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Exclusive: Sangita Myska is unlikely to be restored to influential UK news radio station Lbc after being taken off air in opaque circumstances, sparking a revolt among listeners.

The former BBC journalist was abruptly removed from her Lbc weekend show on April 20 and was replaced by Ali Miraj, a former Conservative Party parliamentary candidate.

Myska being “disappeared” has stoked anger among Lbc’s 3M listeners, with more than 22,000 people signing a petition demanding she be reinstated in her 1-4Pm slot on Saturday and Sunday.

Her treatment has also surprised some colleagues, with supporters arguing that Lbc’s parent company Global had mishandled how her departure had been communicated. Global and Myska declined to comment.

The lack of explanation about her exit has fueled viral online speculation that she was suspended for her robust interview with Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman on April 14.

It is beginning to look like Sangita...

Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes as the grumpy British doctor, is to hang up his stethoscope next year with the tenth and final season of the UK drama.

ITV has renewed the series, which airs on Acorn TV in the U.S., for a final run with production set to start in 2021.

The show follows Clunes’ Dr. Martin Ellingham, a Gp with a brusque bedside manner and a phobia of blood who lives in the idyllic hamlet of Portwenn in Cornwall.

The cast also features Caroline Catz playing Doc Martin’s wife, Louisa Ellingham; Dame Eileen Atkins, who plays Doc Martin’s formidable Aunt Ruth; Ian McNeice’s local businessman Bert Large, with Joe Absolom as his son, Al; John Marquez is PC Joe Penhale; Jessica Ransom is the doctor’s receptionist Morwenna Newcross; and Selina Cadell is pharmacist Mrs Tishell.

Created by Dominic Minghella, Doc Martin has been on...

Brit TV writer Dominic Minghella (Doc Martin) has recounted a harrowing personal experience of being hospitalised for five days with coronavirus symptoms.

In a lengthy and moving blog post, published in full below, Knightfall executive Minghella charts how he developed symptoms but initially resisted the reality of getting the illness.

“I didn’t want Covid. Not least because on the very day my symptoms began, my Gp had called and warned me that, without a spleen (another story) I might be at greater risk of “complications”. I didn’t like the sound of that.”

After being admitted to a London NHS hospital where he underwent various swabs,...

Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell took to social media this afternoon to inform his followers that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

“I’ve been laying low for the last couple of days because I could feel my body fighting something unusual. I just got confirmation that I’ve indeed tested positive for the coronavirus,” Mitchell said in his video message. Watch it below.

More from DeadlineAdam Schlesinger Dies: Coronavirus Claims Fountains Of Wayne Leader, Emmy And Grammy Winner At 52'Doc Martin' Creator Dominic Minghella Recounts Harrowing Coronavirus ExperienceCoping With Covid-19 Crisis: UK Cinema Chain Curzon CEO On Surviving Closures & Evolving VOD Offering

“The good news is over the last few days I’ve isolated myself. I come to you from the bedroom right now,” added the Broadway vet, who won the Tony for his lead performance in the 1999 musical Kiss Me, Kate and also earned Tony noms from his turn in Ragtime,...

The man who has become the voice of reason and science from the daily White House coronavirus briefings was positively circumspect today about a declaration from one of the physicians featured in Netflix’s Pandemic about a possible Covid-19 vaccine.

“I don’t know this specific individual, what they’re doing, but I can tell you there’s a lot of activity that is centered around a passive transfer of antibodies in the form of convalescent plasma,” Dr. Anthony Fauci replied to the front-row question this afternoon from Fox News’ John Roberts about the widely covered claims by Dr. Jacob Glanville, who seen in the first season of the recently released series.

More from DeadlineAdam Schlesinger Dies: Coronavirus Claims Fountains Of Wayne Leader, Emmy And Grammy Winner At 52'Doc Martin' Creator Dominic Minghella Recounts Harrowing Coronavirus ExperienceCoping With Covid-19 Crisis: UK Cinema Chain Curzon CEO On Surviving Closures & Evolving VOD...

What was once a necessary novelty of the coronavirus crisis is now the new normal: Across broadcast and cable networks, anchors and reporters appearing on air from their homes in makeshift studios of hastily assembled backdrops and little if any crew. The need for these unusual arrangements was made ever clear on Tuesday, after CNN anchor Chris Cuomo announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus, and would be doing his nightly Cuomo Prime Time from the basement of his home — quarantined even from his family for the foreseeable future. But many more personalities, out of an abundance of caution, have set up shop in home basements, libraries, even hallways — a reality of new mandates among news organizations to separate their on-air talent and crews during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s created some unusual situations among some of the on-air personalities and their families. On Wednesday, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell...

Matt Deaner.

Next week’s Screen Forever conference offers attendees more opportunities to network and do business with international streaming networks and producers than ever before.

That’s according to Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner, who is excited about the line-up of keynote speakers and sessions including those modeled on the ABC’s Q&A and You Can’t Ask That.

This year the organisers made it a priority to invite overseas-based producers in the hopes of helping to generate co-productions or other forms of collaboration. Hence the participation of English showrunner Dominic Minghella; Sascha Rothchild, co-executive producer and writer of Netflix’s Glow; Eden Gaha, CEO of La-based Mother Media Group, who previously served as president, unscripted TV at Endemol Shine North America; and Tim King, head of production at Sweden’s Sf Studio.

The Netflix team headed by director of content acquisition Lauren Smith, YouTube Originals scripted...

Dominic Minghella.

Australian producers who lament the time and resources devoted to developing projects that don’t eventuate can take heart from Dominic Minghella.

Despite a stellar track record as the creator of Doc Martin and Robin Hood, the UK producer/writer says his strike rate is just one in six of all the projects he’s developed.

“I have been incredibly lucky, but what you don’t see are the projects I wrote which I was sure would work and didn’t work,” he tells If via Skype from his home in London. “Development isn’t fun.”

Minghella will be a keynote speaker at Screen Producers Australia’s Screen Forever conference in Melbourne this November, marking just his second trip down under. In 2008 he took part in Spark, the script development program by the Australian Film Commission run in conjunction with the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (Aftrs...

“Knightfall” has been renewed for a second season at History, the cabler announced Monday.

In addition, Aaron Helbing has been brought on board as executive producer and showrunner on Season 2 of the Knights Templar drama, taking over from Dominic Minghella. Helbing was most recently an executive producer and writer on CW’s “The Flash.” His other credits include “Black Sails,” “Spartacus: War of the Damned,” “The Mob Doctor,” and “Mortal Kombat: Legacy.” He is repped by CAA.

The series has also added three new cast members for the second season. “Star Wars” vet Mark Hamill will play the role of Talus, a battle-hardened Knight Templar veteran of the Crusades who survived captivity for ten years in the Holy Land and is tasked with training the new initiates to the Order.

Tom Forbes will appear as Prince Louis, the violent and unpredictable son of King Philip and heir to the throne.

Almost seven months after last airing an original episode, Knightfall has finally been picked up for a second season.

History has renewed the medieval drama, while simultaneously bringing in some new blood. Mark Hamill joins in a recurring role, while Aaron Helbing comes on board as the new showrunner.

The renewal for Knightfall comes after a solid freshman run in the winter, one that saw live-plus-3 viewership average over 2 million episodic viewers. From A E Studios, in association with Midnight Radio and Jeremy Renner’s The Combine, Knightfall’s first season was showrun by Dominic Minghella. Helbing boards after producing tenures on ...

Wednesday night’s premiere of History’s medieval drama series Knightfall drew 1.8M total viewers, tying it for the third-best cable drama launch of 2017, the network said. The debut of the A E Studios show trails only FX’s Feud: Bette and Joan and AMC’s The Son among the year’s biggest debuts among total viewers and is tied with FX’s Taboo. Showrunner Dominic Minghella also exec produces. Knightfall goes inside the medieval politics and warfare of the Knights Templar, the…...

Doc Martin is hanging up the stethoscope. In a recent interview with Radio Times, star Martin Clunes revealed the ITV series will end with season nine.Created by Dominic Minghella, the long-running UK medical dramedy stars Clunes as the only doctor in a small Cornish village. The cast also includes Caroline Catz, Ian McNeice, Joe Absolom, John Marquez, and Selina Cadell.Read More…...

Young, gifted and broke? If you are 16-30 and want to tell your story of living in Britain today, enter our short film competition

The Intergenerational Foundation (If), the Guardian and the National Union of Students (Nus) have teamed up to look for the best three-minute films exploring what it's like to be a young person in the UK today.

In Britain 1.5 million people under the age of 30 are unemployed. In the housing market the average age of a first-time buyer has risen to 37 and one in three adults under 30 are living with their parents. Affordable housing, well-paid and suitable jobs and access to education are the basics of a well-balanced society. But young people are facing huge barriers to achieving any of these. If works to highlight, identify and rectify the unfair deal dished out to young people, and we want you to tell us your story.

Are you...

Dominic Minghella, brother of the late Oscar-winning filmmaker Anthony, is currently prepping three films for his Island Pictures banner with a Puccini biopic likely to go first.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Minghella has written the $19 million-budgeted costume drama on which he hopes to make his feature directorial debut. Rainer Mockert is already onboard as producer.

The story follows the opera composer who lived the high life due to the rewards from the classical works he created. The action is set during his dry spell between his two most famed operas - "La Boheme" and "Madame Butterfly" - and the unique relationship with a housemaid that helped him break out of it.

Minghella and partner Sarah Beardsall are also developing an adaptation of Ben Hatch's UK travelog "Are We Nearly There Yet?" and an original script by Australian comedienne Tania Lacey called "Virtually Kitty".

Minghella's previous work includes creating and...

John Polson, Robert Connolly and Catriona McKenzie are among the filmmakers to receive development funding from Screen Australia, announced today.

The funding, worth $275,000 is for the development of 10 feature film projects.

Polson has received matched funding to develop his Sydney Project, a collection of short films in s similar vein to Paris Je T’aime and New York I Love You, while Robert Connolly will develop his film Paper Planes and Catriona McKenzie will work on new project One White Crow.

Writer John Ratchford will travel to London for a six month internship with Dominic Minghella, writer of Doc Martin and Robin Hood and Island Pictures.

Full List of Single-funded projects

Aussie Gals

Genre Comedy

Writer Josephine Emery

Synopsis Georgie and Kylie are sisters. When Georgie’s boyfriend cons her into pulling a job for him and the heat is on her, Kylie has to risk everything she has to...

Screen Australia has invested $275,000 in funding to support the development of 10 feature film projects, it was announced today.

The money will be used toward the development of films including a new feature from Balibo director Robert Connolly and John Polson's mysteriously titled 'Sydney Project.'

Connolly is attached to write, direct and co-produce Paper Planes, the story of a young boy with such a love flight, that he is compelled to compete in the world paper plane championships.

Details surrounding Tropfest creator John Polson's Sydney project are few. When announced last June, it was said to be a collection of 12 short films set in each month of the year that paid tribute to the city.

Other films that have received funding include Kingdom Come, an action thriller to be directed by Marc Furmie and One White Crow, from writer/director Catriona McKenzie.

Kingdom Come features an Australian Federal...

Matthew Rhys ("Brothers and Sisters") and Eileen Atkins ("Robin Hood") have signed to star in a film adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 1957 psychological thriller novel "The Scapegoat" at Island Pictures says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story follows a man who meets his perfect double and takes over his life. Sturridge adapted the script and is directing. The film will air in the UK on ITV1 next year before rolling out worldwide in a theatrical release. Dominic Minghella and Sarah Beardsall will produce.

Alfred Hitchcock adapted three of her works into classics of his own - "Jamaica Inn," "The Birds" and his Best Picture Oscar winner "Rebecca". Nic Roeg also turned her "Don't Look Now" into what's considered a cornerstone work of horror and British cinema.

Director Anthony Minghella, who won an Academy Award for directing the 1996 epic The English Patient, has died at age 54, his agent announced today. Variety reports that a spokesman for Mr. Minghella said he suffered a brain hemorrhage on Tuesday morning at Charing Cross Hospital in London, while in for a routine neck operation. A director who worked in theater and television (most notably for the series Inspector Morse and the lush, haunting The Storyteller series), Minghella made his feature film directorial debut with the ghost story/romance Truly, Madly, Deeply, which starred Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. The film won Minghella a BAFTA award for his screenplay and effectively launched his film career. The little-seen indie romance Mr. Wonderful followed in 1993, but it was three years later that Minghella had his biggest success with The English Patient, an adaptation of the novel by Michael Ondaatje. Aggressively marketed by Miramax and arriving near the height of the independent film movement (though the film, with its epic scope, pushed the definition of indie filmmaking), the film became a surprise success, ultimately taking in $78 million in the US and winning a whopping nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture as well as Director for Minghella. Three of the film's stars, Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche, were Oscar-nominated, with Binoche taking home the Best Supporting Actress award in a shocking upset over Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall.

Minghella followed up that success in 1999 with the moody thriller The Talented Mr, Ripley, another book-to-film adaptation based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Though the film starred high-profile actors Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, it was the then little-known Jude Law who walked away with the film with his role as a callow, rich playboy. The film earned Law a Best Supporting Actor nomination and Minghella another Adapted Screenplay nod. Minghella tried to replicate his successful literary adaptation formula with Cold Mountain, a high-profile version of the bestselling Civil War novel that, ironically, was filmed partly in Romania. Despite another big (and some said, overly aggressive) push by Miramax and a cast that included Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Renee Zellweger, Natalie Portman and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the movie was considered a major under-performer, though it did earn $95 million in the US alone and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Zellweger. Major nominations for Best Picture or Director, however, failed to materialize. Minghella worked on a smaller scale with the London-based drama Breaking and Entering, which reteamed him with both Law and Binoche, and had just completed filming on The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, the pilot for a TV series based on the novel by Alexander McCall Smith. Beginning in 2000, Minghella also became a producer, with credits including The Quiet American, The Interpreter, and the recent Oscar winner Michael Clayton. In 2005, Minghella also staged an acclaimed version of the opera Madame Butterfly, which played at the English National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.

Minghella is survived by his parents, his siblings in the entertainment industry Dominic Minghella and Edana Minghella, two other sisters, his wife, choreographer Carolyn Choa, and two children, Max Minghella and Hannah Minghella. --Mark Englehart, IMDb staff...