‘Brief Encounters’ review: Penelope Wilton steals the show in Episode 1

Developed from Jacqueline Gold’s memoir Good Vibrations: The True Story of Ann Summers, ITV’s new six-part drama focuses on the lives of four women who are brought together by the selling of Summers infamous ‘marital aids’ in Sheffield, 1982. “Terry, don’t be silly. It’s just underwear.” Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders, Episodes) heads the cast of Brief … >

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ITV confirms start date for Ann Summers drama ‘Brief Encounters’

ITV’s new drama series about the early days of the Ann Summers party plan business will begin next month. Set in the early 1980s, Brief Encounters started filming in Sheffield in January and is produced by Jo Willett (Birds of a Feather). The cast includes Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey), Peter Wight (Our Zoo), Angela Griffin (Lewis), Don Gilet (EastEnders), Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary), Will … >

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‘Brief Encounters’ trailer: First look at ITV’s Ann Summers drama

ITV has released the first trailer for its upcoming drama series about the early days of the Ann Summers party plan business. Set in the early 1980s, Brief Encounters stars Sharon Rooney, Penelope Wilton, Angela Griffin and Sophie Rundle as “four women striving to find happiness and fulfilment.” The six-part series is created and written by Fay Rusling and … >

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Cast for ITV’s Ann Summers drama ‘Brief Encounters’ revealed

ITV has announced the cast for its upcoming drama series about the early days of the Ann Summers party plan business. Sharon Rooney, Penelope Wilton, Angela Griffin and Sophie Rundle will star as “four women striving to find happiness and fulfilment” in Brief Encounters, set in the early 1980s. Inspired by chapters in Jacqueline Gold’s … >

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8 ‘Downton Abbey’ actors who’ve appeared in ‘Doctor Who’

As we approach the end of Downton Abbey, we decided to take a look at the stars of ITV’s period drama who’ve also been in Doctor Who…   Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley and as Captain Henry Avery in ‘The Curse of the Black Spot’   Iain Glen as Sir Richard Carlisle and as Father … >

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Our wish list for the final season of ‘Downton Abbey’

Downton Abbey returns next month for a final season. With the last ever episode due to air on Christmas Day, following eight episodes this autumn, we had a think about what we’d like the show’s many characters to get up to before they take their final bow. Cue the titles… Tom and Sybbie are off … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Christmas 2014 special review

This year’s feature-length festive special is brimming with the things we love: sumptuous dinner parties, carols by the Christmas tree in the great hall, and happily-resolved plot lines. Not a single dead body anywhere. The episode opens with the Downton crowd preparing to attend a grouse-shooting party at Brancaster Castle. Lord Sinderby has rented it … >

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12 hints for this year’s ‘Downton Abbey’ Christmas special

Downton Abbey returns next month for the period drama’s traditional festive special. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps until Christmas day (and we all know what that meant for poor Matthew a couple of years ago), but here’s what we know so far…   The episode will run for a feature-length two hours. … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ first look: Christmas special cast photo

ITV has released a new promotional photo for this year’s Downton Abbey Christmas special. Filmed at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the two-hour episode rejoins the family in the early autumn of 1924 and sees New Tricks star Alun Armstrong join the cast as Stowell, the Sinderbys’ butler. Jane Lapotaire (Blind Justice) also joins as Princess … >

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