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Friday, 9 March 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy have been named as special guests at the fund-raising convention Nor-Con later this year. The event, to be held at the Holiday Inn Norwich North in Hellesdon, Norfolk, takes place on Sunday 2nd September. Money raised will go to local charities. [Norwich Evening News, 8 Mar 2012]

John Barrowman has won a leading role in a drama pilot for ABC called Gilded Lilys. He will play Julius Ashford Lily in the show, described as "an upstairs-downstairs look at the opening of the first true luxury hotel built in New York City circa 1895." [TV Guide, 6 Mar 2012]

Suranne Jones, Tom Ellis, David Warner, Sarah Smart, and Donald Sumpter are to star in the modern-day ghost story The Secret Of Crickley Hall on BBC One this autumn. James Herbert's novel has been adapted by Joe Ahearne, who will also be directing it. Filming on the three-part drama begins this month in and around the Manchester area. Jones said: "The Secret Of Crickley Hall is a classic haunted house spine chiller. With an emotional family story at its heart, Joe Ahearne has adapted the novel perfectly, and I am really excited about working with him as a director. It's a great cast and I am looking forward to working with David Warner, Donald Sumpter, and Tom Ellis." Ahearne said: "Everyone loves a good ghost story and James Herbert is an iconic writer in the genre. He's come up with a really thrilling and moving story that delights you while it's terrifying you. It's a testament to his craft that we've attracted such a great cast to play the characters he created."[BBC Media Centre, 7 Mar 2012]

Starting on Monday 12th March, Suranne Jones is reunited with Lesley Sharp for a second series of the crime drama Scott and Bailey in which they play two CID officers in the Major Incident Team of the fictional Manchester Metropolitan Police. The eight-episode show airs on ITV1 at 9pm.

Lily Cole is to front a series in which she interviews leading artists. The model and actress was awarded a double first in art history at King's College, Cambridge University, last year. Lily Cole's Art Matters will air on Sky Arts this autumn. [Press Association, 7 Mar 2012]

Richard Hope is currently appearing in Democracy, a play by Michael Frayn, at Sheffield's Crucible. When asked about his surprise reappearance in last year's finale, he said: "I play a character who I thought was killed off, but obviously audience research brings you back. You're not meant to talk about that sort of thing but I haven't disappeared so it's quite nice." The play ends its run on 31st March. [The Star, 8 Mar 2012]

Tony Curran
has been signed up to appear in the new Syfy US series Defiance. The show sees humans and aliens co-existing on a future Earth that has been devastated by wars and changed by alien terra-forming machines. It is understood that production starts in Toronto next month. [SFX, 9 Mar 2012]

Prosthetics wizard Neill Gorton is involved in the make-up for the 25th anniversary touring production of The Phantom of the Opera. John Owen-Jones, who shares the title role with Earl Carpenter, said of the make-up: "It takes two hours but we hope to get it down to one." The show is currently previewing at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, where it officially opens on March 17th. After ending there on 31st March it moves on to Manchester's Palace Theatre, the Bristol Hippodrome, Dublin's Grand Canal Theatre, Leeds Grand Theatre, Edinburgh Playhouse (where Earl Carpenter takes over the title role a third of the way through the run), Milton Keynes Theatre, and the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, with more dates to be announced. [Wales Online, 9 Mar 2012]

Mekhi Phifer has changed allegiances for his next role, switching from the CIA in Torchwood: Miracle Day to the FBI in White Collar. The actor appears in series four of the USA Network show as agent Kyle Collins, who is described as "the bureau's top international fugitive-hunting specialist". The ten-episode series will air this summer. [Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar 2012]

Reggie Yates is to front a BBC Three documentary series bringing together six youngsters with Tourette syndrome for a one-off live musical performance. The series, which has the working title of Tourettes: Let Me Entertain You, is a follow-up to the channel's documentary I Swear I Can Sing, which aired last December. A transmission date is yet to be announced. [BBC Media Centre, 9 Mar 2012]

Liza Tarbuck has been given her own show on BBC Radio 2. She will join the station on May 12 as presenter of the Saturday evening slot from 6pm to 8pm, replacing Alan Carr. Tarbuck has regularly deputised on Radio 2 programmes since 2007. [BBC Media Centre, 8 Mar 2012]




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