News about Alex Norton

Scots are proud of their Hogmanay roots; first footing; taxi fares that could comfortably cover the country's £1.5 billion budget deficit; and controversies over whether the steak pie should have links to it or not. On social media, Hogmanay TV has been on full throttle. No wonder. The Battle of the Bells between the BBC and STV has been nothing short of epic in recent years. However, to be fair, even the Twitter user who said that Auntie's coverage of the Edinburgh Fireworks was lacking, was offended as compared to previous years because "too much smoke" was pushing it to its limits.

Through Fort William, a police car is traveling at top speed. It swerves violently to avoid a military roadblock before a man wielding a Kalashnikov fires, smashing the windshield and killing the pilot. The vehicle explodes into a store front and screams with fire. Post-apocalyptic nightmare?Daring Hogmanay TV sketch?Not quite. Welcome to Scotch on the Rocks, a TV drama about a Scottish nationalist uprising that has never been shown again on the BBC 50 years ago. In fact, so put out was the SNP of the day by the show, which featured a fictional Scottish Liberation Army deploying Russian-supplied weapons in Fort William, when English troops gathered north of Glasgow, alleging that the series put the show's viewers out of contention that the true party was involved in conflict.

It's 40 years since the Scottish detective drama first appeared on television, and the cast of Taggart reunited on Tuesday to commemorate the occasion. Actors Blythe Duff, James MacPherson, Colin McCredie, and John Michie joined in Glasgow, looking barelyrecognizable all these years. The characters were joined by writer and writer Glenn Chandler and ex-Head of STV Drama, Robert Love, while Alex Norton joined by Zoom for a lively panel discussion hosted by STV host Laura Boyd.

Simon Carlyle, a co-creator of Two Doors Down, has died at the age of 47. The comedy writer's death was announced by the BBC, who said they were 'deeply saddened' by the news. In 2013, Simon wrote Two Doors Down with pal Gregor Sharp as a one-off special before being ordered for a complete collection.

Sir Tony Robinson (left, in a promotional photo for Blackadder The Third and Inset recently) 76, played the character from Blackadder's first episode, which aired 40 years ago, until 1989, when the original run came to an end. However, a documentary that airs tonight reveals how Robinson was too occupied to portray Baldrick in Blackadder's unnerved 1982 pilot film, which was recently discovered by the BBC. Rather, Philip Fox (top right with Rowan Atkinson, and inset) has played the role, and the character has since appeared in Midsomer Murders and Waking the Dead. The moment that Fox's Baldrick warns Blackadder of his 'cunning scheme' is one scene from the pilot's that will be very familiar to viewers from subsequent episodes.' Top right: In a scene from the unaired pilot's televised pilot, Robert Bathurst, Rowan Atkinson, Alex Norton, Philip Fox, and Tim McInnerny.

After being resurrecting for a seventh series, BBC Two's hit comedy Two Doors Down is moving to BBC One. Critics have lauded the comedy series, which began in 2016 and centers on a Scottish family and their annoying neighbors. With the new episodes due to air later this year, BBC has confirmed that work on a seventh series will begin this summer.

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: Diversity! It's the 'abracadabra' that opens all doors at the BBC, as perjuror's magic word. Every show must demonstrate diversity, implying an all-inclusive range of races, body types, and genders. The rule applies to every form, from documentaries to sitcoms. There are unwritten quotas to fill on BBC websites, ensuring that gay couples, trans people, refugees (especially from Europe), and those with physical disabilities are prominently displayed. In particular, anything with the word "Great Britain" in the title must include French, German, or Italian contestants, undermining the fact that, although Auntie is concerned, Brexit never occurred.