Boris johnson

Sky ’s Kenneth Branagh -starring Boris Johnson drama This England has been sold to 88 territories worldwide by distributor Fremantle .

Michael Winterbottom ’s highly-anticipated series, which profiles the early days of the COVID pandemic under Johnson’s premiership, has been picked up by Movistar+ (Spain), Viaplay (Nordics and Baltics, Poland and the Netherlands), Cosmote (Greece), OSN TV and OSN+ (MENA), M-Net (South Africa), BBC First (Australia) and TVNZ (New Zealand), amongst others.

Fremantle said further deals will be unveiled in the coming weeks. A U.S. buyer has not yet been announced.

The show will debut on September 21 on Sky in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

Fremantle International CEO Jens Richter called This England a “truly unique drama that combines Michael Winterbottom’s talent for conveying powerful real-world stories with a stunning performance from Kenneth Branagh.”

He added: “This dramatic behind the scenes dramatization of how the government, the scientists, the medical community and ordinary people around England faced these extraordinary events will fascinate and compel viewers. We are honoured to partner with such a fantastic array of buyers to bring this incredible story to audiences around the world.”

This England is produced by Richard Brown’s Passenger and Revolution Films and covers events in government interwoven with stories around the country from experts, scientists, doctors, nurses and care-home workers. It was commissioned by Gabriel Silver, Director of Drama Commissioning at Sky Studios for Zai Bennett, Sky UK’s Managing Director of Content.

BORIS Johnson’s social media crackdown will be strengthened to protect free speech, Liz Truss has vowed.

She promised to ensure the flagship Online Safety Bill does not encroach on people’s rights.

Senior Tories have blasted the legislation for telling Silicon Valley firms to police “legal but harmful” posts.

They fear it will overstep the mark.

Ms Truss said she “strongly agreed” adults should have the same rights online as they do in the real world.

She said: “That’s a really important principle and I’ll make sure the Online Safety Bill reflects that.”

Lord Frost said: “That’s very welcome news.”

Ms Truss also pledged to protect children online.

She said she worried about the material her teenage daughters can access online.

A new trailer has been released for Sir Kenneth Branagh ’s upcoming drama about Boris Johnson , with the latest look teasing jubilation, commiseration and uncertainty in No 10 Downing Street .

The Sky Atlantic series This England , which was previously titled This Sceptred Isle, will follow the first few months of Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister, leading up to the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

With Ophelia Lovibond starring as the PM’s wife Carrie Johnson and Andrew Buchan playing former health secretary Matt Hancock , viewers have already been left in awe by the uncanny resemblance of the actors to their real-life counterparts.

In new footage from the show, the release date for which has finally been confirmed as Wednesday September 21, Johnson is seen appearing to celebrate the result of the Brexit referendum with other Tories, in a scene that some might think draws parallels with the recent ‘partygate’ which has plagued the Conservative Party .

Cabinet meetings and public engagements ensue, while the PM and his partner – who he married in May 2019 – enjoy a luxurious time together riding a boat and sharing a toast overlooking the sea.

While the couple might look as happy as can be – with the couple seen snuggling on a sofa one evening when Mrs Johnson is pregnant – the voiceover providing the backdrop of the trailer hints at the controversies that will be addressed in the series as it explores how the Conservative Party handled the pandemic.

‘We need some good news,’ one person says, while another states: ‘I’m concerned about the lack of transparency.’

‘Our focus group shows that people will accept a lockdown if we support them financially,’ someone points out, while another warns that the ‘impact on the economy will be huge’.

At one point, Mrs Johnson appears to refer to the ‘bright ideas’ of former chief adviser to the PM Dominic Cummings, telling her partner: ‘You have to rein him in.’

The show will also delve into the Tory leader’s own bout with Covid-19, after he was taken to intensive care in 2020 in the early days of the pandemic.

The trailer shows him being escorted out of Downing Street by medical professionals, using an oxygen mask in a car and while being pushed in a wheelchair in hospital.

He’s then seen going in for a scan, wearing a hospital gown while his arms are raised above his head, presumably so doctors can take a closer look at his lungs.

The trailer ends on an ominous note, as Johnson stands by a window, shrouded in darkness except for the slivers of light shining through.

‘This blessed plot. This earth. This realm. This England,’ he says.

Co-written and directed by Michael Winterbottom, This England will transport viewers back to the first wave of the pandemic.

As well as dramatisations of behind-the-scenes moments in Downing Street, the drama will also tell the tales of people around the country as they dealt with the outbreak of the virus, including doctors, nurses and care home workers on the frontline.

This England is due to premiere on Wednesday September 21 on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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WISH you were hear, hear?

The Prime Minister showed off his beach bod this week as he and wife Carrie holidayed on Greek island Evia .

It’s just one week since the outgoing PM honeymooned in a Slovenian eco-lodge – where he described himself as a man of action.

He recalled: “We’ve climbed every available mountain, we’ve jumped in the lakes, we’ve been on bicycles and we’ve had a wonderful time.”

Snapped on the Mediterranean beach with his legs splayed wide, his full body unfurled and his arms thrown upward to the gods, body language expert Judi James says Boris “looks like an attention-seeking child demanding a cuddle” and demonstrates his “unsubtle desire to be the centre of attention”.

She adds: “Those trunks are unforgiving and unflattering but in terms of ego it seems style matters less for the PM that the fact that everyone is still looking at him and still smiling at him.

“It suggests he is still surfing the adrenalin of power rather than skulking away on the brink of a huge status demotion.

“Even the sight of several younger, fitter guys watching does nothing to suppress his alpha tendencies, with his emphatic, solid-looking leg splay forming a classic power-pose while he raises his arms in the air in a pit-bare to show everyone he still sees himself as the boss.

“Boris’ beach behaviour suggests he still craves the spotlight and the power and might do anything to ensure he retains them, whether that is inside or outside politics.

“Like a competitor on Love Island, Boris might just return from the sunshine break with an unquenched thirst for publicity and attention.”

He’s not the only politician to send a message through their body language on their time off.

From Kim Jong-un’s jollies to President Macron’s minibreaks, here Judi decodes what these past and present leaders’ hols reveal about them.

Keir Starmer – Embarrassing dad

He might be wearing a flashy £150 Stone Island polo shirt, but Labour leader Keir is in embarrassing dad mode on holiday in Mallorca .

Starmer looks frowning and intense here in response to what looks like his family’s signals of holiday boredom.

He’s looking like the dad who tries to get the kids to put their phones away on holiday and play I Spy instead.

Justin Trudeau – Playing the clown

The cool shades and kit suggest things weren’t supposed to end with the leader bum-down in the briny.

Canada’s Justin Trudeau’s boyish smile suggests he’s trying to make the best of the tumble as his legs splay and he loses his balance and his pride at the same time.

The dimpled, knowing smile suggests it’s not the first time he’s looked like Mr Bean in public, though.

Jacinda Ardern – Cute comedienne

New Zealand premier Jacinda Ardern got to grips with some slippery characters on her hols.

The Kiwi PM went fishing with presenter husband Clark Gayford and daughter Neve, four.

This is cute comedy stuff from Arden who looks keen to show her fun side with an emphatically casual outfit to match.

Kim Jong-un – Un a break

Far from his usual serious missile inspections , North Korean despot Kim Jong-un could be at home scoffing cockles or judging a knobbly knee competition at the British seaside.

With his straw hat, white shirt and chuckling grin, he’s clearly a man who knows how to switch to holiday mode with a vengeance.

His gum-baring smile and that jovial-looking hand on his hip suggests he at least is intent on enjoying his hols.

Theresa May – Can’t let loose

Robotic Theresa May is all business on top and party down below on holiday in Italy’s Lake Garda.

This suggests the ex-PM is torn between secretly wanting to let her hair down but feeling it might be irresponsible.

Wheat fields watch out, but those earrings suggest nothing more daring than a paddle in the sea might be on the cards for this holiday.

Donald Trump – Exhausted

It’s Hi-Di-High waisted trousers for Donald Trump on his golf holiday in New Jersey.

If the former President’s enjoying the golf then his face doesn’t show it.

His open mouth and drooping eyes suggest exhaustion while that golf iron looks raised in a defensive barrier pose.

Joe Biden – Something to prove

Sleepy Joe Biden got a bit too relaxed on holiday – taking a tumble off his bike near his holiday home in Delaware.

All that Lycra sports gear and the grinning and waving to the camera from his bike shows Biden uses his holiday time to advertise the fact he is still as fit as a flea.

Age might be just a number but for Biden it might be time for the sun-lounger to beckon.

Emmanuel Macron – L’action man

Zut alors! Adrenaline junkie Emmanuel Macron must think he’s starring in his own imaginary movie in the south of France.

The French President poses like a Hollywood A-lister as he sports his impeccably tailored trunks, and flashy jet-ski .

But he has only one thing in common with Tom Cruise – his height.

Barack Obama – Excelling

Cool customer Barack Obama shows he’s not one to get flustered – even hanging off the back of a boat.

That widest of grins showing upper gums as well as teeth shows Obama was able to flip from politician to holiday mode with enthusiasm and confidence.

His body language looks so congruent here that he excels at kite-surfing in the same way he excelled in the White House.

Angela Merkel – No frills

No-nonsense Angela Merkel has finally retired as German chancellor but she’s still not relaxing.

A focused stare of grim determination suggests she is there on sufferance and determined to make the most of her time on Italian island Ischia, rather than just lounge around a pool.

Even in her rather functional, no-frills swimsuit she fails to crack a smile, looking driven rather than playful or relaxed.

Tony Blair – Chameleon charmer

Known for his wide grin, Tony Blair likes to think he can charm anyone – even the people of Sardinia.

Chameleon man Blair soaks up the adulation of the crowds to show he can thrive in any situation.

His rigid, determined smile suggests he’s that guy who will order his pasta speaking English with an Italian accent, throwing in the odd “ciao” to show off.

David Cameron – Not chillaxed

For someone who likes to “chillax”, David Cameron looks like he’s struggling to unwind.

You’d never know he was in St Tropez from the no-frills navy trunks and concerned frown on his forehead.

The former leader looks like a man who takes the weight of his workplace responsibilities away on holiday in his hand luggage.

Margaret Thatcher – Ever the leader

You can take the woman out of Number 10… but you can’t make her any less of a leader.

Even on her hols Margaret Thatcher looked cravat-clad smart and her immaculate hair still shrieks Iron Lady.

If there was an ‘off’ switch for the PM version of Thatcher she kept it well hidden – even on holiday.

Vladimir Putin – Vain bore

Putin’s one of those bores who will make you look through ALL his holiday pics.

The Russian leader emphasises physical strength and power and the military boots and trousers combined with the designer shades and lack of shirt seems to emphasise that.

He’s an alpha hottie – but only in his head.

Scott Morrison – Confident customer

Former Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s swimmers seem to have shrunk in the wash.

But macho man Scomo looks confident and untroubled by the sizing challenge here on Sydney’s Bronte Beach.

His ambling walk becomes a manly swagger thanks to the dipped shoulder, suggesting body confidence and high self-esteem.