A NEW period drama is in the works for Netflix, but it will revisit fan-favourite literary characters. 

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy could be coming back to the small screen – although the series still needs to be officially green-lit. 

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Journalist, author and Everything I Know About Love creator Dolly Alderton has put pen to paper once more and written the script for the series which is currently in development. 

If it does get green-lit, Pride and Prejudice will be Netflix’s first Austen adaptation since 2022’s Persuasion, which starred Dakota Johnson.

No casting for the series has been announced yet.

Many iconic Pride and Prejudice adaptations have been made down the years, including a movie with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen in 2005 – which has recently been added to Netflix – as well as the sensation 1995 version starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle which is now a beloved BBC classic.

Originally penned by Jane Austen in the early 19th century, it is a novel about love and class.

Pride and Prejudice tells the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, who eventually fall in love but have to navigate various obstacles as Elizabeth’s father seeks a male heir.

If Netflix moves forward with its adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, it could be set to rival the Beeb’s upcoming period drama, The Other Sister, which was confirmed earlier this week. 

The Other Bennet Sister is based on Janice Hadlow’s novel of the same name and follows the life and times of the middle Bennet sister.

The series will be brought to the screen by Doctor Who production company Bad Wolf as part of a 10-episode show, written by Sarah Quintrell.

The BBC is yet to announce cast members but has revealed a synopsis for the film, saying: “Unlike her sisters, Mary isn’t your typical period drama heroine,” it states.

“She is awkward, anxious, preachy, full of facts, a terrible singer… overlooked by her mother and seemingly destined to an empty dance card for the rest of her life… until Mary takes matters into her own hands.”

This time, Mary is the star of her own love story, as she leaves behind her home in Meryton for the bright lights of Regency London and the Lake District.

“I’m thrilled to be telling the story of Mary – the other Bennet sister – exploring what it is to come of age when you’re the odd one out,” Sarah added. 

Meanwhile, Emerald Fennell is also venturing into the world of period dramas making a big-budget retelling of Emily Bronte’s classic Wuthering Heights starring Barbie’s Margot Robbie and Saltburn’s Jacob Elordi.

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BBC iPlayer viewers are encouraging viewers to watch the nuclear war film Threads, often described as one of the most harrowing movies ever made.

The 1984 film was made for BBC TV by The Bodyguard director Mick Jackson and Kes writer Barry Hines, with Jackson wanting to focus on the scientific ramifications of a nuclear attack and its fallout.

Threads was first aired on BBC Two on 23 September 1984 at the height of the Cold War, when nuclear tensions were as prevalant a talking point as they are today.

Although the film revolves around the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, after the latter invades Iran, it predominantly focuses on the lives of a couple in Sheffield, England and how the war impacts their lives.

The South Yorkshire city was chosen due to the belief that the Soviets would opt to strike an industrial city in the UK and that the local council, at the time, had a “nuclear-free zonepolicy.

Despite having a budget of just £400,000, Threads was the first film to ever depict what a nuclear winter would actually look like, giving an uncompromising and brutally bleak outlook on the implications of nuclear war and the devastation it would create. It has been widely praised by critics and audience alike ever since and holds a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

It has only been repeated on BBC TV three times since its original broadcast, with the most recent being on 9 October, to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The film is now available to watch on iPlayer, with many encouraging those who haven’t seen it to watch it despite the heavy subject matter.

On X/Twitter, one person wrote: “Watching Threads as a youngster (too young really) was a massively transformative experience for me. If you haven’t watched it, you owe it to yourself to do so.”

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Another said: “One of the earliest films to not treat nuclear bombs as the end point. But instead focus on the horrors and hauntings that accompany surviving their impact. Rarely shown on TV, a must watch.”

A third added: “I beseech you, if you’ve never watched Threads before, make sure you do now. It’s only been shown 4 times on telly in 40 years and it’s a bleak, harrowing, but essential watch. Something you’ll never forget.”

Watching it for the first time, one viewer said: “Waking up the morning after seeing Threads for the first time… … Like all great art, shakes you to the core and makes you see the world in a new way. While the kitchen sink (antithesis of Hollywood) context makes it all the more terrifying.”

Speaking to the BFI in September, Jackson said the he still suffers from a type of PTSD brought on from making the film. He “For many months after the film was finished and done with, I would still have moments where that alternative reality would suddenly ‘flash’ into my consciousness – as if I were actually there,” he said “I guess it eventually faded but it still hasn’t quite gone.”

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In January, the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, prompted scientists to keep the hands on the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight for a second year in a row as scientists say “humanity continues to face an unprecedented level of danger”.

AN Outnumbered star is teaming up with David Baddiel for a new Channel 4 travelogue.

Fans of the hit BBC sitcom were left thrilled earlier this year when it was revealed the show would be returning for a long-awaited Christmas Special.

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And now, Hugh Dennis has joined forces with fellow funnyman David for a new travelogue on Channel 4.

The pair used to work on The Mary Whitehouse Experience back in 1990 alongside Rod Newman and Steve Punt.

Now they will be getting together for a very different reason, to cycle across France, with Hugh on his reliable bicycle and David on an E-Bike.

Speaking on ITV‘s Lorraine, David said: “I love [Hugh Dennis] and he asked me to cycle across France for this show for Channel 4.

“I said ‘well, you’re a proper cyclist, he’s cycled in the Alps, he’s done half of the Tour de France. I do not do that, look at me. So I said I’d do it on my E-Bike.

” He’s on a big racer with all the gear, I’m basically looking like this on my E-Bike and we’re cycling across France.”

David said he had a right laugh making it with his old buddy, joking: “Mainly, my bottom is alright.

“I didn’t know this, because basically I’ve only ever cycled into town from my house, which is not a long way, the thing that hurts is not your legs but your bum.”

Along the way they will be reunited with co-stars from The Mary Whitehouse Experience.

David teased: “See if you can spot Steve Punt and Rob Newman.”, when posting about the series last week on social media.

Producers Strawberry Blonde, who previously made The Great British Dig for Channel 4, are behind the programme, which is still untitled.

The series will air next year, but before that Hugh will return to Outnumbered in this year’s Christmas special.

He stars in it with Sue Skinner, who plays his on screen wife, and whom he is in a relationship with in real life.

The show will see them once again play Pete and Sue Brockman, now parenting kids who are now grown adults.

The original child stars Tyler Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Romona Marquez reprise their roles as fully grown adults.

Outnumbered ran between 2007 and 2014 and the cast reunited for a Christmas special in 2018.

Best BBC comedies

A BBC boss called on the industry to “save our sitcoms”, but the corporation has a history of fantastic shows.

We look back at some of the best to ever grace the screen.

Fawlty Towers (1975-1979) – Only two series were made of the beloved institution. However, the cultural impact of the series starring John Cleese and Connie Booth spans decades. It follows rude and intolerant Basil Fawlty (Cleese) as he attempts to improve the reputation of his hotel.

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Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003) – The show was crowned by some as the best British sitcom of all time by a TV poll in 2004. Seven series were broadcast on BBC until 1991 with additional sporadic Christmas specials airing until 2003. Sir David Jason starred as ambitious market trader Derek “Del Boy” Trotter whilst Nicholas Lyndhurst played his younger half-brother Rodney. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it follows the highs and lows of the lives of the Trotters’, in particular their brazen attempts to get rich.

Blackadder (1983 – 1989) – Four series were made of the iconic show, created by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson. Each series spans a different historical period as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder (Atkinson) tries to better himself in each society. Accompanied by his dogsbody Baldrick (Tony Robinson), trouble always ensues. A TV poll in 2004 found that Blackadder was voted the second-best British sitcom of all time

Absolutely Fabulous (1992 – 2012) – Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley star as failing PR guru Edina ‘Eddie’ Monsoon and alcoholic fashionista Patsy Stone. The pair embark on heavy-drinking sessions and abuse drugs in a desperate attempt to stay ‘hip’. Eddie constantly chases bizarre fads and fails to lose weight whilst her disappointed and neglected daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha) looks on.

Little Britain (2003 – 2006) – The premise is simple. A sketch show which features different British people from all walks of life that are engaged in all sorts of comical scenarios. Starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the pair created iconic pop culture characters. Viewers loved obnoxious council estate teenager Vicky Pollard, morbidly obese scrounger Bubbles Devere, slimming coach Marjorie Dawes, despondent office worker Carol Beer, disgraced politician Sir Norman Fry, of course the iconic Lou and Andy!

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The Catherine Tate Show (2004-2015) – A sketch show starring the likes of Catherine Tate. She made iconic characters such as rowdy schoolgirl Lauren Cooper with her line ‘Am I bovvered?’. Other characters featured Bernie the nurse, the aga saga woman, complaining couple Janice and Ray, and of course her infamous ‘Nan’, Joannie Taylor. The last character herself spawned multiple specials and even a movie.

Gavin and Stacey (2007 – Present) The series tells the story of Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). The pair embarked on an online and telephone romance for six months. But when they finally decide to be together properly, their friends and family get in the way. Ruth Jones and James Corden created the beloved show, which has been going for over a decade. The 2019 Christmas special was the most-watched comedy in 17 years and the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade.

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Graham Norton has revealed the celebrity who he claims “wasn’t a great guest” on his chat show.

Norton has interviewed some of the world’s biggest stars on The Graham Norton Show, which he has hosted since 2007.

The series started on BBC Two before moving to BBC One in 2010, where it succeeded Jonathan Ross’s talk show. Before that, the Irish presenter hosted V Graham Norton on Channel 4.

Over the years, Norton, who previously opened up about accidentally insulting Oscar winner Jessica Chastain on the show, has remained tight-lipped when it comes to discussing his favourite guest – though the host did once call film producer Harvey Weinstein, now a convicted rapist, the “worst” person he’s interviewed.

He’s since named the star he thought was not an effective guest, suggesting it was due to nerves.

Speaking to News.com.au, Norton, 61, said that Kill Bill and Splash! actor Daryl Hannah “wasn’t a great guest” – but instead of being due to “diva” behaviour, it was purely down to anxiety on her part.

Norton said that he had been warned that Hannah was not a fan of chat shows, highlighting a rumour that she was said to have fainted during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.

“So she did our show and, bless her, she wasn’t a great guest,” the host explained, adding: “But what I loved was, because she got through it, afterwards she was high as a kite. She really felt like she’d done an amazing thing. And I was thrilled for her that she had gotten through it. It was still a very poor show.’

Hannah appeared on the first series of V Graham Norton in 2002 – and was the sole guest.

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Norton said that another guest he struggled with was Mickey Rourke, describing the Wrestler actor as “hard work” due to the fact he had drunk half a bottle of Jack Daniels upon his arrival to the Graham Norton Show studios.

“I just happened to be standing there when he got out of the car and he was holding a bottle of Jack Daniels, which is already worrying.

“But then we noticed the bottle of Jack Daniels was half-empty. It soon became very clear where that Jack Daniels had gone.”

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Norton explained: “Those nights are quite hard work where you’re just trying to keep it together and get to the finishing line.” Rourke appeared on the series in 2008 alongside Jessica Biel and Martha Wainwright.

The host also recollected Madonna being “a bit rude” to two fans who presented the singer with two dolls of herself when she appeared alongside Andrea Riseborough and James D’Arcy in 2012.

‘I saw them after the show and said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry she was a bit rude about the dolls.’ But they couldn’t have been happier. Their diva had behaved in exactly the way they wanted her to.”

Norton is currently promoting what will be his first ever live tour of Australia, which is scheduled to take place in March.

A FIRST Dates singleton compared her match to a cannibal in awkward scenes.

The Channel 4 series continues tonight with another batch of singletons ready to mingle.

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During the show – which airs at 10pm – viewers will be introduced to 28-year-old tree hugger Nathan.

Bosses pair the naturist with a Hare Krishna believer called Love.

As the First Date progresses, their cultural differences start to be blatantly clear.

26-year-old Love is left irked when Nathan subtly mentions that he is a meat eater.

“I’ve gone through steps of vegetarianism. I’ve tried too many times and failed too many times to know that I don’t think I could stick to a vegetarian [lifestyle].”

Love is left unimpressed, she replies: “If you have to eat meat at least wait until they die.

“Then there’s no problem, there’s no soul.

“But as long as the soul is in there, that’s a pretty large repercussion.”

Looking more uncomfortable, Nathan jokes: “I need to stop getting Aldi salami.

“That’s my weakness I gotta admit, cure pork.”

Pointing across the restaurant, Love snaps: “Yeah, why not eat human as well?”

First Dates continues tonight at 10pm on Channel 4.

First Dates cast

Fred Sirieix

Fred is the charismatic French maître d’hôtel who hosts First Dates. He has a rich background in the hospitality industry, with over 30 years of experience. Fred has been part of the reality show since 2015 and his charming personality helps to put punters going on the dates at ease.

Merlin Griffiths

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Merlin is the bartender on First Dates. His friendly presence and expert mixology skills contribute to the show’s warm atmosphere. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Merlin was in the bar industry for over two decades before offering his services to the Channel 4 series. Outside of First Dates, Merlin also owns and operates his own bar.

Cici Coleman

Cici is the show’s outgoing waitress. She trained as an actress before joining the cast of First Dates, which lends theatrical flair to her role. Her ability to make guests feel at ease, coupled with her genuine interest in their stories, has endeared her to viewers. Outside of her work on First Dates, Cici continues to pursue her passion for acting and fitness, often sharing insights into her life and career on social media.

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The British comedian and TV host Romesh Ranganathan has said that he used to “fantasise” about suicide and “came very close” to taking his own life.

In a moving interview, Ranganathan opened up losing a friend to suicide, which partly inspired him to start working with the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably, aka Calm, who he ran the London Marathon for in April.

The comic got news that his friend had died when he was making The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan in Ethiopia where he was off grid for 48 hours. The 46-year-old: “As we were driving back I got reception and my phone started blowing up. The first message read, ‘I can’t believe what’s happened.’ I thought, ‘Are they talking about someone else? Because it can’t be the man I know.’”

Ranganathan said that he felt like he’d let his friend down which compelled him to contact Calm but also for his own wellbeing. “On more than one occasion, I have felt suicidal,” the comedian told The Times.

He added “Somebody told me it was ideation. I used to fantasise about it. I’d be feeling so stressed out. The idea of those feelings disappearing felt tempting. The best way I can describe it is it felt like I was about to book a great holiday and I wouldn’t feel like this any more.”

The native of Crawley in West Sussex, who previously worked as a maths teacher, says that he first started getting suicidal thoughts as a teenager after his father was sent to prison for “some sort of fraud”.

This resulted in his mother sending her son to therapy, concerned that he was “mad” which only helped amplify the stereotypes surrounding mental health.

“I’m not thinking about taking my life at the moment but I know that if I didn’t look after myself in the right way, it’s something I could go back to,” adds Ranganathan. “Having suicidal thoughts is a bit like being an ex-smoker and knowing you can have a cigarette. There’s always a danger that you can go back. It’s never going to completely go.”

Ranganathan now credits exercise and his friend and Wolf and Owl podcast host Tom Davis for improving his mood. “What’s good about that is knowing this isn’t some ethereal, weird thing that’s causing this problem. I can fix it. That’s a good place to be,” he says.

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Ranganathan took over from Claudia Winkleman’s popular Radio 2 slot earlier this year but promised listeners that he would not be “revolutionising Radio 2”.

Ranganathan also stars in his BBC sitcom Avoidance and hosts BBC Two quiz showThe Weakest Link as well as A League of Their Own on Sky.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.