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Greatest Living Briton Is The Queen

The QueenThe Queen has been voted the Greatest Living Briton.

She beat Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Julie Andrews, Baroness Thatcher and Robbie Williams to the award at the first "Greatest Britons 2007" ceremonylast night.

The Queen was not present to collect the award, voted by ITV1 viewers, but her son Prince Edward paid tribute to his mother via a video transmission.

Dame Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar earlier this year for her portrayal of the Queen, took the prize in the Film category.

And David Beckham flew in from Spain to pick up the award for Global Achievement. The football star and Dame Helen looked delighted to bump into each other on the red carpet, with the film star exclaiming: "Oh my God, how exciting!" as they posed together for photos.

Prime Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown also made an appearance at the ceremony, held at the London Studios, where he presented founders of the company Innocent Drinks with the Business award.

Ricky Gervais landed the TV award, which he accepted via video in America - performing a version of his infamous dance from comedy series The Office. Designer Giles Deacon won the gong for Fashion and Duncan Goose, of Global Ethics Ltd, was chosen top Campaigner.

The ceremony, produced by ITV1 in association with The Sun newspaper and Marks & Spencer, was hosted by former X Factor presenter, Kate Thornton.

waveguide.co.uk

Coast Returns With New Series

BBC Two's award-winning series Coast – co-produced with The Open University – returns next month for the third time with eight new episode.

For the first time, the team visits the northern-most tip of the British Isles – Shetland – the Channel Islands, the fiercely independent Isle of Man and the south-west of Ireland.

The team also travels to East Anglia and the east coast of Scotland where they investigate Edinburgh's many links to the coast.

Neil Oliver remains the main presenter for the series and is again joined by Nick Crane, Dr Alice Roberts, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Mark Horton.
waveguide.co.uk

US film studios too powerful, says Scorsese


Legendary director Martin Scorsese today spoke out against the power of giant US movie studios as he launched a campaign to salvage "lost" films around the world.

The 'Goodfellas' director, whose hits have also included 'Taxi Driver', 'Raging Bull', 'Gangs of New York' and 'The Departed', said he was concerned that the large US movie studios inhibited domestic film.

Scorsese, 64, founded the World Cinema Foundation with film luminaries from Africa, Asia and Europe, including 'The Queen' director Stephen Frears, 'Pan's Labyrinth' filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and cult Chinese director Wong Kar Wai.

He told a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival today that counteracting the power of megalithic studios was part of the inspiration for the newly-launched World Cinema Foundation.

Asked about the ownership of cinemas by film distributors, Scorsese said: "This is one of the reasons why I helped try to pull this together, this network. I do feel that often the cinema of the actual country, the bigger studios in America show and have control over a great deal of many of the screens.

"I'm interested in diversity. I feel that it feeds cultures back and forth.

"This is one of the reasons that I'm pulling this together to give as much as possible a platform for domestic film around the world."

The World Cinema Foundation is working with specialist laboratories to restore unknown, older films that are in danger of lost forever.

Scorsese has already set up a US organisation along with the same lines with the likes of 'The Godfather' director Francis Ford Coppola, 'A Clockwork Orange' filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, 'Star Wars' creator George Lucas and actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood.

The Film Foundation restored 495 US films in 15 years.

But Scorsese said: "In America, 90% of silent films are gone. Things have changed but it's almost impossible to catch up.

He said: "We put pressure on the studios. So many American films have been neglected, they've lost their rights like orphan films.

"Things have changed, but we thought wouldn't it be great to try and do the same internationally, particularly with countries that couldn't get the support and finances to restore certain films.

"We thought wouldn't it be wonderful to pull our influence around the world.

"Some films take 10 years to track down… it's about the tenacity and the obsession of the filmmaker."

He added: "One of the key reasons why I tried to pull this together is that coming from a working class background in New York, my parents were not educated, they were not in the habit of reading books, I sought all my education from films.

"Foreign films on TV introduced so many different cultures to me."

He said of the importance of saving home-grown film: "When we influence each other that creates a new kind of cinema, once we begin to understand, have less a feeling of strangeness towards other cultures but a feeling of familiarity with other cultures, this can hopefully bring about greater political understanding.

"Even if we get it to the cinema the younger people will come to see these pictures. I know it".

"For every 100 films only 10 will be found and maybe finished.

"It's also about the ability of the labs to work. There's only a few that can do the lab work." breakingnews

Mr Cowell, this is your rich life


It is music to Simon Cowell's ears. The pop mogul will have doubled his fortune to £200million by the end of the year, thanks largely to the success of American Idol in the US.

Cowell, 47, will make about £50million from the latest series of the hit talent show – and has signed up to the series for another five years, which will net him £20million a series.

He also earns a fortune from the recording rights of all songs released by contestants who appear on the show.



Cowell, named Britain's 700th richest person in the Sunday Times Rich List, will boost his bank balance further with the sale of his production company, SyCo.

His agent, PR guru Max Clifford, said: 'He's got a Midas touch.'

Meanwhile, TV's Mr Nasty got a nice surprise during the filming of American Idol's grand final in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The judge, usually never short of an acerbic comment for hapless contestants, was left speechless when This Is Your Life presenter Sir Trevor McDonald produced the famous red book.

Cowell will be joined by friends and family on Sunday for the full filming of the show, when his life story – from dropping out of school aged 15 to becoming one of the most important people in pop – will be told.

But he did not let Sir Trevor get in the way of the most important part of the night – crowning 17-year-old Jordin Sparks the American Idol. Metro

Osmonds reuniting for 50th celebration



LAS VEGAS - The Osmonds will reunite this summer for a TV special celebrating a half-century in the entertainment business. Seven Osmond siblings — Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy — are scheduled to be onstage Aug. 13-14 at The Orleans Hotel Showroom, publicist Kevin Sasaki said Thursday from Los Angeles.


Tickets for the live shows range from $75 to $125.

The shows will be taped for "The Osmonds 50th Anniversary," which will air next March on PBS stations.

"At first it was just a tribute to my brothers, but it came together as a celebration of everybody. It's out of control," Jimmy Osmond, producer of the special, said Thursday.

"We started so young, you would think 50 years means we're a bunch of old guys. We aren't a bunch of old guys," he said, noting that family members perform frequently before audiences young and old.





yahoo

New Show For Crocodile Hunter's Daughter

Australian Bindi Irwin said today she wants her television show to continue the educational and conservation work of her father, the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.

“I’m proud to be showing kids that conservation and helping wildlife is a stack of fun,” the eight-year-old said at the Australian launch of the show, Bindi: The Jungle Girl.

“It’s just the most amazing thing that we could ever do.”

Producers said the show will feature Steve Irwin in scenes shot before he was killed last September when a stingray’s poisonous barb pierced his chest while he was diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

The series will screen on the Discovery Channel in the United States and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“I think he would have said ’Crikey mate, I couldn’t wait for Bindi to take over’,” his wife Terri Irwin said.

“Bindi’s been filming with us since she first hatched,” Terri Irwin said. “It was a natural progression to be doing her own shows, and Steve was involved with the first seven episodes.

“He really enjoyed watching Bindi doing and showcasing the wildlife that he worked with for so many years,” she said. “It gave him great pleasure.”




Mark Bolan Documentary

Waveguide - Mark BolanITV1 is to broadcast an hour-long documentary to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of T-Rex singer Mark Bolan in September.

Bolan was killed when a Mini he was travelling in hit a tree on Barnes Common in London.

Marc Bolan 20th Century Boy will include interviews with friends and relatives. including his long-term partner Gloria Jones and his son Rolan.



Loose Women

ITV has commissioned a year-long series of the daytime talk show Loose Women.

The current series comes to an end on August 10 with the new run starting a few weeks later in September.

As usual, the team of panellists will be headed by Andrea McLean and Jackie Brambles.

Regulars on the show include Carol McGiffin, Coleen Nolan, Denise Welch and Jane McDonald.




EastEnders Actor In Medical Drama

Former EastEnders' actor Jack Ryder has landed a role in the daytime hospital drama The Royal Today, it has been confirmed.

Ryder, who quit his role as the soap's Jamie Mitchell in 2002, is due to start filming The Royal's modern day spin-off this summer.

The actor will play ambitious charge nurse, Adam Fearnley, who proves a real hit with the student nurses.

Ryder said: "Adam is a great character and so different from my previous roles.

"I loved the scripts as soon as I read them and I’m really excited about the show. I can't wait to start filming."

Another former EastEnders' actor Paul Nicholas will also appear in the drama. He will play meticulous consultant surgeon, Mr Woods.

Nicholls said: "I'm delighted to be playing a consultant surgeon in a brand new daytime drama. It's been a while since I've played a regular character and I can't wait to get started."

The Royal Today's executive producer, Keith Richardson, said: "We are thrilled to have two such fantastic actors on board to join The Royal Today.

"The opening episode ends with a murder in the hospital, so there will be plenty to get viewers gripped right from the very beginning."

The Royal Today is due to be shown on ITV later in the year.


Yoko Ono Desert Island Discs

Yoko Ono joins Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4 - Sunday, June 10.

Born in Tokyo in 1933, Yoko Ono first came to prominence in the early Sixties as part of the avant garde Fluxus art movement. It was when she was exhibiting at the Indica Gallery in London in 1966 that she met John Lennon and her world was turned upside-down.

Now, over 25 years after Lennon's death, Ono has built up her own reputation as a visionary, experimental artist and musician.




New Jamie Oliver Series

Jamie Oliver is going back to his roots for a new Channel 4 series filmed at his
Essex home.

The 12-part series features Oliver using produce from his own garden.

With the help of gardener Brian, Jamie has transformed the garden of his Essex house, and discovered a passion for growing his own produce.

The series is broadcast in July.

waveguide.co.uk

Anger at BBC as Radio 1's Fearne Cotton given royal interview Mail

Ellen nabs 'Ocean's' role after divorce Mail

Baz: Matt Damon stars in tragi-comedy about US's Iraqi farce Mail

Less Blue Peter

Children's programme Blue Peter is to be cut from three shows a week to two, the BBC has confirmed.

The corporation said the move would "allow Blue Peter to concentrate on more compelling and ambitious content".

"The purpose of this reduction is emphatically not driven by cost cutting," it added in a statement.

Konnie Huq, who becomes Blue Peter's longest-serving female presenter in December, has also confirmed she is to leave the show next year.

Over the past year, Blue Peter has been cut from five shows a week to four, and then three.

A BBC spokeswoman said the cuts mainly consisted of "repeated and re-versioned content".

The show celebrates its 50th anniversary in October 2008.

May 25 2007 - waveguide.co.uk

George Michael Concert On Channel 4

Waveguide - George MichaelGeorge Michael's forthcoming concert at the new Wembley Stadium is being recorded for broadcast on Channel 4.

Michael will perform on June 9 for up to 90,000 fans and Channel will feature some of the footage as part of an hour-long programme charting the artist's personal journey to Wembley.

Michael performed at the old Wembley Stadium with Wham!, at Live Aid and at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert.

The show, which will be presented by Chris Evans, will include an exclusive interview with Michael.

May 25 2007 - waveguide.co.uk

hris Tarrant Cautioned

Chris Tarrant has been officially cautioned by police for common assault following an incident at a curry house.

He was arrested over accusations he threw cutlery at a fellow diner at a Nottingham restaurant.

At the time Tarrant said he was "bemused" by the incident, which resulted in four officers taking him from his hotel room.

He has accepted the caution and the case against him has now been closed.

He praised the police for the way they handled the situation.

May 25 2007 - waveguide.co.uk

Lenny's Britain
Lenny Henry travels the UK exploring what makes people laugh and how humour is used in everyday life, in a new BBC One documentary series starting next month.

In Lenny's Britain, he asks if British humour is distinctive and whether it unites or divides us as a nation.

Throughout the series (which is a collaboration with the Open University), Henry gets to know people all over Britain and looks at how humour is used in the family, at work, at leisure and in the community.

In the opening episode, Family Matters, Henry begins his journey in the bosom of the family, where humour is a way of dealing with everyday tensions caused by events including births and marriages, or even just growing older.

May 25 2007 - waveguide.co.uk

TV show gave Ozzy the creeps Sun

HEATHER AXED


HEATHER Mills has been dumped from a big-name US TV show after a row with its powerful host Barbara Walters, it was claimed yesterday.

The presenter, an American TV legend, was furious when Mills failed to turn up for an interview after her stint on Dancing With the Stars.

Sources say the estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney has been dropped from a week-long guest slot on Walters' morning show, The View.


But a friend said Mills turned down the show because she had to look after her daughter Beatrice.

Mills, 39, was meant to go on air and talk about her time on the hit reality dancing show.

But when she failed to turn up, angry Walters refused to work with her.

A clearly peeved Walters rubbished Mills to a live studio audience.

She said: "When I brought up that maybe everything she had said was not totally true, a whole other side of her came out." Mirror