Larcom

Inthisnewiterationandnewworld,theLeveragecrewhavewatchedastherichandpowerfulcontinuetotakewhattheywantwithoutconsequence.GrifterSophieDevereaux(GinaBellman),thiefParker(BethRiesgraf),hitterEliotSpencer(ChristianKane),andhackerAlecHardison(AldisHodge)havewatchedtheworldchangeoverthelasteightyears.Sincetheirlastjob,it’sbecomeeasier–andsometimeslegal–fortherichtobecomericherandthepowerfultosquashanyonewhogetsintheirway.Toaddressthechangesintheworldaroundthem,theteamfindsnewbloodinHarryWilson(NoahWyle),acorporatelawyerwhoislookingforredemptionafterrealizinghe’dbeensittingonthewrongsideofthetableforhisentirecareer,andBreannaCasey(AleyseShannon),Hardison’sfostersisterwhohasaknackforcomputers,robotics,andgettingintotrouble.

Settobroadcastintwoone-hourfilms,thisfamilytreatisinspiredbytheclassicbooksofBarbaraEuphanToddandispeggedtobetheTVeventoftheseason.MackenzieCrookhastakenScatterbrookfarmandtheinfamouscharactersofthiswell-lovedtaleandinjectedthemwithatenderandauthenticcharm.Thisistheperfectfamilyadventure,packedwithafun,mischievousspiritanddeliveredwithanenvironmentalmessage.MackenzieCrook,(PiratesOfTheCaribbean,Detectorists)whohaswritten,directedandstarsasWorzelGummidge,hasgatheredahostofbothaccomplishedandbrilliantactorswhoaresettoappearinthiseagerlyanticipatedadaptation.PlayingTheGreenMan,creatorofthescarecrows,whoarrivestoScatterbrookinepisodetwo,iscomedylegendSirMichaelPalin.Hesays:“It’salovelypartforme,butthewholescriptisverymemorableandtouching,andveryfunnytoo.Itquiteskillfullyweavesinsomethingforeverybodyallthetime.”ZoëWanamaker(MyFamily,HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone)willplaytheeccentriclocalaristocrat,LadyBloomsburyBartoninepisodetwo.Shesays:“Thewholethingissocharmingandinventive.It’sthesortofthingI’dwatch.I’msureitwillbeahugesuccess.Iknowitwill-it’sdivine.”VickiPepperdine(GettingOn,TheWindsors)takesontheroleoftheformidableAuntSallyinepisodeone.Shesays:“There’ssomethingforeverybody.It’sgotthishearttoit,andyou’dbehardpushedasanadultnottoengagewithit.”StevePemberton(LeagueOfGentleman,Benidorm)willplayMrBraithwaite,thefarmer.Hesays:“Thisisthekindofshowthewholefamilycanenjoytogether.Ithasalotofhumour,alotofvisualhumourtoo,andIthinkkidswillenjoywatchingthechildrenbeingcentraltothestory.”RosieCavaliero(GentlemanJack,CleaningUp)willplayMrsBraithwaite,sheadded:“It’sastoryabouttheimagination,andchildrenescapingintothisdifferentworld.Mackenzie’sversionistotallycontemporary.”OnestowatchIndiaBrown(HettyFeather)andThierryWickens(makinghisTVdebut)willplaySusanandJohn,twocitychildrenspendingtheirsummeratScatterbrookfarmwhoquicklybefriendWorzelandbeginasummerofadventures.Thefirstepisode,TheScarecrowOfScatterbrook,seestwoyoungstrangersarriveinthevillageofScatterbrook.It’snotlongbeforeSusanandJohnencounterWorzelGummidge,theScarecrowofTenAcreField.TheirworldissentspinningintoconfusionwhentheyrealiseGummidgecomestolife.TheonlypersonmoreshockedisWorzel,whenhediscoversthatthechildrenarenotinfactfellowscarecrowsbuthumans.Theirworldsshouldnevercommunebutfatehasconspiredtocreateanextraordinaryunion.Theseasonshavestoppedandtheharvesthasn’tarrived.Therhythmofthenaturalworldisoutofkilterandthisunlikelytriomusttrytoputitright.Magic,mysteryandmayhemunfurl.Thesecondepisode,TheGreenMan,welcomesanothermysteriousarrivaltoScatterbrook.TheGreenManisthecreatorofscarecrowsandkeeperofscarecrowlore.Heisn’tatallhappythatWorzelisconsortingwithhumans.Elsewhere,localaristocratLadyBloomsburyBartonisholdingafete,withaScarecrowcompetitionthatWorzelisdeterminedtowin.WhatwillTheGreenManandWorzel’smostcompetitiverival,SoggyBogartmakeofitall?WorzelGummidgeiswrittenanddirectedbyMackenzieCrookandisaLeopardPictures,TreasureTroveProductionsandLolaEntertainmentproductionforBBCOne.ItisExecutiveProducedbyKristianSmithforLeopardPictures,LisaThomasforLolaEntertainment,MackenzieCrookforTreasureTroveProductions,withrightsholdersPatrickD.PidgeonandEricS.RollmanexecutiveproducersforPidgeonEntertainment,Inc.ItisproducedbyGeorgieFallonandAlexMoodyistheCommissioningEditorfortheBBC.Furthercasting:FrancescaMills-EarthyMangoldTimPlester-ClartyColinMichaelCarmichael-SoggyBogartAndrewJamesSpooner-FlatAlistairPhilHulford-HannahHarrowTomMeeten-HMSOdneyChristopher-RobertBarlow-RagBagKiranShah-ChopperandRootBoundCharlieMayhew-RustleSprouterLucyMontgomery-JackiePuddingGusBrown-OswaldPollypopMalikIbheis-TrikeBenLangley-DriverMariamHaque-Receptionist

In1990sScotland,agroupofCatholicschoolgirlsgetanopportunitytogointoEdinburghforachoircompetition,butthey’remoreinterestedindrinking,partyingandhookingupthanwinningthecompetition.

　　Marg Duffield (Lee Remick) is the Maine wife of Al (Joseph Sommer) whose daughter Peg (Marlee Matlin) is deaf. Peg's husband is killed in a car accident on the way to visit the Maine house, and the Duffield's take in Peg's six year old daughter, Lisa, while Peg recovers. Since Lisa is a speaking child, Marg thinks of her the way she wanted Peg to be, and seeks guardian custody.　　Remick's role is secondary to Matlin's, though she is presented as a tragic figure, particularly as Al refuses to help her plan to gain Lisa. Peg's deafness is said to be from a childhood case of spinal meningitis, and the teleplay by Louisa Burns-Bisogno, with story by Louisa and Tom Bisogno, reduces Remick to a textbook mother who is self-hating from guilt and therefore cannot love her own daughter. In a memorable scene, Peg angrily signs her exit to Marg, since Marg has refused to learn sign language, though Peg has learned to speak for her mother.　　The treatment uses the Tennesee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, for therapy, to help Peg overcome her grief and also Marg `lose her unicorn horn' and embrace her daughter. Whilst Peg choosing to act in this play may seem an odd choice for someone grieving, what is more noticable is that Matlin is far too more glamourous to be believable as Laura. The Bisogno's include Michael O'Keefe as Dan, Peg's deceased husband's best friend and director of Actors Theatre for the Deaf, to offer Peg a new romantic interest, and thankfully she rebukes his protestations of love. Although his opinion may be influenced by his `crush', Dan tells Peg that being different is better than being normal, since the normal ones are as `common as weeds'. This philosophy reads as rather Nietzschean, on the level of artists not being restricted to the common moral code.　　Director Karen Arthur either has those signing also speaking or those signing being translated for the audience, though in one scene the sound of lapping waves drowns out the dialogue between Dan and Peg. She also gives Matlin some good moments, one being her scream of horror when she hears the news of the death of her husband, and another when she chases Remick down a flight of steps, hitting her.

A brief trip back home turns into a longer stay when Eric finds himself caught between catching up with his two sisters and conquering his old poker group. The more Eric extends his visit to prove that he is still the best poker player in town, the harder it becomes to steer clear of the old fault lines in his relationship with his sister Rachel. As their little sister Maggie attempts to recreate the intimate world they once shared, Eric and Rachel are faced with the divide between their childhood selves and the adults they have now become. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Displaying all the sensitivity and wicked humour of his previous works, Dustin Guy Defa’s new film is a shrewd study of the pitiless condition known as adulthood. After growing up in a family unit that constitutes your whole world, with its particular set of habits and a shared language, crossing the border into the realm of adults can feel disempowering, even terrifying. A sense of loss may be difficult to ever really overcome. The film’s meticulous structure and novelistic depth lay bare this fundamental fear, but also the resources that exist to fight it. Setting about this treasure hunt deep within as individuals and as a family is an admirable trio of actors whose interpretation is as nuanced as it is poignant.

AllegradreamsofbeingpartoftheElevenO’Clockmusicaltheatercompanyandbecomingthestarof"FreakyFriday",aplaythatconsecratedhergrandmotheryearsago.GrandmotherCocóisalivinglegendintheworldofmusicalcomedyandhasacomplicatedrelationshipwithherdaughterCaterina,Allegra’smother.Allegra’slifeiscompletelyalteredwhenshefindsamysteriousbraceletinherhomethatsendsherbackto1994,theyearCaterinawasherageandtookherfirststepsinElevenO’ClockwhilelivingintheshadowofCocó,astar.atthepeakofhiscareer.Bylearningabouthermotherandgrandmother’spast,Allegrawillnotonlyhelphealthewoundsandbringthefamilytogether,butshewillalsodiscoverthatwhilethepastcannotbechanged,thereisalottolearnfromit.

WhenKirbyLane’sSUVbreaksdowninthemiddleofthedesert,shemustovercomethedehydration,coyotes,andlurkingundeadtofindherwayhome.

AnexitingphantasmagoricalmystictalesetinclassicalSt.Petersburg.AgirlKsyushaisadoptedintoafamilyofawriterandanartist.Shefinallygotfortunate.Buthavingbeeninacaraccident,thegirlfindsherselfintheDarkCity,wherealongwithhermagicalassistantParamon,shemustovercomeevilwitchcraftandrewindthecityclocktostoptheWitchandherblackarmyfromtakingoverthecity.WillthegirlsucceedinfindingtheTimeKeyandrewindtheclock?Willhappinessreturntohernewfamily?

Chen Liping reprises her most popular role and is a teacher in this TCS telemovie. This time, she undergoes an ugly duckling-elegant swan transformation as she overcomes tremendous odds to become a role model to a group of notorious students. Also stars Bernard Tan (Chen Chuanzhi) and Lee MeiLing.

In an abandoned theater, French actress Marina Vlady recites from Borges' "The Immortal"... Japanese research scientist Shin Kubota sings praises to the "immortal jellyfish"... Milan Duomo workers subject the cathedral's exquisite statues to perpetual regeneration... Swiss musician/inventors Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer persistently refine their percussion instrument, the Hang... Native American community leaders Leola One Feather and Moses Brings Plenty preserve the centuries-old spiritual resistance of their tribe...Filmmakers Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti pay tribute to humankind's aspirations for immortality by showing us a portrait of our efforts to overcome our own limits. They share their discoveries in a visual symphony to the power and harmony of nature's elements: water, earth, air and fire. From Milan to Wounded Knee, USA, from Bern to Shirahama, Japan, the traces of the filmmakers' travels spiral into a symbol of perfection and infinity: Spira Mirabilis.