Categories Charity Gallery Merchandise Old Friends Philanthropy Print Media Theatre Trailer Video

Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends Concert Recording to be Released This Week

Live Recording on CD Set

by Alex Wood and Tanyel Gumushan | WhatsOnStage | December 6, 2023

A live cast recording of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends will be released in the US and UK this Friday, December 8, 2023 on a 2-disc CD set and digital and streaming formats from First Night Records.

The WhatsOnStage Award winning event, which took place in May 2022, featured a bumper cast of Michael Ball, Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, Petula Clark, Anna-Jane Casey, Rosalie Craig, Janie Dee, Judi Dench, Daniel Evans, Maria Friedman, Haydn Gwynne, Bonnie Langford, Damian Lewis, Julia Mckenzie, Julian Ovenden, Bernadette Peters, Sian Phillips, Jon Robyns, Clive Rowe, Jenna Russell, Imelda Staunton, Charlie Stemp, Gary Wilmot and Michael D Xavier. View photos from the event in our Gallery here.

Continue reading Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends Concert Recording to be Released This Week

Categories A Spy Among Friends Poll Print Media

The Best British Spy Shows to Stream Right Now

A Spy Among Friends

by Staff | Vulture | December 6, 2023

The small-screen British spy genre is packed with some of the most tonally diverse marvels under the sun — pick one show, and you’ll bear witness to a beautiful assassin stabbing a man to death with a needle. Pick another, and a guy is giggling his way through the silliest MI-5 training imaginable. Whatever your taste, there are spy gadgets, thrilling chases, secret identities, and twisty betrayals throughout this list of good ol’ fashioned espionage shows for your (incognito) browsing pleasure.

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Categories A Spy Among Friends Poll Print Media

Best TV Shows of 2023: Giving the Small Screen a Tweak

A Spy Among Friends

by John Anderson | The Wall Street Journal | December 5, 2023

It wasn’t a regular year, this 2023. Writers were on strike; actors were on strike. “Succession” lurched into the grave. Martha the Medicare Lady was making people crazier than they already were. And you know what? Shingles doesn’t care.

That said, I had assumed that this retrospective examination and contemplation of TV in the year ’23 was destined to be about the new. The novel. The innovative. Which is counterintuitive, to be sure: Television is a medium—or an industry, or whatever it is—that seems passionately dedicated to the idea that viewers don’t want to feel too passionately about anything, or have their equilibrium disturbed or their worldview assaulted. Hence the flourishing business of game shows, “unscripted” celebrity-reality series and nonfiction programming about serial murderers, which are always comforting to those of us not being murdered.

Continue reading Best TV Shows of 2023: Giving the Small Screen a Tweak

Categories Print Media Wolf Hall

‘Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light’ Casting News

Casting Announcement

by Staff | PBS.org  | December 4, 2023

Harriet Walter and Timothy Spall

Masterpiece PBS and the BBC have announced the remaining casting for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, based on the final novel in Hilary Mantel’s multi award-winning trilogy. As previously announced, Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips and Lilit Lesser will all return for the six-part series, now filming across England and Wales.

Announced today, Harriet Walter (Killing Eve, Succession) joins the cast to play Lady Margaret Pole, with Timothy Spall (Mr Turner, Spencer) as the Duke of Norfolk.

Continue reading ‘Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light’ Casting News

Categories Billions Locations Guide Print Media

Billions Season 7 Location Guide

Take the Billions Tour Around New York City and Beyond

by Damianista | Fan Fun with Damian Lewis | December 4, 2023

As I mentioned a billion times before, Billions is a dream show for me not only because my favorite actor is in it, but also because New York, from its landmarks to its city parks and to its quirky shops, appears as a cast member in the show! As someone who feels the only home she has in the world is the city that never sleeps, I particularly love it that Billions is taking over New York, the BIG film studio that it is, and shooting all over the place, from Manhattan to Queens to Brooklyn to The Bronx to Long Island and to northern suburbs. So I have put together this Billions Season 7 Location Guide as a loving tribute to my most favorite place on earth (and also to my second favorite place on earth!) and a heartfelt thank you to the show creators for writing a love letter to the city.

Hope you pick and choose and take your own Billions tour in New York City and beyond and give us feedback – especially if you know about a location that is missing in this post! Oh, and in case you missed Fan Fun locations guide for the previous seasons, you can check them out hereherehere, here and here. And please note that many show staples like Axe Capital HQ, Chuck’s Southern District office, or Chuck Senior’s apartment were all listed in previous seasons when they first appeared. ENJOY!

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Categories A Spy Among Friends Poll Print Media

Best TV Shows of 2023: A Spy Among Friends

Nail-Biting Espionage

by Mike Hale | New York Times | November 29, 2023

TV in 2023 was like synchronized swimming. Below the surface, there was roiling and churn. The writers’ and actors’ strikes wiped out much of the production year. The hangover from the corporate binge on streaming platforms led to cancellations and cutbacks. A number of hall-of-fame series left the air, with no clear plan of, as it were, succession.

But above the waterline, the dance went on. As usual, it was challenging to whittle down my year-end list to 10. (So I picked 11.) As usual, I am listing it in alphabetical, not ranked order. As usual, I made it a rule not to repeat shows from the previous year, and as usual, I broke that rule. (I couldn’t not include “Reservation Dogs.”)

Continue reading Best TV Shows of 2023: A Spy Among Friends

Categories Events Gallery Personal and Family Life Print Media

Damian Lewis and Children Attend ‘Wonka’ World Premiere

They’ve Got a Golden Ticket

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | November 28, 2023

Damian and his children, daughter Manon (who wore her mother’s dress) and son Gulliver (who wore his father’s famous mustard coat), attended the Warner Bros. Pictures World Premiere of Wonka at The Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 in London, England. They walked the red carpet as part of the VIP arrivals to see Damian’s former Homeland co-star Timothée Chalamet, who plays Wonka in the musical fantasy film. See more photos of their red carpet arrivals in our Gallery here. The film follows a young Willy Wonka, presenting a prequel story to the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It explores how the world’s greatest inventor, magician, and chocolate maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.

Other stars in attendance were Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant. For those who may not remember, Matt Lucas joined the FeedNHS initiative alongside Damian and Helen McCrory, a charity they started during the CoVid-19 pandemic. Matt released his Baked Potato Song to raise funds for the campaign. Everything’s connected!

Continue reading Damian Lewis and Children Attend ‘Wonka’ World Premiere

Categories Print Media Wolf Hall

‘Wolf Hall’ Sequel With Damian Lewis, Mark Rylance Sets Production Start for PBS, BBC

The Final Novel in Hilary Mantel’s Historical Trilogy

by Rick Porter | Hollywood Reporter | November 20, 2023

UPDATE 11/27/23: According to the Daily Mail, some initial filming took place Saturday, November 25, 2023 in Bristol. Filming on location photos can be viewed in our Gallery here.

After eight years, PBS is making a return to Wolf Hall. The public broadcaster will air a sequel to its Emmy-nominated miniseries, with Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis reprising their roles as Thomas Cromwell and English King Henry VIII. The series, based on the final book in author Hilary Mantel‘s trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, is scheduled to begin production soon. It will air under PBS’ Masterpiece banner in the United States and on the BBC in the U.K. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light currently has no release date.

The new season follows Thomas Cromwell as he navigates the aftermath of Anne Boleyn’s execution, facing moral dilemmas and multiple enemies. Cromwell somehow manages to escape the bloodshed unscathed. Although he can continue amassing power and influence, the whole display assures that nobody is truly safe in the King’s court. Cromwell is in particular trouble with no powerful family behind him and only the wits that got him there. The season will follow the moral dilemmas he faces as he tries to keep his head on his shoulders while still trying to do the right thing and steer England toward the future. Unfortunately for him, things are even more complicated than that with rebellion within the country’s borders, traitors abroad, and an invasion on the horizon. All the while, Cromwell’s fortunes are running out as he’s earned no small number of enemies who wish to see his demise.

Continue reading ‘Wolf Hall’ Sequel With Damian Lewis, Mark Rylance Sets Production Start for PBS, BBC

Categories Band of Brothers Poll Print Media

The Making of Band of Brothers (Exclusive)

For Veterans Day

by Phil Pirrello  | Television Academy | November 10, 2023

For Veterans Day, lead writer Erik Jendresen reveals to the Television Academy how he and Tom Hanks helped make TV history.

The road to Band of Brothers started on the set of The Green Mile.

That’s where, in 1999, Band of Brothers’ lead writer and supervising producer Erik Jendresen first met with his soon-to-be-creative partner, Tom Hanks, to discuss adapting Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 book into one of HBO’s most prestigious (and enduring) miniseries. Fresh off the recent success of Saving Private Ryan, Hanks and director Steven Spielberg (serving here as executive producer) teamed up with Jendresen to tell the harrowing real-life story of the soldiers of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, and the formative struggles they faced on the frontlines of World War II.

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Categories Billions Print Media Recap

From The Trader’s Desk: All’s Well that Ends Well

Billions Season 7 Episode 12: ‘Admirals Fund’

by Lady Trader | Fan Fun with Damian Lewis | November 3, 2023

And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few
I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I’ve come through (and I mean to go on and on and on)
We Are The Champions – Queen

All’s well that ends well. Was there any doubt that Axe, Wendy, Chuck, and the rest of the rebels would come out on top this episode? They have come through the fire and are all better for it. Even though I think we all kind of knew how the show would end, it was still satisfying. There has been many a series finale over the past few years that has had fans taking to social media and voicing their disappointment (think Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Lost) but Billions will not be one of those. This was a great ending and sendoff for a series and a cast of characters that had become near and dear to our hearts.

Back in October of 2021 at the end of Season 5, I wrote a farewell to Bobby Axelrod and to Billions, as it looked like Damian and the character of Axe had left the Billions building for good. After re-reding that post, all the sentiments still ring true. I encourage you to check it out (since it will save me from retyping it) while I focus on what I liked from “Admirals Fund”.

Continue reading From The Trader’s Desk: All’s Well that Ends Well

Categories Billions Merchandise Print Media

Wendy Rhoades’ Cartier Jewelry on Billions Season 7

Cartier Bejewels The Final Season of Billions

by Beth Bernstein | Forbes | November 2, 2023

Cartier Juste un Clou earrings in 18k yellow gold and diamonds; Cartier Juste un Clou bracelet, small model in 18K yellow gold and diamonds

For those who are both Cartier Jewelry and the Showtime series Billions enthusiasts, you will be thrilled to learn that Cartier (who has many film credits dating back to Hollywood’s Heyday) provided the jewelry for the final season of the show and the last episode which aired on October 28, 2023, The pieces were worn by Maggie Siff in her role as Wendy Rhoades, who from season one proved to be as powerful if not more so then the male characters on the show. She was hired by Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) to combine her training as a psychiatrist with an instinct and heightened understanding of human nature to help Axe Capital build its hedge fund from the ground up and worked as the company’s in-house performance coach to compel the team to ‘make more money’ for the company and step up their confidence.

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Categories Billions Poll Print Media

Billions MVPs: Season 7 Episode 12, Series Finale “Admirals Fund”

The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs

by Staff | Fan Fun with Damian Lewis | November 1, 2023

Billions has sadly come to an end and so has our MVP series! Here are the final season seven Most Valuable Players for Billions to complete our series compilation, the ‘Billions MVP Fanbook.’ For one last time we commemorate all those in honor of achievement for the utmost brazen, uber shameless, ultra scheming, unmatched bad asses from the episode – from sports references, music and tasty food to pop culture remarks, shocking twists and ultimate paybacks. In case you missed it, catch up with the MVPs of the season seven premiere Tower of London, episode two Original Sin, episode three Winston Dick Energy, episode four Hurricane Rosie, episode five The Gulag Archipelagoepisode six The Man in the Olive Drab T-Shirt, episode seven DMV, episode eight The Owl, episode nine Game Theory Optimal, episode ten Enemies List and episode eleven Axe Global.

As you probably guessed there was a lot to unpack in the series finale, and the amount of awards bestowed reflects that. Now let’s dive in one last time. Here are the Billions MVP awards for Season 7, Episode 12, series finale “Admirals Fund.”

Continue reading Billions MVPs: Season 7 Episode 12, Series Finale “Admirals Fund”