Multi award-winning actress and singer, Sheridan Smith, will headline her very own show for the first time, on ITV.on Sunday 5th November at 9pm. The lavish one-off spectacular will be hosted by Alexander Armstrong
In a celebration of her love of music and
performing, Sheridan, the star of ITV shows such as Mrs Biggs and Cilla – for
which she won a BAFTA Award – showcases exclusive performances of songs
from her new album as well as other musical numbers, all accompanied by a
live orchestra.
Sheridan also talks with Xander about her life and stratospheric career.
Today, 26th October, is the 10th anniversary of the day in 2007 when the first episode of Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller's The Armstrong and Miller Show was broadcast. It carried on from where their 1997 to 2001 Paramount and Channel 4 sketch show left off.
Now on BBC1 in prime time, the show introduced a whole range of new recurring characters, including filthy Flanders & Swann parody Brabbins & Fyffe, Divorced Dad (who gives entirely unsuitable advice to his young son), and Pru and Miranda, who run Dandy Lions, a spectacularly inefficient vegetarian restaurant in Hampstead. These sketches invariably end with the line: "Pru, It's kicking off!, at which point their customers (and their front window) feel the full
force of their pent up frustrations with each other.
But their most popular new characters were undoubtedly the WWII RAF pilots, who spoke modern-day street slang in cut-glass 1940s accents.
After their previous series ended in 2001, Xander and Ben decided to work together again on this show after having appeared together in a 2005
charity show at the Groucho Club. As Xander explained:
It was the
first time we had performed together for many years, and it was lovely,
really good fun. Because we'd worked together so much and so
intensively, we thought we'd done enough to last a lifetime. But we
realised how much we missed it and how the chemistry just worked.
Re-uniting suddenly seemed the sensible thing to do.
Ben added
Our
wives Belinda and Hannah were there to watch. They had never seen us do
our act before, and they encouraged us to get back together.
Since the last series of The Armstrong and Miller Show in 2010, Xander and Ben have worked together on sitcom pilot Felix & Murdo in 2011, but there have been no signs of another sketch series, possibly due to both men's busy work schedules. Maybe one day...
There's an unthemed Pointless Celebrities on Saturday 4th November at 6pm.
Lucy
Porter teams up with Rob Deering, and Rachel Johnson joins forces with
her father Stanley. John Shuttleworth unites with Dave Gorman, and Carol
McGiffin throws her lot in with Charlotte Crosby.
Alexander Armstrong will present A Very Royal Wedding, a feature-length documentary to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Queen's marriage to Prince Philip in November 1947.
Xander will discover how a battered post-war Britain pulled off the wedding of the century against the odds. Contributors include Joan Collins and Sheila Hancock sharing
their memories of the wedding, as well as revealing insights from those
who were part of the big day, such as page boy Prince Michael of Kent.
This was “the people’s wedding” and
Xander will meet the ordinary people who made this such a special
occasion, including one of the seamstresses responsible for the
spectacular wedding dress.
He will also see up close
recreations of The Queen’s exquisite 3-carat diamond engagement ring,
her beautiful wedding bouquet and her show-stopping 9ft high, 500lb
wedding cake.
The film features stunning colour archive of the wedding as well as The Queen’s private home movie footage of the day.
A Very Royal Wedding will air on Monday 30th October, at 9pm on ITV.
A group of stars from the world of soaps take part in Pointless Celebrities, on Saturday 28th October at 5.45pm.
Former
Coronation Street co-stars Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts) and Amanda
Barrie (Alma Barlow) join forces, while `Barry from EastEnders' Shaun
Williamson teams up with ex-Crossroads actor Paul Henry (Benny Hawkins).
Emmerdale's Chris Bisson (Jai Sharma) partners former village resident
Adele Silva (Kelly Windsor), and Hollyoaks' Gemma Merna (Carmel McQueen)
reunites with her on-screen mother Nicole Barber-Lane (Myra McQueen).
ITV have ordered a series of The Imitation Game, a fast-moving comedy panel show based on impressions. Team captains are Rory Bremner and Debra Stephenson, and guests will include Rob Brydon, John Thomson, Steve Coogan, and up-and-coming impressionists.
The information I've seen doesn't reveal the host's name, but the pilot was hosted by Alexander Armstrong. I was at that pilot, and he did his usual immaculate job at the helm, as well as contributing an excellent Louis Armstrong to the final sung round. The only reason I can think he wouldn't be doing the series is if he wasn't available. I hope that's not the case, and he does host. If so, ticket details in due course.
EDIT: I've now seen confirmation that Xander will be hosting. Hooray! The seven 45 minute episodes will be filmed and broadcast in 2018.
Pointless Celebrities on 21st October at 5.45pm features stars best known for their voices.
Brenda
Longman, the voice of Sooty's panda friend Soo, teams up with Doctor
Who's K-9 John Leeson, while veteran game-show announcer Peter Dickson
joins forces with Siri's British male voice Jon Briggs. Hollywood
trailer narrator Redd Pepper partners seasoned Big Brother commentator
Marcus Bentley, and The Archers' Felicity Finch throws her lot in with
co-star Emerald O'Hanrahan.
Pointless and Alexander Armstrong are nominated for the National Television Awards: please give them your support!
Xander is nominated for Best Presenter, as is Richard Osman; The Real Full Monty, presented by Xander, is in the Factual Entertainment section; Pointless Celebrities in the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award category; and Pointless is nominated as best Daytime Show. There are many other worthy nominees, but please consider giving Xander and Pointless your vote.
All votes must be in by 11pm on Friday 27th October.
Family Pointless Celebrities is on Saturday 14th September, at 6pm.
The
contestants include father-and-daughter actors Robert Lindsay and
Sydney Stevenson, singing brothers Merrill and Jay Osmond, married
comedians Richard Herring and Catie Wilkins, and Richard Blackwood and Sophie Mayers.
BBC Worldwide and CBeebies have announced the commission of a
third series of the BAFTA and International Emmy® award-winning
pre-school animation Hey Duggee.
Devised by the OSCAR nominated and BAFTA award-winning Studio AKA, S3
will see Duggee and The Squirrel Club return for 52 brand-new episodes, narrated by Alexander Armstrong,
to entertain and light-up the imaginations of little learners across the
globe.
Hey Duggee S3 is expected to transmit on CBeebies in autumn
2018 and will roll-out to other global markets following its UK transmission. Further new
episodes of S2 are anticipated to air on CBeebies this autumn as well,
including a Halloween Special, with more new episodes set to hit UK
screens in spring 2018.
