November 1916. The family and servants are busy working to get the house ready for a concert to raise funds to equip the village hospital which is to take even more casualties from the front. New housemaid, Ethel Parks, has replaced Gwen, but her boasting does not make her popular with the others. Indeed O’Brien plays a cruel trick on Ethel in front of the family.

Robert is being dressed by William, the second footman, while Bates is away at the funeral of his mother. Robert is now Lord Lieutenant of the county. He is anxious to be allowed to fight, which makes William feel like a coward for not enlisting. William’s widowed father has begged him not to, but he assumed that once the Conscription Bill was passed, he would be called up straight away. William’s mood is not lightened when, during the concert two women give white feathers to any young men not in uniform, which includes Branson and William. Branson just laughs at the intended insult, claiming his chauffeur’s outfit is his uniform. William’s hopes are raised when Daisy, feeling sorry for him, kisses him. William misinterprets this as a sign of love and asks a trapped Daisy to be his girl. Mrs Patmore urges her to comply.

Feeling left out of the war effort, Robert is delighted when there is a suggestion that he is going to be given the Colonelcy of the local volunteers. Attending a regimental dinner, his hopes are dashed when he realises it is only an honorary position.

Isobel informs Robert and Cora that Matthew is engaged and wants to bring his fiancée to Downton, she feels it is time to patch things up – Matthew is in the thick of the fighting now. Despite being disappointed that Matthew has clearly moved on from Mary, Robert agrees. Isobel runs into Sybil who is shocked at the death toll of so many young men. Isobel suggests she become an auxiliary nurse. She enrols for training in York. O’Brien reports this news back to Cora who is initially unhappy at the thought of her youngest being confronted with such terrible injuries, but comes to realise how the role could actually be good for her daughter.

Carson is trying to compensate for having only one footman and Mrs Hughes is frightened he is working himself into an early grave. Edith has been learning to drive from Branson in the hope she will use this skill as a result of all the men being called up.

Glass Chair Chair Glass imagines what would have happened if the comedian and magician had met absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco.

Dame Harriet Walter will also star in the drama, while Vera Drake actor Allan Corduner will play Ionesco.

The 90-minute play will be broadcast on 18 September at 20:30BST.

The story has been written by Annie Caulfield, whose credits include the radio drama The Von Trapps and Me, which told the story of The Sound of Music from the point of view of the baroness.

Caulfield told The Stage there was a “showbusiness rumour” that Cooper and Ionesco had once met, and that her drama imagines this took place in 1975 in Paris.

Abbot starred in BBC One comedy Last of the Summer Wine from 2008 until it ended last year.

He has also recently appeared on stage in Oliver! and The Producers.

The star is best remembered for his self-titled comedy series which ran during the 1980s and 90s.

Abbot also scored a number of chart hits, including Atmosphere, which made the UK top 10 in 1984.

via BBC News.

The items – which include framed signed cast photographs, a set of scrubs worn by Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson), the Holby Hospital external ED sign from the Bristol set, Casualty favourite Ian Bleasdale’s paramedic costume, characters’ photo IDs, a Holby City emergency staff rota and the clapperboard from the last-ever Bristol-shot episode – will go under the hammer later this month to raise money for The Grand Appeal’s current Echocardiogram Appeal.

Launched earlier in the year, the Echocardiogram Appeal will support the expert staff in the hospital’s cardiac unit by raising funds to provide state-of-the-art equipment to support their life-saving, pioneering work. Casualty is donating the memorabilia as it prepares to close its Bristol base after 25 years of filming, to move to BBC Cardiff’s new drama village.

“Bristol has played a vital part in the success of Casualty and we are hugely grateful to the people of the city for putting up with us for all these years,” says executive producer Johnathan Young. “The series was originally researched over 25 years ago at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and medical experts from Bristol have helped us ensure Casualty’s medical authenticity throughout its history. We’re delighted to be able to give something back and help raise money for this important appeal.”

“We are delighted that the cast and crew of Casualty are supporting The Grand Appeal by donating truly fantastic prizes for our online auction and generously giving back to the Bristol community in this way,” says Grand Appeal Fundraising Manager Lauren Vincent. “All funds raised from the auction will support our Echocardiogram Appeal for the Cardiac Ward at Bristol Children’s Hospital. This state-of-the-art equipment will speed diagnosis and treatment and will help save the lives of children from all over Bristol and the South West of England who come to Bristol Children’s Hospital for specialist cardiac care.”

The items will go up for auction from 19 August, 2011. To bid on this exclusive Casualty online auction, please visit www.grandappeal.org.uk.

The Body Farm centres around the work of a team of scientists, led by Eve Lockhart, working at the cutting edge of forensic detection. Their base is a remote farm from which, with the aid of donor bodies, they conduct research on behalf of Police forces around the world into the many ways in which murders can be committed and sometimes disguised. As the harsh economic climate eats into their funding, and the Home Office’s own forensic facility falls victim to cutbacks, Eve accepts DI Hale’s offer for The Body Farm to leave the hidden world of academic research for the visceral front line of murder detection. Eve, of course, is no stranger to murder in its many forms, but her new team find themselves rapidly thrust into an unexpectedly brutal new world.

Eve’s team comprises Rosa, Mike and Oggy. Wunmi Mosaku (Moses Jones, Father And Son, I Am Slave, Silent Witness) is Rosa, an expert Botanist, who is young, beautiful and perhaps too eager to put her research into practice. Mark Bazeley (The Damned United, The Queen) plays Mike, haematologist, business partner and, most importantly, an old flame of Eve’s. Finlay Robertson (How Not To Live Your Life) is Oggy, a Forensic medicine PhD with a computer obsession. Oggy has had his head buried in his Body Farm research for so long that he has begun to fear the real world.

Created and written (episodes 1, 3 and 6) by Declan Croghan and with other episodes written by Simon Tyrell (episodes 2 and 5) and Graham Mitchell (episode 4), this new 6×60-minute series is produced by Simon Lewis. The Executive Producers are Trevor Eve for Projector and Susan Hogg for BBC Drama Production.

“The rules have changed, and the game is deadlier than ever. Out in the universe, where the earthly rules of time and space do not apply, Amy and Rory know only too well that their baby daughter needs them. For Melody Pond is destined to become River Song, mysterious archaeologist and convicted murderer – the woman who killed the best man she ever knew…

“The Doctor leads Amy and Rory across centuries and galaxies in a desperate search for baby Melody, but a terrible and inescapable date looms large. At 5.02pm on 22nd April 2011, the Doctor will die. These are his last days, and the quest for Melody his final mission.

“The search will result in a crash landing in Thirties Berlin and will bring them face to face with the greatest war criminal of all time. And Hitler. Old friendships will be tested to their limits as the Doctor suffers the ultimate betrayal and learns a harsh lesson in the cruellest warfare of all.

“A distress call from a terrified little boy will break through all barriers of time and space and lead the Doctor to visit the scariest place in the Universe. George’s bedroom. George is terrorised by every fear you can possibly imagine. Fears that live in his bedroom cupboard. His parents are desperate – George needs a doctor. But allaying George’s fears won’t be easy. Because the monsters in George’s cupboard are real.

“An unscheduled visit to a quarantine facility for victims of an alien plague – a plague that will kill the Doctor in a day – leaves Amy trapped. Alone, Rory must find Amy and bring her back to the TARDIS before the faceless doctors kill her with kindness. But Rory is about to encounter a very different side to his wife.

“In an impossible hotel, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves checked-in but unable to check out. Walls move, corridors twist, rooms vanish and death lies in wait for every visitor. But the Doctor’s time has yet to come. He has one last stop to make on his final journey. His old friend, Craig Owens, desperately needs his help – a new and unfamiliar presence is wreaking havoc in Colchester. And then come the Cybermen. But time catches up with us all and the Doctor can delay no more.

“By the shores of Lake Silencio, in Utah, all of time and space hang in the balance. And a NASA astronaut is waiting…”

Written and directed by David Kane, the crime drama is set in 1982 and centres on would-be journalist Paddy Meehan (Jayd Johnson), a young copygirl working in a Glasgow newspaper office.

Stuck in an almost exclusively male-dominated world of limited opportunities and cynicism, Paddy dreams of becoming an investigative journalist, believing that in miscarriages of justice, reporters are sometimes the only hope. Paddy seizes an opportunity to kick-start her career and becomes embroiled in a dark murder case. For Paddy, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime but it comes at a great personal cost.

Made by Slate North, The Field Of Blood is produced by Willy Wands (River City, Rebus, The Magdalene Sisters). Executive producers are Andrea Calderwood (The Last King Of Scotland, Generation Kill) for Slate North, Gaynor Holmes for BBC Scotland and Leslie Finlay for Creative Scotland.

Executive producer for Slate North, Andrea Calderwood, says: “Denise Mina is a fantastic crime writer and David Kane is one of Scotland’s most talented writer-directors. The two of them, together with the great team we have assembled in front of and behind the camera, have made The Field Of Blood an attention-grabbing and entertaining show.”

Gaynor Holmes, Executive Producer BBC Scotland, says: “In Paddy, Denise Mina has created a captivating, warm and funny character whom David Kane has beautifully brought to life in this TV adaptation. I’m certain the audience will fall in love with her.”

Jane Featherstone, chief executive of Kudos Film & Television – the company who created the drama – called it “a fitting end to a much-loved show”.

The final series will focus on Harry Pearce and a guilty secret that could destroy his relationship with Ruth.

“We’ve followed the arc of their personal story and I think they’ve brought us to a natural end,” said Featherstone.

“Harry Pearce, played by the wonderful Peter Firth, has always been at the heart of the show, and this series focuses on Harry’s past, bringing his tumultuous relationship with Ruth [Nicola Walker] to a head” said Featherstone.

The multi-award winning Spooks, now in its tenth series, has been running on BBC One since 2002 and is screened in countries across the world.

Over the years, it has been notable for its slick, contemporary style and the unexpected, violent deaths of many of its lead characters.

“It’s hard to believe that as Spooks enters its tenth series, the world prepares to face the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 atrocities,” said Featherstone.

“It feels like now is the time for Spooks to bow out and make way for new spy dramas which reflect the changing world around us.”

Rupert Penry-Jones became a household name, after four years in the show

Pride & Prejudice actor Matthew Macfadyen was among the first of the Spooks – a popular colloquialism for spies, playing Tom Quinn from 2002-2004.

The lead role was later taken on by Rupert Penry-Jones, as Adam Carter, who stayed with the show for four years – before passing the mantle to co-star Hermione Norris, as Ros Myers.

The final series sees True Blood’s Lara Pulver taking over after the betrayal of Lucas North (Richard Armitage).

Ben Stephenson, controller at BBC Drama Commissioning, called Spooks a “groundbreaking series” which “redefined drama on the channel for a new generation”.

“I hope fans will tune in this September to see what promises to be a fittingly high octane thrilling finale,” he added.

via BBC News.

Several fans have lodged complaints with BBC1 chiefs about the actor’s openly bisexual character Captain Jack Harkness, claiming the series has “too much gay content”.

But Barrowman has not taken kindly to the criticism.

He tells Doctor Who Magazine, “If you don’t like the show then change the b**ody channel.”

A BBC spokesperson adds, “Captain Jack Harkness is an established character in the series.

“The audience over the previous series of Torchwood have known him to be promiscuous and bisexual so we felt the content was justified in terms of the context and characters and would be within the expectations of regular viewers.”

via Orange UK.

In the summer of 1931, with Germany on the brink of economic collapse, and the city of Berlin turning into a paramilitary war-zone, the audacious young prosecutor Hans Litten (Stoppard) chose to summon a star witness to a trial of Nazi thugs. In spite of the risk to his own safety and against the advice of those who love him, Litten forced rising political star Adolf Hitler (Hart) to make a sensational appearance in the witness stand of Berlin’s central criminal court.

Litten aimed to expose the true character of Hitler and his politics to the German public, to reveal his hypocrisy and his violent ambitions, and in doing so, halt the electoral success of the Nazi Party.

In a humiliating and hostile cross-examination, Hitler was forced to account for his political beliefs, his contempt for the law and his desire to destroy German democracy. For a brief moment, Hitler’s political future was genuinely in the balance.

Hitler survived the ordeal, but it was a close encounter which he never forgave and for which Litten paid a heavy price.

The supporting cast includes Bill Paterson as judge Kurt Ohnesorge, Anton Lesser as Litten’s friend and left-wing journalist Rudolf Olden, Sarah Smart and John Hollingworth as Litten’s close confidants Margot and Max Furst – and Ruth McCabe as Hans Litten’s mother.

The Man Who Crossed Hitler has been commissioned by Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business and the BBC executive producers are Cassian Harrison and James Hayes. The producers at Hardy Pictures are Susan Horth and Lucy Bassnett-McGuire and the director is Justin Hardy. The drama was written by award-winning writer and producer Mark Hayhurst.

The original drama marks the latest high-profile drama Hardy Pictures has produced for the BBC; other titles include Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen, starring Bill Paterson, Charlotte Riley and Mark Gatiss, which earned Bill a BAFTA nomination in 2009. Hardy Pictures have an award-winning track record creating factual drama from true stories, including the Bafta-nominated Relief Of Belsen, starring Iain Glen and Corin Redgrave, and innovative period crime series City Of Vice for Channel 4.

The Man Who Crossed Hitler further demonstrates the BBC’s commitment to providing a broad range of compelling history content across all channels and platforms and to developing the genre.

Gill Hay comments: “Charlie’s Angels is a light-hearted, high-kicking romp with all the glitz, glamour and beautiful crimefighters you would expect from a US remake of the iconic original. E4 viewers can look forward to some hot Miami action as part of our brand new line up.”

Stuart Baxter, senior executive vice president for SPT Distribution in Europe adds: “Charlie’s Angels is recognised the world over and our glamorous, feisty new Angels are set to rekindle the enthusiasm, energy and excitement so long associated with this iconic brand as they make their UK debut on E4.”

Based on the original 70s TV series of the same name, Charlie’s Angels features three beautiful women getting the chance to escape their chequered pasts. Under the watchful eye of their handler, Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez), Kate (Annie Ilonzeh, Melrose Place), Eve (Minka Kelly, The Roommate) and Abby (Rachael Taylor, Transformers) work for the exclusive Townsend Detective Agency, and tackle action-packed cases that take them from the dangerous drug dens to the glamorous beachfront mansions of Miami.