September 1940 finds the Halcyon catering to its well-healed guests as if the war wasn’t happening. As German bombers approach London, the kitchen staff is in full swing, preparing a wedding dinner and lamenting the lack of geese to use in the main course. Little do they know that the entre will soon be the … >
It’s now August of 1940 and Americans are leaving London—and the Halcyon—in droves. German propaganda leaflets are being dropped along the coast and dogfights are taking place in the air above the hotel. Rather than run for cover, the intrepid Brits stand in the street and applaud RAF victories. Joe O’Hara’s boss has offered him … >
It’s now June, 1940, and the war is progressing from bad to worse. France has asked for an armistice and wealthy French aristocrats are leaving in droves, seeking refuge in the hotel. One particular French Count proves to be a particularly odious guest. The Count stirs up the kitchen staff, scares Billy (and us) … >
It’s May of 1940 and the skies above London are full of RAF planes as ITV’s new hotel drama The Halcyon continues. The “phony war” rapidly becomes real when the Dutch surrender and German tanks cross the Maginot Line. Conflict is brewing within The Halcyon and battle lines are drawn. Lady Hamilton observes Richard Garland … >
With Downton Abbey in the rear view mirror and the second season of The Crown in the distant future, we now have ITV’s The Halcyon to fill the void. And does it ever! The Halcyon is a swanky hotel in London where aristocrats, political leaders, and the posh set come to stay and play. It’s May … >
From Big Night Out and sketch shows in the 1990s, to Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) in the 2000s and House of Fools in more recent years – as well as their anarchic quiz show Shooting Stars – Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are one of the UK’s most successful comedy double acts. But Catterick has been … >
ITV has announced the cast for The Halcyon, a new drama set in a glamorous 5-star hotel at the centre of London society during World War 2. The eight-part series will star Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense) and Steven Mackintosh (Luther) alongside Kara Tointon (Mr Selfridge), Alex Jennings (The Lady In The Van), Matt Ryan (Arrow), Hermione Corfield (Pride … >
BBC One’s ‘kinda true’ biographical comedy drama based on the young life of Lenny Henry opens with cute nostalgia. A young Danny Fearon (Kascion Franklin) dancing in gold heels to ‘My Boy Lollipop’ cuts to an older Danny having the shit kicked out of him by Dudley’s cohort of oddly baby-faced teenage fascists. What’s expected … >
The first trailer has been unveiled for Lenny Henry’s upcoming one-off fictionalised account of his life as a working-class teenager in 1970s Dudley. Danny and the Human Zoo centres round Danny Fearon (played by newcomer Kascion Franklin), a talented impressionist, and his working-class Jamaican family, as he rises to fame as a stand-up comedian. The … >
‘La Couchette’ opens up the second season of Inside No. 9, and here you should stop reading if you haven’t seen the episode. A group of disparate characters have been shoved into a confined space, and they are not exactly ideal bedfellows. There’s a lot packed into what’s deceptively a gossamer-light plot involving a dead … >