The King’s Man’s Big Betrayal Is Foreshadowed by… Watchmen?! – CBR.com – 28th December 2021
[matthew-goode.net note – beware spoilers!!]
The King’s Man has the heroes endure a massive betrayal, matching a similar trajectory as Watchmen’s big plot twist hinting at the major reveal.
‘The King’s Man’ Director Matthew Vaughn on the Big Villain Reveal and That Mid-Credits Scene – The Wrap/Yahoo Entertainment – 24th December 2021
[matthew-goode.net note – beware spoilers!!]
Filmmaker Matthew Vaughn’s “The King’s Man” is truly insane. That is undeniable. The prequel to the “Kingsman” films is set during World War I and showcases the events leading to the foundation of the Kingsman private spy organization. But it’s also so much more. It’s a wild, at times incredibly violent period action movie that fuses real-life figures with made up scenarios, with the whole thing designed for maximum entertainment. Ralph Fiennes stars as Orlando Oxford, the Duke of Oxford who, amongst other things, is sent on a mission to kill mad monk Rasputin (Rhys Ifans) and thwart the evil intentions of a shadowy organization whose orders are given by the sinister figure known only as The Shepherd. Insane right?
While speaking with TheWrap about the film (which is now playing exclusively in theaters), Vaughn discussed the film’s ending, that villain’s big reveal, and the mid-credits scene that is sure to leave audiences, er, buzzing.
Major spoilers for “The King’s Man” follow below. Turn back now!
So let’s just rip the bandage off: Matthew Goode, who shows up early in the film as Morton, a kind of political second fiddle who seemingly gets killed, is the big villain. You probably figured this out early on because Goode has played bad guys before and he’s an awfully big actor to play such a minor role. Still, the movie goes to great pains to obscure his identity. “It was tough,” Vaughn admitted. “And the accent, the mustache, the hair. Yeah. [It was] one of the things in the script I thought, ‘are we going to get away with this?’ And I think he did brilliantly, by the way, because also, we were shooting him so that the second time you watch it, you see all the clues. It does all add up.”
Of course, Vaughn admitted that going to such extreme lengths could have the opposite effect. “At the same time, the more you put in the clues, the more obvious it might become,” Vaughn said. “So then we leaned in. I thought, well, linger on him, so you definitely think he’s the villain, but then when he gets killed, you think, there you go, he’s not the villain. And obviously, he wasn’t Scottish, so that’s all a bit weird. That was actually one of the harder things to do, believe it or not.” Oh, we believe it. After all, Goode is very good at being bad.
Mid-Credits Madness
Now, let’s get to an even crazier aspect of “The King’s Man” – the mid-credits sequence. The fact that a fairly straightforward World War I movie gets a Marvel Studios-style mid-credits stinger is weird enough, but the content of the mid-credits scene is what’s really outré. With Matthew Goode’s leader of this criminal cabal very much murdered by Fiennes, and many of his attempts at world destruction summarily thwarted, a new leader emerges: Daniel Brühl’s Erik Jan Hanussen. Hanussen was a controversial real-life figure, known for his theatricality, and his oversized personality is further inflated by the cartoonish tone of “The King’s Man.”
Hanussen is seen with Vladimir Lenin (August Diehl), who the evil organization has installed in the left. Hanussen then introduces Lenin to another young man full of ideas – Adolf Hitler (David Kross). It’s a pretty startling moment, not only because of its real-world parallels (Hanussen was Jewish but coached Hitler) but because these mid-credits reveals are usually reserved for otherworldly threats like Thanos and not the cheeky introduction of a man who orchestrated a mass genocide.
“I mean, if you think about it, they have two very extreme people on the left, and extreme people on the right, with this nut case in the middle, who’s taken over [the evil organization] The Shepherd, which is Daniel Brühl,” Vaughn said. “But yeah, I mean, when you look at history, that’s where I sort of got excited, when we were writing the script going, I couldn’t have ever created a character as interesting as Rasputin, let’s put it that way. Tthat’s why I’d love to go through each decade, because history has written these unbelievably great heroes and great villains, which I’d love to explore and bring to life in a different way.”
“The King’s Man” is in theaters now.
Matthew Goode “very proud” as he says goodbye to A Discovery of Witches – Radio Times –
He continued: “There’s a lot of very, very faithful actors who put themselves quite out there and had to do some quite odd things in the show, there’s been a lot of bravery.
“And to get to work with a great friend, James Purefoy, to play my father was endlessly amusing and to have Lindsay Duncan play my mum has been utterly sensational.”
His co-star Teresa Palmer, who plays witch Diana Bishop, added that ending the show is “bittersweet in many ways”.
“We know that this is the last one and we are going to be saying goodbye to so many familiar faces.
“But I have really loved having three solid years to marinate in a character and get to know her and the intricacies of who she is.”
“I celebrate her triumphs and her wins and I’m there with her in her vulnerabilities and the moments of feeling unsure and uncertain and afraid,” she said.
“I love that about her. She’s such a strong role model and I love how much she leans into her authentic self. I’m proud of her and I know she will stay with me forever.”
Silent Night is a unique Christmas movie that’s the anti-Love Actually – Digital Spy 30th November 2021 [Extract]
You won’t want to miss this.
BY IAN SANDWELL
In lesser hands, this group of upper-class friends (who are all varying degrees of awful) would be painful to watch. The cast is uniformly terrific though, led by the excellent Knightley and Goode, and they land the tricky balance of dark, dry humour and genuine pathos.
You might not want to spend Christmas with these characters in real life, but you do care for them.
“Silent Night” – If only – EasyReader News – 28th November 2021 [Extract]
By NEELY SWANSON NOVEMBER 28, 2021
Leading the cast as Nell and Simon are Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode. Knightley’s taut smile and terrorized eyes overcome a weakness in written character development. Goode, like his name, is quite good. He is the very embodiment of noblesse oblige with a social conscience. His scenes explaining privilege to his son Art are excellent.
Full article here – https://easyreadernews.com/silent-night-if-only-movie/_
6 reasons to watch The Colour Room – Muddy Stilettos – 16th November 2021 [Extract]
1/ Hello Matthew Goode
We’re modern, forward-thinking and totally woke on Muddy so of course we didn’t think for a minute about splattering this feature with multiple images of Matthew Goode (actually, it was more like half an hour). The 40-something hunk, who’s starred in everything from Brideshead to Downton and The Crown, is the UK’s première earnest heart throb – soave and sexy, bristling with repressed English passion, and with the added uncanny ability to look awesome with a clipped period drama ‘tashe. We approve.
Full article – https://muddystilettos.co.uk/arts-culture/film-tv/6-reasons-to-watch-sky-cinema-colour-room/
Downton Abbey’s Matthew Goode to star in Christmas blockbuster – and it sounds amazing – Hello Magazine – 18th October 2021
Downton Abbey’s Matthew Goode is set to star in the dark festive comedy film Silent Night alongside Atonement’s Kiera Knightley – and we can’t wait to see it.
Matthew, who played Henry Talbot in the hugely successful period drama Downton Abbey, will host a Christmas dinner with a twist in the festive film.
Fantastic Fest Review: Silent Night – Austin Chronicle – 30th September 2021
There’ll be a moment, probably around 20 minutes into coal-black dramedy Silent Night, when you’ll wonder exactly why you’re being forced to spend time with a bunch of insufferable upper class twits and self-obsessed poshos. Then, about half an hour in, you’ll be filled with unbearable compassion for them.
It’s an incredible reversal, but one that writer/director Camille Griffin pulls off – and just in time. After all, Nell (Kiera Knightley) and Simon (Matthew Goode) seem like the average spoiled toffs, staying at Nell’s mother’s country pile for the holidays, preening and posturing with their slightly spoiled kids, the twins, Thomas and Hardy (Gilby and Hardy Griffin Davis) and the precocious and gaunt Art (Roman Griffin Davis, star of Jojo Rabbit and son of the director). They’re readying for the arrival of a bunch of old school and college friends, a bunch of equally obnoxious and affluent 30s-somethings for a big Christmas blowout.
But something is clearly awry, something that plays like big comedy initially (not all of it particularly funny, especially as some of the performances cross the line from “broad” to “braying). There’s something of the 1980s vanguard of Cambridge Footlights comedy in the interactions, a touch of French & Saunders and Absolutely Fabulous. There are also a few played-out conventions invoked, like the obligatory outsider figures (Kirby Howell-Baptiste as one of only two Black characters, and Lily-Rose Depp as the token American) from this tight-knit community with all their old wants and secrets.
Yet this isn’t some horror-comedy riff on Peter’s Friends, nor does an unexpected explosion of violence transform the party into a British You’re Next. As Pink Floyd once sang, quiet desperation is the English way, and there’s something about to beat down the door so horrifyingly, so remorselessly and unavoidably, that the family and guests through all the rules out of the window. Well, not all, of course. Maybe the kids are allowed to swear, within reason.
The social satire dissolves into smoke as Silent Night adds a subtle political twist (although it does credit the unseen Conservative administration with far more competence than they have ever indicated), but also a crushing melancholy. It’s a slow document of stiff upper lips beginning to quiver, and while Knightley excels as the perfect Kensington upper crust mummy, it’s Goode who personifies that desperate attempt to keep a veneer of control, even as his world is on the verge of devastation. There’s a scene involving warm cans of Coke that is both darkly hilarious and heartrending, mostly because of Simon’s desperate attempts to be a good father in the ways his kids want right then, rather than doing what he needs, what he is screaming internally to do.
It’s in his relationship with Art that Silent Night will truly break your heart. In the middle of moments of silliness, and adults exchanging and blowing off old crushes and vendettas like they’re auditioning for an early Ken Loach comedy, it’s the Kramer vs. Kramer father-and-son scenes. Simon’s urges to protect his boy clash with Art’s growing understanding in scenes that bleed conviction.
Even though an ending that seemingly equivocates on its exact level of bleakness (depending on your mood, it is either a beacon of hope or a new boulder of despair), Griffin rarely flinches. There’s as much Noel Coward as George Romero in her bold approach to tragicomedy that gives equal value to both elements. That’s why the supposed peace of Silent Night will be interrupted by as many tears as laughs.
A Discovery Of Witches Q&A —Matthew Goode On Playing A More Ruthless Version Of Matthew – AMC Talk July 14, 2021
:format(jpg)/images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ADOW_Matthew_1920x1080.jpg "A Discovery of Witches Q&A —Matthew Goode On Playing A More Ruthless Version Of Matthew")
In A Discovery of Witches, Matthew Goode plays Matthew Clairmont, a cunning, mysterious vampire who finds love with a witch. Season 2 finds Matthew and witch-in-training Diana, in 1590 London, as they continue their search for The Book of Life. In this interview with amc.com, Goode talks about becoming a more ruthless version of Matthew, how Matthew really feels about Kit, and the magic of working with Teresa Palmer.
First trailer for Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode’s new movie The Duke 28th May 2021 – Digital Spy
And it looks absolutely wonderful.
Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode is fighting for justice in the wonderful first trailer for new movie The Duke.
Based on an extraordinary true story, The Duke follows 60-year-old taxi driver Kempton Bunton who stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London’s National Gallery in 1961.
It marked the first – and still only – theft in the Gallery’s history, and Kempton proceeded to send ransom notes declaring that he’d only return the painting if the government invested more in care for the elderly.
Kempton was specifically interested in his long-running campaign for pensioners to receive free television – but it took 50 years for the full story to emerge and it was revealed he had spun a web of lies.
The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage to Dorothy Bunton, and The Duke tells the story of how and why he used the painting to do just that.
Directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill), the movie stars acting legends Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren in the roles of Kempton and Dorothy, with Goode playing Jeremy Hutchinson, the barrister who defended Kempton in 1965.
After we see him in The Duke, Goode will be reprising his role as Henry Talbot in the eagerly-awaited Downton Abbey 2. The sequel is filming right now and will be released in cinemas this Christmas.
He’ll also be seen in another movie based on true events in Sky original movie The Colour Room, alongside Bridgerton‘s Phoebe Dynevor.
The Duke is released in UK cinemas on September 3.
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Phoebe Dynevor transforms into pottery pioneer as she films The Colour Room with Matthew Goode… as Bridgerton co-star Regé-Jean Page reveals he WON’T return for series two – Mail On-Line – 3rd April 2021 [Extracts]
They recently began filming for the Sky Original drama, The Colour Room.
And Phoebe Dynevor and Matthew Goode looked almost unrecognisable as they chatted between takes, a day after Bridgerton co-star Regé-Jean Page revealed he WON’T return for series two.
The actress, 25, was seen taking a break from filming in the Midlands on Saturday as she joined co-star Matthew, 43, for some coffee.
Phoebe … sported a white robe and comfortable black UGG boots as she strolled with Matthew between takes.
He added a further pop of colour with a bright yellow tie, and also sported smart brogue shoes.
The film tells the true story of Cliff, a pioneering ceramic artist who became a rising star in the pottery industry in Stoke-On-Trent in the 1920s.
Gushing about the production earlier this month, Phoebe said: ‘I am so excited to be joining the cast of The Colour Room, especially in the role as one of the nations most celebrated artists, Clarice Cliff. It’s truly such an honour to take on such a remarkable character.
‘The script is a beautifully written contemporary take on the 20th century, and I feel proud to be working with such a strong female team, both in front and behind the camera.’
Phoebe, who was catapulted to stardom after playing Daphne Bridgerton in the Netflix hit, added: ‘I look forward to telling Clarice’s story and of course working with Matthew too.’
Matthew will take on the role of Colley Shorter, the factory owner who became impressed by Clarice’s work and helped stoke her talent.
Full article – HERE
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From period drama to pottery! Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor transforms into Clarice Cliff with brunette wig and wrinkled tights as The Colour Room filming begins – Mail Online 31 March 2021 [Extracts]
Filming has begun on Sky Original drama The Colour Room, Phoebe Dynevor’s first major film since she starred in Netflix hit Bridgerton.
The actress, 25, was seen getting to work on set of her new project in Manchester on Thursday, and she joined her co-star Matthew Goode to film her first scenes.
Phoebe has traded the racy period drama for art as she transformed into real-life pottery pioneer Clarice Cliff by wearing a wavy brunette wig.
From period drama to pottery! Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor transformed into Clarice Cliff with brunette wig and wrinkled tights as The Colour Room filming began on Thursday
Phoebe looked demure as she paired a black dress that had a colourful red, yellow and orange floral print with wrinkled tights.
She completed her look by wearing simple brown heeled shoes and accessorised with an orange and brown scarf that clashed with her attire.
Matthew, meanwhile, looked dapper as he prepared to film a scene in a pair of blue linen pyjamas and a grey dressing gown.
The film tells how Cliff became a rising star in the pottery industry in Stoke-On-Trent in the 1920s.
Busy schedule: Phoebe filmed scenes alongside her co-star Matthew Goode who was also seen out on set for the first day of filming in Manchester
Relaxed: Matthew, meanwhile, looked dapper as he prepared to film a scene in a pair of blue linen pyjamas and a grey dressing gown
Later on, Matthew looked more put together as he donned a brown three-piece suit over a white striped shirt and a bronze tie.
His raven tresses were slicked back into a coiffured style and he also was seen wearing a face mask to protect himself at the studios.
Phoebe, who was catapulted to stardom after playing Daphne Bridgerton in the Netflix hit, added: ‘I look forward to telling Clarice’s story and of course working with Matthew too.’
Matthew will take on the role of Colley Shorter, the factory owner who became impressed by Clarice’s work and helped stoke her talent.In real life, Cliff broke the glass ceiling to revolutionise the workplace during the 20th Century, and the film will see her take ‘more and more dangerous risks’ to bring her creations to life.
The artist went on to create the Art Deco ‘Bizarre’ range while apprenticing for renowned Art Designer Fred Ridgeway, played by David Morrissey.
Other actors set to join Phoebe, Matthew and David include Darci Shaw, Kerry Fox and Luke Norris.
Dressed to the nines: Matthew wore a red pocket square and brown brogues to complete his dapper look for the shoot
Support: Matthew will take on the role of Colley Shorter, the factory owner who became impressed by Clarice’s work and helped stoke her talent
Claire McCarthy is set to direct the film, which is based on the BAFTA Rocliffe-winning script by Claire Peate and is produced by Caspian Films, Sky, and Creative England.
Discussing the film, Peate said: ‘The story was inspired by a single image; a young factory worker leaving her grim, industrial reality behind her and stepping into the rainbow of the Colour Room – a world of joy and possibility.
‘It was thanks to the script winning at BAFTA Rocliffe and being performed on stage that it was picked up, and I’m thrilled to now be working with Phoebe and Matthew in bringing The Colour Room to life.’
Cosy: Matthew appeared relaxed as he strolled to set in costume, which alongside pyjamas also consisted of purple slippers
A Discovery of Witches star teases the upcoming final series: ‘Hopefully we end it well’ – Radio Times – 26th January 2021
Edward Bluemel, who plays vampire Marcus in the hit Sky series, lifts the lid on COVID-friendly series three filming – and what fans can expect from the end of the Deborah Harkness adaptation.
A Discovery of Witches season two finally arrived in January 2021 over two years after the first series concluded – and it wasn’t just the fans who were relieved to see the fantasy romance return.
“We’re nearly done – three weeks or so left, I think?” Bluemel said.
“We’re all sort of coming to the end now and filming a lot of the last bits so yeah, it’s sort of winding down. But it’s gone well, it’s gone smoothly I think. I think we’ve made something that’s really good.
“I think we see the sort of results of [Marcus] gaining responsibility in series two, which is good. We see him take control, really fight his corner for what he believes in, and become a bit of a leader, really.”
Of course, current coronavirus guidelines mean that filming for the new episodes is rather different than the last time Bluemel played Marcus – though apparently, the restrictions aren’t quite as off-putting as we might think.
“You know what, it was much easier from my point of view than would be initially thought,” he told us. “It’s just that everyone’s wearing masks, they’re social distancing, you get tested twice a week. But other than that it’s actually worked quite well. It’s been obviously a big change, but everybody adapted to it very quickly.
“The strangest part of it is, I don’t know what half the crew members’ faces look like. And occasionally I’ll see one of them having a sip of tea, or a cigarette on a cigarette break, and I’ll be like ‘Oh my God, I did not think your mouth looked like that!
“The other thing is, I’ve occasionally met someone who I actually know, and they’ve come on, and I haven’t realised that I’ve known them because I can’t see their face if they’re in like a hat and a mask – and that can be quite embarrassing as well.”
Still, despite any difficulties the cast are just happy to be making this last series at all – and apparently, hopes are high that they can pull off this last challenge.
“I think there is definitely a bit of an edge to that as you film it, the other day we filmed a scene that will be I think one of the last scenes in the entire series, and that sort of had a strange last day of school feeling about it, even though it wasn’t the last scene we were filming in the whole thing,” Bluemel said.
“It will be sad. It’s been a big part of my life for over half of my acting career, really. I left drama school in 2015 I think, and got cast in this a year and a half later. So it’ll be strange to be back in the world as an actor without Discovery of Witches.
“Hopefully the way that we end it will end it well, and sort of do the books and the fans justice.”
He added: “I would hope it’ll come out more quickly than the last one, certainly!”
Sky original series A Discovery of Witches season two is streaming on Sky and NOW TV. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide.
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Discovery of Witches: Secrets from the Set – Sensual costumes, giggling and the best sets in the world – BT com – 25th January 2021 [Extracts]
Watch A Discovery of Witches season 1 and 2 on Sky One with NOW TV
Discovery of Witches fans have had a brilliant start to 2021 with the full second season available to binge on Sky One with NOW TV.
After the dramatic conclusion to season 1, the new episodes begin with Matthew and Diana hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London.
Enemies are everywhere, Diana’s unleashed magic has taken a dark and frightening turn and Matthew is struggling to re-inhabit the dangerous life he led over four centuries ago.
Danger is closing in on all sides, not least in the form of a vicious foe from Matthew’s past, one whom no one expected to see again.
As fans discover the twists and surprises of season 2, we look back at the making of the series and hear from the cast in their own words about the incredible journey they took to bring the show to life.
Brought to life by Production Designer James North, the focus of the action is now on the streets of London – which were built on a piece of land in Newport, Wales.
“Everything takes a fraction longer as inaccuracies are not as forgivable,” said Matthew Goode, who returns as Matthew De Clermont.
“Any period drama does, be it by the costume or the hair. Working on James North’s sets transports you as an actor. If those elements weren’t nailed, I wouldn’t have been able to slip into character as easily. Apart from that, you’re also just trying to get your lines and movement right.”
Talking about the challenges of producing series 2, Teresa Palmer said: “One of the main differences is that in Elizabethan London, people looked different. For us actors, this meant longer periods of time getting ready.
“Hair and make-up usually take two and a half hours. My hair is curled, and then intricate pieces are woven into it, as well as a certain period make-up look. Then there are the dresses – most of the fabric that Sarah Arthur uses to create our costumes is sourced overseas. Sarah will travel to places like Prague and bring back beautiful patterns and fabrics.
“Then she has a team working around the clock to stitch them together. Even navigating people getting dressed in the morning takes longer. So, there have been some challenges but we’ve all really enjoyed stepping into this period.”
The on-screen sizzle between Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer is one of the essential ingredients to Witches success.
And it’s no surprise that chemistry between the pair continues once the cameras have finished rolling.
“It’s funny because Matthew Goode and Matthew de Clermont are so similar in so many ways that the line gets blurred a lot of the time,” said Teresa.
“Matthew just *is* Matthew de Clermont. The way he walks, talks, what he emotes – he’s just so brilliant as Matthew de Clermont.”
The Australian said: “Goody, as we call him, is just such a laugh. He’s a wonderful human with many layers and complexities, which serve the character well.
“The two of us are constantly giggling. Philippa Langdale, one of our directors, sent us a four-minute clip of the two of us laughing.
“We both have three kids, so we have a lot in common and we both turn up to set exhausted! He’s my partner in crime and we have each other’s back. It’s a beautiful collaboration.”
…..
“I had a lot of direction, for instance Jane Tranter (Executive Producer) wanted a realism to the costumes and didn’t just want it stuck in 1590, she wanted it to be exciting for current day viewers,” said Arthur.
“Everything has been made for the main cast. With Matthew, a jacket he wears is similar to an original jacket but slightly earlier than 1590. I actually sourced everything, even down to the buttons and travelled far and wide to find all components.
“We’ve made all our shirts, everything is hand stitched. We’ve had the hats made, collected lots of feathers from here and there. Not to mention, hand-made shoes, head gear, hand embroidered slippers.
….
She added: “With Matthew, we contoured the doublets to his body as he has a great physique and he’s tall. The other jackets, such as the leather and suede, we made for him are very fitted and from very soft skins. We did the black and then a softer brown, and that softened him when they got married.
“We went for the brown skins because they are a softer feel and then with his wedding jacket we decided on a lighter colour to get away from the darkness of London at the time.”
Watch A Discovery of Witches season 1 + 2 Box Sets on Sky One with Now TV.
Full Article – https://www.bt.com/tv/drama/discovery-of-witches-sky-one-now-tv-behind-the-scenes
A Discovery of Witches: Cast says supernatural thriller is old-fashioned romance at heart – Daily Express – 15th January 2021 [Extracts]
MAGICAL television drama has kept millions of us grounded and provided escapism and solace during the pandemic lockdown, quite literally in the case of A Discovery of Witches. The thrilling supernatural drama, based on US author Deborah Harkness’ All-Souls trilogy, imagines a world where vampires, witches and demons walk the earth.
It’s been bewitched so only historian and reluctant witch Diana Bishop (Australian actress Teresa Palmer) can access it. Initially reluctant to connect with her witchy heritage, Diana eventually teams up with Clairmont to protect the book and solve its mysteries while dodging threats from those unhelpful supernatural creatures who aren’t keen on an inter-species glasnost.
Harry Potter it ain’t. But combining adventure, mystery and romance, the first series won a legion of fans, some no doubt drawn by the steamy love scenes between lead actors Goode and Palmer. Its all-star cast also includes Lindsay Duncan, Trevor Eve and Alex Kingston, as Diana’s aunt.
Fans have been waiting for the second series ever since and are now being rewarded with ten brand new episodes which see the duo hurled back through time to Elizabethan London.
Joining the new series are, among others, James Purefoy and Sheila Hancock, who plays Goody Alsop, a veteran witch who takes Diana under her wing to share her knowledge of spellcraft.
But according to Goode, things are “much darker” this time.
“It’s a very different series really because Matthew regresses into his past – and psychologically that really changes him,” the Exeter-born actor admits.
In the series one finale, Diana had finally embraced her magical side and agreed to travel back in time to 1590 to hone her training outside the confines of the present day.
When we meet her in season two, she is seeking “England’s most powerful witch” and a lost book which holds the promise of immortality.
Meanwhile, Clairmont is preparing for events that threaten the future of his family and, to cap it all, the danger of war looms. Which all means plenty of supernatural fighting, as well as some burgeoning “blood rage” – a vampire’s insatiable desire to hunt blood – from our vampire hero, while the romance between our hero and heroine continues to flourish, even if they face several bumps in the road on the way. But the course of true love never did run smooth, says Goode, 42.
“We have some things that come between us and some obstacles to overcome,” he confides.
Palmer, 34, adds: “I’m getting to know him again in this era. When we go back in time, the Matthew that she knows seems really different – he shifts into this darker version of who he is and at times it feels like he is a totally different Matthew, which really throws her.”
At its beating heart, the show is as much a traditional love story as a gothic thriller – albeit between a vampire and a witch.
As fans will testify, production values on the show are high with plenty of captivating magical sequences.
With this series set largely in 1590 – although there is some time travel back to the present day – the production team built an authentic Elizabethan village set around an old farmhouse a few miles outside Newport in south Wales.
Its meticulously-created medieval inn, cobbled streets and fortress walls are matched by equally detailed, multi-layered Elizabethan costumes – which proved something of a
challenge during summer filming.
“When we started filming it was in 35 degree heat, so that was fairly brutal,” says Goode, who also admits to feeling more than a hint of embarrassment at filming scenes where he shows his “blood rage”.
“There are a couple of big set pieces where blood rage comes to the surface. It’s embarrassing at first and then you go, ‘I’ve got blood rage’ and throw yourself into it,” he smiles.
The Tudor setting also enabled the introduction of real-life historical characters, including playwright Christopher Marlowe, played by Victoria star Tom Hughes, and Queen Elizabeth (Casualty’s Barbara Marten in a role she was clearly born to play) whose advanced years do not preclude her from flirting with Clairmont.
“I’m having it written into all his main scenes that women find me attractive,” jokes Goode.
…
… It’s a reminder of the fascination we have for witches, vampires and all things supernatural, which Goode finds unsurprising.
“I think you sort of hear those stories first when you’re children and they’re a little bit disturbing and magical and mysterious – and I think Harry Potter helped,” he reflects.
“But there’s something intriguing about that pagan past. And there’s something cathartic about getting a fright.”
With an intensely loyal fanbase behind the books, Goode was keenly aware that there were high expectations for its transition on to the screen two years ago.
Thankfully the reception for A Discovery of Witches proved incredibly positive from even the most die-hard fans of Harkness’s best-selling trilogy.
The series pulled in two million viewers when it first aired in 2018 and became Sky One’s most popular drama that year.
Now the cast are crossing their fingers for more of the same this time round.
“They are incredibly difficult books to adapt and so there are always going to be people who are huge fans of the book who are, if not disappointed, but wondering why things have been missed out,” says Goode.
“But we think we have made something so far that is going to appease both sides.”
As lockdown drags on, thank goodness dramas like this are keeping us spellbound.
Full Article here – https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1384616/sky-a-discovery-of-witches-cast-supernatural-thriller
TV show review: A Discovery of Witches Season 2 – Daily Record – 14th January 2021
Journey back in time for follow-up run of bewitching show based on trilogy of books.
By Ian Bunting
AS anyone in a marriage will know, you sometimes get talked into doing something you’re not overly keen on by your other half.
One such example for me was watching the first season of A Discovery of Witches (I guess I couldn’t complain too much having dragged my wife along to football matches, among other delights).
She is a massive fan of the Deborah Harkness All Souls trilogy of books this Sky production is based on and, to be fair, I enjoyed the first run of episodes.
For this second season, our forbidden lovers witch Diana (Teresa Palmer) and vampire Matthew (Matthew Goode) are transported to 1590 London as they try to trace an ancient magical manuscript and avoid their enemies.
Diana is an unusual witch – a weaver – with the ability to control all four elements, but she needs to find a teacher in Elizabethan England to help her learn to control her untrained gifts.
Matthew also has to see his father again after losing him in WWII, which turns into a very daunting experience for him.
Series two introduces Queen Elizabeth (Barbara Marten), Christopher “Kit” Marlowe (Tom Hughes, who is used to periodical escapades after playing Prince Albert in Victoria), Walter Raleigh (Michael Lindall) and Emperor Rudolf II (Michael Jibson), which for any history buff is in interesting on-screen experience.
We also meet more of the De Clermont family including patriarch Phillippe (James Purefoy), cousin Gallowglass (Steven Cree) and Matthew’s unruly sister Louisa (Elaine Cassidy).
Palmer and Goode shine in their portrayals of their roles and cover a wide range of emotions as they explore the time period together.
This second season was every bit as enjoyable as the first – but I could have done without my wife’s constant analysis about what had been done differently and excited non-spoiler revelations about what was to come!
However her infectious enthusiasm however was bewitching.
A Discovery of Witches 2: James Purefoy Interview – The Version – 11th January 2021 [Extracts]
The second series of A Discovery of Witches sees Matthew and Diana hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London. Here they must find a powerful witch to help Diana master her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. Enemies are everywhere, the threat to witches is growing, and Matthew and Diana’s romance faces a barrage of new threats – from within as much as without. Diana’s unleashed magic takes a dark and frightening turn, while Matthew struggles to re-inhabit the dangerous life he led over four centuries ago.
They must overcome deep personal fears and jealousies, baring their darkest secrets to one another if they are to stay alive, stay together and find a way back to the present day. Back in the present, their reappearance is keenly anticipated. Diana’s beloved aunts, Sarah and Em, must take shelter with notorious witch hunter Ysabeau de Clermont at her ancestral home, Sept-Tours. Meanwhile, in Oxford, Marcus and Miriam take on Matthew’s mantle to protect daemons Nathaniel and Sophie, whose pregnancy is advancing. If news that her baby is a witch reaches their enemies on the Congregation, the consequences could be catastrophic. And Gerbert and Knox are determined to hunt down every clue they can as to Matthew and Diana’s disappearance, and the secrets their allies are keeping from them. Danger is closing in on all sides, not least in the form of a vicious foe from Matthew’s past, one whom no one expected to see again.
Newcomer James Purefoy tells us about joining the show.
What has it been like to join the second season of A Discovery of Witches?
It’s always interesting joining a show which has already had a season, because the rules have been established. So, you’re doing a bit of catch up in terms of understanding the parameters of a vampire and a witch, but also understanding where we are in the show. Everyone has been incredibly nice to me. I’ve known Matthew a long time, so I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a beautifully shot and beautifully directed show.
Can you introduce the character and explain a bit about who he is?
I play Philippe de Clermont who is Matthew de Clermont’s father. He is a vampire who has been around for about three-thousand years. We are first introduced to Philippe at his French estate – Sept-Tours in 1590. Matthew and Diana have been travelling a long while to get there, and finally arrive at Sept-Tours. They head up to Philippe’s war room where he is being implacable.
Could you describe the relationship between Philippe and Matthew?
It’s a relationship that’s been going on hundreds and hundreds of years, so it’s complicated. It’s a complex, ambiguous, difficult relationship. If you take the average relationship of a father and son and multiply it by the difficulty they might have, and then multiply that by several hundred years, then you get entrenched positions. He’s used Matthew for some dodgy things in the past, like using him as an assassin, but underneath it all there is a profound sense of love. With Philippe, we see a man who appears to be stern and quite implacable – there’s not much he doesn’t know. He’s an interesting character, but his relationship with Matthew changes as Matthew and Diana’s relationship is revealed to him. His opinion is strong at the beginning but there is an arc of change that develops. As we get towards the end, there is a feeling of profound acceptance of their love.
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What’s it been like working with Matthew and Teresa?
Matthew is a charm. I know him very well. Both have been wonderful. Teresa is very professional and a cool person to work with. Matthew has been wonderful, although quite frankly I think he looks far too old to play my son, and I even look younger than him in some scenes!
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Who is your favourite character, other than your own?
Matthew’s character is great! He can run 200 mph and take out a stag with his own teeth – vampires are always cool. I don’t think there’s ever been a vampire that isn’t cool.
Full Article Here – https://www.theversion.co/the-version/2021-1-11-a-discovery-of-witches-2-james-purefoy-interview
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The week in TV: A Discovery of Witches – The Guardian – 10th January 2021
By Euan Ferguson
The second series of A Discovery of Witches, a tremendous, often overlooked gem from Sky, launched in fine if dark style. Seriously, it’s awfully dark, the opening episode in particular. Imagine a rat having eaten a bat, and Gordon Buchanan filming the bat’s wing being digested, in monochrome, without lights or infrared, and then casually dropping the resultant footage into a vat of tar.
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Teresa Palmer on ‘A Discovery of Witches’ Season 2, Diana’s Profound Journey, & Filming Season 3 – Collider – 10th January 2021 [Extracts]
Palmer also revealed just how much fun it is to work with Matthew Goode.
Adapted from Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy, the 10-episode second season of A Discovery of Witches follows Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode) and Diana Bishop (TeresaPalmer) as they hide out in Elizabethan London, which has its own set of dangers and threats. While there, Diana must find a powerful witch teacher to help her control her magic and Matthew struggles to overcome his own demons, in the hopes of getting back to the present day.
What does it feel like to know that you’re getting so close to the end of this story? Does it change how you’re approaching things? Does it feel like you’re trying to be more present in every moment that you have left with her?
PALMER: Yeah. I’ve had some moments, just looking around. I was looking at Matthew’s face, Steven Cree, Ed Bluemel, and Aiysha Hart, and we were just having a laugh. We all went quiet for a moment and we realized, “We don’t know when we’ll get to see each other again. This is it.” We’re coming to the final days of this family, and then we’re breaking up. There’s this bittersweet feeling, to say goodbye to these people who have been such an important part of my life. So, I’m trying to be as present as possible, but I’m also looking to the future and excited about what this means for my family and getting to spend more time in Australia. Also, I think the audiences are gonna feel so wonderful with how everyone’s story comes to such an organic, beautiful conclusion. I think everyone will be really happy.
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You’ve talked about how much you enjoy working with Matthew Goode. What’s it like to work with him and to get to know him, as a scene partner? How does he most challenge you as an actor?
PALMER: He most challenges me, as an actor, when he gets the giggles, which happens all the time. If it’s the end of the day, and he’s been on the horses and he’s having a laugh and he gets the giggles, that’s it. I’m done. He makes me laugh so much. When I can just see the corners of his mouth start to go up, I’m like, “All right, guys, we have to cut. I need to have a moment to compose myself.”
One of the directors on Season 2 cut together all of the footage of Matthew and me, bursting out laughing in the middle of scenes. There were so many of those situations, but it makes it so fun and light-hearted. He also makes me dig deeper because he is the most brilliant actor. Everything he does, everything he touches in this show, is gold. He’s just so wonderful. The funny thing about Matthew is that it comes so easily to him. He’s not someone that has to work really hard at it. Of course, he works hard, but he’s just so gifted. He’s so talented. He switches into his character and he’s just a remarkable performer. I’m always in awe of that. I’m always trying to dig deep and I find it really challenging sometimes. A scene might be hard, but he just always shines.
Link to full article – https://collider.com/a-discovery-of-witches-season-2-teresa-palmer-interview/
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Sheila Hancock Interview in Radio Times – 9th January 2021 [Extract about Matthew]
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A Discovery of Witches season 2 cast break down ‘wild’ audition process – Metro – 8th Jan 2021 [Extract]
By Harry Fletcher
A Discovery of Witches is finally back this week, bringing a welcome dose of time-travelling fantasy in season two to provide the perfect lockdown distraction. The likes of Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, Trevor Eve, Sheila Hancock, Louise Brealey, Ed Bluemel and Owen Teale are all onboard for the show’s second run, as the series swaps modern day Oxford for Elizabethan London.
There are plenty of questions we can’t wait to be answered in season two, but we also want to look back at the very beginnings of the show, and see how some of the performers first came on board.
Who spent their entire audition ‘cracking up’, and who landed their part after their partner told them they were ‘sh**’?
Here, the A Discovery of Witches cast tell all.
Teresa Palmer (Diana Bishop)
‘I auditioned in Hollywood. I had been told that it was probably looking like it was going my way, but I had to do a chemistry read with Matthew Goode. He rocked up and straight off the bat, I realised we had such a similar sense of humor. We were just cracking each other up the whole time.
‘In fact, Kate Rhodes, the casting director, said: “You guys, we should actually film something. I know, we’re having giggles and we’re having laughs, but we should film something.” It was just great, it was wild. Matthew and I didn’t really know what we were doing. We just sort of threw some scenes down. I walked away not feeling 100% that it went my way. I sort of just like, left it up to the universe and said “If it’s meant to be it’s meant to be.” But I definitely knew I’d gotten on so well with Matthew and the whole point of the audition was really for a chemistry read, so that aspect I felt confident about.
Full article – https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/08/a-discovery-of-witches-season-2-cast-break-down-wild-audition-process-13860740/
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Discovery of Witches: Meet the cast and characters of Sky One’s sizzling, supernatural, hit series – BT TV – 8th January 2021 [Extract]
Sky One’s A Discovery of Witches has built up a loyal legion of fans thanks to its magical blend of fantasy, sizzling romance and dark drama.
Based on the novels of Deborah Harkness and filled with vampires, witches and daemons, the show returns for a second season in a new location – Elizabethan London.
The shift in timelines means the show’s lead characters Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont, played by Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode, will be joined by a collection of new characters.
Here is a quick guide to the lead cast in season two in their own words…
Matthew De Clermont – Played by Matthew Goode
“In season two, Matthew reassumes the identity of Matthew Roydon. He was Lord Burghley’s right-hand man and, basically, 007 for the Queen. It’s a much darker season and I think we start to see Diana’s character become strong, not only with magic, but in a society that’s very patriarchal.
“It’s great getting the old gang back together even though we didn’t see a lot of them as they were filming the modern part of the story. James North has successfully knocked out a 1590s London town in a place called Plas Machen. Prior to arriving on set, I wondered how they were going to do it, and if it was just going to be a few pots, pans and beggars hanging around some cobbles!”
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A Discovery of Witches star Teresa Palmer reveals cute nickname for co-star Matthew Goode – Hello Magazine – 8th January 2021 [Extract]
By Francesca Shillcock.
Discovery of Witches star Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode have clearly built a great friendship from their time on the popular show, and the leading actress has revealed she has a funny nickname for her co-star.
Speaking to HELLO! ahead the launch of season two of the Sky One fantasy drama, Teresa gushed about her on-screen love interest. “I call him Goodie! He’s such a laugh, he’s a real character, very jovial and always just making people laugh,” she said.
“I think that’s a great thing about our cast, we’ve all become so close and everyone has a similar sense of humour, so much so that often times we’ll get the giggles on set and we just now can’t look at each other.”
The star also revealed how the pair struggle to film scenes due to constant laughter: “A lot of the times I’ll be doing my lines and Matthew’s chin or his neck will be a little lower down, and Ed Bluemel and Matthew will choose to do scenes side by side because they get the giggles, but it just shows what kind of energy it is filming on set together, we’ve just become a family.
The actress, who has also appeared in Hacksaw Ridge and Warm Bodies, plays the witch Diana Bishop while Downton Abbey and The Crown star Matthew Goode takes on the role of Matthew Clairmont, a vampire and professor.
Fans have been waiting almost three years for the second instalment of the drama, and Teresa told HELLO! why it’ll be worth the wait: “It’s completely different, it’s just elevated in every sense. The set pieces, the development, the story arcs, the history. Everything is just bigger and better and more complex. I‘m really excited about this season, I just can’t wait for the audiences to see it because I think there’ll be really blown away.”
The synopsis for season two reads: “The second series of A Discovery of Witches sees Matthew and Diana hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London.
“Here they must find a powerful witch to help Diana master her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. Enemies are everywhere, the threat to witches is growing, and Matthew and Diana’s romance faces a barrage of new threats – from within as much as without.”
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‘A Discovery of Witches’: James Purefoy and Steven Cree on Living Up to Expectations in Season 2 (Exclusive) – ET – 7th January 2021 [Extracts]
British vampire romance A Discovery of Witches, based on Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy, travels Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) back in time to Elizabethan England for season 2, hiding out as they go on their latest mystical quest to control Diana’s magical powers and look for the Book of Life. But, in signature fashion, not all goes according to plan for the couple — as Diana struggles to manage her powers and Matthew has difficulty reinserting himself back to his past life centuries ago.
It’s in his trip back to Elizabethan London where Matthew comes face to face with his stepfather, Philippe (James Purefoy) and fan-favorite Gallowglass (Outlander‘s Steven Cree), his honorable and warrior nephew. As Purefoy, who is close friends with Goode, and Cree tell ET in a joint interview for the new season, joining a world as complex and beloved as A Discovery of Witches was both exciting and nerve-wracking. But getting the stamp of approval from Harkness was a big sigh of relief for the two actors.
With the new season on deck, Purefoy and Cree chat about joining A Discovery of Witches, how Purefoy’s real-life friendship with Goode (and The Wine Show) helped get him the part and why they hope they don’t “f**k” it up for fans of Harkness’ novels.
ET: James, you’re good friends with Matthew. How did you both come into the world of A Discovery of Witches?
James Purefoy: I hate to say it, but it was a little bit of a fix-up. Matthew and I were sitting in a bar in Portugal because we were shooting a show we do called The Wine Show. His phone beeped and I looked at the message over his shoulder because I’m a bit nosy, and it was from Jane Tranter, who produces the show. She was offering up three actors to play his father and did he have any strong feelings about any of these actors? We had a good laugh because I was one of the names. Of course, we reduced the other two actors to dust in our text back, said they were really way past their best, that their best work was very much behind them. But James Purefoy’s work, his best work, was clearly very much in the future. And so that’s what we did. We conspired so that I could play his dad. He loved the idea of me playing his dad. That appealed to his vanity, obviously. Then, Eduardo Ferreti, one of the producers, and Jane wrote to me and asked me if I would be interested in taking on this very important part, which is a central part within the Discovery of Witchesuniverse, the part of Philippe. Of course was delighted to because I sure did like working with Matthew. It’s the third job I’ve done with him and I enjoy his company.
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Were you both familiar with the novels beforehand or did you do a mad dash to familiarize yourselves with the characters you were playing?
Purefoy: I wasn’t aware of it at all. I had absolutely no idea about it. I think Matthew had vaguely mentioned that he was going and shooting this show down in Cardiff, and it was about vampires. I’ve played a vampire, so it was at that point when he said, “We need a vampire, you know. How’d you like to play my dad?” I said, “Don’t be ridiculous, Matthew. Don’t try and pull that one on me.” But he said, “No, no, no. He’s 2,000 years old, so it doesn’t really matter about the age difference.” As I feel about 2,000 years old, it did seem perfect casting. And also, the idea of playing a vampire. Sadly, I didn’t get to bite anybody in the entire show… and I kind of feel like Matthew gets to do all the biting, doesn’t he?
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Certainly, for me, the important thing was, having watched the first season of Discovery of Witches, that nobody ever really gave Matthew a run for his money. He was just smarter, faster, stronger, better than anybody in the series. It felt like they needed to have somebody who comes in, who is a bit of a brick wall, who was not going to take his sh** and not going to take, necessarily, his crap. But there’d be somebody who’s going to stand up to him. And his stepfather is one of those people who’s going to stand up to him. I think Matthew and I enjoyed playing those early scenes because Philippe is quite dismissive of him and is tough with him and obviously needs to get one over. So the sense that he’s got to win something in order to move on from me is palpable in the books. They need to have some semblance of coming to terms with each other at the end of the story, that he can then gallop off into the sunset and continue his next adventure. So, yeah, I was very, very aware [of the pressure]. I know that [author] Deborah Harkness sent out a tweet that I was playing the part and my timeline on Twitter, it suddenly was fire. I woke up the following morning and I went, “Oh my god. What have I done? I should never have done this part. There are clearly too many people out there who think I shouldn’t be playing this.”
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Review: A Discovery of Witches Season 2 is Pure Magic – The Cool Table – 7th January 2021
By now, we are all used to the magic of the movies, and in this era of quarantine and streaming services, we expect no less magic from our television shows either. But when season one of A Discovery of Witches premiered, there was something more than just the magic of film-making; they had managed to adapt a very full and lengthy fantasy novel into a concise, engaging, romantic and faithful series in just eight episodes. Now, with A Discovery of Witchesseason 2 coming out in just a couple of days, they’ve exceeded those expectations. This is a season of television that beautifully mixes romance with pure magic.
Season 2 starts off where the time-walking cliffhanger of season one left us: Peter Knox (Owen Teale) and his Congregation cohorts are looking for evidence of where Matthew de Clermont (Matthew Goode) and Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) have disappeared to. The couple pop in, quite literally, on the streets of the Blackfriars in 1590 London. Due to his status as a wealthy and connected immortal vampire, Matthew is able to step into his old life without much problem. In fact, in the early episodes the only problem seems to be his connection with Diana and his lack of beard and earring. (At least two of those problems get solved pretty quickly).
The magic of season 2 is in the ease with which we believe this time-traveling storyline. Gone are the genetic science talks and the speeding car trappings of the first season; we are now fully ensconced in neck ruffs and deference rules and witch hunts. The good(e) news is Matthew Goode looks even more excellent in a doublet and leather breeches than he does in blue oxfords.
It all works. The show is gorgeously Elizabethan: costumes, sets, tiny details and large scale historic events all line up to make this fantasy show an historical adventure one as well. Matthew’s best friend is a prickly jealous Christopher Marlowe (Tom Hughes), and his 16th century vocation is Queen Elizabeth’s spy. Diana and Matthew meet up with other important, but less historical, characters of Matthew’s past, including his nephew, Gallowglass (played expertly by Steven Cree) and his father, Phillipe (James Purefoy). These fan favorites are favorites for a reason, and their screen versions do not disappoint.
With ten episodes in season 2, there is more time to delve into the hunt for the Book of Life that Matthew and Diana embarked upon. And at least, in the first seven episodes that were made available for review, the series does this without getting too mired in the intricacies the past. The most potent of encounters comes with Sir Phillipe, as they work to get him to accept Diana, and as Matthew deals with coming face to face with the father he hasn’t seen in decades and from whom he will have to try to hide the truth of his future. The season does an excellent job of not falling into the pattern of An Adventure A Week With Time Traveling Creatures, but instead weaves a storyline that keeps punching and driving towards a conclusion that will, no doubt, leave us very glad that they are almost finished shooting season three.
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How Matthew Goode and negronis led to James Purefoy’s casting on A Discovery of Witches – Entertainment Weekly – 7th January 2021 [Extracts]
James Purefoy and Matthew Goode have been friends and colleagues for years, but it was a round of negronis that led (in part) to Purefoy’s casting as Goode’s vampiric father on A Discovery of Witches.
The series, which returns to Sundance Now, Shudder, and AMC+ on Jan. 9 for a second season, follows vampire Matthew (Matthew Goode) and witch Diana (Teresa Palmer) as they embark on a forbidden romance and become embroiled in a mystery about the origin of magical creatures. Season 2 finds them traveling to 16th-century England in pursuit of the enigmatic Book of Life, as well as searching for a witch to help Diana master her powers.
“Matthew’s done my career no end of good, actually,” Purefoy tells EW. “We worked together first on Roots where we played brothers. We spent a lot of time walking around, going from bar to bar in New Orleans because we had a certain amount of time off on that show. He was looking at rushes for a show he had just done, which he was producing, which was The Wine Show that he’d done with our mutual friend Matthew Rhys.”
Purefoy admits he was envious of the great gig Rhys and Goode shared. But a year later, when Rhys was unavailable for a second season due to his shooting schedule on The Post, Goode called Purefoy to ask him to step in. That, in turn, led to their new relationship as father and son on A Discovery of Witches.
“We [were] on location on our second season in Portugal, and Matthew got a text message from [A Discovery of Witchesexecutive producer] Jane Tranter with three possibilities of actors they were considering to play Philippe,” he recalls. “I was literally standing next to him at the bar, and he barked out loud with a laugh. He goes, ‘Take a look at this.’ Here was my name and two of my bete noirs, my contemporaries who I’m often up against for parts.”
From there, the two friends conspired to get Purefoy the gig. “We had one or two negronis, [and] we concocted a text back that said, ‘Their career was finished and had been; they’d been around the block too many times. But James Purefoy, what a wonderful choice that would be,'” he laughs. “It was a set-up really. I’m hoping they’re happy with what I did. But we concocted that at a bar in Portugal one night.”
Purefoy admits playing Goode’s father was terrible for his vanity, but ultimately, their characters are both centuries old, so that softened the blow. Mostly, performing with Goode made him up his game. “Matthew is a mercurial and dangerous presence in a scene,” he reflects. “He’s really interesting, and he’ll go places that you don’t expect him to go. It’s like playing tennis with somebody. If you play tennis with somebody worse than you, you just get worse. If you play tennis with somebody who is good as you or preferably better than you, then you get better and Matthew is one of them. He makes you better.”
Still, it was also an unexpected challenge, given their camaraderie. “There were moments where he was just literally laughing in my face on the other side of the camera,” Purefoy adds. “Because something I said or something I’d done made him laugh. He’s a terrible giggler. Terrible. Up there with the greatest gigglers of all…The biggest challenge [of the season] was trying to get through a scene with Matthew Goode without laughing.”
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Even with his fond reminisces of his time acting opposite Goode and his love for the role, Purefoy does have one regret from the season. “Sadly, I didn’t get to sink my teeth into anybody’s throat,” he opines. “I did figure if I was playing a vampire, I might just get the odd chance to do that.”
But sometimes even the greatest jobs have aspects that suck.
A Discovery of Witches season 2 premieres on Sundance Now, Shudder and AMC+ on Saturday.
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Why A Discovery of Witches had to make some big changes to the book for season 2 – Radio Times 7th January 2021
By Huw Fullerton
The second season of the Deborah Harkness adaptation goes in a few new directions – but they had the author’s blessing, says star Matthew Goode.
Sky original drama A Discovery of Witches has found success in bringing the smash-hit novels of author Deborah Harkness to the small screen, with the team at Bad Wolf Studios working closely with Harkness to help her tale of warring vampires, daemons and witches come to life.
However, despite this close relationship the stars of the series have now revealed that some big changes from the text are in store for season two – with Harkness happily on board when it comes to the alterations.
“They’re incredibly difficult books to adapt, so there are going to be people who are huge fans of the book that might be like I am, where you’re not disappointed but you’re like, ‘Why isn’t that in there?’” series star Matthew Goode, who plays vampire Matthew de Clairmont, told RadioTimes.com on the set of season two, when we visited in late 2019.
“It can be a difficult story to follow. So we’ve had to change the order of events. We now go to see my father first and then head on to see the emperor, as opposed to coming back and then… you know.”
“We have massive modern threads,” Goode told us. “In the original – in the second book, it doesn’t go back to modern times. So we wanted people to know what was going on with those characters too.”
Such a change could have been controversial – but to Harkness, it was an easy request to say yes to. After all, in her mind it was really just an extension of what she’d been planning to do anyway.
“There’s definitely a contemporary storyline in the book too,” Harkness told RadioTimes.com during a streamed panel discussion for season two. “Those moments propel us towards series three, which was the purpose of them for me narratively.
“But they were really kind of touchpoints that were related to an anomaly where the past had suddenly bumped up against the present.
“Those were the places where the screenwriters had a lot more latitude, because it wasn’t on the page, to explain how we got from place to place.”
In other words, season two is able to fill in the gaps of what happened to the present-day characters while Matthew and Diana were living in the past, getting them to the point where Harkness picked up with them again in her third book. For example, episode four of the new series takes place entirely in the present day, following Edmund Bluemel’s Marcus as he faces a new challenge.
“Doing an adaptation is always a challenge, and tricky, because you have to stay within the bounds of what exists, right?” Harkness told us.
“But what was great, I hoped, with the contemporary lines is that it did give them a bit more latitude to play and invent.”
“It’s all under the guise of Deb Harkness, which is great,” Teresa Palmer, who plays witch Diana, told us. “And Deb, she gives suggestions to make sure the world works within [her vision].
“Man, it comes with its challenges, absolutely. But knowing that she’s steering this ship, it takes the pressure off, I think, because the fans really look to her to dictate how the story goes, and what’s included, and what’s not.”
“Permissions have been sought,” Goode added.
Overall, it sounds like the new series will just add more to the world that Harkness created – and might even bring some surprises for her most dedicated of fans.
“Provided we still got from point a to point b to point c, how we got there was not established within the covers of Shadow of Night, which is the second book,” the author told us.
And we’re sure that how will be a big draw for viewers as A Discovery of Witches turns time upside down for season two.
Sky original drama A Discovery of Witches Series two is coming to Sky One and NOW TV on 8th January 2021, with all episodes available at once.
https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/fantasy/2021-01-07/discovery-of-witches-season-2-book-changes/
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A Discovery of Witches stars tease “elevated” and “immense” final season – Radio Times 6th January 2021
Teresa Palmer and Steven Cree offer some hints about the third season of Sky’s fantasy drama: “To pardon a vampire pun, the stakes are much higher.”
A Discovery of Witches season two hasn’t even been released yet, but the cast and crew of the Sky One fantasy drama are already hard at work on a third (and final) season to tie up Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana’s (Teresa Palmer) love story.
“Teresa’s really nailed that,” Cree said. “To pardon a vampire pun, the stakes are much higher in season three. Just wanted to get that in there.”
After time-walking back to the 1590s at the end of season one (and remaining in that time period for the second season), season three is set to return the action to the present day – but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of the new characters introduced this year.
“We’re back in contemporary times. I think it’s OK to say that,” Cree said.
“I think one of the more exciting things will be that there’s an amalgamation of some of those characters from 1590 with the characters from the contemporary time. So I think it’ll be exciting to see some of those characters coming together.
“From a personal point of view I’m 400 years older,” he added, “so a lot has happened and [Gallowglass is] a different person.”
Still, the happy reunions can’t last too long – because as fans know, author Deborah Harkness (upon whose novels the series is based) only wrote three books in her All Soul’s series, making this third season the end of Matthew and Diana’s story.
And according to Palmer, the experience of filming her farewell to Diana has been “bittersweet”.
“I love watching the journey of every character coming to such a beautiful, organic end,” she told us from the set of season three.
“And to see Diana at the pinnacle of her magic and just leaning into her authentic self, is such a beautiful part of this season.
“It’s bittersweet – I’ll leave you with that, because obviously they’re based on Deb’s beautiful books, the trilogy. This is the third season, and I have about five weeks left of being with Diana.
“I have mixed emotions,” she concluded.
When season three does roll around, we’re sure plenty of fans will have similar difficulties – but at least they’re still got plenty of episodes to enjoy between now and then.
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Meet the cast of A Discovery of Witches season 2 – Radio Times – 6th January 2021 [Extract]
The fantasy romance returns with a stellar cast in tow.
By David Craig
Who is Diana Bishop? Diana is a historian who tried to escape her lineage as a witch, but the supernatural world found her when she stumbled upon a bewitched manuscript in Oxford University’s Bodleian Library. She formed a controversial alliance with ancient vampire Matthew Clairmont which ultimately blossomed into love, risking her life to save his in the season one finale before travelling back in time several centuries to take refuge from their pursuers.
What else has Teresa Palmer been in? Palmer has starred in the main cast of several feature films including zombie comedy Warm Bodies, crime thriller Triple 9, horror flick Lights Out and war epic Hacksaw Ridge. Most recently, she played the lead role in Ride Like A Girl, the biopic about jockey Michelle Payne, first woman to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015.
Matthew Goode plays Matthew Clairmont
Who is Matthew Clairmont? Clairmont is an ancient vampire who forms an alliance with witch Diana Bishop, despite their species traditionally being at odds with each other. He is gravely concerned about the declining fortunes of vampires, witches and demons, all of whom are becoming less powerful in the supernatural world. His relationship with Diana eventually becomes romantic and he flees with her to 16th century London.
What else has Matthew Goode been in? Goode is a familiar face to fans of British telly, with recent roles in ITV’s Downton Abbey, Netflix’s The Crown and BBC One’s Ordeal by Innocence. Across the pond, he played Finn Polmar in legal drama The Good Wife and portrayed Ozymandias in the Hollywood adaptation of Alan Moore’s Watchmen.
A Discovery of Witches returns on Friday 8th January on Sky One.
Full cast introduction in full article here – https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2021-01-06/a-discovery-of-witches-cast/
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A Discovery of Witches season 2 cast: Who is in the cast of A Discovery of Witches? – The Express UK – 6th January 2021 [Extract]
A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES season 2 is coming to Sky One and NOW TV very soon but who is the cast of the new series?
After more than two years of waiting, season two of A Discovery of Witches is finally here. The new series will premiere on Friday, January 8 at 9pm on Sky One and fans are curious to know more about the show’s cast. Express.co.uk has everything you need to know.
Who is in the cast of a Discovery of Witches?
Matthew De Clermont – Matthew Goode
Matthew Goode returns as the multi-talented Matthew De Claremont.
In A Discovery of Witches, Matthew is a poet, healer, scientist, spy, warrior and an assassin and in the new series, he will be attempting to reinhabit his life as Matthew Roydon, an identity he held in the 16th century.
Speaking about the challenges Matthew De Clermont will face ins season two, Goode said: “In season one, Diana was a bit of a victim of circumstance.
“In season two, she’s a lot smarter and as a historian, she thrives going back in time.”
“Diana also steps up in the relationship, looking after Matthew mentally because he starts to lose himself. It becomes a proper marriage based on equality.”
Goode is best known for playing Anthony Armstrong Jones in the first two seasons of The Crown on Netflix.
Whole article here – https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1380544/A-Discovery-of-Witches-season-2-cast-who-is-in-A-Discovery-of-Witches-series-evg
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For Teresa Palmer it’s the season of the witch – Sidney Morning Herald – 6th January 2021 [Extracts]
In the fantasy series A Discovery of Witches, Australian actress Teresa Palmer plays a historian who delves into the world of magic and daemons while unlocking the secrets of a manuscript in the Bodleian Library.
For your role in A Discovery of Witches, how easy is it to tap into your inner witch?
It was challenging in some ways and not in others. I am a person who relies heavily on intuition and instinct, and Diana has that third eye, she’s deeply intuitive, so in some ways we are aligned. And in other ways it was completely making it up as you go. I have a movement coach, I call her my magic coach, and when I have a magic scene she sends me these 15-minute videos on how to use my hands, how to get my body to portray magic, what it might feel like having that pulsate through my body. She’s great, she works with all of us so there’s a consistency through all the witches and the vampires.
Is it particularly challenging filming through COVID?
It’s been challenging for the production as a whole, but Sky has these really amazing protocols in place to keep everyone safe. Every week on a Tuesday and a Thursday the entire crew gets tested for COVID. We have these separate pods, where each crew member belongs to a different pod, whether it’s lighting or grips or hair and makeup, drivers … so there’s a real separatism there. In some ways it’s hard because a beautiful part of filming is the relationships you have and the banter and interactions. There’s a lot less of that this year; everyone’s taking [COVID] very seriously, and the morale of the crew is high, and I’m so proud of everyone. They’re doing a really good job pushing through.
When you took the role of Diana, did you devour the source material (Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy), or did you think, no, I’ll do my own interpretation based solely on the scripts?
It was a bit of both. I definitely jumped headfirst into reading the books and getting to know as much about Diana and the fabric of who she is as possible, because it could only be beneficial. But at the same time letting go of any sort of control surrounding anything I’ve read. Because when you’re doing an adaptation you have to kill the darlings, you can’t include everything. So I’ve had to forsake all expectations, and know who Diana was, but know that the show was going to be its own vehicle and it was going to be different from the book. So it’s been sort of a mash-up. Every now and then I’ll be about to film a scene and I feel like I have to whip the book out to get a bit more context.
….
Matthew Goode: as sexy as he seems?
A Discovery of Witches is on Binge.
A Discovery of Witches stars tease “much darker” second season – 5th January 2021
As Matthew and Diana find themselves in Elizabethan London, new challenges could lead them down a deadly path…
Fantasy romance A Discovery of Witches is returning to Sky One after a long break, with season one airing at the end of 2018 and fans waiting over two years to see what came next for star-crossed vampire/witch lovers Matthew and Diana (Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer).
The major source of this darkness? Matthew’s submersion into the more violent persona of his younger 1590s self, whose life he picks up as a disguise when the pair first arrive in history, as well as his continuing struggle with blood rage, a vampire disease hinted at in the series before.
“It is a lot darker,” Palmer told us. “There’s no violence that I see first-hand, obviously, but I know that he has violent tendencies, as does [his younger self] Matthew Roydon, and then I see blood rage for the first time. It’s a lot to process. So obviously there’s some conflict between the two of us.
“I’m getting to know him again in this time. It feels like a totally different Matthew in moments. It really throws her for a loop. And again, she feels quite isolated.”
“And Matthew’s father,” she added, referring to James Purefoy’s paternal vampire Philippe. “The treatment at the hands of his father that I cop – that also puts a little bit of a wedge between us too.”
“Like all fathers and their sons, really, it’s like: how much do you know them? How much have you given of yourself to them?” Goode said. “Or do you spend a lot of time not sharing a lot of yourself?
“So it’s all bound up in that, really. And obviously it’s more complicated because he’s going back to a time of 500 years before when Philippe is pretty bloody formidable, and in France.
“All in all, it’s a man seeking the approval and love of another man. And you’ll see how that pans out.”
In other words, things will be looking pretty fraught for Diana and Matthew as the series continues – even if behind the camera, things were brighter than ever as Goode reunited with “the wonderful James Purefoy” after working together before.
“He’s his mate from The Wine Show,”Palmer told us, “which is quite funny. So they’ve been having lots of giggles on set.”
“I think we’ve had more laughter than season one – by quite a bit,” Goode said.
“Yeah, it’s been fun,” Palmer agreed.
Laughs and tears? Fun and doom? Like the series itself, it sounds like filming was a perfect balance of dark and light.
Season Two of A Discovery of Witches is Bringing Shadow of Night to Life Impressively – Marvellous Geeks Media – 5th January 2021
Raise your hand if Shadow of Night is also your favorite book in the All-Souls trilogy–it’s certainly ours and we were already so thrilled by the series’ renewal that our expectations were high. And we’re happy to report that with what we’ve seen so far from season two, A Discovery of Witches is now even better than it was before.
While we are without question obsessed with the stunning coats Diana and Miriam were rocking last season since it served as inspiration for us in our own lives, Elizabethan fashion is working wonders in the second season and especially with Matthew. Not to get objective, but we’re here for it. We love nothing more than period pieces and Shadow of Night gives us just that with the time travel storyline allowing for the second season to do so as well.
We are two episodes into the series and we can confirm, without question, that we’re already certain this season is going to be better than the former. While so much was established then, it’s all more flushed out now, and the performers are showcasing their roles better than ever. As the relationship between Matthew and Diana has been strengthened now and representative of something so beautiful, the chemistry between Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer has improved as well. And that’s a rarity with already established fictional couples, so we love to see it, plus we commend them for it.
New characters and old, the casting department has done an exceptional job with this show–all the characters we have seen so far, are already a delight. Even when they…aren’t. They contributing to what making the new season so gripping. The new set design is riveting, and the storyline is just as captivating as we would have hoped.
A Discovery of Witches is a show based on an incredibly detailed book series; so much of it can’t be translated on to screen, but that is often the case with adaptations, and thus far, the decisions made in season two are ones we are thrilled with. The heart of this series is the love story. It’s a series that focuses on two complex individuals attempting to navigate the harrowing world around them and their own love lives, their own identities, and their own powers. Season two will explore these as it will explore the nuances of the mythology. While we’re generally not the biggest fan of adaptations done in the past, when it comes to A Discovery of Witches, Harkness’ historian input makes for a carefully constructed series. That said, gird your loins, because season two is about to move viewers gorgeously.
A Discovery Witches premieres on Sky One January 8 and on Shudder/Sundance January 9.
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A Discovery of Witches’ Second Season Is a Lush, Magical Period Adventure – CBR – 4th January 2021
In its long-awaited second season, A Discovery of Witches journeys into the past, leading to a satisfying, evocative story.
All of this combined ultimately makes A Discovery of Witches more magical in its second season. The journey into the past enables the show to better distinguish itself from other vampire love stories while also introducing some fascinating historical elements, providing a plethora of elements to satisfy viewers. This bodes well for the already-filming third season, which will wrap up the series. In the meantime, this middle season is an enchanting adventure that will leave fans eager to see what’s next for Diana and Matthew.
A Discovery of Witches Season 2 stars Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, Alex Kingston, Valarie Pettiford, Lindsay Duncan, Edward Bluemel, Aiysha Hart, Daniel Ezra, Aisling Loftus, Trevor Eve, Owen Teale, Malin Buska, Gregg Chillin, Tom Hughes, James Purefoy, Steven Cree and Adelle Leonce. The first episode of the season will be available to stream on Saturday, Jan. 9 on Sundance Now and Shudder, with new episodes available every Saturday.
Prepare to be bewitched by Diana and Matthew in “A Discovery of Witches” season 2 – The Tempest – 4th January 2021
The show’s sophomore season truly outdoes itself with its adventures of time-walking, forbidden love and supernatural feuds.
I was infinitely glad that the slights and limitations that a foreign woman such as Diana would suffer in 1590 were, for the most part, established implicitly, rather than with pitiful speeches on misogyny, because how could Diana, a professor of history, expect anything different from the 16th century? What’s better, we are reminded that Diana actually has it easier than most, as a beautiful woman married to a rich, influential, and fearsome man.
She is warned time and time again that Matthew wouldn’t be the same once in a different context. He does regress to his 16th-century self in front of Diana’s eyes and together with her we discover more of his (seemingly endless) secrets and an even darker side of him. Soon enough, he starts displaying more territorial and vampire-animalistic behavior that Diana doesn’t tolerate for one second, giving the audience no chance to misinterpret possessiveness for romanticism. No, she meets him headfirst beat for beat until he relents.
The two share a lot of incredibly sweet and tender moments too, but the season isn’t without their fights, which I appreciated in equal measure. Despite what 1590 might want of her, Diana will never be a passive housewife. She confronts and provokes Matthew when necessary and she always does what she needs to get her way.
The undeniable chemistry between Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode – together with the spectacular writing – is the reason why the show works so well, easily translating into the best on-screen supernatural couple I’ve ever seen. Their scenes feel even more spontaneous and genuine than in their freshman season.
Palmer has clearly grown in her role in tandem with Diana herself. The only funny note I have is that as an Australian actress playing an American pretending to be English, Teresa’s Aussie accent came through a couple of times, but it only served to make me smile, like in the instance where somebody asks her where she hails from and she hesitantly replies “Cambridge, my lord… well, perhaps somewhere to the west of Cambridge.” However, she delivers every demanding scene spectacularly.
Matthew Goode’s already flawless performance is required to step into divine levels as his character gains even more layers, and Goode will shock you with mind-blowing results. I do not say this lightly, but he will be robbed of an Emmy if he doesn’t win one.
Diana Bishop might have a hard time adjusting to being Mistress Roydon, but the 16th century presents Matthew de Clermont with a more daunting challenge: to face and battle with his past, his old self and the decisions he has taken, with his conscience much heavier. He is nearly eaten by remorse because he cannot stop or undo everything wrong that happened the first time around. The stakes are much higher now, and his actions have more dangerous repercussions both on the past that now surrounds him, and on the future.
Old wounds reopen in Matthew, almost to the point of choking him. He’s caught between loyalties (to his father, to his master, to his God) but he never lets that interfere with his love for Diana. No, because every moment of every day he chooses her against the conflicting interests of his past and present self.
It was marvelous to witness a more vulnerable side of Matthew, with Diana being his guiding light, his anchor, his strength, in a poetic role reversal from last season. The heartbreaking scene where we see him unravel might be my favorite of the series.
But Matthew isn’t reduced to a broken man. We see different sides of him, in contrast to his stoic presence of season 1. In 1590, Matthew can be playful with his friends, tender with his lover, aloof with his family, assertive and persuasive with great potentates, caring with children… after all that, it’s uncanny but hilarious to see him be chastised by his father like a schoolboy.
On this note, if Diana underwent a sort of generational conflict in season 1, coming to terms with her late parents and their questionable secrets, now we witness multiple characters struggle with accepting their fathers’ legacies and stepping out of their shadows. Matthew and Baldwin have to come to terms, in different ways, with the future/past loss of their larger-than-life father Philippe de Clermont; similarly, Matthew’s revolutionary son Marcus is forced to grapple with the responsibilities brought about by his new role as Grand Master of the Knights of Lazarus that he gained in his father’s absence, and what that means for him and for the world.
As Diana and Matthew prepare for a journey within their journey that sets in motion unexpected events in the future, chaos and uncertainty ensue in present-day Venice, Oxford, and Sept-Tours. While a good 75% of the action is focused on the main couple, we do check in on the other characters, even if not as much as fans might hope (missing my fave Miriam!). Matthew and Diana’s storyline is so full of complications, with unexpected obstacles at every turn, that it needs to take center stage; the events in the present are allowed to move at a much slower rate.
The source material to cover is massive and mostly told from Diana’s point of view, except for a couple of sporadic chapters to keep us updated on the present. In the show, we simply have to follow more characters. I know more casual watchers will lament the convoluted storyline that might be perceived as compressed, but as a fan of the book, I guarantee the producers did nearly everything in their power to save time without making too important changes. Almost no character in the huge cast is erased (just the one, sigh) but they cleverly altered the timeline and inverted the order of certain events to condense. The only way they could’ve adapted Shadow of Night better is if they’d been granted a longer season.
Before we conclude, a word on certain characters I have not yet mentioned. Gallowglass is everything I wanted him to be. Painfully loyal to Matthew and quickly fond of Diana, he brings in a comedic and vibrant energy from the first moment the camera sets on him. Steven Cree portrayed him perfectly, just as every book fan might hope.
Matthew’s mother Ysabeau never fails to deliver elegant sass mixed with intensity. She had me in tears in episode 6. Newcomer Phoebe Taylor might shock some, but I was enraptured by her character and Adelle Leonce’s performance.
Having seen the first 7 episodes of season 2, I can certainly say the show succeeded in capturing the essence of Shadow of Night. The writing has only become more powerful, the world-building and atmosphere always inviting me to get lost in ADOW’s world. Books fans will enjoy many Easter eggs — pay especially close attention to the murder cases and other crimes happening in modern-day Oxford and the early mentions of blood rage.
Every single detail in the show is perfect and full of meaning. The crew who worked on the sets and costume departments deserves multiple awards for recreating Elizabethan London buildings and costumes from scratch, a feat that sounds easier than it is. Just an example of the exquisite cinematography: I couldn’t help but notice that as the School of Night is talking about the changes in Matthew, a golden “MUTATIO” is engraved on the wall behind Kit. It’s a minuscule detail, but isn’t there where the devil lies?
Behind the familiar feuds between witches, vampires and daemons, this story truly strives to find the answer to one proto-Hamletic question, “why are we here?”, investigating humanity even within the supernatural.
A Discovery of Witches is the best fantasy show on air. Season 2 will leave you on the edge of your seats and begging for more when it premieres on January 8.
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‘A Discovery of Witches’ 2 – Episode 1 Advanced Review: A New Journey – Fangirlish – 4th Jan 2021
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Tom Hughes: ‘I find the whole class system crazy and outdated’ – The Independent – 3rd January 2021 [Extract]
By Charlotte Cripps
The star of ITV’s hit drama ‘Victoria’ talks to Charlotte Cripps about his latest incarnation as a daemon in Sky’s second season of ‘A Discovery of Witches’ and how he craves emotional honesty in his roles.
after he left Rada in 2008, and was cast in his first lead role as the lairy but deeply wounded rebel in the 2010 film Cemetery Junction, acting took over. His latest role is as a daemon in the second series of the fantasy series A Discovery of Witches, which is on Sky One from 8 January. It’s not long into the first episode that we meet Hughes’s mercurial character – Christopher Marlowe (Kit), the Elizabethan playwright – who speaks in seductive hushed tones from the shadows. His beloved friend, the vampire Matthew Clairmont (played with brilliant iciness by Matthew Goode), whom Kit is in love with, has returned after a few hundred years. Much to Kit’s horror, he’s with his new wife, an untrained witch called Diana.
The couple have time-travelled into Elizabethan London from the modern day to find a lost manuscript and to find a witch tutor for Diana, but Kit’s jealousy bubbles away until he plots to kill her.
“I guess I made a choice after Victoria to try a new genre, then this thing came along; witches, daemons and vampires,” says Hughes, putting an elastic band in his hair to keep his fringe out of his eyes. “I thought it was the perfect opportunity. I have been drawn to roles that have been based on some form of social realism – it doesn’t mean to say everything has been Jimmy McGovern stuff – but I wanted to know what it felt like to step into pure escapism. But, equally, the fantastic thing about the part is that Kit is a real person.”
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A Discovery of Witches season 2 preview: Compelling, escapist fun – and addictive – Radio Times 2nd January 2021
Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer return in the glossy vampire/witch love story.
4.0 out of 5 star rating
However all three species are also declining, turning to madness or dying out, with various figures trying to discover what’s causing this degradation and halt it before it’s too late. One such person is vampire Matthew de Clairmont, a centuries-old bloodsucker with a penchant for standing in shadowy corners and being suave, and another is spellbound (i.e. unable to perform magic) witch Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), and the pair form a romantic attachment as they search for a crucial book that could help them solve the mystery.
Thrills, chills and spills ensue, and at the end of season one Matthew and Diana “time-walked” into the past to escape the Congregation (who forbid inter-species relationships) and find Diana a magic teacher – which is exactly where season two picks up as the pair land in 1590, at a time when a younger Matthew was terrorising Elizabethan London.
Apart from a short catch up with the Congregation back in the present day, this opening episode takes almost entirely in 1590, and the series benefits hugely from this focus. While later episodes do return to the season one storyline and contemporary side characters (most notably episode four, which centres solely around Edmund Bluemel’s likable vampire Marcus) there’s so much for Matthew and Diana to discover in the 16th century that it’s no harm to streamline things to begin with.
Watching Matthew (who has only hazy memories of his time in the 1590s) bluff his way through this time period and pose as his earlier self is great fun, even as “wearing the cloak” of this darker identity causes him to slip into some bad, murderous habits. Meanwhile Diana is thrown even more on the back foot in a world of new allegiances and dangers, even as she learns more about her magical powers and how best to use them.
If there is a criticism of this time-travel storyline it’s just how complicated it gets, with a host of new characters (most notably Tom Hughes’ Kit Marlowe), subplots and objectives even as the already-stuffed plot of season one continues to play out alongside it.
Notably, Deborah Harkness’ original novel Shadow of Night (upon which season two is based) focused exclusively on Matthew and Diana’s journey to the past, excising the present-day story altogether. Despite this, it was still critiqued by some as having too many secondary characters and plot elements – so a TV version that also keeps the present-day storyline going alongside this risks becoming almost too sprawling.
Still, A Discovery of Witches just about holds it together, with the world-building and performances compelling enough to pull you through the new complex web of spies, witches, religious vampires and historical figures to focus on Matthew and Diana’s story.
Because as ever, this series is only as strong as its leading couple. Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer’s chemistry is as palpable as ever in season two, and those who watch this series for their romance alone won’t be disappointed.
Overall, A Discovery of Witches season two is compelling, escapist fun, and eminently addictive even for the most casual of viewers. After planning to watch an episode or two ahead of time, I ended up burning through four in one sitting, and if that’s not a sign of just how enjoyable this series can be I don’t know what is.
So tuck in, All Soul’s fans – you’ve waited long enough.
A Discovery of Witches returns to Sky One on Friday 8th January.
https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2021-01-02/discovery-of-witches-2-review-preview/
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A love that spells trouble: Mail Online – 1st January 2021
By KATHRYN KNIGHT FOR WEEKEND MAGAZINE
A witch and a vampire fall for each other in Sky’s supernatural thriller A Discovery Of Witches – but there are bumps along the way as they travel back to Tudor times in series two
Based on Deborah Harkness’s All Souls book trilogy, the first series following the adventures of historian and reluctant witch Diana Bishop and her vampire companion, biochemist Matthew Clairmont, pulled in two million viewers an episode when it aired in 2018, making it Sky One’s most popular drama that year.
Fans have been waiting for the second series ever since, and two years on they’re being rewarded with ten new episodes which see the duo hurled back through time to Elizabethan London.
A Discovery Of Witches is based on Deborah Harkness’s All Souls book trilogy and the first series pulled in two million viewers an episode when it aired in 2018. Pictured: Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer as Matthew and Diana
Part love story, part thriller, part mystery, the series follows them as they endeavour to hunt down a magic text that could save both their peoples from extinction, and according to Matthew Goode, who plays Clairmont, it’s much darker than its predecessor. ‘It’s a very different series because Matthew regresses into his past – and psychologically that changes him,’ he says.
There is certainly plenty of supernatural warfare on show, alongside some nascent ‘blood rage’ (a vampire’s insatiable urge to hunt). The burgeoning romance between our hero and heroine continues to flourish though, albeit with bumps in the road on the way.
‘Diana’s getting to know him again in this era,’ explains Australian actress Teresa Palmer, who plays Diana. ‘When we go back in time, the Matthew Clairmont she knows seems really different. He shifts into this darker version. It feels like he’s a totally different Matthew at times and this really throws her.’
The first series was named after the opening book in Harkness’s trilogy and set in a world where ‘creatures’ – witches, vampires and daemons – are at odds with each other but are united in keeping their powers hidden from humankind.
We met Diana as she discovered a bewitched manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Forced back into the world of magic to unravel its secrets, she formed an alliance with Clairmont, and despite the usual mistrust between vampires and witches the duo set out to protect the book while dodging threats from other creatures.
Initially reluctant to connect with her witch heritage, by the start of this series Diana has grown more confident in her powers and is on her way to becoming the most powerful witch in the world. ‘She spent so many years denying that part of herself, but her mindset is changing and, in fact, she’s starting to embrace this part of who she is,’ says Teresa.
Ten new episodes see the duo hurled back through time to Elizabethan London. Pictured: Steven Cree as Gallowglass
‘She’s still got a very long way to go and she’s certainly not in control of her magic, but she has to embrace who she is and delve further into it.’
That means lots of captivating magic sequences for viewers. ‘She harnesses all the power she’s discovered so far, like witch-wind that can blow people away and witch-water, the power to control rain.
‘But she builds upon those and she starts to realise that a part of one of her gifts is she can bring life into things,’ she says. ‘So there are sequences like the one where she’s looking at someone’s shoe with a snake embroidered on it and she brings the snake out of the shoe, a live snake.’
With the majority of the action based in 1590 (although there is some time travel back to the present), the cast had to deal with the challenges of full Tudor costume, a particular issue for Teresa who was breastfeeding her daughter Poet during filming.
‘I had to have front-opening corsets, so just the logistics were complex,’ she laughs. ‘But they’re so gorgeous and the intricate detail and the amount of effort put into making these beautiful costumes is unbelievable.’
The Tudor setting also enables the introduction of characters from history, including real-life Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe (played by Victoria’s Tom Hughes) alongside the then 57-year-old Queen Elizabeth (Casualty’s Barbara Marten), whose relatively advanced years do not preclude her from flirting with Clairmont.
‘I’m having it written into all his main scenes that women find him attractive,’ laughs Matthew. ‘Their relationship is quite touching actually, even when she’s being ghastly because there’s something deeper at the centre of it all.
He worked for her father, Henry VIII, and so he was a confidant who probably helped her while she was growing up. I would imagine there was a frisson while she was a teenager and then a young queen, but he does love her very much and respects her hugely.’
Also joining the cast is Outlander’s Steven Cree, playing Clairmont’s nephew Gallowglass, a towering warrior fierce in battle but unafraid of revealing his soft heart around family. Gallowglass accepts Diana as part of his extended family, becoming one of only a handful of people she trusts.
‘He’s incredibly loyal to Matthew and the Clairmonts despite perhaps not necessarily always agreeing with everyone, particularly Matthew’s father Philippe [played by James Purefoy],’ says Steven.
‘He’s quite bombastic yet he can be quite sensitive as well – but when it comes to the crunch he’s a fierce warrior who will destroy anyone or anything that gets in Matthew’s way. Because of his loyalty to Matthew, he then becomes incredibly protective of Diana as well.’
With an intensely loyal fanbase behind the books, all the stars admit they were aware there were high expectations for their transition onto the screen. ‘This show had a huge fan base before we even started, and because of social media I’ve been aware of the expectations for Gallowglass,’ says Steven Cree.
‘When I filmed Outlander I wasn’t on social media and I had no idea – and also the character I played in Outlander was different, whereas Gallowglass seems to be a fan favourite in the books so I’m definitely aware of that.’
It’s a sentiment echoed by Matthew Goode, who says he’s glad that – so far at least – the reception has been incredibly positive even from the most diehard fans of the books.
‘They’re incredibly difficult to adapt and so there are always going to be huge fans of the books who are, if not disappointed, wondering why things have been missed out,’ he says. ‘But we think so far we’ve made something that’s going to appease both sides.’
A Discovery Of Witches, Friday, 9pm, Sky One.
