Emmys

British talent shines in Emmy Awards nominations

Tom Hiddleston, hugh Laurie, BBC

The nominations contain around 50 nods for British television shows, actors, writers and directors.

Welsh actor Matthew Rhys was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a drama for his role in US spy drama The Americans, while Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba are all vying for Lead Actor in a limited series for BBC shows Sherlock: the Abominable Bride, The Night Manager and Luther respectively.

Channel 4 boasts increased audience share in annual report

The broadcaster's revenues are up by £41m on 2014.

The report also revealed the broadcaster worked with 295 suppliers to deliver its content, with a total spend over the year of £629m, of which £455m (approx. 72%) was spent on original content.

Across the Nations and Regions, content spend was at £149m.

For the first time in nine years Channel 4 has increased its audience share on its main channel across all hours, while the peak time portfolio up 12.9% year-on-year.

Details of Downton Abbey finale announced

Downton Abbey Christmas 2015

The final episode of Downton Abbey will feature “all the love and loss, happiness and heartbreak” fans of the show have come to expect, ITV and Carnival Films have promised.

The final series came to an end last weekend, as viewers watched Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) wed racing driver Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode), however the show will return for a final hurrah on Christmas Day.

The special episode will follow the Crawley family and their servants as they prepare to celebrate New Year’s Eve together and welcome in 1926.

Brits triumph at the Emmy nominations

Brits dominated nominations at the recently announced 2015 Emmys with Game Of Thrones leading the way with 24 nods.  

Highly acclaimed period dramas Downton Abbey and Wolf Hall were given three nominations each. The ITV show set in the 1920s is nominated for Outstanding Drama Series while the BBC Tudor drama is selected for Outstanding Limited Series.

Emma Thompson, who starred in the live broadcast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is up for Outstanding Actress in a mini-series.