Nebraska

The series has been called an “understated masterpiece”, comparing it favourably to Yellowstone

For many people BBC iPlayer has become a great destination for drama, evolving far beyond its original role as a simple catch-up service for television. One of its biggest strengths is its extensive box-set offering, allowing viewers to binge entire series rather than waiting for new episodes to air weekly on the BBC.

The BBC has also continued to expand its selection of returning dramas, with previous seasons increasingly available to watch in full. Some of the most popular dramas listed on there include Happy Valley, Taboo, Wolf Hall and Normal People.

However, one drama series has caught the attention of viewers and it is essentially a revenge story, love story and Western epic rolled into one,

Set in 1890, the BBC series follows Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), an Englishwoman who journeys to the American West in pursuit of the man she believes is responsible for her son’s death.

Her journey brings her into the path of Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a former cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee Nation seeking to claim land promised to him for his military service. As their paths converge, the pair form an unlikely alliance while navigating the violence and lawlessness of the American frontier.

The English is created and directed by Hugo Blick’s which transports you to the dying days of the Old West for six hours, reports the Express.

Audiences have described the drama as an underappreciated gem alongside American Primeval and Yellowstone.

The English, aired on BBC Two and Amazon Prime in late 2022, and comprises of six episodes that have earned acclaim from traditional western devotees and those discovering the genre.

Westerns are enjoying a resurgence, fuelled by the popularity of shows such as Yellowstone, American Primeval, and 1923.

Despite its parallels to Yellowstone, devotees of The English have queried why it doesn’t attract the same recognition as other contemporary shows, despite being “Western in all the right ways”.

“Instantly, The English has made my top 10. I have seen a lot of movies and series over the many many years I’ve walked this earth. And seldom have I been struck so profoundly,” one IMDB reviewer described in a 10-star review.

“Every scene, every word, each gesture, to a person reaches out, aiming for the heart. Relentlessly uncovering a story that weaves beauty and horror in equal measure.”

“It never waits for you to catch up. But rather pulls you along as you follow- never really knowing what will happen and carefully doling out what has happened.”

“Fans of American Primeval should watch The English. Both are great Westerns featuring a strong female lead,” Emily Long writes for Screen Rant, adding “Though each of the shows have their own stories and unique characters, The English and American Primeval are surprisingly similar. Both shows centre on a woman trying to make her way across the American West with a travelling partner, encountering numerous challenges along the way.”

The show has also won over the hearts of Reddit’s 67,000-strong r/Western community, with one user, apswim22, remarking, “This was an amazing under-the-radar series. One of the better Western series in a while.”

Hundreds have applauded the series’ storyline, with BeautifulDebate7615 telling the Western subreddit, “We did not see the twist coming but kept wondering why things weren’t developing the way we expected. Then the twist perfectly explained things.”

Both Chaske Spencer and Emily Blunt earned nominations for Best Actor at the British Academy Television Awards and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, respectively.

Stephen Rea earned an Irish Film and Television Award for his portrayal of Sheriff Robert Marshall.

Beyond the exceptional acting on display, Arnau Valls Colomer’s breathtaking cinematography is wonderfully complemented by Federico Jusid’s classical score, together creating an utterly compelling atmosphere.

Some critics have taken issue with the show’s tempo, with the opening episode labelled something of a slow burner, though such gripes quickly fade once the second episode hits its stride.

The English is available to stream on both BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two of the eight men indicted in an alleged drone and sniper plot to attack President Trump’s UFC cage-fighting show on the White House lawn pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal conspiracy charges.

Clothed in jail garb and shackled, Tycen Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, W. Va., entered the pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus Jr. in Ohio, where the case has been consolidated. They and the other six defendants are each charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official.

Sargus scheduled their trial to begin Sept. 14.

“What would have happened or could have happened, that’s never going to be clear, because, thank God, there was an intervention here and this thing was disrupted,” U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II told reporters last week as he detailed the group’s July 9 indictments. “But, in my view, when I look at what’s been alleged there, it seems pretty likely that someone or multiple people were driving to Washington, D.C., to do something.”

Attorneys for Proper and Scaggs declined to comment after the hearing.

According to the indictment, the plot began in May. Members of the group — citing grievances about government corruption, water-guzzling data centers and the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files — began amassing money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, communications equipment and other items.

The attack was planned to take place at the cage-fighting show dubbed UFC Freedom 250, which was held on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Law enforcement officials said they learned of the possible threat four days before the event was scheduled to take place.

One of the defendants told investigators that they planned to fly explosive-laden drones into the event and then shoot panicked crowd members as they fled, according to a federal affidavit.

The Justice Department announced charges against seven people from across the country last month, including from Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska and California. Officials said the suspects harbored fringe conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would destabilize the government.

Four alleged conspirators charged in Missouri, Nebraska and California the weekend of the event and two more charged about a week later in Washington and Missouri are still in the process of being moved to Ohio to face charges. They are likely to be tried as a group.

Scaggs was arrested separately later, but was brought to Ohio ahead of the other out-of-state defendants.

Smyth writes for the Associated Press.