Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Meet the women of the airline industry who were on the frontlines of the battle to assert gender equality and transform the workplace as AMERICAN EXPERIENCE presents FLY WITH ME – Tuesday night at 9 on PBS NC.

Shaun Evans (Endeavour) may not be gone from the small screen for long. Evans will appear with Anna Maxwell Martin (The Bletchley Circle) in the ITV series Until I Kill You.

GREAT PERFORMANCES honors one of the most beloved stars in country music history with an all-star tribute concert featuring a who’s who of country luminaries. Tune in for GEORGE JONES: STILL PLAYIN’ POSSUM – Friday at 9pm on PBS NC.

Where Do I Know That Actor?

Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is supposed to be the mystery writer’s best-selling novel with more than 100 million copies sold worldwide. The classic mystery has been adapted for radio, stage, TV and film numerous times since its original publication. One of the more recent, a three-part 2016 BBC mini-series, debuted Saturday night on UNC-TV and featured a veritable who’s who of actors from other public broadcasting fare. Let’s meet them.

Aidan Turner portrays soldier of fortune Philip Lombard. Of course, Turner is best known as the dashing Ross Poldark on the hit Masterpiece series.

Sam Neill is General John MacArthur. The Jurassic Park actor has had a long and storied career but longtime PBS viewers may recall him as Sidney Reilly on Reilly: Ace Of Spies on Mystery! Neill also played Victor Komarovsky on an early-aughts Doctor Zhivago (starring Keira Knightly) and Mr. Prettiman on To The Ends of the Earth.

Where Do I Know That Actor?

THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE is a gripping drama series about former codebreakers who use skills honed during war to catch a killer. It also features some familiar faces from other fare UNC-TV has offered. Let’s get to know a few.

Anna Maxwell Martin stars as Susan Gray. The actress has appeared in guest spots on shows like Midsomer Murders and Doctor Who (a necessity for any British actor, I believe) but has had more substantial roles on several Masterpiece series. She was Esther Summerson on Bleak House, Gaoler’s Daughter on Wind In The Willows, Sarah Burton on South Riding and Elizabeth Darcy on Death Comes To Pemberley.

Where Do I Know That Actor?

At this point, MIDSOMER MURDERS is so rife with cameos and guest stars, I’m honestly surprised when I watch an episode and I don’t recognize someone I’ve seen before elsewhere. This week, it’s Anna Maxwell Martin. The actress had a bit part as a young student named Arabella. This threw me for a moment because I’m used to seeing her in more mature roles (sure enough – as many actors do – she was in her early 20s playing a teenager when this show was made in 2002) but I eventually recognized her.

Where have you seen her? Well, Martin has played Susan in The Bletchley Circle, (2012 – 2014), Elizabeth Darcy in Death Comes to Pemberley (2013), Sarah Burton in South Riding (2011), Gaoler’s Daughter in The Wind in the Willows (2007) and Esther Summerson in Bleak House (2005), so she’s been around for a while and has been well-represented on shows UNC-TV has aired.

That’s it! One person worth mentioning because that’s all it takes, isn’t it – one familiar face to make you ask yourself “Where do I know that actor?”

MIDSOMER MURDERS continues Saturday night at 8 on UNC-TV.

Got a face you can’t place from one of the plethora of programs UNC-TV airs from the UK? Email me at sparkymac@unctv.org and I’ll try to help out.

Where Do I Know That Actor? (Part One)

Viewers of UNC-TV over the weekend may have spotted more than a few familiar faces. By my count, there were three shows where you might have said to yourself, “Where do I know that actor?” I’m going to address each one, in turn, over the course of the day, so please stay tuned.

The first is Midsomer Murders. I’ve talked so much of the cameos and guest stars on this series, I’m honestly surprised when I see an episode where I don’t recognize someone I’ve seen before elsewhere. This week, it’s Anna Maxwell Martin. The actress had a bit part as a young student named Arabella. This threw me for a moment because I’m used to seeing her in more mature roles (and sure enough – as many actors do – she was in her early 20s playing a teenager when this show was made in 2002) but I eventually recognized her.

Where have you seen her? Well, Anna Maxwell Martin played Susan in The Bletchley Circle, (2012 – 2014), Elizabeth Darcy in Death Comes to Pemberley (2013), Sarah Burton in South Riding (2011) and Esther Summerson in Bleak House (2005), so she’s been around for a while and has been well-represented on shows UNC-TV has aired.

This episode of Midsomer Murders (“Market For Murder, Part One”) encores Wednesday at 4pm on UNC-TV and Thursday at 8pm on UNC-MX. Part Two airs Saturday night at 8 on UNC-TV.