World premiere and general release dates announced for Horrible Histories movie

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans will have its world premiere at the Leicester Square Odeon in July. Set in ancient Roman times, the film will open on July 7th.

It stars Sebastian Croft as a Roman teenager forced to join the army then sent to  Britannia to quell the uprising lead by Boudicca (Kate Nash).

Alexander Armstrong, Nick Frost, Kim Cattrall and Rupert Graves are also in the cast along with The Thick Of It’s Alex Macqueen, comedians Lee Mack,  Chris Addison, Kevin Bishop, Warwick Davis, Lucy Montgomery, Dustin Demri-Burn, Dan Renton Skinner, Katy Wix and even Sir Derek Jacobi reprising his title role from I, Claudius. Also appearing are Sanjeev Bhaskar, Dave Lamb, Sarah Hadland, Jessica Ransom, Katherine Jakeways, Samantha Spiro, and Tim Downie.

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans will hit cinemas nationwide on July 26.

Alexander Armstrong to appear in Rotten Romans

Alexander Armstrong is one of the (many) stars appearing in Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans, which  features a host of well-known British comedy actors in starring and cameo roles.

Filming is currently underway. The producers say:

Shooting on location in the UK and Bulgaria, Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans will transport audiences back to Roman Britain and embrace the timeless madcap humour and tone of Monty Python with the classic cult adventure of Princess Bride.

Along with Xander, the cast will include Sir Derek Jacobi, reprising his iconic role as Claudius, as well as Nick Frost, Lee Mack, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kim Cattrall, Warwick Davis, and Chris Addison.

The story will focus on 16-year-old Roman Atti being forced to join the Roman army when one of his clever schemes falls foul of Emperor Nero. He is sent to "miserable, cold, wet Britain" where "the natives are revolting - quite literally".

Things go from bad to worse when Atti is captured by Orla, a feisty teenage Celt desperate to prove herself as a warrior. After narrowly avoiding a very sticky end in a bog, Atti uses his Roman know-how to help Orla save her gran who's been kidnapped by a rival tribe. Meanwhile a furious Nero is determined to crush the rebellion, led by Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni. Atti rejoins his Roman troops and discovers they are preparing for an historic showdown with the Celts at the Battle of Watling Street.

The producers tease:

Atti's brains could save the day but they could also spell disaster for Orla as the two new friends find themselves lined up on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans will be released in cinemas on the 26th July 2019.

Weak At The Top

Weak At The Top is a radio sitcom, originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005-6. Aggressive marketing director John Weak, played by Alexander Armstrong, has no morals and little brain. He is the Marketing Director of Smokehouse PLC, a global corporation which turns "food you wouldn't give to your dog" into snacks and other packaged and processed items. Smokehouse's actual products are irrelevant to John Weak, whose objects in life are to have the best car, bed the hottest women, and be top dog.

Series 2 of Weak At The Top is being repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra,  starting on Sunday 12th November at 11.30pm. One to catch up on, if you haven't heard it before.

Sarah Jane Adventures revisited

The first series of Doctor Who spin-off Sarah Jane Adventures, featuring investigative journalist and old-time companion Sarah-Jane Smith (played by the late Elisabeth Sladen), began on 24th September 2007, following a one-off special on New Year's Day of that year.

The show ran for five series, during which Sarah Jane and her gang battled aliens and saved the world. As well as a group of teenagers, Alexander Armstrong was on hand as the voice of alien supercomputer Mr Smith.

CBBC will be marking the show's anniversary by showing three episodes from the first series on Sunday. 24th September from 2.10pm. Please don't dismiss SJA as a kids' show if you haven't seen it before: it's genuinely exciting.

Weak At The Top

John Weak is an aggressive marketing director with no morals and little brain. Lewd, alcoholic and chauvinistic, while charming the ladies he reveals a completely lackadaisical attitude toward his work.

Originally broadcast in 2005, the radio sitcom version of  Guy Browning's books starred Alexander Armstrong as John Weak, along with Geoffrey Whitehead, Clare Perkins, and Ron Cook. 

The shows are being repeated on Radio 4 Extra, starting on Wednesday 17th May at 11.30pm.

Alexander Armstrong's second appearance on Drunk History

Following Alexander Armstrong's appearance as Bomber Harris in the first episode of this series of Drunk History, he will appear again in episode six as King Alfred, at 10pm on 12th April on Comedy Central, acting out the inebriated narration of Adam Buxton alongside Blake Harrison.

Xander's appearance in episode 1 was very funny. I'm looking forward to episode 6.

The Sound of Music Live nominated for RTS Award

The Sound of Music Live, starring Kara Tointon, Julian Ovenden, Alexander Armstrong, and Katherine Kelly, has been nominated for a Royal Television Society Award, in the Live Event category. The other nominees are Stand Up To Cancer and the BBC's coverage of the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

The Awards Ceremony is on Tuesday 21st March. We wish The Sound of Music Live well.

Alexander Armstrong's episode of Drunk History

Alexander Armstrong's first episode of Drunk History will be shown on Wednesday 8th March at 10pm, on Comedy Central. He'll be acting in the story of the Dambusters, as told by an inebriated Joel Domnett. Hopefully it'll be on YouTube afterwards, for those without access to Comedy Central.

Alexander Armstrong's Drunk History

Alexander Armstrong will be part of the new series of Drunk History, which starts on Comedy Central on Wednesday March 8th. The format consists of comedians trying to recall historical events while intoxicated, with the resultant misremembered facts illustrated by actors lip-syncing to the words. It's very funny.

The line-up of comedians for this series includes Daniel Sloss, Joe Lycett and Adam Hess. As well as Xander, other actors taking part include Michelle Keegan, Katy Brand, and Emma Bunton.

The Sound of Music (a bit less) Live

Last year's splendid Sound of Music Live is repeated on Christmas Eve at 3.50pm on ITV3, followed at 6.30pm by The Making of Sound of Music Live.

Alexander Armstrong plays music promoter Max Detweiler. The production also stars Kara Tointon, Julian Ovenden, Katherine Kelly, and Maria Friedman.

A must to get you in the seasonal mood!

Hunderby

Sky has been repeating series 1 of the macabre comedy Hunderby, which features Alexander Armstrong as the perverted priest Brother Joseph.

Sky subscribers can catch up on the series on Sky Go. Highly recommended for those with a dark sense of humour.

A Midsomerly Murders Night’s Dream is out on Friday

The first part of A Midsomerly Murders Night's Dream, Classic FM's main event for this year's Make Some Noise Day, will be released on Friday 4th October.

Make Some Noise is the charity of Global, the parent company of Classic FM. It supports small projects working with disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. Events go on all year round, but this year's main Make Some Noise Day is October 4th: Classic FM's chief contribution is a murder mystery radio play involving all their presenters.

A Midsomerly Murd’rous, the only village in the county of Midsomerly never to have been scandalised by murder, is abuzz with the big event being organised by Phil Hall (played by Alexander Armstrong) for the former Lord Theo Rhys (played by Alan Titchmarsh) for his marriage to his love Polly (played by Charlotte Green).

The story unfolds surrounding the suspicious death of Punk, the pantomime horse. Several people are in the frame including Mr Trunchbull, the estate agent (played by Bill Turnbull), Eggerton, the new lord of the Manor (Aled Jones) even Cotswold Manchebo, or the cheese shop owner (played by Alex James).

Detective Inspector Baxter Carter (John Suchet) and his sidekick Sergeant Brock Fugue (Nicholas Owen) traipse this formerly sleepy village from house to house in their quest to discover the truth, with the help of the new coroner….

A Midsomerly Murders Night's Dream will be issued in two instalments.  You can register to be alerted when it is released. Instalments cost £5 each for Make Some Noise.

A Midsomerly Murders Night’s Dream

Make Some Noise is the charity of Global, which is the parent company of Classic FM. It works to help small projects supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

It raises money all year long, but its big fundraising day this year is on 4th October. All Global's radio stations will be putting on special events: Classic FM's is 'a hilarious murder-mystery radio play' called A Midsomerly Murders Night’s Dream.

The plot:

A Midsomerly Murd’rous, the only village in the county of Midsomerly never to have been scandalised by murder, is abuzz with the big event being organised by Phil Hall (played by Alexander Armstrong) for the former Lord Theo Rhys (played by Alan Titchmarsh) for his marriage to his love Polly (played by Charlotte Green).

The story unfolds surrounding the suspicious death of Punk, the pantomime horse. Several people are in the frame including Mr Trunchbull, the estate agent (played by Bill Turnbull), Eggerton, the new lord of the Manor (Aled Jones) even Cotswold Manchebo, or the cheese shop owner (played by Alex James).

Detective Inspector Baxter Carter (John Suchet) and his sidekick Sergeant Brock Fugue (Nicholas Owen) traipse this formerly sleepy village from house to house in their quest to discover the truth, with the help of the new coroner….

 A Midsomer's Murders Night's Dream will be issued in two instalments in the first week of October.  You can register to be alerted when it is released. Instalments cost £5 each for Make Some Noise.

Guardian BAFTA 2016 interview with Alexander Armstrong

The BAFTA television awards are on Sunday 8th May, and Sound of Music Live is nominated in the Live Event category.

The Guardian has published a lovely article, with photographic portraits of a selection of nominees, and short interviews about their favourite television.

I'll copy and paste Xander's interview, but I really do recommend you read the whole article. It's very good.

Despite an illustrious career in drama and comedy, Alexander Armstrong is not ashamed to admit it’s his role as the co-host of Pointless that has finally brought him to the attention of Buckingham Palace. “Richard [Osman] has a friend who recently told us that every day at 5.15pm, in the Queen’s private suite, you can hear the music to Pointless,” he grins.

Not bad when you consider that his foray into presenting was a “total accident. A producer I knew was adamant I try it,” he remembers, “but the thought of sitting in that seat scared me more than anything. I had a paranoid fear of being myself on camera.” Clearly he hasn’t looked back.

“Pointless is a joy, and I think the joy for the viewers is that I’m not very good at it,” he laughs. “I can only fathom that Richard and me being so clearly inept is a reason why people watch.”

Favourite comedy: I thought both series of The Wrong Mans were exceptional – well-executed and great fun – but I can watch South Park any day of the week.

TV crush: Tom Hollander – he’s never turned in a duff role. Watching him in Doctor Thorne and The Night Manager was sheer heaven.

Reality TV show you’d appear on: Grand Designs, for which I’d build something disgustingly old-fashioned that Kevin definitely wouldn’t approve of.

Fantasy TV job: Anything with an accent is always fun. Yes. I think I’d quite like to play somebody with a thick Scottish accent.

Alexander Armstrong does Shakespeare

Xander has done a beautiful performance of Shakespeare's Sonnet No. 116, Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments, as part of Classic FM's marking of 400 years since the poet and playwright's death. This sonnet became particularly well-known after it was used in the 1995 film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.

Particularly nice eyebrow work there, Xander, if I may say so.

A BAFTA for Sound of Music Live?

You may have seen Sound of Music Live when it was on last Christmas. If not, I recommend you search it out - it really was very good. Xander played Max Detweiler, music promoter and friend of the von Trapp family.

Now the show's been nominated for a BAFTA, in the Live Event category. Fabulous news! The other nominated shows are Big Blue Live, Stargazing Live: Brit In Space, Tim Peake Special, and The Vote.

The ceremony is on Sunday 8th May at the Royal Festival Hall. We wish Sound of Music Live well!