lyn's - Rented List
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Sylvia Fox (Emilia Fox) is a top British spy who finds herself at odds with her ruthless MI6 bosses. Disillusioned and in need of a break, she heads to Italy for her niece's wedding. But when the groom goes missing, leaving a dead body behind, it's up to Sylvia to solve the mystery and save her niece from disaster. Enchanted by the little town of Panicale and longing to reconnect with her sister (Tara Fitzgerald), Sylvia buys a crumbling old house on a hillside and decides to start anew in Umbria. But this secret agent was never cut out for a quiet life, and she's soon tackling a variety of cases, from a skeleton unearthed in an archaeological dig to a kidnapped truffle pig and a complex case of murder and blackmail. Investigating the crimes brings Sylvia doserto a handsome local cop, Capitano Giovanni Riva (Giovanni Cirfiera), even as her ex-husband and ex-colleague, Adam Haines (Jamie Bamber), tries to lure her back. - Director:
- Mark Brozel
- Cast:
- Emilia Fox, Tara Fitzgerald, Giovanni Cirfiera
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Devised by John Elliot, 'Fall of Eagles' is a stunning dramatisation of the declining years and final collapse of three of the most powerful European dynasties - the Hapsburgs, Romanovs and Hohenzollerns - between the mid-19th century and the end of the First World War. The series focuses on the tempestuous reigns of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. - Director:
- David Cunliffe
- Cast:
- Michael Hordern, Charles Kay, Barry Foster
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Sarah Lancashire stars as Catherine Cawood, a police sergeant in a small town where drunkards, drug addicts and teenage pregnancies are a way of life. Her world is turned upside down when the man she thinks is responsible for her daughter's death - Tommy Lee Royce - is released from prison. Meanwhile, quiet middle-class accountant Kevin Weatherill feels underappreciated and underpaid at work. Desperate to give his daughters a decent education, he asks for a pay rise so he can send them to private school. But when his wealthy boss Nevison refuses, something finally snaps for Kevin and he enlists the help of local drug lord Ashley to kidnap Nevison's daughter and hold her for ransom. Things quickly spiral out of control when Ashley involves Tommy Lee in the plan. How far will any of them go to get what they really want? - Director:
- Euros Lyn
- Cast:
- Sarah Lancashire, Moey Hassan, Pauline Jefferson
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Living (2022)Ikiru
London, 1953. Mr. Williams, played by Bill Nighy, is a veteran civil servant, a cog in the city's stifling bureaucracy as it struggles to rebuild following WWII. After a shattering health diagnosis, it dawns on him he has not been living his life to the full. Amidst the fog of his paperwork, and his loneliness at home, he yearns to find fulfilment before it's too late. He is encouraged in his search by two younger colleagues - the vibrant Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood) and idealistic new recruit Peter (Alex Sharp) - and a hedonistic stranger, Sutherland (Tom Burke), encountered during a desperate trip to the seaside. - Director:
- Oliver Hermanus
- Cast:
- Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp
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London's Chelsea neighbourhood is a beautiful borough for beautiful people, but it has a dark underside of deception, violence, greed - and murder. Bodies have a way of showing up, and things are rarely what they seem. Dl Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough) lives on a shabby houseboat on the Thames, just yards from some of the most valuable real estate in Europe. He's an unprepossessing figure with one of the shrewdest minds in the Metropolitan Police. His partner, Priya Shamsie (Sonita Henry), is a no-nonsense detective sergeant newly returned from maternity leave. Together, they must root out the truth behind heinous crimes and bring those responsible to justice, no matter their wealth or status. - Director:
- Richard Signy
- Cast:
- Adrian Scarborough, Peter Bankole, Lucy Phelps
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When the moonless shadows of London give birth to a new nightmare, John Luther (Idris Elba) once again confronts the depths of human depravity. As a series of monstrous killings becomes more audacious, Luther and new recruit DS Catherine Halliday (Wunmi Mosaku) are confounded by a tangle of misdirection that seems to protect an unspeakable horror. But as the case brings him closer than ever to the nature of true evil, a reluctant Luther faces the ghosts of his own past. Striding back into the line of fire, he must choose who to protect, and who to sacrifice. Whatever his next move, it will change John Luther forever. - Director:
- Jamie Payne
- Cast:
- Lewis Young, Idris Elba, Sonita Henry
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An explosive and heart-breaking adaptation of Joseph Conrad's classic novel of terrorism, espionage and betrayal. London, 1886 and Verloc (Toby Jones) runs a seedy sex shop in the heart of Soho. Unbeknown to his loyal wife Winnie (Vicky McClure), Verloc also works for the Russian embassy, spying on a group of London anarchists. The Russians are furious with the English establishment's indifference to the anarchist threat gripping the rest of Europe. So Verloc is assigned a mission: blow up the Greenwich Observatory and make it look like a terrorist attack to provoke a crackdown. Should he fail, Verloc's real identity as a spy will be exposed to his vicious comrades. Verloc is forced to turn to the volatile Professor (Ian Hart) to supply explosives which in turn attracts the attention of Chief Inspector Heat of Scotland Yard (Stephen Graham). Caught between the Russians and the police, Verloc grooms Winnie's younger brother Stevie (Charlie Hamblett) as his unsuspecting accomplice. When the truth outs, Verloc has to face Winnie's wrath... - Director:
- Charles McDougall
- Cast:
- Toby Jones, Ash Hunter, Paul Lancaster
- Formats:
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Kessler is the exciting sequel to the classic BBC drama series Secret Army, and sees Clifford Rose reprise the role of Ludwig Kessler - a part for which he won much critical acclaim. Written by Secret Army's script editor and principal scriptwriter, John Brason (Enemy at the Door, The Fourth Arm) and its creator Gerard Glaister (Colditz, The Brothers, Howards' Way), this six-part thriller takes up Kessler's story some thirty years after the war. The investigation of Belgian journalist Hugo van Eyck into the true identity of the successful German industrialist, Manfred Dorf, brings Monique Durnford (Angela Richards) back to Brussels for a reunion with her Lifeline colleagues, Albert Foiret (Bernard Hepton) and Natalie Chantrens (Juliet Hammond-Hill). Other new arrivals to the Belgian capital are West German Intelligence agent Richard Bauer (Alan Dobie - War and Peace, Cribb) who fears the re-emergence of National Socialism, and army-trained Israeli Mical Rak (Nitza Saul - Doctor Who) who is seeking revenge for her dead mother. Kessler's colleagues in the Kameradenwerk decide that he must leave Germany behind, and he heads to London with his determined daughter Ingrid (Alison Glennie - Blake's 7) and his manservant Franz Hoss (Nicholas Young - The Tomorrow People). However, the persistence of Kessler's pursuers ultimately forces him to leave Europe for Paraguay. There he is reacquainted with his old friend Don Julian Yqueras (Guy Rolfe - The Secret Army) and the despised Dr Josef Mengele (Oscar Quitak - The Death of Adolf Hitler). Kessler holds the key to the global future of Nazism and seeks an audience with Reichsleiter Martin Bormann. Will Hans Ruckert (Ralph Michael - Empire of the Sun) and the Kameradenwerk or Ingrid's Neo-Nazi organisation gain access to the legendary Nazi fortune? And what role will Kessler take in the Fourth Reich? - Director:
- Michael E. Briant
- Cast:
- Clifford Rose, Alan Dobie, Nitza Shaul
- Formats:
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Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) lives in contented retirement until her tranquil life is suddenly disrupted. The dark secrets she's been hiding since her university days have been uncovered by M15. She finds herself in their custody, accused of providing intelligence to the KGB. Cut to 1938 where Joan is a promising physics student at Cambridge University. There she falls for a young communist named Leo Galich (Tom Hughes) and through him, begins to see the world in a new light. After graduation, Joan secures a job in a weapons research facility where she comes to the realisation that the world is on the brink of nuclear disaster. Now Joan is forced to answer an impossible question: exactly what price would she pay for peace? - Director:
- Trevor Nunn
- Cast:
- Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Stephen Campbell Moore
- Formats:
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Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) and Margot Tyrrell (Helena Bonham Carter) are now on the run together across Europe, going from town to town in Germany. But Worricker knows his only chance of resolving his problems is to return home and confront his nemesis - the prime minister, Alec Beasley (Ralph Fiennes). To do this, he's going to have to bring to light some unsavoury facts about the prime minister's financial and business arrangements. But Worricker is haunted by the suspicion that he's not the only person out to undermine the prime minister. - Director:
- David Hare
- Cast:
- Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy
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The indomitable DCI Vera Stanhope, assisted by her trusted colleague, DS Joe Ashworth, steps up for another series of challenging cases. She investigates the mysterious death of a pensioner on a busy commuter train (On Harbour Street), unearths a thirty year mystery after a brutal murder on the sands of a seaside resort (Protected), unpicks the tragic last months of a failed novelist gunned down on a remote Northumberland moor (The Deer Hunters), and delves into the tangled life of a businessman found floating in the water under the Gateshead Millennium Bridge (Death of a Family Man). Inspired by the novels written by renowned crime writer Ann Cleeves, and filmed against a backdrop of outstanding Northumberland landscapes and atmospheric production, each enthralling story is enhanced by the captivating performance of Brenda Blethyn as this shambolic yet brilliant detective. - Director:
- Thaddeus O'Sullivan
- Cast:
- Brenda Blethyn, David Leon, Jon Morrison
- Formats:
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Oliver Twist (1962)Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens Classics
Constance Cox's uncompromising 1962 adaptation of Dickens' tale of a gang of orphan boys turned to crime changed the face of British Sunday teatime viewing. Her unvarnished depiction of despair and depravity in the back alleys of 19th-century London, the cruel divide between rich and poor, and the brutal murder of Nancy shattered expectations of cosy family drama and led to public outcry. But this is Oliver as Dickens intended, without the enforced jollity of the blockbuster Lionel Bart/Carol Reed musical. Max Adrian stars as villainous Fagin, Peter Vaughan an indelibly brutal Bill Sikes, Bruce Prochnik a gentle Oliver, Melvyn Hayes a spry Artful Dodger, and Carmel McSharry the trapped and powerless Nancy. In support are Willoughby Goddard as bullying beadle Bumble, Gay Cameron as kindly aunt Rose Maylie, John Carson's cowardly Monks and Donald Eccles' bitter undertaker Sowerberry. - Director:
- Eric Tayler
- Cast:
- Bruce Prochnik, Max Adrian, Peter Vaughan
- Formats:
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His Majesty was all powerful and all knowing. But he wasn't quite all there. 1788 - King George IIl (Nigel Hawthorne) is almost 30 years into his reign and is once again preparing for the Opening of Parliament. Queen Charlotte (Helen Mirren) skillfully divides her role as both devoted wife and mother to their 15 children. Yet, despite the apparent veneer of respectability, something is going sadly awry within the walls of Windsor Castle. The King's behaviour is becoming increasingly irrational, he is babbling ceaselessly, spewing obscenities and attacking the Queen's Mistress of Robes, Lady Pembroke (Amanda Donohoe). Has the King of England gone...mad? As the King's condition deteriorates, his son, the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett) sets out to have his father declared unfit in order that he should be proclaimed Regent. The Queen is denied access to her husband and the King consequently becomes an isolated figure at the mercy of his own inept physicians. Not until he is persuaded to engage a new doctor, Dr Willis (Ian Holm) does the King show any signs of improvement. Yet the King's only true salvation relies on the support of the most potent of medicines - the Queen herself. - Director:
- Nicholas Hytner
- Cast:
- Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Rupert Graves
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Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is hiding out from his work at MI5 on the tax-exile island paradise 'Turks and Caicos'. Trouble comes knocking when an encounter with a CIA agent (Christopher Walken) forces him into the company of some dubious American businessmen. Claiming to be on the islands for a conference on the global financial crisis, Worricker soon learns their shady activities extend far beyond luxury hotels. When one of them turns up dead, it's their financial PR (Winona Ryder) who seems to know more than she's letting on. But will she help Johnny come to an understanding of what these men do and why they're here? As evidence linking them to Prime Minister Alec Beasley comes to light, Worricker must act quickly if he is to survive. - Director:
- David Hare
- Cast:
- Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes
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Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is a long-serving MI5 officer. His boss and best friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon) dies suddenly, leaving behind a contentious file whose explosive contents threaten the stability of the organisation. Meanwhile, a seemingly chance encounter with Johnny's striking next-door neighbour and political activist Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz) seems too good to be true. Johnny is forced to walk out of his job, and then out of his identity to find the truth. - Director:
- David Hare
- Cast:
- Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Tom Hughes
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