Another one bites the dust, as the fledging terrestrial channel becomes an online-only service!
BBC News have just announced that the BBC intend to close their BBC Three channel this year. The news comes in the wake of a series of groundbreaking changes instigated by the company's current Director General, Tony Hall, shutting the doors on a TV division which has operated (to varying degrees of success) for the best part of eleven years.
The main reason for this disheartening turn of events? To paraphrase Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor, it's probably the one you're expecting- cash. Hall and his fellow execs are aiming to save £100 million in 2014 from an ongoing "budget process" which entails more than a few "tough choices". Followers of the channel can at least take solace in the knowledge that Hall plans to transform the channel (which has kick-started such remarkable TV franchises as Torchwood, Gavin & Stacey, Doctor Who Confidential, Little Britain and Being Human in the past decade) into an online-only service later this year, though he still needs approval from the BBC Trust in order for this campaign to go ahead. An official announcement on the matter will be made at a press conference tomorrow- for now, however, RIP BBC Three, and our thoughts go out to all of those members of staff who will be once again in search of employment come the channel's termination.
For all the latest developments on the BBC's financial campaign for 2014 and their upcoming televisual productions, stay tuned to On-Screen in the days ahead!
All the latest on Rocksteady's series finale including its narrative, gameplay and pre-order DLC!
Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment and the US unofficial publication Game Informer have today revealed a substantial range of new details on Rocksteady Studios' latest superhero video game, Batman: Arkham Knight. Announced yesterday, the third instalment in the developers' trilogy of comic-book adaptations will take place a year after the events of Arkham City, with the Dark Knight bringing his iconic Batmobile to Gotham City as he prepares for his final battle.
There's a lot to get through today, so with the introductory pleasantries done and dusted, here's our full round-up of everything you need to know about this surefire Game of the Year 2014 contender (courtesy of CVG.co.uk and NeoGAF):
Gotham City's structure and layout has undergone a refresh to allow for the sizable Batmobile vehicle and other abandoned cars on the roadside.
Arkham Knight is "a real, genuine next-gen game" that will not feature multiplayer due to Rocksteady's aiming to provide "the best single-player experience it can".
The game's title refers not to everyone's favourite Caped Crusader, but a "completely new and original" villain crafted by DC Entertainment's Geoff Johns (their Chief Creative Officer), who Batman must "go head to head with in lots of different ways".
Kevin Conroy, Tara Strong, Nolan North, Wally Wingert and Troy Baker will each reprise their roles as Batman, Harley Quinn, Penguin, the Riddler and Two-Face respectively- we bet WB Montreal are feeling the burn now, since they elected to ditch Asylum and City's cast for a younger bunch of actors, only for their approach to backfire and land Origins with a heap of 5/10 and 6/10 scores.
The upgraded suit depicted in yesterday's teaser trailer will not be the suit that Batman starts with, but instead will act as a central plot point when Bruce Wayne realises that he needs upgraded firepower.
Arkham Knight's open-world is based in central Gotham, a region which is divided into three zones and spans a playing space which is five times bigger than Arkham City.
Once again, the developers are prioritising the open-world's density over its size, a tact which worked wonders in both Asylum and City.
Joker is still definitely dead, and Gotham's crime rate is beginning to fall as a result. Nevertheless, Scarecrow commences a campaign of terror by planting fear toxin bombs across the city, prompting the majority of its population to evacuate as he rallies an army of Batman's greatest adversaries to lead an all-out assault on the Dark Knight and everything he holds dear, with the ultimate aim being to kill him now that it seems as if Bats is willing to take lives such as the Joker's to achieve justice.
Four/five-times the number of thugs in Arkham City will litter the streets of Gotham this time around, and riots including more than 50 goons can break out as the henchmen topple vehicles, break into abandoned stores and generally cause city-wide havoc.
Oracle will return, this time in a physical role, with Bats being able to visit her hide-out where she resides despite Gordon's belief that she should be and has evacuated Gotham along with the rest of its citizens.
Not only can Gotham's watchful guardian now utilise gadgets mid-flight, he'll even be able to spring out from the Batmobile and quickly glide through shop windows to engage in dangerous confrontations with goons, all of whom can now grapple the protagonist as opposed to just Titan-powered thugs as was the case in Asylum and City.
"Fear Takedowns" involve stealth-combos of multiple foes who are close to another and have yet to spot Bats, though as a result, the number of enemies and their AI competence in stealth encounters will increase substantially here.
Riddler quests will not be limited to ground- and flight-based tasks in Knight- Batmobile race tracks and stunt challenges will come into play too! Better yet, even if he is just a part of an ongoing secondary campaign, the Riddler has active plans for Gotham rather than just testing its hero.
No word has landed as of yet as to whether Robin, Nightwing or any other superheroes from DC comic-book lore will feature, but given the former's cameo in City, we'll certainly be expecting a shock appearance or two.
Anyone who pre-orders Batman: Arkham Knight will be able to download a DLC pack wherein they can play as Harley Quinn in four exclusive challenge maps (thankfully, the deal is available in all retailers rather than being limited to GAME or Amazon).
Rocksteady are already hard at work on their next project behind-the-scenes, and "it's most definitely not Batman related"...
Batman: Arkham Knight crashes onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC this October 17th (UK).
"Death would be a release from this life, and his sentence is yet to be carried out..."
The CW have today released an extended TV trailer (below) for the next four episodes of their superhero drama Arrow. Currently broadcasting its second season of high-octane instalments, the show is headed for a mid-season finale in two weeks' time, and by the looks of it, the situation's going to become more intense than ever for its regular players.
UK fans of the show still have a way to go yet until they get to see The Promise (airing tonight on The CW), Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey and Deathstroke, since Sky1 have only recently resumed their airing of Season Two and The Promise won't broadcast on the domestic digital channel until March 27th. On the plus side, this belated première over here will result in virtually no more prolonged mid-season breaks between episodes, bringing the UK and US versions of the show in line just in time for its much-anticipated season finale in May. For all the latest news on Arrow, its upcoming spin-off The Flash, Fox's Batman drama Gotham and even NBC's standalone project Constantine, stay tuned to On-Screen in the next few weeks...
Arrow continues on The CW tonight with The Promise and on Sky1 tomorrow, March 6th with Tremors.
Explosions, hot chicks and slow-mo- yep, this is a Michael Bay blockbuster.
Paramount Pictures have today released the teaser trailer for their upcoming action movie Transformers: Age of Extinction. The fourth chapter of director Michael Bay's CGI-laden franchise of film adaptations presents us with a new human cast spearheaded by Ted's Mark Wahlberg and Doctor Who's Sophia Myles (The Girl in the Fireplace's Madame de Pompadour, for those who don't recall).
As is often the case with those blockbusters that receive Superbowl TV spots prior to their box office teasers, the first full preview (below) of the sequel doesn't bring with it tonnes of footage that we haven't already seen in one form or another. Nevertheless, the snippets of new footage that are on show are potent glimpses that imply we might well be in for a more thoughtful, provocative motion picture experience. Joking, I am- there's transformations, destruction, dinosaur-shaped robots and explosive mayhem galore here, and if it's a film along the lines of that which we described in the previous sentence, then you'd best look elsewhere, since Bay appears to be sticking firmly to what he knows and thriving as a result. For all its faults, Dark of the Moon (4*) was a solid action romp, and so long as it doesn't venture into the same loathsomely tedious and repetitive territory as Revenge of the Fallen (2*) did, then this semi-rebootmay well turn out to be another commercial hit for the series.
Transformers: Age of Extinction mobilizes in cinemas worldwide on June 28th.
It's our very own Marvel Two-Shot (and suffice to say that if one's lost on you, you'd better go)...
Marvel Studios couldn't be on stronger form right now, with Captain America: The Winter Soldier set to storm the box office at the end of this month and Guardians of the Galaxy already looking set to become a boiling-hot new property for the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise this Summer. What's often neglected, however, is that Marvel are slowly but surely entering the TV stratosphere with a host of live-action projects, the most notable of which is the first season of their ABC detective drama Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.
The series returned to ABC with a bang last night via its fourteenth episode, T.A.H.I.T.I., and here we've got not only the first verdict on that spectacular mid-season première, but also our evaluation of the latest straight-to-Blu Ray short film (or Marvel One-Shot, as the studio call it), All Hail The King:
MARVEL ONE-SHOT: ALL HAIL THE KING (4/5)- Central to the appeal of this short (launched on the Thor: The Dark World Blu-Ray package last month) is Ben Kingsley's reprisal of his Iron Man 3 role as Trevor Slattery, a 'professional' actor whose talents were put to creative use by Aldrich Killan in the form of the fictitious Mandarin, a front for Killian's Extremis researching division which was soon set aside once Tony discovered the terrorist's true nature. Now imprisoned for his crimes, Slattery agrees to an interview with an intrepid documenter, at which point hilarious chaos ensues as the pseudo-antagonist rattles off an all-manner of ludicrous anecdotes regarding his performing career. In essence, All Hail The King is a running gag, or rather a run-on gag that pursues Kingsley's gut-wrenchingly comedic construct beyond Iron Man 3's storyline and teases the implications of how his recent actions have been perceived by the oft-mentioned Ten Rings organisation (headed by the real Mandarin in the comic-books). Had the latter element of the flick's narrative been given a bit more attention in its final moments, then Hail might have gone down as one of the superior productions from Marvel Studios so far, but even as it is- taking the form of an extended sketch- this is a brilliantly raw diversion from the glum-and-apocalyptic tone of The Dark World that warrants the purchase of the Blu-Ray version on its own merits alone.
MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D: T.A.H.I.T.I. (5/5)- So just to get the bad news out of the way first, here's the primary remaining problem with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fourteen episodes in- T.A.H.I.T.I. is a 5* episode solely because it diverts the show's focus from its remarkably unsympathetic outsider protagonist Skye and instead places Clark Gregg's supreme Agent Phil Coulson directly in its crosshairs. Just as was the case with The Magical Place in January, the narrative here for the majority engages with the nature of Coulson's resurrection and begins to disentangle how the seemingly fantastical event which triggered his revival can be rationalised to a degree. Quite why this particular agent is held in such high esteem (other than for his enduring charm, of course, which Gregg continues to convey with aplomb) by Director Fury is still sketchy terrain at this point, but judging by the prominence of this much-coveted plot arc here, we're sure to find out more in the weeks ahead. New aboard the Bus this week was Bill Paxton's John Garrett, the Supervising Officer of both Coulson and Ward, and this reviewer sincerely hopes that Paxton returns in future episodes, since Garrett was undoubtedly a breath of fresh air in a series which has too often been rigid in its representation of its central ensemble's dynamic (kudos to B.J. Britt for subverting this as well with his contribution as SHIELD trainee Antoine Triplett) and indeed the team's interaction with supporting characters such as these. Best of all, with a post-credits sequence that finally accomplished a swift and proficient integration of an Asgardian character (in this case Lorelei, better known to fans of the words "Make Mine Marvel" as Lorelei, an Enchantress and ally to Loki) into the show's universe, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may finally have reached its turning point with its best episode yet, and as such, the show may be well on the road to a Season Two commission- and lord knows, it's about time!
For all the latest news on Agents of SHIELD and the studio's other upcoming big-screen and small-screen productions, keep it On-Screen in the days ahead.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier's release is just one date to mark in your calendar...
Since this month is substantially busier than its predecessors, it's high time that we resurrect our regular feature that compiles the major release dates which you need to mark in your calendars. Get a pad and paper out, then, because this one's going to get more than a little hectic.
Without further ado, here's our definitive collation of each and every one of the release dates which require your attention between today and March 31st (our Top 5 Most Anticipated Releases for March 2014:
TUESDAY 4TH- TV: Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: T.A.H.I.T.I. (ABC) WEDNESDAY 5TH- TV: Arrow: The Promise (The CW); Outnumbered Episode 6 (BBC One) FRIDAY 7TH- GAMES: South Park: The Stick of Truth (X360, PS3, PC);TV: Star Wars: The Clone Wars- The Lost Missions (Netflix); MOVIES: The Grand Budapest Hotel MONDAY 10TH- DVD: Outnumbered Series 5; The Butler; TV: The Michael McIntyre Chat Show Episode 1 (BBC One) TUESDAY 11TH- TV: Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: Yes Man (ABC) FRIDAY 14TH- GAMES: Titanfall (XOne, PC) MONDAY 17TH- DVD: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; Call The Midwife Series 1-3; TV: The Michael McIntyre Chat Show Episode 2 (BBC One) TUESDAY 18TH- TV: Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Episode 16 (ABC) WEDNESDAY 19TH- TV: Arrow: Suicide Squad (The CW) FRIDAY 21ST- GAMES: Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (PS4, PS3, XOne, X360, PC) MONDAY 24TH- DVD: Saving Mr Banks; TV: The Michael McIntyre Chat Show Episode 3 (BBC One) TUESDAY 25TH- TV: Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Episode 17 (ABC) WEDNESDAY 26TH- TV: Arrow: Birds of Prey(The CW) FRIDAY 28TH- MOVIES: Muppets Most Wanted; Captain America: The Winter Soldier;GAMES: Titanfall (X360) MONDAY 31ST- DVD: Frozen;TV: The Michael McIntyre Chat Show Episode 4 (BBC One)
Your guide to the major highlights of the month ahead in entertainment...
Everything may well have been awesome thanks to The LEGO Movie last month, but from here on out, things are only to get, well, awesome-r. March is packed to the brim with much-anticipated entertainment releases that threaten to challenge even the most confident Film of the Year, Game of the Year and TV Episode of the Year contenders which have emerged so far in 2014.
Are you sitting comfortably? Well, then, let's commence our analysis of those releases which are sure to leave a tangible mark on the entertainment industry this month:
5. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS- THE LOST MISSIONS- George Lucas' iconic science-fiction saga continues this month on Netflix with the thirteen-episode sixth and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Barring next year's Episode VII, The Lost Missions could be the best thing to happen to the series since 1983's Return of the Jedi. Prepare to see the first hints of Order 66, the final stages of the Sith plot to overthrow the Jedi Order and even an early trip to Dagobah for Yoda himself in these action-packed final instalments! (Friday 7th- Netflix) 4. ARROW- The CW's most popular superhero show yet brings its second season towards a devastating climax in the next few weeks, kicking off with a flashback-heavy venture into the past in The Promise tomorrow night, then introducing one of DC's most iconic teams of villains in Suicide Squad, then bringing the Black Canary face-to-face with the Huntress in Birds of Prey and ultimately setting the Green Arrow on a path laden with mortal danger in the mid-season finale Deathstroke. In short, if it's high-octane comic-book thrills you're looking for in March, then this (and a certain movie we'll mention in a second) is your finest possible domain in which to find them. (Wednesday 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th- The CW) 3. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER- Whereas Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World did little to transform the post-Avengers Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2013, this Spring's sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger has been confirmed by Marvel Studios' execs to have a significant effect on the course of the franchise and, indeed, its foreseeable future. If S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ongoing successes have seemed too idyllic in light of real-world intelligence agencies and their failures, The Winter Soldier will most certainly be the remedy to that long-term affliction, a stellar continuation of the series and a breathtaking standalone instalment to boot...(Friday 28th) 2. SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH- It's always satisfying to know in advance that a video game is going to live up to expectations, and that's proven to be the case with Ubisoft and Obsidian's audacious RPG South Park: The Stick of Truth. The title has amassed an 84% average critical rating on Metacritic, so despite the censoring that the UK version of the game has undergone from Ubisoft's marketing team, the main campaign (and Stick's various side missions) should nevertheless be one of the most crude, innovative and hilarious interactive comedy experiences of the year. (Friday 7th- PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 & PC) 1. MUPPETS MOST WANTED-Back by popular demand (or so the film's opening musical number rightly claims!), Jim Henson's beloved gang of puppets are setting off on a world tour in the follow-up to their hit 2012 reboot. Starring Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Tina Fey, Muppets Most Wanted looks better with each passing trailer release, holding appeal to a wider demographic of viewers than most blockbusters and as such holding the potential to thrive moreso than most in the box office charts too. Make no mistake, in twenty-four days' time, Life will once again be regarded as a Happy Song the world over! (Friday 28th)
Another one bites the dust, as the fledging terrestrial channel becomes an online-only service!
