thrilling

First look images have been released for Channel 4’s new drama Number 10, written by Doctor Who and Sherlock creator Steven Moffat and starring Rafe Spall as the Prime Minister

Channel 4 has unveiled first look images from its upcoming drama Number 10, featuring Rafe Spall in the role of Prime Minister.

The newly-released photographs also showcase Coronation Street’s Katherine Kelly as Chief of Staff and Emmerdale’s Jenna Coleman as Deputy Chief of Staff, appearing alongside the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.

Jenna, Katherine and Rafe lead an impressive ensemble cast that includes Akshay Khanna, Abigail Lawrie, Laura Haddock, Jing Lusi, Pierro Niel-Mee, Rick Warden, Joe Wilkinson, Robyn Cara, Richard Rankin and Rhiannon Clements, amongst others.

The official synopsis for the programme states: “Set in the only terrace house in history with mice and a nuclear deterrent, it’s the only knock-through in the world where a hangover can start a war.

There’s a Prime Minister in the attic, a coffee bar in the basement and a wallpapered labyrinth of romance, crisis and heartbreak in-between, reports Wales Online.

“The government will be fictional and unspecific, but the problems will be real. We’ll never know which party is in power, because once the whole world hits the fan it barely matters.”

“This is a show about the building and everyone inside. Not just the Prime Minister upstairs, but the conspiracy theorist who runs the cafe three floors below, the man who repairs the lift that never works, the madly ambitious ‘advisors’ fighting for office space in cupboards. Oh, and of course, the cat.

“A drama about one of the most famous addresses in the world, Number 10 is all of Britain in a house: it’s British history under one roof. It’s how we all got into the mess we’re in. It’s also our only hope of getting out of it.”

Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven, who also co-created Sherlock and Dracula, said of his new project: “For me, it’s all about famous doors! The doors to the TARDIS, the door to 221B Baker Street, and now the most famous door in the world – Number 10.”

“I’ve been wanting to write about the mad house that runs the madhouse for years, and I’ve never had so much fun doing the research. If you want to do a workplace comedy drama, this one is the boss of them all.”

Discussing his latest role, Rafe said: “Number 10 is a sensational piece of writing, equal to its peerless author, Steven Moffat. I’m delighted to be playing the Prime Minister, in a funny, real and thrilling piece of TV.”

Jenna added: “I thought it was about time I visited another British institution with Steven Moffat. I’m very much looking forward to moving into Number 10 with Steven’s cracking scripts.”

Number 10 is expect to air on Channel 4 this year

Fans missing Netflix’s hit comedy-drama series After Life should definitely mark their calendars for Ricky Gervais’ next project

The popular Netflix dramedy concluded four years ago.

Netflix has shared an exciting new look at Ricky Gervais’ next series and it looks like a must-watch for After Life fans.

It’s the star’s first series for the streamer since the hit dramedy wrapped up in 2022, concluding the tragically funny story of bereaved journalist Tony Johnson.

This time, Ricky is returning to the world of animation for an original animated series that will definitely have fans of The Ricky Gervais Show with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington feeling nostalgic.

Alley Cats is created and directed by the Office star, who also takes on the leading role as a member of a gang of stray cats.

Netflix teases “the series follows the trials and tribulations of a group of feral British cats who seek companionship while ruminating about the struggles of everyday life”.

“From the funny to the absurd, the series is packed with Gervais’ signature style of heart and social commentary that audiences have come to expect,” the streamer’s synopsis adds.

It also boasts exceptional 2D animation by award-winning British animation studio, Blink Industries (Dead End: Paranormal Park, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared).

This week, Netflix confirmed the release date for the new series as Friday, 7th August, with all six episodes of the first season dropping at once.

Co-starring with Ricky is a stellar line-up of British talent, including some frequent collaborators who have worked with him on After Life and other projects.

Tom Basden (The Ballad of Wallis Island), Andrew Brooke (PhoneShop), David Earl (Derek), Kerry Godliman (Trigger Point), Jo Hartley (Adolescence), and Diane Morgan (Motherland) complete the main cast. All of them have also previously appeared in After Life.

Natalie Cassidy (EastEnders) and Tony Way (After Life, Mandy) will also be taking on featured roles.

The new image features fans’ first look at the cast of cats, nestled together next to some wheelie bins as they look out over a city skyline.

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Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows.

This includes the brand new UK drama Unchosen, starring Asa Butterfield and Christopher Eccleston.

Netflix’s announcement has already sparked excitement amongst fans, who can’t wait for the After Life cast to return to Netflix for more laughs.

One X user said: “I’m laughing at this already after reading the cast.. This is going to be fun.”

“If it’s created by Ricky Gervais, I’ll give it a shot,” someone else replied. And another fan predicted: “Ricky Gervais doing adult animation? That cast is ridiculously stacked. Alley Cats might be the sleeper hit of August.”

Alley Cats premieres Friday, 7th August on Netflix.

Wu Yize and Mark Allen produced a session of spellbinding snooker and finished locked at 11-11 to perfectly set up the final session of their World Championship semi-final at the Crucible Theatre.

Resuming at 7-7 on Saturday, the third session of the match was a complete contrast to their epic slugfest on Friday, that produced the longest frame ever played at the famous venue.

China’s Wu set the tone, opening with a sublime 142 and also constructing breaks of 76 and 121 to lead 10-8 at the mid-session interval.

However, Allen, who is attempting to become the first player from Northern Ireland to reach the final since Dennis Taylor in 1985, showed he had also thrown off the shackles of negativity.

The 40-year-old enjoyed a run of 56, and well-crafted breaks of 85 and 99 enabled him to draw level at 10-10.

Wu, 22, who defeated Lei Peifan, Mark Selby and Hossein Vafaei to reach the last four, responded with his third century of the day.

But as the tension increased, in what felt like an important concluding frame to the session, Wu was unable to capitalise after getting the first opportunity.

That allowed Allen, who could become the oldest first-time winner at the Crucible, to make a couple of useful contributions and ensure there was nothing to divide the pair.

They return to play the final session of their best-of-33 encounter at 19:00 BST on Saturday, with a possible 11 frames still to get through, as they attempt to set up a title match against John Higgins or Shaun Murphy.

A new hit Netflix series is returning for its second season just over a year after its stunning debut last year

The hit show has been called “cowboy Virgin River” by fans.

Netflix’s Ransom Canyon has officially announced a release date for its eagerly awaited second season, and fans won’t have to wait much longer.

The popular Western drama launched last April and brought viewers an epic family saga unfolding on a Texas ranch, with the powerful romance between Staten Kirkland (portrayed by Josh Duhamel) and Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly) taking centre stage.

The first season exposed the shocking truth surrounding the death of Staten’s son while the stoic rancher slowly grows closer to Quinn, his long-time family friend and proprietor of the local dancehall.

At the same time, charming and mysterious drifter Yancy (Jack Schumacher) arrives in town to reconnect with his long-lost grandfather and embarks on a romance of his own, only to unveil a startling secret in the jaw-dropping finale.

The programme has drawn favourable comparisons to Netflix’s other hit small-town romance, Virgin River, with some Redditors even declaring the new series is “so much better”, reports the Express.

Netflix Tudum has this week announced that the gripping drama will return on Thursday, 23rd July, with all eight episodes dropping.

Creator April Blair has disclosed that the much-anticipated follow-up will resume six months after Quinn’s decision to leave home to chase a dream job in New York.

“In that time, she didn’t speak to Staten at all,” actress Kelly disclosed. And Duhamel confirms: “He missed her. Staten has been masking that with his behaviour.

“So when he finds out Quinn is back, Staten realises that he’s made some mistakes, and he wants to make it right.”

Season two will also follow the blossoming teenage romance between high schoolers Lauren (Lizzy Greene) and Lucas (Garrett Wareing), while Yancy is likely in hot water with bartender Ellie (Marianly Tejada) following the arrival of a woman claiming to be his wife in the season finale.

“We’ve also built out the world even more this season,” showrunner Blair reveals. “Quinn’s mother, Claire – played by Patricia Clarkson, who’s an icon – comes to town, and she’s a little Postcards from the Edge meets The Notebook.

“What did she do to mess up? We find out there’s some secrets from the past.”

Alongside Clarkson, several fresh faces join the cast, including High Potential’s Steve Howey as Staten’s half-brother Levi, a rugged outdoorsman who lives off the land.

Watch Unchosen on Sky for free

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

from £15

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Buy Now on Sky

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows.

This includes the brand new UK drama Unchosen, starring Asa Butterfield and Christopher Eccleston.

Ben Robson (Vikings) and Heidi Engerman (Chicago Fire) have also signed on, with familiar faces returning including Casey W. Johnson, Tatanka Means, Justin Johnson Cortez, Kenny Miller, Philip Winchester, Jennifer Ens, Brett Cullen, Lauren Glazier, and Niko Guardado.

Netflix’s synopsis for season two states: “Season two begins six months after the events of the first season, with rancher Staten fighting to reclaim his legacy after being unseated as trustee of his family’s Double K Ranch.

“Meanwhile, musician Quinn must decide if her heart truly belongs in the small town she once tried to outrun or in the fast-paced world of New York City. Are the pair star-crossed lovers, or fated to be together? In Ransom Canyon, true love stories are messy, complicated, and always worth the wait.”

Ransom Canyon season 2 premieres Thursday, 23rd July on Netflix.

After a break of 83 from Higgins in the ninth frame, O’Sullivan won two in a row, thanks to runs of 116 and 80, to hold a dominant five-frame advantage at 8-3.

Higgins won the 12th, but O’Sullivan’s break of 91 left the Englishman 9-4 in front.

But the final three frames were very dramatic. Higgins looked in control of the 14th, with O’Sullivan needing a snooker to have any chance, which he then got, although he could not capitalise.

Higgins took the 15th on a black-ball finish, with O’Sullivan then punching the table in frustration after missing a red early on in the last frame of the night.

His mood was not improved when he potted a long red but then saw the cue ball follow it into the same pocket, with that foul proving crucial as Higgins took the frame to give himself some hope.

O’Sullivan is fighting to make the Crucible quarter-finals for a 24th time and looking for an eighth world title, which would be a record in the modern era.

He was watched by former Manchester United footballer Paul Scholes during his 10-2 win over Chinese debutant He Guoqiang and, this time, UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett and Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez were in attendance.

They, along with the rest of the crowd at the Crucible, would have left thoroughly entertained.

A woman who moved from the Cotswolds to London over two decades ago has said that despite her vibrant life that there has been one massive downside of being based in the UK’s capital

There has been a noticeable ebb and flow in UK living patterns in recent years, as thousands of Britons weigh up whether they prefer city or countryside life.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many left urban centres in favour of the wide open spaces and cleaner air of the countryside, though some later returned when restrictions were lifted and they missed the convenience and amenities of city living.

As the cost of living crisis has continued, the debate over whether to stay in cities or relocate to the countryside has remained ongoing. One woman, who moved from the Cotswolds to London to run a pub in the East End, has explained why she has no intention of returning.

Artist and mother-of-five Pauline Forster, 76, runs The George Tavern on Commercial Road in Tower Hamlets, having bought the building for £500,000 in 2003 when she was 53.

More than 20 years and a major renovation later, the Grade II listed building — which had once been earmarked for demolition — is still standing and thriving. She has said that despite the high cost of living in London, she values the space her property provides for those who need it.

She told The Times: “There’s room here for whoever needs it, including my five sons. I like the scale and space of it — why would you buy a terraced house when you can get all this?

“I’ll admit that the bills, wages and utility bills are horrendous, and have rocketed in the time I have been here. I do have a mortgage but if I live to 80, I’ll have paid it off. I don’t really care because I’ll never stop working and the George will continue well after I’ve gone.”

Pauline added firmly that “nothing” would tempt her back to countryside living, saying the stimulating environment of London is both what she wants and what she needs.

However, while Pauline has chosen to remain in the capital, others have taken a different approach, opting to live outside the city while still commuting in for work.

Olivia Newton, 37, works in London but lives in South Hams in Devon with her husband Will.

Despite a four-hour commute and £150 off-peak train fare, she says she has no plans to move back to the city, largely because of the benefits the journey brings to her mental health and productivity.

She told The Times: “I once dreaded ‘the commute’ and that was from Shepherds Bush to my office in Shoreditch, but it’s become an integral and valuable part of my life in its own right.

“I get time to have a good think and finish off the deck I’ve been putting off, attempt to get to the end of my book club book and occasionally just zone out and watch the waves splash at the tracks as we pass through Dawlish.”