Jon Hornbuckle

With Hollywood still regaining its footing after a 2020s it’d probably describe as a personal low, the field has been open for streaming shows to monopolise the cultural conversation. And this year it’s been well-established thoroughbreads that have been dominating our social feeds (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Bear, Industry, Bridgerton, Slow Horses), as well as some unexpected bolters (Baby Reindeer, Rivals, Fallout). And with a second run of Squid Game about to end the year with a big pile of bodies, the pressure to cram in eight or ten episodes’ worth of must-see TV is not relenting anytime soon. Our advice? Shake off the pressure to ‘see everything’ – it’s impossible, short of ripping a hole in the fabric of time – and find the shows that really hit your sweet spot. To help with this, we’ve taken a backwards glance over the best and most all-round enjoyable new binges, curating our definitive list of 2024 favourites. And as any fan of ace Aussie comedy Colin From Accounts will tell you: it’s not always about the number of Emmys on the shelf, as the sheer joy on screen that makes something worth your precious time. Here’s where to start. RECOMMENDED: 🎥 The 50 best movies of 2024🔥 The best TV and streaming shows of 2023📺 The 100 greatest ever TV shows you need to binge

Tom Cruise is back to save cinema yet again this week, with Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One crashing into your local picturehouse, multiplex or theater and unleashing another cargo of pulse-racing action. Cruise is back as IMF super-agent Ethan Hunt on the hunt for a mystery cruciform key that can access a world-changing (not in a good way) new A.I. called ‘The Entity’. The film opens at the bottom of the ocean with your classic submarine-in-peril sequence before surfacing and immediately decamping to some of the world’s most exotic, architecturally advanced and generally easy-on-the-eye locales. On the itinerary this time? Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi, Rome, Venice and Norway. ‘We wanted to make a bigger film,’ says director Christopher McQuarrie, ‘a more global film’. Well, mission accomplished. Here’s our ultimate travel guide to the globe-trotting action spectacular.

Actuar es un trabajo. Incluso en el nivel más selecto, los actores de Hollywood trabajan, aunque desde fuera no se parezca al trabajo que el resto de nosotros estamos acostumbrados a hacer. Y eso significa que, como nosotros, un actor hará algo simplemente para cobrar un dinero y después se arrepentirá. Un ejemplo: Dakota Johnson. Recientemente, en una entrevista con Vanity Fair, la actriz –que actualmente protagoniza la próxima adaptación de Netflix de la novela 'Persuasión' de Jane Austen– habló de la "batalla" que supuso la realización de la trilogía cinematográfica de '50 sombras de Grey' que lanzó su carrera. La elección de Johnson y su coprotagonista Jamie Dornan para los papeles principales, junto a Sam Taylor-Wood en la dirección, dio un barniz de credibilidad a estos blockbusters de literatura fetichista. Pero el producto final estaba lleno de diálogos torpes y escenas de sexo que daban vergüenza ajena. "Firmé para hacer una versión muy distinta a la película que acabamos haciendo", dijo Johnson. Johnson no es la primera actriz que expresa cierta vergüenza por sus decisiones interpretativas. Aquí hay otras ocasiones en las que la lista A de Hollywood ha echado pestes de su trabajo. NO TE LO PIERDAS: Los mejores estrenos del mes

Actuar és una feina. Fins i tot en el nivell més selecte, els actors de Hollywood treballen, encara que des de fora no s'assembli a la feina que la resta de nosaltres estem acostumats a fer. I això vol dir que, com nosaltres, un actor farà alguna cosa simplement per cobrar uns diners i després se'n penedirà. Un exemple: Dakota Johnson. Recentment, en una entrevista amb Vanity Fair, l'actriu –que actualment protagonitza la propera adaptació de Netflix de la novel·la 'Persuasió' de Jane Austen– va parlar de la "batalla" que va suposar la realització de la trilogia cinematogràfica de '50 ombres d'en Grey' que va llançar la seva carrera. L'elecció de Johnson i el seu coprotagonista Jamie Dornan pels papers principals, juntament amb Sam Taylor-Wood a la direcció, va donar un vernís de credibilitat a aquests blockbusters de literatura fetitxista. Però el producte final estava ple de diàlegs maldestres i escenes de sexe que feien vergonya aliena. "Vaig signar per fer una versió molt diferent de la pel·lícula que vam acabar fent", va dir Johnson. Johnson no és la primera actriu que expressa certa vergonya per les decisions interpretatives. Aquí hi ha altres ocasions en què la llista A de Hollywood ha malparlat de la seva feina. NO T'HO PERDIS: Les millors estrenes de cine del mes 

Acting is a job. Even at the most elite level, Hollywood actors are still putting in work, even if, from the outside, it doesn’t look like the work the rest of us are accustomed to doing. And just like you, that means that, every once in a while, an actor is going to do something simply to collect a paycheck – and then regret it later. Case in point: Dakota Johnson. Recently, in an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress – currently set to star in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Persuasion – discussed the ‘battle’ of making the 50 Shades of Grey movie trilogy that launched her career. The casting of Johnson and co-star Jamie Dornan in the leading roles, along with Sam Taylor-Wood on directing duties, lent a veneer of arthouse credibility to the fetish literature blockbusters. But the final product was plagued with hammy dialogue and cringe-inducing sex scenes. ‘I signed up to do a very different version of the film we ended up making,’ Johnson said, expanding on 50 Shades author EL James’s insistence on having ‘a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen. Johnson is hardly the first actor to express some embarrassment over their acting choices. Here are a few other notable occasions when Hollywood’s A-list spoke put the boot in on their own work.

Death in Paradise is back for a fourteenth season with more murder, mojitos and idyllic sun-drenched. Two things will be true of the BBC crime series’ latest run: someone will die, and you will be exploring flight options to the Caribbean before the credits roll. EastEnders stalwart Don Gilet has stepped into the lead role as DI Mervin Wilson, the latest expat detective on the island. Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming season, the filming locations, the cast, and when the episodes are on telly. Credit: BBC Pictures / Lou DenimDon Gilet as DI Mervin Wilson in Death in Paradise When can I watch season 14 of Death in Paradise? Death in Paradise returns to BBC One at 9pm on Friday, January 31 and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The series consists of eight episodes, with the finale expected to air on Friday, March 21. Audiences in the US have to wait a while longer, with the series kicking off on BritBox on Wednesday, February 19. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of the drama that’s set to unfold.  Where is Death in Paradise filmed? Guadeloupe, a French archipelago situated between Dominica and Antigua in the eastern Caribbean Sea, stands in for Saint Marie, the fictional island of Death in Paradise. Guadeloupe consists of six small islands, with Basse-Terre the most prominent one used for filming the BBC drama.  Deshaies, on the north coast of Basse-Terre is the filming location for the show’s fictional fishing village location o

National treasure Sheridan Smith takes the lead in The Castaways, which has finally made it to British TV screens after it failed to impress critics when it debuted on Paramount+ in 2023. Channel 5’s latest thriller series sees the surviving passengers of a plane crash marooned on a remote Pacific island. As they fight for survival and face rising tensions and feuds on the island, back home their relatives search for answers and discover a much bigger conspiracy. Here’s all you need to know about the gripping drama that's based on the novel by Lucy Clarke. Credit: Marq RileySheridan Smith is marooned on an idyllic remote island in The Castaways When can I watch The Castaways? The Castaways airs nightly on Channel 5 with the finale episode airing on Thursday, 30 January at 9pm. Shortly after airing on TV, each episode is available to stream on My5.  All five episodes are available to stream now on Paramount+, with monthly membership starting from £7.99. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse at the action.  Where was The Castaways filmed? A large portion of the desert island scenes were filmed on the island of Fiji, which ironically was the destination of the doomed flight. Greece was also used as a major location, especially for beach scenes. However, they came across unexpected challenges with the idyllic country’s weather and the heatwave in July 2023.   Credit: Marq RileyThe Castaways was filmed in Greece and Fiji Producer Myf Hopkins shared some behind the sc

Christmas movies are as essential to the festive period as the food, the decorations and the family squabbles over the Monopoly board. Everyone has their favourite classic that demands a rewatch each year, but there’s always time to discover some new offerings from Hollywood and beyond. And 2024’s line-up has something for everyone, with cute ’toons for the kids, R-rated Christmas comedies for the adults, and romcoms cheesier than a Boxing Day Stilton. If you’re looking for a new Christmas contender, you’re in luck. Our rundown takes in the best festive films that are either available to stream now or will be landing soon soon. And there’s some real festive froth to tuck into.  Photograph: Chuck Zlotnick/NetflixLindsay Lohan in ‘Our Little Christmas’ Best new Christmas movies available now Dear Santa Here’s one just for the grown-ups. Jack Black stars as the devil in a Paramount+ comedy that sees a young dyslexic kid send his Christmas wish list to Satan instead of Santa. Satan leaves hell behind to grant the kid three wishes, leading him astray via wild parties and trips to the casino. Cue plenty of raucous festive chaos from the irreverent mind of Dumb & Dumber and There’s Something About Mary’s Bobby Farrelly.  Streaming on Paramount+ now An Almost Christmas Story The most family-friendly option on the list, An Almost Christmas Story features brightly rendered animation and clocks in at a spritely 25 minutes, which means you can tee it up to keep t

Wicked has cast a spell over audiences and smashed several box office records in its opening weekend.    Proving very popular, the movie event of the year raked in an impressive $164.2 million worldwide, with $114 million in the US, and over $50 million internationally, with Wicked still to open in some countries.    Those figures give Wicked the biggest opening for a movie based on a Broadway show, beating the worldwide opening of Les Misérables ($103 million) back in 2012. Photograph: Universal PicturesMunchkinland was constructed in a Buckinghamshire village   The movie has also claimed the strongest start to a non-sequel movie in 2024, and gives Ariana Grande the biggest US opening for a pop star, outperforming Lady Gaga's A Star is Born and Harry Styles' Don't Worry Darling.    It has also become the biggest opening ever for director Jon M Chu, composer Stephen Schwartz and co-lead actor Cynthia Erivo.   The musical movie has also bewitched critics, with director Jon M Chu's trip to Oz earning rave reviews across the board.   'Wicked succeeds because of some unreproducible, lightning in a bottle convergences - of director, stars, craftspeople, and high-status material,' enthuses Vanity Fair. 'Chu uses every bell and whistle possible to turn the stage show into a movie epic,' agrees Empire.   Read our verdict on Wicked here. Where was Wicked filmed? All the filming locations from the musical movie.

The ‘Paradise’-verse is expanding with another Death in Paradise spin-off hitting screens this week. Return to Paradise takes viewers on a trip down under to Australia, with the land of roos, marsupials and Kylie Minogue crossing over with the beloved crime drama. Here’s all you need to know about Return to Paradise. Where was Return to Paradise filmed? Return to Paradise is set in the fictional coastal town of Dolphin Cove. While there is actually a beach called Dolphin Cove in Australia’s Cape Arid National Park, filming for the series actually took place across the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Credit: John PlattReturn to Paradise is the second spin-off in the 'Paradise-'verse The area is situated to the south of Sydney, with the city’s beaches also being used for filming. Locations in the Illawarra region included Sea Cliff Bridge Austinmer, Stanwell Park, Coledale Beach, Thirroul Village and Wombarra Bowlo.  Not every key location could be filmed in  Illawarra, with the surf club  shot in Bilgola on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and DI MacKenzie’s house located in Avalon.  Director Mat King expects  audiences to be ‘excited’ by the locations. ‘It’s Australia, but not in a classic way. We don’t have kangaroos, we don’t have koalas. We’ve got sun and surf and blue skies, the beaches, the forests, the cliffs, but we’re not seeing the red deserts,’ he says. Credit: John PlattDI Mackenzie returns to Australia in Return to Paradise How to watch Return to Paradise? All

It’s time to paint your face green and grab your pointy hat and broom as Wicked makes the move from the stage to the big screen. Since its official opening on Broadway in 2003, Wicked has become one of the most popular musical productions in history. The musical then opened in London’s West End in September 2006 and continues to run in the Apollo Victoria Theatre to date. Finally a movie adaptation has arrived, with Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M Chu at the helm. Here’s all you need to know about the Wicked film adaptation. Credit: Universal PicturesPopstar Ariana Granda is Glinda in the Wicked movie adaptation What is Wicked about? Wicked is the story of misunderstood young witch Elphaba, long before becomes her evil older self: the Wicked Witch of the West, as seen in classic MGM musical The Wizard of Oz. Elphaba meets Glinda the Good Witch at school and after initially clashing, the pair eventually bond. The self-absorbed Glinda gives Elphaba a makeover to make her more popular among students.  As her magical powers develop, Elphaba is granted an audience with the Wizard of Oz, but discovers a sinister plot against the animals in the kingdom. Elphaba comes into conflict with almost everyone, except the handsome Prince Fiyero. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of the magic. Why are there two Wicked movies? Director Jon M Chu has said that spreading Wicked across two movies was a ‘necessary’ decision to avoid having to cut any musical numbers, characters, or st

Until I Kill You is the latest true-crime drama that brings to the screen the crimes of serial killer John Sweeney and his victims. Anna Maxwell Martin heads up the cast as Delia Balmer, who survived a brutal attack from ex-boyfriend Sweeney. Here’s all you need to know about the truth behind ITV’s latest crime drama. What is Until I Kill You about? Until I Kill You tells the story of Balmer, a hospital nurse who began a relationship with John Sweeney, unaware that he had previously committed murder.  As their relationship deteriorates, Sweeney’s behaviour becomes more erratic and violent towards Delia, culminating in an attack in which he admits to brutally murdering an ex-girlfriend in Amsterdam.  Let down by the police and the legal system, Delia’s life is put in danger when John is released on bail and makes a second attempt on her life.  Until I Kill You is based on Delia’s book about her harrowing experiences and the impact they’ve had on her life to this day. Is Until I Kill You a true story? Until I Kill You is based on a true story, with the story being based on extensive research, interviews and published accounts. The series is also based on the book published by Delia Balmer about her experiences. Several elements have been created for the purpose of the series, with scenes and characters added for dramatisation.  Some names had been changed for the series, including Dave, the character who strikes up a relationship with Delia in the later episodes. ‘We c

Until I Kill You is a true-crime series that stands out from the rest of the genre of serial killer thrillers, because one of the victims survived, and this is their story.  Anna Maxwell Martin heads up the cast of ITV’s latest drama that tells the story of Delia Balmer, who survived a brutal attack from her ex-boyfriend – and serial killer – John Sweeney.  Here’s all you need to know about the gripping drama, who is in it, where it was filmed, and how to watch. Credit: ITVUntil I Kill You stars Anna Maxwell Martin as Delia Balmer What is Until I Kill You about? Until I Kill You tells the story of Balmer, a hospital nurse who began a relationship with John Sweeney, unaware that he had previously committed murder.  As their relationship deteriorates, Sweeney’s behaviour becomes more erratic and violent towards Delia, culminating in an attack in which he admits to brutally murdering an ex-girlfriend in Amsterdam.  Let down by the police and the legal system, Delia’s life is put in danger when John is released on bail and makes a second attempt on her life.  Until I Kill You is based on Delia’s book about her harrowing experiences and the impact they’ve had on her life to this day. Filming locations for Until I Kill You. Despite being set in north London, the drama was predominantly filmed in Swansea, with just brief one-day shoots in both Camden and Amsterdam. The decision to shoot in the Welsh city was due to the fact that gentrification has changed the London streets since

Forget historical epics, superhero spin-offs, or shocking true crime scandals, when it comes to TV dramas, it doesn’t get more gripping - or worryingly realistic - as a political thriller that is grounded in reality. The Diplomat returns to Netflix later this month for a second season, after its debut run in 2023 broke records for the streamer.  Here’s all you need to know about the cast, filming locations, and the future of The Diplomat. What happens in The Diplomat season two? The Diplomat follows Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), the newly appointed United States ambassador to the United Kingdom.  Thrust into the midst of an international crisis, Kate must also juggle her deteriorating marriage to fellow diplomat Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), while finding her place in the global spotlight and navigating allies from enemies. Credit: NetflixThe Diplomat. Allison Janney as Grace Penn in episode 206 of The Diplomat. Cr. Alex Bailey/Netflix © 2024 Season two picks up just minutes after the cliffhanger ending of the first season, with the impact of a deadly explosion threatening to turn Kate’s world apart. A synopsis was released via Tudum, and explains: ‘A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters US Ambassador Kate Wyler’s (Keri Russell) world. Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and a team that split apart, Kate's worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the UK didn't come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government.’ ‘As she chases the tru

Posh toffs bonking on Concorde jets and plotting the demise of their enemies, all set to a bonkers 80s soundtrack with a stacked cast of British acting legends. We. Are. SOLD.  Disney has gone all ‘country set’ with Rivals, the latest series to prove that the streaming service is more than animations and capes. Based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Jilly Cooper, Rivals explores the seedy world of the British elite, with the drama unfolding in some of England’s most picturesque and idyllic country estates. Here’s the lowdown on Rivals, from filming locations to what critics are saying. Photograph: DisneyAidan Turner in Rivals What is Rivals about?  Rivals tells the story of the ‘ruthless world of independent television in 1986’. There, two powerful men – rakish ex-Olympic rider and Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black and his ambitious TV station controller Lord Tony Baddingham – vie for control over Corinium Television. Rivals is a ‘joyously mischievous rollercoaster ride, steamy in its love stories and packed with larger-than-life characters,’ runs the Disney synopsis. ‘Yet beneath the spectacle and fun, the series brings a 2020s lens to the 1980s, offering a raw exploration of a complicated moment in British history when class, race, sex, wealth and sexual liberation meant that, for the very privileged few, there were no limits to what they could achieve.’ Steamy and sensitive, then. Where was Rivals filmed? Rivals is set in the fictional town of Rutshire, located in the C

Thought Andrew Scott’s Priest in Fleabag was the sexiest thing to happen to religion? Just wait until you meet Adam Brody’s Hot Rabbi in the latest Netflix hit series. Kristen Bell and Adam Brody lead the cast of the romcom series that is based on show creator Erin Foster’s own marriage. Here’s the lowdown on the latest hit Netflix series. NetflixNobody Wants This. (L to R) Kristen Bell as Joanne, Adam Brody as Noah in episode 102 of Nobody Wants This. Cr. Stefania Rosini/Netflix © 2024 What is Nobody Wants This about? In short, the romcom series tells the story of an unexpected romance between podcast host Joanne (Bell) and ‘Hot Rabbi’ Noah (Brody) after the pair strike up an instant romantic connection at a party. Over the course of the season’s ten episodes, the pair navigate how to balance their different lifestyles, with Joanne deciding whether she will convert to Judaism to be with Noah, and if his family will ever accept her.  Who is Erin Foster? Erin Foster is the creator of Nobody Wants This and the series is based on her own life experiences and marriage. Don’t recognise the name? Foster is the daughter of music producer David Foster and former model Rebecca Dyer. A long-time TV stalwart on both sides of the camera, she kickstart her acting career with roles in Gilmore Girls, CSI, and The O.C., and later served as a writer on Ryan Murphy’s The New Normal.  NetflixErin Foster based Nobody Wants This on her own life story Is Nobody Wants This based on a true story

Industry follows a group of banking graduates as they navigate the trials of making it big in finance. While the concept of a banking drama might not sound immediately gripping, this is far from a humdrum serial of stocks and shares. It’s more scandal, schemes and sex.  The HBO drama is packed with cut-throat schemes, toxic masculinity, drug binges and nudity, earning comparisons to Succession, and while that’s a fair connection, Industry more than stands on its own merit with the murky world of London’s finance district. For its third season, Industry turns the pressure up to maximum, with the young graduates now fully fledged in their career and willing to stop at nothing to get ahead. Perhaps the best endorsement of all? Former PM and Goldman Sachs employee Rishi Sunak claimed the show was ‘too explicit’. Photograph: Nick Strasburg How can I watch Industry?  UK viewers can finally catch up on Industry, with all eight episodes of the third season arriving on BBC iPlayer at 6am on Tuesday, 1 October. It will also air on BBC One that evening at 10.40pm with weekly episodes. The third season of Industry launched for American audiences on Sunday, August 11 on HBO and streaming service Max, with episodes airing weekly.   Check out the trailer below for a taste of what’s to come.  Who are the main characters of Industry season three? Yasmin (Marisa Abela), one of the original graduates from the first season has risen up the ranks at Pierpoint, but a p