugh out loud funny and everything people love about Catherine is there but you will see moments of great tragedy, real...
Hard Cell, which drops today, features a fake documentary crew following the inmates and staff of Hmp Woldsley, with beloved UK comedy star Tate portraying multiple characters to capture the British penal system at its brutal and humorous best.
Smith told Deadline the six-parter is a departure from Tate’s previous work such as the BBC’s The Catherine Tate Show and said it is unique in the TV landscape.
“There’s real pathos to this, it’s proper storytelling” he added. “The show is laugh out loud funny and everything people love about Catherine is there but you will see moments of great tragedy, real...
- 4/12/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix has set the cast for Hard Cell, the streamer’s women’s prison mockumentary created by Doctor Who actress Catherine Tate.
Produced by Argonon-backed Leopard Pictures, Tate plays multiple characters in the six-part series, as a documentary crew follows the inmates and staff of Hmp Woldsley.
Her co-stars include Christian Brassington (Poldark) as Dean; Niky Wardley (Call the Midwife) as Anastasia; Lorna Brown (Devils) as Cal; Caroline Harding (Coronation Street) as Sal; Jola Olajide (The Power) as Charlee; and Duncan Wisbey (Close to the Enemy) as Martin.
Wardley and Alex Carter are part of the creative team behind Hard Cell. Kristian Smith is the executive producer.
Produced by Argonon-backed Leopard Pictures, Tate plays multiple characters in the six-part series, as a documentary crew follows the inmates and staff of Hmp Woldsley.
Her co-stars include Christian Brassington (Poldark) as Dean; Niky Wardley (Call the Midwife) as Anastasia; Lorna Brown (Devils) as Cal; Caroline Harding (Coronation Street) as Sal; Jola Olajide (The Power) as Charlee; and Duncan Wisbey (Close to the Enemy) as Martin.
Wardley and Alex Carter are part of the creative team behind Hard Cell. Kristian Smith is the executive producer.
- 7/30/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Doctor Who actress Catherine Tate has landed her own Netflix series.
The British comedy performer, best known in the UK for her sketch series The Catherine Tate Show, has created six-part women’s prison mockumentary Hard Cell for Netflix.
Here’s the logline: “Tate plays multiple characters as a documentary crew follows the inmates and staff of Hmp Woldsley capturing the penal system at its brutal humorous best.”
Hard Cell is produced by Argonon-backed Leopard Pictures, which is behind Mackenzie Crook’s BBC show Worzel Gummidge.
Executive producer Kristian Smith said: “We cannot wait to show audiences on Netflix the inside of Hmp Woldsley, our fictional prison occupied by the fantastic creations of Catherine Tate. This series is funny and touching all at once, revealing what life might be like in a British women’s correctional facility.”...
The British comedy performer, best known in the UK for her sketch series The Catherine Tate Show, has created six-part women’s prison mockumentary Hard Cell for Netflix.
Here’s the logline: “Tate plays multiple characters as a documentary crew follows the inmates and staff of Hmp Woldsley capturing the penal system at its brutal humorous best.”
Hard Cell is produced by Argonon-backed Leopard Pictures, which is behind Mackenzie Crook’s BBC show Worzel Gummidge.
Executive producer Kristian Smith said: “We cannot wait to show audiences on Netflix the inside of Hmp Woldsley, our fictional prison occupied by the fantastic creations of Catherine Tate. This series is funny and touching all at once, revealing what life might be like in a British women’s correctional facility.”...
- 6/30/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Mackenzie Crook will write and direct the BBC’s upcoming “Worzel Gummidge” dramas. He will also star as the lead character – a walking, talking scarecrow – in Worzel’s return to British screens in two hour-long specials. They are expected to bow at the end of the year.
Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the Worzel Gummidge books, which were the foundation for a classic British series starring Jon Pertwee in the title role in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Leopard Pictures, part of the Argonon Group, has partnered with Treasure Trove Productions and Lola Entertainment for the new adaptation.
The first episode in the new run, “The Scarecrow of Scatterbrook,” sees two youngsters, Susan and John, encounter Worzel Gummidge, the Scarecrow of Ten Acre Field. Their world is sent spinning into confusion when they realize Gummidge comes to life. The only person more shocked is Worzel when he discovers that the...
Barbara Euphan Todd wrote the Worzel Gummidge books, which were the foundation for a classic British series starring Jon Pertwee in the title role in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Leopard Pictures, part of the Argonon Group, has partnered with Treasure Trove Productions and Lola Entertainment for the new adaptation.
The first episode in the new run, “The Scarecrow of Scatterbrook,” sees two youngsters, Susan and John, encounter Worzel Gummidge, the Scarecrow of Ten Acre Field. Their world is sent spinning into confusion when they realize Gummidge comes to life. The only person more shocked is Worzel when he discovers that the...
- 6/6/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Pirates of the Caribbean star Mackenzie Crook is writing, directing and starring in an adaptation of classic British scarecrow story Worzel Gummidge.
Crook, who made his name in the BBC comedy The Office and created The Detectorists, is adapting Barbara Euphan Todd into two-hour long films. He will star as Gummidge, a scarecrow that can come to life.
The first film, The Scarecrow Of Scatterbrook, sees two young strangers, Susan and John, arrive in the village of Scatterbrook, where they encounter Gummidge. Their world is sent spinning into confusion when they realize Gummidge comes to life. The only person more shocked is Worzel, when he discovers that the children are not in fact fellow scarecrows but humans.
The second film, The Green Man, welcomes another mysterious arrival to Scatterbrook. The Green Man is the creator of scarecrows and keeper of scarecrow lore. He isn’t at all happy that Worzel is consorting with humans.
Crook, who made his name in the BBC comedy The Office and created The Detectorists, is adapting Barbara Euphan Todd into two-hour long films. He will star as Gummidge, a scarecrow that can come to life.
The first film, The Scarecrow Of Scatterbrook, sees two young strangers, Susan and John, arrive in the village of Scatterbrook, where they encounter Gummidge. Their world is sent spinning into confusion when they realize Gummidge comes to life. The only person more shocked is Worzel, when he discovers that the children are not in fact fellow scarecrows but humans.
The second film, The Green Man, welcomes another mysterious arrival to Scatterbrook. The Green Man is the creator of scarecrows and keeper of scarecrow lore. He isn’t at all happy that Worzel is consorting with humans.
- 6/6/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
BBC Two launched a new comedy double-bill tonight, with Danny Baker's '70s-set Cradle To Grave giving way to the thoroughly modern Boy Meets Girl.
Written by Simon Carlyle, Elliot Kerrigan and Andrew Mettam, Boy Meets Girl is the first British sitcom to feature a transgender character - played by a transgender actor - in the lead.
The six-part series charts the romance between Judy (Rebecca Root) and Leo (Harry Hepple) - and the difficulties they come up against as others come to terms with their relationship.
Kristian Smith - BBC Commissioning Editor - described the show as a "heart-warming romantic comedy" that also promotes "affirming messages of humanity and acceptance."
Digital Spy wants to know what you thought of Boy Meets Girl - was the show a breath of fresh air? Did you fall head over heels for Judy and Leo?
Join the conversation in the comments below.
Written by Simon Carlyle, Elliot Kerrigan and Andrew Mettam, Boy Meets Girl is the first British sitcom to feature a transgender character - played by a transgender actor - in the lead.
The six-part series charts the romance between Judy (Rebecca Root) and Leo (Harry Hepple) - and the difficulties they come up against as others come to terms with their relationship.
Kristian Smith - BBC Commissioning Editor - described the show as a "heart-warming romantic comedy" that also promotes "affirming messages of humanity and acceptance."
Digital Spy wants to know what you thought of Boy Meets Girl - was the show a breath of fresh air? Did you fall head over heels for Judy and Leo?
Join the conversation in the comments below.
- 9/3/2015
- Digital Spy
BBC Two's new sitcom Boy Meets Girl, touted as the first British comedy to prominently feature transgender characters, has begun filming.
The comedy follows Leo, who has a terrible day when he is fired from his job, given a hard time by his mother and forced to play gooseberry to his brother on a night out. However, his luck changes when he meets older woman Judy.
Leo finds himself deeply attracted to Judy and arranges to meet her again. Although his mother is unhappy about the age gap between the pair, Leo doesn't care what she thinks because he knows he has met somebody very special.
Harry Hepple (Misfits, Hustle) will play Leo, Rebecca Root (Normal) will play Judy and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road, Benidorm) is Leo's mother Pam.
The cast also includes Janine Duvitski (Benidorm), Nigel Betts (Emmerdale), Lizzie Roper (Hollyoaks) and Jonny Dixon (Coronation Street).
Boy Meets Girl...
The comedy follows Leo, who has a terrible day when he is fired from his job, given a hard time by his mother and forced to play gooseberry to his brother on a night out. However, his luck changes when he meets older woman Judy.
Leo finds himself deeply attracted to Judy and arranges to meet her again. Although his mother is unhappy about the age gap between the pair, Leo doesn't care what she thinks because he knows he has met somebody very special.
Harry Hepple (Misfits, Hustle) will play Leo, Rebecca Root (Normal) will play Judy and Denise Welch (Waterloo Road, Benidorm) is Leo's mother Pam.
The cast also includes Janine Duvitski (Benidorm), Nigel Betts (Emmerdale), Lizzie Roper (Hollyoaks) and Jonny Dixon (Coronation Street).
Boy Meets Girl...
- 2/2/2015
- Digital Spy
Blandings will return for a second series, BBC One has announced.
The period comedy series - based on the novels of PG Wodehouse - will be back with seven new episodes in early 2014.
Timothy Spall (The Syndicate) and Jennifer Saunders will reprise their roles as absent-minded Lord Clarence Emsworth and sister Connie, with Jack Farthing (Da Vinci's Demons) also returning as Clarence's son Freddie.
"As ever, all Clarence wants is to be left in peace with his beloved pig," explained writer Guy Andrews. "But events conspire against him as never before."
Kristian Smith, exec producer for the BBC, added: "I'm so thrilled that audiences young and old have loved Blandings as much as we do.
"The capers at Blandings Castle offer us charming family comedy and a truly stellar cast; Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders immaculately capture all the joy and spirit of Wodehouse's brilliant characters and Guy Andrews's...
The period comedy series - based on the novels of PG Wodehouse - will be back with seven new episodes in early 2014.
Timothy Spall (The Syndicate) and Jennifer Saunders will reprise their roles as absent-minded Lord Clarence Emsworth and sister Connie, with Jack Farthing (Da Vinci's Demons) also returning as Clarence's son Freddie.
"As ever, all Clarence wants is to be left in peace with his beloved pig," explained writer Guy Andrews. "But events conspire against him as never before."
Kristian Smith, exec producer for the BBC, added: "I'm so thrilled that audiences young and old have loved Blandings as much as we do.
"The capers at Blandings Castle offer us charming family comedy and a truly stellar cast; Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders immaculately capture all the joy and spirit of Wodehouse's brilliant characters and Guy Andrews's...
- 6/7/2013
- Digital Spy
The forthcoming Cofilmic comedy film festival has announced some pretty stellar new prizes and has thus extended the submission deadline accordingly. With the event itself on the 29-30th October looming ever closer, prospective filmmakers now have until the 5th September to submit their entries. Submissions of short films, sitcom pilots and comedy sketches have been flooding in and it’s shaping up to be quite the event in the comedy film calendar.
The first exciting new development is that top digital channel Comedy Central has thrown their support behind the festival. Comedy Central’s Director of Development and Content Sarah Farrell joins the Cofilmic judging panel which already boasts BAFTA winning producer Charlie Hanson (Extras, Life’s Too Short) and BBC Comedy Commissioning editor Kristian Smith amongst others. Comedy Central will sponsor an ‘Industry Choice’ award which will go to one lucky sitcom pilot with the winning entry being...
The first exciting new development is that top digital channel Comedy Central has thrown their support behind the festival. Comedy Central’s Director of Development and Content Sarah Farrell joins the Cofilmic judging panel which already boasts BAFTA winning producer Charlie Hanson (Extras, Life’s Too Short) and BBC Comedy Commissioning editor Kristian Smith amongst others. Comedy Central will sponsor an ‘Industry Choice’ award which will go to one lucky sitcom pilot with the winning entry being...
- 8/15/2012
- by Rob Keeling
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
After their successful debut festival last year, Cofilmic are returning once more to showcase and develop the very best in up and coming film, sitcom and sketch comedy.
Based in Manchester with the festival itself taking place at the Comedy Store on the 29th and 30th October, Cofilmic aims to not only try to uncover untapped comedy talent but also to offer them a chance to be nurtured and tutored by leading industry experts.
Submissions are now welcome for this year’s festival and the deadline for entries is August 14th. The festival is once again split into three different categories:
-Best Comedy Short Film
-Best Sitcom or Web Series
-Best Sketch
All entries must be a maximum of 5 minutes in length and more detailed information can be found here:
The award winners will get an invaluable opportunity to hold face to face meetings with various industry producers, directors and writers including Charlie Hanson,...
Based in Manchester with the festival itself taking place at the Comedy Store on the 29th and 30th October, Cofilmic aims to not only try to uncover untapped comedy talent but also to offer them a chance to be nurtured and tutored by leading industry experts.
Submissions are now welcome for this year’s festival and the deadline for entries is August 14th. The festival is once again split into three different categories:
-Best Comedy Short Film
-Best Sitcom or Web Series
-Best Sketch
All entries must be a maximum of 5 minutes in length and more detailed information can be found here:
The award winners will get an invaluable opportunity to hold face to face meetings with various industry producers, directors and writers including Charlie Hanson,...
- 7/12/2012
- by Rob Keeling
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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