remarkable

A period drama with a famous cast has been added to BBC iPlayer and fans are gripped

A “remarkable” period drama based on a best-selling book is available to stream now and fans have said it’s a “must watch”.

The Boys in the Boat, which stars Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner, is based on the popular 2013 book by Daniel James Brown and follows the University of Washington rowing team as they set their sights on competing in the Olympics.

Set during the Great Depression, it follows Joe Rantz (played by Callum), a struggling student who joins the rowing team simply to earn enough money to stay in college. He and a group of other young men face financial trouble and hardship but rise through the ranks with their rowing skills, with Joel as their coach Al. Their journey eventually takes them all the way to the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Directed and co-produced by George Clooney, the movie made a splash when it was first unveiled in 2023 and it is winning over a new audience after it was added to the BBC iPlayer, where it is streaming now.

One fan wrote on Reddit that the movie was “remarkable”, while others called it “outstanding”.

Several noted how emotional it made them, with one posting on Letterboxd that it “had me crying” when they tuned in.

“I got goosebumps, my heart was racing, I cried,” said someone else, as another described it as “an emotional rollercoaster”.

Another person said that it left them “sobbing”, and someone else wrote online: “Made me laugh, it made me cry a little, it inspired me.”

One fan said they were “choked up several times” watching as Joe and the rest of the team strove to make their dream of Olympic glory come true.

Discussing a part of the film in Frontpage magazine, one person said: “I swear to deity, I started crying right then; I would go on to cry multiple times throughout the film.”

“I absolutely loved it (and had a tear in my eye),” said another.

The Boys in the Boat also stars Peter Guinness, Jack Mulhern, Thomas Elms and Luke Slattery. Actress Hadley Robinson stars as Joyce Simdars, Joe’s love interest, in the film.

The Boys in the Boat is available on BBC iPlayer.

One minute, Senegal were cruising into the last 16 of the World Cup.

The next, they were left wondering how another dream had slipped through their grasp.

Manager Pape Thiaw’s side led 2018 semi-finalists Belgium 2-0 with only four minutes left of normal time, after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr.

But after outplaying their opponents, they somehow “found a way to lose the game”, as ex-Republic of Ireland skipper Roy Keane put it on ITV.

Romelu Lukaku’s 86th-minute goal sparked hope for Belgium and three minutes later, captain Youri Tielemans headed in an equaliser from Leandro Trossard’s cross – the pair were earlier seen having a heated argument – to force extra time.

Then came the controversial penalty, awarded for Lamine Camara’s challenge on Tielemans following a video assistant referee (VAR) review, and converted by the skipper himself 125 minutes in.

It condemned Senegal to further agony, having already endured the pain of being stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title earlier this year.

“Football is just crazy. I couldn’t call any of this game,” former England striker Dion Dublin told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Late drama, controversy, history and heartbreak – this last-32 tie had everything and here, BBC Sport attempts to make sense of it all.

An HBO miniseries has been hailed as the ‘best of the best’ by fans, who say no show or film compares – and it’s streaming on Amazon Prime and NOW

TV fans have lauded a gripping war drama, calling it “the best of the best” and insisting no other show or film matches it. The series proves perfect for admirers of the popular 2001 American war drama miniseries, Band of Brothers.

So, what’s the show? It’s the seven-part television miniseries Generation Kill, which was produced by HBO and originally broadcast from July 13 to August 24 2008.

It was adapted from Evan Wright’s 2004 book sharing of the same name, which documented his experiences as an embedded reporter accompanying the US Marine Corps’ 1st Reconnaissance Battalion throughout the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The extensive ensemble cast includes Alexander Skarsgård, Jon Huertas, James Ransone, Lee Tergesen – playing Wright, though characters only address him using nicknames – alongside many others.

The series earned recognition for its authenticity and emphasis on the bizarre circumstances facing Marines navigating prolonged boredom and volatile combat while dealing with questionable administrative decisions from senior command.

These often incompetent decisions – coupled with inadequate communication – result in troops experiencing frustration and confusion, while simultaneously managing constant equipment shortages.

The miniseries additionally captures the camaraderie among Marines and the gallows humour they employed as a survival strategy during such challenging, intense and unpredictable circumstances.

Generation Kill was created by The Wire’s David Simon and Ed Burns and is renowned for its unflinching use of authentic military terminology, while depicting the Marines as genuine, imperfect people rather than the steadfastly patriotic heroes typically portrayed in war films.

Though it originally broadcast on HBO in 2008, the miniseries is now accessible to stream on platforms such as NOW and Amazon Prime, although subscription add-ons are necessary to view through Prime.

Generation Kill continues to receive regular praise from TV fans and holds an impressive 86% rating on popular review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

One viewer said: “Right up there with Band of Brothers, Peaky Blinders, and The Pacific. The best of the best. First watched this over 12 years ago when it was new, and it’s still the greatest to this day.”

Another agreed: “It’s Band of Brothers during the 2003 Iraq invasion. Great writing and remarkable acting make this one a must watch TV show.”

A third wrote: “The action is a little over-the-top, but the characters, the dialogue and the attitudes all pretty perfectly capture 21st century military life. This is one of HBO’s truly great pieces of art.”

While a fourth said: “The more you watch it, the better it gets. It’s difficult for me to put into words, but to this day I still have not watched any show or even movie as good as this.”

Another shared: “One of my favourite HBO offerings!”

Generation Kill is streaming on Amazon Prime and NOW.