The Flemish film director, Gilles Coulier, known for the television series ‘De Dag’ (‘The Day’), ‘Bevergem’ (‘The Natives’) and the feature film ‘Cargo’ will direct the first four episodes of the prestigious foreign series ‘War of the Worlds’.

The post Belgian film maker Gilles Coulier to direct international TV series ‘War of the Worlds’ appeared first on Brussels Express.

’’It developed over time in Denmark. Basically, if we go back to the 80s TV drama wasn’t doing well in Denmark. Then some people were sent to the United States who tried collaboration with America’s production. They came back and said: That’s how they do it – they choose one main character and they develop the plot around him. So that was the first principle of TV series and it still implies more or less,’’  said Adam Price to more than 80 people who attended the master class.

’’The main character holds the vision. Now there is the principle of double story. Danish TV Productions are not commercial, they are public. Their moto is, We are not put on this planet to make money, numbers or viewers. Of course viewers are important but we are not solely there for that. We should be extremely ambitious storytellers. We need to have an ambition to say something about the society, political issues, and our zeitgeist. What is it to be a human being right now, European citizen, existence? You would always be asked what the deeper meaning of your criminal story is. And they might say – well, you need to dig deeper.”

Is politics and religion topics you are naturally drawn to?

I created a series about coalition politics in Denmark. At the beginning we didn’t imagine that anybody would want to see it. We were explicitly told that no one but the Danes would watch it. Perhaps the Swedish and Norwegians out of brotherly love or mercy. We were surprised so many countries reacted to Borgen.

Sometimes we can be ahead of politics in Denmark. People discussed a lot what was going on in Borgen. We were imagining what the political situation might be – something we were wrong but sometimes we were right. We were part of the political events with something so fictional.

There is a strong criticism on migration policy in your series, what message are you trying to convey?

Some scenes are inspired by real life events we read about. And the scenes about migration are part of a character development which you shouldn’t notice. Denmark has a quite restrictive immigration policy right now and we send many people away. Sometimes it seems these convictions are not researched well, sometimes it seems like people are evicted too quickly.

Borgen was a feminist project. The core element and conflict lies between the conflict and the relationship mother – daughter. After two seasons, I decided that I want to say something about the masculine side. There is one common element in my writings – people that are almost seduced by the power of their work. You have a woman in Borgen and she is on the highest post – she is offered to be a Prime minister. Her character develops and in the end of Borgen she is wise enough to choose her daughter. The men in Ride upon the storm are not as wise as she is – how far are you willing to go to fulfill your ambition?

How do you start working on your characters?

The main characters need to be as multilayered as you could possibly make them. The greatest character of all time is probably Hamlet and he is everything: he is evil, he is heroic, he is perverse, he is a beautiful son, and he is a horrible son, a great lover and the worst one…

When you create main characters it is important to find the contradictions which lie in their psyche. Living up to expectations and answering to the character’s real drive. A conflict which they almost cannot survive. Discussions around their personalities and alter ego.

Could you share more specific screenwriting techniques that you learnt?

One of the best screenwriting techniques is trying to avoid sharing too much information, sometimes a line would stink from information and here it depends on the actor – how is he going to play it. Another reminder is to be very careful to not getting carried away with the second characters because one of the biggest mistakes is making them more interesting that the leading role.

The master class was followed by a projection-premiere of Ride Upon The Storm, Season 2.

The post Secrets from the creator of Danish hit TV series Borgen – An interview with Adam Price appeared first on Brussels Express.

Apu is known for his strong accent and his catchphrase « Thank you, come again! »

After more than 30 years, Apu’s character has been characterized as a controversial and racist caricature due to the stereotypical portrayal of the Indian community.

Adi Shankar, who is a Youtuber and a producer, has revealed that Apu’s character might be dropped.

However, Al Jean, the Simpson’s executive producer, has yet to confirm that Apu will be dropped from the show.

The post The Simpsons say: Goodbye, Apu. Thank you and come again? appeared first on Brussels Express.

In the 1980′, throughout nine seasons and 220 episodes, the Carringtons made Dynasty one of the most successful prime time soap opera in the United States.

Last October 12, the fans of the hit 80s soap opera watched with bated breath as the show made its explosive return to the telly with a very modern twist.

This reboot version of Dynasty, written and produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, both known for the Gossip Girl, and Sallie Patrick, revolves around the daily life of two wealthiest families in the United States, the Carrington and the Colby, who dispute the control of their fortune and their children.

The storyline follows Fallon Carrington’s (Elizabeth Gillies) perpective, daughter of billionaire Blake Carrington (Grant Show), and her future mother-in-law, Cristal (Nathalie Kelley), a Hispanic woman who is about to join this conservative and powerful family.

To complete the cast, Sam Adegoke (Murder in the First) is Jeff Colby; Robert Christopher Riley (Hit the Floor), Culhane, the driver of the Carrington family; Alan Dale (Lost, Ugly Betty), butler Anders, and Rafael de la Fuente (Empire) is Sam, an intriguing bellasther close to rebel Steven Carrington performed by the Australian James MacKay.

Synopsis episode 1

Dynasty begins with heiress Fallon Carrington unhappy to find her billionaire father Blake engaged to Cristal, her rival employee at the family company. Fallon plots against Cristal with Blake’s chauffeur—and Fallon’s lover—Michael Culhane, and then with Blake’s nemesis, Jeff Colby. Meanwhile, the arrival of Cristal’s nephew Sam threatens to expose her past.

The reboot updates several factors from the 1980s original, including moving the setting from Denver, Colorado to Atlanta, Georgia; making Steven’s homosexuality a nonissue to Blake; and changing gold digger Sammy Jo from a woman to a gay man.

Good to Know:

Netflix acquired the rights of Dynasty from CBS Studios for international distribution. Thus, in Belgium, each episode will be available 24 hours after its broadcast on American television.

The post Netflix reboots Dynasty soap opera appeared first on Brussels Express.

The series premiere was released this past weekend, and features James Franco in the role of a bartender at a drop bar. The costume and set design is superb, and the writing and plot are what you would expect from anything created by David Simon.

The most remarkable thing about this series is the amount of research that went into it. Simon and co-producer George Pelecanos interviewed hundreds of people involved in the seedy underworld of adult films in the 70s. What many Europeans may not understand is that America had only recently been transformed by revisions to obscenity laws by 1970, and the status of Pornography was not that of the multi-billion dollar industry that it has become.

The first episode laid the groundwork for another epic series, and fans all over the world will be eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

The post The Deuce Series Premiere appeared first on Brussels Express.

Narcos will pick up in the immediate aftermath of Escobar’s death, and focus on his sprawling successor, the Cali Cartel, which took over as leaders in the drug trade in the wake of his demise.

The Orville
Premiere
Date: September 10
Network: Fox

MacFarlane originally wrote The Orville as a spec script, which was picked up by Fox on May 4, 2016. The network ordered 13 episodes. It will be the first live-action television series created by MacFarlane, as well as his first live-action starring role on television

Fear the Walking Dead
Part 2
Date: September 11
Network: AMC

Fear the Walking Dead is an American horror drama television series created by Robert Kirkman and Dave Ericsson.  It is a companion series to The Walking Dead,

South Park
Season 21
Date: September 13
Network: Comedy Central

Broad City
Season 4
Date: September 13
Network: Comedy Central

American Vendal
Premiere
Date: September 15
Network: Netflix

From co-creators Tony Yacenda (Pillow Talking) and Dan Perrault (Honest Trailers), and showrunner Dan Lagana (Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous), American Vandal is a half-hour true-crime satire that explores the aftermath of a costly high school prank that left twenty-seven faculty cars vandalized with phallic images. Over the course of the eight-episode season, an aspiring sophomore documentarian investigates the controversial and potentially unjust expulsion of troubled senior (and known dick-drawer) Dylan Maxwell. Not unlike its now iconic true-crime predecessors, the addictive American Vandal will leave one question on everyone’s minds until the very end: Who drew the dicks?

American Horror Story: Cult
Season 7
Date: September 19
Network: Netflix

Jerry before Seinfeld
Season 7
Date: September 19
Network: Netflix

Jerry Seinfeld takes you back to before you called him a king, or a legend, or the-guy-from-that-thing.

The Good Place
Season 2
Date: September 21
Network: NBC

This Is Us
Season 2
Date: September 28
Network: Fox Life

The post 2017: Your favourite TV shows are back appeared first on Brussels Express.