Throng

In the final series of BBC One’s award-winning crime drama Waking The Dead, Boyd will face the greatest test of his career – will he prevail…?

Created by Barbara Machin, Waking The Dead first appeared on BBC One in 2000. Since then the series has produced 92 hours of primetime viewing, with the highest viewed episode pulling in 9.5 million viewers. In 2004 the drama won an International Emmy Award for an episode entitled Multi-storey starring Sean Pertwee.

Boyd (Trevor Eve) is back leading the Met’s Cold Case Unit and investigating more unsolved crimes with his team: Grace (Sue Johnston), Eve (Tara FitzGerald) and Spence (Wil Johnson) in this the ninth and final series written by Ed Whitmore, Timothy Prager and Richard Warlow .

In this series the team acquires a new member, brilliant ex-counter-terrorism officer Sarah Cavendish (Eva Birthistle). Foisted on Boyd by his superiors he is given little choice but to keep her out of “harm’s way”.

Sarah matches Boyd in rank, the first time he has worked with someone of an equivalent level. Sarah’s capabilities means she quickly ingratiates herself with her new colleagues; but as her symptoms of post-traumatic stress become increasingly apparent there is mounting concern for her welfare.

Sarah challenges Boyd’s recklessness in the line of duty – something, she warns, he will pay for one day.

Voting for the first round of the British Soap Awards 2011 opened this morning giving you, the viewers, the chance to vote for your favourite storylines in the world of soap over the past year.

Categories you can vote for include Sexiest Male and Female, Villain of the Year and Best Actor and Actress.

Voting for this initial first round closes at 5pm on April 11th while an announcement of who has made it to the final shortlist will be made on April 18.  The coveted Best British Soap award category will not be shortlisted which means that you can vote for your favourite soap over the course of the voting period.

The full list of nominees that you can vote for are listed as below:

SEXIEST MALE
Keith Duffy (Ciaran McCarthy, Coronation Street)
Chris Fountain (Tommy Duckworth, Coronation Street)
Will Thorp (Chris Gray, Coronation Street)
Matthew Chambers (Daniel Granger, Doctors)
Adrian Lewis Morgan (Jimmy Clay, Doctors)
Nicolas Woodman (Jack Hollins, Doctors)
Marc Elliott (Syed Masood, EastEnders)
Scott Maslen (Jack Branning, EastEnders)
John Partridge (Christian Clarke, EastEnders)
Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle, Emmerdale)
Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy, Emmerdale)
James Thornton (John Barton, Emmerdale)
Rob Norbury (Riley Costello, Hollyoaks)
Ashley Taylor Dawson (Darren Osborne, Hollyoaks)
Craig Vye (Ethan Scott, Hollyoaks)

SEXIEST FEMALE
Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster, Coronation Street)
Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre, Coronation Street)
Alison King (Carla Connor, Coronation Street)
Sophie Abelson (Cherry Malone, Doctors)
Charlie Clemmow (Imogen Hollins, Doctors)
Elisabeth Dermot Walsh (Zara Carmichael, Doctors)
Kylie Babbington (Jodie Gold, EastEnders)
Zoe Lucker (Vanessa Gold, EastEnders)
Rita Simons (Roxy Mitchell, EastEnders)
Natalie Anderson (Alicia Gallagher, Emmerdale)
Suzanne Shaw (Eve Jenson, Emmerdale)
Sammy Winward (Katie Sugden, Emmerdale)
Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes Fisher, Hollyoaks)
Jorgie Porter (Theresa McQueen, Hollyoaks)
Rachel Shenton (Mitzeee Minniver, Hollyoaks)

VILLIAN OF THE YEAR
Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow, Coronation Street)
Graeme Hawley (John Stape, Coronation Street)
Paula Lane (Kylie Turner, Coronation Street)
Phillip McGough (Charlie Bradfield, Doctors)
Emma Stansfield (Lesley Hammond, Doctors)
Matilda Ziegler (Susan Oakley, Doctors)
Glynis Barber (Glenda Mitchell, EastEnders)
Charlie Brooks (Janine Malloy, EastEnders)
Don Gilet (Lucas Johnson, EastEnders)
Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle, Emmerdale)
Michael McKell (Nick Henshall, Emmerdale)
Lyndon Ogbourne (Nathan Wylde, Emmerdale)
Jamie Lomas (Warren Fox, Hollyoaks)
Jeff Rawle (Silas Blissett, Hollyoaks)
Emmett J Scanlan (Brendan Brady, Hollyoaks)

BEST ACTOR
Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow, Coronation Street)
Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald, Coronation Street)
Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster, Coronation Street)
Owen Brenman (Heston Carter, Doctors)
Matthew Chambers (Daniel Granger, Doctors)
Chris Walker (Rob Hollins, Doctors)
Nitin Ganatra (Masood Ahmed, EastEnders)
Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell, EastEnders)
Shane Richie (Alfie Moon, EastEnders)
Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk, Emmerdale)
Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle, Emmerdale)
Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy, Emmerdale)
Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay, Hollyoaks)
Emmett J Scanlan (Brendan Brady, Hollyoaks)
Anthony Quinlan (Gilly Roach, Hollyoaks)

BEST ACTRESS
Jane Danson (Leanne Barlow, Coronation Street)
Sally Dynevor (Sally Webster, Coronation Street)
Katherine Kelly (Becky McDonald, Coronation Street)
Elisabeth Dermot Walsh (Zara Carmichael, Doctors)
Janet Dibley (Elaine Cassidy, Doctors)
Jan Pearson (Karen Hollins, Doctors)
Lindsey Coulson (Carol Jackson, EastEnders)
Nina Wadia (Zainab Masood, EastEnders)
Jessie Wallace (Kat Moon, EastEnders)
Emma Atkins (Charity Tate, Emmerdale)
Jane Cox (Lisa Dingle, Emmerdale)
Pauline Quirke (Hazel Rhodes, Emmerdale)
Victoria Atkin (Jasmine/Jason Costello, Hollyoaks)
Claire Cooper (Jacqui McQueen, Hollyoaks)
Jorgie Porter (Theresa McQueen, Hollyoaks)

BEST BRITISH SOAP
Coronation Street
Doctors
EastEnders
Emmerdale
Hollyoaks

Denise Welch departs Dancing On Ice

Denise Welch has exited Dancing On Ice after placing in the bottom two alongside Johnson Beharry. All three judges voted against Welch and she exits the competition with partner Matt Evers.

Walliams completes 24 Hour Comic Relief challenge

David Walliams has completed his Comic relief challenge of UK’s first 24-hour panel show. Walliams featured alongside a range of celebrities on the show 24 Hour Panel People but he was the only face to be seen across the duration.

Channel 4 plans gypsy royal wedding

Channel 4 is reportedly planning a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding special to coincide with the royal wedding. It is believed the one-off show will feature the marriage of a real gypsy princess and prince from the travelling community.

How I Met Your Mother renewed

How I Met Your Mother has been renewed for a further two seasons by its American network CBS. The sitcom is still rating well after six seasons, averaging 9.1 million viewers per episode in the US.

Carell films final Office episode

Steve Carell has filmed his final episode of The Office after announcing in June last year that he was exiting the series. Will Ferrell will be making a four-episode guest appearance but won’t be replacing Carell fulltime.

BBC Four has bought a second season of Danish mystery drama The Killing.

Ten new episodes will screen on the network later this year.

Richard Klein, the controller of BBC Four, said: “The Killing is the most intensely thrilling televison drama experience in British broadcasting of the moment and I’m delighted that series two will be on BBC Four. It is a diamond of a series – complex, dramatic, thoroughly gripping.

“It never loses sight of its truly brilliant insight: the humanity and the emotion that goes on behind a police investigation into a brutal and sordid murder. At its heart, this is The Killing’s genius – to truly portray the human cost of tragedy. And it is to the BBC’s acquisition department that real credit lies for the clever discretionary spot-and-pick-up of a gem of a series.”

Source: Digital Spy

Denise Welch has departed Dancing On Ice this weekend.

The Loose Women presenter placed in the bottom two alongside war vet Johnson Beharry despite posting a third place score.

Welch had difficulty during the skate-off with her skating speed and getting in and out of lifts while Beharry provided a strong second performance.

All three judges voted to save Beharry.

Welch said after the elimination:  “Thank you to Chris and Jayne, thank you to the best bunch of pals anybody could have had to see us through this and all my supporters and the public who kept me in until this stage of the competition. I never in a million years thought I would get to this stage. I am knackered, I have had the most wonderful time and I’m going on the tour so you haven’t seen the last of me yet.”

Source: Unrealitytv.co.uk

ITV1 have also commissioned two documentaries on a royal theme from ITV Studios Leeds-based outfit Shiver.

When Kate Met William charts and compares the upbringings and stories so far of two young people destined to become the world’s most famous couple. The documentary hears from those who know Kate Middleton and Prince William to find out how this captivating royal love story came about.

Meanwhile, Charles and Diana – The Wedding of The Century tells the story of how 30 years ago, in July 1981, time stood still for a wedding that was to become one of the defining moments of the 20th century – and all the more poignant because of the tragedy which was to follow.

The two, one-hour documentaries, are being produced by Yvette Lyons and Kerry Allison respectively and executive produced by Shiver’s Creative Director, Mark Robinson.

Robinson said: “Shiver has built up a reputation for producing pop culture documentaries like I Was There…When The Beatles Played The Cavern and The Betty Driver Story. It’s exciting to be able to extend our output into chronicling royal history too.”

Both shows were commissioned by Diana Howie, Commissioning Editor, Factual, for ITV1 with Alison Sharman, Director of Factual and Daytime.

TV vet Steve Leonard is to present two brand new series for ITV1. 

Both wildlife shows will be set in Africa, featuring a rich and diverse range of exotic creatures.

Safari Vet School and Animal Kingdom are both produced by ITV Studios Anglia Factual, which makes acclaimed ITV1 wildlife series Survival With Ray Mears, Wild Britain With Ray Mears, Lion Country and Cheetah Kingdom.

Both series were commissioned by Diana Howie, ITV Factual Commissioning Editor, with Alison Sharman, ITV Director of Factual and Daytime.

Steve Leonard will present 12×30 series Safari Vet School, which will track the fortunes of student vets, as they come face to face with Africa’s ‘big five’ for the first time during a life-changing and action-packed 16 day summer placement at the 15,000 acre Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. 

Working with top wildlife vets the students – mainly from UK vet schools – will gain valuable experience of exotic wildlife and learn skills ranging from basic capture techniques to darting to wildlife relocation.

Filming will also take place at the Shamwari Game Reserve and the Addo National Elephant Park.

Animal Kingdom will see Steve Leonard following wildlife stories from inside one of Africa’s most beautiful and diverse games reserves, the Erindi Game Park, which lies between the Namib and Kalahari deserts, in Namibia.

The park’s 175,000 acres of prime wildlife habitat has been designated as an area for the re-introduction of endangered species as well as maintaining numbers of the 100 or more that share the reserve. Animal Kingdom will look at the work being done to manage the delicate balance of wildlife in the park including the introduction of new groups of animals while providing an intimate focus on the lives of individual creatures.  Following their struggles for survival across a changing season, 6×30 series Animal Kingdom will provide a compelling insight into the behavioural patterns and secret lives of some of the territory’s most charismatic creatures.

Steve Leonard said: “It’s great to be back in Africa working with the big beautiful iconic species and some of the ugly little jaspers as well. These two projects are both very much hands on allowing me to tap into my veterinary skills and get my hands dirty – and nearly bitten. I’m very pleased to be working with the creative team at ITV who really understand wildlife program making and who are as enthusiastic about conservation as I am.”

Diana Howie said: “We’re delighted that Steve has agreed to present these two Africa-based series for ITV1.  His informal, honest style, mixed with his extensive animal knowledge, is the perfect mix for our ITV1 viewers.”

David Walliams completes another marathon challenge for Comic Relief, staying awake for 24 hours in the UK’s first-ever live online streamed 24 hour panel show.

Speaking at the end of his latest feat of endurance:

Asked how he was feeling after his marathon 24 Hour Panel People challenge, he said 

“Like I’m descending into madness!  No it was fine, but it does take its toll on you just  physically with things like your eyes not being able to focus so well anymore on the autocue.” 

On whether it was as tough as he thought it would be:

“Yes it was as tough as I thought it would be, particularly at the end just having to keep the show together, being so exhausted and not being able to think straight any more, especially being the host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks and having to make the rounds work.. I just couldn’t really read the autocue anymore because my eyes couldn’t focus which is quite a scary thing especially as there was an audience here. It was tough yes but it was the right side of tough. I mean if I was slumped on the desk not saying anything I think it really wouldn’t have been very entertaining but you could see I was a little bit delirious towards the end.”

On how it compares to his other marathon challenge of swimming the channel, he said:

“I trained for a long time to swim the channel so I was kind of ready to do that. With this I had a lot less sense of how it was going to work out because I really didn’t know how I would be after staying awake for so long and also being on TV and trying to be entertaining – it is so different.”

And on the first thing he is going to do now he has finished:

“I’m going to have a shower! I haven’t had a shower for a very long time. I’ve changed my shirt a few times but I’ve only had breaks of five minutes or so which wasn’t enough time to wash.”

With a host of different formats across 24 hours and a whole heap of funny people, 24 Hour Panel People was a comedy event of epic proportions that saw David take part in some of TV’s most iconic panel shows, all in aid of Comic Relief. Taking part for the full 24 hours, David switched between the roles of team captain, panellist and host across the day.

Across the 24 hours David was joined by a star studded line-up including: David Tennant, Jack Dee, Stephen Fry, Miranda Hart, Claudia Winkleman, David Mitchell, Dara O’Briain, Paul O’Grady, Sue Perkins, Jo Brand, Jimmy Carr, Lee Mack, Richard Bacon, Vernon Kay, Sir David Frost, Barbara Windsor, Russell Tovey, Charlie Brooker, Christopher Biggins, Ulrika Jonsson, Patricia Hodge and Jedward.

As well as an abundance of funny people, the epic event featured favourite shows including Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Celebrity Juice, Mock The Week, QI, Mastermind, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Just A Minute.  Alongside the current favourites were some much-loved, all-time classic shows including The Generation Game, Blankety Blank, Through The Keyhole, They Think It’s All Over, Room 101, Call My Bluff, Give Us A Clue and Whose Line Is It Anyway.

Lily Allen is not one to mince her words and has previously been upfront about her dislike for TV reality talent shows including The X Factor and indeed ruled herself out of ever appearing on the show.  Reports suggest that she may however be making a U-turn on her stance and taking on a judging role on the panel.

The singer is believed to be in talks to take on Simon Cowell’s role as he is stated to be too busy with the US show to appear on the UK version.

A source said, “Lily was flattered to get Simon’s call.  It’s a big job and an honour to be asked.  But she’s not convinced.  She has tried to take a step back from the limelight over the last six months and doesn’t want to be thrust right back into the madness of the showbiz pantomime that comes with the show.”

Allen has previously slated the show for being “scripted.”

Cowell can’t decide on X Factor judges

Simon Cowell has told Jay Leno on his talkshow that he can’t decide who to pick for the US X Factor judging jobs. Cowell said: I can’t make up my mind. I keep meeting all these people every day and I like them. At the moment I could end up with about 23 judges on this panel; one contestant, 23 judges!”

QI returns to BBC Two

QI will return to its original home of BBC Two for its tenth season later in the year. The Stephen Fry-hosted series aired on both BBC Four and BBC Two between 2003 and 2008 before moving to BBC One in 2009.

Hurley joins Wonder Woman pilot

Liz Hurley has signed on to appear in the upcoming Wonder Woman pilot as a villain. The actress/model will play the lead character’s nemesis in the pilot for American network NBC.

Roasters confirmed for Trump

Snoop Dogg and Larry King have been confirmed to be a part of the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump this month. The rapper and former talk-show host will join Jersey Shore’s Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino and Roast host Seth MacFarlane in roasting Trump.