Remembering ‘Test Card F’ and Carole Hersee, the ‘test card girl’.

Known within the BBC as Test Card F, the iconic image was used on television in the United Kingdom and in countries elsewhere in the world for more than four decades. Like other test cards, it was usually shown while no programs were being broadcast. While I never experienced ‘Test Card F’ in real-time, I first became aware of the ‘test card girl’ during the British police procedural, Life on Mars, as the card was in use during the time in 1973 that Sam Tyler ‘woke up’ following a near-fatal car accident.

Read more

With the most beautiful cities in the world as a backdrop, ‘Us’ premieres tonight on PBS!

Quality drama continues to come our way on PBS as David Nicholls’ Us successfully skirted the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and is set to transmit beginning tonight (20 June) and next Sunday at 9:00pET/8:00pCT. Based on the best-selling, critically acclaimed novel of the same name by David Nicholls, Us stars Tom Hollander (Rev, Night Manager, Baptiste, Bohemian Rhapsody), Saskia Reeves […]

Read more

‘Van der Valk’ begins series 2 filming in Amsterdam

It just keeps getting better from a drama standpoint on PBS as Masterpiece recently announced that the Amsterdam-based series, Van der Valk, has begun filming their second season. Marc Warren (Hustle, Mad Dogs, Beecham House, The Good Wife) reprises his role as Commissaris Piet Van der Valk, and Maimie McCoy (All Creatures Great and Small, Grantchester), Luke Allen-Gale (The Borgias), Elliot Barnes-Worrell […]

Read more

First Look: ‘Ridley Road’ on PBS Masterpiece

Ridley Road tells the story of Vivien Epstein (Aggi O’Casey), a young Jewish woman who after falling in love with a member of the ‘62 Group’, rejects her comfortable middle-class life in Manchester and joins the fight against fascism in London, risking everything for her beliefs and for the man she loves. As Vivien descends further into the fascist organization her courage and loyalties are challenged.

Read more

Surprise! There’s more death in paradise on the horizon as ‘Death in Paradise’ begins filming S11

Series 11 of Death in Paradise has begun filming on on the beautiful island of Guadeloupe. While little is known, at this point, other than there will be more death in paradise, what is known is who’s back and who’s not for the newest set of whodunit’s on the fictional island of Saint Marie. For starters, DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) and DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert) are back to solve more crimes reporting to Commissioner Patterson, played brilliantly by Don Warrington, the only cast member to have established a permanent residence on Saint Marie from series 1, episode 1.

Read more

‘Father Brown’ hits series milestone with the filming of 100th episode!

Series 9 of Father Brown, an early 2020 casualty to the coronavirus pandemic, is headed to the unchartered waters that few television series find themselves — the staying power of 100 episodes. With the exception of maybe Midsomer Murders and Silent Witness, most dramas/mysteries either intentionally or unintentionally wrap up production after only a few series. As Father Brown begins filming […]

Read more