Updates Archives January - March 2011

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MARCH, 2011

31st March, 2011

The region 4 dvd of Stike Back will be released on 5th May. It is now available for pre-order from ABC Shop online for $29.99.

30th March, 2011

An interesting preview of Spooks series 9 episode 1 by Diane Butler for the Sun Herald in Melbourne, "This is a crowd that says quaff when it means drink", has been uploaded to the RAC Library. (Thanks to Annie)

28th March, 2011

Just a reminder that Spooks series 9 begins airing in Australia on ABC1 at 8.30 pm, Saturday, 2nd April.

A very favourable TV Week (Australia) preview of episode 1 of Spooks series 9, "Fast and Furious", by Helen Vnuk has ben uploaded to the RAC Library. (Thanks to Caroline)

An unfavourable Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide preview of episode 1 of Spooks series 9 by Sacha Molitorisz has ben uploaded to the RAC Library. (Thanks to Caroline)

27th March, 2011

Icon Art Challenge 144 results for John Thornton now in the Gallery.

The viewing numbers for the final episode of Strike Back in Oz are down on the previous 2 weeks, possibly due to the ABC's coverage of the state election in NSW.

Darkroom Challenge 39 results for - Weather - have been uploaded to the RAC Gallery.

23rd March, 2011

MTV has released a video full break-down of the Official Trailer which mentions Richard as Heinz Kruger.

Caps of Richard as Heinz Kruger in the Official Trailer for Captain America have been uploaded to the RAC Gallery.

There is a possible time change for the NSW airing of Strike Back 3. Although the ABC's website shows it as 11.20pm to allow for their transmisison of the NSW state election commentary, the Sydney Morning Herald shows it as 10.25pm. (Thanks to Peppin)*

*Update: ABC has confirmed that Strike Back 3 will air in NSW on Saturday night at 10.35pm. (Or, it could be a ploy to make sure any NSW viewers watch the election commentary.)

Marvel has released the first official trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger. Richard is in a few scenes and has one line of dialogue in the trailer. You can watch it on youtube.

22nd March, 2011

Entertainment Tonight showed an exclusive first look at the film, Captain America, in which Richard plays Heinz Kruger. Richard appears very quickly in the submarine and shooting a gun out of a car window. We have uploaded the clip to our Youtube channel.

We have uploaded the trailer for Spooks series 9 in Australia to our Youtube channel. Spooks will begin airing on ABC1 at 8.30pm on Saturday, 2nd April.

20th March, 2011

You can now put your name on the list at Amazon to be notified with the dvd/blu-ray for Captain America becomes available.

Icon Art Challenge 143 results for House Of Flying Daggers now in the Gallery.

Strike Back episode 2 (airing in Australia currently) rated at 8th with a viewing audience of 552,000 up on 542,000 last week.

After all the delays, The Hobbit is on schedule to begin filming on 21st March. (Thanks to Anakris)

The Hobbit has gone live with its own blog, The Hobbit Blog. It has links to the Warner Bros official announcement of the beginning of filming as well as to Peter Jackson's new Face Book page which promises he "will be posting comments and updates on the production of The Hobbit there." and begins with "two new photos from the set, the official Start of Production announcement, and a photo gallery from some of his past productions."

19th March, 2011

We have uploaded the trailer for the final episode of Strike Back to be aired on ABC1 in Australia next Saturday, 26th March to Youtube. It will be airing at 11.20 pm in NSW because of the coverage of the NSW State election. Please check your television schedules for times.

18th March, 2011

The transcriptions of the Spooks 9 dvd extras, The Cost of Being A Spy and The Downfall of Lucas North, have been added to the RAC Library. They are each 4-page interviews and you can navigate through the pages using the Library's thumbnails.

17th March, 2011

We have updated the Gallery with the Spooks 9 dvd extras, The Cost of Being a Spy and The Downfall of Lucas North.

15th March, 2011

Although nominated for a Royal Television Society award, Lost Land of the Tiger, which Richard narrated, did not win one.

UKinNewZealand posted a picture on flickr of Richard and British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell at Sunday's Fill the Basin for Christchurch charity cricket match. "Richard Armitage, along with other members of the cast, rattled the collecting tins on the day."

14th March, 2011

You can see Strike Back episode 1 on iView and the ABC's online newsletter is highlighting Strike Back as "The Best of iView" and says it's, "A must-see for all Richard Armitage fans. It's an adrenaline-fuelled, star-studded action series based on the international bestseller by Chris Ryan, ex-SAS soldier and Bravo Two Zero veteran".

Louise Schartszoff for the Sydney Morning Herald gives Strike Back, episode 2, airing on ABC1 on Saturday, 19th March at 8.30, a thumbsup saying, "Richard Armitage could appear in fizzy drink advertisements and still be compelling ... The second instalment of a three-part series, this episode begins with a punch and never slows down".

Episode 1 of Strike Back came in at 8th in the ratings for that night. Viewing was dominated by news reports of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

13th March, 2011

Icon & Signature Art Challenge 142 results for Troy now in the Gallery.

12th March, 2011

We have added the trailer for Strike Back episode 2, airing on 19th March at 8.30 pm on ABC1 in Australia to Youtube.

10th March, 2011

The second series of Homes From Hell, which Richard narrated for ITV in 2010, is airing on GEM in Australia on Tuesdays at 7.30pm. The final episode, Perfect Locations, will be on 15th March and repeated on Wednesday 16th March at 4.00pm. (Thanks to Jane and Peppin)

The Dominion Post has reported that tickets for Sunday's charity cricket match to raise money for Christchurch, Fill the Bowl, at which Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and Mark Hadlow will act as referees have sold out, so "Those who missed out or live outside Wellington can now watch the match on TV after Trackside agreed to screen it on its digital channel, available on Sky and Freeview." (Thanks to Sandrac)

8th March, 2011

We have added the trailer for Strike Back episode 1, airing on 12th March at 8.30 pm on ABC1 to Youtube.

7th March, 2011

A preview of Strike Back on ABC1 in Australia for The Sun Herald, "Mental Warfare", refers to Richard Armitage as “brilliantly cast” for John Porter, and concludes, “Filmed in South Africa, the look and feel of Strike Back is alarmingly realistic and the torture scenes are confonting. It’s these finer elements, and Armitage’s oozing charm, that set the show apart.” (Thanks to Peppin for the scan and to RichardAmitageOnline for the information on this article.)

An article with the writers of Spooks series 9 in Cultbox.co.uk talks a bit about the decision on Lucas North's exit from the series. (Thanks to Sandrac)
RAC Library

Previewing Strike Back, Guy Davis, for the Canberra Times writes, " Armitage, who has ably played heroes and villians with equal degrees of skill and dimension, is a compelling lead, conveying authority and ability without succumbing to bland heroic posturing." (Thanks to Sandrac)

Nick Galvin, previewing Strike Back for the Sydney Morning Herald's Guide gives it a thumbsup saying, "It's unapologetically blokey escapism done really well and, damn, I love it." (Thanks to Caroline & Sandrac)

The TV Week's (Australia) Helen Vnuk in the Guide gives Strike Back 4 TVs and says, "If you're an action fan, Strike Back is definitely worth a look". We'll be getting it into the Library just as soon as some technical problems as the result of a crashed hard drive are sorted. (Thanks to Caroline for the scan)

ABC's Switched On previews Spooks series 9.

Sir Ian McKellen will make an appearance as a guest referee along with Stephen Fleming and Shane Warne in the "Fill The Basin for Christchurch" Twenty20 match in Wellington next Sunday (13th March) to help raise funds for the Christchurch earthquake victims.

6th March, 2011

Icon Challenge 141 results for RA Beard now in the Gallery.

5th March, 2011

Darkroom Challenge results - THREE's - have now been uploaded to the RAC Gallery.

3rd March, 2011

GoAudio has ranked the unabridged audiobook of Bernard Cornwell's Lords of the North, performed by Richard Armitage as No. 2 on its weekly chart. You can find details and excerpts, as well as a link to GoAudio's order page, on our Audiobooks & Performances Career page and download ringtones and excerpts from our Media page. (Thanks to Anakris)

The ABC in Australia will begin airing Spooks series 9 on Saturday nights at 8.30 on ABC1 from 2nd April. You can find screencaps for series 7 - 9 in our Gallery and information and quotes from Richard on the series on our Spooks Career page. You can also find ringtones and excerpts on our Media page and articles and interviews with Richard generated by publicity for each series in the RAC Library.(Thanks to Caroline)

United Agents (Richard's agents) has announced that 'Lost Land of the Tiger', the BBC series narrated by Richard, has been nominated for a 2010 Royal Television Society Award. Winners will be announced on 15th March.

Just a reminder that Strike Back begins airing weekly on Saturday 12th March as 3 x 90 minute episodes. Note that, because of the state election in NSW the final episode will air at 11.30 pm, although the online television schedule still shows it as airing at 8.30pm. You can find screencaps for the series in the RAC Gallery and information, pics and quotes from Richard, on the Strike Back Career pages. There are also ringtones and excerpts on our Media page and articles and interviews with Richard generated by publicity for each series in the RAC Library.

 

FEBRUARY, 2011

28th February, 2011

Richard's agents, United Agents have put up an annoucement about Naxos' Venetia being nominated for Best Audiobook Adaptation in the Audie Awards, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). The winners will be announced on May 24, 2011 at a Gala in New York City. You can listen to excerpts from Venetia at our Career Audiobooks & Performances page and download them from our Media Audiobook & Radioplays page.

27th February, 2011

Tv.uk.msn.com has posted an article, Spooks: 10 Reasons Why it's Popular, which includes a video interview with Richard Armitage in his trailer. The article says this about Lucas North: "Like Ros, this handsome member of the MI5 family is both an enigma and strangely reassuring. Played by Richard Armitage, and familiar to Robin Hood fans as Guy of Gisbourne, the producers knew what they were doing when they hired this actor. He'd previously attracted so much female admiration on a BBC message board, they had to close the site." (Thanks Sandrac)

The Richard bits of the interview have been added to the RAC Youtube Channel and the transcript has been added to our library. The interview can also be downloaded from our media - tv page. Screencaps can be found in the Spooks Interviews & Extras Gallery.

RA Character Poetry Card Challenge 140 results for Struggle now in the Gallery.

25th February, 2011

UniversalPlaybackTV has added a new trailer for the Spooks 9 dvd (to be released on 28th February) to Youtube.

Richard is narrating the HMS Ark Royal Series on Discovery UK. It airs on Tuesdays at 10pm. Episode 1 already aired on Tuesday, February 22, but is being repeated - check tvguide for the schedule of repeats. Episode 2 will air on Tuesday, March 1 at 10pm. Watch and listen to a clip on Youtube. (Thanks to Lady Gisborne).

Naxos' audiobook Venetia, read by Richard Armitage, has been nominated for best Audiobook Adaptation in the Audie Awards, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). (Audies 2011)

An article by Latoya Newman, "Delhi on your Doorstep", that talks about filming Strike Back 2 in Durban has been published in Tonight. There are pictures of the filming but none include Richard.

24th February, 2011

Universal Playback have announced the launch of an all new interactive experience giving you the chance to become a Spook. Created for release of Spooks: Series 9 on DVD, this original mission will feature never before seen footage from the Spooks cast. (www.entertainment-focus.com) (Thanks to Sandrac)

21st February, 2011

Strike Back will soon air in Australia on ABC1. Episode 1 will air on Saturday, March 12 at 8:30 pm. Episode 2 will air on Saturday, March 19 at 8:30 pm. (throng.com.au).

20th February, 2011

Icon Challenge 139 results for Mulan now in the Gallery.

17th February, 2011

We've added an Early Career album to the RAC Gallery and moved Boon, Cleopatra and This Year's Love into it. We have also added to it the RSC Macbeth in which Richard played Angus for both the theatrical production and the later dvd. You can see a timeline of these productions in our Career Timeline.

15th February, 2011

We have added The Hobbit to our Transcription Library starting with a transcription of Richard's section of the press conference on February 11.

13th February, 2011

Tom Ayres, in "Armitage: 'The Hobbit is a dream role'", for Digital Spy has reported from the press conference that, for Richard, "It's been in my childhood very prominently, so to come to it as a middle-aged man and have another look at it is a brilliant opportunity".

Darkroom Challenge 37 - SKY - results now in the RAC Gallery.

Icon & Signature Challenge 138 results for Pillars Of The Earth now in the Gallery.

11th February, 2011

Josh Rottenberg in "'The Hobbit': The cast speaks!"for EW.com, reporting on the The Hobbit press conference, quotes Richard answering a question about playing Thorin: “My first experience on stage was in a production of The Hobbit at the Alex Theater in Birmingham. I played an Elf and Gollum was a papier-mache puppet with a man offstage on a microphone. ... "

RAC Library (this is a 2-page article so just remember you can scroll within the library using the thumbnails)

TheOneRing.net has announced a creative writing competition with the prize of a collectible Gandalf statue. You can find all the details here. Oh, you just have to write a little blurb containing the word, 'Thorin'.

We have added a gallery for The Hobbit to the RAC Gallery and have uploaded caps from the Press Conference as well as some stills.

There was a media conference for The Hobbit this morning in Wellington, NZ. Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and the other actors were present. Director Peter Jackson was unable to attend as he was under "health 'house arrest.'" (The Dominion Post)

During the minute by minute coverage, it was reported at 10.38am: Richard Armitage says he played an elf in a stage production of The Hobbit when he was a child and gandalf was a paper mâché puppet. Says the 3D aspect is like working on Avatar. (Thanks Sandrac)

There were more photos and articles in 'Meet the Cast of The Hobbit' (3news.co.nz) and 'Hobbit Stars Meet the Media (Otago Daily Times).

Tehanu of TheOneRing.net recapped the press conference. He says, Richard Armitage (Thorin) spoke surprisingly little, but when he did he had a notably deep voice, exactly right for Thorin, and real gravitas. He walked into the conference with a kind of testosterone charged lope. I don’t think he’ll have any trouble holding the audience’s attention. Tehanu also reports - Speaking of ensemble, the dwarves confirmed they’d be doing their own singing. “It’s all staying very close to the book – yes, there WILL be singing.”

3news.co.uk has posted the video of the entire press conference on their website.

10th February, 2011

The Sky1 website confirms that Richard will be returning for at least part of the second series of Strike Back. The second series will be co-produced with Sky and HBO/Cinemax. In the second series, a former US Special Forces operative teams up with Section 20 to stop an international terrorist group. Two new characters will be introduced, played by Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton. There will be 10 parts in the next series, instead of 6.

7th February, 2011

A 30-second teaser trailer for Captain America premiered on Sunday night during the Super Bowl in the US. You can watch it on the Marvel website. There is a brief glance of Richard as Heinz Kruger in a submarine.

Production company, 3Foot7 Ltd, is pleased to announce that the first day of principal photography for THE HOBBIT will be Monday 21 March, 2011. (TheOneRing.net)

6th Feruary, 2011

Icon Challenge 137 results for Lucas In One now in the Gallery.

5th February, 2011

The Dominion Post, courtesy Stuff.co.nz, has reported that Hobbiton has announced it will close for 5 weeks from 14th February, increasing rumours that that's the start date for filming for The Hobbit. For more information, see our Forthcoming Attractions page.

4th February, 2011

An audio excerpt from "Elsa: the Lioness that Changed the World," which Richard narrated, has been added to the media - narration page. The program was part of the BBC's Natural World series and aired on 1st February, 2011.

3rd February, 2011

New pictures from Captain America, with a good one of Richard as Heinz Kruger, have been published by Gig Patta in the Latino News. You can find information on Captain America on our Forthcoming Attractions page. A hi res copy of the picture of Richard can be found in our Gallery.

Bccmee has tweeted that Strike Back can be seen on the FX channel from 3rd February at 9.00 pm.

Peter Jackson has left hospital and will continue his recovery at home. According to Stuff.co.nz, "The Hobbit director wanted to express his thanks to the doctors and nursing staff at Wellington Hospital for their expert care 'and to all those members of the public who sent their warm wishes,' his spokeswoman said."

An excerpt from "Elsa: the Lioness that Changed the World", which Richard narrated, has been added to our Voiceovers page. The program was part of the BBC's Natural World series and aired on 1st February, 2011.

Richard's theatrical production with The English Touring Company, The Rover, has been put on hold for at least a year while he is filming The Hobbit in New Zealand and they clarify production issues. (Thanks to Sandrac)

JANUARY, 2011

28th January, 2011

In further Hobbit news, filming, originally scheduled to begin in mid-February is expected to be slightly delayed while Peter Jackson recovers from surgery for a perforated ulcer and Soairse Ronan has been added to the cast, however her role has not yet been confirmed. For all Hobbit details see our Forthcoming Attractions page.

Danielsredluna has uploaded a German promotion vid of Strike Back episode 2 to Youtube. The episode will air this Friday at 10:40pm on RTL.

27th January, 2011

Reuters reporter, Gyles Beckford (and a number of other sources) are reporting that Peter Jackson is recovering well from surgery in a Wellington hospital on a perforated ulcer. A spokeswoman, Melissa Booth has said, "The surgery is not expected to impact on his directing commitment to the Hobbit beyond a slight delay to the start of filming." He was admitted to hospital on Wednesday night, 26th January, with acute stomach pains and is now resting comfortably. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

25th January, 2011

It appears as though Richard will be narrating the programme, "Elsa the Lion," part of the BBC's Natural World Series. It will air on BBC2 on 1st February at 7pm. There is a clip of the programme with Richard's narration on the BBC Website. (Thanks Monetsmum and scoop).

23rd January, 2011

Darkroom Challenge - Landmarks & Icons - results have been added to the RAC Gallery.

Alex Ritman from The National discusses the reaction to casting Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield with Pat Dawson of The One Ring website in 'Casting the Hobbit'.
RAC Library

The special features contents of the Spooks series 9 dvd have been announced on Cult Box. They include features on Lucas North, a commentary with Nicola Walker and the executive producers and writer. (Thanks to Monetsmum and AnnetteG)

22nd January, 2011

The Early Career page has been updated with information on the London 1991 production of 42nd Street in which Richard appeared as part of the Ensemble, and the RSC's 1999-2000 production of Macbeth in which Richard appeared as Angus.

We have added selected pages of the programs for both the London 1991 production of 42nd Street and the RSC 1999-2000 production of Macbeth to the RAC Library. Remember to scroll through the pages using the Library's thumbnails.

A Strike Back promotion video Strike Back on Italian television has been uploaded to Youtube. (Thanks to Bccmee)

19th January, 2011

The HeraldSun reports that Sullivan Stapleton has landed the lead role in the next series of Strike Back, which will now be co-produced by Sky and HBO. He has signed on for 2 series. No confirmation yet whether Richard will appear in the next series.

17th January, 2011

According to the Waikato (NZ) Times, The Hobbit begins filming on 14th February, 2011.

David Stephenson interviewed Richard twice in 2010 for the Sunday Express. He is now offering both interviews as downloads for 50p each on his website.

14th January, 2011

We've added some recently-discovered archived articles to the Library -

"On radio - The Ted Hughes Letters: A poet's pain laid bare", a review of The Ted Hughes Letters by Gillian Reynolds in The Telegraph from October 2007. (Please remember to click on the page to exapand it and to scroll through the article using the thumbnails beside each page.)
The Telegraph
RAC Library

"A dashing object of desire", by Ann Ashworh in the Times Online in December 2004, talks about the enthusiastic response to the mini-series, North & South and the growth of the fan base. (Please remember to click on the page to exapand it and to scroll through the article using the thumbnails beside each page.)
Times Online
RAC Library

We've updated the Forthcoming Attractions page and added cast confirmations - Sir Ian McKellen will reprise Gandalf and Andy Serkis will be back as Gollum. Making cameo appearances will be Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, and possibly Sir Christopher Lee as Saruman the White. Ian Holm is rumoured to be reprising his role as the older Bilbo and there is also a rumour that David Tennant will be cast as the Elvenking, Thranduil.

6th January, 2011

We have added transcripts of the poems read by Richard in the radio programs, A War Less Ordinary, and Words & Music: Symphony of the City, and the letters from The Ted Hughes Letters.

1st January, 2011

We have added This Year's Love, Richard's first film role in which he appeared for about 3 minutes as 'Smug Man at Party' to the RAC Gallery. There are details of this film on our Early Career page. We have also added caps from a Youtube vid of The Impresionists outtakes, showing Richard getting the giggles, to the RAC Gallery. You can find details about this production on our The Impressionists Career page and a link to the original vid at the RAC Media page.