Page 2 - Robert Morley News Today

I’m not a huge fan of awards shows, but this year I tuned into the Grammys because I wanted to see Joni Mitchell.

Finders Keepers: Musical spy comedy, starring Cliff Richard. Finders Keepers airs on Talking Pictures TV at 4:10 AM, Sunday 18 February. Musical spy comedy, starring Cliff Richard

When Eight Bells Toll: Thriller, starring Anthony Hopkins. When Eight Bells Toll airs on BBC Two HD at 11:50 PM, Sunday 4 February. Thriller, starring Anthony Hopkins

Outcast of the Islands: Drama, starring Ralph Richardson. Outcast of the Islands airs on Film4 HD at 11:00 AM, Thursday 25 January. Drama, starring Ralph Richardson

Outcast of the Islands: Drama, starring Ralph Richardson. Outcast of the Islands airs on Film4 HD at 3:05 PM, Monday 22 January. Drama, starring Ralph Richardson

The focus in our most-viewed stories of 2023 revolves around the highs and lows experienced in our local community over the past year.

Mr. Blakemore was nominated seven times for Tonys, notably for his productions of Peter Nichols’s “A Day in the Death of Joe Egg” in 1968 and Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off” in 1983. He won two directing awards in 2000: for the musical revival "Kiss Me, Kate" and for "Copenhagen."

Finders Keepers: Musical spy comedy, starring Cliff Richard. Finders Keepers airs on Talking Pictures TV at 3:00 AM, Friday 15 December.

Michael Blakemore, the Australian-born director, who has died aged 95, made his name in London with his premieres of plays by Peter Nichols; he cemented his reputation by staging the majority of plays by Michael Frayn and – in a long-lived career that spanned half a century – became identified as a director with a meticulous eye, a potent feel for the theatrical and a sure touch in the commercial sector.

The multiple Tony winner was responsible for the 1999 revival of Kiss Me, Kate that modernized the classic for a new generation.