"....we partied like it was 1640."

Well that's a wrap for The Musketeers Series III! It's been an extraordinary eighteen months and we're very proud of the show we've made which not only pushes the existing characters to their very limits  but also introduces many exciting new ones. There are also several new elements this year, not least the slums of Paris and the sense that Paris itself is very much a character in the show.

The Musketeers Series III is due to transmit on BBC One at some point in the late Spring/early Summer so look out for clips, interviews, images and trailers nearer that time.

Until then...

".....Ed McCardie's Spotless debuts in America to amazing reviews."

Ed McCardie's brilliant 'Spotless' has launched in America to extraordinary reviews. It was such a privilege to be a part of Ed's team on this show. I wrote Episode 8 (directed by the wonderful Luke Watson) and love both it and the show dearly. Here are just a few of the things American critics are saying about the first episode: 

'Esquire finds a winner with first scripted drama 'Spotless' 

Bethonie Butler, The Washington Post

'This is memorable TV....Spotless is a story of family, how the past cements certain things and sets others adrift; we build ourselves, then, out of substance and absence.'

Mary McNamara, The LA Times

'A bloody good crime clean-up tale from Esquire'

Brian Moylan, The Guardian

'Spotless is a smart take on TV's anti-hero trend.'

Heidi Patalano, The Wrap

'Spotless is great fun. Intelligent, well-written and beautifully photographed, it has a remarkably sharp satirical edge.'

Tirdad Derakhshani, The Philadelphia Inquirer

If you're in the States, you can watch Episode One of Spotless on the Esquire Network. 

Spotless continues at 10pm, Saturday nights on Esquire.....

".....the Magic Mile turns 15!"

We'd been out of university for a couple of years when we made this award-winning short film on Camber Sands over three cold and gloomy days in November 2000. Shot on 16mm, the Magic Mile stars the brilliant Louise Dumayne and Anthony Wise - who many might recognise as the 'Get in the back of the van!' policeman from Withnail and I. Looking back at it now, the film is innocent, hopeful and yet unavoidably old and distant.  As I watch it I feel terribly proud but also a little sad at the passing of the years....

You can also catch it on VIMEO if you prefer.

"....last block of The Musketeers III begins filming and other news."

Co-creators Simon Allen, Simon J. Ashford and Executive Producer Jess Pope
- you'll never guess what we're looking at!

The final block of The Musketeers Series III is now filming in the Czech Republic and we couldn't be more excited. We started writing in November of last year and every single day since has been the most extraordinary adventure. Series III has attracted a truly incredible guest cast to star alongside our brilliant regulars and will air sometime in 2016. We hope people enjoy watching it as much as much as we've loved making it. I've seen the first six episodes and couldn't be prouder....

In other news, Ed McCardie's stunning series Spotless (for which I wrote Episode 8) starts transmitting in America on the Esquire network this November. You can see the full trailer here, visit the official Esquire website here or scroll down this page to watch a behind the scenes video in which Ed talks about the show (which I LOVE)...

Finally, as Hallowe'en creeps ever closer our short horror film Breathe continues to draw hundreds of thousands of views on the VIMEO Staff Pick Channel. For a small project that was only ever meant as a private exercise it's fair to say Breathe's phenomenal reception has exceeded our expectations. A deal for the feature version has been struck so watch this space...

Jack North and Josef Altin see dead people in 'Breathe'

".......filming is well underway on The Musketeers Series III!"

Together with my co-showrunner the amazing Simon J. Ashford, we've been having criminal amounts of fun working on Series III of the Musketeers. Some casting announcements have already been made including Rupert Everett as Governor Feron and Matthew McNulty as Lucien Grimaud but there will be more to come as we move into the Summer.  In the meantime, here's the two of us on the set plotting all sorts of mayhem, adventure and heartbreak over our  ten episode season. 17th century Paris will never be quite the same...

"......Spotless sells to NBC Universal!"

NBC Universal has bought the dark, character-driven drama 'Spotless' to premiere on its Esquire network this Autumn. I was thrilled to write Episode Eight of the series which was co-created by the awesome Ed McCardie. Spotless was originally produced by Tandem Productions for Canal Plus and stars Denis Menochet ('Inglorious Basterds'), Marc-Andre Grodin ('C.R.A.Z.Y'), Miranda Raison ('Spooks') and Brendan Coyle ('Downton Abbey').

The show has already aired in France to phenomenal acclaim and the full story on its stateside debut can be found in Variety.

".....Breathe is a VIMEO Staff Pick!"

Following its selection as a 'Short of the Week', Breathe has now been chosen as a VIMEO Staff Pick!

This follows in the ghostly footsteps of Lot 254 which was awarded the same accolade last year (read about it in this old post).

You can watch 'Breathe' on the VIMEO Staff Pick Channel where it has already attracted nearly FIFTY THOUSAND views*, over twelve hundred  'likes' and scores of positive comments!


*UPDATE - 95,000 VIEWS NOW!!! 

"....Breathe makes its online debut with Short of the Week selection!"

After its debut in the BFI Gothic season and multiple festival screenings all over the planet, our short supernatural film 'Breathe' now makes its online debut via the prestigious Short of the Week website.

With their amazing team based in New York, 'Short of the Week' has been serving up epic bite-sized films to millions of filmmakers and fans since 2007 and is widely regarded as one of the best short film showcases in the world.
 
Starring Josef Altin ('Child 44', 'Game of Thrones'), Jack North ('In the Flesh', 'Chasing Shadows') and Orion Ben ('Skins', 'Call the Midwife'), 'Breathe' can be watched here. Hope you enjoy it!