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Tag: Ricky Gervais

  • Viacom18 kicks off the international award season in 2018 with the 75th Golden Globe Awards

    Viacom18 kicks off the international award season in 2018 with the 75th Golden Globe Awards

    MUMBAI: As the New Year brings about a new season of International awards; Viacom18 is all set to bring the best of them on their channels. Viacom18 commences the year with the 75th Golden Globe Awards; where viewers will see the best of American Film & Television compete for the most coveted award in the industry. The star-studded evening, along with superbly impressive and power packed performances will air on channels across the English Entertainment cluster under Viacom18’s banner, on January 8, 2018.

    The 75th year of the awards will also witness a special celebration, as Will & Grace stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing host a two-hour long, star studded Golden Globes: 75th Anniversary Special a day prior to the grand awards night. A nostalgic walk down memory lane; the special will relive the best moments across the last 74 years of the Golden Globe Awards, and will feature Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and many more. Viacom18’s English Entertainment channels will simulcast the anniversary special for Indian viewers, on January 7, 2018. 

    This year, leading the pack with seven nominations is The Shape Of Water, closely followed by The Post and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing in the movie category. The Shape Of Water dominates the nominations with contenders across three categories- Best Picture, Director and Best Actress. While in the TV category, Big Little Lies leads with 6 nominations, shows from COLORS INFINITY like The Good Doctor, Fargo, Better Call Saul, Mr. Robot; and Comedy Central hit series, Will & Grace, are also in race for the coveted title.  Crediting her incredible impact on the world of entertainment, philanthropist, producer and actress, Oprah Winfrey will receive the coveted Cecil B. DeMille Award.

    Following the legacy of Jimmy Fallon, Ricky Gervais, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey, the renowned comedian and commentator, Seth Meyers, will host the awards.

    Commenting on the simulcast of the Golden Globe Awards, Viacom18, Programming Head – English Entertainment, Hashim D’Souza shared, “In our continuous effort to bring the best of English content on our channels this year, we are thrilled to kick start January with one of the most prestigious awards, airing simultaneously across all our English Entertainment channels. With a delightful mix of acclaimed TV shows, movies and music, the excitement generated by the Golden Globe Awards is unparalleled. We aim to make the experience even more exhilarating through on-ground integrations planned for our consumers”

    To make the experience more gratifying for viewers, Vh1 is celebrating the glamour of the night with special red-carpet nights & split trivia nights at nightspots across 15+ cities. In addition, specially curated playlists, gym workouts and styling sessions at salons with bloggers are being curated to get the audience ready to kick off the awards season.

  • Ricky Gervais to return as host of Golden Globe Awards

    Ricky Gervais to return as host of Golden Globe Awards

    MUMBAI: Returning to the same stage where he brought his acerbic sense of humor to Hollywood, Ricky Gervais has been named host of the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, set for 10 January, 2016.

     
    The three-hour ceremony serves as the official kick-off to awards season and will be aired live on NBC in the US.

     
    “We’re excited to have Ricky Gervais back to host the most enjoyable awards show of the season in his own inimitable way. Disarming and surprising, Ricky is ready to honor – and send up – the best work of the year in film and television. Fasten your seats belts,” said NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt.

    “Ricky Gervais left us with a lasting impression and we are thrilled to have him back in our show as we honor the best in film and television. His off-the-cuff wit and quirky charm will surely have the room and audiences around the world at the edge of their seats,” said Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Lorenzo Soria. 

    “What will he say? What will he do? We can’t wait to find out, and we are so happy that he’s back!,” said 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards executive producer and dick clark productions EVP – television Barry Adelman.

    Gervais hosted the Globes for three consecutive years (2010-12) when the network registered ratings gains from the previous two telecasts. Over that 2010-12 span, the Golden Globes averaged a 5.2 rating in the 18-49 demo and 17 million viewers overall, which was a six per cent increase from the 2009 telecast in the demo and 14 per cent or 2.1 million persons in total viewers (17 million vs. 14.9 million).

    A winner of seven BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globes and two Emmys, Gervais remains one of the most talented and respected comedian-actors working today. He created and currently stars in the Netflix series Derek, for which he has been Emmy nominated for two consecutive years.

    Gervais first introduced himself to global audiences with his 2001 British TV hit The Office, in which he starred as his tragic creation, David Brent. He has also starred in shows like Extras, Life’s Too Short and The Ricky Gervais Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Louie, Sesame Street, The Simpsons and Family Guy.

     
    On the film side, Gervais co-starred in several features, including the Night at the Museum franchise, Muppets Most Wanted, Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying, and is currently putting final touches to Special Correspondents, which he wrote and co-directed.

    As a stand-up comedian, Gervais has sold over two million tickets in arenas around the world. He is also the author of the popular children’s book series Flanimals.

    Nominations for the Golden Globes will be announced on 10 December. Winners in 25 categories – 14 in film and 11 in television – are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

    Produced by dick clark productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards include both motion picture and television achievements.

  • Netflix to release Ricky Gervais’ film ‘Special Correspondents’

    Netflix to release Ricky Gervais’ film ‘Special Correspondents’

    MUMBAI: Special Correspondents, a new original feature film written and directed by Ricky Gervais and starring Eric Bana and Gervais, will debut worldwide on Netflix next year.

     

    With Special Correspondents, Gervais has written a hilarious, modern comedy in which Bana plays a struggling New York based radio journalist, whose arrogance and decadent lifestyle has hindered his career. With his job on the line he fakes front line war reports from the comfort of his hideout above a Spanish restaurant in the heart of Manhattan.

     

    “Special Correspondents is classic Ricky Gervais: smart social satire with heart. It’s the kind of great grown-up comedy that studios rarely make anymore, one that’s perfect for Netflix members around the world,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

     

    Gervais added, “Having shaken up the TV industry, Netflix is about to do the same to Hollywood. It’s great to be part of the changing future. Ted Sarandos is the new Godfather of entertainment and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

     

    The film is a co-production between Bron Studios and Unanimous Entertainment. Ricky Gervais, Unanimous’ Chris Coen, Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert, Manuel Munz and Larry Sanitsky will produce.

     

    Creator and star of The Office, Extras, and Derek, Gervais has won three Golden Globes, two primetime Emmys and seven BAFTAS. The Office is the most successful British comedy of all time, shown in more than 90 countries with seven remakes. Gervais, an award winning stand-up comedian, has hosted the Golden Globes three times and has written, directed and acted in the films Cemetery Junction and The Invention of Lying.

     

    Bana is one of Australia’s best known actors and began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before winning critical acclaim in the biographical crime film Chopper. Since then, Bana has starred in such films asMunich, Black Hawk Down, Hulk, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Hanna, and Star Trek. He has received Australia’s highest film and TV awards for his performances and will next be seen in director Jim Sheridan’s The Secret Scripture, Guy Ritchie’sKnights of the Round Table: King Arthur and The Finest Hours.

     

  • Netflix crosses 40 million subscribers base in Q3

    Netflix crosses 40 million subscribers base in Q3

    MUMBAI: Netflix has announced its third-quarter results. The OTT platform that has added 1.3 million US subscribers-11 per cent higher than the prior year Q3, now has a total US base of 31.09 million subscribers.

    Internationally, net additions were significantly up from the prior year at 1.4 million new members, driven by the company’s expansion to the Nordics and the Netherlands. In addition, there was a surge in low-quality free trials in September in Latin America that temporarily boosted the total member number.

    Together Netflix’ total global base is just over 40 million, a 25 per cent increase year-over-year.

    Netflix expects Q4 net additions to be approximately equal to Q4 of the prior year.

    Revenue-wise the streamer continues to show thinnish margins thanks to the amount that it spends on content acquisition, bringing in $32 million of profit on $1.106 billion revenue. In Q4 it expects to expand its contribution margin about 400 basis points year-over-year to about 23 per cent.

    “That means that sequentially our target contribution margin is slightly down Q3 to Q4,” the company said in its earnings statement. “As a reminder, we shifted our contribution margin target a few months ago from ‘100 basis points of quarterly sequential improvement’ to ‘400 basis points Q over prior year Q’, so we are right on target with our articulated margin growth strategy. Our $7.99 price is working very well for us for both membership growth and contribution margin growth.”

    When it comes to its content strategy, the original series get most of the headlines, but the company said that a bigger percentage of overall Netflix viewing is generated by its exclusive complete season-after series. During the quarter, it launched new seasons of The New Girl, The Walking Dead, Scandal, Breaking Bad, Revolution and Pretty Little Liars.

    However, original content remains a top priority, it said. “Over the next few years we aspire to support creation of some of the most compelling and remarkable content ever produced. Coupled with the flexibility of our internet viewing and power of our personal recommendations we will keep changing television for the better.”

    Orange is the New Black has been a tremendous success for the company and will end the year as its most watched original series ever and, “as with each of our other previously launched originals, enjoys an audience comparable with successful shows on cable and broadcast TV. We have seen sustained social media buzz in the months after its debut and it is also one of the most critically well received TV shows of 2013,” it added.

    In addition to Orange is the New Black, during Q3 Netflix launched the new Ricky Gervais series Derek and broadened its original content offering with the acquisition of stand-up comedy specials from Russell Peters and Aziz Ansari, premiering exclusively on Netflix in October and November, respectively. It also rolled out a second set of episodes of Mako Mermaids, our original series directed at the teen audience, and will soon expand into original documentaries, a category that does well on the Netflix service.

    “This quarter we will premiere our inaugural second season of a Netflix original series with the return of Lilyhammer starring Steven Van Zandt,” the company said. “We will also be launching our first animated original series with Dreamworks Animation, Turbo F.A.S.T.”

  • Mark Freeland to head BBC’s comedy division

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC has announced that Mark Freeland is to take up one of the key creative roles at the organisation as the head of comedy for Vision Studios.

    This area has produced shows like Only Fools And Horses, The Office, Little Britain and The Thick Of It.

    Freeland joins from Hartswood Films and takes up his post in September, bringing with him over 20 years of experience in TV and comedy. He will be in charge of in-house comedy production across all four television networks as well as radio comedy and entertainment, working with some of Britian’s most acclaimed producers, writers and performers.

    Between 2002 and 2005, Mark was head of comedy commissioning at the BBC, and responsible for commissioning, executive producing and developing comedy across the four BBC channels – working closely with in-house and independent production teams. Series included Nighty Night, The Catherine Tate Show and The Kumars At No 42.

    Freeland will take up his job at BBC Television Centre on 3 September, replacing Jon Plowman who last month announced he was stepping down to return to programme-making with the BBC after 14 years at the helm.

    BBC Vision chief creative officer Peter Salmon said, “Mark is stepping into one of the great jobs in British TV and radio. He is a much respected figure in the industry and brings with him a wealth of experience and relationships from across the UK production sector that will prove vital for one of the key creative jobs in the entire BBC. Under Mark, comedy will continue to grow as one of the powerhouses of in-house BBC production.”

    BBC Comedy Studio is currently making a wide range of programmes for all networks from the likes of Jam And Jerusalem and The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle from the pen of Jennifer Saunders, a Christmas special of Extras from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, a second series of That Mitchell And Webb Look for BBC Two, to newer titles like Spacehopper and The Visit.

    Freeland said, “I am very excited to be going back to the BBC as head of comedy. I am looking forward to leading a department that has an incredible heritage, an exciting present and a future of outstanding potential.I wish I could have it both ways, as I am enormously grateful to Hartswood Films and will miss the Vertues’ unique talent, experience and generous guidance.”

  • Online video boom starting to affect TV viewing: BBC Study

    Online video boom starting to affect TV viewing: BBC Study

    MUMBAI: People are starting to watch less TV as the online video boom grows, suggests a BBC News survey.

    Around 43 per cent of UK people who watch video from the internet or on a mobile device at least once a week said that they watched less normal TV as a result.

    Online and mobile viewing is rising – three quarters of users said they now watched more than they did a year ago. The BBC News Website is running a series of special features looking at the future of TV.

    The website’s survey also suggests that online video viewers are still in the minority – just nine per cent said that they did so regularly.

    Another 13 per cent said they watched occasionally, while a further 10 per cent said they expected to start in the coming year.

    But two-thirds of the population said they did not watch online and could not envisage starting in the next 12 months.

    In the survey, one in five people who watched online or mobile video at least once a week said they watched a lot less TV as a result.

    Another 23 per cent said that they watched a bit less, while just over half said their TV viewing was unchanged. Three per cent said that online video inspired them to watch more TV.

    Online and mobile video is far more popular among the young, with 28 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 saying they watched more than once each week.

    An average of 10 per cent aged 25 to 44 were net video regulars, with that figure falling to just 4% of over-45s.

    Earlier this year, media regulator Ofcom said that the number of 16 to 24-year-olds watching TV in an average day had dropped 2.9% between 2003 and 2005.

    Comedian Ricky Gervais, whose audio and video podcasts have become hits on the web, said amateur video would never replace TV – but broadcasters would harness the power of the internet.

    “You can’t knock up an episode of The Sopranos or 24 on a little handheld digital camera,” he told the BBC News website.

    “I don’t think you’ll ever be able to sidestep TV or DVD. But TV companies will embrace it.”

    The choice offered by new platforms was “exciting”, he said, and any future developments depended on how many people started using the technology.

    “I’m sure when the BBC first launched, they were going: ‘Ah, not many people have got tellies. Who’s watching this?’ So it’s good to get your act together. And then people catch up with the know-how and the means to watch it.”

  • Star World unveils programme line up for the Diwali month

    Star World unveils programme line up for the Diwali month

    MUMBAI: From a special Halloween horror fest to all-new seasons of popular shows, Star World is leaving no stones unturned to get its share of the viewership this Diwali.

    The channel presents Robbie Williams- A Close Encounter on 7 October, the show that broke the Guinness Book Of World Records for the fastest and largest number of concert tickets ever sold in one day – 1.6 million in 24 hours, states an official release.

    Simi Garewal will profile choreographer Farah Khan with her husband Shirish Kunder on 22 October and Aishwarya Rai on 29 October on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.

    Star World then has the comedy programme Must Sceam TV on 29 October. On 8 October, series 4 of Parkinson kicks off with a look back at some of Series 3’s highlights whose guests include James Blunt, Antonio Banderas, Ricky Gervais, Susan Sarandon, Robbie Williams and Stevie Wonder.

  • BBC looks to take hit comedies to big screen

    BBC looks to take hit comedies to big screen

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC is looking to turn its comedy shows into feature films. Kenton Allen, an Oscar-winning producer who produced this year’s Academy award winning short film Six Shooter will lead the development initiative for the comedy department that produces shows like Little Britain, Extras, Ideal and Funland.

    Alongside exploring the potential to develop existing brands into feature films, Kenton Allen and the Comedy team will also work with a wide variety of writers and writer/performers to develop feature films. Allen said, “Many of the comedy talent we work with ultimately want to paint on a bigger canvas, and this relationship with BBC Films means that we can now offer them that opportunity.

    “From initial development in Radio and the Internet, through Television and on to Film, BBC Comedy can offer the best comedy talent the best possible development path for their work.

    “BBC Comedy has a fine tradition of developing iconic comic voices from Ronnie Barker to Ricky Gervais and I’m confident that this opportunity will lead to some truly original film making.”

    BBC Films head David Thompson said: “I am very excited about working with Kenton and The BBC Comedy team. Comedy is very much a target area for us at the moment, with several interesting projects in development, the recent successful releases of Debbie Isitt’s Confetti and Michael Winterbottom’s A Cock & Bull Story.”

  • ‘The Office’ creator Gervais hits out at the quality of British television

    ‘The Office’ creator Gervais hits out at the quality of British television

    MUMBAI: The creator of BBC’s sitcom The Office Ricky Gervais has come down heavily on the state of entertainment on British television.

    He says that most shows are lacklustre and tired.

    Media reports indicate that Gervais considers US television programming to be of a far greater standard. He says that American writers and programmers show an appetite that is not present in Britain. He praised American writers for being good, funny and ambitious.

    He cites shows like 24, CSI as being examples of creativity. Britain, he laments, does not have comparable shows. The reason he says for this is the fact that American television does not tolerate hack writers. If they are no good they are out of the picture.

  • ‘The Simpsons’ to have live title sequence

    ‘The Simpsons’ to have live title sequence

    MUMBAI: A live-action main title sequence of The Simpsons will be unveiled on 26 March on US broadcaster Fox.

    The live-action show opening is a homage to American television’s longest-running sitcom. From the Simpsons parting through the clouds to the infamous Bart writing on the chalkboard, Homer pulling the nuclear rod out of his shirt, Maggie scanned at the supermarket and the always-anticipated ‘couch gag’ conclusion, the live-action opening mirrors each element of the animated sequence.

    The greatest attention to detail was paid in this recreation by a British team, as conceived and commissioned by the UK network Sky One. From wardrobe to location settings to character mannerisms, it’s all translated with uncanny accuracy via real, flesh-and-blood actors.

    The show’s executive producer Al Jean says, “I am just amazed there are people who want to be known for looking like the Simpsons.”

    The centerpiece of Sky One’s new Simpsons campaign in the UK, the short will make its American debut in the all-new episode, Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife guest-starring yet another British import, Ricky Gervais. In the episode, Homer’s obsession with Lenny’s new plasma TV causes Marge to enter the family in a sweepstakes, where they win a prize to the Fox studio lot.

    Against Marge’s judgment, Homer signs the family up for a “Trading Spouses”-type show and is forced to take in a controlling wife, while Marge moves in with a beaten-down husband, Charlie (guest star Gervais), and his perfect son. Charlie quickly develops a crush on Marge, while she’s just trying to give him the strength to stand up to his own wife.