We've known Nicola Coughlan was a wee Irish legend ever since she scored the role of Claire in the hilarious Channel 4 series Derry Girls, and never fails to stand up for LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights.
It's now been confirmed that none other than Shonda Rhimes, veteran TV producer, writer and creator of Grey's Anatomy, agrees with us.
Netflix and Shondaland have announced hugely exciting casting news; Coughlan has secured the role of Penelope Featherton in Bridgerton, premiering on the streaming site in 2020.
The actress will work alongside massive names in the industry, such as Phoebe Dynevor, Regé-Jean Page, Golda Rosheuvel, Jonathan Bailey, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Ruby Barker, Sabrina Bartlett, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh and Polly Walker.
Oh, and the one and only Julie Andrews is lending her voice to the character of Lady Whistledown…So that's amazing.
Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn's best-selling series of novels by the same name, set in the lavish and competitive world of Regency London high society.
"From the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic palaces of Park Lane and beyond, the series unveils a seductive, sumptuous world replete with intricate rules and dramatic power struggles, where no one is truly ever on steady ground.
"At the heart of the show is the powerful Bridgerton family. Comprised of eight close-knit siblings, this funny, witty, daring and clever group must navigate the upper ten thousand’s marriage mart in search of romance, adventure and love."
Nicola's character Penelope is a vastly intelligent girl with a sharp wit and kind heart, who prefers to quietly sway away on the outskirts of any ballroom rather than steal the spotlight.
Sadly, Penelope was born into a family who will never truly understand her and has to deal with the cut-throat environment of Regency London relatively alone.
Shonda will executive produce the show alongside Betsy Beers, and creator Chris Van Dusen, who commented; “We could not have found a more gifted group of actors to bring Bridgerton to life.
He added; "When creating this series, the goal was to turn a very traditional genre on its head and make something fresh, smart, sexy and fun.
"That’s exactly what this cast embodies and I'm ridiculously excited to see them inhabit these characters and captivate viewers in their own incredibly brilliant ways.”
Gowan Nicola, keep slaying our lives. You're doing Ireland proud. Let's celebrate by watching the ultimate Claire compilation, shall we?
At least the beloved pet had an idyllic final day, after being brought to the beach to "frolic in the surf" and treated to an In & Out Burger for his last meal.
The hound was then peacefully put to sleep, and is survived by his talented sister Corgi Stella, who has since taken over the hilarious TV role in his place.
Cheddar had a fairly dominant role in the television comedy series, with entire episodes dedicated to his adventures airing. Remember when Jake and Amy lost him?
He also played a vital role in the Halloween heist episodes, aiding Holt in his mission to secure the prize on multiple occasions.
Raymond Holt adored Cheddar with all his heart, and as a result, we fell in love with the hilarious doggie. Cheddar (and Stewart) became a key asset in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine family.
Let's all watch the memorial reel dedicated to his wanderings and greatest scenes, and grab the tissues before we turn into puddles of tears:
We've all gazed at Steve Harrington and his sassy ice-cream serving colleague Robin and wondered if the ice cream tastes as good as it looks. Well, now's our chance to find out.
To celebrate the launch of Stranger Things 3, Netflix have recreated the hilarious ice cream parlour, Scoops Ahoy, as an Upside Down ice cream van which will tour the UK and Ireland.
The 1985-themed van is set to travel multiple cities for 15 days, including Dublin. Scoops Ahoy is scheduled to make it's Irish stop in Dundrum Town Centre on Wednesday, July 17 from 4.30pm – 7pm
have you spotted a scoops ahoy ice cream van in the wild yet? one might be coming your way pic.twitter.com/JYU8wm65fo
Millie Bobby Brown confirmed the news via the Netflix UK and Ireland Twitter, and the excitement is palpable. If only Steve was serving us a Cherries Jubilee, that would be a dream come true.
The upside-down Scoops Ahoy ice cream van,features eerie Stranger Things melodic chimes inspired by the iconic soundtrack.
The van also has two sides to enjoy; a 1980s ice-cream parlour in pastel pinks, blues and whites, and a dark side straight out of the Stranger Things Upside-Down.
— Melissa (NagathaChristie) (@calsolomon) July 8, 2019
From Hawkins to Hawkins (see what they did there?), Scoops Ahoy is set to visit 11 places named 'Hawkins' around the UK and Ireland.
This includes city centres, summer events, seaside towns and shopping centres…but not Starcourt Mall.
The flavours include retro Coke Float, Cherries Jubilee, Banana Boat and July 4.
Image: Netflix
Some of the toppings include glacé cherries, dark sauce, chocolate sprinkles, wafers, toffee sauce, cookie dough. Damn, Scoops Ahoy really is sugar, spice and everything nice.
We'll be celebrating with our fellow Scoops Troops by recreating Dustin and Steve's reunion in the parlour, which remains the most wholesome content we've seen this year.
Anyone who has had the privilege of watching season one of gritty Netflix teen drama The Society knows the PERFECTION that is Sam and Grizz.
Their heart-warming love story evolved through a lack of communication to Grizz learning the wrong type of sign language to try and express himself to Sam, who is deaf.
When the pair finally connect and realise their romantic spark, BOY is it a treat for the audience. We've been anxiously waiting for the announcement of season two, and it's finally arrived:
Netflix has confirmed the news on their official Twitter account with a video of the cast welcoming a second instalment of the show, due in 2020.
"To the citizens of New Ham, we have some big news, really big, like bigger than the time that Gordie figured we're in a parallel universe," the leading actors of the series said.
"Are you ready? We're making season two of The Society. Do you know what this means? More pie. More fugitive. More memes. More answers. About Charlie. And Becca's baby daddy. And Grizz's hair. It will be worth the wait."
not to be dramatic but Sam wiping Grizz's tear off his face might be the most tender moment in television history pic.twitter.com/52w855fm1A
JUST GIVE US MORE GRIZZ AND SAM (Gram? Sizz?) and NOBODY GETS HURT.
Season one of The Society followed a group of privileged teenagers who were brought to a parallel universe which perfectly resembles their hometown of West Ham.
The only difference? Their families have completely vanished without a trace. Things get pretty dark pretty damn fast after the lack of boundaries and shortage of food causes chaos and power struggles.
Variety reports that creator of the show Chris Keyser will return as showrunner and executive producer, with Marc Webb also returning as executive producer.
The incredible young cast includes Big Little Lies star Kathryn Newton, Grace Victoria Cox, Gideon Adlon, Rachel Keller, Jacques Colimon, Alex Fitzalan, and Olivia DeJonge.
Cox recently revealed that she has no idea who Becca's baby's daddy, but she's raising her daughter Eden with her BFF Sam (Sean Berdy).
"I have no clue! I don't know, so I'm just as excited to figure it out as everyone else," the Under the Dome star told Cosmopolitan UK.
"I would love to see Lexie trying to rule New Ham and because of Campbell and the guard and Harry, it just going terribly and all of the chaos that they would get into I think that would be really fun to act and for people to watch," she said.
Fun to watch…Hmmm…We don't know about that hun. The show may be entertaining, but seeing Campbell's plotting going his way is possibly more stressful than sitting the Leaving Cert. HE'S SCARY AF.
We could watch Grizz' philosophical musings all day thanks to the charming Jack Mulhern, but the cliffhangers from season one require answers.
What will become of Allie and Will? Can anyone solve the mystery of the bus driver? Who can figure out why the hell they're in a parallel universe? Stay tuned.
It's all fine and dandy though because Sam and Grizz will find each other again, once Grizz returns from his farming trip in the woods. All will be well. Please let all be well.
Well, it's confirmed: The Stranger Things kids are growing up. Whether we like it or not.
Relationships undoubtedly play a major role in season three of the iconic 80s Netflix show, revolving around fighting alien-type monsters from The Upside Down and suspicious Russian military scientists.
Millie Bobby Brown has since had to defend her character's romance with Mike Wheeler on-screen, played by Finn Wolfhard. Young teenager Eleven is experiencing her first love, and some ain't happy.
Many fans have insisted that the pairing are better when they remain just friends, rather than boyfriend and girlfriend, but the 15-year-old actress strong disagrees.
Telling Digital Spy that she "always saw them in love", she expresses her view that the show is displaying the reality of teenage romance.
"It's so much fun, you know, it's really exciting. Eleven is full of love and she's so excited for her new relationship with Mike. I think it's just relatable and you can totally see it happening in real life."
Mentioning her co-star Finn Wolfhard, she emphasised how "easy" it was to shoot emotionally intimate scenes with her fellow teenaged actor.
"We were in a safe environment where we felt comfortable with each other," she explained. "It was really fun."
Millie is a big fan of Eleven and Mike falling in love, but Noah Schnapp's character Will Byers doesn't feel the same way. The rest of his gang all have girlfriends too; Dustin and Lucas are dating Suzie and Max.
Our hearts simultaneously broke when Mike pretty much outs Will in an earlier episode of the third season, after the poor lad just wants to play Dungeons and Dragons but his friends keep abandoning him.
"We're not kids anymore," Mike yells at Will, after he storms out of his home.
"I mean, what did you think, really? That we were never going to get girlfriends? That we’re just going to sit in my basement playing games for the rest of our lives? It's not our fault you don't like girls."
will’s reaction to mike saying it’s not his fault he doesn’t like girls….somebody talk to mike wheeler or i am going to have to hurt a 14 year olds feelings! pic.twitter.com/7FDyHJPWXa
We're all eagerly anticipating the arrival of Stranger Things season three to Netflix this Thursday, and Deliveroo are helping us celebrate July 4 in a very special way.
The food delivery app and Brother Hubbard have collaborated to create Eggo Waffles in a tribute to everyone's favourite 80s sci-fi show.
The delicious treat will be available exclusively on the platform on July 4, in perfect timing to binge the show.
Stranger Things have inspired the Dublin favourite's new menu, with the gastro geniuses at Brother Hubbard creating both savoury and sweet variations of Eleven's iconic food staple.
Customers can decide between a peanut & jelly waffle sandwich, an shout out to all the times the characters are served up PB & Jelly sandwiches on the show, or get savoury with a dark waffle topped with buttermilk fried chicken, Thousand Island Sauce and Chipotle ‘Slaw.
The incredible creations are priced at €11 each (good one), they'll be around just in time for your Upside Down session in front of the TV screen.
The adolescent-led series has started a waffle phenomenon outside of the show, with Eggos rising in popularity once again as a result of Eleven. Good thing Brother Hubbard caught on to the trend fast…
Garrett Fitzgerald, Owner of Brother Hubbard said:
"Some of our customers love the series and a couple of us in the restaurant do too. When Deliveroo got in touch and asked us to create exclusive treats for the series' return, we couldn't wait.
"They certainly are an homage to the series and the nostalgia of it, but the waffles are also made with Brother Hubbard’s quirky flair and flavour that our customers know and love", he added.
Joe Groves of Deliveroo said, “We’ve been known to place some stranger things on the menu from time to time, hello Creme Egg Quesadilla! So there’s no better time to do so than with the return of this series.
The Stranger Things-inspired waffles will be available on the Deliverooapp or website from the night of July 4 for one week only (excluding Sunday and Monday).
What better way to celebrate the return of one of the world's most beloved shows? Get in the 80s mood, grab a Rubix cube and some binoculars and get ready for some strange treats.
Dare we say the words; Next month's Netflix round-up is without a doubt the best we've ever seen. We have to preach the gospel of truth, and Lord knows July is KILLIN' IT.
From exciting additions like Stranger Things season three and iconic comedy Bridesmaids to the Fab Five working their magic in Queer Eye season four, we're gagging to steam it all.
Did we mention that Derry Girls is finally coming to the streaming platform, after months of begging? Not to mention the last ever season of Orange Is The New Black?
We can't cope, somebody take our pulse.
Netflix is hooking up great quality original series to our veins, not to mention great comedy specials and films.
We've made a comprehensive list of the best new features hitting our screens, so it doesn't overwhelm you like it did when we read the PR statement. We had to take a minute.
Other new additions include Cloverfield and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, as well as…Paul Blart: Mall Cop? Give the people what they want, we guess.
NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
Unrequited Love
Out July 1
A complicated, one-sided secret attraction sends ripples through the lives of a mild-mannered student and her dashing classmate.
The Last Czars
Out July 3
Social upheaval is sweeping early 1900s Russia, but Czar Nicholas II resists all change. An unforgettable and life-altering revolution sparks and ending a dynasty.
Stranger Things 3
Out July 4
From rabid rats and Soviet espionage to New Coke and a brand-new mall, it's the summer of 1985 in Hawkins… and big changes are afoot. We're loving the vibes, and tween romance plot-lines.
You Me Her: Season 4
Out July 12
After tying the knot in a commitment ceremony, Emma, Jack and Izzy negotiate suburban life on the road towards parenthood.
Bonus Family: Season 3
Out July 12
As Martin adjusts to life with a new partner and a baby, Lisa and Patrik grapple with difficult news, and Katja reconnects with an old flame.
Extreme Engagement
Out July 12
An engaged twosome take their love on the road and test their commitment as they explore eight cultures' marriage traditions in the span of one year.
Typewriter
Out July 19
Typewriter is about a haunted house and a haunted book that stir the imagination of a group of young, wannabe ghost hunters, and a dog, determined to capture the ghost that plagues the notorious home in their neighbourhood in Goa.
When a new family and their captivating daughter move into the haunted home, the crew finds it difficult to balance the demands of school and chores with the renewed urgency to capture the neighbourhood ghost before it is too late.
Image: Netflix
Queer Eye: Season 4
Out July 19
The Fab Five are back in Kansas City, Missouri. Join Antoni, Bobby, Jonathan, Karamo and Tan for a new group of inspirational heroes, jaw-dropping makeovers and tons of happy tears.
Honestly, what is our life without these fab five boys? Nothing, that's what.
Have you missed us? (We missed you too. ) We’re back in Kansas City for Season 4, July 19. pic.twitter.com/6H0eIwLg8i
Kate, Frankie, Anne and, now, Ian grow up alongside their kids as they juggle toddlers, ageing, work-life balance and tough relationship issues.
Another Life
Out July 25
Another Life centres on astronaut Niko Breckinridge (Katee Sackhoff) who is focused on searching for alien intelligence.
She leads a crew on a mission to explore the genesis of an alien artefact. As Niko and her young crew investigate, they face unimaginable danger on what might very well be a one-way mission. (MC)
Orange Is the New Black: Season 7
Out July 26
A privileged New Yorker ends up in a women's prison when a past crime catches up with her in this Emmy-winning series from the creator of Weeds. It's the final ever season, so it's bound to be emotional.
Sugar Rush: Season 2
Out July 26
Time's the most important ingredient as teams race against the clock — and each other — to bake up the best-tasting sweets.
Derry Girls
Everyone's favourite Northers are finally going to hit up Netflix in Ireland on July 9.
The critically acclaimed Channel 4 series set in 1990s Northern Ireland literally have zero excuse not to get all caught up on the hilarious hit show.
ORIGINAL FILMS
The Red Sea Diving Resort
Out July 31
Inspired by remarkable true life rescue missions, The Red Sea Diving Resort is the incredible story of a group of international agents and brave Ethiopians who in the early 80s used a deserted holiday retreat in Sudan as a front to smuggle thousands of refugees to Israel.
The undercover team carrying out this mission is led by the charismatic Ari Kidron (Chris Evans) and courageous local Kabede Bimro (Michael Kenneth Williams).
The prestigious cast also includes Haley Bennett, Alessandro Nivola, Michiel Huisman, Chris Chalk, Greg Kinnear and Ben Kingsley.
Kidnapping Stella
Out July 12
Snatched off the street and held for ransom, a bound and gagged woman uses her limited powers to derail her two masked abductors' carefully laid plans.
Cities of Last Things
Out July 11
In a dystopian tale unfolding in reverse chronology, a man with a complicated past takes revenge on the individuals who wronged him decades ago.
Point Blank
Out July 12
To save his pregnant wife, an emergency room nurse teams up with an injured murder suspect in a race against time, rival criminals and renegade cops.
Poms
Out July 12
In this uplifting comedy, life in a retirement community is anything but retiring for a group of young-at-heart senior ladies who decide to pull out the pom-poms and form a cheerleading squad.
It's basically Diane Keaton being an absolute legend, as per usual.
After
Out July 12.
When Tessa Young heads for college, she largely has her life planned out. But a late-night encounter with a brooding, tattooed British student sparks a sexual awakening and a journey of self-discovery.
Secret Obsession
Out July 18.
Recuperating from trauma, Jennifer (Brenda Song) remains in danger as she returns to a life she doesn’t remember.
ORIGINAL COMEDY SPECIALS
Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room
Out July 1.
Everyone's favourite single mom is back with her second Netflix original stand-up special Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room, launching globally on July 1.
A follow-up to her 2017 special In Trouble, Katherine toured Glitter Room across the UK with an unprecedented four-week run at London’s Garrick Theatre in the West End.
After dividing The Belasco Theater audience on their love or dislike of the Kardashians,
Katherine showcases her skilful and hilarious storytelling style with tales about following a man to Japan and meeting her daughter's first celebrity crush, Anna Kendrick.
Pleased as punch to FINALLY be able to shout about this!
In this new mockumentary, join Stranger Things actor David Harbour as he uncovers lost footage from his father's televised stage play, Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein.
Expect the unexpected in this over-the-top and often dramatic(ish) reimagined tale of mystery and suspense .
With appearances by Alfred Molina, Kate Berlant, and more special guests, Harbour explores the depths of his family's acting lineage to gain insight into his father's legacy – all in 28-minutes.
Directed by Daniel Gray Longino (Kroll Show and PEN15) and written by John Levenstein (Arrested Development and Kroll Show), Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein launches globally on Netflix on July 16, 2019.
Multi-hyphenate comedian, Whitney Cummings, makes her Netflix debut with her 4th stand-up special, Whitney Cummings: Can I Touch It? Filmed at the Sidney Harmon Hall in her hometown, Washington, DC. Cummings’ signature incisive commentary on gender dynamics is more relevant than ever.
Do women need to wear service vests instead of “Rosé All Day” t-shirts? Are their nicknames for each other hurting the cause?
Now that people are actually listening what should women change? How are men holding up with all the “new” rules they have to follow now? Tune in for Whitney’s take on everything including why we should give sex robots a chance.
The special will launch globally on Netflix on July 30, 2019.
Self-promotion has become so desperate and embarrassing that this is what it’s come to promote my new @NetflixIsAJoke special called CAN I TOUCH IT? which I can finally announce streams July 30. pic.twitter.com/wwXTmsIoDU
Eddie Redmayne plays Stephen Hawking in the 2014 biopic about the English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author's incredible life.
Bridesmaids
Out July 1
Kristen Wiig stars and co-writes the legendary comedy that boasts a star-studded female cast and…Chris O'Dowd? Amazing.
Spotlight
Out July 29
The Oscar-winning flick nominated for Best Picture in 2015 follows the Boston Globe's Spotlight team as it investigates the widespread and systemic child abuse in Boston by Catholic priests.
Starring Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Stanley Tucci.
In Bruges
Out July 30.
Veteran Irish actors Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star in Martin McDonagh's Golden Globe-winning film set in Belgium.
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARIES
Parchís: El documental
Out July 10, 2019
Get an in-depth look at Parchís, the 1980s kids’ band from Spain, through interviews with ex-members and other insiders, concert footage and more.
Taco Chronicles
Out July 12, 2019
A tribute to the mighty taco: its history, significance in Mexico, global appeal and varieties: pastor, carnitas, canasta, asada, barbacoa and guisados.
Last Chance U: INDY: Part 2
Out July 19, 2019
Netflix’s critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series Last Chance U returns to give viewers an intense, unfiltered look at the junior college football program at Independence Community College (ICC).
Entering his third season with ICC and second season on Last Chance U, Coach Brown has assembled a team that looks sure to compete for a national championship, but a disastrous season on the field puts a spotlight on all of the ugliness of college football that winning tends to polish over.
With some new and returning faces, this season captures the Pirates fall from grace that leaves the coaches and the town looking for changes.
The Great Hack
Out July 24, 2019
Explore how a data company named Cambridge Analytica came to symbolise the dark side of social media in the wake of the 2016 presidential election.
Whoa, we need a breather after reading that phenomenal list.
Props to the steaming service for these golden nuggets of TV and film, even if they exaggerate their viewership ratings to a hilarious level.
This has been the LONGEST time coming but finally, we're heading back to Hawkins.
Stranger Things 3 have released their final trailer ahead of it's July 4 release and it looks even better than we imagined.
The clip shows the whole gang fighting an even greater evil than the Show Monster – and it looks like Billy might be an actual bad guy for real.
Eleven says, ''I closed the gate'…but she realises what if she locked them IN with the monster?
We just got chills.
It looks like Starcourt Mall is where the big battle will take place and if the massive roar and terrified faces of the characters are anything to go by, it's gonna be scary.
A few things from that I am delighted about are:
Murray Bauman is back and hanging out with Joyce and Hopper.
There's a new team of Steve, Dustin, Erica Sinclair and newcomer Robin (played by Maya Thurman-Hawke.)
Billy has a big storyline – think he goes through similar to what Will did in Season 2.
More Dad Steve and Dustin scenes.
If you want to look for clues in what this season has in store then the episode titles are – “Suzie, Do You Copy?,” “The Mall Rats,” “The Case of the Missing Lifeguard,” “The Sauna Test,” “The Source,” “The Birthday,” “The Bite,” and “The Battle of Starcourt.”
We better stock up on Eggos and get ready for what looks like the best season yet.
Stranger Things 3 premieres globally on July 4, on Netflix.
Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler pair up again for a rom-com-mystery that's an exaggerated version of an Agatha Christie whodunnit.
The setting is a yacht, there is an array of stereotypical characters (a glamorous Hollywood actress, a colonel, a famous racecar driver) and a murder victim that any one of them could be responsible for.
It has been announced that it is the biggest opening weekend for a movie on Netflix – not bad, right?
ADAM SANDLER AND JENNIFER ANISTON BREAKING NEWS ALERT
30,869,863 accounts watched Murder Mystery in its first 3 days – the biggest opening weekend ever for a Netflix Film. 13,374,914 accounts in the US and Canada, and 17,494,949 more worldwide.
It doesn't pretend to be a high brow piece of cinema but an easy-watching spoof on the murder mystery genre.
And that's why I liked it – the two leads have good chemistry and the fact that they're old friends stands to them as their marital bickering is believable.
They play Nick and Audrey Spitz, a New York couple who are going on their honeymoon to Europe 15 years after they wed.
Things become interesting when the gorgeous Luke Evans as debonair Charles Cavendish invites them to his yacht.
Here, his uncle Malcolm (the legend that is Terence Stamp) has married Charles' former love and he is signing his new will and giving everything to her.
He's murdered before he can – and everyone on board is a suspect.
You showrunner Sera Gamble has revealed how the character of Joe Goldberg was crafted to make him the ultimate leading romantic, until you see his darker side.
A huge number of the show's fans professed their love for the stalker/murderer, but the creator insists that that's exactly what was meant to happen.
The Netflix series was adapted from the books by Caroline Kepnes, and Goldberg was designed to romanticise his creepy obsession with specific women, leading to their deaths:
Gamble spoke to The Hollywood Reporter during their drama roundtable about the love for Joe which so many fans seem to possess:
"There's a very vocal contingent of fans of Caroline Kepnes' book who were like, 'I heart Joe.' Essentially what she's done is taken the classic romantic hero and just peeled back the gloss and sheen and John Cusack with the boom box and she followed it to its logical conclusion.
"I mean, if you turn off the sappy music and turn on a David Fincher score, romantic comedies are stalker movies."
She's got a good point here. Mute all the music from movies like Pretty Woman and it starts to seem pretty creepy very fast. Try watching You without Joe's narration and it's deeply unsettling:
The showrunner continued; "Romantic comedy behaviour in real life is criminal! That was basically the starting place for the show."
"The plot of pretty much everyone I can think of- and we have watched all of them many times in the writers' room- is contingent on the guy…well first of all, he has to do a certain amount of fucking up so she can forgive him.
And he has to get over some of her shortcomings," Gamble says. "I mean, that's love, right?"
Penn Badgley has been more than vocal with fans who adore his character, and was openly worried:
Sera Gamble claims that she constantly had to have a conversation with Badgley over the script, and how they could transition him into the villain subtly.
"For Penn, when Greg Berlanti and I were talking about the casting, we talked about how we needed an actor who really felt like Joe Goldberg was on paper.
"And Penn is all of that great stuff: He's thoughtful, he's a reader, he's a humanitarian, he's a feminist, he's extremely disturbed by Joe's behaviour," Gamble explained.
Here’s an article from @harpersbazaarus by @CrystalPonti about her experience with a stalker. I don’t know enough about the reality of stalking, honestly, but I’m moved to see that somehow @YouNetflix & the conversation around our show is encouraging others who do. https://t.co/kMfAP5IeOF
"A lot of our conversations throughout making season one were largely about his level of discomfort with each thing I was sending him.
"Penn's never like, 'That feels weird, I'm not going to do it.' He's like, 'We're going to do it, let's just talk it through, and by the way, I have never been more uncomfortable in my life.'"
The opening episode begins with Joe's narration and the start of his obsession with Beck, but it's not immediately obvious that he's a killer. The light stalking was intended to be red flags.
"In order to make the structure of the episode work for the television show, that first scene needs to positively function as a pure romantic comedy scene. It's a meet-cute and it shouldn't feel creepy," Gamble told Variety.
"We even got some early notes that in the first five minutes of the show you can't really tell where it's going," she added. "But to me, that was the thesis of the whole show: You can't really tell.
"So if this feels like a romantic comedy to you, let's look at other things that look like a romantic comedy to you and non-judgmentally admit to one another that we enjoy stories about men who transgress and take away agency and save the day by maybe even killing people.
Gamble also spoke about the lingering shots of Badgley's eyes;
"It was really, really important to us to preserve the idea that this was two young, good-looking people in a bookstore who maybe have some stuff in common- until you push into his eyes at the end of that scene and you're like, ‘Wait a minute…'"
The showrunner also said that, when she adapted the book to the screen, she changed aspects of Joe's character to hide his true nature. She wanted to hide that he "looks at every woman and judges her as a virgin or a slut."
There was one scene which Sara was afraid to shoot, and displays the intensity of Joe's creepiness;
"The scene that actually made me nervous, though, was in the pilot. Very early in the first episode, a character masturbates on the street in shadow," referring to Joe in front of Beck's window.
"I was watching it at a screening and i was like, 'Oh, we're going to lose them and they're never coming back.' Then the next scene came and everyone was on board, and that was the moment I knew the show would work. I was really doing it on faith until that point."
The show has been a runaway success since it landed on Netflix after originally premiering on Lifetime, and the second season is currently in pre-production.
It will star Badgley once again as Joe and Victoria Pedretti as his new love interest; Love Quinn.
The murderer moves to Los Angeles for the next season, time will tell if Love Quinn can survive.
Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio is officially in talks with the BBC over new episodes of the hit drama show, and we are SQUEALING.
Series one depicted a traumatised British war veteran turned security officer attempting to guard the UK Home Secretary, with some romantic friction involved.
The first season was the BCC's most-watched show since 2008, and later became a huge success on Netflix in the US. It's now looking like a second series could be well on its way.
Though the show hasn't yet been given the green light for season two by the BCC, Mercurio has confirmed that he's in conversation with the broadcaster over the show's renewal.
At a keynote event at Banff World Media Festival in Canada, the writer said; "We’re in talks. We’re going through the logistics of it."
Mercurio was shocked at the level of success which Bodyguard garnered, despite the stellar cast; “I know there’s an adage that your failure should be surprising. But the level of success was surprising,” he said.
It's been reported that lead actor Richard Madden, of Game of Thrones fame, spoke to Mercurio months ago about the next season.
Madden went on to win a Golden Globe for his incredible performance as David Budd, defender of Keeley Hawes and heart throb of our lives.
“We never intended to make another one and I don’t know, I’m excited to see what he’s got, especially because David had quite a busy couple of months,” Madden told the MailOnline in November.
It's centered on Nadia, played by Lyonne, who repeatedly finds herself at the exact same point of her birthday party – staring into the mirror as she washes her face before heading back out.
We meet Charlie along the way who is also stuck in the same loop as Nadia and together they try and figure it out.
The news about season 2 came from Natasha, who posted a video with the infamous song – Harry Nilsson’s Gotta Get Up – in her bathroom.
We're gonna have eight more episodes to devour and we know they will be fantastic as Lyonne is the creator and executive producer of the show, alongside Amy Poehler, and Leslye Headland
Fans were delighted with the news and took to social media to express their happiness.
One said, ''I've been waiting for millions of years. This literally made my day.''
While another wrote, ''I binged season 1 when it first came out, I still have " gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the morning " so how soon is soon on season 2?''
